This is it, huh? Where we go after we die…a void, where I can think, but have no body, no agency over anything else…is this purgatory? Hell?
Lynch Fullbokko's mind floated through the void. Having joined the Xi-Yu mafia family of Kakin, she half expected that she would go to hell once she died. She had tried to lessen people's suffering; her Nen ability, Body and Soul, had allowed her to literally punch and kick the information out of people, so they could be mercifully killed after being badly beaten. But, as more and more bodies piled behind her, her sense of empathy had dulled, now only used for those close to her.
I guess that's what got me in the end, huh? Trusting others…I really thought that doppelganger was Zakuro. I should've been more careful, since I knew there was someone with a disguising Nen ability…I just hope the real Zakuro and underboss Hinrigh are okay.
Kakin's first vessel to depart to the Dark Continent, the Black Whale 1, was an interesting prospect for the mafia families of Kakin. Sure, it did cost a pretty penny in bribes, tickets, and more, but the Char-R, Hei-Ly, and Xi-Yu Families were able to secure hideouts in the massive ship, in order to be among the first to settle there. It may have gone well for Lynch, had it not been for that "Hisoka" figure. She, Zakuro, and Hinrigh were sent to find him by the Xi-Yu boss, but as it turned out, she wouldn't even survive to the end of this mission.
I wonder if they're in hell too, Zakuro and Hinrigh. They did some bad things as well…ugh, why am I wishing for my friends to go to hell? I should be happy if they're still alive, instead of dragging them down with me! God, I really screwed up this time…maybe I should rest. Perhaps this is all just a bad dream…
And so, because she had no other missions to complete, Lynch slept. For as long as she could, she slept until she woke, and after that, she slept again, until her mind was nearly put to rest.
Eventually, light would greet Lynch's vision. Her mind immediately scoured through possibilities; did she leave the afterlife? Why could she feel her body again? Was she being reborn? She tried to blink a few times, with the attempt at using her once disconnected eyes working, to her surprise. Her body had been lying down in a field, still in the dress she wore on the day she died. Slowly, she sat up, stretching and yawning, taking in the experience of living once more. Her aura washed over her newly rejuvenated body, coating her in a blanket of warmth.
Woah…how long was I asleep for? More importantly, where am I?
Now on her feet, Lynch surveyed her surroundings. She stood in an alley, stone walls at both her sides. Looking straight up, the sky was dark, the crescent moon crimson in color. It was almost surreal to Lynch, being able to use her senses after so long. She inhaled deeply, exhaling slowly through her nose.
I'm alive again! I'd never thought that I would see the world again…but why? And how?
As if to answer her question, a voice rang through Lynch's head, deafeningly loud, but also silent, with no vibration or resonance.
SAVE MANKIND. RESTORE THE CYCLE.
"What? Who said that?"
She got no reply.
"Urgh. Well, I guess I shouldn't be too sour. I'm free, after all. Is this supposed to be hell? Or whatever comes after purgatory or the void?"
Again, Lynch received no answer. She sighed, before deciding to try walking out of the alley, and into the rest of the area, in order to make human contact after existing in isolation for so long. However, before she could leave, someone spoke behind her.
"My, my, what do we have here? A human? This deep in Lescatie?"
Lynch turned around, and saw a purple haired woman, very lightly dressed, with two wings and a tail protruding from her back. She had a crazed look in her eyes, one that unnerved the mobster, who knew that, in one way or another, this was going to end in a brawl. As she stared the winged lady down, she adopted a fighting stance, one she had practiced many times to intimidate the opponents of her family.
"That mana around you…it shields you from the ambient Mamono mana of this realm, so you remain human. Let's see what happens when I pour my mana into yo-"
"Where am I?"
Before the succubus could give an answer on her own, Lynch went in for a straight punch to the stomach, causing her adversary to double over in pain, and emitting a voice from the site of the injury.
"You're in Lescatie!"
Lynch went in for two more jabs to her face, followed by a swift uppercut.
"It's a Mamono Realm in the main continent! Mamono realms are areas filled with monster women! Monster women are women who've been corrupted by Mamono mana!"
"Are these 'monster women' dangerous?" she said, now following her assault with a devastating roundhouse kick. It connected with the succubus's jaw, knocking her to the ground.
