Date: July 10th, 2011
Point of View Switch: Kai
The climax of the original Heavens Arena arc has finally arrived; the long-awaited fight between Gon and Hisoka. After three months of arduous training, Gon finally is going to face the challenge of punching Hisoka in the face to return his exam badge and mend his wounded pride. As Hisoka's enemy and someone raised to be a warrior, I can't help but give the protagonist my full support.
Currently, everyone else and I are scattered throughout the stands waiting to watch the match. After a few minutes of waiting, Gon and Killua make their flashy entrance to the ring (practically identical to my match against Jin), and once there, they both activate their Ren in preparation for battle.
'It's even worse than I remembered. My upcoming match with Hisoka really isn't going to be easy.' I think as I carefully observe the malevolent and repulsive aura oozing from Hisoka's body. 'But still, compared to the obstacles that await me further down the road, this is nothing.'
"Points system and knockouts! No time limit! BEGIN!!!" The referee shouts, raising his hand to signal the start of the fight.
For the next few minutes, we see Gon show off his combat prowess and newly acquired Nen abilities. Although Hisoka remained clearly dominant throughout the match, Gon displayed a higher level of combat prowess than in the original, utilizing more feints and skillful movements to catch Hisoka off guard, causing Hisoka to take a step back before using his strategy to land a clean punch to the face, which he did not achieve in the canon.
'His physical power and aura haven't changed much, but his accuracy and combat skill improvement are undeniable. I see that sparring with us and watching our fights in the tower have paid off to his growth.'
But this wasn't what shocked me the most, it was that Gon ignored my warnings and attempted to use the advanced applications of Nen, Ryu and Ko, to defend against some of Hisoka's faster attacks and regain his balance in the battle. And I wasn't the only one affected by this.
Seeing that Gon was beginning to delve into the true potential of Nen, Hisoka began to act more motivated and aggressive in the fight, holding back his strength less than before and adopting a different strategy than canon.
Instead of sneakily attaching his "Bungee Gum" to Gon's cheek with a flick of his hand, he attached it to various points on his body through his punches, ending the fight by retracting several pieces of the flagstones attached to the ends of his "Bungee Gum" to forcefully strike Gon in several places at once.
Watching Gon fall unconscious and gravely injured on the floor while the referee announces Hisoka's victory, I instantly get up from my seat and quickly head to intercept him in the tunnels that lead outside the stadium in the same way he did in my first fight on the 200th floor.
"Wow, what a surprise to find you here. Did you come to congratulate me on my tenth victory?" Hisoka jokingly asks as he finds me standing with my arms crossed on the tunnel.
"More than you, I'd rather congratulate Gon on his performance. Although it was sloppy, he managed to use advanced applications of Nen and make you take him more seriously. However, I think you were a bit rough with him at the end. You didn't leave him with any after-effects from this fight, did you?" I ask him even though I already know the answer.
"Jujuju, I admit I got a little carried away by his splendid growth and almost didn't manage to control myself in time. But you know very well I don't waste talent like that, so you have nothing to worry about. Gon will recover well from this to face me again in the future." Hisoka answers.
"Good, that way I can give him a good scolding without worrying about aggravating his injuries." I say showing my anger with Gon for being so reckless.
"That's strange. Weren't you proud of his performance and worried about his well-being just a moment ago?" Hisoka asks.
"Of course I am, but I'm also angry at him for his recklessness. You can feel multiple emotions toward the same thing at once, right?" I ask, showing myself something cocky.
"Well, whatever. Your current relationship is none of my concern. The important thing is that now that I've got 10 wins and the issue with Gon is settled, all that's left is to arrange our match. You haven't forgotten, have you?" Hisoka asks, showing a certain threatening vibe.
"Of course not. I'm also looking forward to having our fight and leaving Heavens Arena to continue my Hunter career. What do you think about doing it on July 13th?" I ask.
"Sounds great to me. Make it the 13th then. Then I'll head to the counter to throw you my challenge for that day." Hisoka says starting to walk before stopping right next to me. "You know what the consequences will be if you choose not to show up in the end, right?"
"You know me well enough to know you don't need to even consider that possibility. We'll have our predestined battle, and it will be a fight you'll never forget." I answer him confidently, making him smile.
