HUNTER EXAM ARC: Final Phase x and x Matches

Gon, Killua, Kurapika, Leorio, Pokkle, Bodoro, Gittarackur, Hanzo, Hisoka, and Aria. Those ten applicants are currently heading towards the Final Phase, having passed the exam's Fourth Phase. Then arrived into a kind of weird Indian-styled palace in one of the large empty rooms where Chairman Netero spoke to them with all the examiners on one side and a bunch of suit and sunglasses-wearing men on the other.

"Well gentlemen, and the young lady. Did you get plenty of rest? This hotel is owned by the Hunter Exam Selection Committee. The place is all yours until the battles have concluded." He explained with his arms behind his back as a man in suit approached them while pushing a board covered by a sheet and with wheels. "For the Final Phase, we will be holding a one-on-one tournament." Netero then took the sheet off of the board and the applicants gasped in surprise.

Aria raised an eyebrow, for some reason the lines on the board with the bottom hidden seems like a game called 'Amidakuji' that was shown to her in the past, but since she didn't had much interest in it she didn't bothered to remember more about it.

"So the last person standing passes?" Leorio wondered aloud.

Netero however shook his head at the idea Leorio had about the Final Phase, "No." Then he raised his finger as he furrowed his eyebrows, "One win is all you need to pass."

"One win?" Gon's eyes widened at the answer.

Leorio continued to voice his shock, "Then, in this tournament..."

"The winners are removed from competition, while the losers continue up the bracket." He then pointed at the very tip of the line, that had yet separated into other and was still single. "In other words, the person who finishes at the top will not pass. Does everyone understand now?"

'Isn't it the inverse of most tournaments' principles?' Aria thought. In normal times, it would be 'the last one standing would be the winner', right?

"So you're saying that only one person will fail." Hanzo said as Netero returned his gaze, unwavering. "Exactly." All the applicants looked back at him, some smiling with confidence at the unexpected 'easy' final phase while some others noarrowed their eyes in determination, wary towards the fact that it would be too good for it to be far too easy.

"And here is the bracket." Netero then snapped the paper covering the end of the board, showing the photos of the applicants along with their tags numbers. The results were that the first few matchs would be composed of Hanzo vs Gon, Kurapika vs Hisoka and... Aria vs Leorio? The rests of the applicants were to fight whoever lose in those three matchs, and the loser go up and fight other applicants while the winner stay at the bottom, and etc...

"Impressive, right?" Netero praised his own work, "After all, everyobne has at least two chances to win."

"But some people like #294 and "405, get five chances." Pokkle stated upon looking more carefully at the board, indeed Gon and Hanzo had more chances than everyone among here, even the two other groups who were fighting each other right at the beginning.

Gon looked at Hanzo in response but the latter just kept his eyes closed.

Bodoro found reason in Pokkle's words and spoke at his turn, "Why didn't you use a balanced bracket?"

Netero hummed as he answered, his eyes closed. "A question that must be on everyone's mind." Then he opened his eyes, "This bracket was assembled based on your performances throughout the entire exam. Those who performed better received more chances." He hinted at Gon and Hanzo.

Killua's eyes widened at that and for the first time in a while, he showed a surprised expression but soon narrowed his eyes. "That doesn't sound right," He said as he glared at Netero, "Can you explain how you scored our performances?"

Killua looked at him in a expectant manner as Netero closed his eyes as if he was considered it... then he opened his eyes sharply, and―

"NO~!" He screamed, his mouth wide open and his eyes bulging out while he was shaking his head back and forth, making his long ears fly into the 'waves'. The face was so weird that it almost caused Killua to jump in surprise but he soon became ticked off, "Why?!"

Netero snickered before smiling, "Hehehe... Your scores are classified informations. So I can't tell you everything. But I can explain our methods." All the attention was on him, so he now continued seriously compared to his earlier display, "First, we consider three major criteria: physical strength, mental strength, and overall impression. For phyiscla strength, we use an aggregate of agility, flexibility, endurance, and perception. For mental strength, we use an aggregate of resilience, adaptability, judgement, and creativity. However, this information is only used as a reference point. After all, you were srong enough to advance to the Final Phase. However, we are most concerned with your overall impression. This refers to any intangible factors not previously mentioned."

'That explain the reasons of the choice of the previous phases, huh?' Aria thought as she understood a bit by bit more about the exam more the chairman spoke.

