Hunter X Hunter: Tombbound Power

The burst of gunfire and explosions had wreaked havoc on the gangsters. Fear spread among them as they fumbled for their phones.

"Requesting backup! The enemy has high-pressure machine-gun firepower. We need more manpower—send armored vehicles, riot shields, rocket launchers—everything! Bring anything that can stop them!"

After finishing the call, one of them grumbled under his breath, glaring up at the figures above. "Let's see how cocky they are once the bazookas arrive..."

Despite the bravado, none dared raise their voices for fear another barrage would rain down on them.

"Looks like they've stopped for now. Should we leave? Our job's done for today anyway."

"It's fine. I'll handle the rest. Stay out of this."

Uvogin grinned as he slid down the hillside.

"This part's gonna be boring. I'll clean up the bodies."

From his perch above, Ronnel surveyed the chaos below before turning away. With a graceful leap, he disappeared toward a distant, quieter area of the mountains.

"You going after him?" Feitan asked, narrowing his eyes.

"No," Machi replied, brushing a lock of hair away from her face. "I saw his Nen during the matches at Heavens Arena. Nothing impressive."

"Yeah, I think I remember it," Shalnark chimed in, pulling a deck of playing cards from his jacket pocket.

"Guess I'll play for a bit."

"You carry cards everywhere?" Feitan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"There were some lying around at the base, so I grabbed a deck."

Back at the hideout where the Phantom Troupe gathered, Hisoka sat cross-legged, meticulously stacking cards into a pyramid. His face twisted in irritation as he noticed something amiss.

"Where's that last pair?" he murmured, eyes narrowing.

The oppressive aura surrounding him made a nearby Lev shrink away in fear.

"It wasn't easy to get this far…" Hisoka muttered, clearly frustrated.

Meanwhile, in the desert outside Yorknew City—an ideal place to dispose of bodies—Ronnel stood atop a high slope. He waved his hand, and several corpses materialized from thin air, piling atop one another.

"Alright... Let's get started."

The clustered bodies made his task easier. With a flick of his wrist, Ronnel activated two abilities. Waves of death energy and corpse poison rippled through the air, mingling with various other objects he had collected.

"A pistol with armor-piercing rounds? Not useful."

He tossed it aside, inspecting the next item—a stained napkin bearing a celebrity's autograph.

"What the hell is this supposed to be?"

Ronnel's gaze drifted to another discovery: "How to Get Rid of the Boss—A Handbook."

"Well, that tracks," he muttered, amused.

He skimmed through the rest of the loot: guns, mundane skills, crude cursing techniques—nothing of value. Most were the predictable trappings of low-level thugs. But among them, he found something worthwhile.

From Tocino and the others, he had absorbed pure Nen and the Emission ability, Eleven Black Children. Its ease of use made it practical.

Satisfied, Ronnel tossed the bodies into a bottomless ditch and dusted off his hands.

"Hm?"

He paused, his keen senses picking up on movement from the sky. A dark figure was drawing closer, wings flapping rhythmically. As it came into view, Ronnel recognized the flying form—it was a bat-like creature.

The winged figure circled overhead before descending toward him, landing with a soft thud.

"What family do you belong to? What are you doing here?" The creature's voice was sharp and demanding, eyes devoid of emotion.

"A Ghost Beast?" Ronnel muttered under his breath, narrowing his eyes.

He recalled the incident when Machi and the others pursued Kurapika after Uvogin was captured. Six members of the Shadow Beasts had shown up to hunt them down.

Though not all of their abilities had been revealed, Ronnel remembered one of them could fly.

"Is this the one...?"

The bat-like creature sensed something off about Ronnel. Its instincts screamed for caution. But before it could react, Ronnel kicked off the ground, a cloud of dust rising in his wake as he closed the distance.

In a flash, a sharp blade materialized in Ronnel's hand.

"Perfect timing. I've always wanted to try out Shadow Beasts... What's your price?"

Swish!

A streak of silver sliced toward the creature's neck with deadly precision.

"Hiss!"

The beast flinched, narrowly avoiding the full brunt of the attack. A thin line of blood welled at the fresh wound, stinging against the cool air.

"Damn it!"

Instinctively, the bat shot upward, retreating into the sky. It touched its neck gingerly, grimacing as it felt the warm trickle of blood.

"If I weren't the fastest among the Shadow Beasts, my head would be rolling right now..."

The realization sent a shiver down the creature's spine. It hovered at a safe distance, glaring down at Ronnel.

"You really thought you could kill me in one blow?" the creature snarled. "Not bad. But this is my domain—the sky! Up here, my speed is unmatched!"

The bat's confidence surged as it regained altitude, convinced it now had the upper hand. A smug grin tugged at the corners of its mouth as it prepared to launch its counterattack.

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