DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hunter X Hunter

Chapter 9: The Pretty Gambler and the Mass Murderer.

"I observed something," Killua began, drawing everyone's focus. He seemed unconcerned about the recent fight. "It's quite likely he's already dead," he proposed.

"It's been a few hours, and he hasn't budged," Gon replied, glancing over at Majitani's body.

Morgan had never considered this option. "We can't verify his physical condition ourselves."

Leorio rushed to the edge and leaned over intently. As he aims to become a doctor, he hoped he could tell what was happening. "Damn, it's too far for us to know for sure," he admitted. He turned to the criminals across from them. "We need to inspect his body," Leorio suggested.

"I already told you he's just unconscious," the cloaked prisoner responded.

"Listen, cloaked face..." Morgan started, clearly annoyed. She gestured toward Majitani's prone body. "Even if that man wakes up, he could 'sleep' until our time runs out. Your goal isn't to win; it's to stall us, isn't it?"

"Exactly what she said," Leorio agreed. "We can't take a criminal's word for it!" he shouted.

"Well, in that case, would you like to make a bet?" the criminal asked slyly. "Is he dead or alive? Let's wager on it."

"A bet?" Leorio echoed, sounding perplexed. "What are we wagering? We don't have anything to offer."

The prisoner chuckled. "Time! We're betting time. Look at that black screen over there." They all glanced at where she pointed and saw the numbers glowing on the display. "We can bet in hours, with a minimum of 10 hours. The game ends when one of the players reaches zero hours. We'll alternate bets. If you lose, the time you have to leave the tower will decrease by 50 hours. If I lose, my sentence will increase by 50 years. If you agree to this, I'll allow you to check whether he's still alive."

"That's a woman's voice," Morgan observed.

"And she's reckless, willing to wager her prison sentence," Leorio murmured.

"Don't trust her, Leorio," Kurapika warned. "If we lose, we'll only have twelve hours to leave the tower."

Leorio growled, "You of all people are saying this?! We're only in this mess because you refused to finish him off!"

Morgan rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Truly ridiculous."

Kurapika pressed his lips tightly together. "I understand," he said, looking somewhat dejected. "I'll say no more."

'He actually has the nerve to sulk? That foolish blond…'

But...

"Still, he's right," Morgan agreed with Kurapika's caution. "If she's wagering her sentence, she must be very sure of her chances."

"I thought you weren't getting along with him?" Killua questioned.

Morgan sighed. "That doesn't matter. I'm just being practical."

Killua hummed, sounding amused.

"I should go check," Leorio insisted. "Waiting for him to wake up will only waste our time."

"That's a good point," Morgan agreed.

"I accept the challenge!" Leorio shouted to the other side.

"As I set the rules of the bet, you may choose the stake in hours," the criminal responded.

Leorio pondered for a moment. "I'll wager 10 hours that he's alive," he said.

"That's a cautious choice," Kurapika noted approvingly.

"It's just common sense, isn't it?" Leorio replied, folding his arms.

"Alright, you can go across and check," the female criminal said.

The bridge extended, and Leorio hurried across it. He knelt beside Majitani and checked his pulse.

"See?" the female criminal asked, sounding uninterested. "He only fainted."

The numbers on the screen shifted to 40 and 60, in favor of the candidates.

"Yay, Leorio is in the lead!" Gon cheered.

"I don't like this," Killua muttered. "It's quite possible that he won't wake up for a long time. For them, it's more beneficial if he's alive and lying on the ground. If he stays down for the rest of the time, their sentences will be reduced by 72 years."

"Your turn now," the prisoner said to Leorio. "Choose the next bet."

"Has he really fainted or not?" Leorio posed the question. "This is the wager."

"Okay, I bet 20 hours he's still unconscious," the prisoner replied. "But how are you going to verify that?"

"That's simple," Leorio said as he picked up Majitani and hauled him to the edge. He propped him up, supporting him with his foot and hand. "I'll let him fall. If he's truly unconscious, he'll die from the fall."

"Are you serious?" the prisoner protested. "Might I remind you that the last match isn't over yet? Such a method won't be allowed!"

"Don't worry," Leorio reassured. "If he dies, we'll accept Kurapika's defeat. That would give you two victories. Any objections?"

"No, that's acceptable," the prisoner sighed. "But in that case, I'll make a change. I'm betting 40 hours that he'll open his eyes."

"There you go," Leorio smirked. "You're revealing your true intentions. Very well, I release him."

"WAIT, NO!" Majitani yelled, rushing back to the center of the arena. "DON'T LET ME FALL! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! You're crazy, and I'm foolish to have tangled with you! I give up! I'd rather stay in jail!" He scrambled back to the stage and out of harm's way.

"You knew he'd wake up," the prisoner accused.

"So did you," Leorio retorted. "Even though I'm just a medical trainee, I can still tell he wasn't unconscious by the movement of his eyes."

The screen adjusted to 80/20.

"You only have 20 hours left," the prisoner noted.

"Yes, but we're ahead with a score of 3 to 1," Leorio smirked. "Now it's your turn. What do you want to bet on?"

The team's advantage stood at 3-1 points.

Leorio's opponent lifted her hood, revealing herself to be a strikingly attractive woman. She had magenta eyes and long, pink hair styled into two large pigtails, each tied with yellow ribbons.

Leroute, sentenced to 112 years for illegal gambling, went ahead with her second bet. "Let's wager on whether I'm a woman or a man," she proposed.

Morgan furrowed her brow. 'She is clearly a woman. What's the point of this bet?'

She sensed trouble brewing.

