The 'Flying Finger Pistol' grazed his monkey fur as it flew past.
Boom!
With a loud crash, it embedded itself into the cliff behind him, blowing open a deep crater fully ten meters in diameter!
If that damn thing had hit him, half his body would have been blown clean off!
Cold sweat drenched Saiyu's back. Damn it, he hadn't seen Sean Zoldyck use this move when fighting the Chairman in the recordings!
As expected, 'A monkey is just a monkey; they sure run fast when things look bad.'
Seeing the Flying Finger Pistol miss, Number Two didn't mind in the slightest. He leaped into the air and followed up with two kicks!
Sizzle—
A tooth-aching friction sound rang out. The air seemed unable to withstand the force of Number Two's legs, emitting wails of distress. In the blink of an eye, two crescent-shaped vacuum slashes formed and shot toward Saiyu like lightning!
Rankyaku! Tempest Kick!
The foot technique of the Six Powers.
By relying on the leg muscles to expand and contract rapidly, kinetic energy is generated. Then, by kicking out at high speed exceeding the speed of sound, the air in front of the leg is compressed, rolling up a 'vacuum' to create a sharp shockwave.
There was no flashy technique involved; it relied entirely on brute strength!
"Another move I haven't seen before." Saiyu grinned, gripping his Ruyi Jingu Bang. He coated the ends of the staff with Nen, swinging left and right to meet the Tempest Kick head-on.
Relying on a surge of ferocity and his Triple-Limit breaking strength, he knocked the Tempest Kick flying!
Sizzle—
The deflected crescent shockwaves sank into the stone walls on either side of the arena, ploughing two long gullies into the rock.
Crushed stones and dust flew into the air. Saiyu's palm felt numb. He looked up again... but Number Two was nowhere to be seen!
"Where are you looking?"
With 'Soru' initiating the move, Number Two flashed into existence right behind Saiyu.
The monkey felt a chill shoot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his skull. He swept his staff backward.
Number Two's figure faded. In the next instant, he appeared behind him again. Like a ghost, he stuck to Saiyu, refusing to let go.
"Damn it! Sean Zoldyck! Do you only know how to hide?" Saiyu scratched his ears and cheeks in frustration!
Yet Number Two was like a feather glued to his back, always appearing behind him when least expected.
Although a Two-Fold Limit Breaker was far inferior to Netero, he could barely be considered a slightly larger ant. Well, maybe just zero-point-one percent larger.
"Damn it!" The monkey was impatient by nature. He hadn't expected to be forced into this state without landing a hit. In his desperation, he danced with the Ruyi Jingu Bang, creating a fierce wind, and turned to smash the staff toward Number Two's skull. But with the boost from Soru, Number Two's steps were always a fraction faster than his staff.
Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio couldn't see clearly; they only felt that the monkey was fighting more and more frantically. However, Pariston, watching the battle through the camera, narrowed his eyes. Hands clasped and chin resting on them, he watched with great relish.
"It's the footwork."
Saiyu's speed wasn't bad. He was only one step away from transcendence and entering the realm of Triple-Limit breaking. It was a pity he hadn't specially trained in 'footwork' like Sean Zoldyck. That was why... one slow step made every step slow.
"Hehe, this is getting more and more interesting. It's not just the footwork. That guy's 'finger techniques' and 'leg techniques' seem unusual as well."
"It seems the Zoldyck family's assassination techniques are very formidable."
'Bullshit assassination techniques? Damn it, don't look at me. I don't know that.'
In the Chairman's office, Maha went from lying down to watch TV to sitting up straight. It took Number Two less than three moves to make him do so.
One 'Flying Finger Pistol'. One 'Tempest Kick'. Plus one 'Soru'. The Marine Six Powers were used by that brat's clone with absolute ease.
Damn it, if this kept up... where would the 'Silent Gaits' and 'Rhythm Echo' the old man invented put their face?
"Hohoho... Old man, look at how excited you are. You haven't secretly learned Sean's taijutsu, have you?"
