Chapter 186I t's Not That Simple
Haze's unstoppable punch collided directly with Byant's sword.
Along with that sword came the sharp blade-light falling from the massive black shadow looming above.
Byant called Haze crazy because he intended to use his bare fists to withstand the power of that sword a direct head-on clash.
It was reckless.
But there was no other option… Both sides knew it was nearly impossible to find each other's weaknesses. Trying to take shortcuts wasn't the best strategy.
There was only one choice left: a brute-force confrontation to see who fell first. Nothing else existed.
And Haze dared to do it because he had absolute confidence in his physical body.
Boom!
An invisible shockwave burst out from both fighters, instantly sweeping away the fog. Haze's Nen and Byant's Nen intertwined and clashed violently.
The ground beneath them collapsed in concentric circles…
"...!!"
Byant stared intently at Haze's Nen-covered fist, expression turning grim.
Because his sword... failed to pierce Haze's psychic defense. Instead, the blade was being pushed back forced inch by inch by the power of Haze's charging punch.
However, the arc of the sword's aura, sharpened by Byant's Nen, struck Haze's left shoulder.
Haze had concentrated all his strength including his Nen abilities into a single point… naturally weakening the rest of his defensive coverage.
Seeing Haze drenched in blood, Beyond smiled at the young man with bloodshot eyes standing close before him.
Haze's hemorrhaging came from the extreme expenditure of his blood-energy, which caused his vessels to burst.
BANG!
After a few stunned seconds, Haze's punch finally knocked aside Beyond's greatsword and slammed directly into his abdomen. Beyond was sent flying instantly with a shrill whistle.
The sword-light from above also tore a chunk out of Haze's body, slicing through his shoulder.
"Cough cough cough!"
Beyond smashed through walls, buildings, and a row of metal streetlights. His vision darkened; he had no idea how far he flew before hitting the ground… The impact sent him skidding dozens of meters.
He collapsed, coughing violently.
He spat out clots of blood not just blood-tinged water, but thick, coagulated masses.
"…Terrible."
Beyond covered his mouth and looked at the strange pulpy material mixed with blood in his palm. He chuckled.
How long had it been since he'd taken a wound this severe?
Even his internal organs were damaged…
After a moment, he grabbed his greatsword with one hand and slowly pushed himself up, unsteady, his long hair previously tied neatly now falling loosely behind him.
"Ahahahaha!"
"AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
He looked toward a small dark speck several hundred meters away.
His laughter grew louder.
Because he knew… Haze's injuries had to be far worse than his own.
The ghostly mist over the battlefield had dissipated… All abilities rely on Nen; the greater the power, the more unimaginable the energy cost.
Haze's desperate attack just now carried destructive force far beyond normal. One could only imagine how much he spent to unleash it.
"You… are already incredibly strong…"
"To injure me to this extent aside from Netero and that old man from the Zoldyck family no one else in the world could do it."
"I acknowledge your strength. You've reached the peak of the Hunter World."
Beyond staggered forward, tapping his sword's pommel on the ground as he walked.
He slowly approached Haze.
In his eyes, the tiny dark speck that was Haze stood perfectly still.
It took several minutes for Beyond abdomen shattered, blood still dripping to finally stand before Haze.
They were only three or four meters apart.
Haze stood in the wind within the crater the two had created, his body covered in blood… Most came from himself. His breathing technique had ruptured vessels and torn muscle and skin the rest was from Beyond's Nen ability: the sword strike of that enormous black shadow.
A horrific wound stretched from Haze's left shoulder down to his lower back deep enough to expose bone.
Beyond stared at it, then bowed his head.
His long black hair brushed the ground.
Haze's bloodshot eyes still trembled… His consciousness remained, but the light and spirit inside him were weaker than before.
His bodily functions were severely damaged.
In this state, it wasn't that he didn't want to move he simply couldn't.
" Haze! Feel proud… Before you stands Beyond Netero!"
The old man suddenly raised his head and declared with force.
Then he continued: "So… I win, don't I? According to our agree "
Plop… plop…
Haze's thick blood dripped to the ground.
Before Beyond could finish speaking, Haze's limp arm suddenly lifted as if a dying tree abruptly sprouted new life. It regained mobility in an instant.
Beyond's eyes widened, his words freezing.
He saw Haze's torn flesh… the individual fiber strands of muscle and tissue weaving themselves together like thread.
Bones were regrowing meat. Skin was reconnecting.
This sudden vitality stunned Beyond completely.
"Don't declare the outcome on your own… You and I are merely participants not judges."
Haze wiped the blood off his face, tensing the muscles around all his wounds, including ruptured vessels. The tension alone temporarily halted the bleeding.
Life Steal.
Haze wasn't reckless. He dared to fight this suicidal exchange because… he had a hidden attribute.
Now, his Life Steal had risen from one-third to forty percent.
In short: he could convert nearly half the damage he inflicted on an enemy into his own health.
But the conversion took a moment to process.
"Of course, you can also admit defeat," Haze said coldly to the stunned man.
In a blink, the massive wound on his body shrank into a pink scar like a pale centipede crawling across his skin.
"You've impressed me again…"
Beyond's smile vanished.
He had seen it the explosive vitality characteristic of Nen abilities.
This was Haze's trump card.
His recovery speed was terrifying.
It put Haze at an advantage over him… And the victory Beyond believed was guaranteed suddenly slipped away.
A true battle to the end would have far more severe consequences.
"…A pity."
"I suppose you cannot be my comrade. If we cannot coexist… then I cannot let you walk away!"
"That's what I thought too…" Haze replied quietly.
"Though it's an unfair victory… I have no choice. You refused."
Beyond raised his massive sword and slammed the hilt into the ground with a heavy crack.
Haze's expression shifted sharply.
Figures suddenly appeared all around him.
And in an instant, he understood who they were.
They weren't royal family members they were allies Beyond had secretly recruited for years, part of the team meant to enter the Dark Continent. Saiyu of the Zodiac and Pariston were part of the plan.
These people must also have been involved in the Chimera Ant incident.
There were even members of the Hunter Association among them.
"I thought… you truly had the courage to fight me one-on-one," Haze said calmly.
"Between you and me, in certain matters, we represent not ourselves… but two opposing sides entirely."
Byant tightened his grip on his weapon. His seemingly wounded body erupted with a powerful surge of Nen. A terrifying, oppressive shadow materialized behind him.
"We both have missions… If we set them aside, I'd gladly fight you to the end. But now is not the time."
"I thought you'd choose to join me. I believed I could subdue you… I was wrong. Though the old man didn't fully mold you, you were still influenced by him bound by him. You already have the ability to reach the Dark Continent… so why are you still here?"
"You crave power too, don't you?"
" Haze… I'm deeply disappointed in you…"
Haze's body once again released ghostly mist.
Hearing Byant's words, he decided to state the truth.
"Do you know why I refused you?"
Byant stared at him.
"Allying with you would undoubtedly be the most advantageous move… but you are not the kind of strong person I recognize. Surviving the Dark Continent once by luck does not guarantee a second time."
"Besides… you haven't even seen the human world. Yet you think you're ready for the Dark Continent? Ridiculous."
"The human world the very center of the lake you stand in is not that simple."
(End of Chapter)