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"Now, let's go over the rules!"
Having learned that Gon was Ging's son, Razor was practically buzzing with excitement to start the game.
"This match will be played with one person outside and seven inside. The game ends when there's no one left inside."
"If a player inside touches the opponent's ball, they're out and must move outside."
"However, if a player outside shouts 'Back,' then one, and only one, player from their team gets a chance to return inside. Note, this is a one-time opportunity for the entire team."
"Also, if one team has no players outside, and the ball lands outside the court, it's considered in-bounds. Keep that in mind."
"Now for an important clarification: we're using a rebound rule for balls that hit a player's body."
"For example, if I throw a ball and it hits player A on your team, then bounces off and hits player B on your team before landing on the ground, both players A and B are out."
"So, if the ball hits player A and player B catches it before it hits the ground, then they aren't eliminated, correct?" Mellie deduced, following Razor's explanation.
"Exactly!" Razor confirmed, continuing his explanation.
"Furthermore, if I throw a ball that hits player A on your team and then accidentally bounces off and hits player C on my team before landing, then player C on my team is eliminated."
"I see. So, if player C catches the ball after it bounces off player A, then player A on our team is eliminated, is that right?" Mellie inquired further.
"Precisely."
Gon, not known for his strategic thinking, was already dizzy and confused by Razor's and Mellie's exchange. Airmid, standing next to Mika, was in a similar state.
"What's wrong? Are you having trouble understanding?"
Having played similar games before, Mika grasped the rules almost immediately.
But for Airmid, it was a different story.
Such games didn't exist in Danmachi world.
"It's okay. I just need to hit the ball back at them!" Airmid declared confidently, pumping her fist.
"Haha!" Mika chuckled, shaking his head.
"So, does everyone understand the rules now?" Razor asked.
"Yes, yes! Let's get started already!" Gabriel, impatient to begin, urged.
"Alright, then let's begin!"
Razor tossed the ball to Number 0.
"I'm Number 0, and I'll be the referee. Pleased to meet you."
"Now, let the match begin!"
Following Number 0's announcement, Goreinu, positioned outside for Mika's team, retreated to the opponent's outer court. Similarly, the opposing team's Nen beasts retreated to Mika's team's outer court.
Killua and one of the opposing players stood on either side of the referee, waiting for the ball to be tossed.
"Begin!"
The referee shouted, throwing the ball high into the air.
Killua immediately lunged for the ball.
However, as he moved to grab it, the opposing player backed away.
"We'll leave the opening toss to you," Razor said.
Killua frowned but quickly passed the ball to Mika.
In Killua's mind, Mika was their strongest player.
However, Mika didn't initiate an attack. Instead, he bounced the ball a few times before tossing it to Gabriel.
"Since you're so eager to play, you can take the first shot."
"Leave it to me!"
Gabriel caught the ball, a confident grin spreading across her face.
After getting a feel for the ball's weight and texture, she tossed it into the air.
Although they had never played dodgeball, the four of them frequently played volleyball during their downtime.
Therefore, facing a game with similar mechanics, Gabriel executed a jump serve.
As she leaped, a remarkably potent aura concentrated in her hand.
Although she was inhabiting Mika's body and using his aura, her control and technique were far superior.
The moment her palm made contact with the ball, it rocketed forward with incredible speed, striking one of the opposing players and sending them flying out of bounds.
"Amazing!"
Razor was taken aback as he watched Number 1 go flying.
Using Gyo, he could see that the amount of aura Gabriel had imbued into the ball wasn't excessive. However, its destructive power was astonishing.
This was undoubtedly achieved through exceptional aura control.
Only legendary figures in the Hunter x Hunter world, individuals who had lived for nearly a century, possessed such refined control.
Only they, with their immense talent and years of experience, could reach such a level of mastery.
"I didn't expect that..."
While Razor was still processing the scene, Goreinu, positioned in the back of their court, caught the rebounding ball.
"Excellent! It's our ball again!"
Goreinu immediately threw the ball back.
Killua caught it and, without hesitation, passed it to Gabriel.
Clearly, no further explanation was needed. Gabriel had proven her prowess with that single shot.
"Hmph! I'm getting the hang of this!"
Catching the ball again, Gabriel executed another jump serve, the aura-infused ball striking Number 3 with pinpoint accuracy.
"I can't wait any longer!"
As the ball bounced off Number 3, Razor swiftly moved to intercept it, catching it with both hands, which were coated in a thick layer of aura.
"Just as I thought!"
Feeling the intense vibrations of the ball struggling against his grip, Razor's eyes lit up with understanding.
After witnessing their strength, he had abandoned any intention of holding back.
He had allowed them the first shot to gauge their abilities.
When Gabriel had sent Number 1 flying, he had sensed the intense vibrations emanating from the ball and decided not to intercept it.
Observing how the ball, after impacting Number 1, flying through the air, and beginning its descent, had nearly slipped from Goreinu's grasp, Razor had formed a hypothesis about Gabriel's throws.
"That Nen beast's aura manipulation is truly exceptional, but she's not using much aura, opting for a more finesse-oriented approach."
"In that case, I simply need to overwhelm her with brute force."
"This is what they call 'an irresistible force meets an immovable object'!"
Releasing a surge of aura to control the ball Gabriel had thrown, Razor, without a moment's hesitation, hurled it back with tremendous force.
"Look out, Gon!"
Gon and Killua, standing at the front, quickly adopted defensive stances, raising their arms to protect their faces.
"Ken!"
They focused their aura to reinforce their defense.
