Intermission Arc

Chapter 20: An Exchange, Battle and Cards

Garou was thrown against the solid brick wall with another crash yet again. Though an impact such as this would have immediately put any human out of commission, along with broken bones, Garou merely rose up from the pile of shattered bricks and looked relatively unharmed - only dusts and a few scrapes that barely broke the skin. His fight with the red-eyed competitor has pushed him to a somewhat secluded spot away from the public and other pedestrians, and he jumped forth onto the parking lot.

"You just don't go down easy, do you?" Accelerator commended as he stepped onto the parking lot as well. "Seems like you don't have any kind of special powers except using your own fists. Just what makes you so tough that you aren't coughing up blood after smashing through a building for the third time?"

Throughout Garou's intense efforts of trying to simply lay a hand on his opponent, Accelerator had not been moved or touched even once. With every close proximity Garou attempted, a force that acted as a barrier around Accelerator simply reflects Garou's every attack. A straight punch, projected back. A sidekick to a blind spot, reflected as well. Garou even resorted to throwing mailboxes, streetlamps, and any other throwable objects. None of them landed even close, merely bouncing back to Garou as he dodged them swiftly.

Throughout this "exchange," the only one who seemed to be enjoying this battle was none other than Accelerator himself. Without so much as lifting a finger as he deflected every attack. Increasing the impact of his deflection the more he realized how durable his opponent was. To Accelerator, it seemed very unlikely for any human to still be standing after this, unless humans were very durable in other worlds. But Accelerator is convinced that there was some kind of Endurance ability Garou had. His opponent was obviously getting roughed up, so it's only a matter of time until Accelerator will have to finish the job.

Garou eyed Accelerator silently. No matter what he tried, searching for any weakness in Accelerator's "barrier," he couldn't come close. Not even his Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist or any other moves he's seen and copied could come close. He concluded that Accelerator had to be an esper of some kind, like the heroic psychic sisters of his world: Hellish Blizzard and Terrible Tornado.

The only thing is that he sees Accelerator's ability different from those sisters. From what he remembered reading in that ugly kid's book back in his world, Hellish Blizzard and Terrible Tornado could grab and move objects with their minds - Tornado's power especially was another level entirely, worlds apart from her sister.

If it was some kind of telekinesis, though, Accelerator would have just swung Garou's body around like a pinball, and it's pretty clear to Garou that Accelerator wasn't trying to be gentle at all. So it might not be something like that, unless it's really short-ranged and limited to only work around the pale young man. If it's really mind-based though, as in if Accelerator needs to focus to deflect every attack Garou throws, then what if Garou does something that even an esper's mind can't keep up?

"What's wrong?" Accelerator asked mockingly as he noticed Garou remaining still, "Did you gave up on meeting me head-on? Not that I can blame you. You'll have to try something a little different if you think you can land a hit on me."

With steady movements, Garou lowered himself while reaching behind him, grasping the shattered rocks of the building he had crashed into.

He remembered back when he faced off against Death Gatling, and the onslaught of bullets Garou stood against, else the idiot hero would have killed the kid hidden in the barn behind Garou. Accelerator wasn't the only one who knows how to deflect incoming projectiles.

"Death Shower-!"

With brisk movements and the use of his hands and arms, Garou fires multiple rocks and pebbles. Every rock thrown like a speeding bullet, hundreds and hundreds of ammunitions flying towards Accelerator. The "barrier" around Accelerator remained active. Each speedily thrown rock bounced away and further destroyed their surroundings upon meeting the concrete.

Some stones were reflected back onto Garou, piercing through his skin and flesh, yet Garou did not flinch away. He kept his focus, intense and without slowing down the slightest. As more and more stones were thrown back his way, he either braced them or deflects them while still throwing more stones at the same time. He would even catch some stones just to toss them back at Accelerator again.

A slow build of laughter emanates from Accelerator, "What are you? Some superhuman freak? I've never seen a guy like you work this hard."

Even as thousands upon thousands of stones were hurled at him, Accelerator broke out into a high pitch fit of laughter, "This is starting to get entertaining!"

Each stone thrown by Garou grew faster and faster, yet nothing was deterring Accelerator or his ability in the slightest, and Accelerator resumed his casual walk towards Garou.

Seriously? He's keeping up with all of this? Garou observed in minor incredulous, though a bit of excitement did rattle his heart, Damn. If I could beat this guy, I might be able to beat any esper heroes in my world.

Now all it's a matter of finding a weakness of some kind. Or somehow disrupt Accelerator's power in- oh, hold on, it looks like Accelerator was getting closer to Garou. He should probably move.

An idea came to mind however, and Garou started chucking more and more stones, larger than the last. At this rate, he'll be clearing out all of the debris his crash caused, but it should be enough for him to make his move.

"Huh?" Accelerator said as he stopped for a bit. The stones were getting larger and much faster. He was actually intrigued how a guy like Garou could throw so many stones so quickly. What's more, as stones were being bounced off and getting destroyed all around them, a large cloud of dirt and rubble was forming, crowding the parking lot like brown smog.

There was a sudden onslaught of stone coming from Accelerator's right side, but his ability protected him from it. There was more coming from behind, and his left side as well.

Is he running around me?

Running around and throwing stones while using the cloud of stone dust as cover. Not bad, Accelerator gives credit for this creativity, though thanks to his ability he was protected by not only the stones but the dusts as well. Still, this only confirms his theory - to his understanding - that the guy had some kind of super speed. Probably super strength as well with how often he attempted to punch and kick him. Such a boring strategy, so he's glad to see this guy use his head, even if it may not amount to much.

