Orin watched a yellow ball in front of him slam into the ground over and over again.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Netero let the ball fly above high above his head after the last bounce. The wide black stripe that ran around its center rotated slowly as the ball began to fall back down. The old man, balancing on one leg, caught the ball and balanced it on a finger.
"Now then. Let's go over the rules of the game," he began. The man had removed his flowing robe, revealing a bony frame underneath a black tank top and gray sweatpants. He also elected to go barefoot, leaving his sandals with the robe. "They're very simple. All you have to do is take this ball away from me before this airship arrives at our destination."
Simple. Yeah, right. Orin's eyes wandered around the room he was now in. It was similar to a gymnasium, what with the wood flooring and general lack of furniture. The light blue padded walls were an interesting touch, though. Portholes ran along the wall in a ring as well, giving a glimpse of the night sky. Near the ceiling, a clock showed a time of just before 11 in the evening.
"Let's see. We're scheduled to arrive at 8 A.M. tomorrow. Well, that's not too bad at all. You still have nine hours left," Netero noted as he began to spin the ball rapidly, still balancing it on a finger. "Oh, and feel free to use whatever tactics you want. I won't fight back, I promise."
"Huh? That's too easy!" Gon commented. "It's barely even a game."
"That's for sure," Orin said with a snort. But not for the reason you're thinking, Gon. There isn't a chance in hell that any of us'll be able to get that ball.
Netero began to toss the ball on the tip of his finger. "Is that so? Give it a try, then, and we'll see if you're right."
"All we have to do is take the ball?" Killua asked, his tone implying that he was trying to find the catch in the supposedly simple game.
"Yes."
"Alright. I'll give it a shot."
"Go right ahead."
Orin stepped back to sit along the wall near the double doors as Killua began to pace silently in a wide arc around Netero.
Doesn't matter what any of us try. He's making this sound like it'll be easy to win, but with Hunter Licenses on the line? He's gotta have some kind of trick up his sleeve. Or somewhere. He doesn't have sleeves right now.
Orin watched Killua as the silver-haired boy continued his arc around the room. After a few steps, he began to appear blurry, as if someone had taken a picture with too long of an exposure. Orin's eyebrows crept up his forehead as one Killua became two. The second one trailed behind the first, appearing almost like snapshots of him from moments ago.
Two Killuas became four, then eight.
Okay, I didn't consider weird assassin tricks. Killua wasn't lying about his family.
In seconds, Netero was surrounded by a ring of Killuas, all slowly walking in a circle. Their eyes were all trained on the old man in the center of the room.
Killua suddenly pounced towards Netero's left side, hand outstretched to snatch the ball. The old man leaned back slightly as the boy flew harmlessly past. Killua's foot touched the ground for a split second before he leapt back towards Netero. The boy lunged for the ball, but Netero hopped back on his foot.
The old man continued to backpedal as Killua continued to jump for the ball, his eyes not focused on anything else. Killua flipped in the air, trying to kick the ball away, but Netero simply tossed the ball around the foot. With a wild laugh, the old man jumped forward, flying over Killua.
The charade continued for a while longer, but Killua still hadn't come close to even touching the ball. At least Netero seemed to be enjoying himself. At one point, after leapfrogging over Killua, the old man sprung forward onto his left hand as he balanced the ball on his rear end to dodge another kick from the boy.
Speaking of the silver-haired boy, Killua seemed to steadily grow more annoyed with each failed swipe. His teeth were permanently bared as he grunted with another lunge. The old man bobbed and weaved around Killua as Netero rolled the ball around his shoulders to keep it safely in his control.
Killua leapt up high, sweeping a hand in a wide swipe. Once again, the boy sailed past Netero, landing on his feet facing the wall. He looked over his shoulder with a scowl as the old man held out his left arm, ball triumphantly balanced upon his finger.
"Is that all?" Netero taunted as he tossed the ball up above his head, balancing it on the bridge of his nose when it fell. "I'm a bit disappointed."
Killua's eyes narrowed as his jaw clenched tighter. He turned to face the old man before kicking off the ground, almost flying along the floor. The boy became a blur of silver as he closed the gap, swinging a leg in a wide kick.
