How could he tell?
It wasn't through reading the flow of aura, but pure prediction.
As for the basis of this prediction, there was nothing particularly special about it.
It was simply because Wing's initial charge had been overwhelmingly fierce, so much so that he had even mobilized his aura to disperse the incoming Tiger Bite Fist head-on, all for the sake of closing the distance faster.
Yet, after being interrupted just briefly, he suddenly turned around, attempting to shatter the other Tiger Bite Fist that had looped back from behind with his fist.
When vision is obstructed, prioritizing the elimination of any visible threat within one's "line of sight" is a decision most combat-oriented Nen users wouldn't hesitate to make.
But it didn't apply to Wing, an Enhancer, in this moment.
It could only be said…
He was far too easy to read.
Of course, Morrow wasn't about to launch into a live commentary. Even if this was just a non-lethal duel, that would be far too foolish.
Unless "answering and explaining" could yield some advantage in the upcoming battle…
Under other circumstances, Morrow wouldn't mind doing something like that.
But his primary goal right now was to use Wing as a test subject for the results of his recent training. Thus, the priority lay in the application of techniques rather than tactical arrangements.
Based on the current outcome, the training results had already exceeded expectations.
Especially that last strike that had earned him two points.
If it had been the old him, when using Rhythm Echo to circle behind Wing, he would have had to divert an excessive amount of aura to sustain the technique, making it difficult to pour more Nen output into his attack.
In such a scenario, even if he created an opening, it would have been hard to deal meaningful damage.
Now, things were different.
My direction of improvement… is correct.
Morrow's gaze swept calmly over the blood staining Wing's lips as the thought passed silently through his mind.
The referee approached, raising both hands to signal that the two could begin again.
This wasn't a fight to the death.
So after Wing had been knocked out of the ring, the referee had stepped in to confirm the situation, lending the match something of a turn-based feel.
Seeing that Morrow wasn't going to answer his question, Wing felt a flicker of disappointment, but he quickly re-entered his battle-ready state.
I was overthinking it. As long as I focus on defense, I can steadily advance, keeping the fight within close-quarters combat.
Regrouping, Wing launched himself forward the moment the match resumed, his foot stomping down hard enough to shatter the stone tiles as he shot toward Morrow like an arrow loosed from a bow.
Faced with Wing's renewed assault, Morrow repeated his earlier tactic, using Gazelle Steps to create distance and buy himself room to initiate True Tiger Bite Fist.
Wing's expression was focused, his eyes locked onto Morrow's every movement.
The moment he saw Morrow assume the Tiger Bite Fist stance again, Wing's gaze sharpened. With a sharp exhale, he raised his right hand and thrust his palm forward, sending a burst of Nen shooting toward Morrow through the air.
Hm?
Morrow's expression tightened slightly at the sight, but he had no choice but to release his own Tiger Bite Fist in response.
The two Nen blasts collided midair, exploding on impact and sending a powerful shockwave rippling outward.
Seizing the opportunity, Wing pierced through the oncoming turbulence like a blade, finally closing the gap to Morrow.
Straight punch!
Wing drove his fist straight into Morrow's chest.
It was a display of raw power and speed, devoid of any flourish, the most straightforward manifestation of an Enhancer's strength. Morrow hastily crossed his arms, channeling more aura into his defense.
Boom!
A tremendous force surged through his crossed arms from the impact of the punch.
With an explosive burst of aura, Morrow was sent reeling backward by the straight punch, his feet skidding across the ground until he finally came to a halt nearly seven or eight meters away.
"Effective strike! One point to Wing!"
The referee quickly glanced at Morrow's slightly trembling arms and, based on his personal judgment, awarded Wing the point outright.
But to most of the spectators, it seemed Morrow had clearly blocked the punch, and they immediately booed the referee's decision, finding it unfair.
Morrow paid no attention to the referee's call or the noise from the crowd. His sharp, blade-like gaze remained fixed on Wing.
So, the Shingen-ryu Style's "mountain character shape" training direction…
No wonder Wing's Emitter-type Hatsu refinement was so precise.
He must have been saving it for a critical moment but changed his mind and used it in the second round instead.
Fortunately, I barely managed to block it.My arms are just a bit numb, it won't affect the fight.This is all thanks to the recent improvements in my physical strength.
Morrow resumed the stance of the True Tiger Bite Fist, unconcerned about why Wing hadn't pressed his advantage.
