Killua gave a soft huff. "Gon, let's go."
Then Killua picked up his pace, and Gon followed him. Before leaving, Gon waved to Cordis.
"Cordis, stay safe!"
"We'll wait for you at the finish line!"
Cordis gave Gon an okay sign.
As Gon's figure gradually disappeared into the thick fog, Cordis began moving toward Kurapika and Leorio.
"Leorio! Kurapika!"
Cordis called out.
Through the layers of thick fog, two figures, one tall and one short, appeared before him.
But several screams followed.
"What are those things?!"
Everyone cried out in alarm.
Several giant turtles, each four or five meters tall, suddenly appeared before them.
They opened their enormous, bloody maws, and in an instant-
Several people were swallowed whole.
Those nearby could even hear bones snapping as the turtles chewed the victims to pieces.
Everyone scrambled to escape.
But Leorio and Kurapika were surrounded by several turtles.
One turtle had already opened its mouth and lowered its body, charging toward Leorio.
"Leorio!" Cordis cried.
Cordis grabbed a small stone and quickly retreated several steps.
He waited for the right moment.
Then he charged forward with the stone in hand and hurled it with all his strength!
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The little stone shot through the air like an arrow.
A fierce gust rose in its wake.
Piercing the layers of thick fog, the stone struck the turtle squarely in the eye.
The turtle raised its head and howled in pain.
Cordis seized the chance to run over to Kurapika and Leorio.
Before either of them could recover from their daze, he hoisted Kurapika with one arm, grabbed Leorio's collar with the other, and raced away.
(He carried Leorio's briefcase in his mouth.)
Only after running for a while and making sure they had escaped the turtles-
Did he put the two of them down.
The ride had been terribly bumpy, but Leorio was all right.
Kurapika, however, hadn't fared so well.
The moment Cordis set him down, he vomited violently.
Looking apologetic, Cordis pulled a bottle of water from inside his clothes and handed it to Kurapika.
Kurapika took it, tipped his head back, and drank several mouthfuls.
"Thank you, Cordis."
Kurapika wiped the water from the corner of his mouth and spoke with a hint of embarrassment.
After all, he had initially suspected Cordis was up to no good.
"That's our Cordis!"
Leorio excitedly pulled Cordis into a huge hug.
Relief at having survived filled Leorio.
Cordis pushed Leorio away and held a finger to his lips, signaling for silence.
Then he pointed a short distance away.
The two instinctively crouched and looked in the direction Cordis indicated.
Hisoka was completely surrounded by the blue-clad men from earlier.
They had all drawn their weapons.
As the fog grew thicker, their leader pointed his weapon at Hisoka and spoke with a stern expression.
"Someone like you doesn't deserve to be a Hunter!"
Another man chimed in. "If you promise never to take the Hunter Exam again, we'll let you off."
"Sure~" Hisoka replied in a lilting voice.
"I'm going to pass this year anyway, so I'll never take it again~"
Hisoka's lilting tone made passing the Hunter Exam sound like the simplest thing in the world.
One of the men protested in disbelief.
"That's impossible! In fog this thick?!"
Their leader gave a contemptuous smile.
"Finding the main group in this fog when we don't even know where they've gone is impossible."
"I suggest you stay here with us and prepare to be eliminated."
Hisoka curled his lips and chuckled, narrowing his eyes at them.
"Hunters hunt. Let's see which of us is better suited to the job~"
As he spoke, Hisoka revealed the playing cards in his hand, an excited smile on his face, as though these men posed no threat at all.
Their leader swore angrily and shot the others a look.
The men caught his signal, their eyes filling with murderous intent.
Weapons in hand, they all rushed Hisoka at once.
Hisoka slowly raised his hands, playing cards held between his fingers, as the men charged toward him.
Several wet slicing sounds rang out.
A ring of blood flashed through the air.
Hisoka remained where he stood, while every man who had charged him had his throat slit.
Death had come so swiftly that their final expressions still lingered on their faces.
The creatures of the Swindlers' Nest had been watching the battle intently.
Once the men died, several creatures scurried out of the bushes, clambered over the corpses, and began to feast.
Shreds of flesh and blood splattered everywhere.
Hisoka glanced at them, then flicked his playing cards, shaking off all the blood clinging to them.
Seeing all his companions dead, the leader collapsed onto his backside in terror.
"Help!"
With another whoosh, a playing card shot toward the leader.
But the death he expected never came.
Cordis successfully intercepted the card.
He tossed it aside, turned to the leader, and said, "Go."
"Oh my~ My little apple has grown again~"
Hisoka swept back the loose strands of hair that had fallen over his face and looked up at Cordis with excitement, his scarlet tongue licking his lips.
The leader had never witnessed anything like this. He stumbled away in an unknown direction.
Kurapika hadn't expected Cordis to suddenly rush out, either.
"Cordis! Come back!"
"Kurapika, Leorio, go on ahead. I'll take him on."
Leorio stared in disbelief. If it hadn't been so dangerous, he might have dragged Cordis away himself.
"Cordis! We're nowhere near Hisoka's level! Get out while you still can!"
Like a stubborn little bull, Cordis refused to leave no matter what. He looked at Leorio with complete confidence.
"Trust me. I'm the strongest!"
Leorio smiled and shook his head helplessly. "Guess there's no helping it."
"If you want to fight, I'll fight alongside you!"
"Leorio!" Kurapika exclaimed. "Cordis is being reckless, and you're going to join him?!"
"Running away isn't my style."
Leorio rose and stepped out of the bushes, grabbed a thick wooden stick, and charged toward Hisoka with a fierce look in his eyes.
Leorio was fast. In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Hisoka.
With an angry roar, he leaped with all his strength.
He raised the stick and brought it down on Hisoka.
Boom!
The sound startled the birds in the forest into flight. A dense flock rose like a black cloud, abandoning the trees they called home.
Even a crow passing overhead let out a startled caw.
It nearly fell out of the sky.
Gon gazed at the readers with hearts in his eyes.
"Please, leave a good review!"
Before you continue