"Right here, right here. Slow it down—yeah, on the slowest setting, please."
Gon and I came to Wing's room to analyze the video recording of Aisha and Kastro's match. We had examined the match between Hisoka and Kastro here before, and we hoped Wing could understand and explain things that were beyond our grasp.
...I just didn't expect Shion to be here too.
Didn't this girl leave Heavens Arena earlier? Something about her master calling for her. Yet here she was, sticking close to Wing's side as if it were the most natural thing in the world...
Well, whatever. Right now, I needed to focus on the video.
Determined not to miss a single detail, I watched Aisha's every movement, my eyes wide like saucers as I glued myself to the TV screen. What became abundantly clear from the footage was that Aisha was an absolute monster.
"...She seriously used Kastro's own attack against him while in Zetsu?"
"It is hard to believe, but that appears to be exactly what happened."
Could she have been using In to conceal her aura? That thought crossed my mind, but neither Gon, myself, Wing, nor Shion could detect any hidden aura using Gyo.
"Is it possible Aisha's In is at such a high level that even you and Shion can't see through it, Wing-san?"
In a way, Gon's question made sense. But Gon, if that were true, it would mean Aisha's mastery of In was so profound that even two veteran Nen users couldn't see through it. Even Zushi had managed to detect Hisoka's In to some degree.
"...I cannot say for certain. I find it difficult to believe that is the case, but even if it were, either way..."
"Either way?"
Yeah, I knew what Wing was trying to say.
In short—
"Either way, it means Aisha is vastly stronger than Wing-san or Shion-san."
"Eh? Is that true, Wing-san?"
"...Yes, that is likely correct. I have zero confidence in defeating Kastro without using aura. In other words, as a pure martial artist, I am inferior to Aisha-san."
Wing spoke with a trace of bitter reluctance. So Wing was a true martial artist at heart after all. He was usually easygoing and sloppy, but losing in martial skill to a younger girl clearly bruised his pride.
"And even if Aisha-san were utilizing In in that fight, the fact that my Gyo could not pierce it means that, as a Nen user, I am overwhelmingly outmatched."
"Ah, I see."
Right. Either way, the hypothesis that Aisha was far stronger than Wing and his circle was practically undeniable. We had managed to see through Hisoka's In. It took pouring a large amount of aura into Gyo, but even we could detect the In of someone vastly superior to us like Hisoka.
If Wing couldn't detect Aisha's In (assuming she used it), the gap in their ability wasn't just a simple difference in tiers—it was a chasm.
"Hey, Wing-san. How did Aisha block Kastro's opening strike? I couldn't tell what happened at all."
"Regarding that... From the angle shown in this video, it is difficult to see precisely what Aisha-san did. However, it was undeniably a technique that redirects and utilizes an opponent's force—a form of martial arts known as Aikijujutsu. It would be faster to ask Shion about this."
"Yup! I never imagined Aisha-chan would be a practitioner of the Kazama style."
Taking over the explanation from Wing, Shion spoke up.
The Kazama style... I had heard of it before. Wasn't it famous as the soft martial art of Kazama-ryu, paired with the hard martial art of Shingen-ryu as the twin pinnacles of the combat world? Aisha being a master of that style... She said she came from Meteor City, so where on earth did she learn such a martial art? Or was there a Kazama-ryu master living in Meteor City?
"Kazama style?"
Well, of course Gon wouldn't know. He didn't seem to possess much general worldly knowledge. Classic wild child.
"The Kazama style is a school of Aikijujutsu that originated in Japon. It was founded by Grandmaster Ryuzen Kazama and spread across the entire world by one of his direct disciples, Master Ryusho Kazama. Not to brag, but there is practically no one in the martial arts world who doesn't know of it!"
"That sounds entirely like bragging, though."
She had such a smug look on her face just now. Sure, the Kazama style was thriving, but it's not like that was your personal achievement, right?
"Aikijujutsu contains many techniques that utilize an opponent's force, joint mechanics, the anatomy of the human body, human reflexes, and psychology. Master Linna... ah, my teacher... that person can throw a giant of a man using just a single finger!"
"You really don't listen to people, do you?"
Did my voice get caught in some kind of filter?
"With just one finger?! That's incredible!"
"Right, right?!"
"Haha, Shion truly reveres Linna-san. In truth, martial artists of Linna-san's caliber can probably be counted on the fingers of both hands across the entire world."
Counted on both hands, huh... In the surface world, maybe that was true. But in the underworld, people of that caliber probably crawled out of the woodwork.
