Ten minutes later, Beans lands the airship beside a small, isolated dojo.
In front of it lies a wide, open field, surrounded on all sides by dense trees.
Netero and Auren step outside, while Beans remains aboard, adjusting the ship's position so its lights illuminate the area well enough for a proper spar.
"Any rules?" Auren asks.
"None," Netero replies. "Attack however you like. I'll gradually increase the difficulty—if you manage to get past level one. I wonder if you can even reach level two," he adds, clearly amused.
What level... he is obviously taunting me. This is just a game for him. Why did he want to spar with me in the first place if he looks down on me that much?
"I have just one goal for this fight... to learn," Auren says. "I take it whatever happens stays between us?"
And to stab Eternity into your body... and take your Aura.
"Feel free to use your Hatsu. I will never reveal any part of your ability—you have my word."
This old man is underestimating me. That's his weakness. As long as he sees me as a child with potential, I have more than a reasonable shot to get him. If I can stab Eternity into him... even he will be in trouble.
Auren draws Eternity and steps into his fighting stance, carefully positioning his Katana in front of him, grabbing it with both hands, his feet firmly planted onto the ground.
"Let's do it then!" he yells, rushing forward, his Aura flaring up violently as he activates Ren.
"How energetic. I like it!" Netero replies, lazily stretching one arm forward in a deliberately half-hearted pose.
Let's see how long you are having fun!
Auren closes the distance almost instantly, his steps strong enough to leave deep marks on the floor, and executes a sharp overhead slash. Without hesitation, he mentally prepares to follow up with a horizontal slash, already anticipating the chairman to dodge the first strike.
But to his surprise, Netero activates Ren. His Aura surges, completely overpowering Auren's, and he casually catches the descending blade between two fingers—stopping it without effort.
Are you sure you want to touch that?
Auren smiles and leans into the sword, pressing down with his full weight, not even trying to pull it back.
"Hmm?" Netero hums, peering into his face.
Then, without warning, he leaps backward, his expression turning serious.
"What kind of trick is that?" he asks, his brows now furrowed.
He studies Auren for a moment, visibly puzzled. "I thought you were an Enhancer, like me. Was I wrong?"
"How about you find out?" Auren replies, activating Limitless Waters.
His sword immediately becomes shrouded in fast-flowing Aura—watery, with high-pressure, and dense, making it appear like it contains a high-pressure whirlpool. The technique enhances the blade's cutting strength and durability, while also extending its range with the flowing Aura, extending well beyond the tip of the blade.
He slashes again—this time abandoning heavy, decisive attacks for rapid, erratic combinations that appear random, but follow a complicated pattern that prioritizes accurate and unpredictable attacks.
Netero begins to sway, weaving his upper body with graceful control to avoid each blow, even daring to scratch his head while he dodges.
You won't fucking humiliate me like that.
Auren focuses his full Aura into the blade, expanding the watery edge until the sword nearly doubles in length.
He accelerates again, mixing feints, kicks, and slashes into a seamless chain. His movements link together fluidly, each one setting up the next—his blade never stops moving.
Netero is forced to respond. No longer able to dodge with subtle upper body shifts alone, he starts ducking, leaping, and even retreating when necessary.
"Level two it is..." Netero smirks. "Sooner than expected."
So you move.... You will have to do more than that soon enough.
"Did you expect to win without moving your lazy ass? You'll be in for a rude awakening if you keep mocking me!" Auren yells, charging after him again.
His slashes come faster, sharper—each one more unpredictable than the last. Netero focuses only on evading now, seemingly unable, or to be precise, unwilling to counter as he is kept on the defensive by the blade's extended range.
Suddenly, Auren spits out two water bullets, both cloaked with In—invisible, even to Netero.
Netero's eyes widen for a moment and begin to light up in Aura, for just a second. He reacts almost instantly, dodging both bullets, the fraction of a second he saw the bullets, enough to cleanly evade them.
However, Auren is secretly raising his left hand, almost matching the timing he used for his earlier bullets, just waiting for Netero to stop using Gyo. With that approach, he creates one more blast with his hand, using Emission and Limitless waters, and fires it at Netero.
The chairman is unaware, but as if smelling something wrong, uses Gyo again at the very last chance, the bullet almost making contact with his face, only to react by lifting his hand, Auren unable to even comprehend the speed of the movement.
