Chapter 24 : Germain vs Hisoka!!

Hisoka's movements were faster than Togari could have anticipated. Just as Togari stepped forward, Hisoka vaulted over his head in a fluid somersault.

Not only that, Togari felt something sticky on his hands, and before he knew it, they were pulled up and aimed straight at his own eyes, each hand gripping a knife!

Togari instinctively bent his knees and arched his back to avoid hitting his own eyes, but even then, the blades grazed his eyelids, leaving deep, bloody gashes on his face.

Two cuts, and blood began to drip.

The pain shot through Togari's face, and the sting from the blood made it impossible for him to open his eyes. He was plunged into darkness, a terrifying sensation considering Hisoka was nearby, lurking like a predator. Fear gripped him, and his heart sank to his stomach.

"You... what are you—?" Togari managed to stammer.

He tried to break free, but Hisoka's "Bungee Gum" held tight. Instead of escaping, he was jerked around like a puppet, pulled up and then slammed back down onto the ground.

The impact jarred Togari's entire body, causing him to drop his knives. Hisoka walked over, calmly stepping onto Togari's bloodied face with his shoe, the surrounding examinees watching in shock and confusion.

Togari cursed, but his hands were still trapped by Hisoka's Nen ability, unable to break free.

"I think you're the one who's unqualified," Hisoka said with a playful smile, pressing down with his foot, just like he'd done to the frog earlier.

With a quick twist, "Bungee Gum" ripped Togari's arms from their sockets with a sickening pop. The pain shot through Togari's body, and sweat beaded across his forehead as he clenched his teeth to stifle his scream.

"Looks like you have some guts," Hisoka remarked, somewhat impressed.

Then, without a second thought, Hisoka picked Togari up and tossed him away like a bag of trash.

Togari tumbled into a dense thicket and rolled down the mountainside, disappearing from sight.

Hisoka raised his head, looking over at Germain and the other candidates. "So, the examiner is down, eliminated first. What's your plan now?" he asked, his voice dripping with amusement.

"Ah, I have an idea," he continued, with a mischievous grin. "What if I become the examiner? I'll decide who's qualified to pass and who gets kicked out."

The candidates were shocked, not just by Hisoka's suggestion but also by how easily he had taken down Togari, the previous examiner. Everyone except Germain seemed utterly bewildered.

Hisoka shot a glance at Germain, who was already tense, and grinned wider. "I'll save the best for last," he teased.

Turning back to the other candidates, he continued, "As for you all," he said, his eyes narrowing as the dim early morning light accentuated the ghostly white of his face paint. "I don't care if you come at me one by one or all at once."

With that, he stepped toward the remaining 50 candidates, who instinctively backed away. They all had the same thought: if even the examiner couldn't handle Hisoka, what chance did they have? 

Hisoka's deliberate approach made everyone nervous, until a few among them felt compelled to stand their ground.

"Don't be afraid!" Martial artist Carl stepped forward, resolute and with a tone of authority. "We are 50 people. If we all attack together, we can take him down!"

His words seemed to snap the candidates out of their fear-induced trance. Yeah, they had numbers on their side—50 against 1!

The three brothers—Amori, Umori, and Imori—joined Carl, shouting in agreement. "Exactly! We've got enough people! Two or three of us can grab an arm, a leg, whatever, and the rest can overwhelm him. We can do this!"

The brothers were well-known faces from the hunter exam, strong and capable, and their confidence inspired the other candidates. 

No longer hesitant, the candidates readied themselves, some drawing weapons, others just using their fists, moving to encircle Hisoka like crabs on the attack.

"Let's get him!" Carl shouted, and with that, the candidates charged toward Hisoka as one.

Hisoka let out a sinister groan, flashing his signature wicked smile. "I like it best when people aren't afraid to die," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "The sweet scent of despair is so much richer when you torture someone like that."

Everyone around him shivered involuntarily, but they were determined to fight. The bravest among them launched their attacks at Hisoka, but he danced around them effortlessly.

From Germain's perspective, it was like watching a bizarre magic trick, one where Hisoka could transform one man into a storm of chaos, all while surrounded by a swarm of would-be attackers. 

It was like he was performing on a knife's edge, and his "Bungee Gum" was his wand. 

Hisoka was almost impossible to catch. Just touching the hem of his outfit was a feat in itself. He flickered through the crowd with ease, his movements as fluid as water, each swing of his "Bungee Gum" sending candidates flying with a dull, resounding thud. 

The chaos was so intense that the field of combat looked like a storm in motion.

Bodies kept hitting the ground, some with sickening crunches. Most of the unlucky ones had broken bones, unable to contain their groans of pain.

Carl, one of the more aggressive fighters, got tangled in Hisoka's "Bungee Gum." He was thrown around like a yo-yo, his body whipped through the air before hitting the ground with a heavy thud. He passed out, white foam forming at the corners of his mouth.

Next, the three brothers—Amori, Umori, and Imori—stepped up, trying to mount a counterattack. They, too, were quickly dispatched, each knocked out with brutal efficiency.

In just a matter of minutes, over twenty candidates lay sprawled across the ground, unable to get up. The damage was so severe that continuing the exam seemed almost impossible.

Hisoka smiled coldly, his eyes sweeping across the remaining candidates. About twenty of them were left, and they could feel a chill settle over them. 

The courage that had kept them upright vanished like smoke. One by one, they dropped their weapons and fled without looking back, knowing they were no match for a demon.

Hisoka watched them flee, shrugging theatrically. "Ah, did I go too far? Scared them all off, huh?" He chuckled, then turned to Germain, who stood resolute, eyes fixed on him. "Well, I'm all warmed up now. Time for the real show."

Germain didn't flinch. He knew this fight was inevitable. His left and right hands shifted, conjuring a Firearm and a Cleaver.

The early dawn light crept over the mountains, slicing through the dense forest, casting a glow over the scene. The twenty or so injured candidates who could still move lay strewn across the ground. 

Those who were still conscious watched the impending battle with wide eyes, swallowing nervously. This was going to be a brutal showdown.

People used to think Germain and Hisoka were similar. They were both indifferent, not easy to approach, and seemingly cared little for their own lives. But now, they desperately hoped Germain would come out on top.

At least Germain wasn't as likely to kill them as Hisoka was.

"Let's get to know each other," Hisoka said with a sly grin, his steps confident as he advanced towards Germain. "Shall we dance?"

Hisoka's fingers extended, and with a flick of his wrist, the stones he had attached earlier with his "Bungee Gum" ability shot out from Germain's blind spot, aiming for the back of his head.

Germain, ever on guard, was using his "En" to detect any threats and focusing his "Ko" to harden specific areas. He sensed the incoming projectile and swung his meat cleaver, smashing the stone into dust.

"You seem familiar with my techniques," Hisoka said, his voice teasing. He darted quickly to the side, using a nimble step, "But I've studied yours too."

Suddenly, he unleashed a barrage of "Bungee Gum," using it to pull various objects into his grasp: stones, chunks of mud, and even some of the injured candidates scattered on the ground. With a twist of his wrist, he swung them like meteor hammers, creating a whirlwind of debris aimed at Germain.

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