The morning sun slowly rose from the horizon, bringing warmth to the early hours.
Under the golden sunlight, Oboro and Wing stood facing each other on a grassy field at the edge of the city.
It was quieter here.
The wind blew softly, making the leaves rustle.
"Please guide me!" Wing released his aura, stood facing Oboro and said in a deep voice. "Please."
Oboro gestured with a smile.
He didn't look as tense as Wing.
Bang!
The dirt under his feet splashed, and Wing's quick movement made his shirt billow violently.
They had agreed beforehand that this match would be a pure Nen-based fight, no Hatsu abilities would be used.
In terms of pure skill, it would be difficult for Wing to defeat Oboro, let alone with Hatsu abilities in play.
Snap, snap
Wing came with great momentum, his fists blurring with speed, striking at different parts of Oboro, trying to use his own movements and attack patterns to force Oboro to defend, reveal openings, and look for opportunities.
But Oboro just stood there, one hand in his pocket and the other blocking back and forth. After a fierce exchange and a flurry of movement, Wing jumped away with intensity in his eyes.
Oboro had blocked his first wave of attacks with only one hand.
He had expected the gap between him and Oboro, but the reality was even bigger than he'd imagined.
"Why?"
Wing's eyelids twitched.
His aura control, his use of Nen, everything seemed flawless.
He couldn't see anything particularly 'outstanding' about Oboro's technique, so why was he so relaxed?
Before, Wing had only watched others fight Oboro in the ring, and he had never imagined that actually facing this man would be so overwhelming.
Swish!
In the first wave of attacks, Oboro had only defended passively.
When Wing attacked again, Oboro's arms not only blocked, but countered in microscopic windows of time, seizing every moment when Wing's body was fixed or trying to "transition".
He felt completely outmatched.
It was only a few minutes, but Wing found that his aura consumption was several times what he had experienced on the 200th floor fighting other Nen users.
His breathing became labored.
"I'm being completely read. His combat experience is too vast, far beyond mine".
The thought flashed through Wing's mind.
But he didn't give up.
He slowed down and activated Zetsu, hiding his aura as much as possible while constantly changing his position.
"In Zetsu state, your defense against Nen attacks is practically zero. If I were your enemy, I wouldn't mind. Besides, you should know that my En is very sensitive. Unless you can perfect your Zetsu to the point where it's as lifeless as dead wood, you're using your weakness to challenge my strength."
Oboro spoke.
Wing did not answer.
He had disappeared from direct view.
"Using the blind spot," Oboro muttered, clenched his fist and struck at the afterimage approaching from behind.
But the blow hit empty air.
"Ah, I see!"
Oboro suddenly realized and had to admire Wing's brilliant strategy to counter his perception.
The more Wing suppressed his aura, the stronger the "signal" Oboro's En received. First, Wing reduced his aura to a certain level, making Oboro think that was his limit. Then, as he approached, he reduced it further, releasing short impulses to confuse Oboro's judgment, hiding his main attack and creating a positional advantage.
"Is this your true level?"
"It seems you held back during your matches, saving this for today? Deliberately misleading me about your abilities?"
Oboro took his other hand from his pocket, caught Wing's fist precisely and smiled slightly.
"Two hands?"
Wing seemed very excited, "Next, I'll force you to move!"
"Let's see you try."
Oboro nodded, "But you can only use this method once, it won't work again.
As he spoke, the lenses of Wing's glasses shook, and a blow grazed his cheek, leaving a thin bloody line.
"Your reaction was slow."
Oboro noted.
Wing released the trapped fist and immediately created distance.
Ten meters away, Biscuit stood under a tree and watched silently.
As time passed, the sun rose higher and the temperature increased.
Wing's condition gradually reached a fever pitch, his fighting spirit growing stronger as the battle continued.
This was good.
After all, this was just training.
An hour later, the commotion on the grass finally subsided.
Wing fell to his knees, breathing heavily, his entire body drenched as if he'd been submerged.
"Congratulations, you succeeded."
Oboro clapped and applauded Wing.
Not only had he used both hands, but he had also been forced to move. Although his range remained limited and his suit barely showed a wrinkle, he really couldn't maintain his initial ease.
