The boy's figure was like light and fire. In the blink of an eye, he had already arrived in front of the chairman.
Facing Kisho, whose overwhelming momentum surged toward him, Netero snorted with a laugh and slowly took up a stance.
With a violent explosive sound of "bang," the shockwave produced by the collision of fist and elbow swept outward, and the entire building seemed to tremble.
Kisho frowned slightly.
Although he had long known this chairman would be difficult to deal with, he had already applied the power of Fire Whirl to himself, which had been amplified by the badge. Yet even such an attack failed to shake him in the slightest.
Even knowing that beforehand, this result still made Kisho's heart sink slightly.
"Hohoho, not bad power, kid."
Netero shook the arm that had blocked Kisho's attack and snorted with a laugh.
"But this isn't your full strength, is it?"
He stared into Kisho's eyes.
"If it is, I'll be disappointed."
He was lying.
To be honest, an attack from a twelve-year-old kid carrying such power truly surprised him.
He had used a few little tricks to disperse most of the force, but even so, the aftermath of that strike was not something to be underestimated.
Perhaps… he should test where this kid's limit really lies.
Hearing Netero deliberately provoking him, Kisho ignored it.
Of course he knew a frontal attack wouldn't work. That earlier strike had merely been a probing greeting.
Kisho's figure vanished from where he stood once again, leaving only an afterimage that dissipated in the blink of an eye.
Netero let out a "ho" and smiled as he assumed another stance.
Clearly, the speed Kisho displayed this time had surprised him slightly—enough to make him curious about Kisho's "limit."
When the enhancement ability of Chapter of the Four Seasons focuses entirely on a single aspect, the amplification it brings is absolutely not to be underestimated.
However, as Kisho approached Netero at such extreme speed, just as he was about to enter within a foot of him, something unimaginable happened.
In his field of vision, Netero slowly raised his arm.
Then, at an incredibly slow speed, he pushed forward—
Kisho watched with his own eyes as that palm touched his body.
Yet he could not dodge.
Even when he tried with all his strength to control his body, he still couldn't avoid it.
Another "bang."
Kisho was sent flying backward by the force, which carried no killing intent, crashing heavily onto the ground.
"Tch."
Kisho endured the intense pain in his body and slowly climbed to his feet, raising a hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth.
If it hadn't been for using the technique of Ryu at the last moment to balance the aura in his body for defense—combined with the chairman pulling back his strength at the final instant—he probably wouldn't have been able to stand up again for quite some time.
Netero's movements had clearly been so slow.
Yet even at his own limit of speed, he still couldn't dodge?
Kisho frowned, falling into silence as he pondered in his heart.
The "slow" he had perceived… was it really "slow"?
"That badge of yours is pretty impressive."
Netero tossed the green badge in his hand up and down, then brought it before his eyes and squinted as he examined it carefully before smiling.
"But if you overly strengthen one system, while the rest of your body can't keep up, that becomes a disadvantage instead."
Kisho nodded.
"Special times call for special methods. Normally, I wouldn't use it like this."
"Now your badge is mine. What do you plan to do?"
Netero smiled.
"Or can you still make more of these things?"
Kisho chuckled softly.
His Nen ability activated. The badge in the chairman's hand suddenly vanished into smoke, and as Kisho raised his hand, another green badge spun at his fingertips before he stopped it and pressed it onto his body.
"Hohoho, that ability is quite practical."
"But kid, you're an Enhancer, yet you train a Conjuration ability. You might never reach the end of the Enhancement path in this lifetime."
"That's not something I can choose."
After speaking, Kisho fell silent for a moment before continuing.
"I can only take things one step at a time. After all, in this world, no one can say with certainty that the path they've walked truly leads to the end."
Netero smiled without replying.
Kisho lowered his head and looked at another badge in his palm that had not yet been activated.
"Shadow of Zero Hour."
This was an ability belonging to the Sonata of Darkness · harp chapter.
After being modified by his ability, The Fantasizing Musician, the melody it produced allowed him to possess the "power to control time."
Even after obtaining the Demon King's ability, attempting to halt the great wheel of time with a human body would inevitably require paying a tremendous price.
The badge of "Shadow of Zero Hour" was shaped like a clock dial.
The twelve numbers meant he could manipulate twelve seconds of time within a twelve-meter radius around him.
But making time "stop" had already exceeded the realm of what humans could accomplish.
A price had to be paid to achieve it.
After being created, "Shadow of Zero Hour" would exist for twelve hours.
After those twelve hours passed, he would pay the price based on how long he had used the ability.
For every second time was stopped, he would be forced into a state of Zetsu for twelve days.
He could also choose to sacrifice one day of his lifespan instead of sealing his Nen, offering it as a sacrifice to the Demon King.
Kisho stared at the badge in his hand, sinking into brief contemplation.
He still hadn't understood why Netero's speed could surpass his by so much.
But what if… he used the abilities of two badges at the same time?
Surely he wouldn't be slapped flying again.
As for the price…
That would only need to be considered after this battle ended.
Kisho pursed his lips and lifted his head.
"Looks like you've made an important decision. Should I allow myself to feel a little anticipation?"
Netero smiled.
But the smile on his face soon faded.
The boy had vanished from his sight.
This time, the boy was even faster.
From five meters away to less than a single centimeter apart, Kisho only used a fraction of a second.
To Kisho, everything around him seemed as though a pause button had been pressed.
His Nen was being frantically drained by "Shadow of Zero Hour."
In that instant, Kisho felt as if he were fighting while carrying a mountain on his back.
But the battle continued.
In the first second, he successfully rushed into the circle Netero had drawn.
In the second second, Kisho moved close to Netero's side.
Under the technique of Ren, his Nen suddenly erupted, and a punch wrapped in wind and fire struck Netero.
No sound was produced.
Because time had stopped.
The instant the strike landed, Kisho released the time stop.
Netero's body was sent flying away, and his feet left the ground where he had previously stood as firmly as if rooted.
However—
"Hohoho, don't think it ends like this, kid."
Netero had not spoken.
Nor had he opened his mouth.
Yet Kisho clearly heard those words.
More precisely, he heard Netero's voice emerging from deep within his own heart.
A phantom image of a Guanyin appeared behind Netero.
Kisho's eyes widened suddenly.
Then, Netero slowly pressed his palms together.
Behind him, the enormous Guanyin statue also slowly pressed its palms together.
In an instant, radiant light burst forth.