"Roben."
Ted smiled as he approached Roben.
A moment later, someone next to Roben whispered something to him.
Upon hearing it, Roben's expression turned serious.
Kaizen and Wendy got into the car. As he drove, Roben couldn't help but glance at Kaizen through the rearview mirror, Ted's words echoing in his mind:
"Roben, I almost beat Kaizen. You're the strongest among the three of us."
"You're not going to lose to him, are you? No way, right?"
These words lingered, making Roben uneasy.
Kaizen, meanwhile, glanced at the crystal ball in front of him, where the progress indicator had reached 60%.
"Kaizen, when would be a good time for a match?" Roben asked.
"I'm not in the best shape today. Let's talk about it tomorrow," Kaizen replied.
Kaizen wasn't entirely sure what the Star Dojo was like. Unlike the members of the Dojo of Beasts, who thrived on battle, the Star Dojo might not be as aggressive. If there weren't any new challengers, Kaizen would have no reason to stay. He needed to buy time.
Roben nodded, not doubting Kaizen's words. He knew well enough that the Dojo of Beasts had a completely different culture from the Star Dojo. Behind closed doors, members of the Star Dojo often referred to those in the Dojo of Beasts as mad dogs.
"I'll take you to the resting area first. There are training grounds and a dining hall as well."
Kaizen observed the progress of the crystal ball, estimating that it would take four to five more days to fully absorb the Star Dojo's traits.
'That should be enough time,' he thought.
...
Once they entered the room, Wendy looked at him with concern.
"Kaizen, are you hurt?"
"Injured? No. Why do you ask?"
"Because you said you're not in the best condition."
Kaizen shook his head. "No, I've just been in too many fights lately. I don't enjoy fighting all that much, so I'm feeling a bit mentally drained and want to take a break."
Wendy's expression softened.
"I see. Well, thanks for explaining."
"Thanks for your concern, Wendy."
"You don't need to thank me. We're friends."
...
The next day,
Kaizen observed the Star Dojo's members. Their style was indeed vastly different from the Dojo of Beasts.
When Roben came looking for him, Kaizen politely declined another sparring match. Instead, he requested to use the Star Dojo's training facilities to recover his stamina.
On the third day, he refused again.
On the fourth day, he did the same.
Roben began to sense that something was off, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. However, Kaizen hadn't done anything suspicious—just trained and rested like normal. There didn't seem to be any ulterior motive behind his delay.
By the evening of the fifth day, Kaizen glanced at the crystal ball again. The rate of absorption had slowed, but the progress had reached nearly 70%.
"Roben, are you free tomorrow?"
"Yeah, I am."
"Then let's have our match tomorrow."
Roben's eyes lit up. He nodded firmly. "Alright!"
Initially, he hadn't thought much about this match. However, after hearing Wendy's assessment of Kaizen, his interest grew. And more than that, it was Ted's words that weighed on him.
Kaizen had delayed the match several times, making Roben believe he was seriously preparing for it. If that was the case, then he couldn't afford to lose.
The two stepped into the training arena. A small crowd had gathered—far fewer spectators than at the Dojo of Beasts, but still enough to watch.
"Let's begin."
Several figures appeared around them simultaneously. Both Kaizen and Roben specialized in Nen Beast combat, making their fighting styles strikingly similar. Though their Nen Beasts had different abilities, their overall approaches mirrored each other.
The battle was intense—far more so than Kaizen's previous fights with Ted and Wendy. But the result remained unchanged.
Kaizen won.
Even with three Nen Beasts at his command, Roben still wasn't able to overpower Kaizen. He failed to counter the combined assault of Raiken and Akutagawa Ryunosuke, suffering defeat one after another.
Kaizen's strategy had been precise—he used Akutagawa to hold back two of Roben's Nen Beasts while Raiken took down the third, ultimately securing victory.
"I was so close..." Roben muttered, exhaling deeply before looking up at Kaizen.
"I lost. You're really strong."
Ted's words echoed in his mind once more. The phrase "the strongest" repeated itself, gnawing at him.
Roben clenched his fists. "If I had fought better..."
Replaying the match in his head, he felt that Kaizen wasn't overwhelmingly stronger than him. If only he had performed better. If only he had fully utilized the benefits of Nirvana. Then he could have won.
But this was an illusion.
Wendy knew the truth—Kaizen hadn't shown his full strength. The Nen Beasts were only part of his power. He had others, and his own physical abilities were formidable as well.
None of this had come into play during the fight with Roben.
...
Later, Roben walked Kaizen and Wendy to the entrance of the Star Dojo.
"Roben, thanks for hosting us."
"No problem."
A car pulled up to the curb—one that Wendy had arranged in advance.
Kaizen checked the time. He had been in the Fiora Kingdom for nearly three months now. The Nirvana Conference was just over a month away.
The conference itself wouldn't last long, but after it ended, he'd need another month before his next destination. Including travel time, he would have to return to Heavens Arena for a match soon—otherwise, he'd have to forfeit.
But Kaizen wasn't willing to use up a forfeit.
With the Star Dojo's traits now 70% absorbed, he still had to decide on his next location for further development. For now, however, he planned to return to Heavens Arena.
"Kaizen, when will you be back?" Wendy asked.
"After my match."
With a hint of regret, he added, "I wanted to visit Ralph and the others, but I've been too busy. Next time I'm back, let's go see them together?"
"Sounds good."
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