Hearing Old T's voice, Kaizen didn't panic.
He had seen Old T's abilities before. Back when he was up against Ging Freecss, Old T struggled with all his might but still couldn't do a thing against him.
And now? Kaizen could clearly sense Old T's aura. Compared to back then, it had weakened considerably.
At his peak, Old T had only been marginally stronger than a Wild Beast's A-rank Nen. Against Silva and Zeno, he was no match at all. One-on-one, he wouldn't stand a chance. The only reason Zeno and Silva fought him two-on-one was their preference for absolute certainty in battle. Even in a two-on-two, Zeno and Silva would have emerged victorious. They could have even taken on three or four opponents and still won.
But the Old T standing before Kaizen now? He was in even worse shape.
Kaizen mentally compared him to the opponents he had fought before.
Not as strong as the prisoners held in the pyramids of Sumas space. Not as strong as Hisoka.
Even Natsu and Raiken alone could keep Hisoka at bay. And the combination of Natsu and Uchiha Sasuke? Far beyond Old T's level.
If things went south, Kaizen could always retreat into Sumas space. Old T wouldn't be able to touch him there.
"But there's no need for that just yet," Kaizen thought. "This is the perfect setup for Natsu to use that technique."
Kaizen gave Natsu a silent command.
In the next moment, a powerful surge of energy erupted from Natsu's body. Flames blazed in both his hands—
"The flame of the left hand, the flame of the right hand… merge!"
At first, the flames were red, but as they combined, they turned into a brilliant gold. The heat and intensity skyrocketed, reaching an entirely new level.
Even before the fireball reached them, the nearby branches had already started warping from the sheer heat.
"Flame of the Fire Dragon!"
This was a move Natsu had never used before—an ability he had gained after Raiken became his second shadow. His strongest attack to date.
A massive fireball formed, rolling through the air.
Everything in its path was incinerated. Not a single blade of grass remained.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion shook the entire Trap Tower.
Prisoners locked away in their cells looked around, startled.
"What the hell was that?!"
A candidate lost focus for just a second. His grip slipped, and the item he was holding tumbled to the ground. A moment later, the words FAIL! appeared on a screen in front of him.
His face twisted with frustration.
...
Illumi sat against a wall, staring blankly ahead. He had been the first to pass and had been waiting here for quite some time.
Not far from him, Hisoka sat idly, stacking cards.
A fresh wound on his right shoulder still trickled blood. The previous examiner had gotten in a lucky shot, slightly delaying Hisoka's arrival.
But Hisoka had expected this. The battle wasn't particularly challenging, but it had at least been a little entertaining.
When the shockwave from the explosion reached them, the carefully stacked cards collapsed instantly.
Hisoka narrowed his eyes.
"Who could be causing that much of a disturbance?"
His first thought was Kaizen. After all, in Hisoka's mind, no one else still in the exam had the power to pull off something like that.
"Why?" he mused. "Why is there such a massive commotion? Did he run into a real challenge? Maybe someone even stronger than that examiner?"
Hisoka clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"This isn't fair," he muttered. "If there was such a strong opponent, why weren't they matched against me?"
He turned to Illumi. "Do you know what's going on?"
Illumi simply shook his head.
Meanwhile, Gon, Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika had also noticed the explosion. Though they didn't know Kaizen was responsible, they instinctively picked up their pace.
...
The flames roared, filling the entire secret chamber in an instant.
Every branch within was reduced to ash.
The room had transformed into a fiery furnace.
The flames surged toward Kaizen, but he stood unfazed. Even Old T, who had started this fight with confidence, found himself completely outmatched.
His expression froze as the firestorm closed in.
Instinctively, he curled up, pulling dirt and stones around him as makeshift shields. But the flames were too much. Too strong. Too hot.
His clothing disintegrated into ashes.
His skin turned red, then blackened in places, burnt beyond recognition. His hair and beard were completely singed off.
He looked utterly pathetic.
But more than his appearance, his body's condition was the real problem.
A single strike had left him severely wounded.
Kaizen waved his hand, and a flicker of healing light from his Lamp Ghost brushed over him.
Altan stood by his side, calm as ever.
From both his left and right, Natsu and Uchiha Sasuke slowly approached Old T's battered form.
Kaizen observed his pitiful state and sighed internally.
Once upon a time, this man had been an opponent he couldn't hope to defeat. Now, he had injured him effortlessly, without even exerting his full power.
Defeating—no, killing—him would be easy.
"I've grown stronger," Kaizen mused, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Much stronger."
Curled up in the corner, Old T trembled. The arrogance and confidence he had displayed earlier were completely gone.
He stared at Kaizen with fear in his eyes.
"How…?" Old T's thoughts raced. "How can he wield such terrifying power?"
"That flame… It's stronger than Old O's strongest attack."
"He's still so young—how did he reach this level?"
"The Hunter Association keeps producing monsters like this… Do I even have a chance at freedom anymore?"
"Is there any hope left for me to avenge the Kute Gang?"
The overwhelming fire had not just scorched his body—it had burned away his last sliver of hope.
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