Chapter 9: The End of Moritonio
Cards flickered between Hisoka's fingers as he launched them in a relentless barrage.
Infused with his Nen, each card became as sharp as a blade, sealing off every angle and leaving Moritonio with no way to dodge.
In a flash, Hisoka closed the distance and delivered a flying kick
but only managed to knock off the old man's hat.
Moritonio had already ducked, preparing to counterattack.
Hisoka's speed was impressive; as his kick missed, he twisted midair, bringing his elbow down toward Moritonio's forehead.
BANG!
Moritonio raised an arm blocking the blow. Their forearms clashed violently.
In that instant, Hisoka noticed Moritonio's body tilt slightly, perfectly obscuring Hisoka's line of sight. The old man's hidden hand snatched his falling hat and dropped it squarely onto Hisoka's face.
Hisoka's vision went dark
and Moritonio's fist slammed into his abdomen with tremendous force.
Blood burst from Hisoka's lips as he was flung backward like a spring, skidding across the floor to regain distance.
"Talent still needs time to grow," Moritonio said calmly, lowering his arms. "No matter how gifted you are… you're still a beginner who's just started walking the path."
He spoke without arrogance, as though making a simple observation.
The clash had lasted mere seconds yet Hisoka had lost.
"I'm not even serious yet… can you wait?" Moritonio said softly.
"Please," Hisoka replied, wiping blood from his mouth with a smile.
"Since you've seen my true nature," Moritonio continued, "let me show you the secret of John Doe."
He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket.
"This handkerchief has no hidden mechanism," he said theatrically. "Once you place it over your face, imagine the appearance you wish to assume…"
As he spoke, the handkerchief began to shrink and twist, reshaping Moritonio's features.
Moments later
A new face emerged: the face of the serial killer on the wanted posters.
"This is the magic of the killer Doe… my ability 'Reality Behind the Mask'!"
Watching from afar, Haze remained expressionless.
This technique… was the precursor to Hisoka's own "Flirty Trick."
"Interesting," Hisoka smiled.
"Now then… let's continue our act."
Moritonio's demeanor shifted; he thrust out his hand
BOOM!
Hisoka was struck hard, his right arm twisting grotesquely before being hurled aside.
His face contorted in pain.
"It feels… like I'm being crushed…"
Hisoka's mind raced as he landed. The wounds didn't dull his focus.
"Meat grinder, meat grinder… time to make hamburgers again…"
Moritonio muttered gleefully, his expression turning feral.
BANG. BANG. BANG!
The old man slowly rose into the air, suspended by invisible Nen, gazing down like a god as Hisoka was battered across the field knocked down again and again by unseen forces.
"There it is… your trembling, fragile little life…"
Moritonio laughed maniacally, toying with Hisoka like a cat with a mouse.
Hisoka was a wreck covered in cuts and bruises. Though he instinctively reinforced himself with Nen, the repeated blows only worsened his condition.
At that moment, Moritonio could have killed him.
"Haze… aren't you going to help him?"
From above, Moritonio looked toward the ground.
Haze, standing quietly below, didn't move.
"No need," he said calmly. "As far as I'm concerned… you're already dead."
"Huh?"
Moritonio laughed it off.
He had no idea who he was truly facing.
No one understood Hisoka's madness better than Hazehis instincts, creativity, and combat adaptability were monstrous.
Moritonio believed victory was his, but he didn't know that Hisoka could improvise he could discover Nen principles on his own through pure intuition.
This was proof that even complex techniques like Ren and In would come naturally to him.
"Damn it!"
As Haze's words fell, Hisoka sensed something approaching from the void.
In an instant, he concentrated his Nen into his eyes
and two massive iron bars materialized, swinging toward him from both sides.
Using their momentum, Hisoka twisted and hooked his arms around them, narrowly avoiding a direct hit.
"What?!"
Moritonio's expression finally changed.
"That's… Ren! When did he learn it? How?! I even misled him on purpose so he couldn't find the right path "
The old man's shock lasted only a second before he poured more Nen into his magnetic field, tightening the pull of the two bars to crush Hisoka like pulp.
