Hunter x Hunter: The Strongest Zoldyck

"Saen..."

Bolt turned his head and glanced to his side, then called out softly.

"clear!"

As he stepped out from beside Bolt, Saan approached him, holding the dagger at an angle with the tip pointing downwards.

He looked extremely alert.

This is their long-standing tacit understanding; no extra words or eye contact are needed.

From the moment Saen stepped out to the side, their roles were already defined:

Saen is the shield, Bolt is the spear.

Saen's position was just right, not blocking Bolt's direct front, but half a step to the right, similar to the staggered doubles position in tennis.

This positioning is perfect for blocking every direct attack aimed at Bolt, without obstructing his view.

Behind Saen, Bolt spread his right hand, palm down, and slowly gathered tiny specks of light, like milking a cow.

This time, however, the light blue aura was stained with dark red blood beads, making it appear unusually alluring and deadly.

With each point of concentration, his hand trembled a little more.

After helping Fica awaken his Nen, healing the Kurta girl, and just now unleashing a full-force burst of dazzling starlight, Bolt's Nen was nearly exhausted.

Therefore, every bit of mental energy he reassembles now is squeezed out from the depths of his body, from the gaps in his bone marrow, and from every nerve ending.

It's like squeezing a single drop of water from a wrung-out towel; it requires an immense effort.

Beside Fica, Roy took in the sights of the two men.

Judging from the angle from which Saan stood and Bolt's almost indulgent trust, he immediately understood that there was a deep, unshakable, yet extremely challenging tacit understanding between the two.

It's a kind of understanding that can't be trained; it's something you live for, a tacit understanding etched into your bones—it's something you've learned by standing side-by-side with each other in the face of death, by climbing out of the abyss hand in hand countless times.

This tacit understanding often allows their abilities to exhibit a chemical effect where one plus one is greater than two in extreme environments.

Thanks to this tacit understanding, they worked together to complete countless life-or-death missions and performed miraculous comebacks countless times when they were about to fall to the bottom.

It seems we must first separate them or have one of them die.

Roy slowly loosened his clenched fist, his eyes scanning the entire room as he absorbed all the information into his brain, summarizing and analyzing it.

He was waiting for the moment the spear would thrust out, the instant the shield would block it, and the instant the two of them would reveal a weakness.

That was the moment they died.

Having silently made his judgment on the two, Roy pulled Fika and the Kurta girl back two steps.

Until he was dozens of meters away from Bolt.

If he had a choice, Roy would have liked to go even further, but a gut feeling told him that if he went any further...

The monster named Yumungard would be the first to tear them apart.

Because... from the moment Yumongard appeared, it had already regarded Bolt, Saen and Loy, Fika, and the Kurta girl as its food.

It will not spare anyone, even if Roy, Fika, and the Kurta girl are just dessert to it.

Directly in front of the hatch, the light membrane has been completely shattered.

The last few light blue fragments drifted down from the sky, shattered, dissipated, and returned to nothingness.

Those two things are still standing.

When the light membrane burst open on their bodies, it tore apart their disguise, tore apart their clothes, and tore apart that thin layer of skin used to imitate humans.

The thing standing at the end of the corridor now has no human parts left.

Beneath the grayish-white skin, countless pieces of flesh were slowly wriggling and growing.

On the left side of the chest, between the third and fourth ribs, something the size of a fist, shaped like a peach, was throbbing.

Thump... thump... thump...

Its rhythm is distinct and powerful.

They are recovering.

Saen's pupils narrowed, and his eyes, which were already just slits, were now almost completely closed.

"Bolt... how much longer?"

"Three minutes..."

Bolt's panting voice was squeezed out from between his teeth.

"No, one minute, at most one minute."

Saen nodded, asked no further questions, and simply replied calmly:

"I will stop them."

Raising the dagger, with the tip pointing forward, Saen's strength began to surge.

He was prepared for something earth-shattering.

"Roy..."

Saen didn't turn his head, and his voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear.

"I'm holding off their frontal attacks, but Bolt needs you on his back. Don't let them get away with a sneak attack. This is a battle we can't afford to lose, both for you and for us."

"If we die, you will surely die too..."

"So... block them, Roy. Stand in their way while we're busy protecting ourselves, for you, for me, and for the young men and women over there."

Click...

Roy clenched his fists again, and his two small fists leaped out.

It seemed poised to shatter the sky...

"I will..."

Tap tap.....

He readily agreed, but instead of moving forward, Roy took a few steps back.

Hearing Roy's footsteps getting farther and farther away, Saan could tell without turning around that Roy was retreating.

Why?

Is this white-haired kid really not afraid of death?

If Bolt and I hadn't held on, did he really think he could have escaped Jumongaard's pursuit?

It's ridiculous. This ship is so big, it doesn't matter where you hide.

Only by confronting the enemy head-on can we have a chance of survival.

"Tsk..."

Saen couldn't help but bite his index finger, making a smacking sound, as he began to feel irritated.

He didn't have to be in such a passive position, but even if a Nen user comparable to a two-star hunter is strong, once their Nen is sealed, they are nothing more than a brute force enhanced by strength.

But he seems to have forgotten... he didn't have a choice back then...

As he silently monitored his own body's condition, Saen felt a sense of powerlessness.

This feeling is like a tiger whose teeth have been pulled out. It knows exactly how to tear its prey apart, but it can only slap with its paws, ram with its head, and bear the weight with its body. It's just as painful.

"Why……"

With a sigh, Saen carefully examined his physical condition once more, attempting to regroup his Nen abilities.

The light blue aura was still there, deep in the dantian, like a pool of frozen ink. It could be felt, but could not be mobilized.

The pores felt like they were blocked by something; they were invisible, couldn't be pushed open, and were completely sealed.

"Damn it, why did I set such a harsh and cruel oath?"

Saen's voice was not loud, and it carried a hint of resentment and dejection.

The feeling of powerlessness, like punching cotton, and the bitterness of shooting oneself in the foot, left him feeling somewhat lost.

A perfectly capable Nen user, due to his own careless mistake in setting the system, has somehow managed to create such a huge mess.

"Sigh, this really shouldn't have happened..."

Even if you have the strength, the skill, and know how to fight, without the support of mental power, it's just tickling Yumongard.

It has no effect whatsoever.

so......

"We still need you... Bolt."