Coo was now very surprised.
Her target here was Law.
Unexpectedly, after going through some trouble and not finding him, Law had instead walked right into her grasp.
Moreover, the human beside Law...
Coo stopped moving, no longer acknowledging the existence of Beyond and his group in her eyes.
It was a very casual attitude, as if she could carelessly spit out the meat she had already put in her mouth.
In other words, from Coo's standpoint, Beyond and his group were positioned as playthings.
She played with you when she wanted to, and when she didn't, she could just ignore or even discard you.
This attitude, vividly displayed through Coo's actions and demeanor, made Beyond and his group's expressions turn very unpleasant.
Coo, of course, didn't care about their feelings. She stared with her animal eyes, coldly sizing up Law and Ging.
Her target was Law, but she wouldn't attack directly.
As for the other human, she found him somewhat surprising.
For a moment, she had almost mistaken Ging for Don Freecss.
In the aesthetic standards of Magical Beast races, the physical differences between humans were always very small.
Only through careful observation could they spot the differences in appearances.
The usual criterion for distinguishing individual differences was body shape.
Coo was still relatively good. Having lived a long time and seen many humans, she was generally not troubled by this.
But even so, she had still almost mistaken Ging for Don Freecss.
Although she quickly realized her mistake, it indicated that Ging and Don shared some facial similarities.
'A human who looks like Don, huh? Hmph, coincidence, or descendant?'
The thought of descendants brought a hint of mockery from the depths of Coo's heart.
Don Freecss, in the strictest sense, was no longer purely human anymore.
So descendants, or not, were meaningless now.
Coo's stoppage and attitude, while frustrating Beyond and his group, also alleviated their pressure.
Initially, both sides had the same idea: to separate and flee, shaking off this monster as quickly as possible.
But while the intention was good, reality was cruel.
The overwhelming strength Coo further displayed had built a cage, trapping them there.
With their retreat cut off, they had no choice but to fight as cornered beasts.
It wasn't that they had no chance at all, but escaping Coo's control in a short time was impossible.
During their resistance, they noticed that Coo's aggression was clearly waning.
They didn't know why, but precisely because of this, and to avoid new casualties, they formed a silent, highly cooperative alliance against their common enemy in their predicament.
This was a manifestation of their will to survive. They didn't just defend... they constantly sought opportunities to counterattack.
But after a stalemate, all they could do was try to avoid further casualties. As for counterattacking, they saw no hope.
Then Law and Ging arrived, diverting Coo's attention.
In that instant, they felt like drowning people breaking the surface to gulp air, an immense relief. But simultaneously, Coo's attitude was a severe blow.
The atmosphere within the scene suddenly fell into dead silence.
Then, Coo's words broke the silence.
"I'm here for you."
Coo spoke these words looking at Law.
Both Law and Ging's expressions changed.
'Here for me?'
'Here for Law? Is it a Guardian?'
Both immediately entered combat mode, opening their Aura Nodes and covering their bodies with Nen.
Hearing Coo's words, Beyond and the others could not hide their surprise.
Since they were behind Coo, they couldn't tell if the creature was looking for Law or Ging.
What was certain was that this Magical Beast was looking for only one person.
Either Law or Ging.
Meaning, in a sense, they had been caught in the crossfire.
Even the magnanimous Beyond couldn't help but feel exasperated.
His teammates were no better. Pariston, however, watched the newly arrived Law and Ging with great interest.
The appearance of those two people surprised him greatly.
He began to anticipate what would happen next.
Coo's words left everyone present with different thoughts.
Calmly taking the Ten Horns from Kuro's space, Law looked at the menacing Coo and asked calmly, "Gatekeeper Clan?"
Coo neither answered nor denied. The silver spikes on her body spread open like wings, silently hovering in the air.
After a short silence, Coo said coldly, "One guy like Don is enough."
Before the words had faded, giving no one time to grasp their meaning, Coo acted.
Numerous silver spikes shot out, their trajectories bending like reflections off a mirror, making them impossible to trace. They sped towards Law like lightning.
"Tch."
The speed was so great that Law didn't even have time to throw out the Ten Horns containing Wither. He directly released his Domain, shaping it into a curved wall of air before him.
Without needing Law to call out, Ging instinctively ducked behind Law.
The silver spikes, coming in curved trajectories, suddenly converged.
Law's pupils contracted. He instinctively contracted the range of his Domain wall to enhance its density.
The converged silver spikes thrust viciously like a javelin into the condensed air wall of the Domain.
'That guy's finished!'
