After traveling far, the first thing Kairo did was change his appearance. He bought new clothes, a cloak, and a domino mask to remain hidden and keep a low profile in public. He burned his Kurta clothing without hesitation—he wanted nothing to do with his clan's attire or the past it represented anymore.
But for some reason, he couldn't burn or discard the Kurta pendant. He wasn't even sure why. Maybe if he destroyed it, tossed it aside, or tried to sell it, it would bring some curse upon him. It was infused with Nen, and that alone made it feel dangerous. So he kept it hidden, unsure what to do with it. He was too afraid to wear it, worried that instead of protecting him, it might punish him for abandoning his clan. He resented his parents for leaving it behind—but maybe that was just karma. He pushed the thought aside for now.
Afterward, he rented a cheap hotel room for one night. He wished he could buy a phone, but spending on one would leave him without enough money for travel. Once everything was settled, he purchased a ticket to Heaven's Arena, spending all his remaining funds. He wasn't discouraged—he was confident he could earn it back quickly.
Time passed, and Kairo finally arrived at Heaven's Arena. Inside, he saw crowds of people registering as fighters. He joined them, relieved that registration was free. They gave him the number #1991, perhaps a sign of good luck.
He waited while watching the other fights. Eventually, his number was called.
Kairo and his opponent stepped onto the stage and took their positions. The referee signaled the start. His opponent rushed at him immediately, but to Kairo's eyes, the attack was slow. He thought carefully.
Kairo (Thought): How should I knock him out? Like Gon? Like Killua? Hmm… Ah, I know.
Kairo slipped his hand into his pocket. As the opponent approached, he unleashed the fastest jab he could—a clean strike to the jaw, straight out like Baki. Of course, he held back; if he hadn't, he probably would have crushed the jaw completely. Even so, the opponent dropped instantly.
The crowd—and even the referee—didn't notice what had happened. Kairo was declared the winner and promoted straight to the 50th floor. Whispers spread among the crowd:
"What happened? Did he just fall?""I didn't even see what he did!""His hand stayed in his pocket the whole time!"
Kairo ignored them and took the elevator to the 50th floor. A staff girl explained the rules of Heaven's Arena, but he already knew everything. After claiming his prize money of 100 yen, he bought a drink and waited for his next fight.
When it was time to step into the ring again, the screen replayed Kairo's previous match in slow motion. His new opponent shook upon seeing the speed of the punch. He probably considered forfeiting, but instead charged. Kairo was impressed—if he were in that position, he wouldn't have even stepped into the arena.
Regardless, Kairo knocked him out in the same way as before.
Time passed quickly. Kairo won six matches in a row and advanced to the 100th floor. He received a private room but stayed only a day. The next morning, he fought again, climbing to the 150th floor. Eventually, he reached the 190s.
There, he faced a giant opponent who scoffed, "Your punch might be fast, but you only aim for the chin. Once I guard my jaw, you're done. Bet your punch is actually weak."
Kairo calmly replied, "Bet."
When the fight began, the opponent charged with both hands guarding his chin, likely intending to crush Kairo with his body weight. Kairo struck the body instead, and the giant collapsed immediately. After claiming his winnings, Kairo left without even visiting the 200th floor.
After finishing everything at Heaven's Arena, he headed to Yorknew City and gambled at the casino until he earned over 5 billion jenny. The staff never suspected he was cheating—not that he needed to. He could have pushed further, but he sensed that doing so might draw dangerous attention. That was enough.
With the money, Kairo purchased a private house in a secluded area. He didn't intend to stay there forever—five, maybe ten years at most. Once set up, he filled it with training equipment. He had an ability to increase the weight of any object he held or wore, making it perfect for pushing his limits.
Kairo also stocked up on supplies: protein drinks, specialized training food, and various other essentials.
In addition, he acquired several black-market items—poisons and antidotes ranging from mild to dangerously potent, steroids to accelerate physical development (though he suspected he would eventually build resistance), and high-quality materials for crafting weapons.
Kairo didn't truly need weapons—his fists were more than enough—but he chose to make them anyway, needing something for ranged combat. While he possessed a ranged Nen ability, it wasn't particularly strong. Although black-market weapons were impressive, he preferred crafting his own, already knowing exactly what he wanted. Once completed, all the items were quietly delivered to a secret pickup point for him to collect.
He occasionally planned to hire individuals or Hunters to assist with Nen training someday, should the need arise.
Once everything was prepared, Kairo decided it was time to resume training and begin crafting his own weapons until the Hunter Exam timeline began.
…
In the process, Kairo completely forgot about the Kurta pendant. Someday, though, that memory would return.