Netero's eyes then narrowed towards the applicants as he kept on laughing and created a heavy contrast between the expression of his mouth and his brows, "Hohoho! You could consider this an evalutation of your potential as a Hunter. And we also incorporate the opinions of your peers. That was our process."

Killua's frown was still present as he quickly analyzed the results. 'Based on performance, I should be ranked higher... Do I have less potential than Gon?' Just a bit, he felt bitter about it.

Aria too felt curious about that as she raised a hand and asked, "If it's about that then it would be weird for me to be ranked close to... Gon and his merry friends."

"Gon and his merry friends?!" Leorio shouted in surprise and slight offence, "What the heck?! Are we some kind of music band?! Is it me or we all seems like sub characters compared to Gon?!"

Netero tried to hold back his laughter as he asked to her, "Are you insinuating that you wish to be ranked higher compared to them?"

Aria answered without missing a beat, "Nope at all. Shouldn't I be ranked... lower instead? I mean compared to them who kept on working way too hard and end up... sweating and panting like some kind of enraged bulls, I didn't bother to try."

...

"...Say, Kurapika, is she actually praising us or insulting us?"

"I have no idea Leorio, Aria's choice of words can be quite ambiguous so even I don't understand well their meanings."

"...Gon, as expected that girl is weird, what do you like so much about her anyway?"

"A–ahaha..."

Not even the four that found themselves often stucked with her could get what was going through her head.

"Hohoho! It's look like you aren't aware of it, but you sure do look after them don't you?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Aria couldn't help but feel puzzled over Netero's words and the smile she can't understand that he had been giving her.

However Netero didn't said any more than this and only kept on explaining the rules: "The battle rules are quite simple. Weapons are allowed. No cheating. If your opponent admits defeat, you win. However! If you kill your opponent, you will be immediately disqualified. All remaining applicants will pass, and the exam will end. Are we clear?"

No one voiced any objection in response, taking that in account on of the black-wearing suit man declared. "Then, we shall begin the exam's Final Phase. The first match is Hanzo vs Gon. Please step forward!"

Both participants of the first showdown were preparing themselves, Gon was tying his boots' laces tight while Hanzo was cracking his wrists as a warm-up, before they walked up to the man in suit who was probably being the judge of this match and then faced each other. Gon looked up to Hanzo, Hanzo looked down to Gon while the spectators were looking at both of them.

"I will serve as the referee. My name is Masta." The man introduced himself, "Best luck to both of you." He said neutraly, not taking one side or the other.

But suddenly, Hanzo said. "Yo, good to see you again!"

"Wha...?!" Before the man could speak again, Hanzo continued. "You were tailing me during the Fourth Phase, weren't you?"

"...!" Gon's eyes opened wide at that statement in realization.

"You noticed?"

"Naturally..." Hanzo said smoothly on purpose, "I'm assuming that each applicant was assigned an examiner for the Fourth Phase. Well, I'm sure that everybody else noticed though." He sounded more smug than anything, he must have expected that nobody besides him noticed it thus making feel superior.

'I had no idea.' Gon thought in wonder.

'I obviously noticed.' Killua frowned in displeasure.

'Oh...' Aria blinked.

Kurapika looked at a suddenly nervous Leorio, "I thought it wasn't worth mentioning."

"Y–yeah..." Even though he answered this, Leorio's sweating form and badly twitching eyebrow was an obvious give-away at his real thoughts. 'How was I supposed to notice that?!' He thought about it many times in the past but are the people surrounding him all superhumans? Beasts in humans skins?!

"You have my thanks. My rank was higher because your reprorts on me were accurate." Hanzo smirked as he crossed his arms with a smug air as raised his neck upward, "Though the outcome was never in doubt!"

"Y–yes..." Masta sweatdropped slightly at the obvious display of arrogance. Gon just looked at him in thought.

"Just stop trying to brag about your ego shining... like your hairless head and get to the real matter... already! We're waiting over here!" Upon hearing Aria's words, most of the applicants and examiners tried to hide their laughter while covering their mouths with their hands and bite the inside of their cheeks, without much successes as their shoulders were still shaking. The word of 'shining hairless head' being repeated over and over in echo across the room.

