Phinks abandoned glaring at Feitan with a sidelong glance and raised both thumbs toward Morin, cheering enthusiastically:
"Well done! I've wanted to do that for ages!!"
He looked completely nonchalant, as if the earlier dispute over titles had never happened.
For people from teor City, the elders were figures of authority and power. Even the most defiant and unruly individuals typically avoided provoking them.
But Morin had done it—and done it spectacularly.
Not only had he dismantled the elders' council, but he also rescued his companions and evaded relentless pursuit, escaping safely.
Afterward, he ventured into the wider world, established his own group, and made a notable na for himself.
Each of these feats resonated with the bold spirits of those still living in teor City, earning him admiration and applause.
Challenging authority and breaking free from the constraints of rules always drew attention, regardless of the context.
And for soone who achieved this and continued to excel, admiration and respect naturally followed.
Phinks was one such admirer.
As a quintessential Enhancer, Phinks was straightforward by nature and had no inclination to hide his feelings.
Learning of Morin's exploits, he had decisively left teor City, and fate led him to et his current partner, Feitan.
Through Feitan, he t Chrollo, earned his approval, and formally joined the Phantom Troupe, claiming the number "5" in the process.
"Vice Leader Morin!"
Phinks clenched his fists together, his eyes ablaze with fervor and his fighting spirit surging:
"You're so incredible—I've wanted to spar with you for ages!!"
A faint aura began emanating from Phinks as he spoke.
On the ground beneath him, the pressure of his aura caused faint ripples of dust to spread outward.
"Do I have the honor of challenging you to a proper match?"
Phinks slowly rolled up his sleeves, a grin on his face.
"Of course, we won't decide the winner by [death]; let's just see whose muscles are tougher. Hahaha!!"
As he spoke, he couldn't help but laugh at his own joke.
Morin: "…"
Pakunoda: "…"
Shalnark: "…"
Kortopi: "…"
Is this guy… okay?
"He's at it again."
Feitan raised an eyebrow, shaking his head. His tone carried rare hints of helplessness and exasperation.
Phinks' straightforwardness was an open book—he was easy to read.
But his bluntness sotis went too far, leading to jokes in inappropriate monts.
While Phinks found his antics amusing, others often saw him as… odd.
His habit of joking often led to serious consequences, forcing him to sheepishly admit fault and accept punishnt.
Despite this, he never changed his ways.
Instead, Phinks developed a remarkable resilience, turning his ability to adapt and rebound into a strength.
At this stage, though, he hadn't fully honed that skill.
As everyone silently stared at him, his laughter gradually faded.
"You guys didn't think that was funny?"
Phinks' throat bobbed as if he wanted to ask this question, but he ultimately swallowed the words.
He had a gut feeling that if he said it out loud, he'd face an even more awkward situation—and Feitan's rciless ridicule.
"A fight? That's not out of the question."
Amid the subtle tension, Morin broke the silence with a calm response.
"Go ahead and use your best move right off the bat."
Morin struck a classic defensive pose, inviting Phinks with a hand gesture reminiscent of Wong Fei-hung.
"As the vice leader, I don't intervene much in troupe matters, but since we have new mbers and fresh energy joining us, it's only fitting to extend a warm welco."
"If you want to spar with , I won't disappoint you. And since I'm the senior and you're the newcor, I'll let you take the first strike."
Morin transitioned into a defensive stance. "Let this old-tir feel the power of the new blood joining our ranks."
"Are you serious?!"
Phinks' eyes widened in excitent, practically lighting up his forehead.
The fire in his gaze was unmistakable:
"Just so you know, when I fight, I go all out—including using my abilities!"
As he spoke, his aura surged forth, enveloping his body with a powerful energy.
"Are you really planning to stay defensive?"
Phinks gave a friendly warning: "My attacks are very strong!"
"Don't worry," Morin replied with a smile. "Just co at with everything you've got."
The mont those words left his lips, the atmosphere changed dramatically.
"Alright!!"
Phinks nodded vigorously, full of enthusiasm. "That kind of resolve is worthy of a vice leader and one of the troupe's top leaders!!"
"Your spirit alone earns my recognition, no matter the result!!"
Phinks bellowed excitedly.
His straightforward personality left no room for half-asures; once Morin dismissed his concerns, he held nothing back.
Phinks' aura surged and flared, unabashedly showcasing his power to Morin.
As the two prepared to face off, Pakunoda quietly distanced herself.
Shalnark and Kortopi both turned to watch, their faces and eyes filled with curiosity.
It was their first ti seeing the vice leader in action.
Having already witnessed Chrollo's formidable strength and abilities, they were eager to see what Morin—so enigmatic within the troupe—had to offer.
Even Chrollo set down his book, quietly observing the impending fight, a rare glimr of anticipation in his gaze.
"I wonder how much stronger you've beco over these three years," Chrollo murmured.
"Hey, are you sure about this?"
As Phinks prepared himself, Feitan, who knew both sides, stepped in.
Though he knew it was futile to stop the battle, he felt compelled to clarify things.
After all, this wasn't just a skirmish between ordinary mbers—this was a face-off between the vice leader and a new recruit.
Still, Feitan only intended to clarify the stakes. Whatever happened next was beyond his concern.
"Phinks, have you forgotten who gave you those training manuals?" Feitan reminded him coolly.
"Of course I know!!" Phinks shot back, his voice rising with intensity. "That's exactly why I'm so eager to see just how strong the person who could provide such powerful manuals truly is!"
He continued, his excitent barely contained, "When I was training, I lost count of how many tis I thought about sparring with the person behind those techniques!! I want to know where my understanding of Nen falls short!"
