Chapter 19: Connection X Showdown
At this moment, Warwick observed Ryker's condition with a smug look in his eyes, as though he could see the panicked expression hidden beneath his opponent's mask.
"This kid still lacks experience. The more critical the moment, the calmer one needs to be.
But it seems he's already lost his ability to think rationally. Whatever he does next will likely just be muscle memory. All I need to do is watch out for his desperate, final attack and snap his neck when the chance arises."
On the other hand, Ryker's mind was occupied with an entirely different landscape:
"Phase one of the battle plan is complete, but the situation is far from ideal.
This guy has kept his composure even up to this point, his hands firmly in a defensive stance. If I just use ordinary nen bullets now, he'll likely block them.
Even if I apply the highest level of 'In,' his reflexes might still allow him to evade a fatal shot, no matter how slim the chance."
"I need to figure out a way to incapacitate him quickly and finish him off without leaving even a one-in-ten-thousand chance of failure.
His primary mobility and attack strength lie in his limbs. If I can cripple those, I can deliver a fatal strike."
"But this plan has a high margin for error—it depends on him exposing a massive opening, and I'd need to land the final blow before the referee can intervene."
"There's another riskier option: exploiting his reflexes against him.
Given his personality and combat style as a likely Enhancement-type user, I need to make him think he's caught an opportunity I created.
If he believes it's his chance, he'll commit fully to an all-out attack, leaving himself vulnerable. That's when I'll strike."
"Still, this plan is incredibly risky. It's complex and needs to be executed in an incredibly short time frame.
I only have a 60% chance of success—and that's assuming he takes the bait.
But... I've already died once. No point holding back. Time to go all in!"
Ryker launched three powerful nen bullets without any concealment, immediately withdrawing all his defensive nen from the rest of his body and concentrating it at his fingertips.
Now, his entire body—except for his right hand, which was firing the nen bullets—was in an unprotected state of Zetsu.
Warwick saw the three incoming nen bullets and instinctively thought, 'So, the feint begins. His real move is coming next.'
He dodged two bullets with his footwork and blocked the third with his right hand. Fixing his gaze ahead, he prepared for the true assault he was sure was imminent.
But nothing came.
Instead, his body began to scream at him, sending intense danger signals to his brain.
'Stay calm. It must be a concealed nen bullet. The problem is, my Gyo on my eyes isn't at its peak right now.
Hurry up, damn it. Let me see it!'
In the heat of the moment, Warwick's heightened senses allowed him to briefly catch a glimpse of two nen bullets before they disappeared again. It was enough to calculate their trajectory.
Having used his right hand earlier, he didn't have time to pull it back for defense. Warwick blocked one bullet with his left hand and narrowly avoided a fatal wound, though he was injured.
Believing he had survived the worst, Warwick relaxed slightly—only for the sense of danger to intensify again.
Desperate, he funneled all the nen he could into his eyes and caught a glimpse of yet another nen bullet. This one was smaller and moving faster than the rest.
'Thank goodness my 'Ryu' was fast enough in this critical moment. Otherwise, I wouldn't have spotted this accelerated bullet.'
Relieved, Warwick concluded Ryker had exhausted his nen reserves. However, knowing the fight wasn't over yet, Warwick decided to end it decisively.
With no time to use his hands, Warwick opened his mouth, baring his teeth, and bit down on the incoming nen bullet.
The arena fell silent as Warwick's jaws closed, shattering the bullet into fragments of dissipating nen that scattered like dust.
The intense clash and rapid reversals left even the commentators momentarily speechless. The referee's eyes were glued to the fight.
Having neutralized the final nen bullet, Warwick wasted no time. He infused his left leg with nen and propelled himself forward with incredible speed.
'This kid is running on fumes. His last bullet was far weaker—he must've focused everything on its speed, hoping for a surprise kill. Even if he has any nen left, he won't have time to defend at this range. My claws will pierce him for sure.'
Stretching his right hand forward, Warwick concentrated all his remaining nen into a lethal strike aimed at Ryker's throat.
Ryker appeared defenseless, his body visibly drained of nen. He looked like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.
But in the next moment, Warwick's eyes widened in disbelief.
*WHOOSH!*
Nen erupted from Ryker as he dodged Warwick's strike with a burst of speed, simultaneously firing five nen bullets from behind him.
Warwick couldn't see the bullets but felt their approach as his body screamed in protest. Yet he could do nothing to stop them.
One by one, the five nen bullets struck their targets—both of Warwick's knees, both elbows, and finally, his back. His limbs were severed instantly, flying through the air.
The final bullet struck his back, avoiding his head for safety.
In the same instant, Ryker used the last of his nen to coat his left hand and slashed at Warwick's neck.
*SWISH!*
The audience barely had time to process Warwick's dismembered limbs before his head flew into the air, spinning wildly.
As Warwick's vision faded, he had one final thought: 'How did he still have nen left?'
The intense battle ended with the referee declaring Ryker the winner, sparking an eruption of cheers from the crowd.
Unbeknownst to most, a select few masters—including Biscuit—noticed a peculiar detail during the fight.
The last nen bullet Warwick shattered had been connected to Ryker by an almost invisible nen thread coated with 'In.'
The thread allowed Ryker to manipulate the remnants of the shattered bullet, creating the illusion of depleted nen while secretly guiding his counterattack.
And with that, Ryker left the arena without a word, his silhouette vanishing as the crowd roared.
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