Wing slowly retracted his arm, a surge of excitement in his heart.
As expected, his reflexes are sharp, and his split-second decisions are precise.
But I can win!
Strength and technique can crush his situational control.
A flicker of excitement flashed in Wing's eyes.
As someone who had always relied on observation to learn from others, he now felt the so-called thrill of battle surging within him.
Boom!
His foot cracked the ground as he lunged forward.
Wing charged at Morrow with an overwhelming aura.
The boiling emotions made his aura even more impactful.
Facing Wing's intimidating momentum, Morrow remained calm.
If Wing was a raging tide, then Morrow was the reef, unmoved no matter how fiercely the waves crashed.
"True Tiger Bite Fist."
With no other options, Morrow extended a Nen construct shaped like a tiger's bite from his palm, lunging straight at Wing.
At the same time, Morrow no longer kept his distance but followed closely behind the Tiger Bite Fist.
Seeing this, Wing didn't release his own Nen construct. Instead, he sidestepped, dodging the incoming Tiger Bite Fist before charging relentlessly at Morrow.
At this moment, he fully embodied the traits of an Enhancer.
So whether Morrow retracted the Tiger Bite Fist or manipulated it to interfere, Wing ignored it.
His goal was to maximize the advantages of his Nen type and technique, close the distance and attack!
Morrow sensed this from Wing's overwhelming aura.
Immediately, he manipulated the Tiger Bite Fist that had passed Wing, flipping a stone slab from the arena into the air.
At the same time, he pressed his toes against the floor, using the unique force-generating technique of Gazelle Steps to propel himself into the air, narrowly avoiding the powerful straight punch Wing threw after closing in.
He misjudged!
Wing's spirits lifted as he saw Morrow leap into the air to avoid the pressure of close-quarters combat. This was practically handing him a guaranteed hit.
Without any hesitation, Wing twisted his waist, preparing to launch a soaring punch toward Morrow.
However…
The scene that unfolded before his eyes was Morrow flipping his body mid-air, his feet landing on a floating piece of stone slab.
In that instant, the two on the arena seemed to exist in an inverted world, one above, the other below.
The next moment, their gazes met in mid-air, and both immediately mustered their maximum aura.
Wing followed through with his earlier intent, his body soaring as he threw a punch toward Morrow from below.
Meanwhile, Morrow pushed off the stone slab, descending like a meteor toward Wing from above.
Two figures, one high and one low, were about to collide in mid-air when a sudden burst of compressed air erupted. It was Morrow releasing a surge of aura from his hand to the side, using the recoil to forcibly alter his trajectory.
In the next instant, he passed by Wing, landing firmly back on the arena.
At this moment, their positions had reversed: now Wing was the one airborne, while Morrow stood steady on the arena floor.
In a flash, offense and defense had switched.
Morrow held his breath, channeling a massive amount of aura into his hands before unleashing a concentrated blast of Nen toward Wing, who was still in the air.
Wing had no time to adjust his posture before taking the full brunt of Morrow's attack.
Boom!
The Nen blast exploded.
Wing's body convulsed violently as he was sent flying even higher, streaks of blood scattering through the air.
Morrow instinctively gathered aura again, intending to fire another Nen blast before Wing could land, but he suppressed the urge the next second, withdrawing the aura from his hands.
He recalled how Wing hadn't pressed his advantage after landing a hit earlier. Perhaps it was adherence to some martial code, or an overzealous observance of the arena's point-based rules. Though this was purely Wing's own choice, Morrow still chose to respect it, allowing Wing to descend unhindered.
Thud.
Wing crashed heavily onto the ground.
"An excellent strike! Contestant Morrow earns two points."
The referee announced the score before quickly moving to assess Wing's condition, deciding whether to begin the countdown. If the count began, even if Wing managed to rise afterward, Morrow would gain another point.
The referee's gaze fixed on Wing's prone form, and just as he was about to raise his hand to count, Wing suddenly sprang up like a carp leaping from water.
The referee calmly stated, "Please return to the arena promptly."
Wing gave a polite nod before striding back toward the platform.
Outwardly, he seemed fine. In truth, having endured two Nen blasts, his injuries were far from light. Only his Enhancer constitution kept him standing.
As Wing climbed back onto the arena, Morrow took the opportunity to scrutinize his condition.
Enhancers really are tough.
