A/N: Hello again. So the vetting process was successful and now my novel appears on my profile "Can I Magic Please". If you enjoy my other stories, definitely check it out. Its about magic, different races and several other stuff. Plus it would help me in my dream of winning the WSA 2026.
Thank you very much. And enjoy the chapter :)
---
The halls of the 200th Floor were far quieter than the lower levels.
No roaring crowds.
No excited tourists.
Only fighters.
Every person walking these corridors carried an unusual tension around them.
Like loaded weapons pretending to be human.
Meanwhile Yuzuki walked casually with his hands in his pockets, humming softly to himself.
"…I wonder what Bisky bought."
Food remained his highest priority.
Unfortunately for him—
Three shadows slowly approached from ahead.
Yuzuki noticed them immediately.
'Ah.'
'The baptism trio.'
Gido smiled warmly as he approached first.
"Hey there, kid."
Yuzuki blinked innocently.
"Hm?"
"We heard you just arrived on the 200th Floor."
Behind him, Riehlvelt crossed his arms casually while Sadaso lingered silently nearby.
Gido's tone remained friendly.
"Congratulations. Making it here at your age is impressive."
Yuzuki scratched his cheek bashfully.
"Really?"
"Of course."
Riehlvelt stepped forward slightly.
"But the 200th Floor is different from the lower levels."
"The competition becomes much harsher here."
"Far more dangerous."
Yuzuki widened his eyes slightly like an innocent child hearing scary ghost stories.
"Dangerous?"
Sadaso finally spoke.
"A lot of newcomers freeze up here."
"They don't know how to schedule fights properly."
"They panic under pressure."
Gido nodded sympathetically.
"That's why experienced fighters like us usually help newcomers settle in."
Yuzuki stared at them quietly for a second.
Internally though—
'You three are so full of shit.'
He almost admired the confidence.
These three had genuinely turned bullying rookies into a professional system.
Then again…
They had no idea who they were talking to.
Yuzuki suddenly brightened.
"Really!? You guys would help me?"
The three nearly smiled wider immediately.
Hook.
Line.
Sinker.
Riehlvelt nodded calmly.
"Of course."
"We can even arrange your first matches."
"That way you won't accidentally challenge someone too dangerous."
Yuzuki's expression became even more excited.
"Wow! Thank you so much!"
Gido internally almost laughed.
'This idiot is even easier than expected.'
A child.
Talented maybe.
But naive.
The perfect target.
Meanwhile Yuzuki continued acting.
"So who should I fight first?"
The three exchanged subtle glances.
Sadaso spoke.
"Well…"
"If you're comfortable with it…"
"You could fight one of us."
"That way we can help you adjust to the level here."
Yuzuki gasped dramatically.
"Seriously!?"
Gido nodded kindly.
"It'll be good experience for you."
"Besides…"
His smile sharpened slightly.
"We'd hate for a promising rookie to get hurt too badly by someone else."
Yuzuki lowered his head slightly.
The trio smiled internally.
'Completely fooled.'
Then Yuzuki suddenly looked up with sparkling eyes.
"Okay!!"
The three blinked.
Yuzuki clenched his fists excitedly.
"I'd love to fight you guys!"
His enthusiasm was so genuine-looking that even they got slightly caught off guard.
Riehlvelt smirked.
"Good attitude."
Gido placed a hand on Yuzuki's shoulder.
"Trust us, kid."
"We'll make sure you learn a lot."
Yuzuki smiled brightly behind his sunglasses.
"Oh, I'm sure I will."
For some reason—
A strange chill ran down Sadaso's spine.
But it disappeared quickly.
Then the three walked away together after arranging preliminary match requests.
The moment they turned the corner, Gido finally chuckled.
"We hit the jackpot."
Riehlvelt laughed softly.
"A talented idiot child."
Sadaso grinned beneath his hair.
"This should be easy."
None of them noticed the smile slowly spreading across Yuzuki's face behind them.
A smile far too calm.
Far too amused.
'This is going to be funny.'
---
The entrance doors of Heavens Arena slid open quietly.
A tall figure stepped inside leisurely.
Pink hair.
Face paint.
Cards spinning elegantly between his fingers.
Hisoka Morow smiled faintly as he walked deeper into the arena.
"It still smells the same here ♠"
Blood.
Greed.
Ambition.
Fear.
Heavens Arena was one of the few places in the world where humans willingly turned themselves into entertainment for violence.
