Chapter 108
The massive maw of Gluttony loomed above Baki, even larger than his entire form.
With a single bite, it could engulf him whole.
A shadow fell over Baki as Gluttony's jaws drew closer, closer still—until they completely covered him.
Most of Hanma Baki's body was now ensnared within the colossal, bloodied jaws of Gluttony.
…
Seeing the jaws about to snap shut, Sloth exhaled in relief, a smile spreading across her face.
But then—
Baki's hands clapped together sharply.
"Clap!"
Sloth's expression changed instantly.
She sensed an overwhelming force pressing down on her, leaving her momentarily out of control. A flicker of alarm rose in her mind at the unfamiliar power that seized her.
In the next instant, Gluttony's jaws snapped shut.
But, Gluttony's expression shifted to one of shock.
For in front of him stood Baki, entirely unharmed.
Sloth was nowhere to be seen.
"What… What just happened?"
Momentarily disoriented, Gluttony struggled to understand.
Baki glanced at Gluttony with a calm, piercing look.
Meanwhile, Sloth regained her senses—only to find herself in complete darkness.
The space around her constricted, pressing in from all sides.
It was soft yet unyielding.
A strange liquid dripped onto her skin.
As it spread, she felt her flesh and skin begin to burn and erode.
"Where… where am I?"
Sloth was trapped in darkness, bound so tightly that no chance of escape seemed possible.
Gluttony glared fiercely at Hanma Baki standing before him.
"Is this an illusion?"
"Or something else?"
"Does that Specialist have more allies?"
"What should I do now?"
Gluttony hesitated, unsure of what was happening.
At this moment, he had two theories.
One possibility: he had indeed swallowed the nen Beast, but had been affected by some external force, causing him to hallucinate. If that were the case, someone might be trying to trick him into opening his mouth and releasing him.
The other possibility: That Nen Beast had used some method to trick Gluttony into swallowing Sloth instead.
"Which one is it?"
Quickly, Gluttony weighed his options.
"If it's the first scenario, opening my mouth now would mean letting the enemy go. All my effort would have been for nothing, and I might not get another chance like that."
"If it's the second, and I swallowed Sloth, then the enemy is still before me, and all I have to do is finish digesting Sloth to grow stronger and defeat them." (t/N This guy...)
After a moment, Gluttony made his decision.
"If I open my mouth, the risks outweigh the benefits."
"And even if I did swallow Sloth, digesting her would only make me stronger."
Justice? Faines? He had none toward Sloth, she no longer concerned him. For Gluttony, self-interest was paramount.
And after all, he'd had long-standing resentment toward Sloth. The current mission had been meant for both of them, yet Sloth had shirked her responsibilities, leaving Gluttony to do all the work while they both received equal credit.
With a cold glint in his eye, Gluttony made his choice.
"Digest!"
A surge of power flared within Gluttony's body.
Although Sloth's overall strength surpassed Gluttony's, she was helpless in her current state. Bound and enveloped by Gluttony's Enchanted corrosive digestive fluids, she could only watch as her skin began to dissolve, revealing raw, pulsing muscles.
Her face contorted in agony.
Realizing her situation, Sloth screamed.
"Gluttony, release me!"
"I command you—release me!"
Summoning all her strength, Sloth's desperate shout reverberated within.
But Gluttony's digestive power only intensified, flooding Sloth's prison with more acidic, corrosive fluids.
More digestive fluids poured forth, escalating the pain as Sloth's remaining flesh was consumed bit by bit.
Sloth's body was digested at an accelerated rate.
"Aaaaah!"
Her piercing scream echoed from within Gluttony's body, fading gradually until it was completely silent.
Sloth was dead.
A surge of power erupted within Gluttony, spreading throughout his entire body.
In the next instant, Gluttony's form began to change. The writhing flesh on his surface condensed and retracted, and his aura surged.
Baki took a stance.
"Triceratops Punch!"
This was a powerful technique developed in imitation of the triceratops, as sharp and forceful as the creature's horns, aimed to pierce directly into the opponent's body.
One punch, two punches, three punches… all landed on Gluttony.
Previously, Gluttony wouldn't have been able to withstand such an assault.
But now, after consuming Sloth, he had transformed.
Gluttony looked at Baki and grinned.
Watching the monitor, Ron furrowed his brow.
"Gluttony's strength has increased substantially after consuming Sloth. Baki's actions inadvertently served Gluttony's ambitions. I wonder how Sloth would feel about this—coming to rescue Gluttony, only to be devoured by him."
"Now, killing Gluttony will be no easy feat for Hanma Baki."
Ron smiled slightly....
"Killer Queen!"
A pink figure materialized.
Ron allocated a third of his aura to Killer Queen and issued a command.
"Go assist Baki. Kill Gluttony as swiftly as possible."
Killer Queen opened a window and leapt out.
Ron hadn't assigned much aura to Chii, as Chii was designed more for intelligence gathering than combat. It would be sufficient for support.
Killer Queen left Heaven's Arena and sped toward Baki for assistance.
Meanwhile, Gluttony continued to recklessly expend his aura.
"Mere nen beast!"
"Come here!"
Baki used his skill and precision to hold his own against Gluttony.
Even though Gluttony's overall power had now surpassed Hanma Baki's, their vast technical gap remained, preventing Gluttony from overwhelming him.
This frustrated Gluttony, who felt a mix of satisfaction and irritation as he struggled to exact his revenge.
"Die!"
Gluttony extended his arm toward Baki. The arm opened like a mouth, revealing sharp teeth as it neared him.
Hanma Baki initially planned to strike the arm back with a whipping blow.
But at the last moment, he changed his mind.
With a clap of his hands—
"Snap!"
In the blink of an eye, Hanma Baki vanished.
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