Hunter X Hunter: Tombbound Power

"Human... tell me your name," Overlord rasped.

Clutching the bone spear tightly, his voice was a mere whisper, a shadow of its former strength.

For Overlord, this moment carried the weight of a thousand agonies—the defeat of his race on the Dark Continent, the madness that consumed them upon arriving in this land, the sealing of their existence. Yet, above all, this human standing before him had carved the deepest scar into his memories.

Ice-blue flames ignited at his feet, crawling upward, consuming him entirely. The flickering fire in his eye sockets mirrored this blaze, spilling over his skeletal form until they burned brightly atop his shoulders.

But Overlord ignored the flames, his flameless eyes fixated on Ronnel's face.

"The name..." Ronnel hesitated.

He opened his mouth to speak but stopped himself. In the silence, Overlord's bony hands trembled before the strength left them. The Bone King's grip on his weapon faltered, and the bone spear slipped from his grasp.

With a firm shake, Ronnel dislodged the weapon, and Overlord's flaming body fell. In moments, the once-feared Bone King was engulfed, his oath-bound revival undone, his existence extinguished once more.

"This time... it's really over."

Ronnel exhaled deeply as Overlord's essence scattered, leaving no trace of malice behind.

"Was I being too cautious?" he muttered to himself, staring into the dissipating flames. A wry smile crept onto his face.

Ronnel knew better than to indulge in unnecessary risks. He wouldn't let pride, sentimentality, or carelessness jeopardize his survival. His cautious nature had brought him this far, and he wasn't about to let his guard down now.

He glanced at the bone spear in his hand and smiled.

This weapon—once wielded by the Bone King—was now undeniably his. Its allegiance had shifted the moment Ronnel placed it in his space backpack, a tool bound exclusively to him. The backpack's unique binding ensured that anything stored inside became his personal property.

The bone spear was no exception. It hadn't chosen Ronnel, it had been claimed.

With a satisfied nod, Ronnel stowed the weapon away.

At that moment, the door creaked open, revealing Emuksu. A cigar dangled lazily from his lips as he surveyed the room.

"No damage... seems like you handled everything," he said, his tone casual but laced with curiosity.

Ronnel met his gaze and shrugged. "Yeah, all sorted."

Emuksu raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. Instead, he lit his cigar with a small flame conjured between his fingers.

Puffs of smoke emerged not from his mouth but his ears, forming perfect rings.

"Ear-cleaning smoke," Emuksu explained, noting Ronnel's surprise. "No nicotine, no lung damage. Just a little treat for the taste buds before it exits through the ears. Keeps the ear canals clean, too. Neat, huh?"

With a smirk, he flicked a cigar toward Ronnel, who caught it instinctively.

"I had Ging try one of these earlier. His eyes almost popped out of his head," Emuksu chuckled at the memory.

As he took another drag, he added thoughtfully, "Speaking of Ging... when all that noise happened earlier, his reaction was interesting. He seemed to recognize the nen signature."

Ronnel waved off the comment. "Just a remnant of an old enemy. Nothing major."

"Got it," Emuksu said with a shrug, letting the topic drop. He leaned back against the doorframe, taking another leisurely puff.

"By the way, remember that thing we talked about last night? The Sonata of Darkness?"

Ronnel's eyes lit up with interest. He recalled their conversation over drinks, where Emuksu had mentioned the Dark Sonata—a cursed melody said to have been composed by a demon king.

"Yeah, I remember. Did you find anything?"

Emuksu smirked. "I did some digging with a few of my tools. Didn't get the full picture, but I've uncovered some intriguing details..."

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