"To you! We'll try to convert you into one of us!"
Lynch groaned, realizing that there had to have been more people just like the woman in front of her. As the succubus tried to get back up, Lynch prepared two more questions, estimating that in a few more blows, the woman would be knocked unconscious, rendering her Nen ability unusable on her.
"How many of you are there in this area?" she asked, before kicking the succubus back onto the ground.
"Probably hundreds, with tens of thousands in the entire Mamono realm!"
The succubus coughed up a little blood, but sprang back to her feet using her wings for stability. Still confused on how Lynch was even punching answers out of her, she decided to ask some questions of her own. "Damn it! How are you doing that? Some kind of fancy spell?"
"I'm asking the questions. How do I get out of here?" Lynch went in for a swift liver punch, but the succubus dodged, moving towards Lynch's side. The Mamono tried to caress Lynch's cheek, but quickly focusing her aura to her eyes, the mobster realized that the succubus's "aura" was focused into her caressing hand. She tried her best to dodge, but the hand swept through her defensive aura, cutting through the coat of Ten she had put up to protect herself.
Shit, this is bad! One more hit like that, and my Nen'll be too drained to shield myself with!
Taking this opportunity to launch a counterattack, Lynch grabbed the Mamono's arm, turning and tossing her into the alley wall. Her ability, still active, forced a voice from the succubus, which answered her previous question.
"Leave through the side entrance, you'll see it as you turn around!"
Lynch prepared to go in for the kill. She unleashed a string of attacks into the Mamono, each blow expelling more and more information from her body. Lynch didn't pay any mind to the flow of words; she already had what she needed. Eventually, the succubus lost consciousness, and her psychic speech dampened into silence. Lynch wiped the sweat off of her brow, before peaking out from behind the corner of the alley. True to her ability's word, there was a gate out of this place; unfortunately, it was filled with other oddly dressed women, likely the "monster women" her ability spoke of.
She thought for a while, looking for any other way to escape, but to no avail. Eventually, she steadied her nerves, and decided to try to blend in with the crowd. She calmly walked out of the alley, in a state of In to conceal her aura. Her heart and mind raced, for if she was discovered here, she would almost certainly be "converted", whatever that meant. Eventually, though, she slipped through the crowd, the monsters around her none the wiser to the human in their midst.
Lynch was very close to leaving Lescatie. She was at the gate to the city, treeline in sight, about to separate from the crowd, all before she heard one of the monster women speak up.
"What's that scent? Is…is there a human woman here?"
"Yeah, I thought I noticed that too!"
"HEY! SHE'S OVER HERE!"
Suddenly, something caught her arm. Fear permeated Lynch's body, but before she could do anything, the force holding onto her arm pulled her away from the crowd, forcing her to run with it.
The Mamono around Lynch immediately noticed two figures running from the crowd, and began their pursuit . The figure holding onto Lynch was extraordinarily fast, Lynch virtually skidding off of the ground on her sandals. Eventually, as they headed towards the trees, some of the Mamono began to lose interest in the chase, with most seeing it as a lost cause. One by one, many of the monsters separated from the mob, while a scant few followed the human into the forest.
Lynch looked towards the person who had grabbed her and escaped with her. His spiky hair was blond, with ragged eyebrows and an even more ragged beard. He wore a gi as well, likely a martial artist of some kind. He held his finger to his mouth, signalling for her to stay silent. Realizing this man had saved her life, Lynch did as he signalled, breathing as quietly as possible.
"Zetsu." he whispered.
"What?"
"Use Zetsu. Conceal your aura."
In her panic, Lynch had accidentally released her state of In, allowing for others to perceive her aura. She quickly followed his instructions, sealing her aura from the outside world. Eventually, once they had gone deep enough into the forest, the two sat down.
"DId you die in the Known World too?"
"…sort of. I died on the Black Whale 1, en route to the Dark Continent…I was part of the Xi-Yu mafia family."
"Black Whale 1? Never heard of it…wait, Dark Continent? What year was it when you died?"
"2001."
"A year after me, huh? Maybe…no, that couldn't be it. Otherwise…eh, suppose so. My name is Isaac, by the way. Isaac Netero."
