Chapter 49: Kaizen – Why Does This Puppet Feel So Familiar?

On one side of the arena stood Carlisle, Kaizen's acquaintance. On the other, the top fighters of the 200th floor of Heavens Arena.

One of them was Juliana.

Another was Biscuit Krueger, who was of the same caliber but on a different level in her own way. Though Juliana wasn't as strong as Biscuit, she was still among the best on the 200th floor. Her record boasted an 80% win rate—just two victories away from earning the right to challenge a Floor Master.

Carlisle hadn't been as fortunate in his matches.

Juliana had only recently returned to the arena after training outside for a time. When Carlisle applied to compete, he thought he'd be facing rookie hunters—fighters he could easily handle. But instead of one of those novices, his next opponent turned out to be Juliana.

The rookie killers in the audience, once the target of Carlisle's ambitions, breathed a collective sigh of relief when they saw the matchup.

"Good thing Carlisle signed up before me," muttered one rookie killer under his breath. "Otherwise, I'd be the one standing across from her."

With a sneer, the rookie killer glared at Carlisle in the ring.

"Heh. Carlisle thought he'd get an easy win off me, but now he's stuck fighting Juliana. Serves him right."

Kaizen watched from the stands, his eyes fixed on the crystal ball display before him, then flicked his gaze back to the ring.

"The difference in strength is obvious," he muttered to himself. "They're not even on the same level."

Even though Carlisle was better than the rookies, it didn't amount to much. This was clear from his previous matches—like the one against Isaiah, which he barely won. But Juliana was already operating on a completely different tier.

"She is much stronger," Kaizen thought. "Her aura isn't just more refined—it's overwhelming."

The moment the referee signaled the start of the match, it was over. Carlisle was defeated in the blink of an eye. Not only was he beaten, but even his puppet was smashed to pieces, its remains scattered across the arena floor, leaking fluid that looked disturbingly like blood.

Something nagged at Kaizen. That strange feeling of familiarity he'd sensed earlier returned, stronger this time.

Later, in the dimly lit corridor, Kaizen spotted Carlisle leaving the ring. The man's face was pale, contorted in frustration. He looked completely shattered by the loss, his steps heavy and his posture slouched.

Kaizen didn't follow him but watched as Carlisle disappeared into his room. Back in his own place, Kaizen sat on the bed, lost in thought. He stared at the wall separating his room from Carlisle's.

Carlisle's daughter, Lina, hadn't visited Kaizen for several days now. At first, Kaizen assumed it was because Carlisle was taking the loss hard and Lina was staying close to comfort him. He hadn't thought much of it.

But something didn't sit right.

Kaizen furrowed his brow.

"Why do I feel like something's about to happen?"

For several nights, strange noises came from Carlisle's room, stirring Kaizen's unease. He tried to ignore it, convincing himself it was none of his business. Days stretched into weeks, and Lina still hadn't come to see him.

Half a month later, Kaizen sat cross-legged, staring at the glowing crystal ball in front of him. He frowned as he noticed the rate of progress had slowed significantly.

"This must be because of repetition," he mused aloud. "Just like at Zoldyck Manor… I covered every part of the back mountain, the Testing Gate, the servants' quarters, and the mansion at the peak until the crystal absorbed everything it could."

"But here in Heavens Arena… below the 200th floor, I've already explored everything. The higher floors are the key. Especially the 251st floor."

His thoughts were interrupted by the flicker of a TV screen, showing a preview for an upcoming match. Kaizen leaned closer, his eyes narrowing.

"Carlisle?" he muttered, puzzled. "He's fighting again? Already?"

His frown deepened as he studied the matchup.

"Didn't he just lose to Juliana? Why would he challenge her again so soon?"

Curiosity got the better of him, and Kaizen bought a ticket for the match.

When he arrived at the arena, he found Carlisle and Juliana standing face to face in the ring. Something about Carlisle seemed… off. His aura had changed—it felt sharper, more focused.

"Did he find some way to boost his strength?" Kaizen wondered aloud. "Does he really think that'll be enough to beat her? Even with a power-up, the gap between them hasn't closed."

The crowd murmured around him as the host built up the pre-match excitement.

"Juliana is going for her tenth consecutive win. If she pulls this off, she'll qualify to challenge the Floor Master," someone whispered behind Kaizen.

"Think she can become the new Floor Master?"

"Carlisle has a chance, too," another voice interjected. "Otherwise, why would he rush into another fight with Juliana? He still had plenty of time to prepare."

"Maybe Carlisle made some breakthrough. If his strength skyrocketed, it'd make sense why he challenged her again."

Kaizen tuned out the chatter as the host finished the introductions and the referee gave the signal to begin.

Juliana took a stance typical of Enhancers, though Kaizen suspected she wasn't a pure Enhancer. He remembered that in her first fight with Carlisle, she hadn't even shown her full power.

Just like Kaizen himself during his fight with Partridge, when he let Killer Queen do the heavy lifting. And even then, Killer Queen hadn't unleashed her explosion ability.

Carlisle summoned a puppet—one unlike any Kaizen had seen before. This puppet was smaller, sleeker, and radiated an unusual aura that made Kaizen's skin crawl.

Kaizen's eyes narrowed, the strange feeling of familiarity washing over him again.

"What is this puppet…?" he muttered under his breath.

The aura it emitted was unsettlingly familiar. Yet, Kaizen couldn't place it.

And that bothered him more than anything else.

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