Blood trickled from the wound, a dark stain spreading as it attempted to flow out.
The young man's eyes gleamed with triumph, victory seemingly within his grasp.
But at that exact moment...
Old O's expression turned icy. He raised his remaining hand, bringing it close to where his arm had been severed. A surge of magma erupted from his palm, searing into the wound. The molten lava cauterized it instantly, halting the bleeding.
The young man's power was nullified in an instant.
Old O's gaze locked onto the young man, pure hatred etched across his face.
The young man's confidence wavered, panic setting in.
But it was already too late.
Old O charged forward.
Another member of the Mad Beast fell, bringing their numbers down. Now, only seven of the twelve remained—a staggering fifty percent loss.
The suited young man's expression darkened.
"The KUTE Gang's strength is overwhelming... We're no match for them. We need to report this to the elders!"
He turned toward a figure nearby.
"You, go now! Report everything to the elders."
A petite woman, though fully grown, nodded at his command. Without a moment's hesitation, she withdrew from the battlefield, summoning a broomstick. She leaped onto it, soaring into the sky.
"Don't let her escape!"
The KUTE gang members sprang into action, determined to stop her.
Old U manipulated water, forming a dragon-like entity that surged toward her. Old O launched a block of molten magma. Old T slapped the ground, summoning a tree that sprouted rapidly beneath her, its branches twisting to ensnare her. Old K called forth a winged Nen beast to pursue.
But the Mad Beast members weren't without skills of their own.
A shirtless young man clapped his hands, swapping places with Old K's Nen beast. A short-haired boy focused on the water dragon. "Fall!" he commanded, and the dragon plummeted from the sky.
Nearby, a bald man wearing a mask and wielding a massive axe charged toward the tree. With a single swing, he left a deep gash, and with a second, the entire tree collapsed.
"Don't underestimate us, Mad Beast! We are the elite of Meteor City!"
Despite their numbers dwindling to six, the Mad Beast fought with renewed intensity. Each surviving member was stronger, as if only the powerful had been left standing.
The suited young man began issuing orders.
"You two A-ranks, each take one opponent. We four B-ranks will work in pairs. Be cautious—our objective is to hold them off, not defeat them outright. Time is on our side."
The other five members nodded, including the two A-ranked Nen users.
It was unusual. Though two of them were A-ranks, the B-ranked suited man still commanded the Mad Beast. But none of them seemed to question it.
Old K watched the suited man with intrigue.
Nearby, the bald butcher faced off against Old T. One was an Enhancement-type, the other Conjuration. The butcher's axe, a Nen-reinforced tool, was a force to be reckoned with.
"Annoying," Old T muttered. This wasn't his preferred type of fight, but the butcher gave him no choice.
Meanwhile, the shirtless young man confronted Old K. Both were A-ranked Nen users. The suited man positioned himself against Old O, a white-haired boy at his side for support. Across from Old U, twin sisters—both Conjuration-types—created a coordinated assault. One wielded a melee weapon, the other ranged. Together, they kept Old U locked in a tight struggle.
But the suited man knew this balance couldn't last.
The Mad Beast was indeed weaker than the KUTE gang. Had they used their usual tactics, they'd have lost more members. Their current survival was thanks only to their strategy of buying time.
If the KUTE gang learned their abilities or regained stamina, they'd press the advantage, and the Mad Beast's situation would become dire.
The suited man wished for time to pass faster, each second feeling like an eternity.
He was waiting for two things: reinforcements from the elders and his own Nen ability to fully activate. But time was still on hold.
"I hope we can hold out until then. These guys are no joke… Are these really the world's top criminals?"
"And how on earth did the Zoldycks manage to sever that guy's arm… This is ridiculous!"
Old K stared down the shirtless young man.
"Spatial abilities, huh? Annoying."
When it came to raw power, Old K held the advantage. Even within the A-ranked, differences could be vast. Yet the shirtless young man's ability was vexing. With a single clap, he could swap places with Old K's Nen beast, preventing Old K from locking onto him.
"I'll have to try this."
With a focused effort, a new Nen beast materialized, joining the first. Now the shirtless young man faced three foes at once. Slowly, he found himself cornered, the situation growing grim.
Elsewhere, the clash between Old T and the bald butcher continued, simple yet intense. One conjured, the other destroyed. Trees sprouted; axes fell.
It was a contest of endurance, and Old T had the upper hand. Although both were A-ranked, Old T's larger Nen reserve and efficient energy use gave him the edge. If not for Old T's specialization in prolonged battles, the butcher would have tired out long ago.