Heaven's Arena, huh… One of the brightest landmarks in the Hunter World. The prize money for floor masters above the 200th floor is ridiculously generous—a good place to make some cash.
Aoyama tilted his head back to take in the colossal building before him. The Heaven's Arena towered 251 floors high, known as the fourth-tallest building in the world. Even if he summoned his largest Titan so far—the massive Behemoth—it would still pale in comparison to this thousand-meter-tall skyscraper.
Walking into the first floor, where new contestants registered, Aoyama was immediately taken aback. The lobby was crammed full of people lining up to register for battles.
"Damn… there's easily over two thousand people here. If I wait my turn like this, I'll be stuck for ages."
Decision made.
Only an idiot would patiently line up.
And Aoyama had no intention of being an idiot.
He brazenly cut his way forward, forcing his way past line after line. In just ten minutes, he'd shoved himself to the very front and started filling out the registration form.
"Name: Aoyama."
"Alright, nothing else really needs filling in. As long as I keep winning, Heaven's Arena will assign me a room anyway, right?"
"That's true," the clerk admitted, "but to climb past the 100th floor in one go requires considerable strength. If you lose, you'll be knocked back down and forced to start over."
Aoyama grinned confidently. "Not a problem. Just give me a match."
With his registration complete, there was no reason to waste time waiting. A few quick fights would earn him money for food and a free private rest suite.
Soon, his name appeared on the match board. Aoyama cracked his knuckles with a predatory smile. "Let's see how Hunters compare to Shinobi. Which is stronger—ninja taijutsu or Hunter martial arts?"
Of course, he knew the early matches wouldn't pit him against anyone who could use Nen. Still, it would be a good warm-up.
He stepped onto the ring. The referee signaled, and his opponent immediately charged at him, movements resembling military close-quarters combat.
"Die!"
"The one dying will be you. Don't swing so wide—it leaves you wide open!"
"What?! I… I got hit?!"
Aoyama redirected the punch with a tap, then drove his knee mercilessly into the man's groin. His pitying look only enraged the opponent further, but the gap in their strength was too vast. Aoyama wasn't in the mood to toy around; he just wanted to end the fight quickly and collect his prize money.
Seeing the fury in his opponent's eyes, Aoyama smirked. "Goodbye."
Two moves were all it took. Though not an instant KO, the referee was sharp enough to see that the man could no longer continue.
"Winner: Aoyama!"
Cheers and jeers alike erupted from the stands. Aoyama soaked in the electric atmosphere of the modern arena, scanning the crowd until his eyes landed on a familiar figure.
That silhouette… he'd seen it before.
After collecting his winnings and fighting two more matches, the arena finally closed for the night. Aoyama left the building, disappointed he hadn't managed to blaze his way to the 100th floor in a single rush.
"Should've gone for instant KOs from the start. Then I'd probably be past a hundred already…"
As he stepped outside, his vision flickered. A playing card spun toward him through the air. With barely any effort, he plucked it from the air.
From the shadows, Hisoka emerged—seductive and languid, with a card held between his lips. Like some perverse beauty, he smiled wickedly.
"Mmm… A sweet, ripening fruit appears before me. The fresh, tender apple I seek has yet to show itself, but this nearly-ripe fruit… Tell me, should I pluck it now?"
Anyone who'd seen Hunter x Hunter knew just how twisted Hisoka was. His depravity didn't lie in voyeurism or chasing women—it was his obsessive lust for battling the strong, even grooming potential fighters until they reached his standards.
Being confronted by Hisoka was unexpected. Remembering the shadowy figure he'd spotted in the stands earlier, Aoyama's brow furrowed.
"I don't recall showing off anything unusual. How did I end up catching the eye of someone like you?"
"Ahahaha!"
Hisoka's deranged laughter rang out. "So you admit it. Wonderful! Such a delightful, succulent fruit… I can hardly wait to taste it. But… not yet. You're not quite ready. I'll have to restrain myself."
The Nen system far outstripped ninjutsu in versatility. A master of Nen could craft countless abilities; one who fully grasped its principles could achieve near-omnipotence.
Even Isaac Netero, the Hunter Chairman himself, never claimed to be truly invincible—only that in terms of raw power, he was unrivaled.
Aoyama realized what had happened. One of the basic Nen techniques, Gyo, allowed users to concentrate aura into their eyes, seeing truths normally invisible—similar to ninja dōjutsu like the Sharingan or Byakugan.
Muttering softly, he frowned. "Gyo, huh…"
Hisoka's eyes gleamed. "That's right. Quite the unexpected find. Who would've thought such a casual experiment would reveal such an intriguing prey?"
By using Gyo, Hisoka had glimpsed the immense energy within Aoyama's body. It bore striking similarities to aura. To Hisoka, it was only natural to assume it was Nen.
And with such vast energy packed into such dense, powerful flesh—it was enough to make Hisoka's predatory instincts go wild.
Aoyama shrugged helplessly. "Figures. Of all people, I had to get noticed by one of the Arena's floor masters. Just my luck. Should we take this elsewhere and settle it?"
Hisoka narrowed his eyes. "No need. I'm merely… intrigued. I won't gorge myself recklessly. But from your words earlier, it seems you already knew of me? May I ask… what's your name?"
Aoyama blinked in surprise. "I thought you'd demand to know how I recognized you. Didn't expect you to care about my name."
"I'm quite fond of the prey I admire. Some things don't matter much, but knowing your name helps me… appreciate you better."
Aoyama. Just Aoyama.
Not a bad name… I can't wait to fight you. Be sure to reach the 200th floor quickly.
With that, Hisoka turned and sauntered away. Watching his back, Aoyama muttered, If Orochimaru-sensei were here, he'd probably be fascinated by this guy. Hisoka may not be into research, but… they're both twisted in their ways. They'd get along.