HxH: I Will Be Supreme

Archive protocols: Engaged!

Oboro immediately finished configuring his domain.

"One."

He whispered.

His form blurred, materializing in front of the armored door with preternatural speed.

His finger pierced between the knife-wielder's eyes, penetrating skull and brain matter.

The Nen user died with his eyes wide open, his final surprise frozen on his face.

"Two."

Another count.

He appeared behind Sam as if by teleportation, arm thrust through the man's back. Half of his forearm erupted from Sam's chest, clutching the shredded remains of his heart.

Only now did Bert and Nasha react.

Oboro's speed had actually increased!

Despite the magical weights on his legs, his movements had become even faster.

Impossible!

Two allies dead within a few heartbeats!

Bert felt ice in his veins.

"Stop!"

A woman's voice pierced Oboro's consciousness.

He was about to step forward, but instinctively stopped at the command.

In that split second of hesitation, Bert struck.

The Enhancer attacked with all his might!

It had sensed something wrong.

After Oboro had activated his Hatsu, something had changed in him.

His power had risen to an unimaginable level!

Bert had to coordinate with Nasha immediately. If she died, it would be suicide to face this monster alone.

As Bert's fist approached, Oboro twisted his ankle to avoid it. His Phantom Sprint domain ability had activated, multiplying his base speed many times over.

"Left."

Again, the woman's voice invaded his mind.

The intrusion caused his tactical processing to falter, his evasive trajectory to shift.

When operating at peak mental focus, even minor external interference could disrupt performance, let alone uninvited voices materializing directly into consciousness.

Bang!

Bert's fist connected with Oboro's shoulder. Though Oboro managed to defensively channel his aura with the impact.

The raw power of the Enhancer still shattered Oboro's suit.

At first, the damage appeared to be limited, only superficial.

As Oboro prepared to eliminate Bert and deal with Nasha, the exposed skin and muscle beneath his torn clothing began to twist grotesquely, massive bruises spreading outward from a distinct fist imprint.

The shoulder blade dislocated with a snap.

"Oh?"

His pupils constricted slightly.

Penetrating force?

No secondary impact!

Even after the initial strike, even though the attacker had retreated, the same damage manifested after a short delay!

"Huh. Your physical ability and technique are impressive, but you're no Enhancer. No matter how well you imitate Enhancement-type combat, Nen doesn't lie!" Bert's tongue flicked out when he noticed Oboro's surprise.

But Oboro ignored him. His acceleration remained active as he spun towards Nasha on the sofa.

"Behind you!"

Seeing this, the woman immediately projected her ability at Oboro.

Warning of Bert's position

This time, her Hatsu failed!

After only two uses, her target seemed to have developed an immunity to her "Mind's Voice".

His mental strength was extraordinary.

Her telepathic intervention had a time limit; most Nen users needed minutes of exposure before developing resistance.

Oboro wasn't deterred; his speed buff meant that even if Bert reacted instantly, he couldn't intercept. Besides, the woman's ability was simple. It might work against lesser opponents, but hitting him twice was its limit.

Nasha's expression changed as she jumped from the sofa to take cover.

But as she turned around, Oboro swooped down like a bird of prey, his arms wrapping around her lithe form.

A sharp crack followed.

Her body contorted impossibly, twisted from head to toe, her skeleton shattered by Oboro's brute force.

She collapsed on the sofa like a discarded doll.

Bert, who had rushed to intervene, froze at the sight.

He watched his opponent slowly turn around.

He saw the swelling on Oboro's shoulder subside, showing signs of regeneration.

"Forty-two seconds left."

Oboro said calmly.

""

Bert's scalp crawled.

"RAAAAH!"

He roared, his eyes blazing crimson as he channeled maximum Nen and attacked.

Enhancement-type melee was his only option!

His only remaining hope.

Oboro's acceleration faded. When he saw Bert's attack, he did not dodge, but attacked directly.

They clashed in pure Enhancement style!

Brutal, savage, both fighters displayed tremendous power, trading flesh-crushing blows like warring lions, primal combat incarnate.

Oboro eschewed complex martial arts in favor of pure striking techniques.

Since his opponent claimed to have mastered Enhancement, he would oblige with a head-to-head match!

Though his blows landed effectively, Oboro's attacks became more powerful, his aura overpowering! Bert's own Nen couldn't withstand it.