"Yes, you're right. It'll sure be something sublime, just like you say. Aaahhh, just thinking about how I'll break you makes me shudder with excitement. I can't wait for the 13th to arrive." Hisoka says with his usual mix of lust and bloodlust as he continues walking until he vanishes into the darkness of the tunnel.
Having settled matters with Hisoka, I head off at full speed to the floor's infirmary. When I open the door, I find our entire group surrounding Gon, who is lying on the bed with his upper body naked and bandaged from the wounds sustained in his fight.
Apparently Wing got ahead of me when it came to scolding Gon, telling him that he warned him not to overdo himself and play it safe in their fight, only for Gon to ignore him and try to use principles he hadn't yet started to practice. Despite Gon's claim that he'd been secretly practicing how to change the flow of his aura to use them, that doesn't deter Wing's anger. Nor mine.
Even if Wing gave him his own scolding, that wouldn't stop me from giving him a good smack upside the thick head, scolding him for using a principle his teacher wasn't willing to teach him and that I told him not to try on his own, and meting out my own punishment despite not being his Nen teacher: forbidding him from coming to watch my fight with Hisoka.
Gon seemed quite disappointed by this and Wing was somewhat reluctant to let me impose this punishment on him, but I stood firm in my decision, refusing to let him enjoy the thrill and expectation that can only be felt by being there and taking my own measures to ensure that he doesn't.
With that out of the way, I tell the others that the fight is set for July 13th, and we all leave Gon in the room with Killua and prepare to return to our respective lodgings for the night. Except for Wing, who leaves for his hotel, we all take the elevator to go to our respective rooms.
After arriving at my room, I look at the huge travel bag with everything I have collected during the day, and using my Barrier Orb I lift it off the ground so I can get back on the elevator and head to the 230th floor, which is now all mine after my fight with Jin. Once I get there, I am genuinely surprised by what I find when the doors open.
Unlike floors 200 through 229, which are used for lodging and reception of fighters, floor 230 is designed to provide the highest level of comfort to its owner. Besides having its own stadium like the other floors, it also has its own pool, a private restaurant, an art room, a private gym with the tools and equipment ready, a separate room for professional meetings, guest and employee rooms, and of course, my own personal room.
But this one wasn't like the ones on the 200th floor. While those rooms were already quite luxurious, the one on this floor was on a whole new scale. The size was somewhat overwhelming, reaching 100 square meters, larger than some houses, with two floors, more furniture than my old room.
It also has a larger, more luxurious bathroom with multiple shower options and a jacuzzi option for the bathtub, a kitchen with all the food and equipment to cook something if I want, a bookshelf with several reading options, a 65-inch high-resolution flat-screen TV, an arcade machine, and a bed so big that even Menthuthuyoupi could sleep stretched out and fit perfectly.
"Wow. I imagined it would be more luxurious, but I didn't expect it to be this complete. I feel like I'm an important boss in the business world, or a member of a high-ranking noble house. It's only natural that all fighters want to become Floor Masters." I think out loud, putting the bag aside as I look around a bit more.
"But hey, it's not like I'm going to be spending much time here, so let's focus on what's important. I have to prepare for the fight with Hisoka and think through every detail to defeat him."
After taking the most essential things out of my backpack and distributing them to settle into my new place of lodging, I begin to train my Ren while thinking carefully about the strategies and counterstrategies to use in my future fight against the "Grim Reaper."
Date: July 11th, 2011
Getting out of my incredibly comfortable new bed, I put on my clothes and make a phone call to Ponzu before heading to the elevator. Once I reach the 200th floor, I head to room 2419, and after knocking and receiving permission, I enter to find Nicholas stretching on the super-heavy equipment.
"Boss, good morning! How was your night in your new private suite?" He asks, still stretching.
"Fantastic. It's certainly worth the effort. Although you'll surely appreciate it even more when you get there." I respond doing some little stretching too to wake up my body.
"I'm looking forward to it. Okay, let's go find Ponzu and start our morning workout." He says starting to walk before being stopped by me.
"Actually, I was thinking that we skip physical training today." I say.
"Why?" Nicholas asks in surprise.
"Well, because of the bite wound on your shoulder, why else?" I say pointing at him.
"This scratch? Come on, boss, this is practically healed by now. I don't need you worrying about me." Nicholas responds by trying to downplay it.
