Judging by Razor's reaction, he clearly leaned toward increasing the difficulty.
If he was determined to use those death row inmates to exhaust the main forces on Gon's side...
Then the next time they came to challenge, they couldn't just gather random players to make up the numbers. They needed to assemble a team of fifteen, all of whom were experts.
But how easy was that to accomplish?
Tsezguerra and the others were gradually feeling the pressure.
Leaving aside Razor's identity as the game creator and his astonishing strength, the hardest part of this level was that the players could only unilaterally comply with any rules he proposed.
Just as Razor decided to ramp up the difficulty for the players before him, Gon, completely unaware of the changing atmosphere, suddenly stepped forward.
His gaze firm, he stared intently at Razor and said seriously, "Let's begin, Razor! It's still an eight-on-eight dodgeball match!"
"..."
Everyone was momentarily speechless.
Previously, their lineup had significant weaknesses, and Razor, recognizing this, had given them a chance with a playful attitude.
But now, having clearly noticed the substantial strengthening of their lineup, how could he possibly agree to an eight-on-eight dodgeball match right from the start?
Meeting Gon's determined gaze, Razor smiled and asked, "So, are you the one issuing the challenge this time?"
"Gon, wait–"
"That's right!"
Killua and Gon's voices overlapped almost simultaneously.
Seeing Gon agree without hesitation, Killua couldn't help but facepalm and sigh.
After all, according to the game rules, if the player who initiates the challenge first fails, they permanently lose their right to challenge.
In the previous challenge, it was only thanks to Tsezguerra's cunning plan, specifically arranging for the filler players to issue the challenge, that the core members retained their challenge rights.
Now that Gon was directly issuing the challenge, if Razor used attrition tactics to exhaust their experts, they would surely still lose the subsequent eight-on-eight dodgeball match.
As a result, Gon would be unable to participate in the next challenge.
Tsezguerra and Goreinu naturally realized this as well and immediately felt just as helpless as Killua.
Hisoka merely glanced at Gon, his gaze curious and amused.
Only Morrow revealed a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.
If anyone else had made such a rash demand and challenge, Razor definitely wouldn't have taken it head-on and would have opted for a more reasonable and efficient approach.
But if that person was Gon...
The outcome would be different.
Morrow could almost predict what would happen next.
Razor stared at Gon's utterly determined and serious expression, unconsciously raising a hand to stroke his chin, inexplicably recalling Ging's earlier instructions.
If I don't accept your challenge, wouldn't that mean...
I'm the one backing down?
With that thought, a dangerous smile suddenly spread across Razor's face, and the aura around him surged upward like fiercely blazing flames.
Against the backdrop of this powerful aura, his robust figure seemed like a demon emerging from the flames.
"Fine, I accept your challenge."
Razor smiled as he accepted Gon's challenge. Although his towering aura was directed solely at Gon before him, the mere residual waves were enough to fill the faces of the filler players with terror.
Even Tsezguerra and Goreinu couldn't help but break out in cold sweat.
"This must be his true full power!"
What unfolded before them was Razor's peak state, before he had allocated any Nen to materialize his Nen beasts.
Killua's pupils contracted sharply as he watched Razor's aura flare up like raging flames.
Gon, bearing the brunt of it, felt as if a heavy weight were pressing down on his shoulders, and beads of sweat immediately trickled down his cheeks.
Yet, he didn't retreat in the slightest, his gaze toward Razor remaining firm and resolute.
Sensing Razor's aura, Hisoka grew slightly excited, while Morrow was more focused on assessing Razor's level.
Razor observed everyone's reactions, and seeing Gon's unwavering determination, he grinned widely.
This challenge was worth accepting after all.
Once the game was decided, both sides quickly selected their participants.
Razor directly materialized eight humanoid Nen beasts numbered from 0 to 7, with the short Nen beast numbered 0 serving as the referee.
On Morrow's side, aside from himself, the participants were: Gon, Killua, Tsezguerra, Goreinu, Kess, Hisoka, and Goreinu's Nen beast, Black Goreinu.
In no time, both teams took their positions on the court.
Razor assigned Nen beast No. 1 to the sidelines, while Gon's team had Goreinu's Nen beast, Black Goreinu, as their sideline player.
However, for this dodgeball match, Razor skipped the jump ball for possession and directly took the first serve.
No one objected to this arrangement.
Or rather, even if they had objections, it wouldn't have changed anything.
Nen beast referee No. 0 stepped to the center of the court and announced, "I am No. 0, serving as the referee. Pleased to meet you. Let the game begin."
