About eighty kilometers north of the final exam site lay a mine. Once a source of riches, now its veins were long exhausted, leaving the place abandoned, desolate, and silent.
And yet, in the mining yard—where no one should have been—four figures stood.
"So this is the dueling ground?"
"Yeah. This mine's already been shut down. Here, we won't be troubling anyone."
Indeed, this was the place chosen for the duel between Aisha and Netero. The reason was simple: it was close enough to the exam site, and no one lived nearby. It was merely the most convenient location.
In extreme terms, if they could guarantee no one else would be affected, they might as well have fought in the exam hotel itself.
But these two—humanity's strongest Nen users—could not possibly clash at full power in such a place. The aftershocks alone could tear down buildings, and anything struck directly might be reduced to dust. The hotel could very well be obliterated.
If only material damage were the issue, that would be lucky. But if people were nearby—unless they were Nen users of the highest caliber—they would surely suffer grievously, perhaps fatally.
And so, there were no spectators. Apart from the two combatants, only Riina and Biscuit had come—standing as witnesses, and as the only ones capable of handling the fallout should it spill over.
"Then, for this duel—witnessed by Riina Rockbelt, head instructor of Kazama-ryu Aiki Jujutsu—"
"—and by Biscuit Krueger, master of Shingen-ryu Kenpō."
The moment their voices rang out, the atmosphere between the two combatants transformed.
The killing intent thickened, making both Riina and Biscuit tense. They had seen the pair duel many times before, but never had they felt pressure like this.
"Thinking about it… I've kept you waiting, haven't I?"
Under that rising pressure, Aisha suddenly murmured.
"Hah? …Ah, yeah. Fourteen years. It's been nearly fourteen years since you died once. Damn, you really kept me—"
"No. What I made you wait for… was the chance to fight you at full strength."
"…What?"
Netero frowned, puzzled. Of course he would. Never once had he held back in his battles with Aisha—Ryushou as he had been known then. To pull punches in a duel would have been an insult to the way of the warrior, and if victory could have been gained by holding back, Ryushou would never have been a worthy rival to begin with.
But Aisha did not see it that way.
She didn't believe Netero had ever deliberately gone easy. If that were true, Netero would never have shown such frustration when he lost.
But had he truly fought with the whole of his power? No. After all, Netero possessed 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva, the ultimate expression of his ability. Had he used it, victory against Ryushou would have been assured.
And with strength to spare.
Even when wielding the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva, Netero had never once allowed himself to be careless—he knew that even a moment's delay could have cost him his life. Yet the truth was that whenever he had won with it, he had done so with reserves still untouched.
And that was what Aisha could not forgive.
Not that Netero had held back.
But that Aisha herself had been the kind of opponent against whom Netero could still keep something in reserve.
But now it was different. True, Aisha had struggled to align her techniques with her new body. As for the state of mind she once achieved, she wasn't sure if she could reach it again. She had recovered nearly all her former skill, but if it came down purely to Kazama-ryu, Ryushou might still have had the slight edge. It was her own past self, after all—she knew it better than anyone.
Even so, the one who would win now… was her.
Aisha could say it with confidence. Her aura had grown stronger. She had gained new techniques since her rebirth. Her physical abilities had surpassed what they once were, overcoming her greatest weakness—durability.
Taken together, her combat power now exceeded Ryushou's.
"Come, Netero. I'll quench that thirst of yours."
"Ku… kukuku! Yeah… I'm counting on it, Aisha!!"
Thus began the duel between humanity's greatest Nen users.
They faced one another in silence for five minutes already, and still neither had moved. Riina felt a jolt of déjà vu. Yes—just like that first day, when the two had fought for the very first time. The beginning of that duel looked exactly like what lay before her eyes now.
The only differences were the setting, Aisha's appearance—and most of all, their aura.
Netero exuded an immense, razor-honed aura like piercing needles. In contrast, Aisha released none at all. Strictly speaking, she wasn't even using Ten—her aura simply spilled from her unchecked.
