"Killer Queen, Chitong, Lantern Ghost—these three beasts have completely broken abilities."
"However, they can only truly shine when their opponent is restrained."
"It's the same for Sasuke Uchiha."
"Because of Natsu, Sasuke Uchiha has his stage to perform."
"An A-rank offensive ability, B-rank defensive ability."
"In a one-on-one fight, Sasuke Uchiha wouldn't have a major advantage."
"But by cooperating with Natsu, his strength is significantly amplified."
...
Kaizen moved swiftly through the forest, his figure barely visible between the trees. He soon reached a clearing where Hisoka stood, completely still, as if lost in thought about the battle that had just unfolded. Or perhaps he was savoring the memory, indulging in his own twisted excitement.
The other examinees were watching from a distance, too afraid to linger. They all knew of Hisoka's terrifying reputation from the first phase of the Hunter Exam.
Before the exam had even properly started, one unfortunate examinee had his arms severed by Hisoka. Then Hisoka had treated the exam like a game, eliminating candidates as he pleased. Fear of him ran deep.
Menchi and Buhara exchanged glances.
"Buhara, who do you think is stronger—Hisoka or Kaizen?" Menchi asked.
Buhara hesitated. "In their previous fights, neither went all out. To be honest, it's impossible to determine who's stronger."
"However, one thing is certain: both of them are stronger than us."
"If I had to guess, I'd say Kaizen might have the edge."
"That said, if given a choice, I would never want to fight Hisoka."
Menchi nodded. "That guy gives me the creeps."
She sighed, rubbing her temples. "So, what should we do about the next phase of the exam?"
Menchi looked conflicted. "I can't just pass people who cook poorly. My principles won't allow it. But at the same time... I don't want to anger someone like Hisoka."
Buhara smirked. "Then let's fail all of them."
Menchi blinked. "What do you mean?"
Then, realization dawned on her, and her eyes gleamed.
"That's a great idea."
She elaborated, "The Hunter Association is clearly paying close attention to this year's exam. It holds more significance than those in past years. There's no way they'll let us end it here."
"So if we fail everyone, the Association will have to step in and come up with a new challenge."
"This way, I don't have to compromise my principles, and I don't have to worry about upsetting the wrong people. Whatever punishment the Association gives me is nothing compared to that."
Menchi and Buhara exchanged a knowing glance and nodded in agreement.
...
Meanwhile, Gon and the other examinees were still engaged in their struggle against the wild boars, unaware of the decisions being made elsewhere.
Suddenly, a boar chasing Gon crashed into the trunk of an apple tree. A shower of apples rained down, and one landed directly on the forehead of a particularly large, big-nosed boar. The impact made the creature stagger before collapsing as if all its strength had drained away.
Gon's eyes lit up. "That's its weak spot!"
Wasting no time, he delivered a flurry of blows to the same spot.
Boom!
The big-nosed boar toppled over, unconscious.
Seeing this, the other examinees quickly copied Gon's approach.
Boom!
Boom!
One by one, the massive boars fell, the clearing filling with the sound of bodies hitting the ground.
Kaizen, watching a boar charge toward him, casually flicked his wrist. A small stone shot through the air and struck the creature's forehead with pinpoint accuracy. With just one precise hit, the massive beast crumpled.
In truth, Kaizen could have aimed elsewhere and still taken down the boar. But there was no need to overcomplicate things.
With their prey subdued, the examinees carried the boars toward the designated cooking area. There, they began the process of butchering, preparing, and cooking their kills.
The air soon filled with the chaotic mingling of different aromas. Some examinees lacked any cooking skills and simply roasted whole pigs over open flames—without even gutting them first. The horrific squeals of boars being roasted alive filled the air. Others charred their meat beyond recognition, turning it into lumps of blackened coal.
Some dishes smelled delicious; others reeked. The entire area became a battlefield of clashing scents.
There was a rule Menchi had established earlier: "When we can no longer eat anything, the exam ends, and anyone who hasn't served their dish is automatically disqualified."
So, candidates rushed to present their meals.
Buhara, ever enthusiastic about food, tried everything. If a dish looked decent, he happily dug in. If it looked awful, he still tried it—except for one horrifying attempt where the candidate hadn't even bothered to clean out the boar's internal organs.
"Qualified!" Buhara announced after taking a bite of one dish.
The examinee grinned in triumph—until Menchi took a bite.
"Unqualified," she declared flatly.
To pass, both examiners needed to approve the dish. A single rejection meant failure.
One by one, candidates were turned away. Not a single dish had passed yet.
Frustration began to build among the examinees.
"Why is my cooking unqualified?!"
"It's perfectly prepared! The taste, the presentation—everything is flawless!"
"What do you even want from us?!"
"This exam is ridiculous! We're here to become Hunters, not chefs!"
A burly man with long blond hair clenched his fists, glaring at Menchi and Buhara.
"Give me a proper explanation, or I won't be so polite!"
He took a step closer, his posture tense, ready for a fight.
------------
+415 chapters on patreon.com/FanficsHub