"Damn it... damn it... damn it!"
Genthru roared in his heart.
His brain was working at high speed—he couldn't let this go on; if it did, there would be only one path: death.
Hisoka's speed was too fast, his physical techniques too strong, and he knew Genthru's abilities like the back of his hand.
He couldn't win using normal methods; he had to change his strategy, he had to take risks, he had to...
Genthru decided to no longer hold anything back.
He didn't know if Bara and Sub could still hold on, which made him increasingly uneasy.
He had no time left; he couldn't afford to waste more time here with Hisoka. He had to end this quickly and then go back to support them.
Even if he had to pay a price.
Hisoka's right fist swung out once again.
This time it was a curved punch coming from the outside, infused with Nen. The sound of it breaking the air was sharp and ear-piercing, the trajectory of the punch bizarre.
This time, Genthru did not retreat, did not dodge, and did not block.
He met it head-on.
He used his left arm to forcefully brace against Hisoka's fist.
"Bang!"
Hisoka's fist smashed into his left forearm, and the bone let out a dull thud—intense pain radiated from the point of impact to both ends, and blood seeped out from under the skin.
His left arm firmly blocked Hisoka's fist, at the cost of a fractured ulna.
Hisoka's eyes widened slightly for a moment; he hadn't expected Genthru to use such a method.
But a second later, the smile returned to his face.
Genthru's right hand moved.
It lunged from below at top speed, five fingers spread wide, aiming straight for Hisoka's waist and abdomen!
"A Pinch of Gunpowder"! Maximum output power!
This time, the distance was too close.
The distance between the two was less than thirty centimeters. Genthru's right hand attacked from below, and Hisoka's line of sight was blocked by his own right fist and Genthru's left arm; he didn't see the trajectory of that hand reaching out.
But he felt it.
It was a perverted sort of intuition; his hair stood on end in an instant, and his brain made a judgment within a thousandth of a second.
No time to dodge.
Then he'd just have to tank it.
Hisoka's Nen was redistributed in an instant.
He shifted the Nen originally concentrated on his right fist, transferring a massive amount of Nen to his waist and abdomen.
Genthru's right hand touched the side of Hisoka's waist.
All five fingers pressed down on it.
He had touched Hisoka's body, and the corners of Genthru's mouth curled up for a fleeting moment.
"Caught you."
He whispered softly.
"BOOM—!!!"
An explosion!
Flames erupted from between the two of them.
Hisoka's body was sent flying backward by the impact of the explosion.
Swish!
Hisoka's body slid onto the ground. He knelt on one knee, his left hand supporting him on the ground, his right hand clutching the side of his waist.
The clothing at his side had been blown to shreds, revealing a patch of shockingly charred skin.
The surface of the skin had large-scale burns, the flesh was mangled, and the central area of the skin had a charred, cracked texture.
Blood seeped out from the edges of the burned area, flowing down along the curve of his waist and abdomen.
It hurt, it hurt very much.
Hisoka looked down at his waist, his mouth splitting into a grin, and a low, raspy laugh escaped his throat.
"Mm~♦"
He looked up, his golden pupils glowing in the darkness.
"Not bad~♦"
His voice still carried that uncomfortable pleasure, as if the one who had just been blown away wasn't him.
Genthru stood in place, his right hand still trembling slightly, even though he had protected it with a large amount of Qi.
But the recoil of the explosion had also caused him slight injury.
His eyes were fixed on Hisoka, and he saw Hisoka stand up.
That pervert stood up. His side was bleeding, a large patch of skin was charred, and the smile on his face was even deeper than before.
Genthru's heart sank.
His envisioned scenario was this: the explosion would heavily wound Hisoka, breaking his bones, mangling his internal organs, and stripping him of his ability to fight.
That way Genthru could free himself to deal with the others, or at least make a safe retreat.
But Hisoka didn't fall.
Genthru had no time for frustration.
He took a deep breath, suppressed the pain in his right hand, and resumed his stance.
The next second—
An invisible, massive pulling force suddenly acted upon his cheek.
"Wha—"
Before Genthru could finish his sentence, his body was violently jerked up by that force!
His feet left the ground, his body flying forward uncontrollably. After his feet dragged through the dirt for two steps, he was completely airborne, his entire person being pulled toward Hisoka!
His eyes snapped wide open.
"Bungee Gum."
During all the previous contact—every exchange of blows, every time a playing card brushed past, every moment their bodies collided—Hisoka had left the Nen of Bungee Gum on Genthru.
Hisoka had noticed during the fight that once Genthru was about to use 'A Pinch of Gunpowder', he would no longer distract himself by using 'Gyo' to observe his surroundings.
He focused all his attention on his palms, on how he could touch the opponent's body.
This was his bad habit, a fatal bad habit.
Now, it was time to harvest the fruit.
