Gale Force in the ring: A showdown with Hisoka

Hisoka's voice echoed through the spacious room with a sickly excitement. His golden coat swayed gently as he moved, and the playing cards spun rapidly between his fingers, the Nen coating their edges gleaming coldly beneath the lights. The atmosphere instantly turned icy. The others stopped cheering, their smiles vanished, and they all stepped in front of Lin Ye. "Don't fight!" Leorio spoke first, staring urgently at Hisoka. "We've already passed this stage. There's no reason to fight you! If you want a fight, wait until the Hunter Exam is over!" "Exactly." Kurapika's gaze was cold. He tightened his grip on his Nunchucks, his aura beginning to surge. "This is a Hunter Exam venue, not a place for your private duels. Take another step, and we won't hold back." Killua lowered his stance slightly, ready to strike at any moment, his eyes full of wariness as he watched Hisoka. "Don't push it, Hisoka. This isn't a place for you to run wild." Only Gon looked excited. His eyes shone as he glanced between Lin Ye and Hisoka on opposite sides of the ring, and he whispered to Lin Ye, "Are you going to fight him? I bet it'll be amazing!" Looking at the friends standing before him, Lin Ye felt warmth fill his heart. He patted Leorio and Kurapika on the shoulders, signaling for them to step aside. "Don't worry. I'll be fine." His voice was calm, but his eyes held a firmness that left no room for refusal. "If he wants to fight, I'll give him a fight. Besides, I want to find out just how strong I've become." "But Lin Ye, he's insane!" Leorio's face flushed with anxiety. "Fighting him is too dangerous! If something happens to you, what about the rest of the exam?" "Nothing will happen." Lin Ye smiled, looked toward Hisoka in the ring, and said evenly, "We both know where to draw the line." He understood Hisoka all too well. Crazy as the man was, he was interested only in "ripe fruit." He would never destroy Lin Ye before he had fully matured. This would only be a sparring match to test him, not a fight to the death. Besides, after four years of grueling training, Lin Ye wanted to know how large a gap still remained between him and this world's strongest fighters. At his words, Hisoka's eyes lit up, and an excited murmur escaped his lips. "Wonderful~ Lin Ye, you're becoming more and more to my taste." Lin Ye moved past his friends and stepped into the ring, coming to a stop opposite Hisoka. Ten meters separated them, and their auras clashed silently in the air. "I'll fight you," Lin Ye said calmly as he watched him. "But I have one condition. We stop short of killing or inflicting any permanent, serious injuries. Whoever loses the ability to fight or willingly concedes loses." "Fine by me~" Hisoka grinned and licked his lips, excitement almost spilling from his eyes. "As long as I get a proper fight with you, I'll agree to any rules. After all, I couldn't bear to pluck such perfect fruit just yet. I need to let it ripen a little more~" Before he finished speaking, Hisoka vanished. Shukuchi activated instantly, his speed reaching its peak. Almost at the same moment, he appeared before Lin Ye, slashing three playing cards wreathed in sharp Nen toward his throat, heart, and lower abdomen. The three cards came from vicious angles, cutting off every avenue of escape. The Bungee Gum on their edges had already laid an invisible trap of sticky Nen. The slightest attempt to dodge would leave Lin Ye caught in it, drawing him deeper into the trap. That was Hisoka's fighting style. His attacks looked casual, but every move concealed a chain of traps that was almost impossible to guard against. Below the ring, the others held their breath, their hearts in their throats. Yet Lin Ye stood where he was without the slightest panic. His Observation Haki had already predicted Hisoka's attack paths. He could even perceive the sticky Nen traps hidden in the playing cards with perfect clarity. Just as the cards were about to touch him, Lin Ye moved. "Kami-e: No-Mind." He instantly released all tension from his body. Like a tuft of willow fluff carried on the breeze, he followed the air currents stirred by the cards and twisted sideways at an unbelievable angle, perfectly evading all three attacks. Their edges brushed his clothes without so much as touching his skin. At the same time, his right foot stamped rapidly against the floor. The impacts came so quickly that they merged into a single sound. Shave activated, leaving an afterimage where he had stood as he instantly appeared beside Hisoka. "Finger Pistol: Emperor Pistol." With a low shout, Lin Ye extended a finger on his right hand. Pitch-black Armament Haki coated it, and the piercing power of Ryuo gathered at its tip as he drove it viciously toward Hisoka's ribs. The strike made no earth-shattering sound, but it concentrated all the aura in his body, hard and domineering, with enough power to pierce anything. Hisoka's pupils contracted, and the excitement on his face intensified. He could clearly feel the terrifying force hidden in that finger. The strange aura that could pierce his Nen defenses and attack his organs directly made his scalp tingle. Without a second thought, he activated Bungee Gum. The invisible sticky Nen attached itself to the railing behind him and yanked him backward, sending him flying clear of Lin Ye's finger by the narrowest margin. The wind from the strike skimmed past his body and hit empty air, but the Ryuo force at Lin Ye's fingertip still left his ribs tingling from the shock. "Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!" Hisoka landed at the edge of the ring, his body trembling slightly with