Chapter 48: Haze vs. Sato (2)
Sato, a ninja from the secret Kumogakure-ryu group, had already been studied by Haze through Brown's Nen users.
The name of the secret group felt familiar to Haze. Later, he remembered Hanzo, who had taken the Hunter Exam aHazeside the protagonists, was from this same group.
It appeared to be an organization devoted to ninja training.
Hanzo had been a jonin of Kumogakure-ryu and became a hunter in pursuit of the Dream Scroll. Before learning Nen, his strength was significantly above the protagonists'. He also had a good personality, leaving a deep impression on Haze.
Thinking this, Sato finally caught up from behind.
He drew the two scabbards from his waist. Strangely, the swords had only handles no blades.
The black-clad ninja attacked Haze.
The invisible edge sliced through the air. The extreme speed and high frequency of the attacks made no sound.
Haze dodged and retreated repeatedly. The invisible blades formed a cold cage of light around him.
Instantly, Haze's body was covered in bloody cuts but luckily, they were superficial.
He had no intention of confronting Sato fully yet, and continued moving faster and faster.
A moment later, they returned to the plaza.
Brown and the others were still there. Seeing Haze's blood-covered torso, their expressions brightened.
Brown's concern eased…
Sato… was still reliable.
Even if they bought a pack of ferocious Meteor Street wolves, no one could replace Sato.
"Hidden…"
Haze jumped lightly, creating distance between him and Sato, then stopped, squinting.
Because his opponent held only the sword's handle, not its physical blade, estimating attack range was difficult. Sato's abilities as a Liberation type allowed him to control ninja tools with his mind. In short, he could change the sword's length at will one moment one meter, the next, two.
This was difficult to defend in a rapid exchange.
Furthermore, Sato had been keeping his weapon hidden.
This required a high level of Liberation training and constant focus from Haze.
"No point constantly monitoring the weapon it can change form anytime. Instead, I'll track hand movements and predict attack trajectory!"
Haze thought of a countermeasure.
Simultaneously, the void around him began to swirl, forming digitalized pixel modules before opening into a black hole. This was resource-intensive.
Sato could not allow Haze to unleash his noesis freely.
A shadowy residual image appeared in the field, approaching Haze.
Haze's arm, imbued with noesis, collided with Sato's sword using flesh and blood as a weapon, but the flexibility and power of the sword were equally impressive.
This meant that physically, they were comparable.
Sato's attacks were unpredictable not only constantly changing but extremely inhuman.
Most sword attacks involve slashes, stabs, thrusts, or lacerations, but Sato's style was different. Using telekinesis, he could summon and vanish ninja tools at will.
A small hilt didn't affect his close combat.
He could use fists and feet freely while transforming the hilt into a sharp blade again, striking from all angles.
Clever, almost insidious moves.
He could also use body movements to block Haze's view, concealing counters.
The constant combination of combat and sword techniques made his rhythm impossible to adapt to.
After just half a minute of exchange, Haze's wounds multiplied.
Though not fatal, proHazeed combat at this pace would clearly take a toll.
"Hard to discern weaknesses… This skill is probably the result of countless battles, refining and perfecting a unique style! Exceptional physical ability, combat experience… flawless Nen technique… incredible!"
Haze exclaimed with admiration.
In skill compatibility alone, Sato was almost on par with Hisoka.
Differences lay in style and type not necessarily raw strength. Haze was uncertain how far Hisoka had progressed.
With a whistle, a sword flashed and missed its target.
Sato was about to seize the opportunity when suddenly three giant wolves leaped from a nearby black hole.
Several raptors also emerged, circling overhead with piercing cries.
They were Shadow Wolves and Sharp Beaks.
"Mental beasts?" Sato thought, dismissing the idea.
The monsters' bodies were made of individual pixel blocks like a game.
Three giant wolves: one large, two small.
The lead wolf's claws smashed the stone below, missing, while the smaller wolves bit at it.
A group of raptors descended like arrows, targeting Sato.
Sato could not separate and was trapped by the monsters.
He had no time to worry about Haze. Brandishing his weapon, the blade glowed, slicing at the enemies.
The small wolves vanished with a howl. Sato leapt onto the large wolf's back, stabbing it in the head with his sword killing it cleanly.
Then, a shadow descended from the sky.
A raptor extended its claws toward Sato's head.
Dodging and landing, Sato unleashed several ninja darts, striking the raptor's eyes and head.
The creature fell and dissipated into a data cloud.
As he attacked, before his feet even touched the ground, Haze seized the opportunity, leaping like a venomous snake through the grass perfect timing.
But Sato seemed prepared. Sharp blades appeared on his limbs, cutting semicircles and forcing Haze back.
The two blades struck his face, only to be deflected.
"His skill isn't just simulating the swords in his hands it's all ninja tools! Purely telekinetic, they can be launched, canceled, and rematerialized anytime, including darts or other hidden weapons, like telekinetic bullets. Ninja combat styles are diverse, and his ability leverages every tool available."
Crunch.
Haze punched aside a hidden weapon.
A small spear pierced the back of his hand.
Looking up, Sato saw a miniature crossbow strapped to his forearm.
All his opponent's ninja tools were secretly deployed, able to vanish and reappear, offering incredible concealment.
Even Haze had difficulty defending against it.
After nullifying Haze's sneak attack, Sato saw another monster emerging from the black hole: a giant mushroom-covered frog, demon-like.
Without hesitation, Sato turned and ran, a raptor overhead.
He could block one sneak attack from Haze, but not all.
He had to deal with these "game artifacts" first.
"Leaving? Your boss is still here… aren't you afraid he'll get killed?"
Haze's laughter rang out, stopping Sato in his tracks.
"That guy beside me can't stop me!"
Sato's eyes flickered. The interruption caused the remaining raptors to dive toward them.
Swamp frogs lashed out with Haze tongues like cannons at the flocked figures.
Sato's pressure intensified. Still, he escaped nimbly, staying close to ensure his boss's safety.
"Have you figured it out?"
Sato's movements seemed defensive, but Haze sensed something was wrong.
This person had perceived the limits of his Nen abilities.
Sato, aHaze with the Ten Donss, sat atop clandestine Nen users.
He had fought and killed more Nen users than most, possessing deep understanding, insight, and analytical skill for all Nen forms.
Analyzing each ability is crucial in a Nen battle!
"Of course… reach!"
Moments later, Sato leapt onto a palace dome hundreds of meters away from Haze.
The toads and remaining raptors ceased their attack.
Sato realized his judgment was correct.
Every Nen ability has activation conditions and limits. The simpler the ability, the fewer the conditions.
Simulating external ninja tools requires mechanisms and devices on the body: sword hilts, sleeves, shoe tips all "conditions" to trigger Nen skills.
Stronger abilities demand stricter conditions.
Haze's Nen skills were complex, requiring incredible energy.
Even reducing conditions, these factors could not be removed entirely.
No Nen ability exists without drawbacks only trade-offs.
Haze did not confront him immediately.
Instead, he ran back to the plaza, opened a black hole, threatened him verbally, and created distance.
Using the Ten Brown Elders as a decoy, his true intention was power.
"That teleportation channel… once opened, the position is fixed," Sato murmured with certainty.
The monsters' attacks were nearly 100% precise but avoidable with enough skill.
Each had a fixed attack range, stopping beyond it.
No wonder… he wanted Monte dead from the start.
As a sniper, his abilities posed serious problems.
(End of Chapter)