Arin exhaled, muscles tightening, and then he launched himself forward like a spring released.
His body blurred as he crossed the short distance between them, his fist cutting through the air aimed for Agris's midsection.
Agris dropped low, narrowly slipping under the strike, and twisted his body to counter with an elbow aimed at Arin's ribs.
But just as he committed to the motion, a sudden impact struck his back.
Not a crushing blow, but solid enough to stagger him forward.
"What ?!" Agris jolted,
He spun around and his eyes widened.
Two tall, white-cloaked figures stood beside Arin,
They had white mask and humanoid silhouettes pulsing faintly with life-like Nen energy.
Agris's lips parted.
"So… this is it. Your Nen ability."
Arin's expression hardened, though a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Without hesitation, Arin charged again.
The two White-Cloak Life-Forms mirrored him almost perfectly one flanking his left, the other his right.
Agris gritted his teeth, forced to shift his stance rapidly.
He blocked Arin's punch with his forearm, but immediately felt pressure from his left as one of the figures drove a fist toward his shoulder.
He parried it just in time, only for the second figure to lunge low, forcing him to leap back or risk a strike to the legs.
"I'm not just fighting him I'm fighting three opponents at once."
Arin didn't let up.
The Life-Forms acted seamlessly alongside Arin.
"Fighting against three..."
"They are not powerful..."
"But, even if they gave an opening to Arin, it is enough for him to deal a great damage to me."
Agris ducked under another punch, pivoted, and launched a spinning back kick that forced one of the Life-Forms a step away.
He immediately turned, using the brief opening to swing his right fist the one infused with oscillating Nen.
The reddish glow returned, trembling with violent energy.
"Take this!" he roared, driving the fist toward Arin's chest.
But Arin was already moving. He sidestepped, one of the White-Cloak Figures stepping in to absorb the brunt of the strike.
The impact landed with a shockwave that rattled the air.
The Life-Form was blasted back several meters, its aura body flickering from the damage but still holding form.
Agris's eyes widened.
"It tanked it…?!"
Arin's grin widened.
"Not bad. But you'll have to do better."
He struck, his palm slamming against Agris's chest while the second White-Form swept in with a kick.
Agris staggered back, coughing, his guard slipping as he tried to shake the ringing impact from his body.
The rhythm was slipping away from him.
Every time he tried to focus his vibration technique, Arin's relentless pressure and the seamless attacks of his Life-Forms broke his flow.
"Damn it!" Agris snarled, blocking one strike and countering with a sharp knee. It connected with the side of Arin's thigh, but the opening was fleeting.
Another Life-Form immediately elbowed his ribs, staggering him sideways.
Arin pressed forward.
"Your ability is strong. But you need time to build power. Against one enemy, maybe even two, you'd crush them. Against me and them?"
He tilted his chin toward the glowing figures.
"You can't keep up."
Agris roared in defiance, his aura flaring wildly.
He unleashed a furious barrage, fists and kicks striking with desperate speed.
Arin met each blow head-on, his own attacks flowing like water, while the White-Forms closed in like wolves.
A left hook from Arin, followed by a sweep from a Life-Form.
Agris blocked, grunted, and pushed forward. But then another strike came from behind an uppercut from the second Life-Form, forcing him off balance.
The fight dragged on, but not for long. Sweat poured down Agris's face, his breathing ragged. His movements slowed under the constant barrage.
Finally, Arin slipped through his guard with a sharp punch to the solar plexus. The force drove the wind from Agris's lungs.
A second later, a White-Form slammed a fist into his side, and the other swept his legs from beneath him.
Agris hit the ground hard, gasping for air, his aura flickering in disarray.
He tried to push himself up, but Arin stepped forward, placing a calm but firm hand on his shoulder, pressing him back down.
The two Life-Forms stood silently behind Arin, like sentinels awaiting their master's next command.
Agris coughed, chest heaving, and let out a weak laugh.
"I… I lost…"
Arin crouched beside him, his expression softening.
"You're strong, Agris. Stronger than most I've met. But you relied too much on that one technique. Against someone who can multiply pressure…"
He gestured to the silent figures.
"…it won't cut it."
Agris tilted his head, smirking despite the pain.
"So that's your Hatsu… creating allies out of aura. I should've known. I thought I was fighting you. Turns out, I was fighting you and your army."
Arin chuckled lightly.
"You only saw two. Imagine facing ten."
Agris groaned and shook his head.
"I don't want to imagine that."
They both sat in silence for a moment.
Finally, Arin stood and extended a hand. Agris hesitated, then took it, letting Arin pull him to his feet.
"You put up a good fight," Arin said.
"Better than most. That's why I accepted this spar in the first place."
Agris chuckled breathlessly, wiping blood from his lip.
"Then I'll take the loss as a compliment."
Arin smiled faintly.
"Take it however you like."
As they began walking back toward the path leading out of the forest, Agris glanced sideways at the two silent Life-Forms still trailing behind Arin.
"You really are something else, Arin. With that ability of yours… no wonder you're rising so fast."
Arin said nothing at first, only smirking as the figures faded into nothingness.
"This is only the beginning."