Given her overwhelming speed in Ryu, perhaps it was to prevent her aura's movements from being read? But Riina couldn't help but wonder, remembering that Aisha hadn't used Nen even once during yesterday's training.
But those questions were swept aside as the battle suddenly accelerated.
The first to move was Netero. A step of godlike speed, followed by a straight punch—just like their first battle. Riina and Biscuit lost sight of him entirely, if only for an instant.
For even those two masters, standing at the summit of the world, to lose sight of him—that was how fast he was. What kind of speed did it appear to Aisha, facing him directly? Could she even see him at all?
But the next thing they saw was Netero hurled into the air. She had read his strike in an instant and countered with jū. Such a feat bordered on the divine. Riina felt awe, Biscuit a chill of fear.
After more than ten years without witnessing such a clash, neither would allow themselves to miss even an instant now. Both sharpened their Gyo to its utmost.
Netero's reaction to the jū was swift. Without resisting the throw, he rode the flow, preventing his wrist and elbow joints from being shattered. Using the momentum, he lashed out with an inverted kick midair. Smooth, practiced, seamless.
Aisha slipped past it with the barest motion, laying a single finger on his ankle as he sped past. That alone sent his body into a wild spin—until he caught her own ankle to arrest the motion, planted a hand into the ground, and launched a flurry of kicks.
But before the strikes could land, he released her ankle, sensing she was about to apply jū through her leg. A ridiculous notion to anyone else—but not to Netero. Against a rival who could casually perform miracles, nothing was unthinkable.
Even as he escaped the throw, Aisha pressed the assault. Seizing the opening made by his sudden shift, she stepped in further and launched an elbow strike with all her weight. The moment he moved to block with the arm he'd freed, a chill shot through Netero.
He had fought through countless battles—so many that the word "seasoned" felt like an understatement. That was why he trusted the instinct that screamed at him now. Instead of blocking, he slammed his hand against the ground, using the rebound to throw himself back, away from Aisha.
It was the witnesses who sensed the oddity.
That elbow strike—true, it would have done some damage if it landed, but nothing compared to the counterattack Netero could have unleashed immediately after. Aisha had always been weaker in striking power. Even with her new body, she had yet to match Netero's raw might. At the moment of impact, even with Gyo, her blow couldn't have surpassed Netero's defense in Gyo.
In their past lives, their aura reserves had been nearly equal. Their visible aura had little difference either. With Netero a Reinforcement type, it was obvious he held the advantage in pure striking exchanges.
Thus, like always, the duel's crux lay in how well Aisha could deflect Netero's iron fists. That was what both Riina and Biscuit believed.
And so, this elbow strike had seemed like Aisha's misstep. Riina herself wondered why she had chosen such a move. But the fact remained: Netero had avoided it. Why?
As if to answer, Aisha spoke.
"As expected of you, Netero. To sense the danger in that attack…"
If her words were true, then what had seemed an ordinary strike carried a hidden peril. Perhaps some newly devised secret technique? If so, one particular "teacher maniac" among the spectators might already be itching to learn it.
But Aisha continued speaking.
"…Sooner or later, it'll be revealed. Besides, I doubt I can maintain 'this state' for long against you."
"…? What the hell are you talking about?"
Was she about to spoil her own trump card? If so, that would be disappointing—better she stop now. Netero was about to say as much, when the sight before his eyes left him speechless.
Not only him—Riina and Biscuit too, both gasped as if witnessing the impossible.
What stood before them was… Aisha, cloaked in a vast, monstrous, malevolent aura utterly unlike Ryushou.
"Wh—what is that…?"
"Ma… master?"
"You've… got to be kidding me…"
All three stood frozen in shock. Had Aisha attacked in that instant, the fight might have ended immediately.
But who could blame them?
