A few moments later, in a spacious room.
Yuu stood in the center, silently waiting for Killua to get ready.
"Do you need me to go easy on you?"
Yuu asked out of the blue, instantly annoying Killua.
"No thanks. Give me everything you've got," Killua retorted coldly.
He stood his ground, stretching his muscles, and looked at Yuu with a dark expression.
"Just so you know, once I get into the zone, I might not be able to control my strength. I might even accidentally kill you."
"Feel free to try. I actually hope you go all out. Though, from where I'm standing, you're still lacking. You're no threat to me at all."
"But with your potential... give it a few years, and you might actually have a chance to scratch me."
Yuu spoke nonchalantly.
"Come at me."
"Hmph. Big talker."
Killua's expression darkened. The muscles in his right hand tensed. He lowered his body and launched himself forward, thrusting his razor-sharp claws straight at Yuu.
His movements were even faster than his previous surprise attack, and he had deliberately extended his claws a bit longer.
Killua believed that no matter what technique the opponent used, there had to be a reaction time.
Last time, Yuu had reacted after Killua initiated the attack, meaning he had been prepared.
But this time, if he pushed his speed beyond the limits of human reaction time, he could strike while Yuu's guard was down!
Or at least, that's what he thought.
Watching his fingertips inch closer to Yuu... just as they reached a certain distance, Killua felt that same strange sensation again.
Mid-flight, he first noticed his hand's momentum being dissolved by some invisible barrier.
It became slower and slower until it was no longer under his control. His arm muscles were firing normally, but he couldn't advance a single inch.
Nor could he pull back.
What the hell?
Killua realized his initial assessment had been too simplistic. This guy named 'Yuu' had abilities far beyond his comprehension.
Before he knew it, a finger—cocked and loaded—was resting right in front of his forehead.
Thwack!!
A crisp sound echoed as Killua was knocked back by the immense force of the finger flick. By the time he regained his balance, a red mark had already bloomed on his forehead. The pain made him grit his teeth.
"Ow, ow, ow..."
Clutching his forehead, Killua couldn't fathom how a simple finger flick could pack such a punch.
Seeing this, Yuu asked with a playful tone:
"Want me to hold back a little more...? You look like you're in pain."
After that exchange, Yuu confirmed that Killua's physical strength wasn't overwhelmingly high yet.
At least, based on the feel of it, the force of Killua's hand wasn't exaggerated. Yuu could easily block it even without the "Limitless Technique."
Right now, eight-year-old Killua was relying mostly on his family's assassination techniques. Presumably, his father, Silva, had left him at Heavens Arena early on to hone and refine those very skills.
As for his physical capabilities, they would likely only see a significant boost once he completed his training here and returned home.
"It's a shame. If this were twelve-year-old Killua... without my 'Technique' active, he'd definitely be a threat."
While Yuu mused to himself...
Killua, his fighting spirit still burning, launched another ferocious attack. He vanished, reappearing instantly behind Yuu.
He was attempting a surprise attack from Yuu's blind spot.
A familiar knife-hand strike chopped toward the back of Yuu's neck.
But in the next instant...
It was that familiar sense of stagnation.
Killua realized his hand had once again been stopped at a fixed distance, unable to move forward.
He tried desperately to pull back, but his entire hand felt locked in place by some unseen rule.
Almost simultaneously, Yuu reached behind his head and grabbed Killua's wrist with precision.
Then, with a sharp tug, he flung Killua straight into the adjacent wall.
Bam!!
Killua slammed into the wall and dropped to one knee from the impact. But thanks to his willpower, he shook off the pain instantly and stood back up.
"Tch!"
"It works from behind, too... what an annoying ability."
Killua assessed the situation silently. He didn't know if this counted as a "superpower," nor was he sure if he could actually beat this guy.
But presumably, he just needed to make Yuu move his feet to get info on the ability. So, Killua's fighting spirit flared up again. No more probing.
Killua's aura turned calm and dark. Killing intent slowly radiated from his body, and his eyes grew unnervingly cold.
As he stepped to the side, afterimages began to trail behind him.
"'Rhythm Echo,' huh..."
Yuu watched Killua execute the technique exactly as it appeared in the manga. Just as he thought... right now, Killua's most outstanding asset was his mastery of assassination arts.
Yuu just hadn't expected that eight-year-old Killua's technique would be nearly identical to his future self's. The only difference lay in raw physical strength and speed.
"Add in that chilling killing intent he throws around so casually... no wonder they call him the Zoldyck family's once-in-a-generation prodigy. Seeing it today, it's definitely true."
Catching a fleeting look of relaxation on Yuu's face, Killua seized the opportunity. From within a circle of afterimages, he attacked Yuu from behind again.
And this time, he used an assassination technique called "Snake Awakens."
By moving his hands at high speed, he could easily slice through an enemy's body.
Killua focused the "Snake Awakens" technique into his razor-sharp fingernails.
This move could easily pierce even steel.
However, that despair-inducing special field stopped his attack once again.
And just as familiarly, his wrist was caught, and he was sent flying into the wall.
Before they knew it, ten minutes had passed.
The walls of the once-pristine room were now damaged in multiple places.
Killua's willpower and patience had been worn down to their limit. His intense pride compelled him to keep fighting, but the lessons his brother had drilled into him over the years...
They told him—
When facing an enemy you cannot defeat, choose to give up at the right moment. Blind effort is just a waste of energy.
Better to use that energy to run away.
Currently, since Yuu hadn't directed any malice or killing intent toward him from start to finish—and because his ability to hide his aura was exceptional—Killua didn't feel fear. What he felt was frustration and timidity born from the sheer gap in their strength.
"I'm done!" Killua shouted angrily, then marched toward the door.
"Eh? Giving up already?"
Even knowing Killua's current temperament, Yuu hadn't expected him to throw in the towel after just ten minutes.
Before Yuu could try to convince him otherwise, Killua had already stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
...
Staring at the door...
Yuu couldn't help but wonder...
If Killua had kept fighting for four or five hours straight, there was a high probability he could have drained Yuu's mental energy to the point where maintaining the "Limitless" would have been impossible.
"He was actually so close. He really does give up easily."
Yuu didn't bother dwelling on it. After tidying up the messy room a bit, he lay down and went to sleep.
...
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