Chapter 105: Yorbian Chess x Roy Lifts the Elephant
High above the deck, beneath the blue sky, Kite, his long sword at his hip, had long since climbed the mast and was leaning against the sail, observing the battle.
Both Roy and Pariston exuded an intense, dangerous aura.
Especially Roy. Kite pressed down his cap, his eyes sharp. The blade igniting from friction with the air—that was real fire, in the physical sense, not some Nen illusion plastered onto the blade's surface. Which meant... aside from his incredible swordsmanship, Roy Zoldyck's physical stats were also far beyond his own. Add to that the bizarre "oppression" and "pulling force"... "What an unreadable guy."
"Neeeeigh—!" The horses' hooves stomped down with the force of a mountain! The lances that Roy had just severed were instantly repaired by Pariston's Nen, growing back in an instant. Seizing the opportunity, they thrust forward along with the trampling hooves.
Roy's expression didn't change. He casually swatted at the air with his free left hand.
[Magnetism: Oppression]
Pop! The air solidified into a wall, instantly stopping the hooves and lances in their tracks. Then, with a wave of Roy's hand, the horses and riders were sent tumbling backward, unable to get anywhere near him.
"There it is again, that 'oppression'," Kite's eyes narrowed, noting Roy's opening move. His right hand is enveloped in that milky-white Aura, like it's tied to a magnet. He can switch the polarity at will, deciding to 'repel' or 'attract', using it to control the magnetic field and send his enemies flying.
"Heh heh heh... Wonderful, Roy Zoldyck!" The horses were flipped, the knights thrown, some even falling into the sea. Pariston, however, was completely unfazed. He simply snapped his fingers again. "Elephant, come!"
"MOOOOO!" A deep, powerful trumpet blast exploded, so loud it made everyone's eardrums ache. Some panicked, some looked around in terror, others covered their ears, not knowing what was happening. Then, a vortex opened in the black and white chessboard. A pair of massive, sharp tusks emerged, followed by a trunk, then the body, then the tail... until the full form was revealed.
It was a war elephant, clad in thick scale mail and metal tusk-guards!
BOOM! The war elephant raised its trunk and stomped its four feet. The entire Sea God seemed to tremble, and the deck, unable to bear the load, began to visibly crack.
In the captain's cabin, the crowd stared with mouths agape, unable to find words to describe the shocking scene before them. Many had even forgotten they were in the middle of a "Point Scramble" and needed to steal number plates to increase their rank. Forgotten... all of it forgotten. Even the old captain couldn't remember. He stared blankly as his beloved ship was trashed, unable to utter a single sound. He remembered, on the day he received his orders from the higher-ups, he had confidently beaten his chest and guaranteed that even if this year's candidates beat each other's brains out, his Sea God was tough enough. If they even managed to leave a scratch, that would be impressive.
Now... Mark Seam had given up thinking. He began to pray. As long as the ship didn't sink before reaching Dolle Island, he'd count his blessings.
"Hee hee hee... Little Hill, stomp him flat!" Clark, fending off a barrage of Nen Pins, clashed with Illumi, his fists wrapped in Ten. They both retreated a few steps, briefly creating distance.
Illumi shook his stinging hand, sparing a worried glance for Roy. The war elephant, as if it understood human speech, obeyed as Pariston pointed at Roy and commanded, "Go!"
Its four feet stomped the deck, each step leaving a crater, sending wood splinters flying as it charged forward with a deafening rumble. It closed the distance, lowering its metal-capped tusks, intending to impale Roy!
"Young Master!" Gotoh flicked a coin at the elephant. Unfortunately, the beast's hide was too thick. Although the coin embedded itself in its flesh, the elephant didn't even notice, continuing its charge. In one second, it was right in front of Roy!
"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to get distracted in a fight?" Golem, seeing Gotoh's opening, touched his cross, releasing a wisp of gray mist. If inhaled, it caused hallucinations, depression, and a complete loss of will, making the victim want to commit suicide. Gotoh had been wary of this. Even as he took a Ten-enhanced punch from Golem that sent him flying, he made sure not to inhale a single bit of the mist.
BANG! As Gotoh was sent flying, Roy finally moved. He planted his cane sword into the deck, and instead of retreating, he advanced. Rolling up his sleeves, he watched for his moment, and grabbed the elephant's tusks. Before the astonished eyes of Pariston, Kite, Illumi, Clark, Golem, Mark Seam, Kurapika, and everyone else, he let out a calm shout: "Up!"
And then they saw it.
The massive war elephant, which took up half the deck, was lifted into the air by the boy's arms, its four legs flailing at the sky as it trumpeted in terror, before being hurled into the sea!
SPLOOOOOSH! The colossal beast hit the water, sending up a massive spray.
The boy clapped his hands, looked up, and asked, "Is that it?"
Pariston's face paled, his aura flickering as it began to destabilize. "Conjuration" wasn't "imagination"; it relied on consuming Nen as a foundation to create physical objects.
[Yorbian Chess] was Pariston's Nen ability. As the name implied, it was a chess game popular on the Yorbian continent. Pariston had loved the game since childhood, even winning international tournaments. So, the moment his Water Divination test revealed he was a Conjurer, he had the idea to develop a Nen ability based on "chess" as his reference point.
His idea proved correct, and the development process was incredibly smooth. "Eight Pawns," "Eight Knights," "Four Elephants," "Two Dragons," "One King," and "One Queen" were born one after another, becoming his tools for navigating the world.
Now, the "Elephant" was clearly useless. Pariston took a deep breath, abandoning the war elephant. He covered his face, peeking through his fingers as Roy pulled his cane sword free and began walking towards him, step by step. Never before had he been pushed into such a pathetic corner.
As expected of the Zoldyck family's eldest son.
The boy's shoulders began to shake as he let out a suppressed laugh. "Heh heh heh... Honestly, I never thought a day like this would come." Pariston's voice was dry and raspy, but his eyes were serious as he looked at Roy. "Thank you for the reminder. The next time I meet someone like you, I will be sure to plan more meticulously in advance."
Roy didn't speak, just continued walking, cane sword in hand. The sun was setting, casting a brilliant afterglow that draped him in a red cloak. The boy stopped and leveled his sword. "Are you done talking?"
Pariston: "..." His face flushed, an expression of genuine anger appearing for the first time. He clapped his hands together and roared, "Silver Dragon, possess me!"
"ROAR!"
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