Leorio's breakdown

Time froze at just over twenty-one hours.

That number seared itself into everyone's heart like a red-hot branding iron.

Leorio stared blankly at the timer on his wrist, as though his soul had been sucked out. He reached out and touched the cold screen with a finger, as if trying to confirm whether this was an illusion.

Fifty hours, gone just like that.

Because he had tried to be clever, because of his greed, because of his laughable "wisdom," they had plunged from a relatively favorable position straight into a bottomless abyss.

"I..."

Leorio opened his mouth, but his throat felt stuffed with cotton. Not a single word came out. His face burned as if someone had slapped him dozens of times in front of everyone.

He didn't dare look at his companions' faces. He was afraid of seeing disappointment and blame in their eyes.

"Hmph. Idiot."

Killua leaned against the cold stone wall with his hands behind his head and said bluntly, "I told you something was fishy, but you just had to jump into the trap. Now we all get to sit here and wait to die with you. Happy?"

Those words drove like a needle into Leorio's already battered heart.

"I... I'm sorry..." Leorio finally forced out, his voice thick with tears. "It's all my fault... I dragged everyone into this..."

He hung his head, his shoulders shaking violently. A grown man who looked nearly thirty now stood helplessly like a child who had done something wrong.

"What good does saying that do now?" Kurapika's voice was cold too.

Though he had held Leorio back, he was just as angry and disappointed. He wasn't angry because Leorio had lost the bet, but because he had ignored their warnings and stubbornly gambled with the fate of the entire team.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry..." Leorio repeated over and over. He crouched down and clutched his head in both hands, sinking into crushing guilt and despair.

Seeing Leorio like this made Gon feel awful.

He walked over, patted Leorio on the shoulder, and said quietly, "Leorio, don't be like that. We haven't lost yet. We still have twenty-one hours. We still have a chance."

"A chance? What chance do we have?"

Leorio raised his head, his eyes bloodshot. "Three matches, and only twenty-one hours left! We can't afford to lose even one! It's all because of me! Because I'm such an idiot!"

He slapped himself hard, the sharp crack echoing through the stone chamber.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Startled, Kurapika hurriedly grabbed his hand.

"What good does hitting yourself do? Will it bring the time back?" Killua remarked coolly from the side. He couldn't stand this sort of pointless self-pity.

Just as the team's morale was about to collapse completely, Lin Yan, who had remained silent, finally spoke.

"Enough."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was clear, and everyone fell silent.

Lin Yan walked over to Leorio and looked down at the man who was falling apart.

"Stand up."

Leorio stared at him blankly without moving, his eyes full of self-loathing.

"I told you to stand up." Lin Yan's voice grew firmer.

A trace of the spiritual pressure unique to Foundation Establishment leaked out, making Leorio instinctively straighten his back and slowly rise to his feet.

"Look at me." Lin Yan stared straight into his eyes. "Do you think you're acting like a man right now? Like someone who wants to become a doctor?"

"I..." Leorio was left speechless.

"Everyone makes mistakes. Greed is human nature too."

Lin Yan's tone was calm, without a hint of reproach, as though he were merely stating a fact.

"But after making a mistake, you crouch on the ground crying like a coward, take all the blame, and act like, 'It's all my fault, go ahead and yell at me.' Do you think that makes up for anything?"

"That's not taking responsibility. That's running away. You're running away from the harder situation ahead, using guilt to numb yourself."

Every word Lin Yan spoke was like a scalpel, precisely cutting through the defenses in Leorio's heart.

Leorio shuddered.

That really was what he had been thinking. He wanted everyone to yell at him, to hit him, so he could feel a little better. He hadn't dared think about what they should do next.

"There's a Taoist saying: 'What is past cannot be corrected, but what lies ahead can still be pursued.' It means we can't undo the past, and dwelling on it serves no purpose. What we can do is make the most of the present and take the right steps forward."

Looking at everyone, Lin Yan said slowly, "We lost fifty hours, but we haven't lost everything. We still have twenty-one hours, three matches, and four people who haven't fought yet."

"Instead of wasting time blaming each other or wallowing in regret, we should think carefully about how to fight the next three matches and make absolutely certain we win."

His words calmed everyone down.

He was right. What was done was done. Regret wouldn't help. What mattered was what they did next.

