"Is that some kind of magic, or is it real?"
"If it's real, then what kind of power is it? How strong would someone be if they possessed that sort of power?"
"Is Gittarackur truly beyond what I can handle?"
Ruco pondered for a long while before making a decision.
She would first hunt three unrelated people to grab their tags. Only after securing those three points would she consider whether to go after Gittarackur. If she couldn't manage it, she'd drop the idea.
Her own tag had already been taken.
Passing the exam required six points.
Before obtaining at least three, it made no sense to attack Gittarackur.
Deep down, Ruco had already come to believe what Ron told her.
She lowered her head and looked at the stone in her hand. Picking up a leaf, Ruco stabbed it toward the stone.
A moment later, the leaf split in two.
The stone remained unharmed.
Meanwhile, Ron had arrived elsewhere—in a small clearing.
Two people stood facing each other.
One was Gittarackur, whom Ron had met not long ago.
The other was an older martial artist named Gozu.
Gittarackur's target was Gozu.
In terms of skill, Gozu was actually quite strong. During the third exam, he and Pokkle nearly passed at the same time, but Gozu's luck was worse. In the draw, Gittarackur picked Gozu's number, making Gozu his designated target.
If Gozu had been willing to surrender his tag voluntarily, handing it over, Gittarackur wouldn't have attacked him. Just like Ron, Gittarackur treats killing as a job—nobody likes working for free unless they have no other choice.
But Gozu misjudged his own ability as well as Gittarackur's.
"A sneak attack?"
Gozu snorted coldly, grasped his spear, and drove it straight at Gittarackur's heart.
"Since you're here, you're not leaving!"
In the blink of an eye, a dull thud echoed.
Gittarackur's strike landed.
Gozu's face paled; he realized something was off. Looking down, he saw a massive, bloody hole in his abdomen—his organs were shattered.
"What…?"
Gozu's pupils contracted.
"What just happened?"
His expression darkened as he tried to recall. He had noticed Gittarackur's presence and planned to strike first. Spear in hand, he'd thrust at Gittarackur. Then…here he was now.
"So fast!"
At last, Gozu recovered an image in his mind of Gittarackur's move.
Effortlessly dodging his attack.
Effortlessly piercing his body.
And then effortlessly widening the gap between them.
"Too fast."
"He's on a whole different level."
"Gittarackur…"
A look of regret and despair crossed Gozu's face.
"I'm completely outmatched. I didn't even get a chance to fight back. Frankly, this wound is fatal. I don't have much time left."
"I never imagined anyone this strong would be in the exam."
Gittarackur stepped toward Gozu, one step at a time.
"W-wait, just wait!"
"Hm?"
Gittarackur tilted his head, looking at Gozu.
"I lost. You can have my tag. But…could you give me a little time? There's something I haven't done yet, and I want to do it. Please, just a bit more time."
Gozu knew he couldn't survive. It was impossible for him to pass the Hunter Exam now.
Even so, there was still one thing he wished to do. Ever since seeing that incident in the Milsy Wetlands, this desire had been growing. After passing the third exam, it only intensified:
He wanted to fight Hisoka.
Hisoka thrives on the thrill of battle and finding excitement in strong opponents. Gon, Ron, Killua, Illumi, Chrollo…they all intrigued him.
But Hisoka wasn't the only one with such a mindset. As a martial artist, Gozu also yearned to challenge powerful fighters, and he had singled out Hisoka among all the participants.
Though Gittarackur was certainly strong, he wasn't who Gozu had in mind. Besides, Gittarackur was on a completely different level.
Gozu didn't grasp Hisoka's true strength nearly as well.
Gittarackur watched him in silence.
Gozu couldn't tell if Gittarackur agreed or not, but he had no choice except to flee and put distance between them. Only then could he possibly carry out his plan.
If he could choose how to die, he wanted that to happen in a duel against Hisoka.
Gozu bit down, spun around, and bolted.
Behind him, Gittarackur followed at a relaxed pace.
Ron and another person stood not far away.
Ponzu looked toward Gittarackur, eyes full of dread.
Before, that fear stemmed from what the queen bee had warned. Now Ponzu had witnessed Gittarackur's strike firsthand—his speed, power, and reflexes.
Ponzu felt that if she were in Gozu's place, she wouldn't last a single exchange either.
She couldn't help recalling Ruco's earlier lament.
"If Ruco saw this, how would she feel? The captain was telling the truth. If he hadn't intervened against Ruco earlier, she would be dead right now."
A group of red butterflies fluttered through the trees. Drawn by something, they converged in the same direction, scarlet wings shimmering.
"Blood Butterflies."
Without a word, Ron captured a few and sent them into Sumas's space.
They weren't particularly strong, but they were highly sensitive to the smell of blood and would chase after it. Sometimes, that was exactly what one needed.
They were a useful kind of magical beast.
............
.....
.
Elsewhere in the forest within Sumas's space. Sheila had been waiting a very long time, moving from hope to disappointment to despair.
After the sudden appearance of all those magical beasts days ago, she had been expecting something more.
But nothing ever changed—until now.
Dozens of red butterflies appeared at once.
Sheila froze, then brightened in excitement.
"Talk to me!"
She shouted as loudly as she could.
Still no response.
Her face fell.
Slamming her fist against a nearby trunk, she left a deep dent, her hand wedged into the wood.
......
..
.
Far off, someone came into Ron's view:
Hisoka, leaning against a tree and sitting on the ground. A few Blood Butterflies circled him. He had a wound on his shoulder from his fight in the third exam against the previous examiner. It still hadn't healed.
Given Hisoka's power, killing that examiner wouldn't have been difficult. But Hisoka was unlike most people. He might let himself be hurt—even when avoidable—purely to savor a battle's excitement, just as he had when fighting Kastro in the original story.
Even if he could have won easily, he sometimes chose not to.
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