Hello everyone, Gon Freecss here. The time to say goodbye to Heavens Arena is fast approaching. I'm so grateful for everything Wing has done for me. To repay his kindness, I'll keep getting stronger.
On July 1st, a major match announcement was made at Heavens Arena.
At noon on July 7th: "King Muscle" Gon vs. "The Grim Reaper" Hisoka.
Special tickets, limited to one per person, were sold separately from the regular July passes, but they sold out completely—including standing room—within an hour. Despite the warning printed in a corner of the ticket, not a single person resold theirs.
[While Heavens Arena will do its utmost, please understand that we cannot guarantee your safety.]
At Heavens Arena, where spectator casualties were not uncommon in matches between powerful fighters, this would go down in history as the first fight for which the organization officially issued a warning and took countermeasures.
The venue chosen for Gon and Hisoka's match was, unexpectedly, the top-floor ring where the Battle Olympia is held. Using the top floor—also the residence of the current number one Floor Master—undoubtedly required a mountain of special procedures, a clear testament to how seriously the staff was taking this fight.
In a relatively spacious section of the packed venue, Killua and the others, who had secured seats as Gon's guests, sat alongside Wing and Zushi. Gin was curled up on Zushi's lap. For the first time at Heavens Arena, Gon would be fighting with no restrictions whatsoever.
As the day of the match drew closer, Killua and his friends felt an incredible sense of dread from the escalating pressure of Gon's aura and the sticky, malevolent aura that seemed to drift from nowhere.
"What are we gonna do if those two actually go berserk?" Killua asked. "Honestly, with my brother's stupid restrictions, I'm at my limit just being here."
"Even they won't get out of it unscathed," Leorio declared. "Somehow, I'll surround them with my Enand flood the area with sedatives and anesthetics from my Stingy Surgeon's Office."
"My Titan Chain will be at its maximum strength against opponents like them," Kurapika added. "If Leorio's One-Man Doctor slows them down even for a moment, I will not let them escape."
"Though it may be temporary, I am still your teacher," Wing said calmly. "I suppose it's time I showed you I can be relied on for my strength as well."
"I'll be sure to evacuate so I don't get in the way!" Zushi announced.
"Groof," Gin agreed.
While some of them radiated a sense of duty mixed with grim resolve, the spectators who were simply looking forward to the fight were stunned by the arena's preparations. Not only was the top floor—normally unused for regular matches—the venue, but a transparent wall of reinforced acrylic now stood before the audience. It was the first safety measure ever taken by Heavens Arena, an organization that had always operated on the principle of spectator self-responsibility, never flinching even when deaths occurred. It symbolized a change not just in the mindset of the audience and fighters, but in the very nature of Heavens Arena itself.
(This feels strange. It's different from when I challenged Chairman Netero, and it's different from when I spar with Killua, the others, and Wing.)
As Gon walked down the corridor leading to the ring, he analyzed the fervent emotions swirling within him. It wasn't the trembling exhilaration of facing a superior opponent, nor was it the dancing excitement he felt seeing Killua and his friends grow stronger.
It was a far more vivid, intense passion that scorched his very being.
(With this, I can definitely give it my all.)
Unable to wait another moment, he used Savings Withdrawal: Muscle is Power to return to his original form, stepping into the arena with his raging spirit and aura on full display.
(What is this feeling? ♣ I've never felt it for any of my other toys... I can't quite put it into words. ♥)
As Hisoka walked down the corridor leading to the ring, he analyzed the fervent emotions swirling within him. It wasn't the trembling pleasure of breaking a prized toy, nor was it the wicked thrill of tasting a still-unripe fruit.
It was a far more vivid, intense passion that scorched his very being.
(At this rate, I don't know if I can hold back. ♥)
Aware of the corners of his mouth uncontrollably turning up, he stepped into the arena, his surging spirit and aura on full display.