"Wait…Isaac Netero? 12th Chairman of the Hunter Association?"
"Yup…you probably knew of me when I was an old man. I think my body's been put back in its prime state, though, so this is my body from many decades ago. Strange, isn't it?"
"Yeah…I guess so. Thank you for saving me, by the way."
"No problem at all! Anything to help the next generation of challengers…by the way, what was your name? You never mentioned it."
"Lynch…Lynch Fullbokko. It's been a pleasure meeting you, Netero."
"Oh, don't mention it! Anyways, I think it's time for me to head back into that city."
"…What? But why!? They'll rip you apart!"
"Oh, young lady, if there's one thing you should never do…" Netero released a fraction of his aura, enveloping Lynch with the sensation of stabbing pins and needles. "…it's to underestimate me. Good luck, perhaps we'll meet again someday!"
Before Lynch could say goodbye, the martial artist leapt away, disappearing in the blink of an eye. The mafiosa was left wondering many things, but one question kept her in place.
"What am I supposed to do now?"
This could be a great mistake…I pray that this isn't another Dark Continent. That place…too big. Too big. But, if that girl survived, then those levels of threats cannot be present. Still, I must remain vigilant…
Netero patted his white gi, his hands rough and calloused. He took in the city night, the chatter, the bright shops, and the strong smell of intercourse, the last of which made him ponder about the aura of the men and women around him.
Although he was concentrating on applying In to his aura, making himself difficult to separate from the crowd, Netero kept his eyes open, staring at the "aura" in the people around him. Although he knew that he couldn't be anywhere in the Known World, the differences between this aura and Nen made it all the more apparent to him that he didn't belong here. It was homogenous, unchanging from person to person, dancing between hosts and centering itself around the sensitive areas of the body. It even attempted to bite into his invisible but ironclad aura, meaning that this was likely a parasitic-type, epidemic-like ability. Netero would've suspected the entire city to be under manipulation, or for them to be used as or in their ruler's Nen ability, but at this point, anything could be possible.
Reincarnated after death…how humorous! I suppose I'm grateful, though, for having another chance to live and fight. I thank the merciful deity that freed me from an eternity in silence.
He chuckled to himself a little, and walked forth towards a beacon of aura, into the city's centerpiece: a great castle, built in stone brick, with an ominous aura about it. Netero separated from the crowd, walking through the gates at the castle walls. His In let him pass through undetected, the guards "preoccupied" with their husbands. As he walked further into the castle, he found other monster-like women, lost in their own pleasures. Indeed, the aura was getting stronger, the biting nature of it forcing him to solidify his freely flowing aura into a coat of sturdy Ten. Eventually, he reached a set of doors, behind which lied the aura he had sought out. Immediately, he slammed them open, prepared for whatever might come next.
The entrance opened to reveal a bedroom, extravagantly decorated with various pigments and baubles. In the center, there was a curtained bed, at the center of which lay a pale, winged woman with demonic features, wearing naught but the lightest of black armor, who looked out of a heart-shaped window to the rest of the city.
"Hello. What are you?"
She quickly spun around, trying to identify the male voice nearby. When she saw nothing at the now open doorway, she sighed and turned back to face the wall, only to jump back in surprise as she locked eyes with Netero.
"What the-? Who are you? How did you get in here?"
Netero laughed. "You seem to have surpassed your peers in this city. Are you their leader? No…their queen…are you all Chimera Ants?"
"…is this some sort of joke?" She turned her head. "Girls, this isn't funny! …well, I guess it's kind of funny…still, you can't be sending unmarried men to my room! I'm not that desperate!"
The lilim was met with a moment of silence, before the man in front of her started to speak again.
"I'm just here to investigate this city's strange aura. You speak the Known World's lingua franca very well…do you know what humans are? Do any live here?"
"Wh-yes, I know what humans are! Do you take me for an idiot!? But no, humans can't be this deep in a Mamono realm without being corrupted by the air itself…in fact, how are you still standing?"
He shrugged, before consuming her in a wave of his Ren, covering her in the sensation of pins and needles. "Ah, whatever. All of this probably has something to do with your Hatsu. In the end, though, I'm here to kill ants. And I'm not leaving without a good fight."
