The 602 candidates who survived the long tunnel now found themselves in an unfamiliar, creature-infested place: Numelle Swamp. In the foggy forest, the line of candidates ran to the rhythm of the mustachioed examiner Satotsu's flamboyant strides. The muddy, slick terrain demanded even greater effort, exhausting them faster than the tunnel had.
After an hour of running, the forest grew denser with fog, reducing visibility to nearly zero. Only vague shadows guided the stragglers to stay on course. Amid the thick mist, Leorio and Kurapika jogged side by side, while Gon had surged ahead with his new friend, Killua.
"Damn, this fog's getting worse," Leorio grumbled, already struggling on the wet ground.
"All the more reason to stay sharp," Kurapika replied, his tone devoid of strain.
As they pressed on, strange noises echoed around them. "Sounds like that mustache guy was right—things are creeping all over," Leorio said.
"Stick close to me, and you'll be fine," Kurapika said casually.
"Huh? Who do you think you are?" Leorio snapped. "The day I need you to save my ass is the day pigs fly!"
No sooner had he spoken than piercing screams erupted from the front of the group they were following through the shadows. Kurapika and Leorio stopped in unison. A bold cluster of candidates pushed past them, only to be yanked into the air by an unseen force. It took about 20 seconds for the fog to part enough to reveal the silhouette of a massive beast, strawberries sprouting atop its armored shell.
Panic erupted at the sight of the monster. Candidates scattered, fleeing without care for direction. As the beast's form grew clearer, Leorio stood frozen, paralyzed by its presence. With a swift motion of its long neck, it skewered fleeing candidates with the razor-sharp teeth in its maw.
Kurapika had already used the beast's distraction to slip behind it. Realizing Leorio hadn't followed, he turned back urgently. "Leorio, what are you doing just standing there?" he shouted, raising his voice to cut through the chaos.
It worked—Leorio snapped out of his daze. Seeing Kurapika beckoning from behind the beast, he prepared to join him. But the giant turtle had finished its business, and its gaze locked onto Leorio as he tried to skirt around it. It coiled its neck and lunged, jaws wide with gleaming teeth.
Facing the attack, Leorio knew inaction meant death. All he'd overcome would be for nothing, his dreams reduced to dust. Spotting a tree branch nearby, he grabbed it swiftly. As the beast's teeth neared his flesh, he jammed the branch into its mouth, propping it open.
The assault lifted Leorio into the air, but the branch kept the turtle's jaws at bay. He seized the moment to leap to the ground, surviving the encounter. The effort drained him completely, though, and he collapsed, gasping for air.
His respite was brief. Enraged at missing its prey, the turtle snapped the branch with a furious chomp and turned back to the breathless Leorio. Defenseless and out of strength, he could only watch helplessly as the beast's jaws loomed closer. Unable to bear the sight, he shut his eyes, covered his face, and braced for the end.
But the tragic end never came. Curious at the lack of pain, Leorio lowered his hands and opened his eyes. The beast was gone, replaced by Kurapika.
"Kurapika?" Leorio said, stunned.
Questions flooded his mind, but one took precedence: where was the beast? Instinctively, he glanced to his right. His eyes widened at the sight—the giant turtle's motionless body lay nearby.
"Get up. We're falling behind," Kurapika urged, offering a hand to pull him up.
Leorio's gaze shifted from the beast to his friend. 'Did he do that?' he wondered. He knew Kurapika was strong, but to take down a monster like that?
"Come on, we need to move!" Kurapika pressed, seeing Leorio's sluggishness. He could guess the questions swirling in his friend's mind, but now wasn't the time for answers—especially with time against them.
Leorio shelved his questions, took Kurapika's hand, and stood. They set off, Kurapika leading the way. "I think we're lost. The pack's gone," Leorio said.
"Don't worry, we're heading toward them," Kurapika replied.
"What? How can you tell in this fog?" Leorio countered.
"Trust me," Kurapika said confidently.
"No choice, I guess," Leorio muttered. What else could he do? He followed his fearless companion, hoping they'd reach the others.
"Help, he's insane!"
"Aaah!"
