Cloud Guardian vs. Kingpin
The frail-looking palm slapped against the tonfas with overwhelming force, bending them inward and slamming them into Hibari's chest. He flew backward.
Fortunately, Hibari's body coordination was exceptional. He didn't lose balance—instead flipping backward mid-flight, landing seven or eight meters away. He continued sliding backward until he was teetering at the edge of the elevator shaft at the corridor's far end before finally stopping.
This old woman is ridiculously strong.
Hibari looked up, genuine surprise on his face.
He wasn't shocked by the raw power itself—he'd encountered stronger forces through Box Weapons and enhanced rings before.
What shocked him was that this power belonged to someone who appeared to be in her seventies or eighties. Hunched over, walking with a cane, trembling as if she might collapse at any moment. And she hadn't even used a weapon.
That was terrifying.
In his world, even with all kinds of extraordinary powers, there was no rule that said "the older you get, the stronger you become."
Madame Gao was equally surprised.
Through Kunlun's secret methods and the elixir she'd created using dragon bones as the core ingredient, she'd achieved not just immortality but tremendous physical strength.
Though it had been a long time since her last dose—causing her body to age and her strength to decline significantly—she was still far beyond ordinary enhanced individuals.
Take that super-strong girl living in Hell's Kitchen as an example. That girl could casually throw people dozens of meters. Madame Gao's palm strike could send that same girl flying.
Hibari had displayed physical abilities beyond normal humans, true. But honestly, not by much. His real advantages were combat technique and those strange weapons.
Yet someone like that had only flown seven or eight meters and stopped himself.
He couldn't stop completely, sure. But he'd done better than someone with a far stronger physique would have.
While the two combatants silently reassessed each other, the spectators didn't understand the significance.
"Yes!"
"That's Madame Gao! Kill him!"
"The old ones know best!"
The gang bosses behind her erupted in applause.
They were surprised Madame Gao could generate that kind of power, but they hadn't fought her personally. They couldn't experience the reality firsthand. They could only judge from appearances.
"Shut up and help!" Madame Gao snapped like an angry grandmother. "If you've got time to cheer, get up here and fight! You young bastards are going to make an old woman do all the work?"
"She's right—we can't let Madame Gao fight alone!"
"Let's go together! Kill him now so we don't have to face him when the full war with Vongola starts!"
"Everyone attack!"
The assembled gang bosses agreed one after another. Even Kingpin nodded.
If battle was unavoidable, then eliminate the enemy completely.
The Vladimir brothers from the Russian gang rushed out first, one from each side.
They weren't enhanced individuals, but they'd trained their bodies to peak human condition. Combined with the ferocity of polar bears, they could go toe-to-toe with low-level enhanced fighters.
They moved fast, passing Madame Gao in seconds and charging Hibari from both flanks.
Behind them, the Mexican gang leader, the Irish boss, the Hellfire Motorcycle Club president, and others drew firearms and opened fire.
"Pointless."
Hibari had regained his composure. He raised his right hand calmly, and the flame on his ring was completely absorbed by the Cloud Hedgehog on his left shoulder.
Crack.
The ring shattered and fell.
The Cloud Hedgehog curled into a ball, then spun at high velocity and shot forward.
As it rushed down the corridor, it expanded rapidly.
Within moments, it had grown to completely fill the corridor's width, rolling toward the end like a spiked boulder.
"Fall back!"
Madame Gao shouted and struck both walls with her palms. Invisible force collapsed the walls, creating escape routes for the Vladimir brothers.
She herself crashed through the room on the left.
At the corridor's end, the other gang bosses turned pale and scattered to both sides. Only Kingpin stood his ground, silent.
The spiked sphere was nearly upon him, but Kingpin still hadn't moved. Wesley couldn't help but shout in worry, "Kingpin!"
As if that were a signal, Kingpin raised his cane and pointed the tip at the approaching sphere.
Fwip!
A laser fired from the cane's tip, instantly piercing the spiked ball. The Cloud Hedgehog burst like a punctured balloon, fragments scattering everywhere in the explosion.
Wait... it was hollow?
Seeing the scattered debris, everyone froze.
They felt like they'd been tricked.
"The material is very hard. Not soft rubber like a balloon." Nobu emerged from the broken wall, picked up a piece of debris, examined it, and delivered his assessment.
"Of course the material doesn't change no matter how much it expands." Kingpin stepped into the corridor and walked slowly toward Hibari.
As he walked, he continued: "I've been observing your fighting style. Every time you use that Cloud Hedgehog, both the ring and the creature burn with purple flames. Then through the expansion process, I hypothesized—could the purple flame be similar to gas in a balloon?"
He paused, studying the debris.
"But now I see it's not quite right. The Cloud Hedgehog does expand because of the purple flame, but it's not inflated. It grows, like a plant, and shrinks back when the flame is exhausted or withdrawn. However, while I don't know the exact properties of the flame, there's clearly a difference between the hardness of the gaseous state and the solid state. The expanded Cloud Hedgehog is like a 'balloon'—it pops when pierced."
"...As expected of the underworld emperor." Hibari, genuinely impressed by Kingpin's analytical ability, fell silent for a moment. "You analyzed all that in such a short time, and you're basically correct. Even I have to acknowledge your intelligence."
Then his expression returned to its usual cold severity.
"However, you misunderstood one thing."
He pulled out the opened Box and aimed it at Kingpin.
Kingpin didn't stop advancing.
He didn't know what Hibari's action meant, but in previous battles, Hibari had used that box to release the Cloud Hedgehog.
So he remained cautious.
Besides, they were now only six meters apart.
At this distance, he was within Kingpin's explosive combat range. No need to advance further.
But the expected attack didn't come.
The box simply emanated a powerful suction, pulling all the scattered debris from the floor back into itself before closing.
Then the newly replaced ring ignited with flames as Hibari aimed again.
Crack.
"Open."
The box opened again. An intact Cloud Hedgehog shot out and rushed toward Kingpin, expanding as it flew.
But this time it only maintained the size of a basketball.