In the second half of the fight, Oboro noticed that Wing had grown significantly. His battle reading and opponent analysis were excellent. With time, as he gained experience, his skills would improve significantly.
This potential was cultivated by Biscuit, of course.
"Huff, huff, huff, it's still not enough, I wanted to see you show even a moment of pressure, that would mean I had actually threatened you," Wing was exhausted, stretched out on the ground, and spoke between his breaths.
Judging by his smile, he wasn't frustrated at all, but rather seemed motivated.
It was a positive psychological feedback.
"His Nen responds to your level. Simply put, he's deliberately keeping his aura output close to yours, he's not overwhelming you, but why are you still struggling?"
Biscuit approached.
Wing and Oboro looked at her at the same time.
"Because after your first attacks, he had already measured your physical abilities, combined with reading your intentions, he knew which techniques you could perform and how fast. He had a complete mathematical model of your body in his mind." Biscuit looked at her embarrassed student and raised another finger, "Also, when he took your glasses, your body instinctively tensed for a split second, causing your originally sharp strike to lose power."
"In other words, your body and mind aren't able to control those involuntary reactions yet."
"The battle consciousness must absolutely obey the 'commands' of your mind and not be surrendered to physical instinct. You must understand that some physiological reactions in combat are harmful. You must overcome them! Even though it seems like you're constantly attacking and looking for openings, in reality all your attacks are rooted in defense, and you're afraid of getting hit, so that's just what you perceive as 'going all out.
"The glasses incident was not isolated. He took them a total of 26 times. He took advantage of your 'physiological response' weakness."
"Exactly!"
Oboro gave Biscuit a thumbs up and said, "In short, your Nen foundation is solid and your physical condition is good, but don't rely too absolutely on Nen while ignoring the essential connection between mind and body."
"I understand."
Wing pushed himself up with one arm.
Oboro reached out and pulled him to his feet.
"Then please welcome the next competitor."
Suddenly, Oboro spoke.
He stared at Biscuit with burning eyes.
What?
Biscuit was startled.
"It's rare to find a sparring partner of your caliber. In the spirit of fair exchange, shouldn't you contribute something as well?" Oboro narrowed his eyes.
"You want to fight me?"
Biscuit realized.
"Ever since you left my room, I've been wondering when I could have a real fight with you." Oboro said calmly, "I hadn't planned to seek you out before I left, but since I have this opportunity, I think it's better to fulfill that wish."
"Hehehe"
A bright smile suddenly appeared on Biscuit's cute face.
She readily agreed without hesitation.
Her eyes literally sparkled.
"Actually, I've wanted to teach you a lesson for a long time. Since you asked for it, I won't hold back!"
""
Completely different than when he had faced Wing, Oboro seemed to be full of fighting spirit.
He knew how powerful Biscuit was - she was the strongest person he'd met since he arrived in this world!
"Do you want to use Hatsu's abilities?"
Oboro asked.
"Huh? You don't think we're going to have a long fight, do you?" Biscuit was doing warm-up stretches like during training breaks.
She spoke as if she was looking down at Oboro.
"I admit, it is impressive to have such strength at your age. Even when I was young, I wasn't nearly as good as you, but compared to me, you're still not ready." Biscuit spoke bluntly, not caring if Oboro could accept it.
"Oh?"
He felt slightly unconvinced.
"Don't get cocky just because you beat some mediocre fighters."
After finishing her warm-up, Biscuit looked at Oboro and said, "Stand still. If you can block my punch, you pass!"
"???"
Seeing Oboro's confused expression, Wing quietly approached him and whispered in his ear: "Master doesn't like others to see her true form and doesn't want to keep it for long. She's very particular about her appearance.
""
One Punch
Even if it's powerful, I should be able to handle it, right?
Oboro nodded slightly, maximizing his Nen power and technique.
Then he watched as Biscuit's petite form began to swell. Even though he was mentally prepared, Oboro was still shocked.
Powerful thighs, muscular arms, even her soft features became sharp and defined.
Her entire body was made of pure muscle.
Oboro had thought his physique was impressive, but compared to Biscuit's true form, he suddenly felt diminutive.
An indescribable pressure descended.
"Ready?"
Biscuit's towering figure, almost bursting from her clothes, was overwhelming.