The sound effect of his power was made from above, and Accelerator looked up. He heard Garou cursing as the fighter was flung back onto the other side of the parking lot, the dust of debris clearing a bit at his descent.

Garou sweated immensely after running ceaseless and fast, gasping in exhaustion. His power could keep up with everything I threw at him. Even when I tried to take him by surprise, I'm forced back.

Either the white-haired esper had a mind that can comprehend every movement of his opponent, even fast ones, or the esper's powers didn't work that way. Maybe automatic? Garou sees the esper still holding that plastic bag, what looked like a boxed toy of some kind poking up from the edge - this esper had such confidence that he doesn't even bother to put the bag down throughout this so-called fight. It's obvious that the esper could get up close and personal if he wanted to, but whenever Garou tried to do the same, it gets thrown back at him - literally. What the hell is the secret to this reflecting ability?

It honestly feels completely one-sided, but then that made Garou want to win all the more.

An insane laughter broke out from Accelerator as the white-haired esper approached Garou, a parked car in between them, "Out of breath? Looks like you've pushed yourself to your limit!"

The car was suddenly tossed by an invisible force and flunged towards Garou. The Hero Hunter moved quickly, barely gulping in a breath as he leapt high to the side of the building. Clinging onto the wall, he overlooked the entire parking lot, hopping back up a few more times to better gauge his opponent.

"Oi oi oi! Is that all you have for me?!" Accelerator taunted. "Come on! I haven't had someone keep up with me for this long! They usually end up in the hospital or drop dead by now."

Garou kept silent as he focused on Accelerator, holding onto the ledge of a window. Maybe there's something else he can do to break through that barrier? A stronger attack might be worth the affect, except when Garou even attempted to, he felt his bones strain as if they were about to snap when he was reflected back into the building for the third time. Would his body be able to endure if he tried again?

I'll just have to deal with it. Garou decided tenaciously.

"I can see that you're wondering about my ability," Accelerator suddenly said, reading Garou's expression. "No matter how fast you are, or how strong you are, all your attacks just keep getting thrown back at you, and you can't get so much as an inch closer to me. Well, I'll tell you why."

Accelerator placed a hand over his chest, introducing himself, "The name is Accelerator by the way. I'm an esper, but not just any ordinary one. What you see as me as "reflecting" anything, there's a little more to it than that. I have the ability to manipulate vectors, and change the trajectory of whatever gets thrown in my way. Whether it's the elements, bullets, magic, or your own fists. It doesn't matter what you use against me, there's an impenetrable wall between you and I that you are never going to pass!"

I'm on another league entirely. You're never going to get on my level. That was what Garou heard, and it was something he can't forgive hearing. He growled under his breath, but he still kept his wits. He needs to stay calm and see what he can do about this information he heard. For Accelerator to boast about it loudly, it's an implication that even if Garou understands, he still won't be able to beat this guy. But any info is an info Garous can use against his opponents.

Now all that's left is to figure out what the hell "vectors" are.

"That's not all," Accelerator stated, walking towards the building where Garou held onto several floors up high. "I don't just change directions of whatever attack comes my way, I can even avert the laws of science."

Accelerator jumped from the parking lot, and to Garou's surprise, the white-haired esper stood on the side of the building. His feet planted against the wall. There was nothing to holster him there and yet, Accelerator was standing without trouble, defying physics. He grinned at Garou as he started walking up towards the Hero Hunter.

"Gravity. Carbon Dioxide. Radiation. No matter what the world might throw at me, I'm untouchable." Accelerator spreads out his arms, hautingly declaring, "In my world, I'm the strongest esper alive. I'm going to be carrying that reputation here also. You're lucky. You're going to get a taste of this competition's number one's strongest! Now... Let me show you what a Level Five esper can do-!"

"How interesting."

Accelerator stopped dead in his tracks. His manic grin gone as he heard a new voice that sounded close right next to him.

"You definitely have a peculiar power. I'm invested to see what it can do against mine."

Garou's eyes widened as he looked beside Accelerator, where a person had just appeared out of nowhere.

"How about it? I happen to be "The Strongest" in my world too."

Accelerator turned his head to the speaker. "Huh?"

Sitting in leisure against the ledge of a window, a man with white hair and a black blindfold over his eyes, wearing a black uniform and shoes. He smiled at the powerful esper as he looked directly at Accelerator. The new arrival raised a hand in greeting, speaking in a friendly, almost mischievous tone, "Why not play with me for a little bit?"

The new man brought his hand forward towards Accelerator's face. The white-haired esper stared in dawning realization and disbelief. The sounds of his Reflecting ability made an entirely new sound, as if spinning into a void as the blindfolded man's hand drew closer to Accelerator's face and nose, and there was a blast. The side of the building completely destroyed in a cloud of dust.

Garou hopped up further until he was at the edge of the roof, looking down at the destruction below in wonderment. Though the building he stood upon remained intact, he sees Accelerator suddenly at the other side of the parking lot. Crouching onto the wall of another building. It was the first time Garou has seen Accelerator's composure broke for a bit, the manic enjoyment actually gone and in place, it was wide-eyed incredulous.

The man with the blindfold landed effortlessly upon the opposite side of the parking lot, hands inserted in his pockets. "Sorry that I interrupted your little bout with each other. I was just in the neighborhood when I heard the commotion."

He raised his hand and adjusted the bandana over his eyes, "Nice to meet you! I'm Satoru Gojo. The Strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer, and a Guardian of the Wired."