She sighed, before gathering mana in her palms, which she aimed at the old man. "Oh, so you're just another mercenary, or some hero sent by the Order. I suppose if you ask nicely, I'll make your corruption fast. But with blatant disrespect like that, you're only going to get yourself turned-"
In the following millisecond, the man's hands joined in prayer. Behind him appeared the One Hundred-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva, a massive, hundred-handed construct made with his Nen ability, partly phased through the castle walls. He snapped his left hand forward, initiating a palm strike from the Nen statue. The Mamono in front of him slammed against the window, before the window shattered, flinging her back into the sky.
"Don't underestimate humans, little ant!"
Netero leapt forth through the now-broken window, while his enemy was still shocked by the sudden blow. He prayed again, summoning the statue behind him, before swiping down, rapidly striking his opponent into the ground.
The lilim lifted herself out of the crater she had just been put in. The man was still falling towards her, giving her a slight panic.
What in the gods' names was that? All I saw was a golden blur of light…still, I can't lose! If I can't beat him, then no one else here can!
She raised her hand and gathered mana within it, causing a black sludge to concentrate in a sphere. She fired the ball of dark matter, which barely clipped his aura. The old man's energy began to collapse into the hole the matter had left in his aura, as if being consumed by a flame.
Hm…interesting. It feeds on Nen, and spreads like the plague…
Netero emitted the corrupt Nen away from his body, ceasing its spread. He held his hands together in prayer once more, and clapped. The Guanyin bodhisattva followed suit, clasping its hands tightly around the woman, crushing her in its grasp. But, before she was reduced to pulp, Druella let out a burst of demonic energy, causing the hands around her to lose their form and dissipate into Mamono mana. She leapt towards Netero, who quickly produced a second bodhisattva to strike her into a nearby house. The woman shot through the wall, into a deserted home and into another crater.
Damn it…he's stronger than most of them…but I won't lose! I can't!
Immediately, the man leapt through the hole he had created in the building's wall, engaging the woman in hand-to-hand combat. He went in for a rapid strike to her head, which she barely dodged. However, this dodge would move her into position for an unavoidable knee strike, slamming her head into the room's ceiling. Netero leapt into the air, delivering a spinning kick into her side. She was shot towards the wall, using her wings to slow her impact, but still creating a divot upon impact. The man wasted no time in catching up to her, releasing a barrage of hypersonic kicks and punches into her body. She was unable to keep up with his movements, barely tracking his lengthier strikes.
No! I'm not going to lose here! I won't let mother and father down! Not ever!
With a resurgence in strength, Druella gathered mana around her skin, coating her torso in a thin layer of black sludge. Once Netero struck into the muck, it attached to his fist, beginning the corrosion of his Nen. Instantly, Netero leapt back, and shot the sludge away from him with an emitted Nen blast, giving Druella just enough time to engulf him in fiery flames of pleasure. He was forced to use advanced Ten in the form of Ken to defend his body, but these flames were able to even wither that down.
Transmutation, Emission, and Manipulation, all on top of Specialization…what else can this ant do? What kind of Hatsu has she developed!?
Netero rushed forward, out of the flames and into a thick pink mist. The man tried to breathe in, but as he did, he began to feel dizzy.
Poison mist! Where did she go?
He held his breath and leapt towards the sky, escaping the mist and looking down on the ruins of a house in flames. Turning around, he saw the woman above him, aiming another orb of black sludge at him. She fired it towards his center of mass, his airborne status making dodging unfeasible.
"It's over, hero! Say goodbye to your loveless old life!"
I wouldn't say that yet, little ant.
The man concentrated his aura into his palm, and fired it towards the ground, propelling him upwards and avoiding the black mass. With this unexpected burst of speed, he clasped his hands again, emitting the bodhisattva, and curled his thumbs and index fingers together. Netero threw his hands forwards, creating a "99" with them.
99th Hand!
The statue of Guanyin immediately rained open palm strikes onto the woman, slamming her into the ground. The attack continued for as long as Netero held the symbol, but as he went to release it, he felt a wave of freezing air cover his left arm.
"Stop! I've frozen your arm as a warning…give up now, or I'll freeze your heart as well!"
