How did i end up like this?

Hmm! This is quite… Oh? So that's how it's going to be!? Ugh, this is bad! I can't lose like this! W-what!? My techniques aren't working!? How is my throw being countered…!?

"... I'm so... tired... this is the 15th... time..."

Ah! I'm done for! Damn it, my only chance to turn this around is to go all-in with my ultimate move! Here I go!

"Aisha-sama. Please come to the 6th-floor arena within the next few minutes."

Ugh, you've been so loud this whole time. I can't focus on my game! Huh? I just got hit by the enemy's super move!, Shit… I lost…

I was so close to beating the final boss, too. That announcement completely broke my concentration. What was that all about, anyway?

"Due to Aisha's absence, Gomez is declared the winner by default."

…Ah! Crap! I forgot about the match!

I… I lost by default… Ugh, it's all this stupid joystick's fault! I haven't played games in so long, and my old gamer instincts kicked in. I got way too absorbed…

Well, I finally got my hands on a game console again, so I guess it's no surprise I got carried away… How embarrassing. I'll be more careful next time…

After leaving Meteor City, I managed to scrape by doing odd jobs here and there. Fortunately, thanks to my mom's breast milk, I grew up faster than normal. Even though I'm only about 10 years old in actual age, I look like I'm 16 to 18, so I've been able to lie about my age and work.

But that can't last forever. Legitimate jobs are harsh on those without proper identification. It's hard to get a decent job. I could probably get by with illegal work, but I'd rather not get involved in that…

If I didn't have any special skills, I might've been stuck, but fortunately, I have one outstanding talent.

Martial arts.

That's why I came to Heavens Arena. The reasons are simple: to make money and to train. The money part is obvious. I need it to survive. This place is a goldmine for anyone with decent combat skills. That's why I chose Heavens Arena. If you move between the floors below the 190th, you can easily make hundreds of millions.

As for training, you might think I'm already strong enough, but that's not the case… I'm definitely weaker than my past self, Ryushou Kazama…

In terms of physical ability, my current self is already superior. I'm only 11 years old, but my physical capabilities far surpass what I achieved in my previous life at my peak.

…This is probably because my previous self had a body from the original world, while my current self was reborn in this world and inherited its physical traits. I've been growing at an absurd rate, with muscle strength and physical limits that seem to defy logic. My current body's specs are overwhelmingly better.

Not to mention, my aura capacity is also greater now. From the moment I was born, my aura already exceeded that of my previous self, and over these 11 years, it's only grown further… I've been training diligently, but I think the main reason might be my mom's breast milk… It felt like my latent aura increased a little every time I drank it…

Anyway, even with all that, if my current self fought my past self as Ryushou, Ryushou would probably win. The reason lies in the relationship between my techniques and my current body…

The techniques I possess are the culmination of nearly 90 years of refinement by Ryushou. They're the result of endless repetition, perfectly tailored to the body I had back then.

But they're not optimized for my current body. As a result, my movements feel awkward and don't flow as smoothly as they used to. It's like my body and techniques are at odds with each other. On top of that, I haven't practiced my techniques with anyone since being reborn. I've gotten rusty. I couldn't exactly use my mom as a training dummy, after all.

That part is manageable, though. I've been adjusting my past techniques to suit my current body through battles here at Heavens Arena.

The biggest problem is the difference in my mentality.

Ryushou's mental state had reached a level comparable to that of a plant—calm and unshakable. But my current mental state, while not exactly that of a normal girl, is nowhere near the level I had as Ryushou.

In combat, one's mental state is a crucial factor. Even the slightest disturbance in your mind can throw off your techniques and give your opponent the opening they need to land a fatal blow. Against weak opponents, it might not matter, but against top-tier fighters, especially someone like my old friend Netero, it would be fatal…

...Well, if monsters of that caliber were running around everywhere, it'd be unbearable. Yeah, maybe I'm just overthinking this.

Speaking of which, I wonder how Netero's doing? I kind of want to see him again after so long. Even if he saw me now, he probably wouldn't recognize me as Ryushou…

Anyway, my mind, techniques, and body are all out of sync. I'll stay here for a while and get used to my body through fighting. It's not all bad that my physical abilities have improved. There are things I couldn't do before that I can probably do now. I'll use this time to experiment and adjust my body.

