No one could ignore this Aura. Leaving aside its incredibly stable flow, the sheer volume alone made it hard not to feel one's age.
Netero's competitive spirit was ignited. He didn't deliberately control the leaking Aura, letting it dissipate freely.
For a moment, the two Auras, undisturbed by the night wind, clashed fiercely from a distance.
The intangible collision of Auras startled many Pro Hunters still inside the Hunter Association's Headquarters.
They sensed the terrifying nature of the Auras but detected no malice, which slightly calmed them.
'But who was it?'
'One aura was easily recognizable as Chairman Netero's. But who did the other one belong to, clashing head-on without yielding an inch?'
Puzzled, they left their posts but didn't rashly approach the source of the Auras.
In the Vice-Chairman's office, the lights were bright.
Pariston sat behind a large desk, hands clasped under his chin, his deep eyes staring into empty space.
Others might not know who the other Aura belonged to, but he did.
Without needing to see for himself, he was absolutely certain it was Law's.
He could easily guess that Netero was probably looking for some amusement with Law now.
'To vanish without a trace for so many years... Where did he go? Only that place, right?'
Pariston thought to himself. Even with no one else around, he never let his true emotions or thoughts show through his eyes or expression.
Constantly hiding or pretending, rarely revealing emotions… he was the epitome of duplicity.
Unlike the other Hunters, he didn't move toward the two Auras. Instead, he remained quietly seated.
On the rooftop, Law and Netero weren't overthinking it. They clashed recklessly.
In terms of age, Netero, who is no longer in his prime, was at a clear disadvantage. In the Aura Clash, he gradually fell behind.
This was an irreversible, harsh reality. At a certain point, one had to accept aging.
After overpowering Netero with his Aura, Law didn't push his advantage. He timely used Ren to withdraw his Aura, compressing it against his body.
"I'm getting old."
Netero also withdrew his Aura, unable to resist a self-mocking remark.
Law didn't know how to respond, so he remained silent.
Netero glanced at Law's left arm, "Only one rule: the side that fails to return the ball loses."
In the past, before such a game, he would have suggested not using his left hand either.
But now, having gained a preliminary understanding of Law's strength, he deliberately avoided that.
What he wanted was a thrilling showdown, even if it was just for fun.
"Okay." Law nodded.
Netero's lips curled into a smile. Aura flowed into the volleyball, which he tossed lightly into the air.
[100-Type Guanyin]
The prayer gesture was completed with lightning speed, followed by a series of slow afterimages… an extreme fusion of speed and slowness.
In the silence, a faint Buddhist chant seemed to echo. A golden light conjured behind Netero.
Law didn't see the full form of the 100-Type Guanyin, but as Netero's right hand swept in an arc, a straight golden arm materialized from his right side and slapped the volleyball in mid-air.
With the fierce slap of golden Nen, the Aura previously wrapped around the volleyball was gradually torn apart. The ball then shot toward Law like a golden beam, its trajectory perfectly straight.
The amount of Aura pre-injected into the volleyball, combined with the force and Nen from the Guanyin's palm, collided without causing recoil. Instead, it ensured the volleyball's safety without wasting any impact or Aura.
This zero-error calculation was something only someone with Netero's terrifying experience could achieve.
The volleyball flying toward him would shed all its Aura Protection upon reaching its destination. In other words, if Law even lightly touched it, the ball would shatter. According to the rules, he would lose.
Compared to a forceful opening, this soft approach was even more uncomfortable.
Catching the ball wasn't difficult for Law, but he had no intention of doing so.
Although catching it first was the best choice under the rules, this was still volleyball.
Instead of catching and then gathering strength to return it, it was better to hit it back directly.
Law suddenly raised his right hand. A jade-white light materialized beside him, similar to Netero's 100-Type Guanyin earlier.
Though its full form wasn't visible, an arm holding a long sword appeared out of nowhere.
Netero's pupils slightly contracted. Even without seeing the full form, he knew clearly that the jade-white arm behind Law belonged to the same type as his 100-Type Guanyin.
"Excellent!"
Before Law could return the shot, Netero exclaimed sincerely.
The jade-white arm swung its sword, slashing at the volleyball. Instead of cutting it in half, the blade transferred Aura seamlessly to the ball upon contact, sending it back unharmed.
Sharp blade, blunt blade… controllable at will.
Seeing this, Netero broke into an exaggerated smile. He clasped his hands in prayer, and this time, the full form of the 100-Type Guanyin materialized… a thousand-armed Guanyin shimmering with golden light.
Since Law chose to return it directly, he couldn't back down either.
Whoosh!
The Guanyin struck out with a palm, hitting the volleyball. The wind instantly exploded outward.
The ball, struck with even greater force than before, shot toward Law not in a straight line but veered to the right.
Netero had manifested the complete 100-Type Guanyin. Law didn't fall behind, manifesting the complete [White General].
Clad in armor, with a dragon-like silhouette faintly visible, holding a long sword, eyes sharp as lightning… it was a majestic sight.
Once fully formed, the massive blade struck the volleyball with precision, again returning it perfectly, even faster this time.
Netero responded in kind, slapping the ball back with a palm.
For a moment, a dense series of dull whooshing sounds, like drumbeats, echoed across the rooftop.
The volleyball flew back and forth between them, sometimes tinged with golden light, sometimes with white light, weaving countless light trails in the air like complex infrared beams guarding a treasure.
On one side, blade lights and sword shadows, and on the other, palm winds like lightning.
Despite the high-intensity volleying, the ordinary volleyball remained unharmed, showcasing both sides' exquisite control.
The invisible night wind, upon reaching the periphery of this area, was instantly scattered.
Aura ran rampant without distinction, yet all focus remained on that ordinary volleyball. The surrounding buildings and ground were completely unaffected.
In these lightning-fast exchanges, there was no room for error. Whoever made the first mistake would lose in an instant.
Law's blade, Netero's palm… equally fast, equally precise. For a short while, they were evenly matched.
But in these countless exchanges within a short time, Netero knew clearly that if the focus weren't on that volleyball, the 100-Type Guanyin's palms might not withstand the White General's blade.
'If only he were an enemy.'
'Then, we could fight freely, without holding back.'
At this moment, Netero actually regretted that Law wasn't an enemy.
The commotion from the direct clash on the rooftop left the secretly observing Hunters stunned.
Their locations weren't far from the rooftop. Although the entire building showed no signs of shaking, they could clearly feel the power of the two Auras colliding.