In the waiting room, Nearly all the Floor Masters of Heavens Arena were gathered, warming up before the matches.
Some punched sandbags, some jumped rope, others stretched their backs into a bridge-like pose... Only Zushi and Kanjiru, the first-round fighters, weren't present—they were already in their respective tunnels, preparing to enter the arena.
"Was there really any need to hold this Martial Arts Tournament? Everyone already knows who'll win in the end, right?"
Amoeba stretched his long arms, twisting his torso left and right, his tone resigned.
His thoughts aligned with Leorio—both felt the tournament was unnecessary.
"No, this Martial Arts Tournament still has its purpose." Beside him, Gama whose demeanor resembled an actual frog, shook his head in response.
"First, the Martial Arts Tournament is Heavens Arena's most profitable event. Let's not even talk about the betting pools. Just selling merchandise and tickets this year has already made us a fortune."
"Moreover, this Martial Arts Tournament is a chance to prove something. Many people want to see the legendary Akira actually win the trophy. So any other tournament could be skipped, but this one must be held."
"Opportunity like this only comes one in a life time." Seeing Gama speak in such an uncharacteristic manner, Amoeba small eyes showed a trace of surprise.
"What's gotten into you today? How come you're so sharp-witted all of a sudden?"
"Ha, actually, I read these analyses on a forum beforehand." Gama said somewhat sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head to ease the awkwardness.
"Creak~"
Just then, the waiting room door gently opened, revealing a figure cloaked in black.
'None of them seem particularly strong? Well, no matter—it's just a trivial task anyway.'
Jed hawk-like sharp eyes swept across each Floor Master, leaving him thoroughly disappointed.
These Floor Masters looked rather peculiar, but their strength wasn't anything impressive. Before Jed, their fates were already sealed.
They would be injected with syringes containing [On], eventually transforming into manipulated "puppets."
[On] is the antithesis of [Nen].
If [Nen] represents the breath of life, then [On] can be understood as the breath of death.
This is an ability that only manifests under extreme circumstances.
On abilities and Nen abilities are diametrically opposed in many ways.
An On ability requires the user to impose a Restriction and Vow—a task that must be completed. This becomes the source of their power, known as [On].
It is a force that stands in direct opposition to [Nen], like yin and yang.
Unbound by the six major Nen systems, the harsher the self-imposed task, the greater the power.
In essence, On abilities are like the Restriction and Vow within Nen abilities.
By imposing the limitation of a "task that must be fulfilled," one gains a powerful On ability tailored to themselves.
For Jed and his comrades, this task restriction naturally meant revenge against the Hunter Association.
In the contestant passageway....
"Huh? What do you think you're doing?"
"Hey, are you even listening?!"
Kanjiru, his face twisted with aggression, shouted at Gaki blocking his path.
He cracked his knuckles, ready to teach this obstruction a lesson. Kanjiru had a peculiar appearance, like a fusion of Lao G and Chinjao from One Piece.
Unfortunately, despite his imposing size, he was no match for the Gaki. Few knew that aside from Akira, Zushi was now the only remaining Floor Master in Heavens Arena.
In the central control room of the 230th floor, Shura stood with a cold expression, surrounded by the sprawled bodies of unconscious staff.
This was the Central control room of Heavens Arena, controlling the building power supply, surveillance and passageways.
"Heh." Shura sneered, his delicate features eerily reminiscent of Orochimaru from Naruto.
"Machine Eater!" Facing the machines, Shura suddenly spread his arms, and countless strands of On surged from his body toward the control panels.
Tendrils of 'Malice' energy, like black tentacles, latched onto each machine.
While Aura typically manifests as white or transparent, 'On' was a terrifying shade of black.
Even a mere brush with it would kill an ordinary person instantly—it was an extremely dangerous power.
[Machine Eater] was Shura On ability.
It allowed him to coat machines in On energy, enabling incredibly precise control and even the creation of combat-ready robots.
Under Shura On ability, Heavens Arena firewalls were as flimsy as paper, effortlessly breached.
In an instant, countless screens flashed red with the signs of intrusion.
As Shura focused on manipulating the machines, he remained unaware that his every move was being observed by something.
***
"Let's welcome the fighters to the stage!"
