Inside the arena.
As the hulking man lay in the rubble, letting out loud groans of pain, the audience finally realized the match was over. A roar of excitement erupted from the crowd!
"Whoa————!"
In a money-driven spectacle like this, every win for someone was a loss for someone else, both in the ring and in the stands.
As the victor, Yuu didn't care much about beating up weaklings, so he left the arena early.
He headed straight for the reception desk to collect his prize money.
...
Meanwhile, in the first-floor lobby.
The monitors hanging everywhere were replaying Yuu's fight. Because of the massive size difference between the two fighters, the match had become a hot topic throughout the arena, causing crowds to stop and watch wherever it was shown.
"That guy is definitely hiding his true strength."
Killua muttered to himself, frowning deeply.
Even with the specialized training he'd received from his father and brother since childhood, and despite being fully prepared and focused...
He still couldn't see Yuu's movements when he attacked.
"There were plenty of wasted movements before and after the strike, but during the actual movement in between... there wasn't a trace."
"It's even harder to track than Illumi's movements..."
For a split second, Killua wondered—
Did he not move at all? Did he just warp through space to attack like some video game character?
After a moment, Killua laughed at himself.
"No way..."
"This is the real world. That stuff only happens in games to trick kids."
He shoved his hands in his pockets and started walking out of the tower.
Before leaving, Killua made a point to memorize the number of the guy who called himself 'Yuu.' He planned to come watch in person if Yuu had any more matches.
Although he hated to admit it, this guy might be the biggest enigma he had ever encountered.
As the saying goes, "There is always someone better."
The phrasing might change from place to place, but the truth was universal.
Thinking back on Yuu's seemingly mocking words, Killua started to understand the deeper meaning behind them.
"That guy is strong, but his danger level is nowhere near Dad or Illumi."
"More than his strength... I'm curious about who he really is."
Killua hadn't forgotten the bizarre trick Yuu had used, and it had piqued his interest.
After some thought, Killua found a payphone by the road and dialed home.
After a long wait, the call connected.
Killua spoke immediately: "Hey, Milluki."
"I ran into a weird guy here. Look up his info for me. Preferably within five minutes."
On the other end, Milluki was munching on snacks, cradling the phone between his head and shoulder. He replied casually:
"I'm busy trying to beat the final boss of this game. I don't have time to find people for you."
Hearing the furious clicking of a keyboard, Killua's expression darkened. He issued a vicious threat:
"Just so you know, I've already made it to the 180th floor. Completing Dad's mission is only a matter of time now."
"If you don't want to come back to your room one day and find your precious figurines destroyed, you better check that guy's info right now! Immediately! Instantly!"
Hearing this, Milluki gritted his teeth. In his rage, he slipped up in his game and failed the level. He cursed at the flashing red "GAME OVER" screen.
"Damn it!"
Milluki shouted into the phone, "Next time I'm at a critical moment, I am not picking up your call!"
"Tell me the name and whatever info you have on this guy. I'll message you later."
"He calls himself Yuu Gojo, but it could be a fake name," Killua mused.
"Appearance-wise, he has long black hair and wears sunglasses. I couldn't see clearly, but his skin is pretty pale. Also..."
Before Killua could finish, Milluki hung up.
Both brothers were fuming.
"That fat pig... when I get home, he's going to pay!" Killua swore to himself.
...
At that moment, having easily won his second match, Yuu was collecting his prize money at the reception window.
He opened the envelope and did a quick count. It was about 50,000 Jenny.
Yuu nodded in satisfaction.
"Compared to the measly 100 Jenny from this morning, this is much more sincere. Though this amount... it probably won't even cover a month of food."
A few hours later.
Since Yuu had taken zero damage in his previous two fights, he was quickly scheduled for a third match.
And once again, it was a simple teleport followed by a heavy punch while using "Ten."
No matter how well-trained or muscular the martial artist, they were as fragile as paper against a fist wrapped in "Nen."
One punch, two punches... With consecutive easy wins and no injuries, Yuu was scheduled for six matches in just three days.
In the blink of an eye, he reached the critical match for promotion to the 100th floor.
On this day, the audience was double the size of previous matches. Even Killua was among them.
Yuu smiled and nodded briefly in Killua's direction, then leaped onto the ring to face this round's formidable opponent.
A masked wrestler with explosive muscles.
Because replays of Yuu's fights had been shown repeatedly on the TVs inside the tower, far fewer people—including the wrestler and the audience—were underestimating him now.
The match began immediately.
Anticipating Yuu's teleport-like footwork and subsequent heavy punch, the wrestler instantly raised both arms like a shield in front of his chest.
He thought this would at least cushion the impact.
But the moment the fist connected, a terrifying, monstrous force surged through his entire body. The wrestler lost consciousness in mid-air.
BOOM—!!
Just as simple and unflashy as before.
And completely impossible to read.
Yuu looked at his fist. Thanks to his improved physical fitness over the last six months, combined with the simultaneous use of Cursed Energy and "Ten," his power had increased significantly.
For an ordinary person to tank that punch without instantly losing... they'd need to be strong enough to push open the Zoldyck family gates.
...
After the match.
Killua followed Yuu to the reception desk to collect his winnings. He stood silently to the side, waiting until Yuu had his money and room key before finally speaking.
"Hey, what was that move just now? Why couldn't I see your movements at all?" Killua asked.
"You mean...?" Yuu stood in front of the vending machine, feigning confusion.
"That footwork that looked like a blink! It had no movement trajectory at all. It defies logic no matter how you look at it!"
"Oh, that..."
Yuu looked like he just realized what Killua meant.
"If you want me to teach you that footwork, I have bad news... you can't learn it."
"Or rather, it's impossible for you to learn."
"Why?" Killua demanded, agitated.
He didn't think his potential was any worse than Yuu's. After all, his father, grandfather, and mother had all praised his talent as an assassin, calling him the most gifted Zoldyck of his generation.
Growing up, Killua had always seen himself as a "genius," and his pride was incredibly strong.
In Killua's eyes, the only reason Yuu was stronger was his age. Just like how he firmly believed that once he reached Illumi's age, he would be just as strong as his brother.
Yuu could see Killua's defiance but could only shrug helplessly.
"I can't teach you anything, but if you just want a sparring partner... I can play with you anytime."
"But if you want to practice with me, you'd better do it in the next few days. I won't be staying here long. I'll probably leave very soon."
Yuu started walking toward the elevator, but Killua called out from behind him.
"Then fight me tonight."
Yuu stopped and turned around.
He was silent for a moment.
Then, smiling, he extended an invitation to Killua.
"Then come with me."
"If you can make me move a single foot before sunrise, I'll tell you the secret of my strength."
With that, Yuu walked forward.
Watching his back, Killua spat on the ground.
"Tch. Don't look down on me."
...
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