The matchups

Sunlight streamed through the high windows of the hotel lobby, casting long bands of light across the floor.

The candidates stood in the center of the lobby, waiting.

Beans wheeled in a large board covered with a cloth.

He set it up at the front of the lobby and stepped aside.

Netero approached from the side, stopped, and looked at the candidates.

With a casual tug, he pulled the cloth off the board.

Sheets of white paper covered the board, bearing names and numbers.

The candidates stared at the matchups in surprise. "Only one person passes? Why do Gon and the others have to fight so many matches?"

"The rules for the final test are simple," Netero said with a grin. "A one-on-one elimination tournament. The loser advances, and the winner passes. We keep going until all the successful candidates have been decided."

He pointed at the board behind him.

Odin stood at the back of the crowd, looking utterly resigned.

The matchups were divided into two groups.

The group on the left read:

Odin-Gon-Hanzo-Pokkle-Gittarackur

The group on the right read:

Kurapika-Hisoka-Ponzu-Killua-Leorio

Seeing that his opponent was Gon was precisely why Odin looked so resigned.

Anyone who had watched the anime knew that spiky-haired brat had absolutely no idea what it meant to surrender.

Odin rubbed the bridge of his nose.

If I'd known, I never would've said anything about not fighting Gon.

Ponzu stood beside Odin. Her expression was no better as she studied the names on the right.

"Hisoka..." she murmured. "Kurapika... Killua..."

She looked up at Odin.

"I can't beat any of them."

Odin glanced at her matchups.

Hisoka went without saying.

Kurapika looked refined, but he was no pushover.

And Killua was far beyond Ponzu's reach.

"Just surrender when you face them," he said.

Ponzu blinked.

"Surrender?"

"Right," Odin said. "The loser advances. Even if you don't surrender, you'll still lose. Save your strength and fight someone else in the next match."

Ponzu fell silent for a few seconds, then nodded.

"You're right."

She took a deep breath, her expression relaxing a little.

Seeing her expression, Odin felt helpless too. Ponzu had made it to the final test thanks to him, but among these candidates, she could only really put up a fight against Leorio and Pokkle. As for the rest-well, forget it!

The other candidates were studying the names too.

Hanzo stared at his name, muttering, "Gon? That kid? Gittarackur? Odin? Tch, none of them will be easy."

Pokkle had gone pale. His opponents were Hanzo and Gittarackur, along with Gon, whose abilities he knew nothing about. None of them looked easy to handle.

Yes, he did not believe Odin would lose to Gon.

Killua yawned, glanced at the group on the right, then looked away as though he had no interest.

But he could not understand why his supposed impression score was lower than Gon's. Irritated, he demanded that Netero reveal the judging criteria.

All he got was Netero's willful shout of "No!"

Leorio stared at his name, then looked at Killua and Ponzu with a complicated expression.

Kurapika studied the group on the left, his brow slightly furrowed.

Gon crowded up to the board and pointed at his name. "Odin? I'm fighting him first?"

He turned toward Odin, his eyes shining.

"Let's have a good match!"

Odin said nothing.

Beans walked over to the board and cleared his throat.

"First match: Odin versus Gon. Both contestants, please get ready."

The candidates dispersed, retreating to the edges of the lobby.

An open space in the center served as the arena.

Odin walked into the center.

Gon ran over and stood opposite him, his face full of excitement.

Someone else served as referee-one of the people who had monitored the candidates during the fourth phase of the Hunter Exam.

He stood to one side of them and raised his hand.

"Begin."

Odin looked at Gon and raised a hand, stopping him before he could eagerly spring into action.

"Will you surrender?" he asked.

Gon shook his head and said earnestly, "Never."

Odin was silent for two seconds, then raised his hand.

"I surrender."

Gon froze.

"Huh?!"

Odin turned and walked away.

Gon chased after him and blocked his path.

"Why did you surrender?!" he shouted. "We haven't even fought!"

"The fight's over," Odin said.

