Going back in time.
Point of View Switch: Kai
Since Kai's departure, Ponzu and I have continued our training under Wing's tutelage. In line with what the boss had predicted, his style of training our Nen proved to be more conventional, focusing primarily on improving the control and flow of our aura rather than our overall abilities.
This directly conflicted with Kai's methodology, causing us to have occasional differences of opinion with our provisional teacher's mentorship. This extended not only to our practice of advanced applications, but also to the intensity of our physical training, the development of our Hatsu, and our combat training.
At first, it wasn't easy for us to slow down, but through numerous discussions and demonstrating our ability to take on a higher level, Wing relented a little, and we managed to reach a compromise. Still, there were some who weren't so pleased with this change.
Date: June 16th, 2011
"Please master, we also want to raise the level of our training, osu!" Zushi asks Wing alongside Killua and Gon.
"We've already talked about this, Zushi. You must continue practicing the 4 basic principles of Nen and training your spiritual strength before you think about increasing your level." Wing replies inflexibly.
"But why? We already know the basics of the four principles, and we've also been training longer than Nicholas and Ponzu! We should be able to take on the same training they go through!" Gon complains.
"You saying that is simply a display of arrogance. First of all, Gon, you, and Killua have only been formally training under me for a month due to the injuries you sustained from acting so carelessly in your battle with Gido, while Nicholas and Ponzu have been training diligently for five months. So your claim of having trained longer is misguided." Wing states with a firm and pissed gaze.
"Furthermore, I promised Kai that I would train them properly while he was away, which is why I'm willing to be more flexible in the methods I use for their training. That hasty approach isn't something I'm willing to apply to my own disciples."
"Oh come on! Zushi has been studying Nen under your guidance for 9 months, and Gon and I are learning at a very rapid pace! I'm pretty sure that with our abilities we can endure just as much as them and more! Besides, if I don't develop my Nen skills soon, I won't be able to payback that jerk of Kai!" Killua tries to argue.
"I'm sorry to tell you this, Killua, but I don't think you're going to get that objective anytime soon." Zushi comments giving Killua a side pitiful look.
"That's true, Killua. It'd be better if you just forget about it." Gon adds doing the same, poking on Killua nerve.
The boys continued to argue with Wing about raising the level of their training, but Wing remained adamant about not jeopardizing their progressive development. The most he was willing to do was allow them to spar with us using only Ten and physical combat skills.
In these practices, both Ponzu and I became aware of the different levels of superhuman migth that normal people were unaware of:
First, we had Zushi, who, despite his young age and limited training, already surpassed the physical abilities of any normal adult we knew. Ponzu, with her training and specialization in kick fighting, was able to more or less match him, while I, having grown stronger thanks to the new training equipment, was able to surpass him with some difficulty.
Next up was Gon, who seemed to possess superior physical abilities thanks to an unconventional talent and lifestyle. His combat prowess surpassed Ponzu's, and while I was able to match his physical strength, his swiftness and unpredictable tactics made it impossible for me to overcome him, even if I gradually increased the amount of time I could contend against him.
Killua was already on a completely different level, wiping the floor with the two of us every time he got serious, showing why he'd proven to be such a tough opponent for boss Kai during their match. However, his style was very direct and focused on ending fights quickly, so whenever he fought at our level, I at least managed to win 1 out of every 4 fights against him. The fact that we maintained this streak showed that he was improving as well.
Finally there were the few sparrings against our temporary master, Wing. While his teachings might have been a bit soft for us, his body and Nen aura were perfected with polished technique and impressive strength, being comparable to boss Kai. It's certainly understandable why he said his fight with Wing had been a very close call. And what was most disturbing was that Wing himself claimed his power was still growing thanks to Kai's Nen ability.
Outside of training, Ponzu and I devoted ourselves to immersing ourselves in our passions: Ponzu had been visiting the herbalist's shop that the chief had introduced her to during their date, conducting experiments in her room to try to create new chemicals that could aid her in combat and in her work as a Hunter.
In addition to that, she also called to check on the progress of her project with the Federation of Ochima, and occasionally visited the city gardens so her bees could enjoy some freedom in a pleasant environment.
For my part, I dedicated myself to continuing to investigate the dark side of the web to help in the future formation of The Tsukimichi Organization, and looking for matches in the tower to achieve the goal of becoming a Floor Master, managing to get 3 matches, winning 2 and losing 1.
Fourth Fight: The Elementalist
The first was against a Manipulator who could spit and control fire, causing it to spin and move almost as if it were a real object in his hands. It was a difficult battle in which I suffered some burns and bruises, but when I exerted my Ren to its full potential, I was able to overcome my opponent and achieve victory. Even so, I was left quite badly injured and tired from the fight.