However, the impact of the ball sent both Gon and Killua flying backward.
---
"Look out!"
Airmid, who had been maintaining a high level of alertness throughout the match, swiftly appeared behind Gon and Killua, placing her hands on their backs to prevent them from crashing into the wall.
As for the dodgeball that had bounced upwards after striking them, Mika, moving with incredible speed, intercepted it perfectly.
"That takes care of Gon and Killua," Mika said with a chuckle, holding the dodgeball securely in his hand.
According to the rules, if the ball had touched the ground, Gon and Killua would have been eliminated.
But thanks to Mika's quick reflexes, they were safe.
"Thanks, Mika!" Gon said, wiping the blood from his forehead, his gaze fixed on Razor.
Although they had used their arms to block the impact, the force of the ball had exceeded their expectations.
Even with their aura reinforcing their defense, the ball had managed to strike their foreheads through their arms.
"Damn, I was too close to Gon," Killua muttered, wiping his own wounds, still reeling from the impact.
The ball had come at them too fast.
After a quick assessment of the situation, Killua hadn't had time to dodge, focusing all his energy on defense.
However, he hadn't anticipated the ball bouncing off Gon and hitting him as well.
That one shot had nearly eliminated both of them.
"It's a good thing Mika reacted so quickly."
The thought of being eliminated so early in the game sent a shiver down Killua's spine.
It would have been incredibly embarrassing.
"Everyone, spread out! Don't stand too close together!" Killua cautioned, moving away from the others.
He didn't want to be the first one out of such an interesting game.
"That was a brutal attack, Gabriel. I'll take this shot," Mika said, taking the ball from Gabriel.
"If you want to, you can have it," Gabriel replied.
"Alright then."
Mika held the dodgeball up to his face, channeling his aura to envelop it.
The next moment, fiery red aura coiled around the dodgeball, attracting everyone's attention.
"What's that?!"
Feeling the intense heat emanating from Mika, Killua instinctively took a step back.
He had a feeling this throw wouldn't be ordinary.
As Killua suspected, Mika's throw was far from ordinary.
He had activated his Nen ability: Right Hand of Fire.
Using his ability, he was converting his aura into intense heat, imbuing the dodgeball with scorching flames.
Based on his observations, Razor seemed to be an Emitter.
For an Emitter, this type of sport should be their forte.
But not for Mika.
According to the Nen hexagon, Emission was opposite Conjuration. Mika could only utilize 40% of its power.
Even with the "Hero Creation" ability boosting all his Nen categories by 40%, he could only utilize 80% of his Emission capabilities.
Therefore, even if their overall strength was equal, Mika couldn't match Razor's aura control in a direct confrontation.
He needed a different approach.
If he couldn't outmatch him in Emission, he would utilize Enhancement.
Currently, excluding Emission and Specialization, Mika had mastered all other Nen categories to 100%.
In his opinion, Enhancement and Emission were the most suitable Nen types for this dodgeball match.
Furthermore, Mika had absolute confidence in his physical abilities.
His body, enhanced by Falna, granted him unparalleled strength.
Combined with the explosive power of his flames, his throw would be devastating.
"Try this!"
The flames surrounding the ball intensified, compressing against its surface. Mika hurled the crimson dodgeball with a speed that defied perception.
The shriek of the wind, the roar of the flames, a cacophony of sounds assaulted everyone's ears.
BOOM!
With an explosive burst of air, the fiery red dodgeball hurtled towards Razor like a missile.
"This is... exhilarating!"
Razor's face lit up with excitement as he watched the incoming projectile. There wasn't a trace of fear in his eyes.
During his time on Greed Island, Razor's fighting spirit had been buried deep within his heart.
But now, facing Mika's fiery dodgeball, his long-dormant passion reignited.
"Incredible!"
As Razor roared, the seven Nen beasts on his side transformed into streams of aura, flowing back into his body.
Facing Mika's attack, Razor had to give it his all.
Clenching his fists, he adopted a volleyball receiving stance, channeling a massive amount of aura into his hands.
"I can't meet this head-on. I need to use technique to deflect it!"
Bracing himself, he caught the incoming dodgeball with both hands.
"AAAHHH!"
The collision of Razor's aura and the aura surrounding the dodgeball unleashed a powerful shockwave that swept through the indoor stadium.
The force of the impact was so great that it even pushed Killua and Gon, standing on the opposite side, backward.
"Wait a minute!"
Killua exclaimed, his face pale, as he shielded his eyes from the wind. "Is that allowed? He just absorbed his Nen beasts back into his body?!"
"Of course it's allowed," Number 0 confirmed.
"Can he summon them again later?"
"Yes, but the total number of Nen beasts on the court cannot exceed the maximum number of players allowed."
"Damn it!"
Killua's frustration grew as he was forced to retreat by the powerful gusts of wind.
Gon shared his frustration.
Both of them felt a burning sense of injustice.
But despite their feelings, they couldn't stop what was happening.
With a mighty roar, Razor sent the aura-infused dodgeball hurtling back towards Mika.
"I've been waiting for this!"
Mika was ready.
He had been accumulating aura, channeling it into his fist.
As the dodgeball approached, he punched it with explosive force.
BOOM!
The collision of their attacks unleashed a shockwave that sent everyone near Mika flying backward.
Even Mellie and Airmid struggled to maintain their balance.
Everyone scrambled to retreat.
"AAAHHH!"
His muscles bulging with exertion, Mika, using all his strength, punched the dodgeball back towards Razor.
"Take this!"
...
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