At first, Orin was confused when Netero remained perfectly still. He's not even going to try to dodge? Shin struck shin with a sharp crack as Killua's leg slammed hard into Netero's. Gon winced as he watched. Orin had a similar reaction. Shit, that'll bruise nicely.
For a moment, the room was silent. Said silence was quickly broken by cries of pain, though not from the person Orin expected.
Killua hopped on his good leg away from Netero as he clutched the other against his chest. He continued to yelp for a few seconds before the initial pain wore off. The old man remained fixed in the same spot he was in before, glancing down at his unscathed leg with an amused expression.
I knew this game would be unfair, but that's a bit much.
"Killua, tag me in!" Gon called as he raised his hand. "Come on, let me have a turn!"
Killua limped over to the edge of the room, high fiving the dark-haired boy before sitting along the wall next to Orin. The brown-haired boy craned his neck to look at Killua's leg. "You figure it out yet?"
Killua scowled. "Figure what out? That this game is stupid?"
"More like impossible," Orin replied with a dry laugh. "This guy's way beyond what you're capable of. Probably the same for Gon. That's definitely the case for me."
The silver-haired boy grumbled something under his breath as Gon finished stretching out. The boy in green clapped his hands against his cheeks as he lowered his stance. Orin leaned back against the wall. Don't know why you'd even bother after watching Killua.
Gon launched forward like a bullet, headed straight towards Netero. The old man stood with his arms crossed as he watched the green blur approach, a bored expression on his face. But when Gon got close, he nearly flickered out of existence, causing Netero's frown to similarly vanish into a slack-jawed gasp. The boy had jumped, flying above the old man in an instant.
He didn't stop there. In fact, Gon kept rising higher until his head slammed into the ceiling. He fell like a rock, clutching the back of his head as he kneeled against the floor.
"You idiot!" Killua yelled. "We already know how high you can jump, so control yourself and focus! You wasted the perfect chance: he dropped his guard for a second!"
Orin chuckled before adding, "Try jumping at the ball next time!"
Gon got back on his feet, one hand still rubbing the back of his head as he began to circle around Netero. Gon mumbled sheepishly, "Oops. That didn't work."
Orin settled back against the wall. Probably wouldn't have worked even if you didn't smash your head into the ceiling. Probably.
/\/\
Orin laid on his side as he watched Killua take another shot at the game. Over the past two hours, the silver-haired boy and Gon had tagged in and out a couple of times. Each time, they jumped and clawed at the ball, only to leave empty handed. Neither had come very close to winning, either. At some point, they took off their outer layers of clothes as they continued to jump around the room. The two boys were sweating hard as well.
Netero, on the other hand, was as lively as he was from the get-go as he turned and tossed the ball against the wall. Killua, having already leapt forward, slammed into the back of the old man's head and crumpled to the floor.
The ball bounced off the wall, then the floor before returning to its home upon Netero's fingertip. He turned back to face the boy on the floor.
"You two aren't really getting anywhere, are you?" Netero said, a grin still on his face. He looked over at the other two boys. "And what about you? Don't you want to give it a shot?"
"Me?" Orin pointed at his chest, still laying on the floor. "No thanks. I've seen enough of this game of yours to know I don't have a chance of winning it."
Netero's been handicapping himself, too. He's only been using his left hand and right leg.
"Is that so?" Netero cocked an eyebrow. "Well, what if all three of you tried attacking me at the same time?"
Killua bristled at the suggestion. "Why you—"
"Great idea!" Gon said as he readied himself. "We've got you now!"
Orin stared blankly at the far wall. He was just about to turn down the offer, but things would be a bit awkward if he backed out now. Fine. I'll play, but don't expect me to try as hard. He slowly got to his feet as Gon rocketed forward, only to be pushed into the ground by Netero's left hand.
The old man laughed as he leapfrogged over Gon, flipping to avoid a kick from Killua. Orin stretched as he made his way over to the action. According to the rules, Netero can't fight back. Instead, he has to focus on evading attacks to keep the ball out of reach. He's very flexible and agile, not to mention how he hasn't lost track of either Gon or Killua. Well, not counting Gon's first try.