And Hisoka loved places like that.
His shoes tapped softly against the floor as he entered an elevator.
"199th Floor ♣"
The elevator began ascending.
Hisoka hummed quietly to himself.
He had returned on a whim.
Mostly boredom.
After the Hunter Exam incident, he found ordinary opponents unbearably dull again.
Weak.
Predictable.
Breakable.
But then he had heard whispers.
A child prodigy.
Fastest climb in history.
Strong.
Very strong.
Hisoka's smile widened slightly.
'Yuzuki ♥'
Just remembering the name made his pulse quicken faintly.
The elevator doors opened.
The noise of the arena immediately flooded his senses.
Crowds still lingered from the earlier fights.
Commentators replayed highlights on large screens.
And among the crowd—
Hisoka's eyes landed on a familiar figure instantly.
Pink hair.
Sharp gaze.
Uninterested expression.
Machi Komacine.
Hisoka brightened immediately.
"Maaachiiii~ ♥"
Machi visibly frowned the moment she heard his voice.
"…Why are you here."
Hisoka placed a hand dramatically over his chest.
"That's such a cold greeting ♠"
"You're annoying."
"Cruel as always ♥"
Hisoka slid beside her casually.
"You rarely come to Heavens Arena."
"Were you watching a fight? ♣"
Machi crossed her arms.
"I was looking at someone."
"Plus I figured I might find potential clients."
Hisoka tilted his head.
"Ohoh? ♠"
"Anyone interesting?"
Machi answered immediately.
"One promising one."
Hisoka's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Who? ♥"
"…Yuzuki."
Silence.
Then—
Hisoka's smile slowly widened.
Wider.
And wider.
A dangerous smile.
A hungry smile.
The card between his fingers bent slightly from pressure.
"Ahhh… ♥"
His shoulders trembled faintly.
'So my little fruit is here ♠'
Excitement surged through him instantly.
The image of Yuzuki flashed through his mind.
Those blue eyes.
That talent.
That terrifying growth speed.
And most importantly—
That potential.
Hisoka licked a card slowly.
"He's growing beautifully ♥"
Machi visibly looked uncomfortable now.
Even she disliked seeing Hisoka like this.
The man practically radiated predatory lust.
"…You're disgusting."
Hisoka laughed softly.
"And yet you still tolerate me ♣"
"Barely."
Without another word, Machi immediately began walking away.
Fast.
Very fast.
She had no interest in remaining near an excited Hisoka.
Especially not one thinking about "ripening fruit."
Hisoka watched her leave before chuckling softly.
"She's shy ♥"
Then suddenly—
Hisoka's eyes shifted.
Across the arena.
Standing near another corridor entrance.
A familiar man stared back at him coldly.
Kastro.
Hisoka's grin widened immediately.
"Ahhh~ ♠"
"Ka-stro ♥"
Memories surfaced instantly.
One year ago.
Their fight.
Kastro's defeat.
The despair on his face.
And afterward—
Hisoka had intentionally spared him.
Given him time.
Time to grow.
Time to mature.
Time to bloom.
Because crushing potential too early was wasteful.
And now?
Now Hisoka could feel it.
Kastro had improved.
A lot.
Hisoka's pulse quickened.
'Two ripening fruits at once… ♥'
His breathing became slightly uneven.
The pressure around him fluctuated faintly.
Then—
Hisoka shivered.
A quiet sound escaped his mouth.
"Mmh~ ♥"
Pure ecstasy.
A hunter finding prey.
Across the hall, Kastro's face darkened immediately.
"…Creep."
Even from a distance, Hisoka's expression unsettled him deeply.
But beneath the disgust—
There was anger.
Real anger.
The humiliation from last year still burned inside him.
The effortless defeat.
The mockery.
The pity.
Kastro clenched his fists tightly.
'Not this time.'
For an entire year, he had trained obsessively.
Mastering Nen.
Developing his abilities.
Pushing himself beyond his limits.
And finally—
He had created it.
A clone.
A double.
A perfect combat partner born from Conjuration and Manipulation.
It still wasn't complete.
Still imperfect.
But it was enough.
Enough to finally kill Hisoka.
Kastro's eyes narrowed sharply.
'This time…'
'You're the one who'll die.'
Meanwhile across the arena—
Hisoka smiled like a child entering a candy store.
"…How exciting ♥"
---
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