In the ring.
Yuri, the reigning champion, cast a contemptuous glance at the kid before him and attacked first, intending to end the match with a single blow.
Kaya calmly stood his ground and extended a hand.
Thud!
Fist met palm, and Kaya caught his punch without budging.
Kaya raised an eyebrow. "Is that all you've got?"
Shocked that this child had caught his full-strength punch so easily, Yuri pulled free and unleashed a rapid barrage of punches.
But to Kaya, those punches looked as though they were moving at half speed.
Am I too strong, or is he too weak?
Kaya easily dodged the attacks and soon grew bored. He sidestepped, slipped behind his opponent before Yuri could react, then leaped high and drove a heavy punch into the back of his head.
The force instantly knocked Yuri out of the fight. He collapsed onto the ring, foaming at the mouth.
"KO." With the referee's announcement, Kaya won the match.
"Heh, interesting." Someone gave a sinister smile, then disappeared into the crowd.
"Was that rigged?"
"Doesn't look rigged to me. Didn't you see how easily he dodged Yuri's attacks?"
"Is that kid a monster?"
Most of the spectators below had lost money and were venting their frustration.
Kaya couldn't care less about their doubts. He bobbed his head, wearing an expression that said, If you've got a problem, come fight me.
After collecting his money, he noticed it was nearly time to meet the others.
Kaya firmly declined the organizers' request to stay on as champion and jogged back toward the inn.
The sunlight was fading, and the streets were growing quiet.
To take a shortcut, Kaya turned into a quiet alley.
A pink-haired man leaned against the wall inside, playing with a deck of cards and blocking the narrow passage.
He was none other than Hunter x Hunter's number-one fruit grower-Hisoka.
Unfortunately, Kaya had no idea who he was. Otherwise, he would have hightailed it out of there long ago.
Kaya walked up to him, but the man showed no intention of moving aside.
"Excuse me."
"Heh, answer one question, and I'll let you through." Hisoka's lips curled as he slowly turned his gaze toward Kaya.
Kaya's sixth sense told him this man wasn't someone to mess with. He quickly waved his hands. "Then I won't bother you."
With that, he turned and tried to bolt.
But the oddly dressed magician instantly appeared in front of him, blocking his way as he shuffled cards between his hands.
"Now, now, don't be like that. If you won't answer my question right now, then I'll have no choice but to..."
Hisoka sounded casual, but the threat in his words sent chills down Kaya's spine.
"I'm not an encyclopedia! If you've got questions, ask the police!" Kaya squeezed his hands, struggling to stay calm.
Hisoka bent down, bringing his face close to Kaya's, and studied his eyes with interest.
"Your eyes are fascinating."
His stare made Kaya's skin crawl, and he gave in. "Whatever you want to ask, hurry up! I'm busy!"
Hisoka smiled. "What an impatient child. That's not good, you know. I only wanted to ask whether you're here to take the Hunter Exam."
Kaya nodded in confirmation.
Only then did Hisoka straighten up. "Well, do your best."
Seeing that the man wasn't going to bother him any further, Kaya turned and ran.
Watching Kaya flee in a panic, Hisoka licked the corner of his lips.
As a battle fanatic, he possessed not only an outrageous talent for combat but also an exceptional eye for selecting opponents.
Back at the ring, Hisoka had noticed the powerful Nen clinging to Kaya's eyes.
Strangely, judging by the aura emanating from his body, the boy seemed not to have learned even the basics yet.
To possess such impressive physical abilities and talent at that young age without having learned Nen-what a delicious fruit he would become once he mastered it.
At that thought, Hisoka lowered his head and chuckled softly, his whole body trembling with excitement.
Kaya only felt safe again once he saw his companions in the inn's lobby.
"Where did you go, Kaya? Have you seen the time?" Gon complained.
"I went to fight in a ring and earned five hundred thousand. Dinner's on me tonight."
Some of Kaya's spirit returned as he lifted the envelope in his hand and waved it.
Leorio happily threw an arm around him. "How about sharing some with me?"
"You're ugly, but you sure dream pretty."
"Hahahahaha!"
"What a cheapskate."
After dinner, everyone returned to the inn and went to bed early, conserving their energy for the official exam the next day.
Kaya, however, lay in bed unable to sleep, tossing and turning as he kept thinking about the magician in the alley.
The man hadn't attacked him or shown any hostility, so where had that suffocating terror come from?
It troubled Kaya deeply.
"Wake up! It's nine thirty!"
Gon anxiously shook Kaya, who was drooling in his sleep.
Having fallen asleep far too late the night before, Kaya was still sleeping soundly beneath the covers.
"We're running out of time. I'll carry him to the exam site." Leorio checked his watch.
The four hurried to the restaurant. After Kurapika handed the card to the waiter, they entered the elevator together.
Rumble!
The elevator began descending rapidly.
"What's going on? Where are we?"
Kaya made a show of rubbing his eyes and jumped down from Leorio's back.
