The fierce attack of 100-Types Guanyin stirred up shockwaves, pushing the dust within the ring to the edges.
Unbeknownst to him, all the playing cards Moses had strategically placed for teleportation had been quietly destroyed by the cunning Netero.
Being able to use Gyo and In appropriately during a Nen Battle is a basic prerequisite for any expert.
Yet, Netero was a cut above.
First, he used Gyo to discern the 'escape routes' Moses had hidden amidst the dust clouds, then he deftly pierced the cards around him, following up with In to erase the traces of Aura released by his fingertips.
What was most terrifying wasn't the seamless use of In.
Rather, it was how Netero managed, in such a brief moment, to pierce each card with his finger precisely, letting the Aura from his fingertips also pierce the other playing cards Moses had scattered nearby.
Leaving aside the precision of his control, how much 'instantaneous cognitive power' and 'battle experience' would it take to accurately plan each of those piercing moves in the heat of combat?
With such silent swiftness, Netero severed all of Moses's backup routes.
In fact, when the split shadow wrapped on the playing cards dissipated, Moses would be able to notice it in a short period of time.
However, he had adopted a blitz strategy in his offensive against Netero, initiating a four-stage attack sequence in a fleeting moment.
First, the Super Speed: Spear, which forced Netero to intercept, followed by the black cards encircling Netero from underground, then a shadow clone emerging between Netero's feet.
Finally, he executed a lightning strike on the back of Netero's head.
This four-stage assault was too fast.
It was so fast that when Netero crushed the shadow clone with his legs, the 'pain' that was fed back overlapped directly.
At that crucial moment, Moses was already out of options.
He appeared behind Netero, delivering a blade strike just a breath away from determining the match.
Thus, the current outcome was inevitable.
Boom boom boom…
The continuous rumble echoed throughout the venue.
As his consciousness grew hazy under 100-Types Guanyin's relentless palm strikes, Moses suddenly realized the reason he couldn't teleport in time.
'It seems that the old man had blocked my escape routes through some method…'
And before he completely lost consciousness, Moses couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.
The black tendril of Kyoka Suigetsu has already been implanted. If he could have successfully moved out of Netero's attack range just now, perhaps he could have won this 'handicap match'.
Unfortunately, there is no 'ifs'.
Without the room for error granted by Teleport and Shadow Shift, Moses was entirely defenseless against 100-Types Guanyin, ending up gravely injured and unconscious.
Netero withdrew his hands at the perfect moment, and the golden glow faded.
The seriously injured and unconscious Moses lay in the pit, motionless.
Around them-
Everyone watching the match saw this result, and except for Ging, everyone's faces showed a mix of indescribable awe.
Due to the thick dust clouds within the ring, they hadn't witnessed the exact sequence of events.
It wasn't until the continuous palm strikes of 100-Types Guanyin dispersed the large amount of smoke dust that they saw the blood trickling down the back of Netero's head. Moreover, the topknot that was originally in the middle of Netero's head had disappeared, leaving only a short stump.
Barely processing their shock at this sight, they saw Moses lying unconscious, severely injured by 100-Types Guanyin.
'Just now-'
'What exactly happened?!'
Among the crowd, only Ging had 'seen' the entire exchange.
'Incredible…'
With his hands in his pockets, Ging cast a glance at Netero, feeling a sense of admiration.
'This old man...'
Netero always likes to joke about how he is getting old, how he will be suppressed by the younger generation, and that the title of the strongest Nen User is a thing of the past.
Yet, the move he used to cut off Moses's escape was enough to give the younger generation quite a lesson.
It seems the title 'Old Monster' fit Netero perfectly.
'You're just move short, Moses.'
Ging turned his gaze to the shallow pit where Moses lay, muttering to himself, 'But you lost because of your youth.'
Netero is admittedly still strong despite his age, but Moses's performance is not bad either.
In Ging's eyes, Moses's combat intuition and tactical acumen are remarkable, but it is a pity that his limitations in Manifested Aura kept him from fully exploring his potential.
However, improving one's Manifested Aura is not something that can be easily achieved through hard work alone.
Just like the Divine Script, it required time to hone it.
In the final analysis-
Moses is still too young.
But youth also means infinite possibilities.
Just like Netero, Ging could clearly see the dazzling light of 'future' potential radiating from Moses.
'No wonder the old man was grinning so much.'
The corners of Ging's mouth lifted slightly as he turned to leave, already hearing the commotion of the medical team rushing over.
For Ging, coming here specifically to watch this match was the right decision.
Having witnessed it, he could just slip away with satisfaction now.
However, Ging was curious to understand the unique techniques Moses had displayed during the match, so he decided to wait until Moses regained consciousness.
Inside the venue-
Gon, Kurapika, and Killua were in a state of utter shock.
Today's match left a profound impression on their hearts, an overwhelming sense of visual impact.
From this moment, certain realizations about their distant futures settled deep within their hearts.
Engrossed in awe, Gon remained unaware that Ging was present.
If he knew, who knows how he'd react.
...
Two days later.
In the intensive care unit of the hospital.
Moses was lying on the hospital bed, with bandages wrapped all over his body.
Ging sat on a chair beside the bed, holding an apple.
Swish, swish…
From his fingertips, a thin strand of Aura extended, peeling the apple in one smooth motion.
Soon, a perfectly peeled apple sat in Ging's hand.
"Finally awake, huh?"
Ging suddenly raised his head and looked towards the hospital bed, noticing that Moses had opened his eyes.
Moses wasn't surprised to find himself lying in a hospital bed, but he was a bit taken aback to see that Ging was still there.
'No reward?'
'Well, it's not a life-and-death battle after all.'
'Strictly speaking, no matter how injured I was, there had never been a true threat to my life.'
'Because it was merely a spar.'
'Anyway, it's not a loss to be able to use the Illusion of the Thousand Changes on Netero.'
Moses thought to himself, then turned to Ging and asked, "Ging, how long have I been out?"
"Two days and two nights."
Ging answered promptly, and at the same time, he pushed the peeled apple in his hand forward and asked, "I just peeled it. Do you want a bite?"
"Only two days, huh… no wonder you're still here."
Ignoring the apple Ging held out, Moses figured two days wasn't too long, so it wasn't too surprising that Ging hadn't slipped off yet.
Hearing this, Ging rolled his eyes and, with a slight scowl, replied, "What's with the 'only two days, so you haven't left yet' thing? Can't I just be here because I was worried about you?"
"Ging, who bought the apple?"
Moses suddenly looked at the apple, and without waiting for Ging to answer, he summoned a shadow to take the apple.
Ging raised his finger and scratched his forehead, sighing, "Don't change the subject."