"Nicholas, in your fight against Riven, you suffered so many injuries that you had to be taken to the infirmary and have shoulder surgery. Even though you're recovering better now thanks to Nen, you shouldn't push your body unnecessarily." I say worried.
"But boss, I can't just sit here and do nothing. Your fight against Hisoka is very close, and I don't even have my 10 wins yet. I have to keep pushing before our deadline arrives to meet our goal by all means." Nicholas argues with some desperation in his voice.
"And that's why you shouldn't rush into it. You still have to win one more fight before challenging a Floor Master this 15th, so the best thing you can do is take a break from physical exertion and rest as much as you can to recover as much as you can until it's your turn to fight again. Besides, you won't be doing nothing." I say as I guide him to his laptop.
"We'll soon have to leave Heavens Arena, so it's best to get ready. We've got our agency name, we've planned and arranged our buying meetings, we've marketed ourselves, and we've even landed our first client. But there's still a lot to deal with."
"The paths we'll take, our sights on future work, researching the underworld, preparing job postings for staff... There's a lot we can still prepare in advance, and I want you to work on it while you recover from your injuries."
"Me? You mean us, right?" Nicholas point out.
"Not this time. I have to leave the tower to attend to some personal matters, so I'm putting you in charge of managing our mercenary agency. But don't worry, I'll go over it with you in the afternoon before we begin our Nen practice." I answer.
"Huh. And what are those personal matters?" Nicholas asks with an inquisitive look.
"Sigh. Nicholas, I know I said I'd try to be more open and not hold things back, but I think I have the right to keep a few things to myself, don't you?" I ask somewhat awkwardly, trying to keep my plans a secret.
Nicholas stares at me for a few seconds before letting out a sigh of resignation. "Okay, that's fair. I just hope it's not something really big like last time."
"Don't worry, I'll fill you in on everything important at the right time, I promise. Now, we should reserve the day for your twelfth battle of the 200th floor at reception before we start dealing with our business. I think July 12th or 14th are the ideal dates." I say heading for the door.
"That seems fine to me." Nicholas answers as he follows me.
With that said, we headed to reception to reserve the dates agreed upon with the girl who welcomes new fighters from the 200th floor. It turns out her name is Sara, who has become a clingy fan of mine since my promotion to Floor Master. After shaking her off and separating from Nicholas, I head outside of Heavens Arena, standing next to the fountain in front of the entrance.
"Kai!" Ponzu calls me as she approaches me among the people. "Good morning, Kai. How was your night in your new floor?"
"It's truly a very complete accommodation. It makes you understand why so many people are willing to do anything to become a Housekeeper. Anyway, I'm glad you agreed to join me." I say shyly as I scratch my cheek.
"Of course I did. We have very little time left together before we each go our separate ways, so obviously I wasn't going to turn down your invitation for a date." Ponzu says with a warm smile.
That's right: I called Ponzu today to cancel our morning workout and invite her out on an official date as my girlfriend. As she's said, we don't have much time left together at Heavens Arena, so I want to spend some time alone with her to deepen our relationship before that happens.
"Well, even if I call it a date, I'm only bringing you along while I attend some important business in the morning, so it won't be much different than when I gave you that tour of Gelsea." I state a little uncomfortable.
"If that's the case, it'll sure be a fantastic date like that time." She says with a bright smile, making my heart jump. "Shall we get going?"
"Sure, of course. Follor me." I answer while opening a portal, to Ponzu surprise.
This portal took us to a city on the continent of Yorbia, where our first stop was a company that trades in important and exotic parts of animals.
"Yes, what do you want?" The person behind the counter asks.
"I'm the Hunter Kai Ikeda. I signed a contract with the company to sell them a batch of animal and magical beast parts, and I came today to check if you've finished dismembering the corpses and classifying their parts prices so you can pay me for them." I say him, showing my Hunter License.
"Ok, let me verify it." The man says reviewing some documents. "Yes, we have it noted here, Mr. Kai. I'll go inform the department about it. Wait here a moment."
After a few minutes of paperwork, the manager finally hands me the 10.000.000 jennies payment into my bank account and bids me a cordial farewell as I leave the place with Ponzu.
The rest of the date followed more or less this rhythm; visiting some contacts from my time as a Beast and Blacklist Hunter, enjoying some entertainment along the way, chatting a bit over snacks, and finally arriving at the most important place in town: a blacksmith's shop.
