"Could this be the guides' house?"
Leorio's eyes widened as he pointed curiously at the wooden cabin.
After their long journey, they had finally reached their destination. Leorio's patience had long since worn thin, and he started forward as soon as he finished speaking.
"Wait."
Kaya and Kurapika spoke almost simultaneously, their tones practically identical.
Since Kurapika had sensed it too, Kaya decided to save his breath. He stretched out comfortably on the grass, limbs spread, and said lazily, "You explain it to him."
Leorio walked over and nudged Kaya with his foot. "Hey, hey, hey. Who are you looking down on?"
Gon also asked curiously, "Why can't we go?"
Kurapika shook his head and explained, "It's not that we can't go in. We need to be prepared before we do. Do you remember what Grandma in town said?"
"She said the guides were at the Great Tree and would take us to the exam site, but only if we passed their test."
"So this is another exam," Gon said, realization dawning.
"Exactly," Kurapika continued. "We haven't encountered anything unusual along the way. Maybe the test is inside."
After listening to Kurapika's analysis, Kaya sprang up and jumped onto Leorio's back. He tugged at his hair and asked, "Got it?"
Leorio reached back to grab Kaya, but Kaya clung to him like a stubborn wad of gum.
After several failed attempts, he reluctantly gave up and let Kaya stay on his back. Turning his head, he asked, "So are we going in or not?"
"Of course we're going in," Kaya said from behind him. "But we need to be prepared."
"Prepared for what?" Gon and Leorio asked in unison.
Kurapika considered it for a moment, then said, "We shouldn't all go in together. If there's a trap, the others can come to the rescue."
Gon raised his hand. "I'll go in first. My reflexes are fast."
Leorio shook his head and argued, "I'll go first. I'm the strongest here."
Everyone understood that Leorio was worried about Gon and wanted to take the most dangerous task himself. He simply refused to say so outright.
"Let Gon go in," Kaya teased. "I don't want to go to all the trouble of rescuing you."
Leorio had lost count of how many times Kaya had taken a jab at him that day. He no longer had the energy to get angry.
All he could do was silently console himself. Forget it, forget it. He's worried about me too.
"Let's let Kurapika decide."
Gon trusted Kurapika's arrangements completely. After all, he was the brains of the team.
Kurapika nodded and gave his instructions. "Then Gon will go in first."
"Got it." Having gotten his wish, Gon grinned happily.
"Leorio and I will watch over you from the doorway. If anything unexpected happens, we can help each other right away," Kurapika added.
"Yeah." Leorio nodded with rare solemnity.
"Kaya, stay at the bottom of the steps outside and keep an eye on the surroundings."
Kurapika had given Kaya what seemed to be the least dangerous job, clearly unwilling to put him at risk.
"Okay!" Kaya took out his weapon and twirled it in his hand, ready to fight at any moment.
With their roles assigned, Gon took the lead and headed toward the cabin.
Kaya stopped by the steps, leaning against the railing as he quietly observed their surroundings.
Knock, knock, knock.
Gon knocked politely, but there was no response from inside.
Leorio drew his weapon and gestured with his chin for Gon to open the door.
Gon tried the handle and found that the door wasn't locked. He said softly, "Excuse me, is anyone there? I'm coming in."
Then he turned the handle, gently pushed the door open, and stepped inside.
The moment the door opened, a bloody scene came into view.
A fox-faced monster nearly six meters tall, covered in tawny fur, held a woman in traditional clothing firmly in its enormous claw.
At the monster's feet, a man trembled all over, clutching a wound on his arm that wouldn't stop bleeding. He looked terribly weak.
Apparently, the guide couple had been attacked by a magical beast.
Leorio instantly grew agitated and charged into the room without hesitation, silently placing himself in front of Gon.
He wasn't worried about being unable to defeat the magical beast. He was more concerned that the monster would hurt his companions.
Kurapika had seen this magical beast in books before. It was a Kitsunori, capable of taking human form.
He hurriedly stopped Kaya, who was about to rush forward. "Kaya, stay where you are. It's a Kitsunori, a magical beast. You need to guard the exit."
The moment the Kitsunori saw them, she scooped up the woman and charged forward without hesitation, wasting no time.
She deftly skirted around Leorio and Gon, who were ready to fight, then smashed through the window and leaped outside.
She moved so fast that before Kurapika could act, she was already airborne and ready to escape.
"Leorio, take care of the injured man!" Seeing this, Gon rushed out after her.
Outside, Kaya immediately lashed out with his long whip, wrapping it tightly around the Kitsunori's thigh before pulling hard to slam her to the ground.