"For the first match, Kanjiru versus Zushi!"
"This is a super heavyweight versus heavyweight bout."
With the announcer's signal, the match began amidst the audience's applause.
Gaki seized this moment to throw off his cloak, revealing his massive frame to the crowd.
Gaki had blade-like hair in shades of blue and white, his rugged face twisted into a vicious expression.
His arms were disproportionately large, resembling those of a cartoon strongman at first glance.
"What's this?!"
"That's not Kanjiru entering the ring?"
"Who is this man?"
Even the announcer was confused—wasn't Kanjiru supposed to be fighting?
Who was this instead?
"So this is the famous Heavens Arena?"
"Not bad at all."
As a warrior by nature, Gaki loved combat arenas like this.
Just standing here filled him with fighting spirit.
His bloodthirsty gaze swept across the surroundings before settling on Zushi, who had taken a defensive stance before him.
"Hope you can give me some entertainment!" In Zushi widened pupils, a fist brimming with malice came flying toward him.
The terrifying resentment radiating from it froze him in place, making movement nearly impossible.
With all his might, he barely managed to dodge partially.
"This is—!"
Biscuit Krueger usual composure vanished as her eyes sharpened, focusing intently on Gaki in the ring.
She saw countless strands of 'On' coiling around his body, triggering memories of the past.
As a senior practitioner of Shingen-ryu and a veteran Hunter Association member, she knew some of the old secrets.
The Association hadn't just had Chairman Netero handling public affairs—there was also Jed, who managed the darker operations.
Jed Cleaner Corps specialized in the Association dirty work—the unsavory tasks that needed covering up.
But over time, Jed and his team grew increasingly extreme in their methods.
After several failed attempts at negotiation, Chairman Netero had no choice but to personally eliminate his old friend.
By all accounts, the [On] ability should have been eradicated by Netero and the others.
So why was it appearing again now?
A flicker of confusion passed through Biscuit wine-red eyes as she puzzled over their sudden reappearance.
'Tap, tap, tap...'
Suddenly, rapid footsteps echoed through the arena.
The audience looked around to find themselves inexplicably surrounded by robots.
"This is serious trouble!" Biscuit glanced between Gaki in the ring and the heavily armed robot squad.
Even the ordinary spectators now realized—Heavens Arena was under attack!
***
Central Control Room
Staring at the array of monitors, Shura frowned deeply.
His orders had been clear: seal Heavens Arena exits, deploy robots to control the crowd and take over the broadcast feeds.
Why wasn't the last part working?
Moreover, Shura sensed an inexplicable resistance interfering with his machine control.
Even channeling all his On couldn't overcome it!
***
"Bam!"
"Bam! Bam!"
While Biscuit was deep in thought, the one-sided battle between Gaki and Zushi reached its conclusion.
Zushi had spent the entire match getting pummeled, landing only one lucky hit on Gaki nose.
"Tch, you're annoyingly persistent!"
Watching the battered child Zushi struggling to get back up, the Gaki expression darkened.
A terrifying 'On' swirled around him, like a demon crawling out of hell.
"HA!"
Gaki gathered a massive amount of 'On' into his fist, preparing to deliver the final blow to Zushi!
On the platform, Biscuit Krueger and the others' expressions changed drastically.
Especially Biscuit, who was already considering transforming into her muscular form in front of everyone to rush out and save him.
Injuries were one thing, but this punch could truly be fatal.
In the original story, although Zushi was severely injured, he wasn't in mortal danger.
So Biscuit had simply rescued Zushi with Wing, without needing to transform.
But now, provoked by Zushi persistence, Gaki was preparing to kill.
Faced with her disciple 'disciple' life at stake, Biscuit could no longer care about appearances.
At the critical moment, a figure silently appeared beside Gaki.
The figure seemed to materialize out of thin air, with no prior warning.
Gaki could only watch helplessly as the attack came from beside him. It was a strike like a shooting star.
A fist enveloped in brilliant Aura, carrying the momentum of a falling meteor, suddenly struck the Gaki side!
Steel-type skill—Meteor Mash!
"BOOM!!"
Gaki massive body was sent flying as if hit by a speeding truck, crashing straight into the nearby wall.
