Chapter 19: York New City Part 4: Dark Night
After our discussion and a good night's rest, Nicolas and I spent the following week training rigorously. We honed our skills, worked on new strategies, and prepared for the upcoming matches on the higher floors of Heaven's Arena. It was a week filled with intense workouts, sparring sessions, and focused training.
As the week progressed, I received a notification from the arena administration. My first match on the 200th floor was scheduled. My opponent was a fighter known as "Bat-rava," a mysterious figure who bore a striking resemblance to Batman. His real name was unknown, and he was known for his exceptional combat skills and a unique Nen ability involving conjuration.
On the day of the match, Nicolas and I made our way to the 200th floor Arena. The atmosphere was electric, with the crowd buzzing with excitement. Fighters on this level were no joke, and the stakes were higher than ever. As we entered the arena, I felt a surge of adrenaline. This was the moment I had been preparing for.
The announcer's voice boomed through the arena. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 200th floor of Heaven's Arena! Tonight, we have an exciting match for you. In the red corner, we have the rising star, Yuuma! And in the blue corner, the enigmatic and formidable Bat-rava!"
The crowd roared as the spotlight focused on Bat-rava. He stood tall, clad in a black, armored suit with a flowing cape. His face was obscured by a White Rat mask, and his presence exuded an aura of mystery and power.
I stepped into the ring, my heart pounding with anticipation. The referee signaled the start of the match, and Bat-rava wasted no time. He moved with incredible speed and agility, closing the distance between us in an instant.
Bat-rava's Nen ability was a powerful conjuration and Transmutation technique called "Shadow Arsenal." With this ability, he could conjure various weapons and gadgets from the shadows, each one imbued with a unique property. As he attacked, he conjured a pair of shadowy batons, striking at me with precision and force.
I dodged his initial strikes, relying on my speed and agility. But Bat-rava's attacks were relentless, and I found myself on the defensive. "I needed to find an opening, a way to turn the tide of the battle," I thought to myself.
Summoning my own Nen ability, Orbital Orbs, I created a series of glowing orbs that hovered around me. Using manipulation, I shaped them into defensive barriers, deflecting Bat-rava's attacks. The orbs provided a buffer, allowing me to regroup and counterattack.
Bat-rava shifted tactics, conjuring a set of shuriken from the shadows and hurling them at me. I used my orbs to deflect the projectiles, then closed the distance between us with a burst of speed. I aimed a powerful kick at his midsection, but he blocked it with one of his batons, countering with a swift strike to my side.
The impact sent me stumbling back, but I quickly regained my footing. The referee called out, "Clean hit, 1 point!" The score was 1-0.
"This guy was tough, but I couldn't afford to let him dominate the fight. I needed to use my Nen abilities more creatively," I thought urgently.
I focused my aura, enhancing my speed and strength with Ren. Using my manipulation skills, I directed the orbs to form a full-body protective shield around my body, then launched a series of rapid kicks at Bat-rava. He blocked and parried with his batons, but I could see that he was struggling to keep up.
The crowd watched in awe as the battle raged on, each of us pushing the limits of our abilities. Bat-rava conjured a grappling hook from the shadows, attempting to ensnare me. I dodged and countered with a barrage of orb-enhanced kicks, each one breaching his defenses. One hit him on his hands, breaking it in the process, while another struck his kneecap, shattering it to pieces and causing him to fall, only holding himself up with his other knee. Finally, I delivered a swift kick to the white rat mask, which soon changed red, matching the color of blood.
The referee awarded me 3 clean hits and a critical hit. The score was now 5-1.
Bat-rava wasn't done yet. He conjured a flamethrower, the flames erupting in seconds and engulfing me with precision and force. But thanks to my full-body protective shield, I moved further into the flames until I got close enough to hit him.
With a final, powerful kick, I knocked Bat-rava off balance, sending him crashing to the ground. The referee called out another critical hit. The crowd went wild with excitement. The score was now 7-1.
But the excitement soon became silent because Bat-rava started twitching and making screeching noises. As his mask fell off, everyone, including me, was met with a horrible sight. His face was worse than the mask; there were scars covering his entire face. It looked like someone had peeled off his flesh and glued it back on.
"Yyyyyyoooooouuuu wwwwillllll ppppppaaaaayyyyyy!!!!!!!" Screamed Bat-rava.
He stood on his broken knee, wobbling towards me. His Ren was filled with killing intent. I took my fighting pose, waiting for him to enter my range. As he got closer, he soon fell to the ground, face-first.
The referee stepped in, signaling the end of the match. "The winner is Yuuma!!!" the announcer declared, and the crowd erupted in cheers.
Breathing heavily, I turned to walk off the stage, only to be met with a strange chill. It was Bat-rava standing up again. The referee tried to stop him from moving, but he was met with an untimely death as Bat-rava bit his neck and started to feed on the referee's body.
The arena was silent as Bat-rava crunched and swallowed. But that wasn't the weird part; Bat-rava had healed from his injuries, and his eye was glowing red. He yelled in a horrible scream like thunder, shaking the stadium.
Seeing this, I couldn't stand back and do nothing. I yelled his name, "Bat-rava," to catch his attention. His glowing red eyes locked on me instantly. Bat-rava ran at me with rage, conjuring shadow clawed gauntlets from his body's shadow.
Seeing this, I decided to end him with a move I'd been saving due to it causing me to lose orbs as a condition to activate it. This technique was called "Orbital Cannon." I gathered 15 out of 50 orbs to my index finger, and all 15 orbs contracted and condensed into one orb. I waited until he was in range to fire. He soon entered range, and I released my energy, hitting him straight on like a cannon, engulfing him in a blue light of energy.
