"Humph?"
Ronnel's calm demeanor, even when confronted with the coffin, made Overlord's skeletal visage darken.
"It seems you don't value the honor I've bestowed upon you," Overlord snarled, his voice laced with anger.
He studied Ronnel closely, finally understanding that this human wasn't merely indifferent—he was confident, perhaps overly so. Was there truly something he relied on, something that emboldened him to defy a king?
If so, Overlord decided, he would utterly crush that reliance. Using the secret techniques of the Undead Bone Demon Clan, the combined power of bone dragons and bone demons would surge to unparalleled levels.
Even your former allies won't stand a chance, Ronnel.
"I'll relish watching your disbelief, fear, and despair when I dismantle your illusions of victory!"
The bone dragon beneath Overlord sensed his fury, roaring in response and thrashing restlessly.
"You've angered me, human. And for your insolence, you will pay dearly!" Overlord declared, stamping his bony heel against the dragon's back.
The creature reacted immediately, plunging downward in a ferocious assault on Ronnel.
"So, it begins…"
Ronnel remained unfazed. As the dragon descended, he leapt from the bone mountain, retreating with remarkable agility, a playful glint in his eye.
"You can't escape," Overlord sneered. "Even if your speed rivals mine, you'll never match Sigwumidi's! This dragon hails from the Dark Continent, where it evaded countless predators with its unmatched swiftness. Even here, its speed is more than sufficient to ensure you have no chance to flee."
Overlord's smug expression widened into a grin as he watched the bone dragon close in on its prey.
"Trying to play cat and mouse?" Ronnel murmured, still retreating. "Too bad for you, the roles of Hunter and prey can switch at any moment."
While feigning a desperate retreat, Ronnel subtly positioned his hand behind his back, palm outward, preparing to counter.
"Speed and strength may be formidable," he thought, "but in the face of established rules, they're meaningless."
As the dragon's gaping maw loomed mere feet from him, and Overlord's triumphant grin grew, Ronnel revealed a massive, crimson furoshiki from his palm.
This was Owl's Nen ability: Fun Fun Cloth.
The cloth expanded rapidly, its size swelling as Ronnel channeled his energy. In seconds, it was large enough to engulf the bone dragon entirely. The creature, charging headlong into its trap, was ensnared.
The power of this Nen ability lay in its rules. Once the cloth captured its target, the binding forces of Nen rendered escape impossible—unless the strict conditions set by the user were broken.
As the cloth enveloped the bone dragon, Overlord's confidence evaporated. He had planned to strike the cloth with a crushing blow, but an inexplicable dread froze him. An unshakable sense of foreboding told him that any rash move would lead to catastrophe.
Forcing himself to retreat, Overlord leapt from the dragon's back, watching in stunned disbelief as the cloth fully enveloped Sigwumidi.
The dragon thrashed wildly, its immense power shaking the ground. But no matter how fiercely it struggled, the binding force of the cloth held firm. In mere moments, the once-mighty bone dragon lay immobilized, completely subdued.
Overlord's face twisted in horror. His loyal partner, a terrifying force of destruction, had been neutralized with such ease.
"This… this isn't possible…" he muttered, staring at the shrinking cloth that now contained his dragon.
In the world of Hunters, raw strength alone never guaranteed victory. Nen abilities, with their intricate conditions and rules, often allowed the seemingly weak to overcome the strong. Carelessness could spell doom even for the most powerful individuals.
Ronnel wiped sweat from his brow, exhausted from expending so much energy to conjure a cloth large enough for the dragon. Despite the toll, he remained resolute, his gaze fixed on Overlord.
"You relied on brute force," Ronnel said, his voice steady. "But in the end, rules always triumph."
As the cloth tightened further around Sigwumidi, Overlord took a cautious step back. Fear, anger, and confusion warred within him as he stared at the human who had just shattered his expectations.
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