Chapter 48: Oboro vs. Sato (2)

Sato belonged to the secretive Kumogakure-ryu group. Oboro had already gathered information about his abilities from Brown's other Nen users.

The name of this secret group stirred something in Oboro's memory until he recalled that Hanzo, who had taken the Hunter Exam alongside the protagonists, originated from there. The organization specialized in training ninjas.

Hanzo served as a jonin of the Kumogakure school, becoming a Hunter to seek the dream scroll. Before mastering Nen, his strength had differed notably from the protagonists, but his good nature had left a lasting impression on Oboro.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, Sato finally caught up. The ninja drew two knives from the sheaths at his waist, peculiar weapons that consisted only of handles without blades.

Sato slashed at Oboro. The sharp edge cut through the air with extreme speed and frequency, yet produced no sound. Oboro kept retreating and dodging as invisible blades formed a cage of cold light around him.

Within moments, Oboro's body bore several bleeding cuts, though fortunately only superficial wounds. He had no intention of prolonged engagement with Sato for now and continued increasing his pace.

They eventually returned to the square where Brown and his group remained. Seeing Oboro's exposed upper body covered in blood, the dozen onlookers grew excited. The tension visibly eased from Brown's face, Sato was proving his worth. Even if one recruited a pack of ferocious wolves from Meteor Street, none could replace Sato's value.

"Hidden," Oboro muttered, jumping to put distance between himself and Sato before stopping to analyze the situation.

Because Sato wielded only sword handles without physical blades, judging the "attack distance" proved challenging. As an Emission type, Sato's ability allowed him to use his aura to simulate ninja tools. In practical terms, he could alter his blade length at will, one meter in length one second, two meters the next.

This proved especially difficult to defend against during rapid combat. Moreover, Sato kept his weapon in a perpetually 'hidden' state, requiring mastery of Nen and demanding Oboro maintain constant "concentration" during their fight.

"It's pointless to focus on his weapon since he can change its form instantly. Instead, I need to track his hand movements and determine his attack patterns!" Oboro devised his strategy.

As he did so, the air beside him began to swirl as digitized pixel modules emerged, opening into a black hole. This time he was summoning a resource type!

Sato, unwilling to let Oboro complete his Nen ability, left an afterimage as he closed in. Oboro reinforced his arm with aura, using his flesh as a weapon to meet Sato's blade. Their collision revealed Sato's physical capabilities matched Oboro's own.

All of Sato's attacks followed discordant angles and rhythms. Unlike traditional swordplay based on chopping, slashing, cutting, stabbing, and drawing cuts, Sato's technique was utterly inhuman. His Emission ability allowed him to materialize and dematerialize his aura-composed ninja tools at will.

The handle-only design didn't impede his close combat prowess. He seamlessly integrated hand-to-hand techniques while instantaneously manifesting sharp blades from unexpected angles. This insidious style specialized in catching opponents off guard.

He used fluid body movements to obstruct Oboro's vision and conceal his next attack. The constant shifting between martial arts and bladework created an impossible rhythm to predict.

In just thirty seconds of exchanges, the wounds on Oboro's body multiplied. Though none were fatal, prolonged combat would definitely disadvantage him.

"His technique shows no obvious weaknesses," Oboro marveled. "This ability must have been refined through countless battles, identifying and eliminating flaws until achieving this mature, unique fighting style. Exceptional physical prowess, vast combat experience, and perfectly integrated ability usage, truly remarkable!"

In terms of ability compatibility alone, Sato rivaled Hisoka, differing only in style and type. Of course, this didn't necessarily mean equal overall strength, as Oboro couldn't gauge Hisoka's current level.

A blade whistled through the air, missing its target. As Sato moved to press his advantage, three massive wolves suddenly burst from the nearby black hole. Several birds of prey also emerged, spreading their wings to circle overhead with piercing cries.

Shadow Wolves and Razorbacks had joined the fray!

"Nen beasts?" The thought crossed Sato's mind before he noticed their bodies consisted of pixel blocks. He recognized these as manifestations of Oboro's game-based ability, similar to the soldiers from video games.

