"The Hunter Exam?"
Sally froze for a moment before nodding.
"Good."
The last time Kaizen gave Juliana advice, he mentioned the Hunter Exam.
At that time, Sally had asked him about it.
The Hunter Association was a vast organization spanning the entire human world, with relatively loose management. Its members, known as Hunters, took on various requests submitted to the association. While the organization worked in cooperation with national governments, there was no obligation to accept assignments. Hunters had full autonomy in how they operated, and their membership status wasn't heavily scrutinized.
This was evident in the fact that even Hisoka, Chrollo, and Shalnark had managed to become Hunters.
Not long after, Shizuku returned.
When she saw Kaizen, her eyes lit up in surprise.
"Captain!"
Kaizen grinned. "It's been a while."
The four of them sat on the sofa and began chatting. Kaizen briefly recounted his recent experiences before turning to Nina.
"Nina, do you have Selena's contact information?"
"Yes, I do."
Nina sent Selena's number to Kaizen via text. He nodded before dialing the number.
After a few rings, the call connected.
"Hello?"
"It's Kaizen."
"Kaizen?"
"It's about your sister, Juliana. There's something I need to tell you. Do you have time now?"
There was a brief silence.
"Yes."
"Meet me at the café on the 200th floor, shop number three."
"Alright. I'll be there soon."
Kaizen arrived at the café first. As he passed the front desk, he submitted a contest application. This was his primary reason for coming to Heavens Arena.
With this match, Kaizen had fought nine times—two forfeits, seven victories. He was only three wins away from challenging a Floor Master.
Many current Floor Masters were already paying attention to him.
Unlike Juliana, who had only managed to qualify for a Floor Master challenge, Kaizen had the skill to actually win. Those who knew anything about his abilities understood that he could defeat certain Floor Masters.
Moreover, Kaizen was a member of TST, which made the lower-ranked competitors even more wary of him.
Before long, a girl entered the café. Kaizen gestured to her.
"Over here."
Upon seeing him, Selena's pupils contracted slightly, but she quickly stepped forward.
"Kaizen."
Selena didn't underestimate Kaizen just because he was younger. In Heavens Arena, strength was the only thing that mattered. And Kaizen's strength far exceeded that of Juliana. Even Juliana, Selena's older sister, had been no match for him.
"You said it was about my sister?"
Kaizen nodded. "I met Juliana in the Taris Kingdom."
Selena's expression sharpened.
"Before she died, she asked me to pass on a message."
Selena's eyes widened in shock, and she instinctively stood up.
"My sister is dead?!"
"Who did it?! Who's the murderer?!"
Her voice trembled with emotion, and her gaze turned intense.
Kaizen remained calm. "Sit down. I know you're angry, but don't let your emotions take over."
Selena clenched her fists but forced herself to sit.
"The one who killed your sister was a Nen user from the Taris Kingdom," Kaizen said. "But let's set that aside for now. These are Juliana's final words to you."
Selena swallowed hard, her hands tightening on the table.
"First, don't trust what others say too easily."
"Second, don't seek revenge for her."
"Third, don't leave Heavens Arena."
Kaizen leaned back. "That's all."
Selena's breathing grew unsteady. "Kaizen, can you tell me the details?"
"No," he said simply. "I had a certain level of friendship with Juliana, so I helped her. But I don't know you well."
Selena's fingers dug into the table.
"Besides," Kaizen continued, "one of her last requests was that you shouldn't trust what others say. So, are you so sure that what I just told you is even true?"
Selena froze.
By the time she processed his words, Kaizen had already left the café. When she looked around, there was no trace of him.
Though she and Juliana were sisters by blood, their relationship had never been particularly close. Their paths had diverged long ago, and it had been a long time since they'd had a real conversation. In some ways, Selena had interacted with strangers more than with her own sister.
But despite their distance, they were still bound by blood. Otherwise, Juliana wouldn't have asked Kaizen to deliver her final words.
Selena clenched her fists. "Taris Kingdom… where even is that? Why did my sister die there?"
She wanted to chase after Kaizen and demand more answers. But just as he had said, he had no obligation to provide them.
Back in her room, Selena shut the door and buried her face in her knees, lost in thought.
"Whoever killed my sister must be strong…"
She exhaled sharply.
"But Kaizen survived. Which means that person wasn't strong enough to kill him."
A steely determination settled in her eyes.
"If I want to avenge Juliana, I need to be at least as strong as Kaizen."
She clenched her fists even tighter.
"Strength… Strength is everything. Without it, I have nothing."
Her jaw tightened. "I need to get stronger. Fast."
A goal solidified in her mind.
"I have to defeat Kaizen in the ring."
She thought back to his words. "He said he has no obligation to tell me anything… But that also means information can be traded, right?"
Selena's lips pressed into a thin line. "Right now, I have nothing of value to offer. But if I surpass Kaizen… everything changes."
Without wasting another second, she stepped into the training grounds and threw herself into rigorous practice.
Meanwhile, Kaizen sat in the living room, watching a televised match on a pay-per-view channel.
On the screen, two fighters stood in the ring—one was a burly, overweight middle-aged man, while the other was a young boy with spiky white hair.
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