The moment Gon and Hisoka stepped into the ring, the once-deafening arena fell silent. The usual commentators were speechless. The referee, sensing the gravity of the situation, gave a concise summary of the rules and retreated to the edge of the ring. As a final act of pride, he remained on the stage, his only, greatest duty to see the fight through even as all other procedures were blown away.
"BEGIN!"
The referee was sent tumbling from the ring by the shockwave of Gon and Hisoka's initial collision.
Only two remained on the stage. Their time alone had begun.
Rurubu is a high-level form of sparring in martial arts, a deliberate and fluid exchange of offense and defense used to confirm forms and movements. From the moment the match began, Gon and Hisoka naturally fell into this rhythm.
They were checking each other's movements, gauging how much the other had improved, and sensing the spirit each brought to this fight.
For them, it was a simple confirmation process, yet it was executed at a speed that would stun even a first-rate Nen user.
They continued to exchange blows, moving in a strange state of mind, as if they were the only two people in the world, dancing in the silence.
"...Damn it. I want to say I can do that too... I really do. Damn it! Why am I so weak?!"
The spectacle unfolding in the ring was enough to draw a rare moment of weakness from Killua.
To a trained eye, their exchange was a dance of pre-ordained harmony, yet it was performed at a level so high that only Wing in the entire arena could possibly replicate it.
"Do not be ashamed, Killua," Wing said. "Even I could not manage such a perfectly synchronized exchange. In fact, they have reached a realm that can only exist between the two of them."
The referee, sensing the danger, had immediately fled the ring and was now in the commentary box, his face pressed against the reinforced acrylic, eyes bloodshot, trying to get a better view.
The breathless audience was stunned into silence, unable to visually track the exchange and feeling the acrylic wall vibrate violently with every impact.
"Everyone, whatever you do, do not look away for even an instant," the referee announced. "I can say with certainty that this is a battle of the highest caliber. I have only witnessed a fight of this level a handful of times in my entire life."
Without averting his own gaze, Wing desperately focused his Aura into his eyes to keep up with the match.
Every single person in the venue felt a burning passion welling up from the depths of their souls, like a child discovering martial arts for the very first time.
After roughly two minutes of combat, Gon and Hisoka separated by mutual agreement, returning to the same distance as when they started. The stone tiles at the center of the ring had been completely pulverized, but the two of them were only lightly sweating, their breathing steady as they faced each other.
"Magnificent. ♥ It hasn't even been half a year since Kukuroo Mountain, yet you're like a completely different person. ♥"
"Thanks to Wing's training. Getting instruction from a logical teacher instead of just going by feel has been incredibly helpful."
The reinforced acrylic, which had finally gone still, now began to tremble from the roar of the crowd. The two fighters paid it no mind and continued their conversation.
"That should be enough for a warm-up, don't you think? Shall we start playing for real? ♥"
"I'd like that. Additional Withdrawal: More Power!"
The auras rising from Gon and Hisoka churned as they clashed, and the frenzied crowd once again fell into a dead silence.
"Are you stopping there? How cruel of you to tease me when I know you have more. ♠"
"I don't underestimate you enough to think I can win with power I can't fully control. I won't lower my chances of winning in a real match, even if it might work in a spar."
Facing the cheerfully smiling Hisoka, Gon decided to play one of his cards. He further increased his muscle mass with Additional Withdrawal and activated Muscle Dialogue: Muscle Control.
"Which Came First, Muscle or Aura: Perfect Communication!"
The version of the "Prison" Gon used now had less muscle and Aura than the one he had used against Netero. However, the strain on his body was drastically reduced. More importantly, it was the maximum enhancement he could achieve while still maintaining full control in combat.
Hisoka's eyes widened, as did those of the other Nen users seeing the "Prison" for the first time. They were struck with awe and terror by the overwhelming power it radiated.
"Aha... ahahaha!! ...Ahhh... ♥"
Hisoka suddenly covered his face with his hands and burst into uncontrollable laughter. When he quieted, he looked up at Gon, his eyes shining brightly from between his fingers as he offered a bewitching sneer.
