"Applicants forty-four and one hundred and eleven, please come forward," Masta said while staring at the applicants.

Anita's voice called out from down the lineup.

"I forfeit my next match," she said with a bitter frown and a reluctant raising of her hand.

Hisoka actually looked somewhat impressed by that prudent choice.

Everyone was giving Anita different looks, wondering about her resolve... but the four of us weren't surprised. It was the smart choice.

Anita only joined the Hunter Exam to kill me and Killua, and that motivation is over. I'm surprised she stuck around, but a Hunter license is a Hunter license…

But she wasn't stupid. She saw how fucked up Gon and Killua were after their fights. And they won. In the case of Gon, they had to carry him out.

She wasn't gonna receive a beating from Hisoka for nothing...

Masta nodded his head and looked at Killua and I. I snapped out of my thoughts and focused.

"Then the next fight will be between applicants ninety-nine and one hundred."

Alright lets go-

Killua slowly raised his hand and opened his mouth. My eyes widened as it became obvious what he was about to do...

"I give up!"

Everyone snapped their heads to our direction with the speed of a whip. The room stared at us in surprise and confusion...

The applicants and Examiners didn't understand what was going on with people forfeiting... They looked at Killua and me with wide-eyed shock and confusion...

It was my second surrender.

I stared down at Killua with disappointment. He looked at me with sheer shock and confusion on his face.

"Wha-, what are you doing?! I was going to give up! You wou-" Killua said in confusion before I cut him off.

I frowned and narrowed my eyes, "Yeah, I know. For someone who got awfully upset when someone else hid their plans... you have no problem doing it yourself..."

He looked at me with ever widening eyes, taken aback completely. Leorio, Kurapika, and the rest of the applicants looked at us. Studied us. They unsure what was going on.

"How?..." Killua said, his eyes moving as he tried to piece memories together to figure out where I made the connection.

Evira...

I shook my head and glared at the lineup of applicants. Outside Leorio and Kurapika, the rest were fucking noisy people. Now wasn't the time for that.

"Later," I said as I turned away from everyone and looked down at Killua.

I patted him on the shoulders, "Congratulations. You're a Hunter now," I said, respectfully and with pride. I felt a genuine smile stretch across my face.

Killua balled up his hands. His entire body shook in rage. He refused to look at me. The boy's eyes were hidden by a ball of white hair, but the grimace of anger on his lips was plain to see…

I sighed and pulled back my hand. I turned up to Masta, who looked perpetually indifferent looking in his glasses and constant frown. The Examiner nodded.

"Ok... one hundred and eleven and four-oh-three, please come forward."

I turned to my right to give Leorio a thumbs up, a confident smile on my face.

Leorio said, "I forfeit this one..."

I stared slack-jawed at Leorio. Confusion hit me. My head automatically turned down to stare at the floor in front of me, as if I could search for answers there. But there was only one word that kept repeating itself in my head…

What?!

My head turned back to Leorio to see him staring at me. With sincerity and respect. But his eyes held no hope…

It was as if I could read his thoughts from his eyes alone.

It wasn't that he couldn't beat Anita; this was Evira. He had no hope we would iwin against Evira.

Her again...

A small, sad smile grew on Leorio's face, "Hey, if I can help someone who deserves to be a Hunter... I should do it, right?"

His eyes said, 'It's not like it matters if I become a Hunter anyways...'

The high pitched, ringing sound of rage hit me. It continued to rise and rise, overwhelming in my ears...

Unbridled rage and sorrow hit me.

Leorio shouldn't be even thinking like that! Why is he following my example?! He doesn't need to follow my example! He doesn't need or deserve to sacrifice shit!

This was wrong! This was unfair!

He has no reason to give up his dreams!

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Control myself and control the world...

When I opened my eyes... everything was clear, calm. Orderly. I had answers. Things made sense.

I realized why I was so frustrated with this world.

It was no different from my old world. Even with all the magical things going. Nothing was better. It was the same miserable existence.

The strong ate the weak with a smile, while the weak sacrificed to survive.

But it should be better. Why wasn't it better?

I raised my sword to Leorio and looked him the eye. I said, "You're going to be a Hunter. No matter what."

He, Kurapika, and Killua looked at me in confusion. I shoved my sword into Leorio's hands. He stared at me with worry.

Before any of my new (and maybe soon to be former friends) said a word, I walked towards Masta. With my hands in my pockets, I strode forward without a care in the world.

High pitched droning noise. My mind was precise. Robotic.

The only thing I had control of at the moment was myself. That's all I needed.

The Hunter Exam will end with my revenge on Pokkle. After that, I will rip Evira a new one, tear this world apart and rebuild it.

I stopped in front of Masta and turned. He looked at me with exhaustion. I think he was tired of my shit, as does everyone after a while.

That's fine. I'm about to make the Hunter Exam a lot easier for him to referee...

I heard my consciousness in the back of my head scream. I told it to shut up.

Masta turned to where Pokkle was a called out, "Applicant fifty-three. Please come forward."

Pokkle stared at me before turning to Ponzu. They exchanged words before Pokkle walked across the white tiles of the room. Ponzu's face showed concern, but she hid it well. Everything was clear.

It felt like the archer was walking slow and measured. As if his walk was stretching on for minutes instead of seconds. Elongated by whatever mindstate that arose from crossing past the point of rage.

My mind was clear and robotic. The world was as quiet and still as a museum. I could see the decisions play out in a binary tree in front of me. An upside-down tree with dead ends and decisions. Zigzagging before me with infinite yes's or no's. If or else. This or that.

One thing was clear...

I couldn't let him surrender. Not yet...

He stopped a few meters in front of me and faced me. Bow and arrow in hand. He looked nervous. He was about ready to surrender.

My mouth moved on its own and flashed a genial smile. He instantly relaxed. I realized, in that moment, where my talents lie...

"Don't worry. I'm not mad at you. Let's have a good fight," I lied the honest truth.

Anger about my existence. My lot in life. Take everything. James, you deserve the world… That is the only way you can protect your friends.

Sweet whispers in my mind... why struggle? No more victim. No one will control me but me. Fuck Evira. Fuck Zhulong. No one will take from me anymore.

I control myself. I control the world. I will take everything.

I continued to smile.

He nodded and smiled, said, "Same."

Masta turned to each of us, nodded his head, and waved his hands, "Begin!"

The word barely crossed Masta's lips before I was in front of Pokkle. His eyes were wide in confusion as I leaned down to stare at him. Hands in my pocket. Ren blazing around me. I felt my head tilt as I examined him like the insect he was. A curiosity, nothing more.

Pokkle stood there in shock for a second. A second too long. That second seemed to expand forever as I slowly and casually wrapped my hand around his bow and. Slowly, ever so slowly, the piece of wood in my hand warped and snapped in my grip. I stared down into his eyes... he was a statue to me. I don't know what expression I had on my face because... he was pale.

