'I'll defeat you in one blow, Loki!!!'
Killua raised his fist, refraining from using his retractable claws to minimize the risk of injuring Loki.
"Killua's attacking!"
The previous exchange had clearly demonstrated the gap between Loki and Killua.
Gon was worried about Killua's attack; his intuition told him it wasn't the right moment.
However, Killua had silently transformed into a shadow, appearing from Loki's left rear. He unleashed a powerful punch aimed at Loki's neck. While he'd been tricked by targeting the back of Loki's neck before, the neck remained a vulnerable point.
Killua's killing intent erupted.
In a flash, Killua's fist was caught. A large fist appeared before him, pressing against his forehead. His eyes widened in shock.
'That speed… how… how is that possible… damn it…'
A powerful gust of wind suddenly erupted from Loki's fist, striking Killua's face and ruffling his silver hair. The force of the wind was so strong that if Loki hadn't been holding his fist, Killua would have been blown away.
If that punch had landed, it would have instantly knocked him unconscious.
'I… I lost!' Killua couldn't believe he'd lost so easily. He'd expected to lose, but not this quickly. Ignoring Loki's earlier perfunctory attack, he'd been defeated in a single blow. He couldn't accept this. He felt his power wasn't that far below Loki's.
"I…" Killua stammered.
Loki released Killua. Everyone watched silently as Killua's expression left Gon and the others unsure how to comfort him.
Killua was strong, and Kurapika and Leorio admired his power. But against the unfathomable Loki, even Killua lost swiftly. They wondered about Nen's power. Even a monster like Killua could be defeated so easily.
Leorio was amazed by Nen's power, while Kurapika desperately wanted to learn it. They didn't know Loki hadn't used Nen.
Despite the victory, Loki felt no sense of accomplishment. Even defeating a main character from the Hunter x Hunter world didn't make him happy. Killua was simply too weak. It was as easy as crushing an ant. Who would feel happy about that?
Loki turned to Silva. "Is the match over?"
Silva, having seen Loki's superior strength even without Nen, knew the outcome. There was no need to continue. But he focused on the dejected Killua. He wanted to put pressure on Killua but not crush him. He wanted Killua to grow stronger under pressure, becoming a capable successor upon his return to the Zoldyck family. Silva awaited Killua's reaction—would he be crushed or rise to the challenge?
Loki was annoyed. Silva was using him to show Killua his weakness and now wanted to see Killua immediately recover and show stronger fighting spirit.
'He doesn't take me seriously? Good. I want to see how strong a top Nen user is!'
Loki, initially focused on the mission (defeating Zeno), now had a new goal. He'd hoped the Zoldycks would go easy on him, given Zeno's relationship with Netero. Zeno wouldn't use full power; it wasn't a life-or-death fight, and Zeno disliked pointless battles, especially those without reward. Winning should be easy.
Silva's actions angered Loki. Being used was one thing, but this attitude was unacceptable.
Loki's question went unanswered. Everyone knew it depended on Killua. If Killua wanted to continue, Loki would have to knock him unconscious.
All eyes were on Killua, who was reflecting on his training, having been defeated by a peer. He doubted himself.
"Killua!" Gon's voice rang out.
Killua looked up at Gon.
"Killua isn't Loki's match now, but I believe you can catch up and even surpass him. I believe in you."
"Gon…" Killua's bitter expression finally softened into a smile.
Gon felt a drop in temperature and a cold breeze. He didn't understand why, focusing on Killua. Gon's words had lifted Killua's spirits, but it sparked intense killing intent in Silva towards Gon. Someone who could so easily influence Killua couldn't be allowed to exist.
Silva glared at Gon, instantly masking his killing intent. Only Loki noticed.
"I lost this time, but next time, I won't lose to you, Loki!" Killua said, extending his hand to Loki.
Loki smiled. "I'll be waiting for our next match."
They shook hands.
Killua went to the edge of the training grounds. Gon rushed to hug him. Their friendship was enviable, but Loki didn't need friends. Strength was enough. In his past life, anime was enough; now, strength was enough. He focused only on getting stronger.
After the match with Killua, Loki's gaze turned serious. He looked at Silva. "Mr. Silva, shall we begin?"
"Indeed."
"Will we still use the Heaven Arena scoring system?"
"Certainly not!" Silva chuckled. "That method is unnecessary for us, wouldn't you agree?"
"You're right," Loki said, closing his eyes, then opening them, his gaze filled with fighting spirit. "What will determine the victor?"
"No fixed rules. The one who admits defeat loses."
"Interesting." Loki smiled. This was good. You had to fight until death if you didn't admit defeat. This was the kind of fight Loki wanted.
Since gaining Yō Asakura's power, Loki hadn't fought a serious opponent. Hisoka didn't count; he hadn't awakened Nen then. Even if he used Nen instinctively, its power was less than 1% of his current strength.
Killua, Gon, and the others watched silently as Silva and Loki spoke.
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