Kurapika took a deep breath. When he glanced at Lin Yan, there was a new trace of admiration in his eyes.

To analyze the situation so calmly in such desperate circumstances and pull everyone back from the brink of collapse-the man's composure even reminded him of the steady elders of his clan.

Leorio looked at Lin Yan with conflicting emotions. He hadn't expected Lin Yan to wake him up to the truth instead of scolding him.

His overwhelming shame slowly turned into a determination to make up for his mistake.

"I... I understand." Leorio wiped his eyes. His voice was still hoarse, but the earlier despair was gone. "Lin Yan, thank you."

"No need to thank me." Lin Yan waved a hand. "If you really want to make up for it, pull yourself together and think about how we can win the remaining matches."

Just then, there was movement among the prisoners across from them.

The scholarly-looking prisoner stepped back, thoroughly satisfied. The prisoners behind him looked at him with envy for having landed a big, dumb sucker like Leorio.

A burly, muscular man with a long knife scar across his face stepped forward.

He was the leader of these prisoners.

He glanced at the burly man still lying unconscious on the floor, then at Kurapika, who had stepped aside. A flicker of wariness crossed his eyes.

Then his gaze settled on Leorio. Seeing how shaken he looked, he broke into a cruel smile.

"The fourth match is mine." Scarface's voice was rough and hoarse, steeped in bloodlust. "Same rules as before. One on one, until someone surrenders or dies."

He pointed straight at Leorio, who had only just regained his composure.

"You. The smart-ass kid with the glasses. I don't like you. Get up here and let me take you apart, one bone at a time."

The blatant provocation sent everyone's hearts into their throats.

Leorio's mental state was extremely unstable. Sending him into a fight to the death now would be sending him to his grave.

"Bastard..." Leorio clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. He knew the man was deliberately provoking him, exploiting his desperate urge to redeem himself.

"Leorio, don't be rash!" Kurapika immediately held him back. "He wants you to fight him! You're in no condition to fight right now!"

"But..." Leorio gritted his teeth. He wanted to fight. He wanted a victory to wash away his shame.

"But what? You want to go up there and lose again?" Killua cut him down mercilessly. "You go out there, you're practically guaranteed to get yourself killed. We can't afford another loss."

Seeing their reaction, Scarface grinned even wider. "What's wrong? Scared? You had plenty of guts when you were gambling earlier!"

"Or are you brats all talk?"

His arrogance made even Gon a little angry.

"Who's taking this match?" Lin Yan ignored the provocation and calmly looked at his companions.

As things stood, among the five of them, Kurapika had just fought a brutal battle and exhausted himself. The Scarlet Eyes had also left his emotions somewhat unstable, making him unfit to fight again right away.

Leorio was mentally shattered; sending him out would simply hand them a win. That useless Tonpa could be disregarded entirely.

That left only Gon, Killua, and Lin Yan himself.

Gon had enormous potential, but too little combat experience. He was also innocent by nature and could easily fall prey to such a cunning opponent.

Lin Yan himself had grown much stronger after reaching Foundation Establishment, but his fighting style leaned toward technique and perception. Direct clashes weren't his strength, and he had yet to experience a genuine fight to the death. Against a desperate killer like this, the outcome was uncertain.

That left only one person as the safest choice.

Lin Yan turned his gaze toward the silver-haired boy who had been leaning against the wall all along, looking more relaxed than anyone.

Almost at the same moment, Killua raised his head.

Lin Yan said nothing. He simply watched him quietly.

Within Lin Yan's perception, the "aura" inside Killua was undergoing subtle changes-the excitement of a predator catching the scent of its own kind.

As he passed Lin Yan, Killua gave him a sidelong look, his lips curving into a dangerous smile. "Hey, Lin Yan."

"I don't like being ordered around while you play 'commander,' but... that guy's scent really does have me itching to go."

Killua loosened his wrists as he spoke.

The moment he stepped into the arena, the pupils of his previously clear, catlike eyes abruptly narrowed to thin slits. His languid air vanished, replaced by an icy chill.

"Hey, old man."

Killua stood before Scarface with his head tilted, his tone as casual as if he were asking for directions. "I'm your opponent."

"Let's make this quick. We don't have... much time left."