He snapped out of it, cursed, and moved his right hand and tried to grab the poisoned arrows on his back. Keyword try...

My left hand blurred and grabbed Pokkle's wrist before he could even get it over his shoulder. He stared at me in shock before saying, "F-fast..."

The archer snapped out of his shock, twisted, and tried to fight off my grip. That was impossible. Even without Nen, my strength was far beyond him. With Nen, my grip was like a hydraulic press. He closed his eyes in pain as I tightened my grip, ever so slowly.

"Hey, Pokkle..."

He stared into my eyes. Sweating and shaking.

Terror in his eyes.

"Nothing personal..."

End of Line

He opened his mouth to surrender... but before he could even say a word, my right hand snapped the bow like a twig and blurred. My hand covered his mouth, fingers gripping tightly around the bottom of his face. My palm formed a seal over his mouth, my grip strong enough he couldn't even move his jaw.

Good. He won't surrender now. Continue.

Pokkle made some painful noises as I robotically lifted his entire body by the grip around his jaw. My long arms stretched out as I presented the kicking and struggling Pokkle to the world like a fish. His eyes were mad with pain and anger as he ineffectually kicked my arms and head. Pokkle's legs were powerful, but he couldn't generate power while suspended in the air like this...

I was too tough. Even tougher when covered in Ren. His shin bounced off my forehead and he cried out in muffled pain from behind my hand...

The archer's right hand went for an arrow. The world blurred for him as I slammed him into the ground once. With all my Ren fueled strength.

Impact sounded like an explosion. His body slammed into the ground with a sickening crack. The tiles underneath Pokkle were cracked and damaged, to the point a small dust cloud circled around us.

His body went loose and limp as a piece of cloth in my hands…

As I lifted him up again, I heard arrows pour out from his broken quiver. Pieces of metal and wood clattering against the marble tiles with 'tings' and 'clacks'.

A broken human.

His eyes were dull. He was unresponsive. I pulled him closer. My eyes wide eyed as I examined his face and vitals.

He was still alive.

Continue.

I raised my left hand stiffly, fingers splayed. My fingers closed into together into the form of a knife.

Heart. 1.5 cm to the left of the midsagittal plane.

It was as if I saw his heart as clear as day.

...

I stood there.

...

Proceed.

...

I heard voices far away.

...

Proceed.

...

When someone pushes, you you push back.

...

Remember Tonpa? Remember Kurapika? Will you let it continue past a third time?

...

I must kill-

"POKKLE!"

A woman's voice pierced through my mind...

Wha... my mind was haze-

Quickly. Kill him. Leorio will pass and you will be free. Evira cannot stop you. She is your enemy and she has enemies. Kill the man in front of you and find them.

My right hand burned as energy traveled through my body.

That wasn't my voice... it was, but... robotic.

Who are you?

I saw a glimpse in my mind's eye. A red face. Yellow eyes against the black sclera.

Burning with rage.

The voice boomed out.

'I am you, James. What you cried out for.'

'You wished for control of yourself and the world.'

'I am you, James...'

It disappeared... fading away into the darkness of my mind.

I almost dropped Pokkle, before putting him down gently. I stared at the broken form in front of me. His limbs misaligned and twisted, broken beyond anything I've seen as he stared up at me. Slowly stirring out of unconsciousness…

Pokkle whispered through shattered jaws.

"I... surrender..."

With a popping of my knuckles, I gripped my left hand into a fist with all my might. All my rage and anger pulled into it. All the frustrations, struggles, deaths, and obstacles I've had overcome. Everything I hated about the Hunter Exam. From Tonpa to Hisoka to the pointless deaths.

I didn't want to win like this… This was- no, control myself and contr-

I heard a robotic laugh in the back of my mind as something tried to push forward again. I took a shaky breath and and ran my hands over my face and through my hair.

Just... calm down...

But I couldn't stop trembling

Pokkle glared at me as his eyes lost focus. Arms and legs in incorrect shapes. His turban unfurled around him. His clothing covered in dust and tears. Guys in suits and medical staff running towards Pokkle.

The image of a shattered Pokkle glaring at me was burned into my mind.

I looked at him in horror and regret...

Was this the real me?

I slowly stepped back and stared up at the ceiling. The bright, white light that filtered through windows burned my eyes. It looked so far away...

Everything felt surreal...

I took a step back. Then another step. Then another. Before I realized it, I was moving past people and faces. Out the door...


I was in Gon's room. Or, well, the room they put Gon in after he was knocked out. I was sitting on a chair next to Satotz, both of us sitting at a table next to a fireplace. I was scribbling on a piece of paper and figuring out what to write. My shoes shuffling against the rug underneath my feet every few seconds.

My mind dull with misery and my body restless. The Hunter Exams were still going on. I didn't care anymore. I did my part. I passed.

Pokkle isn't gonna be fighting anyone anytime soon, so everyone else passes. I made a fist and stared at it...

Plan successful... god... damn it…

I looked away at my fist as I slowly tapped the table in front of me in frustration… I could feel my face scrunch up in frustration as well…

They were still continuing the tournament, for formality's sake. But it was essentially over… Pokkle lost…

I barely remember everything after... I woke up. It was a blur. It was like when Panza possessed me… I wasn't in the right mind… I-I…

No. That's a lie... it's like I let myself take over myself...

It didn't matter anyways. I didn't even pick up my sword from Leorio. I didn't want it. I don't deserve it.

I was a Hunter now... I wasn't going back to orientation. They'll give me the card later…

I stared off aimlessly.

I'm just going to go back to Evira, beg her not to own them. And then do whatever Zhulong tells me… that's what Evira wants. For me to bow...

This world isn't my home… I don't have one…

… Looking back... I don't know what's wrong with me. I was… not fine, but functional in my own world. I was a high-functioning, non-functioning human being. Now… with all this bullshit magic... I don't know if I can fix my problems...

I thought back to what I wanted to do to Pokkle... My original plan was to injury Pokkle to the point where he wouldn't able to beat Leorio. As cruel as it sounds, I'd crack a leg or arm and his bow... I'd still get my revenge...

All I knew was that Leorio would have fight Ponzu and he'd have lost to her bees and poison. Had he fought Anita, I'm positive he'd have beaten her, but not Ponzu... stung into a coma by bee venom... if only he fought Anit-

No... no... it's not his fault. It's just an excuse for what I did. I was would have beat Pokkle senselessly anyways. I just... went out of control. Again...

It was times like this that I wish I had someone to go to for advice… I never had someone like that growing up…

I rubbed my fingers through my hair in frustration. Why was I picked to come to this world? Was it my Nen? Why?! It should be someone better than me! A good person!

I'm not the right person for this. I'm not a fucking hero...

