"Gon, Zane, you two step aside. I'm going to take this old man on alone."
It was hard to tell if Zane's arrival made Killua want to rein in his childish behavior, or if his competitive spirit had been ignited by the previous failed attempts to snatch the ball.
As the ga resud, Killua prepared to take the field by himself.
Naturally, Zane and Gon had no objections.
The two of them retreated to the sidelines and sat down.
'Oh? Is that look in his eyes a sign he's getting serious? Good. Let see how much skill the new generation of the Zoldyck family actually has.' Netero watched with amusent as Killua's expression turned solemn.
His feet shifted.
With his eyes locked on Netero, Killua didn't rush in blindly. Instead, he began to circle the old man.
Rhythm Echo!
Killua's pace seed steady and slow at first, but it quickly changed.
As he circled, Killua began to split into a series of afterimages, making it impossible to tell which one was the real him.
"There are so many Killuas!"
Sitting nearby, Gon's eyes widened as he tried to pick out the real Killua from the shadows.
Beside him, Zane watched intently.
'The assassination arts of the Zoldyck family... this Rhythm Echo technique is quite similar to my Quiet as the Forest. Both use afterimages to deceive the enemy.'
'Though the moves are similar, there are plenty of differences in the details. Hmm... not bad. I've learned sothing.'
Relying on his extraordinary eyesight, Zane quickly caught Killua's true form amidst the afterimages. He felt satisfied as he observed.
Learning by watching was never sothing to be ashad of.
The key lay in how it was done.
Stealing techniques through underhanded ans was a disgrace.
But doing it like this—watching openly and learning through sheer talent—that was true skill.
Whoosh!
Utilizing his Rhythm Echo, Killua searched for a weakness in Netero's defense, but of course, there were none to be found.
Frowning, Killua finally decided on a frontal assault. He accelerated abruptly, turning into a blurred phantom that appeared right in front of Netero in an instant.
Silent Step!
This was another assassination technique passed down through the Zoldyck family.
Confronted with Killua's high-speed movent...
Netero acted as if he hadn't noticed. But just as Killua reached out to snatch the ball, the old man suddenly dropped into a crouch, causing Killua to lunge into thin air.
"Huh?"
Startled, Killua quickly spun to regain his balance before spinning back around to launch a kick at the ball.
"Too slow!" Netero laughed, flipping his palm and clutching the ball to easily avoid Killua's strike.
"You old geezer!"
Missing twice in a row, Killua cursed under his breath, frustration beginning to set in.
He was especially annoyed that the old man hadn't used his right hand or his left leg even once while fending off his attacks.
He pushed off with his legs repeatedly.
Killua continued to use Silent Step to lunge forward, but every single ti, the ball would vanish from his sight.
'Damn it. If that's how it is, I'll start by making sure you can't move.'
Spotting an opening, Killua abandoned his pursuit of the ball and targeted Netero's lower body instead. He delivered a brutal sweep against Netero's right shin—the only leg the old man was standing on.
"Ah! Ow, it hurts!!"
The smirk that had just started to form on Killua's face froze. He collapsed to the floor, clutching his right foot and rolling around in pain.
'That was a clean hit. Anyone else would have had their leg shattered.' Netero appraised Killua's attack.
With his reaction speed, dodging would have been effortless.
However, he had chosen to give the boy an opening to test his strength further.
'That really hurts! The old man's leg is as hard as iron!' Once the pain subsided slightly, Killua glared resentfully at Netero, who stood waiting calmly.
But resentnt wouldn't change anything.
Limping slightly, Killua turned and walked back toward Zane and Gon.
"Is it ti to switch?" Seeing Killua approach, Gon prepared to step up with boundless energy.
"Wait, Gon. Let Zane go first," Killua interjected, stopping Gon in his tracks.
Zane looked at Killua—who was so eagerly recomnding him—with a knowing smile. He stood up and said, "Alright, I'll go next."
With that, he pulled off his shirt, revealing a lean and well-defined physique as he strode into the center of the court.
"Killua, why did you let Zane go first?" Gon asked, looking at his friend with a hint of disappointnt.
"Oh, well... I just wanted to see what Zane is capable of. Didn't you say he fought Hisoka during the first phase and was incredibly strong?" Killua explained, plunking himself down beside Gon.
While exploring the airship, he had already questioned Gon for details about the first exam.
Beyond confirming that it was indeed Zane who had fought Hisoka, he had also gathered clues about Zane's actual level of power.
But hearing about it was one thing; seeing it was another.
Since the opportunity had presented itself, he didn't mind seeing Zane's strength with his own eyes.
Of course, there was another reason: shared suffering.
He had just made such a fool of himself; he couldn't let Zane get away scot-free.
At the thought, Killua watched Zane on the court, a mischievous smirk forming in his mind.
On the court.
"Ready, Chairman?"
Approaching, Zane hopped in place to warm up, his eyes burning with intensity as he looked at Netero.
"Whenever you are!" Netero held the ball out in front of him, pointing it at Zane with a provocative grin.
Way of the Soldier: Killing Fist—Swift as the Wind!
Having received confirmation, Zane didn't hesitate. He instantly transford into a gale, vanishing from where he stood.
'So fast!'
Killua, who had been expecting a show, imdiately changed his expression when he saw Zane's burst of speed.
The speed Zane was currently displaying was undoubtedly superior to Killua's.
Whoosh!
A flash of movent.
Zane appeared beside Netero in an instant, his right hand moving even faster as he reached for the ball.
'Not bad!'
Netero raised an eyebrow at Zane's speed, then promptly pulled the ball away even faster.
Clearly, Zane's speed had not eluded Netero's perception.
Despite the failure, Zane didn't stop. He pressed in close.
His hands blurred into afterimages, looking as if dozens of arms had suddenly appeared to envelop Netero.
Netero shifted left and right, his incredible reactions and angles ensuring that Zane's every attempt at a grab ca up empty.
Way of the Soldier: Killing Fist—Quiet as the Forest!
He exerted force through his feet.
Following his hands, Zane's entire body began to manifest a series of afterimages.
In an instant...
Over a dozen Zanes appeared on the court at once, completely surrounding Netero in the center.
Shadow after shadow.
The scene looked like a mob of young n relentlessly attacking an elderly man.
"What is this?"
On the sidelines, Gon aside, Killua was utterly stunned.
This wasn't just because of the similarity between Quiet as the Forest and Rhythm Echo, but because of the sheer power Zane was demonstrating.
Even though Zane still hadn't managed to snatch the ball from Netero, the speed and the afterimages he displayed were almost too fast for Killua to follow.
In other words, if Zane and Killua were to face off, Killua would definitely be suppressed.
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