Hunter x Hunter: Haki and the Six Powers
Chapter 46

An edge below, undercurrents above

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The lower-floor arenas of Heavens Arena were noisier than ever. The words "Floor 150 matches" flashed across an electronic screen. Gon and Killua stood side by side at the edge of the arena, still bearing minor scrapes from their previous fights, but their eyes had grown sharper. They could now maintain Ten steadily around their bodies. Although they had yet to fully master advanced Nen techniques, they already far surpassed the other fighters on their floor. "Next up, Gon versus Lock, and Killua versus Bella!" As the referee's announcement rang out, the two boys stepped into their respective arenas. Lock was a veteran of Floor 150, a burly man with vicious-looking scars covering his arms. A faint yet concentrated aura lingered over his skin. Although he was not a proper Nen user, years of fighting had led him to unwittingly grasp a rudimentary form of Ten. With his formidable physique and crude aura, he had won ten consecutive matches in the lower-floor arenas, making him an intimidating opponent. "You're pretty good in a fight for someone so young, brat." Lock rolled his neck with a series of cracks, contempt filling his eyes. "But Floor 150 isn't a place for a green kid like you. Today, I'll teach you what a real fight looks like." Gon clenched his fists, his gaze firm and utterly fearless. "I won't lose. I'm going to reach Floor 200 as soon as I can and join Lin Ye!" "Begin!" At the referee's command, Lock charged forward, his fist whipping through the air straight toward Gon's face. Although the aura coating his fist was faint, it multiplied the power of his attack several times over. Gon was ready. Following Lin Ye's instructions, he concentrated his Ten around his arms and met the blow head-on. Bam! Their fists collided. Gon's arm went numb, and he involuntarily stumbled back two steps. Lock did not budge, a smug smile spreading across his face. "That's all the strength you've got? And you think you can reach Floor 200?" Gon was not discouraged. He could clearly feel the defensive effect of Ten. In the past, that punch would have seriously injured him; now, it had only left his arm slightly numb. He took a deep breath, employed Ren, and slowly gathered the aura within his body into his fist before charging at Lock again. This time, Gon did not clash with him head-on. Instead, he relied on his agile footwork to keep dodging Lock's attacks while searching for a chance to counter. Lock's attacks were powerful but somewhat clumsy. After Gon evaded several fierce assaults, Lock gradually grew impatient, and his aura began to fluctuate erratically. "Stop dodging! Fight me head-on if you've got the guts!" Lock roared, gathering all his aura into his right fist and swinging at Gon with everything he had. Gon's gaze sharpened. He stopped dodging, drove through his feet, and lowered his body slightly. Gathering all his aura into his fist, he met Lock's punch with a direct counterattack. Bam! An even louder collision rang out, sending a wave of aura in every direction. Lock felt a tremendous force surge from Gon's fist. His arm instantly lost all sensation, and he staggered back several steps, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. Gon was also knocked back three steps, his fist slightly reddened, but his gaze only grew more resolute. "Impossible! How can you be that strong?" Disbelief covered Lock's face. He had never imagined that a boy in his early teens could block his all-out blow with such rudimentary aura. Gon did not answer. Seizing the opening while Lock's aura was in disarray, he charged again, raining punches down on him. Each punch carried aura and landed precisely on Lock's chest or abdomen. Lock retreated again and again, unable to defend himself. Finally, Gon struck him in the cheek, sending him crashing to the ground unconscious. "The match is over! Gon wins!" Cheers erupted from the stands. Gon raised his fist with a brilliant smile and waved to Killua at the edge of the arena. Meanwhile, Killua's match was also underway. Bella was a slender female fighter with exceptional speed who specialized in using a short blade. A faint aura covered her skin as well. Clearly, like Lock, she had grasped a rudimentary form of Ten. "You're a pretty little brat. Too bad I'm going to beat you today." Bella toyed with the short blade in her hand, her eyes full of provocation. A disdainful smile tugged at Killua's lips. He lowered his body slightly, ready to fight. "You talk too much. Come on." "Begin!" Bella charged instantly, her short blade slicing through the air toward Killua's throat with astonishing speed. Killua's eyes sharpened. With speed far beyond hers, he easily evaded the attack, pushed off the ground, and appeared behind her in an instant. Closing his right hand into a fist, he landed a light punch on her back. Bella's back went numb, and she stumbled forward. She hurriedly turned and swung her blade again, stabbing toward Killua's waist. Killua darted aside. As he dodged, he caught her wrist and twisted hard, sending the blade clattering to the ground. "You've lost." Killua's voice was cold. He tightened his fingers slightly, and a sharp burst of pain forced Bella to concede. "The match is over! Killua wins!" With two clean, decisive victories, Gon and Killua advanced to Floor 151. When they met up, both wore excited smiles. Gon scratched his head. "Killua, we're improving so fast! Without Lin Ye's guidance, we definitely couldn't have beaten them." Killua nodded, his eyes full of agreement. "Lin Ye's guidance really helps. Let's work a little harder and reach Floor 200 as soon as possible so we can fight alongside him." Neither lingered. They immediately headed to the rest area, using the interval between matches to continue practicing Ten and Zetsu and reinforce the fighting techniques Lin Ye had taught them. Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the arena on Floor 200 was exceptionally tense. Lin Ye stood in the center of the arena, facing Leo, a veteran powerhouse of Floor 200 and an Enhancement Type Nen user. Leo was tall and heavily built, with dense Nen covering his skin. The aura surrounding him burned like a raging fire. His record stood at forty-two wins and five losses, and he specialized in the Enhancement Type Nen Technique Fierce Fist, which could shatter alloy with a single punch. His strength far surpassed that of every opponent Lin Ye had faced so far. "Gale Force Hunter? You're just a rookie who got lucky." Leo sneered, the Nen around him growing denser. "Today, I'll end your winning streak and show everyone that Floor 200 isn't a place where rookies can swagger around." Lin Ye remained calm, his expression unwavering. His aura quietly gathered, his defensive aura merging perfectly with Iron Body. At the same time, he extended his predictive perception to its fullest. The flow of Leo's aura and the paths of his attacks appeared clearly in his mind. "Begin!" At the referee's command, Leo unleashed his Nen in an instant, concentrating all his Enhancement Type aura into his fists. His fists glowed a searing red as he charged at Lin Ye with astonishing speed and all his strength. The wind howled around his punches as though they would ignite the air. "Fierce Fist!" Leo roared and threw both fists at once. Two blazing fist-shaped blasts of Nen hurtled toward Lin Ye's chest, cutting off every avenue of escape. Everyone in the stands held their breath, their eyes fixed on the arena. Some hoped to see Lin Ye work another miracle; others waited to watch him fall in a single blow. In a corner of the stands, a silver-haired, purple-eyed man dressed as a clown watched Lin Ye intently, an amused smile on his lips as his fingers tapped lightly against the armrest. It was Hisoka. A flicker of excitement crossed his eyes as he watched Lin Ye, and he murmured to himself, "You're getting more and more interesting. I hope you don't disappoint me." Facing Leo's all-out attack, Lin Ye did not dodge. Instead, he planted both feet firmly on the ground, further condensed the defensive aura covering his body, and met the two fist-shaped Nen blasts head-on. Bam! A violent crash rang out, and a scorching wave of aura swept across the entire arena. The alloy floor shook violently, splitting with cracks. Lin Ye's body sank slightly, his feet leaving two shallow marks in the floor. His arms went numb, but he remained rooted in place. His defensive aura had stopped Leo's Fierce Fist outright. "Impossible!" Shock covered Leo's face. Even another Enhancement Type Nen user would struggle to block his Fierce Fist head-on, yet this rookie had stopped it with ease. "What exactly is that defense of yours? How can it be so strong?" Lin Ye did not answer. Seizing the opening while Leo's aura was in disarray, he pushed off the ground and used Flash Shave, appearing behind Leo like a phantom. Forming a Finger Pistol with his right hand and concentrating dense aura into it, he thrust precisely toward Leo's Nen Points. Leo reacted swiftly, immediately using Ken to concentrate Nen across his back in an attempt to block the attack. Shhk! Finger Pistol pierced Leo's Nen defense. Although it did not inflict a serious wound, it instantly disrupted the flow of his Nen, sending him stumbling forward. Lin Ye gave him no chance to catch his breath. He activated Flash Shave again, his figure flickering repeatedly as he alternated between Finger Pistol and Tempest Kick. His attacks swept toward Leo like a raging storm. Leo retreated again and again, desperately defending himself, yet he was still struck repeatedly. More and more wounds appeared on his body, and his Nen grew steadily weaker. "I won't accept this!" Leo roared, unleashing all the Nen he had left. He used Fierce Fist once more, striking at Lin Ye with everything he had. This was his final trump card. Lin Ye's gaze sharpened. He took a deep breath, perfectly merging the aura within his body with his defensive and offensive auras, then drove his fist straight into Leo's. Bam! With a thunderous crash, Leo flew backward like a kite with its string cut and slammed heavily into the ground. His Nen scattered completely, and he could no longer get up. "The match is over! Lin Ye wins!" The referee announced the result at the top of his voice. Deafening cheers erupted from the stands, and the title "Gale Force Hunter" once again resounded through the arena. Lin Ye turned and left the arena, instinctively glancing toward the corner of the stands. Hisoka had already vanished, leaving only a card with an eerie sheen where he had been standing. Lin Ye picked it up. It bore only a simple smiling face and a line of small writing: "I look forward to fighting you, once you're strong enough." Lin Ye tightened his grip on the card, a trace of gravity entering his eyes. He knew Hisoka's challenge was not far off. That evening, Lin Ye found Gon and Killua on the rooftop. The two were practicing maintaining Ten, and their progress was clear. "Lin Ye! You won again today!" The moment Gon saw him, he ran over excitedly. Killua stopped practicing as well and looked at Lin Ye with admiration in his eyes. "Lin Ye, I heard you beat Leo! He's one of the powerhouses on Floor 200!" Lin Ye smiled and nodded, handing them the card. "Hisoka has started paying attention to me. He wants to fight me." Gon and Killua looked at the card, anxiety appearing on their faces. "Hisoka? That really strong guy from the Hunter Exam? Is he going to be scary?" "He's very strong-the strongest opponent I've encountered so far," Lin Ye said seriously. "That's why we all need to get stronger as quickly as we can. Gon, you need to refine your Enhancement Type Nen and improve your strength and defense. Killua, you need to make the most of your speed, combine Nen with your assassin techniques, and improve the precision of your attacks. Only by becoming strong enough can we handle the challenges ahead." Gon and Killua nodded firmly, their eyes full of determination. "We understand, Lin Ye! We'll get stronger as fast as we can. We won't hold you back!" As the night deepened, three figures stood side by side on the rooftop, aura flowing slowly around them as they steadily advanced toward greater strength. The undercurrents in Heavens Arena had only just begun to stir, and their edge would shine ever brighter with each successive clash.

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