Meteor City
A sprawling, lawless settlement built on the ruins of discarded trash and debris.
Known for its anarchic structure and mysterious culture.
It is home to society's outcasts, fugitives, and those rejected by the outside world.
The lowest floor at the Fourth-Dimensional Mansion.
Inside, two people with identical facial features were engaged in their daily sparring match.
The black-haired boy Ron observed as Machi charged fiercely.
Her strikes still showed high-level mastery, yet in his eyes, she was getting sluggish.
"This should be enough."
Ron dodged her roundhouse kick with ease and even took advantage of her vulnerability to sneak in a straight counter.
"Urgh..."
The attack only landed on her shoulder, but Machi felt her whole body go numb.
She groaned in pain and staggered backward.
The aura surrounding her body flickered and vanished.
Machi collapsed on her knees and glared at Ron with resentment.
"You could have avoided it!? Was that counter necessary?"
Seeing her fierce attitude, Ron's eyes darted away.
"Sorry, I reacted on instinct..."
"That's an instinctive reaction!?—Liar!"
Machi didn't believe it.
Living with her brother for a long time means she knows his behavior better than Ron himself.
Ron smiled wryly and scratched the back of his head.
"My bad... I guess..."
Machi sighed in exasperation, choosing not to pursue the matter.
"Whatever... Anyway, how is my progress compared to before?"
Looking at her face full of expectation, Ron paused.
He considered sugarcoating things—
She probably wouldn't like it, so I'll just be blunt.
"I'd say it's not bad, you're barely able to keep up with me at 1 percent of my power."
Machi rolled her eyes and stood akimbo.
"That part was unnecessary—braggart!
Besides, that's the amount of aura reserves, not my entire strength.
It doesn't entirely dictate a match—that's what you said."
Hearing the words "that's what you said," Ron was momentarily speechless.
He couldn't refute it.
So, he silently retorted.
It's true... But I don't want to hear that from you.
His mind wandered back to then, after forcefully awakening Machi...
To be honest, Ron was taken aback.
It's not surprising for him to have immense aura reserves, being a reincarnated soul.
That was understandable.
But for Machi to have twice the amount of Gon's aura at the same age...
What a monster!
He could only mentally swallow dry saliva.
Seeing Ron dazed,
Machi scoffed and said nothing.
***
Ron sat comfortably and gave Machi a furtive look.
Machi obviously noticed his inner turmoil but chose to ignore it.
Ron considered this the perfect time to bring up the topic—
He no longer hesitated.
"Machi, I'm thinking of leaving Meteor City tomorrow.
I already have a plan in mind and just need to talk to the elders about our departure."
Hearing the familiar words, the corner of her mouth slightly rose.
I knew it!
Still, Machi couldn't let Ron know.
Machi raised an eyebrow.
"Leaving?—Then we can leave. I don't see the issue. Why do you have to report it to me?"
Ron, who was seizing her reaction, fell mouth open, forming a small "o."
He never expected this to go so smoothly.
Was it really this easy?
Normally, she should have more demands.
Just to be certain, he asked again.
"Are you sure you're not against my decision?"
Machi looked at Ron with a provocative smirk.
"Yes. Do you want me to disagree?"
Ron waved his hands, stammering.
"No! If you're fine with it, that's all I need to know.
To be honest, I'd have been stressed thinking about what to do if you refused... Sigh."
"Why would I refuse? I'm not that excessive, am I?"
Ron was lost for words.
He remembered.
Whenever they had a short-term fight, Machi always displayed her not-so-excessive but super-demanding side.
In order to avoid further conflict, Ron could reluctantly agree to any of her requests, assuming they were within his capabilities.
Machi smiled meaningfully, ignoring his subtle reaction.
Got you, fool~
Machi stretched her slender arms and sat on his lap, comfortably leaning her head on his chest.
"Brother, I'm sleepy... Let's take a rest."
Ron didn't think much of her intimate gesture.
Their relationship has always been close.
Despite living in a harsh environment, where people have low moral standards, Ron has never been affected.
He considered their behavior normal, but only due to several factors:
One, Machi was always clinging to him.
Lastly, Ron never had a sibling in his previous life.
Although he understood and respected the bond of people in Meteor City,
Ron placed great importance on Machi as his only blood relative.
***
A thin smile formed on her lips as he scooped her up and carried her like a princess into their bed.
"Good night, brother."
Ron smiled and replied.
"Yeah, good night."
After a minute—
Machi slowly opened her eyes into thin slits.
Seeing Ron sleep peacefully, she sat up on the bed and folded her arms.
"Same as usual. He always sleeps like a log."
Ron didn't follow a strict schedule, but his life was systematic:
Sleep when it was time to sleep and wake when it was time to wake.
Machi's lips curved into a doting smile as she gently fixed his hair.
"I've known your plan of leaving this place, and not only that, but also the plans you've kept hidden.
I just didn't bother asking because I wanted you to tell me yourself—but look what we have here."
She pinched his cheek lightly while grumbling in dissatisfaction.