With that, Nen beast No. 0 immediately retreated to the sidelines, closely monitoring both teams.
On the left side of the court, six humanoid Nen beasts of varying sizes stood in a row, with Razor positioned in the center.
Holding the ball in one hand, a dangerous smile on his face, he suddenly executed an exaggerated throwing motion.
His right arm, swinging like a windmill, propelled by bulging, taut muscles, launched the volleyball forward.
In an instant, accompanied by a dull whooshing sound, the rapidly spinning ball shot directly toward Gon on the opposite side.
"!!!"
The match began with an utterly ruthless full-power throw. Everyone could only see the intense Nen enveloping the ball.
Killua, standing beside Gon, didn't even have time to shout a warning.
Relying on his exceptional dynamic vision, Gon quickly judged the ball's trajectory, crossed his hands, and gathered as much aura as possible at his fastest speed, then raised them to protect his forehead.
Boom!
The Nen-infused volleyball slammed into Gon's hands guarding his forehead, producing a deafening sound that echoed across the court.
Two concentrated streams of aura collided violently in that moment.
The next instant, the super-fast spinning ball rebounded and shot straight up toward the ceiling, while the residual impact sent Gon stumbling backward, crashing heavily to the ground before bouncing up once.
Squeak–
After being sent flying and crashing to the ground, Gon quickly adjusted his posture while tumbling, rising to stabilize his stance. However, the lingering impact force still pushed him back a considerable distance.
Fortunately, thanks to his skilled Nen techniques, although he failed to catch the ball, he remained unharmed.
The only problem was that the volleyball had been deflected.
If it embedded itself into the ceiling, according to the rule that the ceiling is an extension of the ground, Gon would be immediately disqualified.
But at that moment, the aura around Morrow's right foot suddenly intensified.
"Insidious Shooting Star."
A stellar cross materialized out of thin air on the ceiling.
This was precisely the volleyball's landing point.
As the starlight shimmered, a Nen bullet shot vertically from it, striking the volleyball with pinpoint accuracy.
With a sharp snap, the volleyball, hit by the Nen bullet, seemed to instantly lose all its momentum. It flipped over and drifted lightly back down to the court.
Morrow, already prepared, effortlessly raised his hand and caught the volleyball as it fell freely.
"..."
The court fell into sudden silence.
Both the death row inmates on Razor's side and Tsezguerra and the others on the court turned their gazes toward Morrow, who had not only returned the ball in the blink of an eye but also caught it with precision.
Everything had happened too quickly.
By the time they processed it, Morrow had already averted the crisis.
"It was a Nen bullet, right...? To descend from above like that, and with such terrifyingly precise timing. But even more frightening... was his judgment and estimation of the power. In such a short time, he calculated the exact force needed to gently rebound the volleyball."
Goreinu widened his eyes, staring at Morrow in disbelief.
In that split second, they had barely been able to react.
Yet Morrow not only responded in time but also had the leeway to control the power with flawless accuracy.
If the Nen bullet had been slightly stronger, the volleyball might have rebounded at an unpredictable angle with greater speed, making it exponentially harder to catch.
Conversely, if the force had been slightly weaker, even if it could barely alter the volleyball's trajectory, the ball would have merely embedded itself deeper into the ceiling, just changing its position.
Was this really something a human could achieve?
Goreinu's heart trembled with shock.
If he could discern these details, Tsezguerra naturally could as well.
"This person... is too terrifying."
Tsezguerra's eyes flickered incessantly as he looked at Morrow.
The level of Nen strength depends on each Nen user's physical condition. Some improve rapidly, while others can only progress step by step.
Over time, Nen strength naturally increases.
But understanding Nen, let alone control over it, isn't something that can be honed through time alone.
And Morrow had only taken two years...
Tsezguerra couldn't fathom how much effort and dedication Morrow had poured into it during that time.
His only feeling now was that, from Morrow's terrifyingly refined skill, he sensed a level he might never reach in his entire life.
—--
On the opposite side of the court.
Razor looked up at the intact ceiling.
So it's Emission.
He had seen the fleeting stellar cross clearly.
Truly extraordinary.
Razor withdrew his gaze and turned to look at Morrow, who was holding the ball. Although they hadn't noticed how Morrow directly created a Nen bullet channel through the ceiling, one thing was certain...
Regardless of the activation conditions for his ability, this person's ability release speed was incredibly fast.
His understanding of Nen was also terrifyingly profound.
