Ron was confident he could overcome B-level Nen users who specialized in support or tool-type abilities. Since the members of the Phantom Troupe were all unharmed, Ron believed he wouldn't be in any danger, either.
Upon seeing Machi, Ron grew more certain of this idea. Machi was acting alone, which meant that this Kurta-clan Nen spirit had separated everyone. If the entire Phantom Troupe was fine, there was no reason Ron would be an exception.
As Ron appeared, subtle changes occurred in the area. Wisps of aura rose from the scattered bones and gradually converged, merging into one massive flow of aura. That aura then slowly morphed into a human-shaped figure.
Ron narrowed his eyes slightly. The appearance of this humanoid creature was very similar to how an Emitter might create a Nen Beast.
A young man stood before Ron, both eyes glowing scarlet. On his chest was a cross-shaped scar.
"Scarlet eyes? Probably a member of the Kurta clan. But now, he's just a replica, a Nen Beast."
Ron's thoughts moved swiftly.
All four entities appeared in unison. Ron could feel that this Nen Beast was stronger than any monster or mummy he had encountered before. Moreover, Ron had no idea what abilities it possessed, and it had scarlet eyes. He had to fight at full power to avoid losing simply for holding back.
This was one of the Zoldyck Family's rules:
—If you aren't sure of the opponent's strength or abilities, your first choice should be to flee.
—However, if fleeing is impossible, use your full strength right away to defeat your adversary.
In the current situation, Ron clearly had no chance of escape. This young man wasn't even human but a Nen Beast—one that inhabited a massive spiritual entity. The very ground Ron stood on was a part of that spirit.
Natsu charged at the young man while Akutagawa Ryunosuke assisted from the side. Several dark red claws formed, and Hanma Baki stood not far off, guarding. Killer Queen brandished a few baseball bats.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Natsu's flaming fist smashed into the young man with a loud bang, forcing him to stagger back one step. That was all—just a single step. A blade then appeared in the young man's hand.
With a dull thud, he thrust it into Natsu's body. Thanks to Natsu's extraordinary toughness, the blade didn't penetrate far. Ron judged that if it had been Hanma Baki, the damage would have been much worse.
Natsu retreated a step, and the young man immediately conjured another weapon—a spear—which shot straight for Natsu.
A dark red claw lashed out from behind Akutagawa Ryunosuke, piercing the young man's arm before he could dodge. He pulled away, arm dripping with blood.
Ron rapidly assessed everything in his mind.
"His defense is high. His offense is strong. In close combat, even Natsu isn't a match. But his speed and reactions aren't as fast."
From the surrounding bones, aura welled up once more, flowing toward the young man to heal his wounds. Ron's gaze sharpened.
"Earlier, the aura came from the bones. Now it's coming straight from the ground. Does that mean this Nen Beast has inexhaustible aura? If so, how did all the Phantom Troupe members survive?"
Bolstered by the renewed aura, the young man's body kept regenerating. A portion of deathly aura spilled from him, drawn to the Rotten Life Blade. Ron's eyes lit up slightly.
Because at that moment, as soon as the Rotten Life Blade absorbed that trace of deathly aura—
It felt like some bottleneck had been shattered. The Rotten Life Blade awakened. Ron drew it, the metal gleaming along the blade's surface, shifting and changing its shape.