"Kaizen, come and fight me too!"
"Count me in."
"I want to give it a shot as well."
"That guy, Ted, just couldn't cut it. I can tell you've still got energy left. That fight must not have been satisfying enough for you. I'll give you a real challenge!"
"Pick me as your opponent—you won't regret it!"
Wendy glanced over.
The one who had dismissed Ted was the same young man who had previously had confidence in him.
But he wasn't entirely wrong.
This young man wasn't one of the top talents, but he was older than Ted. Naturally, that meant he was currently stronger.
However, in the future, that wouldn't necessarily hold true.
Once they both reached their full potential, Ted would likely surpass him.
The top three martial artists of the Kingdom of Fiora—known as the Son of the Dragon, the Son of the Star, and the Son of the Beast—had always been the strongest of their generation.
"Kaizen, come with me," Ted said, leading the way.
Kaizen nodded, and Wendy followed.
"You went to the Dragon Dojo first. I'm not sure what it's like over there, since I haven't been, but our Beast Dojo is solid.
"If you're hungry, the cafeteria serves food 24/7. The chefs never stop working.
"If you want to fight, just step onto the training ground and call someone out. You'll always find a match.
"I'll take you to the lounge first."
Kaizen glanced at the crystal ball in his hand. The progress indicator had shifted from 50% to 51%.
'At this rate, I should be able to fully absorb the Beast Dojo's techniques in four or five days,' he thought.
'Sixty percent completion should be enough.'
Still, Kaizen wasn't ignoring what the dojo had to offer.
As one of the three great martial institutions in Fiora, the Beast Dojo had its merits. He could definitely gain something valuable here.
Using Altan's ability, he was able to record and analyze all the training techniques.
He had done the same at the Dragon Dojo.
An idea formed in his mind: study these styles, let Altan refine them, and use them to develop a training program for Nina and the others.
"Boom!"
A figure flew backward.
Kaizen had finished his match for the day.
Ted handed him a can of energy drink, and they sat on a bench near the training grounds. Wendy took a seat beside Kaizen as well.
"You know," Ted began, "I've never really admired anyone before.
"Not Roben, not Wendy. Even if I lost to them, I believed that as long as I stuck to my path, I would eventually surpass them.
"But Kaizen, you're different.
"After losing to you that day, I thought about it for a long time.
"I realized something."
Ted clenched his fists.
"You didn't even go all out against me.
"Those two beasts of yours were powerful, but your own body is just as strong as them.
"But you didn't even use it against me. If you had fought with your full strength, I would have lost even faster.
"And then there's your ability to withstand changes in gravity.
"A person's energy is limited.
"And I thought I had pushed myself to the limit.
"I never rest. I train relentlessly to get stronger.
"So how the hell do you do it, Kaizen?"
Ted turned to face him, his expression a mix of curiosity and frustration.
"How did you develop two spirit beasts to that level while still having time to refine your own body? Your strength, speed, technique, and experience... none of that comes from talent alone. It takes time.
"And that's what I don't get.
"I have top-tier talent—there aren't many in this world who can match me.
"Your talent must be higher than mine, but how much higher can it be? Twice as much? Three times? That doesn't explain this gap!"
Wendy, intrigued, turned her gaze toward Kaizen as well.
"It's not as exaggerated as you think," Kaizen replied. "You have a lot of advantages too."
He took a sip of the drink.
"I just think a little more and analyze things better.
"As for talent, I'd say you and I are about the same."
Kaizen had a fairly accurate assessment of his own abilities.
His talent was undoubtedly good—Maha Zoldyck wouldn't have taken an interest in him otherwise.
But Wendy and Ted were considered among the most gifted warriors in the Kingdom of Fiora. Even if his talent surpassed theirs, it wouldn't be by an overwhelming margin.
The real difference came from his past life.
First, from the moment he was born, he had the mental capacity of an adult. As he grew, his mind only became stronger.
Second, his memories from his previous life contained a wealth of information.
Knowledge is power.
Most of his memories wouldn't be useful to ordinary people.
But combined with his ability as an observer, he could transform that knowledge into strength.
His beasts were strong, not just because of their abilities, but because of how he had refined them over time.
And third, his past life experience made him far more mature than his peers. He knew exactly what he wanted and how to get it.
He had patience.
He had focus.
And above all, he had knowledge.
Fourth, there was his connection to the Zoldyck family.
Maha Zoldyck had personally trained him.
Kaizen wasn't sure if there were any Nen masters of Maha's caliber in the Kingdom of Fiora.
But even if there were, they wouldn't take the time to train Wendy, Ted, or Roben personally.
Fifth, there were the treasures he had accumulated along the way.
The Rotten Knife he found in Meteor City.
Rare artifacts like the Crystal Feather Bone from a small stall.
A Nen-imbued needle given to him by Kikyo.
The techniques he gained from Raiken's calamity body.
And his discoveries in the Land of Nirvana.
...
Three days later, Kaizen completed his time at the Beast Dojo.
Ted walked him to the entrance.
A car was parked outside.
Roben was behind the wheel.
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