"All right, brat, quit pretending. I know you were faking sleep." Leorio shook out his slightly sore arms.
"Then why didn't you say so earlier?"
Even after being exposed, Kaya showed no shame. Instead, he acted as though he was perfectly justified.
While the two were bickering, the elevator doors opened.
A long tunnel stretched before them, but a sheet-metal door firmly blocked the way ahead.
The cramped space was already packed with people. Several applicants near the elevator doors eyed the four with ill intent.
Every applicant who had made it here was an expert in their own field, and their imposing presence made Leorio swallow involuntarily.
As energetic as ever, Gon exclaimed, "There are so many people!"
Kaya and Kurapika, meanwhile, looked unbothered as they surveyed their surroundings.
"Are they going to make hundreds of people fight to the death in this tiny space?" Kaya wondered aloud.
Kurapika shook his head. "Impossible. As far as I know, the Hunter Exam isn't that bloody. Besides, it has several stages. Starting with a death match clearly wouldn't make sense."
Just then, the short Beans squeezed through the crowd and approached the four. "Congratulations on reaching the official Hunter Exam venue. Here are your number badges."
Leorio was the first to step out of the elevator: number 403.
Kurapika followed close behind: number 404.
Gon walked ahead of Kaya: number 405.
Kaya was the last to leave the elevator, so he received number 406.
"Please wear your badges on your chests. You must keep them on throughout the exam, so don't lose them."
After handing out the badges and offering that friendly reminder, Beans turned and left.
He had barely departed when an honest-looking middle-aged man approached the four.
"I haven't seen you before. Is this your first time taking the Hunter Exam?"
Tonpa, the rookie crusher, had officially arrived.
"How did you know?" Gon asked curiously.
Tonpa gave a guileless smile. "Simple. This is my thirty-fifth time taking the Hunter Exam."
"You've taken it thirty-five times?" Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika exclaimed in surprise.
Tonpa's words stirred a memory in Kaya.
When he had met Pokkle three years earlier, Pokkle had mentioned a middle-aged man who had taken the exam thirty-two times. Kaya had mocked him mercilessly back then. He hadn't expected to meet the man himself today.
At that thought, Kaya looked around but couldn't spot Pokkle anywhere.
At that moment, Pokkle was at the front of the crowd, looking around for Kaya. He still remembered their promise from three years ago.
Is he not coming? Pokkle felt a little disappointed.
It was hardly surprising. Neither Pokkle nor Kaya was particularly tall, making it difficult for them to find each other in the crowd.
At the back of the group, Tonpa watched the others exchange glances and said proudly, "You could say I'm a veteran of the Hunter Exam."
Kaya refused to indulge him and shot back, "In other words, you've failed thirty-five times, right? What's there to brag about?"
Tonpa awkwardly scratched his head. "I... I suppose you could put it that way."
"Kaya, don't be so rude. I think he's pretty impressive," Gon said.
Anyone who could take such a dangerous Hunter Exam thirty-five times and come out unscathed had to have something special about him.
Of course, Kaya knew that. Although Tonpa looked honest and harmless, his instincts told him the man was up to no good.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Tonpa extended a hand and introduced himself. "I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Tonpa."
Gon politely reached out and introduced everyone in turn. "I'm Gon. This is Kaya, Leorio, and Kurapika."
"It's been ages since I've seen such lively newcomers. That's wonderful. If you need any help, just ask," Tonpa continued.
His guileless gestures, sincere eyes, and honest-looking face made for a truly first-rate performance.
"Ah... my hand!"
A miserable scream drew everyone's attention.
Kaya looked ahead and saw the hand of a cloaked man slowly turning into flower petals and disappearing.
"Help!" the man cried desperately.
But this was the Hunter Exam. No one was willing to intervene.
"Next time you bump into someone, make sure you apologize first. Heh heh heh." Hisoka's low yet piercing laughter sounded terrifying.
Kaya couldn't help shivering. It was him!
Hisoka spotted Kaya in the crowd too and winked at him.
Frightened, Kaya hurriedly hid behind Leorio and nervously asked Tonpa, "Who's that magician?"
Tonpa pulled the four aside and whispered, "Number 44, Hisoka the magician. He's the most dangerous person here. He should have passed last year, but he beat an examiner so badly that he was seriously injured, just because he didn't like him. That got him disqualified. You'd better be careful and stay away from him."
"Huh? He can still take the exam after beating up an examiner?" Leorio asked in confusion.
"The Hunter Association's exam changes every year, and the examiners rotate too. The examiners decide what the tests involve. Each has completely different standards based on their own preferences. If an examiner says someone passes, it doesn't matter even if that person killed an examiner last year," Tonpa explained solemnly.
"Thanks. I can finally see you're a little bit useful," Kaya said with a smile.
Tonpa outwardly smiled along in his usual guileless manner, but his expression darkened the moment he turned away.
You little brat. How dare you look down on me? Once the exam starts, I'll show you what real despair feels like.
Before you continue