He smashed a huge hole right through it!
"Oof!"
Lucario retracted its fist, standing proudly on the arena under the spotlight, its heroic figure even more striking in the glare.
The entire arena fell into dead silence.
Whether it was the live audience or the people watching the broadcast across the six continents, everyone was stunned by the sudden turn of events.
They were already surprised by the Floor Master replacement and from the commentator's words, this burly man was here to cause trouble.
Who could have expected another twist?
The man who had beaten Floor Master Zushi to the point of helplessness was now sent flying with a single strike?
"That's... that's the legendary Akira pet!"
After a moment of stunned silence, someone in the audience finally recognized Lucario.
Unlike other Pokémon, Lucario was the only one Akira had publicly shown at Heavens Arena.
So everyone could recognize it.
Since Nen beasts were hard to explain, Heavens Arena official introduction labeled Lucario as Akira pet.
"It's the legendary Akira! The legendary Akira has come to save us!"
As a voice full of excitement rang out in the audience, everyone finally realized.
That's right! Isn't that the legendary Akira pet?
The legendary Akira is here to save us!
In an instant, cheers and shouts erupted throughout the audience and even the viewers at home were no different.
"Phew~ So Akira decided to step in. Then there's no need for me anymore." Biscuit let out a relieved sigh and slowly sat back down.
If she could avoid revealing her true form, it was for the best.
Indeed, with Akira here, the situation was surely under control.
Gardevoir and Zushi, who had been on the arena, disappeared from beside Lucario and reappeared in front of Biscuit and the others in the next moment.
"Gardevoir-chan." Menchi greeted Gardevoir, who smiled in response before turning her attention to Zushi.
Zushi was now barely breathing, with more air leaving his body than entering.
Without immediate treatment, his life could truly be in danger.
Pink ripples of energy emanated from Gardevoir hands. Under the healing waves, Zushi injuries visibly mended at a rapid pace.
Psychic-type move – Heal Pulse!
Earlier, Lucario had instantly appeared beside Gaki thanks to Gardevoir Teleport.
"Damn you!"
"I'll tear you apart!"
A furious roar echoed from the shattered wall as Gaki emerged from the rubble, his brutish face contorted with rage.
His left arm hung limp at his side, shattered by Lucario Meteor Mash, crimson blood dripping steadily.
Strangely, the rest of his body showed no damage despite being smashed through the wall.
Seeing Gaki still standing, the crowd erupted in cheers for Lucario.
"Go for it!"
"Take him down, cool doggo!"
Amidst the roaring crowd, intense Aura energy surged across Lucario body.
Witnessing this, countless spectators simultaneously thought of the same word: Hero!
Endless waves of Aura pulsed from Lucario form, now tinged with dark energy.
Dark-type move – Nasty Plot!
Lucario already formidable presence suddenly intensified!
Crossing his arms before him in a beam-charging stance, blinding light gathered between his palms.
"Th-this...?" Gaki pupils contracted, his throat working soundlessly.
Lucario current power far surpassed his own.
This was... unstoppable.
Only Jed had ever made him feel this way before.
"Goddamn it!"
All thoughts of destruction vanished as Gaki focused solely on evasion.
A searing sphere of light streaked toward him. Channeling 'On' into his legs, he desperately dodged sideways.
He thought simple movement would suffice.
He was wrong.
The glowing orb pursued relentlessly, tracking his every movement.
"Damn it! What kind of witchcraft is this?!" Had Gaki met Maha, they'd have found common ground.
In a shadowy Zoldyck Family chamber, Maha milky eyes bulged as he stared at the screen – at that pursuing sphere of light.
It vividly recalled his spar with Akira.
Those bizarre homing star attacks behaved identically!
Fighting-type move – Aura Sphere!
Never misses its target!
(On [Malice/Resenment/Grudge] Instead of utilizing life energy, the aura from On is derived from hatred and can be considered "death energy." On grants one immense strength, with each user being able to utilize abilities similar to Nen at 100% efficiency. Unlike Nen, this aura is said to be the stronger of the two and has no categories; meaning, one who masters On has the ability of an Enhancer, Transmuter, Conjurer, Emitter, Manipulator, and Specialist.]
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