Chapter 22: Open X Orchestrated
Sinbad and Killua quickly noticed the person waiting for them at the end of the hallway, halting to a stop. Pokkle, a little delayed compared to the other two, ceased his movement as they focused on the person. They couldn't see the more accurate descriptions of the person. A strange darkness blocked their vision at the end of the tunnel, as if something was absorbing and withholding the light from shining.
Even with Sinbad's acute intuition and En, Killua's keen eyesight, and Pokkle's enhanced vision, they could only see an outline of the male figure.
The person on the opposite end raised their head and locked onto the trio, from this action alone, Sinbad sensed evil intent from them.
Still growing accustomed to this new world of fighting tactics, abilities, and situations, Sinbad deduced that this blinding and stealth was due to Nen.
Sinbad unsheathed his blade and the ominous figure rose to his feet.
"Show yourself!" Pokkle shouted.
As if a great breeze blew through the tunnel, the blinding fog vanished and the person standing before them came into view, it was someone they were familiar with, especially Pokkle and Sinbad. The light of the lightbulbs reflected off the man's bald head. He stood much taller than Sinbad, had broad thick shoulders, tape covered his wrists and forearms.
Hanzo the Ninja.
'What is he doing here?' Sinbad thought internally, sheathing his curved blade. Sensing the threat disappear, he didn't worry about a fight breaking out, quickly figuring out Hanzo's intentions for being here.
"Finally, you showed up, Sinbad," Hanzo said as he slowly approached the trio. His hand traced the top of his left forearm, pulling out his long hidden blade and pointed it at Sinbad. "Once I heard you would be here, I got to Heavens Arena as quickly as possible."
"You want to challenge him?" Killua asked without much care, folding his arms. However, he was a bit surprised about his sudden appearance and interest in Sinbad. Then, he remembered how different Hanzo acted after the Fourth Phase of the Hunter Exam, especially toward Sinbad. Killua concluded that he took a devastating loss and couldn't cope with such a defeat.
Pokkle shot a worried glance at Sinbad as a terrifying memory flashed across his mind. This scene happened after the three of them become Hunters, during the time they took a detour from going straight to Heavens Arena, chasing after some circus band Sinbad wanted to see.
When Sinbad pulled Pokkle to the said and threatened him with the same blade strapped to Sinbad's hip, the same blade that previously threatened him during the Exams. If he were to expose the secret of Sinbad's involvement in Gon's death, he wouldn't spare a single second from slicing his head off.
Hanzo nodded. "I am seeking justice to restore my pride as a ninja."
"Really?" Sinbad chuckled, a bit amused by this dramatic scene. He threw his arms up, feigning ignorance. "How could I possibly restore such a thing?"
Hanzo reached into his back pocket and immediately, Pokkle and Killua prepared for a fight but Sinbad remained clueless and at ease. Hanzo revealed a numbered ID badge, 294.
"The Hunter Exams are over," replied Sinbad.
"Yeah but I cannot excuse the results," Hanzo snapped, slashing the air in front of him with conviction. "I will return back to my village once this is settled."
"It appears, once again, that I will be the one to decide that," mocked Sinbad.
Hanzo's face twisted in anger, releasing his Nen.
Killua opened the palm of his hands, to demonstrate his good intentions. "Listen–"
"No!" Hanzo screamed. He pointed the sharp edge of his blade at Sinbad and his left hand hovered over his anguished face, desperately trying to cover the pained expression. "This is between me and him. I suffered an embarrassing defeat and then used like a puny little pawn to satisfy his own agenda. You do not know the wickedness that resides in that man's cold heart."
Killua's gaze fell to the carpet floor.
"He is right," Sinbad announced, walking further past Killua and entering Hanzo's striking range. "This is between us."
Hanzo's attention switched between Sinbad and Killua. "Does he even know?"
"Know what?" Killua asked, looking at the back of Sinbad's head. After seeing his nonreaction, his attention returned to Hanzo.
"Of course, he didn't tell you," muttered Hanzo, speaking more so to himself rather than him.
"Tell me what!" Killua shouted, annoyed because of being left out of the loop. He looked around the group, Sinbad still kept his attention away from him and Pokkle's eye fell to the ground.
"During the Fourth Phase of the Hunter Exam, I ran into Hanzo" Sinbad spoke, preparing to reveal the truth to Killua. As he spoke, Sinbad kept his attention on Hanzo. "I asked Pokkle to keep an eye on Hanzo, Hisoka, and Gon during this phase. I defeated Hanzo in combat and demanded a command to be followed out of honor and consequence."
Sinbad paused to allow his words to settle and Hanzo hung his head, ashamed.
Killua stomped toward Sinbad and grabbed his left shoulder. "What happened next?"
