"One, two, three, four... you actually found four people?" Goreinu's face displayed undisguised surprise.
Since Genthru's group had ransacked Tsezguerra's team of their cards, Tsezguerra was forced to withdraw from the race early. Consequently, Goreinu hadn't found any high-level experts and had simply picked up a few players on the street to make up the numbers.
Gon nodded without hesitation. "That's right! And all four of them are masters. This time, we'll definitely win the game."
"In that case, let's head in. If we fail this time, we might not get a third chance. According to the latest news, Genthru has already collected ninety-four cards. He's only a few away from the clear condition," Goreinu said, looking worried.
"Don't worry, they won't get that chance. Because from now on, the enemy they face is me," Allen said, the corners of his mouth curling into a playful smile.
"You are..." A look of confusion appeared on Goreinu's face.
Clearly, he had been inside the game for so long that he had no idea what was happening in the outside world.
"My name is Allen. Nice to meet you," Allen said, proactively extending his right hand.
From the strange glint in his eyes, it wasn't hard to guess that he was likely thinking of certain doujinshi content he had accidentally stumbled upon, for instance, the infamous "Feline Absolute Time."
It couldn't be helped! Togashi updated so slowly that many readers grew impatient and started drawing their own fan comics. After all, for a mature Hunter x Hunter fan, wasn't learning how to draw doujinshi practically a rite of passage? Some were so fed up they even started making their own simple follow-up animations. It was all a result of being pushed to the brink by Togashi's insane hiatuses and maddening update schedule.
"Hello, I'm Goreinu. Nice to meet you too," Goreinu replied, quickly introducing himself. Although he didn't know how many "pixelated" images were flashing through Allen's mind, he instinctively felt that the way the other man looked at him was slightly off.
Before he could figure out what was wrong, Gon impatiently led the way, charging into the indoor sports arena beneath the tavern.
Razor, who was busy training his arm muscles with a barbell, saw them and smiled. "I didn't think you'd be back so soon. Ready to start the match immediately?"
"Of course! I'll take the boxing match!"
Bodoro stepped forward first, his body radiating an astonishing amount of Aura. His opponent was a very ordinary young man, neither particularly muscular nor threatening.
The moment the boxing bell rang, the martial artist lunged forward with lightning speed, aiming a heavy blow directly at the man's abdomen.
Thump!
With a dull thud, the poor fellow flew backward like an arrow from a bow, crashing straight into the ropes before tumbling out of the ring. He curled into a ball uncontrollably, coughing up a mixture of saliva, gastric acid, and bile.
Undoubtedly, Bodoro had held back; otherwise, the man would have been vomiting blood, shredded organs, and broken bones.
"A fine punch! The winner is Bodoro."
Razor raised the martial artist's gloved hand, announcing a victory for the player camp without stinting on praise. He could feel that the previous punch would have required even him to exert some effort to block, let alone one of these convicts.
Next was the bowling match. Lupos, the Shadow Wolf, stepped up with his protruding belly. He simply infused a bit of Shadow energy into the ball and gave it a gentle nudge with his paw. Upon impact, the energy released, knocking down every pin in the vicinity. There was zero possibility of missing.
The third round was basketball. Relying on agility several times higher than an average human's and the precision control unique to Manipulation, Baise easily secured the win.
As Gon and Killua cheered loudly, a tall, burly man suddenly stepped out and shouted at Razor, "Wait! I'm tired of being ordered around by you! From now on, I'll do whatever I want!"
With those words, he ripped off his hat and roared at Killua, "Hey, brat! Step outside with me!"
"Outside? Are you sure you don't mean 'out of bounds'?" Killua asked calmly.
"The game is over! How about I finish you right here?" The fat man began to stalk forward, his face contorted with rage.
"Bopobo! You're violating the contract!" another convict shouted, trying to stop him.
Razor added in a threatening tone, "Do you want to go back to the hole?"
But Bopobo was clearly blinded by fury. He turned and cursed, "I don't care! I'm not playing your stupid game anymore!" He then turned to incite the others. "Is no one on my side? If we all attack together, we can take him down! Then we leave this island by boat or airship and we're free!"
As the fat man tried his best to stir up a rebellion, Razor condensed a volleyball-sized Aura Ball in his hand and hurled it with tremendous force. The target was clear: the insubordinate Bopobo.
Just as the man's head was about to be obliterated by the bullet, Allen, who had been watching from the sidelines, suddenly moved. With speed no one could track, he swatted the Aura Ball away. It slammed into the upper right corner of the gymnasium, blasting a bathtub-sized hole in the wall.
"He is a Nen user after all. Isn't it a waste to just kill him?" Allen asked with a smile. "If you don't mind, why not give him to me?"
"Oh? And what do you plan to do with him?" Razor asked, looking intrigued.
"As food, of course! You see, I have a very hungry Nen beast," Allen replied without hesitation.
Razor rubbed his chin, hesitating for a few seconds before nodding. "Fine. He's yours."
"Thanks!"
As the word left his lips, Allen delivered a backhand punch that caved in Bopobo's chest, instantly crushing his heart, lungs, and ribs.
"Vaelstrasz. Devour him!"
"ROAARRRRR!"
Instantly, the massive red dragon manifested in physical form. It breathed out scorching flames of life, turning the two-meter-tall man into a cocoon before swallowing him whole.
Though the entire process took only seconds, it sent the hearts of everyone in the gym racing. The three strongest individuals—Hisoka, Razor, and Bisky—each showed expressions ranging from excitement and shock to curiosity.
Killua, who had seen the red dragon before, stared wide-eyed at his best friend. "Gon! That red beast is at least several times larger than when we saw it at Heavens Arena, right?"
"Yeah! So strong! Just the Aura it radiates unintentionally makes me feel like I'm suffocating. Allen has grown stronger again." Gon nodded slightly, his eyes fixed on where Vaelstrasz had disappeared, maintaining his Gyo.
Bisky overheard the two boys and lowered her voice. "You've seen that dragon-shaped Nen beast before?"
"We have. It's one of Allen's abilities. As far as we know, the Red Dragon can devour defeated Nen users and even steal their abilities. This guy is a monster; you can't see the bottom of his potential or his limits," Killua replied in a hushed tone.
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