The Kitsunori was strong enough to avoid falling. Instead, she landed steadily and tried to leap again.
Kaya braced his lower body and pulled hard on the whip, preventing her from taking off.
As the two remained locked in a contest of strength, Gon and Kurapika rushed over.
"Kaya, we're here to help!" they shouted together.
Seeing them approach, the Kitsunori was forced to release the woman. Kurapika leaped up and caught her securely.
Gon pulled out his fishing rod and brought it down hard on the crown of the Kitsunori's head, making her howl in pain.
Seizing the opportunity, Kaya swiftly reeled in his whip, darted in front of the Kitsunori, and lashed her face mercilessly.
The Kitsunori raised her hands to shield herself from the painful blows.
Kaya circled behind her, wrapped his whip around her neck, and used it as leverage to launch himself into a vicious kick to the side of her face.
The flurry of attacks left the Kitsunori with no strength to escape, and she crashed heavily to the ground.
Just as Kaya tried to strangle her, another Kitsunori suddenly flew in from the distance.
Afraid the newcomer would ambush Kaya, Gon hurriedly leaped between them.
To everyone's surprise, however, the Kitsunori didn't attack. Instead, he said, "Stop fighting! Let go! We're actually the guide couple!"
"Kurapika, did you hear that? He can talk!"
Gon immediately turned to Kurapika. Whenever he encountered something he didn't understand, he was sure asking him was the right choice.
Kurapika confirmed it. "Kitsunori are magical beasts. Most magical beasts can learn human languages. It's nothing unusual."
The woman Kurapika had rescued also ran over to Kaya and explained, "We really are the guide family. Everything just now was only a test."
Only after hearing this did Kaya retract his whip. "You should have said so sooner. It would've been awful if someone had died."
Able to breathe freely again, the Kitsunori stood up, panting heavily and rubbing her neck, her expression tense after her narrow escape from death.
Although Kaya had shown considerable ability throughout their journey, this was the first time Kurapika had witnessed him in actual combat.
Kaya possessed reflexes, speed, and skill in equal measure. Although Kurapika was four or five years older, he wasn't certain he could win if they competed purely on strength.
Just then, Leorio and the man also came running out of the cabin.
With the misunderstanding cleared up, the Kitsunori family introduced themselves. "The Hunter Association hired us to serve as guides this year."
"This is my wife."
He pointed to the other Kitsunori, who was still standing nearby, shaken.
"I'm their daughter," the woman said, raising her hand.
"I'm their son." The man saluted the four of them.
The Kitsunori pointed at Kaya and continued, "Our family had prepared a carefully planned test, but that kid ruined the whole thing."
Afraid they had failed the test, Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika all stared fixedly at Kaya.
Feeling the three's burning gazes, Kaya backed away a few steps and waved his hands.
"You can't blame me for that. Your whole family acted so well that I had to step in."
"Besides, it was an emergency. Saving lives came first, so of course I had to give it everything I had."
Flattery never failed. Although Kaya and Gon had given them a thorough beating, the Kitsunori family was still delighted by the praise.
"The four of you showed exceptional teamwork. As you approached that mysterious cabin, you quickly recognized that it was a test."
"When faced with an unexpected challenge, you not only demonstrated excellent combat ability but also devised an effective strategy."
The Kitsunori surveyed the four with approval, then turned his gaze to Kurapika.
"You remained calm and made excellent tactical arrangements for your team. You're also knowledgeable enough to recognize our species and its characteristics immediately."
"You passed!"
"Great!" Gon excitedly high-fived Kurapika in celebration.
The Kitsunori turned to Gon. "You have sharp reflexes and practical combat skills, and you can unleash tremendous potential at critical moments. You passed too."
The Kitsunori's son turned his gaze to Leorio.
"The way you bandaged me was professional and practiced, demonstrating outstanding medical skills. You also have the courage and determination to sacrifice yourself for your companions."
"You passed as well."
Leorio pressed a hand down on Kaya's head as he stood obediently nearby. "I passed. Did you hear that?"
The Kitsunori Kaya had beaten pointed at him and said, "As for you, there's not much more to say. You hit hard and move fast. You passed too."
The Kitsunori's daughter stepped forward and concluded, "So our family will take you to the site of this year's Hunter Exam!"
At those words, the four finally breathed a sigh of relief. After all the tests and challenges along the way, they could finally embark on their journey to the Hunter Exam in earnest.
Under the moonlight, the Kitsunori family beat their enormous wings and carried the four toward Saba City, where the Hunter Exam would be held.
Before you continue