บท 16: Chapter 16: My First Time
Point of View Switch: Reader
Dith lunges at Kai, but Kai dodges it by moving to the side and attempting a swift right-handed punch, but Dith blocks it with his forearm. At that moment, Dith attempts to strike Kai's trachea with his right hand, but Kai dodges it by moving his head to the side, and jumps back seeking distance.
Dith runs at Kai again, throwing several punches and grabs at Kai, who parries and dodges them all, and when Dith twists his whole body to throw a sideways punch, Kai ducks his head to dodge it, and punches Dith's solar flexo with all his might. Dith shows a tense face at the blow, but changes to a sadistic smile when he grabs the surprised Kai's arm and kicks him from the right against his abdomen, making Kai slide a couple of meters while Nicholas and Ponzu watch with their mouths open.
"Hehehe. That was a good punch indeed," Dith says, brushing the dust off his chest. "But if that's the best you can do, then you don't stand a chance against me."
"Boss." Nicholas says worried at seeing his idol be hit.
Kai, for his part, holds his abdomen, gritting his teeth to endure the pain caused by Dith's blow. 'Even though I'm not using Nen, my punch with all my strength and weight has barely done anything to him, and yet I can feel that his kick almost fractured my ribs. Although I already assumed it...' Kai thinks seeing the aura surrounding Dith's body.
'He's had his aura flaring since the start, so I know he's used to fighting. However, the careless movement of his aura as well as its quantity means that he either discovered it recently, or that he has no talent or dedication. I guess then... I can still beat him without using Nen as I had planned.' Kai thinks this last part with a smile of excitement at the challenge in front of him.
Kai ignores the pain and is the one to charge at Dith this time. When Kai approaches, Dith thows a jab at him. Kai ducks and avoids then goes to counter-attack by stepping closer and punching forwards. But the Dith's other arm is already ready and about to implant into Kai's face, so Kai narrowly dodges by spinning his body and coming to the left side of Dith, throwing a straight punch to Dith face, sending him sliding a few steps away.
Dith stands unaffected, although he suffers from a small nosebleed. 'What? How is this possible? My body was known to be hard as a rock, and he has made me bleed with his fists! I will not tolerate it! I WILL TEAR YOU TO PIECES!' Dith thinks running towards Kai, with his desire to torture at the start of the game replaced by blind rage.
The two begin an exchange of blows. Kai parries and dodges them, and Dith blocks them with his sturdy body. Even though Dith is stronger and more resilient, he only relies on brute force and his anger makes him more predictable. This allows Kai's quick reflexes to hit him despite his guard, seeing Dith moving slowly.
'As expected, Netero training paid off. I became much stronger.' Kai thinks as he clenches his fists.
Kai is ecstatic at what he got from participating in Netero's game. 'Right now, I feel like I could easily pass the Hunter Exam.' He thinks launching to punch Dith more
For several minutes, Kai relentlessly pounds away at Dith's body, throwing punches, kicks, elbows, and even open-palm strikes, all while dodging and parrying Dith's attacks aside. In between he also tries to perform the "Rhythm Echo" technique, but the most he manages to do is create a residual image, leaving Dith and all the spectators stupefied by the spectral technique. Obviously the success against Netero was a fluke.
At one point Kai spins his body kicks the stomach of Dith, sending him sliding back and making him hold his abdomen and spit blood.
"That blow made him bleed?!" Ponzu asks in shock.
'As expected, I'm getting used to it.' Kai thinks with a smirk.
The reason the attack worked wasn't because Kai used Nen or because Dith's aura weakened. It was because he had been getting used to hitting the areas where Dith's aura fluctuated. Even though it didn't seem like they had any effect, Kai's attacks caused minor damage that slowly accumulated on Dith's body, making him more and more vulnerable.
