Arrow Bees and Short Blades

The medical team rushed into the arena, lifted the badly injured Gon onto a stretcher, and carried him out of the combat zone for emergency treatment backstage. Kurapika followed to check on him and told Leorio not to worry and to focus on the exam.

"Fourth match, contestants: Pokkle versus Ponzu." Satotz's voice rang out.

The two examinees walked onto the battlefield. Ponzu was as quiet and composed as ever, while Pokkle checked the quiver on his back, confirmed the positions of his arrows, and pulled his bowstring to test its tension.

Once both were in position, Satotz raised a hand and announced, "Begin."

Ponzu kept retreating to widen the distance, immediately summoning a swarm of constantly buzzing venomous bees that gathered before her into a shifting "Ryu wall of bees." The swarm circled, obscured the view, and steadily pressed toward Pokkle.

Though they looked numerous, Ponzu did not actually carry that many venomous bees—only around two to three hundred. Their constant flight back and forth created the illusion of greater numbers.

Seeing Ponzu retreat and release the bees, Pokkle also backed away. He fired rapid arrows through the swarm at Ponzu's limbs, but the dense bees blocked his view, and Ponzu was constantly moving, making it impossible to hit her accurately. He tried to keep widening and closing the distance, but the bees relentlessly pursued him. Before long, he would be surrounded; if even one venomous bee struck him, its poison would leave him unable to fight.

Ponzu had clearly trained these venomous bees for a long time—she was not merely commanding them to swarm and sting. She guided them to encircle, probe, and cut off Pokkle's retreat, gradually driving him into a corner of the arena.

As the swarm closed in, Pokkle suddenly stopped, shut one eye, and