A fiery monster, tens of meters tall, materialized for several seconds before dissipating.
Loki looked up at the fading image. 'Though I'm not developing a fire spirit, I still wanted to see one!' Using his memory as a guide, he had managed to briefly manifest a fire spirit-like form using the flames.
After the flames vanished, fire circles spontaneously appeared across the arena floor, emanating from Loki's feet and spreading outward like ripples in water, their fiery glow illuminating the ground. Even the referee hastily leaped off the ring to avoid the encroaching flames. The crackling of the burning flames filled the air, creating a moment of tense silence before erupting into a frenzy of cheers from the astonished audience.
Previously, the flames in Loki's hands might have been mistaken for a simple lighter or some kind of igniting device. However, the current spectacle was undeniably extraordinary—a terrifying, lifelike monster coalescing from flames before the very eyes of the spectators. Although the monstrous form had quickly dissipated, the subsequent fiery rings that appeared across the arena floor were clearly beyond the capabilities of any ordinary device or instrument.
The man amidst the flames, however, stood completely unscathed, the flames dancing around him and licking at his white cloak without causing him any harm whatsoever. The audience, completely dumbfounded by this extraordinary display, could only express their astonishment through frenzied screams and shouts.
The announcer, equally stunned, took a moment to compose herself before speaking in a slightly trembling voice.
"Unbelievable…" she began, her voice filled with awe. "Flames erupted from Loki, transforming into a colossal monster before dissipating, leaving countless fiery rings across the arena floor, forcing even the referee to jump clear of the ring." She pointed towards Loki. "However…" she continued, her voice rising in pitch, "Loki remains completely unharmed amidst the flames! The man dancing in the flames!" She paused, shaking her head in disbelief. "Loki is truly astonishing."
Loki had no intention of concealing the power of his Mera Mera no Mi. Even if others knew, so what? With his current strength, how many in this world could possibly defeat him?
"Fire… you…Riehlvelt stammered, his voice barely audible as he endured the intense heat of the flames, his eyes wide with terror and disbelief as he stared at Loki. He was struggling to form coherent words.
"How… how is it possible to transform Nen into flames… impossible…" Riehlvelt sputtered, his voice laced with disbelief.
"Nothing is impossible!" Loki declared, his tone unwavering. "If something like the system exists, what else is beyond the realm of possibility?" he added with a hint of amusement, his confidence unshaken. "Even if you were to tell me that the Jade Emperor is a real being, I would believe you," he stated matter-of-factly.
"Why… you're so strong, yet you…" Riehlvelt began, attempting to comprehend Loki's actions.
"Too much talk," Loki interrupted curtly, raising his hand with a dismissive gesture.
Instantly, flames surged upward from the arena floor like surging waves, engulfing Riehlvelt from both sides in a fiery embrace. Loki, turning his back on the engulfed Riehlvelt, calmly walked towards the edge of the arena. The flames quickly consumed Riehlvelt, his agonized screams echoing through the arena.
Loki took several steps forward before the flames abruptly vanished, leaving behind a scorched and cracked arena floor, the intense heat causing the ground to warp and splinter. Riehlvelt, still seated in his wheelchair, was horribly burned, his body reduced to a charred and unrecognizable mess.
Loki had clearly held back; there had been no intention to kill such a foolish opponent. Yet, in his final moments, Riehlvelt had inexplicably failed to utilize his Nen for defense, resulting in his horrifically burned state.
The referee, attempting to assess Riehlvelt's condition, leaped onto the ring, only to have the soles of his shoes begin to melt from the intense heat, forcing him to hastily retreat.
"I… declare… Loki… the winner…" the referee announced, his voice barely audible above the thunderous cheers of the crowd, his gaze shifting between the melted soles of his shoes and the horrifically injured Riehlvelt, who was likely permanently disabled even if he somehow survived his injuries.
The roar of the cheering crowd was deafening. Loki calmly walked towards the exit. At the passageway, Hisoka leaned against the wall, seemingly waiting for him.
"Something?" Loki asked, his tone neutral.
"Why use your ability against such a weakling?" Hisoka questioned, his curiosity piqued.
"It's fine. It was my first time using this ability in combat, so I wanted to test its power," Loki explained, his response both simple and direct.
"I see! Congratulations on your victory!" Hisoka exclaimed, his gaze unwavering as he studied Loki. Hisoka understood; Loki wasn't afraid of revealing his ability because it was so difficult to counter.
Unlike other Nen abilities, Loki's ability to transform his Nen into flames was remarkably simple, direct, and brutally effective. However, this very simplicity made it incredibly difficult to defend against. The sheer power of the flames, even without considering Loki's yet-unleashed Nen potential, left Hisoka feeling completely outmatched and unable to conceive of a viable counter-strategy. Furthermore, the monstrous fiery figure Loki had briefly manifested earlier only fueled Hisoka's speculation that it was likely a Nen beast.
