"Cousin Kaizen?"
Killua froze for a moment.
The mention of Kaizen didn't trigger any resistance in him.
Killua was definitely in his "rebellious phase"—but that rebellion had its boundaries.
He acted out when it came to Illumi or Kikyo, treating them with outright defiance.
But Kaizen? Silva? Even Zeno?
Killua never felt the same way about them.
His respect for Kaizen far outweighed his disdain for the others.
"Did Kaizen ask us to go to Heavens Arena?" Gon asked, tilting his head.
Killua thought for a moment. It actually made sense.
He remembered Kaizen wasn't alone at Heavens Arena. He had companions—strong ones.
"I think Kaizen's a Floor Master there, right?" Kurapika said, glancing at Killua.
Killua nodded.
"Yeah, I think so."
He turned to Zebro.
"Zebro, did Cousin Kaizen say how long we should wait for him?"
Zebro shook his head.
"Kaizen-sama didn't say exactly, but judging by his tone, it shouldn't be long."
Leorio stepped forward, curiosity getting the better of him."Uncle Zebro, can I ask something? The friend Kaizen brought to Zoldyck Manor—did she go through the same trials we did?"
He was talking about Wendy.
Leorio already knew Wendy had opened the Trial Door. But unlike their group, she hadn't faced the gauntlet of additional tests.
"Probably not," Zebro replied. "Miss Wendy came with Kaizen-sama. After she opened the Trial Door, they both walked in."
Leorio frowned.
...
At that moment, the Trial Door creaked open from inside, and two figures stepped out.
Killua and the others instinctively looked up.
"Cousin Kaizen."
"Kaizen-sama."
But then their eyes widened as they spotted the figure walking behind him.
"Ponzu?"
"Why are you here?"
They all recognized her. After all, they'd taken the Hunter Exam together and had even worked as a team during the Gunkanjima phase.
Kaizen gave a simple explanation.
"Ponzu's on my team now. I brought her along."
He looked at the group.
"Have you been waiting long?"
Killua shook her head.
"Not really. We just got here."
Kaizen nodded.
"Perfect timing then. I was planning to head to Heavens Arena anyway. The butlers mentioned you and Gon were on your way there, so I asked Zebro to hold you for a bit."
"Let's go together."
The six of them began walking down the mountain trail.
No bus was scheduled for today—so they'd be making the trip on foot.
But for people like them, the distance meant nothing. The first stage of the Hunter Exam had been far more grueling.
Zebro watched them disappear down the slope.
"Kaizen-sama's aura… I can't read it at all," he murmured.
"It's just like watching a matured Young Master Illumi—or Silva-sama."
"They say Killua-sama's improving fast too. It really is incredible how gifted the Zoldycks are."
"That's why I'm happy just staying here as Mike's cleaner..."
Before long, Kaizen and the others had vanished from sight.
Zebro returned to his little room.
A cup of tea, an old radio, and a creaky deck chair—that was the quiet life of Zebro.
Day in, day out.
...
Eventually, Leorio couldn't hold his curiosity any longer. He moved beside Kaizen, walking in stride.
"Hey, Kaizen, can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
"I know this has nothing to do with you personally—and I don't mean to sound ungrateful. You helped us a lot during the exam, and I'll never forget that."
Kaizen gave a nod, allowing him to continue.
Leorio took a breath.
"I just want to ask this straight. I hope you won't take it the wrong way. I'm not blaming you, really."
"It's just... Kurapika, Gon, and I came to Zoldyck Manor to see Killua. We're friends—especially Gon."
"But even though we came with good intentions, we had to go through a ton of tests. And some of them were... intense."
"I agree with what Gon said earlier—why do we have to face so many challenges just to visit a friend?"
"Zebro mentioned that you brought a friend to the manor once—Wendy. Did she have to go through all that?"
...
Kurapika and Killua were listening carefully.
Gon had been bothered at the time, but he'd mostly let it go—typical of him.
Kaizen looked at them all and smiled faintly.
He understood where they were coming from. Fairness was important.
People don't get upset over scarcity as much as they do over inequality.
That's why people can endure hardships together but fall apart over rewards.
"In Wendy's case, no," Kaizen admitted. "She didn't go through the same tests."
"She did push open the Trial Door—but that was just because she was curious. She didn't need to. She could've entered without it."
That answer clearly surprised the group.
Their eyes widened, a bit of resentment bubbling beneath the surface.
Kaizen noticed—and continued before it could fester.
"But your situation was different."
"First off, Wendy was personally invited by me. Before she came, I spoke with Grandfather Zeno and Great-Grandfather Maha. They gave their approval."
"Killua, on the other hand, didn't inform Zeno or Silva about your visit."
"Also, you and Killua arrived separately. From the family's perspective, your identities weren't fully confirmed."
"But the biggest reason..."
"This was actually part of your Hunter Exam's follow-up assessment."
Everyone's eyes narrowed.
"What do you mean?" Kurapika asked.
"You've all passed the exam and received your licenses—but that doesn't make you full-fledged Hunters just yet."
"The tests the butlers gave you felt tough, sure. But they weren't really dangerous."
"They were meant to show you a glimpse of the world Hunters live in."
"A world where strength, skill, and trust are constantly tested."
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (1047 chapters in total)