Part 7: The X Trick X Tower

SECCO RASVIN

Phase Three was actually in a very tall tower and we landed on the top of it. I can't help smiling today, remembering how I heard Killua said my name last night.

"Secco?" I jumped because Gon suddenly showed up in front of me and looked at me in question. "Why are you smiling? Did something happen?"

My face suddenly turned red. "I-I always smiling like this, Gon!~," I said to him.

I was saved when Mr. Beans begun to speak to explain the third phase. "Everyone, the third phase will begin here, at the top of the trick tower. To pass the phase, you must reach the base of the tower alive. The time limit is 72 hours. We will now start the phase, good luck."

We all looked down the edge of the tower and it's really a long way down. Some remaining applicants chose to climb down the tower when suddenly, some flying creatures that I haven't seen before starting to get them one by one and fly them away, which shown that climbing down is not a way to reach the base.

"There must be some hidden doors so we can enter inside," Kurapika said as we all looked to the rest of the applicants and some of them are gone.

We all started to search for some hidden doors until Gon started to shout. "I found five doors here!"

We stared at the five hidden doors below with no one else has the guts to jumped at them.

"See you all at the bottom." Gon said as we all stand beside the door we chose.

Gon and Killua begin to count. "One... Two..." and we all stood at our chosen hidden doors. The door opened we begin to fall down.

I made myself a perfect landing so I wouldn't hurt myself and it turns out to be dark in this room. Looks like I remembered that time when I'm also alone in the dark space...

Then, a light from an unknown source turned on, revealing the room I'm at. And it looks like I'm not the only one here. "Secco!"

"Gon?!"

He gave me a big hug and let go. It was the first time he hugged me, I didn't know that he can be this warm. I just smiled and looked at everyone else in the room. I saw Killua looked at me and gave me a glare and looked away. So he still didn't consider me as a friend, huh?

I can't believe it. We were actually on the same route. I admit that I wish that I will see them soon, but this is too much for a coincidence.

"That was a bid farewell," Kurapika said and I made a fake laugh.

"So the doors lead in the same room..." Leorio started looking around.

"I kinda expecting that... I mean, the doors are really close to each other.~" I said as I looked above, looking at the doors that we fall through earlier. They just nodded and we started to stand up to explore the room.

Gon read some inscription on the wall. "The five of you must follow the will of the majority... Look! There are some wristwatches!" he shouted and pointed at the watches displayed at a round table inside the room.

We all get one watch and out it in our wrist. There was an 'O' and 'X' button on the watches. I wonder what is it for.

"Look. There's 'O' and 'X' button." Killua said, looking at the watch very carefully. When I looked at it one more time, there showed a timer of about 72 hours, the time left to get to the tower's base.

We also knew that the buttons were used for making decisions, and the majority wins, showing some screen in front of us during our way down.

Until we made it into a large room where there is a fighting area in the middle, filled its corner by torches, and a cliff surrounding it with no way for us to get to the other side of the room.

We saw some people on the other side, wearing a cloak covering their face and locked up in chains.

"The applicants are here..." one of the guys said. "Remove the shackles."

The locked up chains were removed on one of the guys. "Finally, I'm free." he said and pull his hood off his head, revealing his face. He was bald and well-built body.

Then, a voice coming from nowhere explains what is happening here. Those people were actually Trick tower's prisoners that were hired to be examiners and we have to fight them on one-on-one matches. One wins when his opponent admits defeat. As the majority rules, we have to secure three wins to pass the challenge.

"You may pick your order." said the bald man. "Everything is allowed, there's no limit."

The voice named Lippo also explains that the prisoners' sentences will be reduced by one year for every hour they delayed the applicants who ended up here which means us.

"I'll go first. Who's up?" the bald man said as he steps once forward. Yikes! Looks like he was really ready.

We all started to discuss who will fight him first. Based on his appearance, we will fight him in hand-to-hand combat which is really a disadvantage for us.

"We don't know what they might do," Killua said.

"It's too dangerous without knowing what they're up to," Kurapika added.

We all fell in silence, thinking about who might go first. It's really too risky to go out and fight with that guy, other than his extreme strength, he might also have some incredible fighting abilities. Now that I think of it, my plan might work...

I raised my hand for them to see. "I-I'll go first..." I said and made a fake smile at them while they all exclaimed at the same time with their eyes widened.

