In one of the infirmary rooms of Heavens Arena, Ponzu and I find ourselves next to Nicholas, who is lying down and bandaged all over his body due to the fight.
"It was a tough fight. Riven could have left you looking like the rookie crusher trio several times during the fight, especially with his last move. The combat training with Ryu and Ko has really paid off." I say pointing to his shoulder in a cast.
"Yes, I know it. Are you going to stop being my master because I have been reckless again?" Nicholas asks worriedly, remembering the warning I gave him after his fight with Shinokuni.
"No. It's true that you've been in great danger in this fight, but you've fought with skill and cunning, not with carelessness and recklessness like the last time. Don't worry." I say, relieving Nicholas.
"Don't be so soft on him! He's suffered many injuries from being stubborn and not giving up the fight! And I'm sure he's learned that from you! You both should be a little more aware of your own well-being!" Ponzu yells annoyed and angry with worry.
"Y-Yes, I get it, okay. I get it." I say something nervous trying to calm her down, prompting Nicholas to laugh at the situation. 'I'm glad Ponzu is back to her usual self. The other Ponzu had her charm, yes... but this is what suits her best.'
Overcoming this moment of awkwardness, the three of us discuss for a while how we are going to proceed now, agreeing that Nicholas will rest in his room for today while Ponzu and I continue training alone together, and that we'll meet tomorrow after my fight against the Floor Master. Just when we have decided, to our surprise, Gon, Killua, and Zushi rush through the infirmary door.
"The three of us rushed to the infirmary after watching your fight on the TVs in our rooms. Are you okay? The bite Riven gave you looked pretty serious. How's your shoulder?" Gon asks looking a little worried.
"It's still quite painful, but the doctors say there won't be any after-effects. If I hadn't used Ko, it would have become serious." Nicholas states.
"Ko? What's that?" Gon asks, changing from concern to curiosity.
"I think he's referring to when his aura was completely concentrated in his right shoulder. Does that mean you increased your body's toughness with that method?" Killua asks analyzing the situation of the fight.
"Yes. It's an advanced application of Nen that allows you to increase the power and defense of a specific body part. It's more powerful than using Ren, but it leaves your body more vulnerable by having to redirect your entire aura to a single point." Nicholas explains.
"That sounds great! Show me how! I want to learn how to use it too!" Gon exclaims, smiling with stars in his eyes.
"I'm interested in learning it too. It would be more useful than what the four-eyes is teaching us." Killua adds.
"No. We won't do it." I firmly deny.
"Huh? Why not?" Gon asks with the typical absent minded personality of a shonen protagonist.
"Have you already forgotten what happened in your first fight with Gido?! You almost lost your right arm! How do you expect us to teach such a high-risk technique to someone so reckless and irresponsible?!" I scold Gon very angrily while poking his forehead with my finger.
"You're not ready to learn this technique yet, so we're not going to teach it to you, nor should you try to learn it on your own. Try to grow a little more as a Nen user and wait for a qualified teacher to offer to teach you. You shouldn't try to learn it on your own before that, much less in your fight in two days against Hisoka... Or you'll end up dead. Got it?"
"Come on, Kai, don't you think you're being a little exaggerated? I really don't intend to try to use it right away." Gon tries to argue, very nervous because of my sudden intense scolding.
"Although it pains me to admit it, I agree with Kai. With your impulsiveness, you'd surely try to use it at the first opportunity. I think we should do as he says and wait for now." Killua states at his side.
"Okay." Gon responds quite dejected by the denial and the bad image that both have of him.
"Wow. So despite your normal behavior, you can also be prudent and responsible sometimes? That's a pleasant surprise." Ponzu comments next to me with a mischievous smile.
"Don't mess with me." I reply feigning some annoyance.
"Hey, are you sure you two aren't dating?" Killua suddenly asks, getting my instant attention.
"Where do you get that from now?" I ask.
"From your interview with the tower commentator. It's been broadcast on several channels, and the three of us watched it while training." Zushi responds.
"Yeah, you were great. But why did you deny being with Ponzu so much? I thought you both liked each other, so what's the problem then?" Gon asks, adding fuel to the fire, and while I sigh in exasperation, unnoticed by me and the rest, Ponzu gives Nicholas a wink and a smile of triumph, much to his joy.