What should I do after this?

I want to get my hands on Greed Island (I looked it up online), but the price is way out of my reach right now. I'd love to find a way to get it, but apparently, some rich guy named Battera is buying them all up. Even when they occasionally show up on the black market, he snatches them up at the highest price… That Battera guy.

I'll keep gathering information about Greed Island online for now. Maybe I'll find a clever way to get it without buying it outright.

For now, that's fine. But what should I really do? I'm not interested in becoming a Floor Master here. I don't feel like opening a dojo or chasing fame.

Maybe I should travel the world? A leisurely trip around different countries sounds fun.

Or should I take the Hunter Exam? I'm not particularly interested in being a Hunter, but a Hunter License would be really useful for me right now. Just having one would serve as the best form of identification, and it'd help me gather information about Greed Island.

Back then, when Netero invited me, I turned him down, but now I might be able to pass if I took it. It's February 27, 1997, so if I were to take it, it'd be next year's exam.

Hmm…

I think something happened in the exam two years from now, in 1999… The fact that I'm curious about the future probably means it's because of that knowledge. It's a bit late to say this now, but that's likely when the original story started…

…I barely remember any of that knowledge. After all, it's from a manga I read over 100 years ago. If it were memories from actual experience, that'd be one thing, but remembering details from a manga for over 100 years is impossible. If I could've done that, I wouldn't have needed to create an ability like [Original Knowledge] in my past life…

At best, I remember that the story started with the Hunter Exam. The main characters were two boys (or was it four?). And… I think Heavens Arena and Greed Island were involved. Then, after a bunch of stuff happened, some really dangerous creatures appeared, and the world was in trouble. That's about it.

If I see those scenes and compare them to my memories, I might recall a bit more.

…What should I do about those dangerous creatures (ants, I think)? Could I beat them as I am now? But even Netero couldn't win against them. If he couldn't, then there's no way I could, being weaker than him.

Wait, Nen abilities have compatibility. I might not have been able to beat Netero's [100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva], but it's possible my techniques could work against opponents that his ability couldn't defeat… Plus, if I can fully synchronize my mind, techniques, and body, I should definitely be stronger than my past self.

Although, while my techniques and body might sync up, my mind is another story. Reaching the mental state I had back then seems tough… Ideally, I'd want to crush the threat before it even happens, but there's no way I remember the details. Sigh…

Maybe I'll kill some time by thinking up a new Nen ability.

I did create one ability before coming here. It's ridiculously inefficient in terms of aura consumption… but it's pretty convenient for everyday life.

[Angel's Veil]

Type: Specialist Ability

Effect: This ability conceals the user's aura, making it undetectable to others. It disguises the user's aura as ordinary, non-threatening aura. Even to other Nen users, it appears as nothing more than a faint, uncontrolled aura. The ability can be toggled ON and OFF.

〈Conditions〉

While this ability is active, even maintaining Ten consumes the same amount of aura as Ren would normally.When using Nen abilities while this ability is active, the aura cost is multiplied by 10. The ability does not affect aura that has already left the user's body (e.g., emitted or projected aura).

〈Vow〉

None

…Yeah, so after leaving Meteor City and going to other towns, I realized I couldn't live normally unless I was constantly using Zetsu or In. But maintaining Zetsu or In all the time puts way too much strain on the mind.

That's when I thought, "Why not create a Nen ability that lets me disguise my aura?"

At first, I just wanted to create an ability that would let me fake the quality of my aura. But as I worked on it, it turned into something far more dangerous.

When this ability is active, no matter if I use Ten, Ren, or even Gyo, the opponent won't react. And yes, the opponent is a Nen user. They won't even realize I'm a Nen user. That alone should tell you how terrifying this ability is.

Of course, it comes with significant drawbacks. An average Nen user would collapse within an hour just from maintaining Ten with this ability active. Even with my massive aura reserves, if I use Ren while this ability is active, I can only last about six hours.

…Well, a 10x aura consumption rate for six hours of Ren is more than enough, I guess.

But that's just under normal circumstances. In combat, when using advanced techniques, aura consumption increases by 6 to 10 times the normal rate. In my case, depending on how I fight, that becomes 60 to 100 times the normal rate.

