And just like that, with nothing but a knife-hand strike, A Luo made it all the way to the 100th floor.
Thinking back on all her miserable experiences, especially the beatings she had taken...
At that moment, A Luo's gratitude toward Killua was like a mighty river, flowing on without end.
No wonder everyone loved latching onto someone powerful!
It really did feel amazing!
When A Luo took the elevator up to the 100th floor, she could tell that the people and atmosphere here were on an entirely different level from those below.
Under Heavens Arena's rules, competitors above the 100th floor could have private rooms, but those rooms would be taken away if they lost and fell below the 100th floor.
And after reaching the 100th floor, the prize money shot straight up to 1.5 million Jenny. Above the 150th floor, it reached a staggering ten million Jenny.
As a result, once these competitors made it to the 100th floor, most would stop at nothing to win.
They were in a completely different league from the amateurs below the 100th floor!
"Killua, sorry for the wait~"
Spotting Killua sitting on a bench in the distance, A Luo raced over and gave him an enthusiastic hug of gratitude.
For once, Killua didn't make a snide remark!
A Luo let go of him. Surprised that the little brat hadn't put her down for once, she tilted her head and studied the little squirt curiously.
Killua awkwardly averted his gaze and cleared his throat.
"What's there to be happy about? You only beat a few pieces of trash. A Luo, the opponents coming up are the ones you'll actually have to take seriously. You're nowhere near my level, after all! Your speed and strength are both way too low... If the knife-hand strike I taught you doesn't work, you'll have to watch out for yourself."
Sure enough, just as Killua had said, A Luo's opponent in the next match was much stronger.
Her opponent was fast.
Forget taking him down in one move-just dodging his attacks was already a struggle.
Ultimately, she was simply too young. Her physical strength and stamina couldn't match his.
At this rate, once she ran out of strength, all she could do was get beaten up.
This won't work. I need to think of something!
As she fled desperately, A Luo's mind raced.
That's it! If there's no opening to attack, I'll just have to create one!
Fifteen minutes later, A Luo showed signs of exhaustion, as though she had used up all her strength.
Her opponent immediately seized the opportunity, speeding up again and knocking the little girl to the arena floor with a heavy punch.
A Luo took the opportunity to lie facedown and pretend to pass out.
The referee began counting!
"One, two, three... eight."
Just before the final number left the referee's mouth, in that instant when her opponent let his guard down-
A Luo snapped her eyes open, pushed off hard with both feet, and launched herself at her opponent's back, then delivered a knife-hand strike!
The outcome flipped in an instant!
Her opponent collapsed unconscious, his eyes still filled with shock and fury.
Sure enough, looking like a little girl was incredibly deceptive!
If he hadn't underestimated her and let his guard down, she would have taken another terrible beating.
The referee stared at the dramatic turn of events, dumbfounded, then began counting again over the unconscious competitor on the floor.
Once the count ended, he raised A Luo's left hand and declared the little girl the winner of the match.
A Luo climbed down from the ring, grimacing in pain, and ran toward Killua with tears in her eyes, sobbing as she poured out her grievances to her new friend.
"That guy's punches hurt like hell. Boo-hoo... This is way too much! I took a whole damn beating just to win a match. It's so not worth it!"
Although A Luo kept calling Killua a little squirt in her head...
In reality, she was about the same height as him, at most just a tiny bit taller!
It was just that she considered herself an adult, so she always thought Killua looked so tiny, so sweet, and so adorable!
Little did she know that, to everyone else, it looked like a little girl clinging to a little boy beside her, whining about the pain in a childish voice, while the boy looked both disgusted and helpless.
The whole scene was as adorable as it was funny!
"Next match: competitor number 1929, Killua, versus competitor number 1278, Bobby. Both competitors, please prepare."
Hearing the announcement, Killua pulled A Luo's arms off him with a disdainful look and turned toward the ring.
"Useless! I'm up next. Watch from the sidelines and learn something!"
A Luo hurried obediently to the spectator seats around Killua's ring, deliberately choosing a good seat near the front so she could watch closely and learn!
Unfortunately, the match had barely begun when her attention was drawn to a young man ahead and to her left, wearing a hoodie and sporting long, straight black hair.
Whenever Killua made a clean, decisive attack in the ring, or slipped up and let his opponent counter, that man gave off a terrifying aura that made her shudder!
She studied him curiously.
Suddenly, the man turned his entire head a full 180 degrees!
A pair of lifeless black eyes stared straight at her, framed by long black hair parted down the middle.
He was almost as terrifying as Sadako!
A Luo jolted violently in fright... and even knocked over the cola on her left!
Th-this... This is Illumi, isn't it?
Isn't it?!
"You little brat, what the hell are you doing? You got my pants all wet!"
The scar-faced man on her left turned and barked at her.
"S-sorry, I... I didn't... m-mean... to!"
A Luo stammered out an apology, then immediately fled the competition hall at top speed.
She raced straight home and hid in her bedroom, still shaken.
"That was Illumi, wasn't it? It had to be! Those features, that feeling, and he was secretly watching Killua-it must've been him! When did he get here? Did he notice her?... Probably not! Otherwise, how could I have gotten away?"
Still seated in the stands watching his younger brother's match, Illumi turned his expressionless face back toward the ring after frightening her. His large, empty black eyes remained utterly placid.
That little girl's reaction was interesting! It was only a little prank. Why did she react so strongly? Did she recognize who I was?
But I don't remember any little girl who looks like that. Or was she a witness I accidentally left behind on a job? That shouldn't be possible! I always made sure to clean up properly...
What a headache. Oh, right.
Illumi tapped his left hand against his right.
I'll pay that little girl a visit at home tonight. And Killua, too. The two of them seemed to come in together earlier. Sigh! Why did Dad send Killua somewhere like this? Why not just leave him with me?
Illumi continued watching his younger brother's match while all these scattered thoughts ran through his mind.
Until the match ended.
Killua came down from the ring and couldn't find Lola.
The little brat was about to head to Lola's home when he spotted a familiar figure at the corner ahead and to his left.
The adorable silver-haired boy shuddered and stopped in his tracks.
"Big Brother!"
The figure looked up, revealing an expressionless face.
"Mom asked me to pass along a message. She misses you a little and wants you to contact her when you have time. Also, as your big brother, I feel it's necessary to remind you not to disappoint Dad or me. These small fry shouldn't be a match for you. You should be able to finish Dad's task quickly and come home after reaching the 200th floor. Don't keep Dad and me waiting too long!"
"Okay, got it."
"Oh, right, Killua. Who was that little girl with you earlier? Do you know her?"
"Hmm... Just another competitor, I guess. Nothing to do with me."
Killua shrugged, pretending he didn't care and didn't know her, then walked toward the counter with his hands in his pockets.
He had a staff member take him to the private room assigned to him.
Behind him, Illumi stood in place and stared for a long while.
Then his figure slowly faded away, vanishing silently into thin air like a drop of water!
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