If some enemy had unleashed such an aura, Netero would have been startled, but never left himself open to attack. The problem was that Ryushou—that paragon of rectitude, the man who lived for training, pure and unyielding—was now radiating this vile aura.
How could anyone reconcile that sight?
Still caught in shock, the three could do nothing but stare. And yet, to Aisha, that was only natural. She began speaking in a low monologue.
"Most likely, this is a side effect of reincarnation... From the very moment I was reborn into this world, my aura had already taken on this nature. Reincarnation sounds pleasant enough, but in the end, I suppose I am still a dead man."
If she didn't keep her aura hidden, even daily life would become impossible. Aisha muttered this with a bitter smile.
"...! Then all this time, the reason your aura showed no change was—!"
"As you've guessed. It was thanks to my new Nen ability, Angel's Veil. While this ability is active, my aura cannot be detected by any means whatsoever."
"Th-that's practically cheating, y'know!"
Biscuit's words weren't wrong. In combat between Nen users, one of the most critical elements is the flow of aura.
Knowing how your opponent moves their aura—how much they're investing in offense or defense, whether an attack is real or a feint—gives you a decisive advantage. To be unable to sense it at all puts one at a crushing disadvantage.
"This ability was originally created just to hide this aura of mine."
Don't just go inventing cheat-tier abilities for that kind of reason!
For once, all three—Netero, Biscuit, and Riina—shared the same thought.
"I see... So that elbow strike earlier was loaded with a massive amount of aura, huh."
"Exactly right."
That much made sense. The aura cloaking Aisha now was clearly on a level far above what Ryushou had ever wielded. With this, it was entirely possible she could overpower even Netero's defenses.
"Heh... this just got interesting."
"...You don't despise me?"
"Hah? What are you talking about?"
Instead of disdain, Netero brushed it off casually—Enough nonsense, let's keep going already. Aisha faltered, taken aback. She had agonized over how to explain this aura, whether he would accept her as she was. She hadn't expected such a light answer.
"Why would I despise you? Sure, your form has changed. Your gender has changed. Even your aura has changed. But—you're still you, aren't you?"
The moment she heard those words and grasped their full meaning, Aisha's heart overflowed with joy. Her greatest friend, her rival, had accepted her as she was now. That alone was enough.
No more hesitation remained within her. She would fight with everything she had—truly and without reserve!
"By the way, aren't you going to use that Angel's Veil anymore? Being invisible to aura is a huge advantage."
"Don't state the obvious. You'd just treat every one of my attacks as hardened strikes anyway, wouldn't you?"
"Of course. I've fought you countless times already, mastering that overwhelming speed of yours. For someone else it might be dangerous—but for me? Not so much. Doesn't mean it won't be a pain in the ass, though."
"Exactly. Besides, that ability has a weakness. Against you, it would only be a hindrance."
For it consumed aura at ten times the normal rate. No matter how vast her aura reserves, Aisha doubted she could sustain it in a drawn-out battle against Netero.
"Here I come, Netero... This will be the first time I show someone else my full Ren."
With those words, an even greater surge of aura erupted from Aisha's body.
Riina and Biscuit were beyond words. If her aura had already been enough to rival humanity's greatest, then now... it had grown even further. One of Netero's acquaintances was said to be able to quantify aura, but what number could possibly measure this? None of them could even begin to imagine.
And yet, Netero smiled at the sight of such overwhelming power.
"Let's see if you can withstand it—all of me!"
In answer to Aisha's declaration, Netero unleashed his own aura in full.
From this point on, there would be no repeating the battles of their previous lives.
The duel was no longer Ryushou versus Netero. It was Aisha versus Netero.
Once again, they faced each other. But this time, Aisha made the first move.
Maintaining the Kazama-style stance, she closed in on Netero.
"!?"
Once again, shock. The technique Aisha used was not Willow Leaf Shaking, her old specialty.
That technique relied on unique footwork to trick the opponent's perception of body movement and balance, slipping into their blind spot.
