With just a sidestep, Hisoka easily dodged the swift strike, a pleased smile on his lips.
"Good power, but your speed is still a little lacking."
His smile deepened as his gaze shifted to Kaya, who emerged from the mist.
"Very nice. Are you buying time for your friends to escape?"
"You talk too much." Kaya spun the long whip in his hand, its rapid rotation whipping up gusts of wind around him.
"Cut the crap. If you want a fight, just say so. I'll fight you until you're satisfied."
"Wonderful~ Please make sure you satisfy me." A flicker of interest crossed Hisoka's eyes, and he vanished from sight.
The instant he disappeared, Kaya darted forward. Trusting his instincts, he lashed his whip backward in midair.
Based on the flow of the fight and Hisoka's speed, Kaya was certain Hisoka would appear behind him the next second.
Just then, the light dimmed. Kaya glanced upward out of the corner of his eye and saw Hisoka flying above him in parallel at the same speed, his deep eyes glinting with excitement and bloodlust.
"What astonishing judgment. I'm very curious how you knew I would appear behind you.
"Was it instinct or reflex?" Hisoka asked admiringly.
Kaya didn't answer. Instead, he quickly twisted in midair and drove both hands into the ground to anchor himself. Then he bent his legs, gathered his strength, and kicked viciously toward Hisoka's abdomen.
But Hisoka moved as unpredictably as a ghost. As though he had already seen through Kaya's intentions, he vanished from sight again.
Using his momentum, Kaya vaulted into the air.
This time, however, he had no idea where Hisoka would appear.
And with nothing to push off against in midair, he couldn't move quickly.
Kaya could only wrap his whip around a tree trunk ahead and use it to rapidly change position, keeping Hisoka from catching him in his blind spot.
Just as he was about to fly into the woods, a powerful downward force struck.
Looking down, he saw Hisoka appear beneath his feet like a phantom and seize his ankle.
"Got~ you~."
Hisoka licked the corner of his mouth and pulled hard on Kaya.
The opposing forces nearly tore his body apart. Kaya had no choice but to release his whip, gather all his strength into his free leg, and kick at Hisoka's face.
Just before the attack reached his face, Hisoka firmly blocked it with his hand.
"Hehehe, I really want to praise you. Your willpower, your reflexes, your speed."
A sick excitement seeped into Hisoka's voice.
"You're getting me more and more excited."
"But today's game ends here."
As his words fell, Hisoka tossed Kaya into the air, then leaped lightly after him and drove a heavy punch into his abdomen.
The punch landed like a sledgehammer. Kaya's stomach churned violently, fluid spurted from his mouth and nose, and he fell helplessly toward the ground.
I'm done. I'm so done. This is where I die, Kaya thought, his eyes closed. I haven't even finished the damn exam!
I can't accept this.
Kaya's feelings were entirely understandable. He was like a max-level noob with no gear who had spent nearly six years grinding monsters in the starter village, convinced he was an unstoppable badass, only to step outside the safe zone and get instantly one-shot by a pay-to-win whale.
Just before he could become intimately acquainted with the ground, a figure caught him securely in midair.
Kaya struggled to open his eyes, and a familiar face came into view.
"You little brat. Getting into a fight without inviting me? Some friend you are."
Leorio wore his trademark roguish grin, his eyes filled with reproach, affection, and pain.
Hisoka didn't attack. He merely stood to one side, watching the scene with interest.
"Piss off. Cough, cough. Why'd you come here to get in the way? I was about to win, and now I've got you dragging me down. Might as well surrender." Kaya's breathing was ragged, and even speaking took effort, but he still refused to admit defeat.
"Still running your mouth when you're hurt. Stay here and think about what you've done."
Leorio settled Kaya beside a large rock, then rose and glared furiously at Hisoka, who was enjoying the spectacle ahead.
"Can't you fight someone on your own level? Why pick on kids?"
Hisoka paused, then earnestly looked around. "Someone on my level? Where?"
Kaya nearly spat blood. No, forget it. He was injured; he couldn't afford to laugh.
"..." Recovering from the blow to his feelings, Leorio took his knife from his briefcase and pointed its tip at Hisoka, his expression deadly serious.
"Time to come clean. That person is actually me."
The air froze for five seconds.
"Pfft... Hahahahaha!"
Then Hisoka covered his mouth and burst into laughter. None of his earlier sinister charm remained in it; this was hearty laughter straight from the heart.
"Old man, you really know how to tell a joke." Hisoka struggled to control his shoulders as they shook with laughter.