Starting with my own family. Come to think of it, isn't that place a breeding ground for Nen users? I can't imagine a single butler in that mansion who can't use Nen.
"Shion, I understand your excitement, but please calm down. You have not explained the technique Aisha-san used yet."
"Ah, oops! Sorry, I got carried away... When I get excited, I tend to lose sight of my surroundings."
"Yeah, I know that all too well."
I had experienced it firsthand. I never wanted to go through that again. Anyway, we finally got back to the main topic. What I wanted to hear wasn't school-boasting or master-praise.
"The first move Aisha-chan used was what you might call the ultimate secret of Aiki."
"The ultimate secret!"
"Whoa, that sounds awesome."
Using a phrase like 'ultimate secret' was sure to get any guy's blood pumping. Dammit, Aisha, not bad!
"Well, calling it an ultimate secret is more like an ideal. As I mentioned, Aikijujutsu focuses on redirecting an opponent's force. What she did was one of its ultimate forms. It's a technique where you take the opponent's momentum and striking force, alter and control the flow of their power, add your own strength to it, and return the whole package right back into them."
"Umm, does that mean any attack can be bounced back?"
"No way, it can't be that simple."
"Yup, Killua-kun is right. It's much easier said than done. If people could pull off in practice what they can explain in words, nobody would ever struggle. What Gon-kun described is the absolute ideal."
Yet Aisha possessed the technical mastery to execute that 'ideal' secret technique in actual combat.
"..."
Gon seemed to realize that fact as well. His expression shifted from a moment ago... wait, why was he smiling so happily?
"Hey, Gon, why are you grinning like that?"
"Eh? Well... because it's really starting to hit me how amazing Aisha is. And when I think about having such an incredible goal right beside me, it makes me really happy!"
Is this guy secretly a battle junkie? ...Though I guess I could understand the feeling.
"So, Shion-san, can you use Aiki like Aisha does?"
"Hmm, I can say yes and no."
"That's a pretty ambiguous answer."
"Aiki covers a wide variety of arts. Depending on the opponent's strength, the technique can be broken. With what Aisha-chan pulled off, if your timing or force control is off by even a fraction of a second, you end up taking the full brunt of the enemy's attack. Honestly, watching that fight gave me more than just cold sweats."
Well, Aikijujutsu was a martial art, so that made sense. It was like asking a karateka how much karate they could do—everyone had different proficiencies.
"Besides... even if Kastro had drastically reduced his aura, I wouldn't have the confidence to redirect an aura-infused strike while in Zetsu. In fact, I wouldn't even want to try. The fact that Aisha-chan came out completely unharmed is baffling."
"Huh? If she successfully used Aiki, isn't it natural that she was unharmed?"
Gon's question was reasonable. Isn't that why it was called the ultimate secret of Aiki?
"Gon-kun, you know better than anyone what kind of physical defense a body has in Zetsu—with zero aura shrouding it. Could you deflect Guido's tops with just your bare flesh?"
"Ah!"
"In that defenseless state, she touched Kastro's body, deflected his attack, and redirected his momentum. Even if Kastro's aura was depleted, it shouldn't have been possible. Normally, your hands and arms would suffer at least some injury."
"...So the most plausible explanation is still that she was concealing her aura with In?"
That was the most convincing reason for her emerging unscathed. Perhaps Aisha was an expert in In, or possessed a Hatsu that concealed her aura. That would explain why we had never once seen her actively shroud herself in Ten, despite being a Nen user.
"Or perhaps... the only other possibility is that she applied Aiki in a manner where contact caused no damage."
"What do you mean by that?"
How do you apply Aiki to an aura-cloaked attack without taking damage?
"No matter how much aura covers a body, simply making contact does not inflict damage. A motionless body and its aura cannot harm an opponent—that is a basic law of physics. To generate power, speed is required."
That was true. The aura covering a body primarily reinforces it. Merely touching motionless aura doesn't hurt you. If Gon gathered Ren and stood perfectly still, I could poke him in Zetsu without taking damage, though I might feel intense pressure.
"But Kastro was in the middle of attacking when Aisha used Aiki on him."
Right. Kastro was moving and throwing strikes at Aisha. That premise didn't apply.
"Even during an attack, not every part of the body is moving. In fact, precisely because an attack is being launched, certain areas remain stationary. If you target those stationary points..."
...Well, technically possible? Depending on how refined your Aiki was. But targeting the non-moving parts of someone throwing punches at high speed sounded insane.
"Or... if she accurately matched the speed of Kastro's strike, sliding her hands along his body at the exact same velocity... even without aura defense, it might be possible to apply Aiki without damaging her own flesh."
