Gon and the others exchanged glances.
"Who goes first?"
"I'll do it."
Killua raised his hand and stepped into the ring.
Boom!
In an instant, Killua vanished and reappeared behind the bald opponent. With a swift strike to the neck, the man collapsed, unconscious.
Killua shook his head, stuffed his hands into his pockets, and walked out of the ring.
Gon's eyes sparkled. "Killua, that was amazing!"
"So fast!" Leorio exclaimed.
"Killua, how does this guy compare to the opponents you faced in Heavens Arena?" Gon asked curiously.
Killua thought for a moment. "When I first went to Heavens Arena, the fighters I met weren't as strong as him. But after a year, the ones I fought were generally stronger."
Leorio turned to look at Kaizen. "What about him?"
Killua smirked. "Not even close."
He continued, "Heavens Arena has two hundred floors. The higher the floor, the stronger the fighters. Strength is usually measured by the floor number. Someone on the hundredth floor is obviously stronger than someone on, say, the fortieth. Of course, there are exceptions, but this guy is about 120-floor level at best."
"And Kaizen?" Gon asked.
"He's beyond the two-hundredth floor." Killua's tone was casual but confident. "He's a Floor Master. There are only a handful of them in Heavens Arena."
Kurapika analyzed the situation. "Killua has secured one win. Judging by how you describe Kaizen, he should have no problem getting another. That means we only need one more victory."
Leorio grinned. "Then we've basically got this in the bag."
The mood among the examinees was optimistic. On the other hand, the criminals facing them were far from pleased.
Failure meant an extension of their prison sentences. But winning could significantly shorten their time. Many of them had sentences far beyond an average human lifespan, so this was their only shot at eventual freedom. For them, leaving prison—even for a day—was a dream worth fighting for.
"Who's up next?"
A figure sitting in the shadows stood up. The other criminals quickly backed away.
The man extended his hand and pressed it against the stone wall. As he walked forward, a deep indentation formed where his fingers had been, and chunks of brick crumbled to the ground.
Leorio and Kurapika immediately tensed. Killua's gaze sharpened.
The man threw off his cloak, revealing a middle-aged figure with short blond hair and a melancholic expression.
Leorio's face darkened. "I never thought I'd see him here."
"Leorio, you know him?" Gon asked.
Leorio nodded grimly. "Johness The Dissector. Countless people have died by his hands—men, women, children, the elderly. He doesn't discriminate. He kills at random, dismembers the bodies, and enjoys every moment of it."
He clenched his fists. "None of us can beat him. And if you face him, you're as good as dead."
Killua eyed Gon, who looked eager to fight.
Killua was confident in his own abilities. Against Johness, he had no doubts.
But Gon? That was another story.
Leorio sighed. "I'll go."
He stepped forward and entered the ring. Johness's cold, unblinking stare sent a chill down his spine.
"Begin."
Leorio took a step back. "I surrender."
Johness froze for a moment before lunging forward, intent on killing him anyway.
Whoosh!
A blur of movement.
Shlick!
A red line appeared across Johness's chest. He looked down, eyes widening.
Boom!
His body collapsed onto the ground.
Killua flicked the blood off his hand and stepped out of the ring. He didn't even spare Johness a glance.
Leorio stood frozen. He turned to the fallen corpse, then to the remaining criminals, then back to his friends.
"What… just happened?"
Killua leaned against the wall. "Leorio, get back here."
Kurapika called out as well. "Come on, Leorio."
Snapping out of his daze, Leorio left the ring and rejoined them. His mind replayed the events over and over.
He had volunteered because he knew he was the weakest among them. If he surrendered, it would count as a loss, but at least no one else would have to fight.
But Johness didn't follow the rules.
And Killua killed him in an instant.
"Killua is that strong?" Leorio muttered. "Even Johness couldn't handle him?"
He looked at Kaizen. "Then what about Kaizen's strength…?"
Leorio shook his head and exhaled. "Killua… thanks."
Killua waved him off. "Whatever."
A bald criminal stepped forward and sneered. "We won that match. He admitted defeat before attacking, and someone interfered."
The examiner monitoring the fight nodded. "The score is now one to one."
"Leorio, don't worry." Gon patted his shoulder. "We'll win the next two."
Kurapika added, "Gon and I will take care of the rest. You did what you could."
Leorio smiled. "I'm counting on you guys."
For the third round, a criminal named Leroute stepped forward.
From the examinees' side, Gon stepped into the ring.
...
Meanwhile, Kaizen finally opened his eyes.
"The Second Shadow."
"My third ability."
His fingers curled slightly as he muttered, "It's not just about fusion—it enhances fusion itself. But the price is transmission."
He smirked to himself. "A vanished aura beast can only gain this boost after a certain degree of spread…"
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