HxH: Apex Predator

"The match has just begun, and we can already see Warwick rushing toward Ryker at full speed, clearly aiming to strike first.

We all know Warwick is a purely martial arts-based fighter, relying on his teeth and hands as his weapons of choice.

However, Ryker responds swiftly. The moment Warwick starts moving, Ryker initiates a long-range attack.

In his previous matches, Ryker has consistently used his long-range advantage to gain the upper hand right from the start.

But this time, his opponent is employing an aggressive opening strategy, attacking immediately to prevent Ryker from having too many opportunities to deal damage."

At this moment, Ryker, observing the situation, began recalibrating his strategy.

'I expected a martial arts specialist like him to have high coordination, but this is beyond my expectations.'

'Judging by his reaction to my aura bullets, it seems he's prioritizing evasion over taking any direct hits. That must mean he lacks confidence in his defense.'

'If that's the case, it's clear that even a single hit from these bullets would be dangerous for him.

However, if I can't hit him, the damage is meaningless. Increasing the fire rate further will burn through my energy too quickly.'

'Since he's forced to dodge at this strength, I'll reduce the power by half and double the firing rate instead. That way, I can gauge whether he'll risk charging through the barrage or if his defensive limits will reveal themselves.'

With this analysis, Ryker put his plan into action, reducing the power of his aura bullets while doubling their firing rate.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as we can see, Ryker has increased the rate of fire for his aura bullets and is steadily retreating.

This increase in output has forced Warwick to slow his approach, as he now has to focus all his effort on evading the onslaught.

For those familiar with Ryker, you'll know he has won many previous matches by overwhelming opponents with his powerful aura bullets.

Right now, the situation is one-sided, with Warwick unable to mount any counterattacks. The question is: Can Warwick find a way to break out of this predicament?"

Meanwhile, Warwick was analyzing his own situation:

'I can't believe this kid has me so suppressed. I knew his aura bullets were powerful, but not to this extent.

The increased rate of fire is troublesome, but he's clearly reduced the power of each shot. That makes sense—no way a kid like him has enough energy to sustain this kind of output for long.'

'I'm only using my energy to reinforce my arms and legs, so my consumption is much lower than his. At this rate, the match will eventually swing in my favor.'

'Although his weakened bullets can still pierce my defenses, I can now use the energy covering my hands to deflect them.

If I time my moves well, I might even be able to counter some key shots and close the distance without taking damage.'

'If I can get in close, the outcome will be decided.

He probably realizes that too. This can't continue forever. At some point, he'll gamble everything on one decisive move, maybe even move in closer to improve his accuracy.

For now, I just need to wait and see how he changes his approach.'

Noticing that Warwick could still evade despite the increased fire rate, Ryker decided to push further.

'This firing speed still isn't enough to pressure him fully. I've used about two-fifths of my energy so far.'

'Let's increase both the firing rate and bullet speed. I'll allocate two-thirds of my remaining energy to maintain the barrage.

If that still doesn't force him to slip up, I'll use the last third for close combat. That'll be my final option.'

Determined, Ryker increased both the speed and rate of fire for his aura bullets.

This time, Warwick finally started showing signs of strain. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead as he felt the mounting pressure.

Sure enough, after dodging dozens of bullets, two aura bullets targeted his chest. Unable to avoid them, he used his energy-enhanced hands to swat them away.

For the first time since the match began, Ryker's aura bullets landed a partial hit, albeit with no significant damage. But it was enough to give Ryker a new perspective on the fight.

'So this speed finally threatens him.'

'Even these weakened bullets require him to use energy-covered hands for defense. That means his body likely can't withstand them directly.'

'But I need to know if it's because of a lack of foundational skills or if his energy-reinforced limbs are limited by certain restrictions. Let's find out if my little trick will work.'

Ryker began imbuing some of his aura bullets with In, making them invisible to the naked eye. To conserve energy, he didn't apply 'In' to every bullet.

Ryker had avoided using In earlier because Warwick had been using Gyo to focus his vision since the match began.

Although only five minutes had passed, the match had already involved multiple layers of strategy.

As Ryker launched a new barrage, some bullets imbued with In, the results were immediate.

Warwick took his first real injury. His left upper arm was grazed, leaving a shallow but clear circular wound resembling a laser burn.

The commentator's voice rang out:

"A major development! The stalemate has been broken, and Warwick has finally taken damage under Ryker's relentless assault.

The injury doesn't seem severe enough to stop the fight, so it looks like Warwick will continue battling."

Warwick, taken aback, began piecing together what had happened.

'How did this happen? I've been dodging and defending against all of his bullets. How could one hit me?

Wait… could it be In?

But I've been using Gyo the whole time. Is his In really strong enough to bypass my vision?'

[AN: In the series, even someone as skilled as Zushi needed to channel all his energy to his eyes to barely see parts of Hisoka's In. The ability to see through In depends greatly on the difference in skill and strength between the users]

Ryker, giving no time to think, unleashed another barrage.

Warwick, realizing the danger, funneled more energy into his eyes. Finally, he could distinguish the invisible bullets hidden among the normal ones.

'So that's it… I see now.'

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