Hunter x Hunter: From Obtaining the World to Beyond Heaven

The pain he was enduring at this moment was unimaginable to the two outsiders. On one hand, the lingering ripples of Dia were constantly eroding his will at the severed arm, and on the other hand, the stomach acid of the [Leader Catfish] was relentlessly [digesting] him.

Most importantly, his mind is also forcibly enduring the erosion of the [leader catfish]. If his mental defenses collapse, he will instantly become an unconscious beast.

To regain control, we'll probably have to wait until the Nen energy on the [Leader Catfish] is depleted to a certain level and then automatically dissipates.

Simply put, to become a fish-like being (sad)...

Suddenly, a psychic bullet drew Qi Peixin's attention back to the battlefield—Lakshya had unexpectedly fired a psychic bullet.

The projectile wasn't aimed at the [leader catfish] where Qi Peixin was, but rather flew towards the smaller fish that were currently devouring each other!

Qi Peixin instinctively swung his tail, scattering it.

The next moment, he realized he was in trouble—he had fallen into a trap.

As expected, Lakshya, who had found an opening in his opponent's defenses, did not take the opportunity to create distance. Instead, he calmly stood still and threw out four more psychic bullets at high speed without any regard for the cost.

The telekinetic bullet headed straight for the small school of fish. Qi Peixin could clearly feel that if the telekinetic bullet landed, the four small fish that had devoured the most in the fishpond would be directly eliminated!

'While dodging my attacks, you were also observing the [fish fry]'s feeding behavior, and you even seized the opportunity when I was momentarily distracted...'

Qi Peixin decisively abandoned the fight with Lakshya and returned to defense ahead of time.

He was slightly outmatched in the previous exchange, which was due to his oversight, but also a reflection of his opponent's observation skills, decisiveness, and even accuracy in shooting. This was no easy enemy to deal with.

Bang! Bang! —

In the thick fog, upon seeing Qi Peixin's retreat, Diya decisively emptied his magazine.

Several bullets were fired at the small fish in the pond, targeting the other small fish that the four bullets had not covered!

Diya didn't stop firing; instead, she skillfully reloaded the magazine, preparing to continue shooting.

But then, Dia sensed someone rapidly approaching through the ripple radar!

It is Lakshya.

Throwing out four psychic bullets at once was a considerable drain on him, and his displayed energy level visibly thinned.

After successfully shaking off Qi Peixin's entanglement, Lakshya knew that in his current state, continuing to fight alone would be suicidal.

We must find a collaborator, or rather—a scapegoat!

'Let's use this cowardly guy as a shield. Let him fight Qi Peixin. Once they've fought enough, we'll try to ambush and kill them together. If that fails, then we'll go find Maror…'

Lakshya had his own plans in mind.

As Dia sensed Lakshya rapidly approaching, a murderous glint flashed in his eyes. He knew exactly what Lakshya was planning, because he had just done the same thing!

So he continued firing bullets while decisively retreating to create more distance, thinking:

'Make some distance, let that idiot mercenary keep drawing their attention. I have enough bullets to ambush and kill them all, then I'll go find Poxon…'

Upon sensing that the two individuals were not attempting to merge but rather one was approaching while the other was retreating, Qi Peixin, who had rushed back to defend, sneered inwardly.

'Those two, still scheming against each other even at the brink of death, let them keep doubting each other. Give me plenty of time to process this. If I'm still conscious after I've eaten them, I'll go find Kantigara…'

Chapter 41 Unconscious Beast × New Vision

puff!

The leader catfish took a big bite off a fry, and with a flick of its tail, it scattered a projectile.

At the same time, its body formed a ring, like a city wall, blocking most of the bullets, which were firmly locked onto the fish's back.

However, the remaining unprotected fish fry were all hit by bullets or projectiles.

The difference is that some were hit in the head and immediately turned into white light and disappeared, while others were just shattered and instantly became half-dead.

But in the end, this sudden attack did not have the effect of determining the future course of the battlefield.

On the contrary, Qi Peixin, who was forced to return to defense, began to eat heartily without any regard for the consequences.

'Why is this idiot clinging to me like this? Doesn't he know what that fish will do after it finishes eating?'

Dia's face was grim as she weaved through the thick fog, occasionally firing a bullet into the gaps in the [Leader Catfish's] defenses, a suspicion creeping into her mind:

'Does he have some backup plan that allows him to escape unscathed?'

Behind him, Lakshya clung to him like a leech, staring intently at him.

During a break in the thick fog, Lakshya had already seen the man's face clearly—it turned out to be the very person he had been hunting!

'I never expected to run into you here...'

While Lakshya was busy recovering his strength, he pondered how to make the two of them fight to the death.

