(A/n: I'm so happy I manage to finish this! Anyway, I'm done here so no questions and enjoy!
Oh and some reviews would be wonderful. (I know I'm going too fast in the storyline here but I want to get to the Yorknew City ((Phantom Troupe)) Arc, since it's my favorite.)
+|Chapter 12: You Gotta Ask to Know|+
150 wins… and how many more to go? The phantom sighed as she cursed her master. It was win after win after win, and neither of them lasted a mere five seconds. Normally, she wasn't the type to complain, since she respected people's efforts. But after a few hours of constant winning anyone would have complained!
Now… where are Gon and Killua?
Speaking of the devil.
As she turn the corner she spot them coming out of the elevator with another, Kid? Puzzled, she walked closer and was able to pick up snippets of their conversation.
"Still, you're that strong with no training? I'm kind of shocked..." The embarrass boy dropped his head only to lift it back up and clenched his fists in determination, "I still have so far to go!"
Claps echoed loudly behind Ama, "Zushi. You did well." Killua, Gon and Ama turned to the figure.
"Master!"
A man with beady brown eyes behind large round glasses and black hair walked up to them, "You adhered to my teachings."
"Osu! I am honored! Master, your shirt is untucked again."
Zushi's master hurriedly fixed his shirt, "Ah... Oh, sorry about that... Who are they?"
"Oh, they are Killua-san and Gon-san."
"And Ama."
The trio jumped a couple of foot in the air while the master flinched at the phantom's 'sudden' appearance.
"A-Ama!" Killua had enough with these heart attacks, "Didn't I tell to stop doing that?! You could really kill somebody someday!"
Gon quickly got over his initial shock and beamed, "Ama! What floor are you on?"
"150, I guess."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Wing." Wing greeted after he got over his surprise.
Gon and Killua mimicked Zushi's actions, "Osu!" While Ama bowed a bit because hell knows she won't attract attention to herself.
"I didn't expect to meet other children. Why are you here?"
"Uh..." Killua hesitated, "Well, we want to become stronger. But—"
"We're also broke, so we're making money simultaneously. Killua's a veteran here." Gon stated calmly. He blinked and turned to Ama, "Oh? What about you?"
A dark aura suddenly covered the phantom as she recalled the reason for her being here, "My master dumped me here."
"Eh...?" Gon and Killua both sweat dropped at the accusation.
Wing spoke up, drawing the kids' attention once again, "If you're up here, you must be fairly skilled, but you should pay strict attention to your opponent's body, as well as your own."
"Osu!" Killua and Gon said in unison.
Ama glanced up at the clock, "Whelp, it looks like my times up." She looked down and gave them a wave, "See you when you reach the 200th floor. Nice meeting you, Zushi, Wing-san."
"Good luck, Ama!" Gon shouted.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
At times like this, she's glad to have her sword by her side. It brings her comfort in a way no one can. It sets a fire in her veins, ready to be used and ready to fight.
She dodged the gigantic hand as it left a dent in the ground. Propelling herself forward, she pulled out her sword and lunged at her opponent. However, another gigantic hand raised up to swat her away. She only had time to raise her arms to protect her side before she slammed into a wall.
"Clean hit and Knockdown!" The referee shouted.
"Is this the end for Phantom?!" Cacco questioned, "Sadaso seems to have the upper hand here, 4-0!"
Sadaso cackled, "How do you like that, little girl!"
Rubbles shifted and fell as Ama sat up, wiping the dust off her cheek.
The man's cackles haven't died, "I'll destroy you with this next one!" He launched his invisible arm at her.
"Phantom isn't moving! Is this over for her?!"
She didn't flinch when the hand halted in centimeters from her face.
"What?!" Sadaso struggled against the invisible bonds that held him in place, "What did you do?!"
Ama sighed and used her sword to pull herself up. Looking him over, she nodded at her handiwork.
Sadaso looked closely at himself, eyes widening in shock. Ice was wrapped over his legs as it kept a firm grip on the ground. His nen arm was turned into ice itself. No wait, it was encased in ice as well.
"Like what you see?" Ama asked, sweeping her sword in front of her, "I do." Thrusting her sword forward, she pierced the arm all the way through as the ice beneath his feet melted away. The ice raised her up higher, allowing her to stab his shoulder and slamming him against the wall. Not giving him the chance to recover, she wrapped her arms around his waist and bended backwards, smashing his head against the floor, knocking him out cold.
She brushed herself off and looked down at the unconscious man, "My sword isn't just for show, ya know." She huffed.
"Knockout! Phantom is the winner!"
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Well, I guess I should wait until Gon and Killua reach the 200th floor before I do anything… Speaking of which, we still got some time till we head to Yorknew City, right? Ama tilted her head with a frown, Just how would we get there? I don't know if Gon still refuses to use his Hunter's License. That stubborn knucklehead. She mentally scoffed as the doors opened.
Just as she stepped out of the elevator, she felt an ominous aura weighting down on her as the hairs on her neck stood up.
