Chapter 12 : Marathon X Troubles X Killua

Shinji dragged his bicycle, because of the limited space and slow pace he can't ride it now.

But slowly, the examiner's steps become larger and larger and it took the applicants behind him to run a little bit faster in order to catch up with him.

Shinji finally had to ride his bicycle, but he had to be careful to not bump into someone.

"What's going on?" Leorio was surprised by this sudden change of speed.

"The people in front started running." Gon answered him.

"The examiner picked up his pace." Kurapika pointed out the cause.

"I neglected to introduce myself." In the front, the examiner suddenly said.

"I'm Satotz. The phase one examiner."

"I shall lead you to the exam's second phase."

He introduced himself and his role quickly and precisely.

"Second phase? What about phase one?" the bald ninja, number 294 Hanzo asked, he was the quickest to find the hidden meaning in Satotz words and point it out.

"It has already commenced." Satotz replied calmly as usual.

"What, when." Some ignorant applicants were confused.

"Already begin, how"

"This is part of the test?"

The examinees starts murmuring behind him, he turned his head and explained.

"You must follow me to phase two. This is the exam's first phase."

Hanzo again asked the question in most of the applicant's minds.

"Follow you? That's it?"

Satotz Answered their doubts.

"Yes!"

"I cannot tell you where or when you must arrive. You just need to follow me!"

"So that's how it is!" Kurapika realized how they are going to be tested.

"This test is weird!" Gon felt the test is too simple.

"This must be an endurance test, fine by me!" Leorio was confident in his endurance.

Kurapika looked at Shinji next to them on his bicycle.

'Sure enough, Shinji must have known what we are going to be tested on, or else he was just lucky?'

"Shinji-san it seems this test will be a piece of cake for you." Kurapika smiled at Shinji.

"This is unfair! Shinji you are cheating! You will be definitely disqualified!" Leorio finally remembered that Shinji was ridding the bicycle and they were ridding their own legs, a fire of envy rose in his chest.

"I'm just lucky that's all, and Leorio don't look at me with your hateful eyes, or else when your energy runs out I won't carry you even if you beg me!" Shinji said mockingly to Leorio. Although he knows that even if Leorio got tired latter, with his proud nature he won't ask him for help at all.

"Tsk, don't underestimate me, Bastard!" Leorio roared at Shinji angrily.

Two hours later, they have crossed thirty kilometer , but the examiner Satotz doesn't show any sign of stopping soon.

He just kept Walking in his Robotic posture.

A lot of applicants fainted from exhaustion.

'Fortunately, I brought this bicycle or I would be just like them.' Shinji looked at the fainted examinees on the road and felt fortunate that he knows the plot and made the necessary preparations beforehand. or else, with his weak body he won't even endure a ten-kilometer with this pace.

*hush* *hush* *hush*

Shinji looked at Leorio beside him who started gasping.

" Leorio don't be stubborn, hurry up and ride the back seat!" Shinji said to leorio with concern.

He decreased his speed as Leorio starts slowing down.

every step Leorio took with great difficulty, his eyes starts blurring, and his breath become short.

'I underestimated the hunter exam! I'm just an ordinary person compared to these monsters!'

'it turns out…I'm the weakest one here!' due to exhaustion, negative thoughts start occupying Leorio's mind.

*slap*

"Nani!" Leorio woke up from dizziness after a slap on his neck from Shinji.

"Wake Up Leorio!" Shinji on his bicycle screamed at Leorio.

"Do you want to give up easily like this? This isn't Leorio who I know! Have you forgotten your dreams? Your goals?"

'Dreams…' Lerio seemed to remember his childhood, he remembered the oath he made to himself, to become a doctor and treat people for free.

"Leorio! The friends of my Shinji aren't losers! I won't allow you to lose in this mere test! Even it means to forcibly drag you on the ground!" Shinji looked at Leorio with a solemn gaze.

While Shinji was encouraging Leorio, some candidates who starts getting tired, looked at them with greedy eyes, more especially, they are looking at Shinji's bicycle.

'If I get his bicycle, I will easily pass this phase!' someone thought.

'This kid, how dare he ride a bicycle when we are tiredly running? Unforgivable' someone looked at Shinji with resentment.

Greed, jealousy, and resentment accumulated in the hearts of those desperate examinees.

