This marked the twelfth year of Germain's reign over "Divine Authority."
He was neither like the "Blood Moon," standing high in the sky, nor like the "Darkness," hidden deep behind walls.
Instead, he remained in the very heart of the Dark Continent, within a vast Gothic city that had risen from the ground through his divine power, quietly observing all that transpired in the world.
From time to time, perhaps a Nen user might stumble into this illusion without realizing it.
Though Germain had not yet reached the level of being truly all-knowing and all-powerful, whenever he wished, he could focus on and perceive anything happening in any corner of the world.
The rising and setting of the sun each day was the world's natural routine.
And Germain's daily inspection of the planet with his "Divine Sense" had become just as routine, though his starting point and path differed each day.
Today, his gaze began at Whale Island—the hometown of Ging Freecss.
From this small island, the Freecss family had once set out, and now Gon, Ging's son, had grown into a Hunter who drew the eyes of the entire world.
He had already earned the title of a Two-Star Hunter.
Alongside Killua from the Zoldyck family, the two were hailed as the "Twin Prodigies" of the younger generation of Hunters.
Many believed that within the next few years—or perhaps the next decade—these two would rise into the ranks of top-tier Hunters, surpassing countless veterans, even the Twelve Zodiac.
A young man like Gon was surely busy, with barely a few chances each year to return to Whale Island.
But this time, not only had he returned, he had stayed for an entire month.
His visit was not just to see Aunt Mito, now in her forties or fifties, but also for one of the most important milestones of his life.
Gon was getting married.
His fiancée was a young woman from Whale Island, his childhood friend.
The two had grown up together on the island, but after Gon left to pursue his journey as a Hunter, they had rarely met again.
The two gradually grew close again.
The turning point came when, during Gon's absence, she often visited Aunt Mito, who had long been living alone, keeping her company and chatting with her.
Aunt Mito had always insisted on never marrying, and she refused to leave Whale Island. She had even tried the so-called "Longevity Food, Nitro Rice" only once in her life.
Ever since Gon's great-grandmother passed away, Aunt Mito had been living alone in the little house on Whale Island.
Naturally, Gon could not help but worry about her.
So, when he learned that this girl had been quietly looking after Aunt Mito, offering her companionship, he felt both guilty and deeply grateful.
When he went to thank her, one meeting led to another, and slowly, their hearts began to lean toward each other.
Aunt Mito welcomed the change. She could clearly see the girl's kind nature and was sincerely satisfied. From the bottom of her heart, she was happy for the two of them.
The couple decided to marry, with the wedding scheduled for next month. Preparations were already underway, and soon, Whale Island would become the liveliest little island in the entire world.
Germain had no interest in prying into Gon's personal life.
He merely surveyed Whale Island, confirmed nothing was out of the ordinary, and then shifted his focus elsewhere.
Germain's "Divine Sense" spread out like a sunbeam, sweeping diagonally across the Six Continents from Whale Island, finally pausing at the Hunter Association headquarters.
Chairman Netero had retired a decade ago. The current Chairman was Cheadle, with Vice-Chairman being Mizaistom.
Beans still held his post as secretary, while Ponzu, now a licensed professional Hunter, was being trained by Beans to eventually take over that position.
Under the leadership of the younger generation, the Hunter Association was thriving.
And for the Association, next year marked a turning point—the headquarters would be relocated to the New Continent, a move meant to pave the way for future endeavors.
It was the undeniable trend of the times. The New Continent and even the Dark Continent were destined to be humanity's future.
The direction and sheer volume of yearly migrations made this fact impossible to ignore.
No one could resist or prevent such a future.
Finding nothing unusual there either, Germain shifted his "Divine Sense" once again—this time, to the Heaven's Arena.
Twelve years ago, Heaven's Arena collapsed during the Great Catastrophe.
Five years ago, it was rebuilt on its old foundation, and today it has nearly regained all of its former glory.
Among the many fighters who have trained there, Zushi — the third-generation successor of the Shingen-ryu — has already made a name for himself.
Now, he stands as the most renowned Floor Master of Heaven's Arena.
Zushi is known for his stability and resilience, his overwhelming strength reflected in an astonishingly high win rate.
Few dare to challenge him.
As for his teacher, Wing, he parted ways with Zushi once the latter completed his training.
Wing currently works within the Hunter Association, overseeing the Hunter Exams, serving as one of the officials responsible for selecting and nurturing the next generation of Hunters.
Still, Wing occasionally returns to Heaven's Arena to watch matches — especially one like today's.
Zushi is about to face off against another Floor Master for the championship title of the Arena's top-tier tournament.
The venue is packed, the cheers of the crowd echoing like thunder.
On one side of the arena stands a towering stone statue.
It depicts a man wearing a triangular hat, holding a meat saw cleaver in one hand and a sawed-off firearm in the other.
Many claim this figure represents one of the earthly incarnations of the "God of Hunters."
After all, it was that man who had accomplished countless legendary feats more than a decade ago.
For a place like Heaven's Arena, where martial combat is revered, it was only natural to enshrine such a figure in stone.
Among fighters, a legend tied to this "God of Hunters" continues to spread from mouth to mouth.
It is said that the God blesses warriors of noble character, granting them virtues such as steadfastness, fearlessness, focus, courage, and inspiration.
But at the same time, he curses those of ignoble character, burdening them with fear, paranoia, selfishness, cruelty, despair, and madness.
This belief has long become an unspoken rule among martial artists.
The brave and the noble will always find a way to survive against all odds.
The cowardly and the corrupt will inevitably fall into the abyss.
Such is the influence of the "God of Hunters."
As the roaring crowd heralded the beginning of the grand match, Germain quietly turned away.
His divine sense drifted away from Heaven's Arena and shifted toward Kukuroo Mountain.
After the Great Catastrophe, Germain had helped Zigg revive his body.
For the first time in more than half a century, Zigg once again stood on his own two legs.
As for Alluka and Nanika, they remained as they were — by their own will.
They had long grown accustomed to their shared form of two souls within one body, and neither wished to be separated.
Now, even within the Zoldyck family, no one dared to confine them again.
It wasn't only because Killua had become powerful enough to protect them, nor simply because Alluka and Nanika no longer posed a threat.
The true reason was the seal upon them.
That seal came from the God of Hunters.
Silva still held the position of head of the Zoldyck family, though he found himself increasingly troubled.
Killua refused to inherit the family business, rarely even returning home.
In an entire year, Killua, Alluka, and Nanika might spend less than half a month together at Kukuroo Mountain.
This, despite how convenient teleportation had become between the Six Continents, the New Continent, and even the Dark Continent.
It was rare for the siblings to truly see one another.
Gradually, Silva began to realize that his original belief about Killua might never come true.
Not every Zoldyck, in the end, returns home.
Because of this, he was forced to consider choosing a new successor from among Illumi, Milluki, and Kalluto.
A shame, truly — Killua had been so perfect.
But perhaps it was precisely because he was so perfect that his stage could never be confined to the role of an "assassin."
Killua Zoldyck's destiny was to face the entire world.
On this point, Silva, Zeno, Zigg, Maha, and the others could only feel pride and relief.
The names Killua and Gon were destined to shine forever in human history.
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