"Let's take him down!"
Uvogin roared, stomping the ground with thunderous force before charging straight at Vega like a living battering ram.
True to his Enhancer nature, Uvogin specialized in close-range combat—and he excelled at it.
Vega, unfazed, responded instantly. With a flick of his wrist, his Nen-conjured weapon—the Red- Shrike—materialized in his hand. Without hesitation, he swept the deadly spear in a wide arc at the incoming brute.
Sensing the immense danger radiating from the sword, Uvogin's instincts screamed at him. That thing wasn't just sharp—it carried an oppressive, lethal Nen presence.
"Can't take that head-on," Uvogin muttered, veering off course. He vaulted sideways, landing on the second floor of a dilapidated building just in time to dodge the swing.
But Vega wasn't about to let him off easy.
With the Red-Shrike in hand, Vega pursued relentlessly, leaping into the air and slashing down from above.
Red light flared with every strike, cutting through the air like a vengeful spirit.
Uvogin dodged with surprising agility for someone his size, flipping backward just as the spear sliced through the balcony beneath him.
CRASH!
The floor caved in, rubble and dust exploding in all directions.
Landing hard, Uvogin grunted, frowning. That spear… it's insanely sharp. Even with my body as tough as steel, I can't afford to let that thing touch me.
Nearby, Machi narrowed her eyes and turned to omokage .
"He's forcing Uvogin back. What are you waiting for? Help me out. Let's strike together."
Machi conjured a long Nen thread and cloaked it with In to conceal it. She then lashed it toward Vega, aiming to ensnare him mid-fight.
Meanwhile, omokage was practically trembling with glee as he watched Vega dominate Uvogin.
"What a perfect specimen…" he muttered. "He'd make an extraordinary puppet…"
omokage knew Uvogin's strength better than most. In a head-on brawl, Uvogin was the most powerful fighter in the Phantom Troupe—physically unmatched, mentally relentless, and fiercely durable.
And yet here was Vega, pushing him back.
omokage's twisted mind ran wild. If I can make Vega into a living puppet… then maybe I could one day take down the rest of the Troupe, one by one. Turn all of them into my greatest masterpieces…
Driven by delusion, omokage waved his hand—and several puppets appeared before him.
Tall, short, fat, thin—they came in a variety of forms, each one brimming with Nen. At his command, they launched into battle.
Two Enhancement-type puppets charged at Vega with massive fists, while a third stayed back, firing Ren bullets from a distance. Others joined in, using their own abilities to harass and distract.
The battlefield grew chaotic.
Seizing the distraction, Uvogin jumped back, narrowly avoiding Vega's next strike.
Two puppets lunged at Vega—only for him to casually swing the Red-Backed Shrike and cleave both in half with a single strike.
The Ren bullets fired at him fizzled harmlessly against his black dragon-forged armor. They didn't leave a scratch.
omokage's expression twisted. "Tch… Puppet Catcher."
One of his puppets, a Manipulation-type, suddenly merged with his body, empowering him directly.
With both arms raised, omokage launched a storm of Nen bullets at Vega.
The projectiles clanged against Vega's armor and bounced off uselessly.
He didn't even flinch.
With a sneer, Vega slowly walked toward the trio, step by step, his weapon dragging across the ground, leaving trails of energy in the dirt.
"Why… why isn't he reacting?" omokage's voice cracked with frustration. "He's been hit dozens of times! Why won't he stop?!"
But Vega just kept advancing, ignoring the barrage like it was child's play.
Unless your Nen reaches a certain threshold, he thought, you'll never even scratch phantom severance.
Then, suddenly—resistance.
Vega halted, sensing a strange pressure around him.
Using Gyo, he quickly spotted it: a shimmering net of invisible threads, woven tightly around him.
Machi's Nen threads.
They rubbed against his armor, trying to slice it open and trap him. The net didn't break under his movement. It flexed and clung with tenacity.
Vega pressed his hand against one of the threads. Strong, elastic, and sharp. Impressive craftsmanship.
He chuckled. "This is cute. You really think you can hold me with this?"
With a swift slash of the Red-Backed Shrike, Vega spun in place.
WHIP!
Dozens of threads snapped like silk. The entire net unraveled in an instant.
Before the pieces even hit the ground, Uvogin came charging again, this time with an overwhelming aura coalescing around his fist.
"Big Bang Impact!" he roared.
Seeing the devastating punch incoming, Vega moved fast, slashing at Uvogin's arm with surgical precision.
SLASH!
Blood sprayed through the air—Uvogin's right arm severed clean at the elbow.
But what happened next shocked Vega.
Rather than retreat in pain, Uvogin's eyes lit up with fury.
Roaring like a beast, he thrust his remaining forearm forward—
"BIG BANG IMPACT!!"
BOOM!
The shockwave was deafening.
The punch slammed into Vega's chest with the force of a speeding freight train. Armor cracked. Air exploded. Vega's body was hurled across the battlefield like a cannonball.
He crashed through a wall.
Then another.
Then a third.
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM!
Dust filled the air, thick and suffocating.
Uvogin stumbled, breathing heavily, blood pouring from his stump of an arm.
"That blow… had everything I had," he rasped, sweat and blood dripping down his face. "I don't care how tough that armor is. He's gotta be down…"