"What words?"
"Remember what I told you earlier?" Hanzo asked.
"I said it after I knocked you down."
Killua nodded silently.
Hanzo continued, "In terms of strength, the people here can be divided into three tiers."
"Top tier: Kaizen, Gittarackur, Hisoka."
"Second tier: me, you, Alita."
(Though Hanzo would later admit he underestimated Alita.)
"Then there's Gon, Kurapika, Leorio, Bodoro, and Ponzu."
"The gap between you and me isn't that wide, honestly. But you're always running away from something—and that's what I don't get."
He paused for a moment, his eyes sharp.
"I didn't like you very much. You and Gon... you two have personalities I've never encountered before. Gon especially—he does things that don't make sense by normal standards. But I could never bring myself to dislike him."
"But your behavior during the exam really rubbed me the wrong way."
"Now I realize the problem isn't really with you. It's with your older brother—Illumi."
Hanzo bowed his head slightly.
"I owe you an apology. I had no right to judge. It's your family's business."
He looked up again, more composed.
"But still, I can't help but say this—don't blindly follow him just because he's your brother."
"Think carefully about what you want."
"People should live for themselves, not for others."
"Set a goal. Chase it with everything you've got."
"That's all I wanted to say."
Hanzo stepped back and returned to his seat.
...
At the same time, the fight between Bodoro and Leorio reached its final moments.
Only one was left standing.
Leorio brought Bodoro down to the ground—but not without a cost. Blood streamed from Leorio's forehead. Both fighters were seriously wounded.
"You're more suited to be a Hunter than I am. I concede," Bodoro said, his voice hoarse but calm.
Even if it was hard to accept.
He knew he was old. He had no more room to grow.
But Leorio... Leorio was still young. He had potential.
There was no point in refusing to admit defeat. No sense in using underhanded tricks to rob someone else of their chance.
What would be the point of taking a Hunter license he no longer needed?
"Winner: Leorio."
...
The final round should've been between Bodoro and Killua, but Bodoro stepped down.
Given his condition, there was no way he could continue. And even more than that—he sympathized with Killua. He couldn't bring himself to play dirty again.
Besides, Killua's potential was far beyond Leorio's.
"I hereby declare the final stage of the Hunter Exam officially concluded."
"List of those who passed—Kaizen, Kurapika, Hisoka, Ponzu, Leorio, Killua, Gon, Alita, Gittarackur, Hanzo."
"Eliminated: Bodoro."
"Eliminated candidates, please exit."
"All who passed—proceed to the banquet hall. Dinner has been prepared."
...
The ballroom was spacious, lit by crystal chandeliers.
At the center stood a large round table.
Netero and the other examiners took their seats one after another.
Jingle-jingle!
A bell rang. A side door opened. Maids filed in, carrying trays of richly prepared dishes.
However, three chairs remained empty—Illumi, Killua, and Gon were missing.
Illumi and Killua had both left immediately after their battles.
And Gon—Gon was still in the medical ward.
His injuries were serious. He lost consciousness as soon as he entered the treatment room, and still hadn't woken up.
...
"Congratulations to everyone who passed the Hunter Exam," Netero said warmly. "From today forward, you are all official Hunters."
Kaizen glanced down at the crystal sphere in front of him.
Progress: 5%.
The exam's not over yet.
Tomorrow... there's a lecture or something, right? Maybe more feature unlocks.
And then there's the task Netero gave me—teaching abilities to new Hunters.
I wonder who they'll assign to me.
He mentally reviewed the list. Gon and Killua were both out for now. Illumi, Hisoka, and Alita were all unlikely candidates.
That left Kurapika, Leorio, Ponzu, and Hanzo.
...
Dinner ended.
Kaizen returned to the rest area where the Hunter Association had arranged rooms for the successful candidates.
Knock knock knock!
Someone knocked on the door.
Kaizen opened it to see Kurapika and Leorio standing outside.
"Do you have a minute?" Kurapika asked.
"Something up?"
"It's about Killua. We had a few questions."
Kaizen stepped aside and motioned inside.
"...Come in. Sit wherever."
Kurapika and Leorio took seats, clearly a little on edge.
Their respect for Kaizen had grown ever since learning more about his abilities—and his identity. Now, there was also a bit of fear.
Still, they came.
Kaizen didn't blame them. They were Killua's friends, and they'd shown him nothing but sincerity.
They were still green, sure, but their potential was real.
And Kaizen wasn't one to turn away goodwill.
"Kaizen... when Killua goes back home, he'll be okay, right?" Leorio asked.
Kaizen leaned back.
"I don't know the full picture. But I'm sure his life isn't in danger. If you want specifics, you'd have to ask someone inside Zoldyck Manor. I'm still outside, just like you."
"Zoldyck Manor..." Kurapika muttered.
The two exchanged a look.
Kaizen could read it easily.
"If you're curious, you can go check it out yourselves. The location of Zoldyck Manor is public. A quick search will tell you where it is."
"But don't take it lightly. Getting in is a whole other thing."
"And don't fall into the trap of thinking it's some kind of spooky myth."
"An assassin is just an assassin. Killing's just a job."
He paused.
"What Illumi said to Killua earlier may have sounded harsh—but that's just his way of raising him. He wouldn't actually kill Gon over something like that."
Kaizen stood.
"Alright, it's getting late."
"Get some rest. We've probably got an early morning tomorrow."
Kurapika and Leorio nodded and took their leave.
...
The next morning.
Gon slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was Satotz standing beside the bed.
"Mr. Satotz... how did the final exam go?" Gon asked weakly.
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