A man who had surrounded Roy asking for his autograph suddenly had his arm sliced off—by a playing card!
He screamed and collapsed in a pool of blood.
"My hand! My hand!"
"Oh hehehe~ What happened to your hand~?"
Blood sprayed from the stump, and Oda-brand shoes came into view.
Hisoka squinted, his eyes curling into crescents. He smiled eerily and flicked his fingers; the playing cards spun in his hand. When he pinched one between his fingers and took a closer look, he tsked—
"Tsk~ It's a fake card. Be careful~ You bumped into someone, so you must apologize~"
"Oh heh heh~!"
Cut! Why him again?! That lunatic magician—Hisoka!
In the crowd, a man who looked like a regular passerby—stocky and tiger-like—quietly backed away. He had taken no less than 30 Hunter Exams, and the one that haunted him the most was the one with Issue #1.
That freaky magician had injured over 20 candidates—and even attacked an examiner he didn't like!
Naturally, he was disqualified.
Now… this was a re-exam…
"You rookies better stay away from him~" whispered Tonpa, sidling up to Roy as if offering wisdom. Of course, his tone was laced with insincerity as he began spouting "insider knowledge."
Some people are rotten, but others are rotten and two-faced. They'll screw you over and make you thank them for it.
Tonpa—veteran of over thirty-five failed exams—was the epitome of such scum: a cowardly, sanctimonious villain.
"Please… can you get out of my autograph session?" Roy turned his head and looked toward Tonpa (the dog). "Don't block me from signing for my fans."
All these fans… hurt because of me?
Tonpa:
Ma de… why are the newcomers so fierce this year? This one's tough…
He froze. Then, with a forced smile, muttered, "Sorry~ Sorry…" and turned tail, waddling away into the crowd with his fat ass retreating fast.
"Uncle, I don't think he had bad intentions~" Gon watched Tonpa disappear, but then glanced at Hisoka. "That guy, though… he feels really dangerous!"
"Yeah…" Leorio swallowed, eyeing Hisoka as he slowly approached. "That smile's creepy. Feels like he's sizing us up like meat."
"Magician #44 – Hisoka," Kurapika added seriously. "I've heard the rumors. He's not just dangerous—he's the landlord of the 200th floor in the Heaven's Arena."
The 200th floor—the Nen threshold. If you can't use Nen, you don't survive there.
"Ho~ ho~ ho~ Sparashi~! What a great feeling to be recognized by so many people!"
"Oh, by the way… I'm also a big fan of Teacher Tiano~"
Step~ step~
The squeak of clown shoes echoed—Hisoka walked slowly, each step leaving a bloody print. The crowd parted like the sea, clearing a path straight to Roy.
He stopped right in front of him.
"Tiano-sensei," Hisoka tilted his head upward to look at Roy—who stood at a towering 2.34 meters—"Can I take a photo with you?"
The blind man smiled. He uncorked the wine gourd at his waist, took a long sip, then suddenly spat the alcohol straight into Hisoka's face, nearly washing off the clown's carefully drawn tear makeup.
"Hehe~ Of course. How do you want to pose?"
After savoring the fruity aftertaste of the wine, Roy looked down at Hisoka with interest.
For a second, Hisoka's smile froze.
Then… it grew even wider.
"Well, well. How about a handshake?"
Hisoka let the smell of wine linger as he stretched out his hand.
It was long and slender, yet powerful. The nails were razor-sharp, gleaming like blades.
Gudong~
Someone audibly swallowed.
Something between Roy and Hisoka was brewing… like an electric storm.
The air thickened. The pressure dropped.
Breathing became difficult.
"How will Uncle respond…?"
Gon's eyes widened.
Leorio tugged nervously at his collar.
Kurapika stared intensely, brows furrowed.
Even Roy's fans broke into a cold sweat, but no one dared say a word.
"Oh~ my Killua~ don't look at that trash~ Look at me~"
"Big Brother loves you, and you're not allowed to have anyone else in your heart!"
Ilmi, now disguised as Gittarackur, obsessively watched Killua from the shadows. Seeing his precious little brother smile at Roy made his insides twist with jealousy.
"Hmph! You deserve it for chasing that guy!"
Jon snickered, smugly watching Roy surrounded by the insane Hisoka. He even whistled.
But—snap!
A thin black thread darted from the shadows and clamped his mouth shut. He didn't even have time to react.
You owe money. You don't get to act smug.
My foolish otouto, your whistle just now was way too smug…
Roy stood tall, holding a blade. The other end of the thread was looped under his foot, sealing Killua's mouth.
Smiling with his blind eyes, Roy looked down at Hisoka and said—
"Of course. I never reject my fans."
"But…" he added, waving a finger in front of Hisoka's face.
"Taking a photo and shaking hands… it's expensive."
"You must already be mentally prepared to pay, right?"