After this awkward moment, we all continue chatting a bit more after a long season with minimal social contact due to training, with the boys asking me at one point what kind of abilities they should create for their categories after seeing Nicholas's efficiency, and me insisting that they should create their own abilities since they aren't my disciples like Nicholas and Ponzu.
After about half an hour of chatting and me giving Killua his phone back, completely free of the pictures of my notebooks, we leave the infirmary so Nicholas can rest, with the three preteen boys returning to their rooms to continue training their Hatsu and me returning with Ponzu to mine.
Once there, we turn on the TV to watch my interview from yesterday while we practice our Ren.
I say in the interview recording.
"Sigh, having my first time and starting a relationship with you after saying that makes me feel like someone without integrity or conviction." I comment sighing in embarrassment.
"Wow, you're not going to tell me you're regretting it now after all? Now that you've seen this recording of you stating your desire not to have a relationship, do you not want to continue being my boyfriend?" Ponzu jokingly asks with a smile.
To her surprise, I put my left arm around her body and pull her against me in a hug. "Of course I want to continue being your boyfriend. What I said in that interview weren't lies, but things have changed now, and I don't regret that. I'm truly very happy and satisfied with how our relationship has turned out." I say, squeezing her gently but firmly against me.
"Gosh, you don't have to say such sweet things to me. You already have me." Ponzu whispers with blushed cheeks.
As I hold her close to me, I am able to sniff a particular scent. "Chemical compounds." I say.
"Oh, yeah, sorry. I've been working on several ingredients and haven't had time to shower. I guess it doesn't smell as nice as last night's perfume, right?" Ponzu asks in a sorrowful tone.
"The truth is, I don't mind this smell. It makes me more aware that it's you who I'm hugging." I say, making her feel more comfortable and relaxed.
After cuddling for a couple of minutes, the two of us continue with our Nen training, and when night finally falls, I say goodbye to Ponzu by opening the door for her.
"Aren't we going to do it tonight?" Ponzu asks tenderly with an expectant look.
"Tomorrow I have my fight for the Floor Master title, so I'd rather hold back for now. We'll see later." I state, saying goodbye to Ponzu with a ittle kiss and taking a shower before going to bed.
Date: July 9th, 2011 12:00 pm
Point of View Switch: Reader
Everyone in Heavens Arena is eager and impatient for today match. The battle for the title of Floor Master on the 230th floor has been on everyone's lips for several days, and now it's finally about to become a reality, with both the stadium itself and the recreation areas of the tower fully packed with fighters, spectators, and punctual visitors wishing to witness this legendary fight.
As Cocco broadcasts Kai's interview on all the stadium screens, the man in question is stretching and balancing the flow of his aura in his waiting room on the 230th floor, preparing himself for the fight he's worked so hard for.
'Well, it's finally here; my battle for the Heavens Arena Floor Master position. It's been a long journey to get here, and there have been times when I thought I wouldn't be able to meet the goals I'd set for myself, but now the time has finally come.' He thinks to himself while stretching.
'Thanks to my outstanding, flawless performances, all eyes within the tower are on my fight against Jin the Cyclone, so it's the perfect opportunity to showcase my skills to future business partners in the underworld.'
'From what I've heard, Jin is a Manipulator who specializes in generating and controlling wind, similar to how the Elementalist used fire. Being a Floor Master, it probably won't be as easy a fight as it was with him, but I still don't think he'll be on the same level as Wing or Hisoka.'
'Still, I'm glad I only made it my goal to not lose any points in my first 10 tower fights, as it's almost certain that in this fight against a Floor Master I would have lost at least one, which would have meant going back on my word as a proud warrior of the Ikeda Clan.'
'With that worry out of the way, all that remains is to get through this fight, overcome my future confrontation with Hisoka as Floor Master, and secure Nicholas's position as Floor Master, and after that we can leave the tower to begin fulfilling important jobs as Blacklist Hunters.' Kai thinks as he walks out the waiting room door to begin his walk to the stadium.
At the same time, the lights across the entire stadium suddenly go out, and on the far right side of the stadium a series of panels begin to project red flames before the area is illuminated by a light show and spotlights while Kai's opponent appears in a burst of smoke.
After Cocco introduces Jin, Kai appears at the opposite end of the stadium in the same extravagant manner.
As both fighters advance towards the ring, Kai can't help but hear the cheers of the audience and feel the energy they transmit.
