"No!" Oboro's frustration echoed through the air. "My ability requires the target to maintain a certain level of consciousness, but he's already got that." His voice trailed off as the implications sank in.
Minutes later, Oboro rejoined Menchi and the others. He had rushed here in the hope that Anthony could extract information from their scarred prisoner, but it was too late. The man lay motionless, his breathing barely audible. Without hesitation, Oboro finished him off with a swift palm to the head, then disposed of the body. As always, he absorbed the remaining souls as well as the black mist.
'Six people in all,' he mused. Four souls and two layers of black mist. The enhancement from these restricted zone users is far more powerful than those outside. A slight smile crossed his face as he assessed the improvements. His attack range had increased from ten to fifteen centimeters, and both his critical strike rate and his power had increased significantly.
His thoughts drifted to Netero. If only after the Chairman's death..." But he interrupted this thought. The battlefield where the old man had faced the Ant King was impossibly contaminated - radiation and viral agents made it too dangerous. Still, Neferpitou might be worth investigating.
"We found these on his team members," Menchi interrupted, holding out a package and a camera. Inside the package, Oboro discovered an ancient stone tablet covered with archaic writing and a strange human head sculpture. The artifact was made of an unusual material and studded with crystals. The camera contained only photographs of the ruins.
"Take these to the Sori group," Oboro ordered, his voice deep with authority. "You should all withdraw. I'll handle the next phase on my own."
The team exchanged uneasy glances, their silence heavy with concern. Only Menchi nodded in agreement.
Her hesitation was understandable - without Oboro, they would have been destroyed. Fant and Gabvich were badly wounded, their injuries barely contained by Menchi's basic field medicine.
"Do not be discouraged," Oboro said, his tone softening as he noticed their dejected expressions, especially Rita's uncharacteristic calm. "Growth takes time. I chose each of you because I saw your potential. You will become formidable hunters in your own right."
These five were the best partners he had now. The Fells family had invested considerable resources in this operation, and Menchi's arrival had been an unexpected boon. They weren't lacking in skill - the difficulty of the mission had simply exceeded their current capabilities. They were like silver-ranked players accidentally thrown into a diamond league match.
Still, they had made remarkable progress, meeting Oboro's expectations. Even considering the wider world, especially within the V5 nations where elite Nen users operated in the shadows, finding perfectly matched teammates would be a challenge. The resources of the V5 meant that they could easily maintain armies of psychics who operated beyond conventional rules.
Finding teammates of equal strength wasn't Oboro's primary concern. Team building required careful consideration of personalities, Nen compatibility, and backgrounds. Even with suitable candidates, there was no guarantee they would accept an invitation.
'This team needs time to develop,' he reminded himself. Better to train these five than to deal with a group of loose cannons like the Phantom Troupe.
Oboro led them back to the perimeter of the restricted zone and contacted their liaison to arrange for Sori Group healers and private transport to the nearest hospital. The liaison readily agreed, impressed by the team's efficiency. Despite heavy casualties, they had eliminated one of the three hostile groups and secured valuable artifacts.
"Do you want to end it here?" the liaison asked the next morning as they watched the spacecraft ascend. "The mission could end now with a satisfactory report to the Hunter Federation. Your earnings would be slightly reduced, but still substantial."
He continued thoughtfully, "Frankly, you've exceeded expectations. Even national-level agents have fallen here. We didn't expect anyone to stabilize the situation within a month. Two hostile groups remain, and completely stopping their artifact theft seems unrealistic. We can only try to minimize their gains."
Oboro smiled. "If I wanted to leave, I wouldn't still be here."
"You mean go on alone?"
"Yes."
"It's too dangerous."
"I appreciate the concern," Oboro said, patting the man on the shoulder, "but I work better alone in situations like this." He turned and walked away, hands in his pockets, ignoring the liaison's offer to arrange temporary assistance.
---
Several nights later, Oboro stood on a steep cliff near the ruins, facing four Nen users who had him surrounded. Moonlight pierced the scattered clouds, illuminating the scene with stark clarity.
A figure perched above him, its foot dramatically planted on a boulder. "Well, well," he sneered, clapping slowly. "We were wondering what happened to Steve's party. Should have known it was your work."
"Quite an important figure we have here!"
Oboro raised an eyebrow. "You know me?"
"Of course I know the famous Oboro, one of the privileged few of the Association." The man's voice dripped sarcasm through his white headdress. "Though you wouldn't know a minor player like me - I left just as you joined."
"Another member of the Association, then."
It wasn't surprising. Hunter licenses were permanent - even criminals kept them. The Association had its share of corrupt members with various connections. Once identified as criminals, however, they became targets for the Association's disciplinary unit, the Seirin Team, successors to Shadow, who had founded the Association alongside Netero and served V5.
"One star? Two stars?" Oboro smiled. "Surely not three?"
"Three-star hunters are quite rare. You overestimate me - I'm only two stars." The man's smile turned cold as he addressed his companions. "Remember when I mentioned the new member who completed a two-and-a-half-star mission solo? Netero's personal appointment? Well, here he is. Don't get careless - he's deadly."
His teammates' eyes locked on Oboro with renewed intensity. Steve's fate had already proven Oboro's abilities.
"As a two-star hunter, breaking the Association's rules seems beneath you," Oboro remarked, stretching casually. "You could have had a promising future."
"Ah, but you must have noticed that the internal politics of the Association aren't as peaceful as they seem. Of course, with the Chairman's protection, you could ignore all that. How enviable." Killing intent began to radiate from the man.
"So that's why you left," Oboro mused. "You want to know why the old man didn't like you?"
His voice became sharp. "Because a star hunter of your caliber isn't worth much."
The man's face darkened dangerously.
While star hunters weren't as rare as three-star hunters, the evaluation process for one- and two-star rankings didn't require V5 approval, which led to occasional corruption. When Illumi had pursued Killua and Alluka to the Association's headquarters, he had easily dispatched several one- and two-star Seirin members.
Combat-oriented star hunters were usually stronger, but many earned their stars through professional excellence alone. This opponent, however, was clearly combat-oriented.
A ghostly mist suddenly swirled around Oboro as all five opponents moved at once.
The real battle was about to begin.
---
In the hospital stairwell, Menchi stepped away from Fant and Gabvich's room to take an unexpected call - from the Chairman himself. He simply inquired about the status of her mission, which she explained in detail.
"What do you think of his strength?" the old man asked, amusement in his voice.
Menchi shared her observations.
"You are partially correct," Netero replied. "But you missed some details. Consider how quickly he ends fights - that requires deep Nen analysis. His thorough understanding of aura allows him to quickly grasp his opponent's abilities and weaknesses. Combined with his experience, his tactical mind becomes more valuable than raw power or fighting skill."
"Yes," Menchi admitted, her thoughts racing.
The Chairman seemed to be instructing her, but she sensed deeper implications. Her placement on Oboro's team had involved Biscuit - was that surveillance? Something else? As a non-star hunter, she wouldn't normally warrant the Chairman's attention.
"Don't overthink it," Netero chuckled. "Follow him and learn. You'll gain much." After a few more exchanges, he ended the call.
Menchi stared at her phone, conflicted. Should she tell Oboro about her suspicions? They were teammates now, despite the circumstances of her joining.
But what exactly should I look out for?