Three wolves appeared, one large, two smaller. The alpha wolf's claws shattered the stone beneath its feet as the smaller ones bared their fangs and attacked. Above, the razor-beaked birds dove like arrows toward their target.

Sato found himself completely engaged by the creatures, unable to focus solely on Oboro. His blade flashed left and right as he moved. With precise movements, he dispatched the two smaller wolves, then vaulted onto the larger one's back to drive his blade into its brain.

A raptor swooped from above, talons aimed at Sato's head. The ninja dodged and landed, releasing several aura-formed shuriken that struck the bird's head and eyes. The creature crashed, its form dissolving into streams of data.

Before Sato's feet could touch ground, Oboro struck like a viper from hiding. His timing was perfect!

But Sato had sensed the danger. Sharp blades manifested simultaneously from his hands, feet, and limbs as if triggered by hidden mechanisms.

The foot blades traced semicircles to force back Oboro's advance while the hand blades targeted his face, though these attacks were deflected.

"His ability extends beyond simulating those two swords, it encompasses all ninja tools! They're pure aura constructs that he can manifest at will, from throwing darts to any concealed weapon. They function like aura bullets. Traditional ninja combat incorporates diverse weapons, and his ability developed to encompass everything a 'ninja' might use."

Oboro knocked aside several hidden weapons, but a small arrow pierced the back of his hand. He spotted a miniature crossbow mounted on Sato's forearm.

All of Sato's ninja tools could materialize from their hidden state at any moment, their supreme concealment making them nearly impossible to anticipate. Even Oboro struggled to prepare adequate defenses.

After repelling Oboro's attack, Sato noticed another creature emerging from the black hole, a massive frog covered in mushrooms. He retreated immediately, still mindful of the raptor overhead. While he could block one surprise attack from Oboro, he couldn't guarantee success against every threat.

He needed to eliminate these 'game products' first to deny Oboro any openings.

"Leaving so soon? Your boss is still here. Aren't you worried I might kill him?" Oboro's taunt stopped Sato in his tracks.

"That one guard can't stop me!" Oboro pressed his advantage.

Sato's eyes flickered with uncertainty. His moment of hesitation allowed the remaining razor-beaked birds to dive at him while the giant frog's tongue shot out like a cannonball toward his position among the birds.

Though the pressure doubled, Sato's agility allowed him to escape. He maintained a careful distance, close enough to rescue his boss if needed but far enough to maneuver.

"He's figured it out," Oboro realized. Sato had identified the "limitation" of his Nen ability.

As one of the underground's top Nen users serving the Ten Old Men, Sato had encountered and eliminated far more Nen users than Oboro. His ability to understand, perceive, and analyze various Nen abilities was exceptional. In battles between Nen users, such analysis proved crucial.

"Range is the key!" Sato confirmed his theory as he leaped onto a palace dome hundreds of meters away. The pursuing toad and remaining birds suddenly halted their attack.

Every Nen ability had conditions and limitations, this was fundamental. Simpler abilities carried lighter restrictions, sometimes negligible ones, varying by individual. The most basic limitation was usually aura consumption. Many Enhancement types followed this pattern, or required charging time between attacks.

For Sato, simulating ninja tools required actual mechanisms and equipment hidden across his body. The devices in his hilts, cuffs, and shoe tips served as "conditions" for releasing his Nen ability. He couldn't manifest ninja tools without these physical anchors.

More powerful abilities demanded stricter conditions and restrictions. Sato recognized the complexity of Oboro's Nen ability and its impressive requirements.

Even if conditions were minimized, these two major factors couldn't be eliminated entirely, no Nen ability existed without disadvantages. Even if Oboro had developed his abilities from birth and spent years using equivalent exchange to reduce his "disadvantages," they would persist.

Oboro's earlier actions now made sense. Instead of immediate combat, he'd returned to the square to open the black hole, using Brown as leverage to maintain their distance. His true goal had been to conceal his ability's limitations.

"That transmission channel, once opened, remains fixed in location," Sato concluded with certainty.

"These monsters attack with near-perfect accuracy, but anyone strong enough can dodge them. Moreover, they all have a fixed attack range, they stop pursuing beyond that limit."

"No wonder he prioritized killing Monte. A sniper's ability would prove especially troublesome for him!"