HxH: Apex Predator

Guys, thanks for pointing out the few typo/mistakes I made, but all that have been sorted out now, for ex: all-seeing hands ->Twin Complete Hands.

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At this moment, Ryker and Swain completed an attack-and-defense exchange in an instant. Most of the spectators outside the ring had yet to process what had just happened.

Meanwhile, the other contestants and Nen users closely observing the match were fixated on every move. They all understood that the outcome of this battle would be decided within the next few seconds.

Ryker's hardened palm, mid-attack, was about to strike when Swayin's cane was raised and blocked the path of the strike.

However, at this point, it was impossible for Ryker to halt his attack and redirect it. His momentum was unstoppable, like an arrow already loosed from the bowstring.

As Swain felt a glimmer of hope, believing he had created an opening, something utterly unexpected happened—shocking him and the audience alike.

Ryker's left arm didn't stop moving. As his fingertips neared the cane, his entire arm suddenly became as flexible and fluid as a snake. The instant it touched the cane, it coiled around it like a serpent winding through tree branches, bypassing Swain's defense entirely and heading straight for its target.

All of these movements happened in the blink of an eye, leaving almost no time for either party to react.

Swain, now left with no alternatives, resorted to the only viable option: channeling all of his Nen energy into the area Ryker was aiming for, using Ko to harden it in defense.

But Swain lacked the skill to swiftly gather his energy from other parts of his body and redirect it to his neck in time to block Ryker's attack.

*SWISH!*

As expected, with a sharp slicing sound, a head of silver hair flew through the air.

Swain's consciousness lingered momentarily, unaware that his head had been severed.

As his vision shifted, he was struck by confusion: 'What's going on? Why am I flying? Wasn't I just defending against that brat's left hand?'

He spotted a familiar figure—a headless body dressed in a grey coat.

Realization struck only as his gaze involuntarily drifted upward. A dazzling white light filled his vision. He quickly recognized it as the lighting fixtures on the arena ceiling.

And then it hit him: 'This can't be real. This must be a dream. There's no way I'd lose to some kid. The power I sacrificed my arm for was meant to defeat the Floor Master. It was supposed to be my trump card to claim glory and wealth.'

'No, this isn't real!'

*THUD!*

As his mind screamed in denial, the headless, one-armed body in the grey coat collapsed onto the arena floor. His severed head, eyes still wide with disbelief, tumbled to the ground nearby.

The arena fell silent. Thousands of spectators stared at the stage, wide-eyed, as if confirming whether the scene before them was real.

From the start of the match, through the flurry of close combat, to the final decapitation, the pace was so intense and unrelenting that most of the audience hadn't even caught their breath before it was over.

"The match is over! Ryker Haruto wins by KO, defeating Swain!"

As the referee's voice echoed, the arena erupted into a cacophony of cheers, shouts, and groans of disappointment.

Among the spectators, Tsubone and Illumi displayed contrasting reactions.

Tsubone removed her monocle and wiped away tears with a handkerchief, mumbling, "Even if he's not silver-haired, the Zoldyck family still has successors."

Illumi, on the other hand, remained expressionless as he gazed at the arena. Finally, he spoke, "Tsubone, let's go. I need to prepare for my own match."

Without lingering, Illumi turned and walked out of the arena.

Meanwhile, Ryker noticed a significant change in his system's internal points. This victory had earned him a massive four-digit sum, surpassing the total of all his previous earnings combined. The windfall filled him with joy.

If the pattern held, Ryker estimated that after ten consecutive wins, his challenge to the Floor Master would be against someone of Swain's caliber.

Defeating that opponent could potentially earn him the coveted Kamui.

Energized by the thought, Ryker did something unusual: influenced by the electric atmosphere, he raised his right fist high in triumph amidst the roaring crowd.

Then, basking in the deafening cheers, he made his way off the stage through the players' tunnel. After this match, no one in Heaven's Arena regarded Ryker as an underdog or just another kid.

Following his victory, Ryker took a brief hiatus to focus on honing his Nen techniques while also watching Illumi's matches.

It was clear that Illumi, a product of the Zoldyck family's rigorous training, was leagues apart from Ryker, whose growth had been accelerated by his system. Like Ryker, Illumi climbed to the 100th floor after just two matches, both resulting in his opponents' deaths.

Ryker understood Illumi's urgency. With a sibling like him setting the bar, Illumi was determined to complete Silva's mission and claim the reward.

However, Ryker knew that after the 100th floor, killing opponents at will would become significantly harder for Illumi.

After watching Illumi's third match with Tsubone, the latter asked Ryker, "Young Master Ryker, how long do you think it'll take Illumi to meet Lord Silva's requirements?"

"Hard to say," Ryker replied. "Our situations are completely different. But after the 100th floor, things won't be so easy for him. My guess? Two to three years—assuming nothing unexpected happens."

"Two to three years? That's much longer than what you achieved, Young Master Ryker," Tsubone remarked.

Meanwhile, on the arena floor, Illumi secured another victory but failed to kill his opponent, winning by points instead.

Unlike his previous matches, this one was clearly a struggle.

Afterward, Ryker advised him, "Don't focus on killing every opponent. It lowers your chances of winning. Concentrate on reaching the 200th floor and completing the mission. That's how you'll gain new powers."

With that, Ryker entered the elevator to the 200th floor, leaving Illumi standing silently, staring at the closed doors.

Over the next three months, Ryker fought four more matches. He won all of them: one by default when his opponent forfeited, two through death, and one by forcing his opponent to surrender.

Now with a 9-0 record on the 200th floor (this record is solely on this floor), Ryker was just one win away from challenging the Floor Master.

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