Chapter 216: A Game of Clones

As Auren stares at the giant circular prison created out of smoke, he can’t help but feel a tinge of frustration swell up in him.I feel like... I’ve lost the initiative. What is Morel thinking? What should I do?

Feeling the raindrops hitting his head and face, Auren immediately calms down, his chosen element acting as a familiar sensation that allows him to think clearly. Deciding that hesitation is his worst move, Auren uses Ren, draws Eternity, and tries to press it into the barrier.

Despite Eternity's sharpness, the blade merely penetrates a little into the barrier without causing any visible damage.

However, just as he is about to give up, he can feel it drain a large amount of Aura.

While Eternity can’t simply break his Hatsu... I can clearly feel it draining a lot of Aura! This is great. He can’t keep it up for long that way. What is his plan anyway? It isn’t a smart idea to openly expose himself like that. Time is his worst enemy. They need to flee. Why would they trap themselves here?

As Auren continues to drain more Aura through the Hatsu, multiple soldiers arrive.

“Soldiers of Hollow Blade! Three invaders dressed in standard uniforms are trapped within this Barrier. The Barrier is not created by one of us.” Auren yells loudly.

“What barrier?”

“I don’t see anything. What is the Vice-Leader talking about?”

“It’s right there, are you blind?!”

Multiple soldiers discuss and mumble, their voices overlapping.

Most can’t see it... It’s not conjured after all. These people are useless.

“Any Non-Nen user, back off and secure the perimeter,” Auren adds, still yelling, not taking his eyes off the smoke.

Just a few seconds later, he sees Neffi and Eren arrive, joining him. Eren stands next to him, while Neffi floats above the smoke prison, scanning it from above.

“I’ll back you up,” Neffi yells, her Hatsu Living Poltergeist, obviously active.

“Vanessa is in a position to fire her Hatsu—she should be close,” Eren explains, talking quickly. “She said it’s better if she doesn’t expose herself quite yet.”

Good... she is dependable in situations like this one.

“Eren... can you stand on the other side?” Auren asks. “They clearly have a plan, and I don’t want them to escape. Direct the soldiers to help you, okay? Tell them not to aim to kill from the get-go.”

“Understood,” Eren says, immediately running around the sphere.

Using the Aura in his sword, Auren also creates not one, but two water clones, both using up a sizeable amount of Aura, reducing the Aura in Eternity back to almost nothing. He skillfully directs them to stay close by, hiding themselves, before openly engaging.

Heh, these two clones would require an extreme amount of Aura, but I essentially got them for free... I don’t know what this guy is thinking, but he should realize by now that I am draining his Aura.

While the Hatsu persists, more and more soldiers arrive, now numbering ten capable of using Nen, and a dozen more standing in the back, securing the area.

Suddenly, Auren feels the drain from Eternity stop as the Hatsu in front of him grows weaker before it finally collapses.

As the smoke clears, Auren sees a large number of fighters before him, all mimicking the three soldiers.

Shit... that was obvious. It’s his Deep Purple.

“Surrender now!” Auren yells. “If you do so, I’ll guarantee your safety.”

“Back up the Vice-Leader!” one of the soldiers yells.

“Vice-Leader, we’ll take care of them!” another roars.

“Hmph, so that’s how you figured us out... who could have known the rumoured godly Vice-Leader, that is capable of miracles, is just a teenager,” the leader in charge adds.

“I know who you are as well,” Auren yells. “Surrender now, Sea Hunter Morel, and this may end without bloodshed. Every airship is unable to fly—your boat is confiscated. There is no way to escape. You are exposed and trapped. You and your students, Knuckle and Shoot, can come out of this situation alive... but if you push your luck, I can’t guarantee your safety. Let’s discuss this peacefully and rationally.”

“Huh? How can you know that?” Morel wonders, now clearly frustrated, biting his teeth.

“Master... I recognize him. That’s Demon-Claw Auren... a Floor Master in Heaven’s Arena,” the man without any distinctive features says.

That’s Knuckle... Shoot is covering his left arm, or, to be precise, his missing left arm.

“It’s him? So you are a Hunter as well,” Morel says, walking forward together with many of his clones, all mimicking him and his two still-disguised disciples. “I heard the Chairman talk about you... I am sorry, but this situation got out of control. Since you are clearly not on a mission, but a willing conspirator, even one of those in charge. I’m afraid I’ll have to knock you out and take you hostage. Under Article four of the Hunter Bylaws, I am hereby arresting you. The Vice-Leader should be a valuable and highly effective hostage.”

“You’ll pay a very costly price if you underestimate me,” Auren yells, raising a finger to the sky. “I’ve warned you... a rainshower is already dousing you. The next thing won’t be as refreshing and cool.”

After a short staredown, within seconds, Auren notices multiple small, meteor-shaped Nen objects crashing down from the sky, together with one large meteor around the same size as the one Vanessa used during their raid.

Auren sees Morel look up, stopping for a second, then looking back at him.

