Even with the evidence before their eyes, the Hunter Association's side was unwilling to believe it.
However, Beyond's arrival was like a sharp sword, piercing deeply into the hearts of every Hunter Association's member.
Morale instantly plummeted.
No one had expected Netero to fall so quickly.
Was Beyond too strong, or did battles between masters simply end very swiftly?
Looking at Beyond, whose body was stained with blood in several places, Cheadle's expression was particularly grim.
Netero's defeat directly extinguished any chance of victory for their side, while Beyond's side sat securely on the fishing platform.
That is to say, if they continued fighting, their side would be annihilated, but they didn't know how many of Beyond's side they could take with them.
However, was there any meaning in continuing a battle that held no prospect of victory?
Her mind was a mix of various emotions, but reason remained the backbone, maintaining Cheadle's clarity of thought.
From her standpoint as Vice-Chairman of the Hunter Association, was there any point in staying for a deathmatch?
No!
Supported by reason, the answer was naturally no.
But...
She looked at her teammates' expressions, which seemed ready to fight to the death without retreating, and her words trailed off.
Yes, they had all voluntarily followed Netero. Before setting foot on the Dark Continent, they had long since made their resolve, and they also knew very well that this journey, this mission, had been beyond A-rank from the very start.
So, death was unavoidable.
Cheadle took a deep breath, her expression gradually turning resolute.
Beyond strode into the battle circle, drawing a brief ceasefire between the combatants.
At the edge of the battle circle, Pariston watched Beyond's tall back, sighing deeply in his heart. He thought to himself, 'Chairman, who was always finding ways to amuse himself, had passed away just like that...'
Although he had mentally prepared himself, it was still painful.
Compared to the Hunter Association's plummeting morale, Beyond's side was naturally in high spirits, believing the victory of this battle was already beyond doubt.
Beyond, however, was not so optimistic. He looked at Cheadle, whose expression had changed, paused his thoughts briefly, and said regretfully, "Originally, I wanted to convince you to surrender. But now, it seems unnecessary."
The final outcome of this battle was clear to anyone with eyes.
But Beyond did not wish to continue fighting.
A cornered dog will still jump over a wall, let alone humans trapped in a desperate struggle.
In Beyond's view, given the environment of the Dark Continent, every team member was incredibly precious.
Therefore, he did not want to see any team member sacrifice themselves to a desperate counterattack from the Hunter Association's side.
If the Hunter Association was willing to surrender, Beyond would let them leave.
"So-called... dying will...?"
Beyond's eyes flickered with a complex meaning.
He knew that the formation refusing to retreat even in death stemmed from Netero's death.
Cheadle didn't speak, instead radiating a resolute fighting spirit. The other Hunter Association's members were the same.
Beyond scratched the back of his head, finding it difficult to handle.
But since there was no room for compromise, he could only go with the flow and fight.
If he gave it his all, he might be able to keep his teammates' mortality rate very low.
Of course, he wouldn't underestimate the Hunter Association's combat power either. The desperate counterattack of those in a predicament was often worthy of vigilance.
With that thought, almost without warning, Beyond moved.
He didn't inform his teammates but alone broke into the Hunter Association's formation.
This was the confidence and self-assurance of a top-tier Enhancer.
Beyond's sudden, unexpected move caused the Hunter Association's members, who had just reacted, to change their expressions drastically as they scrambled to respond.
However, they were a step too slow. Beyond pierced through their formation, heading straight for the rear.
Beyond's target was... Pyon, the Rabbit of the Zodiacs, at the rear of the battle circle!
'Reinforce!'
In that critical moment, the same thought burst into every Hunter Association's member's mind, and they all moved accordingly.
At that moment, they thought, no matter who Beyond had targeted, they would surround and attack him afterward, striving to accomplish something. Even if they couldn't kill Beyond on the spot, they would at least severely injure him.
This might be an opportunity!
Beyond's reckless act gave Cheadle a glimmer of hope.
Seeing Beyond charge straight at her, Pyon remained very calm.
'As long as I can hold him off for a while!'
In that instant, Pyon's thoughts were very clear.
She knew one of her weaknesses was close-quarters combat. When her teammates missed their defensive opportunity, she also knew that relying on her own strength alone, there was no way she could stop Beyond's attack.
So, she thought to hold him off long enough to create an opportunity for her teammates.
However, while the intention was good, reality was cruel.
Beyond's strength far exceeded her imagination.
His tall figure came swiftly, his powerful Aura, surpassing the Chairman's, casting a shadow over her.
Pyon's eyes widened wide. She barely managed to shift her heel. As she looked up, the despair-inducing figure was already upon her.
An overwhelmingly intense sense of crisis washed over her, prompting Pyon to mobilize her Nen as fast as she ever had.
'Defend, defend!'
Her thoughts held no notion of counterattacking.
Only defense.
'No matter how strong his Aura is, he definitely won't use Ko to attack.'
Pyon's mind raced. After reaching her conclusion, the Nen covering her body took shape in an instant, forming a defense line precisely laid across the trajectory of Beyond's attack.
If there had been room for words, Beyond would have praised Pyon's calm response under crisis.
But there wasn't, so Beyond's fist directly struck the shield Pyon had constructed… that is, her face.
Bang!
Pyon's small body flew backward like a tattered sack, her face a bloody mess.
As her consciousness faded, all her thoughts converged into a single word: 'Monster!'
She thought that Beyond, charging alone into the fray, would never use all his Manifested Aura for offense while attacking, to ensure his own safety. He would reserve a portion for defense.
But she guessed the process correctly, yet the result was wrong.
Beyond had mobilized less than fifty percent of his Manifested Aura for this strike, yet it mercilessly crushed the one hundred percent of Manifested Aura Pyon had mobilized.
"Pyon!"
Morel, who was closest, felt his body jolt. He wielded his giant pipe and slammed it hard against the back of Beyond's head.
Crack!
The pipe shattered in an instant.
Among the scattered fragments of the pipe was Morel's astonished expression.
And Beyond's fist came directly through the debris of the pipe.
Just then, everyone, including Beyond who was throwing the punch and Morel who had crossed his arms ready to defend, stopped their respective actions, as if time had frozen.
Only the shattered debris of the pipe and the flying Pyon continued their motion, landing on the ground with a dull thud.
This stark contrast created a sense of contradiction.
The reason for this was... that Aura, which had felt so far away, had suddenly come nearby, as if by teleportation.
Yes, just like teleportation!
Coo had arrived.
In her black smoke form, her volume wasn't even as large as Biscuit in her untransformed state.
Yet, with just her close-range Aura, she intimidated everyone present.
In Beyond and the others' perception, the Aura on the surface had always been present, and always far away.
Because the Aura's presence was so distinct, tracking its movement was very easy, which was why they dared to fight.
If the Aura moved towards them, they certainly wouldn't stay put.
However, they never imagined that the Aura on the surface would arrive in a manner resembling teleportation, completely beyond their understanding.
But in fact, Coo hadn't teleported.
The reason Beyond and the others fell into this misconception was because Coo, upon arriving at the scene, suddenly retracted her diluted Nen all at once.
Thus, she not only evaded Beyond and the others' perception but also caused them to mistakenly believe she had teleported.