The massive, shadowy nen-beast towered over the group, its form shifting and writhing like a living nightmare. Its glowing red eyes gleamed with malice as it roared, shaking the ground beneath their feet. The oppressive darkness that radiated from its body pressed down on the group, thickening the air with a suffocating weight.
Tanjiro stood firm, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword tightly. The fiery nen aura that flared around him pushed back against the oppressive darkness, but he could feel the overwhelming power of the creature before them. This wasn't just a random nen-beast—it was controlled, shaped by a powerful player lurking in the shadows.
"We have to take it down," Tanjiro said, his voice steady despite the tension. "But we can't let our guard down. Someone's controlling it."
Killua's silver eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation, electricity crackling around him as his Godspeed aura activated. "It's like a puppet. We'll need to split up—some of us fight the beast, and the others track down the controller."
Gon, always ready for action, grinned as he clenched his fists, his nen glowing brightly around him. "Leave it to us! We'll find the one controlling it!"
Biscuit nodded, her eyes sharp and focused. "But be careful. Whoever's controlling this nen-beast has a lot of power. They won't be easy to find."
Yūka stepped forward, her shadowy hatsu flickering around her like a dark mist. "I'll hold the beast back with my hatsu, but I'll need time to bind it completely."
Tanjiro glanced at Yūka, admiration flickering in his eyes. "We'll give you the time you need."
Nezuko, standing beside her brother, hummed softly in agreement, her eyes glowing with fierce determination. She moved in sync with Tanjiro, her demonic strength ready to strike as they prepared to face the beast head-on.
The nen-beast let out another earth-shaking roar, its massive claws slashing through the air as it lunged toward the group.
"Let's move!" Killua shouted, disappearing in a blur of speed as he activated Godspeed and zipped around the creature, looking for an opening.
The Battle Unfolds
Tanjiro took a deep breath, centering himself as he charged toward the beast, his sword glowing with fiery energy. The heat from his nen aura intensified as he activated his breathing technique.
"Hinokami Kagura, Clear Blue Sky!"
With a powerful spin, Tanjiro's sword cut through the air, striking the beast's leg with precision. His attack landed with a burst of fiery energy, but the creature's shadowy form absorbed much of the blow. Its shifting, amorphous body made it difficult to land a decisive strike.
Nezuko, following her brother's lead, leapt into the air, her claws glowing with demonic strength as she slashed at the beast's side. Her movements were swift and fluid, her nen enhancing her natural speed and power. She tore through the beast's shadowy flesh, but again, it reformed almost instantly, the darkness swirling back into place.
"It regenerates too fast," Tanjiro muttered, frustration flickering in his eyes as he readied his next attack.
"Jajanken: Scissors!" Gon shouted from the side, his hand glowing with sharp nen energy as he delivered a cutting strike to the creature's torso. His attack carved deep into the shadowy mass, but the beast's form twisted and reformed just as quickly.
Killua, zipping around the battlefield with Godspeed, aimed for the creature's head. He delivered a series of rapid strikes, electricity crackling with each hit. "It's like hitting smoke," he muttered, his eyes narrowing. "There's no solid core!"
Biscuit, watching the battle unfold, frowned as she studied the creature's movements. "We're wasting time. It's being controlled, but we don't know how. There has to be something we're missing."
Tanjiro's mind raced as he tried to understand the nature of the creature. Its form was fluid, constantly shifting and reforming, making it nearly impossible to destroy with conventional attacks. But there was something off about it—the way it moved, the way it reacted to their attacks.
"This thing isn't just a nen-beast," Tanjiro said, his brow furrowing as he focused on the creature. "It's more like an illusion—its body isn't solid."
Yūka, standing back as she gathered her strength, nodded in agreement. "It's made of shadows. It's like a reflection of someone's hatsu—a projection."
Tanjiro's eyes widened as the realization hit him. "That's it! The controller isn't controlling it directly—they're projecting their nen into this form. We have to disrupt the projection."
Yūka's shadowy hatsu surged around her as she raised her hand, her voice calm but firm. "I'll bind it. But we need to find the source of the projection."
Splitting Up
With the plan in place, the group split into two teams. Yūka, Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Biscuit would keep the beast at bay while Gon and Killua searched for the controller.
Gon, his eyes blazing with determination, turned to Killua. "We'll find them. Whoever's controlling this thing has to be close by."
Killua nodded, his Godspeed aura crackling around him. "Let's move."
The two of them sped off, disappearing into the maze of wooden houses that made up the coastal village. Their senses were sharp, scanning for any sign of nen that might lead them to the hidden enemy.
Meanwhile, back at the well, Yūka's shadowy hatsu surged forward, wrapping around the nen-beast like tendrils of darkness. The shadows coiled around the creature's limbs, tightening as they drained its energy.
"Shin'en no Seirei, Bind!" Yūka whispered, her voice filled with strain as she poured all her energy into the binding.
The beast roared in rage as it struggled against the shadows, but Yūka's hatsu held firm. The dark tendrils constricted its movements, slowing it down as it writhed and twisted, trying to break free.
Tanjiro seized the opportunity, his fiery aura flaring around him as he prepared his next attack. "Nezuko! Let's finish this together!"
Nezuko nodded, her eyes glowing with fierce determination as she charged forward beside her brother.
"Hinokami Kagura, Flame Dance!" Tanjiro shouted, his sword cutting through the air in a blazing arc.
Nezuko followed up with a powerful strike of her own, her claws slashing through the beast's weakened form. The combined force of their attacks tore through the creature, the flames of Tanjiro's nen clashing with the shadows that made up the beast's body.
But even as they struck, the creature's form continued to reform, its shadowy mass writhing and twisting as it tried to regenerate.
"We're still not hitting the source," Biscuit muttered, her eyes narrowing as she watched the battle unfold.
Yūka, her face pale from the effort of maintaining the binding, nodded weakly. "I can only hold it for so long. We need to destroy the projection."
The Hidden Controller
Meanwhile, Gon and Killua raced through the village, their senses on high alert as they searched for the enemy player controlling the beast.
"There!" Killua shouted, his sharp eyes catching a flicker of movement near a cluster of fishing boats at the edge of the village.
Gon nodded, his nen flaring brightly as they sprinted toward the boats. As they approached, they saw a figure standing in the shadows, their back turned to the group. The figure's nen aura was dark and oppressive, radiating from them like a black mist that seemed to warp the air around them.
"That's them," Gon said, his voice filled with quiet resolve.
Killua smirked, his Godspeed crackling with anticipation. "Let's take them down."
Without hesitation, the two of them charged forward, their nen blazing as they prepared to strike. The figure, sensing their approach, turned around, revealing a masked face and glowing red eyes.
"You found me," the enemy player said, their voice low and mocking. "But you're too late. My nen-beast will devour your friends."
Gon clenched his fists, his eyes blazing with determination. "We'll see about that!"
Killua moved with blinding speed, his Godspeed allowing him to close the distance in an instant. He aimed a powerful strike at the controller's chest, electricity crackling around his hand.
But just as his attack was about to land, the controller's body shimmered and faded, dissolving into a cloud of black mist.
"What—?" Killua muttered, his eyes widening in surprise.
"It's a clone," Gon said, his voice tense. "They're still hiding somewhere."
The real controller was still out there, and the clock was ticking.