Chapter 267

Sorry for the late chapter today: If you didn't see my message, I got a Trojan virus on my PC. So I was preoccupied with that all day yesterday. Back to normal now though ;) Also Need to fix grammraly.

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"Ted's got the right idea now."

"When fighting people whose style relies on Nen Beasts, just go for the user's real body. Why bother tangling with their Beasts?"

"Their main bodies aren't usually that strong."

"Once you defeat the user, their Nen Beasts will naturally disappear."

"With that Armored Dragon form, Ted's defense is practically unbreakable. Even letting those two Nen Beasts from that Zoldyck kid attack, it won't pose much real danger to Ted."

"They can't threaten his life in the short term."

"But Ted's attack can easily beat Ron's main body."

"This match is Ted's win!"

Originally, Ted hadn't wanted to use this tactic. He'd hoped to defeat Ron's Nen Beasts head-on. But in their earlier exchange, Ted realized he couldn't pull that off. So he had no choice but to go after Ron himself.

However, Ron was prepared for Ted's plan.

Thump!

Thump!

Thump!

The ground shook under Ted's charge. Ron moved.

"Phantom Shift!"

"Limbed Bend!"

In the blink of an eye, Ron's figure vanished—or rather, split into numerous afterimages: one, two… over a dozen in all. Even those using Gyo couldn't tell them apart. Because they weren't mere illusions, but shadows left by Ron's extreme speed. In other words, each one of them was the real Ron.

This was a brand-new technique Ron had crafted by combining the Zoldyck family's secret arts, Baki Hanma's fighting methods, and Nen. He called it Ghost Step.

"What is that technique?"

"Is it another Nen Beast?"

"Or some illusion ability?"

Wendy's first thought was also that it might be some kind of illusion. After all, she herself had used light refraction thanks to Ron's hints. But with a closer look, she realized that wasn't the case.

Some experienced members of the Beast Dojo saw it too.

"This isn't an illusion, and it's not a Nen Beast. It's pure speed creating those afterimages."

A middle-aged man's expression grew serious.

"That's a good technique. Even Gyo can't accurately track him. Ted's going to have trouble landing a hit."

A young man nearby hesitated.

"Couldn't Ted just attack all the afterimages at once with his huge body?"

The middle-aged man shook his head.

"It's not that simple. Ron can control how his afterimages remain—he can move and reposition them at will. Besides, the key point is that Ron's not like the people from the Star Dojo, who focus so heavily on their Nen Beasts that their main bodies become weak spots.

"If Ron can pull off a move like this, it means his physical strength, speed, and reflexes are all formidable. His body isn't a weak point. Ted's plan isn't going to work."

Ted charged up to Ron—but only managed to strike an afterimage. The real Ron appeared instantly somewhere else. Baki Hanma rushed in.

"Libra: Gravity Game!"

As Baki's blows landed on Ted, Ted felt himself grow heavier and heavier. The more hits Baki managed to get in, the more intense the gravity effect became. And because Ted was already massive in his Armored Dragon form, this extra weight was crushing.

Just like three times gravity affects an ant differently from how it affects an elephant, Ted's huge form was at a big disadvantage under these stacking gravity attacks. His movements slowed noticeably.

Baki sank into a low stance, aura gathering around his fist. In that instant, Ted sensed something familiar, as though they shared a certain "ferocious" aura.

"Triceratops Fist!"

Baki unleashed a punch like the piercing horn of a triceratops.

Boom!

His fist slammed into Ted with a heavy, drum-like echo, as if pounding a giant bell.

Smack!

Baki clapped his hands.

"Position swap."

A moment later, Baki Hanma teleported to the edge of the arena while Akutagawa appeared in front of Ted. Two dark-red claws lunged at him. The sudden shift in weight threw Ted off balance, and Akutagawa's strike sent him crashing to the ground. One dark-red claw coiled around Ted's limbs, while the other wrapped around his neck, its razor-sharp tip aimed right at his head.

"I concede," Ted gasped.

Ron raised his hand, and Baki Hanma and Akutagawa vanished. Ted returned to human form, his clothes in tatters, his entire body covered in wounds, looking utterly battered. He fixed his gaze on Ron, a touch of unwillingness flickering across his face—only to fade swiftly. That was the Beast Dojo way: if you lost, you admitted it, trained, and challenged them again another day.

"You're strong, Ron."

"You're not bad yourself."

Ted shook his head.

"Not even close to you. But…"—he paused—"I won't be so sure next time. When do you want a rematch?"

"Up to you."

Ron had agreed to fight Ted for two reasons: first, he wanted to visit the Beast Dojo and absorb its essence to create new Nen Beasts; second, he wanted to test the combined strength of Baki Hanma and Akutagawa again.

Another scheduled match would give Ron a reason to remain at the Beast Dojo longer. He needed enough time to thoroughly absorb its characteristics.

"I'll wait a bit. For now, I'm not keen on another fight," Ted said. Then Ron asked casually, "Not going to show me around your Beast Dojo? You did invite me as a guest."

"Sure, I'll give you a tour—just give me some time to rest up first."

When Ron defeated Ted, the spectators from the Beast Dojo fell silent for a moment.

Clearly, most of them hadn't expected that outcome. They were brimming with confidence in their own, as a V5 nation. Now, multiple questions popped into their heads.