excitement. "That speed, that penetrating aura, and that utterly perfect evasion... Lin Ye, you're far more impressive than I imagined!" Before he finished, he flicked his fingers. More than a dozen playing cards whistled through the air, spreading into a fan as they flew toward Lin Ye. At the same time, he quietly moved his left hand and activated Texture Surprise, creating countless illusory playing cards across the ring floor. Indistinguishable from the real ones, they sealed off every route Lin Ye could take to dodge. Blending real and false attacks was Hisoka's specialty. Countless opponents had fallen to his illusions and interconnected traps. Yet Lin Ye remained where he was, his expression unchanged. His Observation Haki already covered the entire ring. Every card's trajectory and every flaw in the illusions appeared clearly in his mind. Before his Observation Haki, the illusions created by Texture Surprise had nowhere to hide. "Iron Body: Diamond Body." With that low shout, pitch-black Armament Haki instantly covered Lin Ye's entire body, making it as hard as cast steel. He did not dodge. He took every flying card head-on. Clang, clang, clang, clang-! A rapid series of metallic clashes rang out. The cards struck Lin Ye as though hitting a thick steel plate and bounced away instantly, failing to leave even a pale scratch. Below the ring, the others cried out in astonishment. "My God! He actually took Hisoka's playing cards head-on!" Leorio's eyes were round with shock. "That layer of black aura... what is it?" Kurapika stared at the Armament Haki covering Lin Ye, his eyes full of surprise. He could sense that its hardness far exceeded an ordinary Enhancement Type user's Ken. Killua's eyes widened as well, and shock filled him as he watched Lin Ye in the ring. Having grown up in the Zoldyck Family, he had seen countless Enhancement Type experts, but never anyone who could reinforce their body to this degree. Even Hisoka's Nen-coated playing cards could not hurt him in the slightest. Only Gon pumped his fist excitedly and shouted, "Lin Ye, you're amazing!" In the ring, the excitement in Hisoka's eyes almost seemed to burn as he looked at the uninjured Lin Ye. He finally understood what kind of monster he had encountered. Seamless offense and defense, sharp perception, incredible speed, and terrifying strength. This boy was practically born for battle. "Interesting~ This is so interesting!" Hisoka laughed wildly as his Nen instantly surged to its peak. Cold, crazed pressure swept across the ring like a tide. "Looks like I'll have to get a little serious!" He moved again. This time, he held nothing back. Bungee Gum activated at full power, spreading invisible sticky Nen across the ring like a vast net closing around Lin Ye. Meanwhile, Hisoka darted back and forth, attacking relentlessly with his cards. Real attacks mingled with feints, and every move concealed a deadly trap. The entire ring became Hisoka's hunting ground. Yet Lin Ye remained as steady as a mountain. With his Observation Haki fully active, not even the slightest movement of Nen in the ring escaped his senses. He perfectly avoided Hisoka's sticky Nen traps with Flash Shave's high-speed movement, easily evaded the playing cards with Kami-e, and whenever an occasional attack proved impossible to dodge, he simply took it head-on with Iron Body: Diamond Body. He was like a reef amid raging waves. No matter how fiercely Hisoka's attacks stormed around him, he remained unshaken. After more than a dozen exchanges, Hisoka's attacks grew faster and faster, but so did his astonishment. Lin Ye perfectly anticipated every attack, every trap, and every illusion, as though he knew exactly what Hisoka was thinking. "Your perception is truly frightening~" Hisoka landed at the other end of the ring, breathing heavily, but the excitement in his eyes had not diminished at all. "No matter how fast I attack, you predict it in advance. Just what kind of ability is that?" Lin Ye looked at him and replied evenly, "You can think of it as an extreme form of sensory Nen." He did not explain Haki's existence, merely giving a brief explanation within the framework of Nen. "Sensory Nen? What a perfect ability." Hisoka smiled, then suddenly clenched his fists as his Nen surged again. "But dodging alone won't let you beat me!" He shot forward. This time, he abandoned ranged attacks and chose close combat instead. Bungee Gum attached between his fist and Lin Ye, dramatically increasing the speed of his punch as he drove it toward Lin Ye's chest with devastating force. This was Hisoka's full-powered strike, concentrating all his Nen. At last, Lin Ye's gaze turned serious. Rather than dodge again, he chose to meet it head-on. All the Armament Haki covering his body instantly gathered on his right fist. Ryuo surged wildly over his knuckles, and every bit of aura within him erupted at once. Facing Hisoka's incoming fist, he threw a fierce punch of his own. BOOM-!! Their fists slammed together. Hard, domineering Gale Force collided with cold, crazed Nen, unleashing a terrifying shock wave that spread in all directions. The entire ring trembled, and its railing warped under the blast. That terrifying force sent Hisoka staggering backward. He retreated more than a dozen steps before finally steadying himself. His clenched hand trembled slightly, and the skin between his thumb and forefinger had split, leaking blood. He stared at Lin Ye in disbelief. In a direct clash of strength, he had actually come off worse. Lin Ye, meanwhile, remained where he stood. His body swayed slightly before he regained his balance, without taking even a single step backward. His strength