Kaizen thought about it but still felt a sense of hopelessness.
Even if Silva's strength had been cut in half, he was still an A-rank Nen user. And among A-rank users, he wasn't weak by any stretch of the imagination.
Greedy.
Uncle Silva's talent is top-tier.
How could I possibly hope to catch up to his decades of experience with only two years of effort?
Back at Heavens Arena, Kaizen took two days to rest.
On the third day, his next match was set to begin.
Before stepping into the ring, Kaizen gathered some information on his opponent.
"Orleans."
Kaizen blinked at the name, recalling a particular way chicken wings were prepared in his past life.
His opponent was a tall, muscular man in his early thirties, with dark skin, a crew cut, and a mustache. His body, built like a professional bodybuilder, exuded raw power just from appearance alone.
And in battle, Orleans' fighting style reflected exactly that—pure, overwhelming strength.
Kaizen had watched recordings of Orleans' previous matches.
No technique.
Just brute force, crushing his opponents head-on.
When the difference in raw power is massive, skills don't matter.
"He looks like an Enhancer, similar to Uvogin, someone who relies entirely on raw physicality."
"But there's no way he's on Uvogin's level from the Yorknew arc."
"Plus, this guy is a member of CCD."
The CCD was similar to the TST group Kaizen had joined—small factions within Heavens Arena made up of a few Floor Masters and their affiliated fighters.
"So, this guy was sent by those Floor Masters to test me?"
"They want to gauge my real strength?"
"So when I eventually challenge them, they'll be prepared?"
Kaizen smirked. He could already see through their little schemes.
If he were just another Heavens Arena fighter, he might have cared.
But he wasn't.
Kaizen was on a different level.
What's this situation comparable to?
In martial arts terms, I'm already a first-rate master, but a bunch of third-rate fighters think I'm here to steal their reputation.
"A Level D Nen user, huh?"
"Fighting him with Raiken should be enough."
As match time approached, the arena was already packed with spectators.
The announcer hyped up the fight with dramatic enthusiasm.
"Introducing first, the Human Black Essence—Orleans!"
"A master of pure strength!"
"An impenetrable defense!"
Cheers erupted from the crowd as Orleans strode in from the tunnel, waving confidently.
The atmosphere ignited with excitement.
"And now, let's welcome Kaizen! The rising prodigy of Heavens Arena!"
"A young warrior who has steamrolled through his competition!"
"A fighter who effortlessly crushed Juliana, a former contender for the Floor Master position!"
The moment Juliana's name was mentioned, a figure in the audience clenched their fists.
Serena's expression darkened as she glared at the announcer.
"My sister is dead, and they're still using her name for hype?"
Kaizen entered the ring to louder applause than Orleans.
Unlike Orleans, he didn't acknowledge the crowd's cheers, merely glancing around with a composed expression.
Orleans studied him, his demeanor turning serious.
He understood his role in this fight.
A tool.
A tool meant to test Kaizen's strength.
But Orleans wasn't content with just being a tool.
I'm Orleans. I'm strong.
The CCD veterans fear this kid. They're terrified of him. But I'm not.
In the end, he's just a kid.
The strongest opponent he's beaten so far was Juliana. And she wasn't even that strong.
I don't get it. Why are they so scared?
How strong can a Specialist who uses beast-type abilities really be?
In terms of raw attack and defense, Enhancers are superior to Specialists.
Kaizen's eyes scanned the crowd and paused.
He spotted two familiar faces in the audience.
One was Wing, the Nen instructor.
The other was Killua.
They were sitting together.
Sadaso, another fighter from the lower floors, sat nearby, watching Kaizen with mixed emotions.
Two years ago, they had arrived at Heavens Arena around the same time.
Now, their paths couldn't be more different.
Kaizen was a rising terror among the Floor Masters.
Sadaso was still struggling on the lower floors, nowhere near qualifying for the 200th floor.
At first, Sadaso had been jealous.
But that feeling had long faded, replaced by admiration and a relentless drive to improve.
"I have no talent like his, so all I can do is train."
"Progress might be slow."
"But one day, I'll reach the 200th floor and become a Floor Master."
His fists clenched with determination.
Meanwhile, Killua observed Kaizen thoughtfully, recalling the information Sadaso had gathered about him.
"Eleven years old."
"Four years older than me."
"Arrived at Heavens Arena at nine years old."
"A flawless winning streak."
"Currently on the 200th floor with eight matches: six wins, two forfeits."
"Now facing his ninth opponent, with high odds of winning."
Killua pondered.
Would I be able to reach that level when I'm eleven?
He remembered what Silva had instructed him.
His goal at Heavens Arena had been to qualify for the 200th floor.
And he had achieved that.
That had been enough—until now.
Watching Kaizen fight, Killua suddenly wanted more.
He wanted to compete above the 200th floor.
Kaizen smirked to himself as he noticed Killua in the audience.
Originally, he had planned to use Raiken to fight Orleans.
But now, after seeing Killua, he changed his mind.
I'll fight this one with my bare hands.
Consider it my first lesson to my young cousin.
Kaizen turned his gaze back to Orleans.
The referee stepped forward.
"Are both fighters ready?"
They responded in unison.
"Ready."
"Ready."
The referee's arm dropped.
"Begin!"
------------
+285 chapters on patreon.com/FanficsHub