Possessing brute strength but lacking the knowledge to wield it.
This was Eve's current predicament.
A violent surge of Nen waves swept through like a raging tide, leaving a shocking trail of blood across the ground in an instant.
Morrow didn't spare a glance at Eve's miserable state. His gaze lowered, settling on his outstretched arm.
Releasing aura in the form of Ko had indeed amplified its destructive power.
But the charging time was too long. If he were to use Shooting Star with an ability effect attached, the aura-gathering process would likely be even slower.
Moreover, during the charging phase, his body was left completely defenseless; the slower the buildup, the higher the risk.
Coordinated teamwork could mitigate this risk, but in solo combat, such a level of proficiency was hardly worth relying on.
An Emission master like Silva, if properly prepared, could precisely seize the right moment in battle and unleash his strongest attack in an instant.
Take, for example, his and Zeno's joint assault against Chrollo in the original storyline.
The speed at which they gathered aura and launched their offense was something Morrow, also an Emission user, couldn't help but envy.
Yet Morrow understood that Silva's prowess wasn't achieved overnight.
It was the result of relentless tempering, requiring not just talent, but countless days and nights of grueling training.
So rather than envying others, it was better to focus more on his own cultivation.
As Morrow lost himself in thought, the gruesome streak of blood on the ground began rewinding like time itself, swiftly restoring Eve's form.
Eve was momentarily dazed.
Not because of the shattering pain she had just endured.
In truth, that kind of attack had only inflicted fleeting agony.
What left her stunned was the lingering memory of that dazzling, beautiful orb of Nen.
I have so, so much time to understand and master this power, whether it's the crude ways of wielding it or the intricate, interlocking core of its abilities...
Eve abruptly raised her head, her gaze locking onto Morrow ahead.
Her eyes burned with a bright, unquenchable flame.
This time...
She didn't just stand idle and let Morrow attack. Instead, she mimicked his stance, clumsily extending her arm as she struggled to control the flow of aura through her body.
Morrow observed this without a trace of emotion in his eyes.
In this space...
The concept of death didn't exist.
Eve had died three times and been restored three times, proof enough of that.
But Morrow still had to consider one possibility.
Was this ability's effect limited solely to Eve?
Judging by the overall framework of the ability, the likelihood was slim, but it was better to be cautious.
Regardless, he would continue to treat this "reality" before him with normal perception, never letting his guard down.
Beyond that, Morrow had another question to verify.
She can't die, but does she still feel pain? If so, then that might very well be the key to forcing Eve to deactivate her ability.
Casually, he condensed a Shooting Star in his palm and hurled it straight at Eve.
The projectile split midair into over a dozen fragments, raining down like a hail of bullets onto Eve's legs.
Thud! Thud!
Blood sprayed from Eve's thighs as she let out a sharp cry. Her legs gave way instantly, sending her crashing heavily to the ground. The aura that had been painstakingly gathered in her arm dissipated once more, returning to its original state.
Morrow watched coldly. So it does hurt, but this woman...
His gaze fell on Eve's face, yet he saw no trace of pain, only what seemed like regret.
Regretting the failed "attack," perhaps?
Morrow thought to himself.
From Eve's reaction, he sensed this much.
At the same time, he became acutely aware of Eve's blatantly strong sense of purpose:
Fearless in the face of injury and pain, solely to delve deeper into the essence of Nen.
This approach was much like his own.
...
Morrow remained silent for a moment before decisively firing a Shooting Star, piercing straight through Eve's head.
A few seconds later,
Eve regenerated, the excruciating pain from having her legs blown apart naturally gone as well.
"Didn't expect you to be unexpectedly gentle."
Despite the lingering sensory memories of the experience, Eve acted as if nothing had happened, suppressing the surging excitement within her and instead smiling at Morrow.
She had sensed Morrow's intent to swiftly finish her off.
Gentle?
He simply didn't want it to end so quickly.
Morrow fired another, more powerful Shooting Star, mercilessly shattering Eve's head once more.
Without waiting for Eve to regenerate, Morrow closed the aura nodes across his body, channeling all the aura he could muster toward the nodes in his palm.
Since there was no issue of "consumption" and he had a perfect training dummy, he intended to make the most of every second.
Attack with Ko as much as possible!
Morrow slowly but steadily gathered his aura.
Meanwhile,
Eve regenerated, her face devoid of resentment, anger, or humiliation.
She still stretched out her arm, clumsily attempting to gather energy within her body.
She didn't need to channel all her energy into an attack, just a portion would make it easier and faster.
Eve had no intention of being a punching bag. While Morrow was gathering his aura, she wanted to strike back!
However...
Just as she had gathered a portion of her aura and was on the verge of compressing and releasing it, another violent, scorching Nen wave came crashing toward her.
A brief, needle-like pain, as if hundreds of spikes had pierced her at once, overwhelmed all her senses once more.
A few seconds later,
Eve regenerated, only to see Morrow already gathering his aura in advance.
This time, she finally felt a hint of anger.
Not anger at being beaten one-sidedly, but at Morrow's lack of martial etiquette, always starting his preparations before she could even recover.
"This... is a martial arena!"
Eve enunciated each word pointedly.
Clearly trying to demand "fairness," yet too proud to say it outright, she could only hint at it through the nature of the arena.
Morrow took in Eve's reaction.
With his sharp mind, he immediately grasped the princess's meaning and said calmly, "What, should I call a 'referee' to ensure fairness?"
"..."
Eve snorted at his words.
Never mind.
Given the circumstances, I'm actually enjoying this.
Eve quickly adjusted her mindset, suddenly pushing off the ground. With the boost of her aura, she managed to burst forth with decent speed, charging straight at Morrow, who had no aura defenses up. Morrow raised an eyebrow. Facing Eve's sudden attack, he decisively abandoned the aura he had been accumulating for most of the battle.
In this space where consumption wasn't a concern, discarding "aura amount" was no burden to him.
Using this tactic he always relied on, he spread aura throughout his body at the fastest possible speed, then switched the Poultry Scarlet Knife to his right hand in a reverse grip.
He charged forward and swung the blade.
The moment the two passed each other...
The air splattered like a canvas splashed with blood, streaked with glaring crimson stains.
Eve's head soared high, her disheveled hair tumbling through the air.
Morrow turned to look back.
So desperate to become stronger, huh...
Same here.
His gaze remained calm as he watched Eve's head fall from the sky, an oddly subtle sense of resonance flickering in his heart.
Several seconds passed.
Eve regenerated once again. Seeing that Morrow hadn't pre-charged his aura this time, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of surprise.