Even though Killua grabbed him, Sinbad refused to look his friend in the eyes, casting his gaze onto the floor. "As I revealed before to all you after the Hunter Exams, I have this innate ability to see the Threads of Fate pertaining to me and others I come across with. Gon, he–"
"Enough with the theatrics!" Hanzo stomped forward. "I killed Gon! Because he forced me!"
"What…" Killua released Sinbad's blue jacket, taking a few steps backward.
A moment of silence loomed over the people crowding the hallway.
Sinbad spun and faced the stunned Killua with fabricated tears running down his face. "I was scared, okay? I feared that he would grow too strong, his existence threatened my own so I had to do what had to be done."
Shocked by Sinbad's raw emotions, Killua tore his gaze from him and looked at Hanzo. "By why did you–"
"Because, I knew that you and him were friends," Sinbad interrupted, accurately guessing his next question. "Shit, Gon and I were friends, that's not something I could do with my own hands. So, I had him do it."
Sinbad wiped his face with his long sleeves, straightened his back and calmed himself down. "I'm sorry, Killua. I did what had to be done."
'It had to be done?' Killua thought.
Reading his facial expressions, Sinbad understood what they meant and capitalized. "I'm sorry for withholding this secret from you and I know I should have told you sooner but I didn't want to jeopardize our friendship. During the Hunter Exams and after, we were getting closer and I didn't want to ruin that."
Killua's gaze absorbed the desperation in Sinbad's eyes as they vibrated, the gut wrenching pain in his voice, and the nervousness in his body as it shook. 'He didn't want to tell me because it would damage our friendship?'
Sinbad studied Killua's body language as it softened, understanding that he was close to breaking through to him. "I know it was selfish but it was a matter of survival, me or him."
'If he did it out of survival, then can I really blame him?' Killua thought, understanding Sinbad's actions. After all, Killua knew Sinbad first and longer.
Killua nodded his head. "Okay, I get it."
"Thank you for listening to me," Sinbad said, reaching out with his hand. "We are still friends right?"
Killua gave a slight smile, returning the gesture. "Shut up."
Watching the whole scene develop between Sinbad and Killua, Pokkle couldn't help himself from staring at Sinbad in utter fear and admiration. The man's ability to act and persuade was peerless to none and it scared him but also pushed him to be a better Hunter because Sinbad–in his eyes–was the embodiment of a true Hunter.
Sinbad spun on his heels, noticing Hanzo's disappearance and then motioned for them to continue.
Turning the corner to enter the subsequent hallway, they noticed the front desk and rushed toward it. After introducing them to the floor and handing Sinbad and Killua their room keys, the newcomers of the 200th Floor signed up for their first fights.
Sinbad accepted Hanzo's challenge, agreeing to fight the next day. And Killua signed up to fight on the following day. The boys retired for the night and since Sinbad lost the rock paper scissors, Pokkle will be staying in Sinbad's lavish room.
…
Sinbad stood in front of the full body length size mirror, inspecting every inch of himself before his first ever 200th Floor fight. He loved the new outfit he selected after the exams, rocking a purple sailor jacket and pink vest underneath paired with long white trousers. A cocky smile rose from his lips, pleased of his beauty and natural elegance, he was ready to put on a show for the audience.
He turned around and collected his blue ornate blade, stashing it at his hip. Confidently, he exited the fighting prep room and entered the long cement tunnel. Sinbad could hear and feel the crowd's anticipation, adding to his excitement and building an actual eagerness to fight.
As his name was called, Sinbad walked out into the arena. Smoke and celebratory sparkles were shot from his side of the tunnel, the buzzing crowd cheered. With a fist pumped into the air, he climbed the elevator stairs to reach the fighting arena.
After stopping, he did a complete three sixty, giving the audience a complete image of him. He found his ever growing fan club of girls, blowing them a kiss. In response, one of the six women fainted and the others squealed for joy as he acknowledged them.
A certain pink haired woman in disguise rolled her eyes and her cheeks flushed pink due to the interaction. Then, coming from behind her and taking the open sit next to her was a tall slender man wearing makeup, a star and raindrop underneath each eye.
"Are you interested in him too?" Hisoka asked Machi.
Machi straightened her back, ignoring the fact that her cover had been blown. "I am interested in your words."
Hisoka smiled. "Is that so?"
Hanzo was soon announced and he didn't waste any time dashing onto the tile fighting arena, appearing directly in front of Sinbad. Finally, the referee made his appearance and greeted the two fighters.
"Let's have a clean fight, gentlemen," The referee shouted over the screams and cheers of the spectators. "Since these were two rookies of the 200th Floor, he explained the rules that governed these fights and how the victor was determined, through a point system and the one who accumulated ten points claimed victory."