Both Garou and Accelerator observed the strange man with such intensity, as if looking away could cause him to vanish before their eyes. Guardian? Garou thought to himself. Is he another Hero in this city then?

"Sorry, but I'll have to cut your fight with each other short. A lot of destruction apparently happened on the street the two of you were on, although it's considerate you didn't involve any bystanders. As a Guardian of this competition, though, I had to step in, especially after hearing about the infamous Accelerator."

The hell? Why isn't he mentioning me? Garou's eye twitched at this clear disregard. Either this guy didn't know or wasn't really interested in the Hero Hunter; the hell does this "sorcerer" think he is? Garou hunted one-hundred heroes in his world dammit!

A minor grin appeared on the sorcerer's face, "I'm afraid we're going have to restrain the two of you. No hard feelings!"

We?

There was a sudden clutch at Garou's left foot and he looked down. His left ankle was wrapped in a rope of chain. The Hero Hunter's eyes widened Where? When did this-?!

Before a complete thought would come to him, Garou was yanked off from the building's roof and was heaved over across the air. He quickly reached for the chains, but as he moved, the chains swung him to the side.

There, at another rooftop, he spotted a figure in red. A tanned man with white hair. A dark armor with a red overcoat of a sort that flowed as a cape behind his waist. He held a long bow, and it would seem that the chains came from this archer's general direction.

"-Hero Hunter, is it?"

Garou heard the archer said.

"You probably would have done me some good."

Garou then looked to where the chain was pulling him towards. What appeared to be a door that just opened in the air, and the fighter was heading right for it.

Uh oh.

In a quick reaction, Garou pulled the chains around his ankle and used his own strength to force himself away from the open door. He managed to avoid the door, but the chains were moved once more, guiding his body as he glided across the air. He attempted to break the chains with his bare hands, but then new chains started appearing around him, as if sensing Garou's intention.

I need to get free-!

With only a few seconds for him to act before the chains would completely wrap itself around him, Garou remembered how that white-haired assassin kid, Killua he thinks his name was, was able to free himself from Garou's pinning move by dislocating his own joints. Freaky kid honestly, and apparently white hair was just a cool thing to have around here. Good to know.

Without another second to waste, he grasped the chains once more and reached for his ankle. Without a single hesitation, he twisted his own ankle and a pop of dislocation was both heard and felt, and his foot swiftly escaped the chain's clutch.

"Yes-!"

He then lost his grip of the chain when the chain was yanked back for the door in the sky. "Oh-"

Oops.

The powerful fling of the chain that aimed to force Garou into the open door, it instead acted as a slingshot, and Garou flew right across the air.

Upon seeing the Hero Hunter free himself and subsequently launched into the sky, Archer summons more arrows at once and sends several projectiles with chains connected to them, and sends them towards the wingless target. The arrows zipped across the air, piercing the wind. When Garou sees them drew close almost instantaneously, he struck them aside with the swipe of his fists, aura unintentionally guarding his hands and feet as he did so, and Garou noticed them briefly before he realized that he needed to reconnect his ankle before he meets the ground.

"He would rather let himself fall than be captured," Archer stated as he witnessed the Hero Hunter grew farther and farther away. "He's tenacious."

As tenacious as someone trying to avoid going to the principal's office. I better go and get him, or else I'll never hear the end of it from Rin.

Thus departed the archer, leaping from roof to roof as he chases after the "flying" Hero Hunter.

"Hmm. Looks like it'll just be the two of us now," Gojo calmly said with an upbeat tone. A wide grin spreads across his face, "The Strongest versus the Strongest. So then, shall we begin?"

Accelerator landed back down on the ground, glaring at the awaiting sorcerer, and a grin of his own emerge. "You sure got a cocky attitude. Can't wait to wipe that smirk off your face."

"Takes one to know one," Gojo playfully retorts before raising his hand once more, "See if you can divert this then - that is, if you can reach it..."

Emma steps out of the public bathroom with a new set of fresh clothes worn. An elegant white blouse with a knee-length maroon skirt. Long white socks with dark brown shoes. Gon stood waiting outside in his simple attire of a white sleeveless shirt and slightly baggy green pants.

"Oh wow! That outfit looks really good on you!" Gon said.

Emma smiled brightly at the compliment, "Thanks! Yours do too!"

It was also fitting attires for when they wish to train and exercise, something that Emma thought would be a good idea for today. The two children then resumed their walk across the neighborhood, carrying bags of new and old clothes separately. It felt forever since Emma had such a relaxing trek like this. It almost made her want to sprint across the street endlessly. With nothing to worry about, almost. She has also been enjoying her morning with Gon, and while she felt a little guilty for causing him and Killua to separate so that they could help her in their own way, she really appreciated their willingness to help even though they're competitors too. While she has no idea what the next event will hold, she's going to help Gon and Killua through it all, and together figure out a way to share their wish.

"There's something else I've been wondering about Nen," Emma said, "If it's your "life-force," then doesn't it tire you out after using it?"

"Kind of. It depends on how you use it," Gon answered, "Using too much can be bad for you. You'll have to train your Nen a lot so that you don't exhaust yourself too quickly."

"I see..." Emma said thoughtfully, beginning to comprehend this increasingly interesting power, then proceeded to her next question, "Are there any more stages to Nen?"

Gon nodded and puts up four of his fingers. "There's four major principles of Nen. There're also the advanced techniques, and ways for you to combine a few Nen categories."

"There really is a lot to it," Emma said slightly amazed. She probably should have brought a notepad. She'll just have to pay close attention to everything Gon says, she can do that, even if oral lectures were a bit more difficult for her.

"Yeah! It's so cool! We can take things slow if you want though, and I think it might be better to understand Nen if you could see it. Then you'll be able to see me and Killua use it."

Gon then started to wonder if he should take Emma to a training area of some kind? It's probably a good idea for them to stay in shape so that they'll be better prepared once Killua comes back. Even if today Killua doesn't master opening nodes yet, they should still practice before the competition starts up again.

"Let's see... Why don't we go to a gym for today?" Gon suggested, "There's a lot more about Nen I can tell you, and it might be a good idea to get you prepared before we can try to unlock your Nen."

"Yeah! I was actually thinking the same way," Emma said. "The man I met yesterday mentioned a gym, but I'm not sure where we can look for it. I don't even know what a public "gym" looks like."

"There has to be plenty of them open today," Gon said as he looks at the city landscape from afar, "We'll just go to the first one we see."

"It's a big city," Emma pointed out as she followed Gon's gaze. "Maybe we can try asking around?"

"Good idea! Let's go find one of those trolleys that can take us. Or maybe we should drop off these clothes first? We'll probably be carrying them around all day if we don't."

"We haven't gone that far from your place yet," Emma said, "We can make a quick stop back-"

The two children were interrupted when suddenly, a small ruckus of someone yelling from one of the apartment complexes around them. Emma and Gon looked around, Emma immediately on edge before she found the source of the noise and noticed a particularly large number of birds crowding around someone's second floor window.

"-N-no! You're wrong! This isn't Nirvana!"

They heard the yelling come from the open window. Birds and cats alike were hastily exiting through it as the passive shouting continued, and a man revealed himself as he poked his head out.

"-I swear I'm not passing on to the next life! Now Budda out, buddy!"

The man had a tightly curled hair topped with a bun on his head, an Urna dot on the middle of his forehead. When he successfully shooed away the animals, the man stiffened at the realization of his public display and slowly turned his head to the two children who were watching him - Emma in confused amazement and Gon in curiosity.

"..." The man awkwardly bowed his head to the children, and then sheepishly retreated back into his room where he closed the window.

"That man... looked kind of familiar," Emma said, vaguely recalling a picture she had seen in one of the books in Gracefield's library. She doesn't have the exact details, but she was sure that there was a picture of a religious figure that looked rather similar to the man on the second floor. "Also, were all those animals trying to get into his home?"

"It looked like they were trying to get close to him," Gon said, and then beamed, "The animals must really love him!"

"Uh, yeah..." Emma could only say. It might have seemed that way, although the man didn't seem all that too pleased by the attention. There's a lot of strange things in this place.

Then again, she herself came from a strange, albeit dangerous world. She probably shouldn't judge so much. Bearing that in mind, she continued her walk with Gon as they make a brief stop at their place before heading to the city.

After stopping at their place and going back out, finding a trolley and taking a ride, Emma and Gon reached the city district and began their search, as well sightseeing, throughout the Wired. Once more, Emma was taken aback by how lively and full the city was. With so many more people out here than last night, and last night had plenty of people already. She observed every passing people with such curiosity, their appearance and what they carry. Then her attention drifted to the places all around them. Stores and restaurants. It was a little overwhelming to keep track of any of it, yet she could not look away.

Gon noticed her long curious looks at the city around them. He remembered her mentioning that she lived isolated for all her life, so this must be a lot to take in still. He remembered his own reaction when he and Killua visited Yorknew City. It blew him away how huge everything was, all the locations and the amount of people. Having lived on Whale Island with only a few references of the outside world through books and newspapers, Gon could understand what Emma must be feeling.

Emma suddenly stopped walking and Gon stopped as well. He looked to where she was staring at and found what appeared to be a game machine, made for two people to use with buttons on the dashboard. The screen was flickering its title: Puzzle Mania.

"Is that a computer?" Emma asked. Gon couldn't help but laugh a little before he answered.

"It's a game machine. People pay to play them all the time," the young Hunter then approached the game machine, looking for a particular slot which he couldn't find. When he pressed a button on the dashboard, the screen suddenly changed, and it allowed a one or two player option.

"Cool! It's free to use!" Gon excitedly informed.

"Really?" Emma approached with caution but nonetheless curious.

"You want to try?" Gon asked, seeing the look in Emma's eyes. "We can look for a gym later. It's still pretty early."

Debating for a moment, Emma decided to see what sort of games this machine has and nodded. Watching Gon pick the two-player option, a new selection screen pops up. A list of puzzle games was shown, along with a randomized option.

"Which one do you want to play?" Gon asked.

"Ah. I-I'm not sure."

"Then... let's make it random," Gon did just that after a press of a button. A roulette animation played, and a puzzle game was decided.

"Sudoku?" Emma read the name of the puzzle, her face alighted, "Oh! I know this game! I played this a lot with my family, especially whenever it was raining outside. The puzzle was on paper though."

"Ah. I don't really know how to play it..." Gon admitted with an embarrassed look. "There's a lot of numbers on it. Is it a math game?" Just his luck, his worst subject.

"Not exactly. You have to fill all the empty spaces from one to nine," Emma explained, "There can't be the same number on the same line or within the nine spaces of each box."

"That sounds... hard," Gon deflated a bit.

"It is a little challenging, but it can be really fun!" Emma looked at the buttons on the dashboard and hovered her fingers over them. "Let's see..."

After staring at the screen for a while, she found three spaces that looks to be the best place for certain numbers to be. She first took the time to figure out how the buttons work, and after figuring out how to select the numbers, she fills the three spaces and a green indicator fills underneath them, dictating them to be the correct numbers.

"Oh wow! You got three of them all ready!" Gon said amazed.

"I did this puzzle with two of my best friends, Norman and Ray," Emma explained, "We always make it a race to see who can complete it the fastest. I always came in third, Ray was second, and Norman was always first."

"How long did it take you to fill them out?" Gon asked, curious to hear more about her life.

"A puzzle like this usually takes a while to complete. Um... For me, it took about five minutes. For Ray, it took him two to three minutes. And for Norman, it always takes him less than a minute!"

"Wow. You guys are really smart," Gon said, widely impressed.

"It was the hardest level too," Emma added, "Sometimes I would mess up and it would take me a couple more minutes, but usually puzzles like this can take you up to twenty minutes to complete it."

"S-seriously?! Whoa! You guys are really smart!"

Yes... as that was the main delicacy of Gracefield. Raising the brightest child to feed the demons intelligence, as well serving a delicious course.

Distracting herself from these morbid thoughts, Emma points to an empty space on Gon's side, "Here. Judging by the position of the numbers across from it, this should be a six."

Gon followed Emma's answer and picked the number. A green indicator lit up. "You're right! I think I'm starting to get it now!"

They then played the puzzle for as much as they could complete. The main objective of this game seemed to not only be a race of who can complete the sudoku first, but as soon as Emma had quickly filled up hers, it automatically switches to the next sudoku. Then the next, and the next. Each sudoku gradually became more difficult, with less numbers provided and in far more challenging positions to decipher. Emma had to visualize what numbers fit where which took her some time, straining her mind a bit while her eyes intensely focused on the screen. She blocked out everything around her, as if she was taking the tests at home.

In a span of six minutes, Emma had already completed ten sudokus.

Meanwhile, Gon has yet to complete his first one.

And when he picked the wrong number for the third time, a red text box appeared over his sudoku, declaring his loss after too many wrong choices.

"Darn it!" Gon pressed his face against the buttons in defeat, sweat fell from his forehead as he took so long to figure out and pick the right numbers, missing only by ten spaces. "I was so close... I keep losing track of all the numbers."

He then turned his head to Emma, "How many did you-" He stopped when he saw that intensity in Emma's expression. Her green eyes wide and unflinching as she filled out yet another line. He looked at her screen and saw she was about to complete her sudoku. He then looked on top of the puzzle and saw the number of sudokus she actually completed.

"T-ten! You already did ten sudokus?!"

Emma blinked and was broken out of her focus, looking over to Gon. "Ah. Yeah! How many did you get?"

She then looked over to Gon's screen. "Ohh. You were really close, but you filled up a lot of numbers too!"

"Sure, but you did so much more!" Gon said, his voice applauding. "You're really good at this!"

"Ah. It's nothing really," Emma said, scratching the back of her head. "The first five were on easy mode."

"That was easy mode?!" Gon couldn't help but yell, then suddenly dropped his head in even greater defeat.

Emma blinked, and then her eyes widened as she hastily attempted to reassure Gon, "I-it's alright! It was your first time! I used to play this kind of puzzles back at Gracefield, and they were always at the most difficult level. Mama even gave us some sudokus she made herself that went from one to sixteen instead of one to nine."

"No way!" Gon said in disbelief. At this point, Emma wondered if she was unintentionally bragging, and felt a little self-conscious of herself now.

There was a sudden new text box that popped up from above Emma's sudoku. [New Record! Ten Sudokus Completed: Six Minutes.]

A slot suddenly appeared in front of the machine below the dashboard, surprising Emma and Gon. A card popped out from it, and a new text appeared in the screen: [Congratulations! Your prize is distributed in the slot].

"A card?" Emma reached out and collected the card, holding it to her face, "Is this a Support Card?"

Upon closer inspection, however, it seemed different from the other cards she, Gon and Killua collected. The back of the card had a gray background with a dark amber E in the center. The front of the card had a picture of a completed Sudoku with an "x 10" next to it. The description underneath the picture was plain and simple, reading: An E-Rank card collected after completing 10 sudokus under ten minutes. Look to your nearest card shop to trade in for a Support Card.

"An E-Rank Card..." Emma reread the description. "It says here that we can trade it in for a Support Card."

Gon looked at the card with intrigue. "Hmm. Maybe we can ask around and see if anybody knows about it."

Emma nodded in agreement, as they looked around to see who they can ask - perhaps a nearby store clerk or the like, Emma spotted a very familiar figure on the sidewalk just ahead of them, standing post on patrol in that blue officer uniform of hers.

"Officer Jenny?"

Emma caught Gon's attention as she quickly ran up to the officer. "Officer Jenny!"

The officer looked to the girl with a surprise look as Emma greeted her with a smile. "Yes? Can I help you?"

"Ah, well yes, actually," Emma looked at the officer in slight confusion, not seeing the instant recognition in Jenny's face. Does the woman not remember Emma?

Gon was quickly behind her as he looked up to the officer curiously. Emma the proceeded to ask, holding up the card in front of herself, "Do you know where we can find a card shop to trade this card with?"

The officer looked at the card in her hand, "Hmm. There's plenty of card shops you can find around here. The nearest one I know of is down the street that way." The officer pointed to the direction behind her. "The old man who works there has plenty of cards and other games for sell. I'm sure he'll be able to tell you more about it when you ask him."

"Thank you!" Emma said, putting her card away in her skirt pocket. "And thank you again for your help last night."

The officer tilted her head confusedly. "Huh? Last night?"

"You don't remember?" Emma asked.

"Emma, I don't think this is the same officer we met yesterday," Gon said as he looked directly at the officer's face.

"S-she isn't?" Emma looked back at the officer in befuddlement. She was positive that this was the very same officer Jenny from that night, even responding to the name.

"Oh I see," the officer said with dawning realization, "You must have met with one of my colleagues. There are other Officer Jennys like me around here. See?"

She points to a place across the street, and right in front of a convenient store, stood another officer that looked exactly like Jenny. "That's essentially our standard uniform. We all look pretty alike don't we?"

"Seriously?!" Emma said in shock. Eyes widened as she looked back and forth to the two supposedly different officers. "N-no way! I would have thought you guys were twin sisters or something!"

"Yeah, we get that a lot," Officer Jenny said with an amused smile. "Although, that boy has a pretty keen eye to tell already."

"Oh!" Emma said in astound, looking over to Gon quickly, "How did you realize it? I couldn't tell at all!"

"Well, her voice sounded a little lower than before," Gon explained, then pointed at the gold badge on her police hat, "And that badge is different from the one the officer we met last night wore. That's how I figured they weren't the same person."

"Whoa..." Emma said, incredibly impressed by those minor details Gon was able to notice and reminded her of Ray. "That's so amazing! You're really perceptive."

"Ah. Thanks!" Gon said with a slight rub to the back of his head, "It kind of reminded me of when I met this nice family of Kiriko at the Hunter's Entrance Test, they were shapeshifters who could turn into anyone but looked similar to one another in their real forms. They were just as surprised to hear that I could tell them apart anyway."

Then not only did Gon have a good sense of nose, but eyes and hearing as well. He really does make a good hunter, Emma thought to herself.

After giving their thanks to the officer and beginning their way to the closest card shop, Emma then asked Gon, "Can you teach me how to tell people apart like you did? I always have trouble noticing minor details like that."

"Sure! I'd be happy to!" Gon said brightly, "You first have to notice their physical traits-"

As they walked and talked, eventually, they came upon the card shop the officer Jenny mentioned. Breaking away from the taller buildings, it was in its own lot with spruce trees around a small house. A yellow two-story building with green roofs. There was a name on the lower part of the roof, reading: GAME. And a turtle sign next to the entrance door.

"Is this the place?" Emma wondered.

"The officer did say the old man who runs this shop sells other games and cards," Gon said, "Let's go in and ask!"

The children opened the door into the Game shop, a jingle of a bell played upon their entry. It was a small shop inside. With green tile flooring and purple walls. There were shelves around them as tall as the children were, all filled with a variety of games and such. There were books on display as well, among other items such as boxed figurines, board games, and puzzles.

"Just a moment please!" An aged voice broke out through the door behind the counter, and a short elderly man walked out. He had long gray hair that spit into several spiky strands, a gray beard and purple eyes. He wore green overalls and an orange bandana around his head.

"Good morning. How can I help you?"

"Ah. Good morning," Emma greeted, she looked over to Gon who gave her a nod, encouraging her to approach. "Um, we heard that this was a card shop, and we have questions about this card I won at a game machine."

"Is that so? Let me have a look at it then," the elder man requested as he stood behind the counter. Emma pulled out and granted the old man the card. The old man only looked at it briefly before speaking again.

"Hm. An E-Rank Card, I see. Are you by chance competitors?"

Both Emma and Gon nodded.

"For this card alone, you'll be limited to a few selections to trade with unfortunately," the old man stated, "Although, if you happen to gather more of these very cards, I can introduce you to more of my collection of Support Cards."

"So that card I won isn't a Support Card?" Emma asked.

"That's right. E-Rank Cards are miscellaneous items meant to be traded for Support Cards. They hold no special powers or uses in this competition, but during your stay here in the Wired, you can collect as many of these E-Rank Cards as you want, then trade them all in for a Support Card of your choosing here at my shop, or in any other shops you can find. The number of E-Rank Cards can accumulate to a greater rank Support Card. For example, if you collect a total of three E-Rank Cards, you can trade them in for a D-Rank Support Card. This is not only limited to E-Rank Cards - you can also trade in any Support Cards you have as well."

Emma looked on with intrigue as she mentally calculates the number of E-Cards to collect, "Then if I brought in six E-Rank Cards, can I trade them in for a C-Rank Support Card?"

"Precisely, young lady," the old man commended. "What's more, the greater quality an E-Rank Card is, which is judged by their rarity, the greater Support Card you can trade with. This card is relatively easy to get, so I recommend getting more E-Rank Cards like this to trade for a higher rank Support Card. Although, it must have been a challenge to fill out ten sudokus in such a small timeframe."

"She did it on her first try!" Gon boasted in Emma's place, which made Emma flush a bit.

"What?! First try?!" The old man said in disbelief, looking at the card in his hand before looking back at Emma, "By yourself? You must be quite the puzzle-solver then! You remind me of my own grandson."

"Ah. Well, I used to play all sorts of puzzles and games back home," Emma explained. "There were two other kids like me who could solve problems a little quicker than most. But everyone else has their own special talents and skills."

"Is that so?" The old man asked in wonder. "Well then, perhaps you would be interested in other games and puzzles I have in store. For competitors, no form of payment or trade is required, unless you're looking for something really special."

"Ah. That's okay. I'm more of an outdoor kind of person, like playing tag or hide and seek," Emma said, smiling sweetly as she remembered her moments of solving puzzles with her family, including her older siblings, and especially Connie. "I like games, but I enjoy them the most when my family is with me. It's much more fun when you get to share that experience with everyone else."

There was a glimmer of thought in the old man's eyes as he heard this from Emma. "What a heartfelt thing to say. Such a mindset is rare these days, especially amongst competitive people."

Staring at Emma for a few seconds, the old man then retreated for something behind the counter, "Hold a moment, I like to see something for myself."

The old man pulls out a cube-shaped item, colors on each side of each square, and seemingly made of smaller cubes. Emma and Gon watched curiously as the old man suddenly started twisting the cube, and little square sections of the cube started turning.

"Have you ever solved a Rubik's cube before?" The old man asked.

Emma stared in wondering at the toy in the old man's hands. "I think I remember one of my older siblings had that. But I've never played it before."

After a brief moment, the old man stopped twisting the cube. It was a mess of mismatched colors on every side. The old man then handed the cube to Emma, "Try to see if you can get all sides to match colors completely. I can give you fifteen minutes to do so."

"Huh?" Emma said as she and Gon examined curiously at the mixed Rubik's cube in hand, wondering what this sudden request was for.

"People usually take a bit longer than that to complete it," the old man said, grabbing his own bearded chin in thought, "Actually, why don't we make this a little more interesting?"

The children looked back at the old man as he held up a finger, "If you can solve that Rubik's cube in less than a minute, I'll give you one Support Card, A-Rank to D-Rank, for free. No trading required."

"Whoa! Really?" Gon asked. Emma looked just as surprised as she looked back at the Rubik's cube in hand.

"What do you say? Care to take on this little gamble?" The old man asked.

Emma considered for a moment. It was a bit of a strange and abrupt request, but the old man seemed rather friendly. She wondered what it was that he wanted to see from her though. Although, he did say that she reminded him of his grandson. Maybe it brought back pleasant memories.

She gazed back at the old man, a decision made in mind. She nodded her head.

"Alright. Your time begins now," the old man said, looking at his watch around the wrist.

Emma flinched at the countdown beginning already, Gon even more so as he quickly looked to her, wishing her good luck by his expression alone. She gazed back down at the Rubik's cube in hand, looking at each side of the cube. It was a 5x5 puzzle piece, the look similar to Sudoku except in this case, instead of filling the spaces, it's getting all sides to match one color. She tested to see if she can twist it just as she saw the old man did and was able to understand the mechanics of this puzzle. It's pretty simple in hindsight, though to get all the sides to match in one minute is a challenging feat.

I'll have to set a path for all the colors to meet.

Although the time had already begun, Emma remained calm and continuously examined the Rubik's cube. The old storekeeper and Gon observing her as she did so.

After her twenty second examination of the Rubik's cube, while also twisting each section for a better footing, it was like a switch had been flipped in her mind as she started the puzzle. The twisting of each side became faster and faster. Her eyes widened and focused. The Rubik's cube practically spun in her hand as she sped to beat the deadline.

The old storekeeper was surprised by her sudden speed in working the Rubik's cube. He would have thought that she's done this more than once. Gon resumed observant of Emma's work, failing to really keep up with all the complex movements of each different color squares, but intrigued nonetheless to see her solve it.

In a span of forty-five seconds, she was able to solve the Rubik's cube. Each side of the cube held the same color, with not a single mismatched square in place.

"Incredible..." The old storekeeper said, accepting the Rubik's cube back in hand. "My, you have quite the mind to solve this in under a minute, and without ever solving one before! How old are you, if I may ask?"

"I'm eleven years old," Emma answered, a bit proud of herself for solving the Rubik's cube. It was definitely hard, especially since she's not much for puzzles in general, but it was a similar format to the tests that Mama would give her and her family, so it was at least easy to comprehend and set the paths for each color to take.

"Only eleven..." The old man said marveled, looking at each side of the cube, "I'm starting to wonder if I should introduce you to my grandson. I think the both of you would get along very well, although, he is a high school student."

Not that many would be able to tell, although, he should keep this comment to himself or else his grandson would complain. A small mirth echoed in his heart, remembering how young his grandson was when he started doing puzzles and how he mastered many of them.

"He's a game enthusiast. A very bright and considerate boy, with a sharp mind to solve many puzzles - if not every puzzle. He's quite the strategist."

"Really? He sounds really nice," Emma said, smiling at the warmth in the old man's voice.

"That he is," the old man said before putting away the cube. "Alright, a deal's a deal and I lost the bet. I'll let you select one Support Card that I have in stock."

"Nice one, Emma!" Gon praised. Emma sheepishly grinned.

"I have plenty of cards locked away, although they might be too much to show them to you, and it might take you too long to look through them, unless you have the time," the old man then cupped his own chin in thought, "I could ask you though if there's a specific card you're looking for. I know many of the Support Cards by heart, it was quite the study session I'll tell you that much."

Emma hummed in thought and looked to Gon for his advice, "What do you think? I don't want us to take too much time."

"Well, we could give it some thought for what kind of card we would want," Gon said, "We still don't know what the next event will be, but if it's anything like the Preliminary, we'll need something that could help us if we're ever caught in a fight. Like maybe a Healing-based Card?"

"Is there a card that could do that?" Emma asked in wonder. The old man nodded.

"Indeed. There are cards that have all sorts of magic, instant healing, teleportation, anything beyond even your wildest imaginations!"

Emma was once again wowed by that fact and took time to deeply consider what sort of card she would want. If she, Gon and Killua are going to work together, then she'll need a card that can support them within the limits of her own ability, especially if it's true that it'll take her a long time to learn Nen, so she'll need to do something to make up the difference between her and the boys.

