Chapter 16: The Real Old Ratio

Ronnie experienced an odd sense of déjà vu as he observed the scene before him. The swirling yellow orb of energy was eerily reminiscent of Naruto's "Odama Rasengan" from Naruto—though there was a key difference. This energy ball contained the element of fire, making it far less powerful than Naruto's iconic attack. It was an imitation, but a dangerous one nonetheless.

"Drink!" The hip-hop man, unable to dodge in time, had no choice but to halt his sprint and cross his arms defensively in front of him. He braced for impact.

The explosion that followed was deafening. The shockwaves reverberated throughout the entire battlefield, and the thick smoke from the blast enveloped the hip-hop man. For a moment, the field fell into silence as everyone held their breath, waiting to see if the hip-hop man could withstand the attack. His survival would determine the outcome of this battle.

The duo of Fenghuo and Fenghuo, after expending their last reserves of energy on the attack, were left completely drained and could no longer continue fighting effectively.

…

As the smoke began to clear, a lone figure stood tall. The hip-hop man, despite the massive explosion, was still on his feet.

His body was covered in soot, his skin darkened to an almost charred black, like a piece of meat exposed to the flames. His clothes were tattered, with multiple holes and bloodstains, yet his frame had become even more imposing. It was as if the explosion had triggered some sort of monstrous transformation, and now, he looked like a towering, enraged beast—his figure almost twice the size it had been before.

The hip-hop man's breaths came in deep, labored gasps, and the ground beneath him cracked with every step he took. His whole body radiated with powerful Nen, a force that was now amplified by the intense pain and fury that surged through him.

Ronnie couldn't help but be impressed. This man had withstood an attack that, in Ronnie's estimation, should have been on par with a B-level power. Normally, after taking such a blow, most would be knocked out of the fight. But not him. The hip-hop man had endured it, and now he was more dangerous than ever.

Ronnie's gaze shifted to the man with glasses, who was still sitting cross-legged on the ground, sweating profusely. His face had turned as pale as paper, but Ronnie could see the strain in his eyes. It was clear that the man with glasses had been channeling a massive amount of Nen into the hip-hop man during the explosion. This mental energy must have helped mitigate some of the damage, allowing the hip-hop man to continue fighting.

Despite the severe damage he had sustained, the hip-hop man was now a force to be reckoned with. The Wind and Fire duo, having expended all their energy, were visibly shaken by the transformation. Their faces were pale, their bodies trembling from exhaustion and fear. It was clear they had resigned themselves to the fact that survival was no longer an option.

As if to emphasize the hopelessness of their situation, a swarm of black bugs suddenly surged forward, swarming toward the hip-hop man in waves. The bugs moved like an endless tide, surrounding him in all directions.

Pete, crouched on the ground with his hands outstretched, was the one controlling the swarm. His lips curled into a sneer as he directed the insects toward his opponent.

The woman in leather, who had previously been attempting to hold Pete back, had collapsed to the ground, seriously injured from the earlier conflict. She was unable to rise, her strength completely drained from the battle. She had been caught off guard by Pete's attack, and now she was a non-factor in the fight.

"Shainai," Ronnie muttered to himself, realizing the clever tactics Pete had employed.

Through Gardevoir's explanations, Ronnie understood what had happened. While everyone's attention had been focused on the hip-hop man's side of the battle, Pete had taken the opportunity to launch a surprise attack on the leather-clad woman, the only combatant on the opposing team who still posed a threat.

Pete had been hiding his true strength all along. Despite his B-level abilities, he had intentionally kept a C+ level of output to keep his opponents off guard. He had been biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Pete had used the Wind and Fire duo as bait, knowing they would weaken the leather-clad woman and provide him with an opening. When the moment came, Pete had unleashed his full strength, easily overpowering her and leaving her incapacitated.

With the woman in leather out of the picture, Pete had turned his focus to the hip-hop man, directing the insect swarm to keep him at bay. It wasn't until the Wind and Fire duo were nearly defeated by the hip-hop man's onslaught that Pete finally revealed his true intentions. He had played the long game, using deception and patience to manipulate the situation in his favor.

Pete's strategy had been to weaken the hip-hop man through attrition. He had cleverly positioned himself as a bystander in the early stages of the battle, hiding his true abilities until he could safely dispose of the woman in leather. By the time the Wind and Fire duo was ready to launch their final attack, Pete had already neutralized the greatest threat on the opposite side.

The woman in leather, now lying on the ground, could not get up. Meanwhile, the two bodyguards had exhausted their mental energy and needed time to recover before they could pose a significant threat again. If Pete had wished, he could have been even more ruthless, abandoning the bodyguards entirely to focus on draining the hip-hop man's energy further. However, Pete wasn't that careless. He understood the value of the bodyguards and knew that their combined strength would eventually turn the tide in his favor.

Pete viewed himself as the praying mantis, and the hip-hop man as the cicada—trapped and struggling to survive.

"Sister!" The hip-hop man's voice rang out, filled with rage. His eyes were wide with fury as he fixed his gaze on Pete, his fists clenching so tightly that they crackled with energy. His body was now more monstrous than ever, radiating with potent Nen.

With a roar, the hip-hop man surged forward, moving at incredible speed, like a high-speed truck charging toward its target.

The illustrated ability activated, and the data on the hip-hop man appeared in Ronnie's mind:

Name: Hip-hop Man

Strength: B- (B+)

Nen Type: Enhancer

It was clear now that the hip-hop man's strength had reached its peak. After enduring so many attacks, his Nen abilities had reached their limit. But this also meant that his body was on the brink of exhaustion. If Pete and the others could just keep up the pressure, they might finally break him.

The battle had reached a turning point. It was no longer just about power—strategy, patience, and the timing of their attacks would determine who would emerge victorious. Would the hip-hop man be able to recover and overpower Pete, or would the praying mantis succeed in his plan to trap the trapped beast? Only time would tell