I just want a normal, quiet life! I couldn't even get that in my old life! I'm not the right person for any of this!

A high pitch sound came through my mind. The sound of normal rage... but it gave way to the sound of something like a slowly revving engine... a bellowing laugh...

Damn it... stop... getting no I-

"A flower that grows in a desert knows more of survival than one that grows in a fresh meadow… but will never understand that, being surrounded by dust."

I snapped out of it and looked up to see Satotz reading his book. He looked up from his book and stared at me with those placid eyes of his.

"Apologizes for interrupting your thoughts. But, by your face, I can tell what you were thinking."

I glared at him, "Yeah? So what was I thinking?"

He closed his book and said, "Oh. Something along the lines of, 'Why was I born to endure this?' or a general sense of unworthiness? Am I incorrect?"

I looked down and frowned, "You're not wrong..."

We stayed quiet for a moment before Satotz spoke softly.

"This is a harsh world indeed. There are countless people who live and die without ever being recorded into history," he raised his history book for emphasis before putting it down on the table in front of us.

"Anger. Hate. Love. Sorrow. Joy. Triumph. Defeat. Life. They can all disappear in the blink of an eye... I became a Ruin Hunter to discover, restore, and preserve the civilizations that would disappear forever. Who's beliefs and ideas would die alone..."

Satotz looked away to stare at Gon, "When I first became a Hunter, I cared for none of these things. I only wished for glory. But seeing that boy's father... I became very ashamed."

He turned back to me, "There are plenty of those who seek the past to gain glory and riches. Many who forge the future for a variety of reasons. Others who to refuse to move on from their past. There are even those who hide away from their problematic lives and run into their imagination. But there are very few who care for or are satisfied with the present… and there are even less who reach out to lend a hand. Especially when one does not benefit from doing so..."

He turned back to me and rested his seemingly bored eyes on me. But... that was wrong. In them they held so much knowledge, it was almost as if he knew so much he was uninterested in the present. And I could suddenly tell... he cared in some way.

"You are none of these. When I stare at you, I see a person who recognizes the realities in front of him and chooses not to hide or run from them. You do not shy away. Quite the opposite. You are a person who tries to 'fix' things. If words will not suffice, then intelligence. If not intelligence, then actions. If not actions, then by any means necessary," he said matter-of-factly and with a nod.

I forgot the Examiners were tracking our progress…

I stared at him, no longer glaring but genuinely... I don't know. I felt like he was right... and I hated it. I sighed and nodded reluctantly.

He closed his eyes and nodded before speaking again.

"To think like that takes certain experiences... that I cannot begin to understand. A harsh life indeed. Anger, beliefs, and actions such as yours are something I've seen before. Some would call it a sense of justice. Others, dramatically, righteous indignation. I would call it a desire for fairness."

I frowned and looked away. I felt... exposed, "Control... They say life is unfair... I just want enough control to make life fair. I would trade it for anything else... Why do you care?"

"Hmph. Because your Master would not have accepted you as an apprentice had he not seen these things in you."

I sighed, looked down, and leaned my chair back. Of course, Netero would tell everyone.

"Yes. You are correct. The Chairman has informed the Examiners you are Mayer's apprentice."

I whipped my head back up to him as my chair landed back down with a sudden stop. Surprise plain on my face. He shrugged.

"You will soon understand that a basic requirement of Nen combatant is the ability to predict your opponent's next moves... But I digress, the Chairman is not a shy man. He takes particular amusement in teasing his former students. Though, he is fond of teasing anyone to relieve his boredom."

I groaned and held my head. Satotz moved his chair closer to the table and to me. The mustachioed man looked at me with the same placid look… yet there was something sincere in those dull eyes of his.

"Regardless of what Mayer is now, he is still a Hunter held in high esteem. Before he ceased working for the Association, only Botobai surpassed him in the world of Hunters who hunted the unjust. He was more than capable of applying to become Triple-Star Hunter. Had he wished... But he was never a man for reward or glory. He had his pride, but he kept it to himself."

I stared in shock at Satotz. He looked at me with mild surprise and said, "Ah. He did not tell you... Mayer has always been a shy and reserved individual. A man of very few words."

I puffed out a breath and replied, "Yeah, he grunts half the time. Another forty percent is shrugs and annoyed faces," I felt a smile danced on my face as pride swelled in my chest. That pride turned into disgust as I remembered what I did less than an hour ago. Or Todo. Or Kenmi by accident. Or the applicants in the swa-

"James," Satotz said gently, breaking me out of my thoughts. I turned up to stare at him, my head having turned down by itself without me knowing...

"If you do not believe you are worthy of being a Hunter, or even Mayer's apprentice, that is something well within your rights to believe. But, because of the efforts of Hunters like Mayer, professional Hunters are treated quite well..."

He picked up his book and turned back to me, "There is no end of applicants seeking a license for the worst intentions..." he nodded, "It's just my silly opinion, but I believe you're not one of these individuals. Neither was Mayer. Though you and you're master look nothing alike, both of you can carry great burdens on your shoulders..."

Satotz opened his book and began reading it again, "It may be presumptuous of me, but that may be why you face such hardships. You can do so where others cannot. It is up to you to decide how to use that kind of strength."

"...But, sometimes, it's better to ask help for help when shouldering something heavy. No one has unending strength, and no person has all the answers..."

I stared at him, searching. I wasn't... confused. My mind felt at ease, but...

With a sigh and smile tugging on my face I turned down to my goodbye note and ripped i-

Rip Evira a new one...

I stared at the paper. Rip. Rip... RIP!

That's it!


I left Gon's room and walked back to where the tournament was being held. The hotel had one central building surrounded up by multiple other buildings in the middle of this giant plaza… thing. This place was more like a giant palace than any hotel. Fortunately, I didn't have to walk very far. The tournament was being held in the same building Gon was in.

Walking through the courtyard was something else. Jade green and white was the choice of colors for this place. Thick, green pillars and archways to my left revealed grass, fountains, trees, benches... Like a tiny park laid out instead of a courtyard. It was beautiful to be around...

I stopped at the enormous doors to the tournament room and sighed. I was gonna hate this...

With one simple push, the massive doors opened up with a creak. It opened to reveal...

Nothing. The room was empty. I looked around in shock.

"The Hunter Exam's finished," someone said behind me.

I turned around to see Killua glowering at me. His hands in his pocket.

I sighed in relief.

Being in Zetsu made me a lot more sensitive, but Killua being stealthy with Zetsu was impossible for me to hear or feel coming. The shock of the empty room wore off as I felt two more... three more people half a dozen meters away.

"Why'd you do it?" Killua said, simply.

"How about everyone come out and I'll explain?"

Kurapika, Leorio, and Anita came out from behind different pillars. I saw that Leorio was clutching my sword. They walked up and stood next to Killua. They stared at me, their faces demanded answers. All four of them were dead serious. I shifted my eyes to Anita and pointed a finger at her.

