Because he had watched Kaizen fight before, Killua set Kaizen as a short-term goal.
Killua wanted to reach Kaizen's level of strength. But over time, he realized that his progress wasn't as fast as he had hoped.
Two years ago, when Killua finally earned his ticket to the 200th floor of Heavens Arena, Kaizen had already become a Floor Master. In fact, he had defeated the previous Floor Master with overwhelming ease.
Killua wanted to challenge the 200th floor, but Silva forbade it. And Killua didn't go against Silva's decision.
Now, more than three years had passed. In that time, Killua had grown stronger—he was sure of it.
Back then, Silva told him he wasn't ready for the 200th floor.
But now? Now, Killua believed he was.
So he made a decision. On May 20, after passing the Hunter Exam, he would head back to Heavens Arena.
He would start from the bottom and climb as fast as possible, earning his way to the 200th floor.
Then, he'd rack up ten victories.
After that, he'd challenge Kaizen—the Floor Master.
"I wonder if that guy Sadaso ever managed to achieve his goal…" Killua mused.
Sadaso's talent never impressed him, but his dedication to training did.
But Killua didn't expect to run into Kaizen here, in the first official exam room of the Hunter Exam.
...
On the other side of the room, Hisoka turned his gaze toward Kaizen, eyes narrowing with interest.
Hisoka had been to Heavens Arena more than two years ago. But before that, he had already set his sights on Chrollo Lucilfer, the leader of the Phantom Troupe. Hisoka wanted ten exhilarating battles with Chrollo, so he eliminated the previous No. 4 member and took their place.
Of course, there was more to it. The previous No. 4 hadn't actually died—they had just used the opportunity to leave the Phantom Troupe.
For Phantom Troupe, Omokage wasn't as attached as the other members. He had joined purely to gain strength.
And as for Hisoka? He had never truly been a Phantom Troupe member—it was just a disguise.
He had sought out opportunities to fight Chrollo, but none had come to fruition. So, in the meantime, he focused on other things.
Like the Hunter Exam.
Hisoka had no real interest in obtaining a Hunter License. That was why, during the last exam, he attacked an examiner out of sheer irritation—and got disqualified. The examiner had been severely injured as a result.
Hisoka's goal at Heavens Arena was the same: to have fun.
And now, he had found new potential opponents.
One of them was Kaizen.
Back when Hisoka had been at Heavens Arena, Kaizen wasn't there. Later, Kaizen had returned, but only briefly, so the two had never met.
But Hisoka had watched Kaizen's fight recordings.
That kind of raw, undeniable talent excited him.
This was what he craved—unpredictable abilities and unknown growth.
Another person of interest was the reigning Floor Master of Heavens Arena.
According to Maha Zoldyck, this Floor Master had already begun forging his own path as a Nen user.
An old man, frail in appearance, thin and unmuscular, with an unsteady gait. But the moment Hisoka laid eyes on him, he felt the terrifying power hidden within.
Hisoka knew he had no chance of winning. So, for now, he set that challenge aside.
...
Meanwhile, another fighter had caught Hisoka's eye—Kastro.
Just like in the original timeline, Kastro had come to Heavens Arena.
Thanks to his natural talent, he quickly earned the right to challenge the 200th floor. But before Hisoka could set his sights on Kastro, Kaizen had already made a move.
Kaizen's team needed a front-line tank—someone like Netero's apprentice Knuckle, or Uvogin from the Phantom Troupe.
Nina, Shizuku, Sally, and Tessia weren't suited for that role.
But if Kastro joined them, he could fill that gap.
As an Enhancer, he had potential. If he developed his ability properly instead of wasting it like in the original timeline, he could become an exceptional tank.
Before Hisoka had the chance to recruit him, Nina had already reached out to Kastro.
However, Hisoka's interest in Kastro was lukewarm at best.
His top three targets were clear:
Chrollo Lucilfer—his ultimate goal.
Illumi Zoldyck—an opponent who intrigued him.
Kaizen—someone he had yet to meet in person, but who piqued his curiosity.
For Kaizen, Hisoka's understanding was limited. He had only seen video recordings, so the excitement wasn't as intense as what he felt for Chrollo or Illumi.
...
Illumi, too, was watching Kaizen closely.
He sensed something familiar in Kaizen.
Not just similar—something deeper.
Illumi frowned.
He knew of Kaizen's existence, and Kaizen knew of him, but they had never formally met. Illumi had never even seen a picture of him.
But Kaizen recognized Illumi instantly, despite his disguise.
...
Killua walked up to Kaizen.
"You know me, right?" he asked.
Kaizen glanced at him. "Four years ago, we were both in Heavens Arena."
"What's up?"
"If we get the chance, how about a match in this Hunter Exam?" Killua's gaze burned with determination.
"Four years ago, I made it to the 200th floor, but some people told me I wasn't ready. I asked them how far the gap between me and you was."
"They said it was huge."
Killua clenched his fists.
"But now, four years have passed."
"I want to test myself against you."
Gon and Leorio exchanged confused looks—they had no idea what Heavens Arena was.
Kurapika had heard of it, but he didn't fully grasp the significance of the 200th floor.
Kaizen regarded Killua for a moment.
Then he nodded.
"Alright."
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