"I see. So you've reached that place. ♥ Yes, very good. Oh, what should I do? I want to... break you... right now... ♥"
A venomous aura, far greater than what he'd shown against Kastro, erupted from him. Perhaps because of the wall separating them, or perhaps due to the influence of Gon's radiant aura, no one fainted, but a single thought crossed the mind of everyone present, professional and amateur alike.
From this point on, their lives were not guaranteed.
The reinforced acrylic wall, in which they had placed such immense trust, now felt as flimsy as paper. They understood they couldn't even see the fight that was about to unfold.
And yet, no one left their seat. They remained, seeking the raw, unfiltered reality of the moment that could never be experienced through a screen, seeing what little they could within the blur.
Gon, facing Hisoka's aura head-on, began to faintly glow all over—not as intensely as against Netero, but glowing nonetheless.
"Don't think it'll be that easy, Hisoka! Break me if you can!"
Gon lowered his stance. Hisoka stood naturally, almost as if he were just standing there.
The real fight began with Gon's right straight.
***
"So that's their full power... frankly, they're on a level that's completely out of place even for Heavens Arena," Gordon said.
"Indeed," Kastro replied. "As someone who has fought them both, I wanted to say this was within my expectations, but I was clearly not qualified to measure their true level."
The two new Floor Masters, undeniably among the strongest in Heavens Arena, sat side-by-side in officially provided seats, watching the match. Having found a mutual interest in each other, they had quickly become friends and were now working together to comprehend the full scope of the battle.
"The King's Aura compression is incredible," Gordon observed. "From what I can see, he hasn't taken any damage from Hisoka's attacks."
"Hisoka is also impressive," Kastro noted. "He's completely parrying the King's attacks with terrifyingly precise Ryu and, most likely, his Hatsu."
The two focused their Gyo to its absolute limit, with Gordon watching Gon and Kastro watching Hisoka, trying to gather as much information as possible.
It was a battle between Gon's overwhelming physicality, born from his "Prison" and Hooray for Brute Force: Might is Power, and Hisoka's refined Aura control, exceptional combat technique, and his Bungee Gum, which had a natural advantage against physical attacks.
In an exchange where neither seemed to be able to land a decisive blow, Kastro, who was focused on Hisoka, noticed a minuscule fluctuation in his Aura.
"Hisoka is about to make a move!"
Before he could finish his sentence, Hisoka slipped past Gon, holding a playing card—the 10 of Spades—wreathed in a terrifyingly sharp Aura.
A spray of crimson blood erupted from Gon's bulging trapezius muscle, staining the ring.
Though Hisoka had dealt the first visible damage, he was inwardly astounded by Gon's monstrous physique.
(This body is an absolute joke. I was lucky enough to draw a Spade, and he barely even flinched. ♥)
The moment the crowd gasped at the massive blood loss, Gon had already stopped the bleeding and was rotating his shoulder as if to check it.
(With his muscles compressed that much, what looked like a huge amount of blood was really just a forceful spray. ♠ The cut didn't even feel like it reached the bone; it wasn't even that deep. It's truly disgusting. ♥)
Contrary to his almost defeatist thoughts, Hisoka's smile never faltered as he ostentatiously shuffled his deck of cards.
"What did you think? Of my Panic Card: The Magician's Harassment. ♥ I'll aim for somewhere a little thinner next time, so be careful. ♣"
"I won't let you. You're being careful not to overextend, aren't you?"
Gon, too, maintained an outward appearance of calm, but he was inwardly vexed that Hisoka had pierced his defense with a mere 10, even if it was a slash-specialized Spade.
(Knowing Hisoka, the power increase from the numbers isn't linear; it's more likely exponential. If that's the case, I would have preferred to experience a Jack or higher while the damage was still low.)
If his "Prison's" defense could be so easily bypassed, he would need to fight in a way that minimized hits, but his own combat skills were not yet at a level where he could completely evade Hisoka's attacks.
