Trick Tower X Human-Faced Birds X Alone

"Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding..."

A rapid ringing sounded, much like the school bell on Blue Star.

As a battle-hardened veteran, how could Kaya possibly be woken by a sound like that?

"Thank you to all our applicants for your patience. The airship will soon reach its destination. Please get ready."

Beans's familiar voice came over the speakers.

Kurapika shook Kaya, who was drooling beside him. Unsurprisingly, the guy didn't react at all.

"Leorio, carry him," Kurapika ordered decisively.

"Why me again? Why don't you do it?"

Though reluctant, Leorio still walked over, muttering under his breath.

"There's really no need to go to all that trouble."

Killua grabbed Kaya's ear, leaned close, and shouted, "Wake up!"

Kaya sprang up, instantly wide awake. Clutching his ear, he howled, "Are you crazy? You'll make me deaf!"

Killua ignored Kaya and looked at the two dumbstruck onlookers. "That's the right way to wake someone up."

As dawn broke, they went to the window and looked outside. A tower soaring into the clouds stood atop a towering, flat-topped mountain.

"Could that be the location of the next exam?" Kurapika wondered aloud.

Just then, Gon suddenly popped up behind them, grinning.

Kaya looked thoroughly puzzled. "Where did you go last night?"

Gon scratched his head. "I fell asleep while competing against Chairman Netero."

"That's so Gon." ×4

On that bright, breezy morning, the airship landed steadily on the tower's roof.

Atop Trick Tower, forty-three applicants surveyed their surroundings.

"There's nothing and nobody here. What did he bring us here for?"

The speaker was Bourbon, the snake charmer wearing number 103.

Kaya utterly despised snakes, both in his previous world and this one, and had deliberately kept his distance from Bourbon throughout the journey.

"May I have your attention, applicants?" Beans clapped his hands.

"We are currently at the top of Trick Tower, the starting point for the Third Phase."

"Your examiner has asked me to relay the details of the test."

The applicants fell silent, waiting for further information.

Beans paused, then continued, "Your task is to reach the ground from the top of the tower within seventy-two hours."

"I hereby announce the official start of the Third Phase of the 287th Hunter Exam, with forty-three participants. I hope you all achieve satisfactory results."

The airship slowly lifted off and left the tower, leaving the applicants exchanging bewildered looks.

Kaya walked to the edge, lay flat on the ground, and peered down. The sheer height was enough to make anyone's legs go weak.

The area around Trick Tower was completely bare, with no trees to cushion a fall. Its stone walls were relatively intact, with only seams between the stacked blocks.

Jumping or climbing down would both be suicide, never mind that Gon had already caught the scent of strange beasts in the air.

"Is the third test an assessment of how we commit suicide?" Leorio asked with a bitter, self-deprecating smile.

"So how do we get down? Jumping from this high would be pretty tough." Killua pondered for a moment. Even if he were a cat, nine lives wouldn't be enough for that jump.

"That only applies to ordinary people like you."

The newcomer was applicant number 86, someone none of them remembered particularly well.

"A climb like this is far too easy for me. In less than half an hour, I'll be the first to pass."

With that, he walked to the edge and began climbing down using the seams in the wall.

"Wait, mister. There are strange beasts in the air. I think you'd better come back up," Gon warned kindly.

"Strange beasts?" The climber looked around. Everything was calm, with nothing unusual in sight.

Then he chuckled. "Trying to stop me with a trick like that, kid? I'm not falling for it. Goodbye."

He certainly lived up to his claim of being an expert climber. In barely thirty seconds, he had descended more than ten meters.

Just then, a strange cry shattered the silence.

"Is that... a bird?" Kurapika stared anxiously at the distant shapes in the sky.

"Doesn't look like it. Its head seems huge. Even bigger than Killua's." Kaya still didn't miss a chance to run his mouth.

Killua didn't bother arguing with him, keeping his gaze fixed ahead.

As the shapes drew closer, their true forms were finally revealed.

They were a flock of monsters with enormous wings and humanlike faces with gigantic mouths.

They opened their huge mouths, revealing two rows of sharp teeth. Their distorted features closely resembled Miss Fuchi from Junji Ito's manga.

"N-no, stay away!" Applicant number 86 was scared out of his wits by the terrifying creatures and tried to scramble back to the top.

But it was already too late. A monster bird swooped over and swallowed him in a single bite.

The applicants watching the spectacle drew their weapons, ready to fight. Who knew whether those things would fly up to the roof and start slaughtering them?

Fortunately, the Human-Faced Monster Birds merely circled the tower a few times before leaving, showing no intention of attacking those on top.

"It seems these magical beasts have been tamed too. They may have been given specific orders and won't attack anyone who hasn't triggered them," Kurapika analyzed.

With that little interruption over, it was time to get down to business. They split up and began searching for a way out.

"Have you noticed there are fewer people?" Kurapika asked.

"I noticed ages ago. You guys were too busy enjoying the show."

Kaya answered while lying on the ground and tapping the stone tiles. With Human-Faced Monster Birds guarding the place, the only explanation for the missing people was a hidden passage.

If they searched carefully, they would find one eventually.

"Knock, knock, knock."

Unlike the earlier dull thuds, the tile beneath Kaya's hand rang far too clearly. It was obviously hollow.

"Killua! Kurapika! Gon! Leorio! Hurry over-"

Excited at finding a hidden passage, Kaya pressed a little harder with his hands on the trapdoor. The tile loosened and flipped over rapidly, and he vanished from the roof in an instant.

Gon and the others quickly ran over to the tile Kaya had fallen through and knocked on it.

It didn't budge.

"Looks like each trapdoor can only be used once," Killua said, holding his skateboard.

Gon pounded on the tile. "Kaya, can you hear me?"

"Gon, calm down. Kaya will be fine. Let's find our own trapdoors and meet him at the bottom." Kurapika held Gon back as he began to lose control, trying to reassure him.

"That's right. Looks like we'll all be separated, so we'll have to rely on our own abilities." For once, Leorio looked completely serious.

While they were talking, Killua had already found several neighboring trapdoors, and each of them chose one.

Kurapika said, "I'll count down from three, and we'll all jump together."

Killua said, "Guess we're splitting up for a while."

Leorio said, "See you on the ground."

"..."

Gon still hadn't recovered his spirits.

At Kurapika's countdown, all four jumped through their trapdoors at once.

Killua, Kurapika, and Gon landed gracefully.

With a clunk, Leorio also made a stylish landing-on his face.

Rubbing his face, Leorio thought, Good thing that brat Kaya isn't here. Who knows how he'd make fun of me?

"... ..."

"Well, uh."

Apart from Kaya, the four of them had all ended up together again.

Four pairs of eyes met, and they laughed in relief.

Rather than being separated, they much preferred enjoying the journey together.

But at the thought of Kaya, Gon let out another heavy sigh.

"What do you think Kaya's going to do?"