"Focus the heart on a single point. Look inward. Set a clear goal."
"Let the tongue translate that will into words."
"Refine it—sharpen your inner resolve."
"And finally, turn thought into action."
Wing stood calmly before them. "Next, I'll guide you through these four steps, one at a time."
...
The night passed quietly.
Both Gon and Killua were deep in training, fully immersed in Wing's teachings.
The so-called preliminary techniques weren't directly tied to the major principles of Nen, but leaned more toward mental and spiritual refinement. While they wouldn't boost one's aura drastically in a short time, they weren't useless either—especially in helping beginners stabilize their mindset.
...
The next day.
Gon and Killua arrived at Heavens Arena.
"Gon, be careful," Killua said, frowning slightly. "Don't forget what Wing taught us."
"I got it," Gon replied, smiling. He waved at Killua. "I'm heading in."
With that, he disappeared down the corridor toward the fighters' tunnel.
Killua, meanwhile, went to buy a ticket and made his way to the stands.
He couldn't help feeling uneasy.
Sure, he had learned to open his aura nodes and begun practicing Nen—but Killua didn't feel significantly stronger yet. Not compared to those he'd seen in battle.
What was a real Nen user like?
He thought back to the pressure he'd felt from Hisoka… from Illumi… and from Kaizen. The difference was enormous.
And what kind of fighters were waiting on the 200th floor?
What about Gon's opponent?
More than anything, Killua knew how Gon was.
Even if he said he understood Wing's advice, once Gon stepped into the ring, he'd throw all caution aside. He never put his own safety first.
Just like during the Hunter Exam—when he faced off against Hanzo.
So reckless it hurt to watch.
Even when he knew he couldn't win, Gon would rather break than give up.
...
Wing and Zushi arrived and quietly took their seats beside Killua.
The arena wasn't packed—maybe half the seats were filled. After all, this wasn't a highly anticipated match. One side was a rookie killer. The other… a total rookie.
Nothing like when Kaizen was here.
Back then, he was a crowd magnet.
The announcer's voice echoed throughout the arena.
Two figures emerged from opposite tunnels.
On one side was Gon.
On the other—Gido.
Clad in red and dressed like a spinning top, her body was covered almost entirely, with only her eyes visible through the slits in her headgear.
Killua heard whispers nearby.
"I can't believe Gon actually made it to the 200th floor."
"Not bad. Pretty fast, honestly."
"Faster than Kaizen was."
"But Kaizen was only nine. Gon's over twelve."
"Still, let's see if he can actually win."
"Kaizen never lost a match on this floor—only skipped a few due to other stuff."
"I don't think Gon's on Kaizen's level."
"I saw Gon's fights below the 200th floor. He was already struggling. This might be the end of the line."
"In comparison, Kaizen was just… different."
...
Elsewhere, Kaizen sat on a couch, flipping through TV channels.
One screen caught his eye.
"Gon?"
He leaned forward.
"So, he made it to the 200th floor."
The broadcast showed Gon squaring off against a familiar opponent.
"If I'm remembering right, that's Gido. A rookie killer."
Which meant Killua was probably on the 200th floor by now too.
Kaizen reached for his phone and dialed.
The call connected a moment later.
"Kaizen-sama?"
"You free these days?"
"A bit, yes."
"My little cousin's made it to the 200th floor. I want to set up a match—let him see what real Nen combat looks like."
"No problem. I'll be ready."
After hanging up, Kaizen made his way toward Heavens Arena.
As a Floor Master, he could enter mid-match if he wanted.
He slipped in and quietly took a seat in the stands.
...
Back on the ring, the fight had begun.
Gon was already in a bad spot.
He'd only just learned Ten—barely wrapped his aura properly.
He wasn't even close to Gido's level.
Wing sighed.
If Gon had just followed his instructions… he would've surrendered by now.
But Gon didn't plan to quit. He stood his ground, even as his body took hit after hit.
Gido, for his part, had no intention of letting up.
Every time he stepped into the ring, Gido remembered his own first time on the 200th floor—back when he had arrived full of hope.
That day had been a nightmare.
One he couldn't forget, no matter how many years passed.
Even now, some nights, he'd wake up in a cold sweat from the memory.
And so, his way of coping… was to make others suffer the same.
Instead of going for a clean win, he chose to drag the match out—inflicting as much pain as he could.
...
"Gon!" Killua shouted from the stands, fists clenched, eyes burning with anger.
Boom!
Another strike landed hard, sending Gon sprawling.
Killua could see it clearly—Gon's ribs were broken.
The crowd murmured.
"He's done."
"No way he can beat Gido."
"He's nowhere near Kaizen's level."
"This isn't even close."
"Kaizen never lost here. Gon's about to go down hard."
"Such a shame... a fallen genius."
"He's the most promising one since Kaizen. Maybe Nina too—but even she couldn't beat a Floor Master."
"Guess we'll have to see if Killua has any potential."
...
Another brutal blow.
Gon hit the floor of the ring, bounced… and collapsed in a heap.
This time, he didn't get up.
Unconscious.
The referee stepped forward.
"Winner: Gido!"
Gido flashed a dark, mocking smile.
"Come back anytime, kid."
Medics rushed to the ring and lifted Gon onto a stretcher, hurrying him off toward the infirmary.
Killua, Wing, and Zushi followed immediately.
...
Not long after, Kaizen entered the medical ward.
Killua turned at the sound of footsteps.
"Kaizen."
Kaizen gave a slight nod.
"Killua. How's Gon doing?"
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (1047 chapters in total)