Overall, we probably don't stand a chance, even with all three of us.
Orin stood back as Killua lunged towards Netero, who hopped to the side. Seeing an opportunity, the brown-haired boy jumped after the old man, arm outstretched. Netero saw the boy coming and leaned back, almost tripping Orin as he flew overhead.
Orin managed to stay on his feet as he landed, turning to see Netero practically cartwheel over Gon, laughing all the while. Figures.
Gon and Killua continued to relentlessly pursue Netero, lunging and kicking after the ball. Orin occasionally tried to swipe it himself but stayed a step behind the others to try and find any openings. Of course, Netero was more than happy to jump, flip, and contort his body all around the room to keep the yellow ball firmly in his grasp.
/\/\
By the time another two hours had passed, the three boys had yet to even brush their fingers against the ball. Gon and Killua were drenched in sweat, and even Orin was starting to follow suit: the brown-haired boy had gradually got more invested in the game with each passing swipe he made.
Orin took deep breaths as he pulled on the front of his shirt to try to cool himself off a bit. We really aren't getting anywhere. And that old man isn't even sweating! He ran around Netero, positioning himself behind the old man as Gon leapt forward to kick the ball away. Netero backpedaled, spinning to the side as Killua lunged from the side.
Netero's eyes were on the other two boys as Orin made his move. He ran towards the old man, aiming for the ball held against his back. As the boy got close, Netero raised his left arm above his head and twirled as Gon and Killua charged in again. The old man slipped between them, and the three boys' momentums caused them to crash into each other.
"Ow!" The three cried in unison, clutching their heads. Netero laughed, balancing the ball on the bridge of his nose. Orin rubbed his forehead as he stumbled forward a bit. Ugh. Okay, not doing that again. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Gon reach down towards his boots, fiddling with the laces.
Orin thought nothing of it as Gon pivoted to face Netero, launching himself forward for the umpteenth time. The boy jumped up as he got close, swinging his leg up in a straight kick.
"Your attacks are starting to get predictable," Netero commented as he stepped back slightly. You're telli—
Gon's kick struck Netero under his chin, catching the man off guard. Wait, did Gon loosen his boot to fling it at Netero? Shit, that's actually pretty good.
Killua leapt in from behind, swinging his foot in a wide kick at the back of Netero's head. The old man was knocked forward as the attack found its mark. More importantly, the ball floated above Netero, out of his reach. Oh, shit. Time to move.
"Now's our chance!" Killua exclaimed as he dove for the ball.
"I think not," Netero said as he tipped forward through the air, curling his leg to kick the ball back out of the boy's reach. The old man somersaulted forward, jumping after the ball once his legs made their way back to the floor. His hand nearly reached the ball before a green streak flew by as Gon's other boot launched the ball further still.
Orin skirted around the edge of the room before running at the ball from the opposite direction of Gon and Killua.
"Sneaky kids!" Netero said through gritted teeth as two of them flew by him, arms outstretched as they inched closer and closer to the ball. Orin grinned as the ball flew towards him, almost missing the white blur flying after it.
The boy's green eyes widened as he barely ducked under the old man, who flew like a jet above as he took the ball with him.
Netero's hand gripped the ball firmly as he slid along the floor, using it to slow himself down. The three boys were scattered across the room, mouths agape as Netero regained his composure.
"Well now," Netero said with a smile. "That was pretty good. You get an 'A' for effort."
Orin breathed heavily as he turned to face Gon and Killua. His thoughts were cut off when he noticed a footprint burned into the wood floor, some smoke still rising from it. Shit. I knew he wouldn't let us win, but that's a bit excessive.
He closed his eyes as he leaned back, bracing his arms against the floor. Either way, that settles it. No matter what we do, Netero won't let us win. I knew it.
"Wow! That was amazing, Mr. Netero!" Gon said with a wide grin. Orin opened an eye a little to see the other boy's expression. His eye wandered over to Killua, widening as he saw the pure rage present in the silver-haired boy's face. Killua was staring at the mark Netero left in the floor with a scowl on his face.