Still smiling, Netero still has his palm raised and laughs as the bullet disintegrates into loose Aura. It vanishes quickly into the air, leaving no mark on his palm.
"Level three... Oho!" Netero chirps happily. "That one packed a punch, but if you want to damage me, you need to use stronger attacks. Being sneaky is not effective if your attack is too weak."
It's strong enough to blast holes through average Nen users... my bullets are stronger than guns.
Despite the failure of his initial attack, Auren does not hesitate. He continues unleashing his strongest sword combinations at Netero, each one sharper and more refined than the last. And yet, the chairman moves through them effortlessly—dodging, weaving, and predicting every slash like he exists in a different time zone altogether.
As Auren fails to hit him even once, he begins to sweat, his moves stressing his body, Aura, and spirit to the limit. Netero, on the other hand, looks perfectly relaxed and is seemingly having a great time as he skillfully evades all of his attacks.
I am fast. I am incredibly fast. How is he doing this?! I need to reveal all my cards. Netero is an honorable man—I won't get another chance to use all my Hatsus without fear of being exposed. I won't hold back!
Auren attempts to push his speed even further, his movements suddenly becoming looser, almost sloppy. Netero responds without struggle, easily avoiding each strike.
Then, without warning, Auren darts forward, executing a lightning-fast stab aimed directly at the chairman's chest—the largest available target.
Netero steps back, just as expected. But Auren extends the range of his sword mid-thrust, putting more and more Aura into his blade, using Limitless Waters. The watery blade stretches forward and manages to pierce through the older man's clothes—making contact with his chest.
Netero pauses for a moment, then smiles wildly. He claps once, then reaches into his robe, pulling out his finger to reveal a single drop of blood.
"Level four... You wounded me," he says with audible amusement. "Looks like I get to do something after all. Please, do your best—and try not to collapse too soon. It's rare that I actually get to fight back. Make sure I at least have to land more than one hit."
Suddenly, Netero's entire presence shifts. His Aura grows hostile, scaring Auren, while his posture sharpens, and his expression turns completely serious.
For some reason, Auren feels like the air itself grows heavier. The man in front of him no longer looks like an eccentric old warrior, but an immovable mountain—a giant who could crush him in an instant if he so chose.
His punch... it's famous for being faster than sound. I hate to do this, but... I need to get used to it. Ken!
Auren activates Ken, reinforcing his body and taking on a defensive stance. His Aura thickens—larger, denser, stronger—at the cost of drastically increasing his Aura consumption and giving up on offense.
He won't just stand there and let me burn through my energy. That's not his style. This is a spar—he has no reason to go for easy, winning strategies. This is not about winning in the first place. He already thinks the victory is his. What he wants is fun. And what fun is there in watching me exhaust myself without doing anything?
Auren slides Eternity back into its sheath. His right hand rests on the hilt as he prepares his fastest Iai technique. His focus locks onto Netero, watching out for the slightest motion.
The moment he moves, I dodge—and counter. I will slice him and gift him with a permanent scar.
Focus... focus...focus! This is it!
He narrows his attention until the world disappears. Only the chairman remains in view. The rest fades into silence.
Then, without warning, the air warps.
Auren reacts instantly, drawing his katana and slashing forward—but he is already airborne, struck clean in the chest. His blade cuts through empty air, missing its target entirely.
Netero now stands at the spot Auren had been moments ago—completely untouched, far out of reach.
Fuck me... that speed.
Auren spins midair and lands on his feet, his boots dragging across the ground as momentum carries him backward.
I barely reacted. He was already there before I even moved. His punch really is faster than sound. This is insane.
"Nice reaction!" Netero says. "Next time I'll use a little bit more Aura, my fist is hurting a little. Your chest is surprisingly hard. It looks like you are not neglecting your body."
I can't let him set the pace. He is still fucking around. He didn't shift his Aura into his fist, which is why I didn't receive too much damage. My chest hurts, but that's all. I won't let him play his games any longer—this is serious!
I am not here to play your shitty games and tests, old man. If he had used his Aura properly... I would have probably been heavily wounded. He is toying with me.
Fucker... It's time to get serious. In the next thirty seconds, I will show you the might of Eternity and make your body resemble your actual age as I turn you into an empty, shriveled-up husk!
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A/N: Always thankful for Power Stones, Comments, and Reviews. Thank you for reading!
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