Chapter 36: The Final Phase!

During the flight to their final destination, Netero arranged interviews with each candidate who had successfully completed the fourth phase.

He asked the same question to every participant:

Why did they aspire to be a hunter?

And whom did they have their eyes on or wish to avoid in combat?

When it was Raymond's turn, Netero leaned in with interest, "So, care to share why you want to be a hunter?"

"I want to get my hands on the ingredients provided by Gourmet Hunters that are available to fellow hunters so I can cook some at home," Raymond replied with a smile.

Netero raised an eyebrow, though he knew Raymond could easily access those ingredients elsewhere.

He still pretended to be surprised as he chuckled, "Well, that's quite an unexpected reason."

Both of them smiled with their eyes closed.

"Any particular participants catching your eye?" Netero asked casually, twirling his pen on a sheet of paper.

"I'd say Number #301..."

Raymond responded.

Though he wasn't overly invested in anyone.

Considering the fact that he had been keeping tabs on Illumi since the start, it was not exactly a lie either.

Netero nodded, jotting down some notes before continuing, "And who do you want to avoid?"

"...Number #44."

Raymond couldn't help but shake his head, finding that clown to be quite annoying.

Knowing Hisoka could reattach his limbs with Nen, Raymond was convinced the same applied to his head.

He was like a cockroach, resilient and irritating.

Though, Raymond might have a way to kill such cockroaches.

It was undeniable that Hisoka was quite a nuisance that seemed impossible to get rid of.

"Oh? And how about participants you'd like to fight with?" Netero inquired.

"I'd take on anyone, but if it came to facing the kid, I might have to give them a bit of a handicap," Raymond replied.

Netero chuckled, jotting down a few more notes before saying, "Well then, I think we're done here."

They continued chatting about trivial matters like cloud shapes and colors as they made their way out since Raymond was Netero's final interviewee for the day.

Eventually, they parted ways in the aircraft corridor.

After another night in the aircraft, they finally reached the final venue.

Excitement and nervousness filled the air as everyone walked out of the aircraft.

They then were guided by the staff to their destination.

The final venue for their final exam!

The venue was a spacious chamber, its walls towering high above. The floor beneath their feet was polished smooth, offering a firm footing built for a spar.

The room was devoid of any furniture or obstructions, creating an open space ripe for combat.

It resembled a training hall, with ample room for movement and clear sightlines.

As everyone gathered, Beans stepped forward from behind Netero.

He took a moment to address the assembled participants.

"Firstly, congratulations to each and every one of you for making it this far," Beans began, clearing his throat before continuing.

"For our final exam, we have something special— and that is a one-on-one combat tournament."

"Here's the bracket," Beans said, pointing to a large chart that a staff member brought over for everyone to see.

"The winner of each match will move forward to become a Hunter, while the loser will get another shot in the tournament," Beans clarified, his gaze sweeping over the bracket.

"To win, you must make your opponent admit defeat."

Beans also reminded everyone of another critical rule for the final stage...

No killing allowed!

Breaking this rule meant immediate disqualification, ensuring that the others passed the exam automatically.

With that rule in place, it meant that only one participant would ultimately fail the exam, causing a wave of tension to sweep through the group.

However, everyone was surprised to see the bracket before they all stole a glance at Raymond.

"Hmm?"

Raymond glanced at the bracket, unfazed by the attention he garnered from the others.

The bracket was split into three parts.

Losers from the first section would compete against the second, and then once the match concluded.

He would progress to the final round against the loser from the third section.

However, Raymond noticed something peculiar about the arrangement.

In the first bracket, there were Hisoka, Leorio, Gon, and Illumi, but the pairings were a bit unexpected.

Hisoka was set to face off against Leorio first, with the loser then going up against Gon.

The loser of that match would then take on Illumi.

In the second set of matches, Hanzo and Kurapika were paired up initially.

The one who lost this match would then go up against Killua.

After identifying the losers from both the first and second sections, they would battle each other to determine the ultimate loser from these two sections.

Ultimately, the defeated contender would have to face off against the loser from the third set of matches.

However...

On the third bracket, Raymond stood alone.

He was positioned as the ultimate challenger, granting him just one opportunity to pass the exam.

"So, I'm basically the final boss, huh?" Raymond mused to himself.

A small smile then formed on his lips as he exchanged a knowing glance with Netero, who returned the gesture with a similar smile of his own.

Observing their interaction, Beans couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

"They must be related by blood," he muttered under his breath before quickly composing himself and refocusing on the participants.

"Without further ado, let's get started with the exam! I know everyone's itching to become a Hunter!" 

Beans exclaimed, excitement evident in his voice. He signaled for the participants to move to the sides, clearing the center for the upcoming battles.

Leorio stepped onto the stage, glancing nervously at Raymond.

"I need to do well here, or else I'll end up facing him," he thought to himself.

Despite his uncertainty about defeating Hisoka, Leorio knew he'd have more opportunities even if he lost this round.

"We can't afford to lose badly and end up facing Raymond," Kurapika nodded in agreement.

"You're right..."

Gon nodded in agreement.

Hisoka looked at Leorio with a small smile, which made Leorio nervous.

"What? What is this guy planning?"

Leorio was alarmed seeing Hisoka smiling at him.

However, Hisoka then turned to look at Raymond before muttering, "...Should I fight him again?"

"I probably should kekeke...."

His smile widened as he thought of the opportunity to fight Raymond again.

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