I have a high opinion of myself.
But my talent isn’t all that extraordinary.
Kaizen looked at Lacus.
"It’s about ti to wrap this up."
The next mont, Kaizen raised his hand, and a powerful wave of aura surged toward Lacus.
Before Lacus could even close the distance, his body was sent flying backward.
Boom!
He crashed heavily onto the floor.
"Winner... Kaizen."
The referee announced the result.
Kaizen hadn’t gone all out. Lacus was still conscious and able to stand, but given Kaizen’s accumulated points, Lacus had already t the conditions for defeat.
Heavens Arena was built around ring battles. In so cases, the true victor was decided by a head-to-head clash. Other tis, competitors played by the rules to secure their wins.
Kaizen turned and left without sparing Lacus another glance.
He understood Doppo’s intentions well enough.
By unlocking Lacus’s Aura Nodes, he had done him a favor—perhaps even laid the groundwork for a future connection. If their paths crossed again, that bond could deepen.
Not that Kaizen particularly cared. He was frequently away from Heavens Arena, but Nina and the others were still here. He wasn’t worried about his influence fading.
Power naturally attracts people. That’s just how the world works.
Kaizen’s Circles
At present, Kaizen had several circles of influence.
The first and most important was himself—his core. That included his own body and his beast.
The second was the Zoldyck family. They were powerful, reliable, and capable of helping one another. Over ti, Kaizen had built relationships with Zeno, Silva, Maha, and others in the family.
The third circle was his personal team, led by Nina. Right now, it had three mbers: Nina, Shizuku, and Sally. Soon, Tessia would join, bringing the count to four.
The fourth circle consisted of Kaizen’s friends—Morena, Wendy, and Doppo. But relationships weren’t static. If Kaizen and Wendy beca sothing more, she would move from the friends’ circle to family, just as Kikyo was to Silva.
Though Kaizen had joined TST, his true bond was with Doppo.
As for Lacus...
Kaizen could see right through him.
Compared to him, Lacus was far too inexperienced.
This match was nothing more than fulfilling a request from Doppo. Kaizen had no interest in doing anything extra, nor did he intend to build a relationship with Lacus. After this match, they were nothing more than strangers.
...
A Chance Encounter
"Nina, Shizuku, I’ve got so business in the Kingdom of Fiora. I’ll head out first."
"Alright. Stay safe."
"Take care, Captain."
Kaizen slung his backpack over his shoulder and made his way downstairs.
As he stepped out of the elevator, another figure stepped in.
White, spiky hair.
Hands in his pockets. A lollipop in his mouth.
Kaizen’s eyes flickered as he gave Killua a slight nod.
Killua froze for a brief mont but didn’t respond. By the ti he registered what had happened, Kaizen was already walking away.
"Kaizen?"
He pulled out his phone and opened a video ssage from Sadaso. It was a short clip—just a dozen or so seconds—of Kaizen’s match with Lacus.
Sadaso had imdiately bought a ticket upon hearing about the fight, but Killua hadn’t bothered.
He had already watched Kaizen fight once. That was enough. Right now, he had his own goals, his own training regin to focus on.
In a way, he was more disciplined than Sadaso.
"Does he know ?"
"No... that’s impossible."
"Probably just a casual greeting between strangers."
Killua shook his head as the elevator doors slid shut.
...
A Lesson in Reality
anwhile, Kaizen took a taxi to the airship station.
Back in Heavens Arena, Lacus returned to Doppo’s floor.
"Teacher!"
Lacus was visibly excited. "I did it! My Aura Nodes are open! I can use aura now! I’m officially a Nen user!"
There were two ways for beginners to awaken their aura.
One thod was brute force—deliberately overloading the body’s aura channels. It was risky and could leave the recipient crippled.
The other was a more controlled thod—like how Hisoka had helped Gon unlock his aura. Kaizen had chosen this approach for Lacus.
Doppo nodded. "I saw."
"Now, I’ll teach you the basics of Nen. Listen carefully."
Lacus forced himself to calm down and listened intently as Doppo explained the technique.
"Alright, that’s enough for now. Take your ti mastering it. I need to make a call."
Doppo stepped outside, pulling out his phone.
He dialed Kaizen’s number.
"Doppo-san."
"Kaizen, I appreciate—"
Before he could finish, Kaizen cut him off.
"No need for thanks. It was just a small favor. If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up—I’m already on the airship."
"Understood."
Doppo ended the call and sighed, looking back toward Lacus’s room.
He understood what Kaizen ant.
Kaizen had done him a favor. That’s all.
There was no connection between Kaizen and Lacus. No friendship. No lingering bond.
Lighting a cigarette, Doppo took a deep drag and exhaled slowly before heading back inside.
Lacus was still brimming with excitent.
"Teacher, I’ve got it down! I’m a full-fledged Nen user now! Aura is incredible!"
His eyes glead with determination.
"How long do you think it’ll take before I reach Kaizen’s level?"
Doppo frowned.
"Kaizen’s level?"
He let out a slow breath of smoke.
"I’m afraid that’s impossible."
Lacus’s excitent faltered. "W-what?"
"You don’t understand just how much stronger Kaizen really is. Even if I were to fight him now, I might not be able to win."
He paused, then added, "Co back when you can beat first."
Lacus’s expression stiffened.
"Have confidence in yourself, but blind arrogance will only hold you back."
Doppo’s words were like a hamr striking Lacus’s ego.
Lacus clenched his fists.
For the first ti, he truly realized...
He had no idea what he was up against.
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