...Yeah, that sounded like a movie stunt. Like jumping between two cars driving at the exact same speed on a highway. Who does that in real combat?
The previous explanation about targeting stationary points sounded far more believable. Even Wing looked unsure of his own theory, wearing a skeptical expression as he spoke.
"It seems we cannot analyze this much further without more data. If we had footage taken from multiple angles, we might be able to verify it..."
"Yeah. Let's just watch the rest of the video."
Dwelling on things we couldn't figure out right now was pointless. Better to watch the whole recording first.
The video progressed to the next scene: Kastro trying to create distance, only to be thrown into a violent mid-air rotation by Aisha.
"Watching it again, her technique is breathtaking."
"Yeah. She completely read Kastro's psychology and movements. Beyond her Kazama-style mastery, her 'Sight' in combat is terrifying."
"'Sight'?"
Gon and my voices overlapped perfectly. Did she mean observation?
"To put it simply, it's observational insight. As long as you are human, every motion has a preliminary trigger. Before a punch is thrown, the arm moves before the hand, the shoulder moves before the arm. By viewing the opponent as a whole, feeling rather than calculating, you predict and anticipate their next move. Master Linna said Master Ryusho's 'Sight' was practically on par with precognition."
Reading an opponent's physical and psychological cues to anticipate their actions... I had heard that top-class masters could do that. Even I had experience doing it against weaker opponents.
Which meant to Aisha, Kastro was essentially on the level of a 'weaker opponent.' Well, the outcome of the match made that obvious.
"Because Aikijujutsu relies heavily on utilizing reflexes and psychology, developing that 'Sight' is considered one of the most crucial training pillars in the Kazama style."
Ah, that felt familiar. My family was the same way. Observe your target thoroughly to gauge their strength and weaknesses. And if you determine an enemy is someone you cannot defeat, never fight them under any circumstances. That damn brother of mine drilled that into me over and over... And because of that instruction, I abandoned Gon back then...!
Dammit! It's different now! I will never abandon Gon again! I'll never betray them! I won't let his curse bind me anymore!
"...lua! Killua!"
"—?! Ah! What?"
"What do you mean 'what'? You weren't answering when I called you."
"...Sorry, I was just lost in thought."
"Are you all right, Killua-san? You're sweating buckets!"
I had gotten caught up in my thoughts more than I realized. I hadn't even heard Gon's voice, and cold sweat was drenching my back.
"Are you okay? If you are unwell, we can review this later."
"No, I'm fine. Let's keep watching."
If I stopped over something like this, I'd never surpass my brother. I thanked everyone for their concern and urged them to continue.
"Then I'll keep explaining. The move Aisha-chan used here was an Aikijujutsu throw. Like other Aiki arts, it takes advantage of human anatomy and reflexes."
"One moment Aisha gripped Kastro's arm, and the next, Kastro was spinning in mid-air. The Kazama style can really do that?"
"Yup. I can demonstrate that much right now without hurting you. Anyone want to try?"
"Try it on me! I want to feel what it's like!"
Gon jumped at Shion's offer immediately. Since she promised to hold back, I figured it was fine. I wanted to see it up close too.
"Reach your hand toward me."
"Like this?"
"Yup. Here I go."
Gon extended his arm toward Shion. Gripping his wrist, Shion twisted it, locking the joint. Flustered, Gon shifted his center of gravity to resist. Shion used that exact shift in momentum to send Gon floating cleanly into the air.
"Whoa?!"
"And hup! There, are you okay, Gon-kun?"
Spinning in a smooth rotation, Gon landed neatly on his feet on the floor.
She had held back just as promised. Beyond that, she intentionally performed the move slowly so we could understand the mechanism behind it.
"Yeah, it didn't hurt at all! But that was amazing! The moment I resisted, you used my own movement to throw me!"
"That's the true essence of Aikijujutsu."
"Is that the same throw Aisha used on Kastro?"
"Hmm. The fundamentals are the same, but the level of technique is completely different. Aisha-chan's mastery seems to have already reached the absolute pinnacle of the Kazama style. How did she throw him like that? There was barely any off-balancing. ...Honestly, her skill might be on par with Master Linna."
Even Shion couldn't fully comprehend the depth of Aisha's technique. Is that girl really thirteen? It's hard to believe she's only one year older than us.
...In one year, will I be able to stand on the same level as her?
"Wait, does a single throw normally cause someone to spin that many times?"
"Ah, no, that was different. Aisha-san actively accelerated Kastro's rotation while he was in the air. Look closely as I play this in super slow motion. ...Right here. Watch this spot. Do you see Aisha-san clipping Kastro's head with her foot?"
