Meeting again

He followed Wing into the arena.

Along the way, Cordis kept asking about Gon and Killua.

Wing told Cordis everything that had happened to Gon and the others since they arrived at Heavens Arena.

Hearing this, Cordis instantly forgot his misery over being broke and cheered up again.

He followed Wing over to their seats.

Before they reached them, he spotted Killua's little face scrunched up with worry as he watched the ring.

He didn't even notice anyone approaching.

"Honestly, Gon..."

Killua muttered with a frown.

Seeing that Killua hadn't noticed them, Wing was about to speak up.

But Cordis shushed him, signaling for him not to make a sound.

While Killua was still watching the distant ring with worry, he suddenly found himself wrapped in a familiar, warm embrace.

"Killua~ Long time no see!"

"Idiot! Let go of me!"

Though he kept grumbling, he only struggled a little before seemingly giving up and letting Cordis hug him and nuzzle him nonstop.

Killua might only have been twelve, but he still had his pride.

When people nearby started laughing about him still needing his big brother to hold him at his age, he couldn't stand it.

His catlike eyes widened into a glare, and he shoved Cordis, who refused to let go, aside.

"Can't you act like an adult? Stop getting so handsy all the time!"

Those words seemed to wound Cordis. He pressed a hand to his chest and put on a heartbroken expression.

But the same question still stood!

After all this time, how was your acting still so awful?

Zushi, who was beside Killua, also noticed the beautiful older boy before him, whose hair was the same color as Killua's and whose clothes were rather revealing.

Having spent his life training under Wing until the age of twelve, Zushi had never seen anyone so beautiful.

He actually stumbled over his words for a moment as he asked, blushing.

"Killua, is this your big brother? He's... he's really pretty."

This was the first compliment Cordis had received since coming to the Hunter world. He reached out to pat Zushi and said,

"Thank you. You're very cute too~"

Killua, however, stared at Zushi in shock. He pointed at himself, then at Cordis, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"Zushi, how exactly do I look anything like this guy?!"

Before Killua could lose his temper,

a young woman's sweet voice came over the speakers.

[Up next is Gon Freecss's first match on the 200th floor! Gon certainly is eager!]

Everyone's attention shifted to the ring.

Gido's Nen was clearly far stronger than Gon's, so he scored a point against Gon shortly after the match began.

The sight left Killua on edge.

He kept complaining, too.

"That idiot Gon! He knows he can't win, but he still insists on fighting! Idiot! Idiot!"

Though Killua's words were reproachful, he was more worried than anyone, and no one wanted Gon to win more than he did.

Time ticked by, second after second.

Throughout it all, Gon kept searching for an opening in Gido's defenses.

During this fight, Gon's Nen was also improving at a visibly rapid pace.

For some reason, Gon seemed to be developing much faster than he had in the original story.

But along with that, he had become more reckless and more combative than before.

Cordis couldn't understand why.

Yet for some reason, a bad feeling kept lingering in his heart.

Beside him, Killua kept rubbing his hands together as he nervously watched the distant ring.

As Gon was knocked down and got back up again and again, he too understood the gap in strength between himself and Gido.

So, to keep fighting Gido in the ring for as long as possible,

Gon deliberately avoided potentially fatal blows, which meant that no matter how Gido attacked, he could only score one point against Gon each time.

Of course, that also gave Gon more time to fight.

Watching the wounds rapidly accumulate on Gon's body, Cordis felt an inexplicable ache in his heart. The boy was fighting desperately, as though he didn't care whether he lived.

He wanted to climb to the highest peak as quickly as possible.

Gon was gifted, but sometimes that gift became another kind of burden.

Killua beside him wasn't faring much better.

Every time Gon was knocked down, he instinctively frowned.

But when he saw Gon get back up as quickly as possible, and saw his Nen growing increasingly refined in the ring, he felt a little lost.

Cordis rubbed his chin and thought for a while before saying,

"Experience really is the best teacher."

The referee's whistle sounded, signaling the end of the match.

But Gon acted as though he hadn't heard it, ignoring the referee's attempts to stop him.

He charged toward Gido again.

Gon had been just like this the last time he fought Hanzo.

Whenever he encountered someone stronger than himself, he would keep fighting and fighting until they were both exhausted and neither had the strength to continue.

But this was Heavens Arena, and the whistle had already blown.

Gon had lost.

If he kept this up, all that awaited him was disqualification.

Killua clearly knew the consequences of Gon continuing like this too, and he looked anxiously at Cordis beside him.

He hoped Cordis could think of something.

After all, during the exam, Cordis had been the only one who could snap Gon out of it.

At that, Cordis stopped hesitating.

He rose from his seat.

He shouted toward the distant ring.

"Gon! It's over! You lost!"

Once again, that familiar voice successfully snapped Gon out of his battle frenzy.

Was that Cordis's voice?

Gon could smell Cordis's comforting scent.

He stopped the fist he had been about to swing and turned toward the voice, his face lighting up with joy.

Sure enough, it was Cordis.

Cordis was back.

Gon happily waved at Cordis.

Then, ignoring the bewildered referee in the ring and Gido, who had already prepared to fight again,

he sprinted straight toward Cordis without hesitation.

"Cordis!"

Gon was fast. So fast that by the time Cordis came to his senses, Gon had already flung himself into his arms.

He felt that familiar, warm embrace.

If he could, Gon would have gladly stayed in Cordis's arms forever.

The moment he was in Cordis's arms, he excitedly began telling him about everything that had happened over the past few days.

Wing had already told Cordis all of it.

But seeing how enthusiastically Gon spoke, Cordis listened quietly anyway, laughing now and then.

"Cordis, we ran into Hisoka too! If Killua and Wing hadn't insisted on stopping me, I could've fought him!"

As he spoke, Gon's eyes were full of disappointment.

But they were also full of anticipation.

Perhaps, in Gon's eyes now, Hisoka was both an enemy he wanted to kill and a tool that could help him grow stronger faster.

I changed the synopsis.

I suddenly realized how shamelessly flirty I am.

Oh, stop it! Don't look, you guys. You're making me blush.