He knew, of course, that after Qi Peixin finished eating, the next ones he would eat would be the two of them.

But he wasn't worried because he and Marol had a set of tactics that they had practiced carefully for a long time, which allowed them to survive even when facing invincible enemies.

The building can't be sealed off forever. In other words, as long as he reunites with Marol and uses tactics to maneuver around the blockade, survival shouldn't be a problem!

'That guy named Dia... I need to find a way to feed him to that stupid fish...'

A fierce glint flashed in Lakshya's eyes. This way, he could complete his mission and also take the opportunity to pull the thread and run away!

Dawn seemed to have broken, and Lakshya was certain that he would win big!

At this moment, although Dia felt the malicious gaze behind him, he didn't care, or rather, most of his attention was focused on the [leader catfish].

'It's changed, its operating mechanism...'

'If it's no longer vibration, then what is it?'

He stared intently at the giant fish that was frantically chewing; after losing the initiative, it could block every bullet he fired.

The ripple oscillation source he used to attract the other party's attention had no effect whatsoever; the other party seemed to have seen right through him and kept a close eye on him.

'It's not vision, I've been in a fog the whole time... It's not heat either, the crimson ripples don't react at all when I run through them...'

Dia was starting to get annoyed. The wild dog behind him was sticking to his butt, waiting to eat his corpse, while the ugly fish in front of him was stubborn and unyielding.

Suddenly, an inconspicuous detail caught his attention.

Suddenly, the leader catfish made a subtle yet deliberate tail sweep, deflecting the bullet it had just blocked out of range.

Why do we need to clear out those bullets?

In its "field of vision," are these bullets also a threat, or is there something about those bullets that attracts its attention?

Dia stared at the scattered bullets. What could be on them?

Suddenly, a thought popped into Dia's mind, startling him.

No way, is it really that simple and crude?

The next moment, he skillfully switched to a different magazine—a regular magazine!

Bang! Bang! Bang! —

With practiced ease, the magazine was emptied, and bullets flew toward the [Leader Catfish], but this time, it made no reaction!

'Sure enough, its current sensory condition is—[Mind]!'

That makes sense, since there's a genuine Nen user hidden among the [Leader Catfish], who could probably achieve the level of [Condensation] under direct control.

Furthermore, since it is constantly releasing Nen, it essentially eliminates the possibility for ability users to enter [Zetsu] to avoid being seen.

The only drawback is that it cannot react to attacks that do not contain Nen.

This might be a big problem for an ordinary catfish, but it's not a problem for the Leader Catfish, which has Nen defense.

However, what if someone had a way to remain unafraid of the pressure of [Thought] while in a state of [Absolute]?

Dia was about to make a move.

"Hungry-!!"

A terrifying roar, seemingly originating from the wilderness, suddenly rang out.

Diya's pupils contracted as the [Leader Catfish] not far away suddenly unleashed a violent aura, as if it had instantly transformed into a raging beast.

Suddenly, the [training] on its body increased, and a terrifying aura burst forth, causing Lakshya, who was not far away, to widen his eyes in surprise.

Then it suddenly began to roll around like an earth dragon, completely disregarding the fact that the few remaining fish fry were instantly smashed to pieces by its terrifying force.

A palpable sense of mania washed over us.

'No, it's definitely different now!' ×2

Dia and Lakshya made the same judgment almost simultaneously: at this moment, the [Catfish Leader] must have undergone some unknown change.

It is now completely mindless, acting solely on instinct!

'That aura, that power and speed—it's absolutely impossible to confront them head-on!'

The moment this thought crossed Lakshya's mind, he saw the terrifying beast turn towards the direction where he and Dia were.

"Hungry--!!"

This moment.

The moment Lakshya was locked onto by that terrifying aura, he had no more hope in his heart, and only one thought remained—escape!

The terrifying behemoth charged towards him without hesitation... in front of him!

'Great! My tactic worked! It's heading straight for that guy!'

'Now! I've already won!'

Without hesitation, Lakshya reached out and pulled off the loose thread that Marol had left on him. Instantly, he felt a tremendous force pulling him backward.

Suddenly, he was sent flying backward, as if some invisible rope was pulling him behind him, and he flew towards the door at a speed far exceeding that of the [Leader Catfish]'s straight charge!

Lakshya finally breathed a sigh of relief upon realizing he was already in mid-air.

At that fish's speed, it definitely couldn't catch up with me, who was already in mid-air!

At this moment, he suddenly turned his head with a hint of smugness and looked at the spot where Dia had just been standing.

'Just to confirm one last time, he was killed by that fish…'

Lakshya suddenly froze, only to find that the place where Dia had been standing was now completely empty!