Recalling that moment, Kaizen couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic.
Back then, he had stood before the Kute Gang.
None of them had even spared him a second glance.
To them, Kaizen had been nothing more than a weakling.
But now, years later, he stood as their equal.
When Kaizen had fought Hisoka before, he hadn't felt this same weight of change.
That was different—he hadn't encountered Hisoka before the Hunter Exam. His knowledge of him had come from rumors and stories, not personal experience.
But the Kute Gang? He had seen their strength firsthand.
He had watched as Raiken had been utterly helpless against them.
Any one of their members had been able to cut down Raiken with ease.
But now...
Things were different.
...
Old T's gaze fell on the sword at Kaizen's waist.
"This is…?"
"No wonder."
His eyes narrowed, locked onto the weapon.
"Isn't this made from the remains of a Disaster creature?"
"A familiar presence…"
"This was forged by our Kute Gang group."
"I never thought it would end up in the hands of some brat like you."
His face darkened.
The memory of that incident was a wound that had never fully healed.
Before that disaster, the Kute Gang had been one of the most infamous thief groups across the human world.
Just like the Phantom Troupe now.
They had run wild, revered in the underworld, admired by countless others who sought to follow in their footsteps.
But that incident...
Two of their members had died.
Two others had been captured.
Their Nen artifacts had been stolen.
And Old T himself had been taken prisoner.
From the heights of power, they had been cast into the abyss.
Years had passed, but the bitterness remained.
"Meteor City, the Hunter Association, the Zoldycks… if I get the chance, I'll make you all pay."
"You're all going to die."
Old T took a step forward, his aura surging as it bore down on Kaizen, the sheer force pressing against him like an invisible weight meant to crush him.
"Answer me, brat!"
But in the next moment, Kaizen's own aura flared to meet it.
The collision of their energy was intense—Kaizen wasn't at a disadvantage.
And when a figure appeared beside him, the oppressive force of Old T's aura ceased to affect him altogether.
"Natsu?"
No... the new Natsu.
After fusing with Raiken, his synchronization rate had reached over 90%, forming an entirely new entity.
Natsu was still the dominant force, but the power of Raiken had perfectly merged into his being.
Compared to before, Natsu was now taller, bulkier—his presence alone carried more weight.
If he had once been a teenager, now he stood as a warrior.
His physical strength had surged.
His combat skills had advanced.
His capacity had grown.
"And now, a new ability—Flame of the Fire Dragon."
"By merging the flames of both hands, it undergoes a qualitative change."
"It's far more destructive than the Natsu of before."
Kaizen studied Natsu, nodding in approval.
His power had risen significantly.
The fusion of Natsu and Raiken was far more successful than his previous fusion with Akutagawa Ryunosuke.
More than that, Kaizen could use the digital world to spread stories of Raiken online, increasing Natsu's recognition and, in turn, boosting his strength further.
Before, he had doubts about this strategy.
But after seeing Natsu's current form, those doubts had vanished.
That said, only Natsu benefited from this.
Natsu possessed Raiken's abilities, but only a few were truly useful to him.
Perhaps just the Ghost State.
Techniques like the Exchange of Positions and Gravity Scales weren't Raiken's own powers to begin with.
As for Ghost State, Natsu's situation differed from Raiken's.
Natsu always fought in clothing.
That was something Kaizen could control.
Even if Natsu activated Ghost State, no one would see it.
Therefore, revealing Raiken's abilities wouldn't expose anything about Natsu or Kaizen himself.
It was all benefit, no risk.
...
Old T's gaze flicked between Natsu and Kaizen, a frown forming on his face.
"What was revealed was Raiken's information, so why did this thing show up instead?"
He squinted at the beast-like form before him.
"A Nen beast?"
The sight brought back memories of an old companion—Old K.
Old K had been a master of Nen beast techniques.
And among Nen beast users, there were few who could compare.
"This aura…"
"To have a Nen beast like this at such a young age…"
"This kid isn't ordinary."
"A genius from the Hunter Association?"
He thought back to the stolen Nen artifacts.
Four had been taken—two by the Zoldycks, one by the Hunter Association, and the rest by Meteor City.
"The one in this kid's hands… must be the Hunter Association's."
"Could he be connected to Ging Freecss?"
At the thought of Ging, Old T felt a chill run down his spine.
The difference in power was just too vast.
So vast that it was enough to make him feel hopeless.
"Who are you to Ging Freecss?"
Kaizen didn't bother answering.
"Che."
Old T clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Suddenly—
"Shff!"
From the ground, a sapling sprouted at an unnatural speed, its branches extending rapidly toward Kaizen—sharp, fast, deadly.
Natsu reacted instantly.
"The Iron Fist of the Fire Dragon!"
A powerful punch collided with the growing tree.
"Boom!"
Flames erupted upon impact.
Old T's expression flickered.
"Fire abilities?"
It reminded him of another old ally—Old O, whose Nen had controlled magma, a force eerily similar to flames.
Back then, Old T had been restrained by Old K's abilities.
With his Nen based on trees, he excelled in durability and entrapment.
But fire was his natural weakness.
"Even so… strength determines everything."
"A brat like you won't change that."
Old T crouched, slamming both hands onto the ground.
"Shff! Shff! Shff!"
Multiple saplings erupted from the earth in rapid succession, their numbers growing by the second.
"Let's see how you handle this!"
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