Netero looked over in the direction of the voice, emanating from a blue-haired woman in heavy yet revealing dark armor. She held a solemn face, and in her arms, sword, pointing at his frozen arm with a beam of blue light.
Conjuration, Emission, Transmutation, possibly Manipulation, and Enhancement…something isn't adding up. These abilities should be far weaker than they are…at least, if they follow the rules of Nen…of course! These can't be Nen users! That strange aura isn't the result of her Hatsu, but of the nature of this energy itself! Are these even Chimera Ants!?
As the statue of Guanyin continued to rain down its strikes onto Druella, Netero devised a plan. "Heh…I won't be able to dismiss the bodhisattva if you keep my arms in place. Your leader is dying; what are you willing to do to save her?"
"You…you…bastard! Take that thing's hands off of my lady, or you will regret it!"
"The 99th Hand cannot be dismissed unless I move my other hand. Good luck moving that one!" He grinned cheekily, enraging the stone cold warrior.
She charged with her sword pointed towards Netero, who prepared to counter the attack. Once she was close enough to swing the sword, he turned around, and used his practiced fist, one he had used several million times. A sonic wave clapped through the air as he stood behind his opponent, who had received the strike. She stood there, before falling to the ground, unconscious.
"Weakling. With an ability like that, I would've expected you to be stronger…or smarter…"
"YOU DAMNED BASTARD!"
Netero turned around again, nearly missing two green arrows flying towards him. He caught them swiftly, just as a woman with the lower half of a snake slithered towards him with a halberd, He exerted his bloodlust with Ren, giving her pause before he struck her as he did with her ally. She fell to the ground, eyes peacefully closed.
Suddenly, a wave of flames of pleasure washed over him, and rocks chained themselves around his wrists. He quickly broke them off, leaping out of the flames to see a child holding a magic staff, as well as a woman in black robes with her hands held in prayer. Immediately, he conjured the bodhisattva, and swept his arms, knocking them back far away. They suddenly appeared in the same spots, having teleported back. This time, he chopped both of his hands downwards, slamming them into the ground. Another arrow flew by his head, and he turned towards the archer, a woman with the paws of a green wolf. He took a rock from the ground and whipped it at her, snapping her bow in two and breaking her arm. She cried out in pain, signalling a fox-like woman to charge at him from the shadows. He prayed, then clapped, causing the golden Guanyin statue to clasp its hands around the inari, then dissipate, leaving only the fox's broken body. The battle was over: the rest of the Mamono present didn't dare charge at him for fear of being struck down like their powerful comrades.
He walked over to the crater made by his 99th Hand, where a lilim, barely alive, was crawling out. Her bones were shattered, and her mana was nearly completely expended. She raised her hand towards the man, but he didn't touch it.
"Wh…why…would you…do…this?"
"I will ask you one more time. Are you a Chimera Ant?"
"N…no…no…please…don't kill me…"
"You're lucky you aren't. That was fun, though; I sincerely hope you can get stronger so that we can fight on more even ground. Now, stand up." He hoisted her up with his hands, raising her right hand high.
"You've lost…but you should be proud. You lasted so long against me. I would like to stay here for a while…so could one of you show me some room and board?"
The crowd, now gathered around him, stood in shock and disbelief.
A small, goat-horned girl was the first to speak. "What…what are you?"
"I defeated your strongest warrior, didn't I? I would hate to have to fight a bunch of weak-willed cowards right after. It would leave a sour taste in my mouth…"
For the less astute, someone in the crowd yelled out a quick translation. "…show this man room and board! Or we're going to die!"
The mob erupted into panic, while a brave few approached him to save the rest of their skins. Netero only laughed; he was glad to be back.
(A/N: Thought I'd try to do some justice to an idea I had for my first fic. My main problem with that one was dubious non-canon elements; none of that will be here, I assure you. This may update slowly, since I'm waiting for more HxH characters to die in canon (especially you, Tserriednich). BTW, Lynch is a canon character in the manga. I'd highly recommend reading it, but I'll explain manga elements in more detail later. Also, if this first chapter felt a bit one-sided, it's because Netero is literally the strongest HxH human. All I'll say is that he's ridiculously strong, but not unbeatable. Thanks for reading!)