As the battle between Allen and Beyond reached a fever pitch, on the rooftop of a building some three or four hundred meters away from the Hunter Association, Ging, Pariston, and the members of the New Phantom Troupe were holding binoculars, silently watching the plaza that had been decimated beyond recognition.
After a full minute, Pariston let out a laugh of admiration. "My, my~ how terrifying. To think he doesn't even need to use his strongest form to handle Beyond. 'Grim Reaper' Allen is truly an unmitigated monster. I wonder if anyone in this world is actually capable of defeating him."
"He likely represents the power ceiling attainable by humanity. To defeat a monster like that, one would need power that transcends common logic, something akin to the Five Threats," Ging remarked calmly, offering his perspective.
"Indeed! It seems my only hope is that this fellow gets killed by some dangerous creature while exploring the Dark Continent. Otherwise, life is going to be quite difficult moving forward," Pariston sighed with a touch of helplessness.
However, he quickly turned his gaze toward the members of the New Phantom Troupe, whose faces were plastered with shock. He asked with a thin smile, "Well? Do you still intend to seek revenge for Chrollo and his companions?"
"Ha... Hahaha! I think we'll pass. Revenge is a meaningless endeavor that brings no benefits, it doesn't fit the Phantom Troupe's style at all," the short-haired girl stammered, her laughter tinged with extreme awkwardness.
Based on her observations, she was certain that if she stepped onto that field, she wouldn't last a second. She would be killed instantly. To be precise, she couldn't even track the subtle details of the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva's movements.
"Agreed. I'm not afraid of death, but I have no desire to be stepped on like an ant," the burly man with the greatsword chimed in.
"The gap is too wide. Is that really something a human can achieve? So... Nen really can make a person as powerful as a god!" The small man in the suit fell into a deep silence.
Undeniably, the clash between Allen and Beyond made these prideful Meteor City natives realize they weren't nearly as formidable as they had imagined. On the contrary, compared to true masters, they were like ants on the ground, liable to be flattened by a stray footstep. They finally understood that Sheila, their acting leader, hadn't been lying. Every word she had said was the absolute truth, without a shred of exaggeration.
"Hehe, a wise choice. It seems you aren't irredeemably stupid. Remember, if you value your lives, stay far away from that man. When dealing with heinous criminals, he follows the principle of 'Evil Must Be Purged.' Which is to say, he won't send you to prison or hard labor, he will execute you on the spot," Pariston warned meaningfully.
Just as a member of the New Phantom Troupe was about to speak, a deafening roar erupted from the battlefield at the Association's gates.
As his injuries grew more severe, Beyond finally pushed his Nen to its absolute limit, releasing an incredibly powerful aura. Though this surge was temporary and unsustainable, it granted him the strength to confront Allen head-on. Relying on his maxed-out strength, speed, and reflexes, he was actually able to push forward against the strikes of the Guanyin, nearly grazing the hem of Allen's clothes several times.
"Growing stronger through tenacity and endurance... no wonder you made it back alive from the treacherous Dark Continent. But unfortunately, your life ends here. As a reward for your efforts to entertain me, I shall show you my true power."
The moment those words were uttered, the massive golden statue behind Allen vanished. In its place, a bow appeared in his hand, verdant green and adorned with fresh flowers and tender leaves.
"Oh? You're finally willing to get serious?" Beyond wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Of course. I never mind showing my respect to an enemy who displays such precious qualities."
In a fluid motion, Allen completed the full sequence of drawing the bow and nocking an arrow. A massive amount of aura coalesced on the shaft, rapidly forming several distinct abilities. Within seconds, everyone present felt a terrifying aura of total destruction.
As the target of the arrow, Beyond felt it most acutely. He knew with absolute certainty that if he were hit, there would be zero chance of survival.
Dodge! He had to dodge this strike!
Just as Allen was about to release his fingers and let the arrow fly, the dragon egg in his bag, which had been silent for so long, finally reacted.
The next second...
CRACK!
The dragon egg actually leaped out of his waist pouch on its own, flying straight into the air. Immediately following this, it began to release scorching, crimson flames before the eyes of the crowd, dyeing the entire sky a brilliant, vivid red.
An opening!
Beyond seized the split second Allen was distracted. He lunged forward like a cannonball, swinging his fist downward with a ferocious blow.
Though Allen snapped back to reality at the last moment and attempted to use a blink-like teleportation to move twenty meters to the left, he was a step too late. Under the impact of the massive force, he was sent sliding back a dozen meters before regaining his balance. He checked his hunter interface and noticed he had lost over 1,500 Health points.
Beyond, a veteran of many battles, was not about to let such an opportunity slip away. He pursued instantly, aiming to widen his advantage.
But Allen wasn't about to give him another chance. He immediately performed his Multi-Shot technique, firing over a dozen thorium arrows in a breath-taking volley, forcing his opponent back.
Seeing his approach thwarted, Beyond raised both arms without a word, condensing a massive Nen ball in his hands and hushing it forward with a roar. "Taste this!"
"Hmph! You think you're the only one who knows Emission techniques?"
Allen sneered, raising his arm to fire a Nen cannon of equally staggering power. When the two collided, a thunderous explosion echoed above the Hunter Association headquarters. Every window in the building shattered from the terrifying blast, and the resulting air currents were so strong they forced people to shield their eyes.
During the Chimera Ant extermination, Allen had acquired several similar abilities, including those from Bloster, Youpi, and various Officers and soldier ants. However, because they couldn't match the power of his Nen-infused arrows, he used them relatively rarely.
Seeing that long-range attacks were ineffective, Beyond immediately tried to close the gap again.
However, before he could cross the thirty-meter warning line, the dragon egg floating in the sky finally made a cracking sound. Web-like fissures spread across the surface of the shell.
Then...
SNAP!
A small, cartoonish dragon covered in red scales flew out. She didn't pause for a moment, diving straight toward her master and spreading her wings as she pressed against him.
In less than 0.1 seconds, the reborn Vaelastrasz transformed into a suit of Red Dragon armor covering every inch of Allen's body.
This time, it wasn't a transformation into a drakonid form—it was a set of magnificently styled armor!