"Heh, you want me to help her grow? I've watched her fights. That girl is extremely dangerous. I'm worried that on the ring, I might accidentally kill her."
"That's why I wanted to talk to you about it in advance."
"No problem… after all, it's a free win for me, and I'm not about to pass that up. But I can't promise I'll hold back. You're sure you want her to fight me?"
"As long as both sides agree, we can start whenever. I've taken that special card you gave me, so you'll have to fulfill your end of the bargain, too."
"Frankly speaking, you look way stronger than that girl—far more dangerous. If I was fully confident, and if you were a registered fighter, I'd love to challenge you myself."
"If you don't end up dying on the ring, maybe we'll have our chance to fight eventually."
Half a month later, in one of the arenas on the 200th floor of Heaven's Arena…
Xiang Nan fiddled with a playing card in his hand, recalling his meeting with a bearded man a week before, and the conversation they'd had.
That man was precisely the opponent Xiang Nan had found for Manman.
With five wins and one loss on the 200+ floors, the bearded man's only defeat was to a certain formidable presence—
Hisoka.
Sensing danger, the bearded man never actually fought Hisoka. He simply gave up on the match. Still, Xiang Nan was slightly surprised that the man hadn't come looking on his own; it was the opposite—the man sought him out, for a reason.
Someone instructed that man to deliver a special playing card to Xiang Nan.
That "someone" was Hisoka.
It was the Queen of Hearts.
A phone number was scrawled on it—Hisoka's way of contacting him.
Hisoka knew he couldn't communicate directly with Xiang Nan while that "system protection" existed, so he used someone else to get in touch.
When the bearded man first tracked Xiang Nan down, he seemed terrified and shaken. He said Xiang Nan had to accept the playing card, or… that man might face Hisoka's wrath. Therefore, Xiang Nan taking the card was, in a sense, helping him out—and thus the bearded man had to help train Manman.
Each side fulfilling an agreement.
"Hisoka…"
Xiang Nan's fingertip grazed the suit on the card. A faint chill rose within him.
So that fellow had been eyeing him this whole time? Possibly because of Illumi? Xiang Nan couldn't be certain if at this point in time Illumi and Hisoka were interacting.
Illumi definitely wasn't going to waste long on him. Maybe the mafia's bounty didn't offer enough money to make it worthwhile.
And as for Hisoka… Xiang Nan's best guess was that it was just pure interest.
Much like what he did with Kastro or Togari in the original story—
"He's singled me out for some reason."
So far, Xiang Nan hadn't actually seen Hisoka at the arena in person. Even if they met face to face, there wouldn't be much either side could do while the protection period was still in effect.
Gaze darkening, Xiang Nan slipped the playing card back into his coat pocket, then turned his focus to the ring.
At this moment, Manman's match against that bearded man was going full throttle. In reality, though, it was more like Manman was pouring on relentless attacks, while the bearded man looked calm and unpressured.
Manman's so-called feral, instinctive assault couldn't do anything against him.
This bearded man had a rugged look, wearing just a black leather jacket on top and bright red pants below, with heavy boots on his feet. His chest and arms were thickly covered in hair. He was a reinforcement-type (Enhancer) with a record of five wins, one loss. The single loss was because he refused to fight Hisoka, surrendering instead.
Originally, Xiang Nan wanted a challenging fight for Manman. The man also had come delivering Hisoka's playing card, so they made a deal: Xiang Nan accepted the card, and in turn this bearded man would fight Manman.
Inside the ring…
Manman's onslaught was, to him, child's play. None of her hits were harming him.
Swish!
When Manman lunged again from an odd angle, the bearded man held his ground, letting her strike his body. Then, in that split second, he caught her hair in a firm grip. Lifting his powerful leg like a swinging battle-axe, he smashed his knee into her midsection.
This single blow left Manman's posture horribly distorted, knocking her off balance.
You see, when Manman had previously faced other Nen-users, she relied on perfect body control to avoid losing her footing. But now, the opponent's raw power was something she couldn't diffuse.
Bang!
Manman tumbled across the floor. The man's hand still clutched a fistful of her hair, which he casually tossed aside.
"Wagh…"
Even in her awakened second-personality state, Manman hunched over, vomiting stomach acid mixed with blood.
She panted in labored breaths, trembling so violently she could barely stand.
"Need a little break?" the bearded man asked, not pressing his advantage. He'd promised Xiang Nan that this match was partly about training Manman, so he wasn't going for the kill. He was still returning a favor: Xiang Nan had spared him from possibly incurring Hisoka's ire by accepting that card, so on some level he "owed" Xiang Nan.
Saying that, he casually lit a cigar in the ring, giving Manman a breather. Down below, the announcer cried excitedly, and the crowd roared.
After all, Manman was undefeated up till now, climbing nearly to the 200th floor. This was the first time she'd encountered such a dominating adversary.
Meanwhile, in the stands, Xiang Nan quietly exhaled and settled back into his seat.
"Wow, you sure are cruel… letting that guy 'help' her grow? I've seen her fights, she's a ticking time bomb. I'm worried she might get herself killed in the ring."
From behind Xiang Nan came a voice he recognized—one of the Star Alliance's delegates he'd confronted before, the long-haired man.
The entire group was well aware how Manman seemed to obey Xiang Nan's every command, as if she were a little sister under his guardianship. So seeing him personally arrange such a vicious matchup, letting Manman endure that beating on stage, the long-haired man felt a chill.
"She looks so battered. Not your sister or something? You're not worried?"
But Xiang Nan merely gave a faint smile, ignoring him.
From the Star Alliance's point of view, it was as though Xiang Nan was an emotionless demon who didn't care if his companion was in pain.
But for Xiang Nan, Manman's second personality needed this kind of pressure. That negative stimulus was the only way to force her mental condition to grow worse—paradoxically fueling her progress.
Crucially, it had to be an outside party, not himself. Because a faint subconscious link existed between her main and second personalities—he could override her second personality with mental directives—so if he were the one dishing out the pain, she'd never fully "lose it."
For high-level battles among Nen-users, how strongly you harness your ability is the decisive factor. Facing this bearded Reinforcement-type, one can't just barge in…she'll have to rely on proper tactics, utilizing her Nen in very specific ways to create opportunities. Just like many powerful characters in the original series, each showdown is a test of how well you handle your own ability and outsmart your opponent.
For Manman's second personality, that experience will eventually seep into her main personality. The more brutal the external provocation, the deeper and more pronounced her changes become…
From Xiang Nan's seat, he watched her get hammered by the bearded man's rapid punches, each blow rattling her body.
~~~
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