Wing pointed at the screen, freezing on Kastro's inverted head.
...Indeed, Aisha was kicking Kastro's temple with pinpoint precision using the tip of her toes. By doing so, she accelerated his spin while simultaneously knocking him out cold.
"Do you understand? Aisha-san kicked a single, exact point on Kastro's temple. When Kastro's head rotated to the top, she struck his chin with precision to spin him even faster, completely severing his consciousness. Her finishing blow was a palm strike delivered against the direction of his rotation. With his mind completely gone, Kastro couldn't even stand and was knocked out cold."
So that was Aisha's true strength! Strong enough to defeat a Nen master like Kastro while in Zetsu!
"By doing all that, she could knock out a Nen user without shrouding herself in aura."
"Yes. Even for a Nen user, having your brain shaken so violently leaves you helpless... Though if Kastro had maintained his composure and kept his Ren active, it might not have ended so quickly."
Underestimating Aisha and letting his guard down led to his crushing defeat. If Kastro had fought all-out from the start, the outcome might not have changed, but he wouldn't have been brushed aside so easily.
Tch! Kastro, you idiot! If you were going to lose anyway, at least make her show more of her cards!
"Hmm... Since Aisha went that far to knock Kastro out, it really means she was in Zetsu the whole time."
"Ah! That's true! If she were using advanced In, she could have knocked him out much more easily!"
Which meant Aisha was almost certainly fighting without any aura output, exactly as it appeared.
"Yes, that is most likely the case. No matter how much one masters In, completely fooling Gyo is nearly impossible. Especially when all of us were focusing our Gyo on the screen."
Wing counted us, but aside from Wing and Shion, the rest of us were basically rookies. If Wing couldn't see it, we certainly couldn't.
"So all we learned from this video is that Aisha is a Kazama-style master—"
"And that Aisha's strength is far beyond our imagination."
At the very least, she was stronger than Wing. Man! I'm so jealous of Kurapika getting Nen lessons from Aisha. If we had learned from Aisha from the start, we wouldn't have been banned from training for two months, and we wouldn't be lagging behind Kurapika right now.
"Well, no use crying over spilled milk. It's about time, Gon. Let's go."
"Eh? Where to?"
"You idiot! You promised to have dinner with Aisha and Kurapika tonight!"
"Ah! Is it that late already?! Sorry, Wing-san, Shion-san! We have to run! See you later, Zushi!"
"Geez, what a handful. Well, thanks for having us. I've got a mountain of questions for Aisha when we meet."
"Ossu! Good work today, both of you!"
"Come visit again anytime~!"
"You two, don't forget your Ten and Zetsu practice! Keep up with your Water Divination training as well!"
We waved back as we left the room. Wing was such a worrywart. That was just his personality, I suppose. Though watching Gon do reckless things, I could understand why Wing worried.
Now then, when I see Aisha, I'm going to squeeze every answer out of her. Be prepared.
◆
Ugh, my shoelace snapped. How ominous. It felt as ominous as a certain pro-wrestling superhero dying in a manga.
...Why did such a bizarrely specific thought pop into my head? It must be some lingering fragment of memory from my previous world. I don't remember being a pro-wrestling fan, though.
"What's wrong, Aisha?"
"Nothing, just snapped a shoelace. I'll go change into spare shoes."
I had plenty of spare shoes anyway—courtesy of Linna's endless gift packages.
Apparently, shoes must match the outfit. I completely failed to understand female fashion logic. Living as a girl for so long had caused some feminine habits to seep into my behavior, which I hated, but I had to admit it was happening. Yet my fashion sense remained nonexistent. What joy did Bisky find in putting together these elaborate half-masculine, half-feminine coordinates?
Haah... I want to turn back into a guy soon. Lately, I've been terrified that even if I become a man again, I might retain feminine speech mannerisms...
Ugh! No! A guy speaking like a girl is the worst! May my late mother's subconscious conditioning vanish the moment I become male again! And please don't let it become a permanent fixture!!
Praying for a wish that seemed trivial to others but was desperately vital to me, I arrived at one of Heavens Arena's upscale restaurants.
This was where I had promised to have dinner with Gon and the boys. As 200th-floor fighters, we had free room service and didn't need to eat out, but having dinner with friends was special. Plus, I wanted a change of flavors.
Looking inside, Kurapika, Gon, and Killua were already seated. Looks like I was the last to arrive.
"Sorry everyone! I'm late!"
"Hey! Aisha, you're... la... te...?"
"It's fine, Aisha! We just got here too. Right, Killua?"