"Somebody, please!"
Sudden cries of distress reached their ears. Leorio stopped, trying to pinpoint the source. "You hear that?" he asked Kurapika.
Kurapika stepped closer. "It's coming from over there," he said, pointing left. Indeed, the desperate sounds originated there, with moving shadows visible through the fog.
"You think—" Leorio began.
"Move!" Kurapika cut him off, shoving him aside.
"What the hell? Why'd you push me like that?!" Leorio raged, recovering from the sudden shove.
"Look," Kurapika said calmly, nodding toward a tree.
Leorio turned. The tree looked ordinary, but playing cards were embedded in its trunk, as if they'd sliced into it like blades. A chilling thought hit him. 'If Kurapika hadn't pushed me…'
"Care to join the 'Judge' game? ♥" (A/N: In the manga, Hisoka's dialogue often ends with card suit emojis; I'll keep that up until it gets old.)
A smooth, sinister voice rang out. From the direction of the distress calls, a shadowy figure approached. Soon, the figure emerged fully—a man with a jester's appearance, a red star painted on his right cheek, a green teardrop on his left, a cynical smile, and a deck of cards flicking between his hands.
Leorio's primal instincts screamed at the sight. 'This guy's dangerous.'
As the man drew closer, the fog thinned, revealing a gruesome scene. Scattered across the muddy ground lay a dozen mutilated bodies, impaled by playing cards. It didn't take a genius to piece it together—the jester had slaughtered these candidates. The cries had been their pleas for help. Now, this maniac seemed to have set his sights on them.
"What the hell is this?!" Leorio demanded. "You're a candidate, aren't you? Why'd you kill them?"
Despite his senses urging him to steer clear, Leorio's sense of justice wouldn't let him back down.
"Why?" the jester replied. "Let's just say I found this test too easy for an exam of this caliber. So, I decided to play judge myself. Isn't that only natural? ♦"
His tone clashed jarringly with the menace he exuded. "You're a total nutcase," Leorio spat, disgusted.
"Calm down, Leorio," Kurapika advised.
"How?!" Leorio exploded, turning to Kurapika. He pointed at the jester. "You heard him, right? He killed those people for some insane reason! The guy's a psychopath!"
Leorio scanned the ground, grabbing a damp stick. "Scum like you shouldn't be a Hunter!" he declared, facing the jester.
"Oh, what an intriguing look! ♥" the man said, delighted.
"I'll wipe that creepy smirk off your face!" Leorio vowed, charging with the stick raised. "Take this!" he shouted, swinging.
The blow hit nothing but air, to Leorio's dismay. "Such passion! It's thrilling. ♥" The voice came from behind him—the jester, somehow now at his back.
Without thinking, Leorio spun and swung again. Same result. The man reappeared on his left, taunting with a vile grin. Leorio lunged once more, but this time, the jester grabbed his head with his right hand and slammed him into the muddy ground. The impact sent up a spray of dirt, Leorio's body briefly lifting before crashing back down.
"What a pity. ♣" The jester released Leorio's head, stood, and glanced at the motionless body before turning to his next target: Kurapika, who'd stayed silent throughout, his gaze showing neither fear nor hostility.
"Want to play the 'Judge' game too? ♥" the jester asked, his tone mocking.
"Did you kill him?" Kurapika asked, ignoring the question.
The jester's eyebrows flicked up briefly. "No, unlike the others, your friend passed my test. ♣" He grinned.
"I see." Kurapika walked quietly to Leorio's prone form, passing the jester as if he were irrelevant. He crouched, preparing to hoist his friend onto his back. "He can be impulsive, but that's what makes him unique," Kurapika said, lifting Leorio's unconscious body. He turned to the jester. "I won't say your actions are right, but since they don't concern me, I'm not getting involved."
He started to move, but the jester's body materialized in front of him, blocking the way. "Seems I wasn't clear, young man. ♦" The jester leaned close to Kurapika's ear. "Your friend passed my test, but you haven't. ♣"
He straightened, a twisted smile on his lips, and reached for Kurapika's face. "Show me what you've got. ♥"
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