Kurapika! Damn you!

Night gradually fell.

Hisoka climbed to the top of a hill.

Gon hid behind a tree, still tailing him.

Hisoka stood on the hilltop.

He looked down at the scenery below.

He searched for prey.

Unfortunately, Kurapika and Leorio became Hisoka's first targets.

"Oh my~ It's those two~ How interesting~"

He licked his lips, his face full of eagerness.

Hisoka leaped down from the hill and rushed toward Kurapika and Leorio.

Meanwhile, Kurapika and Leorio were bickering over something.

They had barely taken a few steps when they spotted Hisoka leaning against a tree, a playing card in his hand.

"Well~ What a coincidence, running into you here~"

He walked toward them as he spoke.

"I want number badges worth two points, so would you give me yours~?"

Leorio pointed at Hisoka angrily.

"What are you talking about! Are you kidding me! Who would give them to you!"

"Leorio!" Kurapika snapped.

"We aren't your targets, are we?"

Hisoka narrowed his eyes dangerously and showed them his playing card.

"If possible, I'd rather kill you and take all your badges."

He twirled the playing card in his hand a couple of times.

Its sharp edges glinted faintly in the moonlight.

Just then, two objects hurtled toward Hisoka.

Hisoka reached out and caught them.

Two number badges appeared in his hand.

One was number 122, and the other was number 115.

"I'll give you my badges. Leave them alone."

Cordis's voice came from behind Kurapika and Leorio.

"Oh~ Are you sure you should be so nice to people you've only known for a few days~?"

Cordis shrugged indifferently.

"I don't care whether I win or not. I only came to join in the fun."

"With my strength, I can easily take next year's exam."

"But they're different. They have more important things to do. They can't afford to wait."

Hisoka brought the number badges to his lips and gave them a light kiss.

"In that case, don't mind if I do~"

He tucked the two badges Cordis had given him inside his shirt.

"Cordis! What are you doing! I don't want to owe you anything else!"

Kurapika suddenly spoke up.

His head was lowered, but when he raised it again, his eyes had turned blood-red.

These were the scarlet eyes!

A flicker of excitement appeared in Hisoka's eyes at the sight.

Kurapika pulled his own number badge and another badge out of his shirt.

He threw them toward Hisoka.

"Give Cordis his badges back. Take mine."

Hisoka looked at the four number badges now in his hands, a little at a loss.

But there was nothing he could do.

He could only watch as Cordis and Kurapika argued over whose badges they should give him.

"Hey! Kurapika! What's wrong with you! I already gave him my badges. Shouldn't you have just left!"

Kurapika refused to back down.

"This is my business! You've already helped me several times! I don't want to owe you anything else!"

Cordis glared at Kurapika, then pointed at Hisoka.

"Great! Now he's got both our badges. Do you think he'll give them back!"

Kurapika froze at those words, then looked at Hisoka suspiciously.

"You'll give Cordis his badges back, right?"

Hisoka now held all four number badges, handling them as though they were playing cards.

He raised them in front of his face to show them off.

Looking smug, he spoke with a teasing lilt.

"Take a guess~"

"Aah!!! Kurapika! Damn you!"

Cordis roared, clutching his head and writhing in anguish.

Finally, he dropped to his knees as though giving up.

He braced both hands against the ground, utterly dejected.

Kurapika hadn't expected Hisoka to be that sort of person either.

It was strange. The man looked perfectly respectable, yet he turned out to be like this.

Kurapika tossed his bundle aside, took his weapons out of it, and spoke to Cordis, who was kneeling on the ground in despair.

"We have no choice now. We'll have to beat him and take them back."

Beside them, Leorio drew a dagger from his waist and took a fighting stance.

Seeing this, Cordis had no other choice. With his current abilities, he could still exchange a few blows with Hisoka.

But Kurapika hadn't awakened his ability yet. If he really fought Hisoka, he wouldn't stand much of a chance.

Cordis stood up, brushed the dirt off himself, and spoke to Hisoka.

"None of us have Nen abilities yet. Fighting ordinary people like us must be pretty boring, right?"

He held up two fingers toward Hisoka.

"How about this? Once I awaken my Nen ability, I'll fight you twice, and I'll fight with every intention of killing you."

The excitement in Hisoka's eyes intensified, now mixed with a hint of anticipation.

"Well, well~ All right~ It's a promise, then~"

With that, he tossed all four number badges onto the ground.

He turned to leave.

Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But Hisoka had only taken a couple of steps before he turned back.

Thinking he had changed his mind, they immediately took their fighting stances again.

He merely bent down, picked up one of the badges worth a single point, and slipped it into his pocket.

"Oh dear~ Since they're right here, I might as well take one."

Then Hisoka stood there with his hands on his hips.

He didn't seem to have any intention of leaving.

There was nothing for it. If he wouldn't leave, Kurapika and the others would have to.

Cordis picked up the three number badges still on the ground.

The three of them cautiously headed into the forest beside them.

Hisoka lifted the number badge and examined it.

He spoke in disappointment.

"What a shame~ Looks like this isn't the one either~"

Seeing Cordis and the others leave, Gon finally breathed a sigh of relief too.

But a deep worry followed.

He had planned to make his move while Hisoka fought Kurapika and the others.

Unfortunately, that hadn't worked out.

If everyone else handed over their badges just as Kurapika and the others had...

Wouldn't that mean he'd never get another chance?

At that thought, Gon shook his head in distress, at a loss for what to do.

Just then, an intense chill washed over him.

Gon peeked out from behind the tree.

Hisoka stood with his back to him, a terrifying aura radiating around him.

It felt as though he were in hell.

That dreadful aura seemed to change even the color of the sky.

The surrounding animals sensed that terrifying presence too.

Some fled on foot, while others took flight.

A dense flock of black birds left the trees and fled toward an unknown destination.

Gon was affected by the overwhelming aura as well.

He hurriedly tightened his grip on his fishing rod and tucked his entire body behind the tree.

"I just can't stand it anymore~"

Finished writing.

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