"Why is she here?" I said, before sticking out my tongue and squinting my eyes. My way of trying to liven the mood a bit...

She quirked her lips in annoyance, "Hey! I came here to say thank you! And... well, to see if you're ok," she said with a rub of her arm.

Kurapika stepped forward, "James. Are you ok?"

Leorio looked at me with anger and... something else. When he spoke, it was laced with quiet fury, "You were about to kill Pokkle. You've been on and on about not killing... but the moment you have a chance you almost murder him?!"

I sighed, shook my head, and looked down. I couldn't meet his eyes, "I didn't want to kill him... But I would be lying if I said I didn't want to at the time… "I glanced up nervously, "So... is he alright?"

Killua's face stayed neutral, "From what the doctors said, he might be able to make a full recovery... eventually. He'll be out of commission for a while. He might not be able to make the next exam. You still didn't answer my question."

I sighed and raised an eyebrow, "Do you mean why I forfeited against you and how I knew what you were planing? Or why I basically ruined the last Phase?"

"Both."

I frowned, "I gave up on principle. As experienced as you are at hiding shit, you made it obvious you were up to something when you didn't tell me about your conversation with Evira. Usually, you'll say what's on your mind unless it's too much trouble. And you didn't care about passing, so..."

His eyes opened wide before glaring at me, then looking down.

"Tch. I was ordered by Evira not to tell you. She said you would do this."

"What, surrender?"

He nodded.

"Yeah... well, that's how I am. You should know that by now. If I have friends, I take care of them. That's all. I said I'd make you guys Hunters, I meant it," I growled out.

Leorio pointed at me and snarled, "That's good and all, but it's like you don't even trust us! You did this before the fourth phase and did it again! Don't you see you're disrespecting us!? All the effort we've gone through!"

Kurapika nodded and said, his tone icy yet respectful, "Yes... It's just as Hanzo said: age has nothing to do with our ability. We are Hunters, James. You aren't alone and you don't need to protect us. By fate or destiny, we are bound together. Whether or not we want to... we must rely on each other until we deal with Evira..."

I looked down at the floor and nodded.

"Nah… I do want your help… But what you said, yeah, you're right. That's partly why I did the things I did. Protection... but guilt too... You guys don't deserve to be trapped in Evira's web."

I closed my eyes and raised my head. When I opened them, I felt sadness behind my eyes, "Where I come from… the people who survived into adulthood were our heroes. Hero or villain. Survival into adulthood was like a dream... So when I see kids like you guys struggling when you don't have to... I get upset. It shouldn't be you guys trying to fix the world's problems, but someone like me. Under the age of twenty-one... is far too young to die."

They all looked at me sadly. I don't know what my face looked like... I sighed and looked down at Killua, "Weirdly enough, you got the best head on your shoulder. A kid like you should be just having fun with friends. I don't know if this counts as fun though," I said with a sad chuckle.

Leorio looked at me with with wide, understanding eyes and… the other emotion was respect. Before, it was disillusionment...

Something clicked in his mind, I could see it. He closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly.

"I'm sorry. As someone who's lived through the same life... a life of poverty and uncertainty... I should have known."

They all turned to him as Leorio continued, "I was wondering why I felt a connection with you... but what you said. Yeah... I never thought I'd get to live to be nineteen, let alone leave my slums... When you live your entire life being poor, you're a different human being than everyone else. You learn to throw your pride away. You beg, you scrape... you do anything to survive..."

He looked down, his voice fragile, "After a while... you live in dark so long the light becomes hard to see... but once you finally escape it..."

He raised his head and locked eyes with me, "You think, 'I'll never go through that again'", he chuckled bitterly before continuing, "But, if your boneheaded and childish like us, you think, 'I'll never let anyone I know go through that again...'"

I sighed and looked down, "But now that we have power..."

"Yeah..."

It was within our reach... but it wasn't so simple... things just didn't get easier with power… they seemed to get harder…

We've lost so much... so many people... and no one cared. At this point victory tasted bitter...

Was it any wonder we were both... so angry and frustrated?

Kurapika answered, snapping us out of our thoughts, "Both of you want to make sure no one can suffer like that again. Each in your own way," before closing his eyes with a small smile. Anita smiled sheepishly as well.

Killua placed his hands behind his head and said with a playful smile. He scoffed, though not unkindly.

"Man, you guys are a bunch of softies, huh?"

Leorio and I stared at each other in surprise, before chuckling. We were both goofy people, we never wanted to be harden people in the first place...

Leorio playfully swatted Killua's puffy white hair, a smile on his face, "You're one to talk! You're just as much as a softie as us, even though you're a Zoldyck!"

"Indeed he is..." said a chittering and echoing voice far to my right.

We turned towards my right, down the hallway, and to the man who spoke. Blue mohawk, needles, green clothing, shaking...

My stomach dropped.

Gittarackur stared at. With a slight smile and his twitching body. I heard Killua make a worried noise and took a step back. His brother slowly moved a hand to a needle on his head. Ever so slowly he started to remove them. One by painfully looking one. We stared in morbid curiosity and fear... our bodies were frozen as we looked on.

We were completely unsure of what to do. It felt like being a deer in headlights.

I could see from the corner of my left eye Killua shaking in fear. I was as well...

The moment he removed the last needle from his head, I could feel a burst of Aura erupt from his body...

The most disgusting thing I ever saw unfolded in front of me:

The left cheek bulged out of the face of the thin man with a squishing, snapping sound. It seemed to cause a chain reaction as flesh and bone began warping and moving with fleshy, cracking noises. Features on his face moved and slid across his head. His eyes popped and bulged, squished and squeezed, enlarged and shrunk…

With a large, sickening crack, his face grew wider and his blue hair exploded up. It expanded into long, flowing black hair. It suspended in the air for a moment as the rest of the face continued to warp. His gruesome visage expanded for one horrifying second before settling into a normal, human face. Long, straight black hair fell behind his back, down to his waist...

In front of me stood the most dead-eyed person I have ever seen in my entire life. An alien looking at earth insects. I thought Killua had terribly dead eyes at times... I-I really thought I've seen the worst...

He doesn't even see us as humans... as though we barely exist. Shadows against a pale wall.

This man kills with no regard for life.

This was the first person since Hisoka... that made me feel genuine fear.

Down to my core.

"Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but I need to speak to my little brother. Alone."

"Whatever you have to say to me you can say it in front of them, Illumi!" Killua said... with fear and determination in his voice.

"Is that so? Very well. I should be surprised that you knew it was me in disguise... but I'm not," he tilted his head like a mantis staring at prey, "You have access to Ten, that means you're Aura nodes were unlocked..."

"You've removed my needle, haven't you?"