The boy's face fell as he slowly got to his feet. He breathed slowly as he tried to hide his frustration. "I'm done. You win, alright?"
Orin nodded as he leaned forward. Yeah, that does it for me, too.
"Why?" Gon asked as he stood. "We've still got a lot of time left. Besides, we were so close just now."
The dark-haired boy pointed at the clock, which read 2:20 in the morning. Oh, shit. I'd better get some sleep while I still can.
"Come on," Killua sighed as he picked up his shirt from the floor. "You're really clueless, aren't you? It's hopeless."
"Huh?" Gon's finger drooped.
"That geezer barely even used his right hand or left leg."
Gon gasped. He didn't notice?
"He's way out of our league, Gon. We could keep chasing him for a year and still never even touch the ball."
"Oh, you noticed?" Netero had a sly grin as he rested the ball against his hip. "And here I was, thinking I was being pretty slick about it."
Orin sighed. "Eh, maybe for the first hour or so. It gets kinda obvious after watching for long enough."
"Really?" Gon asked as the realization hit him.
Killua laughed sarcastically in the doorway. "You sure know how to piss me off, old man! Let's get out of here."
"Nah. I think I'm gonna play for a little longer."
Killua's head popped in from around the door. "What?" He stepped up in the dark-haired boy's face. "Are you deaf? I said it's impossible. You'll never get the ball from him! There's no point in even trying to!"
"That's fine. I don't care about the ball anymore."
Orin did a double take. "What are you even talking about, Gon?"
"There's still a few hours left before we get to the next phase," Gon explained. "Before time's up, I wanna make him use his right hand instead."
The other boys blinked. Killua mumbled, "Is he serious?"
The silver-haired boy turned on his heel, walking back out of the room. "Knock yourself out, then. I'm going to bed."
"Yeah, have fun," Orin added as he jogged a bit to catch up to Killua. "I guess."
The door shut firmly behind the two as they entered the hallway. They walked in silence as they reached the outer ring of the airship. The world outside was still completely dark, and there were no cities along the ground beneath them to light up the night.
Orin fished around his pocket, pulling out the compass. He rubbed his thumb over the lid before opening it. The boy watched as the needle swayed lazily about. I don't get why Gon's still playing that game. Even if he's not trying to win, Netero's strength is just way above any of us. We never stood a chance against him.
The needle finally settled inside the compass. I guess it's kinda like the compass. It always points north, and we'll never be a real challenge for Netero. The boy sighed through his nose as he closed the compass, slipping it back into his pocket.
Orin stayed a step behind Killua, who had pulled his second shirt off soon after he entered the hallway. The brown-haired boy could clearly see the muscles underneath Killua's pale skin tense and loosen rhythmically. Okay. He's still probably pissed. I think I'll give him some space.
When they passed another hallway, Orin stopped. "I'm gonna go this way, Killua. I want to try and find Tenulan."
"Sure," Killua replied as he kept walking, but it was clear that he wasn't fully listening.
Orin let his shoulders relax as he walked down the other hallway, away from Killua. He's kinda scary when he's pissed.
/\/\/\
Tenulan was lost. After he had eaten his fill and stashed more food for later in his bag, he had begun to make his way back to Leorio and Kurapika. Once he had returned to the inner hallways of the airship, though, he quickly found himself getting turned around.
These halls all look the same. He turned left down another path, walking past some of the rooms. Have I been here already? He backpedaled, opening the nearest door slightly. Inside, other applicants were nearly piled on top of each other as they slept. I do not recognize any of these applicants…
Closing the door, Tenulan resumed his wandering. He turned left, then right, then right again. He stopped at another door, the same cream color as the last one he checked. He was about to dismiss the applicants inside as ones he didn't recognize, until he noticed one in particular. A short, stocky man with slicked-back brown hair. The man laid on his side, facing away from the door, but Tenulan could have sworn he saw the man flinch when the door opened.
