Chapter 54: Tenth Wins!

The next day, the arena on the 200th floor buzzed with excitement as spectators gathered to witness the showdown between Raymond and Gido.

"Hey, Gido's up!"

"He always picks on the weaklings, but I'm here for the flashy moves!"

"Who's he fighting against?"

"Probably some newbie..."

Many had flocked to see Gido, a familiar figure among the fighters on the 200th floor.

On the other hand, Raymond was a bit of a mystery to many. His debut had been ages ago, and the crowd had changed since then.

While some might have heard tales of his past exploits, most didn't even know what Raymond looked like.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Brace yourselves for a thrilling match! Introducing the master of the Dancing Tops, the one and only Gido!"

Gido gracefully entered the stage, basking in the cheers of the crowd as he strutted towards the arena.

"And facing off against him..."

Raymond emerged slowly as the announcer boomed, "The one and only Raymond Celestia!"

As the announcer uttered Raymond's full name, a few faces in the crowd widened in surprise.

However, most shrugged it off, thinking his name was just similar to a legend from years past.

Yet, amidst the spectators, one man couldn't contain his astonishment.

With a shocked expression, he rose from his seat and slipped away from the crowd.

Little did he know, Sakujiro was among the bustling crowd as he keenly observed the man's every action.

Softly, he spoke into a communication device nestled in his ear, "...Ensure he reports Master's existence to his superior first before taking action."

"Roger that..."

"...No, nevermind, I'll take care of him myself."

A swift reply echoed through the device, prompting a cold glint in Sakujiro's eyes as he muttered, "Blood will flow freely before the day is done..."

"He's no stranger to the Heaven's Arena! Took a little break for some 'me time', but now he's back with a bang!"

The announcer's lively voice stirred up the crowd even more, and their excitement went up by a notch as both fighters entered the arena.

Cheers filled the air as Raymond and Gido stepped onto the stage.

The crowd's enthusiasm was quite clear to see, reverberating off the walls with each resounding cheer.

"Quite a nostalgic experience," Raymond muttered as he looked at the excited crowd.

On the other hand, Gido wore a cocky smirk as he locked eyes with Raymond. He relished the attention of the crowd, basking in their adoration. 

He then looked at Raymond, who was observing the arena, as if taking in every detail for the first time.

Gido leaned in to reassure him, "Relax, buddy. The crowd's usually pretty chill during my matches..."

Inwardly, he couldn't help but scoff at Raymond's reaction.

"Looks like we've got ourselves a newbie here! Wait until he sees the rowdy crowds in some other fights..."

Gido mused to himself, observing Raymond's chuckling in response.

Raymond looked at Gido with a hint of amusement as he spoke, "Well, it's been such a long time since the last time I've been in such a crowd, fighting..."

"...?"

Gido couldn't understand what Raymond was saying, but his opinion of Raymond remained solid as he nodded, "You're quick to adapt, huh? That's good. But don't expect me to take it easy. I'm here to win!"

He was grinning widely beneath his face as Raymond's face remained the same.

In the bustling crowd, a man with tousled black hair and glasses observed Raymond intently, his expression serious.

"Hmm, that fighter seems formidable," Wing murmured to himself.

While he didn't know much about Raymond, Wing could sense a certain aura emanating from him that reminded Wing of the martial arts masters he had encountered before.

Across the bustling crowd, a particular clown rose to his feet at the sight of Raymond.

"There he is!"

Hisoka's mind buzzed with excitement.

Sensing Raymond's gaze on him moments ago sent a rush of adrenaline through Hisoka. He couldn't help but chuckle, "Kekeke, so he's come to me, just as he promised..."

Though Hisoka knew if Raymond truly came to him, that only meant Raymond was going to ask him to pay back the favor he gave during the Hunter Exam.

"But we gotta fight first, kekeke!" 

Hisoka laughed even louder as he tried his best to stop himself from jumping right at Raymond immediately.

The referee positioned himself between the fighters, signaling for them to prepare. With a swift motion, he raised his hand and exclaimed, "Let the battle begin!"

Gido wasted no time, activating his Nen and taking out his signature Dancing Tops.

The announcer's voice rang out with excitement, declaring, "Here come Gido's Dancing Tops!"

"Brace yourself..."

With a smirk, Gido sent his spinning tops hurtling towards Raymond.

"..."

Raymond merely glanced at the swirling tops around him before refocusing his attention on Gido, taking deliberate steps forward.

"Oh! Raymond's moving in! Will Gido allow this?"

The announcer's excitement was palpable.

"Obviously, he won't!"

Gido's eyes sparkled with determination as the Dancing Tops collided with each other before hurtling towards Raymond's back with impressive speed.

Yet, to Gido's amazement, Raymond effortlessly sidestepped the attack, continuing his advance.

"What a move! Raymond dodges with ease!"

The announcer's astonishment mirrored Gido's thoughts, "Was it just luck?"

Still, Gido was a cautious person.

Despite feeling doubtful, he swiftly retrieved another set of Dancing Tops, doubling their number before launching them as a backup.

The crowd erupted with excitement, energized by the escalating spectacle.

Thirty Dancing Tops whirled around Raymond, colliding and converging on his position.

But to Gido's dismay, Raymond effortlessly dodged every incoming attack, his movements appearing almost nonchalant in the face of the onslaught. 

"Is that the best you can do?"

Raymond's calm voice cut through the chaos, jolting Gido back to reality.

"Damn it! I messed up!"

Gido cursed angrily, realizing his mistake.

Raymond was not a newbie! And certainly was not a weakling either!

"But I gotta win!"

Refusing to back down, Gido sent out even more tops, doubling their number to fifty.

But he didn't stop there.

With a surge of determination, he infused his body with Nen, causing the tops to collide and spin in a frantic pattern before hurtling toward Raymond with even greater force.

Raymond shook his head in disappointment, his movements fluid as he effortlessly evaded the swirling tops.

In a blur, he traversed the arena, appearing right in front of Gido, who had spun to shield himself.

"This will be my tenth win. Nice try, newbie..." Raymond's words made Gido widen his eyes in shock.

With precision and finesse, he delivered a powerful punch straight into Gido's face.

The impact sent Gido hurtling through the air, crashing outside of the arena with a deafening boom.

A crater formed upon impact, with Gido at its center, sprawled against the wall below the stunned audience.

"..."

The arena fell into silence as they tried to comprehend what had just happened.

"Whoa!"

"Did you see that? One punch!"

The crowd then erupted into a frenzy as their cheers reverberated throughout the arena. All eyes were on Raymond.

They were completely stunned by his display of power.

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