The instant Kael and the others returned, Hisoka seemed to sense something.
His eyes abruptly opened, and an excited expression appeared on his face.
His golden pupils gleamed like those of a hunter in the dim room, as though he had finally caught the scent of prey he had been anticipating for a long time.
“Gon, how confident are you about your battle with Hisoka?”
Kael looked at Gon, wanting to know how accurately he currently judged his own strength.
Gon sat down on the sofa, and Hisoka’s figure appeared clearly in his mind.
Although his strength had increased enormously, he still had little confidence that he could defeat Hisoka.
“I don’t know.”
“But I have to fight him.
I need to return this.”
Gon took out Badge #44, which Hisoka had given him, and held it tightly.
His gaze was as firm as iron.
“Gon, Hisoka is strong.
Extremely strong.”
Kael’s expression became grave.
“His ability, Bungee Gum, greatly enhances his strength, speed, close-combat ability, and defense.”
“If someone of equal physical strength fights him at close range, Hisoka could practically be considered invincible.”
“Invincible in close combat?”
Gon and Killua froze in shock.
Kael nodded seriously and continued explaining.
“Besides concealing Bungee Gum with In, Hisoka can attach it to you through practically any attack.”
“Once it sticks to you, unless you possess enough strength to break free, you’ll have entered his hunting ground.”
“Think about it.
He can pull you toward him whenever he wants and fling you away whenever he wants.
What do you think fighting under those conditions would feel like?”
In his previous life, Kael had thoroughly analyzed Hisoka’s ability.
During Hisoka’s battle with Gon, he had presented Gon with four possible outcomes.
Although the battle ultimately produced a fifth result, none of the first four options could truly have been avoided.
There was only one way to prevent them:
Do not make contact with Hisoka.
The moment they exchanged blows, Bungee Gum could be attached to Gon.
After that, Gon’s only option would be to rely on his own strength and resist Hisoka’s pulling force.
After hearing Kael’s explanation, Gon fell silent.
His current fighting style did not include any long-range attacks.
In other words, Hisoka would inevitably attach Bungee Gum to him.
Worse still, Hisoka far surpassed him in both strength and speed.
Killua was also deep in thought, searching for a way to overcome the problem.
Beneath his silver hair, his blue eyes gleamed with calculation.
However, no matter how many scenarios he considered, Gon’s fighting style offered no effective countermeasure.
After simulating the fight dozens of times, Killua estimated that Gon’s chances of victory were less than one percent.
Gon remained silent for a while.
Then his gaze suddenly became resolute, and his body began trembling slightly with excitement.
He looked seriously at Kael and Killua.
“Even if my chances of winning are zero, I’m still going to fight.”
“This is a promise between Hisoka and me.”
Kael had already known that Gon would say something like that.
He smiled. This story is hosted at g.com.
“Good.
Then during these next four days, we’ll test every possible countermeasure.”
Kael did not yet possess a perfect solution either.
However, he knew that Gon had to demonstrate how much he had grown during this battle.
The key to changing the situation might lie in his use of Observation Haki and Armament Haki.
After four days of preparation, the day of the match finally arrived.
Due to the extensive promotion by Heavens Arena, the battle between Gon and Hisoka had attracted an enormous audience.
Every seat was occupied, and deafening noise filled the arena.
Kael naturally understood that most of this popularity came from Hisoka.
Gon had participated in several matches and gained a few fans, but he was still nowhere near as famous as the magician whose legendary victories were known throughout Heavens Arena.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!”
The announcer’s passionate voice echoed throughout the venue.
“Tonight, we will witness one of the most highly anticipated matches in recent memory!”
“On one side stands the undefeated legend of Heavens Arena—the magician, Hisoka!”
“And facing him is the rising young star who has recently taken the arena by storm—Gon Freecss!”
The audience erupted into thunderous cheers.
The cries of “Hisoka!” in particular seemed powerful enough to shake the heavens.
“Hisoka has maintained an astonishing undefeated record!
