Leorio and Kurapika had teamed up.
Of the two, Kurapika had already collected six points—his own number plate and Tonpa's.
Leorio, however, hadn't reached the goal yet.
Tonpa's partner wasn't Leorio's target, so he currently only had four points. That meant he was two points short of the required six.
He had two options: either find his actual target and steal their plate—worth two points—or steal the plates of two unrelated examinees, each worth one.
Naturally, the former was the easier route.
Even though Kurapika had already completed his task, he decided to stick around. Since Leorio had helped him subdue Tonpa earlier, Kurapika chose to return the favor.
So the two moved cautiously across Island.
Leorio still didn't know who his target was.
Just then, someone came sprinting down a nearby slope at breakneck speed.
A middle-aged man—heavyset and out of breath—stumbled toward them, clearly exhausted and in bad shape.
Leorio didn't recognize him... but that didn't matter.
What did matter was the number plate clutched tightly in the man's hand. It matched Leorio's target.
Leorio didn't hesitate.
He charged straight in.
The man—Bourbon—didn't even realize what was happening. His mind wasn't on Ponzu or Kaizen anymore.
By the time he registered Leorio's approach, it was already too late.
Boom!
Leorio slammed into him with full force.
Bourbon flew through the air, landing more than ten meters away and tumbling along the ground until he crashed into a large boulder.
Leorio rushed over.
"Got it!"
Kurapika glanced at the unconscious man.
"Leorio, let's go. Looks like he just came out of a serious fight. Someone could be chasing him. We don't want to get caught up in that."
"Yeah. Good idea."
The two left quickly.
Bourbon remained unconscious, surrounded by a writhing circle of venomous snakes, warning off any would-be scavengers.
...
Kaizen stood silently, gazing into the distance.
"Ponzu, stay here," he said. "Don't wander off."
With that, he vanished from sight.
When he reappeared, he stood in a clearing deep within the forest.
A cloaked figure sat motionless on a stone.
"I'm here," Kaizen said. "Now tell me—why did you mark me? Why lead me here?"
The figure didn't answer right away.
Slowly, they pulled down their hood, revealing a mess of blonde hair and a face that looked soft and youthful—almost childlike. But it wasn't a human face.
There were features—subtle but unmistakable—that betrayed her nature. Upright animal ears, a sharp nose, and golden eyes. Like a cross between a hyena and a fox.
A hybrid. A chimera. A product of unnatural tampering.
In anime terms, she would've been called a fox-eared girl.
"Kaizen-sama," she said.
Kaizen frowned at the title.
But his focus quickly shifted. Her aura—no doubt about it. She was a Nen user. Possibly one with transformation abilities. The way she looked now didn't match the vague memory he had of her from before.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"My name is Alita. I'm with the Mafia Community now."
"We've met before?"
"You saved my life, Kaizen-sama. Maybe you don't remember... but I could never forget your scent."
Kaizen narrowed his eyes.
As Alita continued, the pieces fell into place.
She was one of the survivors from Experimental Base No. 2—back in Orion City. One of Dandins's creations.
Kaizen remembered it clearly.
After killing Dandins, he'd broken open the doors of the facility, releasing the imprisoned experimental subjects. The scene that followed had been chaos.
A bloodbath.
Most of them had died shortly after being freed.
But for people like them, death was a mercy. Being locked in cages, strapped to operating tables, treated like test animals... was worse.
Still, a few had survived.
...
Alita's voice was soft.
"When the Mafia Community chased us near Orion City, you passed by. They asked if you'd seen us. You didn't answer."
"I was hiding in the bushes nearby. But you... you knew I was there."
"You looked in my direction. Just once."
"Then you killed them—all of them. Even one of the Shadow Beasts. I'll never forget that moment."
Kaizen said nothing.
"I didn't recognize you at first," she went on. "Not until the second exam. But when I came to Zevil Island... I was sure."
She bowed her head. "Thank you."
Kaizen shook his head. "Don't thank me. I didn't do it for you. It was just convenient at the time."
"You're with the Mafia Community now. Live your life. And if you feel the need to report what happened—about me killing those gang members—I won't stop you."
He spoke casually, but the truth was, Kaizen no longer feared them. Not their assassins, not their leaders, not their organization.
His strength and reputation were enough to keep even the Mafia Community at a distance.
Alita blushed deeply.
"I would never betray you," she said. "That's not why I came."
"I want to follow you. Let me serve you."
"I'll use my abilities for you. I just want to repay the debt I owe."
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