"The Hexflare Bomb test is almost over."
Why would Kaizen act so recklessly in Hisoka's eyes—wasting his own aura?
The answer is simple.
From Hisoka's perspective, this is all just a game.
But for Kaizen, it's a test.
And if it's a test, there's no need to worry about conserving energy.
That kind of approach won't cut it.
The Hexflare Bomb test demands an immense expenditure of aura.
Especially with a formidable opponent like Hisoka in front of him.
Kaizen dismissed his En.
Hisoka, who had been dancing around the battlefield, suddenly paused.
"No aura bomb attack?"
"Did he shut down his En?"
"Or… is it a trap?"
Hisoka's eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"Kaizen…" Killua murmured, anxiety creeping into his voice as he saw Kaizen stop his assault.
Wing adjusted his glasses.
"He's probably burned through too much aura," he said. "It's likely he can't maintain that attack anymore."
"As a Nen user, there's a limit to how much aura one can use. It's not infinite."
"In a short burst, you can exert a lot… but once the reserves are depleted, you can't keep going."
"And if that happens, you're left wide open."
"That flashy combo Kaizen pulled off earlier looked spectacular, but it was draining. Now, the advantage is shifting."
"Hisoka might appear beaten up, but his actual aura consumption has been relatively modest."
A number of spectators agreed with Wing's analysis.
They were frustrated Kaizen hadn't followed up with another wave of attacks.
It felt like watching a movie that suddenly slowed down right after the climax.
Subconsciously, they assumed Kaizen had simply run out of gas.
Hisoka crept closer through the rubble, step by step.
Eighty meters... sixty... forty...
The distance between them kept shrinking.
Until he was just twenty meters away.
At their level, this was nothing—a blink, a breath. They could close that gap instantly.
Just as Hisoka was about to strike—
Natsu appeared beside Kaizen.
He inhaled sharply.
"Roar of the Fire Dragon!"
A blazing inferno surged forward like a dragon unleashed, sweeping across the battlefield toward Hisoka.
The wave of fire spread wide and fast, covering a massive area.
The heat was so intense, even audience members seated high in the stands could feel the blast wave wash over them.
At the same time, another figure materialized beside Kaizen.
Uchiha Sasuke.
No Susano'o, no Rashomon.
He was only here to enable gravity-based attack.
The scales tipped.
A dense gravitational force fell upon Hisoka's body.
He grunted as the pressure mounted, limbs growing heavier with each passing second.
"That beast's ability?"
"Can it manipulate gravity?"
Natsu was using the gravity game of Libra—an ability only accessible when both he and Sasuke were present.
Hisoka was right.
Natsu's attack intensified.
Thirty times gravity bore down on Hisoka, making even basic movement a struggle.
Then Sasuke and Kaizen split apart to attack from separate angles.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Dragon Jutsu!"
Sasuke wove hand seals with deadly precision.
A massive dragon of flame exploded toward Hisoka.
On the opposite side, Kaizen launched another Hexflare Bomb.
Now Hisoka was under siege by three simultaneous assaults.
Three Nen users—each with A-rank strength.
There was no way he could completely dodge or defend against all of them.
He was going to be hit.
The only question was when—and how often.
But the real danger lay in synergy.
Natsu was immune to fire.
Sasuke's fire jutsu.
Kaizen's flame bombs.
None of it harmed Natsu.
Instead, it only fueled him—he absorbed the flames, using them to replenish his aura reserves.
Hisoka was getting overwhelmed.
He had no choice but to keep falling back.
And then it hit him—
...
"So this is Kaizen's true power?"
"What was all that earlier?"
"Was he holding back?"
"Was I just a test subject?"
"Now that the test is over, he's finally decided to go all out?"
"Ready to crush me?"
"Such power… such finesse... so cool."
"Really... not bad."
Hisoka's lips twisted into a wide grin.
He was thrilled.
Back in the audience, jaws dropped.
Everyone had assumed Kaizen had reached his limit just moments ago.
That it was Hisoka's turn to shine.
So why was Kaizen now completely dominating?
And doing it with such ease?
Nina and the others were all smiles.
Killua exhaled in relief.
Gon pumped his fist in the air and shouted Kaizen's name, cheering loudly.
Wing fell silent.
He had just told Gon and Killua that Kaizen might be in trouble—but now the situation had completely flipped.
Hisoka had been forced all the way to the edge of the ring.
One step more, and he'd fall out.
In a regular battle, that wouldn't be the end.
But this was the Floor Master Challenge.
If he went out of bounds, the match would be over—he'd lose.
Even if there was no knockout.
He'd still have to stop fighting.
"I'm excited," Hisoka muttered, eyes gleaming. "There's no way I'm letting it end like this."
"That would be way too boring."
"No way I'm letting this chance slip by."
And then—
He stopped dodging.
Let Natsu's fire engulf him.
"Bungee Gum!"
A flash of red aura exploded where Hisoka and Natsu collided.
Suddenly, the two were stuck together—as if fused by invisible glue.
The flames wrapped around Hisoka, burning him.
But he didn't flinch.
More red threads stretched out, tightly binding him and Natsu together.
Then—
BAM!
Hisoka slammed his palm into the arena floor.
The entire stage shuddered.
Chunks of debris shot into the air.
But more than that—a net sprang up from the ground.
A net woven from aura.
Invisible to the ordinary eye, but clear as day to any Nen user who had mastered Gyo.
------------
Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (1047 chapters in total)