"Kaizen was already a Floor Master years ago."
"The gap between people… that's just how it is."
"I don't have to envy anyone."
"I'm doing fine."
"I climbed up from the lower floors of Heavens Arena, step by step, with nothing but my own effort."
"Now I've won my first match on the 200th floor."
"Just seven more wins, and I'll qualify to challenge a Floor Master."
"Pick the weakest one, and maybe… just maybe, I can replace them."
"If I can become a Floor Master, I'll have no regrets."
"Let's go!"
Sadaso pulled his gaze away and turned to the arena. He was more interested in Nina's match than in Kaizen's.
He wanted to learn something from her fight.
Nina's match began.
Her opponent — a stocky woman — charged forward like a bull, fists clenched, eyes blazing.
But Nina's style was pure fluidity. She slipped past the charge, nimble and calculated.
She didn't rush. She dodged, observed, waited for an opening.
In Heavens Arena, there are three ways to win: knock the opponent out, force them to surrender, or win on points. Land ten effective hits, and the match is yours.
Nina was going for points.
Before long, she'd already scored two.
Her opponent hadn't landed a single touch.
"There's a clear gap in ability here," Sadaso thought. "Nina may not be a combat specialist, but her aura control and overall level are far beyond her opponent's. Not to mention, she's trained in real combat."
Kaizen trained his team for full-spectrum growth. Strength tailored to each person's own abilities.
That's where the real value of aura lies. You can't afford to leave anything undeveloped.
Nina's strongest suit was her Nen ability.
Shizuku's was her vacuum beast.
But Kaizen didn't let them lean on just their specialties.
He made them train hard—physical conditioning, combat techniques, the whole package.
Not quite as intense as Bisky, but close.
Compared to her original version, Shizuku was significantly stronger now.
The Phantom Troupe might be an elite criminal group with raw talent, but in terms of structured training? Their route was half-baked at best.
Even with a Nen instructor, they barely scratched the surface.
That guy's understanding of aura couldn't hold a candle to Maha Zoldyck's.
Kaizen put Nina and the others on a real path.
...
Elsewhere, on the first floor of Heavens Arena—
Gon's match was starting.
His opponent: a hulking mountain of a man, who looked like he might break the ring just by walking on it.
He clearly didn't take Gon seriously.
"Tch… this place is going downhill," the fat man muttered. "More and more brats showing up."
"You think you're some kind of teen prodigy like Kaizen?"
And then—
The fat man lunged.
Gon didn't move.
He just raised a hand and shoved.
Boom!
The man flew backward, sliding all the way out of the ring before crashing to the ground with a thud.
He lay there, stunned, eyes wide with disbelief.
"What… just happened?"
He didn't even process it before the result was called.
"Winner: Gon!"
Killua pumped a fist. "Nice one, Gon!"
All that training at the Zoldyck estate was paying off.
Compared to lifting a two-ton door, this guy was light as air.
"Killua, it's your turn!"
"Relax," Killua said, hands in his pockets as he walked toward the ring.
His opponent was a cocky, muscular young fighter.
"I don't buy that two brats could win back-to-back," he sneered. "Come on, kid."
...
Killua vanished.
A split-second later, he was behind the guy.
One strike—just a palm to the neck.
Thud!
The young fighter crumpled unconscious.
Clean. Effortless.
Killua's win made Gon's look like hard work.
At this point, Killua's strength already surpassed Gon's.
"Winner: Killua!"
Killua jogged off the ring and joined Gon. Together, they headed to the prize area.
Below the 200th floor, you got bonuses for winning—but not much.
The reward for a first-floor win barely covered a can of soda.
Killua led Gon to a vending machine, bought a Coke, and took a swig as they walked toward the elevator.
They headed up—straight to the 50th floor.
The referee, after watching their matches, handed them floor passes on the spot.
Not because that's where they should be—but because it was the highest jump he was allowed to authorize.
To fighters like Gon and Killua, the early floors of Heavens Arena were child's play. Dimensionality reduction in action.
Ding.
The elevator doors opened.
They stepped out—and something on the lobby screen caught Killua's eye.
It was a live match broadcast.
Nina's match.
For matches on the 200th floor and above, you could buy tickets to watch in the arena, or pay for a livestream in your room.
There were also public screens scattered around for free viewing, though those had limited angles.
It was all part of the Arena's strategy to attract attention and money.
"Killua? What's up?"
"I've seen her before..." Killua said, eyes narrowing.
He pointed at the screen.
"That's one of Kaizen's teammates."
Suddenly, the realization hit him.
Just like Silva had said—
The gap between the 200th floor and everything below wasn't just about numbers.
It was an entirely different world.
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (1047 chapters in total)