With this revelation, Kai steps closer and begins another onslaught of blows. Kai's body feels sore from the few attacks he has been unable to dodge and has had to block, and as his blows connect more with Dith's body, his knuckles begin to bleed, bruised from hitting something as hard as a body defended by Nen. However, in spite of the pain and the blood, the smile of happiness never leaves Kai's face. Like any good Hunter, he thoroughly enjoys facing new challenges.
Minutes later, Dith prepares to throw another punch, but suddenly stops, reeling from a strange pain in his body. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Kai directs a kick with all his strength to Dith knee, and the sound of the bone shattering is heard by everyone present.
"AH!!! MY LEG, MY LEG!" Dith screams before Kai delivers a swift uppercut that sends him flying a couple of meters before falling to the ground.
Dith just lay on the floor in excruciating pain from his multiple wounds, trying to rise again. 'Agh! This kid is too strong! Where the hell did he get this kind of strength from?' Dith thinks to himself while he lifts his upper body and sees Kai slowly approaching him.
"Well... Looks like I need to end this." Kai says cracking his bloody knuckles with a creepy smile while noticing Dith aura disarray by the fear.
"I surrender, you win so let's stop now! I won't live if this goes on, so please stop!" Dith cries out as his mind is flooded with terror and his spirit is broken, showing that he doesn't have the will to win the game anymore.
At his words, Kai stops and lowers his hands, "Ok." Kai says shrugging to Dith before turning his back to start walking out of the ring.
Dith grits looking at Kai's back, his rage completely taking over his mind and making him use his good leg to pounce on Kai while thinking. "DIE YOU BRAT!!!"
His charge however proves fruitless, as Kai grabs his short sword and with a quick twist, decapitates Dith in one swift motion. The prisoner's body and head fall to the ground separately, with Kai staring at Dith's lifeless, bleeding body.
"You can't say I didn't give you a chance." Kai says as he grabs Dith head and body by its leg and tossed them off the arena into the darkness below.
While all the ones in the room look surprised with different thoughts, Kai isn't much affected by it even though he hadn't ever killed anyone before.
"Now that he's dead, I and my colleagues have passed this challenge, right examiner-san?" Kai asks one of the cameras in the room, knowing that Lippo is on the other side.
<Yes. As I said earlier, since you have won twice, you have overcome "The Path Of Luck" challenge.> Lippo answers through the speakers.
"Ok." Akira says with both of his hands in his pockets before walking back to his team, glad to have proven my worth and strength..
In the monitoring room, Lippo is observing how Kai goes back with his group. In the years of being a Blacklist Hunter, Lippo felt a lot of thrill and joy while on the job. And just like what is happening right now, what truly brought more motivation to his life as a Hunter were moments like this.
"Not only did he manage to overpower a Nen user without using his aura, but he was able to kill him quickly and without hesitation. The chairman was right; he is a monster. He will surely become a great Hunter." Lippo says.
Point of View Switch: Kai
'Killing hasn't been a big deal as I thought.' I think as I walk back to my side.
Surpringly, my heart is calm. There isn't even the slightest hint of sadness or pity for that prisoner. I was ready to punch myself if I felt any nausea or remorse after killing Dith. I know that if I felt guilty, then every death will gonna be bite me someday, and no Hunter advances in his career without getting his hands dirty. So I feel really relieved for not feeling anything.
Once back with my team, Ponzu is the first to congratulate me. "Good work Kai-san. With this, the third phase is over for us. I admit that at certain times I thought you wouldn't make it, but now I see that I was wrong." She says with a smile bandaging my injured hands.
I nod to her before turning my head to Nicholas, who is standing next to her, cowering silently. "I always knew you would make it. After all, you are the best." Nicholas says shyly while playing with his fingers.
'He is shaken by what he has seen. It is obvious that he has never seen anyone being killed in real life.' I think, snorting and pondering how I am going to face this dilemma.
At that moment, A bridge comes out from the side of the ring.
<Across that bridge, you'll find a small room. You will spend the 50 hours you gambled away there.> Lippo's voice rings out from the speaker one more time before the three of us head there.
