Chapter 29: Where Is Your Heart?
The morning sun rose slowly over the horizon, bringing warmth to the crisp air.
Under the golden light, Haze and Wing stood face to face on a meadow outside the city.
A serene silence hung in the air.
The breeze gently rustled the leaves.
"Please, teach me!" Wing said solemnly, releasing his telekinetic aura as he faced Haze.
"Please," Haze replied with a calm smile.
He didn't seem nearly as nervous as Wing.
Bang!
The ground burst beneath Wing's feet as his high-speed movement distorted his shirt.
They had agreed beforehand this would be a pure telekinesis battle, no techniques allowed.
Even so, Wing knew it would be difficult to beat Haze in sheer technique, much less in raw telekinetic power.
Clap, clap, clap…
Wing charged fiercely, his trembling fists striking toward multiple points on Haze's body. He attempted to use layered techniques and attack routes to force Haze into defense to expose an opening.
But Haze merely stood there, one hand in his pocket, blocking effortlessly with the other. After a flurry of impacts and sharp sounds, Wing leapt back, face darkened.
Haze had blocked every single move of his carefully planned first assault.
He had measured the distance between them yet reality was harsher than he imagined.
"Why?" Wing muttered, eyelids twitching.
His composure, his use of aura all flawless.
Haze wasn't showing any extraordinary superiority, so why was he so relaxed? Having only seen Haze fight others in the ring, Wing had never imagined that facing him directly would be so suffocating.
Swish!
At first, Haze defended passively.
But when Wing attacked again, Haze's arms not only blocked but countered in the briefest instant each strike precisely timed to catch Wing's body at its moment of tension or movement, making him deeply uncomfortable.
Only a few minutes in, Wing realized his aura was draining faster than it ever had on the 200th floor when fighting other Nen users.
His breathing grew heavier.
"He's already read me… His combat experience is far greater than mine," Wing thought.
Still, he didn't give up.
He slowed his rhythm, entered Zetsu, hiding his aura as much as possible while constantly shifting positions.
"In Zetsu, your defense against Nen is almost zero," Haze said lightly. "If I were your enemy, I wouldn't care if you used this. Besides, you should know my aura perception is extremely sharp… Unless your Zetsu is as lifeless as a dead tree, you're just using your weakness to challenge my strength."
Wing didn't respond he had already vanished from sight.
"Exploiting my blind spot…" Haze murmured, clenching his fist and striking behind him.
But it hit nothing.
"So that's it!"
Haze suddenly understood, unable to hide his admiration for Wing's ingenuity.
The more Wing refined his aura, the stronger the signal to Haze's senses. So he had deliberately weakened it, letting Haze believe that was his limit. Then, as he closed in, he suppressed it even more and released faint bursts of "qi" to confuse Haze's perception masking his real attack.
"Is this your true level?"
"Seems you were hiding a trick during the match… saving it for today?" Haze smiled, pulling out his other hand to grab Wing's fist.
"Both hands now…" Wing's eyes lit up. "Then I'll make you move!"
"Go ahead," Haze replied calmly. "But this trick won't work twice."
As he spoke, Wing's glasses trembled and Haze's sharp hand cut across his cheek, leaving a bleeding wound.
"You're too slow to react," Haze reminded him.
Wing blocked Haze's next blow and quickly retreated.
A few meters away, Biscuit sat under a tree, quietly observing.
Time passed. The sun climbed higher, and the air grew warmer.
Wing's state grew more and more intense or rather, more and more fearless.
Haze, on the other hand, remained steady.
After all, this was just training.
An hour later, the sound of battle finally faded.
Wing collapsed to his knees, drenched in sweat, gasping for air.
"Congratulations," Haze clapped softly. "You did it."
He now used both hands and even moved around though his movements were restrained, his crisp suit still unwrinkled.
In the latter half of the match, Haze had noticed Wing's remarkable improvement. His ability to read fights and analyze opponents was excellent. With time, he would grow tremendously.
Biscuit had nurtured this potential well.
"Haah… still didn't work… I wanted to see even a flicker of panic or embarrassment from you…" Wing panted, collapsing fully, but his bright expression showed not frustration rather, motivation.
A positive feedback loop.
"His Nen technique is like yours," Biscuit said, approaching. "He's been keeping his Nen output at your level… He's not overpowering you. So why did you still lose?"
Both Wing and Haze looked at her.
"After your first attack," Biscuit continued, "he already calculated your physical strength. Combining that with your mental state, he formed a complete picture of your possible movements and speeds. He has a digital map of your body in his head."
Biscuit lifted a finger. "And when he knocked off your glasses, your body tensed for just one second that tension dulled your attack. A purely physiological reaction."
"In short, your brain still can't control your body's instincts."
"In combat, thought must strictly follow your plan. Instinctive reactions can ruin everything. Even though you think you're constantly attacking… in reality, you're defending afraid to get hit."
"Losing your glasses was just one example throughout the match, he exploited that 'physiological weakness' twenty-six times."
