"Oh! My turn!"
The moment Killua saw his name, he sprang from his seat, a confident, easygoing smile on his face.
He flexed his wrists, making them crack.
"My opponent's that weirdo with all the pins in his face."
Killua glanced at the rigid figure in the ring, then turned to Gon and Leorio and spoke casually.
"That guy doesn't have any 'scent' at all. No pressure like a strong fighter, no edge like an assassin. He's like a rock."
"I should be able to finish him in a second."
"Don't get careless, Killua!"
Leorio still looked uneasy. "Nobody who made it through the earlier phases is a pushover."
"Relax, relax."
Killua waved him off, slipped his hands into his pockets, and turned to head into the ring.
As he passed Lin Yan, he paused and tilted his head.
"Hey, Lin Yan, aren't those eyes of yours supposed to be amazing? How many moves do you think I'll need to beat him?"
Sitting cross-legged, Lin Yan slowly opened his eyes.
His eyes were as deep as dark pools, reflecting Killua's relaxed face, yet their gravity made Killua's heart flutter with an inexplicable unease.
"Killua, you're an assassin too. You should understand something."
"What?" Killua blinked, puzzled.
"When you can't sense a single wild beast in the jungle, it usually means one of two things."
Lin Yan's voice was low, carrying an almost imperceptible sigh, as though he had already foreseen the tragedy about to unfold.
"Either there really are no beasts there, or... you're standing in an apex predator's lair, completely engulfed by its shadow."
"And the reason there's 'no scent' is that the scent is so overpowering it has numbed your sense of smell."
Killua's pupils contracted slightly, then returned to normal. He shrugged and grinned.
"You're exaggerating. Quit