"Since everything's settled, I'll take my leave now. I still have to vote at the Association."
After chatting with Beyond for a while longer, Akira noticed it was almost midnight and decided to bid farewell first.
With one step forward, Akira vanished on the spot, leaving Behind in awe.
"Teleportation, huh..."
*******
"Master, hello~"
When Akira entered the digital world, the first thing he saw was a standing cat.
And this cat was greeting him.
"Meowth~ You've learned how to talk and walk. Impressive."
A glimmer of delight flashed in Akira's eyes as he crouched slightly to pat Meowth's head.
Meowth was only as tall as a child, so Akira had to bend down to give a proper head rub.
Yet such a petite body could grow over 30 meters tall when gigantamaxed.
That height could qualify it as a Titan Shifter in Attack on Titan.
Like the Beast Titan—in cat form?
"Yes, meow. Meowth has learned how to speak and walk now, meow."
Feeling Akira's head pats, Meowth looked extremely comfortable, its curled tail swaying left and right constantly.
Recently Meowth had been studying in the digital world.
Every time Akira come in, it was always in learning mode.
Counting their first conversation in cat language right after its birth, this was only Meowth's second time talking with Akira.
"Such a good kitty. How about I take you out to play?"
Looking at the obedient Meowth, Akira realized it might be even smarter than he expected.
The fact that it mastered speech and walking in such a short time already demonstrated remarkable intelligence.
"Okay meow, Meowth wants to go out and play."
Meowth nodded eagerly, its eyes filled with curiosity.
Through Porygon-Z's knowledge, it had learned about this world's common sense, but hadn't actually been outside since birth.
"Alright, let's go."
*****
Hunter Association Headquarters
In a corner of the first-floor lobby, a void suddenly appeared.
Akira stepped out first, followed closely by Meowth.
"So this is the Hunter Association, meow?"
Meowth scratched its face with a paw, looking around curiously at everything with great interest.
The first floor resembled most hotel lobbies—an extremely spacious hall.
Up front was a reception desk manned by a professional hunter handling inquiries.
The rest of the area had sofas and tables scattered about for guests to rest.
Menchi was waiting here alone—aside from the receptionist, the entire lobby was empty since most hunters had gathered at the voting area.
The two had come together to vote.
Since Akira had to meet Beyond first, Menchi waited for him in the lobby.
"Finished your meeting?"
Menchi walked toward Akira with a radiant smile.
Dressed in a pristine white sundress with her hair cascading over her shoulders, she looked like a princess straight out of a fairy tale.
With midnight approaching, Menchi figured Akira would arrive soon—and indeed he did.
"Yeah, everything's settled. Let's go vote."
Akira nodded.
"Are you the mistress, meow?"
A clear voice rang out as Meowth emerged from behind Akira, finally drawing Menchi's attention.
Seeing Meowth, Menchi's expression changed slightly.
"The cat can talk?"
"And it walks upright?"
Menchi examined the adorable Meowth up and down, clearly fascinated.
"Let me introduce you—this is Meowth, another one of my Nen beasts."
"Ah? Really?"
Menchi needed a moment to process this.
She'd initially wondered if it might be some magical beast.
After all, across the six continents, animals capable of human speech were almost exclusively magical beasts.
Though Akira's Nen beasts could speak, none had ever spoken human language before, so Menchi hadn't considered that possibility.
"Your name is Meowth? How cute."
"Yes, I am indeed your mistress." Menchi smiled gently, reaching out to scratch Meowth under the chin, making it giggle continuously—clearly enjoying the sensation.
Menchi noticed that Akira's Nen beasts all seemed to have rather attractive appearances?
Moreover, this "Meowth" could communicate directly in human language, making interaction much more convenient.
After playing with Meowth for a while, Akira, Menchi and Meowth took the elevator upstairs to cast their votes.
The Hunter Association headquarters was actually a complex of office buildings—not just one large structure but several smaller ones as well.
The election voting was being held in the grand hall of one of these smaller buildings.
Outside the hall's entrance was a wide open space, already filled with a long queue.
Excluding those who hadn't arrived yet, around three to four hundred people had gathered here.
Not all Hunters had come to the headquarters to vote, some were casting their ballots at local Hunter Association branches.
Among the crowd were many familiar faces to Akira, as well as some he had never seen before.
After all, with over six hundred Hunters in total, Akira couldn't possibly have met them all.
Even including characters he'd seen in the original storyline, there were still quite a few he hadn't encountered.
"Ding-dong."
The elevator chime rang, drawing the attention of some in the crowd.
The doors slid open slowly, revealing two large figures and a standing cat inside.
"Wow, so many people, meow~"
Meowth exclaimed in surprise upon seeing the long queue ahead, its voice loud with astonishment.
This was the first time it had ever seen so many people gathered in one place.
Meowth's outburst drew even more gazes, with most people's first glance landing on the talking cat.
For a moment, the Hunters burst into murmurs.
"Is that a magical beast?"
"Nah, I'm a Beast Hunter—I know every documented magical beast across the six continents, and I can swear that's not one of them."
"Hey! Forget about whether it's a beast or not—look who's standing next to that cat!"
"That's Akira!"
After a brief moment of confusion, the crowd shifted their focus from Meowth to Akira.
In fact, seeing Akira made them quickly deduce Meowth's origins.
Given that Akira's nickname was 'Nen Beast Master', it stood to reason that this unique feline was one of his Nen beasts.
Akira's arrival sent the queue into a frenzy.
With just a casual glance, he could see a myriad of expressions among the onlookers.
Some wore fanatical expressions, like the Earthworm from the Shadow Beasts, others regarded him with the respect reserved for a great figure.
There were even those who stared at him with the curiosity like spotting a rare animal...
"Why does this feel oddly familiar?"
Akira frowned, recalling the scene from his Hunter Exam days.
Back then, he had also stepped out of an elevator to find himself the center of attention—a situation eerily similar to the present.
"Benefactor! Benefactor!"
Just as Akira, Menchi and Meowth took their place at the end of the queue, a series of shouts rang out.
Akira turned to look and spotted three vaguely familiar faces a few spots ahead in the line.
One was a bespectacled man—lean, with narrow eyes and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.
Dressed in a white shirt and black dress pants, he wore the standard office worker's suit.
Another was a woman standing at 1.7 meters tall, with the mature beauty of an older sister and an inexplicable air of dignity about her.
Clad in a black leather outfit that accentuated her aloof demeanor, she carried herself with a queenly presence.
The last man was dressed in flashy red and green attire, wearing an extravagantly patterned large hat.
His entire outfit exuded a hip-hop vibe.
His skin was slightly dark, and he sported a pair of thick, exaggerated eyebrows that could rival Might Guy from Naruto.
It was none other than the three siblings Akira had met at the Harimu Ruins!
"So it's you guys."
"This is the first time we've seen each other since parting ways at the Harimu Ruins."
Hearing Akira's response, the three siblings sighed in relief—thankfully, their benefactor hadn't forgotten them.
"Yes! Ever since you saved the three of us, we've been wanting to repay you for your kindness."
"It's just that we never had the chance until now!"
The bespectacled man spoke fervently, his usually narrow eyes widening slightly.
"The three of us aren't strong enough to be of much help, so we decided to vote for you in the chairman election!"
"We know this alone isn't enough to repay our debt, but we'll do our best to make it up to you in the future."
The bespectacled man spoke calmly, while the leather-clad woman and the hip-hop man beside him nodded in agreement.
Now, the people in line finally understood the conversation.
It seemed this famous Akira had once saved these three at the Harimu Ruins, and they had been looking for a way to repay him ever since.
"Voting for me?"
"You really don't have to be so formal. Back then, saving you was just a spur-of-the-moment thing—I never expected anything in return."
Akira hadn't expected the siblings to still be thinking about repaying him, let alone planning to vote for him.
"We know. You told us back then that you didn't need repayment, but this is our decision."
The bespectacled man shook his head.
Repaying their debt was their own choice.
"Alright…"
Seeing how resolute they were, Akira didn't press further and let them do as they wished.
After all, with over 600 people in the association, three votes wouldn't be enough to elect him chairman… right?
Yet for some reason, Akira had an inexplicable premonition—like he was missing something.
"Heh, I'm voting for you too, Akira."
Hearing the siblings' words, Menchi beside him smiled sweetly, indicating she was also voting for him.
"I see."
Akira replied casually.
It made sense for Menchi to vote for him—after all, he was her man.
But the unease in his heart only grew stronger.
After chatting with the siblings for a while, the two of them and the cat finally reached the end of the line.
Though the rules stated voting was open all day on August 8th, most people had arrived right at midnight to cast their ballots.
Only a few had come later.
"Mr. Akira, please—you should go ahead."
The hunter at the back of the line immediately stepped aside, unwilling to let Akira stand behind him.
"There's no need. We're fine waiting here."
Akira thought the man was overreacting.
Did he really think he would get angry over something like this?
He wasn't that unreasonable.
Seeing Akira refuse to move, the hunter looked like he was about to cry.
After the Martial Arts Tournament and the defeat of the Ant King, Akira's reputation had only grown more stronger.
And the rumors were getting more and more outrageous.
Now the gossip had escalated to the point where people claimed Akira alone could sink an entire continent.
To be fair, while it was just a rumor, it might not be entirely wrong.
With Marshadow and Genesect by his side, Akira might actually be capable of such a feat.
Unbeknownst to Akira, his reputation had been spreading far and wide.
Every deed he performed was monumental, etched into people's memories.
This was why the looks directed at him were mostly filled with respect, fear, or curiosity.
"No, no, no! Please, you go ahead of me."
The rookie hunter looked like he was about to cry.
How could someone like him possibly let Akira stand behind him in line?
"Alright, if you insist."
Akira gave the hunter a puzzled glance before moving forward with Menchi and Meowth.
Was this hunter's mental fortitude a bit too weak?
Why was he so frightened? It made Akira feel like he was some kind of monstrous beast.
What Akira hadn't realized yet was that his reputation among the crowd had already reached—and perhaps even surpassed—that of Chairman Netero.
Putting himself in the hunter's shoes, if Chairman Netero had been standing behind him, he probably would've yielded his spot too.
It was a gesture of respect.
Akira thought that would be the end of it, but no sooner had one wave settled than another rose.
After taking just one step forward, the person ahead turned to him and said.
"Mr. Akira, I'm also a Gourmet Hunter like you. I never thought I'd have the chance to meet you today."
"Ah, the footage of you and Ms. Menchi winning the championship is still vivid in my mind."
"I'll be voting for you. In my heart, you're the most qualified to be the next Chairman."
"Please, go ahead. I couldn't possibly let you stand behind me."
And so, the trio found themselves moving forward again, somewhat bewildered.
It seemed the first two had set a "great example," as those ahead began eagerly offering their spots too.
What amazed Akira most was how nearly every one of them could recount his achievements in detail.
Some were Bounty Hunters who admired him for eliminating members of the Phantom Troupe and the Seven Deadly Sins.
Others were Gourmet Hunters who revered him and Menchi for their championship win at the Gourmet Competition, becoming the first perfect-score duo.
They saw the pair as role models to aspire to.
Then there were the Ruins Hunters, who respected him for cleansing the Death aura from both the Harimu Ruins and the Moros Ruins.
Compared to hunters from other fields, they understood best what Akira's Nen Exorcist ability truly meant!
It was an unprecedented, unparalleled mastery of Nen Exorcist!
Thanks to Akira's efforts, they could finally explore and decipher the historical records of the Harimu and Moros Ruins without hindrance.
This was a monumental contribution to the field of ruins exploration.
Most crucially, the majority of these people said one thing in common.
They would all vote for Akira!
Akira's gut feeling was becoming almost tangible now.
After all, the fields of bounty hunting, gourmet hunting and ruins exploration were among the most populated in the Hunter Association.
Just these groups alone represented a massive voting bloc.
Not to mention the hunters who admired him purely for his strength—they too had expressed their intent to vote for him.
"Doesn't it feel like everyone's voting for me?"
Akira remarked to Menchi as they continued moving toward the front of the line.
Although it wasn't as exaggerated as "everyone," so far, seven or eight out of ten people had indicated they would vote for him.
Even those who didn't explicitly say so would voluntarily step aside to let them advance.
At this rate, they were going to end up at the very front.
"This is all because everyone respects you."
"It seems like you're the only one unaware of how amazing, famous and widely recognized you are."
Menchi sighed helplessly, resting her forehead in her hand.
"Fufufu~ I voted for you too~"
At that moment, a series of eerie chuckles came from ahead.
Hisoka held the Joker card in front of himself, revealing only those cunning, smiling eyes.
"Though it feels like voting doesn't really matter... I still thought it'd be better to vote for you~"
"You can consider this my repayment for you for eliminating the Phantom Troupe."
As he spoke, Hisoka stepped aside to make way.
Akira's lips twitched slightly, already numb to it all and continued walking forward.
By now, he had lost count of how many people had pledged their votes to him—he only knew it was at least three to four hundred.
This alone was more than enough to meet the election requirements.
Before today, he knew he was somewhat famous, but he never imagined his reputation had reached such heights!
Since arriving in the world of Hunter x Hunter, he had accomplished far too many legendary feats.
[The World Strongest Nen Exorcist]
[The Strongest Floor Master of Heavens Arena]
[Triple Star Hunter of the Hunter Association]
[One of the World Top Five Strongest Nen Users]
[The World Strongest]
...
These were all the titles he had earned, and soon, another one would likely be added.
The 13th Chairman of the Hunter Association!
------------------------------
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