"What's going on there?" Lim Tae-Gyu asked as Cha Hae-In returned to the sideline.
"Goto Ryuji challenged Min-Jae to a one-on-one duel. Same rules as before," she replied.
"So he's the 11th S-Rank and your brother, Cha Min-Jae, right?" Ma Dong-Wook asked from where he sat on the ground nearby, still catching his breath.
Cha Hae-In nodded.
"If he's your brother, shouldn't you stop him?" Lim Tae-Gyu pressed. "Goto Ryuji is a fighter-type hunter. A mage going up against him in close combat... it's never going to end well for the mage."
"Yeah, but look at him," Baek Yoon-Ho interjected, standing a short distance beside Cha Hae-In. His tone was thoughtful. "Does he look nervous at all?"
All eyes turned to Min-Jae, who stood calmly in the center of the arena, hands loosely at his sides. Goto Ryuji faced him from the opposite end, already settling into a combat stance.
Min-Jae's expression was relaxed, almost bored.
'I think I'll drop Infinity and teleportation for this one,' he thought. 'Infinity is too broken—I could just let him attack and catch his wrist when he's stopped and slowed down. That wouldn't be any fun.'
---
"Now this is interesting," Chairman Go Gun-Hee commented from the sideline, his aged eyes fixed on the two fighters. He glanced at Sung Jin-Woo beside him. "Who do you think has the advantage, Hunter Sung?"
"I wouldn't know," Sung Jin-Woo replied neutrally.
But that wasn't entirely true. His perception—honed through countless life-or-death battles—could sense the disparity between the two fighters clearly. 'His control over magical energy is exceptional. Even with such an enormous aura, he's not overwhelming anyone around him. Either his control is that refined, or he's deliberately suppressing it.'
---
The arena fell silent as both fighters locked eyes.
Then Goto moved.
He closed the distance in a blur, his speed impressive even by S-Rank standards. His fist shot forward in a straight punch aimed at Min-Jae's center mass—
Min-Jae tilted his body slightly. The punch sailed past, missing by centimeters.
Goto immediately followed up with a low kick, transitioning smoothly into a combination. Each strike came faster than the last, his movements precise and efficient.
Min-Jae dodged effortlessly, his body swaying like a reed in the wind. Not a single attack connected.
'Nah, he's not that impressive,' Min-Jae thought, watching Goto's patterns. 'Even Jin-Woo at his current level from what I saw in the anime could dodge these. And I'm...'
A small smirk formed on his face.
Goto noticed. His eyes narrowed, a flash of irritation crossing his features. 'He's smirking? During our dual?'
The Japanese hunter's attacks intensified. His speed increased noticeably, each strike carrying more force, more killing intent. The sound of his fists cutting through air echoed across the arena.
But Min-Jae continued dodging—not just dodging, but doing so with minimal movement, his hands still relaxed at his sides. Occasionally, he'd add a light push to Goto's shoulder or arm, creating distance and throwing off the rhythm.
The watching hunters murmured in amazement.
"He is holding on pretty well for a Mage Type Hunter. If I didn't know he was a Mage type, I would probably assume him as an Assassin or At least Fighter Type Hunter." Said Lim Tae-Gyu watching the fight, as Baek Yoon-Ho and Ma Dong-Wook quietly agreed to his comment.
Goto launched a vicious spinning kick aimed at Min-Jae's head—fast enough that several hunters flinched in sympathy.
Min-Jae leaned back, the kick passing harmlessly overhead. He pushed Goto's extended leg gently, sending the man stumbling backward a few steps.
'This is getting boring,' Min-Jae thought.
He decided to end it.
Goto charged again, frustration evident in his movements now. He threw a feint, then committed to a real strike—a powerful straight punch aimed directly at Min-Jae's face.
Min-Jae didn't dodge this time.
The punch came within millimeters of his face, the edge of Goto's knuckle just barely grazing his cheek and leaving a thin red line.
In that same instant, Min-Jae's hand shot up and caught Goto's wrist in an iron grip.
The arena went silent.
"Done," Min-Jae said simply.
Goto froze, his eyes widening slightly in shock. He'd been moving at his maximum speed—and Min-Jae had caught him mid-strike like it was nothing.
For a moment, neither moved. Then Min-Jae released his grip and stepped back.
"Good match," he said, nodding respectfully.
Goto stared at him, his expression frozen in that polite mask he always wore. But beneath the surface, his mind was racing, rejecting what had just happened.
'No. That was a fluke. He got lucky with the timing.'
"Good match," Goto replied, his tone measured and cordial as always. But there was a tightness around his eyes that hadn't been there before.
He turned and walked back toward his team, his posture still perfectly composed, but his thoughts were in turmoil. 'Japan's strongest hunter. That's what I am. This... this was just an off day. The rules favored his defensive style. In a real fight, the outcome would be completely different.'
Cha Hae-In let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Beside her, Baek Yoon-Ho chuckled.
"Told you," he said. "Not nervous at all."
---
Sung Jin-Woo watched Min-Jae walk back toward the Korean side, his expression thoughtful.
'That wasn't just skill,' he realized. 'That was complete superiority. Goto Ryuji never had a chance from the start.'
Chairman Go Gun-Hee smiled knowingly beside him. "It seems we have another promising hunter on our hands."
"Yes," Sung Jin-Woo agreed quietly.