"What is that thing? A monster?"
"Oh my god, is the world ending?"
"What's happening here?!"
"I don't want to die! Somebody save me!"
"Mom, help!"
Kaizen held his rotten knife steady, his aura condensing and swirling around the blade. With precision, he slashed through the air. A faint, eerie light emanated from the weapon, striking the enormous fish-like creature across from him.
Eggs began appearing almost instantly, attaching themselves to the massive fish. They greedily absorbed its aura, leaving the creature flailing in a desperate attempt to shake them off. But this was the power of the rotten knife — a Nen weapon forged from psychic materials extracted from the Cockroach Disaster and refined repeatedly by Kaizen's aura. The eggs couldn't be removed so easily.
"Akutagawa!" Kaizen called out.
Akutagawa Ryunosuke stepped forward, his dark figure exuding menace. Behind him, his cloak morphed into a gigantic, crimson jaw that lunged ferociously at the fish.
CRACK!
The creature didn't even try to dodge, perhaps underestimating Akutagawa's strength. However, its arrogance cost it dearly. The massive jaw tore through flesh, skin, and bone alike, releasing a torrent of blood mixed with strange fluids—white, yellow, black—that splattered across the battlefield.
A chilling, shrill scream erupted, but it wasn't from the fish's mouth. The horrific sound came from the countless humans embedded within its body, their voices merging into a cacophony of agony. The sound was so piercing that nearby civilians clutched their ears, some collapsing as their eardrums ruptured.
Kaizen's mind flickered back to a past moment: Uvogin, a member of the Phantom Troupe, using his devastating roar to kill Porcupine, one of the Shadow Beasts. While the fish's scream wasn't nearly as lethal, it still carried an unsettling power.
Undeterred, Kaizen raised his knife again. With another precise slash, more eggs appeared on the fish's body, accelerating the rate at which its aura was drained.
Meanwhile, Kaizen's thoughts turned elsewhere. "Altan, monitor the network for any signs of intrusion in this city and report back immediately."
Altan's holographic form materialized nearby, nodding before disappearing to carry out the task. While Kaizen continued his battle, Altan infiltrated the city's network with ease. Even advanced security measures would have been no match for Altan, whose technology was decades ahead of its time.
Kaizen activated En, a technique that expanded his aura outward in a wide radius. The moment anyone entered its range, Kaizen would sense it instantly.
The fish thrashed violently, trying to charge at Kaizen, but Akutagawa's relentless attacks forced it to halt. Each time the creature moved forward, Akutagawa's crimson jaws clamped down mercilessly, leaving it no choice but to retreat.
"This thing is strong," Kaizen muttered, observing the battle closely. "In terms of aura output, the fish clearly surpasses Akutagawa. But strength alone isn't enough."
He analyzed the situation further: "Akutagawa's attacks are landing consistently. The fish might have greater vitality and reserves of aura, but those advantages are completely countered by the rotten knife."
With every slash, the eggs multiplied, their absorption rate increasing exponentially. The creature's aura recovery couldn't keep up, reducing it to relying solely on its existing reserves. Its defeat was now only a matter of time.
"A monster that fights through attrition?" Kaizen smirked. "Too bad for you—attrition is my specialty."
As the fight dragged on, Kaizen's confidence grew. "These so-called instant monsters have a fatal flaw," he mused. "Their intelligence is abysmal. Whether it was that humanoid girl earlier or this oversized fish, they're no smarter than wild beasts."
Kaizen slashed again, the eggs now covering almost every inch of the fish's exposed skin. Its condition visibly deteriorated, its movements sluggish and uncoordinated. At this point, Kaizen didn't even need to intervene directly. Akutagawa alone was enough to finish the job.
Satisfied, Kaizen shifted his attention to Wendy.
At first, Wendy had managed to keep an eye on Kaizen's fight while fending off her own enemies. But the sheer number of smaller fish swarming her forced her to focus entirely on survival. They moved with unsettling speed on human-like legs, their grotesque mouths filled with sharp teeth and blank white eyes. Their combination of absurdity and menace was like something out of a nightmare.
Wendy darted around the battlefield, her agility keeping her ahead of the horde. Invisible blades of aura slashed through the air, each strike landing with lethal precision. Yet, no matter how many she defeated, more took their place. The relentless waves began to wear her down, her movements growing slower and her attacks less effective.
"Damn it," Wendy hissed through gritted teeth, sweat dripping from her brow. "There are too many of them!"
In her exhaustion, she failed to notice one of the fish creeping up behind her. By the time she sensed it, it was already too late. The creature lunged, its gaping maw aimed straight for her.
Wendy's eyes widened in panic. "Nen Bullet!" she shouted desperately.
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