Chapter 37: Dumbfounded

In the center of the arena, a Hunter Staff member wearing sunglasses stepped forward.

"I'm Masta, your referee for this tournament," he announced to Leorio and Hisoka.

"May the best fighter prevail."

With a nod from Masta, they took their positions.

"Begin!"

He declared.

Leorio wasted no time.

Immediately launched himself at Hisoka with a swift kick.

However, Hisoka evaded with ease with a smirk creeping up on his lips as he crouched low, surprising Leorio with his agility.

"This might sting a bit," Hisoka warned.

His expression seemed gentle as he smiled with his eyes closed.

Hisoka clasped his hands together.

With a swift motion, he swung his hand sharply toward Leorio's back.

"...!"

Leorio's face turned ghostly pale, and he was sent flying a few steps backward from the attack, landing on the floor.

"..."

Disgusted expressions filled the room as everyone glared at Hisoka.

"I give up on the match..."

Unfazed, Hisoka calmly raised his head, locking eyes with Masta.

Everyone turned to Leorio in pity as they could feel second-hand pain from that attack as some unconsciously held their butt as well.

"Argh! My butt!"

He writhed in discomfort, clutching his backside.

Screaming in pain before he passed out.

Thankfully, before Leorio passed out, Hisoka had forfeited.

Hisoka didn't seem to care as he then slowly made his way out. The staff member then took Leorio away, looking like he'd just seen a ghost.

His complexion was completely white.

Kurapika stared at Leorio's limp body, at a loss for words.

"Hey... Leorio, woke up!"

He tried poking Leorio's face, hoping for any reaction but got nothing.

"...He's totally zoned out," Kurapika muttered, shaking his head.

Before Kurapika could think more about it, he was called to the arena. He glanced at Hanzo, silently acknowledging his opponent as they both nodded at each other.

But then, Hanzo glanced over at Masta, realizing he was the one who'd been following him during the exam, which caught Gon off guard.

"Really? I had no clue. Did you, Killua?"

"Yep, knew it all along..."

"Wow, seriously? How'd you figure it out?"

Gon turned to Killua, thoroughly impressed. But Killua just shrugged as if it was no big deal.

Meanwhile, Illumi watched their interaction with a cold stare as he silently thought, "You're straying away, Kill. Father would be disappointed..."

His injured hand had been tended to by the Hunter Association's medical team.

Both of his hands were wrapped in thick bandages, covering them completely. It was evident that he wouldn't be able to use them for a while.

With his injuries, Illumi remained barefoot. He was going to fight using his feet.

Back in the arena, Kurapika tightened his grip on both wooden swords, his expression tense as he eyed the blade in Hanzo's hand.

"He's got the advantage with that weapon. This is gonna be tough."

With both fighters ready, Masta didn't hesitate. "Alright, fighters ready? Let the battle begin!"

They clashed, and Hanzo soon realized that Kurapika was no pushover despite his young age.

However, only after a few exchanges Hanzo immediately started to gain the upper hand in the fight.

Both of them were skilled at dodging and blocking attacks as they traded blows with their weapons and occasional kicks.

Unfortunately, Hanzo's strength gave him an advantage over Kurapika. Slowly, Kurapika found himself overwhelmed.

Cuts marked his body, and his clothes were in tatters.

Then, without warning, Hanzo closed the distance and delivered a powerful kick to Kurapika's face.

"Urgh..."

The force of the blow knocked Kurapika off balance, causing his vision to blur as he stumbled to the ground.

Hanzo capitalized on the moment, positioning his blade threateningly at Kurapika's neck. "Just give up, kid..."

"..."

Kurapika stayed silent, a stubborn growl escaping him, showing he wasn't ready to surrender.

With the upper hand firmly in his grasp, Hanzo reluctantly began to pummel Kurapika.

Yet, to the shock of everyone's watching, Kurapika refused to yield.

He endured the relentless barrage of blows, even as they grew increasingly brutal.

Hanzo's attack became almost inhuman, leaving Kurapika with a broken arm, but still, he stood his ground.

"Give it up, you're not tough enough to be a hunter!"

"..."

Those words hit Kurapika hard, filling him with frustration. Slowly, his eyes started to glow, catching everyone's attention.

At that moment, Kurapika remembered why he started this journey.

To get his revenge!

Anger and hatred surged through him, visible in his eyes for all to see.

Hanzo was surprised by the sheer intensity of Kurapika's hatred, his eyes widening in shock. "...That's some serious hatred."

However...

He quickly realized that Kurapika's rage wasn't aimed at him, leaving him puzzled about Kurapika's state of mind.

Understanding that he couldn't change Kurapika's determination.

Hanzo raised his hand with a sigh, "For fuck sake, I'll forfeit this round..."

Hearing those words, Kurapika's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Hanzo.

Realizing he had succeeded, Kurapika finally let go of his pain, and with a sense of relief, he slowly passed out.

The next match brought Hisoka and Gon to the arena.

As he made his way in. Gon instinctively protected his rear, casting a wary glance at Hisoka, who offered a sly smile in return.

However, after just a few brief exchanges, Hisoka forfeited once more.

"..."

Gon scratched his head in mild confusion before stepping aside.

"This is getting boring," Raymond sat on the sidelines with no expression on his face.

Glancing at his wristwatch, he decided that once the tournament was over, he'd need to leave early. 

It had been some time since Raymond received any updates from Sakujiro.

"...I should check if they've been doing their job properly," he muttered, glancing towards the arena where Hanzo and Killua made their way in.

Hanzo who had forfeited his last match, was up against Killua in this round.

As the fight got underway...

Hanzo was surprised by Killua's impressive fighting prowess, which exceeded Kurapika's by a long shot.

But Killua was in for a shock too.

Hanzo proved to be no slouch, and Killua soon realized he was outmatched.

Reluctantly, he forfeited the round which almost brought a smile upon Illumi's face as his eyes gleamed in a cunning light, "Seems like my needle is still working..."

As the tournament went on, Hisoka couldn't stop grinning.

He knew that if he forfeited this round, he'd be one step closer to his next round of battle against Raymond.

Entering the arena, he locked eyes with Illumi.

With Masta's signal, they both got ready for the match as tension slowly built up as they prepared to face off.

"I forfeit..."

"I... Huh?"

Hisoka's grin faltered as he glanced at Illumi, who had just forfeited a tad quicker than him.

"...My apology, I think I just misheard it but did you just give up?"

Hisoka regained his composure, though confusion lingered in his expression as he questioned Illumi, who simply nodded in response.

"..."

"..."

The color drained from Hisoka's face as his expression seemed to turn speechless as they exchanged awkward glances.

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