As if all of them reached a tactical understanding, they made a circle around the trio of Shinji, Leorio, and kurapika. Surrounding them completely with no dead ends.

Shinji at first didn't notice it because he was busy persuading Leorio to ride the bicycle behind him, only kurapika was the first one to notice this situation.

He took his two wooden swords and starts slowing down his speed.

"Shinji, Leorio…we seem to be surrounded, from their eyes I think their goal is your bicycle, Shinji-san!" Kurapika said to the two of leorio and shinji.

Shinji looked at his surrounding, sure enough, they were encircled from all sides.

"Seeking death!" Shinji was angry, anyone in his place will be angry to be targeted for no reason.

'Do they think I'm weak so they dare to bully us? Hmph!' Shinji's eyes become cold, one of the things he hates is being bullied or seeing someone weak and innocent getting bullied.

He hates those who use their power and strength to bully others for no reason, treating them as ants, he believes that they are the worst kind of people to hold power, they simply tarnish the holy and pure power he chases by their deeds! So they must be destroyed!

Shinji stopped the bicycle, he looked at kurapika and The panting Leorio who tried hard to stand up with a trembling hand holding his pocket knife.

Shinji looked at Kurapika and said: " Kurapika, protect Leorio and leave these rubbishes to me."

Kurapika was startled by Shinji's words he quickly said: "don't be reckless Shinji! they outnumber us, do you think you can handle them alone? This isn't the time to be stupid!"

Shinji looked at Kurapika and didn't respond to his words, he just said: " Leorio, Kurapika, once I give you a signal close your ears, or else you will be affected by my trick!"

'So it turns out he has something to rely on, Is it a sound grenade ?' Kurapika thought of Shinji's words and immediately found what may Shinji uses in this situation.

In the front, two kids one with spiky green hair and the other with silver hair were running next to each other.

"Hum?" feeling the killing intent in the surrounding, a silver-haired kid who seemed in his twelves looked back, he saw just a few hundred meters behind them, a group of people seems to encircle three young men.

'Aren't these guys the ones Gon was with when he came?' He remembered seeing these three guys with Gon before he meet him.

He looked at his new friend beside him and said: "Gon, your friends seem in 'trouble'." he said casually, for him this isn't trouble at all, as long as he wants, he can kill all of them in seconds, but he doesn't intend to interfere, because he is the friend of Gon, not Shinji and others, unless…

"Gon, do you want me to help your friends?" unless his friend asked him, then he will help him.

"Kurapika, Leorio, Brother Shinji!"

Gon turned around and looked back, he saw the three of Shinji being surrounded by other candidates.

he didn't answer Killua because he already run to help.

Killua sighed when he saw Gon rushing without thinking.

'Well if Gon can't handle it I will take action.' Although he had just met Gon, Killua understood very well that the latter isn't an ordinary kid, just like him, he also possesses superhuman strength and agility. So he believes these people won't pose any threat to Gon.

He walked slowly following Gon.

Returning to the trio of Shinji.

"You brat, give me that bicycle and I will let you go"

"Let him go? I want to break his legs first as a lesson for showing off in front of us!"

"By the way who will get this bicycle?"

"Of course the first come, the first serve!"

Hearing these words, they quickly reached to snatch the bicycle.

"3..2…1...NOW Kurapika , Leorio close your ears!"

Hearing Shinji's signal they closed their ears with their hands tightly.

"paralyzed scream!"

"AHHH YAMETE KUDASAI!…"

"..."

"..."

"..."

The incoming attackers almost fall down.

(Shinji: Bastard Author! What the heck are you doing? -_- )

(Author: ohh! sorry sorry, I will fix it now! (^o^) )

"WOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Shinji used his paralyzed scream, one of the abilities that Ajins had, which can paralyze the body of those who heard it.

The moment his scream came, the examinees who wanted to attack him, their body suddenly froze in their place, the scream spread through the tunnel, and even some unlucky examinees far front of them were affected.

Shinji seized this opportunity, he transformed into the hybrid form of half leopard and half human.

His clothes and bandages which aren't made from any special fabric got Shattered, but he doesn't need to worry, he already stored several sets in his pocket dimension, or else he won't be bold like this.

He bent his explosive knees, and like a rocket, he rushed toward the enemies.

The first unlucky victim's eyes bulged out after he saw the monster rushing toward him, its fist landed on his chest.

Shinji didn't retain any strength, this was the first time to use this ability in a fight, so he wasn't good at controlling it.

The poor applicant was sent flying, hit by the way another one behind him.

Shinji didn't care if his attack would kill the enemy or not, just like how the others didn't care about him when they thought of stealing his thing.

"You said you want to break my legs, then I will break yours." Shinji wrote down the face of this bastard.

The examinees who wanted to break Shinji's legs before was sweating profusely, he wants to run away but his body doesn't respond to him.

Shinji waved his sharp claw toward the latter's legs.

*crack*

His legs bones shattered, and two deep claw marks appeared on them.

Repeating the same trick, Shinji destroyed everyone that encircled them before within a minute.

Leorio and Kurapika even though weren't affected by the paralyzed scream, stood in their place with wide open mouths.

It had never come to them in their wildest thoughts that their best friend Shinji is a magical beast!

"Kurapika, slap me, I must be dizzy, or else why did Shinji become a monster all of sudden!"

Leorio looked at Shinji with Shock, the friend he had been with turned out to be a monster! The friend he slept next, he ate with is a fucking monster.

"Shinji must be a magical beast who can take human form, just like the previous Kiriko we saw before, so don't be amazed like this, Leorio."Although kurapika was shocked, unlike Leorio, he knows a lot of things, and that's why he quickly accepted this scene.

…

"I can't move my body!" Killua and Gon were also affected by Shinji's paralysed scream.

'What the hell is even that?'

Killua can't understand why his body froze when he heard that scream, but as a professionally trained assassin, with superhuman control over his body, he starts shaking his body until he managed to regain control over it.

'Hum?' the examiner satotz turned his head toward the source of the scream.

Because of the distance, he wasn't affected by the paralyzed scream, but he felt the weird power contained in it.

'This ability is not bad!' he thought, then he looked forward and continued leading the applicants.

All the others applicants looked from time to time behind and some started whispering.

"What is this scream? Is there any beast behind?"

"I just saw someone froze in his place when that scream came."

"It must be some kind of warcraft, I'm afraid does who didn't follow the examiner would be eaten by that monster!" Tonpa seized this opportunity to put mental pressure on them which made all other applicants scared.

"Damn, this is a death marathon! The hunter association doesn't give us a chance." someone clenched his fist and shouted angrily.

"Heh, the hunter exam had always been cruel." Someone said with contempt.

Those who are confident in their strength weren't afraid, while those who thought they won't last much became afraid that once they stopped will lose their lives.

…

Killua and Gon quickly regained control over their body, they rushed toward the group of Shinji, but the scene they expected didn't happen, they saw something that made them shocked.

"monster!" both of them shouted at the same time, Gon was worried while Killua was surprised, this is his first time to see a humanoid beast, in their Family they naturally have various magical beasts, but unlike this one in front of him which look like humans.

"Where did it come from? Wait! it seems to be protecting your friends, Gon!" Killua noticed that the magical beast was hitting the examinees while Kurapika and Leorio stood there safe and sound.

"I don't know, let's hurry and help them" Gon rushed next to kurapika and leorio, followed by killua behind him.

"Kurapika, Leorioa, are you alright? Where is big brother Shinji?" after seeing that both of them are fin, he looked around and didn't find the shadow of Shinji, he became worried.

"There!" Leorio and Kurapika pointed at the same time toward the transformed Shinji.

"What!" Gon screamed, he seemed to misunderstand their meaning, thinking that his big brother Shinji was eaten by that beast.

he remembered how well Shinji treated him, he remembered when Shinji gave him chocolate.

scenes of his good times with Shinji flashed past his eyes.

His tears unconsciously fell from his eyes.

"UNFORGIVABLE!" with a scream, he clenched his fishing rod and dashed toward the beast desperately.

"Gon wait!" Kurapika wanted to explain to Gon, but too late. Gon already jumped toward Shinji, he swing his Fishing rod intending to hit him on the head.

"STUPID CAT! HOW DARE YOU EAT MY BROTHER SHINJI!"

Shinji heard the scream behind him, he turned his head and saw Gon jumping toward him.

