Chapter 35: Ronin vs. Uvogin
For Uvogin, the three days of waiting felt like years.
Watching Ronin step into the ring amidst the cheers, the aura Uvogin had been suppressing finally exploded uncontrollably. A wave of murderous intent crashed toward Ronin.
Ronin, however, was unmoved. He walked steadily into the center of the ring.
The two faced each other.
"Just promoted to the 200th floor, ending every match with a single punch—The Iron-Armed Gorilla has chosen his first opponent!"
"Also crushing the competition with overwhelming power, the skyrocketing Supernova of the 200th floor! The man known as the Red Meteor! His name is..."
The atmosphere in the arena reached a boiling point with the announcer's hype.
Fans in the front row waved Ronin's banners and screamed his name.
"RONIN vs. UVOGIN!"
"Finally got what I wanted!" Uvogin locked his gaze on Ronin, his aura condensing into a terrifying density. "I'm going to rip you open from your mouth, let you watch me tear off your limbs, and finally stomp your head just like I stomped your father's!"
"Honestly, being chased by a stalker like you is annoying. I don't need a perverted fan like you," Ronin replied dismissively, completely ignoring the threat.
The phrase "perverted stalker fan" was the spark that lit Uvogin's fuse.
"Let's make this a deathmatch!" Uvogin roared.
"OK!" Ronin accepted cheerfully.
The casual exchange sent shockwaves through the audience.
The announcer immediately seized the moment. "The 200th-floor rookie, Iron-Armed Gorilla Uvogin, has proposed a Deathmatch! And Supernova Ronin has accepted without hesitation!"
"From this moment on, only one fighter leaves the ring alive! The death of the opponent is now a victory condition!"
Clearly, the announcer had been paid off too.
The referee stepped forward. "All weapons are permitted. Stake your pride and honor. Fight!"
The moment the referee's hand dropped, both Uvogin and Ronin flared their auras into Ken.
Simultaneously, aura concentrated rapidly on their fists. They vanished from their starting positions.
BOOM!
Two identical Big Bang Impacts collided in the center of the ring.
The shockwave blasted across the arena, setting the rhythm for the slugfest that followed.
Uvogin unleashed pure Big Bang Impacts. Each punch was heavy and destructive. His wild aura flowed through his arms, gathering at his fists with specialized technique to multiply his destructive power far beyond a normal punch.
Opposite him, Ronin moved at high speed, leaving trails of crimson light from his eyes.
Those crimson trails marked his Intermediate State.
His eyes were suspended in the transitional phase between black and scarlet—a unique "Scarlet Eye" state.
This state allowed him to wield two powers simultaneously.
One was the copied Nen ability: Big Bang Impact.
The other was his own Chakra-based technique: Cherry Blossom Impact.
The fusion of these two forces gave him the raw power to clash head-on with Uvogin.
The sensation of fist meeting flesh, the extreme observation of the opponent's aura flow, and the precise manipulation of his own energy—Ronin was fully immersed in the confrontation.
The Intermediate State granted him the Sharingan's kinetic vision.
He could clearly see Uvogin's Ryu—the distribution of aura for offense and defense—allowing him to adjust his own aura instantly to counter.
Block. Parry. Strike.
Every collision triggered a thunderous boom.
Uvogin, high on the thrill of battle, let out a roar of delight.
Ronin, however, felt the pressure. Stacking two energy systems was the only way to match Uvogin's power, but it burned through his reserves at an alarming rate.
Since his base aura capacity was lower than Uvogin's, this high consumption meant that in a battle of attrition, Uvogin would eventually grind him to dust.
After another clash, Ronin chose to dodge. His hands blurred in front of him, forming seals.
This feint caused Uvogin to hesitate for a split second.
Seizing that moment, Ronin opened the distance. He tapped the pouch at his waist, and a flurry of shuriken shot out, enveloping Uvogin from multiple angles.
Simultaneously, Ronin's eyes flickered into the full Sharingan state for a microsecond.
But in that instant, he squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them again, they were normal black eyes, but his aura had surged.
Only he knew what he did in that blink.
He had performed a seal and opened the First Gate: The Gate of Opening.
Even though he exited the Sharingan state, he felt a switch flip inside his body. He could access 100% of his muscles' potential, and his energy flow became smoother and more potent.
Uvogin didn't even bother to dodge the shuriken.
His iron body and Ken deflected the steel projectiles effortlessly. They bounced off his skin like pebbles.
But in the next second, Uvogin's pupils contracted. The Ronin in front of him had vanished the moment the shuriken were blocked.
Uvogin's eyes darted left. He raised his left arm instinctively.
Bam!
A heavy kick slammed into his forearm.
Ronin's speed increased, but his power didn't!
The thought flashed through Uvogin's mind. He immediately grabbed at Ronin with his right hand.
But Ronin, having landed the hit, was already moving. He dropped to the ground, placing his hands on the floor, and launched a powerful upward kick straight at Uvogin's chin.
Shadow of the Dancing Leaf.
It was a setup move designed to launch the opponent into the air—the prerequisite for the Lotus.
Ronin's eyes shifted back to the Intermediate State, infusing the kick with a trace of Cherry Blossom Impact.
It wasn't a pure Eight Gates release, but it was effective.
The massive force launched the unprepared Uvogin high into the air.
Opportunity!
Ronin leaped after him. The bandages he had pre-wrapped around his arms unraveled, snake-like, binding Uvogin's body in mid-air.
Ronin grabbed the bound Uvogin from behind, and the two began to spin rapidly, plummeting toward the ground like a drill.
This was Rock Lee's signature move: The Primary Lotus!
CRASH!
Uvogin was driven head-first into the arena floor.
Dust and debris exploded outward. Ronin backflipped away, landing on the edge of the ring.
He was breathing heavily, his arms trembling slightly. The recoil of the move had left small tears in his muscles.
But his eyes were fixed intently on the center of the dust cloud.
There, a massive silhouette was slowly standing up.
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