This rare opportunity for a strike was one Morrow didn't hold back on.
Yet, Biscuit managed to mitigate most of the damage.
This wasn't a matter of physical strength or aura output; it was purely a difference in Nen technique.
Even when suddenly enveloped by the frilly skirt, she could rely on instinct and her masterful aura manipulation to hastily set up a defense at the last moment.
This was the result of Biscuit's decades of training.
To put it simply: an exceptionally high margin for error.
Breaking through such a high margin for error in actual combat was never an easy task.
The problem was, while he had found one opening earlier, failing to capitalize on it might mean not getting a second chance.
Morrow understood this principle the moment his punch landed.
Immediately after, he watched as Biscuit slowly lifted the frilly skirt off herself, her expression blank, her chest rising and falling slightly.
The aura surrounding her body faintly exuded a dangerous air.
Morrow even noticed Biscuit glancing subtly at Kastro and Calista outside the ring, as if weighing something.
"Maybe we should call it a day," Morrow suggested decisively, sensing the danger.
Biscuit smoothed out the wrinkles on her skirt with a bit more force than necessary, then suddenly flashed a sweet smile. "It's still early. Let's continue. You're not the kind of useless man who gives up halfway, are you?"
"..."
The taunt was obvious, and Morrow instantly felt an even stronger wave of danger.
After a brief silence, he glanced at Biscuit's frilly skirt.
"Then... do you want to change clothes? Or just take off that skirt?"
When the skirt had been pulled over her earlier, he'd noticed she was wearing something like sleepwear underneath.
So removing the dress shouldn't be an issue.
But the reason Morrow asked was to confirm whether he could pull the same trick again.
Biscuit understood his implication, and her smile grew even sweeter.
"No need. It's fine. No problem."
"..."
Morrow detected killing intent in that triple denial. All he could do was immediately brace himself.
Biscuit took his defensive stance as the starting signal.
Then she moved.
Not giving Morrow any chance to activate Shooting Star, she closed the distance in an instant, her fist wrapped in solidified aura already swinging toward his face.
At this moment, Morrow had no means or opportunity to block Biscuit's assault. His only option was to channel Shooting Star into his feet, and stomp down hard.
BOOM!
The arena floor shattered violently.
Propelled by the explosive force of Shooting Star, Morrow's slightly leaning body shot backward in a low-altitude glide, narrowly evading Biscuit's close-range attack.
Starlight Convergence
Mid-flight, Morrow didn't hesitate to unleash the starlight.
Once again, the arena was filled with shimmering points of light.
In this spar, Morrow's ability to use Starlight Convergence gave him a natural advantage. The weakness of Starlight Convergence was that Morrow's own aura offense and defense would be significantly reduced.
Since the purpose of this practical training was to hone skills, even if Morrow exposed such an obvious flaw during the fight, Biscuit couldn't directly exploit it.
Even when opportunities arose, she had to carefully control her strength to avoid seriously injuring Morrow, as that could affect his participation in the Battle Olympia.
Despite bearing such a limitation, nothing could stop Biscuit from wanting to give Morrow a good beating right now.
With a flick of her hand, she grabbed a piece of rubble that had splintered off from Morrow's stomp, then swiftly closed the distance to enter striking range.
Her attacks were as overwhelming as ever.
Within just a few moves, Morrow found himself in dire straits.
While using Starlight Convergence to read Biscuit's movements, Morrow searched for a way to turn the tide.
He knew Biscuit would be on guard after suffering a setback earlier, but he had no choice.
The gap between them was too vast in every aspect.
The only thing he could consider was that Biscuit might divert some of her focus and aura to protect her skirt, potentially giving him another opening.
Now!
Amid the fierce exchange, Morrow seized the moment and kicked a Shooting Star toward the hem of Biscuit's skirt.
Whoosh!
The Shooting Star struck the skirt but met an unyielding barrier the next instant, dispersing into flame-like aura upon impact.
Biscuit had applied the Shu technique to her frilly skirt, reinforcing her aura defense at the point of contact.
Morrow had anticipated this countermeasure, hoping it might reveal another opportunity.
But at that very moment...
The rock in Biscuit's hand shattered into aura-infused fragments, scattering like shotgun pellets at point-blank range into Morrow's body.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Under the relentless barrage, Morrow staggered backward as if struck by a dozen punches at once.
The shimmering starlight surrounding him trembled violently, on the verge of collapsing.
"Not bad resilience."
Biscuit praised him for maintaining his ability despite the assault, though she wasn't surprised given Morrow's extraordinary mental fortitude.
Having broken through Starlight Convergence with brute force, Biscuit unceremoniously slammed into Morrow, knocking him flat onto the ground.
"Consider this a free lesson on one of your ability's weaknesses. You're not losing out."
Still straddling him, she deliberately gave him a chance to withdraw his aura.
But Morrow had no intention of deactivating Starlight Convergence, only shrinking its range to within a meter.
Noticing this, Biscuit's eyes flickered briefly before she disregarded it entirely, raining down a flurry of punches.
Soon, the sound of a thorough thrashing echoed across the arena.
—--
From the sidelines, Kastro and Calista watched Biscuit's increasingly exhilarated expression, a chill running down their spines.
Will Master be okay?
A short while later, Biscuit finally withdrew her fists, satisfied, and climbed off Morrow.
Though bruised and battered, Morrow remained unfazed. He was certain Biscuit would control her strength before striking, so he obediently let her vent her anger.
At the same time, he didn't miss any opportunity to gather information, maintaining his Starlight Convergence ability even while being beaten.
Biscuit straightened her clothes slightly, then gave Morrow a deep look.
"Come back to my room with me now."
"?"
Morrow's expression changed subtly as he inconspicuously took two steps back.
Biscuit: "???"
What's the meaning of this?
This guy didn't even flinch while getting pummeled.
But one mention of returning to a room makes you act like you've seen a ghost?