Sinbad and Hanzo nodded to confirm that they understood the system, however deep down they both knew that this fight wasn't going to end so cleanly, especially from Hanzo's stares.
"We have two new fighters today, I can't wait to see what they have in store for us!" The announcer lady, Cocco shouted into her mic. "These two climb the lower floors with relative ease and speed, not losing a single fight. Sinbad demonstrated such flair and flexibility while Hanzo defeated his opponent with a single chop to the back of the neck!"
The crowd's excitement only grew from the lady's breakdown of the history between the two fighters.
"I just hope this fight doesn't bore me," a voice erupted in the audience, coming from the same overhead booth as the announcer lady.
Shocked, she turned to her side and saw a blonde bare chested man, the newest crowned Floor Master, Gilgamesh. Her eyes nearly jumped from their sockets in surprise, rising out of her seat. "Gilgamesh!"
Hearing this, the crowd turned their attention toward the microphone booth to get a glimpse of their favorite fighter, Gilgamesh. He appeared like a golden light as they got to witness the Floor Master. The audience cheered and called out his name for his attention but he ignored them.
Sinbad took a quick glance up into the booth, locking eyes with his twin brother. An arrogant smile stretched from his lips. 'He wants to see my Nen Ability but it's not going to matter.'
The announcer lady, Coco's mind flooded with questions for the Floor Master but made the correct decision of staying quiet and waited for him to say anything. He, however, remained quiet and kept his attention down at the fighting arena.
"Okay folks! I guess we will be having a guest appearance in the booth, our newest Floor Master, Gilgamesh!" The crowd roared, giving him a warm welcome.
Without further delay, the referee raised his hand and then swung it down. "Begin!"
Sinbad unsheathed his blade, stepped toward the center of the tile floor and then activated his Nen.
In response, Hanzo unsheathed the hidden blade underneath his bandages, at the same time, he activated Ten. He got low into a defensive stance in anticipation of Sinbad's ridiculous speed, replaying their previous fight and how quickly Sinbad defeated him.
In the audience, Killua, Pokkle, Zushi, and Wing sat together with their eyes glued in front of them, waiting for the fight to truly begin.
"You said that these two have previously fought before?" Wing asked, wiping his eyes clean with the end of his button shirt.
"Yep," Killua answered before taking a sip of his soda. "Apparently, Sinbad beat him so badly in the exams that he is seeking revenge."
"That's not good," Wing muttered without thinking about the others overhearing him.
At the other side of Killua, Pokkle leaned over to ask their sensei. "Why isn't it good? Sinbad is much stronger than Hanzo."
Putting his drink down, Killua thought for a second. "Yeah but the last time they fought, neither of them knew Nen."
"Could Nen really close the gap between the two in such a short period of time?" Pokkle asked Wing.
"Depends on the User," Wing answered, removing his gaze from the two fighters and looking at his two students. "And his own conviction."
Killua and Pokkle shared a glance and then looked back at Sinbad, who confidently stood at the very center of the square tile arena.
"King's Crown!" Sinbad yelled, announcing the introduction to the beginning stages of his Nen Ability. A golden crown manifested on the top of his head. The heels of his feet glowed in a yellow hue. "King's Court!"
Announcing the second stage of his Nen Ability, Sinbad's golden aura stretched from his feet and imbued itself into the tile floor. His Nen pulsated as it pushed from his body and influenced the area around him.
Unwilling to make any rash decisions, Hanzo remained stationary for the time being, wanting to understand the ability and more importantly, try to figure out what Nen Category Sinbad belonged to.
Sinbad boasted with a cocky smile. "You wish to know what my ability does?"
Hanzo only focused on the man, to make sure he doesn't get blitzed and caught off guard, but he refuses to answer the question.
"It seems you don't wish to know but I will tell you anyways," Sinbad shrugged his shoulders, keeping the curved blade in his right hand. "Well not entirely, I will tell you how to prevent it at least. I am going to stand here for two whole minutes without moving, it is your job to try and stop me."
Coco's voice echoed from the arena, shouting into the mic about Sinbad's refusal of moving and wondering if he was that confident or reckless.
A vein bulged from Hanzo's forehead. "How about we up the stakes for this fight?"
"Oh really?" Sinbad asked with amusement but he completely planned on Hanzo trying to replicate the conditions of their previous fight, the man was desperate in restoring his honor. "What did you have in mind?"
"You know what I am talking about!" Hanzo shouted, taking a step forward. "Are you prepared to lose something in order to gain something in return?"
Unbeknownst to Hanzo, once activating King's Crown, this was the absolute foundation of Sinbad's Nen Ability, an equal exchange of loss and reward. Similar to that of sieging against a crown or nation, the opportunity to gain the crown or lose everything you love and stand for.