But this was different. Normally, whenever a person moves, some part of the body inevitably shifts. That is a law of life.
Aisha defied that law. Without moving even a muscle, it was as if the ground itself had shrunk, propelling her forward at impossible speed.
Of course, the secret lay in Nen. Not in a traditional Hatsu, but as an advanced application of aura.
By concentrating aura into the soles of her feet and spinning it at high speed, she could propel herself without any bodily motion. Easy enough to describe in words—but to perform it required immense skill.
Conversely, with sufficient technique and aura control, anyone could learn it. One might even call it simply an applied Nen technique.
Ryushou had always relied on such techniques. Whether it was Willow Leaf Shaking or Penetration Palm, every move he mastered was something anyone could theoretically do—taken to the ultimate extreme. He had no innate combat-enhancing abilities, so victory had to come from technique alone.
That principle remained unchanged even after becoming Aisha. Thus, she had continued developing new techniques after reincarnation.
This one was the fruit of that pursuit—Earth-Shortening Step.
Naturally, this was Netero's first time facing such a movement. But facing the unknown was hardly new. In battles between Nen users, unpredictability was the norm. Close combat was welcome. All he had to do was strike her head-on. Filling his fist with explosive spirit, Netero swung at the charging Aisha. She responded with her own punch.
When their fists collided, Netero's was knocked aside instantly—without even a moment of equilibrium.
Aisha's Transmutation-type punch had overpowered Netero, the Enhancement-type.
Normally, at such a high level, that kind of irrational outcome would be impossible. But the overwhelming difference in aura, combined with Aisha's ultra-fast flow switching to Ko at the moment of impact, made it real.
As Netero staggered from the deflected blow, Aisha pressed forward with a relentless barrage. Pouring all her aura into full-body reinforcement, she unleashed a storm of strikes.
But this was Netero. No matter how much she had reinforced herself, in a pure striking match, his years of mastery gave him the edge. If she couldn't beat him in a straight fight—then she simply wouldn't fight him straight. With minimal movements, he slipped past every blow, biding his time for an opening.
Realizing her attacks weren't landing, Aisha shifted tactics—using Earth-Shortening Step to circle at high speed around Netero.
To the naked eye—even the eyes of masters—it was nearly impossible to track. What made it worse was that her body itself never visibly moved. An impossible phenomenon, designed to overwhelm the target's perception.
So Netero waited. For the instant of attack. No matter how skilled Aisha was, to strike she would have to move her body. If he couldn't read her movement, then he would simply catch her in that moment.
But then, right before his eyes, Aisha changed her rhythm. Linking Earth-Shortening Step into Willow Leaf Shaking, she vanished from his sight. It only took Netero a fraction of a second to halt his own strike—but that tiny lapse was fatal.
The perfect opening, the chance to land a killing blow! Pouring her entire spirit into it, Aisha struck at his unguarded back with one of her most trusted techniques—Penetration Palm.
It connected! Or so Aisha believed with certainty. Unavoidable, indefensible—a perfect strike. Even Netero would fall from this.
And yet, a single question flickered in her mind.
Why hadn't he countered with 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva?
Had he been too late? Impossible. Aisha knew better than anyone that there were forms designed for attacks to the rear.
—No... it couldn't be!?—
Now it was Aisha's turn to be stunned.
Yes—Netero had blocked the Penetration Palm. To defend against the Penetration Palm, which sends aura directly into the opponent's body through a palm strike, one must manipulate their internal aura to cancel it out.
Realizing that he couldn't possibly evade the next strike after being perfectly feinted, Netero had already prepared to defend against the Penetration Palm.
He had been certain that at that decisive moment, Aisha would definitely unleash it.
The reason Netero hadn't countered with 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva was a simple one: sheer pride.
How many times had he been felled by that Penetration Palm? More than half of his defeats had been due to it. Breaking the Penetration Palm—that was the trial Netero had set for himself before this decisive battle.
"Kh…!"