Although confused, Ponzu accompanies me inside, where a man wearing welding gloves and apron can be seen sharpening knives on a sharpening machine.
"I see that there are still people who bother to take care of their knives instead of buying new ones." I say, capturing the worker's attention.
"Kai, welcome! I see you got my message!" The man says getting up from his chair and approaching us.
"And I see you remember my last visit, Paul." I say him in front of me.
"It's not every day someone comes to me with that kind of request. And by the way, who's the lady with you? Is she your girlfriend?" The blacksmith Paul asks with his gaze shifting to Ponzu.
"No, no. I am not his girlfriend, I am his martial arts disciple." Ponzu answers a little nervously.
"Martial arts disciple, eh? Of course, that's what it had to be. What else could you expect from someone as cold and pragmatic as this one? Seriously, you should focus on something other than your job. The streets talk, you know?" Paul says me with a condescending attitude.
"You'd better mind your own business if you don't want to get in trouble with me, Paul." I say somewhat annoyed by his attitude.
"Yes, yes, I get it. I'll stop joking. God forbid I end up like the Grasjor gang." He says still in his mocking tone, but capturing Ponzuu's attention with the content of his words.
"Let's get to the point. Do you have what I ordered ready?" I ask, calming my nerves.
"Yes, I put the finishing touches on it yesterday. Wait a moment while I bring it to you." He says walking to the back room and coming back with a short sword in its sheath. "A wakizashi made of reinforced stainless steel tailored to your personal measurements to provide balance, reach, and appropriate weight to your measurements, a yellow and black tsuba with diamonds pattern and a chain attached to its hilt."
Unsheathing the short katana, I hold it and move it around to test its performance. "Its movement is efficient and quick, adapting to my body dynamics, and the tsuka is soft yet holds firmly. A truly fine piece of craftsmanship." I say with a quite pleased smile.
"I'm not often asked to create swords, especially ones with such specific details. I was worried it might be a whimsical request on your part, but I'm pleased to see how you handle it with ease." Paul comments.
"I'm happy with the result too. Fine, I'll buy it from you for the 300,000 jenies we agreed on." I say.
"Very good. I'll prepare the box for transport it along with the polishing kit, which of course is on the house." Paul says in a cheerful tone.
Paying the blacksmith with my credit card, I leave the place, accompanied by Ponzu, and visibly very happy with the new high-quality weapon I've just acquired. However, for a while now, I've noticed Ponzu has been feeling a bit downcast, so I suggest we sit under a tree in a park to rest and chat.
"Okay, now that we're taking a break, tell me, what do you think of the date so far? I have no experience in this field, so I want to hear your honest opinion." I say trying to start the conversation and get references.
"I think it was great. We enjoyed conversing and exploring the sights of this city, and I got to see another side of you through your interactions around town, like when you got into an argument with that guy at the bar or when you were chatting with the blacksmith. Looking back, I think this date was a success." Ponzu answers feigning a smile.
"And then why do you look so sad?" I ask, surprising Ponzu.
"What are you saying? I'm not sad at all. I don't know why you're saying that." Ponzu responds still pretending that nothing is happening.
"Even if I weren't so attentive to details as to notice your distressed air, you're still not a good enough Nen user to hide it from me. Your aura fluctuates somewhat unsteadily, so I know something's bothering you." I say staring at her.
"If you feel you really can't tell me, I'll understand and won't push the issue. But I want you to know that I'm here to support you, both as your boyfriend and as Nen's teacher, and that you can count on me for whatever you need."
At these words, Ponzu lowers her gaze somewhat fidgety for a few seconds before speaking again. "That sword." She murmurs.
"Do you refer to my wakizashi? What's wrong with it?" I ask a bit confused by the lack of content.
"You asked for it to be forged for your fight against Hisoka, right?" She murmurs again.
"Not really. Ever since he cut my sword on Zevil Island, I'd felt incomplete without a combat weapon to wield in my hands, so I searched for people who could forge metal during my month-long journey as a Hunter until I found the most talented one available to forge a new sword custom-made for me." I explain.
"Though it's true that I plan to use it in my match against Hisoka, as a way to honor my former comrade who fell at his hands. Do you have a problem with that?" I ask, trying to understand what Ponzu is getting at.
"Don't do it." Ponzu whispers in a very low voice, prompting me to lean closer to her to hear better. "Don't fight Hisoka!"