The other person's eyes lit up.
"What fast track?"
"Pay up, and you'll find out."
A young man hesitated for a moment but handed over the money.
Soon, several strong men appeared.
For a moment, the young man panicked.
However, these strong men did not harm him, but instead led him forward, forcibly squeezing into the front of the line.
The young man: "This is the fast track you're talking about?"
"Just answer—is it fast or not?"
It was fast, but this way of cutting in line immediately provoked countless curses from the crowd.
The insults were so harsh that even a dog would feel hurt hearing them.
The young man lowered his head and pretended not to hear.
Though unpleasant, he couldn't bear to waste the money he had just spent, nor the chance to buy a ticket.
The match between Ron and Hisoka had been pushed to an even higher level of hype.
Inside a luxurious private lounge—Hisoka sat in a corner, a grin curling his lips. Both eyes narrowed into slits.
His whole body exuded a bizarre, unsettling aura.
"I really can't wait! Ron, what kind of surprise will you bring me?"
"Tomorrow, hurry and come!"
Soon night fell.
Ponzu did not come, probably afraid of affecting Ron's condition.
The next day.
Even before the match time arrived, an extremely long line had already formed at the entrance of the venue.
Ron's fans, Hisoka's fans, ordinary spectators, fighters from Heaven's Arena, students from external dojos... Soon, the entire venue's spectator seats were filled. The private boxes reserved for Heaven's Arena Floor Masters were mostly occupied as well.
The host's enthusiastic voice resounded throughout the arena, introducing the details of Ron and Hisoka, pushing the atmosphere to a fever pitch.
But in fact, even without the host's efforts, the atmosphere was already intense enough. With Ron and Hisoka's names alone, the appeal was massive.
"So exciting. I wonder how high their battle will reach."
"A real Floor Master level fight!"
"This is way higher-level than Kastro and Killua's match the other day."
Killua's face darkened slightly upon hearing this.
But Killua also understood.
It was the truth.
Four people sat together in a row. Gon's body was still wrapped in many bandages.
Wing sat at the edge.
Gon and Zushi sat in the middle. All four of them watched the ring with serious expressions.
"This ring is so much bigger than ours."
"Well, Ron and Hisoka's strength is far beyond ours. This is a Floor Master-level battle."
Sadaso, Kastro and some rookie killers were all also present. But they had come separately and were seated in different areas.
Even Mitian and other Floor Masters had arrived.
Nina, Shizuku, everyone was here.
The crowd's chatter filled the arena.
"I really don't know who will win."
"Will it be Hisoka, or Ron?"
"Ron hasn't fought in a long time."
"He was already incredibly strong years ago. Now he must be even stronger—after all, he's still young and in his rapid growth phase."
"But Hisoka isn't to be underestimated either. His recent matches didn't even look like real fights—more like entertainment."
"Hisoka's true strength is definitely much greater than what he showed."
The host held the microphone, his voice passionate and energetic:
"Everyone, I believe you've all been eagerly awaiting this match."
"Just like me."
"But before the match officially starts, let me introduce today's two fighters."
"First, our Floor Master challenger—Hisoka!"
"As soon as he arrived at Heaven's Arena, he broke into the 200th floor with overwhelming force."
"Victory after victory, his record outstanding."
"With a flamboyant personal style, His battles are practically magical performances."
"Let's welcome Hisoka to the ring!"
From the fighter tunnel, Hisoka walked out at a slow pace.
Cheers and applause erupted.
"Hisoka! Hisoka!"
Hisoka's eccentric aura still managed to attract a considerable number of fans. No matter the world, there were always some people who loved to chase individuality. In their eyes, Hisoka's depraved temperament was also a form of charm.
Just like how some serial killers would garner a cult following.
Moreover, aside from his twisted aura, Hisoka's appearance was actually quite handsome. Thus, he attracted not only bizarre fans but also many fans purely for his looks.
The host continued his introduction:
"And now, our defending Floor Master—Ron!"
"Years ago, he stormed through Heaven's Arena, ascending directly to the 200th floor without a single defeat."
"At that time, Ron was only nine years old. To this day, that remains a record at Heaven's Arena."
There were other people who had reached the 200th floor before the age of nine.
Killua had done so.
But to reach the 200th floor without a single loss along the way—only Ron had accomplished that.
"And after entering the 200th floor, in all his matches, aside from voluntary forfeits, Ron has never lost a single fight. After ten victories, he succeeded in the Floor Master Challenge and became a Floor Master. Afterwards, he defended his title once, again emerging victorious."
"In short, apart from voluntary forfeits, Ron has never been defeated in Heaven's Arena."
Hearing this stat, the whole arena gasped audibly.
"Never lost aside from forfeits?"
"So essentially an undefeated record?"
"Terrifying!"
The host paused, then raised his voice even higher:
"Let's welcome Ron!"
Hearing this, Ron walked out from the other fighter tunnel.
This was arranged by Heaven's Arena to hype up the atmosphere. Having stayed at Heaven's Arena for many years, Ron didn't mind cooperating with this. Plus he had to admit it was a little fun to be dramatic sometimes.
Even louder cheers exploded.
"Ron! Ron!"
Compared to Hisoka, Ron had attracted more fans.
He was considered more conventionally attractive than Hisoka and carried a dignified temperament, which stood in contrast to Hisoka's unsettling behavior.
While some audiences might be drawn to unusual or provocative traits, that appeal tended to be limited.
In contrast, the image of a "young genius" had broad popularity.
This pattern was often seen in the entertainment industry:
When multiple celebrities shared the same image, fan support became divided. But when a single figure embodied a unique and widely appealing persona, their fanbase could grow rapidly—Provided, of course, that the image did not cater to a niche audience.