"What's the issue?"
"What kind of changes happened to that woman? Do you know?"
Killua couldn't stop thinking about it.
He'd been turning it over in his head the entire way, but still couldn't make sense of it.
He was sure he was missing something crucial.
And Kaizen—Kaizen would know.
Gon noticed the serious look on Killua's face and glanced over.
"That thing's called Nen," Kaizen said calmly.
"Nen?" Gon and Killua echoed together. It was the first time either of them had heard the word.
Kaizen didn't bother hiding anything.
He was well aware of the paths Gon and Killua were being set on.
Kaizen had no intention of personally training either of them.
Just as Zeno and Silva hadn't taught him directly, but only gave guidance, the actual instruction had been left to Maha Zoldyck.
Still, since Killua had taken the initiative to ask, it would've been far too narrow-minded to keep such basic knowledge from him.
Explaining the concept of Nen wouldn't do Gon any harm either.
"It's a kind of special power," Kaizen explained. "Have you ever read manga? Or played video games?"
Gon and Killua nodded.
"Well, you know how in those, some characters have powers that make them different from normal people? Nen's kind of like that."
"Having Nen and not having Nen are two completely different things. The difference is massive."
"Back during the Hunter Exam, I had Nen. So did Hisoka, Illumi, and Alita."
"The four of us were on a whole different level. The rest weren't even close."
Killua frowned. "So... are you saying that woman suddenly awakened Nen?"
"Yeah. That's one way to put it."
"Then how do I become someone who can use Nen?"
Kaizen replied, "Normally, once your Aura Nodes are opened, you can begin using Nen."
"There are two ways to open them—voluntarily or forcibly."
"Voluntarily means doing it yourself. Forcibly means having someone else do it for you."
"Is there a difference?" Killua asked.
"There is," Kaizen said. "But it's not huge."
"Then, Kaizen... could you help me open my Aura Nodes? Help me become a Nen user—and teach me?"
The idea of a whole new type of power was thrilling.
Especially after seeing how that woman had changed.
Gon looked at Kaizen too, eyes full of anticipation.
But Kaizen shook his head.
"Why not?" both Killua and Gon asked at once, clearly confused.
Even Ponzu didn't understand.
Kaizen had taught her.
He'd also taught Siper and Hanzo.
It wasn't like he didn't know how to teach.
Hanzo had passed the Hunter Exam, just like Killua and Gon, and was even stronger than either of them right now.
Kaizen gave a small smile.
"Because the Hunter Association has already arranged for a teacher to instruct you."
"Don't worry."
"Killua, I get it. This is something completely new to you, and you're eager to learn. But whether you learn Nen a few days earlier or later won't make a big difference."
"When your instructor from the Association shows up, they'll guide you through it."
Kaizen checked the time.
"Alright, it's about time. Let's head to the airship terminal."
He stood, and the group of four quickly made their way to the airship station.
...
Kaizen introducing the concept of Nen had left both Killua and Gon deeply intrigued.
They were itching to learn.
But once Kaizen refused to teach them himself, they didn't press the issue. Instead, they sat in their seats, quietly discussing it.
"I wonder when that instructor from the Hunter Association is supposed to show up."
"Hope they're strong. And that they're a good teacher," Gon said.
Killua nodded thoughtfully.
"Kaizen probably turned us down because he thinks the Association's teacher will be better for us. Otherwise, I don't see why he'd refuse."
Gon glanced toward Ponzu. "You know, she's changed a lot. I bet she's already learned Nen."
"Yeah," Killua agreed. "That's probably it."
"I hope our teacher comes soon."
...
More than a day later, the airship descended.
They had arrived at the city that housed Heavens Arena.
From the terminal, the tower could already be seen soaring into the clouds.
"Killua, is that Heavens Arena?" Gon asked, eyes wide.
"Yep."
Kaizen waved his hand, and two cars pulled up.
He got into one with Ponzu, while Killua and Gon climbed into the other.
Not long after, both cars stopped at the front gates of Heavens Arena.
The four of them stepped out.
Kaizen turned to Gon and Killua.
"So, what are your plans?"
The two exchanged a glance.
"We're thinking of heading into Heavens Arena first," Killua said. "Get to the 200th floor and check into the hotel next door."
"Kaizen, go take care of your business. We'll call you if we need anything."
Kaizen nodded. "Alright. Just be careful. It might be a big city, but it's not as safe as it looks."
"We know." Killua gave him a thumbs-up.
"Later then. Have fun."
Kaizen and Ponzu headed straight for the elevator.
Killua and Gon made their way to the registration counter on the first floor.
A long line had already formed.
But since Killua had lived here for two years, he knew the ins and outs. Navigating the process quickly, he pulled Gon into line and followed the crowd.
"You know," Killua said, "I used to know someone here. Wonder how they're doing."
"A friend of yours?" Gon asked.
Killua shook his head. "No. You're my first friend."
"Kurapika and Leorio—second and third."
Kaizen didn't count.
During the Hunter Exam, Killua had thought of him as a friend.
But once he learned Kaizen's true identity, things changed.
He realized he'd been targeting someone from his own family, without even knowing he had a cousin like that.
Still, standing here with Gon, it didn't matter anymore.
No one paid much attention to them.
Ever since Kaizen had sparked the trend of young prodigies in Heavens Arena, fighters here had been getting younger and younger. Seeing people Gon and Killua's age was no longer unusual.
...
Ding—!
The elevator doors opened.
Kaizen and Ponzu stepped out.
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (1047 chapters in total)