"Her shoelace snapped, so it couldn't be helped. I already explained to the two of them."
Whew, good thing they just arrived. This sounded like typical date dialogue, though.
Wait... What was up with Killua? He looked like he was about to complain, but froze completely as if he had just witnessed an impossible creature.
"Killua? What's wrong?"
"Wh-What..."
"What?"
What? What comes next? 'What on earth is that?!' or something?
I checked Killua's stomach, but nothing was stabbing him. So he was fine.
"Wh-What are you wearing?!!"
"Eh?"
"Ah, right. You two haven't seen her like this before."
"Aisha! You look so cute! It really suits you!"
"Th-Thank you, Gon... But please don't mention the clothes too much, it's embarrassing."
"Eh? Why? You look really pretty!"
Ugh, Gon was completely genuine. He never lied or flattered people without meaning it, which made his pure-hearted compliment a hundred times more embarrassing...
He hurled his honest feelings straight at people, which is why he influenced everyone around him so easily. That was his charm.
"How can you accept this so fast, Gon?! It's Aisha! That Aisha who lived in tracksuits 24/7 is wearing a frilly feminine dress! Why aren't you or Kurapika freaking out?!"
Calling me '24/7 tracksuit' is rude! We haven't even known each other a year, how can you be so certain?!
...Well, it's true, but still!!
"Eh, but it looks good on her, so what's wrong with that? Aisha is a cute girl, so it's not weird for her to dress up, right?"
Is this boy a natural-born charmer? He was casually delivering lines straight out of a romance novel... My face felt burning hot.
Calm down. I am turning back into a guy. I am turning back into a guy. I am turning back into a guy. Okay, self-hypnosis complete.
"How do you say stuff like that so smoothly...? Are you secretly experienced with girls or something?"
"Experienced? I've been on dates with women quite a few times."
"WHAT?!"
Killua and I yelled in unison, my self-hypnosis shattered instantly by Gon's shocking revelation.
"Well, mostly with Mito-san... my foster mother, that is."
"...Even so, that means you have been on dates with other women as well?"
"Yeah. Fishing boats with all-female crews occasionally dock at Whale Island. Some of the older women there said they only liked younger boys, so I hung out in town with them and they taught me all sorts of things."
"A-All sorts of things...?!"
Killua and I stared in utter disbelief. Could it be that Gon had far more romantic experience than me?!
Losing in romantic experience to a twelve-year-old kid... What on earth did I do with my past life? Right, endless training. Of course.
"Come to think of it, Kurapika isn't surprised at all. Normally you'd be shocked by Aisha's dress and Gon's bombshell confession, wouldn't you?"
Kurapika indeed looked calm compared to us. Or rather, he was hiding his reaction.
"Ah, yes... I have experienced so many shocking things lately that I've grown somewhat numb to it."
Kurapika had the expression of an enlightened monk! No, wait! That was the face of someone who had given up on everything! What on earth happened to Kurapika while I wasn't looking?!
We had been together the whole time during training, so I should have noticed... Hmm, I have no idea.
"I feel an overwhelming urge to retort to Aisha right now."
"Eh? Why me?"
Incomprehensible.
"Haah, whatever. For the record, the reason I am not surprised by Aisha's outfit is because I've already gotten used to seeing it. I was shocked the first time, of course."
"Used to it? This?!"
"Yes. A great deal of... circumstances occurred. Lately, Aisha has been wearing feminine clothing regularly."
Those 'circumstances' were indeed complicated. Neither Kurapika nor I wanted to relive them. Seeing our exhausted faces, Killua wisely dropped the subject.
His kindness was almost painful.
"Well, whatever... Aisha, are you planning to keep wearing clothes like that?"
"No. By the time we head to Yorknew, I will definitely return to my original tracksuit. Definitely."
"O-Okay... I'll keep quiet about this around Leorio."
Why bring up Leorio-san here? I don't get it.
I thought I had plenty of life experience, but there were still so many things I didn't understand.
"Aisha, you dislike wearing clothes like this? It looks great on you, though. But your old tracksuit looked healthy and nice too! You're really pretty, so any outfit looks good on you!"
"...I would like to have a serious talk with the person who taught Gon how to speak to women."
"What a coincidence, so would I."
"We are of one mind on this, truly."
The three of us nodded in grim agreement, tempted to give Gon's female tutors a lengthy lecture on corrupting innocent boys.
"Hey, why don't we all visit Whale Island together? It's surrounded by beautiful nature, the fish is delicious, and I want to introduce my family to everyone!"
"Oh, that sounds interesting."
"That would be... but..."