Fifth Fight: The Dancer
My second fight was against a short-haired woman who specialized in hand-to-hand combat. Her Nen ability consisted of creating afterimages with her nimble and elusive movements, making her a difficult opponent to face thanks to her vast array of feints.
Despite her slippery fighting style, I was able to land several hits on her by taking advantage of the moments when she was hitting me and vulnerable to grabs, managing to win with a technical knockout after three hits by focusing my aura with Ryu. It was still a close call, as she managed to land 8 points against me while I only managed 3.
Sixth Fight: The Scale
The last fight of this 2 week period was against a Conjurer that could conjure 6 metal spheres that floated in the air, quite similar to the Kai boss's Orbital Orbs ability, but being the size of a baseball.
As soon as the match began, the man launched his spheres in my direction, seeking to hit me with them, but thanks to the training I had had in Heavens Arena, I had the speed and agility necessary to dodge them and close the distance with their controller.
The guy wasn't a pushover, able to dodge and withstand my attacks, engaging me in combat while simultaneously trying to hit me with his spheres. Of course, dodging this overwhelming onslaught was impossible for someone of my level, so he was hit several times by the spheres.
When I received the third hit, I began to realize something: my performance was declining. Trying to move from here to there, I noticed my body felt heavier, making me understand that this was the true strength of his Nen ability.
Understanding that a power like this should have a time or distance limit, I tried to get away from my opponent to regain my full combat capacity, but unfortunately my opponent didn't let me breathe and I ended up being defeated by leaving me almost unable to move and get the necessary 10 points.
Despite this loss at the end of a good streak, I wasn't discouraged. Counting Riehlvelt's elimination, I had a total of 5 wins against fighters who had trained and fought fervently to become an integral part of this monument known as the mecca for fighters from around the world, Heavens Arena. This couldn't help but fill me with a blissful sense of accomplishment.
Still, what excited me most during this time were the times boss Kai called Ponzu and me through my laptop to say hello and update us on his trip. His account of his forays as a Blacklist Hunter opened my eyes to a darker, more serious side of the profession I hadn't been aware of before.
My fantasies of being an agent of justice and law enforcement took on a more mature and realistic approach, and the explanation of the complexity with which Kai approached each assignment made me realize that this profession wasn't going to be as easy or simple as I had initially thought.
However, as instructive and motivating as this was for me, it wasn't what excited me most about the calls; it was boss Kai's interactions with Ponzu. For some time now, I've been worried about boss Kai's reluctance to accept his desire for the opposite sex, and I've really been waiting for an opportunity to help him establish a deeper connection with someone. And now at last, it seems that opportunity has presented itself to me.
From their various interactions together, I had already pretty much gathered that Ponzu and Kai possessed a mutual attraction, and now with their online interactions over the past few days, that has become even more clear to me, as both boss Kai and Ponzu display a more animated side to each other when speaking through the screen, and in rare instances, Ponzu displays an air of longing for Kai to return to Heavens Arena as soon as possible.
Even though Ponzu is currently a disciple under boss Kai, this opportunity is too good to waste, so I decide to play matchmaker to try to help their relationship flourish.
Date: June 21th, 2011
Using the excuse that I'm taking a stroll for gathering information in the city, I come across Ponzu, who is squatting in front of a garden, letting his bees fly freely among the flowers, and I approach to test the waters and start my mission.
"Hi Ponzu. What's up?" I ask casually.
"Hi Nicholas. Nothing special, just letting my bees loose so they can pollinate and I can communicate with them." Ponzu answers as I crouch down beside her.
"Communicate with them? I see you take great care of your bees." I say.
"From a very young age, my mother helped me forge a bond with bees so they could protect and help me when I went outside, so now I consider them an important part of my life. Who knows, maybe I'll even develop a Nen ability based on them." She says looking at me with a smile.
"I'm not saying you shouldn't do it, but I think you should wait a little longer until your Nen abilities are more developed. Also, I truly think you should consult the boss about it before creating it. I speak from experience; he always has the best ideas." I advise her.
"Yeah, you may be right." She replies staring at the flowers again.
"By the way... Do you like the boss, Ponzu?" I ask, making Ponzu blush in surprise.
"W-Well, of course. Kai is a very kind and respectable person who's always helping me, so of course I like him." Ponzu answers, trying to give a different meaning to my question.
"Yes, but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm asking if you like Kai as a man." I state, making Ponzu more nervous and red as she looks at me again.
"What does that matter to you?! It doesn't make sense! Who do you think you are to ask me that question all of a sudden?!" Ponzu asks in a combination of anger and embarrassment, pretty much giving me an answer.
"I'm boss Kai's closest confidant, and that's why I want to do everything I can to help him with whatever he needs, including supporting him in his weaknesses." I answer.
"Weaknesses?! What are you trying to say with that?!" Ponzu asks still altered.
