Chapter 32: Sadaso’s Surprise!

"Start!"

With the referee's signal, the match began.

In the blink of an eye, Kaizen's figure vanished from sight.

"Pfft!"

A strange, sharp sound echoed through the arena.

The young fighter's plan had been simple: hit Kaizen hard right from the start, give him a taste of real pain, and force him to beg for mercy. Then, once Kaizen surrendered, he'd continue tormenting him at his leisure—just for fun—before finally finishing him off.

But before he could even launch his attack, Kaizen had disappeared without a trace.

"Where did the brat go?"

"Did he run?"

Confused murmurs spread through the audience. Even the young fighter on the stage froze, failing to comprehend what had happened.

Then, he felt a sudden, sharp pain in his chest. His gaze dropped downward.

A small, red dot blossomed on his shirt.

His pupils constricted in horror.

"What... What is this?"

The pain intensified, and a terrifying realization hit him—his strength was draining rapidly.

"Boom!"

His body crumpled. Unable to stay on his feet, he collapsed face-first onto the arena floor. The entire crowd held their breath, stunned by how quickly it had ended.

Kaizen stood calmly behind him, completely unscathed.

Even the referee had missed the moment of impact.

It wasn't until the young fighter hit the ground and twitched twice that the referee finally snapped out of his daze.

"Winner... Kaizen!"

The crowd exploded into chatter.

"He actually won!"

"One move! Just one move!"

"That guy was all talk. What a loser."

"I heard him bragging before the match. Guess he wasn't as tough as he made himself out to be."

"That kid's something else, though."

"How old is he? Ten? Eleven?"

"I wonder how high he'll climb."

Several onlookers watched Kaizen closely as he exited the ring, their interest piqued.

There were three kinds of people among them:

Those who saw potential in Kaizen and wanted to invest in him.

Those hoping to befriend him and ride his coattails.

Fans, fascinated by the charisma of a rising star.

In Heavens Arena, fighters were more than just athletes—they were performers, idols for fight enthusiasts. A warrior who impressed the crowd could attract a devoted following, becoming as famous as a celebrity.

Kaizen approached the front desk, where the staff handed him a note.

"Promotion confirmed," the attendant said.

Kaizen's heart rate didn't change as he glanced at the paper.

He was being promoted directly from the first floor to the fiftieth floor. A massive leap—one that only exceptionally talented fighters could make.

Not even Gon or Killua, after passing the Hunter Exam and opening the Testing Gate, had achieved this kind of jump on their first climb through Heavens Arena. Kaizen, however, had already surpassed them by far. He could push open the third gate of the Zoldyck estate and had mastered Nen.

As the young fighter's lifeless body was hauled away by Arena staff, Kaizen paid it no mind. Corpses were a regular part of Heavens Arena. Here, fights weren't just entertainment—they were often battles to the death.

The staff barely spared the dead a second glance as they carried the body off to the Arena's morgue.

Once they were gone, a group of spectators gathered near the arena's edge, whispering among themselves.

"Reggie... That brat was stronger than we thought."

"He took him out in an instant. Vicious, too."

One man sighed deeply. "If we had known, we would've warned Reggie to stay away."

Another added grimly, "How do we explain this to his father?"

They exchanged worried looks.

"None of us could have predicted this. A mere kid... with that kind of power?"

"Thank god it wasn't us." One man shuddered. "We could've been the ones lying dead right now."

Their plan was already forming.

"We need to tell Reggie's father what happened. He won't let this slide."

But the truth was, they had a different motive.

They knew they'd angered Kaizen, just as Reggie had. If Reggie's father challenged Kaizen and killed him, their problem would be solved. If Kaizen killed Reggie's father... well, that was still a win.

Either way, Kaizen's focus would shift away from them.

Kaizen took the elevator to the fiftieth floor. When the doors opened, an elderly man was already inside, leaning lazily against the wall. The man gave Kaizen a brief, indifferent glance, then returned to staring at the elevator's ceiling.

When they reached the tenth floor, the elevator stopped, and another figure entered.

It was Sadaso.

He sauntered inside, looking pleased with himself. Luck had been on his side today—his opponents weren't particularly strong, and he'd managed to secure a promotion to the thirteenth floor.

As Sadaso glanced around the elevator, his eyes landed on Kaizen.

Something about the boy seemed... oddly familiar.

Without thinking much of it, Sadaso pressed the button for the thirteenth floor.

Ding!

The elevator came to a smooth stop.

As Sadaso stepped out, he glanced over his shoulder, giving Kaizen a second, curious look.

At first, he'd assumed Kaizen was with the old man. But now, noticing the promotion ticket in Kaizen's hand, Sadaso realized the boy was a fighter, just like him.

Two numbers glowed on the panel inside the elevator—13 and 50.

Sadaso frowned. Kaizen hadn't gotten off.

What's going on?

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