"I think it's a wonderful idea. ...Kurapika, you need some rest and relaxation too."
Coming from the person who put him through hellish training, it sounded ironic, but I genuinely wanted to give him a break. Even if Bisky's ability restored his physical body, mental fatigue wasn't so easily wiped clean. With our packed schedule, he would break down without downtime.
Of course, back when I was training under Geass, I enjoyed training so much that I never felt mental exhaustion. Collapsing until I couldn't move a single finger and sleeping like a log was my greatest joy.
Thinking back, that was pure insanity... Absolute Obedience / Geass was truly a terrifying ability.
"...All right. In that case, I will gladly accept your invitation."
"Yes. While we are sightseeing on Whale Island, we will limit ourselves to basic training."
"Ah, so the training isn't actually stopping, I see."
Kurapika wore that resigned, enlightened expression again.
"Well, setting the Whale Island trip aside for a moment... Judging by Kurapika's reaction, what kind of training have you two been doing?"
"Yeah, I want to know too. Kurapika has gotten unimaginably strong."
I didn't want them copying advanced routines without proper foundations, so I answered vaguely.
"Well, moderate exercise, and—"
"Moderate? Not a single day passes without me vomiting blood."
"..."
"Appropriate training methods, and—"
"Appropriate? Even over-the-counter medicine warns you to follow the dosage."
"..."
"And gentle sparring—"
"Gentle, is it? I wonder when the day will come where I don't get knocked unconscious."
"..."
"...Well then. Since we'll be lightening the load on Whale Island, perhaps we should increase the density of training until we leave?"
"Gon, can we leave for Whale Island tomorrow?"
"Ahaha..."
"To make Kurapika lose his composure like this... Just what kind of training is required to reach that level...!"
How rude! With Bisky around, his training was far more humane than what I endured in my past life!
"Jokes aside... I understand why you want to know what training I went through, but at your current level, it is impossible for you two."
"Why?! Aisha can judge that, but you're just a student like us, Kurapika!"
"No, I agree with Kurapika. The training he is doing is too early for you two."
"What?!"
Killua glared at Kurapika, but I backed Kurapika up.
It was the harsh truth. Gon and Killua were still building their foundation. Without refining and stabilizing their Ten and Zetsu, jumping into Kurapika's routine would yield little benefit.
Two months was a short time, but these three possessed monstrous talent. In two months, they could achieve what ordinary people took years to reach.
Which made the two-month training ban Wing imposed on them significant.
Their aura was calm and steady from daily meditation, but it lacked robust density. They needed more time dedicated strictly to Ten.
"Don't rush, Killua. You two are growing faster than almost anyone I know. But everything has prerequisite stages. For now, focus on daily Ten and Zetsu."
"Most of my early training was nothing but Ten and Zetsu. Without solid fundamentals, future training will crumble. If you took my current routine right now... you might die."
"...Fine. I'll stick to Ten for now. But once I pass your benchmark, you better teach me, got it?!"
"Of course."
Though at their rate, two or three weeks would probably be enough. They learned so fast that as a teacher, it lacked the fun of nurturing someone who struggled...
I'm an ordinary person at heart, so I felt more kinship with hard workers than natural geniuses.
"Ugh, but I want to get stronger faster! I have to pay Hisoka back for the Hunter Exam!"
"When is your match with Hisoka scheduled?"
"July 10th."
Less than four weeks away. Right now, Gon was probably training his Ren to strengthen his Water Divination affinity.
He definitely wouldn't beat Hisoka. Hisoka was far ahead in every metric. But... while Hisoka was playing around, Gon might be able to land a solid blow.
"Hisoka is very strong, you know?"
"I know. I know I can't beat him right now. But that doesn't mean I want to back down."
His eyes burned with unyielding resolve. Once Gon set his mind on something, talking him out of it was impossible.
Hisoka wouldn't kill Gon anyway. He was the type of battle junkie who preferred fattening up his prey before devouring them. He knew Gon would grow much stronger.
...If Hisoka ever tried to kill Gon, I would step in and stop him, even if Gon resented me for it.
"Have you thought about how to counter Hisoka's ability?"
"Umm... Gyo?"
"That alone isn't enough. Did you forget how Hisoka attached that rubber-like aura the moment his punch landed against Kastro?"
"Ah! That's right! So I have to dodge all of his attacks!"
"That is an exceptionally troublesome ability."
"Yeah. If blocking is off the table, what do we do...?"
A melee fight where you can't afford to get touched once is brutal, especially against a superior opponent. Dodging everything was impossible for Gon.
