Goreinu stood in the rear, maintaining control over the entire situation.
His eyes scanned the battlefield rapidly—Bara's position, Sub's movement, Nick's stamina consumption, Kastro's status, and the cooldown of the Black and White Sages.
With a slight thought,
the White Sage appeared by Nick's side.
It locked onto Sub, its thick arm swinging out suddenly to slap the back of Sub's head.
The wind from the palm tore through the air, letting out a sharp whistle.
Sensing the sound of wind behind him, Sub ducked his head abruptly.
In that instant, his body reacted instinctively, bending down quickly.
The White Sage's palm grazed the top of his head; the fierce wind made his scalp go numb.
"Again! You disgusting fellow!"
Sub turned around and saw a white gorilla standing behind him.
He subconsciously threw a punch at the White Sage's chest, the veins on his arm bulging.
The White Sage did not dodge.
The moment before it was hit, its body suddenly became illusory and dissipated like a cloud of smoke—Goreinu had deactivated its existence at the very last second.
Sub's fist hit thin air. With no point of impact for his power, he stumbled a step, his center of gravity shifting forward and exposing a gap in his back.
Nick seized this opening.
He cut in from the side, legs exerting force to launch himself into the air, slamming a flying knee hard into Sub's waist.
The knee struck the kidney area—one of the most vulnerable parts of the human body.
"Puff—!"
With a dull thud, Sub's side was dented by the impact. His bones groaned under the unbearable weight, capillaries under the skin burst, and blood seeped into the muscle tissue, forming a massive bruise.
His eyes widened instantly as if they were going to pop out of their sockets. His mouth hung open as pain spread from his waist to his entire body.
His left leg buckled, nearly sending him to his knees.
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay upright.
Blood had already overflowed from the corners of his mouth, dripping down his chin onto the ground.
His face was as white as paper, veins bulged on his forehead, and cold sweat poured down like a waterfall.
Nick gave him no chance to catch his breath.
Upon landing, Nick's right hand had already seized Sub's wrist, his fingers clamping down like iron pincers.
His left hand locked onto the elbow joint, index and middle fingers wedged into the gap of the joint, while his thumb pressed against the tip of the elbow.
He twisted his body violently, exerting force from his waist and sinking his shoulder—this was a standard joint lock intended to wrench Sub's arm behind his back.
If this move were completed, Sub's elbow would be snapped, ligaments torn, and the bone would pop out of the joint capsule.
But Sub reacted in time.
In a life-or-death moment, his body exploded with its final potential.
Sub let out a roar, his captured right arm suddenly exerting massive force.
Muscles swelled and veins bulged as he broke free from Nick's restraint by sheer force. With a swing of his arm, Nick was sent flying!
Nick flipped half a turn in the air, rotating his body and landing on his feet, skidding three or four meters across the dirt before stabilizing himself.
The soles of his shoes plowed two deep furrows into the grass, sending dirt flying.
His palms were aching from the shock of Sub's power, and the webbing between his thumb and forefinger had split, dripping with blood.
He looked down at his hand, shook off the blood, and resumed his fighting stance.
Goreinu reacted quickly, conjuring the Black Sage once more.
The next second, Forced Swap was activated.
Sub's vision suddenly distorted.
When he could see clearly again, he found himself standing in front of Kastro, less than a meter away.
Kastro's face was right before him.
Sub's pupils dilated to their limit.
"No—"
"Tiger Bite Fist—Heart Piercer."
Kastro's right fist shot out straight, carrying nothing but pure power and speed.
The fist tore through the air, letting out a piercing sonic boom.
The punch struck the very center of Sub's chest, right on the sternum.
"Crack—!!!"
The crisp sound of bone fracturing echoed in the air.
Sub's chest caved in; at least five ribs were broken.
The force of the fist penetrated his thoracic cavity, jolting his heart.
A large mouthful of blood sprayed from his mouth, the mist scattering under the moonlight as his body flew backward, snapping two branches as thick as bowls.
Finally, he slammed heavily onto the ground, skidding seven or eight meters before stopping, plowing a long furrow into the dirt.
He lay there, motionless.
Blood continued to pour from the corner of his mouth, staining the grass beneath him red.
His eyes were half-open, pupils unfocused, and his breathing grew weaker and weaker.
Kastro withdrew his fist and took a deep breath.
This strike had consumed a significant amount of Nen, but the result was worth it.
He didn't check to see if Sub was dead or alive, turning instead toward Bara.
While Goreinu was transferring Sub, Nick had already turned to attack Bara.
The three of them coordinated with perfect chemistry, needing no reminders, no eye contact, and no words.
Each person knew exactly what they needed to do, and each trusted that those behind them would handle their part.
Nick launched a fierce frontal assault, not seeking a one-hit kill, but simply to keep Bara from catching his breath.
One punch slammed into Bara's guarding arm with a dull thud like a drum.
Another punch hit Bara's guarding forearm, the sound of bone cracking clearly audible.
Three punches. Four. Five. Six.
Nick's fists hammered down one after another on the same spot.
He used his fastest speed and strongest power to land every blow where it would be most uncomfortable for Bara.
Meanwhile, the White Sage waited for an opportunity on the side. Every time Bara tried to counterattack, the White Sage would appear from an unexpected angle—left, right, behind, or above—interrupting his rhythm with a punch or kick and forcing him back into defense.
The White Sage's movements were simple and brutal, with no flourishes, just the hammering of its fists.
Bara grew increasingly frantic as the fight went on.
His breathing became heavy, and the wounds on his face were still bleeding, the blood blurring his left eye so he could only see out of his right.
The bones in his chest also throbbed with pain; every breath felt like a needle prick.
Sweat and blood mixed on his forehead, flowing down his cheeks.
He knew he couldn't hold out much longer.
Furthermore, with Sub's fate unknown, he didn't know if his partner was dead or alive, but he knew they had lost this time.
Completely lost.
Just then, a hand pressed down on his shoulder from behind.
The palm was steady, gripping his shoulder blade.
Bara whipped his head around.
Kastro was standing behind him.
"It's over."
Kastro said calmly.
His fist was already raised, the Nen on his knuckles condensed into the shape of a tiger's head.
The tiger's head had its mouth open, fangs fully bared.
"Tiger Bite Fist—Skull Crusher!"
The fist slammed down.
Bara had no time to block; his arms were already useless, unable to even be lifted.
He didn't even have time to close his eyes.
The face of the fist struck his face.
"Bang—!!!"
A loud boom exploded in the air. Bara's eyes instantly rolled back, bloodshot and glazed. A spray of blood mixed with shattered teeth erupted from his mouth, teeth and blood scattering in the air before hitting the ground with soft clicks.
His entire body went limp, the back of his head slamming hard into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
He lay there, his limbs twitching slightly a couple of times before falling completely still.
Kastro slowly withdrew his fist and took a deep breath.
The continuous high-intensity combat, combined with the damage taken from Sub's two Nen Bullets, meant the self-healing effect of the "Tiger Stripe Combat Body" had consumed a large amount of his Nen.
Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and his chest heaved violently.
He looked at Goreinu, who gave him an "all clear" gesture and then pointed toward where Genthru and Hisoka were fighting.
Over there, the battle was still ongoing.
And it was far more insane than the fight here.
Kastro nodded and began walking in that direction.
He walked slowly, needing to recover his stamina.
Nick shook the blood off his fists and followed behind him.
Goreinu followed as well.
The three figures disappeared across the grass.
Behind them, Bara and Sub lay in pools of blood, motionless.