"Not bad at all…"
"When will I get a dojo like this?"
A look of envy flickered in Sadaso's eyes.
"We're here, Sadaso-san."
A disciple of the dojo led Sadaso to a door that opened into a study.
"Let him in."
The disciple opened the door.
Sadaso stepped inside.
A middle-aged man sat behind a desk stacked with books.
"Have a seat," the man said, gesturing to the chair across from him.
Sadaso sat down, a little stiffly.
"I'm Yoneda Doppo."
"I know. I've seen you fight in the tournament. A real standout among the veterans."
Sadaso was a devoted viewer of the Heavens Arena fighting tournaments—he never missed a year and always bought the best seats he could afford. The tickets were expensive, but to him, it was worth every Jenny.
Unlike Kaizen. He had only seen it once and wasn't particularly impressed.
Right now, in the entire Heavens Arena, only the Floor Master level fighters might be close to Kaizen's strength. Everyone else, even the high-ranking ones, were far behind. Watching them was pointless to someone like him—even Floor Master vs. Floor Master bouts weren't worth his time. The strength gap was just too wide.
Unless Kaizen himself entered the ring.
Kaizen had considered it, but he felt the time wasn't right yet.
...
Sadaso knew Yoneda Doppo wasn't just any fighter—among the many Floor Masters in the Arena, he was middle-tier. That alone made Sadaso even more eager to join TST.
Yoneda gave a small nod.
He pulled out a document and slid it across the desk toward Sadaso.
"This outlines the benefits and responsibilities of joining TST. Take a quick look."
Sadaso took it immediately.
"Yes, Doppo-sama."
The document listed several items.
First, TST members could access training grounds offered by several Floor Masters. Compared to the standard facilities for Arena fighters, these were on a different level.
More importantly—sparring partners.
Finding suitable opponents in the Arena was tough. But in TST, that wasn't a problem. Good matches were easy to come by.
On top of that, core TST members gave regular lectures.
That alone made the offer almost too good to be true. Outside of TST, you'd never get access to that kind of experience or insight.
Of course, these benefits didn't come free.
TST wasn't a charity.
The terms Yoneda offered Sadaso were much stricter than the ones Kaizen had received. And it wasn't hard to see why—Kaizen's talent and strength were on another level entirely.
"You were recommended by Kaizen, so I won't make you go through any assessment."
"If the terms are acceptable, you're in."
Sadaso didn't hesitate.
"I'm fine with everything, Doppo-sama."
"Good."
Yoneda stood up and extended a hand.
"From today on, you're part of TST."
"I'll introduce you to the others at the next meeting."
Sadaso reached out and shook his hand firmly.
"Thank you, Doppo-sama."
"You're welcome—but if you want to thank someone, thank Kaizen."
He called out toward the hallway.
A young man entered.
"This is my disciple—he's also a TST member. If you have any questions, ask him. He'll help you get settled."
As Sadaso left, Yoneda watched his back with a bit of nostalgia.
Back then, he'd thought Kaizen was just a promising talent.
He hadn't expected the boy to surpass him so soon.
Now, he couldn't even gauge Kaizen's level anymore.
...
Sadaso returned to Heavens Arena in high spirits.
After a brief moment of hesitation, he gave Kaizen a call.
"Kaizen-sama, I've officially joined TST. Thank you."
"No need to thank me."
Kaizen didn't say much.
Back when Sadaso had confronted Killua, his choice to step in rather than escalate the situation had left an impression on Kaizen.
This opportunity was his reward.
But that was as far as it would go.
Sadaso's talent had a ceiling, and he was already nearing it.
Nen users and ordinary fighters lived in two entirely different worlds.
And Kaizen and Sadaso—weren't they from different worlds too?
...
After hanging up, Kaizen turned his attention back to the document in front of him.
Altan had compiled a dossier.
It was all about Kroll.
"The distance isn't too far… should only take two days to get there."
"Remote and secluded. Right near the desert."
"No one knows the exact location, but it's in that general area."
"Kroll's people come out from time to time. That's the only way we've been able to track him."
Kaizen thought for a moment.
"This guy used to be part of the Republic of Mimbo's army. What he's doing now is basically treason."
"Logically, Mimbo should've dealt with him themselves."
"But instead of dispatching powerful Nen users to track him down, they just posted a bounty online."
"There's no way a country like Mimbo doesn't have capable Hunters."
"When they invaded the Kingdom of Fiora last time, their Nen users were no joke."
"There are only two possible explanations."
"One: Kroll's hiding ability is incredible. They simply can't find him."
"Two: Someone in the Mimbo Republic is protecting him."
"Either way, that's not my problem."
"My goal isn't the reward—it's team training."
"Kroll's skills in stealth and evasion are top-tier. He'll be perfect for sharpening Ponzu's ability."
"And if someone in Mimbo doesn't want him dead, well… that's their problem, not mine."
"I'm just a killer."
The V5 acknowledged the existence of the assassin profession.
Sure, the public might seek revenge—but the V5 wouldn't.
They had too many covert deals with assassins. Too many dirty jobs that needed to be done.
If killers were hunted over every commission, no one would take those jobs anymore.
That would be bad for business—and for international stability.
Besides, Kaizen wasn't just any assassin.
He was a Zoldyck.
...
Still, in this line of work, it was normal to die on the job.
It all came down to strength—who was better, who was faster, who survived.
Kaizen stepped in front of the team.
"These past few weeks, everyone's improved. The way you move together has gotten a lot tighter."
"Now, it's time to put it to the test."
"Get ready. We head out tomorrow."
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (1047 chapters in total)