The moon hung high in the midnight sky as Killua quietly returned to his hotel. It was the last night of his stay, courtesy of Silva's arrangement.
Over the past month, Killua had spent countless hours in Heavens Arena, honing his skills through battles. With every victory, he climbed higher, gaining not just experience but also increasingly generous rewards. Though the winnings weren't extravagant, they were more than enough to cover his living expenses.
Unbeknownst to Killua, two figures stood atop a nearby rooftop, watching him from the shadows—Silva and his cousin, Kaizen.
Kaizen briefed Silva on the events of the past month.
"Nothing too serious," Kaizen remarked. "A few run-ins with troublemakers, but none were strong enough to pose a real threat. Killua handled it all on his own, though there was one scuffle that left him with a minor injury."
Silva nodded, his piercing eyes focused on his son below. Killua, oblivious to their presence, carried on as usual.
"Your son's strong," Kaizen said. "He'll be fine."
With Silva now overseeing Killua's progress, Kaizen redirected his attention to his own training. Having already taught Nina and Sally most of what he knew about advanced Nen techniques, Kaizen now focused on helping Shizuku, who was still mastering the basics.
...
Meanwhile, in Meteor City
The Phantom Troupe had convened, their leader, Chrollo Lucilfer, seated calmly at the center.
"Head," Shalnark began, stepping forward. "I've found a promising candidate."
He held up a device, displaying Kaizen's profile.
"This is just part of the information I've managed to gather," Shalnark continued. "Kaizen—a combatant on the 200th floor of Heavens Arena, and he's still in his early teens."
Chrollo's expression remained unreadable, but he gestured for Shalnark to elaborate.
"I met him by chance on an airship," Shalnark explained. "His aura stood out, so I decided to look into him. He's incredibly talented—reminds me of you when you were his age. I think he'd make an excellent alternate member for the Troupe."
The room fell silent as Shalnark continued.
"With a system like the Shadow Beasts, the underworld gangs have a steady stream of replacements. They ensure continuity with backup candidates, and I believe we could benefit from something similar. It doesn't need to be excessive—just a small pool of potential recruits to draw from."
Chrollo considered this for a moment.
"Alright," he said finally. "Keep an eye on him. If he proves his worth, we'll discuss it further."
...
Four Days Later – Heavens Arena
The arena buzzed with energy as the crowd settled in for the next match. Despite Kaizen's withdrawal from his previous fight, there was still significant interest in his abilities. Though the seats weren't completely filled, two-thirds of the arena brimmed with eager spectators.
Among them were Nina, Sally, and Shizuku, who sat together, cheering loudly as Kaizen stepped into the ring.
The announcer's voice echoed through the arena.
"In the red corner, we have Occam, a seasoned fighter with six matches under his belt—three wins and three losses. And in the blue corner, we have Kaizen, a rising star on the 200th floor, only ten years old! A young genius, already making waves!"
Occam entered first, his expression grim. This fight was a turning point for him—his fourth loss would strip him of his status as a fighter on the 200th floor, forcing him to start over from the ground up.
He glanced at Kaizen, scoffing internally. It's just a kid. How hard can it be?
But Occam couldn't ignore the murmurs around him. The audience clearly favored Kaizen, with many openly betting on how quickly he would win.
"Ridiculous," Occam muttered under his breath. "I'll show them who the real veteran is."
Kaizen entered the ring with a calm demeanor, his piercing gaze locked on his opponent. As the two fighters took their positions, separated by the referee, the atmosphere grew electric.
"Come on, bro! You've got this!" Nina shouted, waving enthusiastically.
Occam sneered, the noise from the crowd fueling his determination.
"You think this kid can beat me?" he muttered. "Let me show you what real experience looks like!"
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