Noting that Wing's movements still carried strength, Morrow couldn't help but recall Gon from the original story. Two battles came to mind: one was Gon versus Hisoka, the other Gon versus the Bomber. Win or lose, Gon had displayed astonishing resilience in both.
Such was the advantage of being an Enhancer. Sometimes, the willpower of a Nen user can further enhance these advantages.
Take Wing, for example. Even though he had sustained significant injuries, his sheer willpower allowed his physical functions to resist the effects of his wounds. But it was only resistance, nothing more.
Upon closer inspection, Morrow could still detect slight unnaturalness in Wing's movements.
It's about time to move on to the next phase.
Through this real battle, Morrow had genuinely felt the changes in his own strength. This change didn't stem from how he used Nen, but rather from how his improved physical strength and combat techniques amplified his Nen abilities.
If he had to compare it to before, the most vivid and direct analogy would be like removing weighted training gear. When executing Nen techniques now, there was no longer that faint, rusted-gear-like sluggishness.
Having verified the results of his training, Morrow decided to abandon his previous "avoid the opponent's strongest points" combat approach. Instead, he would attempt to experience firsthand how a master of the Shingen-ryu Style applied their Nen techniques.
Wing's injuries gave Morrow the confidence to do so.
As Wing steadied himself, the referee raised a hand, signaling the continuation of the match.
This time, before Wing could make a move, Morrow charged at him first.
—--
This scene was observed by Biscuit in the audience, who couldn't help but sigh softly.
"You're being used as a 'whetstone,' Wing."
Biscuit's sharp eyes had noticed Morrow's terrifying improvement since the first round ended. She had also sensed that Morrow was deliberately suppressing or concealing something, realizing that he was using Wing as a whetstone to test himself.
Ironically, Wing's theoretical strength was clearly superior, yet he was the one being led around. In the end, it all came down to his lack of real combat experience.
"Well, maybe this is for the best. A little hardship will help him grow."
Biscuit murmured to herself.
At this point in the match, she could already foresee the outcome. After all, this was a points-based victory, not a life-or-death battle. So when Morrow shifted his offensive focus to Wing's weakened left side, exposed due to his injuries, it was practically inevitable that Morrow would secure the ten points needed to win.
Now, on the arena floor, Morrow's aggressive close-quarters assault forced Wing into a melee.
For a time, the two engaged in a fierce exchange of blows. Morrow, drawing on the combat techniques he had extracted from Calista and Kastro, managed to trade blows evenly with Wing. But soon, Wing's more refined and fluid Nen control began to give him the upper hand.
However, whenever Morrow found himself at a disadvantage, he would target Wing's more severely injured left side, relieving the pressure on himself.
And so, one minute, two minutes, three minutes passed…
The sound of fists and feet clashing filled the arena, dazzling and thrilling the audience.
But while the spectators were exhilarated, Wing found himself increasingly frustrated. Close-quarters combat had been his strategy from the start. But now was not then. Injured as he was, he could no longer secure victory in a melee.
As the referee repeatedly announced points scored, the final result was decided: Morrow claimed ten points and emerged victorious.
"Wing, thank you."
Morrow's untimely words of gratitude were drowned out by the deafening cheers as he walked away. Wing watched Morrow's figure disappear into the distance, a sense of loss welling up in his heart.
The defeat felt utterly humiliating. That was his overwhelming feeling.
Somewhat dazed, Wing withdrew his gaze and turned to walk down the opposite corridor.
—--
Halfway down the passage, he spotted a petite figure ahead, his master, Biscuit.
"An absolute crushing defeat," Biscuit said with hands on her hips, her expression one of exasperation at her pupil's failure to meet expectations.
Seeing his master, Wing quickly composed himself, scratching his head sheepishly. "Well, I did lose... but "crushing defeat" might be overstating it. I still scored five points."
"Tch. Haven't you realized it yet?" Biscuit shook her head slightly.
Wing's face showed confusion.
Biscuit sighed. "What if I told you that three months ago, you could have easily defeated that Morrow kid within three rounds? Would you believe me?"
"Huh?" Wing froze, finding such a claim impossible to believe.
Seeing her disciple's dumbfounded reaction, Biscuit sighed again.
"That boy surpassed five years of your training in just three months—even used you as a measuring stick for his progress. Understand now?"
"!!!"
Wing's eyes gradually widened in shock, his face a mask of disbelief.
But after a few seconds...
Wing lowered his gaze slightly and said sincerely, "Morrow truly is amazing."