Just a month had passed by, and here you were, ready for your first match in the 200s.

Inside the closed entry tunnel, you clutched your sheathed dagger by your side. Taking a slow, deep breath, you calmed yourself down and waited for the announcer's cue to set foot in the arena.

"Just remember everything you were taught, and you'll be fine, (Y/N)," you mumble to yourself, attempting to calm down your excitement and nerves.

Then, you heard it.

"FOR OUR FIGHTERS TODAY, WE HAVE (Y/N), OUR NEWEST PARTICIPANT IN THE 200s!! HOW WILL SHE DO IN HER FIRST EVER MATCH, I WONDER?!" Her cheery voice was slightly muffled, yet loud enough that the dark entry tunnel you were in seemed to vibrate.

Right after she spoke, the doors opened, revealing the brightly lit arena and the audience's thunderous roars. Their screams echoed throughout the venue, never faltering for even a second.

At the sight of this, your eyes widened as you felt your shoulders stiffen. Were they all cheering for you? As far as you could remember, they weren't even this loud.

'Strange, I've never really been this nervous before.' You thought, the corners of your lips tugging upwards into a thin smile.

Taking a step forward, the spotlights centered on you as you revealed yourself to the crowd. With your chin held high, you strode forward resolutely, in an attempt to mask your nervousness.

Looking up at the lively audience, you see Killua, Alluka, Wing, and even Zushi, who was now healed. Alluka and Zushi both had wide grins on their faces as they cheered for you. Alluka's movements were especially animated as she waved her arms around, shouting and cheering like there was no tomorrow. Meanwhile, Killua and Zushi were a bit calmer, but you can tell they were as eager as everyone else was.

Noticing your gaze, Killua gave you a toothy smile along with a thumbs up, as if he were wishing you luck. Catching his infectious smile, you returned the gesture, as if you were saying 'thanks'.

Finally, you stepped into the ring with a more relaxed, confident smile. They were all cheering for you, after all. You were not gonna let them down.

"NOW ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE HAVE MAITA!! WITH A CLOSE RECORD OF 6-3, WILL HE CLAIM VICTORY, OR PACK HIS BAGS AND START FROM SQUARE ONE?!"

'Yikes, if he loses, he's gonna be disqualified from the 200s... I kinda feel bad for him...' You thought, watching your opponent walk up to the ring, wearing that same cocky smile he wore when he challenged you a month ago.

'But I'm still giving it my all.'

_ _ _

"ANOTHER CLEAN HIT BY (Y/N)!! THIS BRINGS HER SCORE UP TO 8! WILL MAITA BE ABLE TO CATCH UP?!" The announcer screams, prompting another spike in enthusiasm from the crowd.

By this time you've grown used to the audience's extra explosive screams whenever you or your opponent landed an attack, so none of this fazed you anymore.

"D-Dammit..." Your opponent stammers, clutching his bleeding hand. "Heh, pretty tough for a kid. You sure you're just a newbie?" He manages to say, chuckling at his pathetic, beaten-up state.

Meanwhile, you were tossing your glimmering dagger in the air, a wry smile crossing your features.

"Yup. Pretty sure," you say casually, expertly catching the dagger and surrounding it with your aura. "I'll make this quick, don't worry!" You give him a bright smile, a gesture that's the complete opposite of what you were planning to do.

Then, you charged at him before he could react. With widened eyes, he falls to the ground.

"Critical Hit and Down. The win goes to (Y/N)." The referee raised his arm, after checking on your unconscious opponent.

"AAAAANNND OUR WINNER IS (Y/N)!!!" The announcer exclaims, resulting in another deafening cheer from the audience.

"It's never this loud..." You mumble, looking out to the audience in awe, before breaking into a warm, grateful smile, one that made it hard to believe you just destroyed your opponent.

You spot Killua and the others cheering for you in the crowd. You smile even wider, waving your arms enthusiastically at them, before running off the stage to join them.

But for some reason, you couldn't shake the feeling that you were being watched.

_ _ _

"Killua!" You exclaim, spotting that fluff of hair in the distance, along with the others who were further behind. Excitedly, you sprint through the halls and dodged through the crowds of people who just exited the arena.

He only stared at you, wide-eyed, as you rushed to him with a speed that almost rivaled his own. "Idiot, stop screaming my name like that. Everyone can hear you... it's embarrassing!" He grumbles, looking around through the corner of his eyes to make sure you didn't cause a scene.

