Hello everyone, Gon Freecss here! I may have gotten cornered, but I'd say I lost with plenty of room to spare. Given that I had the advantage, it just means I still don't have enough training.
The infirmary for fighters at Heaven's Arena had never been what you'd call well-equipped. But thanks to the economic boom in recent months, it was now about two steps shy of state-of-the-art. On a bed in its operating room, another severely injured fighter lay, receiving treatment from Leorio.
"Damn it, his organs are a mess, but his bones are completely shattered! This is what he gets for being so reckless."
Leorio, who didn't have a medical license, had his skills recognized by the medical staff and was now fully exercising his abilities as the attending physician, albeit under the title of a part-timer.
"Get me more blood! And I'm going to force-heal him, so prepare a meal high in protein and iron. It's okay, I'll have him fixed up in no time, so just hang in there! ...Hisoka!"
"I may heal fast, but I probably should have asked for anesthesia... ♠"
Outside the operating room, the usual crew, including an already-fully-recovered Gon, was holding a "debriefing" that was really just a grilling.
Surrounded by an irate Killua, Kurapika, and Wing, Gon was kneeling formally, just like that one time, listening to their rapid-fire complaints.
"In the end, I was way less injured than Hisoka, so it's fine, isn't it?"
This time, however, Gon pouted with a somewhat disgruntled look, and that attitude just fanned the flames of Killua and the others. On a nearby bench, Zushi, having exhausted all his strength, was snoring away. Beside him, Gin was curled up, watching Gon and the others with an exasperated look.
"Hey, hey, are you guys still at it? Anyway, Hisoka's treatment is done, so let's go home. I'm totally beat for today."
Leorio emerged from the operating room, expertly giving instructions to the staff and handing over his surgical gown as he changed back into his usual clothes. Gon took Leorio's return as a cue to quickly get ready to leave, prompting sighs from Killua and the others, who finally gave up and started packing up too.
"Thank you for your hard work, Dr. Leorio!!"
"Yeah, you all did great work, too."
Seen off by many of the medical staff, Gon's group headed home. They used the Heaven's Arena staff-only passageway and left the tower without any trouble.
The area outside Heaven's Arena was bustling and chaotic with people as always, but Gon and the others, who were concealing their presence with Zetsu, returned to their hotel without drawing any attention.
After getting Zushi to bed, they gathered and began to discuss their next steps.
"So, you all will be leaving Heaven's Arena soon, then. Zushi will be lonely, and I myself feel reluctant to see you go."
"There's still a lot more I want to learn, but at Heaven's Arena, we end up neglecting teamwork and stuff. You've really taken care of us, Mr. Wing."
Wing watched them bow deeply, feeling a surge of emotion. He also fleetingly worried if Heaven's Arena would be alright with these four leaving all at once.
"I doubt you're departing immediately, but please allow me to give you all one last piece of advice while I can. I don't know if I'll have anything left to teach you the next time we meet," Wing said, smiling somewhat jokingly. He looked over each of them, then spoke to the group that had grown immensely since he first met them.
"First, Leorio. To be honest, I have nothing more to teach you. Given the nature of your Hatsu, please focus on acquiring more medical knowledge and skill. Also, while your new Hatsu has taken shape, it's still far too unrefined for practical combat. Please don't neglect your training in your Nen category."
"You got it, Mr. Wing! I never thought I'd be able to grow this much myself. If there's ever anything I can do for you, just say the word. I'll be there." Leorio firmly shook Wing's hand, looking him straight in the eye as he expressed his gratitude. He carried himself with a dignity and breadth of character beyond his actual years, an attitude that even Wing, in his position as a teacher, felt he could learn from.
"Next, Killua. I wanted to help you break that curse of yours, but I'm afraid I wasn't strong enough. My apologies. Your talent is head-and-shoulders above the other three. I'm certain that once you are released from that shackle, you'll be able to master your true power. Keep a clear image in your mind and continue your training."
"This is my problem to deal with, so don't worry about it. More importantly, I've improved a lot thanks to learning the 'public' techniques. I'll be stronger than you the next time we meet, so look forward to it." Wing smiled at Killua, who, despite his unchangingly cheeky attitude, was expressing his thanks as best he could. Internally, Wing quietly resolved to increase the intensity of his own training.
