Gon's Harem System
Chapter 116: Will Gon choose success over friendship? part 2

Chapter 116: Will Gon choose success over friendship? part 2

Then, she lunged forward and twisted, feinting left before abruptly pivoting to the right.

Gon moved to dodge...

Too late.

Her fist crashed into his jaw with brutal precision.

A sharp burst of pain shot through him as his head snapped to the side.

He staggered back, tasting the faint, metallic tang of blood where her knuckles had split his lip.

The crowd gasped, then roared even louder, their excitement palpable as the first real blow of the match landed.

For the first time in the fight, Gon stopped moving.

Dina exhaled, stepping back into position, her hands flexing at her sides as she watched him.

Her chest rose and fell with controlled breaths, but inside, her heart was pounding.

Fight me, she thought, the words a silent challenge that hung in the air between them.

And finally, finally, something in Gon’s expression shifted.

The haze in his eyes cleared, the last remnants of hesitation burning away like mist under the morning sun.

He lifted a hand to wipe the blood from his lip, glancing down at the crimson smear on his fingers.

The sight of it seemed to ground him, to pull him back into the moment. Then, slowly, he smiled.

Not his usual cocky grin.

Something sharper, Something dangerous.

He rolled his shoulders, exhaling through his nose, and when he looked up at her again, his stance had changed.

No longer loose, no longer hesitant. He stood taller, his body coiled with purpose, every muscle tensed and ready.

This was the Gon she had expected, the calculating, deadly fighter who had earned his reputation in the arena through sheer skill and unrelenting determination.

Dina barely had time to brace herself before he vanished.

Shadow Step.

She spun, just in time to see him materialize behind her, the air rippling where he’d been a moment before.

His sword was already unsheathed, the steel gleaming like liquid sunlight as it cut through the air in a precise arc aimed at her shoulder.

Dina barely managed to dodge, twisting away at the last second, but the wind from his blade whipped past her face, close enough to sting her cheek.

She reacted instantly, summoning another clone to counter, but he was already moving, already gone.

Another Shadow Step.

Another flicker of movement.

He appeared at her flank, his sword slashing downward in a blur, she raised her arm to block, but the force behind his strike sent her skidding back across the arena floor, her boots scraping against the stone.

Pain radiated up her arm from the impact, but she gritted her teeth and pushed through it, her training taking over.

He wasn’t playing anymore.

Dina clenched her jaw, summoning three more clones in rapid succession, sending them all at him in a coordinated assault.

They moved like extensions of herself, each one striking from a different angle, their fists and feet a whirlwind of motion.

Gon cut them down with ruthless efficiency.

One strike, two, three, each clone vanished into nothing before they could even land a hit, their forms dissipating into wisps of light that scattered across the arena.

He moved like a storm, his sword a blur of silver as it sliced through the air, his movements precise and deadly.

Dina rushed forward herself, aiming a punch at his ribs, but he shifted at the last second, activating Iron Veil.

Her blow connected, and did nothing. It was like hitting solid iron, the impact reverberating up her arm and jarring her to the bone.

Gon barely flinched before he retaliated, twisting sharply and slamming the hilt of his sword into her stomach.

Dina gasped, the impact knocking the wind from her lungs.

She stumbled, her knees buckling as she fought to stay upright, but Gon was already moving.

He spun, sweeping his leg low, and before she could recover, her feet were yanked out from under her.

She hit the ground hard, the breath leaving her in a sharp exhale as pain radiated through her back.

Dust billowed around her, stinging her eyes, but before she could react, before she could even blink, Gon was there, his blade pressed lightly against her throat.

Silence.

The crowd exploded into cheers, their voices a tidal wave of sound that crashed over the arena, but neither of them moved.

Dina stared up at him, her chest rising and falling rapidly, her heart pounding so hard she thought it might burst from her ribcage.

Gon loomed over her, his sword steady, his expression unreadable.

Beads of sweat glistened on his brow, catching the sunlight, and for a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of something in his eyes, regret, maybe, or guilt, but it was gone before she could be sure.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Then, without a word, Dina turned her head to the side. I yeild. She said.

The match was over.

Gon immediately pulled back, stepping away as if burned, the tip of his sword scraping against the stone as he lowered it.

But Dina didn’t wait for him to say anything.

She pushed herself to her feet in one fluid motion, ignoring the ache in her ribs and the sting of her pride.

Without a glance in his direction, she turned and stalked toward the exit, her steps quick and purposeful, her shoulders squared despite the defeat.

"Dina," gon started to say.

"Don’t," she said sharply, her tone clipped, cutting through the noise of the crowd like a blade.

She didn’t stop, didn’t look back, and within moments, she had disappeared into the shadowed tunnel leading out of the arena.

Gon remained standing in the center of the ring, the cheers of the audience feeling strangely distant, like they belonged to another world entirely.

He let out a slow breath, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword until his knuckles turned white.

The taste of blood still lingered on his tongue, a bitter reminder of the fight, but it wasn’t the pain that gnawed at him.

He had won. That was what mattered most.

Feelings didn’t matter, not his and certainly not Dina’s.

The arena wasn’t a place for hesitation or softness; it was a crucible, a proving ground where only the strongest survived.

He’d done what he had to do.