Three Knockdowns

Two identical fists collided in midair with a thunderous boom.

"Clang—!!"

The deafening clash of metal shook the entire Heaven's Arena. A visible shockwave spread outward from the two fighters. The alloy railings around the ring twisted into spirals, while the remaining glass curtain walls shattered completely, sending countless shards raining down on the protective netting like hail.

Saitama staggered back three steps before steadying himself. He shook his numb left hand. The sleeve of his yellow jumpsuit had been split by the force of the punch, but his skin didn't even bear a trace of redness.

Black Saitama also retreated three steps. Yet the instant he stopped, a faint crack came from the knuckles of his right hand—a hairline fracture appeared across the surface of his fist. Though the writhing black substance repaired it in the blink of an eye, it hadn't escaped Saitama's notice.

With no emotion in his hollow eyes, Black Saitama clenched his fist again and assumed the exact same attacking stance as Saitama.

"How does it feel?" Meruem stood at the edge of the ring, his black wings gently fanning behind him. His voice was filled with undisguised smugness. "Have you realized how terrifying your own power is? He's you. You can't defeat yourself."

The audience erupted into an uproar.

"They tied?!"

"That black guy really is as strong as the teacher!"

"It's two against one! How could the teacher possibly beat two of himself?!"

Genos's mechanical eye flashed with red warnings as data streamed across it like a waterfall. "The copy's power, speed, and reaction speed match the teacher's at 100%! But—wait! Simulation data indicates that the target's structural stability has decreased by 0.3%! Teacher! His body is repairing itself, but there's a delay in the repair speed!"

Gon clenched his fists, his fingernails