The combination of Rhythm Echo and Texture Surprise allowed Moses to slash Beyond's back in their initial clash.
The effect of Kyoka Suigetsu began to take effect, and black tendrils spread from the wound on Beyond's back.
Moses's Manifested Aura is more than twice that of Beyond, so this gap accelerated the growth rate of the black tendrils.
In as little as three minutes, or even less, the black tendrils could cover Beyond's entire body, causing the Eye of Sight to bloom.
In other words-
From this moment on, Moses had already secured the upper hand. The only problem was that Beyond remained completely unaware of it.
Beyond looked at the Nen Bullet that Moses had casually sliced in half with his sword.
Cutting a Nen Bullet in two without detonating it wasn't something that could be achieved through brute force alone.
Beyond couldn't help but admire Moses's mastery of technique in his heart, though he paid no mind to the slash wound on his back.
Or rather, in the heat of battle, he simply didn't have the energy to take care of his injuries, let alone perform even the simplest treatment.
Keeping his full attention on Moses, who stood calmly with his sword in hand, Beyond had no intention of slowing his momentum. With a sharp stomp, he charged straight toward Moses.
Blood streamed from the wound on his back, splattering across the path of his charge like blooming red plum blossoms.
Moses held his sword horizontally before him, and his eyes were utterly calm as they reflected Beyond's approaching figure.
[Rhythm Echo: Texture Surprise]
Moses walked towards Beyond, leaving behind a series of afterimages along the way.
He consistently adhered to the Enhancer-style approach to end the battle, so it never crossed his mind to drag things out until the black tendrils covered Beyond's entire body.
Countless afterimages swept across the rocky terrain, arriving before Beyond in an instant.
Beyond's eyes turned icy cold.
The same move-
There was no way he'd fall for it a second time.
His sharp gaze swept over the numerous afterimages, and Beyond abruptly changed direction, crossing his arms as he charged toward the gap between two of the afterimages.
That spot was empty.
However, Beyond firmly believed in his judgment.
Ding!
His iron-like forearms, which is held in front of him, collided with thin air, sending sparks flying.
At the same time-
The numerous afterimages that were closing in on Beyond vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye.
But Beyond didn't spare a single glance at the disappearing afterimages, his focus locked onto the direction where the sparks had erupted.
Bang!
He stomped down, cracking the rocky ground beneath him, then launched himself forward with a powerful leap.
Even though his eyes couldn't see Moses's figure, he didn't hesitate and threw a devastating punch straight ahead.
Ding!
Another burst of sparks erupted as his fist, carrying terrifying destructive force, stopped midair, blocked by an unseen force.
Then, Moses' figure materialized out of thin air, with his Black Sword intercepting Beyond's punch.
"You're really looking down on me, Moses Isaac."
Beyond's piercing gaze cut through the point where the fist and blade met, sharp as a blade itself, as if slashing across Moses's face.
Moses remained unfazed, but he also realized that illusion-based techniques like [Rhythm Echo: Texture Surprise] wouldn't work on Beyond a second time.
Without responding to Beyond's words, Moses suddenly pulled back, dispersing the force and retracting his Black Sword.
Seeing this, Beyond immediately restrained his fist and stabilized his body balance.
At that moment, Moses stepped forward and swung his sword horizontally toward Beyond's chest.
Beyond remained calm in the face of danger. He raised his right elbow vertically to block the slash with the armored plating covering.
Simultaneously, his other arm braced against the blocking forearm, forming a cross with his arms.
Then-
Beyond pushed forward with both arms, driving forward like a raging bull.
Feeling the sudden burst of power from Beyond, Moses's eyes changed slightly, and he dismissed the Black Sword almost reflexively.
Without the obstruction of the Black Sword, Beyond's forward thrust met no resistance.
He could have let the momentum carry through, forcing the impact onto Moses.
However, Moses was able to use the Conjuration-Type Ability flexibly, to the point of being extremely skilled, so how could he give Beyond such an opportunity?
The moment he dismissed the Black Sword, Moses had already turned sideways, allowing Beyond to pass by him.
And as their figures crossed, Moses raised his hand and re-conjured the Black Sword once again, and activated the power of [Nyoi-Bo Cornerstone], extending the blade in an instant.
Sshhk-
The suddenly extended pitch-black blade left a thin, clean cut across Beyond's ribs.
This was the natural advantage of Conjuration in weapon-based combat.
Conjurer can choose the right time to dismiss the conjured object, and then create a situation where they are always one step ahead of their opponent.
Just like just now, when Moses dismissed the Black Sword, he made evasive movements almost simultaneously, so that Beyond had no time to react at all.
However-
The reason why Moses could leverage this Conjuration advantage so effectively in close combat is because he has the capital to clash with Beyond, who is an Enhancer, head-on.
Looking at Beyond's retreating back with calm eyes, Moses was not satisfied with the result of leaving only a shallow wound in Beyond's ribs.
He kept his arms extended and quickly channeled his Aura to focus on the Black Sword in his hand.
[Super Speed: Cannon]
The Black Sword, which is now saturated with dense Aura, suddenly enlarged and shot toward Beyond's back like an arrow loosed from a bow.
Beyond turned around suddenly and saw the giant Black Sword hurtling toward him. He immediately abandoned the idea of blocking it and instead zigzagged at blinding speed, bypassing the enlarged sword and charging straight at Moses.
Moses narrowed his eyes and met Beyond's advance.
At this moment-
The giant Black Sword, which Beyond had dodged, abruptly curved midair, changing trajectory.
As if gripped by an invisible giant hand, the Black Sword's hilt was yanked upward, and the weapon swung down toward the back of Beyond's skull.
Beyond heard the sharp wind coming from behind him, and also sensed the overwhelming Aura approaching from behind.
There was basically no chance to look back to check the situation, so Beyond could only forcibly stop his charge, then quickly sidestepped to the left, barely escaping the sword's descending slash.
The giant blade struck the rocky ground.
The hardened rock shattered instantly, sending countless fragments flying in all directions.
Beyond glanced at the pitch-black blade, which is standing on the ground like a high wall, and his eyes couldn't help but change slightly.
But before he could catch his breath, Moses, who had already closed the distance, reached out and pressed his palm against the enormous blade of the Black Sword.