Three indented finger marks appeared on Kleiman's face, blood gushing from the wounds.
The entire sequence, from execution to completion, took only 0.01 seconds.
"Finger Seal: Triple Strike."
Kleiman's mouth gaped open, but no sound escaped.
His eyes widened, bulging from their sockets, bloodshot veins spreading across the whites.
Suddenly, his eyes rolled upward, his body went limp, and he lost consciousness.
"Time for sleep, you copycat," Illumi said, releasing Kleiman's right wrist with his left hand.
Kleiman's body collapsed to the ground, motionless.
The entire battle had lasted a mere two minutes and thirty-six seconds.
"The... the match is decided!"
The referee rushed over, staring at Kleiman's limp body on the ground, blood pooling around him.
Without hesitation, he declared Illumi the victor.
As in his previous matches, Illumi silently turned and walked off the stage.
"It's... it's over!!!"
The commentator's impassioned voice boomed through the arena, reigniting the crowd's fervor.
"The winner of the 90th-floor match is..."
"Illumi Zoldyck!!!"
"In just two minutes and thirty-six seconds, after a series of intense clashes..."
"He ended the battle with a dramatic one-hit kill!"
"Illumi Zoldyck... the victor!!!"
The spotlight shone on Illumi as he slowly made his way toward the contestants' exit.
The audience in the 90th-floor Arena A erupted in wild cheers, the battle having left them exhilarated.
Even those who had lost their bets couldn't help but rise to their feet and cheer.
Losing money on such a spectacular fight was worth it.
"Ho ho ho..." Zebro and Gotoh sat in the stands.
Zebro, watching Illumi effortlessly secure victory, couldn't help but tear up.
"Young Master Illumi is still such a prodigy."
"Ugh, why can't my tear ducts stop?"
Zebro wiped the corner of his eye with his left hand, his face beaming with emotion.
"That Kleiman fellow sure had terrible luck."
Gotoh maintained his usual icy expression, showing no surprise at Illumi's victory.
"If he hadn't encountered Young Master Illumi..."
"With his skill, he could easily have reached the 150th floor."
"His adaptable fighting style, combined with his hand-to-hand combat prowess rooted in the Way of the Hand..."
"Even those guys on the 200th floor might not be able to instantly defeat him without using Nen."
"Meeting Young Master Illumi on the 90th floor was truly unfortunate."
A white glint flashed across Gotoh's glasses as he analyzed Illumi's opponent, Kleiman.
Heaven's Arena, 150th Floor
The massive city, illuminated by neon lights, was operating at full speed to keep pace with its ever-changing society.
"Good evening, everyone!" The commentator's passionate voice echoed throughout the floor, even causing passersby in the corridors to pause in their tracks.
"Welcome to the D Arena on the 150th floor of Heaven's Arena!"
"Tonight's match features Illumi Zoldyck versus Jin'ō!"
"A fierce battle is about to begin!"
"Get ready to place your bets, everyone!"
The audience members picked up their betting devices and pressed the red and green buttons representing the two fighters.
The betting odds on the giant screen rapidly shifted.
On the arena floor, Illumi stood motionless with his hands in his pockets, staring expressionlessly at the towering figure across from him.
His opponent, Jin'ō, was a massive man, easily over two meters tall, who glared down at Illumi with equal indifference.
The outline of his rock-hard muscles was unmistakable: a massive chest, thick arms, and fists
Illumi's canvas shoes scraped against the rough arena floor as he shifted his weight to the left.
Whoosh!
Jin'ō twisted his torso, throwing another punch that missed by a hair's breadth.
Undeterred, he continued to use his superior reach, unleashing a relentless barrage of punches at Illumi.
"Too slow, too slow."
Illumi kept a leisurely demeanor, his feet moving constantly.
Each punch Jin'ō threw missed by a hair's breadth.
"Too fast! Too fast!"
"Despite his massive size, his speed is incredible. Jin'ō is no longer human!" The commentator in the booth stood up excitedly, her voice rising as she addressed the audience.
Bang!
Suddenly, Jin'ō halted his assault on Illumi.
With a resounding bang, he shattered a massive floor tile beneath his right foot, kicking the fragments forward.
Swish, swish, swish...
A barrage of shards hurtled toward Illumi.
Raising his right hand, Illumi's movements blurred into afterimages.
With a series of sharp cracks, he pulverized each incoming fragment into even finer pieces, letting them harmlessly streak past him.
"Ugh... Aah~!!"
Seizing the opportunity, Jin'ō charged forward.
His towering two-meter frame loomed over the five-year-old Illumi, creating a stark contrast, a giant versus a dwarf.
"Ha!"
Jin'ō roared, lifting his right leg and stomping down on Illumi.
Boom!
A thunderous crash echoed across the arena, shaking the entire structure.
The impact kicked up a massive cloud of dust, obscuring the scene.
Moments later, the dust settled, revealing a cratered arena floor crisscrossed with hairline cracks radiating outward.
"Wow! He actually shattered the arena floor!"
The announcer's voice boomed through the arena, sending the crowd into a frenzy of cheers.
"Hey, what's embedded in your shoe?"
Illumi materialized silently behind Jin'ō, his gaze fixed on the right foot that had shattered the arena floor.
Even though he wore a suit, he had thick-soled sneakers.
Jin'ō's eyes narrowed.
Indeed, there was an iron plate embedded in his shoe.
"Hey, kid," Jin'ō growled, slowly rising from his crouch and turning to face Illumi. "How long are you going to keep dodging? You started this, didn't you?"
"It's about time to stop playing around."
Before the words had even left his mouth, Illumi ducked low, darted beneath Jin'ō, and leaped upward.
Boom!
With a sickening thud as flesh collided, a perfectly executed uppercut struck Jin'ō's jaw, forcing his body to arch backward.
"Ugh...!"
Jin'ō groaned in pain, blood gushing from his mouth as he staggered back seven steps before finally stopping.
"You bastard!!!"
Jin'ō roared, his body hunched in fury.
He clenched his fists at his waist and charged at Illumi like a blur.
Boom!
A deafening crash echoed as Jin'ō, mid-charge, suddenly jerked violently.