Then, his tone shifted, growing more serious:
"I'm fully aware of who helped grow stronger. I'll always rember that."
But even with this acknowledgnt, Phinks stood firm:
"That doesn't change my desire to spar with soone strong!!!"
Phinks' remarkable progress in Nen was largely thanks to the manuals, insights, and training thods Morin had generously shared with the Phantom Troupe. These techniques had propelled his growth significantly, a debt of gratitude he had no intention of forgetting.
However, that gratitude didn't diminish his burning desire to challenge Morin.
Enhancers were known for their straightforward yet resolute nature, and Phinks embodied this perfectly.
"You'd better rember that," Feitan remarked dryly before shifting his sharp gaze to Morin.
"I don't need to explain this, but I'm sure you've already realized—Phinks is an Enhancer," Feitan stated matter-of-factly.
"And you should know, allowing an Enhancer to freely gather their power to activate their ability can unleash overwhelming force."
Enhancers were widely regarded as the most destructive of the five Nen categories, surpassed only by the enigmatic Specialists in unpredictability.
"I'm well aware," Morin replied calmly, a confident smile on his face.
Feitan squinted slightly, holding Morin's gaze for a mont, the tension palpable.
After a brief silence, he stepped back and relented.
"Fine. Do as you please."
"This is getting interesting," Shalnark muttered, a sly grin tugging at his lips as his hand moved to the concealed Little Demon phone at his side.
The prospect of such a match clearly intrigued him, even stirring a faint desire to join in.
Though Shalnark often appeared good-natured, he had a mischievous streak. Battles where he could play mind gas and catch others off guard were his specialty—and he enjoyed every mont of them.
Paired with his doll-like, innocent-looking face, his personality made him even more unpredictable.
anwhile, Phinks was readying himself, his aura coalescing in thick, concentrated waves around his right arm.
"Vice Leader, my ability is called Ripper Cyclotron!"
He declared confidently, the air around him charged with energy as his right arm began to spin, faster and faster.
"In a world as dangerous as this, having a reliable defensive tool like this one provides imnse peace of mind," Morin thought to himself.
"It not only helps guard against sneak attacks but also offers a considerable advantage during combat."
He smirked slightly and ntally whistled.
"The effect is even better than I expected," he mused as he discreetly pressed a yellow switch at the top of a small, round device hidden in his sleeve.
The device was a swirl of purple and pink hues, seamlessly blending together.
With a faint click, the invisible air shield that had surrounded him within a one-ter radius vanished without a trace.
Its appearance had gone unnoticed, and its disappearance was just as imperceptible—almost as though nothing had happened at all.
"The only downside is the energy drain," Morin remarked quietly, slipping the Barrier Sphere back into his pocket.
The Barrier Sphere was one of Morin's prized tools, a rarity even among his vast collection.
Item: Barrier Sphere (a.k.a. Wall Orb)
Effect:
When kept on your person, it creates an invisible air wall with a one-ter radius around you. This barrier blocks all external attacks and prevents any object from passing through—unless the user declares the passcode: "Let items starting with [X] pass through." Objects that begin with the specified prefix can bypass the barrier freely.
This item was a true defensive weapon, built on the fundantal rules of cause and effect. In essence, it acted as a Nen-like ability, enforcing an inviolable law.
Morin had obtained the Barrier Sphere by chance during one of his gacha draws.
Items like this, categorized as "causality-rule artifacts," were exceedingly rare even in his draws. Despite three years of consistent attempts, Morin had only managed to acquire a handful of such tools.
Each one, however, was undeniably overpowered.
For instance, the Age-Reversing Spring Rope allowed its user to regain their youth—a formidable ability in itself.
The Barrier Sphere, by comparison, stood out as one of the most practical and versatile items in his arsenal, representing the pinnacle of defensive tools.
The item's design was strikingly similar to the logic of Nen, especially in its operational structure. Once activated, the invisible wall would block all intrusions.
However, its passcode feature added an ingenious layer of specificity. For example, a user could say, "Let items starting with 'elec-' enter," and objects like "electronic devices," "electric cars," or even "electric fans" would pass through unimpeded.
According to its description, the Barrier Sphere was originally developed in the 22nd century as standard equipnt for law enforcent officers. It was designed to protect them from harm during operations. Naturally, there were safety asures in place to prevent misuse by criminals in its original tiline.
However, in a world like this one—where such safeguards didn't exist—the Barrier Sphere was practically a tool of "absolute defense."
Even Phinks' Ripper Cyclotron, a technique of raw, destructive power, had been neutralized effortlessly by its protection.
Still, Morin knew the Sphere had its limitations.
The energy drain was significant. Each second the barrier remained active, Morin could feel his Nen reserves depleting at an alarming rate.
This was a defining trait of causality-rule tools: their imnse consumption balanced out their overwhelming power.
Even with strict restrictions and vows imposed to reduce its energy cost, Morin estimated he could only maintain the shield for a few seconds in normal circumstances.
However, those few seconds were often enough to turn the tide in life-or-death situations.
"Key monts," Morin reflected, "are where this tool truly shines."
anwhile, on the beach, Phinks was starting to recover from his dramatic defeat.
The comical sight of his upside-down posture on the sand began to shift as his legs wobbled.
With a grunt of effort, he planted his feet firmly on the ground and pushed off with his arms, pulling his head—still coated in sand—out of the beach.
"Ugh, cough, pfft! Pwah!"
He spat out a mouthful of sand, shaking his head like a dog drying off.
"That was cheating, wasn't it?!"
Phinks exclaid, his tone equal parts frustration and disbelief. "Why didn't you face head-on?!
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