Everyone was picking up easy wins

Pokkle lay with his face pressed to the floor, looking up at Hanzo in horror.

Hanzo's eyes were calm, without anger, without cruelty, without anything at all.

It was as though he were looking at something utterly insignificant.

Pokkle felt a chill creep over him.

He's serious. He really will break my arm!

He remembered what Hanzo had just said. It was enough to tell him that Hanzo's kind of training was meant to create a killing machine.

His shoulder hurt even more.

His bones creaked.

Pokkle gritted his teeth and struggled to stand.

But it was useless. Hanzo's hand weighed like a mountain, pinning him down so he couldn't move at all.

He thought back on everything he had gone through to get here.

Since the Hunter Exam began, he had endured the tunnel marathon, Demin Swamp, Trick Tower, Warship Island, and the badge hunt.

He had finally made it this far.

And now I'm supposed to give up?

He couldn't accept it.

He gritted his teeth and tried to stand again.

Hanzo watched him and increased the pressure a little.

"Ah!" Pokkle cried out.

His shoulder hurt like hell, as though it were about to be crushed.

He struggled, trying to kick Hanzo.

But Hanzo already had all his limbs under control.

Expressionless, Hanzo slowly began applying more force.

He didn't bear down all at once. He increased it bit by bit.

It was like tightening a screw, slowly turning it so the person being twisted could feel every increase in pain.

Pokkle's arm was forced higher and higher, his elbow nearly folding back on itself.

"Ah... ah..." he cried, his voice growing increasingly strained.

It hurt.

It hurt too much.

It hurt more than any injury Pokkle had ever suffered.

Pokkle's mind went blank.

"I... I give up..."

His voice was very quiet, almost inaudible.

But Hanzo heard him.

He let go.

Pokkle lay sprawled on the floor, gasping for air.

His shoulder still hurt, but the pressure was gone.

He raised his head to look at Hanzo.

Hanzo had already stepped back a few paces, waiting for the referee's announcement.

The referee came over.

"Hanzo wins."

The hall was very quiet.

Pokkle lay on the floor, panting for a long time.

He slowly got up, walked to the edge of the hall, and sat down against the wall.

His shoulder still hurt.

He rubbed it. The bone probably wasn't broken, but it was likely cracked.

This is going to be a problem.

He never wanted to experience that kind of pain again.

Odin leaned against the wall, watching it all.

Beside him, Ponzu whispered, "That was terrifying."

"Yeah," Odin said.

Hanzo was truly ruthless.

Not in the twisted way Hisoka was. He was simply ruthless.

Someone trained from childhood to be an emotionless tool really was capable of anything.

He was merciless not only toward others, but toward himself as well.

Pokkle was lucky he had surrendered.

If he hadn't, Hanzo really would have broken his arm.

Beans's voice rang out again.

"Sixth match: Ponzu versus Killua."

Ponzu stood up.

She glanced at Killua, then at Odin.

Odin nodded to her.

Ponzu took a deep breath and walked to the center of the hall.

Killua came over and stood opposite her.

The referee raised a hand.

"Begin."

Although Odin had told her to surrender, Ponzu still wanted to give it a try.

Ponzu raised a hand, resting her fingers on the brim of her hat.

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

Killua glanced at the bees and yawned.

Then he raised his hand.

"I give up."

Ponzu froze.

The referee was taken aback too.

"You give up?"

"Yeah," Killua said. "I don't feel like fighting her. I'll win later anyway."

He turned, waved a hand, and walked away confidently.

Ponzu stood where she was, her hand still raised.

The bees were still flying above her head.

The referee recovered. "Ponzu wins."

Ponzu lowered her hand, looking a little dazed.

She returned to Odin's side and sat down.

"He gave up?" Ponzu still seemed unable to believe it.

"Yeah," Odin said.

"Why?"

"Who knows?" Odin said with a shrug.

Only Killua himself knew what he was thinking.

Ponzu thought it over, but couldn't figure it out either, so she simply stopped trying. Either way, she had passed.

She glanced at Killua. He was already leaning against the wall, his face expressionless.

Ponzu breathed a sigh of relief.

Not having to fight that white-haired brat is just fine.

She looked at her hand.

She had won without even making a move.

The Hunter Exam really is interesting.

"Seventh match: Pokkle versus Gittarackur."

Pokkle stood up, his face even paler than before.

He walked to the center and looked at the strange man covered in needles opposite him, his palms sweating.

"Why do I keep getting opponents like this..." he muttered.

He remembered how it had felt to be pinned to the floor by Hanzo in his previous match. His arm was still throbbing faintly.

Now he was facing Gittarackur, who looked even stranger.

Pokkle gritted his teeth.

"I can't give up. Not after coming this far."

Gittarackur stood motionless opposite him, the needles in his face reflecting the lights.

The referee raised a hand.

"Begin."

Pokkle took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and charged at Gittarackur.

Halfway through his charge, Gittarackur raised a hand.

"I give up."

Pokkle stopped short, frozen in place.

"Huh?!"

The referee announced, "Gittarackur forfeits. Pokkle wins."

Pokkle stood there with his mouth hanging open, unable to close it for a long time.

He looked toward Gittarackur. The strange man had already turned, returned to the corner, and sat down.

"What... what's going on?" Pokkle whispered.

He remembered the despair he had felt upon seeing the matchups, and his conversation about how he would be fine as long as he didn't face Hisoka.

Now he had won. He had beaten Gittarackur, who looked even stranger than Hisoka.

Victory without a fight.

Pokkle stood there, his expression shifting from stunned to ecstatic, then from ecstatic to bewildered.

"I passed?" he whispered. "I passed just like that?"

Seeing him standing there without moving, the referee coughed. "Contestant Pokkle, please clear the arena."

Pokkle came to his senses, hurried back to the corner, and sat down.

He lowered his head, his shoulders shaking. It was impossible to tell whether he was laughing or crying.

Around the hall, the other candidates wore varying expressions.

Hanzo frowned and muttered, "What's with that guy? Why did he give up?"

Gon scratched his head. "Didn't he want to fight?"

Killua yawned. "Who knows?"

Leorio sat off to one side with a conflicted expression.

He thought about having to face Killua in his next match.

"Eighth match: Killua versus Leorio."

Leorio stood up and walked to the center.

Killua approached from the other side and stood opposite him.

They looked at each other.

Killua looked at Leorio, his expression bored.

Leorio looked at him, visibly tense.

The referee raised a hand.

"Begin."

Killua raised his hand.

"I give up."

The referee announced, "Killua forfeits. Leorio wins."

Leorio stood there, stunned for a moment.

Then he got angry.

"Killua! I don't need your pity. Fight me seriously!" he shouted at Killua.

Killua waved a hand and went back to sit beside Gon.

Gon leaned over. "Killua, why do you keep giving up?"

Killua rolled his eyes. "I'll win in the end anyway, so I might as well let Leorio have this one."

Sent back by the referee, Leorio returned to his seat, still looking furious.