"Hmm. Healing would be good, but is there also a way that could maybe make me stronger? Or faster?" Emma asked, "I want to be able to help my friends get through this competition. Even though I know that there's probably only going to be one winner, I want to see if I can maybe have all three of us win. There's another friend of ours who's training so to help me grow stronger, but it might take a while..."

With a small huff of breath, Emma concluded, "So until then, I want something that could maybe pack a huge punch and make up the difference. Also, a card that can use a bazooka for my size would be cool too."

Gon was warmed by Emma's consideration of both him and Killua, although he blanched a bit at her blunt and wildly specific request for something destructive, which he chuckled a bit at, understanding that mentality quite a lot.

The old man was once again impressed by the girl's words, humming himself in thought. "Hmm. I think I have just the cards in mind that might be what you are looking for. Wait here while I get them together. It should only take me several minutes. Feel free to look around my shop in the meantime. The name is Solomon Muto by the way, call out to me if something else catches your eye."

Emma and Gon nodded as the old man suddenly knelt behind the counter. They heard a click of a lock and the opening of a drawer, leading the children to believe that he must be keeping his stash of cards behind there somewhere. They decided to spend this time looking around the shop and taking interest in the other games the old man had in store. Emma recognizing some of them that was stashed in the bunker her family were currently hiding in. Gon showed her a game he seemed rather interested in, which was some type of Rock, Papers, Scissors card game but with some noticeable Restrictions according to the instructions.

The old shopkeeper eventually stood up with a stack of cards in hand. He sets each card on the counter. In rows of four, from A-Rank Support Cards at the top to D-Rank Support Cards at the bottom, and B and C-Rank in between.

"Here you go. These are the Support Cards at your request, healing included."

Emma and Gon gazed over the sets of cards. "Oh hey! I recognize a few of these cards!" Gon suddenly stated, capturing Emma's attention, "They're cards I collected from Greed Island. Like this one!"

Gon points to a card that had a picture of two apples upon machines, with one of them seemingly popped into existence. "That's Clone. Me and Killua won this card after finishing a huge meal from an NPC Diner. You can use this card to copy any other card."

Emma looked at the card in marvel, "Wow. That definitely sounds like it could be useful."

"Sure, but you should pick a card you want," Gon insisted, taking Emma by surprise. "Don't let me influence your decision, you deserve to pick a card you think is best to take."

"Ah. But..."

"Don't worry about me or Killua!" Gon said with much certainty, huffing proudly, "Besides! If we really want this card, now that we know about E-Rank cards, we can work hard to gather them and trade them in! Or maybe there might be a diner that gives this card as a reward somewhere in the city?"

"It is possible," Solomon stated. "I wouldn't know where you might be able to find such cards, but I do hear that it is possible to win Support Cards directly. Though to tell you the truth, I was actually planning to give you this card in exchange for that E-Rank card you already have at hand."

"Really? Perfect!" Gon said, gleaming at Emma, "Now you can pick whatever other card you want. Give it some thought. No rush."

Emma ponders over her decision as she looked over the cards revealed to her. While it would be good to pick an A-Rank card, there were some interesting cards among the lower ranks that could be useful strategic wise. There were two cards however that caught her attention: Damage Mage and Copycat. Since getting a Clone card is already set in stone, it seemed unnecessary to get the Copycat card as well. Although judging by its description, it doesn't copy any card, but rather a target's power and defense. So if they were to ever be confronted with a monster or any other enemy too strong for either of them, this card could become very useful, and she'll be able to dish back the same level of attack with the same amount of power as her target.

On the other hand, Damage Mage can be extremely useful for when if Emma gets too injured, or Gon, or Killua, and they can recover from said damage. Although, judging by its conditions, they have to be hit first, and it seems almost unlikely if either of them may or may not survive an incredibly powerful hit for anyone to be able to use this card in time. Though unlike with the Copycat card, Damage Mage has a healing trait to it. There are so many strategic methods she could pursue, and it all depends on which card she would take.

What should I pick?

NPC (Non-Participating Competitors) Introduced:

Gojo Satoru (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Archer (Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works, Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel, etc.)

Buddha (Saint Young Men)

Solomon Muto (Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters.)

A/N: Would you believe me at all if I told you that I did not planned to put Solomon, Yugi's Grandpa, in this chapter? And yet I did nothing more than to add worldbuilding to this fic and completely pushed my plans in adding other characters from other anime to the next chapter! I absolutely adore Solomon! I'm in the midst of watching Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters and man, the nostalgia is hitting me hard, hearing the English Dub that puts a bright smile on my face. Man am I happy that Solomon is in this fic! Oh, and if you're wondering about Yugi... I'm still considering if he should be a Competitor, or an obstacle NPC for competitors to overcome (which maaaybbeeee going too far considering how strong Yami is - NPC or Competitor), but we shall see!

Also I just started watching Jujutsu Kaisen, and also A Certain Magical Index (before, I watched only a few episodes, seen lots of Accelerator clips though, Gojo including!). My writing is limited to my imaginations, so look forward to a lot of cool scenes and... well that's about it basically, but I also hope to study each character's abilities and watch their episodes when I introduce them in this fic - although we probably won't be seeing the fight between Gojo and Accelerator until much later, since we'll be focused on Emma, Gon, Killua, and Garou's perspective for now, but we shall see in the next chapter! (Maybe as a special bonus or something like it). No promises!

Let me know of any errors I make though, I'll be revising them later. I just thought these characters would be cool to include. I'm not trying to declare who would win against who, but I want everyone to enjoy reading their interaction and fights nonetheless, so I'll do my best!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! See you in the next one!