An Unexpected Turn

The battles Moyu had fought so far ranged from easy victories to desperate struggles for his life.

In the many battles he had won against stronger opponents, Moyu had always squeezed every bit of tactical value out of his Nen Clone.

It was that advance planning—the tactics built around his Nen Clone—that had let him defeat stronger opponents time and again.

But this time...

He had made no preparations. He had no Shadow Clone waiting in place.

He had faced Franklin head-on.

Then, with Light's help at the critical moment, he had dealt Franklin a devastating blow with only about twenty percent of his Latent Aura remaining.

In those two brief exchanges, Moyu had worked out Franklin's fighting style.

At medium to long range, Franklin unleashed his Nen without restraint.

But in close combat, or whenever an unknown factor entered the fight, Franklin became as steady as a rock and gave his opponent no openings.

Moyu had thought Soul Echo's ability to control a Shadow Clone even while he was in Zetsu would be enough to lull Franklin into carelessness.

But Franklin was not so easily fooled. It came down to how cautious he was.

Once Franklin learned that the "shadow" existed, he had not dismissed its threat simply because Moyu was in Zetsu.

His eyes, focused with Gyo, had remained alert for anything trying to approach.

Yet even Franklin's caution had not prepared him for the move that decided the fight—

The shadow beneath the carpet.

A carpet covered the entire gambling hall floor, its pattern intricate and busy.

The fighting had torn it in several places, while the aftershocks of colliding Nen had lifted sections slightly off the floor, leaving plenty of gaps.

The first wave of Nen Bullets had forced Moyu out of Zetsu. He had opened