As the attack ended, there was nothing left of Bat-rava. Seeing that he was gone from this world, I took my leave.
The crowd was stunned at what had transpired, seeing that the announcer stated again, "Winner Yuuma!!! Those who placed bets on Yuuma are going home with full pockets tonight."
I returned to my penthouse on the 200th floor. Nicolas was already there waiting. "Boss, that was a crazy fight," said Nicolas, excited about how the fight ended.
I nodded, feeling a mix of exhaustion and satisfaction. "Yeah, that was intense. But it just goes to show how unpredictable these matches can be. We need to be prepared for anything."
Nicolas grinned. "Well, you definitely handled it like a pro. Now we need to keep this momentum going."
I agreed. "Let's focus on our training and make sure we're ready for whatever comes next. We'll keep pushing ourselves and refining our skills."
We spent the next few days training rigorously, going over our previous fights and identifying areas for improvement. Nicolas and I sparred against each other, testing new strategies and techniques. We also incorporated more Nen training, working on perfecting our Hatsu abilities and improving our overall control.
As we trained, I couldn't help but feel a growing sense of camaraderie with Nicolas. Despite the challenges we faced, we were becoming a strong team, complementing each other's strengths and covering each other's weaknesses. It was a partnership built on trust and mutual respect.
One evening, after an especially grueling training session, we decided to take a break and relax in the penthouse. We ordered some food and sat by the large windows, enjoying the view of the city below.
"Hey, boss," Nicolas said, taking a sip of his drink. "I've been thinking... What do you plan to do after we conquer Heaven's Arena? I mean, we've got our Hunter licenses, and we're making a name for ourselves here, but what's next?"
I leaned back in my chair, considering his question. "Honestly, I want to play this game called greed island. I heard that people went missing playing this game. I think it's a cool mystery. I want to see if the game is real and play it.
Nicolas raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Greed Island, huh? I've heard about that game. It's supposed to be incredibly rare and dangerous. But if anyone can handle it, it's us."
I smiled, appreciating his confidence. "Exactly. But first, we need to finish what we started here at Heaven's Arena. Let's aim to become Floor Masters. After that, we'll start our search for Greed Island."
Plus we can do so much as Hunters. We could take on more challenging missions, explore uncharted territories, or even join a specialized group within the Hunter Association. The possibilities are endless."
Nicolas nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, you're right. I guess we'll just have to see where our journey takes us. For now, let's focus on becoming the best we can be and making our mark in Heaven's Arena."
We clink our glasses together in a toast. "To the future," I said, smiling.
"To the future," Nicolas echoed.
Our training continued, and soon enough, I received another notification from the arena administration. My next match on the 200th floor was scheduled. This time, I would be facing an opponent known as "The Phantom," a fighter shrouded in mystery and darkness. It was said that The Phantom's Nen ability allowed him to manipulate shadows, making him a formidable adversary.
On the day of the match, Nicolas and I made our way to the arena, feeling a mix of excitement and anticipation. The crowd was buzzing with anticipation, eager to see the next thrilling battle.
As I stepped into the ring, the announcer's voice echoed through the arena. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another exciting match on the 200th floor of Heaven's Arena! In the red corner, we have the rising star, Yuuma! And in the blue corner, the elusive and deadly, The Phantom!"
The spotlight focused on The Phantom, a tall figure dressed in dark, flowing robes. His face was obscured by a hood, and his eyes glowed with an eerie light. The aura he emitted was cold and menacing, sending shivers down my spine.
The referee signaled the start of the match, and The Phantom wasted no time. He extended his hand, and A creature erupted from the ground, forming into sharp, deadly tendrils that lashed out at me.
I activated my Nen abilities, creating a series of Orbital Orbs that hovered around me, forming a protective barrier. The shadow tendrils clashed against the orbs, creating a series of sparks and flashes. I could feel the intensity of The Phantom's attacks, but I held my ground, deflecting his strikes with precision.
The Phantom's Nen ability was formidable, but I knew I had to find a way to counter it. I focused my aura, enhancing my speed and strength with Ren. Using my manipulation skills, I directed the orbs to form a series of offensive strikes, targeting The Phantom's weak points.
Our battle continued, each of us pushing our limits and testing our skills. The crowd watched in awe as we clashed, the arena filled with the sounds of our attacks and the crackling of Nen energy.
In a final, desperate move, The Phantom summoned a massive creature construct, a towering figure that loomed over me. I knew I had to end this quickly. Summoning all my strength, I gathered my orbs and formed them into multiple rows of powerful projectiles.
"Orbital Barrage!" I shouted, launching the condensed energies at The Phantom. The projectile struck the construct, causing it to disintegrate in a burst of light. The force of the attack sent The Phantom crashing out of the arena unconscious , defeated.
The referee stepped in, signaling the end of the match. "The winner is Yuuma!!!" the announcer declared, and the crowd erupted in cheers.
Breathing heavily, I turned and walked off the stage, feeling a sense of triumph. Nicolas was waiting for me, a proud smile on his face.
"You did it, boss! That was amazing!" he said, clapping me on the back.
"Thanks, Nicolas," I replied, smiling. "We make a great team. Let's keep pushing forward and see how far we can go."
With another victory under our belts, we returned to our penthouse, ready to continue our journey in Heaven's Arena. The challenges ahead were daunting, but we were determined to face them head-on, knowing that together, we could achieve anything.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone