I know you already know this but then again, Hunter X Hunter is not mine. This wonderful anime story is owned by Yoshihiro Togashi
CHAPTER 15: The Green Smoothie
"Who's next?" He asked.
"Well, I suppose I'll need to secure a swift victory," responded Killua. Glancing at Leorio's shocked expression, he scowled. "Why the distressed look?"
"Damn! Now that I've lost, our plans are ruined!" Leorio lamented. "Sorry guys!"
Sam felt a lump in her throat and coughed. No, she hadn't underestimated him. Sam nervously thought, considering she had some idea of who he was and what he could do.
Killua took an assertive step forward, but Gon restrained him. "Gon, he's getting on my nerves!" Killua complained.
Gon offered an uncertain smile as Killua leaned threateningly. "Easy there."
"Don't give up before we even know what the contest is. Well, if it's something like mental math, I'm surrendering."
"Ah, that's true – perhaps we still have a slim chance," Leorio conceded.
Kurapika bemoaned Leorio's lack of tact, shaking his head.
'Let's just hope Killua won't kill Leorio before reaching the exit.' Sam could only hope.
On the opposing side, Killua's adversary made his appearance, causing Leorio to recoil.
"Killua," Leorio said, eyes wide. "Forget about winning. No matter what, don't fight him!"
"You know his opponent?" Sam asked, surprised.
"That's… Johannes the Dissector, the most notorious murderer in Zaban City's history!" He exclaimed. "He targeted victims at random. One hundred forty-six people, young and old, men and women, met brutal deaths at his hands."
With his typical 'I don't care' demeanor, Killua let this information pass through one ear and out the other. He walked passively across the metal bridge.
"Hey, Killua!" Leorio shouted after him. "Damn, he's not listening."
"We should let him. He might have a plan," Kurapika suggested.
Yes, she was aware that Killua had a penchant for killing as well. But where did his proficiency extend to? Johannes seemed like he had been taking lives for decades.
"How are we resolving this competition?" Killua asked, sporting a relaxed smile as if it were merely a simple children's game.
"Competition?" Johannes inquired, his hand twitching as if eager to crush someone's flesh. "I think you're mistaken. This will be a one-sided massacre. I have no interest in the exam or any offer of clemency. I just want to hear you scream."
"Very well. Then the loser is the one who dies." Before Johannes could make a move towards Killua, a hole the size of a fist appeared in his left chest.
Sam could hear gasps of horror. She could only envision their astonished expressions.
'Now they know.'
"G-Give it back," Johannes managed to utter, even though he was already out of breath, before collapsing to his death. Killua then placed the heart in his outstretched hand and returned to his team. The group now led 3-2 in points.
"Who is he?" Leorio asked warily.
"That's right. You guys don't know," Gon spoke suddenly, observing everyone looking at Killua with newfound dread. "Killua comes from an elite family of assassins."
Sam was already aware of that fact.
"A family of assassins?!" Leorio exclaimed, stepping back as Killua approached.
"What?" Killua asked, confused by his reaction.
"Umm, well… good work!" Leorio scratched the back of his head and offered a forced compliment.
Sam sighed and stepped up. "I'm the last one." She stretched her arms out.
"You're going to be fine, right?" Kurapika asked.
Sam smiled. "No worries, gentlemen. My condition's nothing to fret about." She then concluded with a wink.
Standing face-to-face with her opponent filled Sam with excitement. It had been so long since she had engaged in an actual fight, so long since she had genuinely desired to test herself to her limits.
This time, the prisoner opposite her was another woman with a black pixie haircut. Her name was Ross, sentenced to 97 years for fraud, illegal drugs, and murder.
After removing her cloak. "Hi there, little girl," Ross greeted.
Sam beamed and waved her hand. "Hello. I like you. You're the only prisoner who's hospitable. So, what's our match?"
Ross stared at her for a moment and then chuckled. "Someone's in a rush. Oh well, the match is simple. Let's drink."
Sam blinked. "Could you be more specific?"
Ross walked to the center of the arena and placed two jugs on the floor. She returned to her original position and began to explain.
"You will choose a jug first, and the one left will be mine. We will drink it together and race until the last drop. The person who empties the jug first within two minutes wins, and I mean no spill. How's that?"
'Oh, so no fighting or death match, then?' Sam thought. A pity; she was hoping to test her strength.
Sam pondered for a moment. "No spill?"
"Not one drop spilled, and no puking during the timeframe."
"Oh." Sam raised a brow. "Duh, I feel like an idiot now," she mocked.
The girl placed her hands in her pocket and tried to assess the situation. 'No puking nor a spill, that seems easy to do. But surely there's something in it.'
Sam nodded. If the Goddess of luck was with her, then she wouldn't be intoxicated. "Do you mind if I sniff them out first?" She asked, and Ross allowed her to.
Sam walked to the center and reached for the first water jug. She opened the lid and sniffed.
Arck! Forget the poison. The thing smelled like molded old boots, rotten eggs, or anything so putrid that she ended up covering her nose and hastily closed it. Ross even named it 'Green Smoothie'. The name itself smelled terrible.
Sam's stomach vehemently rejected the so-called 'smoothie,' wondering about the devilish mix of ingredients Ross had concocted.
She repeated the process with the second water bottle, only to find herself in the same predicament as the first. Both bottles emitted a horrifying scent.
After contemplating for a few seconds, "Guys, vote for the first bottle."
"How can you be so sure it's not a trap?" Leorio asked.
"The prison tower is a BIG TRAP itself," Kurapika remarked. "I'm sure Sam knows what she's doing."
"If that's what Sam wants, then we'll choose it," Gon chirped.
"It's not like we have any other choice," Killua responded.
Sam rolled her eyes. "Okay, children, the arena is now open for nominations. Please vote wisely."
The boys looked at each other first, then voted.
First bottle - O – 6 votes
Second bottle - X – 0 votes
Sam sighed and chose the first bottle. Ross raised the other one and screamed, "Cheers!"
As soon as the bottle's opening touched her lips, she chugged down the liquid.
The taste matched its scent. The liquid was thick, and it was incredibly disgusting. The bitterness lingered in her throat.
It became increasingly difficult to take another gulp, to the point where her stomach finally gave in, and she felt something rising to her throat.
'Holy mother of smoothies! Almost there! Almost...' She mentally screamed.
Her eyes went wide, and her cheeks bulged as the liquid found its way back into her mouth. Sam stopped drinking and slapped her palms to her mouth, preventing herself from throwing up.
'Damn!'
"Sam, are you alright?"
"Shush! Sam is having an internal struggle!"
"This might be the worst match to experience but very entertaining to watch."
"Guys! Sam is gonna throw up!"
Ross slightly laughed as she observed the girl having a hard time stopping the liquid from coming out. "Your friends are worried." She then stopped drinking and swayed playfully with the bottle. "Oh right, you can't talk. Do you want me to slow down? You look awful," she said with a fake tone of worry.
It irked Sam.
Sam deeply inhaled through her nose and swallowed back the liquid substance she was about to puke. She heard someone say 'ew'... her guess, it sounded like Killua.
As soon as her mouth was empty, she opened her mouth just to give a piece of her mind. "You're an idiot." And then consumed another large gulp without pausing. Ross was startled for a while before going back to the game.
"All the way down. I. Win!" Samara slammed the bottle on the floor. "It's your fault for choosing a stupidly easy game like this. Did you really think I would lose from drinking this horrid thing? Think again; I will drink one gallon of spit if that counts."
The timer emitted a buzzing noise, signaling the end of the match.
Ross couldn't contain her amusement with this child and set down her still-unfinished drink, letting out boisterous laughter. It had been so long since she had been entertained by something.
Surrounded by people lacking a sense of humor, she expressed, "I really like you." She wiped tears forming in her eyes. "You're right. That was a pretty dull game. When the warden assigned us to do whatever we wanted to the examinees, I lazily chose a simple test. Like Johannes, I don't give a damn about amnesty. All I really want is…" She dramatically showed a wicked smile. "Seeing the drug slowly affecting my victim's body."
"What!?" Leorio became hysterical. "Hey! That's cheating!"
As much as Kurapika hated to admit it, it was not the case. "No, it's not. The rule was simple. Whoever consumed the drink till the last drop first would be the winner. That was the essence of the match. They just had to race. Sam was first," he said, pursing his lips into a thin line, not thrilled about the points they earned.
"So she won the game. Our team has 4 points," Killua continued. "It depends on the prisoners to trick their opponents, either by planning to stall our time or planning on killing us," he explained.
Gon was not okay with the outcome. "But what's the point of winning if Sam's not okay?"
"The blonde boy is right!" Ross intercepted their conversation and looked in anticipation at Sam. "So how does it feel? It's starting, isn't it?" She excitedly asked Sam, like a child waiting to watch her favorite movie.
"Sam's not your lab rat, you wrench!" Leorio cursed.
Her body was undeniably becoming heavy, and certain parts of it were gradually numbing. Voices seemed distant, and a metallic resonance reverberated in her ears.
Despite this, a ghostly smile crept onto her lips.
Then, she erupted into laughter—laughter so intense that it drowned out the surrounding silence, echoing through every corner of the entire space.
Confusion marked their faces; even Ross' companions failed to grasp her reaction. Had the drug invaded her brain, disrupting her reasoning? "Sheesh, you got me. But you're not the only one with a drug here. Can you already feel it?" She smiled bewitchingly, her facial expression contorting as if she were in ecstasy.
"What-?" Ross suddenly pitched forward, clutching her stomach, her arms pushing through her belly with a grunting noise. It felt like something was squeezing her stomach with a burning sensation intensifying the pain. "W-what-? When did you-" Ross gasped.
On that cue, a small bridge emerged from the other side of the square platform, reaching the wall where the hidden door opened. In there, they would find a small room, and across the bridge, the group must endure the fifty hours they had wagered.
The boys took turns crossing the catwalk to the center and approached Sam.
"You reckless brat!" Leorio scolded the girl. "Be still! I'll look for something to get the drug out of your body."
Sam groaned, both from her pounding head and Leorio's nagging.
Not to mention, her stomach was once again forcing its contents into her mouth. "No need, Leorio. My gut's going to do the job any- BWAAK!"
"Hey, watch it!"
"Oh my god, that stinks!"
"Stop puking!"