Aoki Hiroshi and Isaac Netero charged toward each other without hesitation.
[Ren]!
Both of their auras erupted, surging like a storm around their bodies—a dazzling sight in the eyes of any Nen user.
But only for a brief moment.
In the next instant, their energy began to flow and condense—[Ryu]!
As they stepped in and threw punches, all their Nen gathered into their fists—
[Ko]!
Their fists collided mid-air, and their condensed auras detonated like cannon blasts.
Boom!!
The air itself shattered with a thunderous shockwave.
Hiroshi was sent flying backward.
But his body spun mid-air like a drifting leaf, dissipating the force with precision.
He landed lightly and lifted his eyes to Netero.
In his eyes—nothing but still, blank focus.
"Oh?"
Netero looked genuinely surprised.
His aura was five times stronger than Hiroshi's.
In a straightforward Ko vs. Ko clash, Hiroshi should've been flattened.
He had even prepared to pull his punches at the last second.
But Hiroshi's reaction was too fast—so fast it caught Netero off guard.
The moment their fists touched, Hiroshi used the impact to retreat.Like a slippery eel, he absorbed only about 30% of the force.
"Interesting…"
Netero raised an eyebrow and grinned.
"You've entered some kind of peculiar state."
"I don't know what it is, but you're giving me a sense of… real danger."
"Very well, time to get serious."
Across from him—
Hiroshi's face remained unreadable, but a slight smirk tugged at his lips.
"Me too."
Swoosh!
They charged again.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Their steps cracked the ground, leaving craters in their wake.
Dozens of meters vanished in a blink—they clashed again.
Crackle!
Electric arcs danced around Hiroshi.
In his hand, a sphere of glowing plasma condensed—bright as lightning.
Boom!!
Netero threw a punch, his Nen compressed to the limit, then exploding like a missile.
Transformation vs. Enhancement.
Each used their best techniques.
Kaboom!!
Their fists collided again in a blast of thunder.
Once again, Hiroshi was sent flying—but again, by choice.
He used retreat and redirection to dissipate impact.
Netero pursued with giant strides, firing a long-range punch.Nen condensed into a massive white, smoky fist—
Enhancement + Emission: Flying Fist!
Hiroshi countered with a plasma swipe, unleashing a blade of crackling blue lightning.
Chidori Blade!
The two projectiles collided—a blinding explosion erupted.
The Flying Fist was partially sliced, but half of it remained and hurtled toward Hiroshi.
Netero had subtly mixed in Manipulation-type Nen as well!
But Hiroshi had already moved.
The remaining blast struck only empty ground, kicking up smoke and dust.
Neither fighter even looked back.
Crackle! Zap!
Hiroshi became a blur of lightning—dodging, flashing, striking from all angles.
Netero stood firm, punching with explosive power that shattered the air.
Their figures clashed again and again.
In just minutes, the ground was shattered, the air in shockwaves, trees flattened by the dozens.
But neither man was injured.
Their pace and power never waned.
It was like they could fight all day—and all night.
V5 Conference Room
The V5 leaders were stunned.
"They're… evenly matched?"
"Is Aoki Hiroshi really a rookie?"
"This is absurd!"
"He awakened Nen just a week ago!"
"How is he already fighting Netero to a draw?"
They had already gathered Hiroshi's intel.
According to the Hunter Kaito, Hiroshi awakened Nen only a week ago when he killed the Cat Woman.
Afterward, he trained with Biscuit for six days.
On day six, he soloed a 30-man elite unit and seriously injured Pariston.
So V5 had judged Hiroshi to be a first-rate Nen user—Twelve Zodiacs level.
Close to the top five Nen users—but not quite there.
They estimated he'd need several years to reach that level.
And to reach Netero's level?
At least a decade, minimum.
Yet here they were—on day seven, and Hiroshi was going toe-to-toe with the Chairman.
"No, we're not sure yet…"
One national leader wiped sweat from his brow.
"Netero hasn't gone all out, has he?"
Silence followed.
Then, like grabbing a lifeline, they all rushed to agree:
"Right, right!"
"He hasn't even used Hyakushiki Kannon yet!"
"Maybe he's holding back!"
"Or maybe Hiroshi's power is explosive but short-lived!"
"Exactly!"
"Anyway—there's no way he's that strong yet!"
They reassured one another—at least outwardly.
They couldn't admit Hiroshi was already on par with Netero.
A teenager becoming the world's strongest?
If that were true, V5 might as well jump off a cliff right now.
At the Foot of the Mountain
Biscuit Krueger stared at the summit, slack-jawed.
"Am I dreaming?"
"The Chairman… can't beat Hiroshi?"
"No, worse—Hiroshi's actually gaining the upper hand?"
She couldn't believe her eyes.
She had trained under Netero and knew his true strength.
Even in his old age, his instincts were razor-sharp.
He could destroy most Nen users with basic techniques.
Only those at the top five level could give him trouble.
And now?
He was being troubled!
With Enhancement at his core, Netero used a mix of systems in devastating combos:
Flying Fist!
Hundred-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva!
Mega-Ton Explosive Punch!
My-Style Illusion Clones!
But Hiroshi countered them all.
With Transformation at his core, Hiroshi responded in kind:
Chidori Stream!
Chidori Blade!
Chidori Spear!
Thousand Chidori Needles!
Each move clashed and neutralized the other.
It made no sense.
"The Chairman clearly has more aura. His techniques are stronger."
"So why is it still even?"
Biscuit's eyes were wide in shock.
"Hiroshi's weakening the Chairman with technique?"
"No way… his timing and intent are practically flawless!"
She was dumbfounded.
This kid fought like someone who'd survived battlefields.
Was he born into war? Raised by killers?
Otherwise, how could anyone explain such insane combat instincts and lethal technique?