Clever Gon

Tonpa surrendered.

Every examinee's face burned with shame.

The mood shifted from anger to despair.

"That bastard!"

Leorio clenched his fists tight.

"Now we have to win three matches! How is that even possible?"

"Calm down, Leorio."

Kurapika's voice was steady.

"They aren't all absurdly strong. Tonpa is just trying to shake our morale."

The prisoners across from them erupted in grating laughter.

"See that? This is what you so-called elites really are!"

"A bunch of cowards!"

"Who's next? Hurry up and come die!"

The examinees fell deathly silent.

Tonpa's betrayal had sent everyone retreating into their shells.

No one dared step forward again.

"I'll go."

A clear voice broke the silence.

It was Gon.

He took a step forward.

His gaze was clear, yet unyielding.

"Gon!"

Leorio called out, his voice full of worry.

Killua kept his hands in his pockets and didn't move.

He simply watched Gon's back.

Luo Ye leaned against the wall.

Little Black shifted uneasily on his shoulder.

"Tch, the protagonist finally takes the stage."

Luo Ye felt like laughing.

He wondered what bizarre trick would break the deadlock this time.

This was much more entertaining than watching Tonpa put on an act.

Gon stepped onto the platform.

His opponent was a hulking man.

Heavy shackles bound his wrists.

The man looked at Gon with a cruel smile.

"Brat, do you know who I am?"

"My name's Johnny. They call me 'Johnny the Dismemberer.'"

As he spoke, he broke a chunk of stone off the wall.

His hands were thick and powerful, stained with dried blood.

The stone crumbled to powder in his grip.

"Nothing beats tearing people apart with my bare hands."

"Get on your knees and beg, and maybe I'll make it quick."

Many of the examinees went pale.

Gon tilted his head.

"Have you really killed a lot of people?"

Johnny paused, then burst into wild laughter.

"Of course! Too many to count!"

"I see."

Gon's gaze turned cold.

"Then I have even more reason not to lose to you."

"Interesting."

Johnny grinned viciously.

This game of cat and mouse had just become more fun.

"Then I'll give you a choice."

"Want me to torture you to death slowly, or end it in an instant?"

Everyone watched Gon, waiting for him to freeze in terror.

But no one expected his answer.

"I choose the third option."

He said it calmly.

Johnny's laughter stopped.

"What third option?"

"Let's have a contest."

Gon pointed at the candle stub on the ground.

"We light it, take one end each, and whoever blows out the other's flame first wins."

Everyone was dumbfounded.

This was a fight to the death, not a children's game.

Johnny laughed in disbelief, furious.

"Kid, are you messing with me?"

"Don't you dare?"

Gon's gaze was innocent.

"Are you afraid of losing to a little kid like me?"

That struck a nerve.

He was a death-row inmate. How could he be afraid of some brat's game?

"Fine! You're on!"

Johnny snatched up the candle and lit it with a flint.

He broke it in two and tossed half to Gon.

"Come on! Let's see how you die!"

The contest began.

Johnny held his candle, shielding it with his massive body.

He had a plan.

The moment Gon came close, he would grab him and crush his throat.

Gon didn't move.

He stood where he was, his chest suddenly swelling.

He was used to running through the mountain forests of Whale Island.

His lung capacity was astonishing.

Whoosh!

A blast of air shot from his mouth.

It was practically a miniature gale.

Even from several meters away.

The flame in Johnny's hand flickered violently.

Pfft.

It went out.

Johnny was stunned.

Everyone was stunned.

"I won."

Gon's voice was calm.

"You're dead!"

Rage burned away Johnny's reason.

He charged at Gon with a roar.

He left himself completely exposed.

Now.

Something clicked in Luo Ye's mind.

This had been Gon's goal all along.

He had used the game to enrage Johnny, making him lose his reason and expose an opening.

Gon stayed remarkably calm in the face of the charge.

He darted aside, dodging Johnny's grasp.

Then he stuck out a foot, tripping Johnny's charging leg.

Thud!

Johnny had already lost his reason, and his balance was unsteady.

He had no time to react.

His own momentum carried his massive body forward.

He flew straight over the edge of the platform.

A scream rose from the abyss below.

Then there was silence.

The fight was over.

In a way no one had imagined.

"Th-this..."

Leorio stood openmouthed, unable to speak.

"Nice work, Gon!"

Killua smiled.

Luo Ye yawned.

He patted Little Black, who had curled into a ball.

"See that, Little Black? You don't always have to fight with your fists. A brain is a useful thing."

Now the score was tied, one to one.

The tide had turned.

The examinees' morale surged.

"Great job, kid!"

"That was amazing!"

Cheers rang out all around.

"Next."

Kurapika snapped out of his daze.

He walked straight onto the platform.

The third match began.