"You didn't tell me a single thing—what a scoundrel! Although I said we shouldn't be secretive...
You deserve some punishment for dishonesty. Oops, maybe it's more like a reward for me~ He he."
Machi giggled sillily as she put her plans into action.
With his strict sleep schedule, regardless of what would happen...
Ron wouldn't wake for the next eight hours.
***
The next morning—
Oblivious to yesterday's events, Ron woke up feeling an ache in his body.
"My back is sore... Was my sleeping posture that bad?"
Ron stopped massaging his back.
He turned his attention to the silver pocket watch in his right hand.
There was an engraved message, "Don't forget," alongside a specific date on it.
"They said a thousand-mile journey begins with a single step.
We've been through a lot of hardships and become what we are now.
Ready to embrace the meaning of life and seize what the world has to offer..."
Then, his gaze shifted to the pile of garbage that had been built on their house, now soaked in gasoline.
Ron ignited a lighter and threw it.
The flames erupted quickly—
Sending ashes into the sky alongside thick, gray smoke.
The fire devoured the structure down to cinders.
This action doesn't have any sort of meaning...
The house could be rebuilt anywhere within this place, but this was special.
By using this method, Ron expressed his resolve of no return.
"...I'm going now to fulfill your dreams for us, Mother."
After turning his back...
As if it came to life, the smoke formed an image of a woman.
She watched his departing figure with a thin smile across her face.
***
Walking a thousand meters away—
Ron crouched and picked up a can of beer.
Simultaneously, with his other hand, a small flame-like aura erupted on his index finger.
He drew a circle with scribbles on the ground.
The void's center blackened after a single tap, which was only visible to him.
This action was nothing but a sort of misdirection.
Ron opened the can, and a faint "fresh" scent lingered in his nose.
"This beer has gone bad..."
He poured the contents out and tossed the can aside before kicking it away.
The can flew into a mound of garbage.
It bounced several times before crashing into the stagnant water.
The small ripples reflected the silhouette of a man hidden behind the mound.
A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he silently slipped out of the site.
"Was it a coincidence, or did he notice me? Heh... interesting."
Once the figure disappeared, Ron glanced sideways.
Then proceeded as if nothing happened.
"A sneaky rat from the mafia... Did he think I wouldn't notice his movement with that clumsy Zetsu?
Anyway, should I do them a favor and eliminate this rat?"
The thought didn't last long before Ron dismissed the idea.
"No, that can wait. I think they still have a purpose. I'll need them for that..."
***
[Kirimori Valley]
Ron rode the bus to the small town—Misty Town—and got off.
Instead of heading straight to the valley, he took a detour, navigating a secret passage that led to Misty Forest.
True to its name, the forest was shrouded in thick, twilight fog, spinning in a perfect circle like the eye of a storm.
From a distance, it could easily be mistaken for a stationary typhoon...
However, Ron knew better; this phenomenon was the residual aura saturating the entire forest.
According to local lore...
Thousands of years before Meteor City was established, the valley was said to have been inhabited by a god.
The stories claimed that the god once blessed this place by planting a tree and assigning an ancient being to protect it.
Ron had heard the tale from wanderers and residents:
Misty Forest was supposedly a trial, granting eternal life to anyone who could survive it.
Many dismissed the story as a hoax or simple entertainment. But some claimed it was real.
One desperate woman named Kaguya was terrified of dying and apparently entered the forest, determined to take the risk. Since she was already near death, there was nothing left to lose.
After several months of being missing, everyone thought she was dead.
However, Kaguya reportedly returned, claiming the story was true.
People were skeptical about immortality, while others were wary of Kaguya.
Many thought she had died and speculated that she might be a witch in disguise, trying to lure them.
During this time, people had a tendency to cling to their own beliefs.
Attempts were made to kill Kaguya, but they failed.
Fearing she was truly evil, they rallied together to eliminate her, but she vanished mysteriously.
Still, was immortality real?
To some, it seemed possible but not proven.
Rumors about Misty Forest and the so-called immortal woman became a daily topic in their time and were sometimes even used to scare children.
However, never underestimate people's curiosity.
Some began to believe in the god and the legend of eternal life, while the majority dismissed the topic as nonsense.
Still, human greed is persistent.
A few dared to take on the trial, gambling with their lives—yet no word returned from them.
The remaining residents assumed the others had succeeded and chose not to go back.
Some speculated the woman was seeking revenge for their attempt to kill her.
Everyone became wary and considered Misty Forest a cursed place.
Several years had passed...
An invasion reshaped the lands, and new nations were born.
With the establishment of strict hierarchies, ruthless nobles separated royal blood from commoners.
The current king believed those outside the royal line were undeserving of his empire, casting them out into a vast wasteland.
Over time, they settled in a place that would later become a garbage dump of industrial waste—the foundation of what would be known as Meteor City.
Still, the tale persisted through time. However, the details had grown vague.
Some said the god was dead; others claimed he had vanished from the area.
The truth could no longer be verified.
Regardless, no one dared to enter Misty Forest—though the nearby town remained inhabited.