From the shadows-
The Zodiacs' members looked at the large amount of water falling back into the lake, and they all had a look of shock on their face.
"This…"
Their minds were roiling with disbelief.
Mainly because-
The gap is too stark!
First, Botobai delivered a powerful punch to Moses's chest. However, not only did Moses remain completely unharmed, but his body didn't even budge an inch.
Then, it was Moses's turn to retaliate, returning the favor with a punch to Botobai's chest.
As a result, Botobai was sent flying as if he had been struck by a force of unimaginable weight.
This stark contrast, like the difference between clouds and mud, delivered a visually shocking scene to the Zodiacs' members present.
This was the fundamental reason for their astonishment.
In their opinion, Moses's strength was indeed formidable, but Botobai wasn't weak by any means.
So when they saw the outcome of the initial exchange of punches between Moses and Botobai, they were at most surprised and began questioning Moses's true Nen Category.
In other words-
At the time, Botobai being forced back over ten meters by Moses's punch was within the range of outcomes the Zodiacs' members had anticipated.
There was indeed a gap between the two, but it wasn't overwhelmingly large.
However, the second round that followed violently shattered their original understanding.
The contrast between the two exchanges...
Was downright absurd.
Among the Zodiacs' members present, only Ging's reaction was less intense.
He also knows the Ken: Bone-Plated Armor technique, so the moment he saw Moses preparing to tank Botobai's attack with his body, he immediately understood Moses's plan.
Two exchanges of punches.
The first exchange was to test the difference in offensive and defensive power between them.
This involved not only the disparity in Nen Category Conversion Rates between the two, but also the gap in their Manifested Aura.
After the first exchange, both sides gleaned some critical information and subsequently formulated their strategies.
It's just that Moses's 'hardware' is superior.
He perfectly utilized the information obtained from the first exchange, which was why he could confidently use the Ken: Bone-Plated Armor to absorb Botobai's attack, which had been infused with the majority of his Manifested Aura.
This maneuver created an absolutely flawless opportunity for a counterattack.
If Ging was to pinpoint where Botobai lost-
It would likely be because Moses wielded both spear and shield, while Botobai only had a spear in hand.
And Moses cleverly lured Botobai into driving his sharp spear into his shield, only to immediately counter with his own spear against Botobai, who had no shield to protect himself.
How could Botobai not suffer a crushing defeat under such circumstances?
Ging lowered his eyes slightly.
'A Nen User who can leverage tactics to turn the tables in a disadvantageous situation is undoubtedly terrifying.'
'But what's even more terrifying is the Moses from 'just now'.'
'Despite holding overwhelming advantages in every aspect, he still seized every possible opportunity to employ tactics, leaving his opponent with absolutely no room to breathe.'
…
Inside the plaza.
Moses was not sure whether Botobai had lost his fighting ability, so he remained where he stood and watched the movements on the lake with a calm expression.
After about twenty seconds, a splash erupted from the artificial lake as Botobai's head emerged above the water. He then trudged toward the shore step by step.
Moses saw this scene and raised his eyebrows slightly.
'Judging from the way Botobai struggled to climb ashore, he was likely at his limit.'
'In such a state, there was no need to persist.'
That was Moses's thought, but he didn't know whether Botobai would choose to surrender.
If Botobai surrendered immediately after reaching the shore, then it would be a favorable outcome for both sides.
Moses waited patiently for Botobai to make it back to land.
Splash- Splash-
The sound of water splashing echoed through the quiet night.
After a while, Botobai finally stepped onto the shore.
At this moment, he was swaying unsteadily, his hair disheveled and his entire body soaked. He looked extremely miserable.
"Just surrender."
Moses made the suggestion at the appropriate moment.
Hearing this, Botobai remained silent and slowly steadied himself.
Afterwards, the Aura on Botobai's body, which was like the flow of water waves, gradually stabilized without a sound.
[Ken]
Botobai activated his Ken, which was equivalent to refusing Moses's suggestion to surrender.
Seeing this, Moses said nothing more. With a flick of his wrist, he conjured his Black Sword with practiced ease.
'Since he won't admit defeat, then this battle would simply proceed toward its inevitable conclusion.'
As the thought crossed his mind, Moses slightly narrowed his eyes, and then charged at Botobai with sword in hand.
This was the third round.
And it was Moses's turn to take the initiative to attack.
Botobai barely held up his shaky body, and his still-sharp eyes stared at Moses's attack trajectory.
His initial plan had been to let Moses grow accustomed to his close-combat abilities before seizing the right moment to secure his victory.
But one misstep had led to total defeat.
Even so, Botobai still had a glimmer of hope, as he could use his trump card to turn the tables.
Unfortunately-
Moses was a man who excelled at finding opportunities, so he is also good at not giving his enemies opportunities.
The Aura that suddenly burst out from under his feet turned Moses, who was charging at Botobai, into a fleeting flash of lightning, striking Botobai mercilessly.
Swish- Swish- Swish-
In an instant, a flurry of razor-sharp blade flashes enveloped Botobai.
The next moment-
Moses reappeared behind Botobai.
At the same time-
Dozens of blood jets erupted from Botobai's body, and from a distance, they looked like fireworks.
'If… I could do it over… I…'
Unable to stand up any longer, Botobai's knees buckled and he collapsed heavily to the ground. Unable to turn his head, he could only stare blankly at the bloodstained earth before him.
He had lost without even getting the chance to fully display his strengths.
The bitterness was overwhelming, but defeat was defeat.
And this was…
A crushing loss he had never anticipated before the fight began.
Botobai was still conscious, but his body was no longer under his control. He fell forward to the ground, stirring a faint cloud of dust.
Author Note:
When designing the Nen Abilities of the Zodiacs' members, I usually start by looking for details in their appearances.
Originally, I had planned for Botobai's Nen Ability to revolve around the theatrical face paint he wears, like summoning a third personality by performing an 'Oni Play', then using Enhancement: Face Paint: Persona to manifest a semi-real, semi-illusory Oni Specter that could fight alongside him.
Different color combinations in the face paint would summon different Oni Specters, each with unique abilities, like wind blades on a physical level or attacks that could dredge up inner fears on a mental level.
The subsequent sequence would have involved Moses resisting the mental assault with his mental resilience before shattering the Oni Specter with an overwhelming Aura burst, leaving Botobai in disbelief.
But writing it out would have inevitably led to all sorts of flashy maneuvers, stretching the chapter longer than necessary.
So in the end-
I decided to drop the theatrics and keep it simple and brutal.