Chapter 4: HeavensxArena

On my way to Kakin Port City, I focus on my Sub-ability, Shadow Sculpting, a form of Shadow Puppetry. I concentrate, and my shadow stretches, darkens, and shifts until it forms into an A.T.V. I fuel it with Nen, watching as it hums to life, its speed increasing with every drop of aura I feed it. The faster it goes, the faster I get to Heaven's Arena

Honestly, Shadow Puppetry is an excellent primary Hatsu. I get why most Nen users stick to just one it's so much easier to build sub-abilities around a single Hatsu than to juggle multiple ones. The versatility of how a good hatsu's sub-abilities can be used in battle is Limitless.

Still, I'm working on my third Hatsu. Lately, I've been inspired by Itachi Uchiha's techniques from Naruto, trying to recreate his Tsukuyomi genjutsu with Nen. Every attempt so far has hit a wall. Frustrating. None of the versions I've come up with can match the real thing. I'm beginning to think it's impossible, but I'm not giving up. Maybe I can craft something close a weaker version like Kurenai's Demonic Illusions. Techniques like Tree-Binding Death or Hell-Viewing Technique. Or maybe even something like Tobirama's Bringer of Darkness combined with False Surroundings that could seriously throw off anybody.

As I near Heaven's Arena, I shift my focus. There's money to be made and experience to gain. The buzz of the Arena is palpable even from a distance, the air thick with the tension of countless battles. Hisoka's probably going to fight with Kastro soon, but I'm not concerned with that right now.

The boat ride is smooth, and I've got a good grasp on using Nen for genjutsu. But I know I'll need at least two restrictions to make it work. I could limit who I target, or restrict when I cast it. I'm leaning toward making one of the requirements line of sight maybe even touching the target to fully trap them in the inner world. For something as powerful as Tsukuyomi, I'll need a crazy amount of restrictions.

I don't even need to warm up until the 150th floor. The first few floors are easy barely a challenge. I don't even use a fraction of my true strength. But then, I hit a wall. The guy on the 150th floor is good, and skilled in martial arts to the point where he unknowingly applies all four basic Nen principles. Not a crazy prodigy, but enough of a challenge to make me work for the win. I barely break a sweat, using just a little more than one-tenth of my strength, but that's still nothing compared to what I'm truly capable of. I don't even use Nen if I did, he'd be done in seconds.

I keep climbing. Floors 151 through 190, earning money with every fight. By the time I hit the 190th floor, I've accumulated a hefty 211,050,152 Jenny.

Over the next five months, I continue my streak, even facing off against fighters on the 200th floor. Most of them don't know Nen or are very unskilled in their Nen applications just like Gido and his crew from the main series. But then, one day, I spot someone familiar. A young man with black hair styled into a pompadour, wearing a white overcoat with golden rings, baggy white pants, and black dress shoes. It's Knuckle. He looks younger maybe 18?

I suppress my aura with Zetsu, stepping forward, and raising an eyebrow. "Your Knuckle right?" I call out, my voice low.

He looks up, blinking in surprise, then his eyes narrow as he studies me. "Yeah?" His grin widens. "Who are you? You seem familiar."

I give him a knowing look. "I'm a small fighter on the 200th floor." I pause for a beat letting the new knowledge settle in. "I've seen some of your fights your good. You up for a fight tomorrow?"

Knuckle raises an eyebrow, looking me over. "Huh? Are you sure? I count myself as pretty strong."

He looks skeptical for a moment, then shrugs. "You sure you're ready? I don't hold back." He cracks his knuckles, the grin never fading.

I laugh, a touch of arrogance creeping in. "Neither do I."

Today, we meet in the arena. The crowd is kind of small Knuckle's not very well-known, and I've mostly fought low-tier opponents. I'm not trying to draw attention, especially with Hisoka still hanging around after his fight with Kastro months ago.

As soon as the bell rings, I move. In an instant, I send my shadow toward Knuckle. It slithers across the ground like a living thing, stretching, curling, waiting for the right moment to strike. Knuckle doesn't see it coming I guess this is him before he participates in over a thousand fights.

He shifts his stance, eyes narrowing. "Fast," he mutters under his breath, a hint of admiration in his voice.

