Madness, rage, fury, bloodlust.
It was hard to imagine so many emotions appearing on a single person's face.
Morrow averted his gaze, ignoring the aura of frenzied aggression radiating from Orion, and followed the medical team that had already moved ahead.
He didn't respond to Orion's threats; he knew fists spoke louder than words.
Netero watched Morrow's retreating figure with a deep gaze before leisurely stepping down from the ring.
With the matter settled, there was no reason to linger on the stage.
Yet, this farce had piqued Netero's keen interest in the upcoming finals.
There would be no surprises.
The final match would undoubtedly pit Morrow against Orion.
—--
In the medical wing of Heavens Arena, Kastro had already been rushed into emergency care.
Morrow waited in the hallway outside.
Before long, Calista arrived as well, standing beside him in silence.
"The medical facilities here are quite reliable," Biscuit's voice suddenly came from one end of the corridor.
Morrow and Calista turned to see Biscuit and Wing approaching at a measured pace.
"Yeah," Morrow murmured, watching as Biscuit strode toward him.
Heavens Arena hosted countless matches daily, and injuries were commonplace. In such an environment, the medical department's expertise was naturally top-notch.
Biscuit stopped in front of Morrow, studying his eyes intently.
"That killing intent of yours is heavy," she remarked. "What's your plan?"
She had witnessed the entire confrontation in the arena. Even without asking, the sheer, unyielding bloodlust in Morrow's aura had already told her what he intended to do.
Beside them, Wing and Calista both turned their attention to Morrow.
Meeting their gazes, Morrow replied calmly, "To the death."
"I see…"
A glint flickered in Biscuit's eyes. "You've seen Orion's ability firsthand. Killing an opponent of that caliber in the ring won't be easy."
"His ability is indeed extraordinary," Morrow acknowledged, his tone indifferent. "The fact that his Nen clone can take the offensive is troublesome enough, and it can even maintain 'In' autonomously, giving him a massive advantage in a numbers game."
"But it's not without weaknesses."
"You noticed?" Biscuit's lips curled into a faint smile.
Wing and Calista, however, exchanged a glance.
Weaknesses?
Having witnessed Orion's Nen clone ability in action, their most immediate impression was its flawless execution in the ring. As Morrow had said, it was essentially a true battle of one against many. They had only seen Orion dominate with sheer numerical superiority. No vulnerabilities had been apparent.
Now, hearing Morrow and Biscuit's exchange, curiosity stirred within them.
Morrow gave a slight nod to Biscuit.
She studied his face intently. "So, no more holding back?"
"Plans change."
Morrow lowered his gaze slightly, his voice steady. "The Battle Olympia follows a 'points victory' system. I need to ensure Orion is dead in a single strike, before the referees can intervene."
"Is that so…" Biscuit said with great interest, "I'm looking forward to seeing how you'll deal with Orion."
She rarely anticipated a match about to take place at Heavens Arena.
Initially called over by Wing, she hadn't expected to stay here this long.
The reason for all this wasn't just the Battle Olympia prize, but also the young man before her.
Unaware of Biscuit's shifting impressions of him, Morrow didn't continue the conversation. Leaning against the cold wall, he contemplated tactics to counter Orion. To ensure Orion's death in one strike, he needed to prepare a swift and lethal killing move. Guaranteeing this move's one-hundred-percent effectiveness was the essence of tactical planning.
Nearby, Wing glanced between Morrow and his master.
Holding back…
Had Morrow been holding back all along? Was it an ability he'd concealed?
So during their duel that day, Morrow hadn't just used him as a benchmark for progress. He hadn't even fought seriously?
If true, the gap was terrifyingly vast.
He desperately wanted to ask his master about it, but Wing suppressed the impulse.
—--
Night fell.
After emergency treatment, Kastro was out of mortal danger. But his injuries were severe, and even surviving meant prolonged bed rest and monitoring for potential complications.
Still, this was fortunate under the circumstances. In Floor Master–level matches, when opponents wielded killing intent, fatalities were highly probable.
Like Morrow's match against Shiroishi, using underhanded techniques to exploit openings for instant kills. Such methods couldn't be defended against by Shiroishi himself, let alone the observing referees. Prevention or intervention was impossible.
This was typical of battles between Nen users. After all, the aura Nen users relied on served as both an impenetrable shield and a lethal spear. If the shield wasn't raised in time, the spear could bypass it effortlessly to pierce the opponent.
Confirming Kastro's survival, Morrow turned his full attention to the finals.
With under ten days remaining, he skipped daily training and declined Biscuit's sparring invitations. Remaining in his room, he endlessly simulated imaginary battles against Orion. Whenever focus wavered, he'd invoke the Death Mark on his left hand, enduring wave after wave of icy killing intent, then resume the simulations, an unending cycle.
Days passed swiftly.
—--
December 30th arrived.
Tomorrow, the Battle Olympia finals.
During the quarterfinals, Morrow had defeated his opponent via one-hit KO without either scoring points. This performance earned him direct finals qualification.
Orion had to fight another match, but as most predicted, he won and advanced.
Prepared long ago, Morrow opened his eyes in the dim room, a meteor-like sharpness flashing briefly before vanishing.
Buzz, buzz…
In the pin-drop silence, his phone suddenly vibrated like an angry hornet. Morrow picked up the phone and saw that the caller was Kalluto. His cold and sharp eyes instantly softened, returning to their usual state.
—--
At the same time, on Kukuroo Mountain, within the Zoldyck Family estate, the current family head, Silva, was discussing matters concerning Kalluto with Kikyo.
As for Kalluto using a mission as an excuse to sneak off to Heavens Arena. Naturally, such a thing couldn't possibly escape Silva and Kikyo's notice.
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Bonus chapter for the 70 power stones.