"Kurapika, the path you walk will be an extremely difficult one. However, I am confident that you, who can rely on Gon and the others, will surely be able to reach the best possible conclusion. Please learn to control your emotions, which are both your greatest strength and your greatest weakness."
"I must apologize again for all the trouble I've caused you, and for making you worry unnecessarily. I will carve your teachings deep into my heart, and I promise to do my utmost to bring you good news."
"Fufu, I'm not actually that worried, you know. Oh, and one more thing. You're very intelligent, but your thinking tends to be a bit rigid. You don't have to be as flexible as Gon, but please try to keep an open mind." Kurapika, who had been bowing, looked up, met Wing's gaze, and nodded deeply. The dangerous air Netero had once mentioned was gone, replaced by the shine of eyes looking toward the future. Wing smiled back.
"Gin, I'm sorry I couldn't give you much detailed instruction. As a martial artist, it's a bit complicated, but please continue to fight freely, without forgetting your wild nature."
"Grr...mah."
Wing stroked Gin once. He would never forget this texture and the sense of peace it brought, and would later seriously consider getting a pet.
"And finally, Gon. This is a tough one. I'm sure you already understand everything I want to say."
Wing and Gon shared a wry smile, but then Wing tilted his head slightly and his expression brightened.
"That's it! The reason you can't use Ko. My theory is different from yours and Hisoka's. To put it bluntly, it's because... you've... con... vinced... yourself... you can't!"
Gon wore an indescribable expression at those words. Wing continued, stating his thoughts based on his own experience.
"Certainly, 'Hooray for Brute Force, Might is Right' is an overwhelmingly powerful ability. But with your skill in aura manipulation, it shouldn't be a problem. That means the only remaining reason is a mental one."
"Hmm... I've never really felt like my Nen training was dangerous or anything, and I can't think of anything that would make me believe I can't do it."
As Gon groaned, digging deeper into his memories, Wing told him not to think about it so hard and continued. "I had a contemporary back in the day. There was this one guy who could never beat an opponent he was objectively stronger than. For a while, rumors even spread that the opponent had some kind of dirt on him. But then, he won once by a lucky punch, and after that, he had a perfect winning streak."
Wing, reminiscing about those days, placed a hand on Gon's shoulder and looked him in the eye, speaking gently. "All you need is one tiny little trigger. You're still young, Gon. If you grow without rushing, you will absolutely master Ko."
"...Yes, sir!"
Wing nodded at Gon's reply and looked over the group once more. "You are not disciples of the Shingen-ryu school, but you are, without a doubt, my students. If you're ever in a bind, feel free to use my name as much as you want. Helping you out is a master's privilege, after all."
Wing finished with a playful smile. Gon and the others bowed their heads once more, expressing their gratitude.
The next morning, after saying their goodbyes to Zushi as well, they departed from Heaven's Arena that night.
You might think Heaven's Arena would suffer a surprising downturn after Gon and the others left, but unexpectedly, it continued to maintain its economic boom.
The boom had arrived when the arena's promotional activities and fighter aftercare were still a mess. By improving those areas, Heaven's Arena successfully captured new fans and markets.
And, as if to fill the void left by the four—and Hisoka—new popular fighters were born in Heaven's Arena.
Kastro, "The Twin Tigers," a handsome martial artist who used the Tiger Bite Fist and could somehow create a double of himself.
Gordeau, "The King of Throws," an Aikido user with an intimidating face hidden by a half-mask, but who was a man of character and recently discovered to be fond of children.
With these two leading the pack, the arena entered a warring-states period of many popular fighters competing for dominance. Eventually, even the 200th-floor rule of "four losses and you're out" was abolished.
Having truly transformed into a sacred ground for combatants, Heaven's Arena stands tall today as a center of martial arts, drawing in countless rough-and-tumble fighters.
As a side note, Gido, the "Real Beyblade," would later become a legend for generating an even greater economic impact than Gon and the others through movies and merchandise.
Before Gon and the others left Heaven's Arena, a final strategy meeting was held in Hisoka's room inside the tower.
"Alright, final confirmation. We'll leave the Troupe's leader, Chrollo, to Hisoka. The top-priority target is No. 6, Shalnark."
