That said, it might end up sacrificing the entire Dark Hunter squad.
The second option was precisely what Gonte proposed now—an approach that might preserve more "seeds" of the squad for the future, and also give them a greater chance of personally avenging Ina. Gonte admittedly had his own private motives.
What Gonte didn't know was that, at this very moment, outside the Dark Hunter base…
Two figures stood in the shadows, watching from a distance.
the other appeared to be a little girl.
"They've stopped searching for us, probably waiting until the moment we discover Lord Rosgel's head," the girl said. "But aside from Gonte, none of the others poses any real threat to us."
"Eli, how do you think we should proceed?"
Eli hesitated for a moment.
"Lady Aikeny, I believe that once we lift the seal on Lord Rosgel's head, it'll definitely draw their attention. They're bound to attack. Rather than letting them strike first, why don't we go on the offensive and eliminate them now? Even if that means some might slip away and spread the news, it wouldn't matter much. By the time they manage that, we'll have already taken Lord Rosgel's head."
The little girl's face darkened slightly.
"It's all Ina's fault. If she hadn't discovered us, all we needed to do was cause one massive disruption to draw their attention, and we could have left. None of this would've turned into such a hassle.
"We have to take Lord Rosgel's head. This mission must succeed. Originally, it should have been very simple. Almost everyone in the Fiora Kingdom has forgotten about Lord Rosgel. They don't even know where his head is. That's why only three of us were dispatched in the first place. We're the ones who complicated this."
Eli lowered his head.
"I'm sorry, Lady Aikeny. It was my oversight."
"Enough—just redeem yourself. As long as we bring back Lord Rosgel's head, I won't hold your mistake against you. We'll do things your way."
Aikeny looked at the Dark Hunter base across from them.
"Tonight, at midnight, we launch a full assault. You'll be our main attacker. I'll blend in among the Dark Hunters. Your Nen user rank isn't very high—just B-rank—but your ability is special enough that if you give it your all, you'll be able to keep Gonte occupied for a while. Tonight we'll wipe out their main fighting force."
Eli couldn't help asking, "What about Lord Uki?"
"Uki will be working on breaking the seal on Lord Rosgel's head. As for creating a diversion, the two of us are enough; we don't need him."
Night fell. Darkness spread across the sky, and time ticked by.
Suddenly, a figure appeared outside the Dark Hunter base. Eli gazed at it firmly, eyes brimming with resolve.
Fiora Kingdom—hand back everything you owe us!"
In that instant, Eli's aura soared to a remarkably high level.
Fist of the Scorching Sun!"
He gathered a massive amount of Nen into his hands, then unleashed it at the Dark Hunter base in a fierce punch. A ball of flame appeared, growing larger and larger as it traveled, until it was the size of a house.
It struck. The colossal flames erupted, instantly turning the surrounding area into a sea of fire. The roaring flames set buildings ablaze, and under the impact of the blast, they collapsed one after another.
The Dark Hunters snapped awake, shouting. Everyone scrambled up. Ron and Wendy also opened their eyes immediately. They exchanged a look and hurried out. Whether or not they intended to fight, it was better than staying put and risking entombment under rubble.
Gonte rushed outside.
But instead of an answer, another giant fireball roared toward him.
The massive fireball burst apart just before slamming into Gonte, and the flames surged higher still. Chaos reigned throughout the Dark Hunter base. Eli's onslaught was vicious and overwhelming, so much so that even Gonte had no quick way to counter, let alone the rest of them. In an instant, Eli alone had their entire base pinned down.
That was the peculiar nature of Eli's ability—fire-based, but totally unlike what most fire Nen users wield.
Meanwhile, a figure silently slipped into the Dark Hunter base. Aikeny focused her mind, and the next moment, her appearance morphed into someone else's. This was one of Aikeny's powers, akin to the "transformation technique."
A Dark Hunter, assuming she was an ally, never saw the attack coming—a quick slash across the neck. Then a second… a third… a fourth…
Finally, someone realized something was very wrong.
But by then it was too late; multiple people lay on the ground. Gonte glanced over his shoulder, eyes reddening, veins popping. In the next second, he abandoned Eli and charged straight toward Aikeny.
Aikeny watched him race nearer, but showed no sign of panic.
Take care of the rest of them according to our plan!"
The objective Aikeny had in mind was already achieved.
Through Eli's power, they had suppressed the Dark Hunter base. Even Gonte—an A-rank—didn't have a good method to deal with Eli in a short time. The base was in utter turmoil.
In the midst of this chaos, Aikeny slipped into the ranks of the Dark Hunters and had killed most of them.
Now, as Gonte charged toward Aikeny, she remained entirely unruffled.
The remaining Dark Hunters were no match for Eli. And even though her own ability wasn't exactly suited for direct combat, just facing Gonte alone was enough for her to hold him off briefly. That was all they needed.
The other member of their trio, Uki, would break the seal on Rosgel's head. Eli would finish off the rest of the Dark Hunters. Then they'd take Rosgel's head and leave without worrying about their own safety.
Gonte's form lunged right at Aikeny. By now, he no longer looked human—he had transformed into a savage, beastlike shape.
Aikeny had no intention of clashing with him head-on; she fought while retreating.
Meanwhile, Eli approached one of the Dark Hunters…