'What exactly had just happened...?'
When Morel and Knov processed the scene before them, what emerged was shock and confusion.
A question that couldn't be answered immediately had forcefully entered their minds.
But one thing was certain.
That is, what Killua had said earlier, which they had dismissed as an exaggeration born of fear, was actually an undeniable fact.
The enemy-
is indeed a monster among monsters!
Just one brief exchange of attacks and defenses was enough for Morel and Knov to confirm this information.
Following this, these two battle-hardened elites now displayed two completely different mental states.
Although Morel was drenched in cold sweat, the confidence forged through countless battles hadn't been shaken by Pitou's terrifying aura or her nearly invisible attacks.
What proved this was the fact that the large pipe in Morel's hand remained as steady as a rock.
In contrast, Knov, though also drenched in cold sweat, had a look in his eyes that was tinged with the belief that Pitou was 'invincible'.
'What kind of malevolent Aura was that...?'
It sent chills down Knov's spine, making him feel as if he had been instantly transported to a frozen wasteland, with the real sensation that his body might shatter from the cold at any moment.
Knov's reaction to Pitou's Aura was far more intense than Morel's.
Thus-
When Morel and Knov saw Pitou, who had been sent flying by Moses, return and launch another attack at Moses...
There was a slight difference in the speed of their decision-making and actions.
Morel didn't hesitate to charge back into the battlefield, intending to support Moses, who was fighting the terrifying monster.
Of course, Knov had the same intention as Morel, but the gap in willpower, combined with the brief pause caused by his initial hesitation, had left him several steps behind Morel.
And so, Morel led the way, with Knov trailing behind, both rushing toward the battlefield.
But after covering some distance, their hearts trembled as they realized a serious problem.
At this moment…
What appeared before their eyes was-
a violent clash of Nen, countless sparks flashing in an instant, and an indescribably intense collision.
The attack launched by Pitou in a state of heightened emotions was undoubtedly more ferocious and faster than before.
Such a situation undoubtedly cast a shadow on Morel and Knov's judgment.
'It turns out-'
'The previous exchange was not her strongest state.'
Time seemed to slow down. After witnessing Pitou's increasingly powerful state, Morel and Knov had gained a deeper understanding of how powerful Pitou was.
'I can't even see it clearly...'
The problem that followed was their inability to easily intervene in this intense battle that was producing countless sparks.
Morel and Knov came to a halt for the second time, and their faces were drenched in cold sweat as they observed the situation on the battlefield.
In their vision, they could only see the trajectories of the malevolent Nen.
And the end of these trajectories was invariably Moses, who was at the center of the storm.
"Too intense..."
Morel moved his feet hesitantly.
His second forced halt wasn't due to fear of the terrifying offensive displayed by Pitou, but because he was worried that rashly coming to support would affect Moses's current defensive state.
…
On the battlefield.
Pitou's thighs had swollen significantly, and more life force was distributed on her thighs.
This allowed her attack speed to reach its peak.
However-
Even with her speed and senses pushed to their limits, Pitou still couldn't break through Moses's seemingly slow yet fast slashes.
Every time she was repelled, every time she regrouped, every time she attacked...
None of it affected her desire to tear through that layer of 'unknown'.
'It's too strange, it's just too strange...'
After repeated defeats and attacks, Pitou was like a ball that would rebound automatically, bouncing back and forth under Moses's extremely precise slashes.
She couldn't understand how Moses did it.
How could he, through the seemingly redundant actions of 'concealing life force' and 'releasing life force', create a barrier that was faster than hers?
'It's as if...'
'He can predict what I'm going to do.'
'Is it that my attack pattern is too straightforward and easy to understand?'
'Or can he completely see through my movements and speed?'
'This human...'
'What exactly is going on?'
'Are there humans stronger than him?'
'If so, then Her Majesty's safety...'
The inability to break through Moses's slashes dampened Pitou's heightened emotions, and instead caused her to have some confused thoughts that should not have appeared in the midst of battle.
In truth, there was no need to rush-
Pitou was well aware of where her advantages lay.
Against other enemies, her advantage might be her lightning-fast speed.
But against this human before her, her advantage was her overwhelming life force and her naturally gifted physical strength.
Therefore, as long as she could maintain these advantages, she would inevitably be able to defeat this incredibly powerful human.
But…
While Pitou held a significant advantage, she also carried a disadvantage, which is called her mission.
She wasn't sure if there were humans stronger than Moses within the 'hunting area'.
This uncertainty inevitably led her to consider the safety of the Chimera Ant Queen.
It was Moses's display of strength that had so brutally overturned the understanding Pitou had gained from Kite and the others.
Humanity-
Were indeed fragile creatures.
But beneath that fragility lay a certain kind of formidable power.
'This must also be a way of utilizing life force, but I know nothing about it...'
'If I can't break through his defenses in a short time, then what I can do is return as quickly as possible.'
'Or... I need abilities specifically for combat!'
The chaotic thoughts unrelated to the battle caused a slight crack in Pitou's offensive.
And Moses noticed this almost imperceptible change immediately.
'Her understanding of 'Nen' is too immature.'
Moses's expression remained calm, and every time he swung his sword, he was able to effortlessly repel Pitou.
By observing the flow of her Aura and using the abilities of [Danger Perception] and [Fist That Listens to the Heart], Moses could 'completely grasp' Pitou's attack trajectories.
This was the essence of a high-level combatant.
With this foundation, Moses would never give Pitou any chance to succeed.
What he needed to do was seek opportunities in the intense clashes.
'Her momentum is weakening...'
Moses keenly sensed the changes occurring in Pitou.
And after exchanging blows, he quickly realized that Pitou hadn't yet developed a Nen Ability specifically for combat.
In other words-
Now is the perfect opportunity to eliminate Pitou!
'The decision to recall the two shadow clones was the right one.'
'When dealing with this type of enemy, attack power is far more important than accuracy.'
Moses maintained his flawless offensive and defensive stance, and was already plotting how to take down Pitou here.
Initially, splitting into two shadow clones had provided him with many offensive opportunities and also the ability to escape instantly if things went south.
While the margin for error had increased, having only a third of his Manifested Aura left him with no real chance of defeating Pitou.
Now that he had retracted all of his Manifested Aura and was able to firmly suppress Pitou's advantages under the state of [Fist That Listens to the Heart], he finally saw a chance of winning.
If necessary, Moses would consider using his trump cards, the [Withered Emotion Fragment] and [Emperor Time].
'I need to watch for any openings she might expose during her frequent attacks. Maintaining the current state isn't difficult for me alone, but forcing her to reveal an opening is the hard part.'
Moses's gaze was sharp.
If there was no opportunity, he would just create one...