No Chance

The chairman began his speech. "It might be time for the remaining contestants to know who I am. My name is Netero, and I am responsible for the trials and a member of the organization committee. I was supposed to be here at the North Shore myself until the final phase of the exams. But, as it seems, I am needed sooner than expected.

"I see you all have serious faces. Your anxiety is commendable, but I believe it's a good thing. So, if you allow me, I will stay along with you for the remaining time of your exams."

The green bean-colored creature spoke up, "We should soon arrive around 8:00 at the next trial grounds. We are waiting for them to contact us. You are free to do whatever you want until that time arrives."

Hearing that, Nicholas and I decided to finally let our guards down a little and take a rest. We settled in to get some sleep.

Point of View Switch: Satotz and Examiner's

"How many do you think will make it this year?" Satotz asked.

"You mean those who will qualify, right?" Satotz responded.

"Yes. I think the applicants this time around are pretty good. It may sound weird coming from me, who disqualified most of them," Menchi stated.

"Yes, but I think it depends on the contents of the next trial," Buhara added.

Satotz thought to himself, And if they get another examiner like Menchi? There won't be any chance they'll pass this Hunter Exam.

Menchi continued, "Of course, we made them take the test. Didn't you sense it? Someone gave off a particular aura. And you, Satotz, what do you think?"

"Well, if you're asking me, I believe this year's group is pretty good," Satotz replied.

Menchi said excitedly, "Isn't it? I noticed that #15 and #183 seem to be a group. But I appreciate that #15 is the boss or the leader of that group. He also seems to be able to control Nen."

"True, I've been keeping a close eye on that green-haired fellow. But what strikes me as odd is that the kid never really seemed surprised about anything happening during the exams. His face usually doesn't change from a serious one," Satotz noted.

"I mean, #15 is pretty weird. He doesn't show too much emotion. He always seems serious and nervous about something. It's extremely odd, but I wouldn't say it's weird," Menchi commented.

"What do you think about him, Buhara?" Satotz asked.

"I don't know. I like him. He made a pretty decent dish. Catching the Phoenix Pepper was an interesting take on the exam. It really made the meat more savory," Buhara replied.

"But even though I like #15, I think #44 is pretty interesting. I believe you sensed it too, right? When #255 lost her temper, there was extreme tension, but the larger mass of negative energy came from #44," Menchi said.

"Of course I knew about it. It was so strong that I had trouble controlling myself at that moment," Menchi admitted.

"No, it was like that since the beginning, from the moment we showed ourselves to the group of applicants," Satotz added.

"Seriously, I didn't notice," Menchi said.

"I mean, yeah, I was nervous because of him. I felt like he was provoking me to attack him," Buhara confessed.

"This is the same thing when I met that young fellow. We probably better watch out for him. It's hard to admit, but he's at the same level as us. The only difference is that he likes to grow in the darkness," Satotz remarked.

"He is seen but unseen. He's truly a peculiar one. To be honest, I get the same feeling from #99. He's far stronger than the regular applicants, though he is a little arrogant," Satotz stated.

"But among participants, it sometimes happens that there is one of those young heretics who make an appearance. When you try to slow down a shifting gear, you soon find trouble, like with #44," Menchi added.

I soon woke up from my nap. Four hours had passed since we first lay down. I woke Nicholas so we could walk around the blimp.

As I gazed out the window, I thought about how I got to this position—to be able to meet characters I've read about in storybooks. Now I'm living that exact life. Every moment feels like a dream, but every time I open my eyes, I know it's my new reality. I'm not going to act like I don't miss my old life, but this new life isn't so bad.

My dream was always to become a Hunter, to travel this world, and to do new things I couldn't do before. Plus, I still have responsibilities to my clan. They never made their appearance in the show, or if they did, they stayed under the radar, never meeting the main cast.

For now, I'm truly grateful to the god who sent me here, giving me this second chance.

As I was lost in these thoughts, I was abruptly interrupted by a shout from my right.

"Hey, you're #15, right?" said an energetic Gon.

"I think you're right, he's definitely #15. His green hair stands out," Killua added.

"Sorry to call out to you all weird like that, but we haven't really had a chance to talk. I was wondering, how old are you?" Gon asked.

I was a little shocked. This was the first time I actually talked to Gon in person. I knew a lot about him and who he would become in the future, but it was surreal to be speaking face to face. "Um, I'm 12," I stated.

"Oh, that's cool. You're one year younger than me," Gon said.

"Yeah, it's funny. Even though you're the same height as us, I thought you were the same age as well. My name is Killua, by the way, and this is Gon. What's your name?" Killua asked.

"My name is Yuuma," I replied.

"Well, it's nice to meet you. So, I've been wondering, what brought you to the Hunter exams?" Gon asked.

"Honestly, I'm here for the same reasons you guys are. I want to become a Hunter, get my license, become stronger, and explore the world. Everything a Hunter is supposed to do, that's what I want to do. Why do you guys want to be Hunters?" I asked.