All the Nen threads tightened simultaneously, pulling violently toward Hisoka's position!
The wind whistled in his ears, and the trees receded rapidly in his vision.
He saw Hisoka raise his right foot.
Hisoka had calculated the angle, the distance, and the power.
Genthru's flight path, speed, and height were all within his calculations.
Genthru's chest collided with Hisoka's right foot.
"BANG—!!!!"
"CRACK!!"
Genthru's sternum deformed violently under the power of this kick, and multiple ribs were fractured.
A mouthful of blood sprayed from his mouth, a mist of blood scattering in the air.
His eyes lost focus the moment the blood sprayed—his pupils dilated, his eyes rolled back, and his consciousness was completely shattered by this single kick.
His body flew backward even faster than it had come, tracing a low arc through the air before slamming heavily onto the ground.
"Thud!"
Dirt flew everywhere. Genthru's body slid five or six meters across the ground, plowing a long bloodstain before finally coming to a stop against the roots of a tree.
He lay there.
Motionless.
Blood seeped from the corners of his mouth, his nose, and his ears, glinting a dark red under the moonlight.
There was a clear footprint on his chest, and his right arm was twisted at an abnormal angle.
Kastro, Nico, and Goreinu arrived and saw this scene.
Goreinu said in a low voice,
"It seems there's no need for us to intervene."
Kastro and Nico also nodded slightly; they didn't disturb Hisoka, just watched quietly.
Hisoka also saw the three arrive, but he ignored them.
He withdrew his foot and slowly stood up straight.
The wound at his side still hurt; every movement of the burned skin brought a tearing sensation of pain.
He raised his right hand, his fingers making a slight plucking motion in the air.
"Bungee Gum—Release."
His fingertips flicked gently.
The Nen that was stuck to the surrounding trees, the ground, the scattered playing cards, and the stones was activated in the same instant.
Those objects stuck with Bungee Gum—every playing card, every stone—were like slingshots pulled to the limit and suddenly released, shooting out from their positions with terrifying kinetic energy!
The playing cards scattered around Genthru sprang from the ground, their sharp edges cutting through the air. Stones shot out from the dirt, each the size of a fist and enveloped in Nen, covering all the space around Genthru!
Over a dozen playing cards sliced toward Genthru from different directions and angles simultaneously!
At the same time, a dozen fist-sized stones smashed in from all directions, each carrying enough force to break bones!
Genthru's consciousness had not yet returned.
He had lost consciousness from the kick that sent him flying; his pupils were dilated, and his entire body's muscles were in a state of relaxation.
He lay there, showing no reaction to these lethal attacks.
Slash!
A playing card sliced across Genthru's right shoulder, flaying the flesh and sending blood spraying.
Slash!
A playing card sliced across Genthru's left thigh, the blade cutting through muscle to reveal the white fascia beneath.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Three playing cards sliced across Genthru's waist and abdomen almost simultaneously, adding three wounds deep enough to see bone, as blood gushed from his body.
The attack of the stones followed immediately after.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Several stones smashed into Genthru's shins, his right hand, and his forehead.
Immediately, his flesh was torn open, and blood flowed down from his tightly closed eyes.
Genthru's body twitched slightly under the continuous barrage of playing cards and stones, each strike making his body jerk.
And while these long-range attacks were ongoing, Hisoka's figure vanished.
Slash!
playing cards sliced across Genthru's wrists and ankles.
Hisoka appeared directly in front of Genthru.
He raised his right hand.
A playing card was still held between his fingers, its surface covered in blood that dripped from the tip.
Hisoka raised the playing card to his face, stuck out his tongue, and licked the bloodstain.
He was enjoying himself.
"Hm-mm~, still a bit lacking."
He looked down at the motionless Genthru on the ground, a hint of regret appearing in his golden pupils.
Not enough.
Far from enough.
What he looked forward to was an opponent who could explode with all their potential in a desperate situation, disregarding everything to burn themselves in a life-and-death struggle with him.
But Genthru was not that.
Genthru's strength wasn't weak; his 'Countdown' and 'A Pinch of Gunpowder' were both extremely dangerous abilities that, if used properly, were enough to make any opponent wary.
Genthru's mind was also very sharp; he could calmly analyze, make judgments, and adjust strategies during battle.
But it was precisely this 'combat habit' that landed him in an awkward position—neither strong enough to crush the opponent nor crazy enough to ignore the risks.
Genthru knew the weakness of his ability—he had to touch the opponent's body for it to take effect—so he always subconsciously avoided risks in combat, always looking for'safe' opportunities for contact, always waiting for the 'perfect' timing.
And in this battle, hesitation was death.
Hisoka tucked the playing card back between his fingers and turned to the three of them.
"Hm-mm~♦, I'll leave him to you."
Behind him, Genthru lay in a pool of blood; he wasn't dead yet, but he was close.