13 Chapter 3 : Against Hisoka

As they attempt to follow Satotz, a thick fog envelops the participants. A number of examinees are consumed by the various species of beasts. 

Additionally, some of the applicants who appear to resent Hisoka band together and endeavor to murder him. Hisoka kills every single member of the belligerent faction gracefully and in an instant.

This brief battle triggers Hisoka's bloodlust, causing him to declare that he will serve as an examiner to see who is worthy to carry on in the exam.

Unfortunately for Leorio and Kurapika, they witnessed this scene, and Hisoka, wanting to play the examiner, slowly approached them.

"On my signal, we run in opposite directions."

"What?" Asked Leorio with incomprehension.

"He is vastly more experienced in real combat, the two of us won't stand a chance against him, we cannot afford to squander time in a pointless fight!"

"Now!"

Hisoka then approached slowly, but the two suddenly ran away, one to the left and the other to the right.

Hisoka then wanted to go in the direction of Kurapika, stopped when he saw Leorio coming back towards him holding a stick in his hand.

"Hmm?"

"I just can't do it, this may not be my fight, but I won't close my eyes and make a break for it!"

Leorio with a determined look rushed towards Hisoka raising his stick.

"Mm, I adore that look on your face."

But when the stick was within inches of him, Hisoka disappeared and reappeared behind Leorio with a slight murderous intent.

But when he wanted to hurt Leorio, Gon's fishing rod hit his face.

"Gon!?"

When Hisoka saw Gon's arrival, he smiled and moved towards him, but then Leorio moved towards Hisoka again, but as he approached him, Hisoka gave him a flippant punch, violently throwing Leorio backwards.

But as Gon tried to attack Hisoka a third opponent came, interrupting Hisoka in his confrontation with Gon.

It was James, he looked at Hisoka with a smile and said :

"Can I participate?"

Hearing this, a dark and happy smile appeared on Hisoka's face, then James looked at Gon.

"Take your friend away from here."

Gon hesitated, but seeing James and Hisoka ignoring him, he nodded his head and left with Leorio.

James put himself in the standard boxing position and then watched who Hisoka smiled.

Seeing Hisoka's casual fighting stance, cold sweats poured from his forehead, his heartbeat quickened, he took a deep breath to calm down.

In a fight, the best way to judge one's opponent is one's starting posture, it's like a code between fighters to say :

Hi! I'm a boxer...

Ok! I'do Kenpo...

Hello! I do Kendo...

Hi! I'm a Karateka...

So it was the best way to judge your opponent at the beginning of the fight.

But Hisoka's posture revealed nothing! It was full of flaws and error, but that didn't mean he knew't fight, on the contrary it meant one thing!

"He is strong! Very strong!"

James leaned slightly forward and moved towards Hisoka, his speed was inhuman, he covered a distance of 10 meters in barely three a second, his muscles contracted, his senses were at their peak, then he gave Hisoka an uppercut.

Thwack!

Hisoka was thrown to the ground with extreme violence.

But without stopping, he rushed back to Hisoka and struck again, Hisoka got up and was hit by James again and again.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

James' fists and body were extremely fast, each of his shots was more powerful than the previous ones, each shot hit the vital Hisoka points with precision.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

But suddenly a kick hit James in the stomach.

"Agh!"

James was then thrown backward and spat out a sip of blood, but it wasn't over Hisoka threw a first punched, then a second, then a third.

But James quickly came to his senses and dodged a few punches from Hisoka before retaliating.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

The two then exchanged blows madly, but James even with his incredible stats was still no match for Hisoka's strength and his unpredictable techniques, little by little he began to lose the advantage he had at first but suddenly a change of product occurred.

A feeling of violence and murderous desire escaped from Hisoka's body as he smiled wildly.

The surrounding animals escaped under this intense and terrifying murderous intent, a shiver of fear ran through James's whole body, he felt like an ant in front of a lion.

"No I have to stop, I can't kill him now, it would be a waste, such tasty apple that hasn't ripened yet, I have to control myself, I have to restrain myself."

James' legs were shaking, his pupils dilated, his heartbeat was at its peak, a voice in his head kept saying :

"Run away! Run away! You're gonna die! Run! "

"I have to run away !'

But at that moment maybe it was his instinct, where his desire for victory sharpened by the words that Tôjo had uttered during his match against Yūri.

"Why be afraid, remember what I told you, give every blow with intent to kill, every move you make must contain your hunger for victory, if you understand this then I have nothing more to teach you."

James managed to take a step forward, then a second step, with each step the pressure and the fear he felt was getting stronger, but he also knew that if he ran away at that moment, he would lose something.

Why is murder so easy for a killer when it's hard for an ordinary person.

The answer is simple, because the killer sees murder as an option when an average person can't even see it as an option.

It may be a stupid and simplistic answer, but it is still logical that when you add an option in your decision making, you always consider that option no matter what the situation is.

James's human subconscious knew that.

If he were to run away now, then running away would be an option for him, an option unworthy of someone who had begun to yearn for strength, power and above all victory!

Then he stepped forward step by step, he had the impression that his flesh was torn, an indescribable feeling of fear went through every atom of his body, but he moved forward.

Seeing this, the smile on Hisoka's face became irrepressible, like the smile of a kid in front of the most beautiful toy, but finally his aura disappeared, and he walked slowly through the mist while whispering madly :

"Such a beautiful toy, I can't break it now, it's too beautiful, such an appetizing apple, agh!! ! I'm hungry..."

James was then left alone with his body trembling, his face pale with tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I am so weak... Pathetic... pathetic..."

But then a warm, slightly whitish aura slowly emanated from his body.