"Mr. Kaizen, could you tell me more about the situation you encountered at that time?"
"Of course."
Kaizen nodded and began, "I was passing through a small town, purely by chance, when I came across a photograph. In it, there was a young man surrounded by an intense aura of death."
"When I visited this young man's home, the sense of death was even more overwhelming."
"The house itself was cloaked in a foreboding and ominous atmosphere."
"And inside, I found a monster."
"A middle-aged man."
"On top of his head, there was a grotesque skull. It wasn't just one skull, though—they were all connected, forming a chain of hundreds. These skulls seemed alive, exuding a palpable hostility toward me."
Dominica was silent for a moment.
"And where is this monster now?"
"I killed it."
"And the town—do you remember its location?"
"Yes, I do."
"I'll pay 1 billion Jenny for the location of that town."
A billion Jenny for just the location. It was an astronomical sum, but for Dominica, money was no issue. More importantly, this was about maintaining the Zoldyck family's reputation.
"I'm not interested in money."
"No? Then what do you want?"
"I want information about the Kingdom of Taris," Kaizen replied. "After hearing Zeno's stories, I've become quite interested in the Nen users from that region. I want to know more about their abilities."
"Furthermore, I heard that the Nen users of the Taris Kingdom faced a significant blow in the past. By all accounts, they shouldn't exist anymore, but now they've reappeared. The royal family of Fiora must have sent someone to investigate, right? I want to be part of that investigation."
Dominica considered this. If it were anyone else, she'd simply coerce the information out of them. For the Fiora royal family, one phone call would suffice.
But Kaizen was different.
The Zoldyck family commanded a unique kind of respect. Even rulers under the V5 couldn't afford to underestimate them. It wasn't outright fear—they were a nation's strength incarnate—but dealing with the Zoldycks required extreme caution.
One of the greatest threats was their ability to strike from the shadows. Once a Zoldyck decided on vengeance, they wouldn't stop. The sheer persistence of their assassins made them nearly impossible to deal with directly.
Among the Zoldycks, Maha Zoldyck stood out the most. While no single person could take on an entire kingdom, Maha's reputation alone was enough to make even the royal family hesitate.
But Dominica also recognized an opportunity here.
The Nen users of the Taris Kingdom were strange and dangerous. Having a member of the Zoldyck family involved could shift the odds in their favor.
"Very well," Dominica said. "But we can't guarantee your safety. You'll need to fend for yourself, and we won't take responsibility if you die at the hands of Taris."
"Understood. No problem," Kaizen replied. "Where should I go?"
"Heavens Arena."
"I'll head there right away and contact you once I've arrived."
"Good."
Dominica hung up, and Kaizen thought to himself, Investigating the Nen users in Taris won't be a simple task. It'll likely take a lot of time. It's not worth coming back midway, so before I leave, I'll sign up for another match.
Kaizen walked to the front desk and submitted his application.
The receptionist, a young man, turned pale as he recognized Kaizen. He quickly stepped aside, trembling as he handed over a completed application form.
"That was close," the young man muttered, watching Kaizen leave. Relief washed over him as he realized he had narrowly avoided being matched with the formidable fighter. "Someone else can deal with him!"
Shortly after, a middle-aged man arrived at the front desk. He noticed the young man's smug expression but thought little of it—until he received his match notification later that evening.
When he saw Kaizen's name as his opponent, the man nearly spat out his drink in shock. His face turned ghostly pale.
On the 200th floor of Heavens Arena, one rule had become universally understood: Do not, under any circumstances, get matched with Kaizen.
Kaizen's reputation had grown after he defeated Juliana, a seasoned high-ranking fighter. Among the players, he was seen as someone capable of challenging the Floor Masters themselves.
The middle-aged man stepped into the ring, his expression grim. Across from him, Kaizen stood calm and composed.
"Kaizen, I know I'm not your equal," the man said, his voice steady despite the tension in the air. "But I want to give it my all. Will you allow me to fight with everything I've got?"
Kaizen's gaze softened slightly. "You have one minute."
"One minute?"
"I'll give you one minute to show me everything you've got. After that, I'll make my move."
The man's resolve hardened. "Understood. Please, let's begin!"
Exactly one minute later, the middle-aged man lay sprawled on the ground, his eyes filled with despair. The gap between their strength was so vast, it left him utterly demoralized.
"Kaizen," the man asked weakly, "how strong is a Floor Master?"
"I'm not sure," Kaizen admitted.
His understanding of a Floor Master's strength came only from the matches he'd observed and Zeno's stories. He had yet to face one directly.
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