"A new ability?"
Watching Uchiha Sasuke's transformation, Frost frowned.
"It looks a lot like Susanoo," Kaizen observed, his expression thoughtful as he watched the battle unfold on the screen. "But it's a fully formed version. It completely encloses him—no weak spots."
He continued analyzing. "That means his defensive power is much higher now. If you want to hurt him, you have to break through Susanoo's armor first. It's smaller than the complete version, only about three meters tall. If it were completely opaque rather than translucent, it would resemble a massive suit of armor."
Sasuke launched himself at Frost.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Each footstep sent shockwaves through the ground. A burst of icy air shot toward Sasuke, instantly coating the surface of Susanoo's armor with frost. But with a single movement, Sasuke shook it off effortlessly.
He closed the distance in an instant and threw a punch.
A massive dark red fist hurtled toward Frost.
An ice wall materialized between them.
Crack!
Boom!
The impact shattered the wall instantly, sending shards of ice flying in all directions. Frost quickly retreated.
Even while encased in his armored Susanoo, Sasuke could still use ninjutsu. A fireball erupted in the air, its heat distorting the surroundings.
Frost's expression darkened. He understood his predicament all too well.
He was trapped.
Kaizen had captured him and locked him in this place, providing just enough food to keep him alive but never allowing him to escape. From time to time, he was forced to fight against Nen Beasts, treated as nothing more than a test subject to measure their strength.
It was humiliating.
Frost clenched his fists.
Kaizen was clearly weaker than him. If he had taken the fight more seriously back then, he could have killed Kaizen. If he had been more cautious, he wouldn't be a prisoner now.
He should have been one of the top figures in the Mimbo Republic. Instead, he was trapped here, living without dignity.
Death might have been preferable.
Yet, deep down, he refused to give up. A small spark of hope remained. One day, he would escape, return to the Mimbo Republic, and reclaim what was his. And when that day came, Kaizen would suffer. Ten times over.
But Kaizen had no intention of letting him go. The pyramid served as his prison, and beyond it, there was Sumas—a second layer of confinement.
...
Kaizen continued watching Sasuke's performance on the screen. "Rashomon Susanoo... Sasuke has improved significantly across the board."
"His defense surpasses that of Natsu."
"He can still use ninjutsu freely."
"His movements are slightly slower compared to his normal state, but the real drawback is the high energy consumption."
"Still, switching between this and his regular form maximizes his combat effectiveness."
Sasuke suddenly shifted tactics. With a thought, he dismissed Susanoo. Lightning flickered around his body as he surged forward.
Chidori!
The sharp sound of crackling electricity filled the air.
Frost's pupils contracted.
Kaizen nodded. "This could be called the Speed State. It's similar to Killua's ability in the original timeline. In this form, Sasuke enhances his speed with Lightning Release, making his attacks even more effective."
"Rashomon Susanoo pairs better with Fire Release, while Speed complements Lightning Release. He can cycle between the two states as needed."
"With that, Sasuke won't be any weaker than Natsu."
The battle between Sasuke and Frost raged on.
Kaizen needed to gather more data, so the fight had to continue.
Aura consumption wasn't a concern for him. His reserves were at an absurd level, and after the third Hunter Exam, there wouldn't be any major battles for a while. The exam still had a long way to go, and few candidates posed a real threat to him.
And beyond that, there was still Illumi.
...
The hall was silent.
Hisoka continued stacking his cards.
Illumi, in his usual unsettling manner, crunched on a bag of chips.
Kaizen watched his phone, earbuds in, lost in another world.
Hanzo leaned against the wall, resting with his eyes closed.
Geretta watched everything quietly.
Time slipped by.
Finally—
Crack!
Two nearly simultaneous sounds echoed through the chamber. Two figures emerged from the passage.
One was an old man gripping a long spear—Goz.
The other was Pokkle.
Thirty hours had passed.
Kaizen's gaze locked onto Pokkle. He barely registered Goz.
But Pokkle—
Pokkle had left a strong impression. Compared to ordinary people, his talent was exceptional. Otherwise, he wouldn't have made it this far in the Hunter Exam.
Yet luck had never been on his side.
On a biological survey mission, he had encountered Chimera Ants.
He didn't just die—he became their nourishment.
Not only had his life ended, but his knowledge of Nen had directly contributed to the Chimera Ants' evolution. His misfortune had fueled their terrifying rate of growth.
And he wasn't the only one. Pokkle's entire team had perished.
"One of them was that girl, Ponzu, the one who kept bees."
"She's also in this Hunter Exam."
"She's painfully weak."
"She didn't even reach the Squadron Leader level before she was killed by a Captain and a few soldier ants."
"Older than both Gon and Killua. In theory, she should have had more experience."
"But even after learning Nen, she couldn't match them."
"Some things just come down to talent."
Kaizen's eyes moved past them.
Then he saw Kurapika.
Kurapika emerged from the passage, gaze fixed directly on Kaizen.
Kaizen glanced at the timer. Over sixty hours had passed.
"Kurapika," he said, a small smirk forming, "congratulations."
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