Netero enjoyed the massage from Beans, sipped his lemon tea, and glanced sideways at Maha. The old guy pretending to be calm was truly hilarious.
Netero stroked his beard. "I, unworthy as I am, learned a trick called 'Geppo' or Moonwalk. Old man, if you want to learn, beg me. I might force myself to teach you."
'Who are you being sarcastic with? That brat begging you...'
"Why don't you go to heaven?" Maha glared at Netero.
Netero winked at him. "Hoho, how did you know 'Moonwalk' can take you to heaven?"
"Oh my, sitting is a bit tiring. I think I'll watch while flying for a while." Netero waved his hand, signaling Beans to stop massaging. He flipped up from the sofa, kicked off the empty air with one foot, and rose a meter straight up. He hovered right in front of Maha, making the old man drool with envy.
Maha: "..."
'Screw Netero. I'll learn it right now and show you!'
Maha felt a bit jealous and snorted coldly. "'Moonwalk'? Just a petty trick. My grandson told me about it long ago..."
Seeing that Netero didn't believe him, Maha thrust a foot out, stomping fiercely on the air. Just as a sonic boom was about to explode, it was crushed by his immense strength. Then, just as Netero had done when he first saw Number Two use Moonwalk, the old man understood how to apply the force after watching Netero perform it only once.
He staggered slightly at first, but after two or three steps, his head touched the ceiling. He stood in the sky, two heads taller than Netero.
It had to be said that anyone who could live for three hundred years was a monster.
"What do you say?" Maha looked at Netero provocatively.
Netero's mouth twitched. 'Stop pretending, you damn old man.'
"Learning on the spot... isn't this something anyone with hands can do?"
Beans: "..."
'Chairman, I feel like you're cursing me. Thanks, I've been insulted again. Although I'm not exactly human...'
Beans sighed silently. He was numb to it. He simply pretended to be a statue, staring at the TV screen with his large, round eyes.
Number Two stuck to Saiyu's back like a shadow. In contrast, Saiyu waved his Ruyi Jingu Bang, fighting more and more frantically. The difference in skill was vast; it was completely like playing with a monkey.
"It seems that if he doesn't get serious, this guy won't calm down at all!"
A sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart. Saiyu knew he couldn't wait any longer. 'I really don't believe in this evil! If I transform into three, can you still dodge?!'
"Hear Monkey! See Monkey! Speak Monkey!"
"Jiji! Coming, Boss!"
Swinging the Ruyi Jingu Bang backward, Saiyu's eyes bulged. Turbulent Nen rolled and clawed its way out of his body. In mid-air, it transformed into three monkeys. One baring its teeth, one grinning, one scratching its cheeks. After landing, without needing a reminder from Saiyu, they pounced directly at Number Two behind him.
"Wah! So many monkeys!" Gon crouched at the tunnel entrance, poking his small head out to look carefully. The three monkeys had different forms. One had no eyes... one had no ears... one had no mouth. They looked very strange. But using both hands and feet, their speed in pouncing toward Number Two was not slow.
"It's a pity that guy Hanzo isn't here. Otherwise... if he saw this, he would definitely cry tears of joy."
Leorio also looked at Saiyu 'splitting into four' with shock. Wasn't this the dream about 'Shadow Clone Jutsu' that the bald guy had mentioned when chatting with him?
Kurapika glanced at Leorio. 'When did this guy hook up with the bald guy again?'
However, while 'clones' were certainly cool, if the clones were 'monkeys'... compared to Teacher Number Two's 'Nen Dragon', they were far inferior.
"Hehe... have I entered the Water Curtain Cave?" Number Two glanced at the 'See, Hear, Speak' trio. He knew very well that these weren't real monkeys, but three 'Nen Beasts' from that hairy-faced, thunder-god-mouthed opponent!
Nen Beasts—essentially, a Nen user separates their own aura and, according to their imagination and 'aura capacity', summons an individual entity that can act independently.
