The interior of Heavens Arena was louder than it had any right to be.
A constant churn of voices, footsteps, announcements, and distant impacts rolled through the massive vertical structure like a living organism. Hundreds of fighters waited in clustered lines beneath towering screens that displayed rankings, matchups, and rising names.
Yuzuki stood at the registration counter with his hands in his pockets, expression calm but observant. The clerk in front of him barely looked up.
"Name."
"Yuzuki."
"Age."
"Thirteen."
That finally earned a brief glance.
"You're kidding."
Yuzuki didn't react. "Do I look like I am?"
A pause. Then the clerk shrugged as if the system itself didn't care.
"Whatever. Step forward when your match is called."
A stamp hit the form. Done.
No warnings. No concern. No hesitation.
Just entry into violence.
Behind him, the line continued to shift.
A few minutes earlier, the girl who had casually bought her way into second place was already at work again.
She walked up to the third-place competitor with a polite smile.
"I'll give you five million Jenny for your spot."
The man blinked. "You got twenty for second place."
"Yes."
"Then ten," he said immediately, adjusting without shame.
The girl tilted her head. "No thanks. I'll ask someone else."
That was all it took.
"Fine, fine, five is fine!"
Yuzuki, watching from a distance, exhaled softly.
'Efficient. She doesn't waste momentum. She just… tests value until the system breaks in her favor.'
He didn't admire greed. But he respected precision.
When he returned to Bisky, she was leaning against a pillar with her arms crossed, eyes half-lidded in a way that suggested patience was being actively drained from her body.
"Well?" she asked.
"I'm registered."
"Good."
She stared at him for a second longer than necessary.
Then she spoke again.
"You're banned from using Nen."
Yuzuki blinked. "Excuse me?"
Bisky waved a hand casually, as if she were assigning homework.
"Not just this fight. All fights until you reach the 200th floor."
"That's not training. That's sabotage."
"That's called fixing your habits before they kill you," she replied flatly.
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
"You rely on it too much. Your body still doesn't know how to fight properly without leaning on aura output. If I let you climb like that, you'll develop bad instincts."
Yuzuki clicked his tongue lightly. "Convenient timing to become cruel."
"I prefer 'educational.'"
From a distance, a few nearby fighters glanced at them. Bisky's aura didn't flare, but her presence alone made it clear she wasn't someone to argue with casually.
Yuzuki sighed.
"Fine."
Bisky smirked. "Good boy."
"Don't say it like that."
"I will say it however I want."
A loud chime echoed through the arena.
"YUZUKI. YOUR MATCH IS READY."
The screen above flickered.
Opponent confirmed. Arena floor assigned.
Bisky pushed herself off the pillar and stepped beside him.
Her tone softened just slightly.
"Don't overthink it. Just feel the opponent. Break your habits."
Yuzuki rolled his shoulders once.
Then, as he started walking toward the arena gate, he paused briefly.
Without turning fully back, he asked:
"If I lose?"
Bisky shrugged.
"Then you deserved it."
That was all the reassurance he got.
As Yuzuki disappeared into the corridor leading to the fighting floor, the noise of Heavens Arena grew distant behind him.
The weight of the match settled in. Not fear, not excitement.
Just focus.
And Bisky stood still for a moment longer than usual.
"…Don't embarrass me, kid," she muttered quietly.
---
The arena gate groaned open.
Yuzuki stepped onto the fighting floor of Heavens Arena.
At the center stood the referee.
"Match confirmed," the referee announced. "Victory determines advancement to the next floor."
A pause.
"Begin when ready."
Yuzuki's opponent stepped forward.
A woman.
Lean, composed, clearly trained. Her stance alone spoke of discipline. Clean posture, controlled breathing, balanced weight distribution.
She looked at Yuzuki… and immediately frowned.
"…You're a child."
Yuzuki blinked. "I get that a lot today."
Her expression softened slightly.
"This isn't a place for children. I'm a trained martial artist. If you fight me seriously, you will get hurt."
Yuzuki scratched his cheek. "I'll be fine."
"That's not what I mean."
She took a step closer, lowering her voice.
"Withdraw. Try again when you're stronger."
He tilted his head slightly.
"…No."
A sigh escaped her.