Several of Beyond's team members, like Golem and Marione, had already pronounced Law's death sentence.
They knew well how terrifying those spikes were. Even a single silver spike had been too much for the strongest defense, Beyond's, let alone multiple spikes.
However, what met their eyes was the silver spikes stopping still about two finger-widths away from Law.
Everyone only saw Law blocking Coo's attack. Few noticed Ging's feet braced against Law's heels, anchoring him in place.
Law had blocked this move with the combined strength of both of them.
But after receiving this attack, Law's apprehension towards Coo actually lessened considerably.
'Not as formidable as imagined... still just the unique natural advantages of a Magical Beast race: simply powerful physical body and Manifested Aura.'
Of course, saying that, based on only these two points, the Gatekeeper Clan's strength vastly exceeded that of human Nen Users.
Especially Enhancers, who were at a greater disadvantage against Magical Beasts. The types with the highest chance of victory were likely Specialization and Manipulation.
Originally, Law and Ging had planned to take a look and then flexibly respond based on the situation.
Regardless of circumstances, they wouldn't actively seek trouble. Even if the Hunter Association was in danger, they would first assess their own strength.
But no one could have expected that this Magical Beast, possibly of the Gatekeeper Clan, had come specifically for them.
Now the problem they faced was: they could run today, but couldn't run forever.
So they had to accept this battle.
Under these circumstances, Law and Ging didn't have time to pay attention to the Hunter Association's members.
"Ging, cover me."
Law calmly controlled the Domain, pushing the silver spikes, which were straining without advancing, upwards.
With a soft twang, the cluster of spikes flew upward, piercing directly through the hard ceiling of the ruins.
Then, Law shot over the spikes, charging straight at Coo. Ging, on the other hand, retreated, creating distance.
Watching Law take the initiative to attack, Coo's cold gaze swept over him. The extended spikes suddenly retracted, and together with those not yet launched, surrounded Law from all sides, forcing him into an inescapable space.
Facing the inescapable net woven by the spikes, Law jumped into the air, making himself a complete target.
Beyond and his group, who had been planning to slip away, were captivated by this scene, their confusion piqued.
'Jump into the air? Is he suicidal?'
The Hunter Association's side, filled with worry, also didn't understand why Law would make such a choice.
The numerous spikes thus cornered Law into a dead end.
Just then, Law, suspended in the air, suddenly vanished.
The spikes converging from all sides hit nothing but air.
This abrupt change not only baffled Coo for a moment but also surprised the others, who had been temporarily drawn by the battle.
Vanishing along with Law was Ging.
However, because Law's seemingly suicidal move had drawn their attention, few had noticed Ging nearly exiting the battle circle.
At the moment the spikes were about to enclose Law, Ging had used his ability in time, dragging Law into his game space.
This was the cover Law had requested earlier.
Once inside the game space, Ging canceled the game rules, paying a price of thirty percent of his Potential Aura.
For the method of sending the player out of the game space, he chose the original return point.
The set time, agreed upon with Law, was two seconds.
One second would be too rushed.
Three seconds would be too long.
So Law chose two seconds... that was the time spent in the game space.
Inside the ruins' passage, as Coo was momentarily stunned, the silver spikes in the air, having lost their target, fell back down with gravity.
She was certain Law had indeed disappeared, yet without leaving any trace of Nen.
As she puzzled over it, approximately two seconds later, Law reappeared as if from nowhere.
Appearing with him, naturally, was Ging, who had retreated outside the battle circle and tried to eliminate his presence.
Law's timing, while the spikes were still falling, was a complete surprise to Coo.
After all, under Coo's perception, Law had truly vanished, not become invisible.
Misled by her own judgment, Coo was slow to react.
Law seized this opportunity, kicked off the air, and within a flash, had Coo within his attack range.
He didn't choose close-quarters combat. Instead, he released Wither contained within the Ten Horns, like spraying perfume at Coo. The liquefied Wither emerged from the Ten Horns and splashed onto Coo's body.
Then, without waiting for Coo to react, Law vanished again.
The next second, he and Ging reappeared before the passage they had come from.
Ging had just used his ability again. Based on its restrictions, it created an effect akin to an Emission-type ability, pulling Law directly to his side.
As a safety measure, after emerging from the space, Ging immediately stuffed a piece of Lichen into his mouth, replenishing the large amount of Nen consumed in the short time.
Elsewhere, Wither falling on Coo was stimulated by her powerful Nen.
With such excellent nourishment, Wither immediately took root and sprouted. It transformed into snake-like tendrils that tightly bound Coo's body, greedily absorbing her Nen.