Aisha immediately retreated backward, but slightly too late. Netero's backfist caught her face. She hastily guarded with Gyo, and thanks to her overwhelming aura, she seemed to take little real damage.
But mentally, the blow had landed.
"…You blocked the Penetration Palm."
The ultimate secret technique she had mastered through grueling training. For someone weak like her former self, it was the most trusted move, the one that could topple any opponent.
And now—it had been broken.
Shock rippled through Aisha's core.
"I've tasted bitter defeat at that move too many times. I never once skipped training to overcome it… even after you were gone."
Aisha felt both Netero's willpower and his obsession in those words. A part of her was even moved—he had thought of her that much.
But—
"Bitter defeat? That's my line. …Use the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva, Netero. I'll be the one to break your strongest technique…!"
Yes, Aisha had endured bitterness as well. Whenever the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva was used, she would always lose. The frustration of that was beyond measure.
If her refinement had been broken, then here and now she would shatter Netero's own refinement.
"…Heh, fine. I'll rise to your provocation!"
At this point, Biscuit envisioned Netero's victory, while Riina pictured Aisha's defeat.
Naturally so. Even Ryushou had never been able to break the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva. Its speed was unavoidable, a counter to any possible attack.
The opponent's strike would never land, while their own strike would always hit. Truly an ability of offense and defense united.
Even if Aisha's aura and physical durability surpassed Ryushou's, it was only a matter of time before she collapsed. Whether from running out of aura or her body breaking first—it was inevitable.
But Netero himself did not assume victory. Aisha—Ryushou—would never make such a bold declaration without a plan.
Thus, he unleashed a full-powered strike.
—100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva: First Hand!—
Instantly, the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva statue appeared, and its blade-like hand chopped downward toward Aisha. The blow landed squarely, shattering the earth itself.
"Master!!?"
"Wait—!? That's too much!!"
The two onlookers panicked, because the strike had been different from those used against Ryushou.
Ryushou had barely managed to withstand the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva because those blows came from the side. A side strike could have its impact dispersed by relaxing the body, then further absorbed with Ken—combining soft and hard defenses. That was how he endured.
But this strike had come from above. With the ground beneath, there was nowhere for the shock to escape—its power had been amplified instead.
The fight was over. Aisha had to be rescued immediately.
Yet, while Biscuit and Riina rushed forward in panic, Aisha slowly emerged from the crater.
Her clothes were in tatters, her body covered in cuts—but her steps were firm, and her eyes burned with unwavering resolve.
"…Just how tough are you…?"
Biscuit wondered if she hadn't already used up a lifetime's worth of astonishment today.
"I see, you're durable. But don't think that alone can beat the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva."
"Don't rush me. If it could be broken in an instant, I wouldn't have suffered this long—!"
Even as she finished her words, Aisha closed in, and Netero immediately countered with the most optimal 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva stance for the angle of attack.
The First Hand was unusable—at least from Aisha's current angle. As tough as she was, she couldn't take that same vertical strike multiple times.
Thus, attacking from a position where the First Hand couldn't be used was only natural.
Again and again, she charged recklessly, only to be countered. But with each clash, she memorized the stances. She didn't need to learn them all—she couldn't, realistically. It was enough to identify only the forms she couldn't deflect, and then strike from angles where those couldn't be used.
She repeated this foolhardy assault over and over.
The first to feel something strange was Netero.
By now, Aisha had been shown more than a hundred different 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva stances. She had surely identified the most dangerous ones. But that was fine—though the stances were finite, their combinations were countless. Reaching him through all of them was near impossible. She would fall first.
Even so, something bothered him. Each time Aisha was blasted away by the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva, her trajectory was odd.
According to physics, when a force strikes from the right, the body should fly left. Yet Aisha's body often flew in completely different directions—ignoring natural law. Each strike sent her off unpredictably.
Then Netero noticed—the aura wrapping her body at the moment of impact was spinning like a top at incredible speed.
