The day of the official opening ceremony for the Battle Olympia had finally arrived. Outside the soaring tower of Heavens Arena, the atmosphere had reached a state of near-frenzied madness. Megaphones blared over the plazas, and huge holographic screens projected the names of the sixteen finalists into the clouds. Inside the main stadium, every single tier was packed to absolute capacity, a sea of eighty thousand screaming fans creating a collective roar that vibrated straight through the concrete floor.
The central lights suddenly dimmed, and a single, blinding spotlight snapped onto the middle of the ring. The chief announcer stood there, holding a gilded microphone high above his head as his voice boomed through the massive speaker systems.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the pinnacle of martial arts! Welcome to the Battle Olympia! The greatest fighting competition in the world!"
The crowd exploded into a deafening cheer that shook the rafters.
"Over the next two weeks, the sixteen most powerful Floor Masters on the face of the earth will clash in this very ring! There are no limits, no compromises, and no easy paths! Only one will stand at the absolute apex of the fighting world and claim the title of the Ultimate Champion!"
In the commercial concourses beneath the grand stands, long lines of wealthy patrons and eager fans were huddled around the digital betting kiosks. The odds were fluctuating wildly by the second. People were shouting, slamming their slips onto the counters, and eagerly debating the physical metrics of the combatants.
"The Uncrowned King has the lowest payout for a reason, I'm telling you! Lucien Cain hasn't lost in nineteen years!"
"Yeah, but did you see that white-haired kid Yuzuki? He skipped the play-ins entirely! The bookies are giving crazy odds on him making a deep run!"
Far away from the roaring neon of Heavens Arena, in a quiet, dimly lit motel room in a different region entirely, a young man with blonde hair sat cross-legged on the edge of a neat bed. Kurapika kept his eyes locked onto the small television screen, which was broadcasting the opening ceremony live. His expression was intensely focused, his fingers interlaced tightly in his lap.
'The Battle Olympia,' Kurapika thought to himself, his eyes reflecting the flashing colors of the screen. 'The highest concentration of elite fighters in a single public space. If someone around my age like that Yuzuki can master his fighting to such an absurd degree and become a Floor Master, then there is no excuse for me. I have to watch every single one of these fights. I have to analyze their movements, dissect their techniques, and learn. My resolve cannot afford to waver.'
Back in the grand stadium, the announcer raised his hand, signaling the crowd to lower their voices as a new, massive spotlight shifted toward the ceremonial VIP pavilion at the northern apex of the arena.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, we are deeply honored to welcome a living legend to inaugurate our grand tournament! Please give a thunderous round of applause for the Chairman of the Hunter Association... Chairman Netero!"
The crowd went absolutely wild as a thin, elderly man stepped forward to the edge of the pavilion railing. Netero was dressed in a traditional, loose-fitting white kimono, his long white beard tied neatly, and his wooden clogs clicking softly against the stone. He had his hands tucked into his wide sleeves, a relaxed, incredibly mischievous glint dancing in his small eyes as he looked down at the stadium.
Netero took the microphone, letting out a soft, wheezing chuckle that carried perfectly over the sound system.
"Ho ho ho... My, my, what an energetic crowd. It has been quite a long time since I've seen so many hot-blooded youths gathered in one place."
The Chairman paused, stroke his beard lazily as his gaze swept across the sixteen elite fighters standing in the shadow of the entry tunnels below. For a single microsecond, a faint, almost imperceptible ripple of absolute, crushing aura leaked from his frame, reminding every professional in the building exactly why he held the apex of the association, before it vanished just as quickly.
"Combat is a beautiful thing," Netero said, his voice dropping into a slightly more measured, rhythmic tone. "It is the ultimate expression of human effort, discipline, and spirit. To all the participants who have fought their way to this grand stage... I wish you the best of luck. Do not hold back, do not harbor regrets, and most importantly... show me a good time. Let the matches begin!"
With another cheerful chuckle, Netero waved his hand and stepped back into the shadows of his box, leaving the stadium roaring in approval.
The announcer marched back to the center of the ring, the electronic scoreboard behind him shifting to display the bracket for the first official match of the round of sixteen.
"Thank you, Chairman Netero! And now, without further delay, it is time for the opening bout of the championship tournament! Standing in the western corner... The Avalanche... Argo Magnus! And standing in the eastern corner... The Magician... Hisoka Morrow!"
Down in the concrete depths of the secure competitor locker rooms, the atmosphere was a stark contrast to the grand celebration outside. Yuzuki was sitting cross-legged on top of a stainless-steel equipment table, happily chewing on a large meat bun. He had his training jacket unzipped, his eyes drifting lazily toward the ceiling as he swallowed his food, completely unbothered by the fact that he was scheduled to partake in a high-stakes tournament against elite Nen users.
"Are you completely out of your mind?!" Bisky shouted, her face flushed with irritation as she stomped her foot on the floorboards, her twin tails shaking with every movement. "You're about to go out there and fight the most dangerous killers on the planet, and you're treating this like a school picnic! Take this seriously, you arrogant little brat!"