At the end of Kurapika's pointing finger was a sketch of a blond, seemingly gentle man smiling cheerfully. In their conflict with the Phantom Troupe, the group had decided that Shalnark, not Chrollo, was the one they had to take out first.
There was one reason: he was the only one in the Troupe with a mind that rivals or even surpasses Chrollo's.
"If we can take him out first, we'll have a significant advantage in the information war," Kurapika explained. "It will also increase the burden on Chrollo, having lost his strategist."
"That guy is seriously bad news," Killua said. "They say he handles all their net-related stuff. I had my little brother look into it, and he's apparently pretty famous in those circles. Well, obviously there's no solid proof, but still."
"Plus, he's an orthodox Manipulator who controls other people, right?" Leorio added. "If we didn't know his face, that alone could be a fatal mistake."
He wasn't a "tasty" opponent from Hisoka's perspective, so Hisoka didn't have much detailed intel, but they all agreed that in terms of overall trouble, Shalnark was at the very top.
"And then," Gon said, "the other one we want to secure before the unavoidable final battle is No. 2, Feitan."
The picture Gon was looking at showed a short man with black hair and sharp eyes: Feitan, wielder of the one-shot-reversal Hatsu, Pain Packer: Unforgiven.
"That's the plan," Kurapika said. "Ideally, we'd pick them all off one by one, but that's impossible. We'll be lucky to get one or two."
"But what's the plan?" Leorio grumbled. "If they're all gathered together, it's a chance to wipe them out, but we're screwed if we're outnumbered, right?"
Hisoka, who had been watching them stress, thought for a moment and then joined the discussion.
"It's not actually such a bad bet, you know. ♦ I can't go into details, but I've made some preparations of my own. ♣"
"What's with the suspense?" Killua asked. "You really think you can do something about this difference in numbers?"
"First, that's where you're a little mistaken. To be honest, the difference in numbers isn't that serious. ♠"
Hisoka's view related to the division of roles within the Phantom Troupe—namely, combatants versus non-combatants.
"Frankly, when it comes to Pakunoda and Kortopi, even Leorio has a chance of winning. And Killua and Kurapika could even beat Shizuku. ♦ Plus, Chrollo, with his strong collector's drive, will almost certainly assign at least one of these three as a bodyguard. ♣"
Hisoka mentally removed those three from the picture of the Troupe, then also set aside Shalnark and Feitan, and motioned to himself and Chrollo.
"See? If we can take out two of them preemptively, it'll be 5 against 6. And considering the trump cards Gon and I have, our chances of winning are more than sufficient. ♥"
"Ooooh..." Killua and Leorio hummed in admiration. In contrast, Kurapika, who didn't think it would go that smoothly, and Gon, who had a bad feeling, still looked worried.
"Well, it's good to plan for the worst, but it's also important not to overthink things. ♣ Now, for the main topic... Kurapika, I'd like you to decide the terms of the Judgment Chain you'll place on me. ♦"
"I don't mind," Kurapika said, "but I can't set the terms too precisely."
In sharp contrast to Kurapika's frown, Hisoka grinned, imagining the pleasure of things going exactly his way.
"That's fine. ♥ I only want to seal two things. One is the memory that you and I are working together. The other is your '____' towards me. ♠"
The group understood the first condition, but they tilted their heads at the second, wondering if that alone was enough. In the end, they deferred to Hisoka, who insisted it was fine. As an added insurance policy, they also decided to seal his memory of the match with Gon.
"Well then, I'll see you in Yorknew City. I look forward to seeing how much stronger you've all become. ♥"
And so, Hisoka received the completed, true Judgment Chain from Kurapika, who had activated his Scarlet Eyes.
***
"Are you really sure about this request and this payment? I mean, it's a good deal for me, so I don't mind."
"It doesn't matter. For us, we have no choice but to have you accept."
"Okay, I'll take the job. Just make sure you pay up."
"I know. I'm not so bored that I'd make an enemy of you."
***
Gon and his friends ran full-speed toward the Spider. The jester kept pace beside them, unbothered.
They were closing in at an incredible speed, but their opponent was the Spider—whose specialty was laying traps in its web, not fleeing.
Would they be torn apart, or would they be ensnared? Less than two months remained until the inevitable conclusion.
***
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