Killua leaned against the wall.
"Leorio, get back here."
Hearing Kurapika's call, Leorio finally left the ring and rejoined the group of examinees. Only then did he fully recall what had happened just a mont ago.
He had volunteered to fight Johness because he was worried about the man's strength. Leorio felt his own combat skills were the weakest among them, so he planned to sacrifice himself—he would go up, imdiately forfeit, and rely on the others to secure victories afterward.
But Johness hadn't played by the rules; even after Leorio declared his surrender, he still attacked. Killua intervened at that critical mont, killing Johness and saving Leorio's life.
"Killua…he's so strong? Not even Johness stood a chance? He just…killed him so easily? Are Heaven's Arena fighters really this tough? Then how strong is Ron…? Maybe I should've let Ron handle that match…"
Leorio glanced at Killua.
"Killua, thanks."
Killua just waved it off without a word.
The bald convict forcibly avoided looking at Killua and instead fixed his eyes on Leorio. "We won that round. I clearly heard you admit defeat. Besides, one of you entered the ring illegally."
The examiner watching from the surveillance screen concurred with the convict. The scoreboard switched to 1–1.
"It's fine, Leorio," Gon consoled him. "We'll definitely win the rest."
Kurapika added, "Leave it to Gon and . We know you ant well."
Leorio nodded. "I'm counting on you."
For the third match, a young-looking convict stepped forward, and from the examinee's side, Gon took the field.
"Done!"
At that mont, Ron finally opened his eyes.
"The Second Shadow…my third ability. It's not just about fusion—it can also enhance the product of that fusion. But the condition lies in 'spreadability.' Once a Nen Beast disappears, only if it's achieved a certain level of recognition can the fused form grow stronger."
"'Spreadability' basically ans it needs people to know about it—in other words, popularity."
Ron mulled it over. "Take Natsu right now. He's rged with Akutagawa Ryunosuke. Natsu's still here, but Akutagawa is gone—in reality, he's beco a shadow. If I want Natsu and Akutagawa's fusion to grow stronger, I have to boost Akutagawa's popularity.
"My best move would be to directly publish the 'Bungo Stray Dogs' manga in this world, free to read online, and use Chii's capabilities to promote it so it spreads widely. The bigger Akutagawa's fanbase, the stronger Natsu becos.
"But there's a problem: once 'Bungo Stray Dogs' is out there, people can learn about Akutagawa's powers through it, potentially revealing details of my own Nen Beast. Is that trade-off worth it? Would the boost from spreading the manga outweigh the drawbacks of exposing my Beast's abilities? I'll need to think carefully before deciding."
For now, Ron simply acted. At his summons, Natsu appeared. Initially, Natsu and Akutagawa had fused due to a trial Ron passed in the Kurta tribe's testing ground, but now Ron himself had developed a more fitting ability—one not only rging two beasts but strengthening the fusion based on how widely the "shadow" character is known.
Additionally, this new ability involved "matching points." Different pairings of beasts yield varying levels of compatibility, which also affects their fused strength.
"It's stronger than the ability I got from the Kurta tribe's trial. Typically, the more restrictions and vows in place, the greater the resulting power. Observer's crystal ball took ages to unlock, Lampent's Pain-split is also very restrictive, and Chrollo's Bandit's Secret in the Phantom Troupe cos with plenty of usage conditions. 'Stronger' might not be the right word, but this definitely suits better.
"It hinges on two big factors: spreadability and matching points, both of which can amplify the fusion."
Ron channeled his aura, letting a lump of energy fall upon Natsu. At once, a faint silhouette peeled away from Natsu—Akutagawa Ryunosuke—and took shape on its own.
Ron glanced at the security cara's blind spot. The others, like Killua, weren't true Nen users yet, so they wouldn't notice. Uchiha Sasuke, Hanma Baki, Lampent, and Aka all appeared, apart from Chii.
"Second Shadow!"
Ron began pairing his beasts in twos. He couldn't do much about "spreadability" right now, but he could work out everyone's matching points. One by one, he checked the possible combinations. Soon, he had his results:
"The highest matching points are these pairs:
- Natsu and Hanma Baki at 91,
- Uchiha Sasuke and Akutagawa Ryunosuke at 93.
All the other pairs are under 80. Even if I finish gathering the Hunter Exam traits for a new beast, it probably won't surpass these combos. And since I'm not sure whether I'll hit 100% assimilation of the exam's traits, it's impossible to say when I can form a ninth beast. So, for now, these pairings are optimal."
He made up his mind.
"Fuse!"
Hanma Baki stood behind Natsu; Akutagawa behind Sasuke. Slowly, their forms rged. A strange burst of aura flared up, and Ron quickly traced a circle on the ground, sending Natsu and Sasuke into the pocket space of Sumas to complete the transformation. Aka, Lampent, and Killer Queen vanished.
"The fusion process isn't quick—probably needs over ten hours. I wonder what they'll be like afterward. It has to be at least as potent as when Natsu rged with Akutagawa, likely stronger, since the matching points are higher.
"I imagine Natsu, fused with Baki, will have his close-combat skills enhanced. He should also gain Baki's position-swap and gravity-manipulation abilities via the Scales. As well as Baki's combat expertise.
As for Sasuke rging with Akutagawa, I can't predict how that'll turn out. Once the fusion's done, I'll see about the 'spreadability.' Whether I share certain manga depends on which fused powers manifest. If, for instance, Natsu shows Baki's powers too overtly, I might hold back on releasing Baki's manga to avoid leaking info. But if it's not obvious, I can publish safely, boosting Natsu's strength without revealing details of his abilities."
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