Otherwise, he couldn't have achieved this level.
If Morrow knew their inner thoughts, he would definitely say: Studying Divine Script day and night, nearly burning out my brain, how could my understanding not be profound?
It's important to know that every time he inscribed Divine Script, it was equivalent to engraving his own ability into the font structure.
This was also equivalent to continuously honing the foundation of his ability.
Razor stared at Morrow while glancing sideways at Gon who remained completely unharmed.
You defended very well.
For that previous ball, he had been determined to kill Gon.
Had Gon's reaction in mobilizing his aura been even slightly delayed, the power contained in the ball would have been enough to turn his brain into pulp.
That Gon could completely neutralize all the power demonstrated his high proficiency in Nen techniques.
At the very least, he could smoothly and naturally coordinate with his physical movements.
It seems... I can't afford to be the slightest bit careless in today's match.
As Razor's thoughts churned, the curve of his smirk gradually widened.
It had been a long time since he'd experienced this feeling of boiling blood...
This made him feel somewhat restless.
—--
On the right side of the court.
Gon walked toward the sidelines with an unwilling expression.
The No. 0 Nen beast referee at the sidelines saw this and asked: "Player Gon, are you giving up your position on the court?"
"Huh?"
Gon stopped and looked at the referee by the court, confused: "I didn't catch the ball. According to the rules, I'm already out, right?"
"???"
Not only did the referee sprout a bunch of question marks, but even Killua and the others looked completely bewildered.
Killua quickly walked over, glaring at Gon: "You didn't catch it, but the teacher caught it! Don't tell me you still haven't figured out the rules?"
"I know them, it's about catching the ball and dodging the ball."
Gon still didn't seem to understand what was going on.
Killua asked: "And what else?"
"What?"
Gon looked somewhat lost.
"..."
Killua fell silent for a moment, then poked Gon's head with his index finger and shouted: "The rebound system rules! That means after you get hit by the ball, as long as your teammate can catch it within the court, you won't be eliminated!"
"So that's how it is."
Gon suddenly understood: "Because the teacher caught the ball, I don't need to be eliminated."
As he spoke, he looked at Morrow with some excitement.
"..."
Morrow had originally wanted to praise Gon's leap in progress regarding Nen techniques, but now he couldn't get a single word out.
However, perhaps because of his intervention, Gon hadn't been analyzing the rules in depth while playing like in the original storyline.
And since Razor had readily accepted Gon's challenge, he responded by going for the kill against Gon right from the start...
To the extent that Gon still hadn't fully understood the body rebound system rules.
"Are you going to serve?"
Morrow held the ball, looked at his teammates on the court, and politely asked.
This was too polite. Tsezguerra and the others had good enough awareness that they wouldn't take him up on it.
Moreover, they knew Morrow was an Emission type with such formidable strength, making him most suitable as the thrower.
"Me~"
Hisoka raised his hand, immediately climbing up the offered ladder without hesitation.
"..."
Tsezguerra and the others looked at Hisoka with slight astonishment.
Hisoka paid no attention to this, instead staring fixedly at Morrow.
Can't let you be the only one showing off~!
Morrow drooped his eyelids, unable to bear Hisoka's gaze any longer, and tossed the ball over.
Hisoka caught the ball and said with a grin, "Thanks~"
As he spoke, he activated his Bungee Gum ability, enveloping the entire ball with pink Nen.
"First..."
Hisoka casually targeted Nen beast No. 2, then his arm holding the ball swelled up as he violently hurled it forward.
Boom!
The volleyball accurately struck Nen beast No. 2's head.
Under the tremendous force, the Nen beast's head instantly exploded, and its entire body vanished into smoke within moments.
The ball rebounded and shot into the air.
Hisoka smiled faintly.
Truthfully, he would have preferred to target Razor with the first ball.
But that would only be under the condition that Razor recalled all his Nen beasts to return to peak state.
So before that, Hisoka planned to destroy all the Nen beasts first.
「Bungee Gum」
Hisoka then activated his ability, intending to retrieve the volleyball.
However, at that very moment.
Razor leaped into the air, snatching the volleyball with one hand and holding it firmly.
"..."
Hisoka tugged at the pink adhesive thread but couldn't move it an inch.
The volleyball seemed welded firmly in Razor's grasp.
"Ara."
Hisoka glanced at his companions around him, putting on an innocent expression.
"..."
Amid the silence, no one blamed him.
After all, Hisoka's reasoning was sound, it was just that Razor was too formidable.