HunterxHunter: I Became Stronger After Death

Human feet are inherently less functional and flexible than hands.

Even if Moro managed to launch a Fraudulent Star with a kick, its power and precision would pale in comparison to one released by hand.

But in the ever-changing flow of battle, applying the right amount of force at the right moment could yield decisive results.

Moro landed steadily, his eyes fixed on Vaughn ahead.

He saw Vaughn dodge the two Fraudulent Stars he had launched just before landing.

This reaction surprised Moro.

Those two Stars were intended merely to disrupt Vaughn's offensive rhythm, possessing little real destructive power.

Yet Vaughn chose to break his own attack momentum to ensure he avoided the Stars entirely.

From Moro's perspective, Vaughn would've been better off absorbing the impact of a single Star to maintain his offensive tempo, especially given his ability to convert damage into power through his Fireplace.

When Moro released the Stars, he was fully prepared to "gift" Vaughn one of them. He had deliberately invested only minimal nen in their creation.

He hadn't expected Vaughn to respond this way.

After dodging the two Stars, Vaughn suddenly sensed something was off.

"What's going on? These don't seem as strong as I expected…"

Confronted with the Stars up close, Vaughn felt no sense of imminent danger.

If not for his assumption that the Stars were overwhelmingly powerful, he might have chosen to endure their damage to maintain his tempo—or even absorbed one with his Fireplace.

Instead, Vaughn disrupted his advantageous momentum, all to avoid unnecessary risks.

Doubts about the true nature of the Stars began to creep into Vaughn's mind, but he had no time to dwell on them.

Breaking free of his hesitation, he surged forward again, reigniting his offensive against Moro.

Moro saw Vaughn renew his attack and narrowed his eyes, releasing two more Stars from his hands.

Whoosh, whoosh—

The Stars streaked downward like falling meteors, striking the ground in front of Vaughn.

"What now?"

Instinctively, Vaughn slowed his advance.

Boom, boom!

The Stars exploded upon impact with the ground, releasing shockwaves of energy that kicked up dirt and grass.

In moments, Vaughn was enveloped by the rising cloud of dust and debris.

Amid the dense smoke, Vaughn was more composed than ever.

He had pieced together part of the Star's mechanics: the devastating attack that had killed his comrade earlier likely relied on some form of distance requirement.

At closer ranges, the Stars lost much of their speed and destructive power.

"Using smoke to hide your attack routes? That's unnecessary. If anything, it confirms my theory."

Vaughn's psychological shackles, forged from apprehension, were suddenly broken.

He focused his attention on the shifting currents of smoke, staying alert.

"Behind me!"

A split second later, Vaughn spun around, raising his arm defensively.

Moro's punch, aimed directly at Vaughn, collided with his guard.

Thanks to the Fireplace's boost, Vaughn's enhanced nen reserves gave him a significant advantage. Moro's attack left his arm trembling and caused him to stumble back a step.

Vaughn sneered silently, stepping forward with explosive force before unleashing a powerful front kick.

Moro, remaining calm, withdrew his arm and crossed both arms over his chest to block.

Boom!

The kick landed with the force of a cannonball, sending ripples of energy outward that dispersed part of the surrounding dust cloud.

The blow drove Moro backward, his heels digging into the ground to regain balance after being forced back several paces.

As he stabilized himself, Moro suddenly dropped into a crouch.

At the same moment—

Whoosh, whoosh—

The two Stars Vaughn had dodged earlier streaked back into view, flying over Moro's head.

The previously dodged Stars had returned after their preset suspension period.

The dense smoke was pierced by the returning projectiles, leaving behind circular trails. The two Stars hurtled directly toward Vaughn's chest.

"When did this happen?!"

Vaughn's surprise was palpable.

But by now, his confidence had returned.

He didn't let his astonishment cloud his judgment, quickly taking the most rational course of action. Vaughn directed his nen to fortify his defense, bracing his body to absorb one Star while letting his Fireplace absorb the other.

It's over.

At that moment, Vaughn felt his victory was assured.

The fire inside his Fireplace flared brilliantly, converting the absorbed energy into even greater power.

His gaze shifted toward Moro, eager to see how his opponent would react to having just gifted him such a massive advantage.

What he saw, however, was a calm, unreadable expression on Moro's face.

That calm unnerved Vaughn.

A split second later—

Thud!

A sharp, brutal impact struck the back of Vaughn's head.

His vision blurred, and his body staggered forward.

"What... just happened?!"

Vaughn's thoughts spiraled into confusion.

He hadn't realized that the small, egg-sized Star Moro had launched earlier with his foot had returned on its trajectory, striking him from above.

From his crouched position, Moro could see the entire sequence clearly.

The returning Star, unassuming in size and power, had struck Vaughn at precisely the moment when his focus and nen were concentrated on defending against the other two Stars.

Despite its small size, the unexpected hit to Vaughn's unprotected head left him reeling.

But Moro wasn't done.

Using the momentum from his crouch, Moro sprang forward.

His nen-infused fingers slashed through the air, tearing a large chunk of flesh from Vaughn's throat.

"Guh... guh..."

Vaughn's body convulsed as blood sprayed from his neck.

A wave of suffocation overtook him as his strength and body heat drained away. He dropped to his knees, vision fading.

In his final moments, fragments of memory surfaced in Vaughn's mind.

A snowy night. A family fleeing the chaos of war.

Huddled in his parents' arms, he had once found comfort in their warmth and the glow of a simple, soot-stained fireplace.

Now, that warmth was gone.

All that remained was the cold, unyielding touch of death.

Vaughn's body fell lifelessly to the ground.

Ring, ring, ring!

The sudden blaring of a ringtone cut through the silence.

Moro glanced at Vaughn's corpse before fishing his phone from his pocket.

The caller ID indicated it was Argo.

"Man, what a night…" Moro muttered, panting as he sat on Vaughn's back and answered the call.

"Hello?"

A moment of silence followed.

Then, from the other end of the line:

"My dear benefactor, don't tell me… are you in the middle of some intense physical activity right now?"

"...?"

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