"Exactly," Haze nodded, giving Biscuit a thumbs-up. "In short your mindfulness is good, your physique is fine… but don't treat 'mindfulness' literally and ignore the vital link between spirit and body."
"Understood," Wing said, propping himself up.
Haze offered a hand, pulling him to his feet.
"Then… bring in the next one," Haze suddenly said.
His eyes burned as they met Biscuit's.
"What do you mean?" she blinked.
"It's not easy to find a sparring partner like me," Haze grinned. "For a fair exchange… shouldn't you give me something too?"
"You want to fight me?" Biscuit reacted instantly.
"Ever since you left my room that day," Haze said calmly, "I've wanted to face you properly. I didn't plan to before leaving, but since the chance is here… I might as well fulfill that wish."
"Hehe…"
A dazzling smile spread across Biscuit's face she accepted immediately, eyes gleaming.
"To be honest, I've wanted to teach you a lesson! Since you came to me, I won't hold back!"
"…," Haze exhaled.
Completely unlike before, his fighting spirit ignited.
He knew how strong Biscuit was the strongest person he'd met since entering the Hunter world.
"Want to use abilities?" he asked.
"Eh? You don't think this will take Haze, do you?" Biscuit teased while stretching.
"I admit you're impressive for your age," she continued, "but compared to me, you're still not there yet."
"Oh?" Haze raised an eyebrow.
"Don't get cocky just because you beat a few weaklings," Biscuit said bluntly. "Stay still. If you can withstand one punch, you pass."
"???"
Seeing Haze's bewildered look, Wing leaned in and whispered, "Master doesn't like being seen in that form… she's self-conscious about her appearance."
"…," Haze thought.
One punch? Even if it's strong, I can handle that… right?
Haze nodded lightly, maximizing his awareness and defensive focus.
Then he saw Biscuit's small body begin to swell.
Even prepared, he was still shocked thick thighs, bulging arms, sharp features turning fierce every inch of her form radiated strength.
Compared to her, Haze's physique suddenly felt fragile.
An indescribable pressure filled the air.
"Ready?"
Biscuit's towering, muscle-packed figure looked on the verge of bursting through her clothes.
The blood in her arm surged; her aura flared. The sheer psychic pressure made Haze's face pale.
It was a feeling he'd never experienced the air itself cutting into his skin.
BOOM!
A gust of wind exploded outward. Wing barely shielded his face as the two auras clashed violently.
A loud crash then a figure flew through the dust.
It was Haze.
He tumbled and skidded across the ground for meters, feet digging trenches into the dirt before crashing against a tree.
His suit was shredded.
His crossed arms trembled, pale blue, releasing faint trails of steam.
Beneath them, his eyes widened in disbelief.
He had caught it but also not.
The old lady hadn't held back at all.
If this had been a real fight, he'd have to endure dozens more of those!
"Why?" Haze frowned, thinking.
Even if her aura and physique surpassed his, she wasn't an Enhancer she was a Transmuter. That punch shouldn't have hit that hard.
"No tricks," he realized.
"Hehe."
Back in her young form, Biscuit chuckled, brushing off her gloves.
"You don't get it, huh? I didn't use any special moves. Your defense was solid, your reactions sharp everything was fine… but you still took heavy damage."
"Want to know why?"
Her mischievous smile returned.
"Master…" Wing sighed. He knew she was teasing Haze on purpose making him think.
"Fine," Biscuit said, serious now. "You have deep mental insight, perfect technique, and refined aura control. But there's one thing missing "
"You have no heart."
"Your sensitivity to aura, your awareness all external! The essence of Nen isn't just form or skill it's your inner being. The spiritual source the heart. Nen is part of life itself, something deeply personal… but have you ever truly responded to it?"
"When I threw that punch, my intent was pure to hit you, nothing else. If you had held the will of 'I will definitely block this,' maybe you wouldn't have stayed calm, but your mind would've answered you. Even if my aura was greater, your will wouldn't shatter like paper."
"It's not that your Nen is weak it's that you lack the heart to support it."
"But," Biscuit said, jumping up lightly, "you passed."
"Eh?" Wing blinked. "Already leaving?"
"Hurry up!" she said, waving him aHaze. Then, glancing back at the stunned Haze, she added thoughtfully:
"The heart is something everyone has. It's not just willpower it's sincerity, belief in yourself, and in your own thoughts. It doesn't rely on talent or potential. There's no shortcut, no training method. You can only find it through living through experience."
"With your potential, that day isn't far."
She knew she had watched him grow in the Heavens Arena.
"Haze, we're heading off," Wing said, waving as he followed her.
Haze remained still beneath the tree.
Biscuit's words echoed and memories flashed before him:
Netero's youthful fists, thrown with gratitude.
Hisoka's madness as he drove his hand into his own heart.
He'd been so focused on technique and power that he'd forgotten.
Forgotten the most fundamental thing the heart.
"…Why did I forget…?" Haze murmured.
Then suddenly, for some inexplicable reason, he began to laugh.
"Interesting! So interesting!"
"Ahhh "
"I really love this world!!"
(End of Chapter)