I gulped. Illumi turned his head up to me. I couldn't tell what he was thinking in those dead eyes of his. His face held no clues. His muscles in his body and face barely stirred when his lips moved. I've always been good at reading people... but normal… humans. People unaware of how much information they give with their bodies...

His training... What kind of world have I stepped into?

"You must be the one who unlocked his Nen..."

I trembled... Something felt wrong.

My senses told me to run... I went into Ten and instantly felt the sensation disappear... In the other world of Nen, I saw Killua's brother releasing an enormous amount of Ren. It was a disgusting purple color that oozed throughout the area. I could feel the slime against my Ten... This asshole was manipulating us.

"Killua, change into Ten."

My eyes never broke eye contact with Illumi's as I noticed a nodding to my left. I saw Killua's Ten surround him in my peripheral vision. He instantly stopped shaking, but I could still make out the worry on his face.

Illumi's eyes widened slightly in simulation of surprise. He raised a hand to his chin as he analyzed us, "Ah... seems you have immense potential Kil, but no surprise there. If I had to guess, little brother... you're a Transmuter..." he turned his head stiffly towards me, "and I'd say you're a Manipulator."

We looked at him in confusion. He tilted his head. My eyes widened in fear and my stomach dropped. I could sense Killua felt the same.

That was a trap.

Oh shit…

"Oh. It seems you two don't know about Nen categories," he frowned, "That's not a good... I can't have my brother taught Nen by someone so inexperienced..."

He took a single step forward. One little footstep set off my flight or fight response, as if he were an enormous monster ready to eat us. Cold adrenaline hit me as I realized how bad the situation was...

"Guys," Killua said to the rest of us, his voice low and deadly serious, "get out of here. Now! This is between me and my brother."

Illumi tilted his head, "What's with the change of heart? I thought I could say whatever I needed to say in front of them?" he took another step forward and paused.

What was this guy doing?! It was like he was testing us...

I turned towards my three Nenless friends and growled, "Get out of here!"

In the sea of terrible moves I've made these past couple of weeks... I knew that was the right move. Illumi didn't bat an eye as Leorio and Kurapika began moving backwards... except for Anita. Her mouth and eyes set in rage as she stood against the sea of purple surrounding the area. She was wild with madness and fury.

Staring at the man who killed her father.

She muscled through her shaking body and reached down for her knife. But it was so slow... as though she were trying to push through neck-deep water...

Adrenaline... slowness... death... I can see everything again. Illumi raising his arm and releasing a needle from between his fingers... my body moved on its own... shifted into Ren... I moved faster than I ever did before... it was like I could feel everything happening in my body... every sensation... every process... I could imagine everyone's thoughts in the slowness...

I was in control. I was in the cockpit of my mind. My body a machine moving on instinct. I didn't even bother trying to think as my left arm moved out towards Anita. It pushed her clear of the needle... good she's safe now move-

Oh. Leorio is behind her, and Kurapika... damn, this sucks. My head was in the needle's path. I could see everyone turn towards me in shock and horror.

So many thoughts traveling through my mind, synapses firing as fast as they could to find a solution in no time at all...

...

Man, I just learned my lesson. Life just hates me, huh?

...

My mind was so damn clear. Why was I thinking so fast again?...

...

I wiped my head towards the needle... I saw it traveling towards my left eye. Ten with Ren. That's what I have to do. I need to transition to that... ok good... transitioned...

The needle traveled ever so slowly. It looked like a mountain as it engulfed my entire vision on the left side of my vision... will it block it?…

A needle. A courtyard. Illumi Zoldyck.

That was the last thing I saw before my entire left side of my vision went black.

Time stopped for a moment as disbelief hit me. This wasn't happening. This wasn't real.

A needle hit the tiled floor.

The pain

Pain in my eye unlike anything I've ever felt before in my entire life. An electric and burning pain that simultaneously felt like an electric knife stabbing into my eye and hot pliers trying to squeeze my eyeball into a paste... All I could do was roar at the top of my lungs as I felt my knees collapse under. I felt my knees painfully hit the floor. My hands flying to cover my eye.

I was transported into another world of hellish pain.

I felt wetness dribble down my eye socket and face as warm liquid fell through my fingers and on to my clothing. I heard the soft patter of liquid droplets hitting the tiled floor beneath me... my increased perception stretching the tortuous moment out for what felt like an aeon...

And yet, even through the mind-numbing pain, my body reacted on its own as I felt the wind behind me. I twisted my torso and threw my right hand in the sensation's direction and grabbed the speeding Killua by his shirt. I pulled him back with all my might. His insane strength dragged me full meter before he stopped, growling like a beast.

I couldn't see him with my eyes squeezed shut. All I could do was hear my growls of pain, and Killua's growls of rage.

We can't win this...

"STOP!" I roared.

It was just horrible luck that Anita was here...

All I could do was sit there kneeling in the darkness. Not seeing, not able to open my eyes. My mind danced as images flashed in my mind's eye of my friends dying. Terror tightened my chest.

I heard scrambling footsteps as people rushed past me and helped pull Killua back. The boy growling like an animal in pure rage.

"Illumi..."

I heard the shifting of clothing before Illumi spoke. I think he was raising his hands, "Ah. My apologizes. I was defending myself from her. I didn't think it would hit anyone else."

His haughty, monotone voice... it held utter lies. He was pushing our buttons…

"YOU BASTARD!" Leorio roared in fury out somewhere not too far in front of me. It sounded like Kurapika was holding him back too. It sounded like it was from grinding his teeth, "You did this on purpose!"

Kurapika followed Leorio, his voice a low growl, "You used Ren to agitate us..."

"Not at all! I was simply defending myself. You saw it yourself, she was reaching for her knife..." he paused, for some reason I could imagine him… feel him tilt his head, "Though, the way Killua tried to protect you three... it is concerning how close you all are... as well as how angry you are, Kil... a brother shouldn't look at family like that."

"Illumi... leave my-"

"This is just a misunderstanding," I growled, cutting off Killua just in time.

I tried to get up and lost my balance. Someone caught me. The pain was so intense… that I had no idea what was up or down. The pain wouldn't stop... I just had to fight it…

From the size of the person who held me... I think it was Anita who caught me. Yeah... Anita was helping me. I could feel her shaking.

I tried to open my right eye, but it caused the pain in my left to flare up. So I just kept my eyes closed and turned my head in the direction that Illumi. Time to think on my feet and waste time.

"I was just... doing business with Killua. You wouldn't attack Tao Long business partners on purpose? Would you?"

He was quiet for a moment, before saying, "No. I suppose not. I'm... surprised..."

With my eyes closed... It was like I could understand the meaning and the undertones of every word. He was building up to something… I wanted to show him my mark on my hand… but anything he perceived as a threat would be dealt with

"Spirit echoes... the size of your En... the Tao Long sure are scary," Illumi lied, then paused for a moment before hitting me with a dead-end trap, "...But, usually, my father or grandfather decides who goes where when it involves your 'Family'. That means Killua would never have had a chance of taking your job."