"Well, I'm actually trying to find my father. He's also a Hunter, and I'm hoping to find him by becoming a Hunter, getting a license, and looking him up if possible. What about you, Killua? Do you have any parents?" Gon asked.

"Yeah, of course. I wouldn't be here if I didn't have parents. Well, what do you do?" Killua replied.

"Did that curiosity get to you? My family are assassins," Killua revealed.

Gon, surprised, asked, "Both of them? Your parents are assassins?"

Killua couldn't hold back his laughter. "You really got me. This is the first time someone would listen to me seriously and ask me there afterwards."

"Well, to take Gon's side, you did look pretty serious when you said it. Is it true?" I asked.

"Yeah, is it true, Killua? Is your family really assassins?" Gon added.

"Why do you guys say that?" Killua asked.

"It just seemed that you were being truthful about what you were saying. I think I'm a good judge of character, you know," I said.

"I concur. You don't seem like the lying type," Gon added.

"You know, you guys are really strange. You can never tell if you're serious or joking. This gives you guys kind of a charming feeling," Killua admitted.

"I appreciate the compliment, but yesterday here, they were laughing at you. That's pretty serious ever since I was born," Killua said.

"I mean, if I'm weird, aren't we all weird then?" Gon stated.

"I guess you're all right. We were each born in different places, but we're all weird at some point," Killua agreed.

"But to be honest, in my place, the main activity is always about assassination for everyone in my family. When I'm at home, I'm under a lot of pressure. But like the other ideas that people deciding what I can do with my life, you know. That's really why I'm here. I'm here to enjoy myself. The Hunter Exam is just a thing of pure coincidence. It was a whim. I mean, I couldn't stay in that household, you know? Because when I told them I wanted to choose my own future, you know what they told me? 'Suck it up, you're part of the family.' So you know what I did afterwards? I beat up my mom and my dad and ran away. I'm pretty sure their foreheads are pretty swollen at this moment. But you know, if I become a Hunter, the first thing I'll do is arrest all my family. I'll certainly get a good reward for them," Killua stated happily.

As we listened to Killua's stories about his family, we were soon interrupted by a sudden wave of killing intent. All three of us swiftly got into fighting stances.

But when we looked in the direction of the killing intent, someone spoke from behind us.

"What's happening here?" the chairman asked us.

Gon responded, "Netero-san, didn't you feel that sensation? Somebody was coming after us."

"No, I don't think I felt that at all, young man," Netero replied.

"You know, you're really fast for your age, old man," Killua commented.

"You think? I was just walking without haste," Netero said.

Hearing the chairman speak, I knew about his unique way of thinking. So I decided to make a little jab at him. "That wasn't a walking pace at all, Chairman. Nor did I like the killing intent you sent our way. That wasn't very nice of you."

"Oh, although I thought I was being pretty generous," Netero replied.

Killua interrupted, "What do you want? Do you want to take us to the finals or something? Are you bored?"

"Wow, you kids are pretty cold. But I am bored, so I was looking for someone to play with. All three of you are first-time examinees, right? What do you think of it so far?" Netero asked.

Gon was the first to respond, "It's really been fun. It's different than what I expected. There are no written exams, for instance, which is nice."

Killua interrupted again, "Me, I'm disappointed. I thought the trials would be way harder. It's really been boring."

"Honestly, the test has been quite intriguing, especially all the other examinees," I added.

"I'm starting to think that this kid has a problem or isn't getting enough attention," Killua remarked.

Netero continued, "I was wondering if we'd have fun through the next test?"

"Well, you see, I can't tell you about the next phase," Netero said.

Killua, hearing this, decided to turn around and escort me and Gon further away from the chairman.

But with one swift move, the chairman was right back in front of us. "Wait," he said. "Don't you want to play a game? I'll make it enticing. If you win, I'll give you the title of Hunter."

To be honest, I don't know how I got to this position. I was talking to Killua and Gon, and now I've met Chairman Netero. And now? I'm joining them in this game.

"We still have a long way before we reach the next trial, so let's get to the rules. If you can take this ball, you win. You're free to attack me any way you like, I won't hit back," Netero explained.

"You just have to take the ball, right? Alright, I'll start first," Killua said.

The chairman obliged, "Go ahead, if you can."

Soon Killua started to use his rhythm step, which caused illusions of him to appear while circling around Netero.

The Chairman's Point of View

This kid is actually pretty good. For his age, he knows the technique of rotating bodies. He is a very impressive boy. That technique is mostly used in critical situations to create illusions, which opens the opponent for an attack. I think this kid is that skilled. I can't imagine what level he would be at if he actually had training in aura.

As Killua's hand swiftly passed near Netero's face, the chairman's voice rang out, "Nope. You missed again. Are you even trying, young man? Sorry, but you're not getting the ball if you're going to do that."

Killua's movements were energetic, but Netero seemed unbothered. "This kid's pretty energetic, if I don't say so myself. But he has no chance of getting this ball from me. It's only a matter of time until he quits," Netero thought to himself.