However, since Sinbad isn't making the initial challenge, he doesn't have to risk giving more than necessary to match the lower status opponent and in this case it was Hanzo.
Sinbad smiled. "I accept. Do you wish to know what is lost or gained before or after the fight?"
"No," answered Hanzo, gritting his teeth and with resolve.
At this exchangement of words, Gilgamesh yawned in the mic. "This clown and his theatrics, boring me to sleep."
"Woah, I kind of agree with you Gilgamesh," Cocco agreed, taking a glance at her new co host in the announcer's booth. "They have only been talking this entire time!"
Elsewhere in the arena, Hisoka whispered to Machi. "Did you catch that?"
"Yes," Machi nodded. "The bald guy must be extremely new to Nen because it seems that he played into Sinbad's initial trap by activating the Crown and then the Court ability without explaining what the Crown does."
Hisoka didn't offer a response but only smiled in growing amusement. "I can't wait till our fateful duel."
Back in the arena, Sinbad's King's Court ability had only been activated for thirty seconds. He remained standing without moving an inch while his Nen fortified a translucent barrier five feet around him.
Not wanting to stand around and wait any longer, Hanzo unleashed his Nen Ability. "Smoke Bomb!"
As it sounds, an explosion of black and gray smoke erupted from Hanzo's body, and the area of the gas engulfed the fighting arena. The referee caught in the smoke coughed and strained his eyes, making sure to keep both fighters in his line of sight to properly allocate the points once earned.
'So, that was his Nen Ability, I was correct,' Sinbad thought without distress as he was engulfed by the smoke. His eyes focused on the outline of Hanzo's broad shoulders and muscular frame, a bit overly exposed for a ninja. Even with his En constantly available, Sinbad was able to detect Hanzo and prepare for the attack.
Sinbad was able to even sense Hanzo's right hand grab onto a conjured dagger and push off the ground, heading straight for Sinbad at the center of the square arena.
Sinbad and Hanzo's unsheathed hidden blade clashed, sparks bounced from inside of the fog, temporarily highlighting the two opponents, Sinbad's smile and Hanzo's desperation. Using the momentum gained from Hanzo's blade, Sinbad's blade deflected and spun, aiming to horizontally slash across Hanzo's body.
Hanzo leapt back, dodging the slash and threw his conjured dagger at Sinbad. He dashed to his right as his body flickered to sidestep away from the flying dagger, in doing so Sinbad left the center of the ring and immediately ended his Nen releasing from his body.
At the end of this exchange, the smoke cleared. Their bodies and positions revealed to the waiting crowd to see the results of their first skirmish.
"Look, Sinbad has already given up his stance at the center of the ring!" The lady shouted.
'I never said I wouldn't move from the spot,' sulked Sinbad inwardly. He casually walked and returned to his spot at the center of the square arena. Once returned, Sinbad's Nen flowed out from his legs and into the growing area of his glowing Nen, claiming his territory.
Like condensed mist, the previously thrown dagger solidified and returned into Hanzo's right hand. His eyes scanned the glowing tiles, highlighted in Sinbad's Nen and noticed that nearly half of the arena was glowing from Sindbad's Nen. An intense desire to finish this fight pushed Hanzo's body to act, he lunged forward and threw the dagger once again.
Sinbad's enhanced senses and increased foresight, he deduced the dagger to be off target so he kept his attention on Hanzo and didn't move. As the dagger ran parallel to Sinbad, making its way past his body, in Sinbad's vision, the ninja disappeared.
Sinbad sensed the incoming threat before he could react as Hanzo teleported, taking over the position of the dagger. Hanzo lunged forward with the elongated blade attached to his left forearm. Sinbad jumped in the air, ending the time required to claim the entire square arena to dodge the thrusting blade.
Sinbad whipped his right leg, aiming a kick at Hanzo's face. He blocked the kick with his free opposite hand and grabbed onto Sinbad's leg, increasing his strength to yank him around and throw him toward the edge of the tile floor.
While in the air, Sinbad regained his balance and angled the bottom of his heels to land on the ground. However, right before his feet could touch the ground, one of Hanzo's Vanishing Daggers aimed straight for Sinbad's chest.
Sinbad's mind raced toward the right conclusion. Is Hanzo going to teleport or use this to bait him?
"Smoke Bomb!" Hanzo shouted.
Right before his mind could come up with a conclusion, Sinbad's vision went blind into a blue smoke. Light refused to enter his retinas as Sinbad's vision vanished and for the first time since Sinbad developed his En at the young age of six years old, he couldn't sense a single thing.
It was as if Hanzo completely vanished from reality.
Except this wasn't the case, for everyone in the audience, Hanzo was completely visible.