Then Hisoka and Max stepped to the front. Max began stretching while Hisoka idly played with his cards. Before the fight started, Max made an offer.
Max: "Hey, if I win, can you stop targeting me? I feel like you've already put me on your hit list, judging by the way you've been staring at me—like you're itching for a death match. I don't really want that, so if I win, drop it. Deal?"
Hisoka smiled.
Hisoka: "Hmm… I'll think about it. Based on your performance."
Max heard that and felt a flicker of hope—small, but enough.
Max: "Alright, let's make it interesting. No Nen. If either of us uses Nen, we lose. How about that?"
Hisoka was silent for a long time, grinning. The way he stared made Max's skin crawl. He was gambling; he had no idea if Hisoka would keep his word, but he really wanted a Nen-free fight.
Max (thought):I could still win using Nen… but honestly, I'd rather not use it during this exam.
Hisoka: "Sure. I'll play along."
He casually tossed away his cards and got into a fighting stance. Max mirrored him.
Max (thought):Thank god.
Announcer: "Are you two ready? Begin!"
Max made the first move—first he threw a slow punch. Hisoka dodged it effortlessly and prepared to counter, but suddenly, Max accelerated. The shift in speed caught Hisoka off guard. He managed to block the follow-up blow, but even through the guard, he felt the impact—Max's punch still hurt.
Hanzo (thought):He's fast... I don't think I could've reacted to that punch in time. I can't believe he can still move that fast in that condition And judging by the impact, it must've done serious damage—even if it didn't land where most would aim. What a monster.
Hisoka (thought):Strong even in his tired condition... Aah, I don't think I want to let go.
Creeped out, Max kicked at Hisoka. Hisoka blocked it, but the impact still knocked him back slightly. Even then, he continued to stare with that unsettling smile. The look sent a chill down Max's spine, and he knew it was time to make a decision.
Max (thought):Even if i tired I didn't hit him with full power, but his body's tougher than I expected—even without Nen. I'm still stronger… but if this keeps up, it'll just drag on. Alright then—time to take a gamble.
Max threw his hat at Hisoka, momentarily blocking his vision. In that brief instant, Max had already sharpened his fingernails into claw-like blades—razor-sharp, like knives—and unleashed a massive wave of killing intent. The pressure was so intense that several onlookers flinched; even Killua found it unsettling. Then, in a flash, Max dashed forward at full speed, aiming straight for Hisoka's face. The combination of obstructed vision, overwhelming speed, and bloodlust made Hisoka flinch—he couldn't dodge in time. Instinctively, he raised his hands to protect his face and heart. Exactly what Max had been waiting for.
Dropping into a split, Max shifted back to a fist.
Max (thought):If I stabbed him in the balls, he'd hunt me for life... Better just punch and not with full power but enough to make it hurt.
With that, Max slammed his fist into Hisoka's groin.
A collective wince rippled through the spectators.
Leorio, Hanzo, and Pokkle all instinctively flinched, their hands twitching toward their own groins.
Leorio: "Oof... yeah, I definitely don't want to be on the receiving end of that."
Hisoka flinched—but his reaction was far from what Max expected. He moaned. Loudly. The entire room went silent. Some who were watching froze in place, disturbed. Even Max was stunned.
Max (thought):Fuck. He's crazy. He's moaning after getting hit in the balls. Will he do that too if i stab him? Well whatever after this match I'm washing this hand later.
Still in the split pose, Max try to quickly get up and move but Max suddenly felt something between his legs. A sticky sensation.
Killua(thought): Why isn't he getting up right away? He usually recovers fast after using that technique… Is he already tired?
Max (thought): Why can't I move...? Wait—no. Don't tell me… is it because of his Nen?! Shit!
He looked up. Hisoka was grinning wider than ever.
Max flinched.
That split-second was all Hisoka needed. A Nen-infused punch shot toward Max's face. He didn't have time to block or reinforce himself with Nen—he could only watch the fist coming, and in that instant, he thought:
Max (thought):Ah... I'm screwed. I might be able to withstand it, but there's no way I'm getting out of this without taking damage. Guess I'll have to use that technique—even if it won't fully block the hit without Nen. Still… better than nothing.