After the three arrive at the small room the examiner mentioned, we start to inspect the room for a few minutes.
"Glady, the food in the fridge is enough to last about a week." Ponzu says taking out a sandwich sitting down on one of the couches.
"The TV seems to have a Wi-Fi connection, so we will also be able to access the Internet from my laptop." Nicholas says inspecting the cupboard under the TV.
"And I have inspected all the furniture and walls in the room, and the one on the ceiling seems to be the only camera in the room." I say pointing it.
It was a precautionary measure that one always needs to implement if one works in the underworld. I don't want anyone spying on me or invading my privacy, and even less so for them to do it to a lady like Ponzu. But in this case it's a necessary measure to prevent Ponzu from attacking us while we are asleep or distracted. Being mostly a stranger, I still can't trust her.
"I want to make something clear to you both," Ponzu says, tapping his hat to make several bees come out of it. "These bees are specially trained to pop out and attack anyone around me if I startle, scream, or faint. So you better not try anything funny on me." She says making scaring Nicholas.
'While it may seem like a good defensive measure, it is too weak to be of use in most situations in this world.' I think as I watch the swarm of bees, noticing that this technique doesn't use aura, so it's not a Nen ability.
"We haven't passed the exam yet. Are you okay with revealing your ability to us without knowing what the future holds?" I ask as Ponzu returns the bees back to her hat.
"It's not a problem for me. I have more aces up my sleeve." Ponzu says, possibly referring to her chemicals.
I just shrug and head over to talk to Nicholas who is at the lamp table in the corner looking at his laptop. "We have to talk." I say looking at him seriously.
Nicholas is quite startled and quickly stands in front of me with military-like firmness. "Y-Yes." He responds clearly scared.
"Do you still want to be a Blacklist Hunter with me?" I ask crossing my arms, earning a look of Ponzu.
"B-But of course I want! Why do you even need to ask?" Nicholas asks.
"Since the last game, you've been acting differently around me. Shy, nervous... Like you sense constant danger around me." I state with a firm voice.
Nicholas moves away his sight at my statement "T-That's not..."
"Don't try to tell me a lie because it's too obvious. You stutter every time you talk to me, you avoid looking at me directly, and you've stopped calling me boss after being so annoying about it." My words cut like a dagger through Nicholas.
"I understand, it was your first time seeing it. Ordinary people don't normally have to witness murders in real life, and I'm sure being from an aristocratic family that's especially true of you."
"Remember I told you there were several things you had to get to be a Blacklist Hunter?" At my question, Nicholas nods, head downcast. "Another one is the ability to kill without remorse or revulsion. Not just Blacklist Hunters, any kind of Hunter needs to be able to kill without feelings of guilt or sorrow holding them back."
"But this is about taking a human life. We could take other measures to deal with such situations and reach a peaceful resolution. Do we really have to go to such ruthless and abhorrent extremes?" Nicholas asks, trying to desperately counterargue my statements.
"If you hesitate or show mercy to the enemy, they will kill you without a doubt, and if you stop to regret the deaths you cause, you will end up breaking down. Such is the nature of this world." I affirm, remaining unwavering in my stance.
"I'm not saying you should become a cold-blooded killer, or focus on the killing part of this business. What I'm saying is that when the time comes, you have to be able to do it without hesitation, just like I did. Do you think you can go on knowing that?" I end my explanation, waiting for Nicholas's response.
"I knew it. Everyone who wants to be a Hunter knows that. I really hadn't thought about it that hard. But when I saw you behead that prisoner, it was like I was jolted awake to the reality of that world. The truth is... I really don't know if I'd be able to kill someone in cold blood like you did." Nicholas answers with his head down.
"I didn't know that either until now." Nicholas raises his head, finally looking directly at me upon hearing me say that. "Dith is the first person I've ever killed."