Killua answered quickly, his ability to bullshit just as good as mine, "He offered me the job during my trip to Zaban City. That's why you didn't hear about it."

"Oh. Rather strange. I'd have thought Evira would contact us herself. As she always does concerning her jobs. That is, unless he isn't really part of the Tao Long or there is no job..." I heard metal jingle as Illumi shifted and moved, "If that's the case, I would be doing her organization a favor by eliminating a fake. You do know how much she hates imposters and those she can't trust, Kil. You've killed some yourself..."

"Tch. Then I'd also know if he really was one! Look at his hair! His suit! I even spoke to her myself! She trusts him!" Killua said, voice edging on frantic. I felt the same way.

We both knew Illumi was finding any reason to get away killing me and the rest of us.

"I suppose so..." I heard Illumi's arms move. The soft rustling of fabric and metal more terrifying than anything I ever heard in my life.

"But just in case..."

My stomach dropped.

"Call my Aunt then! She'll corroborate everything I just said!" I yelled into the darkness. My voice shaky. Come on. Someone had to come...

There was a tense silence as I heard metal moving... but no one screamed yet so that's good. I'm guessing-

I gritted my teeth in pain as stabbing pain hit my eye. I tightened the grip around my eye. Karma's one hell of a bitch...

Leorio's voice came through the darkness and pain, "Don't cover your eye with your hands!" I felt his hand push down on my wrist, "You could cause an infection..."

My right hand reached out as I forced open my right eye a fraction. Fuck the pain.

Leorio's face appearing through the darkness of my eyelashes, tears, and squinted eyes. I grabbed Leorio's jacket, "Call my Aunt again. Do it!" I said before, yelling the number at Leorio. I closed my eyes again. I heard Leorio scrambling for his phone.

Come on... Before he murders you guy-

I screamed at the top of my lungs as pain flared up in my left eye. I clenched my teeth and fists.

This time on purpose... somebody... come on...

The dialing of button presses came out... excruciatingly slow... He cursed as his finger slipped and dialed the wrong number, his hands shaking in fear from Illumi's Ren. Terror crept in my heart as I could feel the proverbial guillotine slowly coming down as Illumi's patience eroded...

Beep. Beep. Beep…

It felt like we've been here for five years! He was going to kill us all before Leorio finished dialing...

My mind started edge toward hysteria through the darkness and pain…

Beep. Beep. Bee-

"C-crap," Leorio said as finger slipped again.

I heard an annoyed sigh as I heard Illumi raise his arm…

Someone had to have heard me! COME ON! ANYONE!

I heard the purposeful chambering of a round into a gun. The loud 'chink' and sliding sound as loud to my ears as church bells.

Siper?

Illumi scoffed. I heard him turn before pausing.

The soft, confident voice of Hanzo came from nowhere. Like a ghost, "Usually I wouldn't interfere... but he still owes me a fight."

"What's going on here?" I heard a dull voice ring out.

That was Satotz.

It felt like dark glass crashing all around us as the world of terror gripping shattered. Replaced by eager, blinding hope.

The sound of footsteps echoed as people were finally coming. Pure elation and religious joy hit me as I slapped the phone out of Leorio's hand before he finished dialing. A soft, "Hey!" coming out from Leorio. I rather call the devil on speed dial than Evira now.

The vibration of some giant walking closer...

The voice of Buhara came out from my left, "Hey, looks like someone's picking a fight with that red-haired, fox-faced guy."

"You mean cherry head?" Menchi answered with a snicker.

The madness of hope crept into my mind...

I love my new body! My cherry hair was beautiful! My fox face was beautiful... My new body was a beautiful temple...

I could imagine her squinting in the distance, "Yeah... looks like it," Menchi said from somewhere next to Buhara. I heard metal blades being pulled out from sheaths.

The sound of cards flapping from far away suddenly filtered through the air. Loudly and very on purpose.

This was the only time in history someone ever thought, thank god for Hisoka.

I started chuckling as pure relief hit me.

Ahhh, Karma, you're such a beautiful maiden. I'm sorry for saying those terrible things to such an amazing woman…

I stood up as tall as I could and fought through the pain. Unsteady on my feet but resolute to stay standing.

With the sound of leather, I pulled off my right glove and revealed the tattoo on my right hand. I raised it in the direction of Illumi. Had I done it any other time he'd have used it as an excuse to kill me...

"I am the heir to the Tao Long. I don't give a fuck if you believe my word. But this is proof and you know it! I'm willing to let this misunderstanding go if you are."

Silence rang out for a minute...

"Hmm. I suppose it was a misunderstanding. Back to our discussion before I was interrupted. Kil, I heard you stabbed Mom and Milluki. Then you left home."

"Yeah."

"Mom couldn't stop crying from joy."

Tch…

"She's so happy her son has finally grown up. But she's concerned about you being out on your own. She asked me to check on you when I got the chance. Lucky that we were both taking the Hunter Exam, right?"

Killua chuckled, "Yeah, lucky. He hired me to protect him through the Hunter Exam. Kinda hard to do that if you don't join the Exam, right?"

That's a bald-faced lie that had a nugget of truth.

"Oh. So this was part of a job?" heard him clap his hands... with my sharpened senses I could tell it was facetious… but to everyone it else sounded genuine, "I see... well that's a relief! Then this really was just a big misunderstanding! My apologies."

He was lying. He knew we were lying. We both knew we were lying to each other. But he couldn't pull the trigger anymore with the spotlights and no more plausible deniability... so to speak. He would murder me if I pissed him of or gave him an excuse, regardless of circumstance. So I stayed quiet for once.

Illumi continued, "I was concerned when I saw you at the tunnels underneath Zaban. I thought you had abandoned your family to become a Hunter. That would be silly since..."

"...You're not cut out to be a Hunter. You were born for one purpose: to be an assassin."

Killua took a short breath. There was silence for a moment before Killua bounced back, "Funny that I'm not a Hunter then, aren't I? I just took this stupid exam for a job. This idiot here wanted to give me a license as payment..."

"Oh…oh, that's great! Just great Killua! I thought you weren't ready for a Hunter license, but I see now I was wrong. I was worried these people were your friends. If that were true I would have to kill them. Friends would just distract you."

Oh boy... as a person assigned 'manipulator', this guy was a super 'manipulator'…

"Assassins have no use for friends. They only get in the way."

Killua said, "Y-yeah. This is just a job. I don't even really know them..."

"Ah. Then you'll keep doing what you've always done: the job Dad and I trained you to do. Keep growing, Killua. But... you're not ready for that type of power. Especially without the needle. So, go back home-"

I raised my right hand in the air in the international sign of, 'Stop!'. I waved my right pointer finger in a disapproving manner into the darkness in front of me. The confidence of having half a dozen people ready to kick someone's ass gave me much bravery. So much bravery.