I see. Tonpa returned to his own room. Tenulan slid the door closed softly. Well, this room is still not where Leorio and Kurapika are. He looked around, trying to remember anything about the route he had originally taken with his tentative allies in the first place. We checked many rooms before finding an empty one. Though Tonpa did leave by going left from our room after I confronted him. That would mean I will find Leorio and Kurapika if I go back the way I was just going.
He rounded the corner, frowning as he passed a set of double doors. I do not remember passing those. Tenulan was about to turn around once again when a brown-haired boy turned a corner at the far end of the hallway.
Orin noticed Tenulan, who had stopped in the middle of the hallway. The boy had a relieved smile on his face as he grew close.
"Finally," Orin said. "Do you know how long it took me to find you?"
Tenulan shook his head. "I do not—Ah, this is a question I do not answer, yes?"
Orin chuckled. "Sure. Here's one for you to answer, then: What're you doing out here? I thought you were still sleeping."
"I got food. I have some here for later now as well," Tenulan said as he gave his bag a light pat. "Now, I am returning to the room with Leorio and Kurapika to sleep again."
Orin's eyebrows drew close as he paused in thought. "Okay, I should've guessed that when I saw them in a room without you. You… do realize you're going the wrong way, though, right?"
"Am I?"
"Yeah," Orin laughed again. "They're just down this hall. I bet you passed by them without realizing it already."
Tenulan smiled sheepishly as Orin led him down the hallway he had just left. They retraced his steps, passing by Tonpa's room again. They passed an intersection between the hallway and another when Tenulan froze. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as a wave of dread washed over him.
Hisoka? No, it can't be him. Tenulan hadn't felt anything like it since his encounter with the clown during the First Phase, but this wasn't quite the same. The feeling he got from Hisoka was more akin to bloodlust and the desire to kill for the sake of it. This feeling, on the other hand, felt more like… frustration? Annoyance?
The young man's face must have held a look of fear, as Orin asked, "Tenulan? Are you okay? Why'd you stop?"
"I—"
"Oh, Ogre," Behind the young man, a boy's voice butted in. "Didn't think you'd still be awake. Same for you, Orin."
Orin tensed for a brief moment, but relaxed quickly. "Hey, Killua."
Tenulan stepped closer to Orin before turning to face the silver-haired boy. His blue eyes were duller than normal as he calmly watched Tenulan stand in front of Orin. The young man's hands twitched as he debated pulling out his knives. That feeling was from Killua, then.
"Killua," Tenulan said in a low voice. "Answer my question, and do not lie. Have you killed someone?"
The silver-haired boy tilted his head as he leaned back slightly. "Killed someone? Oh, plenty of times."
"And again just now?"
"Yeah."
Tenulan pressed his lips in a thin line. It is as I feared.
"Why?" Orin suddenly asked.
Killua paused before answering. "Two guys bumped into me and tried to beat me up about it. But it was mainly to blow off some steam."
"I see," Tenulan replied, pretending to understand the silver-haired boy. Blow off steam?
"Got a problem with that?" Killua shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Maybe," Tenulan said as his eyebrows knit together. "I knew that you have killed before when I first saw you. I was hoping that you, ah, what is the word…"
"That I felt guilty?" Killua offered sarcastically.
"That you would not kill again so easily."
The silver-haired boy paused, his features softening ever so slightly. They quickly hardened as he scoffed. "Guess Orin hasn't told you yet. I'm an assassin. Killing is what I do."
Tenulan frowned.
Killua sneered as the boy's body tensed. "And I hate to break it to you, but the world isn't so pure. There are plenty of people like me, and plenty more that deserve what's coming to them."
"But to kill these people? This can be fixed without such violence."
"We don't live in some perfect world where we can just talk everything out. Sometimes, you gotta be more direct."
Tenulan's mouth hung open as he racked his brain to counter. Yes, the world is not perfect. Even so… After a moment, he said, "But is that what you want?"
"What?"
"Did you want to kill those people? Is this the path you wish to follow?"
Killua froze for a second before breathing in sharply to make his retort, but Orin cut him off. "Can we please save this for later? I want to go to bed."