"We didn't fight!"

"I surrendered."

"That doesn't count!"

Odin stepped around him and kept walking.

Gon caught up again and grabbed his clothes.

"Fight me again!"

Odin stopped and looked at him.

Gon's gaze was serious. He was not joking.

"You're serious?"

"I am!"

Odin sighed.

Leorio walked over and patted Gon on the shoulder.

"Gon, he surrendered, so you won. You passed."

"But that's not right. I have to beat him fair and square!" Gon said.

"Exactly. He said you won," Leorio said.

"No, no!"

Killua walked over with his hands in his pockets.

"Gon," he said, "he doesn't want to fight you. Forcing him won't do any good."

Gon still refused to accept it and stared at Odin.

Odin ignored him and went to sit in a corner of the lobby.

Ponzu followed and sat beside him.

"You surrendered?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"I didn't feel like fighting," Odin said. "He wouldn't surrender even if we fought. It'd be a waste of time."

Ponzu nodded and asked nothing more.

Gon was still protesting over there, with Leorio and Kurapika holding him back.

Killua stood nearby, enjoying the show.

After a while, Beans spoke again.

"Second match: Kurapika versus Hisoka."

The lobby fell quiet.

Kurapika stood and walked into the center.

Hisoka emerged from a corner, toying with playing cards.

He stopped across from Kurapika and said with a smile, "It's finally our turn."

Kurapika said nothing and took a fighting stance.

The referee raised his hand.

"Begin."

Kurapika moved.

He charged at Hisoka, driving the wooden sword in his right hand straight at his face.

Hisoka sidestepped, flipping a playing card in his hand.

Kurapika did not stop. He turned with the momentum, sweeping the wooden sword in his left hand across.

Hisoka stepped back and avoided it.

Kurapika pursued him with a series of attacks. His twin swords struck swiftly at Hisoka's arms, knees, and legs, with considerable force behind them.

Hisoka kept dodging.

His movements were small, but each one carried him just clear of the attack. He seemed to be playing.

Kurapika frowned.

He sped up, his attacks coming in a tighter barrage.

Hisoka continued to dodge.

When he could not evade an attack, he blocked it with a playing card.

Smack.

Smack.

Smack.

The sounds of playing cards colliding with wooden swords echoed through the lobby.

They fought for roughly three minutes.

Kurapika stopped to catch his breath.

Hisoka stood where he was, completely unharmed, but his expression had grown even more perverse.

"Not bad," he said. "But not enough."

Kurapika said nothing and charged again.

This time, he changed tactics. Rather than power, he focused on speed.

His wooden swords rained down on Hisoka.

Hisoka's evasions finally slowed a little.

One strike grazed Hisoka's cheek.

His smile widened, and an unhealthy flush even spread across his face.

Whatever the two combatants were thinking, Odin and the other spectators could not help wanting to get away from that pervert Hisoka.

Ponzu even swallowed nervously, afraid that if Kurapika won, she would have to fight Hisoka.

Kurapika kept attacking.

Hisoka began to counter.

The playing cards in his hands seemed alive, flipping between his fingertips and occasionally slicing toward Kurapika's vital points.

Kurapika dodged quickly, but several slashes still appeared in his clothes.

They fought for another two minutes.

Kurapika stopped again, breathing harder than before.

Hisoka stood where he was, unchanged apart from his slightly disheveled clothes.

He walked up to Kurapika, leaned close to his ear, and said a few words.

Kurapika's pupils abruptly contracted.

Hisoka stepped back and raised his hand.

"I surrender."

For a moment, the lobby went silent.

The referee hesitated, then announced, "Hisoka surrenders. Kurapika wins."

Kurapika stood motionless, staring at Hisoka.

Smiling, Hisoka turned and walked back to his corner.

Beside Odin, Ponzu whispered, "What did he say?"

Odin shook his head.

"I don't know."

Kurapika returned to Gon and the others, his expression grave.

Gon came over to ask him, but he merely shook his head and said nothing.