Luo Ning took advantage of a bathroom break to create a Shadow Clone. After the clone separated from Milia and returned to Room 2333, Luo Ning used the Transformation Jutsu to conceal himself before leaving the restaurant and returning to Room 188.
The next day, Luo Ning received a file from Milia.
This was the result of the investigation Milia had conducted overnight after Luo Ning had shared information about Uvogin and Shalnark with her the previous evening. Luo Ning inserted the videotape into the machine and saw footage of a battle on a lower-level stage.
Clearly, this was a recording of yesterday's matches on the 1st floor.
The materials were already marked in advance. Luo Ning only needed to fast-forward according to the timestamps to see Uvogin participating in a match, as well as Shalnark and Nobunaga Hazama waiting for him below the stage when he finished.
'So three of them came!'
Luo Ning's gaze narrowed. Looking at the three figures on the screen, he thought of a possibility. Had these three been searching for him ever since they parted ways at the airship port in Yanshui City?
'Are they dogs? They're so persistent!'
Additionally, while fast-forwarding, Luo Ning spotted another familiar figure.
It was Kurapika.
He was surprised to see that Kurapika had also come to Heavens Arena and was even participating in the matches. He had assumed Kurapika would try to find a way to contact him immediately upon arriving. Looking at Kurapika's current state, it was clear the boy had developed some ideas of his own.
'Should I go and reunite with him now?'
Luo Ning hesitated. Bringing Kurapika to his side right now would be very dangerous.
After long deliberation, Luo Ning gave up on the idea of contacting Kurapika for the time being. At the very least, he had to deal with the Phantom Troupe trio first. Otherwise, if something went wrong on his end, knowing Kurapika's personality, the boy would likely end up dying right alongside him.
---
Nobunaga Hazama had not participated in the matches. To this point, his stance remained that they should simply find the room where Luo Ning was staying, break in, and hack him to death.
In his eyes, stepping onto a stage to duel was like playing house; he couldn't stand it.
Uvogin, however, never grew tired of it. He was even planning to stay and challenge a Floor Master after killing Luo Ning. It seemed the atmosphere of Heavens Arena had already assimilated that big idiot.
What annoyed Nobunaga most was how strictly Uvogin was watching him at night, guarding him as if he were a thief to prevent him from looking for Luo Ning.
However, he still managed to find an opportunity.
Nobunaga stood outside Room 2333, one hand resting on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
He had taken advantage of Uvogin being on the stage to get Luo Ning's room number from Shalnark. Having encountered Luo Ning at the Yanshui City airship port, he felt a faint sense of crisis regarding the boy's current progress.
And he was a man who trusted his intuition.
Especially before they had separated from the rest of the group, he had specifically asked Machi Komacine if their mission would go smoothly.
Machi's answer had been: "No."
That woman's mouth was like an oracle, so Nobunaga chose to believe her, and he believed in himself. At worst, he would simply present Luo Ning's head to Uvogin later and then have a serious fight with the big man.
His long blade left its sheath, and the door was sliced open by Nobunaga in an instant.
Powerful Nen expanded into "En" the moment he stepped into the room, allowing him to have a complete grasp of everything within a radius of over four meters. It wasn't that he couldn't create a larger En, but he believed this distance—exactly twice the reach of his blade and extended arm—was the perfect range for him.
He had even given his En a new name: "Domain."
As long as someone was within this Domain, his blade could complete a strike in an instant, severing anything he wished to cut.
Upon entering the room, Nobunaga saw Luo Ning sitting casually on the sofa in the living room.
"Yo! We meet again," Luo Ning said calmly, greeting him as if they were old friends.
The only response was Nobunaga's figure suddenly vanishing from his spot.
With a sharp tear, Nobunaga's blade pierced into the sofa, but the spot he struck no longer held Luo Ning's figure—only a piece of a wooden log remained.
Substitution Jutsu!
Nobunaga's brow twitched. His long blade flicked upward, the extremely sharp edge cutting through the sofa and the log as he continued his slash toward his flank.
Splash!
Amidst the sound of rushing water, he struck Luo Ning.
But just like the scene at the Yanshui City airship port, the Luo Ning he slashed instantly burst into a large spray of water.
Simultaneously, a large number of shuriken shot toward his position from the direction of the bathroom.
Nobunaga lowered his body slightly, his blade moving with explosive speed. He managed to complete his defensive slashes the moment the shuriken drew near.
Amidst a flurry of clangs, every shuriken—no matter how tricky the angle—was precisely sliced in half.
However, as Nobunaga took a step toward the bathroom, his expression changed, and he hurriedly retreated.
At the exact moment he backed away, the bathroom door was pushed open, and Luo Ning appeared, his chest expanded from a deep breath.
At this moment, Luo Ning held a hand seal before his chest with one hand, while his other hand was raised to his mouth.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive fireball erupted from his mouth, rushing straight for Nobunaga.
As he retreated, Nobunaga flicked his blade, parrying a coffee table toward the incoming fireball. With a shift of his feet, he also moved out of the fireball's path, reaching the living room window.
Boom!
The fireball slammed into the coffee table and exploded violently.
Amidst the spreading flames, Nobunaga noticed Luo Ning emerging from the bathroom, his hands moving through a new sequence of signs.
Ram - Horse - Snake - Dragon - Rat - Ox - Tiger.
As the seals were completed, Luo Ning felt nearly all of his chakra being drained in an instant.
However, he also completed the technique.
And this time, it was no longer a C-rank ninjutsu, but a true high-level technique. B-rank Ninjutsu: Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!
Three fire dragons formed simultaneously from Luo Ning's sides and front as his chakra was released. Upon appearing, they roared and charged toward Nobunaga's position.
In that instant, the temperature in the room skyrocketed, the scorching heat even causing the air to distort.
Facing this head-on, Nobunaga felt a surge of frustration.
From entering the room to being surrounded by fire dragons, only a few seconds had passed. That brat Luo Ning had clearly prepared everything, just waiting for him to walk into the trap.
Furthermore, this guy's strength was clearly far greater than what they had seen on the stage.
The glass behind him shattered instantly.
That was the only exit Nobunaga could find in the room. The way those three fire dragons were charging at him gave him a feeling similar to when someone managed to injure that monster, Feitan Portor.
However, as he leapt from the room, Nobunaga saw Luo Ning's pale face behind the fire dragons, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
At the same time, he also saw a figure appearing at the door of the room.
Instead of thinking about how to run, the boy dared to set an ambush. Did he never consider that Nobunaga wouldn't be the only one coming this time?