An impromptu challenge.
This meant Morrow had accepted the earlier proposal.
Biscuit should have been pleased, but Morrow's strange behavior just now left her feeling uneasy.
At the very least, one thing was certain.
For that brief moment earlier, Morrow had definitely concocted some kind of plan against her.
Morrow didn't give Biscuit any more time to think, turning and walking away immediately.
Biscuit frowned slightly as she watched his retreating figure.
Whatever.
First, she'd beat this brat up. Hehe.
—--
Floor 244.
Originally, this was Merry's exclusive Floor Master level.
Now, it belonged to Morrow.
A Floor Master had full authority over their exclusive floor, including the freedom to modify its structure and decor as they pleased.
Morrow had no such needs, but he couldn't stand the chaotic mess Merry had left behind.
Because of this, Heavens Arena hadn't handed over the floor to Morrow immediately yesterday. Instead, with astonishing efficiency, they spent an entire day restoring it to its original state.
Only half an hour ago did they finally send someone to invite Morrow to Floor 244 to inspect the results.
Naturally, Morrow declined the so-called inspection invitation and went to watch Kurapika's match instead.
Now, however, he and Biscuit could make good use of Floor 244's arena.
But before heading to the arena, Morrow had one more preparation to make.
He notified Kastro and Calista to come watch the match in person. As for Menchi, she was busy handling ingredients and couldn't make it.
Originally, Morrow had also considered inviting Wing as one of the spectators.
But upon further thought, he figured Wing probably already knew Biscuit's true form, so he didn't bother reaching out.
Exactly!
The whole point of calling Kastro and Calista to spectate was to seal away Biscuit's muscular form.
Given the nature of his Starlight Convergence ability, Morrow naturally found the muscular version of Biscuit more appealing.
But reason prevailed.
After all, if Biscuit were in her muscular form, there was a chance she could punch him straight into the intensive care unit.
To avoid that potential risk, Kastro and Calista's presence served as insurance.
With that in mind, Morrow would give this fight everything he had.
Even if there was only the slightest chance of defeating Loli Bisky, he would fight with everything he had to seize it.
Morrow leisurely led Biscuit to the arena on Floor 244.
—--
By now, Kastro and Calista had already arrived and taken their seats.
However, the two of them still had no clue about the true nature of Morrow and Biscuit's relationship. In fact, even Wing remained completely in the dark.
So after receiving Morrow's summons, Kastro and Calista were even more confused.
"Just what is Master's relationship with her?"
Even Kastro couldn't help but feel intensely curious now.
After all, things had escalated to the point of a formal match. Combined with the rumors about Morrow and Biscuit flying around over the past two days, it was hard not to let the imagination run wild.
If anything, what Kastro was even more curious about was Biscuit's strength.
If his master was taking this so seriously, she must be extraordinary.
Under the curious gazes of Kastro and Calista, Biscuit stepped onto the arena platform with measured steps and came to a stop. Her peripheral vision caught sight of Kastro and Calista in the nearby spectator seats. Their presence as observers actually surprised her somewhat.
But upon second thought, she felt a bit of schadenfreude.
The purpose of this practical combat session was originally a special training method she had devised.
But that was a matter for later.
Right now, she just wanted to give Morrow a good beating in their first spar.
That way, she could satisfy herself while also making Morrow completely convinced of her strength.
Two birds with one stone.
And in her eyes, Morrow had no idea she planned to use this first spar for personal gain, he probably thought it was just serious training and had invited the others to observe and learn.
Too bad.
All they'll see is you getting pummeled silly by me.
Biscuit turned her gaze back to Morrow standing ahead of her, grinning inwardly.
Of course, before inviting Kastro and Calista to watch, Morrow had already considered the possibility of them witnessing him getting beaten to a pulp by Biscuit.
But compared to gathering experience to grow stronger, he couldn't care less about something like that.
"Morrow, aren't you going to change clothes?"
Standing firmly on the platform, Morrow pointed at Biscuit's frilly princess dress, which wasn't exactly suited for combat.
Biscuit placed one hand on her hip while raising the other, clad in a white glove, and wagged her index finger with a smile. "No need."
"Oh."
Morrow nodded.
Seeing his indifferent reaction, Biscuit raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "Aren't you going to ask why I'm so confident?"
"..."
Morrow was speechless. Even if he asked, would she really admit in front of everyone that she was actually over fifty years old?
"If you're not changing, then let's just start."
Completely ignoring Biscuit's question, Morrow immediately shifted into a combat stance.
He could clearly sense Biscuit's confidence.
How should he describe it?
It was as if he were a rookie trainee, and Biscuit was the instructor.
And the thing was, Biscuit really had the qualifications for that.
Even in her loli form, Biscuit didn't possess her usual tempered physical strength.
But decades of accumulated experience and her masterful Nen techniques were enough to form a barrier that Morrow would struggle to break through.
Seeing Morrow already in combat mode, Biscuit also focused, first settling into a horse stance before smoothly raising her right palm forward and suspending her left hand near her chest, a balanced offensive and defensive stance.
Not changing clothes was ultimately just an expression of her confidence.
It didn't mean she would underestimate Morrow's ability or the upcoming fight.
After settling into her stance, Biscuit made no further moves, clearly leaving the first strike to Morrow.
Morrow didn't hesitate. As he dashed forward, he swung his hand and condensed a basketball-sized Shooting Star.
Whoosh!
The Shooting Star shot toward Biscuit ahead of him.
Facing the incoming projectile, Biscuit stood firm as a mountain. Her outstretched palm suddenly transformed into a blade, instantly channeling just the right amount of aura before cleaving downward onto the Shooting Star.
With a soft hiss, the Shooting Star was cleanly split apart by her Palm Blade.
Morrow's pupils contracted as he abruptly halted his charge.
This was ridiculous.
Not only was the speed of her aura adjustment between offense and defense absurdly fast, but with just a glance she had accurately gauged the Shooting Star's approximate power, devised the optimal countermeasure in an instant, and executed it flawlessly. The perfectly timed Palm Blade shattered the Shooting Star, effectively crushing Morrow's plan to use it as a setup for his offensive.
Against a typical opponent, seeing a Shooting Star would usually prompt an evasive response under the assumption of ignorance.
Not every Nen user could match Biscuit's terrifying burst of instantaneous thinking or her wealth of experience in discerning the true power of a Shooting Star at a glance.
Morrow came to a halt, silently observing Biscuit's unwavering stance.
This was the mark of a true Martial Artist master.
Not relying on diverse Nen abilities, but on the most fundamental aspects of martial arts.
Biscuit said seriously, "Well? If you're not coming, then I'll go to you."
"..."
In response, Morrow silently continued gathering aura in his hands.
One Shooting Star wasn't enough.