Chapter 28

The shrill blare of an alarm ripped through the mess hall, shattering the comedic atmosphere like a pane of glass. The piercing sound lasted only three seconds, but it was enough to send a jolt of adrenaline through every person in the room.

Sukina emerged from the chef's room, a pout still lingering on her face, but replaced with a flicker of concern. "What was that?" she asked, her voice laced with confusion. "Did someone burn the toast?"

Before anyone could answer, a calm, authoritative voice boomed through the intercom system. "Attention all examinees. Please report to the 3rd Deck Arena immediately. Your presence is required."

A wave of unease rippled through the mess hall as the remaining contestants exchanged worried glances. Something was clearly wrong.

—

We arrived at the arena, a spacious, circular chamber with tiered seating that overlooked a central platform. The 201 examinees who had survived the previous phases of the Hunter Exam were gathered there, their expressions a mix of confusion and apprehension.

Chairman Netero stood at a podium in the center of the platform. 

His wizened face and shining bald head, usually creased with a playful smile, was now set in a serious, almost grave expression. 

His aura, though still calm, pulsed with an intensity that commanded attention.

"As you all know," Netero began, his voice resonating through the arena, "the Hunter Exam is designed to test your skills, your resourcefulness, your resilience. But it also seeks to identify individuals with exceptional potential, those who possess the qualities necessary to become true Hunters."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the assembled crowd.

He spoke, his voice low and menacing, each word carrying the weight of his authority.

"Criminals applying for a Hunter's License," Netero began again, his gaze sweeping across the assembled crowd, "are also applying for a pardon. The Hunter Exam tests your skills, your resourcefulness, and your resilience. It does not, however, grant you a license to kill with impunity."

He paused again, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Despite seeking a pardon through the Hunter's License, an examinee cannot act wantonly, taking lives for no reason other than their own selfish desires. Among you," he continued, "are six candidates who have demonstrated not only exceptional Nen abilities but also a strong sense of justice and a willingness to act against wrongdoing. These candidates have been selected for a special opportunity. An opportunity to prove themselves worthy of the Hunter title in a way that transcends the traditional examination process."

A hush fell over the arena as anticipation and curiosity crackled through the air.

He gestured towards the rafters, where a coffin-like structure, wrapped in heavy chains, slowly descended from the ceiling. 

Within it lay a figure, his Pink hair and piercing pinprick red eyes unmistakable. 

His makeup has been marred by the blood of others on his cheeks.

Hisoka.

"These six candidates," Netero announced, his voice clear and resolute, "will face Hisoka in a series of one-on-one combats. Should they emerge victorious, they will be granted a Hunter's License immediately."

He pointed at Hanzo, the stoic ninja who had been a constant presence throughout the exam. 

Then, he gestured towards the champions of the Void Goddess that Kasimir mentioned.

Zack, Nobara, and Miu, the female members' expressions were full of surprise- but all I could see in the silver haired Zack was resolute determination.

Finally, his gaze fell upon Rem and me.

"You have been chosen," Netero declared, his eyes locking onto ours with a sense of respect and expectation. "Hanzo, Rem, Tereda – step forward."

He turned his attention back to Hisoka, his voice tinged with a stern warning. "Hisoka," he said, "your actions have been reckless and have violated the spirit of the Hunter Exam. Should you survive these challenges, you will face Execution anyway by my hand. But for now, you will be used to prove the worthiness of others. Let that be solace to you when either they or I kill you in recompense for your sins. I hope that that isn't necessary and that these fighters can eliminate you so I don't have to."

—

We stepped into the arena, the heavy metal door clanging shut behind us. The air was thick with anticipation, a palpable sense of danger that sent a shiver down my spine. Hisoka's coffin-like structure stood in the center of the platform, the chains that bound it groaning under immense strain.

With a hiss of hydraulics and a series of metallic clangs, the coffin cracked open. The chains, their beeping growing more frantic, disengaged from Hisoka's body and retracted into the ceiling, leaving him standing alone in the center of the arena.

Hisoka's usually playful, predatory demeanor was absent. He stood there, his expression blank, almost vacant. But around him, his Nen flared erratically, a massive plume of chaotic energy that pulsed with a menacing aura.

Hanzo, the stoic ninja, didn't hesitate. He moved with a fluid grace, his hands flashing through a series of intricate seals, his aura solidifying into a tangible force.

"Ninja at the Disco," Hanzo announced, his voice sharp and focused.

The air shimmered around him, and in a blink, the arena transformed into a scene of utter chaos. Thousands of multicolored shuriken and kunai materialized, swirling around Hanzo in a deadly vortex. 

They shot out in waves, a relentless barrage aimed directly at Hisoka, each weapon exploding upon contact with a deafening bang.

It was a breathtaking display of skill and power, a testament to Hanzo's mastery of Nen. 

But it also left Rem and me with no clear path to engage. 

We could only watch, our own weapons at the ready, as the deadly dance unfolded.

Hisoka, however, seemed unfazed by the onslaught. 

He drew a playing card from his sleeve, a subtle smirk playing on his lips.

His movements were a blur of speed and precision, his body weaving through the deadly storm of shuriken and kunai as if he were dancing with the wind.

None of the projectiles even grazed him.

Hanzo's eyes narrowed in concentration. He expected Hisoka to fully close the distance, to engage in a close-quarters battle.

But halfway there, Hanzo's head suddenly jerked back, a thin red line appearing across his throat. 

His body went limp, collapsing to the ground with a heavy thud as his head rolled in another direction.

