HxH: Apex Predator

The battle had reached its critical stage. Ryker successfully created the perfect opportunity for a materialized attack, following his carefully laid plan.

However, just as victory seemed within his grasp, an unexpected twist occurred. In the brief moment before Ryker's hand could touch Silva's waist, an attack struck him.

It wasn't Silva's limbs, as Ryker had calculated that Silva would have no ability to retaliate in those final split seconds.

Instead, it was Silva's long silver hair, which draped over his back like a curtain, that launched the attack.

Silva had imbued his terrifying aura into his hair beforehand, reinforcing every strand with unyielding strength. He then manipulated some of these strands from his blind spot, sending them shooting toward Ryker with alarming speed.

What was once a cascade of flowing silver locks now became an array of sharp silver needles, aiming directly at Ryker.

Caught off guard, Ryker was stunned. He hadn't anticipated such a scenario.

As a master emitter, Silva could naturally utilize about 80 percent of manipulation techniques, allowing him to control his hair effortlessly.

This was clearly a technique Silva had trained extensively, explaining why he kept his hair so long—despite the typical disadvantages of impaired vision or vulnerability in battle.

Now Ryker was forced into a dilemma, with only two options before him :-

[Option 1] Ryker could enter his phase ability, rendering himself intangible once more. This would allow him to evade Silva's attack effortlessly.

However, doing so would squander the optimal moment of attack, leaving Silva unscathed and buying him time to regroup.

This would mean Ryker's carefully devised plan would fail, requiring him to search for another opportunity to strike—a near-impossible feat against an opponent of Silva's caliber.

[Option 2] Ryker could risk everything on an all-or-nothing gamble. He would use the reinforcement technique Ko to harden the parts of his body targeted by Silva's hair and withstand the attack.

Simultaneously, he would attempt to touch Silva with another part of his body, wagering on speed and precision.

But there was a significant risk here. If Ryker failed to touch Silva in time, his body would be thrown off-course by the force of the hair attack.

Even if he managed to touch Silva, his phase absorption ability still required time to activate, giving Silva a chance to escape.

Caught between these two choices, Ryker's mind raced.

"Damn it! I never expected Silva's trump card to be this. No matter which option I choose, the limitations of my phase ability will be revealed, and I'll lose any chance to win in the future."

"The second option is too risky. Even if I use Ko to block his attack, the impact might still ruin my trajectory.

And even if I manage to touch him, my absorption ability takes time. He'll escape, just like the last two times."

"That leaves the first option. I'll use my phase ability to dodge this attack and regroup. Silva's trump card is exposed now—I'll plan my next attack to avoid his hair's range.

Then, when I materialize, I'll immediately use a sharingan genjutsu to create a small opening. Even if it's only for a fraction of a second, I'll have a chance to decide the battle."

"It's my last shot. Let's go!"

Having made his decision, Ryker activated his phase ability. The audience watched as Silva's hair passed harmlessly through Ryker's right hand.

At the same time, Ryker's attacking hand phased through Silva's body without causing any harm.

The truth was clear to everyone: Ryker's phase ability had a limitation—it could not be used for both offense and defense simultaneously.

Silva smirked inwardly. "So my guess was right. What now, Ryker? If you think this is the full extent of my trap, you're sorely mistaken. Let's see what you'll do next."

Ryker, unfazed, quickly recalibrated his strategy. He knew this was the decisive moment.

Focusing intently, Ryker analyzed their positions and potential attack routes. While his body was still partially phasing through Silva's, he activated a swirling vortex of space from his right eye.

From the spectators' perspective, Ryker's upper body—his arm and part of his head—was phasing through Silva, while the rest of his body was still passing through.

But as soon as Ryker's eyes cleared Silva's body, the vortex fully absorbed him.

In an almost seamless transition, Ryker re-emerged from the same vortex in the same position he had just left—but this time, he was facing the opposite direction.

This maneuver reduced the time needed to turn and face Silva. Instead of finishing his phase, reorienting, and launching a counterattack, Ryker bypassed all unnecessary steps.

By using his right eye's vortex ability to absorb and immediately reappear in reverse, Ryker had created a near-flawless attack.

The crowd watched in stunned silence as Ryker reappeared at the exact spot he had vanished, his motion so fluid it seemed like a single continuous sequence.

Would this unprecedented gamble pay off? Or would Silva's meticulous planning seal Ryker's fate?

The answer lay in the next split second.

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