The razor-sharp blade sliced through the air, aimed straight at Beyond's vitals.
Beyond showed no fear. He didn't even need to see the trajectory of the Black Sword's slash. He simply raised his right elbow and set the 'transfer point' of his ability on the iron bracer covering it.
As [Unity of Knowledge and Action] took effect, Moses's Black Sword, which had been aimed at Beyond's vitals in the blink of an eye, suddenly veered off course like a small boat caught in a massive whirlpool, forcibly redirected toward the elbow Beyond had positioned in front of himself.
Ding!
The sharp blade struck the ancient bronze-patterned iron bracer, sending a shower of sparks flying.
But the overwhelming force behind the slash didn't so much as budge Beyond.
Beyond effortlessly blocked Moses's strike, then drove his other fist upward from beneath the bracer, aiming for Moses's chest.
The pupils in Moses's eyes drooped slightly as he glanced at Beyond's concealed movement beneath the bracer.
[Fist That Listens To The Heart]
Time seemed to freeze in that instant as Moses saw Beyond's action with perfect clarity.
Immediately-
Moses dismissed the Black Sword without hesitation.
Shhh-
The Black Sword turned into light fragments in an instant.
At the same time-
As the Black Sword suddenly disappeared, Beyond's upward-driving elbow lost its point of resistance, causing it to jerk upward and expose a wider opening.
In that split second, Moses re-conjured the Black Sword in his left hand and thrust it toward Beyond's chest.
Fist versus sword-
In terms of reach, the sword held an undeniable advantage.
So the moment Moses switched hands and conjured the Black Sword, Beyond had already lost the initiative in this brief exchange.
Ding!
The tip of the Black Sword struck Beyond's chestplate first.
The Aura concentrated at the blade's tip erupted like an explosion, unleashing a violent shockwave.
The pinpoint impact caused Beyond's chestplate to rapidly crack, and under the force of the blow, he staggered backward.
A gleam of light flashed across Moses's eyes as he took advantage of the situation and showed no mercy. He stepped forward, drove his sword toward the retreating Beyond.
However-
Beyond abruptly halted his retreat, then swung his arm, smashing the iron bracer against Moses's pursuing blade with tremendous force.
Bang!
A deafening metallic crash rang out as the Black Sword was violently deflected.
The residual force traveled along the blade into Moses's entire arm.
Moses's expression shifted slightly, and he decisively chose to disperse the force, allowing his sword-wielding arm to swing back. At the same time, with the help of this force, he lightly tapped the rock with his feet and leaped backward.
'You really don't take losses lying down, huh.'
As he retreated, Moses silently remarked to himself, understanding exactly what had happened.
At this moment, the Black Sword that deflected backwards shattered into fragments of Aura in the next second.
At this moment, Beyond's chestplate also broke into pieces, falling to the rocky ground with a series of crisp clinks.
The brief exchange hadn't been as straightforward as it seemed.
In that fraction of a second, Moses and Beyond had each demonstrated their top-tier Ryu and a battle mindset that allowed them to adapt effortlessly.
What surprised Moses was how Beyond, after taking a confirmed hit, had dared to abruptly shift the majority of his Manifested Aura to mount a counterattack in that situation.
So much so that he shattered the Black Sword with one swing of his elbow...
But the risk-to-reward ratio of this move was disproportionate. To Moses, it almost felt like Beyond just wanted to reclaim some pride after being put at a disadvantage in the exchange.
That's why Moses internally remarked that Beyond refused to take even the slightest loss.
Beyond swiftly glanced at the shattered chestplate fragments at his feet, then raised his right hand and lightly brushed it towards his shoulder, clearing away the remaining pieces of the chestplate that were still clinging to his body.
'He is a Specialist, but he tried to end the fight in the style of an Enhancer...'
Beyond looked at Moses, his eyes brimming with sharp fighting spirit.
After two rounds of exchanges, he was certain of Moses's intention.
And soon after, he understood exactly why Moses was doing this.
It was blatantly obvious… he just wanted to make Netero laugh in his grave.
'You're underestimating me.'
Beyond's lips curled slightly, but he wasn't angry at all. Instead, he felt his blood boiling.
This is-
A long-lost sense of excitement.
Something even his father couldn't give him.
Beyond's surging emotions were conveyed through his Aura, wildly permeating the surrounding space.
This opponent before him was completely different from the old Netero!
Therefore, this battle couldn't be seen through at a glance.
Victory or defeat lay within the unpredictable twists and turns of the 'next second'.
"Come. I'll make you sincerely regret this."
Beyond suddenly stomped the ground, shattering the remaining chestplate's fragments in front of him. Immediately after, he used the force of that stomp to propel his towering, muscular body forward, charging straight at Moses with visible currents of Aura swirling around him.
Upon hearing Beyond's declaration, Moses remained indifferent.
Using an Enhancer's combat style to make Beyond admit defeat wholeheartedly...
This kind of approach, which is fighting with one's weaknesses, had never been Moses's style.
But to let Netero rest with a laugh, Moses was willing to do it.
And the confidence that drove him to do so, aside from his flawless Nen techniques, was his Manifested Aura, which is superior compared to Beyond's.
'I hope you can still laugh later, Beyond.'
Lowering his eyelids slightly, Moses raised his hand and conjured the Black Sword once more.
Beyond's shattered chestplate couldn't be restored, but the Black Sword could be re-conjured anytime, anywhere.
From this perspective, no matter how much Beyond refused to admit it, he couldn't change the fact that he had suffered a loss in that exchange.
[Rhythm Echo: Texture Surprise]
Moses's body swayed lightly left and right like a pendulum, and then gradually left behind a series of afterimages.
This is the Zoldyck Family's Rhythm Echo, a technique that manipulated the rhythm of the body's movements to create a chain of afterimages, thereby confusing the opponent's senses in battle.
But Moses had refined this technique and-
Integrated it into his [Texture Surprise: Modified].
The improved Texture Surprise granted Moses the ability to blend into his surroundings.
Since it could make the Black Sword vanish from sight, naturally, it could do the same for his body.
In the next instant-
Moses, trailing a series of afterimages, rushed straight toward the charging Beyond.
'Rhythm Echo...'
Beyond, with his vast experience, immediately recognized the technique Moses was using.
'But in a battle of this level, Rhythm Echo was nothing more than a parlor trick.'
"Hm?"
Just when Beyond had this thought, he abruptly lost sight of Moses' presence in an instant.
'Invisibility...!?'
Seeing Moses's real body dissolving among the afterimages, Beyond, with his immense combat experience, instantly realized what was happening.
His eyes narrowed immediately, and he reflexively activated his ability to erect a defensive barrier in front of himself.
However, Moses, who is now invisible, simply bypassed Beyond and slashed backward with his blade across Beyond's broad, exposed back.
Sshhk!
The blade sliced through, and a spray of blood erupted from Beyond's back.
The sudden attack didn't disrupt Beyond's combat rhythm. In an instant, he spun around and launched a basketball-sized Nen Bullet toward Moses with a punch.
Although Beyond is an Enhancer, he had also trained in Emission.
Therefore, this Nen Bullet was no slouch in terms of speed, power, or precision.
Moses's figure quickly reappeared in the air. He raised his eyes and saw the Nen Bullet shot by Beyond. With just a swing of his sword, he cut the well-crafted Nen Bullet into two halves.
In this round of exchanges-
Moses still held the upper hand.