Gained and Lost Again

"We should think about whether to leave this base," Odin said. "Someone's already tracked us down here."

Ponzu looked at badge 61 in her hand.

"It was probably that bald ninja," she said.

Odin paused in surprise.

"My bees remember his scent," Ponzu said.

She raised her hand.

Several bees crawled out of her hat and circled her fingers a few times.

"Forget it. We didn't lose much anyway. But from now on, let's stick together." Odin shook his head. He hadn't expected things to turn out this way.

Still, it had given Odin a chance to learn.

Ponzu nodded, stood up, and put her hat on properly.

There was nothing else they could do.

The two walked out of the cave.

Ponzu looked up. "Let's not leave after all. Let's stay here. The most dangerous place is the safest. Surely we won't get tracked down in the same spot twice."

"True." Odin paused, then nodded in agreement.

Although Ponzu hadn't said much, Odin could still see how tightly she clenched her hands.

The two turned back.

Back in the cave, Ponzu sat down and began taking stock of what remained.

They had two days' worth of food and half a flask of water left.

She laid everything out one item at a time, then put it all away again.

Odin sat at the cave entrance, looking outside.

The midday sunlight was a little dazzling.

"Let's prepare the food." Odin clapped his hands, signaling for Ponzu to join him.

"Coming," Ponzu replied with a smile.

As though they had forgotten all about Hanzo, the two began preparing the wild boar.

As dusk approached, they thought no one else would come.

But things didn't go as they hoped.

This time, the visitor wasn't Hanzo.

It was a white-haired boy, strolling over with both hands in his pockets.

Killua.

He stopped ten meters away from them.

"Yo," he said.

Odin stood up.

"Need something?"

"Number 199," Killua said. "You've got it, right?"

"Where did you hear that?" Odin looked at Killua, at a loss for words.

Just that afternoon, they'd decided that the most dangerous place was the safest, thinking no one would track them down in the same spot twice.

And now!

Odin was so annoyed he almost laughed.

Ponzu came out of the cave.

She stared at Killua without saying a word.

Bees flew out of her hat and circled above her head.

"Oh, those three brothers said you took it," Killua said. "You hid yourselves pretty well. I've been looking for you all day."

He glanced at Ponzu's backpack.

"You've got it, right?"

Ponzu didn't deny it.

Killua nodded.

"That's my target," he said. "Hand it over, will you?"

"No."

"Then I'll take it myself."

He took a step forward.

The bees immediately swarmed around him.

Killua stopped, looking at the bees without concern.

His resistance to poison was terrifyingly high. He had nothing to fear from these venomous bees, deadly though they were to others.

Odin knew that too. He went straight to Ponzu's side and patted her shoulder, signaling for her to step back.

Ponzu looked at Odin in confusion.

"Let me handle this. Poison doesn't work on him," Odin explained.

What?!

Ponzu stared in surprise at Killua, whose smile made him look just like a cat.

"Ever since we met, I've had the feeling you know me pretty well." Killua gave Odin a puzzled look. "Don't tell me we're connected somehow?"

Odin shook his head without explaining.

"Let's make a deal," Odin said.

"Go ahead," Killua said, taken aback.

Odin offered his terms. "You can have 199. Fight me first."

Killua paused.

He stared at Odin for a few seconds.

"Are you serious?"

"Serious."

Killua smiled.

"Sure."

He took a few steps forward and gestured for Odin to attack.

Ponzu wanted to say something, but Odin had already stepped forward.

Five meters separated them.

"What are the rules?" Killua asked.

"We fight until someone gives up," Odin said.

"Okay."

Killua moved.

His body swayed, and he appeared at Odin's left side in an instant.

He hadn't moved in a straight line, but along an uncanny curve, as though drifting through the air.

Odin turned sideways.

Killua's hand brushed past his shoulder.

"Oh?" Killua raised an eyebrow.

Without slowing his feet, he swayed again.

This time, he came from the right.

He was fast, and his path was utterly unpredictable.

Odin retreated half a step, dodging him.

Killua's attacks didn't stop.

His figure darted around Odin, now left, now right, now in front, now behind.

Every footfall was light, making almost no sound against the grass.

Afterimages trailed his movements, sometimes splitting from one into two, sometimes from two into four.

Odin wasn't using his full speed.

He drew on only part of the Rabbit Talisman's power, keeping himself roughly on Killua's level.

Killua's attacks grew faster and faster.

His body seemed weightless as he drifted around Odin.

Each strike was light, but came from a tricky angle, aimed straight at a vital point.

Odin blocked several strikes, then began to counterattack.

His movements were different from Killua's.

More direct, more decisive.

But his movement patterns were no longer the same as his earlier Afterimage Fist.

With Rhythm Echo incorporated into it, his Afterimage Fist no longer followed straight lines, but included subtle variations.

His afterimages were more flexible, and there were more of them.

Killua's gaze changed, interest sparking in his eyes.

"You're copying my footwork? But it's a little different."

Odin said nothing and threw a punch.

Killua dodged.

The two kept going.

They moved as fast as two shadows.

Ponzu stood nearby, watching in a daze.

All she could see were two figures racing around the clearing, afterimages appearing and vanishing everywhere. She couldn't tell who was who.

Occasionally, she heard fists and feet clash, but more often, there was only the rush of air stirred by their movements.

About three minutes passed.

Both stopped at the same time.

They stood three meters apart.

Killua let out a soft breath and looked at Odin in surprise.

"You're pretty quick at picking up my moves," he said.

"Not bad," Odin said.

Killua looked at him, then suddenly smiled.

"All right, give me 199. I give up."

Odin nodded.

He looked at Ponzu.

Ponzu was silent for a few seconds, then pulled badge 199 from her waist pouch and tossed it to Killua.

Killua caught it, glanced at it, and slipped it into his pocket.

"I'm off." He turned his back to Odin and waved.

Soon, Killua disappeared into the woods.

Ponzu stood to one side without speaking.

Odin walked back and sat down.

"Pack up. We need to head out."

"What for?" Ponzu asked.

"You don't have enough points anymore. We need to find another badge." Odin chuckled.

He had given away badge 199 to repay Killua for the Rhythm Echo he'd secretly learned from him.

Otherwise, Killua as he was now would have been no match for him.

"Okay."

Ponzu looked at badges 61 and 198 in her hand.

Both were Odin's. She hadn't earned a single point herself.

Now she was short on points again, and Odin would still have to step in. Ponzu felt frustrated with herself, but also deeply grateful.

Grateful that she had helped Odin back in the wetlands and become his partner.

"Thanks," she said.

"You're welcome," Odin said.