Unbeknownst to Loki, his seemingly casual actions had created a significant misinterpretation in Hisoka's mind.
Meanwhile, in the infirmary, Gon and Killua, having witnessed Loki's display of power, were completely dumbfounded.
"Fire!!! Loki can control fire?!" Gon exclaimed, his voice filled with astonishment.
"No! It's Loki's Nen ability! His Nen seems to transform into flames!" Killua corrected, his mind racing as he recalled Loki's earlier explanation of Transmutation-type Nen abilities, which allows for alteration of the properties and forms of one's Nen. Transforming Nen into actual flames was undoubtedly a Transmutation-type ability!
Loki's ability to transform his Nen into flames left Killua both astonished and deeply contemplative. As he stared at the image of the raging flames on the screen, a new idea began to form in his mind.
After the match concluded, Loki visited Gon and Killua in the infirmary, observing Gon, who was almost completely bandaged like a mummy, and Killua, whose face was swollen and bruised.
"So, do you understand the difference now?" Loki asked, his tone devoid of any hint of reproach or blame. His calm demeanor, however, only served to heighten Gon and Killua's feelings of disappointment and self-reproach.
"Sorry, Loki. I disobeyed your instructions and competed anyway," Gon apologized earnestly.
Loki shook his head in response. "There's no need to apologize, Gon. It was your decision, and I wouldn't interfere. However, from now on, you should prioritize rest and recovery for a while. Don't even think about Nen training for the time being."
"Yes! This time, I definitely won't be reckless. I'll resume training only after I've fully recovered," Gon assured him, determined to learn from his mistakes.
"Good," Loki acknowledged. Training while injured would be counterproductive, potentially slowing down the recovery process and ultimately wasting more time than it would gain.
Having addressed Gon's apology, Loki turned his attention to Killua. Knowing Killua's somewhat proud and independent nature, Loki decided against offering any further reprimand or advice. "Come find me after you've recovered," he stated simply before turning to leave.
It was at this moment that Killua, who had been sitting beside Gon's bed, stood up and addressed Loki. "That…" he began, hesitating slightly.
Loki paused, turning back to face Killua. "Is there something you need?" he asked patiently.
"That… your ability… it's a Transmutation-type ability, right?" Killua asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Ability? Are you referring to this?" Loki inquired, raising his hand and conjuring a small, flickering flame at his fingertip.
Killua nodded in confirmation upon witnessing the dancing flame. "Yes!"
"Indeed, it's a Transmutation-type ability. What is it you want to know?" Loki responded, lowering his arm and extinguishing the flame.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Loki began to explain. "If you're referring to developing a similar ability to mine…" he began, his tone thoughtful. "Under normal circumstances, developing such a Nen ability would likely require more than ten years of dedicated effort."
"Ten years?!" both Gon and Killua exclaimed in unison, their voices filled with a mixture of surprise and disbelief.
"Even with ten years of dedicated effort, success is not guaranteed. Besides sheer hard work and innate talent, a certain degree of luck is also a crucial factor in achieving such a feat," Loki explained calmly, his expression unreadable.
Gon and Killua stared at Loki, their eyes wide with wonder, as they listened to his explanation. "Then, Loki, how did you…" Gon began to inquire, his curiosity overwhelming him.
"I'm rather unique in this regard. I'm already quite familiar with the properties and manipulation of flames, which is why I was able to achieve this relatively effortlessly," Loki explained, implying that for ordinary individuals, achieving such a feat would be practically impossible, while his own success was largely attributed to his exceptional innate talent and pre-existing familiarity with fire.
"Is there anything else you need to ask?" Loki inquired, his tone patient and composed.
Killua shook his head, his thoughts already racing. "No, that's all," he replied.
'Familiar with flames… Perhaps I could also achieve something similar…' Killua mused to himself, his mind already beginning to formulate plans and strategies.
Loki, observing Killua's pensive expression, quickly understood the train of thought that had sparked within his mind. Killua, having witnessed Loki's demonstration of a Transmutation-type Nen ability, was likely drawing inspiration from it, given that Killua himself also possessed a Transmutation-type Nen ability.
Loki's thoughts then turned towards Killua's unique ability—the manipulation of electricity. It was, without a doubt, a powerful and versatile ability. However, Killua's electric powers were currently limited by the need for recharging, essentially turning his body into a living battery. While he could discharge electricity, generating truly powerful electrical energy required a period of recharging. However, if given sufficient time and dedicated training, perhaps within a few years, Killua would be able to unleash formidable electrical discharges without the need for recharging.
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