Hanzo felt a vein on the verge of exploding on his (hairless) head and a sudden murderous intent towards the flaxen-haired girl as irritation started to fill his mind along with an unstoppable envy to lash out at her ight here and now, how much he would like to face her into the next matches... Why couldn't she read the mood like everyone else? Was she trying to humiliate him in front of all the audiance?! No, no. If he were to explode hereand now he would destroy the pourd image of himself he just set up, calm down, breathe in, breathe out...

So he coughed awkardly to hide his earlier inner monologue, "Mo–moving on, I have a question for you." Suddenly Hanzo turned back to him with his finger pointed close to Masta's face. Surprisingly the man wasn't the least offended by the impolite action, showing how much professionalist he is to his job as an impartial referee and just asked back calmy, "What is it?"

Hanzo's eyebrows furrowed in seriousness as he asked, "We only win if our opponent surrenders, correct? It doesn't count if we knock them unconscious. No TKOs allowed, either."

Masta nodded back, "Yes, that is correct."

Hanzo then turned his gaze to Gon, who was returning his own with a careful gaze, and then Hanzo's eyebrows furrowed into a slight frown. 'I see. This one could be difficult...'

Gon who was unaware of Hanzo's compliated thoughts baout him, just tried to think up of a plan that would allow him to win his match. 'He looks tough, but we should be even in terms of strength and speed. I can use my speed to keep on the move until I get an opening.' His eyes narrowed in determination as he carefully installed the plan in his mind as he scanned Hanzo's form with his eyes and made his assumptions of what he could see of him physically.

"Now then, it's time to begin." Masta stepped backward, allowing a large amount of space between himself and the two applicants facing each other and avoid being dragged into the damages of the battle. Upon hearing his words both fighters reacted, Gon jumped backward of a few meterw hile Hanzo didn't moved from his spot but did took a stance in preparation.

'Get him, Gon!' Leorio thought as he cheered on Gon in his mind, not daring to say his words aloud if it would only break the concentration of his friend.

'How well can he do against Hanzo?' Kurapika was preparing to analyze the situation calmly, he wasn't sure if Gon was going to win or not but he would surely gains valuable informations to use from this match if he were to face an opponent like Hanzo in the following matchs.

All the other applicants and examiners were watching carefully the two fighters, anticipating any of their moves which would declare the beginning of the match alongside with their competition against each other.

Masta then swung both of his arms across each other as he shouted: "Begin!" And thus the match between Hanzo and Gon began―

Hanzo and Gon's match was... well, how to say―

*Twack!*

*Crack*

*BAM!*

―It was torture, just pure torture, even for the spectators who did not felt the pain but winced each time as a blow landed as if they felt Gon's pain. The chairman was surprisingly crueler despite the gentle grandpa-like look he showed, for being the one who prepared this last phase.

Hanzo offered many times after each of his attack the opportunity for Gon to give up. Gon being stubborn as he was, refused while gritting his teeths and enduring the intense pain that only grew stronger each time one more punch or kick collided with his aching body. Leorio and Kurapika, his close friends who were cheering on him earlier and were assured of his victory, were now clenching their teeths and with their expression filled with fury for the ninja who hurt their friend and the actual well-being of their friend who kept on being hurt, watching their friend being beat up over and again. The others were just watching the scene presented to them with a serious or tense expression. Even the usually smiling Hisoka was impassive this time.

One thing was sure though; Gon terribly overestimated his capacities and understimated Hanzo's, perhaps it is due to the fact that he is more skilled than most of the people he met up until now. Before meeting Hisoka he has never understood how defeat felt for real, how crushing it could be. But because of that, his focus was only centered on Hisoka that he forgot about the possibility that the others applicants could be the same as him. For their skills to be out of his reach actually. All of these were the reasons of why he was actually kneeling on the ground with sweat nonstop while keeping a firm hold on his now broken arm and biting his lips so hard to the point when it would bleed in order to keep the scream of pain inside his throat. It took almost all he had to try to stop trembling and not collapse on the ground.

"There you go. You can't use your left arm anymore." Hanzo looked down at Gon who was on the ground, without any remorse of what he just done and even ignoring the burning gazes that was directed to him, as he spoke coldly to the boy that was barely conscious.

Leorio gritted his teeths so hard that it started to make cracking noises, despite the fact that his eyebrows were furrowed in furry, his eyes that were focused in front of him were opened so wide that they may pop out from its sockets, sweat was drippling down from his face due to his impatience over the fight. He clenched his fist so hard that the veins were showing up on his skin. "Kurpika, don't try to stop me please."

