Chapter 91: If the Byakko Took Human Form, It Would Probably Look Like Uvogin
To physically block any intruders from the upper floors, low-level demons from the outer city included, the movement corridor leading to the higher levels of the Four Saint Beasts' castle had been built on the exterior of the main structure. It jutted out like an isolated arrow tower.
The only connection between that tower and the castle proper was a single narrow path ending in a suspended circular arena platform.
Apart from the open air instead of an enclosed room, and the circular rather than rectangular shape, the setup was structurally not unlike the Trick Tower's 5v5 path.
The group hadn't even reached the top of the staircase when the roaring started, the kind that sounded like a lion and a tiger had merged and were having a very loud argument about it. It mixed with the rolling thunder overhead and settled into a natural symphony that showed no intention of stopping anytime soon.
Someone warming up their vocal cords.
The group leaped from the arrow tower onto the suspended arena. On the far side stood an extraordinarily powerful figure.
White base, black stripes, upright on two legs, muscles stacked on muscles, maintaining the full silhouette of a white-striped tiger, and yet somehow also wearing a rough tiger-skin one-piece over all of it.
Ross genuinely could not identify the fashion category for this kind of primitive fur ensemble.
"Byakko..."
Hiei said the name.
For some reason, though, the Byakko's appearance gave Ross a strong and very specific sense of familiarity.
...Oh. Right.
Ross snapped his fingers as his brain made the connection.
In terms of muscle, build, temperament, and personal taste in clothing, this Byakko was a dead ringer for the Phantom Troupe's strongest assault fighter, Uvogin. You could almost say that if Byakko had a pure human form, it would probably look exactly like him.
Also, compared to Genbu, the Byakko had noticeably more human characteristics.
"Don't think you can just walk in here because you got past Genbu! Bastard invaders!"
The Byakko was visibly furious. But the rage that appeared to be directed at the intruders actually felt more like the physiological kind, the sort of irritability that comes from a specific nutritional deficiency.
Like those people who get talked into going fully vegan.
"Being stuck in this crumbling castle with no access to the taste of human flesh has already been making me furious... and now the Hunter Association has the nerve to send a handful of humans and demon traitors to bring down us Four Saint Beasts!?"
Crack.
Still monologuing, the Byakko drove his foot straight through a brick railing and reduced it to powder.
"Listen up, trash! You humans are my dinner tonight!
As for those two demon traitors! Your shredded remains will be fed to the Rotting Hungry Ghosts!"
As his voice climbed in volume, the arena floor started shaking with it. Visible cracks and collapses spread outward from the center.
"Classic sonic resonance. That tiger form probably comes with a natural talent for it, amplified by some kind of specialized Nen."
Ross lowered his hands from covering his ears and looked over at Kuwabara beside him, whose expression had gone serious.
"So. Still planning to go solo?"
What Ross hadn't expected was that Kuwabara, who by every prior precedent should have immediately insisted on exactly that, slowly shook his head instead.
"No. If I had to name one thing from the past two months with my master and seniors that matters more than anything else, I'd say it's..."
Don't be reckless.
A faint glow appeared on Kuwabara's palm. Compared to two months ago, the edges were noticeably cleaner and more refined, the power more concentrated, the loss lower. The Spirit Sword erupted from it.
"Wing really did teach the full fundamentals."
Seeing Kuwabara's expression and realizing he genuinely meant it, Ross couldn't quite hide his surprise.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
A flick of the right wrist and the Power Glove went on.
[Cartridge/Template mapping activating...]
[Your current mapped game protagonist has switched to: Gilgamesh.]
[Current mapped protagonist abilities have switched to: Manipulation Affinity (Grade A), Sword and Shield Mastery (Grade B), Magic Backpack (Grade C).]
At the same moment, a knight's shield large enough to cover half his body materialized in Ross's right hand. His left still held the Mega Buster. The combination produced a frontline combat stance that was simultaneously retro and futuristic.
[My Cannon-Shield Combo.jpg]
"Hmph! Wise choice!"
Seeing Ross advance with his shield raised, the Byakko let out a low sound from his throat, but his hands were already moving. Fingertip fur visibly grew, hardened, and expanded, ultimately forming into needle-like projectiles, which he hurled directly at Ross's group.
Byakko Flying Needles.
The Byakko, rough as he looked, was sharp underneath that roughness. Knowing Ross had a shield, he redirected his aim past Ross entirely and targeted the others behind him, who had no choice but to line up single-file on the narrow path.
The needles shot cleanly over Ross's head.
And then it was as though they hit a solid wall. A series of sharp impacts, a cascade of strange ripples, and every needle deflected away.
"I'll tank!"
Ross knocked the Mega Buster twice against the Hero's Shield with a very obvious smug expression.
[Hero's Shield: Grade A Nen tool, Shield type. From Tower of Druaga. Acquisition condition: "Have one instance of physical contact with the 'Silver Dragon' unit on Floor 33."
Highest-grade shield. Extremely strong defensive effect against all Projectile Objects. Projectile Objects include but are not limited to solid ammunition, energy blasts, curse techniques, and post-mortem Nen.
A shield-bearing player can defend against all Projectile Objects attacking from within the frontal 180-degree arc. Actual defensive area is a 5x5-meter zone directly in front of the holder. Using the shield to defend consumes aura normally; the shield defaults to the same defensive state as the holder without requiring additional aura injection for reinforcement.
When the player uses Ten: +50 to defense against frontal projectile objects.
When the player uses Ken: +100 to defense against frontal projectile objects.
A shield-bearing player can nullify Demon King Druaga's instant-death curse on contact, and is immune to post-mortem Nen with instant-death effects.]
Like the Gold Pickaxe, it was another hyper-specialized mechanic Nen tool. Frontal defense against projectiles was near-invincible. Correspondingly, anything that didn't come from the front it couldn't block at all.
Also worth noting: it had solid resistance against instant-death type post-mortem Nen. Though whether you could actually get the shield out before the hit landed was very much a matter of reaction speed.
Using something at this level against the Byakko's flying needles was overkill.
But if Genbu had been a super soldier with exactly one skill, the Byakko was a proper BOSS. Good combat intelligence. Real experience.
The flying needles hadn't produced any effect, but the brief exchange had bought him time to call for backup.
With a surge of demon aura, four thick hairs that had been plucked from the Byakko's scalp instantly inflated and grew, ultimately transforming into four creatures with thick bodies and five crimson eyes, two large and three small, bloodthirsty demon beasts.
Split-body Demon Beasts. Autonomous Nen beasts, capable of following simple commands, with strong killing drive and automatic attack behavior.
Any Nen user whose Ten wasn't sufficiently developed would have their body torn apart by them without difficulty. The problem was who they were currently facing.
"Extend! Spirit Sword!"
"Rose Whip!"
"Slash!"
"Eat my fist!"
Almost simultaneously, four attacks in four completely different forms, and all four demon beasts exploded into scattered fragments.
***
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