"Are you crazy?! Do you think you're stronger than that guy?!" Killua shouted at me while pointing his index finger on my forehead again, showing an irk mark on his head.

"We don't know if we try! And besides, they said that we can do anything so maybe I can come up with a plan to defeat!" I shouted back pushing my face closer to his.

"Airhead! With a little brain of yours, you can't come up with any!"

"Don't you dare to insult me!"

Our nose almost touched each other as we keep pushing our heads towards the other.

"You're sacrificing yourself..." Kurapika said with an amount of sadness and worries heard in his voice. I looked at their faces and they all looking at me with the same reaction.

Yes, it's true that I'm weak, I'm not very smart, a law geek! I'm not even beautiful enough to attract guys, and I'm too young to be strong, unlike Gon! But... this is the only way to help my friends, I have to sacrifice myself.

I pull up a thumbs up at them and smirk. "Don't worry. We're just investigating how they deal with us so you can just watch them very closely while a scattered brain like me will fight him, right?!~"

Although that didn't make them even better, treating myself like an airhead was really hurts my heart, but that's enough to let me fight him.

"Listen, you can surrender anytime you want, okay?" Kurapika said as I nodded in agreement.

"I've gained a lot of strength after that sleeping so it might take long!~" that was my last message and gave me a fake smile, still worrying about me.

A path that leads towards the fighting area showed up so I walked towards, facing the bald man on the other side of the square.

"So I will propose the method of combat." the bald man said and let out a smirk in his face which made me feel uneasy. "We will have... a death match."

When I heard those two words, my mind suddenly began to panic. A deathmatch? Even my friends gasped because of what they heard.

"Don't let him provoke you!" Kurapika shouted so I just listen to him and calm myself down. I just lowered my head and gave him my scariest look of all.

"Bring it on."

I took a lot of courage to spit those words out from my mouth, even though my legs were shaking in fear. I tried my best to scare him with all my best but it didn't work after all. Suddenly, I heard the bald man laughed at me.

"Haha. You're just a coward pretending to be brave."

When I heard his insult, especially when I heard someone saying I'm a coward, I can't help myself but get angry. That old, good-for-nothing, bald guy!

"Hey! I'm not a coward! I'll show it to you... right now!" I shouted, resulting in the battle to start.

He was the one who made the first attack and headed straight for me. He jumped and struck me with his huge hand that formed into a fist, but I dodged it as fast as I can and made it towards his back. I lift my left leg to kick him in the head as strong as I can but he blocked it with his hands, grabbed my leg, and threw me to the other edge of the square with great force.

I spit out blood on the floor. I stand up quickly but before I make a move, he's already in front of me and kicked my stomach, causing me to spit blood even more. But I didn't care and grabbed his leg and lifted him up, sweats starting to drop on my body because of his weight, and smashed him in the ground like a hammer. I have been working on a ship as a cargo lifter for a year so I can still carry this big man, although it's hard to carry him.

He quickly stood up and rushed at me with a deadly glare on his face. Looks like I made him mad. Defeated by a little girl like me sure is a shame in the world of combat. He struck me with his punch but I dodged it and leaned to the left. Until I realized that, that was just a decoy to fool me, and the strike he was going to make after all is a kick from the left which I leaned and gave me the pain in the stomach, that I don't have the time to block it with my hands.

Again, I was being thrown away to the other edge, spitting more blood in the ground, making it a blood bath.

"Secco!"

Shouted by my friends who were just standing on the edge, couldn't do anything about my situation. Their face is full of worry, worrying about my state. I can still do it! Don't worry! I can still do it!

I managed to stand up from my defeat but the bald man suddenly showed up again in front of me and quickly put his hand in my throat and lifted me in the air wearing the same glare in his eyes. I tried to get away from his grasp but I'm too powerless to do anything.

"Say the magic word before I will crush your throat, brat!" he shouted in anger as I can't still let go. I also heard Gon and the others shouting me to just surrender now.

Although it hurts my pride, I have no choice. I'll die for nothing if I don't be a coward for just once."I-I... surrender..." his grasp in my neck isn't firm anymore, letting me breathe some air.

Then, he let go of me and dropped me in the square, as I started to cough and take some more air. I leaned over to my bandaged arm, somehow I felt my arm again. My heart started to beat fast again. Thankfully, it stopped and turned back to normal.

Somehow, I felt dizzy. Is it because I eat too many sweets earlier?