Kurapika was silent, he didn't answered, his form was unmoving and his expression was unreadable.

Since the latter didn't do anything to stop him, Leorio continued to speak, even if he would do so, Leorio wouldn't stop. "If that bastard does anything else to Gon... Sorry for Gon, but I wouldn't be able to stop myself!" His voice was filled with unmesurable anger. Not for his own self but for the sake of the friend who helped him all along... the friend that he was unable to help.

This time, Kurapika reacted. "Me? Stop you?" Even though it sounded like he was scoffing over Leorio's words, the similar agitation in his voice made his intention way too obvious. His expression was similar to Leorio as his brown eyes were changing of color with a red light. "Don't worry. There is no chance of that happening."

"―Oh, that just... won't do."

And before they knew it, both men were pulled backward forcefully by something that had been tugged the collars of their clothes. They immediately straightened themselves after losing their steps a bit and turned towards the something―or rather the someone, the culprit who was the one behind this. ""What on earth does that mean, Aria?!"" Both of them shouted exactly the same words at the same time with the same kind of intonation.

However Aria as expected of her, just stared back at them with her flat gaze and spoke in her usual monotone voice. "Are you planning on interfering in... this fight?"

"Isn't that obvious?!" Leorio shouted back as he waved his arm in an angry manner at the unfair fight behind them, "If this continue, Gon will―"

"He will not die." Aria cuts him off and continued before Leorio could say anything back, "The bald ninja want to pass the Hunter Exam... and the Chairman Gramps taught us that killing others isn't allowed otherwise the applicant... would be disqualified, thus he wouldn't kill Gon."

"It's true, but...!"

"However there is still things worse than death! Like wounds that would never be able to heal! Like what Hanzo's doing to Gon and may keep on doing to him if we don't stop it!" This time it was Kurapika who answered back, worry for Gon's well-being filling his mind.

"I don't understand well but I've read that... men's pride was a hopeless case once broken, and taking count of what Gon went through earlier, I believe that someone smart like you... should be aware of it, right?"

Upon hearing it, Kurapika just looked away, understanding perfectly what Aria said. Of course it didn't meant that she overheard his and Gon's dimension but rather that she seems to hav enoticed that he was himself being concerned with Gon's attitude after his clash with Hisoka. Leorio just looked back at Kurapika in a curious manner, he didn't understood why his friend who was as eager as hip suddenly became all silent (that one wasn't aware of Gon's earlier condition though, and neither was a certain silver-haired boy).

"Indeed, if we were to interfere here and now, we would hurt Gon's pride horribly."

"What are you even saying Kurapika?! It's always better than for him to get hurt further and eventually lost his life!" Even so Leorio's opinion remained unchanged as he continued to oppose Aria's words.

"Gon came here while knowing all the... consequences, wherever it's about losing his life... or gaining grave wounds and so are you guys, right?" Upon seeing both of them flinch at her words, Aria gave out a sigh in desperation to Leorio's obstinate attitude before her eyebrows furrowed slightly, "Though do whatever you want, go ahead and help him, and destroy all the efforts he put himself through up till now while you're at it. Though I warn you, nothing would stop him from committing suicide after the exam ended." Aria stepped aside and no longer tried to stop both of them from stopping Gon's match, extending her hand towards it as if she was trying to invite them to stop it.

Kurapika and Leorio both bites their lower lip so hard that it bled, looking down with their bangs hiding their eyes and clenching their trembling fists really hardly. Aria thus closed her eyes and waited for them to explode...

...

...Surprisingly no outburst came out. Aria opened up one eye in confusion over the unexpected silence she received back, only to see Leorio and Kurapika both focusing on the battle once again, their eyes hardening but no longer moving, a small trail of blood on their lips due to their earlier action.

'Huh? How weird, I expected them to be more resistant, why did they became surprisingly tame suddenly?' However when Aria asked that same question she had in mind to the nearby Killua. The latter only shrugged his shoulders in return, "I guess that you made them reflect properly on their actions, so even adults can be scolded by children, huh?"

Aria didn't understood how her words and actions had affected them but decided to focus herself on the battle instead of trying to know more about it, otherwise it would be the beginning of another noisy event.

"―I'm sure you're in too much pain to listen, but hear me out. I am descended from the shinobi, a clan of covert agents. From the day I was born, I was forced to endure harsh training in order to master the art of ninpo. For 18 years, I have trained my body and technique without rest."

