Machi had given Kaizen that evaluation.
And within the Phantom Troupe, Machi’s intuition was highly respected.
Didn’t that mean Kaizen’s strength had already reached the mid-tier of the Phantom Troupe?
But Kaizen was only twelve. The most update n0vels are published on noᴠelfire.net
"That brat, is he really that strong?" Phinks said in disbelief.
"I ran into him before, but he didn’t seem all that impressive," he continued. "When facing weaklings, he kept retreating."
"Even when it came to the Scarlet Eyes, he didn’t dare to make a move."
Machi shook her head. "That was just him playing it safe."
"When you guys were dealing with the Kurta Clan, I kept an eye on Kaizen’s movements."
"He didn’t seem interested in the Scarlet Eyes."
Phinks frowned. "Not interested? Then why was he even there?"
Franklin cut in. "His ability could be useful to the Troupe. We don’t have a single Nen user specialized in Beast-type abilities."
"In a lot of situations, a Nen Beast could be a valuable asset."
"But there’s one issue with Kaizen."
"Would he even agree to join us?"
"There’s no way someone with that kind of talent just appeared out of nowhere."
"Someone had to have taught him those Nen skills."
"People like that don’t just accept an invitation to join."
Nobunaga scoffed. "Franklin, I don’t like what you’re implying. You make it sound like joining us is some kind of burden."
"We’re the Phantom Troupe. If we want him to join, we make him join."
At that moment, a voice from the corner spoke up.
"I don’t think that’ll be possible."
"Before the old man vanished, he took two people with him—Sheila and Kaizen."
"If I had to guess, neither of them survived."
Silence fell over the group.
Not because of Kaizen.
Even if she hadn’t been an official member, she had once been one of them.
And, more importantly, she had been Sarasa’s best friend.
The reason the Phantom Troupe became what it is now was because of Sarasa.
"Sheila must have been the one who leaked the information about the Kurta Clan," Nobunaga muttered. "The old man must have noticed."
"That’s why he took her away at the last moment."
"Still, even if she’s dead, I doubt she’d regret it."
"She chose her own path."
Chrollo finally spoke. "For now, we won’t concern ourselves with Kaizen. Whether he’s alive or dead, our numbers haven’t changed. There’s no need to bring in new people."
"But, Shalnark, well done."
Chrollo turned to him.
Shalnark shrugged. "Just doing my job."
As the Troupe’s strategist, it was his responsibility to monitor their numbers.
If they lost members, he had to make sure they were replaced.
But for the rest of the Troupe—Nobunaga, Uvogin, Phinks, Feitan, Franklin, and the others—death was just part of the game.
They had killed plenty. It was only natural they’d be killed in return.
Back at Heavens Arena...
Kaizen applied for a Floor Master challenge.
A C-rank Floor Master had been assigned to him—someone considered mid-tier among Floor Masters.
Though Heavens Arena did have a handful of A-rank and B-rank fighters, they were rare. Most were still at C-rank or D-rank.
Both fighters entered the ring.
The arena was packed.
The host had been hyping up the crowd for over half an hour.
But no one was getting impatient.
Floor Master battles were far more exciting than standard matches.
Across the ring, Andrew glared at Kaizen. "Why’d you choose me?"
"I know you’re strong, but I’m not the weakest Floor Master."
"You had easier options."
"Aren’t you afraid of losing and wasting this opportunity?"
"Becoming a Floor Master pays a hell of a lot more than just competing above the 200th floor."
Kaizen shrugged. "It just made sense."
Kaizen nodded. "I know I can beat you. At the same time, you’ve earned a decent reputation. If I take you down, people will have a clearer idea of my strength."
"If I challenge someone weaker, I’ll just have to keep fighting over and over again."
"I’ve got other things to do. I don’t want to waste time here."
Andrew’s expression darkened. "You think you can beat me?"
He let out a sharp laugh. "You think just because you’ve won a few fights, you’re hot shit? Do you even know who I am?"
Kaizen nodded. "That’s exactly why I picked you. A Nen user should always gather intel before a fight."
Andrew’s face twisted with anger.
He snorted. "Fine. Let’s begin."
"I’ll make sure you regret this, kid."
"I’ll teach you what it means to respect your seniors."
"And what it means to respect real strength."
The two turned to the referee.
The referee stepped back. "Begin!"
In the stands, Tessia, Shizuku, Nina, and Sally were watching.
Nearby, Sadaso and Killua were also observing.
In another section of the arena, a young man in red sat silently.
Andrew lunged at Kaizen.
A figure appeared beside him—it was Raiken.
Kaizen had chosen Raiken to deal with Andrew. Against someone of Andrew’s level, that was more than enough.
The fight started with a flurry of relentless attacks.
Raiken struck like a demon unleashed, pressing Andrew with a barrage of blows.
Andrew couldn’t keep up.
He had no time to counter.
No chance to find an opening.
All he could do was defend.
Andrew’s body flew out of the ring.
Kaizen stood tall in the center.
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