"It's fine. If defense is impossible, I just have to move forward and attack!"
"That's..."
For Gon, that was indeed the best strategy. If dodging and blocking failed, going on the offensive was the only path left. Coming to that conclusion without hesitation showed his fearless mindset.
"Hey, can we order food now? I'm starving!"
"Ah, right, we forgot."
"Thinking about it made me hungry too. Let's ring the bell!"
We called the waiter and ordered our meals.
Starving, Gon and Killua ordered massive amounts of food. This was an expensive restaurant, but with millions earned from Heavens Arena, it was pocket change. Naturally, I ordered just as much as they did.
"...How can you eat that much?"
"Kurapika just has a small appetite."
"I eat a normal amount! You three eat way too much!"
"Well, I eat more than I used to."
Back when I was Ryusho, I couldn't eat this much. Age played a role, but spending ten years drinking only Mother's milk and chewing gum had created a rebound effect. As delicious as Mother's milk was, craving real food was inevitable.
"A bit late, but good job on your matches today, you two! You were amazing! Kurapika got so strong, and Aisha was unbelievable!"
"Thank you, Gon. Though my progress is entirely thanks to Aisha."
"It's your own talent and hard work, Kurapika. You should take pride in that."
Even without me, Kurapika would have reached mastery. I merely accelerated the process.
"Kurapika aside... Aisha, why did you fight like that in your match?"
"You mean fighting in Zetsu?"
"Of course! You have to explain that."
I knew they would ask. Warning Gon about the dangers of Nen while fighting Kastro without aura looked contradictory. Plus, they were curious about my martial arts, though Wing and Shion had probably explained the Kazama style to them by now.
"The reason I fought Kastro-san in Zetsu... was because there was something I wanted him never to forget."
"Something never to forget?"
"...Overconfidence?"
As expected of Killua, sharp as always.
"Yes. I wanted him to engrave 'overconfidence is one's greatest enemy' into his soul. He has the talent to achieve greatness, but he tends to grow arrogant."
When I watched his first match against Hisoka, Kastro had climbed to the 200th floor undefeated and overflowed with conceit. Landing a hit on a playing Hisoka only inflated his ego before Hisoka crushed him.
After learning Nen and reading my embarrassing Black History, he shed that arrogance. Otherwise, he wouldn't have reached that level of strength in two years.
Yet humans repeat their mistakes. Becoming strong again could bring back that arrogance. That was why I asked Linna to arrange the match.
"Overconfidence... That's true. But why go that far for Kastro?"
"Because I don't want a promising martial artist to die over something foolish."
There were two other reasons I couldn't share. First, Kastro was now Linna's student, making him my grand-disciple. Second, I wanted Gon and the others to witness the devastating consequences of arrogance firsthand, so the lesson would stay with them forever.
"I see..."
Killua accepted the explanation without pressing further.
"Still, the Kazama style is incredible! I couldn't tell what you did to Kastro at all. Shion-san demonstrated Aiki on me, and I was thrown in an instant!"
"Aiki is difficult to counter if you've never experienced it. It's natural you couldn't react."
"Indeed. Even having sparred with Aisha, I still struggle to counter it. It speaks to Aisha's terrifying skill."
"Where did you learn the Kazama style, Aisha? Was there a master in Meteor City?"
"No, there are no Kazama-style masters in Meteor City."
"Then where? How could someone your age master it to that level?"
"When I traveled to Japon seeking my ideal martial art, I learned from a certain person there."
"Who was that?"
"...I cannot give details, but he is one of the people I respect most in this world."
Without Master Ryuzen, I wouldn't be here today. He was my father in this world. Someday, I wanted to visit his grave... but facing him as a tangled knot of past regrets held me back.
"...All right. I'll wait until you feel like telling us."
"Thank you, Killua."
Someday, I would tell them the truth about my reincarnation. Whatever they thought of me then, I would accept it.
"You really respect that person, don't you?"
"Of course. The Kazama style I learned from Master is one of the few things I can truly take pride in. Alongside Shingen-ryu, it has its own distinct dignity."
My pride was the Kazama style. It was the one thing I refused to lose at. Even without Geass, I continued training to protect that pride—and because I refused to end my score against Netero on a loss.
"Having something to take pride in allows a person to move forward."
"Yes, I agree."
"Something to take pride in, huh..."
Killua fell quiet, staring down at his plate. He hated his upbringing as an assassin, which meant rejecting most of his life. He felt he had nothing to be proud of—killing techniques weren't something you bragged about.
His aura wavered, clouded with melancholy.
"What's wrong, Killua?"