Law glanced down at the cracked Ten Horns, thinking he wouldn't be able to use Wither again after this unless he found new Ten Horns.
"Game over."
Ging stood beside Law, speaking quietly.
Law, however, didn't jump to a conclusion. Because after being entangled by Wither, Coo hadn't struggled at all, which puzzled him.
Outside the battle circle, neither Beyond and his group nor the Hunter Association's members knew what the liquid droplets Law had thrown onto Coo were. But the scene unfolding before them sent chills through their hearts.
They could at least tell that the drop of dark liquid fed on Nen and grew wildly.
If that were all, it wouldn't have caused such a reaction.
However, the target it was affecting was Coo, who had just beaten them all into a miserable state. If even such a powerful entity couldn't resist that drop of dark liquid, what chance did they have?
They never expected Law actually held such a lethal weapon.
The Hunter Association's members didn't mind... if it could successfully kill Coo, so much the better.
But Beyond's side was in an awkward position. They naturally assumed Law and Ging were on the Hunter Association's side.
And the weapon Law displayed made Beyond and his group rank Law's threat level above Coo's.
Having thought this, Beyond subtly signaled his teammates, indicating they should prepare to flee.
Previously, Beyond had considered Law a Nen User worthy of caution and apprehension.
Now, he realized Law was absolutely not to be trifled with... who knew how many trump cards Law still had hidden?
Not to mention the thing that subdued Coo, but the way he blocked Coo's attack with his ability also demonstrated Law's strength.
Precisely because Coo served as a benchmark, Beyond and his group had a rough idea of Law's capabilities.
Within the arena, Coo didn't move, letting Wither do as it wished.
It looked as if she was too tightly bound to struggle.
But was that really the case?
"Sigh."
A sigh emerged from the dense, overgrown foliage.
It was Coo's sigh.
"This broken toy was misused by the younger generation of my clan, so I have to be the one to retrieve it. The most ironic part is that a mere human has actually used it more skillfully."
As Coo's voice came from within the lush foliage, a huge maw suddenly bit through the leaves and tendrils.
Then, as if slurping noodles, it sucked the entire mass of tendrils into its mouth.
In the span of two blinks, no trace remained.
Having swallowed the fully bloomed Wither, Coo was completely unharmed.
Seeing this, Ging was slightly stunned.
He knew the power of Wither... it was hard to imagine how Coo had done it.
Law's brow furrowed. He had no time to ponder the reason. Nen exploded from his feet, and his body shot out like an arrow.
This Magical Beast was stronger than any he had faced before.
So the threat had to be eliminated here.
Even though the Magical Beast had mentioned the name Don, Law had no intention of taking it alive.
Because he didn't have the spare capacity... he would have to go all out to kill it.
"My God, it even swallowed Wither raw. That's why I told you not to come!"
Kuro's voice echoed in Law's mind.
Although, by Kuro's aesthetic standards, Coo's figure was charming, given other impressions, Kuro felt Coo was like a female mantis, the kind that eats the male.
Law ignored Kuro. After closing the distance, he took out the Nyoi-Bo from his space and swung it down at Coo's head.
Coo looked up. The silver spikes on her ears opened like a net, catching the descending Nyoi-Bo.
Simultaneously, the silver spikes on her back extended from the left and right, stabbing through the air at Law's sides.
Calmly, Law channeled his Nen into the Nyoi-Bo. Instantly, the staff abruptly lengthened and thickened. The defense formed by the silver spikes alone was insufficient.
Bang!
The thickened staff forced Coo's entire body down onto the ground, smashing her into a flat pancake.
The channel rumbled with the heavy impact, dust and grit raining down from above.
Outside the battle circle, people stared transfixed at the scene.
That monster was actually being suppressed by Law.
Just as they were marveling, the next scene nearly made their hearts leap out of their chests.
Law was not stingy with his Nen. He crazily channeled it into the Nyoi-Bo, causing its weight and length to surge wildly.
Rumble!
The hard channel floor cracked open.
The whole channel shook as if by an earthquake.
Bang!
The continuously lengthening Nyoi-Bo, while breaking through the channel ceiling, also punctured the floor at its other end, carrying Coo's body down into the negative second floor.
Then, it quickly broke through to the negative third floor, heavily pressing Coo's body against the floor down there.
It was as if the entire ruins were being shaken by the staff.
Ging watched the ceiling and floor broken by the Nyoi-Bo. He had no mind to worry about Coo's survival, thinking instead, 'Law is being too reckless. This is a precious ruin!'