His defenses crumbled like paper before Oboro's razor-sharp blows.

"Is he really a Conjurer?!"

Wounds deep enough to expose bone appeared on Bert's body, a horrible sight.

He could not accept it.

The man before him embodied Enhancement better than Bert himself!

How?!

"Argh!"

Suddenly, Oboro stomped on Bert's kneecap. The Enhancer's strength failed as he collapsed, screaming in agony.

White bone fragments pierced the skin, protruding amid streams of blood.

A catastrophic injury.

Bert could not stand.

As he struggled to rise, a leather shoe pressed against the back of his head, forcing him down.

Half of his face hit the cold ground.

"I'm going to die, I'm really going to die."

At that moment, Bert's mind emptied, his eyes filled with despair.

The overwhelming pressure and killing intent from above threatened to suffocate him.

"Fifteen seconds left. You've lasted the longest of all," Oboro's calm voice echoed through the hall.

Bert swallowed, his lips quivering.

Challenging an opponent with pure enhancement had proven disastrous. Within Oboro's domain, his configured abilities emphasized Precision primary and Determination secondary.

His primary skills included Impact Drive, Battle Focus, Legendary Resilience, and Severing Strike, supported by the secondary skills Reviving Wind and Indomitable Will.

Impact Drive was especially effective against Enhancement-type users like Bert.

Three consecutive Normal Strikes induced a state of vulnerability, dealing Adaptive Damage while increasing the target's damage taken by 8-12%, combined with the healing properties of Reviving Wind and the persistence of Resilience and Determination.

Suppressing an Enhancer of Bert's caliber became trivial.

"You seemed the most arrogant of all." Oboro spoke softly as he increased the pressure.

Bert's cheekbones compressed until he couldn't even scream.

He could feel his skull approaching its structural limit.

"You enjoyed looking down on others, didn't you?"

Oboro asked.

Bert's body began to convulse.

After a moment, Oboro suddenly released the pressure, smelling a foul odor.

Looking down, he saw that Bert had lost control of his bodily functions as fluid pooled beneath him.

""

Pulling his foot back, Oboro went over and retrieved a fallen phone.

When he returned, he crouched and stared at his opponent, who couldn't meet his gaze. Supporting his chin, he smiled, "Come call your dear boss, Felsgaru, that's his name, right? Tell him the wonderful news of your victory, I'm sure he would love to admire my corpse".

He threw the phone in front of Bert.

Terror forced compliance, Bert dared not disobey.

He didn't want to die.

He'd clearly realized that he and this man belonged to completely different species.

In this "bloody hunting ground," his opponent occupied a far higher position in the food chain.

The Fells had provoked a monster!

With trembling hands, he dialed.

"Hello."

The connection was made.

"B-Boss, the target has been eliminated," Bert stammered.

The call ended.

"The plan was that after we killed you, we'd activate the lights as a signal." Bert blurted out, changing the subject: "I'm just a contractor, not a family, please spare me, don't kill me."

"Impossible, the minute has passed, I've given you dozens of bonus seconds. Compared to the others, you're quite lucky," Oboro stayed crouched and spread his hands with a smile.

"I can serve you, be your dog, anything you want, just don't kill me."

Suddenly desperate, Bert prostrated himself, clutching Oboro's pant leg and begging.

Tears flowed freely.

"But I'm not interested in pets."

Oboro feigned consideration.

"I..."

Bert's thoughts scattered.

"Well, we'll stop there. And remove your filthy hands. This suit was expensive."

Oboro rose slowly. Bert might have useful information about the underground that would be worth extracting first.

Of course, death remained certain.

He had only hinted at something else.

Bert, desperately clinging to hope, released Oboro's clothes as if in shock. Apologies poured out of him, his demeanor completely different from the arrogant man who'd been lying on the sofa with his lover minutes before.

Oboro found the switch and restored the light.

At the same time, the restoration protocols of his domain activated.

Green energy flooded his form, his injuries vanishing instantly.

He settled into Felsgaru's chair and turned to face the armored door: "Well then, let's welcome the boss back to us."

"Please clear the area? Don't obstruct our host's entrance, it's bad etiquette. Know your place as a supporting actor."

"Yes, yes, of course!"

Bert nodded desperately, dragging his shattered leg with all his strength; the terror had broken his mind so thoroughly that he couldn't even stand, crawling away like a beaten animal.