"Then I'll hold back. As much as I can."
Yuzuki shrugged.
"That's fine."
The referee raised a hand.
"Begin."
She moved first.
Clean entry. Linear strike. No wasted motion.
A textbook straight punch aimed at his centerline.
Yuzuki didn't block.
He stepped slightly off-angle.
The fist passed by his shoulder by a fraction.
'Efficient,' he thought.
But not flexible.
She followed immediately, kick to the ribs.
Yuzuki shifted again, letting it skim past.
He didn't counter.
Not yet.
He was watching.
Studying.
'So this is proper martial arts structure… stable base, predictable follow-ups…'
She frowned.
"You're not defending properly."
"I am," he replied casually.
She narrowed her eyes.
Then accelerated.
Her attacks tightened.
Strikes came in combinations now. Jab, elbow, low kick, pivot.
Each one precise.
Each one meant to corner him.
Yuzuki still hadn't taken a hit.
But he also hadn't attacked.
Instead—
He adjusted.
Small steps.
Weight shifts.
Angles that weren't taught, only felt.
He observed how her body committed before each strike.
The rhythm behind her movement.
'If I break the rhythm…'
She lunged again.
This time faster.
Yuzuki finally moved forward into her space.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Too close.
She threw an elbow—
Yuzuki tilted just enough for it to miss.
And then—
He lightly placed a hand on her forearm.
Not striking.
Guiding.
Her momentum redirected—
She stumbled half a step forward.
Confusion flashed across her face.
"What—?"
Yuzuki had already moved behind her.
Just… efficient placement.
A soft push to her shoulder.
She turned too late.
Lost balance.
He didn't finish her.
Just stepped back.
Now she was serious.
Her breathing changed.
Her stance tightened.
"…I understand now," she said quietly.
"You're not relying on strength."
Yuzuki nodded slightly.
"I'm trying something."
She exhaled sharply.
Then came in again, no hesitation.
This time, sharper.
Her strikes were aimed to end the opening patterns he was exploiting.
No more predictable rhythm.
A real fight.
Yuzuki clicked his tongue softly.
'So she adjusted already.'
Good.
That was the point.
He shifted again.
He moved differently now, not reacting to attacks, but to intent.
She struck high.
He lowered his shoulder, not blocking, but collapsing distance.
Her knee came up—
He caught it mid-motion with a light redirect.
She landed, regained stance immediately, and struck again. Faster, frustrated now.
Yuzuki finally spoke.
"Your center of gravity shifts too early."
She blinked.
"What?"
He stepped aside from her punch.
"You commit before the strike lands. Your body tells me what's coming."
Her eyes sharpened.
"That's impossible."
But she tested it.
Next strike, she delayed.
Feinted.
Changed angle mid-motion.
Yuzuki moved anyway.
Perfectly.
Reading the micro-shifts.
She froze for half a second.
"…What are you?"
Yuzuki shrugged.
"Trying things out."
That annoyed her.
She stopped holding back.
Fully now.
Her speed increased sharply.
A trained aura of seriousness settled around her.
Even the referee leaned slightly forward.
This was no longer a spar.
She rushed him again—
Three strikes in rapid succession.
Yuzuki finally exhaled.
'Alright.'
He stepped in.
Her first strike passed his shoulder.
Second missed entirely.
Third—
He caught her wrist lightly.
Not stopping it.
Redirecting it just enough—
to throw her balance off completely.
Her footing broke.
For a split second—
open.
Yuzuki tapped her shoulder.
A soft, controlled push.
She stumbled back.
Stopped herself at the edge of the circle.
Breathing hard.
Silence.
The referee raised his hand.
"Match—"
She raised her hand quickly.
"I concede."
Yuzuki blinked.
"…Oh."
She exhaled, lowering her stance.
Then looked at him properly.
"…You really weren't taking me seriously at all."
Yuzuki scratched his cheek.
"I was taking you seriously. Just… differently."
That made her smile faintly.
"…That's terrifying."
The referee announced it.
"Winner: Yuzuki. Advancement confirmed."
Yuzuki turned away calmly.
As if it was nothing.
But inside—
'So that's how structure works.'
'And how it breaks.'
A new layer of understanding had just settled in.
---
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