Killua’s expression turned dull.

He wasn’t even sure what kind of physical strength was keeping him standing.

It felt like he was moving on autopilot—like a walking corpse.

His body was acting purely on instinct now.

Meanwhile, Kastro’s attacks kept coming.

The audience murmured.

"Is it finally over?"

"Killua’s going to lose."

"Still, making it this far is pretty impressive."

"Yeah. After all, he’s up against Kastro."

...

Boom!

Suddenly, Killua felt something shift inside him—like a switch had been flipped.

A warm surge of aura bloomed from his core.

It spread throughout his body.

His eyes lit up.

"What... is this?"

The next instant, his speed spiked.

His strength surged too—well beyond what it had been moments ago.

Boom!

Kastro was caught off guard. He hadn’t expected such a jump in Killua’s ability and was still treating him like the opponent from just seconds ago.

As a result, he left an opening in his guard.

He staggered backward from the blow.

Killua’s eyes flashed.

From the crowd’s point of view, their fight had gone through stages—the early exchanges were a warm-up, then came an intense back-and-forth. Eventually, Killua seemed to be worn down and pushed to the edge.

But Killua knew the truth.

He had never had the upper hand.

Not once.

Kastro had been in control from the start.

And now—now—Killua had finally forced him to take a step back.

"I leveled up..."

The rush of newfound strength exhilarated him, and his attacks grew fiercer.

For a moment, Kastro couldn’t keep up.

But only for a moment.

He quickly adjusted.

The fight evened out again.

"Killua," Kastro said calmly, "I’m going to show you my real ability next."

"Watch closely."

He used Killua’s assault to retreat, putting distance between them.

Then a massive surge of aura erupted from Kastro’s body.

"Tiger Bite Fist."

His form began to change—no longer entirely human.

He became a bipedal tiger, upright and radiating raw power.

This was the first time Kastro had revealed this ability in the Heavens Arena.

The audience gasped.

"What the hell?!"

"He transformed!"

"He turned into a beast!"

"Are we safe?!"

"Run?!"

Then the host’s voice rang out, trying to calm the chaos.

"Everyone, please remain calm! Kastro has simply activated a unique secret technique."

"He is, without a doubt, still human."

"We assure you that the security of the Heavens Arena is more than sufficient."

"There is no danger."

The audience settled slightly, but the shock remained.

"Secret technique or not—his body changed completely."

"He literally turned into a tiger..."

...

Kaizen, watching from the stands, shook his head.

The Heavens Arena’s defenses were usually decent—but never perfect.

Back during the fight between Hisoka and Chrollo, Chrollo had used the audience as part of his tactics, turning them into human bombs.

It hadn’t just troubled Hisoka—it had killed bystanders who’d only come to watch a match. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Both Hisoka and Chrollo were immensely powerful. Among Nen users classified as A-rank, they stood at the top.

And within the Heavens Arena, aside from perhaps the host himself, no one could stand against them—not the fighters, not the staff.

And certainly not the Floor Masters.

Most wouldn’t even bother to intervene.

...

Killua’s eyes widened.

"Is this... Nen too?"

"Can Nen really do something like this?"

He focused on sensing Kastro’s aura.

And finally admitted to himself—

"I can’t win."

The thought arose instinctively: Should I forfeit?

Whether it was the result of his Zoldyck upbringing or the binding rosary from Illumi, that option always lingered in the back of his mind.

But before he could act, Kastro moved.

In a flash, he appeared before Killua.

His fist was wrapped in dense aura—thick and heavy.

He swung.

...

Boom!

Killua barely dodged, but the sheer force sent him flying.

Crash!

He slammed into the floor.

His pupils trembled. For a long moment, he just lay there, stunned.

Then—

A hand reached out to him.

"Killua."

Kastro’s voice.

Killua blinked, looked at the hand, hesitated...

And then took it.

Kastro helped him to his feet.

"I lost," Killua muttered, glancing down.

The referee confirmed it with a raised flag.

Killua’s emotions were tangled.

He’d stepped into this match partially to defend Gon, who had been defeated by Gido.

He had wanted to win—maybe even avenge him.

But the system had paired him with Kastro instead.

From the first moment, he felt Kastro’s overwhelming strength.

That initial desire to protect Gon quickly gave way to a different goal:

I want to know how far I can go against someone like this.

Killua had pushed himself to the limit.

When he broke through, he was thrilled.

But it hadn’t lasted long.

Before he could enjoy it, Kastro revealed a form Killua had never seen—a power beyond what he thought possible.

He was crushed.

Killua wasn’t satisfied with losing.

But more than anything, he felt a hunger.

A drive.

This is Nen?

Just how far can Nen take me?

What kind of Nen can I develop?

Right now, all he could think about was returning to Wing’s apartment.

To be taught more.

To get stronger—fast.

...

The crowd erupted into cheers for Kastro as the referee declared his victory.

Kastro reverted to his human form.

He turned to Killua.

"Let’s go."

"Huh?" Killua blinked. "Go where?"

"You coming?"

Kastro gave him a half-smile.

"Kaizen-sama is waiting outside."

Killua froze.

A vein twitched at the corner of his forehead.

His expression turned very complicated.

"...Kaizen again..."

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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (1047 Chapters in total)