Seeing Gluttony charging towards Raiken, Kaizen tensed, watching as Gluttony's jaws snapped open. A cold gleam flashed off his teeth—razor-sharp, shark-like teeth that looked nothing like a human's.
"Even if it's an aura beast, I'll tear it to pieces!" Gluttony sneered.
Just as Gluttony's oppressive aura threatened to crush him, Raiken shifted, his body flowing like water. In an instant, his arm whipped out, striking Gluttony with a powerful lash.
Smack! The sound echoed through the space, and Gluttony's pupils narrowed as the force sank deeply into his flesh, compressing his muscles and reverberating through to his bones.
Crack! Gluttony could almost hear his bones snapping. Before he could react, Raiken struck again.
Boom! A punch collided with Gluttony's jaw, sending him flying mid-air. Raiken's eyes gleamed as he sprang up, landing a powerful kick on his airborne opponent.
Crash! Gluttony's body was hurled backward, smashing into the wall, which crumbled around him. He was buried under the debris, leaving Carlisle frozen in disbelief.
"W-What just happened?" Carlisle stammered, his face twisted in shock. "Did… did Lord Gluttony lose? Impossible!"
"This… this aura beast is monstrous. How could it overpower Master Gluttony?" Carlisle muttered, his eyes wide with terror. His mind raced. If Lord Gluttony angered such a powerful enemy, I need to escape before he drags me down with him.
Meanwhile, trapped under the rubble, Gluttony was equally shocked. He prided himself on his strength, ranking among the elite candidates for the Shadow Beasts, an infamous gang that directly served the Ten Dons. Those in his circle feared no one, obeying only the Ten Dons.
How could an aura beast appear so strong? And why here?
"Is this beast tied to the Shen Dojo? Or is it Carlisle's doing?" he wondered aloud, feeling frustrated. "Whatever the case, this beast has the abilities of a Specialist, but fights with the brutal close-combat style of an Enhancer. I need to locate the source—if I find the Specialist's body, I can win."
Gluttony clawed his way out of the ruins and pulled out his phone.
"Carlisle, find the Specialist behind this beast. I'll keep it occupied."
Carlisle, who had been edging away, froze. He doubted Gluttony would win but feared the consequences of disobedience. If Gluttony survives, he'll hunt me down if I don't follow orders. I'm cornered.
"Curse it!" he hissed, abandoning his plan to escape. He climbed to a high point, scanning the surroundings with intense focus.
"Gyo!" He activated Gyo, searching for traces of aura. A user controlling an aura beast would have difficulty hiding all their aura unless they were highly skilled. But Carlisle hadn't even grasped the basics of concealment.
In truth, knowledge of Nen remained limited to the few, it was a closed world. Neither the Hunter Association nor any other organizations seemed keen on teaching it openly. Carlisle mused on why. The Nen world's secrecy is intentional, he realized. Is it due to the high threshold for mastery? Few even reach the 200th floor of Heavens Arena, yet most of them are still novices.
The danger of uncontrolled Nen spread was clear. Different abilities suited different people, and with a million Nen users, society would face chaos.
Watching the screen, Kaizen narrowed his eyes at Gluttony's image. "Altan, do a scan of this face," he commanded.
Though the name Gluttony was too common to yield clear results, a unique face like his would leave digital traces somewhere.
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