At this moment, after glancing at his right leg, Silva's eyes shifted back to Ryker.
Under Silva's scrutinizing gaze, space around Ryker began to distort once more. Moments later, his figure slowly vanished into a newly formed spatial vortex.
The training ground seemed to return to its initial tranquility, yet Silva's injured right leg was a glaring reminder to everyone that what had just unfolded was undeniably real.
{Ah, my beloved Ryker, my dearest treasure. You make me so proud! Your growth has far exceeded even my wildest expectations. You're extraordinary—truly extraordinary!
But no, I must control myself. I can't interfere with my dear husband and my precious son's battle. Especially now, I can't allow Ryker to lose focus...}
{I never thought Silva could be pushed this far by that kid Ryker. In that final critical moment, Silva had to use his full strength just to emerge unscathed.
Ryker's progress in the Heavens Arena over these past months has been astonishing, and his abilities are anything but ordinary.
Space-manipulation Nen users are already a rare breed, yet Ryker has mastered it to such an impressive degree.
Judging from the current situation, Silva probably had some prior knowledge of Ryker's abilities. Still, the fact that Silva nearly slipped up is remarkable.
And if I'm not mistaken, Silva's brief pause earlier was likely due to Ryker's eyes. It might be a mental-based technique. Back during the Floor Master match, Ryker used that eye ability as his trump card to secure victory.
Although Silva suppressed his power, Ryker's performance shows just how immense the potential of those eyes is}
{I see now. My earlier mistake was underestimating him. I focused too much on his spatial manipulation and forgot about those mental illusions his eyes can cast.
Back during the Floor Master challenge, he used that move as a decisive trump card.
However, this trick won't work on me anymore. Ryker must know this. From now on, that illusionary ability will be much harder to pull off against me.
The real question is—what's his next move? Does he have another trump card? But I can't afford to keep holding back at this level anymore.
I never expected his growth to be this fast. In less than a year, he's defeated the Floor Master of the Heavens Arena.
With his awakened abilities now in the mix, even suppressing my strength to a certain degree isn't enough. If I want to probe for any new trump cards, I'll need to increase my suppressed power to an overwhelming level.
Only then will he be forced to rely on his abilities to close the gap}
[AN: '{ }' signs are only used when the inner monologue is too long]
With that thought, Silva's aura surged, his entire presence transforming. To sense Ryker's position the moment he reappeared, Silva activated En, expanding his aura to cover the entire training ground.
Inside his Kamui dimension, Ryker watched Silva's actions and immediately realized the difficulty of creating a second opening after missing the first. It would now be nearly impossible.
But Ryker had one last card to play: Kamui's intangibility, granting immunity to all physical attacks. To turn the tide, he would need to rely on this sole advantage.
{The issue now is handling his next attack. My illusions likely won't work on Silva anymore, so how can I physically get close to him?
Intangibility is my only hope. But using Kamui means I can't attack and defend simultaneously. I'll have to time it perfectly, using the moment my body solidifies to make contact with him.
The key is either predicting his movements or baiting him into using an attack that suits my strategy}
In his Kamui dimension, Ryker carefully analyzed Silva's aura, attempting to estimate his opponent's state and plan his move before Silva unleashed his full strength.
At the same time, Silva pondered Ryker's potential next step. Based on Ryker's personality, Silva doubted he would continue hiding without a plan. If Ryker felt the fight was unwinnable, he would've surrendered rather than prolong the battle.
Suddenly, Ryker emerged from his Kamui dimension without warning, appearing at Silva's blind spot at incredible speed.
However, Silva, thanks to his En, sensed Ryker's presence instantly. Reacting with lightning speed, Silva adjusted his stance and launched a counterattack.
Because Ryker appeared so close, almost within striking distance, Silva opted for a swift melee attack—a hand blade imbued with Ko, slicing toward Ryker.
In that instant, something incredible happened. Zeno and Kikyo, observing the fight, became fully engrossed in the unfolding clash.
Silva's hand passed straight through Ryker's body as though it wasn't there, yet Ryker appeared unaffected, his arm extending toward Silva in an attempt to make contact.
{This technique… could it be…?}
Silva's mind raced as he recalled a scene from when Ryker dealt with a group of mercenaries in the wild.
Back then, Silva had stayed at a distance to avoid being discovered, so he hadn't fully understood the mechanics of Ryker's intangibility.
But there was no time to think further. Silva instinctively unleashed his full power, attempting to dodge Ryker's outstretched hand.
Meanwhile, Ryker remained fully focused, observing the battlefield with razor-sharp precision. His intangibility had allowed him to execute the first step of his plan: getting close. Now, all that remained was to make contact.
However, as Ryker's hand neared Silva, he noticed a minute hesitation in Silva's counterattack, possibly caused by the unexpected nature of his intangibility.
This brief pause disrupted Ryker's rhythm, preventing him from seamlessly transitioning back into a solid state.
He was forced to slightly adjust his timing, bending his fingertips to buy the necessary time to solidify after phasing through Silva's attack.
Despite the rapid adjustments, the delay gave Silva just enough time to escape. At the last moment, Silva burst away from Ryker, retreating to a safe distance. Unlike before, he emerged unscathed—his clothes untouched.
Ryker, realizing the opportunity had passed, retreated back into his Kamui dimension. Once again, the battlefield fell silent, as if time had reset.
Yet this time, the emotions of all three observers were far from calm, their thoughts vastly different from before.
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