His Bungee Gum has brought countless powerful opponents to defeat!”
“Although Gon is still young, he has demonstrated an incredible rate of growth during his previous matches!”
“What kind of sparks will fly when this rising newcomer challenges an established legend?”
“Kael, do you think Hisoka might instinctively try to kill Gon?”
Killua asked worriedly.
Hisoka was a complete lunatic.
Even now, Killua could not fully understand him.
“I can’t be certain,” Kael replied seriously.
“But this was Gon’s decision.
All we can do is believe in him.”
Kael understood Killua’s concern.
Hisoka was inherently unpredictable.
If Gon excited him beyond his limit, there was a possibility that Hisoka might lose control of his murderous urges.
The chances were not particularly high, but no one could guarantee that Hisoka would not do something completely unexpected.
At that moment, the spectators rose from their seats and threw their hands into the air, shouting excitedly.
Spotlights converged on the center of the arena.
Amid deafening cheers, Gon and Hisoka entered the ring at the same time.
Hisoka stood in one corner with a spine-chilling smile on his face.
His golden eyes remained fixed on Gon, like a hunter admiring prey that would soon fall into his hands.
He lightly licked his lips, his entire body radiating danger and excitement.
“Ladies and gentlemen, look at that!”
“As always, Hisoka is displaying his unique and terrifying presence!”
“Meanwhile, Gon appears completely fearless!
Will this young warrior give us an unexpected surprise tonight?”
The referee looked between Gon and Hisoka.
After clearly explaining all the rules, he declared the beginning of the match without hesitation.
His steps were steady.
His gaze remained focused.
The aura throughout his body boiled violently.
Hisoka remained where he stood, watching Gon’s every movement with an expression of pure enjoyment.
Gon’s rapid offensive seemed to pluck directly at the strings of Hisoka’s excitement.
Hisoka merely received each attack and casually countered without making any attempt to move from his position.
“Incredible!”
“Even while facing Gon’s relentless offensive, Hisoka hasn’t taken a single step!”
“Is this the composure of an overwhelmingly powerful fighter?”
Seeing that Hisoka truly had no intention of moving, just as Kael had predicted, Gon immediately proceeded with their plan.
After exchanging several punches with Hisoka, Gon leapt backward.
He drove his fingers into the stone floor of the arena and exerted his strength.
A stone slab weighing nearly a thousand pounds was ripped from the ground and hurled toward Hisoka at the center of the ring.
“What?!”
“Gon has torn a stone slab out of the arena with his bare hands!”
“That thing weighs nearly a thousand pounds!
What incredible strength!”
Gon leapt toward the airborne slab and punched it.
The heavy stone shattered instantly.
Countless fragments shot toward Hisoka.
Hisoka rapidly used his fists to clear away the incoming debris.
At that exact moment, Gon vanished completely from his perception.
“Is that Zetsu?”
A trace of surprise flashed through Hisoka’s eyes, only to be immediately replaced by even greater excitement.
He had no intention of activating En.
Instead, he searched for Gon with his eyes.
By then, however, Gon had already appeared behind him.
Because Gon emitted neither killing intent nor fluctuations of aura, his fist struck Hisoka directly in the face.
“He hit him!”
“Gon has successfully landed a blow on Hisoka!”
“Is this the first time Hisoka has been struck so early in a match at Heavens Arena?!”
The announcer roared excitedly.
The audience erupted into frenzied cheers, and the resulting wave of sound seemed ready to overturn the entire arena.
“Just as we expected.”
Killua calmly analyzed the situation.
“Hisoka won’t use his ability at the beginning, and he won’t take Gon seriously.”
“But what happens next is what really matters.”
“By landing that punch, Gon has fulfilled the promise he made when Hisoka gave him Badge #44.”
Kael stared deeply at the ring.
“Now the real battle begins.”
Hisoka slowly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
The smile on his face became even more dangerous—and far more excited.
(End of Chapter)