"Relax, Bisky," Yuzuki said smoothly, taking another massive bite of his meat bun and speaking with his mouth slightly full. "The play-ins were boring. I already processed all their baseline metrics. Getting stressed out isn't going to make the food taste any better."
"It's not about the food, it's about your mindset!" Bisky snapped, balling her fists up. "If you drop your guard for a single second against someone like Chrollo or Hisoka, they will tear you to pieces!"
Before Yuzuki could offer a witty retort, the heavy metallic door of the waiting area slowly creaked open.
Hisoka strolled through the doorway with a slow, rhythmic sway. He was in full combat attire, his crimson hair perfectly swept back into sharp points, and his face painted with his signature teardrop and star symbols. He was shuffling a deck of pink-backed playing cards with a single hand, the constant, fluid clicking sound filling the small room. He stopped walking right in front of the table, his eyes narrowing into predatory slits as he stared directly at Yuzuki.
"My, my... what a cozy little family dynamic," Hisoka purred, his voice dropping into that smooth, theatrical cadence that always made the skin crawl. He tilted his head, a sharp, unsettling smile curving up his lips. "I am about to step onto the stage, Yuzuki. Won't you wish me luck?"
Yuzuki's eyes widened slightly, and without a second of hesitation, he slid backwards off the table, physically grabbing Bisky by her shoulders and pulling her small frame in front of him like a human shield.
"Go get 'em, clown," Yuzuki muttered from behind Bisky's head, his voice deadpan as he tried to keep as much distance as possible from the magician. "Just don't do that weird hip thing while you're talking to me."
Bisky's eye twitched violently as she realized she was being used as a barrier, her own aura tightening in pure disgust. "Stay away from him, you freak. Go do your magic tricks in the ring."
Hisoka let out a soft, high-pitched chuckle that echoed eerily against the concrete walls. He slowly raised his right hand, drawing a single card. The Queen of Spades across his pale lips, his tongue briefly tracing the edge of the cardboard as his pupils dilated with a dark, hidden ecstasy.
"Oh, don't be so cold," Hisoka whispered, his eyes locked onto Yuzuki's bare blue irises. "I simply cannot wait to meet you in the final rounds... The fruit is so incredibly heavy now, Yuzuki. The scent of your bloom is making my fingers tremble. I will ensure I clean the stage thoroughly so that when the time comes... I can pluck you at your absolute best."
With a final, lingering look, Hisoka turned on his heel and drifted out of the locker room, his melodic humming echoing down the corridor as he headed toward the primary entry gate.
Yuzuki let out a slow breath, stepping out from behind Bisky and rubbing the back of his neck. "Man... I can handle spatial anomalies and high-output emission scripts, but that guy is an entirely different kind of dangerous."
"I told you to take this seriously!" Bisky yelled, spinning around to punch him in the ribs, though she kept her strength entirely checked. "Now finish your food and get to the monitor!"
A few minutes later, Hisoka emerged from the dark eastern tunnel, stepping out into the blinding halogen glare of the main arena. The crowd let out a massive, mixed roar of cheers and apprehensive boos. Hisoka was immensely popular, but his reputation for leaving a trail of broken bodies in his wake made him a terrifying figure to watch.
Argo Magnus was already standing in the center of the massive ring. The heavy Enhancer was bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet, his massive, scar-covered chest bare and his golden aura already humming softly around his boots. He looked completely recovered from his play-in match, his rugged face set into an honest, determined expression.
As Hisoka stopped twenty meters away, loosely resting his hands on his hips, Argo let out a booming laugh and extended a thick, calloused hand forward.
"Hey! You're the magician guy, right?" Argo called out, his voice loud and genuine. "I've seen some of your older tapes! You've got some crazy movement, but I'm an honest fighter! Let's have a good, clean match out here today! May the strongest man walk away!"
Hisoka didn't move an inch to accept the greeting. He simply stood there, his posture completely loose as he looked past Argo's massive frame, his eyes staring blankly at the empty space behind the Enhancer as if the giant man didn't even exist.
"Oh... a good match?" Hisoka murmured, his voice entirely flat and unbothered by the sportsmanship. He flicked a single card out of his sleeve, spinning it lazily between his fingertips. "Please try your best not to die too early, big man. I am really not in the mood for a short performance today. I need to properly savor these little appetizers before I get to enjoy the final meal with Yuzuki."
Argo paused, slowly lowering his hand as his rugged brow furrowed. He looked at Hisoka's wide, glassy eyes and the unsettling, rigid grin on the magician's painted face. A cold sweat broke out on the back of Argo's neck, and he let out a slightly forced, awkward chuckle as he slid his right foot back into his combat stance.
"Man... you are kind of creepy, you know that?" Argo muttered, his golden Enhancer aura suddenly flaring into a dense, protective shield of Ken around his muscles. "But creepy don't win matches against an avalanche. Get ready!"
The referee dropped down between them, his hand raised high as the entire stadium held its collective breath.
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