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526 HxH: The Strongest Assassin
🕑 Added 2025-06-06 05:02:00 +0000 UTC"Has Kastro had any matches recently?"
"Probably not."
A thought came to Kaizen.
Maybe a match between Kastro and Killua could be arranged.
Looking back at the original events, Kaizen realized Killua had barely been pushed during the Hunter Exam or even in Heavens Arena. That lack of pressure had stalled his progress—Gon had started to catch up.
Even when they encountered the Phantom Troupe in Yorknew, the gap was too wide for Killua to grow meaningfully from it.
It wasn't until Greed Island and the Chimera Ant arc that Killua really started to level up.
Gon, on the other hand, had been improving steadily ever since the Hunter Exam.
Back then, Kaizen had even asked Hanzo to go harder on Killua—to raise the challenge.
But that still hadn't been enough.
If Kastro were to fight Killua seriously—under Kaizen's guidance—then Killua might get the kind of pressure he really needed.
As for safety concerns?
Not an issue.
Kastro respected Kaizen too much to ever go too far. He knew how close Kaizen was to Killua and would never seriously injure him.
...
Killua and Gon glanced at each other.
"Gon, should we head for the 200th floor?"
"Yeah!"
They rushed to the front desk and filled out their registration forms.
Killua had qualified for the 200th floor years ago, so this wasn't new territory for him. And now, his aura had only grown stronger.
He figured that if he kept winning, he could climb up again in no time.
As for Gon, Killua was confident he could keep up too.
Once they reached the 50th floor, they started attracting more attention. The buzz surrounding them was building.
Meanwhile, on the Heavens Arena forum, a topic called Teenage Genius was lighting up.
Dozens of new posts started flooding in.
Killua and Gon were trending.
Some users were impressed by their performance, praising them as prodigies.
But soon, the criticism started rolling in too.
"C'mon, we get so-called young geniuses every year."
"Sure, they're talented compared to average fighters—but none of them are close to Kaizen's level. Not one."
"Even Nina couldn't hold a candle to Kaizen."
Naturally, Killua and Gon's supporters pushed back.
"Their debut matches were way more impressive than Kaizen's first one."
But that was only true for casual spectators.
In reality, Kaizen had been using aura from the start. He had simply chosen to hide his strength and take things slow, absorbing everything Heavens Arena had to offer.
"But Killua and Gon were older than Kaizen was during his debut."
"Wanna bet?"
"What kind of bet?"
"100,000 Jenny. You in?"
"Of course I am! Let's go!"
"Count me in!"
Once the betting started, the tone of the thread shifted dramatically.
...
Elsewhere, Sadaso had just stepped out of a match.
As usual, he took out his phone and logged onto the Heavens Arena forum.
Kaizen was only using the arena as a convenient base.
But for Sadaso?
It was his life.
His goal had always been to become a Floor Master. The thought of traveling to other cities or countries had never even crossed his mind.
So naturally, he paid close attention to every development in Heavens Arena.
Training aside, checking the forum had become a daily ritual.
Soon, a trending post caught his eye.
"Another genius rookie?"
He tapped it open—and his pupils shrank slightly.
"Killua?"
When Killua had left Heavens Arena years ago, Sadaso had felt a twinge of regret.
He had seen potential in Killua, and had even hoped that watching Killua improve might inspire him to push harder himself.
But that window had long since closed.
Now, though...
Sadaso turned on his heel and headed toward the 50th floor.
As he passed, lower-ranked fighters instinctively stepped aside.
After all, anyone from the 200th floor carried a certain weight—and Sadaso had earned his status the hard way. No shortcuts. No powerful background. Just grit and time.
Not everyone could be a prodigy like Kaizen.
But Sadaso?
He was living proof that even an average fighter could climb through sheer effort.
Many rookies idolized Kaizen, dreaming of being like him.
But deep down, most of them knew they'd never reach that level.
Sadaso's story felt more attainable.
That's why, to them, Sadaso was someone worth emulating.
...
"Killua!"
Killua turned around at the sound of his name.
"Sadaso?"
"Killua! It's been a long time."
"Yeah, it has."
Sadaso's gaze shifted to Gon. "And this is?"
"This is Gon. He's my friend. He hasn't been to Heavens Arena before, so I brought him here to check it out."
"Nice to meet you, Gon," Sadaso said, offering his hand.
"Nice to meet you too."
They shook hands.
"I didn't expect you to return to the Arena. I saw a thread about you on the forum and decided to come find you. Come on, let me buy you a drink."
Gon looked at Killua.
Killua gave a small nod.
Sadaso wasn't exactly a friend, but he was a familiar face. Killua didn't sense any danger—at least not here, in the Arena.
Sadaso led them into a café tucked inside the Arena and booked a private booth.
Not long after, coffee arrived.
He closed the door behind them and sat across from the two boys.
Sadaso looked at Killua, a touch of nostalgia in his eyes.
"It's crazy… It's already been over four years. You've grown taller—and your strength must've skyrocketed."
Killua gave a half-smile. "I guess."
He wasn't feeling as sentimental as Sadaso. Kids rarely were.
Sadaso wasn't old, but people who spent their lives watching others surpass them tended to get reflective.
"You mentioned the forum earlier?" Killua asked.
"Yeah. The Heavens Arena forum," Sadaso replied. "There's tons of info on there. And someone started a new thread—'Teenage Genius'—because of Kaizen. After people saw your match, they started comparing you to him."
