Chapter 34: Hisoka X Harbringer
"King's Court! The properties of rubber and gum are forbidden!" Sinbad declared his command without stepping at the center of the square or imbuing his Nen into the arena.
The shock silenced the audience entirely, some of them believed it to be a fake or a trick to catch Hisoka off guard.
As if testing this theory, Hisoka activated Bungee Gum onto the playing card in his right hand and let go of the card. Everyone watched as the playing card fell, floating down as it sailed on the small breeze within Heavens Arena.
"Unbelievable! Sinbad gave a command without needing to be in the center of the square!" Cocco shouted. The crowd erupted to life, especially the high pitched screams of the Sinbad Fan Alliance.
Simultaneously, every Nen User watching understood the reasoning behind why this worked.
Sinbad ran a hand through his hair. "I am a King, once I have conquered a piece of land, it is mine till someone takes it from me."
'I knew it!' Machi thought, her cheeks flushed with excitement.
Killua, Pokkle, Zushi, and Wing fell back into their seats. Stunned at the man's discipline and tactic of keeping the charade of needing to run to the center and need the two minutes. And in the later half of Sinbad's ten victories, he didn't immediately open up with this tactic because it started to become a little too obvious.
Killua and Pokkle didn't realize that everything was a build up to this fight against Hisoka or they would have come to this conclusion earlier, because for everyone else who wasn't familiar with Sinbad's ridiculous Nen reserves, they didn't believe it to be possible.
Most Nen Conditions must be fulfilled every time for them to be activated, Sinbad understood this and used it to his advantage.
Hisoka's long slender arms hugged himself as if he were comforting himself. Anger bled into his voice. "You hated my ability that much?"
Sinbad had thought of King's Court specifically to deal with Bungee Gum, the initial plan of action started on Zevil Island. Then, he became sure of his ability to work due to the manner in which Nen Abilities were strengthened, most people didn't have the means to deviate from the singular utility of their abilities. Especially once they believed themselves to be all powerful. Once he deduced this from speaking with Wing, Bungee Gum would most likely be Hisoka's main Nen Ability, this was when Sinbad implemented his plan.
"Hisoka, I will not humor your sadistic ways and desires. I am going to destroy everything you stand for and then kill you," said Sinbad in the most relaxed manner.
"My magnum opus…" Hisoka mumbled and then started to tremble as he continued to hug himself. "All that time spent cultivating the perfect fight to the death and you ruined it."
"That was the plan," said Sinbad, unsheathing his blade. He bent his knees and angled the curved blade to point the sharp end at its prey.
Tears of hatred and frustration streamed down Hisoka's face. His heels carved into the cement floor. "I thought we were the same? Crushing our opponents because we had the ability to do so and to challenge ourselves. How is this supposed to be a challenge if you remove my special weapon?"
"That's the problem, Hisoka," Sinbad replied, his feet shifted to secure himself. "You have too much faith in Bungee Gum and forgot to ask yourself, 'what am I without it?' But don't worry, I will answer that question for you. You are nothing."
Hisoka unleashed a menacing and high pitch screech. The muscles on his face twisted and tensed as he displayed a terrifying and horrific smile.
"Wow everyone, Sinbad's words sent Hisoka into a rage induced frenzy!" Cocco announced.
"Well, he did steal his candy," mumbled Killua, tossing popcorn into his mouth.
Hisoka had a plan of his own.
Once he learned of Sinbad King's Court, he considered the rule in which Sinbad rendered his beloved Bungee Gum useless. What actions should he take next? In the worst case scenario, even worse than death, if he were to fight such a marvelous opponent without his Nen Ability, how would he fight without it?
And to him, the answer was simple because of his love and trust for Bungee Gum, he didn't want to waste time and Nen Output on inventing a third Nen Ability, so he made a Nen Condition.
If, at any time during their Floor Master deathmatch, Sinbad makes a command to remove the effects of Bungee Gum, Hisoka Morrow would become a Master Enhancer.
Hisoka–now a fully realized Master Enhancer–leaned forward and injected himself toward Sinbad.
If it wasn't for Sinbad's constant En as a second set of 'eyes' to watch and predict Hisoka's speed, he wouldn't have been able to react fast enough to dodge Hisoka's uppercut. Nearly getting his head blown off, Sinbad tilted his head to dodge, harsh wind pressure released from the power of Hisoka's attack.
Sinbad got low and sliced his Nen coated blade across Hisoka's chest. Without needing an advanced application of Nen Techniques to defend himself, Sinbad's blade couldn't penetrate the protective Ten surrounding Hisoka's body.
Realizing this, Sinbad leapt backward to put space in between the two.
Not wanting his prey to escape, Hisoka reached out to grab Sinbad's foot but was already familiar with Hisoka's intrinsic fighting style, he only managed to cut a few centimeters into the hand with his blade, still unable to overcome the Nen of a Master Enhancer. But it was enough to stop Hisoka's hand from grabbing his foot.
Hisoka slammed his hands together, mushing his palms together like he was flattening dough, then with a quick flicker of his hands, dozens of playing cards appeared in between them.
Texture Surprise!
Hisoka activated his second Nen Ability, making half of the playing cards at random seem as if they vanished from his grasp. He flickered his hands, rearranging them and then applying In on the playing cards. Holding the cards in one palm and then swiping the ones at the top to fire them one by one at Sinbad.
Immediately once Hisoka applied Texture Surprise on the cards to hide them from plain sight, Sinbad reactivated Gyo. The playing cards flew at Sinbad at blurring speeds, using his eyes and En, he could still track each of them.