"The first one?" Nicholas asks surprised, just like Ponzu who continues to listen to us.
"It's impossible to know how you'll react to that situation until it happens. Even if you're convinced you can, reality may end up proving otherwise. I'm not asking if you have what it takes to kill. I'm asking if you can move forward despite that possibility and continue down the Hunter's path by my side." I say, extending my hand to him.
Nicholas's eyes, previously filled with fear and dubitation, now convey determination and idolization. "I'll follow you anywhere you decide to go, boss! Although I'm still inexperienced, and I don't know what the future holds, I know I'll be able to face anything that comes as long as I'm by your side!" He exclaims holding my hand with a new attitude towards the future.
'They are really quirky. But they are also very entertaining.' Ponzu thinks looking at us with a smile.
The two days of lockdown were uneventful. After settling down in the room, I decided to make the most of my time by following a program of activities:
- The meal: I took some cherry tomatoes, parsley and bread from the bridge, and a travel stove, a frying pan, red-beak chicken meat and some seasoning from my bag. I pour some seasonings on the meat, cook the meat until it is done, garnish it with the chopped parsley and I put the meat between two pieces of bread, adding the sliced cherry tomatoes.
I place three plates and three glasses of water on the table and we enjoy a good meal.
- Physical training: I stretch my body before starting my three hours training, consisting of finger push-ups, sit-ups, and squats. Although they are simple exercises, they are over 1000 repetitions for each one, and despite the wounds from my battle with Dith, I was able to complete all three rounds of training.
Nicholas wanted to join in with my exercises, but obviously couldn't keep up with me. I told him not to try to push his limits and do what he could for now.
- Nen training: After the physical effort, I sat down to meditate. I focused on moving my aura, and keeping my spirit and mind calm. The Pip-Play game was still a good workout for it. I spent an hour on this training.
- Investigation: For another hour, I browsed through the books on the room bookshelf. It was a good way to compare my notes and check if I had forgotten anything. Among its many topics were information about the Kakin Empire, the mysterious beasts of the world, geography, and other interesting things. Although what I found didn't give me too many useful references.
- Dinner: We had some Great Stamp meat stir-fried with Phoenix Pepper sauce and other spices. They were all ingredients we had left over from the second phase.
- Sleeping: Ponzu and Nicholas each lay down on a sofa, and I sat on the cushion. Nicholas offered to share the couch, but I flatly refused. It was easy for me to sleep sitting up like that.
While they fell asleep easily, I had to stay awake for an hour longer than them to make sure Ponzu was actually asleep. I liked her as a character, but I didn't know nearly enough about her as a person to trust her just like that.
At times like this, I wish I could keep a part of my brain awake while I sleep like Biscuit, Gon, and Killua. Unfortunately, I can't do this training alone, and it would have been troublesome to ask someone on Gu Island to do it.
Ponzu and Nicholas slept 8 hours and I slept 7.
- Breakfast: I took out some eggs from the fridge and slices of Great Stamp meat, and cooking them in the pan I prepared fried eggs with bacon for breakfast. "Let's eat and gather strength to face another day." I said to the two who were drooling at the sight of the food.
After we were done eating the dish for breakfast, I started to make the same activities from yesterday. And that was the routine I followed during the 50 hours of confinement.
Nicholas was searching and studying information about the examinees and the exams of past years, trying to formulate a strategy for the future.
Ponzu on the other hand was going through his belongings, including test tubes with chemicals and diffusion instruments, and reading books to pass the time.
Aside from my daily routine, I also used Nicholas' laptop to look up things that interested me, including the names and photos of all the current Kakin Royal Family, as well as information about the country itself. Although now a country without much influence, it will eventually become a superpower with great relevance. So the more I know, the better.
Aside from that and training, I spent all my time near Ponzu. I don't know why, but I seem to be very sensitive to female beauty, and I'm not able to function properly around pretty girls. So whenever I trained my Nen or read the books, I would sit near Ponzu.