"Nope! I still have him on retainer. I'm paying him three million Jenny an hour to protect me. The jobs not done until we get back to York New City."

It suddenly got awfully quiet outside my hisses of pain. I swear to god the disbelief was palpable in the air. What? Was my lie too much? Three million is- oh fuck, twenty thousand U.S. dollars?! That's about... damn... five million over ten days...

We'll... cross that bridge when the time comes. I'll figure something out...

Illumi answered, "Oh my. That is quite an amount. I suppose there is no helping it then. I'll inform mom and dad, Kil..." I heard him turn around and walked away. Well, that seemed anti-climatic-

He stopped.

"Just so you know, Killua, Mom and Dad will probably send someone to keep an eye on you. Since I'll be busy for the time being..." he changed his attention to me, "If you're lying or harm my brother, I will kill you. Your family will offer no protection from us."

I clicked my tongue, "I bet you will and I bet they won't"

By the time you find a reason to kill me... I'll pay you back for my eye...

The sound of footsteps rushing towards me in the darkness was all that was left. The medical staff led me away. Pain my entire world...

...and a small smile on my face.

Sweet victory.


To prevent more pain and to avoid me having to be led around like the blind... They put me into a hospital room on the airship. The Association had an eye doctor on board who checked my eye. He said I was lucky and I'll be all right. I wanted to slap him in the face.

The Hunter doctor explained that the needle had pierced my cornea, anterior chamber, hit perfectly through the pupil, stabbed through my lens, and was rubber-banded off from my Ken. He called the technique I used Ken. Since my Ten was thicker than someone like Killua's, the needle didn't go all the way into the back of my eye. That's why I still had my eye.

Even with all that, I still needed an explanation of how that was lucky...

Doc said, "The penetration itself was tiny. A centimeter or two deeper and you'd have lost your eye. You might not lose your eye if an infection doesn't set in, but your vision will never the same. You might never see again in that eye. Even with a lens replacement, you may be entirely reliant on you're right eye for vision. So you'll be all right!"

I nearly strangled the shitty doctor for that joke. It took Killua, Anita, Leorio, and Kurapika to peel me off of him.

They gave me pain medication for the time being. The puncture wound was small, and eyes heal themselves. But the issue was that my lens was damaged. That was the liquid from my lens that came out of my eye. That would require surgery to replace, which they didn't have at this facility. All they could do now was monitor my eye to see if it doesn't get infected..

Currently, I was sitting in a hospital bed. Staring at my right hand with one eye. A medical eyepatch over my left eye.

There was a smile on my face. It tugged against my lips and pulled my face. My face was frozen with joy.

I stared up from my hospital bed to see Leorio, Kurapika, Killua, and Anita staring at me with uncomfortable faces. I chuckled.

Leorio spoke slowly and concerned, Are... are you okay, James?"

My head tilted in confusion as I stared at him. I know I looked crazy. I shook my head.

"Yeah, I'm fine… It really is nuts... but even though I might lose my eye, I couldn't be happier..."

I started laughing. They all looked at me like I was crazy, before slowly smiling. It could be the drugs that were making me this happy... but I doubt it

For the first time in my life, I've won. I got everything I wanted. And everyone I care for is alive.

What's the potential cost of an eye to that?

Anita stepped forward like a shy rabbit. For all the bravado she held the first time we met, she was slowly showing her real self. She may be a badass, but even soldiers and mercenaries are human underneath the facade.

She rubbed her arm, unsure of what to say. I lifted my hand to stop her. I extended my hand and smiled.

"Hey. My name is James. Nice to meet you. What's yours?"

She looked at me with a fragile smile and a wet look in her eyes. She wiped her eyes away and reached out her hand and grabbed it.

"My name is Anita. Nice to meet you as well."

I chuckled, "Don't worry, ok? I'm fine with losing an eye if it means keeping my friends. Even if your all a bunch of fucking annoying-ass kids. I need older friends..." I growled harmlessly. I felt like a crotchety old man...

She looked at me with a peculiar look, then spoke, "You mean it, don't you? You're not angry at me. You don't hate me…"

I was taken aback. I looked at her strange, "What? No. I understand where you come from. Who the fuck am I to talk about that anger?!"

I released my grip and my arm felt to my side. I looked at her seriously, then to the rest of them.

"If there was one thing learned the most from this whole Exam... it's to know your limitations… to pick your battles. Wait until you're ready or strong enough to win. Don't let get lost in yourself..."

I really should have taken Mayer's advice to heart faster…

So I'll take Satotz's advice to heart immediately…

"And lastly… that I can't do things by myself."

I went into my pocket and rifled out some torn pieces of paper. I handed to each of them the notes. Except for Anita. I turned to her and shrugged.

"This is something between the five of us and my Aunt. I'm not gonna drag anyone else into this."

She rallied from her sadness to give me a serious look, "And what if I help without your permission?"

I sighed and replied, "You'd help me more by staying alive. If I need your help, I'll ask. And you need my help, you got it... but not this."

She glared at me; her face obstinate. As mature as these fucking kids were, they're still stubborn kids. I wish I could convince people with words like Gon. I can only piss them off with my words...

I puffed out some air in annoyance and continued.

"I don't like calling on favors... But you owe me for the fourth phase. You owe me for saving your life. The worst thing you could do is die after this," I said with a point to my left eye.

Anita deflated and nodded. Killua turned to Anita and spoke up. We all turned to him and listened.

"Don't go after Illumi. Out of all of my siblings, he's the strongest. I'll be blunt: you have no chance of beating him now. Maybe not ever."

"When aren't you blunt?" Leorio said with a flat look.

"I'm serious," Killua said with intense, glaring eyes, "what Illumi did to James was him not even trying. If my brother wanted James dead, he'd have thrown harder... If James didn't realize what Illumi was doing, he'd have killed you guys and taken me back home..." he didn't need to elaborate. I didn't want him to.

Kurapika nodded, "I'm surprised James... you maintained your head when confronting Illumi. But when it came to Pokkle you... snapped..."

They all turned to me with looks of confusion. But Killua looked disconcerted… he understood since he saw me in the forest.

I sighed. I couldn't rub my face as I was used to, so I rubbed my forehead before speaking.

"It's like Leorio said. When you're poor, you throw away your pride. You beg and scrape. Worse when you're powerless. You just have to take it or suffer the consequence. This is the first time in my life I have power. True power. I can change the world…"

I looked down and continued, "Instead of power relieving my anger... it's making things worse. When Pokkle... screwed me over... it made me feel helpless again. Worthless. Not because he was stronger or better than me, but because he took advantage of my trust... all my insecurities came rushing back."