'For some reason during the time I wasn't watching the bald ninja started a monologue?' When Aria's eyes turned back on the battle, she was greeted by the curious sight of Hanzo not standing on his feet anymore but keeping his body in balance with only a hand straightened up on the floor, and slowly the hand ended up closing into only one finger.

"By the time I was your age, I had already killed a man. At this point in time, you cannot defeat me in combat. I'm not trying to be the bad guy here, admit defeat―" Hanzo opened his earlier closed eyes and directed a warning glare to Gon's supposedly unmoving form―before a leg had been send flying and smashed into his face, making him lost his balance and fall on the ground. This caused everyone to widen their eyes in surprise as some even let out a gasp of shock, no one expected that the tables would suddenly be turned, and not in Hanzo's favor it seems.

Gon fell back onto the ground, unable to stand up having lost all the adrenaline that allowed him to do his earlier physical prowess. "Oww..." He cried out of pain and pushed himself off of the ground with the arm that is still intact before finally managing to stand up, his unhurt hand holding his broken arm as he glared at Hanzo, "Damn it! My head's cleared a bit, after all the pain and that long explanation!"

"Yeah! Gon, go! Kick him while he's down!"

'Wait a second, weren't you super tense just a little while ago?' Aria retorted in her mind as she saw how Leorio forgetting about his earlier grudge towards Hanzo and now encouraging Gon again in a slightly... unusual manner. Kurapika near him, had a soft smile on his face as he watched Leorio before directing his attention to Gon again, it look like he too has immediately calmed down.

Despite the fact that he was still trembling, Gon kept on speaking, trying to grin and bear the pain. "If you're only 18, you're only 6 years old than I am. Besides this isn't a battle to see who's stronger. It's to see who's willing to surrender first."

Hanzo who laid on the floor like a flattened man ran over by a car, slowly pushed himself off of the ground with both his hands as a support and stood up with far less difficulty than Gon. "I let you kick me on purpose." He said, a snobbish look on his face that could almost make others believe his words, if it weren't for the huge nosebleed and bruises on his face present due to Gon's surprise attack.

"LIAR!" Leorio shouted in response somewhere in the crowd, this slightly ticked Hanzo off but he chose stay calm and keep on speaking (otherwise his credibility would incredibly go down).

"You don't understand." Hanzo wiped his nosebleed clean with the bandages wrapped on his wrist, "This isn't a warning. This is an order. Was it too hard for you to understand? Then I'll make it easier for you." Hanzo put his flat right hand on his fisted left hand, and...

*Tchink!*

Then the sound of a blade was heard, Hanzo took out the edge of a hidden retracted blade and pulled it out from the bandages of his left arm. "I'll cut off your legs, so that they can't be reattached." Hanzo then swung the blade attached on his wrist in a cross-like dramatic manner. "A permanent injury should help you to wake up. But first, I'll ask you once more." Hanzo then raised his arm, showing his large and sharp blade reflecting the light and showed a menacing smile to Gon. "Surrender." He ordered one last time. There was no doubt that if he was answer 'NO' one more time, Hanzo wouldn't hesitate to cut him down anymore. So now, how would he answer...?

However Gon didn't averted himself from Hanzo's threatening gaze and answered without even hesitating a single second: "This would trouble me!"

"..." Everyone wherever it was applicants or examiners (yes, everyone with no exception), lost their voices and could only observe the scene blankly in shock with wide eyes. Or rather, they literally turned blank, all white in color and all. Hanzo, him didn't turned white like them but he frowned deeply while his mouth turned into a troubled scowl making it a quite interesting facial expression. Though Gon said that he would be troubled, it seemed that it was Hanzo who was the most troubled by the situation.

Despite being the source of that reaction and sudden silence, Gon didn't took notice of this and continued to speak in the same determined manner as earlier. "I don't want to have my legs cut off, but I don't want to surrender either. So let's find a different way to fight!"

"Hey... Do you understand your own situation?!" Hanzo shouted back angrily as smoke started to blow out of his bald head, his hands were angrily fisted and his blade directed towards the ground.

Kurapika widened his eyes and Leorio's mouth hanged open... Then Hisoka started to chuckle while Bodoro did his best to stiffle down his laughter with an apology.