Hisoka really had no shame. He was twenty-six, yet he called nineteen-year-old Leorio an old man. How could he even say that?
From the sidelines, Kaya said, "Hisoka, my dear fellow, Leorio's only nineteen. How old might your venerable self be?"
Hisoka instantly turned to stone, feeling deceived. "N-nine... nineteen? But..."
"Damn you! Looking down on me is one thing, but now you're insulting me too? Unforgivable!"
Leorio charged at Hisoka with his knife, only to feel his throat tighten midway.
In an instant, Hisoka had him by the neck.
"Nice look in your eyes, but you're nowhere close." With a light flick of his fingers, a card appeared between Hisoka's fingertips.
"Leorio!"
Kaya knew what that meant. He scrambled up, clutching his chest, and was about to rush over.
Whoosh!
Something whistled through the air, and a heavy blow suddenly struck Hisoka's temple.
For a moment, all three of them froze in shock.
Kaya's gaze snapped toward Gon, who stood a short distance away, panting and gripping his fishing rod tightly.
Recovering from his surprise, Hisoka slowly loosened his grip on Leorio.
The suffocating pressure vanished at once. Leorio held his neck and coughed a few times.
Hisoka stared intently at Gon and slowly approached.
"Your weapon is a fishing rod? How interesting. May I borrow it for a look?"
Hisoka extended a hand, his tone allowing no refusal.
Gon's hands and feet trembled involuntarily. He swallowed, watching nervously as Hisoka drew closer, step by step.
"Stay away from him. I'm your opponent." Leorio staggered to his feet and charged at Hisoka's back.
Thud!
Without even turning his head, Hisoka landed a precise straight punch against the side of Leorio's face, hitting hard enough to knock him unconscious on the spot.
Gon seized that brief opening and darted behind Hisoka at incredible speed. He jumped, gripped his fishing rod tightly, and swung it down at Hisoka with all his strength.
But just as the fishing rod was about to touch him, Hisoka's figure dissolved like smoke.
"Did you come to save your friends?" Hisoka's ghostly voice suddenly sounded behind Gon.
Gon's heart jolted, and he instinctively leaped backward to put distance between them.
"What a good boy."
The voice sounded beside Gon's ear again.
Gon lashed out behind him, only to find the phantomlike Hisoka standing in front of him.
"Mmm... That expression of yours is intoxicating." Hisoka's voice carried a hint of sick admiration.
Filled with terror, Gon attacked Hisoka in a frenzy.
Hisoka deftly evaded every strike at the very last moment.
"Very good. You're getting me excited too."
He only dodged, never striking back, his gaze fixed on Gon's defiant face.
Meanwhile, Kaya hurried to Leorio's side and checked his injuries.
Once he confirmed that Leorio was merely unconscious, he quickly picked up his weapon and charged at Hisoka.
"Gon!"
Kaya's voice pierced the fear in Gon's heart like a ray of light.
The two exchanged a glance and nodded.
The whip and fishing rod became twin bolts of lightning, racing toward Hisoka from above and below.
This time, however, Hisoka chose not to dodge. He twisted slightly in midair, intercepted both weapons with phantomlike hands, and then vanished.
In the blink of an eye, Kaya and Gon felt a powerful force clamp around their throats.
Their bodies were lifted into the air, their feet leaving the ground.
"Oh my~ What a beautiful sight."
Hisoka gazed at them with a dreamy, entranced expression.
His grip gradually tightened, threatening to suffocate Kaya and Gon.
"Ah~"
Just as they were about to lose consciousness, Hisoka suddenly seemed to come to his senses and swiftly released them.
Kaya and Gon dropped limply to the ground, lying there and gasping for breath.
Only then did the two boys, who had always thought so highly of themselves, understand what a true gap in strength meant.
Hisoka crouched down to their eye level and gave them an utterly doting smile.
"You've both passed. Work hard and become good Hunters. Don't disappoint me."
With that, he stood and hoisted the unconscious Leorio onto his shoulder.
Gon struggled to his feet and shouted after Hisoka, "Give Leorio back!"
Hisoka stopped and glanced back with a smile. "Don't worry. I won't hurt him, because he passed too."
Turning to Kaya, he asked, "You two should be able to find the exam site, right?"
Having suffered his first defeat since crossing into this world, Kaya was in a thoroughly foul mood. He merely snorted and looked away.
Hisoka didn't take offense. He gave a soft chuckle.
"Hehe. What an adorable boy."
With that, he disappeared from their sight, carrying Leorio on his shoulder.
Before you continue