The fight raged on.
But things weren't looking good for Neferpitou.
Her face grew darker with each clash.
There was no more arrogance in her eyes—only full, intense focus.
Because...
If she didn't take this seriously, she'd die.
"You're too stiff."
Aoki Hiroshi suddenly spoke.
He stepped forward fluidly, effortlessly predicting her next move.
In the same motion, his hand snapped out, fingers curved like steel hooks—aiming straight for her eyes.
Neferpitou panicked.
She twisted her body mid-air, barely dodging by leaning back.
But Hiroshi had already anticipated that.
His hooked fingers shifted smoothly, pressing against her chest.
BOOM.
A surge of aura, refined through the "Ren" technique, exploded from his palm like a bullet—driving straight toward her heart.
Not good!
She reflexively drew her aura to her chest to defend.
But that move thinned the aura protecting the rest of her body.
"You're too rigid. Fighting purely on instinct... you don't understand real technique," Hiroshi said, voice like ice.
His hand pressed harder against her chest, leveraging it to lift his right leg.
BAM!
A brutal knee strike hammered into her temple.
CRACK.
Cartilage shattered.
Neferpitou's eyes bulged, bloodshot veins exploding across them.
She was sent flying, her body hurtling backward.
She crashed against a jagged boulder.
The impact compressed her spine—rupturing critical vertebrae.
"This… can't be happening…"
"What kind of joke is this?!"
"There's no way I'm losing!"
She lashed out wildly with her claws to prevent Hiroshi from following up.
Blood dripped from her lips, her vision spinning with golden stars.
If not for her Chimera Ant physiology, that knee strike would have crushed her skull.
And this wasn't even the first time she'd been nearly finished.
Why...?
Why can he read all my attacks?
Why does he always set traps where I least expect them?!
Panic churned in her heart.
Time and again, Hiroshi predicted her moves.
Every trap... precise.
Earlier, he'd feinted for her eyes—forcing her to guard her heart—only to strike her head instead.
All the blood soaking the ground was hers.
Not a scratch marked Hiroshi.
"Damn it!!"
Her teeth clenched. Frustration boiled.
From the sidelines, Kite couldn't believe his eyes.
"…He's going to win?"
He stared at the battlefield, stunned.
Neferpitou's body was battered.
Cuts bled from her neck, cheek, abdomen, arms, and thighs.
Her body was covered in bruises.
Even her tail had been snapped off—rendering her unbalanced and disoriented.
To a feline-type Chimera Ant, losing the tail meant losing her core stabilizer.
She was losing. Badly.
"And he hasn't taken a single hit...?"
Kite was stunned again.
In the entire history of the Hunter Association, never had a brand-new Nen user taken on an opponent of this caliber.
In his eyes, Neferpitou was at least a 3-Star Hunter-level threat.
And not just any 3-Star—a combat-specialist 3-Star.
"This rookie… is an absolute genius."
Kite's eyes shone with admiration.
"If nurtured properly, he might even…"
He paused.
"Could he be the next Chairman?"
"…No. That's too far."
"But maybe one of the world's top five Nen users someday?"
Kite thought of his own mentor—Ging Freecss, one of the Five Nen Masters.
And for the first time...
He felt that Aoki Hiroshi might one day stand shoulder to shoulder with Ging.
A new legend could be born—making it the Six Masters of Nen.
Up in the trees...
"Yes!!" Gon was practically vibrating with excitement.
Even from a distance, he could tell Hiroshi had the upper hand.
"You're winning, big bro!!"
His voice trembled with joy.
In the clearing...
Aoki Hiroshi approached Neferpitou slowly.
Calm.
Expressionless.
His aura gently rose and fell with each breath—circulating with a natural rhythm.
That effortless flow exuded a pressure Neferpitou couldn't ignore.
He just awakened Nen... yet he's already this proficient?
No!
Only the King should have that kind of talent!
Her face contorted with fury, eyes glaring at Hiroshi with hatred.
She had recovered a bit during the pause—her dizziness had faded, and her vision cleared.
But the blood in her eyes remained.
The capillaries had burst from the earlier blow.
"…Warm-up's over."
Hiroshi stood before her, voice cold. "Time to send you off."
What?
Neferpitou's mouth fell open.
That... was just the warm-up?!
"You're bluffing!" she snarled, lips twitching in disbelief.
That fight—those hits—he must've been going all out!
She had already gauged his physical limits.
His raw strength and speed were barely a quarter of hers!
But his technique, combat instinct, and sixth sense… all completely outclassed her.
That's how he was winning.
"If you really had more power," she said bitterly, "you could've killed me six times already during your traps!"
"But you didn't."
"That means you're out of gas!"
Her eyes glinted.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to her.
She broke into a crazed grin and rasped, "I get it now."
"You're faking!"
"You're bluffing to intimidate me, aren't you?"
"This is classic human bravado, hahahaha!"
Her laughter echoed across the battlefield.
She truly believed she had seen through his act.
Of course! He's human. His stamina must've run out by now.
They'd been fighting at full tilt for too long.
Surely… he was running on empty.
"I guess I win after all," she said smugly, bouncing up on her toes.
Her stamina was still at half!
Hiroshi said nothing.
He just looked at her with the same calm expression.
No explanation.
No retort.