"Nothing... Just wondering what I have to be proud of. Assassin techniques aren't something to boast about, and I don't have anything else."
I wanted to tell him that wasn't true, but before I could speak, Kurapika sighed exasperatedly.
"What foolishness are you babbling about now?"
"What?! How is it foolish?!"
"Nothing to be proud of? One of my greatest sources of pride is having found wonderful friends like you... Was that merely my own one-sided presumption?"
"That's right, Killua! You have us! I'm so happy I became friends with you!"
"They are right. Human bonds are precious treasures."
Killua's eyes widened. These kids possessed truly beautiful hearts. Being their friend made me genuinely happy. Killua didn't have to dwell on his past—he could step forward into the future.
"You guys... Yeah, you're right. Sorry for saying something weird."
"Haha, a humble Killua is a rare sight. It might snow tomorrow."
"What did you say, bastard?! I apologize and that's how you treat me?!"
"Ahaha! But that's more like the real Killua!"
"Indeed, that suits you much better."
"Gaaah! I'm never apologizing to you guys again!"
We laughed, traded banter, and enjoyed our meal. Having friends you could laugh with without reservations was wonderful. I wished this peaceful time could last forever.
Unfortunately, an uninvited guest chose that exact moment to arrive.
"Hello, Aisha~♥ I searched everywhere since you weren't in your room~♣"
"HISOKA?!"
"What do you want? As you can see, we are in the middle of dinner."
I knew he would come. I had felt his intense, bloodthirsty gaze throughout my match with Kastro. But I didn't expect him to approach us in a public restaurant.
"I've never seen that outfit on you before, but it looks lovely~♦ I've fallen for you all over again~♠"
"Hearing that from you doesn't make me the slightest bit happy. State your business."
When Gon complimented me, it was flattering; hearing it from Hisoka sent chills down my spine.
"Can you say what you want and leave? We're eating."
"Understood~ My business is very simple... I want to fight you, Aisha~♥"
Instantly, everyone at the table assumed combat stances.
Hisoka's aura flared, leaking eerie, dark pressure that made ordinary patrons tremble.
"My, my...♣ How delightful to see you've all grown so much~♠"
"You're fighting me next! Wait your turn!"
"Don't tell me you've forgotten our agreement."
"It's four against one. Don't call it unfair."
Kurapika surged with Ren. But agreements meant nothing to Hisoka when his battle lust flared.
"I can't help it~ Seeing such a magnificent display... I can't hold back anymore~♦"
"I have no intention of fighting you."
"Will you say the same if I attack?"
"Feel free. Self-defense is the essence of Aiki. No matter what you do, I will not attack you. Is that the kind of fight you desire?"
Hisoka froze. He realized my words carried absolute truth. A one-sided beatdown against someone refusing to fight wouldn't satisfy his craving for a lethal duel.
"Will you still say that after I kill Gon and the others?"
"That doesn't sound like you. Are you going to ruin your future harvest just for a fleeting moment?"
"That's true too~♣ Then how about I slaughter everyone in this restaurant—"
"Do you take me for a saint? If you do that, I'll simply escape in the chaos and never fight you for the rest of my life."
My expression remained cold and unflinching behind Angel's Veil.
"Aisha?"
"Stay quiet, Gon."
Gon and Kurapika knew I was bluffing to restrain Hisoka.
"Then what must I do for you to fight me?"
"Don't look at me like a child whose toy was taken away..."
He really wanted to fight that badly, huh?
"Fine. I will make a promise to fight you."
"Really—"
"On one condition."
"A condition? What is it?"
"Only after you settle your prior appointment. You have a target you've been pursuing for years, don't you? Settle things with that man first. Until then, I will not fight you."
Hisoka's target: Chrollo Lucilfer, leader of the Phantom Troupe.
Hisoka was a battle-crazed killer, but he followed his own twisted code. He wanted a pure, uninterrupted 1-on-1 deathmatch with the strongest opponents.
"If I fulfill that condition, you'll fight me?♥"
"One-on-one. Without any outside interference. That is my promise."
"...Very well. I accept those terms~♦ Now that business is concluded, I think I'll have dinner as well. I'm rather hungry~♠"
Hisoka pulled a chair from an empty table and sat right at ours.
"Hey waiter, bring me this and this~♣"
"Y-Yes, right away sir!"
"Take your time~♥ We're enjoying our conversation~♦"
The waiter sprinted away as if running on air.
"JUST GO HOME ALREADY!!!"
"Don't be so cold~ We're practically friends, aren't we?♥"
And thus, our lovely dinner party turned into an absolute nightmare.
Not happily ever after at all.