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Chapter 16: Heaven's Arena
Ronin's abdominal wound healed quickly, and even his broken arm was estimated to fully recover within another week.
This rapid recovery was likely due to his Enhancement affinity, which naturally boosted his self-healing capabilities. It was a pity his Sharingan hadn't evolved further; if he could use A-Rank Ninjutsu (like Medical Ninjutsu), he would likely heal even faster.
Ronin's first match at Heaven's Arena was thoroughly uninspiring. His opponent was too weak.
With a casual strike, the man was sent flying out of the ring.
Winning so easily allowed Ronin to relax slightly.
"Number 2025."
The referee's voice came from the side.
Ronin turned and received the news: he had been fast-tracked directly to the 50th floor.
On his way up, Ronin collected his prize money for the first victory: 152 Jenny.
About the price of a can of soda.
Additionally, after winning, Ronin was eligible to fight one more match that day.
Heaven's Arena rules stipulated that if a fighter won, they could schedule another match on the same day if they wished. However, a fighter was limited to a maximum of two matches per day.
This meant Ronin could reach the 60th floor today at best. To reach the 200th floor, assuming he fought twice a day without fail, would take exactly one week.
That is, provided he didn't stumble along the way.
Ronin planned to use this time to hone his combat experience properly.
The fight on the 50th floor offered no surprises either. Unfortunately, he wasn't promoted directly to the 100th floor, meaning he had to rent a room outside the arena.
His funds were running low.
Luckily, the victory on the 50th floor came with a prize of 50,000 Jenny.
Ronin didn't bother saving money. With the prospect of earning hundreds of millions of Jenny just around the corner, pinching pennies over a few thousand seemed pointless.
Over the next few days, Ronin browsed the internet to gain a clearer understanding of this world while rapidly climbing the floors.
Gradually, he became a rising star in the arena.
After several days, he had reached the 170th floor without losing a single match. Although he stopped insta-killing his opponents to practice, his victories remained clean and decisive.
As the floors got higher, Ronin noticed his opponents possessed decent combat experience.
This was exactly why he stopped ending fights in seconds; he wanted to learn more fighting techniques through actual combat.
When he reached the 150th floor, he even considered joining a dojo to learn martial arts formally.
However, he eventually dismissed the idea.
He visited several dojos, but the masters were just ordinary humans, not Nen users. That killed his interest.
One afternoon, Ronin arrived at the waiting room on the 170th floor.
When he received the match notification, a look of surprise crossed his face. His opponent was someone he "knew."
"Mr. Ronin, Mr. Killua, please proceed to Arena A on the 173rd floor for your match."
Hearing the name, Ronin paused.
At this point in the timeline, Killua should only be eight years old. But then Ronin recalled something Killua said in the canon.
When Killua returned to Heaven's Arena with Gon, he mentioned he had been there when he was six and spent two years fighting his way up.
At that time, he had reached the 190th floor.
The timeline matched perfectly.
As Ronin walked toward the ring, he saw someone waiting for him in the corridor.
The man wore a pristine butler's tailcoat, had a small goatee, and wore triangular glasses.
Seeing Ronin approach, the man offered a polite, practiced smile.
"Greetings, Mr. Ronin. I am Gotoh, the butler for the Zoldyck Family."
Ronin narrowed his eyes slightly. "Can I help you?"
"Yes," Gotoh replied, maintaining his harmless demeanor. "For the upcoming match, I hope you will refrain from using Nen. As a gesture of sincerity, I offer you 10 million Jenny as compensation."
Ronin didn't even hesitate. He nodded. "Deal."
Ten million for free? There was no reason to refuse.
Gotoh's presence also confirmed his suspicion: the Zoldyck family had a strict training plan for Killua.
Otherwise, it would be unbelievable that Killua could spend two years in Heaven's Arena without encountering Nen.
Gotoh smiled with satisfaction, pulled a card from his pocket, and bowed slightly, stepping aside to clear the path.
Ronin took the card as he passed and nodded to Gotoh.
Stepping onto the ring, Ronin looked at the tiny Killua opposite him and felt a strange sensation.
The eight-year-old Killua was barely over a meter tall. As Ronin entered the ring, the boy bristled like an agitated cat, dropping into a combat stance.
Even though Ronin was only maintaining Ten, the pressure was enough to put Killua on high alert.
Ronin didn't intend to lose, nor did he intend to break his promise.
Even without using active Nen attacks, he was confident he could beat this version of Killua.
The moment the referee shouted "Fight!", Ronin exploded into motion, appearing instantly behind Killua.
Killua's reaction speed was incredible. The moment Ronin moved, Killua spun around, crossing his arms to block.
Bam.
Ronin's hand chop struck Killua's arms. The immense force sent the boy skidding back several steps.
As he stabilized, Ronin noticed Killua's hands changing slightly—his fingernails sharpening into claws. A strong killing intent flooded Killua's eyes.
In the next second, Killua accelerated, rushing toward Ronin.
But every movement was transparent to Ronin. He sidestepped slightly as Killua flashed past, aiming another chop at the boy's neck.
This time, he missed.
Killua dodged with a burst of speed and swiped his claws at Ronin's heart.
Ronin twisted his torso, narrowly evading the lethal strike.
Simultaneously, he lifted his leg and kicked Killua hard in the side, launching the boy into the air.
He wasn't done. As Killua reached the apex of his flight, Ronin jumped, hammering a fist into Killua's back and smashing him into the arena floor.
Smash!
As Killua hit the ground, the referee immediately began the count.
The audience erupted in cheers.
Ronin watched as Killua's body twitched, trying to stand up.
Thinking for a moment, Ronin stepped back a few paces. In that instant, he felt a sharp killing intent.
It didn't come from Killua. It came from the audience.
Ronin followed the sensation and saw a stiff-faced young man with pins all over his face sitting in the stands.
Illumi!
Ronin noted the presence mentally but quickly returned his focus to Killua.
By the count of five, Killua had climbed to his feet. His face was filled with frustration, and his killing intent had intensified.
His pitch-black eyes stared at Ronin without emotion, only coldness.
The Assassin Family's training is truly twisted, Ronin thought.
When the referee signaled for the fight to continue, Ronin spoke calmly. "Give up. You're not my match."
Losing this fight would only drop Killua to the 160th floor. With his skills, as long as he didn't run into Ronin again, he could easily climb back to 170.
And for the current Killua, losing one match shouldn't matter much.
Spending two years to reach floor 190 meant he must have lost plenty of times along the way.
Killua stared at Ronin for a long time before slowly retracting his bloodlust. He shoved his hands into his pockets, acting cool. "Fine. You are stronger than me. I forfeit!"
Ronin nodded, having no intention of befriending the boy. He turned to leave the arena.
Killua's voice called out from behind him. "I feel a disgusting aura on you... something I really hate. I'll challenge you again. And when I do, I'll figure out what it is!"
"If you can make it up here, I don't mind," Ronin waved dismissively.
With his current strength, Killua couldn't reach the 200th floor.
So Ronin wasn't worried. However, as he spoke, he sensed the killing intent from the stands grow even thicker.
.....
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