In the span of a single second, multiple 'phenomena' coexisted on the stage.
First, Moses's numerous afterimages.
Second, Moses swinging his sword at Hisoka.
Third, Hisoka being pulled forward, his blood staining the arena.
The audience, and even the announcer, hadn't realized what was happening yet. What they saw was...
Moses's afterimages disappearing like shattered bubbles in the arena.
Moses appearing in another position and continued to swing his sword.
Hisoka inexplicably flying forward as if pulled by an invisible force.
This was the combination technique of Rhythm Echo and Shadow Shift.
First, use the numerous afterimages to divert some of the opponent's attention, and then followed by a sudden lightning-fast attack.
"Clean hit!"
The referee was the first to react. His pupils as he raised his hand to signal a 'get point' gesture towards Moses.
If Hisoka hadn't responded at all, Moses's attack could actually have been rated as 'critical hit', which is two points.
However, if the sword strike had landed solidly, the points accumulation wouldn't matter anymore.
Because Hisoka would have fallen on the spot, reduced to being defeated in one blow.
This is the norm in Nen Battles.
One moment, both sides might be exchanging harsh words, and the next, a well-prepared ability could cut through like the Grim Reaper's scythe, taking the opponent's life in an instant.
The shadow Moses hid within the scabbard for his Shadow Shift was a preparation that could potentially kill Hisoka instantly.
However, Hisoka, with his vast experience, had made preparations in advance for their head-on confrontation.
The Bungee Gum subtly attached to the front was originally intended for offense, but it could also serve as a defense at critical moments, giving Hisoka a margin of error to avoid fatal injuries.
But even so, the sense of walking through the gates of death lingered in Hisoka's mind, making him feel an overwhelming oppression entirely different from their last encounter.
'It's an Emitter Teleportation Ability...'
'But there should be a condition for its use. Was it the scabbard he deliberately threw at the beginning?'
'The medium for teleportation?'
'It doesn't make sense... It's the shadow!'
With his back injured, Hisoka let the sticky thread pull his body forward, and combined with the information Illumi provided to him last time, he deduced the ability Moses had just used in an extremely short time.
With this thought, he quickly noticed a patch of shadow where Moses initially stood.
'Using the shadow as a vessel for the Nen Clone and as the medium for switching positions!'
At this moment, Hisoka's originally vague thoughts instantly became clear.
'Bungee Gum, release!'
The result of his explosive thinking ability led Hisoka to cancel his ability without hesitation.
The body that was flying forward at a low altitude suddenly arched, and then plummeted sharply, stopping two meters ahead.
If he had continued to fly forward with the intent to 'creating some distance first'...
Moses might have once again switched positions with the shadow, returning to his original spot to deliver another strike with ease.
At that point—
The battle would be over in just three seconds.
"Oh?"
Moses raised an eyebrow slightly.
After he swung his sword and slashed Hisoka, he did not make any substantial action.
To others, it seemed as if he had no time to react, allowing Hisoka to be pulled away by the Bungee Gum without having time to chase after him.
But in fact, he intended to wait for Hisoka to think he had gained some distance, then switch places with the shadow again to deliver a surprise attack.
However, in a split second, Hisoka noticed the small patch of shadow left behind by Moses's Shadow Shift, so he decisively deactivated his ability and stopped.
'To be able to deduce my ability's effect in such a short time after being attacked and respond decisively, as expected of you, Hisoka.'
Moses felt a wave of surprise, quickly followed by understanding.
After all, Hisoka is a popular character in the original work who regards the thrill of fighting as the highest pursuit...
Even though there are still several years before the plot begins, it's not too surprising that he's already honed such outstanding experience and battle instincts.
Moses was impressed by Hisoka's perfect response in their brief exchange, unaware that Illumi had provided Hisoka with information beforehand. He only thought that Hisoka had deduced the truth purely through his perfect on-the-spot thinking ability.
After Hisoka stopped, he was sandwiched between Moses and the shadow.
In order to prevent being attacked from the front and the back, he quickly moved towards the north side of the arena, forming a triangular formation with Moses and the shadow.
Then, Hisoka turned his hand and produced a playing card, holding it between his fingers, and immediately pressed the back of his hand against the wound on his back.
The card between his fingers was placed on top of the wound.
Texture Surprise!
Next, Hisoka quickly activated another ability.
He injected his Aura into the card, turning them into a thin, leather-like material, which he then stuck tightly to the bleeding sword wound, thus achieving the effect of temporarily stopping the bleeding.
The entire process took only a blink of an eye.
This showcased Hisoka's extremely high precision with his abilities.
Based on Hisoka's usual style, he would not easily use his abilities to treat injuries at such a moment.
But the overwhelming pressure Moses displayed in their brief encounter convinced him it was necessary to treat his back wound to prevent the disadvantage from being further torn and expanded.
Swish, swish-!
Having temporarily stopped the bleeding, Hisoka flicked his hands and three playing cards flew out from each of his palm, shooting straight towards Moses on the left and the shadow on the right.
Although he was injured by Moses in the first round of exchanges, Hisoka's desire to attack did not diminish but rather increased.
Seeing the playing cards flying through the air, Moses charged forward and swayed his body left and right, dodging the flying playing cards without affecting his forward speed at all.
At the same time, he also controlled the shadow to dodge the other three cards that were shooting diagonally, then maneuvered the shadow to the other side of Hisoka, appearing as if it could attack at any time.
'Are you not going to use your 'clone' ability?'
Hisoka naturally kept an eye on the shadow's movements.
It was clearly a bluff, but he couldn't ignore it.
Because he knew that Moses also had the Nen Clone Ability.
In other words, the shadow standing between offense and defense could turn into a Nen Clone that could pose a threat to him at any moment.
Worse still-
It could also serve as a medium for teleportation, easily creating an opportunity for attack that is unfavorable to Hisoka at any moment.
At this time, Hisoka found himself in a passive position.
Intelligence is something like this...
Many times, it can indeed play a critical role in battle.
For example, the way Hisoka responded after being attacked just now was a decision made based on intelligence, which allowed him to avoid the possibility of being further injured.
But sometimes, intelligence can also bring a 'mental' burden to those who rely on it.
Like now, Hisoka has to consciously guard against the possibility that Moses may use his abilities at any time.
That would undoubtedly increase his pressure when facing the enemy.
In Nen Battles, the pace and sense of urgency can heighten the need for 'information processing ability' and 'instantaneous thinking ability'.
This is the essence of a battle of wits.