Killua slouched forward. With a sigh, he said, "Fine. I was about to do the same, anyways."
Tenulan nodded. "Yes, we should rest. I am sorry for the distraction I have caused."
"It's fine, I guess," the silver-haired boy said with a wave of his hand. "But I'm gonna tag along with you guys now. Hope you don't mind."
Orin's feet shuffled from behind Tenulan. The brown-haired boy replied, "Sure. The room's just over here."
/\/\/\
Killua frowned as he followed the other two applicants the short distance down the hall. He stared at the back of Tenulan's head. The boy hadn't paid much attention to the older applicant before, but the young man had turned out to be quite the odd individual.
The guy had knives all over his body, and yet he refused to kill anyone. No, not just refuse. He seemed to despise the very thought of anyone doing it. How he got this far with such a naïve mindset was beyond Killua.
Tenulan would have to learn how the world really worked eventually. In that way, Killua was doing him a favor by giving him a warning. Of course, the young man still had a lot to learn. It was pretty obvious to Killua that Tenulan was from some isolated corner of the world.
The three slipped into the room silently, stepping over the piles of sleeping applicants to reach the back wall. Thankfully, there was still a bit of empty space there, next to Leorio and Kurapika.
Wherever Tenulan was from, they were probably in desperate need of modern technology. And language. Tenulan's Basic was passable, but there were times when the words he spoke felt incredibly stilted. But that in of itself was odd, too. There weren't very many places left in the world where Basic wasn't taught. That's why the language was called Basic, after all.
Despite all of that, or maybe because of it, Tenulan's words really rubbed Killua the wrong way. It didn't help that he was already in a sour mood because of Netero. Tenulan was a lot like that old man, in a way. Both of them seemed to think that Killua didn't know anything. They treated him like a child and dismissed everything he said.
And yet, the last thing Tenulan said in their small argument still bounced around in Killua's head.
"Is this the path you wish to follow?"
Maybe Orin had told that guy about Killua's past after all. How else would Tenulan have known to say that? How else could he have known that Killua wasn't so gung-ho about taking over the family business?
Of course Killua didn't want that. He was tired of having other people decide his life for him. He wanted to make those decisions himself.
But then, what did he want?
Killua's frown deepened as he leaned against the wall. He had been so preoccupied by trying to get out from under his family's thumb that he hadn't gotten a chance to think about it. He had joked before about turning his family over to the authorities earlier, but it was just that. A joke. Killua could care less about what happened to them at this point.
One option down, only about a million left to go. No one told him that choosing what to do would be so difficult.
Killua closed his eyes. He wasn't in a rush to figure it out. He still had the rest of his life to do that. But Tenulan's words echoed again in the boy's head. Killing people came naturally to him, so he hadn't considered not doing it before.
His mind wandered to Gon. He was pure, like sunlight. He definitely hadn't killed anyone before. Instead, Gon was more… normal. A freak of nature, sure, but one that had a regular childhood. Gon had a simple goal, and that alone was enough to drive him to the Hunter Exam.
Killua was only taking it because he thought it'd be fun. And that wasn't turning out so great. The Exam itself was pretty boring, all things considered. It was the people taking it that were interesting. Specifically, Gon. Orin, too, but that boy was definitely in second behind Gon.
Killua wanted to know how their lives were different from his. What it felt like to be a normal kid.
A flutter arose in Killua's stomach. Maybe that was what he wanted. To be carefree like Gon. To be content. To be normal.
Killua would have to think more about that later. For now, he needed to sleep. And so, sleep he did.
Hi, it's Glaive, the author! Thanks for reading!
Not a whole lot of new things going on over at my end. Summer's drawing to a close, and so too is my free time (probably). But that's a problem for later me.
At the very least, the wait between chapters should increase soon. Hopefully not to the degree that it did last year. The Third Phase might help with that, though. I've got some fun(?) stuff planned for it. Same with the Fourth Phase, so look forward to that. No hints about any of it, though.
That's about it for me. Stay hydrated!
"See you next time!" – Dolce Kamiya, Yakuza 0