The blood in her right arm surged, her aura exploded, and the pressure she exerted made Oboro's expression change.
This was a sensation he'd never experienced before, the vibrating air felt like razor blades against his skin.
Boom!
A gust of wind erupted, causing a nearby Wing to shield his face. He only glimpsed their auras colliding before impact.
Crash!
Immediately, a figure shot through the smoke and dust. It was Oboro.
His body spun through the air and landed after flying several meters. His feet dug deep trenches in the ground as he slid dozens of meters, unable to stop his momentum until he finally crashed into a tree trunk and stabilized.
Oboro's suit was shredded.
His crossed arms glowed with a protective aura, shaking slightly and emitting wisps of steam.
And under those arms were a pair of wide eyes.
He had blocked them!
The veteran Nen Master hadn't held back and had used his full strength.
He had caught it. He had stopped the blow.
But if he and Biscuit fought seriously, he might have to endure attacks like this dozens or even hundreds of times!
"Why?"
Oboro frowned inwardly.
Even if Biscuit's physical condition and aura capacity surpassed his, even with decades more experience, she shouldn't cause such damage to him, because Biscuit wasn't an Enhancer, but a Transmuter!
This punch didn't use any special techniques.
"Hey-hey."
On the other side of the field, Biscuit returned to her young appearance, noticed Oboro's expression, and happily dusted off her gloves.
"You don't understand, do you? I didn't use any advanced techniques or special moves, and your reaction speed was sufficient, your defensive strategy perfect. Everything was fine, but you still took obvious damage."
"Do you want to know why?"
Biscuit smiled mischievously.
"Master."
Wing knew her personality and saw that Biscuit was deliberately building up suspense to increase Oboro's curiosity. He couldn't help but intervene.
After all, Oboro had helped him.
Friends deserved better.
"Tch."
Biscuit rolled her eyes at Wing, cleared her throat, and her expression became serious: "You have a deep understanding of Nen, and your application and technical skills, including your Hatsu development, are impressive, but you're missing one thing."
"You have no 'heart'!"
"Your sensitivity to aura, your energy perception, all these are external! The essence of Nen isn't just about form, it's about the user's inner self! The source of spiritual will 'Heart' - Nen is a part of life, something deeply personal, it belongs to you, but have you ever really resonated with it?"
"When I threw that punch just now, I was absolutely determined to send you flying. That intention was pure without a doubt. If you also had the absolute will of 'I will definitely block this,' I'm not saying you would have been able to stop it completely, but at least the damage would have been much less, because your aura would have responded to your belief! Even though my aura is stronger than yours, yours wouldn't have dissipated after a single hit, fragile as paper! It's not that your Nen is weak, it's that you don't have the 'heart' to support it!"
"But you've passed!"
After saying that, Biscuit bounced energetically and called to Wing, "Come on, let's go back."
"Huh?"
Wing was stunned.
Leaving already?
"Hurry up!"
Biscuit urged, looked back at the dazed Oboro, thought for a moment, then added, "Everyone has heart. It's not just about willpower! It's about sincerity, faith - faith in yourself and your Nen. It doesn't matter about talent or potential. Everyone starts at the same place, and there are no shortcuts or easy ways to train You can only discover it by living and experiencing life You have a long journey ahead of you, so learn as you go With your potential, that day won't be too far away!"
She had watched Oboro in Heaven's Arena, so she understood the young man's potential and knew exactly what he needed.
With Oboro's understanding of Nen, she didn't need to make her meaning more explicit.
"Oboro, we're leaving."
Wing looked back several times as he waved.
But Oboro stood motionless under the tree.
Biscuit's words reminded him of Isaac Netero's punch from his early days.
He had forgotten that every time the old man threw a punch, he did it with gratitude.
He also remembered the scene in the Heaven's Arena when Hisoka was resurrected by driving the cards into his own heart.
For the past few years, his focus had been too much on techniques and skills, causing him to forget this fundamental truth.
He should have remembered.
He had known this.
"Yes, the most basic 'heart', why did I forget it?" muttered Oboro.
"Hehehe hahahahahaha"
Then, for some unknown reason, Oboro suddenly laughed, his laughter growing louder and louder as if overcome by revelation.
"Interesting! So interesting!"
"Ah~~"
"I love this world so much!"