Chapter 265 The Reason For Joy

Having resolved to die, Atomu wanted to drag Law down to hell with him.

That was the opportunity that Atomu sought from this quagmire-like predicament, and the rules of a deathmatch became a factor that played right into his hands.

The price he has to pay is... his life.

But even at the cost of his life, he was determined to achieve his goal… a goal born from his extreme resentment and hatred.

However, deep down, he knew very well that at this stage of the battle, death was inevitable for him no matter what.

Yes, this was a Limitation he had set under the clear understanding that he had no chance left. Thus, his resolve to die instantly became cheap and hollow.

Atomu's sudden burst of Aura pushed Law back, kicking up a ring of dust and debris around his feet as his Aura surged violently.

Brief, extremely brief!

Life force was like water cupped in his hands. It is impossible to hold onto, and it would slip away rapidly.

Atomu felt as though he could see a mocking hourglass before his eyes, like a clown laughing at the cheapness of his life.

'Is this all…?'

Atomu suddenly roared, transformed into a black shadow, and charged at Law with a speed that surpassed his previous limits, stirring up fierce gusts of wind.

Seeing that Atomu in this state, as if he had taken some kind of stimulant, Law remained calm, like a bullfighter in a bullring, deftly avoiding Atomu's direct assault.

When passing by Atomu, Law noticed a trace of withered, decaying marks on Atomu's body. It was a change he had seen before, back in the Stargie's Tomb.

'That is…?'

Law dodged Atomu's attack, then decisively distanced himself, completely giving up the chance to counterattack.

The longer one lives, the more they experience, and these experiences often come into play at critical moments.

Seeing Atomu's current state, Law immediately thought of his experience in the Stargie's Tomb.

At that time, several people were controlled by the Dark Sonata, and under its influence, their strength had suddenly skyrocketed.

The reason for that was because the Dark Sonata forced them to set Limitations at the cost of their lives, granting them a sudden surge in power. This was the true horror of the harp solo.

What makes it even more terrifying is that it does not require the person being controlled to know how to set Limitations.

However, the harp solo itself also operated under the principles of Limitations and Vows, as the performer had to pay with their lifespan before using its power.

Law was familiar with the abilities of the harp solo, so he immediately guessed that Atomu had likely set a similar Limitation, which explained his sudden burst of power.

'However, the extent of this power boost is significantly different from the Nen Users in the Stargie's Tomb. It seemed the increase wasn't significant, and moreover...'

'A desperate struggle.'

Law saw the obvious changes in Atomu's body, like a rapidly decaying tree.

With this judgment, Law made his decision.

'There was no need to fight anymore...'

Law decisively took back Shin and allocated more of his Aura to dodging.

Atomu was now in a state where he was continuously consuming his life force. After his first attack missed, he immediately launched a second assault, as his time was severely limited.

However, when he saw Law taking back Shin and clearly giving up attacking, he suddenly felt indescribable grief and anger in his heart.

At that moment, he desperately wished Law would engage him head-on.

Driven by this grief and anger, he roared like a maddened bull and charged at Law again. However, Law had already judged the situation and chose not to counterattack, only focusing on dodging.

As long as Law does not fight back, he will not give Atomu any chance to use a suicide attack.

A dead end!

A complete dead end!

"You coward!"

Atomu had lost the composure expected of a martial artist. He roared like a madman, and his pride accumulated over the years was completely shattered.

'Why... had it come to this?'

"No, it shouldn't be like this."

"It's obvious that I am stronger!"

Atomu leaped into the air, descending toward Law from above. He raised his right hand, now with only two fingers remaining, forming a somewhat comical fist. A massive surge of Aura propelled him downward like a meteor, aiming to crush Law below.

"Round 91, over."

Law leaped back and retreated to the edge of the now-ruined ring.

The last words he said were like countless needles, piercing Atomu's body and mind.

One year, within a hundred rounds.

Law and Atomu both knew very well what these numbers represented.

Bang!

The heavy fist struck the ground, causing the entire venue to shake for a moment.

A severed arm, twisted and bleeding, flew into the air. It was Atomu's right arm.

The spot where Atomu landed formed a shallow crater, spreading into a circle ten meters in diameter.

He half-knelt on the ground, his face blank. Though his appearance hadn't aged, the rock-like muscles on his body had shrunk, as if he had aged a hundred years in an instant.

As Law looked at Atomu's sudden transformation, he subconsciously thought of Netero after his fight with the Chimera Ant King.

Many details about the original work was forgotten by Law, but there are always several scenes that are absolutely unforgettable, one of which is the scene of Netero, who was exhausted and on the brink of death.

That scene will take place at a certain time period more than ten years later, when Netero fights with the powerful Chimera Ant King. After using his most powerful technique, his body withered away in an instant, like a dried-up tree.

The current Atomu is very similar to Netero at that moment, but there are still some differences.

The key difference between the two of them is that Atomu is certain to die, while Netero still has a chance to survive.

In the shallow crater, Atomu seemed to have lost all his strength, falling backward and collapsing to the ground.

Seeing this scene, the entire venue fell silent, and even the commentator, after announcing Atomu's fall, was momentarily speechless.

Law walked slowly towards Atomu, who lay motionless.

When Law came within three meters of him, Atomu whispered weakly: "Kill me."

"Do you want to die a good death?"

Law looked at Atomu, who is lying on the ground, and said calmly, "One minute, or thirty seconds, or even shorter… that's all the time you have left. So why should I bother doing it myself?"

"You..." Atomu wanted to raise his head, but was unable to do so.

Law took another step forward and could clearly see the intense hatred in Atomu's eyes. He said calmly, "This fight might have been about proving something, but there's no doubt that I've grown much, much stronger."

"By all accounts, I should thank you."

"It was you who gave me a chance to become stronger. However, the joy this victory brings me is not because I beat you, but because I did not let down Biscuit for the one year she spent on me."

"That is more important than this victory."

After saying this, Law no longer paid attention to Atomu, whose eyes were trembling violently, and walked to the other side of the ring.

He spoke in a very low voice, which could not be picked up by the broadcast, but Biscuit, with her sharp hearing, heard it clearly.

"That kid..."

A hint of amusement flashed in Biscuit's eyes as she thought to herself, 'Do you think saying that will make me blush? How naive.'

After Law had taken a dozen steps, Atomu took his last breath with resentment. A wisp of faint black Aura suddenly emerged from his withered body and flew straight toward Law's back.

At the same time, the referee carefully approached Atomu, who was now unrecognizable, and confirmed that he is dead. He then announced that Law's victory, officially making him the new Floor Master of the 230th floor.

The venue immediately erupted in cheers. The ordinary spectators, of course, couldn't see the wisp of resentment that had emerged from Atomu.