Instead of approaching Auren, Morel’s smoke clones split up into four groups—the largest one rushing towards the buildings, splitting apart and tearing the buildings apart, grabbing anything that they can to throw at Auren and the nearby soldiers. The other three groups surround Morel, Knuckle, and Shoot, acting like a shield.

At the same time, the soldiers start firing their guns at the clones trying to climb the buildings, engaging them in battle, but also firing at the three invaders on the ground.

I can’t let that happen... I need them alive!

“Hold your fire!” Auren yells. “Only target those clones attacking you or fleeing. Aside from that, do not shoot to kill!”

In the next second, the meteors arrive at the ground, creating a wave of explosions, while being particularly loud and violent, releasing a huge impact of Aura. As the last and biggest one arrives, Auren can see multiple clones get engulfed in the explosion, disappearing into nothingness.

Thanks to the ongoing rainshower, there isn’t much dust, and Auren sees that some of the clones are still there, making it almost guaranteed that Morel, Knuckle, and Shoot are also unharmed.

Suddenly feeling danger, Auren uses Gyo and sees that he is surrounded by numerous clones, totalling six, all rushing towards him from different angles.

In... so he can use it.

Smiling, Auren swiftly cuts them apart with Eternity, needing less than a second to destroy them, most of their Aura already drained by Eternity the moment he makes contact.

He then sees Neffi being engaged in battle with Shoot, who has now dropped his disguise and conjured his flying cage, Hotel Rafflesia, along with three hands currently trying to attack Neffi. Neffi unleashes her most powerful Ren, then skillfully controls her outer suit—no longer wearing it, floating next to her instead—to wrap the hands up and keep them from doing anything.

“Shoot!” Knuckle yells, sprinting towards her, trying to grab her clothes, only to see them fly into the air and out of reach.

“Take that!” Knuckle yells, trying to punch Neffi, who, thanks to undressing her diving suit and outer clothes, is no longer able to fly.

With her scarves waving around, she attacks Knuckle, who expertly dodges the sharp scarves, slipping between them, displaying not only a lot of skill, but also experience.

However, in the next moment, Eren arrives and stabs at Knuckle, two of his tentacle arms piercing into his chest—though not too deeply.

Suddenly, Neffi’s clothes become lighter, and Shoot’s hand appears before him anew and punch at Eren, who uses his two tentacle-hands as a shield.

They’re doing fine... for now. I don’t need any more help—I think I can support them with my clones.

Auren sends both of his clones towards them, reasoning that they would allow his friends to gain the upper hand.

Morel, who looks more and more desperate, meanwhile charges forward, obviously aiming at Auren.

“Isn’t this enough?” Auren asks, lifting Eternity and easily blocking Morel’s telegraphed attack with his pipe.

However, as Eternity makes contact with it, Morel vanishes in front of him, leaving only smoke, which swiftly gets drained into it.

In the next second, Auren feels the ground below him shake.

He jumps into the air, but feels a strong tug on his right leg, as it’s surrounded by a rope made out of smoke, pulling him towards the ground, into a small hole that’s now clearly visible.

Stay calm... this would be terrifying for anyone... but with Eternity.

Auren simply waves Eternity down, cutting the rope.

After a little bit of struggle, Eternity manages to cut through the smoke rope.

There is no Aura that I can’t cut!

Auren counters by firing a few Water Bullets from his mouth, shooting them straight into the hole.

A split second later, Auren hears a gruesome sound, his bullets obviously drawing blood and meeting flesh.

He won’t flee. He’ll never leave behind his comrades, his students.

Instead of chasing Morel, who’s now back in the hole he dug, Auren jumps away and targets the few clones that the soldiers haven’t been able to take out.

No casualties. I need it to stay that way... I also need to get rid of these clones.

There are so many of them... he must have used a ton of Aura. Along with Smoky Jail, he should have nothing left. There is no reason why I should follow him into the ground and take such a risk.

As Auren hunts down the few remaining Deep Purple clones, he looks at Neffi and Eren.

Thanks to his water clones disrupting Knuckle and Shoot, and even wrapping themselves around them, allowing Neffi and Eren to land a few hits, the battle is all but decided.

Shoot’s hands are wrapped up in Neffi’s robe once again, which turns out to be a perfect counter to Hatsu.

Her luck is quite good! With my clones, they can do it.

Suddenly, Knuckle, out of desperation, decides to hit Auren’s clone, a lot of Aura focused on his fist. “Hakoware!” Auren hears him yell.

His clone takes no damage; however, Auren suddenly notices a mascot-like Nen Beast next to himself. It displays the number 114 on its head.

“No!” Auren yells, trying to attack Potclean with Eternity to absolutely no effect.

Not even Eternity....

Auren looks towards the ground, searching for Morel, who is still nowhere to be seen.

“It's time, adding interest,” he hears a high, almost childish voice say as the counter now displays 125.

Seemingly in a bind, he looks at Knuckle. Gripping tightly onto Eternity, he sprints towards him.

I have no choice left... whatever the cost... I’m coming for you!