The red threads shot into the air.
They stretched down to the ruined floor.
Connected to the ceiling above.
Like a spider's web.
All spun from Bungee Gum—sticky and elastic love.
Kaizen's movements were instantly restrained by several of the red threads.
Their intense stickiness made it impossible for him to break free.
Hisoka released Natsu.
And leapt to the center of the spiderweb.
From high above, he looked down on Kaizen with a predatory smile.
With the sudden appearance of the web, Kaizen and Sasuke's movements were sharply restricted.
But ordinary spectators couldn't even see the web.
All they saw was Hisoka, floating in midair.
"Is he flying?!"
"What kind of ability is this?"
"Can a human really do something like that?"
Only those who had sharpened their aura perception could see what Hisoka was doing.
Machi's pupils narrowed slightly.
"This Hisoka... has he been holding back?"
Killua's face tightened with concern.
Wing watched the scene seriously.
"Hisoka's been moving around since the start... looks like it was all to set this up."
"The whole arena's his turf now."
"That ability—it's sticky, elastic, and extremely resilient."
"Can Kaizen break through?"
Wing racked his brain. Against an ability like this, he saw no obvious solution. If it were him, he'd have no choice but to retreat.
But this was a Floor Master challenge.
Retreating would mean forfeiting—and giving the win to Hisoka.
Hisoka's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"So, Kaizen... what will you do next?"
Kaizen glanced around calmly.
"So this is your Bungee Gum in full use."
"You've definitely turned the terrain in your favor."
"But that must burn a lot of aura."
"Hisoka, your stamina's nowhere near mine."
Kaizen stared him down.
"It's rare to see you use Bungee Gum like this. I suppose I should respond with something you've never seen either."
Kaizen extended both hands.
A dense mass of aura formed between his palms—raw, refined power.
He directed the aura toward Natsu, still caught in the spiderweb overhead.
Beside him, Uchiha Sasuke formed a rapid series of hand seals.
As Kaizen's replenished aura surged into Natsu's body—
BOOM!
A violent burst of aura exploded from Natsu.
The force was overwhelming. Even those seated far outside the stage couldn't see Natsu clearly, but they could feel the pressure hit like a wave.
"What the hell?!"
"I can't even breathe...!"
Hisoka narrowed his eyes at Natsu.
The next moment—
Sasuke completed the seal.
"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
Hisoka braced to dodge.
But just as he began to move, he realized something strange.
The dragon fire wasn't aimed at him—it was headed straight for Natsu.
Hisoka's eyes widened.
"Huh? Did he aim wrong?"
Spectators had the same thought.
But that question was soon answered.
Facing the incoming inferno, Natsu opened his mouth wide.
"Eat it!"
A massive suction force erupted from Natsu's mouth.
The fire dragon was drawn in—swallowed whole.
It flowed into Natsu's body and became part of him.
Fire blazed across Natsu's skin as his aura skyrocketed again.
The flames expanded rapidly.
Crack!
The arena floor buckled under the pressure, caving inward.
"Dragon Mode!"
The fire on Natsu's body surged, spreading outward at frightening speed.
Ten meters. Twenty. Thirty...
Until the entire arena was engulfed in flame.
The blaze roared violently.
Spectators could no longer see what was happening inside—only the inferno remained in view.
Near Kaizen, Sasuke vanished into the shadows, replaced by the Lantern Ghost, which absorbed the surrounding fire.
Only the area around Kaizen remained untouched—a vacuum sealed from the heat.
Hisoka's Bungee Gum threads began to melt under the intense heat.
He himself had taken refuge inside the ruins, piling rubble to block the flames.
The fire could be stopped—but the heat could not.
Sweat streamed off Hisoka's face, evaporating as fast as it appeared.
His expression hardened.
Wing's eyes narrowed.
"So strong...!"
In spite of himself, he gasped.
He had always felt confident in his power and talent. Both he and Kaizen were considered top-tier A-rank Nen users.
Kaizen may have come from the Zoldyck family, but he wasn't in the heir line.
Wing had been raised at the Shingen-ryu—no less prestigious.
But now, seeing Kaizen wield such power...
Wing had to admit it.
He was outclassed.
"And that's after he used that high-cost projectile attack earlier..."
"This beast ability... it's similar to what I've seen from the Dragon Dojo in the Kingdom of Fiora."
"Is that a coincidence?"
"Or did he design his Nen Beast based on their system?"
"Either way... it's terrifying."
Machi kept her eyes on the ring, a serious look in them.
"Has Kaizen really reached this level already?"
"And the Troupe chose now to invite him?"
"Would he even want to join us anymore?"
She was at a loss.
The Phantom Troupe had two main draws for Nen users:
Power.
And freedom.
But if Kaizen's strength had reached this level...
Who in the Troupe could confidently defeat him?
Not even Feitan.
"In fact... his ability doesn't seem to come with the same conditions as Feitan's."
"Which means he can access it more freely."
"That alone places him above Feitan."
The flames on the stage continued to burn, roaring louder.
All of Hisoka's Bungee Gum had melted away.
Kaizen gave a quiet order to Natsu.
"Stop."
The flames receded.
At last, the audience could see what the arena had become.
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (1047 chapters in total)