[119]: He's Strong

In the corridor, a group of fighters from the 200th floor and above—each having awakened their Nen abilities—either stood or sat around.

Meanwhile, outside the passage, the newcomers trembled under the sheer pressure of an aura they couldn't even see but could definitely feel.

"You guys are intimidating the rookies again, huh…" Cyr glanced at the familiar and unfamiliar fighters gathered in the corridor. "Boring."

Ignoring the combined pressure emanating from the fighters around him, he walked straight to the registration counter.

After submitting the registration form, all that was left was to wait for his opponent to be assigned.

If he didn't submit it… he would be automatically disqualified when the time ran out.

The fighters in the corridor recognized him but didn't say anything.

As Cyr finished submitting his form and turned to leave, he paused briefly when passing by Hisoka, as if something had just crossed his mind.

"Oh, right. Hisoka, do you want to challenge me?"

Hisoka smiled lazily, his hands never stopping as he placed another playing card onto his unfinished card tower.

"I still remember what you said~ You'd only fight me when you had the strength of Chairman Netero, right?"

That old man's strength was certainly nothing to scoff at.

Besides, Hisoka had already chosen his next opponent for an upcoming match—it wasn't Cyr.

"You only need two more fights before you become the Floor Master, huh? Damn, I wanted to get there before you," the white-haired boy grumbled in frustration.

Hisoka simply smiled as he listened. After all, he had been in Heaven's Arena for almost three years now.

Such a delightful little fruit~

He watched Cyr's departing figure, a strangely… benevolent look flashing in his eyes.

—

Three days later, a name appeared on the notification screen in Cyr's room—Dorado.

"Never heard of him. Just another nobody?" Cyr muttered in confusion.

Then again, he barely remembered anyone other than the opponents he had fought and Hisoka.

"Dorado made it to the 200th floor in six months," Maro said as he pulled out a small notebook and flipped through his notes.

"His ability leans toward Transmutation and Conjuration. His primary weapon—a long staff that conceals blades—is something he conjures through Nen."

Since Dorado had reached the 200th floor half a year ago, Maro had him recorded. If it were someone who had climbed up in the last three months, he wouldn't have much information yet. But he was already working on gathering intel on the new fighters.

Unlike Cyr, Maro couldn't afford to be careless. He couldn't simply rely on brute strength and expect to win every fight. To come out victorious, he needed to plan carefully.

Understanding the opponent's strength, their usual attack methods, and their potential weaknesses—analyzing all of that was key to victory.

"Transmutation and Conjuration? Sounds boring," Cyr sighed, shaking his head. "But… I guess I can look forward to it a little."

Who knows? Maybe his opponent would surprise him.

Maybe Dorado was actually incredibly powerful—strong enough to beat Cyr into the ground the moment the fight started… or something like that.

—

The notification arrived today. The match would take place tomorrow.

As Cyr stepped onto the arena stage, he finally took the time to get a proper look at his opponent.

Meanwhile, in the spectator stands…

"Killua, look! Cyr is coming out!" Gon excitedly grabbed Killua's arm with one hand and pointed toward the arena with the other, practically shouting.

"It really is him, huh…" Killua sighed, already exhausted. He wasn't surprised at all.

The moment they arrived at Heaven's Arena, they had been bombarded with promotional announcements about a particular fighter's match.

Things like:

"The youngest 200th-floor fighter in Heaven's Arena—the White Demon—don't miss this battle!"

"The most breathtaking fighter in history—watch his dazzling performance for only…"

A string of ridiculously exaggerated descriptions was plastered alongside the name Cyr, successfully grabbing both Killua and Gon's attention.

Not long after arriving, they had already spent a small fortune on tickets—though, to be fair, the money came from their recent fight winnings.

"His opponent… looks strong," Gon suddenly said, watching the figure on the arena with a serious expression.

A creature covered in vibrant orange fur, resembling a humanoid tiger, stood on the stage. Its face lacked any human features.

"Wait, does Heaven's Arena allow magical beasts to compete?" Gon blinked. "I guess… there's no rule against it."

"This is so nerve-wracking, Killua! But it's weird—it's not even my fight." Gon was confused by his own emotions, completely unaware that he was being affected by Nen. He simply wondered if he had developed some strange habit of getting nervous on behalf of others.

Killua remained silent, watching like a cat cautiously assessing its surroundings.

—

"Ladies and gentlemen, both Dorado and Cyr have entered the arena!" The commentator spoke with enthusiasm, gripping the microphone.

"Dorado made it to the 200th floor six months ago and currently holds a record of two wins, zero losses."

"Cyr reached the 200th floor a year ago and holds a record of three wins, zero losses."

"So, who do you think will win? Let's find out!"

As she spoke, she gestured toward the massive screen in the stands.

The screen displayed the two fighters' portraits, and the numbers beneath them rolled rapidly before settling.

Dorado VS Cyr

Odds: 2.03 / 1.1

"Looks like the crowd believes Cyr has the higher chance of victory," the commentator teased, clearly trying to stir up excitement. "And with that—the match begins!"

The audience erupted in cheers.

"Cyr! Cyr! Cyr!"

"Crush him! White Demon!"

"Wow, everyone really believes in Cyr," Gon said, glancing at the excited spectators.

On the arena stage, Cyr reached toward his shoulder, and from seemingly nowhere, pulled out a weapon.

It was only about the length of his forearm and appeared rather dull.

"Where did that weapon come from?!" Gon's eyes widened in shock.

"Interesting," Killua leaned forward slightly, his focus sharpening.

The orange and white figures, like two beams of light from opposite directions, were about to collide.

The usual principle of longer reach equals stronger advantage no longer seemed relevant.

—

The fight ended in two moves.

First, Cyr raised his strange weapon to block Dorado's incoming staff strike.

The moment their weapons clashed, something unexpected happened—the long staff in Dorado's hands vanished into thin air.

Before the audience or even Dorado himself could react, Cyr didn't hesitate.

The seemingly blunt weapon suddenly appeared at Dorado's throat—piercing through completely.

With a casual motion, Cyr withdrew it.

Blood sprayed. Dorado collapsed, his condition unknown.

It all happened within seconds—so fast that most people didn't even process what had occurred.

They only knew one thing—Cyr had won. Again.

"Cyr—one-hit KO." The referee announced loudly.

"White Demon! White Demon! White Demon!" The audience leapt to their feet, roaring in celebration.

The referee's call for a stretcher over the intercom was completely drowned out, treated as nothing more than background noise.

"H-he's… really strong…" Gon swallowed hard, watching as Cyr nonchalantly made his weapon vanish into the void.

"Yeah," Killua muttered, not even trying to deny it.

This guy… is way too strong.

°°°

If you want to read ahead and access 20 advanced chapters, check the patreon

Link: Patreon/Moziel