novelraw Chapter 373 374
Chapter 373 374
With a light tap of his toes, his entire body balanced in a pose reminiscent of Golden's one-legged stance, barely touching the ground. His hands were clasped together at his chest, and his plain white robe fluttered fiercely in the night breeze.
"This must be what they mean by surviving a great disaster only to be blessed with good fortune~!!"
"It seems this old man's wretched life won't be taken tonight!!" Netero's laughter echoed as he finished his sentence. Immediately following his words, a brilliant Golden-colored light poured down from the night sky!
Jed's gaze on Netero was filled with venomous hatred and a hint of apprehension. This wasn't due to Netero's words, but rather the sudden surge of powerful Nen emanating from his entire being, and his hands coming together from either side in a fluid motion. Despite the seemingly slow movements, Netero executed them with such grace that it appeared seamless, as if completed in the blink of an eye.
When his palms met, a series of phantom arms seemed to ripple and disperse, creating a strikingly contradictory image of speed and slowness. In that moment, Jed's eyes were filled with the Golden-colored light. He saw a Golden-colored statue of Kannon with countless arms standing firmly behind Netero. Even atop the tower, close to the heavens under the vast starry sky, the Golden-colored light remained blindingly brilliant.
"Hyakushiki Kannon!" Jed pronounced the name of the statue, each word dripping with hatred as if he wanted to carve it into his very bones. The statue of Kannon, with tear-like marks on its face and countless arms, fully formed behind Netero!
Nen Ability: [Hyakushiki Kannon]
Effect: A pinnacle Enhancement ability, summoning a massive multi-armed Kannon statue that attacks with powerful, rapid palm strikes from all angles. The techniques range from Zero to Ninety-Nine, totaling one hundred moves.
Limitation: Each move requires a specific hand gesture, except for the Zero Palm (Zero Technique), which doesn't need a stance. After each move, the user must perform a hand-clasping gesture. The Zero Technique exhausts the user's stamina completely, making it a deadly finishing move.
This Nen ability, arguably the pinnacle of the Enhancement class in the world, manifested behind Netero! As Hyakushiki Kannon fully emerged, Netero's feet shifted apart, his eyes reflecting profound determination.
"Jed, this matter between us from years past has unexpectedly continued to today, affecting so many innocents." Netero's tone turned remarkably calm, with an undercurrent of indifference.
The sentiment was rare for Netero, but facing Jed, once a comrade and now a foe, and considering his actions, it was understandable. Seeing a former ally reduced to such a state stirred a mix of sadness and anger, even in Netero's heart. However, he chose not to overtly express these emotions. Instead, he preferred action. Thus, the moment he broke free, he unleashed Hyakushiki Kannon against Jed.
Jed stared at the dazzling Golden-colored Kannon. The moment Netero broke free, he understood completely. It was over; everything was over. This operation was a complete failure. Their efforts hinged on Netero being sealed.
Now that Netero was free, all efforts were in vain. Jed knew he couldn't find another person willing to sacrifice their life to seal Netero with a sincere heart of vengeance. Even if there were such a person, Netero would be prepared, and it wouldn't work as perfectly.
They had lost completely. It wasn't just that failing to seal Netero meant defeat, but the chances of success had drastically diminished. As fellow warriors, Netero knew Jed, and Jed knew Netero well. Despite gaining the power of resentment, defeating Netero wasn't easy. Sixty years ago, he fought Netero and lost miserably. Now, with his resentment ability sealed, he stood no chance. The outcome was clear given the vast difference in Nen ability.
The night breeze blew gently. Netero slowly withdrew his right hand from the clasped position, his movements seemingly slow yet swift, creating multiple afterimages. Then, he swung it down forcefully towards the ground.
"First Palm!" His motion was fluid, and the Kannon statue behind him followed, striking down at Jed. Jed had no time to react; the massive palm blade of the Kannon statue descended, crashing heavily onto him. Boom! A deafening sound echoed, like the sky collapsing and the earth shattering.
"Rustle, rustle." The walls and ceiling trembled, dust and debris falling from the crevices.
"What's happening? Is there a battle upstairs?"
---
Biscuit shifted her attention from Gaki, who lay at Wing's feet, and blinked up at the ceiling. "It must be Master Morin fighting the opponent. It seems it's reached quite an intense level, hasn't it?"
Wing dusted himself off and turned his concern towards Zushi's condition. As he walked over, he said, "We should leave here quickly. Although Heaven's Arena is quite sturdy, with all those tools in Master Morin's hands, who knows what might happen?"
Biscuit agreed, "That's true!!" Considering what Morin might actually do, Biscuit wasted no time. She gave both Gon and Killua a good whack on the head as they tried to greet her, leaving them rubbing their heads and yelping in pain. Grabbing them by the collars, she led the way out.
"You two little brats, daring to go upstairs without my knowledge?! What if the opponent had run into you and taken you out?! You two are really a handful!!"
Leorio muttered under his breath, "…Why do I feel like you're implying something about me?!" He hesitated but ultimately said nothing more, following closely behind Biscuit's scolding voice, planning to leave the area.
Meanwhile, at the entrance of Heaven's Arena, Kurapika, dressed in a black bodyguard suit, surveyed the surroundings calmly. "We're temporarily safe now, boss."
Neon pouted, clearly displeased. "How boring!! I was hoping to see a good showdown between the floor masters. I was really looking forward to it!!"
"Do you really like watching fighting matches, boss?" Basho asked curiously, somewhat surprised. Neon hadn't seemed like the type to enjoy such physical combat. Yet, she insisted on witnessing the matches live, leading to today's scenario.
"Who said I liked fighting matches?" Neon looked at Basho, puzzled. "What I want are the damaged human organs after these floor masters finish fighting!!"
"If any of these floor masters were to die on stage or succumb to their injuries after the match, their bodies would be quite fresh!!" At this, Neon clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling with Golden-like stars. "Freezing the bodies or turning them into specimens at that moment would be absolutely beautiful!!!"
Her words and actions were so cruel and bloody, yet from Neon's mouth, they seemed so natural. There was no malice in her tone, just pure interest and happiness. It showed how much she disregarded the basic respect for life. Or perhaps, the concepts of life and death didn't exist in her mind, only her likes and dislikes.
Basho sighed, realizing he shouldn't have asked. Watching Neon lost in her fantasies, he couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated. "It's a shame we encountered such a situation today."
Snapping out of her reverie, Neon puffed her cheeks again, grumbling, "Not only did the fight not happen, but none of the floor masters were injured or killed. Instead, there was an interruption. It's really spoiling the fun."
She was clearly displeased with the situation. "Even when a fight did happen, that blue-haired brute didn't finish off that floor master named Zushi. If he had killed Zushi, I could have bought his body from his family."
"At the very least, I could have acquired those big, bright eyes of his. They're the most vivid and expressive I've seen among many. They're quite a striking pair!"
Talking about human organs, Neon became interested, continuously evaluating and lamenting over Zushi. Basho and Melody exchanged a glance, instinctively looking towards Kurapika. They knew well that Zushi was a friend of Kurapika's—a very good friend of a very good friend. By extension, that made him their friend too.
Yet, they couldn't detect any change in Kurapika's expression. He remained as cold and aloof as ever, fulfilling his duty as a bodyguard. He seemed indifferent to Neon's words.
"Boss, we should get going," Kurapika said flatly. "With everything happening at Heaven's Arena, your father must be worried about your situation."
"Really?" At the mention of her father, Light Nostrade, Neon's mood dampened. "Dad hasn't smiled at me or spent time with me, talking, in a long while." She suddenly looked up at Kurapika and said: