"Today's match features two of our hottest contenders!"
The booming voice of the announcer echoed across the entire arena, electrifying the crowd.
"First, let us welcome the fighter most likely to challenge the Floor Master—Hisoka!"
Under the blazing spotlight, Hisoka strolled onto the stage, waving lazily to the audience and even blowing them a kiss.
Cheers erupted instantly. A combat star like Hisoka had no shortage of fans in Heaven's Arena.
"And now, the challenger! A name we've all heard a lot lately—the rapidly rising newcomer, Hyūga Akira!"
The spotlight shifted to the opposite entrance.
Amidst another wave of cheers, Hyūga Akira stepped onto the arena, his expression calm and unreadable.
Though he'd only arrived a few days ago, he'd fought all the way from the first floor to the 200th without a single loss. He'd built up quite a following—
even if he personally didn't care.
"Fighting under spotlights like this… I'm really not used to it," Akira muttered with a sigh.
No matter how long he stayed here, he still couldn't fully adapt to Heaven's Arena's style of combat.
Old habits from ninja training died hard—stay hidden, strike from the shadows, kill in one blow.
"Now then—the match begins!"
This time, even the referee didn't dare linger on the stage, immediately retreating to safety.
These two were walking disasters. One wrong move and the referee could end up dead.
"So you're disappointed with Heaven's Arena?" Hisoka asked casually, flicking a playing card between his fingers.
"The fight frequency's too low," Akira replied flatly. "And now no one even wants to fight me."
He'd thought this place would be an experience goldmine.
Turns out… this was it?
He could get more value just killing random people on a battlefield.
"Well, you do kill people a bit too thoroughly," Hisoka said with a grin, conveniently ignoring the fact that he wasn't much better.
Still, there was a difference.
If Hisoka saw an apple with potential, he'd let it ripen.
Akira, on the other hand?
A lawnmower.
Good or bad, ripe or unripe—everything got cut down.
They were similar kinds of people, yet their attitudes toward opponents were fundamentally different.
Shk—shk.
Both of them vanished at the same time, reappearing in the center of the arena as close-quarters combat erupted.
Hisoka's speed and power were terrifying. With Nen reinforcing his strikes, every punch and kick carried explosive force.
Even though Transmutation-type Nen couldn't match Enhancement head-on, it still allowed him to draw out roughly 80% of its potential.
Akira's Gentle Fist formed an airtight defense—soft yet firm—actually suppressing Hisoka for a moment.
A storm of precise strikes rained down, targeting Hisoka's tenketsu.
If not for Hisoka's rapid Nen defense, he would've already lost his ability to fight.
Advanced Nen control—Ryū.
With a light tap of his foot, Hisoka disengaged, leaping backward once he realized close combat wasn't in his favor.
He snapped his wrist, sending several playing cards flying.
Akira responded instantly, flicking shuriken to intercept them midair.
"Your hand-to-hand combat is impressive," Hisoka said sincerely.
"Obviously," Akira replied with a crooked smile.
Last night, he'd gone deep into Gentle Fist research using Brain Endorphin.
[Gentle Fist (Lv.8) EXP (0/12800)]
After level 7, every rank of Gentle Fist was a qualitative leap.
At this point, even against a jōnin-level ninja in close combat, Akira wasn't afraid.
He could hold his own purely through high-level Gentle Fist.
This exchange was still just probing.
Hisoka widened the distance, cards appearing between his fingers as he flung them forward.
"Unknown Fire."
Flames ignited around Akira's hands.
"Bear Palm!"
Soft, pinkish pads formed on his palms.
"Fireball Cannon!"
Compressed air blasts wrapped in flame roared forward, vaporizing the incoming cards in midair.
"I won't give you time to set up," Akira said, Byakugan activated, his gaze locked tightly on Hisoka.
With Gyo layered over his vision, he could see every thread of Nen.
Hisoka fought like a magician—hide the key, show the illusion.
By the time the trick was complete, the opponent was already dead.
"Ahh… this is wonderful," Hisoka murmured, eyes shining.
Boom—boom—boom.
The fireballs detonated around him, but a layer of pink Nen enveloped his body.
Like rubber, it stretched and absorbed the impact—
Then snapped back.
All the fireballs rebounded.
"Rotation!"
A blue chakra dome formed around Akira, neutralizing the returning blasts.
When the rotation faded, Hisoka was gone.
"He's above!"
Already tracking Hisoka, Akira snapped his head upward.
Hisoka was dropping from the air, two cards poised in his hands.
Akira inhaled sharply.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Technique!"
A massive fire dragon burst forth, surging straight toward Hisoka.
"Oh my," Hisoka sighed lightly.
The Nen threads around his waist suddenly tightened, yanking him sideways.
"Don't even think about running!" Akira snarled, steering the fire dragon in pursuit.
Then—his expression changed.
A powerful pulling force suddenly seized his arm, dragging his entire body upward.
Without Akira's control, the fire dragon slammed into the arena floor.
BOOM!
A massive crater exploded across the stage.
Hisoka stood nearby, cards in hand, watching Akira get hauled toward the ceiling.
"You were so focused on me," Hisoka chuckled, "you didn't notice I'd already stuck my Nen to you."
During their earlier close combat, he'd quietly planted it.
Akira landed upside down on the ceiling, breathing steadily.
"Fire Release—Great Fire Dragon—"
The ceiling suddenly shattered, interrupting him.
Akira fell with the collapsing debris.
"You didn't forget you can stand anywhere, did you?" Hisoka laughed, leaping upward with two cards ready.
At the instant they crossed paths—
Akira vanished.
Hisoka glanced down.
Akira had reappeared on the arena floor.
The Nen binding him to the ceiling abruptly released, while the Nen beneath his feet snapped tight—
Dragging Hisoka down in an instant.
Almost immediately, Hisoka was yanked back onto the stage.
"You were touched by my aura just now," Hisoka said calmly, lifting a card.
Pink Nen wrapped around it, the other end tethered to Akira.
Shhk—
The card shot forward.
"Dispel."
Akira placed a hand on his shoulder, erasing the Nen connection.
He tilted his head slightly as the card sliced past his cheek.
"Now that," Hisoka said, utterly delighted, "is an unexpected ability."
Akira took a deep breath.
Again.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Technique!"
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