Shrouding herself in Ten, she stretched her En outwards, Three? One's sitting and two's—wait hold on… Aren't they…! She slid to a stop and eyes widening at the two idiots that are trying to walk through the malicious aura created by none other then Hisoka.
"You fools!" She stood in front of them and just barely managed to wrap Killua and Gon in her Ten.
"Ama!" Killua and Gon halted in surprised. Also to their astonishment, the oppressive aura around them disappeared.
"Just what are ya doing?! Don't ya know that if ya go any further ya idiots could die?!" She turned around and glared at the magician, "Hisoka-san…"
The aforementioned man grinned, still keeping up his nen, "Didn't I say to drop the formalities? It's a pleasure to see you again, little phantom~"
"I wouldn't say the same for me, though." Ama frowned, "It's not pleasant to see someone trying to kill my friends."
"Nonsense, Phantom! Those two just aren't ready, yet. You, on the other hand," He licked his lips, "Are delicious~"
Goosebumps crept up her arms like a wildfire. The words 'pedo' rang in her head like an alarm. The sudden creepiness made her concentration slip, taking the other two by surprise as his Nen hit them head on.
Shit!
They managed to stand in place, bracing against the Nen. Gon started to walk forward with foolish determination.
"Gon! Stop!" Ama tried to stretch her Ten out to them again but her attention was averted when she quickly sliced through a barrel of cards, before they impaled her.
Gon, stubborn as he always is, continue to struggle through the Nen.
"Don't be reckless!" A familiar voice shouted behind them.
Hisoka's nen disappeared as he narrowed his eyes. Ama relaxed her stance. The cards fluttered uselessly to the ground as Wing showed himself.
"Wing-san!" The raven said in surprise.
There's seems to be a lot of surprises today.
"You two have no defense against his Nen."
"Nen...?" Gon asked.
It looks like these two know nothing of that topic, as she suspected.
"Right now, you are like someone standing naked in a blizzard, wondering why it is cold." He said, his expression was serious, "If you continue to strain your body, you may die."
"This is Nen?!" Killua exclaimed, jabbing his thumb at Hisoka, "He can stop us from moving forward though willpower? Don't lie!"
Ama blinked in confusion. Willpower? Just what is did he thought Nen was?
"Yes, I was lying." Wing nodded with a smile, "Though technically, I wasn't lying completely. I will teach you the truth about Nen. So retreat for now."
"Hey, receptionist lady." Gon called to the woman around the corner.
"Oh, yes?"
"What happens if we don't register for a fight today?"
"Gon-sama, you would have to start again, from the first floor. However, Killua-sama refused to register once before. So if he fails to register again, his commitment will be questioned, and he will be banned from participating." She explained.
Killua turned to the teacher with a glare, "Hey, Wing-san, if we back down now, will we be able to return here by midnight?"
Hisoka lowered his head to hide a grin.
Wing looked momentary surprised before smiling, "That depends on you."
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"Simply put, this is Nen." The vase was now leaking through the holes where the flowers impaled it, "Nen refers to the ability to manipulate your aura, also known as life energy. Every person possesses a small amount of life energy. But in most cases, it's simply discharged. The ability to build up a shroud of life energy is known as Ten. You can make your body harder, and considerably slow the effects of aging. Then comes Zetsu. As you may guess, this nullifies your aura." Wing wrote on a board ever now and then as Gon and Killua drink in every word.
Ama helped herself to cookies and milk as she waited.
"And on rare occasions," Ama could feel everyone's gaze on her. She lifted her head to meet with Wing's stare, "Someone that protects you must know Nen."
She downed her glass before she spoke, "That requires a good amount of concentration and practice. Master is much more better at it than I am."
Killua gaped at her, "You knew?! And you never told us?"
She tilted her head and blinked, "You never asked."
"You must use Ten for defense. Block the other person's aura with your own." Wing rested his hand on the wall, "Otherwise..." He focused for moment and suddenly the wall was compressed inwards.
Gon and Killua stared at him in shock.
Wing turned around with a stern expression, "Your body will be crushed."
"Nen is a power that dwells within every person. However, at present, only a few are capable of using that power. Thus, they are treated as geniuses, leaders, psychics, mystics, or superhumans."
"A power that dwells within everyone..." Gon repeated firmly.
"Yes." Wing nodded, "And there are two means by which to awaken this power. The deliberate way and the aggressive way. Zushi underwent the deliberate method." He held out a hand to the said boy, "Zushi was a quick learner, and he trained hard. So he was able to master Ten in a very short time. In about six months." He turned to Ama, "I suppose you also took the deliberate way as well, Ama-chan?"
Ama nodded, "Mastering Ten took me half a month and learning how to spread it out took my two months. So in total, it was about two and a half months."
"That's too long..." Killua panicked, "We need to learn Ten, and pass Hisoka's Nen barrier before midnight!"
"Then you'll have to try the aggressive method." Wing stated calmly.
"Will it be fast enough?"
