Neb: I do not own Hunter X Hunter
Part two of the second Exam was about to begin. Minaga and Yujima were taken to a library maze and separated from each other.
"There are four red pages within this library burred in four separate books. In order to pass part two of this phase, you must find a page and solve the riddle written on it within an hour. You are allowed to fight and you are allowed to kill. However, if you kill to the point you are the last of the competitors, I'll disqualify you and kill you myself. Any questions?"
"Yeah," Yujima spoke up. "What the hell kind of challenge is this? You've been bragging about how smart you are since the beginning, and how brutes never pass your portion of the exam. Yet you make a challenge based on strength."
"Have you not heard of David and Goliath?", Aki challenged him. "The ability to kill does not belong to the strong alone. I'm allowing you to do whatever is necessary to win the challenge. However, I will not allow a man who chooses to murder all of his opponents into the ranks of the Hunters. That means I am also allowing you to chose someone to take with you back into the exam. Should the two of you solve the riddles within the red pages of course."
"Sounds like fun," Yuni grinned. "I can't wait for my first victim!"
"I agree with Yujima," Yane admitted. "This challenge seems off for it to be created by someone who chooses research as his career path."
"So you assume finding these pieces of paper doesn't involve research?", Aki questioned.
"No," she responded. "I'm just saying, a dumb person could even pass if they just kill the person smart enough figure out where your page is."
"But could they solve the riddle," Aki corrected her. "You see, this isn't just some scavenger hunt, I will only allow those who have excellent skills in solving problems to pass."
Yane didn't say anything. The examiner seemed to have a point. Plus there was no point in arguing this late in the game. All she can focus on is passing this challenge and moving on to the third part of the Exam.
"Alright then," Aki smiled. "Begin."
Yujima used Gyo to see if there were traces of nen along any of the books. "No good. They all have traces of nen." He continued down the pathway of books, checking them one by one to find a red page. "There are only four pages. There are seven competitors. That means at least three people won't be moving on to the next round of the Hunter Exams. Obviously I'd want myself and Minaga to pass. But witch of my opponents are worth keeping if any?" He definitely knew he didn't like that Yuni guy. Speaking of whom. Yujima could hear Yuni's giggles across the library. He was already targeting someone.
Minaga walked down his own path of books using Gyo just like Yujima. However, he wasn't using it to find the red Pages. He was looking for his target Zata. This could be his last chance in questioning her. He wasn't going to waste it.
"Well, well, well," Yuni spoke up from behind Minaga. "I've been waiting to murder someone." He licked his lips as he gazed at his target.
Minaga stared back unimpressed by this man. Still, he must have a natural ability to control nen. Otherwise he wouldn't have passed Agro's test.
"Do you feel fear boy? Are you trembling at the thought of dying so early in life?"
"Quit wasting my time," Minaga retorted. He saw Yuni's aura flare up in aggravation. Apparently the psycho didn't like Minaga's reply.
"Wasting your time? Wasting your time!", Yuni screamed as his hands began to change shape into sharp claws. The claws then hardened like metal as Yuni stepped forward. He begun dragging his blade like nails along the book case as his psycho grin returned to his face. "No, you are wasting my time. I could be chasing after a fearful target. But instead I got stuck on the wrong side of the library with some punk who thinks he's a big shot. I will murder you and then torture your friend. What was his name? Yujima." Suddenly Yuni was flying in the air. But not of his own accord. For some reason his head was spinning in the air and then it his the ground hard. What surprised Yuni next was seeing his own body so far away bleeding out. "W-what?"
"I told you to not waste my time," Minaga yawned. He had his wind sword and walked foward as he begun searching Yuni's body. "No page huh. You really didn't care about this challenge."
"Perhaps he didn't," Minaga's target spoke up from behind him. Minaga turned his head to see Zata smiling at him. "But I do." She held up her umbrella and had it pointed at Minaga. "That was a low level weakling at best. The only reason he got past Agro was because he hit our examiner in the same spot you bruised him."
"I've been waiting for this moment Zata," Minaga spoke up.
"Yes," she agreed. "I remember when you were a child peaking through the Dojo door."
"You didn't tell your mentor about me," Minaga realized.
"Nope," she smiled at him. "I let you learn the principles of Nen. However, I didn't expect you to learn an ability like that wind sword. Your clearly a prodigy."
"Enough of the flattery," Minaga sighed. "Let's get straight to the point. "Have you met the town Blacksmith?"
"Your father? Yes. He made my Umbrella for me." She drew a katana from her Umbrella and then smiled. "He was a brilliant man."
"Did you kill him?"
"No," she responded.
Minaga made his winds sword vanish, but he kept his eyes trained on her. "Do you know who did?", Minaga asked. "Was it The old Dojo master or his star pupil?"
"I know for a fact it wasn't the old man," she sighed. "He was focused on recruiting people into becoming Hunters. He didn't have any vendetta with your dad."
"He did though," Minaga spoke up. "My dad refused to be a Hunter."
"That wouldn't be enough for for the old man to kill. His star pupil Nato however. It doesn't take much for her to lose her cool."
"She was suppose to be at the Hunter Exams with you," Minaga pointed out. "Where is she?"
"She got chased off," Zata yawned. "Someone else apparently wants the poor girls head. The old man told me he was going to send someone else... Mochimiaya was the name. Unfortunately that girl never showed up.
Minaga remembered the girl on the train being called Mochi by one of her friends. Unfortunately his realization of that showed on his face. At least clearly enough that Zata knew something was up.
"Say," she began. "You looked at me as if you knew her. But that would be impossible, since she's never stepped inside your village." She glared at Minaga for a moment and then held up her umbrella. Which town were you staying at, before you came here to the Hunter Exam?"
"That's unimportant," Minaga spoke up. "Besides, I'm the one asking the questions. You are still a suspect."
"You've come to the Hunter Exam in an attempt to find a murderer," she pointed out. "Yet, killing Yuni was like breathing to you. Have you ever killed anyone before."
"Only in self defense," Minaga responded. "I've never sought out someone with the intention to kill... Unless if I find my father's killer. That's the person I'm willing to murder."
"And your debating with yourself," she pointed out. "You think that if you kill all Nen users that were nearby with the Blacksmith was killed. At least one of them would be your father's killer."
"Where were you the day the Blacksmith was killed?", Minaga questioned.
"At home reading a book," she responded. "Where were you? If you were so damn powerful, why weren't you there protecting your father?"
Minaga grunted in anger at that. She touched a nerve.
"Look, I told you I didn't kill anyone," she shrugged. "But you... you've actually killed someone. I believe you killed Mochimiaya. But here's the thing. The only way you would have gotten close to her is if... Is if my mentor, the Karate Dojo master was killed already... Did you kill my master?"
Minaga wasn't about to give away Yujima. This was the part of being a Transmuter that came in handy. His deceitfulness. "I did," Minaga falsely admitted.
She inhaled as if attempting to calm herself.
Minaga knew that wasn't what she was doing. With his Gyo active, he could see her aura flaring up. She held up her umbrella and then begun spinning it. When she did this, the area around her began to bend, turn, and reshape itself. Then the area began to fall into darkness.
"Use your Gyo all you want," her voice echoed around him. "It doesn't work when my ability is active. I call it Distortion Darkness. I will make you pay Minaga, for killing my master and for killing Mochimiaya!"