The consumption is so extreme that during combat, I try to avoid using anything other than Ten. Not that I need Ten against weak opponents, though. Even weakened, I'm still the former master of the Kazama Style. Don't underestimate me.

Osu~

....

Now, what kind of new ability should I create? It'd be nice if I had some inspiration. Hmm… anything come to mind?

…Wait, I feel like I've thought about Nen abilities like this before. I feel like I'm forgetting something really important…

Nope, can't remember. Oh well, if I can't remember, it probably wasn't that big of a deal. Probably… For now, I'll focus on thinking about a new ability.

Two weeks after arriving at Heavens Arena, I've created a new Nen ability. Man, I thought long and hard about this. The main question was: how can I reduce the risks I face in combat? Not by running away from fights, but by minimizing the dangers within them.

Nen battles are unpredictable. The biggest reason for this is that you never know what kind of ability your opponent has. They could be a Manipulator with the power to control you, or a Conjurer who creates some bizarre tool with a special ability. No matter how strong you are, if you get controlled or hit by a strange Nen ability, you could lose.

That's why I created this.

[Boss Attribute]

Type: Specialist Ability

Effect: Nullifies status ailments and special effects inflicted on the user by Nen. Does not negate the user's own Nen abilities. This ability is always active.

〈Conditions〉

Each nullification consumes aura equal to the opponent's aura × n (where n scales with the potency of the ability).It cannot nullify special effects caused by post-mortem Nen. The user cannot selectively choose which effects to nullify (e.g., healing abilities are also nullified).

〈Vow〉

If the user's aura is depleted by this ability, they will immediately faint and remain in a Zetsu state for 30 days. During this time, [Boss Attribute] will not activate.

With this, I don't have to fear most Nen-based hax! Though, it only blocks special effects—physical damage from Nen still hits normally… Still, it's not perfect. The aura drain is brutal, and if [Boss Attribute] triggers while [Angel's Veil] is active? My aura would evaporate in seconds, depending on the ability.

Not being able to turn it ON or OFF is a pretty harsh limitation. But without such strict conditions, I wouldn't have been able to create such a powerful ability. The inability to choose which effects to block is a fair trade-off. If it nullified my own abilities too, it'd be stronger… but then [Angel's Veil] would be useless.

Another flaw: it doesn't nullify regular poisons or non-Nen threats. Oh well. I'll just have to avoid those myself. Maybe staying vigilant is better anyway.

But now I've realized… I have no offensive Nen abilities. Not sure if I can create more. Even if I tried, they'd probably be underwhelming.

◆

Right now, I'm fleeing Heavens Arena…

After grinding cash by bouncing between the 180th and 190th floors (deliberately losing matches), I've racked up nearly 10 billion jenny. Is it really okay to get this much? It makes working in the mines seem like a joke.

But after a few cycles, I got a warning: "Keep throwing matches, and we'll demote you to the bottom floor. Do it again, and you're banned."

I guess I was being too obvious… Well, fine. I won my next match and moved to the 200th floor. Money's enough, and I wanted to spar with Nen users. But then… I met him.

A clown… There was this creepy clown with a really unsettling aura…

"Kukuku~ Welcome to the 200th floor~♥"

"...What do you want? Move. I need to register."

"Hmm~ I'd love to, but you're a bit early, no?♠ Can't you see what's beside me?"

…A skull made of Nen. Judging by the aura, he's a pretty strong opponent. If I fight him now, I might struggle… I'd prefer to get more used to my body and techniques before taking him on.

"What are you talking about?"

I'll back off here. It's not about winning or losing—I just don't want to be near this guy. His aura feels sticky and clingy, like it's trying to latch onto me.

"You're delicious now, but you'll be even tastier with time~♦ Shame to break you so soon."

That gave me the creeps! This guy is seriously gross. I don't know what it is, but I just can't stand him on a visceral level!

"How about I train y—"

"I'll pass, thanks!!"

I bolted from the 200th floor like a rabbit! I didn't stop until I was out of Heavens Arena. I have no intention of going back now. What was up with that creepy clown…!?

…Somehow, this feels like it's triggering my memories again? That perverted clown might be related to the original story…

Anyway, what's done is done. I've saved up plenty of money, and I don't have anything else to do, so I guess I'll go on a leisurely trip around the world.

Farewell, Heavens Arena!!