Sitting next to her, I looked at Ponzu, admiring her blue eyes, observing his water green hair, appreciating the inviting light color of her slim body... 'Anime girls are the best!' That's one of the my many thoughts that crossed my mind each time I focused on Ponzu.
It was even worse at night time. Seeing the sleeping beauty Ponzu, so tender and defenseless, made some crazy things popped up in my mind, and my body blush and shiver from nervousness. Every time I felt so dazed and flustered, I had to meditate and control my breathing to be able to overcome those inconvenient feelings.
After many hours of repeating this process, I am able to sit next to Ponzu without feeling flustered and abashed, being able to keep my spirit calm and my mind focused. 'I did it! I've gotten over my sensitivity to women!'
"Hey. What is it that you have been looking at me all the time?" Ponzu asks me with suspicion in her eyes.
"Oh, sorry. I was just admiring how pretty you are. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. If you want, I can stop right now." I answer with urgency, startled by the surprise that she would ask me now.
"No, nevermind. I was just curious as to why you did it." Ponzu nonanchitly says as she shrugs.
But as she looks away, I can see a slight blush on her cheeks. 'It seems like she really doesn't mind.' I think with a sigh of relief.
Date: January 10th, 2011
We have our eyes fixed at the monitor screen on the wall, patiently waiting for the time to become zero. After having spent almost 50 hours in the isolation room, we are eager to advance to the bottom of Trick Tower, having prepared our luggage with some food of the fridge.
'Almost 50 hours have passed since entering this room, but it doesn't feel that long.' I think to myself.
When the tome in the monitor reaches zero and door opens, the three of us take a step forward, leaving the isolation room behind. I glance back, a sense of tranquility washing over me as I reminisce about the hours spent in that small space.
"It was time well spent," I say with a small smile on my face, walking to lead the group.
As we continue walking, we arrive at the stage where we had fought the prisoners. Suddenly, a voice comes through the speakers, reminding us of the person we had almost forgotten.
<Ahem! Congratulations on clearing "The Path of Luck". >Lippo, the head examiner of the third phase, announces before the monitor shows an arrow pointing towards a bridge that connects the stage to the opposite side of our passageway.
<That bridge is connected to an elevator that will lead you directly to the base of the tower.> Lippo explains.
After the three walk across the bridge and walk through a short path, we enter the elevator as directed by the examiner.
Inside the elevator, I suddenly notice Ponzu staring at me with her brow furrowed.
"Do you need something from me?" I ask curious.
Ponzu closes her eyes and turns her head away in response. "I don't need anything. Don't worry." She answers, feigning ignorance of the situation and leaving me tinged with uncertainty about what is happening.
The elevator is then filled with silence, with Nicholas, who has been observing ourr interaction, narrowing his eyes. He feels a pang of annoyance, feeling like a third wheel in our strange dynamic.
'I'm not a nuisance, right? ' He thinks to himself with a bitter sigh.
A few minutes later, the elevator stops, and the doors open. A notification ring out as we enter in the room.
<Kai, applicant #15, Nicholas, applicant #187, and Ponzu, applicant #246,have arrived simultaneously. Total time: 57 hours and 14 minutes.> The announcement echoes.
"I'm glad we made it in time." Ponzu says sighing in relief.
I nood and look around the great waiting chamber, recognizing many familiar faces. Among them is Hanzo, who has noticed our arrival. I wave to him with a big smile, to which he gives me a short and simple wave with his hand also with a smile.
'Roughly eighteen including us. And here I thought we were late.' I think to myself inspecting the examinees.
At a certain point I feel shiver down his spine, and I turn my head to see Hisoka gazing me like a predator stalking its prey. ' I'm feeling happy about my improvement, but it looks like my effort bites me as I got Hisoka's attention,' I think, looking away and cursing myself.
Nicholas then tugs my shirt, pointing to an empty space to sit down. I nod him and we go to settle there.
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