I close the distance quickly, but Knuckle isn't just standing there. He sidesteps, his footwork sharp and deliberate, dodging my first strike. He looks as surprised as he should be. I look weak but right now I'm going at one-half of my full speed

"Not bad," I call out, grinning. "But I'm just getting started."

He cracks a smile, then suddenly lunges forward, aiming a punch straight at my face. I dodge, but he's fast. Too fast for only one-half my speed. His fist grazes my cheek but I feel nothing. The last time I was hit was a few years ago against Benjamin the time before I finally beat him.

I pull back, recalculating strategies until Hakoware appears by my side with the number 200 on it. My shadow is still in the game, creeping closer, but I need to be smarter about it. I have a ton of aura but if he hits me again and Hakoware starts getting a high aura amount then I may be done. I underestimated him because he is so much younger than in canon. Even still Knuckle's got more skill than I first gave him credit for.

"Nice," I say. "But it'll take more than that to take me down."

Knuckle's grin widens. "You think you can keep up with me? I've been in my fair share of scrapes."

He's not wrong. He moves with precision, almost like he's anticipating my next move. I shift my focus back to my shadow, pulling it around behind him. He doesn't seem to notice it he's too focused on my next strike. But that's exactly what I want.

As I charge, I feint left, then whip my body to the right, aiming a solid punch at his ribs. He doesn't flinch, sidestepping just in time. But this isn't the real attack. My shadow grabs hold of his ankle, binding him in place for a split second. It's just enough to throw off his balance.

Before he can recover, I launch myself into a spinning kick, the heel of my boot catching him square in the chest. He grunts, stumbling back, but doesn't go down. I land lightly, immediately back on my feet, my eyes locked onto the disappearing Hakoware.

"Not bad," he says.

I'm not finished. My shadow moves in again, faster this time. I've been controlling it with precision each movement calculated to catch him off guard. The moment it strikes, I throw him off balance once more, this time binding both his legs. The crowd reacts with a murmur, not sure what's coming next.

Knuckle's eyes widen as he feels the pull. "So that's your game, huh?" he grins through clenched teeth. "You think you can win with tricks like that?"

I don't respond. I'm already charging again, my shadow close behind me, moving in tandem with every step I take. This time, Knuckle's is ready though. He throws out his arms, punching at a shadow that is about to strike him from behind.

"That's more like it," I say, impressed.

I don't hesitate. My shadow isn't my only weapon. I gather a burst of Nen, letting it leak out, focusing on my fists. I rush him again, but this time I'm stronger, and faster ramping it up to my full speed. The moment he thinks he's dodged my punch, I shift into a low kick, aiming for his legs.

Knuckle sees it coming but is too slow. The kick lands, and he stumbles back, but this time, I'm prepared. Before he can regain his footing, my shadow lashes out again, wrapping around his torso, and pulling him toward me with brutal force.

"Gotcha," I growl, my teeth gritted.

With a growl of his own, he channels his aura into his arms punching my now tangible shadow. He lands back on his feet with a heavy breath, a look of respect crossing his face.

"You're making this interesting," he mutters.

Knuckle might not be a prodigy, but he's damn good. He's fighting with everything he's got.

I decided to up the stakes. My shadow explodes forward, wrapping around his arms and legs. I focus harder, increasing my aura output. He struggles, but my hold tightens. He's trapped.

"I'm done holding back," I say, my voice steady, but my heart racing.

Knuckle looks at me, eyes fierce.

I step forward, landing a swift punch to his midsection. The force of the blow knocks the wind out of him, and he crashes to the ground.

I stand over him waiting for him to get up, but Knuckle doesn't. He stays there, on the ground, gasping for air. The crowd falls silent, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a knife.

I offer him a hand to help him up, my smirk fading. "You were great, Knuckle."

He looks up at me, a slow grin creeping onto his face. "You too. Didn't expect you to be this powerful."

I help him to his feet, and he pats me on the back, clearly out of breath. "You're a hell of a fighter. Next time, though? I'll win."

I chuckle. "We'll see about that."

The crowd remains quiet for a moment, then bursts into scattered applause. It's not the loudest, but it's enough. I nod to Knuckle, offering him a small bow.

"Good fight," I say, stepping back.