But
Whoosh!
Hisoka shot upward through the narrow gap, breaking free.
"He escaped?! He actually escaped?!"
Moritonio glared at the red-haired youth standing atop the roof.
"So your magic isn't so mysterious after all… it's just magnetism."
Hisoka chuckled, running a hand through his hair.
"You used that handkerchief as a decoy, channeling your Nen through it so I'd think it was visible… Clever, but not clever enough."
Moritonio said nothing.
"The essence of magic," Hisoka continued, "is deception. You've been far too obvious."
"There's no winner yet, boy," Moritonio said grimly. "You've only seen a fraction of my power! Iron Polarity Burst!"
At his shout, the number of iron bars floating in the air multiplied rapidly.
"Stop fooling around finish it!"
Haze's cold voice rang out from below. He didn't even look up anymore.
"Heh…"
Hisoka grinned and vanished.
Moritonio hurled his metal projectiles wildly, but every strike missed.
"Impossible! His speed how can he be this fast?! Where is he?!"
The old man spun in confusion. Hisoka's shadow danced across the air, flashing between bars standing, crouching, appearing and vanishing in rapid succession.
Worse still, the iron bars extensions of Moritonio's own Nen began to twist out of his control, veering off like toys manipulated by Hisoka.
"Why…?"
"Is he copying my technique? Or using his own Nen? That can't be… He doesn't even know the foundations of advanced manipulation! It's impossible!"
Then, realization struck him
"This feeling… just like that man before… Jin Freecss…"
Before he could think further, Hisoka descended from above, landing silently behind him.
"Let me use my magic," Hisoka whispered, "to end this show."
He tugged on the air
and the massive iron bars surrounding Moritonio suddenly collapsed inward, drawn together with crushing force.
BOOM!
A deafening blast shook the entire building.
When the dust cleared, Moritonio's broken body fell from the air, blood splattering the ground.
"Cough… cough…"
He lay in a pool of crimson, eyes wide, trembling.
"My skill… Iron Polarity Burst… You used it better than I ever could. I never thought my Nen could look so… perfect."
Hisoka stepped closer, smiling faintly.
"My Nen has the properties of both rubber and gum. By attaching one end to your magnets and the other to myself, I can change their direction at will. When I contract it with a single breath…"
He flicked his fingers.
"…I call it 'Bungee Gum: Love Stretch.'"
"Gum…? Candy tricks… heh… how fitting for you," Moritonio chuckled weakly. Blood ran from his mouth and nose.
"This must be… your first real Nen battle… So why… why are you already this strong?"
His breathing grew faint.
Haze's cold voice echoed through the air:
"Because to him, your Nen is too simple. He's been observing you since you joined the circus. Your killings dulled your growth you thought Nen could solve everything. You used Ko to defend, Zetsu to hide, Ren to strengthen your aura… yet none of it showed real insight. Your combat thinking stayed shallow. That's why you lost."
Moritonio's lifeless eyes shifted toward Haze.
"So… my so-called peak… was that pathetic in your eyes…"
"Hisoka… Haze… and him… you three really are… monsters from the same world…"
With that final whisper, Moritonio breathed his last.
The "him" he mentioned was undoubtedly Jin Freecss.
Hisoka crouched down, picked up the fallen handkerchief, and using his Nen, recreated the Flirty Trick, reshaping his face into that of John Doe.
His Nen was perfectly suited for such an illusion.
"Well… this face suits me better."
He smiled faintly.
"I was looking forward to that fight… but it turned out a bit boring."
"Guess I'm just too strong."
Haze turned away without replying.
Moritonio was dead. There was no reason to remain with the circus.
He was ready to move on.
Hisoka followed after him in quiet, light steps. The two disappeared side by side into the night.
Meanwhile, the rest of the troupe continued their drunken celebration, oblivious.
Later, Abaki having finally slipped away went searching for the three of them, but found no trace.
"Weird… huh? Where'd those two go?"
(End of Chapter)