Bisky, Shizuku, Menchi, Buhara, and Sanbica stared at the colossal beast floating in the air, their faces tense with the knowledge that a battle was inevitable.
Bisky, in particular, felt a heavy weight on her shoulders. She was one of the four people who had faced this creature in the past and understood just how ruthless it could be.
However, Germain's thoughts diverged from the group.
Since everyone had the habit of keeping records of their journeys to the Dark Continent, Germain clearly remembered their last encounter with the Bloodthirsty Apostle. They had defeated it on September 26th.
Now, it was December 10th. This meant that the Apostle's revival cycle required at least three months.
Germain thought that, if controlled properly, the Bloodthirsty Apostle could be harvested "three times a year."
With that, the production of "Herb for All-illnesses" might finally stabilize.
Bisky, because of her height, had to stand on her tiptoes and grip the edge of the tall tower's window just to look outside.
"Looks like we'll have to fight again. We can't let it trap us in the tower."
"Germain, let's come up with a plan. Even though Ging isn't here, with so many of us, we should be able to handle it."
"Sanbica, don't join the fight. Focus on healing anyone who gets injured. Everyone else, coordinate and aim for its weak points..."
Suddenly, Germain raised his arm, interrupting Bisky mid-sentence.
For some reason, his movement carried an indescribable authority, silencing Bisky and the others as they all turned to look at him.
"I want to try fighting it one-on-one."
Bisky thought she had misheard him, her face showing utter disbelief.
"Huh—what?! What did you just say? Three months ago, the four of us barely managed to take it down together! Now you want to go alone?"
"Yes."
Bisky froze, about to burst into anger. But when she saw the serious expression on Germain's face, she frowned, forcing herself to calm down.
"Do you have any reason to think this will work?"
Germain held up three fingers.
"First, the Bloodthirsty Apostle isn't as strong as it was last time. That's because it has just been reborn—it's at its weakest right now."
"It needs to regain its former strength by luring more living beings into the labyrinth with its scent. The plants will parasitize those beings and offer their flesh and blood as sacrifices to it."
"Second, we all know the weaknesses of the Bloodthirsty Apostle. We've defeated it once before, and that experience is invaluable."
"Third, my combat ability has improved during this time. One-on-one, I should be able to defeat it without issue."
Bisky rested her chin on her hand, pondering for a moment before looking up and locking eyes with Germain.
"I agree with your first and second points. But regarding the third—this so-called 'improvement in combat ability'—do you have any solid evidence to back it up?"
"That 'En' from earlier doesn't count. You—"
Before Bisky could finish, Germain activated his "En" again.
This time, however, it was different. His "En" radiated an overwhelming Malicious intent.
The dark and oppressive aura within his "En" tightened the nerves of every Hunter present, forcing them into defensive stances yet again.
Even with their trust in Germain, it was almost impossible not to react when such a suffocating Malicious intent suddenly engulfed their entire being.
But unlike before, this time felt entirely different.
It was as if they were trapped in the palm of Germain's hand, with his grip slowly tightening around them.
The Hunters' pupils shrank as they struggled to hide their shock and tension.
The second half of Bisky's sentence caught in her throat, never to be spoken.
Even the Bloodthirsty Apostle, floating in mid-air, paused briefly as it detected the dark Malicious intent.
However, the tower's presence seemed to paralyze it, preventing any effective countermeasures.
In the blink of an eye, Germain's "En" retracted back into his body, and the oppressive Malicious intent vanished without a trace. It was like a sudden downpour—intense and fleeting.
Germain turned his head, looking down at Bisky.
"This is the evidence."
Bisky's expression grew heavy as she locked eyes with him. After a long moment, she was the first to look away, sighing softly.
"It seems I'm not the only one who's been training diligently these past two months... The gap between us hasn't closed—it's widened."
"If you're so insistent, then go. After the battle is over, you can tell me everything that happened during this time."
Germain nodded, then climbed onto the windowsill.
With a leap, he jumped into the blood-soaked abyss below.
At this moment, Shizuku slightly raised her hand.
"Bisky, actually, I can tell you what he went through."
Bisky glanced at her and shook her head.
"You can't. I don't believe your description, Shizuku. It's all over the place, and some parts might even mislead me."
"That's true." Shizuku, showing self-awareness, closed her mouth and adjusted her glasses.
Bisky then said, "Germain, the person involved, definitely knows the details best. Even if I have to let someone else explain, I'd choose Sanbica."
She leaned toward Sanbica, who was about the same petite size as her, with a smile.
"Right, Sanbica?"
Sanbica, who was completely covered, still habitually avoided making eye contact with others.
When faced with Bisky's question, she even took half a step back.
"Eh… Sanbica, that half-step back really hurts my feelings. We haven't seen each other in months, and we're this distant now?"
"I… I… no, it's not like that…" Sanbica stammered and waved her hands, seeming genuinely afraid that Bisky misunderstood her.
Just then, as Bisky was teasing Sanbica, a powerful burst of Nen from Germain suddenly shot out.
There was a loud boom from below, and in the blink of an eye, another explosion sounded in the air.
Then, before anyone could fully react, the enormous, Bloodthirsty Apostle fell from the sky!
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