"You don't get to make demands! Are you trying to insult me?! I'm seriously gonna cut off yoru legs!" Hanzo's head had a vein popped out and he angrily pointed at the direction of Gon's legs with his blade. His earlier seriousness was completely gone and now it seemed more like a nagging child than an experienced killer (with all his pride being forgotten), it only served to add more comicness to the already humoristic scene.

Even with all this, Gon didn't break his gaze away from him for not the single second, "But I still will not surrender. Besides, if you do that, I'll bleed to death." That made Hanzo stumbled a bit as Gon now looked nonchalantly behind him, to the judge of this match. "He'll be disqualified if that happens, right?"

"Oh, yes." The man who didn't expected to be called out in this already unexpected situation nodded awkwardly.

"See? Neither of us wants that to happen. So let's think of a better way." Gon spoke like a troubled adult trying to make a child understand his faults.

Hanzo could only stand there, dumbfounded as he grits his teeths and furrows his eyebrows while shaking and sweating in humiliation, as he couldn't even think of a way to counter back the boy's words, as all the truths are already in there. And moreover the worst is that it seems that he isn't even doing it on purpose!

"I think he's okay now. He is completely dragged into Gon's pace."

"He's so self-centered..." Leorio could only comments at Gon's fearsome power while Kurapika smiled in slight humor and exasperation. "But he's succeeded in convincing Hanzo and the rest of us. Honestly..."

Killua frowned as he looked at the scene before him and then around him in astonishment. 'What is this? The situation hasn't changed. Gon hasn't gotten stronger than his opponent. And it's not like his broken arm has been repaired! So why is the brutal atmosphere from before suddenly so much lighter?'

"―can't understand..."

Killua's attention was brought back upon hearing Aria's voice, he turned to look at her only to see her who has her bangs hiding her eyes but was looking straight ahead as she mumbled out: "I can't understand..." It looked like both of them were in the same case as him.

Hanzo who was earlier making strangled chicken noises suddenly managed to take back his composure and in a swift motion pointed the tip of his blade against Gon's forehead, blood started to trail from the boy's forehead. And upon seeing that, everybody became tense again, the cheery atmosphere of earlier was gone as quickly it came. "You really don't get it... If you die, you'll never get another chance. If I kill you here, I need only try again next year. We are not on equal footing!"

'He's right, Gon. You can try all you want to talk your way out of this, but he's far stronger than you. That isn't something you can neutralize on the spot. It all comes down to power.' Killua thought silently, keeping his eyes focused on Gon's reaction.

'Once you die everything over. Strongs eat weaks in order to survive, this is the law of the nature.' Aria watched impassively the scene before slowly averting her gaze. 'Though for some reasons, there are strongs who voluntarily choose the road of death.'

However Gon didn't moved, his unwavering gaze still on Hanzo, the latter started to feel slightly nervous under it, sweating over the little change his words brought to the boy. Both Kurapika and Leorio wanted to react but held themselves back.

The blood now trailed from Gon's forehead down to his nose but he still didn't reacted. Hanzo felt sweat drip down from his forehead down to his chin, following the motion of Gon's blooddrops. "Why won't you concede? It's easy to do. With that, you can try again next year." Then he couldn't hold it anymore and shouted, "You value your pride more than your own life?! You're really willling to die for your pride?!"

But even so Gon's will was unbreakable as he finally gave out the answers and reason behind his so reckless actions, "I'm going to find my dad." This caught Aria, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio's attentions.

"Your dad?" Hanzo repeated, confused. If it was his dad then shouldn't it be easy to find him?

"My dad is a Hunter. So I'm going to become a Hunter and find him. I believe that I'll find him one day... But I have the feeling that if I give up now, I'll never find him!" The blood dropped from his chin down to the ground along with the many bloodstains present due to the wounds he received from Hanzo's beatings. "So, I won't surrender." He declared in an absolute voice, showing that nothing can make him change his mind.

Not only Hanzo, but also Aria was affected by his words, her eyes were wide open and her breathing stopped for a second as recognization filled her mind. 'I remember now! Gon is actually...'

Hanzo trembled, he sweat more and more, his eyebrows were furrowed in hesitation and astonishment. "If you don't yield, you'll die..." And he pressed the tip of the blade forward, against Gon's forehead, however the boy only pressed forward in return making the blade enter his skin just a bit deeper but also pushing back Hanzo's grip on him.