Just as the chairman was thinking that, Killua threw in an unexpected move and kicked Netero on his shin. "Look at this fellow. I think he almost broke his leg. I'm only using 1% of my aura, but it still could hurt pretty bad," Netero mused. "Well, well, well. He didn't hold back. I know I personally heard a bone shatter."

"Well, I guess you've got to take a rest after the beating you just received. I wonder what the spiky black-haired kid has up his sleeve."

"Come on, kid. I'll let you have a go at me," Netero invited, his voice filled with amusement.

"Oh, he's running right at me right off the bat. He didn't really think his thoughts through. But it's intriguing nonetheless. How should I deal with him? Should I trip him? No, I should flick his head. It's a hard decision to make. What shall I do? Maybe he doesn't want to attack me from the front. It's been a very long time though. This year we've got some spirited ones," Netero thought, analyzing Gon's approach.

Just as Gon was about to reach Netero, he made a surprising decision and jumped, aiming to crash into the room's roof. "He really tried to jump above me. To be honest, I was looking down and let my guard down slightly. He might actually knock the ball off, but I'll take this a little more seriously," Netero thought, his interest piqued.

Gon's attacks persisted for two minutes straight, displaying impressive stamina. But it was clear to Netero that it was about time for Gon to give up. "Tired already? I thought I was old, and you were young. The tables have turned, haven't they?" Netero joked as Gon fell to the ground, breathing heavily.

"But you, green hair, you've been quiet for quite a while. Want to take a crack at this old man? You never know, you might actually get the ball from me," Netero taunted.

Yuuma, feeling the challenge, stepped forward. "Oh, he's finally making his move. He seems serious. I don't know who taught him about aura, but it's very clean and sharp. I can tell he's a novice, but he definitely has some experience," Netero observed.

Yuuma began his assault, using his aura to enhance his speed and precision. "Even though he's using aura, it's not going to give him the upper hand. I did say I would only dodge," Netero thought, maintaining his composure.

Yuuma ran directly towards Netero, mimicking Gon's earlier approach. "Hopefully, it's not a mindless attack," Netero mused. But instead of attacking head-on, Yuuma slid under Netero's legs. "Oh, he's trying to obstruct my vision by going behind me. Smart. But I'll just flip backward," Netero decided.

As Netero flipped, he realized his mistake. Yuuma had anticipated this move and was waiting patiently with his hands raised to swipe the ball. "Oh, no, you don't," Netero swiftly transferred the ball to his left hand. "That's a good one, kid. I didn't expect you to actually think this through."

Yuuma's attack continued for 30 minutes straight, his endurance impressive. But eventually, he decided to give the others another chance at the ball.

Point of View Switch: Yuuma

"The chairman is stronger than I thought he would be at this point in the story. I never realized how much leeway he was giving Gon and Killua. Even when I was having a hard time getting the ball from him, he was just too quick. But it was good to see his aura in action. His control was almost perfect. There wasn't a drop of aura leaking from any direction. His aura was so thin. I wonder how he condensed it so much," Yuuma thought.

Realizing time was flying by, Yuuma called Killua over. "Hey, Killua, come here real quick."

Killua, sweating and breathing heavily, responded, "What's up, Yuuma? Got some idea or something to beat this old man?"

"Actually, I do. I think we need to work as a team. If we throw a variety of reckless attacks and catch him off guard, we can get the ball from Netero," Yuuma proposed.

"That's a good idea. I'll get Gon's attention," Killua agreed.

Once they explained everything to Gon, all three of them simultaneously ran after the chairman. They attacked from all directions, using a variety of unconventional tactics to catch Netero off guard. They were fast, swift, and accurate, but Netero was always one step ahead.

Finally, with a combination of continuous attacks, Gon found an opening using his boots. He was able to catch Netero off guard. Even though Netero was caught off guard, he managed to catch the ball with his foot, smacking it high into the air.

Knowing about Netero's reaction time, Yuuma used his own shoes as an extension to kick the ball further away from Netero. As he tried to block Netero's path to the ball, Netero's speed increased far beyond what Yuuma could comprehend. Netero zoomed past with a swift boom.

"Well, that was a good try. You almost got the ball there," Netero remarked.

Yuuma, knowing Netero's capabilities, felt a mix of frustration and admiration. "I knew he was going to do that, but to be honest, I was really hoping that he'd hold back just a little bit more."

"Alright, guys, I give up. There's no point in continuing. But I do thank you, Chairman, for teaching me a thing or two," Yuuma said, conceding.

"Wait, you're just going to leave? We have a little bit more time left. I'm pretty sure we can get the ball from him," Gon protested.

"Yeah, no thanks, Gon. You're welcome to keep trying if you want," Yuuma replied.

"Sorry to admit it, Gon, but he's right. The old man has been putting crutches on himself since the battle began. He's only used his right hand and left foot," Killua added.

"I want to spend the rest of my time actually resting for the next phase of the exam. Good luck, though," Yuuma said as he made his way back to Nicholas and the rest of the applicants.