Hourglass of Destiny

On the other side, Haruto rose from his seated position as the timer counted down to its last moments. He stepped through the door, glancing briefly behind him. None of his men had arrived. A fleeting thought passed through his mind—had they allied themselves with other doors? He would find out later whether his planning or Netero's cunning had prevailed.

As Haruto walked into the room, he caught sight of Netero, Knov, and Satotz enjoying a meal, prepared by a woman with vibrant green hair and a hulking man. Unfazed by the formal setting, Haruto moved to the far end of the room and gracefully lowered himself to the floor, his team following suit. He offered the table no second glance. The vacant chairs seemed to him like a façade, vehicles for empty gestures and shallow conversations that he had little patience for. Despite being a King of a Nation, Haruto had little regard for the posturing and formalities that others expected of him, he simply didn't find any inherent value in abiding by rules that he found meaningless.

A few hours later, Hisoka sauntered into the room, his lips curling into a grin as his eyes met Haruto's. Without uttering a word, he took a seat at the table, directly opposite Netero, who was observing everyone with a kind of detached interest.

Not long after, the door swung open again, and Killua entered, Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika in tow. Although Killua recognized the formidable air that Haruto effortlessly exuded, he wasn't swayed by it. He navigated his way to Haruto and greeted him.

"Your Highness, it seems we've all made it," Killua said respectfully, keeping his tone neutral.

Haruto glanced up from his seated position. "I see you've arrived as well," he responded, eyes returning to meet Killua's briefly before disengaging.

"Who are they?" Feitan whispered to Haruto, eyeing Gon and Leorio.

Killua gritted his teeth as Feitan playfully ruffled his hair. "Quit it," he said, swatting Feitan's hand away. "Let me introduce you. This is Gon, and that's Leorio."

Feitan glanced at Gon and Leorio, offering them nothing more than a slight nod. Haruto remained seated, his attention seemingly focused elsewhere, but his presence was felt by everyone in the room. It was as if the air around him had a weight, a silent resonance that demanded respect without asking for it.

As Killua exchanged brief words with his friends, Haruto's men began to flood the room. One after another, from every door, they entered—always in groups of more than a hundred. Their movements were so synchronized that it seemed they had never been separated at all. Like a swarm, they flowed into the chamber and took their positions near Haruto.

Netero, watching the scene unfold, couldn't help but feel the futility of his earlier planning. His aim had been to thin the ranks of Haruto's men through the labyrinthine trials, but that hope was quickly evaporating. A plan for a series of one-on-one battles flitted through his mind, but he dismissed it. To openly target Haruto in such a way would be to acknowledge his influence, something Netero was loath to do.

As the last group of Haruto's men filed into the room, Feitan leaned toward Haruto and murmured, "You said we'd gather again. It seems you were right."

Haruto glanced at him but did not respond. His silence was not dismissive but seemed to contain within it an acknowledgment, a validation that words couldn't capture.

Finally, Netero stood up from his seat. "It appears everyone has arrived. I believe it's time we get to the reason we're all here." His eyes flitted across the room, pausing for an almost imperceptible moment on Haruto.

"In a few moments, the next phase of the exam will begin," Netero continued, "and I assure you, it will challenge each and every one of you in ways you cannot imagine."

Killua felt a tinge of excitement but suppressed it quickly, not wanting to betray any emotion in front of Haruto and his men. Gon, ever eager, grinned at the prospect, while Leorio seemed to mumble something about "less dangerous ways to get a medical license."

Haruto slowly stood, stretching his arms as he did so. As he walked past Netero, their eyes locked for a fraction of a second, but that was enough. Both men understood: whatever games had been played so far were now over. The real contest was about to begin.

Netero cleared his throat. "The next phase of the Hunter Exam will take place at that structure," he gestured toward a towering hourglass in the distance. "It's called the Hourglass of Destiny. Each grain of sand that flows represents a moment in time. You have one hour until the sand runs out, and when it does, the temporal gates at the base will open for exactly one minute. Only one of you can pass through each gate during that time. You start from here, and it'll be a close call even at full sprint. Tamper with the hourglass, and your entire group is disqualified."

As Netero spoke, Haruto leaned back slightly, taking in the hourglass without moving a muscle on his face. He seemed already to have calculated the timing, the distance, and the strategy—all in the time it took Netero to explain the rules.

Feitan glanced at Haruto and smirked. "Your thoughts?"

Haruto's eyes flickered, but he remained silent. The room felt his quiet assent that the challenge was acceptable, and perhaps even intriguing.

Gon couldn't contain his excitement. "Wow, this sounds like fun!"

Leorio shook his head. "Fun? This is a crazy way to get a license!"

Netero clapped his hands. "Enough chatter. To your positions!"

The participants dispersed, finding their spots at the starting line some distance away from the hourglass. Haruto's men positioned themselves around him, as if gravitating towards their center of mass. The air felt tense, electric, ready to snap. Yet Haruto remained unfazed, his eyes briefly meeting Feitan's.

Netero raised his arm. "Let the Hourglass of Destiny challenge begin!"

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