HxH: Apex Predator

As Ryker waited in his room for the butler to arrange his meal, Kikyo arrived ahead of schedule.

"Ah, my dear Ryker, it's so wonderful to see you again! Come here and let your mother give you a hug!" Kikyo exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him with unrestrained affection.

"You've truly grown into a fine assassin—my pride and joy. And Ryker, in just a few months, you'll have a new little brother! Isn't that exciting?

I'm sure Illumi will be thrilled too—he's going to be an older brother again!"

Ryker glanced at his mother's visibly swollen belly, suddenly remembering the original timeline. Of course—Illumi and his younger brother were seven years apart.

Just then, the butler entered with Ryker's meal and began setting the table. Using eating as an excuse, Ryker carefully slipped from Kikyo's embrace.

The rest of the evening passed with Kikyo watching him eat while enthusiastically asking about his time at Heaven's Arena.

.........

The next morning, Silva summoned Ryker.

"Now that you've completed the task I set for you," Silva began, "as promised, you're free to leave the estate, take on missions independently, and develop your own clientele.

However, before that, I want to assess your abilities myself. This duel will help me determine the level of missions suitable for you."

Ryker had anticipated this. He knew Silva wouldn't allow him to leave without testing his strength and confirming his capabilities.

Ryker also saw this as an opportunity to gauge the power of top-tier fighters in this world. Though Silva wouldn't be using his full strength, it would still provide invaluable insight.

Additionally, Ryker wanted to measure his own endurance. How long could he hold his own against someone like Silva using his full arsenal, Kamui included?

Could he turn the tide of the battle, perhaps even pose a deadly threat? The thought of possibly defeating Silva, however unlikely, stirred a bold sense of confidence in him.

With these considerations, Ryker readily agreed to the duel and followed Silva to the family's private training grounds.

As they took their positions, Kikyo and Zeno arrived to watch. Kikyo cheered enthusiastically for Ryker, while Zeno observed in his usual reserved manner.

Silva addressed his son with a calm but firm tone.

"I expect you to give this your all. This evaluation will determine the difficulty of the missions you'll receive moving forward."

"I know you're eager to face stronger opponents, but let me remind you—those eight assassins you dealt with before? They're nothing but fodder compared to what lies ahead."

Ryker felt the weight of Silva's words. It was a clear reminder that his every move had been under surveillance.

Silva had been present at the battlefield after all. Any element of surprise Ryker hoped to exploit was likely gone.

With no other choice, Ryker formulated a new plan. His best chance was to exploit a momentary opening when Silva attacked, using Kamui's intangibility to create an opportunity to trap him in the dimensional space.

"Begin!" Zeno's voice cut through the air. The moment the word left his lips, both Ryker and Silva vanished from their original positions.

.........

Silva intentionally suppressed his abilities to match Ryker's level as closely as possible.

While he maintained his superior aura strength, he significantly reduced his speed and the amount of nen he channeled.

His goal was to push Ryker just enough to inspire growth—to make him feel as though victory was just within reach if he pushed harder.

This calculated approach was designed to see if Ryker could break past his current limits. True progress came from overcoming these barriers, and Silva wanted to see how far Ryker could go under pressure.

Back in the training ground, Ryker quickly realized that Silva wasn't exerting the full brunt of his power.

The suffocating sense of oppression he had anticipated was noticeably absent. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, Ryker found himself contemplating an offensive strategy.

Understanding Silva's intent, Ryker decided to start with his strongest long-range attack—a barrage of nen bullets.

In response, Silva countered with his own nen bullets. Unlike Ryker's, Silva's were simple and direct, merely condensed nen fired in rapid succession.

Yet, their speed and precision completely outmatched Ryker's. Even though Silva reduced the amount of nen in his attacks to match Ryker's output, his accuracy and efficiency overwhelmed Ryker's projectiles.

"You should know," Silva began as he deflected another wave of nen bullets, "a nen-user is at their strongest when using techniques aligned with their natural affinity.

"As an Enhancement-type, you can only use 80% of your potential when employing Emission techniques, even with the added strength of your Reinforcement properties.

Yet you've chosen to focus on long-range attacks—a poor match for your abilities."

"Your Enhancement and Specialist affinities are your greatest strengths, yet you're prioritizing Emission. Worse, you're using it against me—an Emission-type expert.

Do you really think the added Enhancement properties can make up for that missing 20%?"

"Even your clever use of Transformation to maintain the nen bullets power over long distances comes at a cost. Your nen consumption is significantly higher than mine.

In a real fight, nen management is crucial. You can't afford such inefficiencies. Every ounce of your energy should serve a purpose."

Silva's words struck a nerve. Despite his innate talents and strategic innovations, Ryker realized he had made a critical misstep in underestimating the fundamental rules of nen combat.

The fight was only beginning, but he would need to adapt quickly if he hoped to leave a lasting impression.

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