Unbelievable. Aisha wasn't just guarding with Ken; she was spinning her aura at high velocity to disperse the impact further.
Not just in one spot—but across her entire body, all while maintaining Ken. This was aura mastery at the highest level in the world.
Yes—this could endure even the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva. And indeed, it had. Despite being struck again and again by blows that split the earth and shattered stone, Aisha's movements showed no sign of faltering.
"…Interesting."
Never before had Netero met an enemy unfazed by his strikes. If Aisha survived long enough to reach him, he would face defeat.
But to face such a formidable foe with everything he had—that was the essence of martial pursuit. This was exactly the situation Netero had hoped for.
So—how would she break the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva? With anticipation burning, Netero kept up his counters.
Then Aisha's relentless charges shifted.
She leapt into the air. Did she think there was no anti-air stance? If so, she was wrong—the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva was not so easily beaten. Just as Netero prepared a new stance, Aisha suddenly accelerated in midair.
All she had done was release aura to propel herself through the sky. Simple in concept, but it required immense aura and refined emission technique.
Repeating this, Aisha performed high-speed aerial maneuvers. Netero, both impressed and exasperated, thought: If I ask her, she'll probably say "anyone could do this."
Yet even this failed to pierce the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva's guard. Its stances covered the full 360 degrees, including directly above. That was why Netero had remained undefeated.
No matter how many angles she attacked from, Aisha was repelled. Still, each time, she closed the distance faster. Her body accumulated damage, and her aura reserves had dropped to nearly half. These techniques—both aerial propulsion and rotational defense—consumed enormous amounts of aura.
Even minimizing the drain, defending against hundreds of blows inevitably bled her aura away.
Still, Aisha felt her plan was working. Just a little longer, and she'd grasp it. If she succeeded, she could land a hit on Netero.
But Netero wouldn't allow it. Instead of countering, he prepared an offensive stance.
—100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva: Ninety-Ninth Hand!!—
He leapt high above Aisha and formed the stance. Aisha's entire body shivered at the sight—this was the first time she had seen it.
This is bad! But avoidance was impossible—that was the nature of the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva.
The statue unleashed a storm of palm strikes. Aisha blocked the first with her spinning aura technique—Kai, as she called it—hoping to be flung clear of the rest. But she wasn't fast enough.
Like a leaf caught in a tempest, she was pummeled in midair again and again.
Only after a dozen blows did she manage to break free of the storm, badly wounded.
Had she been crushed to the ground under that barrage, the battle would have ended there. Watching the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva continue to smash the earth below, she couldn't help but think so. Continue…?
Yes. The 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva was still striking the ground, even though its target—Aisha—was no longer there.
In that instant, Aisha saw her chance. The 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva moved only according to its preset stances. It couldn't improvise mid-technique. That was its one true weakness!
Immediately, she closed the distance to Netero, still airborne. If she could strike before he formed the next stance—!
But just as her blow was about to land, Netero unleashed another 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva.
Even Netero felt his blood run cold.
He never imagined someone could break free from the Ninety-Ninth Hand. To think she had mastered such a troublesome technique… From here on, he couldn't afford even a single mistake.
Still, before Aisha could strike, Netero managed to form the next stance. If the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva was unleashed from the optimal stance, Aisha would be blown away. The damage dealt would be minimal, yes—but that had always been the rule of this fight.
Yes, even this strike followed that same rule. What was different was…the direction she was sent flying.
Aisha, having taken the blow of the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva, was standing right before Netero's eyes.
Why? Why was Aisha directly in front of him now? The 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva had struck her—hadn't it!?
Shrouded in shock, Netero nevertheless reached the answer.
—Impossible. Did she… adjust the rotation of her aura to deliberately fling herself toward me!?
What Netero hadn't realized was that Aisha had been altering the rotational flow of her technique Kai with every single blow she received.
At what angle, with what spin, would she be flung where? She had been calibrating that, strike by strike. That steady persistence now bore fruit.
