The swordsman waited for an opening.
His style was somewhat reminiscent of Nobunaga's—focused, patient, deadly. Fighters like that waited until their opponent showed a flaw, or until they could force one. Only then would they strike.
A single killing blow.
Anything less wasn't worth it.
That was the essence of draw-cutting. In most cases, you only got one shot. One precise draw, one clean kill.
But the swordsman never found that moment.
From his perspective, Silva had no openings. No matter how he analyzed it, there was no visible weakness.
That pressure was immense.
He had never faced an opponent like this before—an enemy who made him feel completely powerless.
Sweat trickled down the swordsman's forehead and slid along his cheeks.
Silva didn't move. He didn't need to. He could read his opponent's condition clearly. His stillness alone was enough to keep him in check.
The more the swordsman waited, the more aura and mental energy he burned.
And if it came down to a patience contest, Silva wasn't losing to anyone.
He'd trained for this since childhood.
As an assassin, patience was a survival skill. When he was young, he once waited an entire month, unmoving, just to take a single shot at his target. He survived on dry rations and drank filthy water from the ground.
But eventually, he got his chance. One kill. Clean and silent.
That level of patience... the swordsman couldn't match it.
Their fight had started as a silent standoff—and chances were, it would end the moment that silence broke.
"Is this guy even human...?"
The swordsman's eyes flickered with doubt.
But the real monster wasn't Silva.
It was the one on the other side.
...
Triangular Eyes turned toward Hisoka and immediately felt a sense of disgust.
The members of the Six Fiends weren't exactly close, and he especially disliked middle-aged clowns. Hisoka's outfit reminded him of one—though admittedly, Hisoka was much better-looking.
That just made him more irritating.
Twin scimitars appeared in his hands. His weapons bore some resemblance to the ones used by Togari, which stirred a vague memory for Hisoka—an examiner who once came for revenge during the Hunter Exam and was killed for it.
Triangular Eyes swung his blade. A slicing gust of wind shot toward Hisoka.
Hisoka tilted his head, watching.
"Not bad," he murmured. "Not quite at the level of Kaizen, Illumi, or Chrollo... but it could be fun."
He grinned.
"Consider this a little warm-up before the main event with Kaizen."
As the wind blade neared him, Hisoka shifted slightly, letting it graze past his side.
Then he appeared in front of Triangular Eyes.
A deck of playing cards materialized in his hand with a flick of the wrist.
Whoosh!
The first card sliced through the air in a clean arc.
Triangular Eyes blocked it with his scimitar.
Hisoka threw another.
Then another.
A flurry of cards rained toward him.
Triangular Eyes sliced through them, shattering them into pieces that scattered across the ground.
Unbothered, Hisoka pulled out a fresh deck.
"Wanna play a game?"
He smiled.
"I'll draw a card. If it's odd, you get a free hit. If it's even... I get one. Sound fun?"
Triangular Eyes hesitated.
His first instinct was that Hisoka was completely insane. This was a life-or-death battle. The loser dies.
What kind of lunatic suggests a game right now?
But then he thought it over.
If he won, and Hisoka really let him strike... that would be a huge advantage.
And if he lost? Well, he could just pretend he never agreed.
Either way, it benefited him.
"You serious?"
"Deadly."
Triangular Eyes tightened his grip on his blades, staying ready.
Hisoka began shuffling. A complex, elegant flurry of movements.
Even with enhanced vision from aura, it was hard to follow. Hisoka's fingers danced through the cards like a street magician on hyperdrive.
Triangular Eyes found himself drawn in.
Finally, Hisoka stopped.
"Time to draw."
Hisoka slowed down, deliberately dramatic.
He pulled a single card from the deck.
"Three of Hearts," he said. "Congratulations. You win. I'll stand still. Take your shot."
He tucked the card back into his pocket and spread his arms wide.
"Go on."
Triangular Eyes frowned.
Is he actually serious?
He really won't dodge?
Is this guy... a complete idiot?
Still, this kind of chance couldn't be passed up.
He channeled aura into his blade and struck out with a wind blade aimed at Hisoka.
Slice!
The wind blade tore into Hisoka's body.
Blood splashed across the ground.
Hisoka grinned.
Triangular Eyes narrowed his eyes.
"You didn't dodge."
"Too bad it wasn't a critical hit," he muttered.
"If it had landed just a bit better..."
"What a lunatic."
Hisoka turned his bloody gaze toward him.
"Want to keep playing?"
Triangular Eyes didn't hesitate.
"Let's continue."
Hisoka shuffled again. This time, using a new set of flashy flourishes. When it came time to draw, he slowed again, dragging out the moment.
Triangular Eyes couldn't look away.
"Drawing... now."
Another card.
"Seven of Spades," Hisoka said. "Lucky you. Another free hit."
He spread his arms again.
Triangular Eyes didn't pause.
This time, his wind blade cut deep—straight to the chest. Bone showed through the torn flesh.
Triangular Eyes couldn't help smiling.
"What a moron."
Hisoka's smile didn't falter.
"Shall we keep going?"
"Of course."
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