(Is he doing this on purpose? He's only using Bungee Gum for defense. It could be that he's conserving Aura since he's using Panic Card, or... is he just not serious yet?)
In that short exchange, both Gon and Hisoka analyzed the fight so far, deducing the other's remaining cards and reserves of strength.
"Mmm, I see... so that Aura compression technique is also a desperate measure to cover a weakness, isn't it? ♦"
And with his superior combat experience and quick thinking, Hisoka had unraveled nearly all of Gon's secrets.
"I suspected it for a while. ♣ Gon, you can't use Ko, can you? ♠"
The truth of Hisoka's words was plain to see on Gon's face, which was twisted in frustration.
"With your fighting style, your current compression is ridiculously powerful, but it's unthinkable that I've never seen you use Ko, which would give you even greater finishing power. ♣ My guess is that your Hooray for Brute Force is too powerful for you to suppress into a single point. ♦"
"..."
"Thinking about it that way, your Muscle Dialogue was probably originally a Hatsu for moving your Aura to perform Ryu and Gyo, not for manipulating your muscles. ♦ From our exchange, I can also see your mastery of it has stalled at around 160%. It seems that, contrary to my first impression, it's not such an easy-to-use, powerful ability after all. ♥"
Hisoka spoke with a complex expression, one of both joy and sadness. Joy, from knowing Gon on a deeper level; and sadness, from realizing it would take more time for him to climb to Hisoka's heights.
However, the maximum potential Gon could reach was unquestionably exceptional. It was because Hisoka was certain that Gon would one day reach it that he was so captivated.
Still, he couldn't help but feel a slight disappointment—a feeling closer to loneliness than letdown—and that emotion bled into his Aura.
That fact wounded Gon's spirit deeply and powerfully.
"...Everything you just said is pretty much correct. I have almost no mastery over Hooray for Brute Force."
"That's not true. ♣ The fact that the ability is activating and producing an effect at all means you've practically mastered it. ♦ Honestly, I'm also relieved. An ability that powerful should have a drawback of that...!"
Hisoka, who had unconsciously started offering unfamiliar words of comfort, stopped short as a furious aura erupted from the downcast Gon.
"No matter what anyone says, I will not forgive my own weakness. To be even slightly satisfied with this level would be an insult to the Strongest Gon-san I aim to be!"
An aura that the "Prison" could not contain began to swirl, and at its center stood an Asura who acknowledged his weakness but would never, ever forgive it.
"After meeting Killua and the others, I gained things just as important as getting stronger. At first, I wondered if that was okay, but now I know that these feelings are also necessary to surpass the Strongest Gon-san."
The overflowing aura was sucked back into Gon's body. Hisoka, though puzzled by this phenomenon that was different from compression, could not tear his eyes away from him for a single second.
It was the radiance of a human soul, shining as it lived beyond its limits.
"And besides... more than Chairman Netero, more than Killua... Hisoka, I want to defeat you!"
In a fleeting instant that no one in the arena, not even Gon himself, could perceive, that raw, direct desire slammed into Hisoka, bringing him the greatest moment of euphoria in his entire life. His sinister aura was washed away, becoming as clear as a cloudless sky.
And then, it inverted.
"This is perfect. You... you're looking at me. You're coming to capture me. When I break that perfect you, I... I will experience the highest high and the lowest low of my life, all at once. ♠"
Gon's light had tried to drag Hisoka into the sun, but at the bottom of Hisoka's heart lay a pitch-black darkness that swallowed even light itself.
"Thank you, Gon. Truly, thank you. I can't find any other words to say. The fact that you appeared before me... there is no greater miracle. ♥"
In response to Hisoka's tearful, smiling face, Gon offered a defiantly bold grin.
"You're wrong. The real miracle is about to happen. The miracle of you losing to me!"
The death-match of love between the Asura and the Grim Reaper was drawing to its conclusion.
***
10 Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon!
https://patreon.com/Well_being