"Oh! Gon, do you want to hug your big brother Shinji?" Shinji saw the jumping Gon and wanted to catch him, but when he saw the angry expression on his face and the fishing rod that was ready to crush his head, he felt the situation is wrong.

*bang*

Shinji managed to quickly avoid it at the last time, seeing the crushed ground from the impact, he shivered, if this thing hit his head then he will be done for sure.

"Nani, so close! What are you doing, Gon?" Shinji scolded Gon.

"Huh?" hearing the voice of Shinji coming from the beast, Gon froze in his place, unable to process what just happened.

"Are you…brother Shinji?" Gon looked carefully at the Leopard beast in front of him, he looked at his face and saw some similarities between him and Shinji's appearance.

Shinji undo his transformation and looked helplessly at Gon.

"Of course it's me! Don't be reckless next time." He patted Gon's head.

"Shinji…your body…" Leorio and Kurapika behind them killua came near them.

When they saw the naked upper body of Shinji without bandages they were shocked.

'Is this the reason why Shinji-san wears Bandages?' Kurapika finally knows why Shinji put bandages over his body, which to hide these scars.

Leorio felt guilty, he remembered when he called Shinji a mummy and wanted to slap his face.

'What kind of friend am I to call him a mummy!' Leorio looked down at the ground not daring to look at Shinji from guilt.

'These scars mean This guy must have experienced a lot of fights and didn't treat his wound quickly until they accumulate to such a degree…I wonder how he is still alive till now? These wounds are enough to turn a sane man into a crying baby." Killua who experienced hellish training since his birth knows very well how torturing wounds are if they aren't treated in time. even sleeping becomes hell!

"Huh? Leorio why are you looking at me like this?" Seeing Leorio's appearance Shinji immediately understood the latter's emotional state

"Shinji, sorry about what I said to you before!" Leorio said in a low voice

"Leorio I know what you think, let me tell you this, I really don't feel by any way offended by your words, it's natural for friends to joke with each other"

He patted Leorio's Shoulders: " you are my besto friendo, Leorio! Don't overthink when you are dealing with me!"

Leorio looked at Shinji's smiling face and almost couldn't stop his tears from coming down

"*cough* sorry to break your emotional scene guys, but we have to follow the examiner" Kurapika looked at the almost disappearing back of the applicants from their sights, and reminded them to hurry to chase behind them.

"Oh wait I will wear my clothes first quickly!"

"Shinji hurried to take his backpack and pretend to take cloths and bandages from it."

He skillfully put on the bandages on his upper body then wore a shirt, and rode his bicycle.

the four of them tactfully didn't ask about Shinji's transformation into a beast, they are waiting until Shinji himself decides to do so.

"Ok let's go, guys!"

Then they started running (pedaling).

"By the way Gon, you didn't introduce your new friend to us?" Shinji noticed that a Silver-haired kid was next to Gon, he naturally knows Killua Zoldyck, one of the protagonists of the hunter world.

" This is Killua, my friend" Gon cheerfully introduced Killua, the latter was looking at them and gave them a nod.

"Killua, this is Kurapika"

""And this is Leorio"

"Finally this is big brother Shinji!" Gon introduced all of them to killua.

"nice to meet you Killua you can call me brother Shinji like Gon. please take care of Gon in the future, he is a little bit reckless." Shinji came next to killua on his bicycle and smiled as he stretched his hand.

Killua also did the same he shook Shinji's hand then said: " nice to meet you, but don't dream, I will never call you brother, Baga!" Killua smiled at Shinji and said with a jocking tone.

Shinji laughed " ha ha ha, interesting! Challenge accepted I will definitely make you call me big brother in the future!"

"Ohh just kept dreaming!" Killua smiled provocatively at Shinji and didn't take his words seriously, just joking! Do you want the future heir of the world's number one assassination family to call you big brother easily? With Shinji's strength, even if he could transform into a beast, he is still far weaker than him! At least he must be as strong as his elder brother Illumi if he wants his recognization.

'It seems I'm being underestimated…just wait I will let you call me big brother in the future!' Shinji loved the character of Killua in his previous life, his powerful strength, fast speed, and his assassinations skills were the things he always enjoyed watching.

But what he liked most about him is his loyalty to his friend, when Gon almost died from nen oath he made, Killua did everything possible to save him, even offending his family!