Narrator: Max's fate seemed sealed—but he hadn't only mastered techniques from the Hunter x Hunter world. He had studied martial arts from other anime as well. He couldn't learn chakra, haki, or ki—but he could replicate physical techniques. In this moment, he used a defensive move. One not very effective without Nen—but with Max's body, it was enough.
Max (thought): "TEKKAI!" (From One Piece)
Hisoka's punch landed hard. Max was slammed into the ground, the floor cracking beneath him. His sunglasses shattered. One of his teeth flew out, his nose was broken, and his jaw dislocated for a moment—but he was still conscious.
"Leorio and Kurapika watched in horror, while Killua noticed that Hisoka's punch was unnaturally stronger than before."
Gritting his teeth, Max tried to get up, but his leg wouldn't move. Activating his nen then using Gyo, he spotted a sticky pink aura wrapped around it.
With a grunt, he tore the aura off, stumbled to his feet, and quickly backed away from Hisoka. He popped his jaw back into place and adjusted his broken nose.
Hisoka didn't strike right away. Instead, he stood there, smiling—and licking a bit of blood off his fist.
Everyone watching—even those who didn't know about Nen—felt that punch was unnatural. They were amazed Max managed to withstand it. Even the Nen users were impressed.
Hisoka: "Oh boy... I knew you could take it, judging by your physique. But I expected more teeth to fly out… and your jaw to be shattered. Guess I was wrong. And you're still conscious? Impressive. Your body's tougher than I thought even in that tired condition of yours. Thank god my thing didn't break. If it did… I don't think I could've taken it. Did you hold back a little? If so, I'm grateful."
Max: "Bastard… You used Nen and you shattered my sunglasses. I should've punch you with full power or stabbed your balls instead."
Hisoka: "If you do that, I would've just used Ko, or punched you a dozen times, and taken the exam next year. I don't plan on coming back next year again—I want that Hunter license now. But hey, you know me... I could always change my mind."
Max: "Yeah… probably right."
Max (thought):Before he can land a dozen punches, I think I'll have already activated my aura. But… can he even use Ko while using that ability that's keeping my leg stuck? I have no idea.
Hisoka: "Oh, and by the way—those sunglasses... no, not just those. The hat and scarf too—they weren't originally yours, were they?"
Max: "You're right. They weren't mine at first... but they are now. I own them."
Hisoka: "Fair enough. I suppose possession is what matters in the end.
Max: "So… you gonna pay me back for the sunglasses?"
Hisoka: "Nope. Your fault for wearing them in a fight. Of course they'd break."
Max(thought): I hate to admit it… but he's got a point.
Hisoka: "Anyway, enough about that. I'm impressed. That killing intent and bloodlust—you can control it so naturally. That's rare. Even I can't do it that effortlessly. And ripping off my Bungee Gum like that? Not bad at all. It has the properties of both rubber and gum—it's not something you can tear off with brute force alone. You've earned a double thumbs up from me."
Max (thought):Bungee Gum… Wait… Isn't that the candy I used to eat as a kid...? whatever none of that matters right now.
Max: "Thanks for the compliment. But… you haven't forgotten your promise, right?"
Hisoka: "Well, I did use Nen—so yeah, you win. I'll keep my promise. I'm giving up this fight, and I won't target you again."
Max: "…Really? I believe you'll keep your word about giving up… but not so sure about the second part."
Hisoka: "I've got plenty of other toys to play with. And if I ever did want to come after you again, I'd risk breaking something... precious. I don't think I want that. So yeah—you win. Congratulations on becoming a Hunter."
Hisoka turned to the announcer.
Hisoka: "I give up."
Announcer: "The winner is Max!"
Hisoka (thought):Aaah... I really wanted him in my collection. Physically, he's even stronger than that big guy from the Troupe. Can't believe he tanked a Nen punch without using Nen at all. What a shame... Oh well—there's always another toy. I still have so many I haven't even played with yet. The little ones just need time to ripen... and the big ones? I'll wait patiently for the perfect moment to pounce.