She struck from an angle where she could counter only against stances she had already identified, and when the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva activated, she adjusted her aura's spin to be launched directly toward Netero himself.
The result: success. Now, Netero was right before her eyes.
The 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva had just activated—it needed a brief cooldown before another stance could be formed. In that fleeting instant, Aisha's determination pierced through.
Her full-powered strike sank deep into Netero's abdomen.
"Guh-bwah!?"
Netero spat blood in torrents as he was hurled to the ground.
He had blocked her Ko-reinforced strike with his own Ko. As mentioned before, in raw striking ability Netero was leagues above Aisha. He had predicted her blow easily, and his defensive aura had been on time.
Even so—this much damage. He knew several ribs had shattered, and his organs had taken severe damage.
As Netero landed and tried to regain his stance, Aisha unleashed her next attack. For the first time, instead of using her emission solely for aerial movement, she poured it into offense—an aura cannon vast enough to swallow a person whole, roaring down upon Netero.
He hastily blocked with the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva. The aura blast and the palm strike collided in midair, roaring violently. Gradually, the cannon dispersed.
But before it vanished completely, Aisha had already made her next move.
If she delayed even slightly, she'd be countered by the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva. Then all would be lost—the same trick might not work twice.
Netero wondered if Aisha was even injured. The truth was, she was in far worse shape than she looked. No matter how she defended with her techniques, she couldn't completely nullify the shock.
Outwardly, only abrasions could be seen. But inside, several organs were damaged, her mouth was filled with the taste of blood, and countless fine cracks lined her bones.
She knew—if she didn't finish it here, there would likely be no more chance of victory.
Parallel to her aura cannon, she launched herself at high speed along the ground, cloaked in In to hide her presence, using the blast itself to conceal her movement.
As predicted, the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva blocked the aura cannon. But Aisha was already on the ground.
Netero noticed too late that she was no longer in the sky. As he scanned for her presence, Aisha had already slipped into his guard. The 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva couldn't activate in time. Counterattack was impossible. If even the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva couldn't be ready, then a normal counter stood no chance.
Yet Netero saw her motion and realized the truth.
He recognized it—she was about to unleash the Penetration Palm. At once, he focused his internal aura to defend against it. He had already broken it once. There was no reason it couldn't be broken again.
If it had been the usual Penetration Palm, that is.
Aisha's right palm unleashed the strike. And before its shock could be nullified, she overlaid her left palm atop it, unleashing another.
—Twin-Penetrating Palms—
This was the ultimate technique Aisha—no, Ryushou—had once devised, anticipating the day Netero might overcome the Penetration Palm.
The doubled impact of two Penetration Palm in tandem. Not even Netero's internal aura manipulation could withstand it.
"It went through…!"
"…Guhhh!"
Netero vomited blood as he collapsed to the ground.
Biscuit rushed to him in panic. She knew the power of the Penetration Palm—she herself had once been struck by Riina's. And now it had been doubled. Such power could well be fatal.
"…Still going?"
Aisha asked, though she didn't need to check his aura to know Netero's spirit wasn't broken.
"Of… of course. I still… haven't shown… everything…!"
Netero's will to continue was clear. Aisha answered by raising her aura once more.
"Wait just a second, geezer! You're already at your limit! If you keep fighting, you'll die!!"
"Indeed. The duel is decided. This match is—"
"Silence!"
Both Biscuit, trying to stop Netero, and Riina, trying to declare Aisha's victory, were silenced by a roar from Aisha and Netero together.
"Whether I've hit my limit is for me to decide! Right now, I'm having the time of my life. Don't you dare get in the way!"
"I can only claim victory if I withstand Netero's everything. If I stopped this duel now, I wouldn't forgive you—even you!"
Their overwhelming spirit crushed the words from Biscuit and Riina. Only the two combatants could decide this fight.