"But Killua, can you believe it? I won!" You cheer, wearing a genuinely happy smile.

Drawn to your expression, he unknowingly smiled back. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Congrats."

"Onee-chan!!"

In just a second after you heard that familiar voice, you found yourself in a soul-crushing hug. "You did so well! I almost didn't recognize you!" Alluka exclaimed, sharing every bit of your happiness.

"Osu! That was amazing, (Y/N)!" Zushi says, catching up as well, with Wing by his side.

"Hehe, thanks guys. I couldn't have done this without all of you." you smile, returning Alluka's tight hug.

"It seems you enjoyed the match," Wing comments, a pleased look on his face.

"Yup! I tried not to hurt him too much though." You chuckle, sheepishly scratching the back of your head.

Killua smirks at this. "Good, we wouldn't want you murdering someone in front of a bunch of people," he teased.

"Onii-chan, don't say that! There's no way Onee-chan would do something like that," Alluka scolds, petulantly placing her arms by her hips.

You couldn't help but chuckle at the scene, wishing this could last a little longer.

_ _ _

Ever since your first win, you've managed to win your next 3 matches within 6 months, and you were already excited for the next one.

--

"Hey, (Y/N), you've already won a bunch of matches. You still wanna keep going?" Killua asks.

You smile, looking ahead. "Yeah. I know we originally came here just so we could get stronger... but I don't wanna leave just yet."

He sighs, closing his eyes as a small smile touched his lips. "I get it. Just don't do anything stupid."

--

Walking through Heavens Arena's ground floor, you were merely on your way to the 200s to sign up for your next match. However, as you turned a corner and into an empty hallway, you suddenly felt a presence behind you, one that seemed oddly familiar, but unsettling.

Agitated, you whirled around to look behind you, simultaneously reaching for your dagger and activating Ten.

'Huh? There's no one here...'

"That's a nice Ten you've got there, kid!" Said an eager voice behind you.

'What?!'

A bead of nervous sweat rolled down your forehead as you hesitantly craned your head back towards that low, velvety voice. There, you saw a familiar deep red duffel coat that you haven't seen in months.

You gasped, whirling your body around to fully face his clear gaze. "You're–"

"Oh, you know me? So you've watched one of my matches before?" He asks casually, giving you a seemingly friendly smile.

'Sanguis.'

"Yeah. I have," you reply, taking on a confident tone. "I'm (Y/N), by the way. What do you need?" You smile back at him, deactivating your Ten to maintain the friendly atmosphere.

'He doesn't seem too dangerous... I hope'

"(Y/N), huh. It's a name I would never forget," he smirks, leaning closer to you. "I've seen a few of your matches as well."

"Oh, you have?" You reply, taking a subtle step back.

"Yep, and I think it would be great for us if we had a match, don't you think?"

'A match, huh?' You looked down thoughtfully, remembering the amount of power he's shown during his match with Zushi. 'But then Killua told me to stay away from him...'

He leans back, chuckling. "What are you so worried about? You enjoy fighting just like me, don't you? It's gonna be fun!" He smiles, speaking in that charming, lighthearted tone.

You glance at him, a confused frown forming in your face. 'But... why does he seem so familiar? Was he the reason why I always felt like I was being watched after every match...?'

"Were you the one watching me after my matches?"

"That's right!" He snaps. "You're more perceptive than I thought, (Y/N). So, what's it gonna be?"

"I–" You pause, 'His strategy involves Zetsu and In... he's gonna deceive me at some point, but..'

"Sure, I'll fight you, Sanguis."

He smiles. "Really? That's great! Then, how about next month?" He replied in a light, excited tone. Surely, he can't be that bad.

You nod, smiling back at him. "Sure!"

"Perfect, I'll see you next month. Give it your all, okay?" He gives you a playful wink, before sauntering past you, going down the hallway.

You stood there in silence for a bit, before letting out the deepest sigh. Your body relaxed, and you somehow felt you could breathe better. "He seems friendly, I could handle this!" You convinced yourself.

With a resolute nod, you took a step forward, ready to register for your match with him, until you heard another familiar voice. A cool, deep one you shouldn't be hearing right now.

"(Y/N), you idiot. I told you to stay away from him."