For example, Shizuku's Blinky. Or Razor's 'Dodgeball Troop'. One was a Conjuration-type Nen beast, the other an Emission-type Nen beast. The quantity and characteristics were closely related to the Nen user's affinity and 'aura capacity'.
As an Enhancer, Saiyu could not only summon Nen beasts but summon three at once. Each one had different 'characteristics'. It had to be said that the 'aura capacity' of a Two-Fold Limit Breaker gave him considerable assistance.
"Hmm, it seems like it's been a long time since I saw Saiyu get serious."
In the Hunter Association, inside the Vice Chairman's office, Pariston poured himself another glass of red wine and let it breathe in the goblet. Looking up at the 'See, Hear, Speak' monkeys pouncing on Number Two, the smile on his lips deepened.
"So... faced with this situation, Sean Zoldyck, what do you plan to do?"
"Will you replicate the move that broke Netero's defense back then? I really... look forward to it."
"Hoho... Old man, who said my Hunter Association has 'declined'?"
In the Chairman's office, noticing the 'See, Hear, Speak' monkeys alongside Saiyu surrounding Number Two, Netero glanced at Maha and said faintly, "The Twelve Zodiacs weren't chosen by this old man, but were publicly recommended by the people below."
"Although Saiyu has a violent temper and no filter... this old man still acknowledges his strength."
"Especially his Nen Beasts—they are specialized in striking Enhancers. They aren't friendly to me, you, or that kid Sean."
The 'See, Hear, Speak' monkeys. 'See Monkey' deprives vision. 'Hear Monkey' deprives hearing. 'Speak Monkey' deprives speech.
With the three monkeys out together, if even one monkey manages to bite the opponent, it can prevent the opponent from activating and maintaining their Nen abilities.
Enhancers who get hit are thrown into chaos. Or due to the disorder of their 'Qi', their actions become extremely easy for Saiyu to predict.
In this way, Enhancers or Nen users skilled in striking would fall into a passive position, falling to a disadvantage because Saiyu predicted their attack trajectories in advance.
It was just that... "Kid, why do I feel like you have bad intentions?" Maha, wise with age, noticed the fleeting mockery at the corner of Netero's mouth. He leisurely propped his feet on the coffee table and said, "Is that son of a bastard of yours doing okay... If he knew you were praising his subordinate like this... would he be happy or would he be happy..."
'Damn old man! It's Beyond! Not Son of a Bastard! Pay attention to your pronunciation for me!'
Netero's face turned black, and he snorted coldly. "You are quite well-informed."
"But I'm warning you, old man, the affairs of my Hunter Association are not for you to manage."
"Instead of playing mind games with this old man here, you'd be better off worrying about your grandson."
"He got bitten by a monkey."
On the screen, one monkey bit onto Number Two's arm, one bit onto his thigh, and another climbed onto Number Two's back, baring sharp teeth to take a vicious bite.
Seeing this, Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio couldn't help but exclaim, "Uncle! / Teacher Ben An!"
However... their Uncle/Teacher Ben An showed no fluctuation on his handsome, flawless face, as if he felt nothing. He seemed not to have noticed it at all.
Looking down and sweeping a glance at Saiyu, the monkey wiped his hand casually and breathed a sigh of relief. "Deprive him of his five senses for me!"
Vision, hearing, speech, breath, mind. Once deprived, a person is like being locked in a pitch-black room with no daylight... left with only the path of being beaten to death by the Ruyi Jingu Bang!
The 'See, Hear, Speak' monkeys were summoned for this very moment. They opened their mouths and chomped down hard.
Then, several crisp cracks were heard.
One bite down, not only did they fail to move Number Two in the slightest, but it was also like biting into a piece of refined steel. Their teeth snapped directly!
"Burp. Your monkeys have bad teeth."
'Armament Haki' + 'Tekkai'. An Iron Body forged from steel. The young man did not smile; his jet-black hair cascaded down like a waterfall. Carefree and unrestrained, he looked like a demon god who had walked out of primeval times.