"Here I come, Aisha. I'll show you everything—the Zero Hand of the Hundred-Type Guanyin!"
"Come, Netero. I'll take it all!"
Both were battered and broken. And yet, their faces brimmed with joy.
Aisha poured her full aura into Ren, ready to withstand what she knew would be Netero's strongest strike. If she survived it, victory would be hers.
She could have pressed her advantage, striking down the weakened Netero for an easier win. But she didn't. To take all of Netero's might and still prevail—that alone would make her truly his rival.
Netero, in turn, felt nothing but gratitude.
Never before had he unleashed so much. Growing old, his body weakening day by day, he had often wondered if he'd ever again fight at full strength.
But here, his greatest rival stood reborn. His spirits soared, his aura surged as if he had grown young again.
He had thought his prime long past. But he was wrong.
In battle against one of equal might, he realized: his body may have withered, his aura may have waned—but the current him was stronger than ever before.
With gratitude for the one who raised him to such heights, he unleashed his ultimate strike.
—100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva: Zero Hand!!!—
The 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva appeared behind Aisha, its merciful palms enfolding her, holding her immobile. Before she could even be shocked by being restrained, she felt the enormous surge of aura building behind her—and her blood froze.
Evasion was impossible. Even if she defended, the result would surely be…
The full measure of aura Netero had amassed during two days of meditation, condensed into a blinding orb of solar radiance, now unleashed.
The merciless roar of power rained upon Aisha's entire body.
"A-ah…"
"…No way, she can't survive that…"
Through the rising dust, Biscuit and Riina saw a massive crater carved into the earth.
It wasn't large—surprisingly small compared to the aura's magnitude.
But that was because the power had been compressed into the smallest possible space. The crater's surface was smooth, as if scooped out by a spoon.
Even before seeing it, both had known: no one could take that attack and live.
And yet—
"Haaah… haa… haahhh…"
Through the dust, a figure emerged.
Riina and Biscuit stared, as if at a ghost.
But it was no ghost.
Her body was torn with wounds, blood flowing from every limb, her gi shredded to rags. Yet on her two feet, Aisha stood.
"…A…amazing… strike…"
Unsteady, she staggered toward Netero. Her wounds were fatal-looking, yet her will was unbroken. She brushed aside even her allies' concern with sheer force of spirit.
"Heh… even Zero… you really… endured it…"
Riina and Biscuit turned toward the voice. And were struck dumb.
For Netero now stood gaunt as a withered tree.
"…I really thought… I'd die there…"
Aisha had done three things within the Zero Hand's grasp.
First—at the instant she felt the aura building, realizing evasion was impossible, she poured every drop of aura she had into the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva behind her.
When the merciless blast came, her own aura clashed against it. Being an enhancer-adjacent manipulator, she was naturally adept at emission. It was only natural Ryushou would have honed such a long-range measure.
But her vaunted aura cannon was instantly overwhelmed.
Next, she shaped her aura into a conical shield behind her, to scatter the power. Manipulation was not her strong suit, but she had trained enough to manage such a form instantly.
It too was shattered like paper in a waterfall.
Finally, she did the simplest, clearest thing.
No more tricks. She wrapped her body in every last drop of aura to endure.
And so—she survived.
"…Heh… heh…"
"What's so… funny?" Netero asked.
Was she that happy to endure the Zero Hand?
Her answer was yes—and no.
"Yes… I'm happy… because I finally… finally took everything you had to give."
She wasn't laughing just because she survived. She laughed because she had withstood Netero's all.
"Netero."
"…What?"
"Did you give it your all?"
"Look at me. What do you think?"
"Has your thirst… been quenched?"
"Yeah… I've got nothing but gratitude."
"…I'm sorry… for keeping you waiting."
"You made it in time. No complaints here."
Their minds fading, barely even recognizing each other's forms, they spoke their final words together.
""But remember this—""
""Next time, I'll be the one to win!""
And with that, both lost consciousness at the same time.
_______
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