By the time the airship landed on the helipad atop Heaven's Arena, dusk had fallen.
Leo stepped out with a small bag on his back, and the familiar clamor washed over him.
Seven months had passed. The tower still stood, its lights coming on floor by floor like a monument to ambition that would never die.
He headed straight for the 200th floor.
Contestants passed him in the corridor now and then. A few recognized him, surprise flashing in their eyes. Seven months away was enough to be forgotten in a place like Heaven's Arena, but Leo's two crushing victories had clearly left an impression.
Room 2079 was just as he had left it. There was even less dust than he had expected.
The arena's cleaning service was apparently still doing its job.
Leo put down his bag, washed up, then called Sophia's and Wing's rooms.
Less than twenty minutes later, someone knocked.
Leo opened the door to find Sophia outside.
She wore a practical navy training outfit, her blue hair tied in a neat ponytail. Her gaze was sharper than it had been seven months ago.
The moment she saw Leo, her eyes lit up.
"Master Leo!"
She could barely contain her excitement.
"I've already won my first match! And I've been working hard on my Nen training this whole time. Please see how far I've come!"
Leo nodded and stepped aside to let her in.
"No rush. Sit down first."
Sophia entered and sat on the sofa, her back ramrod straight. She was clearly nervous.
Another knock came, and Wing stepped inside.
He looked much the same as he had seven months ago, still the mild-mannered scholar. But when he saw Leo, a faintly appraising look flashed behind his glasses.
"Mr. Leo."
Wing smiled.
"It seems these seven months of training have made you stronger."
He wasn't just being polite.
As a fellow member of the Heart Source School, Wing could sense the profound change beneath Leo's restrained presence.
Leo's aura felt steadier and denser, and every movement had the coordination of something honed through endless practice. It was as if a rough stone had been polished into a blade.
"I've made progress."
Leo sat opposite them and poured three glasses of water.
"It was tough, but I gained a lot from it."
He paused, then looked at Wing with a slight smile.
"Oh, and Master Biscuit asked me to check whether you've been training properly, Senior Brother Wing."
He enunciated the last three words.
Wing's smile froze for an instant. Then he scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Come on... I've been training properly too. Junior Brother Leo, go easy on me!"
Leo laughed and waved a hand.
"Don't worry, Senior Brother Wing. I won't tell Master Biscuit on you. But stay sharp. She could show up at any moment to check your progress."
Wing sighed, looking resigned.
"All right, all right. I get it."
He adjusted his glasses and changed the subject.
"So, what are your plans? Will you keep fighting until you have ten wins?"
Leo shook his head.
"No. I'm going to take the Hunter Exam."
The room fell silent for a moment.
Sophia whipped her head toward Leo, shock and a flicker of panic in her eyes.
"Master Leo, are you leaving right after you got back? I still have so much I want to ask you... Can I come with you?"
Her voice came out hurried. The news had clearly caught her off guard.
Leo met her gaze, calm but firm.
"Sophia, you'll have to walk your own path from here. All I can do is help you get started."
He paused, then softened his tone.
"I'll still be here for quite a few days before I leave. I'll give you plenty of guidance until then."
Sophia lowered her head and unconsciously gripped the hem of her shirt. She looked like a child who had been told she couldn't come along.
Leo saw her expression and couldn't help smiling.
"Come on."
He added,
"Once you have three wins, I'll let you train with me."
Sophia's head shot up, light returning to her eyes.
"Really? I'll do it! I'll get those three wins as soon as I can!"
Her voice had regained its determined energy.
Wing watched the exchange, took a thoughtful sip of water, then spoke.
"I can tell you a little about the Hunter Exam. Next year's exam will be held in Kaliru City on the Ulubian Continent."
"The location is a ramen shop on Liyoupi Street called Tonkotsu Number One.
Order a special tonkotsu ramen, then say, 'I don't eat beef. Extra scallions.' That will get you into the exam site."
Leo nodded.
"Really? I didn't expect you to know so much about it."
Wing waved a hand.
"You can find all of that on the Hunter information website. Only Hunters can log in, though, and every piece of information has a fee."
Leo understood.
The Hunter website's information network spanned the world. Basic details like these weren't hard to obtain, but for outsiders, access was another matter entirely.
The three chatted for a while longer, mostly about how Biscuit had been doing over the past few months. Leo answered what he could.
Half an hour later, Wing stood to leave.
"I should get going. The Hunter Exam... good luck."
At the door, he looked back at Leo as if he wanted to say something. In the end, he merely nodded and left.
The room fell quiet again.
Leo stood and headed for the training room.
"All right, Sophia. Show me what you've accomplished."
Sophia followed at once, her expression as serious as if she were about to enter an official match.
In the training room, she demonstrated the Four Major Principles one by one.
Her Ten was already very stable. Aura covered her body evenly, its glow dense and steady.
She couldn't sustain Ren's burst for very long yet, but the amount of aura she could produce had clearly grown since seven months ago.
Her Zetsu was passable too. She could suppress her aura completely within five seconds.
As for Hatsu—developing a Specialist ability was difficult to begin with, and she was still finding her way.
Leo watched in silence until she finished, then nodded.
"Not bad. Keep at it."
He walked to the center of the room.
"But there are a few things you need to watch. First, the flow of your aura during Ten catches slightly around your shoulder blades and lower back. That comes from holding yourself tense for too long. Relax your deeper muscles and let the aura circulate naturally."
Leo pointed to several spots on her back without touching her.
"Second, your timing with Ren is too deliberate. You activate it right at the peak of your inhale, giving your opponent time to anticipate it. Try releasing it suddenly halfway through an exhale. Your rhythm will be harder to read."
He demonstrated. His breathing stayed even, then, halfway through an exhale, his Nen Aura erupted without warning and subsided just as quickly.
Sophia's eyes shone. She immediately tried to copy him.
"Third, your Zetsu still isn't natural enough. Right now, you're actively suppressing your aura, but true Zetsu should feel like letting it fade away on its own. Imagine you're a fallen leaf blending into your surroundings, not something trying to hide."
Over the next few days, Leo kept his promise and trained Sophia intensively.
He adapted the methods and insights he had learned from Biscuit to Sophia's needs and taught her everything he could.
During that time, Leo found a moment to log into the official Hunter website and register for the exam.
The days passed in training.
The new year arrived quietly. Heaven's Arena held a grand celebration, and fireworks bloomed across the night sky.
Leo and Sophia watched from the training room window for a while, but neither joined the festivities.
It was his first new year in this world. He had no family here, no gathering of friends—only his goal of growing stronger and a student beside him who sought strength too.
January 4, early morning.
The airport at Heaven's Arena bustled with people.
Dressed in white casual clothes, Leo waited leisurely for the airship to arrive.
Sophia had come to see him off.
She wore ordinary clothes instead of her training outfit, but she still stood perfectly straight.
"Go on back."
Leo said,
"If you want to train with me, get those three wins soon."
Sophia nodded firmly.
"I will, Master Leo!"
She paused, then spoke more solemnly.
"I hope you get your Hunter License."
Leo waved and turned toward the boarding gate.
There were no more farewells. He left without lingering.
The airship slowly rose. Through the window, Leo watched Sophia's figure grow smaller on the helipad until the buildings hid her from view.
He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.
The airship cut through the clouds and sped toward the Ulubian Continent.
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