Clang, clang, clang!
A barrage of handgun fire rained down, not particularly powerful per round, but so dense that any unarmed targets would be riddled with bullets in an instant. Yet Kaito suddenly pulled Selena close, shielding her by squatting down and extending one hand behind them.
Before any of the bullets could reach him, they pinged off the air about a meter away, clattering uselessly to the ground. It was as if an invisible barrier had stopped the hail of bullets. But at the same time, his back was left open to fire from the police commander and a few others, and several rounds embedded themselves in his flesh, drawing blood. Still, he didn't seem too badly hurt.
Then, with one hand still outstretched, he used the other to yank Selena up—turning into a black blur as they retreated. His speed was shockingly fast. Even dragging a second person, he moved like a lithe panther, leaping several meters high in one bound. Landing, he shifted his arm to scoop the blonde woman up by the waist and dashed away.
To ordinary humans, his agility and acceleration were practically impossible to keep up with. By the time the nearby officers realized what was happening and stopped shooting, the pair were almost out of sight.
With Selena in his arms, Kaito headed for a corner, trying to turn into a side street. From a vantage point, one of Xiang Nan's squad members was filming the entire scene with his phone.
"Captain… what the hell was that?!" the soldier blurted, stunned that such a dense volley of gunfire couldn't bring the man down. Clearly something was off.
Meanwhile, Xiang Nan had descended from the rooftop and was sprinting toward the battle zone. En route, he watched the footage on his phone and narrowed his eyes.
A Nen user.
Though Xiang Nan couldn't see precisely what technique the man used with his outstretched hand, he knew it had to be Nen. Ordinary people wouldn't sense the aura-based energy, but Xiang Nan had some idea what was going on.
"So that's why they dared come so close—they've got a Nen user!" Xiang Nan muttered as he raced along the street. "Is this man the player?"
But then there was also the woman.
It had only been six months since the first wave of players arrived in this world. It wasn't impossible for a newbie to have awakened Nen—maybe through incredible luck, exceptional talent, a system-based cheat, or being reborn into a body that already had a connection to a Nen practitioner.
"Reinforcement type? Emission type? I can't tell from just those movements. He seemed to release something that blocked the main cluster of bullets, but was still hit by some from behind. He used Nen for partial defense, but not everything," Xiang Nan thought, zooming in on certain frames of the video.
He compared it to various known examples from the original Hunter x Hunter canon.
Nen users can be very strong, but there's a wide range. Even some mid-level operatives are still vulnerable to heavy firepower. Take the Phantom Troupe as an example: Uvogin could shrug off sniper bullets, even tanking cannon fire without serious injury—he was on a completely different level. By comparison, this guy got wounded by regular handgun bullets at close range, even though he tried to defend with Nen. That implied he wasn't too advanced. Probably still killable with standard firearms.
With that in mind, Xiang Nan placed the man's abilities in about the same category as low-tier bodyguards employed by Mafia families like the Nostrad household, or maybe a fighter around the 200th floor of Heaven's Arena—a newbie with passable skill but definitely short of the top echelon. He recalled how the Mafia's hired Nen users, aside from Kurapika and Melody, weren't particularly formidable.
Of course, Xiang Nan's assessment was tentative; he hadn't entered the Nen user realm himself yet. He was simply using the original story's references for a quick guess. Actual strength would be proven only in live combat.
"The man in that duo is a Nen user," Xiang Nan said into his headset. "You can think of it like some kind of 'superpower,' but he's still susceptible to bullets. You can kill him. Keep your distance—don't engage in close combat. If possible, I want him alive."
"Understood!"
In a high-rise apartment window, a squad member chewing gum raised his sniper rifle, lining the scope on the fleeing couple below. Then he squeezed the trigger.
Bang!
A powerful sniper round ripped through the air toward Kaito just as he embraced Selena and ran into another wave of fierce gunfire. They ducked into a side alley, but the shot struck Kaito's lower leg, erupting in a spray of blood. If not for his Nen defense (ten, zetsu, or some form of enforcement), it might have blown his calf apart entirely. Even then, the bullet still tore through muscle, causing him to stagger and nearly fall.
They'd thought they'd escaped the cordon once they got out of the immediate blockade. But apparently there was a second, larger perimeter beyond. Judging by the sheer manpower mobilized in Kotaki City, it was more than just a few hundred officers.
"There's a sniper!" Kaito growled, clutching Selena and forcing himself onward despite the pain. If they stopped, the next sniper round could end them. The marksman was dangerous, having already anticipated their path.
From the echo of boots and shouting, it sounded like a large group of police closing in. Kaito's heart pounded.
Meanwhile, the sniper who landed the shot gasped. He'd aimed to cripple the target's leg outright, but the result was far less dramatic. Regardless, he quickly reported the wound to Xiang Nan.
Hearing that, Xiang Nan became even more convinced of his earlier analysis.
Back in that alley, Kaito and Selena pressed forward—only to find someone waiting at the far end, cackling:
"Heh heh—this way's closed!"
This man hefted what looked like a Gatling-style heavy machine gun in both arms.
Kaito's pupils shrank to pinpoints.
Dadadada…
Countless shell casings clattered to the ground as the minigun muzzle spewed fire, blanketing the alley with overwhelming gunfire. Fragments of brick and dust burst from the alley walls. The gunner roared with laughter.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Hey, Alyosha, you maniac, lighten up—I can't get a clear shot with you spraying like that!" the sniper barked over comms. "Captain wants them alive if possible—don't just mow them down!"
He'd barely finished speaking when the headset crackled with static. Through the sniper scope, the alley was a haze of gunfire and debris—then abruptly the barrage stopped.
"Alyosha? … Alyosha?!"
"Dammit, Captain—Alyosha's down!"
"Mhm."
Xiang Nan had arrived at the scene, and his voice was cold as he took in the situation.