His sword vanished to cut the cards in pieces but the applied Nen Enhancing the cards exceeded expectation, he settled with cutting them in half. It felt as if he were cutting into steel sized boulders. After slicing twenty playing cards, Sinbad forfeited the idea and switched to dodging instead.
"What is going on!" Cocco shouted in confusion. Sinbad is moving around like a maniac, he is jumping and falling all over the place. "It seems like he is escaping from invisible bullets!"
Laughing hysterically, Hisoka continued launching deadly sharp playing cards at Sinbad. "I am still standing just fine over here."
At the provocation, Sinbad's legs stopped moving. His Nen surged in a blinding golden light, rushing toward the tip of his blade as it blurred into a golden luminescent star, shredding the playing cards into tiny pieces.
"That is right, Hisoka. I have expectations to meet since I've said them, now it's time to deliver," Sinbad said, his tone dropping cold and determined. "Plus, my friends are watching."
But so was his natural enemy, Gilgamesh, which was why Sinbad wished to finish the fight without revealing what he was about to do next.
'Who cares, he was going to find out eventually. Not like it's going to matter by the time he and I fight,' Sinbad rationalized his thoughts as he sheathed his blade.
"Furfur, I am your master and you will obey my authority," Sinbad proclaimed. A golden medallion of condescending Nen manifested around Sinbad's neck. "Submit your power and dwell within my body!"
A strong urge to stop whatever Sinbad had planned, Hisoka exploded from his position to attack him. His enhanced legs crushed the cement tiles beneath his feet. About halfway toward Sinbad, everything turned to darkness. Unsure of his environment, Hisoka ended his pursuit.
Hisoka was swallowed into an abyss.
"What is going on?! After Sinbad uttered those words, he exploded with darkness!" Cocco announced, recalling the events of what happened. Now, Sinbad's darkness encompassed the whole stage. Nobody in the audience could see a thing. "This smoke bomb reminds me of Hanzo's ability?"
Murmurs of displeasure and confusion sounded in the crowd, unhappy that they couldn't see and people remembered the bald ninja's ability.
"Hanzo?" Baygor repeated, leaning forward and using Gyo to see what was happening inside of the smoke. Even with Gyo, he wasn't allowed to see inside, because of the Nen Restriction he placed on the Nen Abyss.
Sinbad restricted Gilgamesh, Baygor, and Machi from peeking inside of his Abyss.
"Yes, Sinbad defeated him as his first victory on the 200th Floor," answered Zushi.
"So, he conquered him and can now use his Nen Ability?" Baygor assumed correctly. After there was no response, his eyes glanced at the Nen Users to his left, all using Gyo to see what was happening inside the darkness.
"Killua? What is happening to Sinbad's body?" Pokkle asked, fear coated his voice.
Killua shook his head, unable to physically respond.
Up in the announcer's booth, Silva Zoldyck had activated Gyo once the Abyss blanketed the entire arena. Subconsciously, he rose from his seat, earning Gilgamesh's attention. "Impossible. What is he trying to accomplish with this inhumane transformation?"
"Doing his best to keep up with me," answered Gilgamesh, he laughed even though he couldn't see the transformation.
Imane clutched her clipboard to her chest. "He is the Harbinger of Darkness…"
Sinbad's erratic and sinister laughter resounded from the Abyss, terrifying those who dared listen.
In the Abyss, Sinbad's body underwent a total transformation. Dark obsidian scales covered his entire body, his hands morphed into scaly claws, protruding thick armor erupted from behind his black wrists, two sharp horns erected from the top of his head extending backward, and a singular wing grew from the left side of his back.
Sinbad's horrific transformation came from the price of harboring numerous sources of Nen and activating them at the same time, his body rejecting humanity and inching closer to a Nen Beast. Especially due to Hanzo's extremely negative emotions toward Sinbad, this caused a more sinister change in his body.
This was the cumulation of Sinbad's Nen Category: Manipulator and Specialist.
Sinbad conjured two daggers, using Hanzo's ability. He unleashed the two conjured daggers at the immobile Hisoka. The reason for his stationary position was because Hisoka focused his Nen onto En, 'seeing' his surroundings through Nen. Naturally, he 'saw' the incoming flying projectile.
Immediately after throwing the daggers, Sinbad reached into his left breast pocket and retrieved a thin rectangular item, after imbuing it with a tiny amount of Nen, he threw it at the dodging Hisoka. The accuracy of the thrown rectangular shaped item forced Hisoka to either block it with his forearms or swat it away.
At the very last second, the moment right before Hisoka's right hand knocked down the incoming projectile, Sinbad teleported to the thin rectangular shaped item. It was the same bloody red king of diamonds playing card that Hisoka stabbed Sinbad with during the Fourth Phase of the Hunter Exams. He snatched the playing card out of the air, avoiding Hisoka's hand. He ducked underneath the reaching right arm, spun and enhanced the playing card, slashing it at Hisoka's thinly protected neck.
As the playing card sliced across Hisoka's neck, Machi's voice echoed in his head.
"You are going to die."
With Hisoka's own red king of diamond playing card, Sinbad cut off Hisoka's head. The two severed body parts flopped to the cement floor.
Hisoka Morrow was dead.
Due to Sinbad's Abyss, the referee couldn't see Hisoka's death and hasn't concluded the match and crown Sinbad the winner of the Floor Master fight. He turned away from the corpse, taking a step in the referee's direction but quickly stopped. Sinbad's heart clenched causing him to wince from the sharp uncomfortable pain. He needed to end the transformation and then end the Abyss.
Right before Sinbad could end his transformation, he sensed a sinister aura coming from Hisoka's body.
'Impossible! He should be dead,' Sinbad thought, turning back around to look at Hisoka's body and severed head glow with bright pink Nen.
Beyond death, Hisoka activated Bungee Gum.