Heaven's Arena.
200th Floor Arena.
The stands were packed, and the crowd erupted in waves of cheers.
"Chello's cruel art!"
"Wonder which unlucky rookie is getting tortured this time."
"Haha, isn't that great?"
"I paid a hefty sum for this ticket just to see that."
The audience roared with excitement, many wearing fanatic and bloodthirsty expressions.
They all seemed to be fans of one particular fighter about to take the stage.
Among the audience sat a few Nen users.
On the stage—
A tall, thin man with a scarred face and a tight, creepy outfit stepped out slowly. The four weapons on his waist clinked together with metallic "ding" sounds.
Chello raised a sharp finger, pointing directly at Kevin Carpenberg.
"Little sapling, I'll 'prune' you to perfection!"
His voice was high-pitched and greasy, the kind that made people squirm just hearing it.
Kevin stood across from him, silently observing his opponent.
In the audience, Yun Gu, seated among the crowd, asked, "Master, can Kevin really beat him?"
From Yun Gu's perspective, the aura emanating from this Chello was far more intimidating. At the very least, Yun Gu didn't feel confident facing him.
Bisky sat calmly, watching.
They had rushed over the moment they received word that Kevin had reached the 200th floor. By coincidence, they made it in time for his first battle.
"Unless the strength gap is huge, it's not easy to predict the outcome of a fight," Bisky said.
"But that Chello already has his own Nen ability, and with such a large fanbase, it means he's fought plenty of battles here—he's got real experience fighting other Nen users."
She recalled how, four months ago, when they parted ways, Kevin had just graduated into a full-fledged Nen user.
Though he was talented, battle experience between Nen users wasn't something one could gain easily.
Kevin had always been relatively inexperienced in actual combat.
"But he hasn't slacked off. His aura and physical conditioning have surpassed my expectations."
Bisky couldn't help but praise him. After all, who wouldn't admire a disciplined and hardworking student?
Onstage, the battle officially began.
With the signal given, both fighters remained in place, neither making a rash move.
Kevin locked eyes with his opponent, recalling the footage he had watched last night.
Chello's weapons—the four hanging at his waist—were key.
None of them were long-handled: a jagged dagger, steel needles, a meteor hammer, and a curved hook.
Each weapon hung from his belt, connected by thin threads.
In the footage, he used these four weapons in every battle, manipulating them masterfully.
Their precise movements during throws could only be achieved with Nen.
The question was: what type? Emission? Manipulation? Or perhaps, though less likely, Specialist?
If it was Conjuration, the weapons should be able to appear and disappear at will. Hanging them openly on his waist might be a tactic to mislead the enemy—simple, but effective in catching opponents off-guard.
It might also be Manipulation, using aura to control physical objects like weapons.
If so, Chello's weapons would be incredibly versatile, like extensions of his arms. And given his twisted personality, coating them in poison wouldn't be a surprise.
If it was Conjuration, each of the four weapons likely had unique properties.
But in the fights Kevin watched, Chello only used the meteor hammer and dagger against weaker or rookie fighters.
Kevin couldn't confirm their properties just from the footage—only speculate based on what was shown.
"Just gonna stand there like a twig? Fine, I'm coming to you."
Chello let out a sharp laugh.
Then, with a sudden motion, he pulled the dagger from his waist and hurled it at Kevin.
A flash of silver—connected by thread—flew straight toward Kevin.
It was fast, but still within Kevin's reaction range.
He sidestepped slightly, then reached out with his left hand, grabbing the thread and wrapping it around his wrist.
"Huh?"
In the stands, Yun Gu was surprised by the maneuver and looked at Bisky.
Bisky nodded. "His body's learning capacity… it's improved?"
They both knew Kevin's physical learning aptitude well. Dodging was within expectations, but intercepting a weapon mid-attack was a skilled move.
"Could it be he's already formed his own Nen ability?" Bisky muttered. The possibility had crossed her mind.
On the other side of the arena, Killua rolled his eyes.
"Hmph, damn it. He copied me again."
All Kevin ever picked up from him were a few basic combat tips.
Totally unfair!
The fight continued.
Seeing Kevin not only dodge but also catch his weapon, Chello was a little stunned.
Kevin gripped the thread and yanked.
Strong! Chello instantly judged the power. He quickly grabbed the meteor hammer with his free hand and swung it at Kevin.
Though slower than the dagger, the meteor hammer carried a gust of wind as it flew.
At the same time, the thread connected to the dagger tugged hard, trying to anchor Kevin.
"Your strength is pathetic—completely useless."
Kevin flipped away, dodging the attack, then yanked the thread forcefully, pulling Chello off balance.
At that moment, the dagger vanished from Kevin's hand.
"Conjuration-type," Kevin thought.
The meteor hammer hit the ground, releasing a shockwave.
Kevin immediately crouched low, bracing himself.
So, the meteor hammer's trait was shockwave attacks.
That meant the dagger's likely trait was razor-sharp cutting power.
Now, what about the remaining two weapons?
Seizing the moment, Kevin pushed off the ground with explosive force, creating a crater beneath his feet.
He shot forward like a fired arrow.
As an Enhancement-type Nen user, Kevin was built for power and speed.
Seeing him charge, Chello gripped the reappeared dagger and thrust.
Kevin casually tilted his head to dodge, then thrust his left palm forward, striking Chello at the joint.
The precise blow instantly numbed Chello's hand, nearly making him drop the weapon.
"You've bullied the weak so much, you've forgotten how to fight the strong?"
Kevin followed up with a brutal right hook aimed at Chello's face.
Chello finally grabbed the meteor hammer with his left hand and swung it in defense.
But Kevin's punch was faster.
Though the shockwave from the hammer hit first, Kevin powered through it.
His body wobbled slightly, but his punch still landed squarely on Chello's shoulder.
The sheer force sent Chello flying, flipping through the air.
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