After Killua submitted his application, he returned to the hospital room.
"Killua, what were you doing just now?" Gon asked.
"I signed up for a match."
"Has the matchup come out yet?" Gon's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"Not yet," Killua shook his head. "But we should know soon."
The time was getting close.
Killua had registered for a match scheduled for tomorrow, but whether it would happen depended on someone else signing up too. If no one applied to fight him, the match would be postponed until an opponent showed up.
"Ding dong!"
A message notification chimed.
Killua took out his phone.
"What is it?" Gon asked.
"The match was confirmed," Killua said. "It's scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. My opponent's name is Kastro."
The name didn't ring a bell.
Killua instinctively wanted to ask Kaizen. Coming from the Zoldyck family, gathering intel before a fight was second nature.
But he paused.
Kaizen, as a Floor Master of Heavens Arena, likely wouldn't have paid attention to a player like Kastro. Compared to Kaizen, someone like Sadaso might actually know more.
...
After a moment's thought, Killua gave Sadaso a call.
"Sadaso?"
At that moment, Sadaso was training in the TST dojo. Ever since joining TST, he'd thrown himself into the grind—high-end training facilities, skilled sparring partners... one day of training here felt more rewarding than a week on his own.
Sadaso was hooked. He hadn't kept up with much else outside the dojo.
"Do you know someone named Kastro?" Killua asked.
"Kastro?" Sadaso paused. "Yeah, I know the name. Why?"
"I just got matched up against him for tomorrow."
Sadaso's face went still, his expression tightening.
"Killua, where are you right now?"
Killua shared his location.
A short while later, the door opened.
"Killua. Gon." Sadaso stepped in and greeted them with a nod.
"Gon, how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine," Gon grinned. "The doctor said I need more time, but honestly, I think I'll be walking around again in a few days."
"You're recovering fast," Sadaso nodded, then turned to Killua. "You're really matched with Kastro?"
"Yeah. Never heard of him before today," Killua shrugged.
Sadaso paused, then began seriously:
"Kastro isn't some rookie killer."
"There are three kinds of fighters in Heavens Arena. First, the rookie killers. They go off the rails after doing the initiation matches and start preying on newbies. They hit a ceiling and never improve. No future."
"The second type... is people like me. Average talent, average strength. But we've got our own goals. We move forward, step by step, grounded and steady. Maybe we won't stand out, but we won't fall into despair either."
"And then there's the third type—fighters with real potential. The ones who might get close to becoming Floor Masters one day."
"Kastro is that kind."
"He entered Heavens Arena later than I did, but he's grown fast. Really fast. After he made it to the 200th floor, he went through the initiation too. Luckily, his opponent wasn't a rookie killer, so he came through without injury or trauma."
"After that, his progress skyrocketed. He's got serious talent when it comes to aura."
"He's won nine matches so far. Aside from his very first fight, he hasn't lost."
"If he wins tomorrow, he'll qualify to challenge a Floor Master."
"So you can bet he's going to take this match seriously."
"In terms of raw strength, speed, and overall combat skill, he's miles ahead. I wouldn't stand a chance against him."
"And compared to him, those rookie killers don't even come close."
Sadaso turned to Gon.
"Gon, the guy who injured you before... that was Gido, right?"
"Yeah," Gon nodded.
"I knew him back in the day. Before the initiation, he wasn't like that. But after... something changed. It was like he became a different person."
"Kastro is way stronger than Gido."
"So Killua, if he really is your opponent, don't rush in recklessly."
"He's not like the rookie killers. He won't try to hurt you on purpose—but make no mistake, his strength is on a completely different level."
Sadaso's voice was full of genuine concern.
He'd helped Killua before, partly out of familiarity—but also because he saw potential in him. Sadaso truly considered Killua a friend. He'd even confronted Yungu on Killua's behalf without knowing his connection to Kaizen or the Zoldyck name.
And later, Sadaso had earned a spot in TST thanks to Kaizen, which only deepened his gratitude.
...
Killua listened to everything with a serious expression.
"Got it," he nodded. "Thanks for the heads-up, Sadaso."
At that moment, Kaizen received a text message from Kastro.
"Kaizen-sama, our match has been confirmed."
Kaizen replied:
"Good. I'll come watch tomorrow."
...
In the original story, Killua hadn't gained much from Heavens Arena—aside from learning Nen and one match with a rookie killer.
But this time...
Things were different.
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (1047 chapters in total)