Hisoka, still standing in the center of the arena, chuckled softly. 

He held up the playing card, its edge stained with blood.

"Bungee Gum has both the properties of rubber and gum," Hisoka purred, his voice laced with a chilling amusement. "And In is quite useful for masking one's intent."

The silence that followed was thick with shock and disbelief. 

Hanzo, a skilled and seasoned ninja, had been eliminated in an instant, his deadly technique turned against him with a simple trick.

A cold dread settled in my stomach. 

This wasn't going to be easy.

Rem and I exchanged a grim glance, our expressions hardening with resolve. We moved forward, our weapons singing as they left their confines.

My sword, infused with chi and Nen, hummed with a razor-sharp edge. Rem's new flail, its spiked ball gleaming menacingly, extended with a metallic whir, its enchanted chain ready to strike.

We blurred into motion, a whirlwind of steel and fury. My sword, a silver streak empowered by chi and Nen, slashed toward Hisoka's chest while Rem's flail whipped through the air, its spiked ball aimed for his skull. Even with our combined speed, amplified to the very limits of our current abilities, Hisoka remained untouched.

He swayed back, barely a hair's breadth from my blade, his movements fluid and graceful, almost as if he were dancing with death itself. Hisoka's laughter echoed through the arena, a chilling sound that sent shivers down my spine.

"Such eagerness," he purred, his eyes gleaming with a predatory light. "But such predictable attacks."

The fight escalated into a chaotic dance of blades and Nen. Rem's flail, its enchanted chain extending and retracting with whip-like speed, kept Hisoka at bay, forcing him to constantly shift and weave, while my sword sought any opening, any weakness in his defenses.

Hisoka, however, was a master of deception and misdirection. His Bungee Gum, an unpredictable blend of rubber and gum, snagged and deflected our attacks, its sticky strands appearing and disappearing with a flick of his wrist. His aura, infused with malicious intent, pulsed around him, a constant threat that kept us on edge.

We pushed ourselves to the limit, our attacks becoming a blur of motion, but Hisoka seemed to anticipate our every move. He countered with effortless ease, his playing cards, imbued with Nen, slicing through the air with deadly accuracy.

The arena floor became a canvas of destruction, scarred with gouges from Rem's flail and the singed remnants of Hisoka's Nen-infused cards. The air crackled with energy, the clash of our powers echoing through the chamber.

Despite our best efforts, the tide began to turn. Hisoka's attacks grew bolder, his movements more fluid, as if he were toying with us, savoring the thrill of the hunt.

A wave of exhaustion washed over me. The constant exertion, the relentless pressure of Hisoka's Nen, was taking its toll.

And then, it happened.

I lunged forward, my sword aimed for his heart. He sidestepped, his laughter mocking my desperation. And in that instant, I felt a sharp tug at my neck, a searing pain that ripped through my senses.

Two thin strands of Bungee Gum, invisible against the backdrop of the arena, had wrapped around my throat. He yanked, the force of it snapping my neck with a sickening crack. The world spun, my vision blurring into a kaleidoscope of pain and confusion.

The last thing I heard before the darkness consumed me was Rem's scream, a raw, primal sound of rage and despair.

Rem POV:

Tereda's lifeless body crumpled to the ground, his eyes staring vacantly at the ceiling. 

My heart shattered into a million pieces, a scream of rage and terror tearing from my throat, a raw, primal howl of anguish that echoed through the arena.

Why wasn't I going back?

Something had to be wrong!

Red.

Everything turned red.

A burning rage, hotter than any forge fire, consumed me, obliterating all reason, all sense of self. 

My Oni blood roared, a primal instinct for vengeance surging through my veins.

My horn, dormant for years, erupted from my forehead, a spiraling vortex of rainbow-colored energy pulsing with untamed power. 

The air crackled with energy, the very fabric of reality distorting under the force of my unleashed rage.

Hisoka, his playful smirk replaced by a look of startled surprise, stumbled back, his Bungee Gum snapping as I charged towards him, my morningstar a blur of motion.

He raised his hands, his Nen flaring in a desperate attempt to defend himself.

It was futile.

I slammed into him with the force of a meteor, my aura a blazing inferno that engulfed him, consumed him.

 My Flail shattered, its spiked ball exploding outward in a shower of shrapnel.

And then, I detonated my cultivation, releasing the full force of my accumulated chi in a cataclysmic explosion of energy that ripped through the arena, through the blimp, through the very air itself.

The world dissolved into blinding white, then faded into a familiar, soothing darkness.

-

 I awoke with a gasp, my body trembling, my heart pounding against my ribs.

I was back in the training room on the blimp, Tereda's hand resting gently on my shoulder, his voice a soothing balm against the lingering echoes of my rage.

"Rem, it's okay," he whispered, his green eyes filled with concern. "It was just a dream. We're safe."

A dream?

The memories of the fight, of Tereda's death, of my explosive outburst, flashed through my mind with agonizing clarity.

It felt so real.

So vivid.

Because it was real.

It was vivid because we both died.

I looked at the clock on the wall. 

28 hours before the alarm.

Before everything went wrong.

"It wasn't a dream, Tereda, don't you fucking lie to me, I have that potion mixed with your blood coursing through me." I said, my voice trembling with fear and anguish. "It was your ability that saved us! That was the future we experienced and we need to change it!"

I collapsed to the floor as Tereda rocked me left and right.

I cried, but I refused to fall asleep.

Tereda's ability allowed us to return back in time using his chi, arriving at our best possible state.

We needed to train and advance.