"Come on Kai, get that king off his throne!"
"Live up to your title and don't let him land a single blow on you!"
"Kai, if you're really single, then marry me!"
"No, choose me, and I promise we'll live a happy life together!"
"You don't have to marry me, just let me touch those steely muscles and that god-chiseled profile!"
While the crowd's screams vary widely, what stands out most are the declarations of love and desire from the women (and men) of Kai's fan club, much to his chagrin.
"I've seen your fights in Heavens Arena, and I certainly recognize that you have some martial art skills and good physical abilities, but your Nen ability is quite average. In this mausoleum to Nen fighters, there's a clear difference between those who aspire to reach the highest position and those who manage to achieve it. You'll realize this once we begin." Jin says cockily to Kai as the referee takes position.
"Points system and knockouts, no time limit! Let it be an honorable title fight. Ready... BEGIN!!!" The referee shouts, raising his hand to signal the start of the fight.
At that same instant, Jin wastes no time and quickly jumps backwards to gain distance at high speed, and placing his open palms forward he generates a tornado-like blast.
"Vacuum Vortex!" Jin exclaims.
With his quick reaction speed, Kai moves out of the way of the attack, which hits a wall, shattering it in debris. With his quick reaction speed, Kai dodges the attack, which hits a wall, shattering it, and then lunges at Jin to try and land a side punch, but in mid-flight, Jin jumps high into the air to dodge it, hovering above Kai by controlling air currents around him.
"Good reflexes. But that won't be enough!"
Jin lunges at Kai and strikes with his open palm, causing another blast of air that destroys the floor in its path. Kai dodges again and tries to punch Jin from the side again, but this time Jin swings his arm to deflect the blow, and the two begin a brief exchange of blows, with Jin using his aerokinesis to deflect Kai's flurry of blows.
Kai then fakes out a punch, but stops before throwing it and switches into a leg sweep, knocking Jin off balance and giving Kai a chance to land a punch. However, as Jin is still falling, a gust of wind picks him up and he moves to the side to dodge Kai's punch, taking advantage of the moment to create a third blast of wind that connects this time, sending Kai flying, who regains his footing after rolling several meters.
"Critical hit!" The referee yells, prompting the rest of the stadium to shout as well.
"Boss..." Nicholas lets out, watching the fight closely with the rest of the group.
"He's achieved what I couldn't achieve even with my best efforts. The Floor Masters are truly on another level." Killua says.
"There is not need to worry. After all, Kai's just testing him." Gon states, getting a momentary sideways glance from Killua and Ponzu.
Meanwhile in the ring, aside from the torn clothes and some minor scratches, Kai is watching Jin closely while strategically analyzing the situation so far. 'He seems to have quite versatile and skilled control over the wind around him. Not only can he redirect the trajectory of my blows by changing the air currents, but his wind blasts are quite powerful.'
'Fortunately, my body and Ten are stronger than a normal user's, so I was able to withstand that attack practically unscathed despite not using Ren. Still, landing an open blow against me is no small feat, so I'll have to stop going slow and get a little more serious.'
Kai lunges at Jin again, but this time Jin doesn't try to attack him head-on, letting Kai close the distance. To his surprise, instead of trying to hit him again, Kai creates several afterimages through feints before leaping away, launching himself to the side again, and once again launching himself towards Jin from an unguarded side with his right hand ready to attack.
Jin again uses his wind control to try to deflect Kai's blow, but this time, after Kai passes Jin, a bleeding cut forms on his chest.
"What?!" Jin asks bewildered.
"Clean hit!" The referee yells, awarding Kai his first point of the fight.
"Hey Killua, isn't that one of your techniques?!" Gon asks quite surprised at the unexpected revelation.
"Yeah, well... Kai asked me to teach it to him a while back. I didn't really expect him to use it, though." Killua answers.
Back in the ring, Jin still hasn't regained his composure after the superficial cut he inexplicably just received while Kai continues to watch him impassively.
"As I suspected, your control over airflow allows you to deflect blunt blows, but it can't do the same with attacks that can cut through wind." Kai says with a triumphant smile.
"Wow, even I didn't know I had that weakness. I fully understand why you've achieved such a perfect winning record. Still... don't think you've seen everything my Nen ability is capable of." Jin says finally composing himself and starting to generate noticeable air currents around him.