had already surpassed Hisoka's current level. Looking at Lin Ye, Hisoka suddenly laughed, utterly crazed and utterly satisfied. He lowered his fists, and his Nen gradually subsided. "Let's stop here," he said with a smile, licking the blood from the corner of his mouth. "I lost this match." The others below the ring froze. Even Lin Ye looked surprised, frowning at Hisoka. He knew perfectly well that Hisoka still had trump cards he had not used. This fight was nowhere near decided. Seeing Lin Ye's surprise, Hisoka grinned and drawled, "Right now, you're like a piece of fruit that's almost ripe. Plucking you now would be such a waste." "I'll wait until the day you're fully ripe. Then we'll have a proper fight-the kind where we try to kill each other." His gaze settled on Lin Ye, filled with intense anticipation and madness. "I'll be waiting, Lin Ye. Once you get your Hunter License and grow stronger, we'll have another proper fight. When that time comes, I won't hold back." With that, he waved to Lin Ye, turned, and leaped down from the ring. A few swift movements carried him into the passage and out of sight, leaving only his crazed laughter echoing through the room. Only after Hisoka's presence had vanished completely did the others finally breathe a sigh of relief and gather around the ring. "Lin Ye! You were incredible! You actually drove Hisoka back!" Leorio rushed over and slapped Lin Ye's shoulder excitedly. "Are you all right? Are you hurt?" Kurapika asked, his eyes full of concern. "Lin Ye, that punch was so cool!" Gon looked at him with open admiration, his eyes sparkling. Killua nodded as well and said earnestly, "You really are strong. Stronger than I imagined. Even my eldest brother might not be able to overpower you in a head-on contest of strength." Lin Ye smiled at his friends and shook his head. "I'm fine. I just used up some aura. A little rest will take care of it. Hisoka didn't use his full strength, so this wasn't really a win or a loss for either of us." He knew perfectly well that Hisoka had not lost. He simply did not want to destroy this "unripe fruit" yet. The match had been Hisoka's way of testing him, as well as Lin Ye's opportunity to assess his own strength. And he was very satisfied with the result. After four years of honing himself, he was now qualified to stand against this world's top fighters head-on. Just then, the door opened, and Examiner Lippo entered with several staff members. He glanced at the warped ring, then at Lin Ye, his face expressionless as he said evenly, "Congratulations to all five of you on successfully passing the third phase." "You're the first group to pass the third phase. There are still sixty-one hours remaining. You may rest freely in the rest area until all the applicants have completed the test. We'll then take everyone to the venue for the fourth phase together." He gestured for them to proceed, and the staff behind him immediately led the group to Trick Tower's rest area. The rest area consisted of a private room stocked with plenty of food, water, and beds. Comfortable and pleasant, it felt like an entirely different place from the gloomy Trick Tower. They enjoyed a good meal and rested for the night, fully recovering their strength and aura. Over the next two days, more applicants passed Trick Tower one after another. Of course, even more remained in the tower forever. When the seventy-two-hour time limit ended, only fifteen applicants had successfully passed the third phase. Compared with the twenty-nine who had finished the second phase, nearly half had been eliminated again. The cruelty of the Hunter Exam was on full display. On the day the time limit expired, Examiner Lippo led all the successful applicants aboard the Hunter Association's Air Bus, which flew toward the fourth phase's venue. Aboard the bus, Lin Ye leaned beside a window, watched the clouds sweep past outside, and took out his Communicator to call Lina again. She answered quickly, her voice as gentle as ever. "Big brother, is the exam going well? Have you been hurt?" "It's going very well. I've already passed the third phase," Lin Ye said with a smile. "I'm not hurt. Everything's fine. Any new developments with Morin?" "Yes." Lina paused, her tone becoming serious. "I found out that Morin won't just be appearing at the Underground Auction in Yorknew City. He's already joined the Phantom Troupe as a peripheral member. He'll be moving with the Troupe at the auction." Lin Ye's gaze instantly turned cold. The Phantom Troupe. The murderers who had massacred the Kurta Clan, and the most vicious criminal gang in this world. Morin had actually joined them. Lin Ye immediately looked toward Kurapika beside him. Kurapika was gazing out the window, his expression calm, but Lin Ye could sense his body trembling slightly. His grip on his Nunchucks had turned his knuckles white. Clearly, he had heard the conversation too. At last, there was a lead in his quest to avenge the Kurta Clan's blood debt. Lin Ye ended the call and patted Kurapika's shoulder, looking at him earnestly. "Don't worry, Kurapika. Whether it's Morin or the Phantom Troupe, we'll settle this debt." Kurapika raised his head and looked at Lin Ye. Scarlet flashed briefly in his eyes, and he nodded firmly, his voice hoarse. "Thank you, Lin Ye." Lin Ye smiled without saying anything. His gaze returned to the distance beyond the window. Zebira Island, the venue for the fourth phase, was already close at hand. And after this Hunter Exam came the Underground Auction in Yorknew City. His encounter with the Phantom Troupe was now inevitable. His path of Gale Force Hegemony was destined to collide with that crazed Troupe.