Kyler, truthfully, was only slightly stronger than the average rookie competitor.
This much was clear from his previous battle with Isaiah.
However, Juliana was already at a D-Rank level.
"She might be about as strong as Knuckle from the original story."
Not only did she have much greater aura than Kyler , but her physical strength was also far superior.
With the referee's signal, the fight began.
There was no suspense—Kyler lost.
Not only did he lose, but even his puppet was shattered, leaving him bleeding on the arena floor.
Ron felt a strange sense of unease growing within him.
Later, in the hallway, he saw Kyler looking dejected, his face hardened and unreadable, struggling to accept his loss as he slowly walked back to his room.
Ron didn't follow; he simply watched Kyler disappear into his own room.
Sitting on his bed, Ron faced the wall, thinking.
On the other side of the wall were Kyler and Lina.
For some reason, a feeling of dread washed over Ron, and he furrowed his brow.
"Is something about to happen?"
Over the next few days, Lina didn't come to visit Ron.
Ron assumed it was because Kyler was upset and that Lina was comforting him, so he didn't dwell on it.
However, in the middle of the night, Ron heard some faint sounds that made him slightly uneasy.
Another half-month went by.
Ron looked at the crystal ball in front of him, noticing the progress slowing down.
"It's because of repetition," he thought.
"Just like at the Zoldyck Manor."
"When I trained in the back mountain, the Trial Gate, the butler's area, and the mansion at the top…going through various locations allowed the crystal ball to fully absorb the Zoldyck's essence."
"But here in the Sky Arena, I've already covered all floors below the 200th."
"However, I haven't explored the higher floors enough. Especially the 251st floor."
Then, suddenly, a fight announcement flashed on the TV screen, catching Ron's attention.
Ron's eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"Kyler just lost—why would he rush to fight again so soon?"
"And his opponent is Juliana again?"
Ron bought a ticket and took a seat in the audience.
Kyler and Juliana were once again facing each other in the arena.
Ron noticed that Kyler 's aura seemed different. Compared to before, it felt like he'd grown much stronger.
"Did he use some method to enhance his abilities?"
"Does he think he can defeat Juliana now?"
"Yet, there's still a gap between them."
The referee took his place, and the announcer worked to hype up the crowd.
The spectators, too, buzzed with excitement.
"This time, it's bound to be Juliana again. She's amazing! If she wins this one, she'll have ten victories and be eligible to challenge the Floor Master."
"Who knows? Maybe Juliana will be our new Floor Master soon."
"Kyler could still win, though."
"Otherwise, why would he rush to fight again? It's only been half a month since his last battle, and Kyler still had plenty of time to prepare."
"Perhaps he's gotten a huge power boost and thinks he has a shot."
Finally, the announcer finished introducing the fighters.
Juliana's combat style leaned towards Enhancement, though that didn't necessarily mean she was an Enhancer.
From her last match with Kyler , Ron sensed that she hadn't fought with her full strength.
Just like Ron himself when he fought Patrick—only his Killer Queen had made an appearance, and he hadn't even used its explosive powers.
With a thought, Kyler summoned his puppet.
However, this puppet was noticeably different from the ones he'd used before.
And the odd aura Ron sensed seemed to emanate from this puppet. (T/n please no... I am getting full metal flashbacks)
What's more, something about this puppet struck Ron as strangely familiar.
As the battle commenced, Kyler 's abilities had indeed improved significantly.
The two clashed fiercely.
The sounds of their collisions echoed through the arena.
Juliana, mildly surprised, commented on Kyler 's newfound strength.
"To have made such a leap in just two weeks—impressive!"
"But you shouldn't have picked me as your opponent."
"I returned from training with the goal of becoming the Floor Master, and I gained a lot."
Despite her words, taking down Kyler wasn't as simple as she'd thought.
Kyler 's puppet was exceptionally durable and resistant to her attacks.
While it posed no real threat to her, it could withstand her strikes for a while.
The announcer's excitement grew.
For an announcer, a balanced match was ideal. A one-sided domination would have been far less entertaining.
Ron assessed Juliana's strength.
"If this is all she has, she wouldn't be a match for me."
"But if she has other abilities, I'll need to evaluate further."
Outside, the spectators roared with excitement.
"I'm your biggest fan!"
At this, the section around the speaker fell silent for a moment.
"Dude, you've got... interesting taste."
While Juliana was undeniably strong, her looks didn't exactly scream "charm." With her chiseled features and muscular build, she wasn't everyone's type.
Even Juliana herself seemed to hear the shout and glanced in that direction, making the fan immediately shrink back into his seat.
He had the guts to shout it but not to own up to it.
Kyler gritted his teeth, glaring at Juliana.
"To become the Sky Arena's Floor Master, I gave up everything!"
"I have nothing left."
"My wife, my daughter…"
"All I want is victory."
"Why won't they let me win?"
Kyler moved with precision, coordinating with his puppet to keep Juliana at bay.
The crowd's cheers grew louder.
Juliana suddenly paused.
A powerful aura exploded from her body.
Moments later, an iron-like material began to spread across her, covering her like armor.
"No… not iron… it *is* iron. It's armor."
Then, in an instant, Juliana lunged forward.
Her speed hadn't decreased in the slightest from the added weight.