At that moment, a hand emerged from behind the masked man.
"Pfft!"
A slender needle pierced into the back of his neck.
"First bomb," whispered Kaizen.
A second later, the needle detonated.
There was no visible explosion, yet the masked man's brain had been turned to pulp. The blast was precise, leaving his skull intact—deliberately calibrated so that the destruction was internal. On the outside, his head remained untouched, but the damage was done.
"Killer Queen, dispose of him," Kaizen muttered calmly, his eyes now open.
Killer Queen dragged the limp body out of the room. Moments later, it reappeared on the rooftop and stuffed the masked man's corpse into a water tank.
Kaizen stared at the door. His brow furrowed slightly.
"You can't even use Nen properly, and you think you can assassinate me?"
He muttered to himself, his thoughts racing.
"What's going on here? Who sent this amateur? Could it be someone I fought in the ring? Maybe someone looking to settle a score?"
His gaze hardened. "Or... is this part of a bigger plan?"
On a building rooftop across from him, a shadowed figure stood still, watching Kaizen from afar.
Zeno Zoldyck crossed his arms, a small smile creeping onto his face.
"Not bad, Kaizen," Zeno whispered. "You're sharp. But this is just the beginning."
Zeno had orchestrated the masked man's attack as a test for Kaizen. In his eyes, fighting in the Heavens Arena alone wouldn't be enough to sharpen the boy's abilities.
"A real assassin needs more than skill in one area," Zeno mused. "He must learn to adapt—to survive against the unpredictable."
Zeno remembered his own youth, filled with ambushes, poisonings, traps, and shootouts. These experiences were essential for any Zoldyck. It wasn't enough to know how to kill—you had to know how to survive.
"Only the living can kill." Zeno smiled. "And to master killing, you first have to master surviving."
The Next Day – Heavens Arena, 50th Floor
Kaizen stepped into the ring, scanning his new opponent.
His challenger was a hulking, bald man with a muscular build.
The bald man grinned. "Kid, I saw your last match." He crossed his arms. "You've got some serious speed. Impressive stuff—especially for someone your age."
He rolled his shoulders, his muscles rippling.
"But here's the thing. Speed won't get you past me."
The bald man pounded his chest. "My defense is unmatched. No matter how fast you are, you can't hurt me."
He leaned in, his grin disappearing. "And when it comes to endurance, you don't stand a chance."
Kaizen tilted his head slightly, unfazed.
"Admit defeat now, kid. Save yourself the trouble."
The referee glanced at both fighters. Seeing no issues, he raised his hand.
"Match start!"
Kaizen didn't dash forward. Instead, he walked—slowly—toward the bald man, step by step.
The bald man's smile twisted into a frown.
"What's your game, kid?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. "Aren't you going to use your speed?"
Kaizen stayed silent, still approaching steadily.
"Are you really going to take me on head-to-head?" the bald man sneered. "Or... have you already given up?"
Kaizen stopped just in front of him and calmly raised a hand.
The bald man instinctively mirrored the gesture, meeting Kaizen's palm with his own.
SLAM!
The moment their palms connected, the bald man's expression twisted in shock. A crushing force surged through his hand, up his arm, and into his body like a tidal wave.
"What the—?"
His feet dug into the ground as he tried to resist, but it was useless. The power Kaizen unleashed was overwhelming—far beyond anything the bald man had anticipated.
"Boom!"
With a thunderous sound, the bald man was sent flying backward. His feet left the ground as if he weighed nothing. He hurtled through the air, slamming into the wall beneath the spectator stands.
"Crash!"
The wall trembled from the impact, cracks spreading across its surface. The bald man's body slumped to the ground, dazed and unable to move.
For a moment, the entire arena fell silent. No one could believe what they had just witnessed.
Kaizen turned to the referee, waiting.
The referee snapped out of his shock and raised a hand. "Winner—Kaizen!"
Without another glance at his fallen opponent, Kaizen stepped out of the ring. He made his way to the front desk on the 50th floor to claim his prize.
The attendant smiled politely. "Congratulations. Please enter your card number for the payout."
Kaizen tapped in his details. A few seconds later, his phone buzzed with a notification.
He checked the amount and gave a slight nod. "Not bad."
Then, he glanced at the ticket he had been given.
"The 70th floor, huh?" Kaizen murmured. "A little slower than I expected. At this rate, it'll take me two or three more days to reach the 100th floor."
He tucked the ticket into his pocket and smirked to himself.
Reaching the 100th floor came with certain perks—not luxury accommodations, but something far more useful: a room inside Heavens Arena.
It wasn't much, but for Kaizen, it was exactly what he needed.
"Soon," he whispered to himself. "Very soon."
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