NARRATION

The match ended with Secco lost and accidentally revealed her arm that she's been hiding for years from the outside world. Her friends noticed this disgusting part of her body but ignored it for her sake. She walked back towards her friends, still lowering her head.

Killua approached her and pointed at her forehead. "You idiot! Don't ever do that stupid thing again!"

He keeps shouting but he didn't get any response from her, standing in front of him like a statue. After seconds, she lost balance and fell on her feet when Killua managed to catch her with his arms.

"Hey!"

"Secco!"

Leorio approached them, trying to check her conditions and why did she fell off suddenly. He lifted her bangs and saw her face with her eyes closed.

"It's alright. She's just unconscious. She just needs to get some rest." he said and they all relieved, knowing that she is alright.

Killua carried her like a princess towards the walls behind them and made her sleep. After a few seconds, he just stared at her sleeping face and looked at her arm with sorry.

"Who are you really? Carrying a different burden than mine, but somewhat feels familiar," he whispered but the sleeping girl didn't listen.

"I'll take care of her," Leorio said to Killua as he nodded and went back to where his two friends were.

Leorio started to treat the wounds of the unconscious girl.

SECCO RASVIN

I opened my eyes widely and turned my head around the surroundings and knew that I was still inside the room with the large fighting area in the middle. I looked at my whole body and it was completely treated.

I got up and approached my friends who were watching the next match, and then I realized that... Gon wasn't there.

Walking like a zombie, I patted Kurapika's shoulders which is the one who is nearest to me, making him looked at me in surprise.

"Well, that was a quick rest," he said and smiled at me, as I smiled back. The other two both looked at me with Leorio giving me I wide grin while Killua just stared at me and looked away. Did I do something terrible to him while I was unconscious?

"Where is Gon?~," I asked them and looked everywhere in the room where we all gathered but I still couldn't see him.

"Over there." Kurapika pointed at the fighting area in the middle and I saw Gon and his opponent, each holding a lighted candle and watched theirs carefully.

Kurapika explained the match Gon whereat. He said that the first one whose candle's fire goes out loses. I thought that it was a stupid match for a criminal to suggest it. But I suddenly realized that it was really hard for Gon, for the one who gave him his candle was the opponent and maybe he put something that will make the wax easily melt. I didn't have the time to do the majority rule where we vote which candle to choose because I lost consciousness. But still, Gon won because of his awesome idea. He is really amazing! My eyes started to sparkle when he won the match.

"That was amazing, Gon!~" I shouted at him. He thanked me and asked if I am completely fine. When I said I am alright, he still had the worries in hid eyes and just fake a smile to me.

Kurapika volunteered to fight on the next match while his opponent was a large man with blue-green colored skin and some tattoos on his chest. I didn't know if the former will win in this match but since he was the one we were talking about, he had definitely had a chance.

We later knew that Kurapika's opponent was actually a member of the Phantom Troupe, showing the spider tattoo on his back. I remembered that that gang massacred his clan. I wonder what Kurapike felt when he knew about this.

Then suddenly, his eyes turned from black to scarlet. Kurapika gone wild and defeated his opponent.

But he said that the guy wasn't one of them for his tattoo doesn't have a number on it, saying all of the members have numbers on their tattoos. He just went berserk when he saw a spider.

The next one was Leorio fighting an opponent which turned out to be a beautiful woman, resulting in him getting easily attracted to her. The woman decided to have a gambling game. At first, I lost trust in Leorio but he wasn't that bad when it comes to gambling at all, still, he is losing.

Now, it was Killua's turn to fight and our win depends on the result, and his opponent was a killing maniac named Jones the dissector. Leorio said that he was the worst serial killer in the Zaban city and told Killua to not fight, but he didn't listen.

"Good luck, Killua!"

"Go, Killchi!~"

I was confident in his skills because I knew he came from the family of assassins and I saw him kill two applicants while we were at the airship. Jones was saying something to scare him but it didn't work. Killua killed him with his bare hands and stealing his heart literally from him, making Jones die.

Gon and I also explained to Leorio and Kurapika about his life and they are really surprised about it. Leorio started to reduces his insults to him, scared that he might try to kill him someday.

We won three wins so we passed the test. A door showed up on the other side of the room and the examiners said that a room was waiting ahead and we must spend 50 hours that we gambled in that room. Come to think of it, they didn't ask me about my arm.