Then, he looked back, his gaze lingering on Max for a final moment.
Hisoka (thought):"If I were to add him to my collection, I'd probably put him with the poison ones. Could be delicious, but... I'd lose something. Originally, I wouldn't have minded, but now... a little regret would creep in. And I don't like having any regrets, even small ones. Looking at him again, though... he seems like the type who'd always run if I tried to hunt him. I do love a good game of cat and mouse, but I don't think I'd enjoy it if it turned into an endless chase."
Max smiled in victory as he pick up his hat he was still sad about the sunglasses but decided to let it go and walked away from the center of the arena —but he stumbled slightly.
Max (thought):Can't believe I took that hit without using Nen to defend… Judging by how he made my leg stick, he's probably a Transmutation type. I need to push my physical training even further—so that even without using Nen, I can take a Nen punch and barely feel it. It hurts a little, but at least I got him to promise not to target me anymore.
Leorio and Kurapika moved to support him, but he waved them off.
Max: "I'm fine."
He continued walking on his own, a bit wobbly but determined. Leorio offered to treat his injuries, but Max refused.
Max: "I've got it."
He reached into his bag, pulled out a water bottle, and began gargling and spitting, repeating the process until the blood was cleared from his mouth. Then, he pulled out a giant bottle of milk and drank it in one go.
Before their eyes, his teeth began to grow back, and his broken nose visibly reset and healed.
Leorio blinked in disbelief.
Leorio: "...How the hell does that even work?"
Max: "Fast metabolism."
Leorio narrowed his eyes, clearly not convinced.
Leorio (thought):That's not fast—that's supernatural.
But in the end, he let it go. After all, Max had already proven he wasn't normal.
Killua walked up to Max with a smirk.
Killua: "So, how did that punch feel?"
Max: "It hurt. Why even ask? You should know that. Or do you want to find out firsthand? I can arrange that."
Killua: "No thanks, I already know it hurts. I was just messing with you."
Max let out a sigh and, feeling hungry, reached into his bag for some food. As he started eating, Kurapika spoke up.
Kurapika: "I heard you two mention something called 'Nen.' What is it?"
Max: "Sorry, too tired to explain right now. Let's just say it's a kind of superpower you'll all learn eventually."
Kurapika: "Really? Well, I won't pry then."
Leorio: "Wait—when you say 'you all,' does that include me and Killua too?"
Max: "Yes."
Leorio: "Whoa! A superpower? I never even dreamed of that!"
Killua: "A superpower, huh? What kind?"
Max: "I said I won't bother explaining it. You'll find out on your own soon enough. And don't ask me to teach you either—I'm not doing it. Honestly, if I tried teaching you, there's a good chance you guys end up dead."
Kurapika and Leorio exchanged a glance and quietly accepted Max's words. Killua, however, crossed his arms and scowled.
Killua: "Tch. So stingy… Just admit you're either too lazy to teach us or want to keep it all to yourself."
Max: "Think whatever you want. No matter what you say, I won't change my mind. You'll figure it out eventually—by chance or luck."
Killua: "Yeah, yeah. If you say so."
Announcer: "Next battle: Hanzo vs Pokkle!"
Max: Well, I'll be going now. Time to get back to training.
Leorio: What? You're going to train again? You looked exhausted just a moment ago!
Max: I've already recovered—ate and drank a bit, I'm good.
Leorio: Don't you ever take a break?
Max: If I ever thought I'd had enough, I wouldn't be getting any stronger.
Leorio: Still...
Max: Don't worry. You know I've got a strong body, right? (turns to Netero) Is it okay if I skip watching the match, Chairman? I'm already done with mine.
Netero: Yeah, sure. Whatever. Good job becoming a Hunter.
Max: Thanks. Then I'm off. Good luck everyone.
Max walks away, heading back to training but before that.
Max (thought):Oh right, I better wash my hand first.
Max washed his hand, then heads off to begin training once more.
To be continued...