"I think it's obvious; I know he likes you." I answer directly, causing Ponzu to fall silent.
"W-What? C-Come on, Nicholas. That's enough. S-Stop trying to tease me with that." Ponzu says directing his gaze down to try to avoid me.
"I'm being very serious, Ponzu. The boss is incredibly attracted to you, and has been since the first time he saw you. However, I'm afraid things might turn sour if they continue like this." I say, earning a curious look from Ponzu.
"What do you mean by that?" She asks.
I remain silent for a few seconds in meditation before answering. "Boss Kai... is great at many things. He's a formidable fighter, incredibly intelligent and cautious, has a strong but also kind heart, and is capable of overcoming any difficulty if he puts his mind to it. However, when it comes to dealing with women, the boss can find himself in a rather complicated situation."
"On more than one occasion, I have witnessed that the boss has unusually strong carnal desires, but I have also witnessed how he hates them and tries to deny them with all his might, thinking they are a weakness that he has to nip in the bud to avoid being hurt."
"If he continues to defend this mindset, the boss will shut down that part of him more and more until he becomes unable to forge a deeper connection with anyone. I don't want the boss to deny himself the opportunity to enjoy the delight of being with someone special, and like I know he's never going to make a move, I ask you instead of him: Ponzu, do you like Kai as a man or not?"
At my question, Ponzu lowers his head to look at the flowers in the garden before answering in a low voice. "I'm not sure."
"I mean, of course, I take notice that Kai is a very attractive man, and I certainly get along with him very well. I always have a fun time when I'm with him, and he's certainly become a very special person to me. But... I'm not sure if I want to enter into that kind of relationship with him."
"Like you, I've also long noticed how Kai tries so hard to deny his attraction to me and other women, and the day we went out to explore the city, I confronted him about it. Despite my unjustifiably aggressive approach, and this being such a sensitive issue for him, he responded honestly and clearly to solve my doubts." She says grabbing the length of her pants.
"That's why I don't want to disrespect his conviction and jeopardize our current relationship by not responding wheter I like him or not with the same determination."
Hearing her reply, I stand up again after a few seconds before responding nonchalantly: "Ok, that's fine by me. I know how this works and have no intention of forcing you."
"Don't rush things and take your time to think about the relationship you want to pursue with boss Kai. When you have your answer, let me know and I'll help you in any way I can. But don't take too long thinking about it, or you could end up losing that possibility forever."
After saying this, I walk away from the place, leaving Ponzu thinking in silence about what I just told her while she continues managing her bees in the garden.
Date: June 25th, 2011
"You're not coming back yet?!" I ask in shock alongside Ponzu to Kai on my laptop screen.
"It seems Menchi recently finished her work as a Hunter and insisted we meet in person for a dinner. Despite my arguments, I was unable to dissuade her, so I'll be gone for another 5 days." Kai says with some dissatisfaction, surprising us even more.
"5 days?! Boss, Your planned deadline to become a Floor Master is July 11th! You won't be able to make it in time to meet your fight quota and complete your objective!" I say out of concern that the boss will fail in his objective.
"Ah, don't worry about that. I'll be back in time in Gelsea city to finish my remaining battles." Kai responds seemingly unconcerned.
"How?" I ask.
"I can't say that, but I have my own means to take care of everything at hand, so rest assured." Kai affirms without answering my question.
"Still, it doesn't seem like a good idea to me. Even if you think you can make it on time, something unexpected can always happen that prevents you from getting here. The most sensible thing would be to postpone that dinner with Menchi for another day and go back and finish your remaining matches." Ponzu says very seriously to my surprise.
"I'm afraid I can't do that. I've given her my word that I'd go to that dinner, and honestly, after our last conversation, I don't think Menchi would take kindly to me asking her to postpone it now. I have no other choice; I have to go." Kai resplies resignedly, making Ponzu put on a disappointed face.
"Oh come on, don't be sad. Even though it's later than we planned at first, I'll be there sooner than you think, and before you know it, we'll be training and planning our future plans just like we've been doing up until now, alrigth?"
Although not entirely convinced, Ponzu nods in affirmation. "Great, then everything's clear. Keep training and researching for your respective specialties until we meet again. Bye." Kai says logging out of the screen on his side.
"Well, it looks like we'll have to keep waiting after all. Anyway, we'd better follow his instructions and grab the training gear." I say closing it and grabbing my computer as I get up from the table before Ponzu catches my attention.
"Nicholas, I've decided! I want to have a romantic relationship with Kai! Please help me achieve it!" Ponzu asks me without an ounce of hesitation in her voice.
Seeing how Ponzu has fixed her resolve to try to establish a deeper connection with boss Kai, I can't help but smile in pleasure before answering her excitedly. "Of course! Count on me for anything from now on!"