Leorio and Kurapika couldn't tear their eyes away from the fight between Killua and Kaizen.
Killua was fast—blindingly fast. His attacks were sharp, ruthless, and efficient.
Yet, no matter how impressive he was, the two of them quickly realized something unsettling: if Killua ever decided to target them, they wouldn't stand a chance. He could eliminate them effortlessly.
However, as the battle went on, their attention shifted.
To Kaizen.
It was like they had just snapped out of a daze.
"Killua is incredible," Leorio muttered, his voice tinged with awe.
"But Kaizen is even stronger," Kurapika added.
"I wouldn't last more than a few exchanges against Killua, but Kaizen…" Leorio trailed off, shaking his head. "He's handling him like it's nothing."
"Amazing," Kurapika agreed. "It's like he can predict every one of Killua's moves."
"And he barely even moves," Leorio murmured.
Gon watched the fight unfold, eyes gleaming with excitement.
Hisoka, however, remained fixated on Killua. It wasn't that he doubted Kaizen's strength—on the contrary, he already knew Kaizen was powerful, far more than he was letting on.
But that wasn't what interested Hisoka right now.
What intrigued him was Killua's potential.
...
Killua launched himself at Kaizen over and over again, only to be effortlessly blocked each time. His frustration grew with every failed attempt.
He had expected Kaizen to be strong. But this? This was something else entirely.
Had the gap between them really grown so much over the years?
Killua had undergone brutal training, pushing himself beyond his limits. He knew exactly how much he had improved. So how was Kaizen still so far ahead?
"Why…?" Killua gritted his teeth. "Did he improve even more than me over these years?"
He ran through his options.
Speed? Kaizen outclassed him.
Strength? No contest.
Reflexes? Kaizen read his every move as if he was moving in slow motion.
It was almost like Kaizen could sense him coming no matter what.
"I can't land a single hit. If I rush him, no matter from which angle, he reacts immediately and counters perfectly."
Killua narrowed his eyes.
"Fine. If speed and strength won't work, I'll just have to switch tactics."
His form flickered.
And then—
Click!
The lights went out.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Killua smirked.
"I was raised as an assassin. Darkness is my domain. Most people never even consider training for a fight like this."
The blackness felt like home. His confidence surged.
Kaizen frowned slightly.
"Clever."
But ultimately, useless.
For those who had mastered Nen, sight wasn't the only means of perception.
With En, he could sense any movement in his surroundings. The moment Killua entered his range, he would know.
But Kaizen didn't even bother activating it.
Because he didn't need to.
Everything Killua had trained for—Kaizen had trained for as well.
Assassination. Adaptation. Endurance.
Killua had an edge with electricity, but in complete darkness?
They were on equal footing.
...
Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika struggled to follow what was happening in the pitch-black training room. They could only hear the clash of fists and feet, the sharp exhales of exertion.
To them, it sounded just like before.
Hisoka stood in the corner, idly shuffling a deck of cards between his fingers. He felt a strong urge to step in—but resisted.
Intervening now wouldn't be worth the risk.
He had other goals. Right now, his true target was Chrollo. He had finally infiltrated the Phantom Troupe, and if he wanted a proper fight with their leader, he had to be careful.
One wrong move, and he'd never get that chance.
...
Killua lunged again, but Kaizen blocked him with ease.
"How…?"
Killua's pupils dilated in disbelief.
"The darkness isn't affecting him at all. It's like he doesn't even need his eyes."
"Has he trained for this too?"
"Is he… also from a family of assassins?"
Killua clenched his teeth.
He had one last trick.
If this didn't work, he'd have to admit defeat.
...
Killua's body blurred—then multiplied.
More than a dozen Killuas surrounded Kaizen in a circle, each one identical, each one poised to strike.
"Let's see how you handle this!"
All of them lunged at once, their hands sharpened into deadly knife-strikes.
Kaizen hesitated for a brief moment.
"Dodging and blocking won't teach him anything."
"If that's the case…"
"…I'll end this in one move."
Just as Killua's attack was about to land—
Pfft!
His strike hit Kaizen's chest.
Killua's eyes widened in triumph—
—only for his expression to immediately shift to confusion.
Something felt wrong.
He didn't feel the impact of striking flesh.
His knife-hand had pierced through nothing.
Kaizen's body flickered and vanished.
"A… phantom!?"
Before Killua could react, Kaizen was already behind him.
Flick!
With a single motion, Kaizen lightly flicked Killua's forehead.
"Ah—!"
Killua winced, clutching his head as he stumbled backward.
"It hurts!" he hissed.
Kaizen walked over to the switch and flipped the lights back on.
The room was suddenly bathed in brightness.
Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika blinked as their vision adjusted.
They took in the scene: Kaizen standing calmly by the switch, completely unscathed. And Killua rubbing his head with a disgruntled expression.
"…It's over?" Leorio asked.
"Who won?"
Kurapika shot him a look.
"Isn't it obvious?"
Gon, grinning ear to ear, ran up to Kaizen.
"Kaizen, fight me next!" he said eagerly.
Hisoka's interest was instantly piqued.
Kaizen glanced at Gon, then shook his head.
"Next time. I'm tired today."
"Alright!" Gon beamed. "Next time for sure!"
With that, he turned to Killua.
"Killua, are you okay?"
------------
+415 chapters on patreon.com/FanficsHub