I glared at them, "I'll figure a way to control my anger. This was the second time this happened to me. There was one more time where I truly wanted to kill. When I was training in the mountains... where I snapped like this. I felt... robotic."

Kurapika cupped his chin and looked at me, "As a..." he paused and looked at Anita, "...what I say must be kept confidential, Anita."

She nodded. He nodded back and continued.

"I'm from the Kurta clan," She looked surprised.

Kurapika turned to me and continued, "The Kurta use-... used various techniques to control anger. One of of them was the compartmentalization of one's emotions. You store them away, deep in your subconscious. Repressing them by shutting it off from the rest of your mind. Normally this would work for everyday life... but it's ineffective when forced under stress, pressure, and the kind of anger you hold inside. I should know..."

I squinted my eyes on Kurapika, my stare intense. I nodded and looked down. He didn't have to explain anything else. That's what I had been doing my entire life. Just repressing everything...

Something was growing inside of me. An egg of rage. Seeded by Nen. The more powerful I get, the worse it's becoming...

It's all my desires...

'Come true.'

Leorio's voice snapped me out of my mind. He raised his paper, "And these?"

I nodded and said, "That is our way to circumvent Evira. Somehow she can see us. But I doubt she can track all of us at the same time. Read them when you're alone..."

Kurapika and Leorio nodded. Killua spoke up, "I'm assuming our next step is to beat Evira then."

I suddenly felt vengefully better. I smirked, "Oh yeah. But this time... you and Killua are taking point."

Kurapika and Killua nodded seriously.

Leorio Paradinight, the Hunter who will be a doctor, mirrored my smirk. Will and hope burned in his eyes again. In everyone's else's as well.

He held up my sword. I took it back. I stared at it.

I felt will and hope burn in my eye too.

My smirk turned into a vicious grin.


I left the airship hospital the next day. Not because I was discharged, but because I wanted to attend the orientation. Now that I wasn't going back to Evira like a good little boy with my tail between my legs... I damn well was gonna attend my Hunter Orientation.

Right now I was in a lecture hall. All the Examiners and the Chairman were at the front of the room.

I was sitting near Leorio, Kurapika, Killua, and Gon on the left side of the room. We were in the third and fourth row, respectively. I was sitting next to Kurapika while Leorio, Gon, and Killua were sitting behind us. Anita was in the row in front of us.

Why does this feel like this how it would be in high school or college?

Well, if I went to an average, non-ghetto-ass high school... you'd never seen a bigger clown than me and my old friends...

I smiled and shook my head of old memories.

Goodbye...

I focused on the present and towards the future...

All the applicants were here except for Pokkle. Ponzu and Illumi sat up top. Hisoka was in the row behind us.

Siper and Hanzo were on the other side of the room.

In front of the blackboard was all the Examiners throughout the Exam. Satotz, Buhara, Menchi, Lippo, Khara, Masta. Beans and Netero were on a dais, with the Chairman standing behind a desk.

On the desk, in front of us, each of us was a black, leather-skin business folder with the Hunter Association symbol on it. Even with one eye I could see it as clear as day.

I smiled and rubbed my hand on the folder. Pride welled up inside my chest.

I turned up to the voice of Netero, "I would like to congratulate all of you on passing this year's Hunter Exam. It is unprecedented that nine rookies have passed. In all my years this is the most I have seen pass at one time."

With a small smile and nod he continued, "Truly, I say without reservation, you all are worthy of the title of Hunter."

I placed my hand on the edge of the folder and opened it up.

I smiled as I saw my card.

I did it.


Author Notes:

Hello dear readers!

As always, I hope you all are well and continue to stay well!

Congratulations, James! You're a Hunter now!

Now let the battle between the Hunter Five and Evira begin.

Future people! Feel free to skip to the next chapter if you want. The stuff below is for the people who have come by week after week to read my story. You can read it if you want, but it serves no purpose for towards story. So see you next chapter!

XXX

There will be no chapter next week. So there will be a new chapter in two weeks' time. So I just want to leave you all with something, just a thanks. You don't have to read it at all, but it is a genuine thanks.

Thank you all who have read from my story from the very beginning and have stuck through until now. As always, I appreciate every single review and every single person who has read my story.

As my life gets busy, as things start to change in my life, I may not always be able to respond to all your reviews. But know I do read them. From the insulting to the encouraging. From one person who gushes or to another who points out a flaw. Even the guys and gals who try to knock me down and the sneaky guest reviewers who somehow think I can't delete obscene reviews, hahaha!

Each and everyone of you readers I cherish.

Even the quiet readers who do not respond but enjoy my story. You guys are awesome!

No matter who you are, you are, your beliefs, your opinions, you're race, culture, country, anything and everything. I don't care if you love my story, hate my story, hate the ideas in my story, love them. Down to the very fabric of my being. This is what I believe.

Do not be scared of who you are, or what you might be. Do not be scared of the past, present, or future. Don't be reluctant to reach out and change. To fight back against the world and burn with righteous rage. Ignore the people who tell you to be weak and meak.

Fear what you may lose out if you never try at all.

Don't believe in the fools who don't believe in you.

You all are amazing people and are capable of amazing things.

Thank you for reading my story so far.

XXX

Some of you won't care for the message above. In the cynical in you may disdain it. Some of you don't even care about the messages in my story.

That's fine. I hope you still find happiness.

As you can tell, this story is personal to me. All the things that happened to James (minus the supernatural shit) have either happened to me or people I know and love. That may mean nothing to you. It could be as esoteric to you as a fantasy novel. You could have the emotional maturity of a rock. I don't care, but these are true realities of life people ignore.

And this stories is for all those people. Who cry out every day and are ignored. Who feel like they can't be free from misery.

This is a story for those who struggle, get knocked down by life, and get back up.

Just know there is at least one person who believes in you. Someone who is rooting for you.

Sometimes that's all a person needs in hard times.

The first part of the story is done. Enough sadness! Now onto the second part! A story of strength, love, and success. You've struggled with James, now you'll triumph with him!

LETS HAVE SOME FUN!

As always, I hope you all are well and continue to stay well!

Rondo signing out!

Below I will clarify something about James Nen. Please scroll back up if you don't want to be spoiled.

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Spoilers

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XXX

To clarify some things:

Illumi is right about Jame's Nen category. Hisoka was right too. James is a Manipulator, but shenanigans are afoot. People can transition into a Specialist later in life. Had James been born or come into Hunter X Hunter when he was a kid, he'd only be a Manipulator, but all specialists have a fixation on something. An obsession inside of them. A desire.

This is what's happening to James right now. But, for the time being, he'll be a Manipulator for a while.

So Straxyx, you were correct. Congratulations! But for now, we will see what kind of Nen user he is and how dangerous the Five of them are when they work together.

Next chapter you will see familiar faces (both canon and non-canon), new faces, and York New City!