"That will depend on you. Can you learn to hold your aura within your body, before time runs out?" He raised a hand as he continued to speak, "That is the key. I will now direct my aura toward you. This is known as Hatsu, which I demonstrated earlier." He lowered his hand, "Naturally, I will restrain myself, since my objective is not to destroy your bodies. However, this way is still perilous. In other words, I will attempt to shock you into awakening." Wing narrowed his eyes, "I will give your sleeping body a jolt, so you can learn Ten more easily. I say your body sleeps because your body's openings, or micropyles, are closed, meaning your aura flow is stunted. Therefore, I will send my aura into your bodies, to open your micropyles. Under normal circumstances, you would spend a long time meditating and discovering your own auras, while slowly opening those apertures. Even Zushi, a natural talent, required three months. However, you two could do it in a week, or even sooner. Which is why I find it unfortunate that we have such little time to work with."
"How long did it take you?" Gon turned to the aforementioned girl.
Ama tilted her head up before replying, "Within a day, I think."
"Only a day?!" Zushi exclaimed, awed.
"I don't really get it..." Killua put his arms behind his head, "But quick and dirty is always better."
"This is a shady, highly frowned upon method." Wing frowned, "You will be ignoring the correct procedure. You could even die, if the person using this method were weak or evil."
"But you aren't weak, and you aren't evil." Gon argued. He paused, "Right?"
Wing sighed as he placed his hand behind his head.
"That's why I want to know..." Killua started, "Why would you suddenly decide to teach us the true four major principles?"
"Because I did not want to squander this opportunity. If you were to challenge the 200s, with none of this knowledge you would suffer greatly. Up there, everyone knows how to manipulate Nen. And they have a special greeting for any newcomer ignorant of Nen, a Nen attack. In other words, they do what I am about to, but without restraint." Wing narrowed his eyes "They don't care, even if people die... Only those who survive are allowed to pass. They are the chosen. However, they pay a steep price. That's why I wanted you to be prepared. Now, despite my attempts to scare you, I have confidence that this will awaken your power! You have the potential. As well as the ability. Put your belongings down, take off your shirt, and turn your backs towards me."
They both did so and once they were ready, Wing held his arms out to the boy's back, focusing his aura into his hands. Ama turned back to the cookies, confident that everything would go well without fail.
"I'll begin."
Ama could feel the pressure against her back as the other two screamed in surprise.
"Every micropyle on your bodies has opened. That is your aura, or life energy. You can see it now, because the micropyles in your eyes were also opened."
"It's like smoke." Gon commented, "Like steam, rising from the spout of a kettle."
"It's rushing out from every part of my body. It won't stop gushing out. Isn't that dangerous?" Gon and Killua looked at each other slightly concern.
I wonder if this is handmade… Ama fleetingly thought, I should ask for the recipe.
"You must concentrate on keeping your aura within your body. Close your eyes! Use any stance that helps you focus. Then visualize your aura flowing like blood through your body." Gon and Killua closed their eyes as they stood tall and firm. Wing continued, "From the top of your head, to your right shoulder. To your hand, before passing through your legs, to the left side. And now visualize that flow beginning to ebb and hovering around your body."
Soon the aura was contained around them. Zushi and Wing stared at the two concentrating boys in surprise.
Ama hid a smile, I knew they could do it. A natural stance is the most effective way to master Ten. But being able to learn it so fast could be dangerous. She turned around, "Hey Zushi, where's the milk?"
"I'll get it for you!" He said as if it was his duty.
She shook her head, "No need, I can get it."
"Then it's right over there, in the kitchen."
"Thanks."
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Hisoka boringly threw another card at the wall as another minute passed. He was just started to lose hope but then his head perked up and smiled at the three figures at the end of the hall. His smile widen as he unleashed a barrel of malicious aura at the three. But they were undeterred as they calmly walked through his aura until they stopped in front of him.
Hisoka's smile widened even more, "Welcome to the 200s. It appears that I needn't bother with the traditional greeting. I can guess why you've come to Heavens Arena. You intended to train before challenging me..."
"Yeah, but I didn't expect to find you here. That saves me time." Gon said.
Hisoka chuckled, "You should avoid being overconfident in your ability to use Ten. There is much more to learn about Nen." He held his index fingers up and a pink spade appeared between the two digits, "To be honest, at present, I feel no urge to fight you." The spade turned into a skull and the magician smiled darkly as he got up, "However... If you manage to win a single match in the 200s, I shall accept your challenge. As for you," He turned to the phantom with a brighter grin, licking his lips, "I would accept your challenge any time~"
Ama managed to suppressed a shudder, "I think I'll pass, Hisoka-san."
Hisoka chuckled and walked off with a wave, "Didn't I say to drop the formalities, little phantom~?"
Killua shuddered as he made a face, "Creep."
Ama sighed and turned halfway, "Well, I'm in room 2200 if you need me."
Killua grinned, "I hope you prepared to lose."
"Heh." She mildly smirked, "Is that a challenge?" She walked ahead of them lightly punching their shoulders as she walked past, "Don't be too cocky, newbies."
Killua fumed, "What was that?!"
"We are new at this." Gon pointed out.
He huffed and walked away as well, "Let's go."
"Yeah." Gon nodded as he followed the albino.
