The car entered the city.
It was already nighttime, but the streets were still brightly lit. Shops lining both sides of the road remained open, and the place was buzzing with activity.
Kaizen had no intention of lingering. He motioned for Siper to drive straight into the massive underground parking lot of Heavens Arena.
They parked the car and everyone stepped out.
All of them had changed into fresh clothes—everything they wore into the desert had been destroyed.
Because of what happened with Rosgel, Kaizen didn't want to leave behind any trace. No evidence, no clues. He didn't want anyone to know they had ventured into the depths of the desert or that they'd come into contact with Kroll's team.
As far as the outside world was concerned, this had just been a casual trip.
...
Back at Heavens Arena, Kaizen continued uploadin Bungo Stray Dogs to the comic platform.
The platform was growing steadily, and both series had achieved the success Kaizen had hoped for.
Manga that had proven themselves in another world still held their own here.
Currently, Blade Teeth and Bungo Stray Dogs were topping the rankings of the newest releases. First and second place.
Readers, collectors, and voters poured in.
"Just need to upload a few more chapters... "
That project would be difficult for a single company to handle, but licensing it out could make things easier.
...
During the downtime, Kaizen focused on using aura to control Rosgel.
It wasn't something that could be mastered overnight.
Especially not with a dead blade.
But Kaizen was far stronger than he had been before.
So while it would still be difficult, it might not take as long as last time.
Tessia and Siper had thrown themselves into training the moment they returned.
Siper had realized the gap between her strength and that of the others on the team.
As for Tessia—she had been deeply affected by their defeat at the hands of Kroll's group.
Shizuku and Nina returned to their routines.
Ponzu was also pushing herself to grow stronger.
The loss of Rosgel had shaken things up in Mimbo. It wasn't just about Kroll's failure.
Rosgel had been a hero to them. And now his body was missing.
Several people ventured into the depths of the desert to find clues. To recover the remains. But they found nothing.
Deep underground, the black liquid entity had hidden itself.
It seemed to possess intelligence—able to sense danger and make judgments.
When it sensed something was off, it retreated, resisting even the strong urge to devour the aura users walking the desert.
It held back.
And so, gradually, fewer and fewer people ventured into the desert.
The border began to stabilize. Eventually, it returned to how things had been before. Where there's profit, there will always be people. No matter how dangerous the place may be.
People gamble on luck.
Once it's been quiet for a while, and nothing new happens, they'll return in droves.
...
Back at the arena, a match had just ended.
A few years ago, Killua had already qualified for the 200th floor. Now, years later, he was even stronger.
No one stood a chance against him.
With an overwhelming victory, Killua reclaimed his right to ascend to the 200th floor.
But because he had forfeited once in the past, this time came with a condition—
If he withdrew again, he'd permanently lose access to the 200th floor.
"You have to register before the end of today," the staff reminded him.
Killua looked to the stands.
Gon stood up, waving and cheering him on.
Killua smiled.
After exiting the arena, the two met up.
Killua's match had been in the morning; Gon's was scheduled for the afternoon.
With little time between them, they decided not to return to Wing's place for lunch. Instead, they stayed in Heavens Arena to eat and rest before Gon's match.
"Congrats, Killua."
Killua grinned. "You ready for your match this afternoon?"
Unlike Killua, who had cruised through his opponents, Gon had run into some actual challenges.
There were still plenty of capable fighters in Heavens Arena. He could no longer win with a single blow like he had early on.
Some fights dragged on for dozens of exchanges.
"No problem," Gon said with confidence. "I'm going to the 200th floor with you, Killua. I'm definitely winning this one."
Killua nodded.
"But, Wing still hasn't taught us Nen. If you win and qualify, Gon, when are you going to apply?"
"As soon as I can," Gon said, eyes gleaming. "I can't wait to see this world of 'Nen' everyone talks about."
"But we haven't even opened our aura nodes yet."
"I know," Gon admitted, "but I'm too excited."
Killua's smile faded a little.
"Gon, why do you think Wing-san hasn't taught us Nen yet?"
He hadn't wanted to bring it up. But now they were at a crossroads.
Was he just supposed to stand by and let Gon go through Initiation the wrong way?
Let him become a freak?
Gon went quiet for a moment, then shook his head.
"I don't know. But I believe in Wing-san. I can feel it—he doesn't mean us any harm."
...
Afternoon arrived.
Gon stepped into the ring.
His opponent was a powerful middle-aged fighter.
After over a dozen exchanges, Gon emerged victorious.
"Winner—Gon!"
With that, Gon also qualified for the 200th floor.
"Killua! I made it too!"
"Yeah!"
"Let's go sign up right now. To the 200th floor!"
"Alright!"
The two got in the elevator and rode it up.
...
Elsewhere—
"Wing-sensei! It's bad! Gon and Killua are heading to the 200th floor!"
Wing opened his eyes. Zushi had burst in, breathless.
"They're already going up?"
"Yes! And I heard from Gon—he's planning to register for matches right away!"
Wing's expression darkened.
"So soon…"
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (1047 chapters in total)