The 100-Type Guanyin's torrent of palm strikes was like the storms trying to topple the strongest sumo wrestler in history… utterly incapable of halting his momentum.
And so-
Beyond once again stepped past Netero's death line.
However, this time, he did not attack rashly. Instead, he suddenly concentrated even more Manifested Aura into his fists and smashed the golden Guanyin right before him.
In that instant-
He didn't retract his arms. Instead, he twisted his torso and spun around, driving a kick straight toward Netero's chest.
A flicker of surprise flashed in Netero's eyes, and in that split second, he could only raise his arm to block.
Beyond's kick, which is infused with immense Aura, slammed directly into Netero's forearm.
Bang-
Crack!
Netero's arm fractured instantly, unable to withstand the force of Beyond's kick.
In the next moment-
Netero's body was sent flying like a broken kite.
Beyond swiftly pulled back his leg, then stomped against the ground and charged forward to pursue Netero as he plummeted downward, as if he wanted to finish off Netero in one go.
Netero, who was rapidly descending through the air, naturally kept track of Beyond's movements at all times.
The searing pain radiating from his right arm didn't disrupt his offensive and defensive rhythm in the slightest.
Even if only one arm remained usable-
It wouldn't hinder the prayer gesture of [Fist That Listens to the Heart].
Netero adjusted his posture mid-air, then started his prayer with a single arm.
Hum-!
The figure of 100-Type Guanyin was conjured in the air, and then it extended a golden palm to catch Netero who was flying over.
Thanks to his masterful control, the moment the golden palm made contact with Netero, the opposing forces canceled each other out.
This allowed Netero to stabilize himself against the 100-Type Guanyin's palm.
Once the momentum was neutralized, Netero glanced down at Beyond, who was still charging toward him. With a single thought, he willed the 100-Type Guanyin to hurl him forward with a sweeping palm strike!
Whoosh-
A sharp gust of wind erupted.
Like a baseball, Netero was flung through the air by the 100-Type Guanyin, soaring straight toward Beyond below.
Seeing Netero's maneuver, Beyond narrowed his eyes slightly. Unsure of Netero's intentions, he had no choice but to halt his advance, then sharpened his focus to the extreme, using stillness to overcome movement.
Netero maintained a one-handed prayer gesture during the flight.
However, the 100-Type Guanyin that had thrown him suddenly vanished.
The next moment.
A golden light suddenly erupted behind Beyond.
"Hmm?!"
Beyond's expression changed slightly.
Having focused all his attention on the front, he hadn't anticipated the 100-Type Guanyin to suddenly appear behind him.
But this outcome was inevitable.
Because Netero had never revealed this ability to Beyond before.
The 100-Type Guanyin, which appeared abruptly behind Beyond, swung its palm down toward the top of his head.
Caught off guard, Beyond had no time to react, so he simply chose to take the attack head-on.
'Exchanging injury for victory…'
'That's still acceptable.'
Such thoughts flashed through Beyond's mind in an instant. At this time, he ignored the 100-Type Guanyin behind him and his gaze remained locked onto Netero, who was hurtling toward him.
At this moment, the golden vertical palm of 100-Type Guanyin came crashing down onto Beyond's skull.
Bang!
However, Beyond's body did not move at all, only his head tilted forward slightly.
After taking the chop head-on, a lot of bright red blood flowed out from Beyond hairline.
But Beyond didn't care at all, nor did he pay attention to the threat from behind. He stomped the ground and rushed forward to meet Netero, who was flying from mid-air.
"You've had your fun, old man!"
Beyond used the top-level Ryu to instantly redistributed his Aura's offensive and defensive ratios across his body. Then, without holding back, he threw a punch at the airborne Netero.
The sheer decisiveness of that strike made a glimmer of complexity flicker in Netero's eyes.
'In the end-'
'I lacked the means.'
With a sigh in his heart, a shadow appeared on Netero's face.
'Well… so be it.'
Netero fearlessly met Beyond's fist head-on.
'Do not go gentle into that good night… rage, rage against the dying of the light!'
At this moment, time seemed to slow down, and Netero opened his mouth and let out a silent roar.
At the same time-
The 100-Type Guanyin, which stood behind Beyond, also opened its mouth like Netero, and there was light as dazzling as a star gathered in her mouth.
But at that very instant, Beyond and Netero collided at low altitude.
Their fists clashed!
Amidst the surging storm of Aura, Beyond crushed Netero with overwhelming force.
Netero's entire arm exploded into a mist of blood, and then the remaining momentum sent him flying.
But Netero's counterattack is not over yet.
[100-Type Guanyin: Zero Hand]
A shockwave of Aura, bright as a supernova, erupted from the 100-Type Guanyin's mouth, engulfing Beyond in an instant.
The violent force tore through the red mountaintop, sending debris and dust flying in all directions.
The golden Guanyin's roar lasted only a few seconds before fading away.
All that remained was a massive crater, and Beyond stood firmly at the bottom.
At this time, Beyond's face was covered in blood, his clothes were tattered, and the armor on his upper body was covered with visible burn marks.
But-
Beyond's Aura remained remarkably stable.
This shows that his physical condition is quite stable.
On the other hand, Netero, whose arm was shattered by that single punch, lay on the ground like a withered leaf, barely breathing.
Beyond's strike hadn't just destroyed Netero's arm, but also shattered the blood vessel on his heart.
The only reason why Netero is still alive is purely due to his willpower.
It was the only way to ensure the 100-Type Guanyin unleashed its full 'roar' upon Beyond.
For the first second of the attack, the attack did cause some damage to Beyond.
Because at that time, Beyond was still focused on attacking.
But one second later, after his attack ended, Beyond relied on the resilience of Enhancer to instantly switch his Aura to a defensive state, thereby greatly resisting the roar from the 100-Type Guanyin.
Even so, he was still severely injured.
"…"
In the heavy silence, Beyond walked to the edge of the crater and silently looked at Netero, who is lying on the ground in the distance.
His Nen Ability, [Unity of Knowledge and Action - Domain], hadn't been developed specifically to counter Netero.
This Nen Ability embodies Beyond's philosophy of 'Fear none who come, and let none who fear come'.
The reason why it was able to counter Netero's 100-Type Guanyin was simply because 100-Type Guanyin left a deep impression on Beyond on his path to the summit.
So, before this life-or-death battle began, Beyond firmly believed that he could win without any pressure.
However, the result was completely different from what Beyond had expected.
"You are truly worthy of being my father…"
Beyond murmured with genuine respect.