'He defies reason.' Even if he were to die in the middle of it, the boy was ready to throw his whole life away just for the sake of this chance, of this possibility of finding his father, he would keep on pressing forward no matter how hard the road is for him, never giving up, never stopping and never turning back. There was no longer any reason to compete between which of them has the stronger will.

Hanzo removed the tip of his blade from Gon's forehead before placing it back into his bandages and walked away, "I give up. You win." This statement shocked both Gon's comrades and Gon himself as they could only blink at Hanzo's unexpected action. If it was him, he would surely have ways to make Gon give up, since he was stronger than the boy but he gave up without doing any of that (besides for the broken arm of course).

"I can't kill you. But I can't think of a way to make you surrender." Hanzo crossed his arms and held a hand up, side-glancing at Gon before turning his back to him again. "I'll tke this loss and take my chances in the next battle!"

Gon frowned seriously, before closing his eyes, breathing, and: "I can't accept that." Then he pointed his finger childishly at Hanzo, "That's not fair!"

*CRACK*

Even though nothing was broken, there was such a sound that was heard, a sound coming from Hanzo's head with another bulging vein visible on the verge of exploding, hinting his current mood.

However Gon was yet aware of that since Hanzo's back was faced at him and continued to complains like a kid who had been cheated, "We both have to think of a way to settle this fight!"

Hanzo scoffed as he turned back towards Gon, "Heh. I knew you would say that." He immediately ran closer to Gon before pointing a finger and him and finally let his rage overflow like a volcano in eruption. "YOU FOOL! THERE'S NO POINT, BECAUSE YOU'LL NEVER SURRENDER!"

"BUT I DON'T WANT TO WIN LIKE THIS!"

"THEN WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!"

"WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO FIGURE IT OUT!"

Hanzo then took a deep breath before straightening his back while looking at Gon with his twitching eyebrow, "In other words, I've already given up on this match, but you want me to try to win again in a serious fight, while helping me to determine a way to make you feel good about your victory! IIs that right?" He recapitulated everything Gon told him, barely holding himself together to launch on the boy in fury.

"Yeah!" Gon happily agreed, overjoyed by the fact that he had been understood. Okay, now it's the last straw!

"YOU MORON!" At a lightening speed, Hanzo punched Gon into the air and the boy flew for a few meters before landing back onto the ground while bouncing like some kind of ball. He was no longer moving, without doubt he was unconscious. After everything he went through and the strength that took him to keep on standing, without forgetting Hanzo's finishing blow, it would be only natural though.

"Hey, ref. I lose. Let's move onto the next match."

"Understood."

"But I want to tell the executive committee something first." Hanzo turned his gaze towards Netero's direction where all the examiners were also present. "When he wakes up, he'll probably refuse his passing judgement. Because he's a stubborn guy, as we've seen. Only one person will fail this round, right? If Gon fails, wouldn't that make the rest of our fights meaningless?"

Netero kept on holding Hanzo's gaze, without showing any reactions. Leorio looked at Kurapika and Killua, one was closed his eyes in silent acknowledgement and the other was forwning deeply, even Hisoka closed his eyes in silence showing his agreement, and Aria... It seemed that the ninja was more observant that he let on, he already have noticed that the majority of the people here have already became attached to Gon, of course everyone has their different reasons behind that but if Gon were to lost here and now it would greatly affect the motivation of those same people. So it was probably the best choice for him to lost here and now in his place (though it's a bit frustrating, he can swallow back the taste of that defeat, the boy deserved his victory and no matter how arrogant Hanzo is despite not admitting it, he would recognize someone's efforts), besides it always feel better to defeat a serious opponent.

Aria shivered a bit, she now felt that the top of her head felt strangely chilly now, as if something was missing there, but she didn't cared about it now. 'Gon's gaze... ressembled the one of that time.' What came to her mind was the distant memory of a young man hugging an unconscious young woman in his arms, begging for help. Both were something entirely unknown to her.

'If I keep on staying with him... would I be finally able to find what I seek for?' It wasn't as if it was decided for sure yet, but she now managed to find a clue, a faint weak light lit up in the dark long tunnel she was actually inside mentally.

"Aria...?" Kurapika noticed Aria's unusual trembling figure, this also attracted the attentions of the others. He couldn't see well her current expression but her trembling wasn't stopping. Was she trembling because she was worried for Gon's well-being? Even their surronding started to worried. He should first ask her what's wrong, making up his mind he was about to put a hand on her shoulder and call her out of her trance... Until the unthinkable happened.