"Even if you claim to be a woman," Leorio noted, "there's no way to confirm it for certain."

A sly smile crossed Leroute's face. "Well, you can search me until you're convinced," she said.

'What?' Morgan was taken aback by her audacious suggestion, blushing as the boys around her shook their heads.

"He's going to bet she's a male," Kurapika commented.

"Definitely!" Killua quickly agreed.

Gon, on the other hand, seemed confused. "What?" he asked, blinking.

"I'm sure Leorio won't do that. You're underestimating him," Morgan said nervously. "Let's trust him a little."

"I'll bet ten hours that you're a male!" Leorio declared.

'What in the world?!'

"Just as I expected," Kurapika sighed.

"Leorio!" Morgan growled, feeling exasperated. Leorio had just gambled ten hours simply to satisfy his curiosity! He had just chastised Kurapika for selfishness a short while ago.

"Perverted old man…" Killua muttered.

"How did you figure it out?" Gon asked, pouting at being left out.

Killua gave Gon a quick explanation about how the minds of perverts worked.

Morgan was taken aback. "You two are the same age. How can a twelve-year-old boy like you know such things?"

"Why shouldn't I? You know these things too, don't you? Our age difference isn't that significant," Killua responded. "And you were also entranced by your opponent earlier."

"No, I wasn't," Morgan lied.

"Yes, you were. Right, Kurapika?" Killua turned to the blonde.

Kurapika didn't enjoy being drawn into the conversation, but he nodded anyway. "Kind of."

"I'm a mature teenager! It's normal to be attracted to someone! My situation is completely different from Leorio's!" she tried to justify.

Killua merely shrugged, dismissing her reasons as unconvincing.

"Sooorry, but I'm a female." The woman simpered. It seemed she'd already known what Leorio would say.
"S-Seriously?" Leorio asked in fake surprise.

"You wanna check?" His opponent asked, folding her arms and glancing at her nails.
Leorio widely smiled. "For sure!"

He's having a great time examining and touching the woman, and his soul is already having a pleased trip to cloud nine.

Morgan groaned and buried her face in her hands. She wondered if Leorio had any sense of shame. "We're going to lose," she grumbled. "This was a terrible match-up."

Killua shrugged. "True, but now it's Leorio's turn. Maybe he can turn the tides."

They all watched Leorio intently, hoping he would choose a topic he knew well, such as medical knowledge or pressure points in the body.

There was no room for error. If Leorio lost the next wager, the overall score would be 3-2, and they would lose 50 hours from their escape time.

"Leorio!" Gon called to the oldest teen. "How about you bet on whether you are a teenager or not?"

Morgan felt a surge of hope. Gon had a good idea. If Leorio wagered on his age, they had a high chance of winning. "Yeah, Leorio, bet your age!" she agreed.

But instead, Leorio turned around with an annoyed expression. "Shut up, you brats! I told you I'm a teenager! Why is it even an issue for you?!"

And just like that, their hopes seemed to crumble. Leroute seemed momentarily taken aback.

"We're screwed," Killua said.

"That was a sensible bet," Kurapika noted.

Morgan couldn't take it anymore and ruffled her hair in frustration. "This is ridiculous!" she exclaimed.

In the end, Leorio chose to play rock-paper-scissors for his bet, a decision that seemed unnecessarily challenging given the stakes. His opponent, Leroute, claimed she would win for certain because she could read minds. This assertion troubled Leorio, and he struggled to keep his composure in the face of what seemed to be a clear bluff.

Leorio initially chose rock, the same as Leroute. His nervousness likely influenced his decision, as he avoided gestures involving opening up. In the next round, Leorio again chose rock, while Leroute went with scissors, resulting in her victory. Leorio returned to his team with a solemn expression, apologizing to the group.

Morgan sighed. While losing one point might have been tolerable, losing 50 hours was a significant setback. Though she wanted to scold him, she refrained, acknowledging that he had helped Kurapika in his match. Still, she couldn't resist giving him a flick on the ear, which made Leorio yelp but accept it without protest.

"Who's next?" he asked.

"Well, I guess I'll have to win quickly," Killua responded, taking in Leorio's horrified expression. He scowled. "Why are you making that face?"

"Damn it! Now that I've lost, we're at a disadvantage!" Leorio lamented. "I'm sorry, guys!"

Morgan's throat tightened as she watched the scene unfold, coughing nervously. Leorio's apparent underestimation of Killua raised concerns. She was aware of what Killua could do and what he was capable of, and she worried about what might happen next.

Killua took an aggressive step forward, but Gon held him back. "Gon, he's seriously starting to irritate me!" Killua complained.

Gon smiled nervously, trying to calm Killua down. "Now, now."

"Don't give up before we even know what the contest is. Well, if it's something like mental math, I'M surrendering," Kilua remarked.

"Ah, that's true—maybe we still have a chance," Leorio said, trying to stay optimistic.

Kurapika shook his head at Leorio's tactlessness, disapproving of his casual approach.

'Let's just hope Killua doesn't do anything rash before we make it out of here,' Morgan thought anxiously.

As Killua's opponent emerged, Leorio recoiled in shock.

"Killua," Leorio said, his eyes wide with alarm. "Forget about winning. Under no circumstances should you fight him!"

"You know him?" Morgan asked, surprised.

"That's Johannes the Dissector, the most notorious murderer in Zaban City's history!" Leorio exclaimed. "He randomly chose his victims—146 people, young and old, men and women, all met brutal deaths at his hands."

Killua approached his opponent with his usual nonchalant demeanor, allowing the information about Johannes to enter one ear and exit the other. He walked across the metal bridge calmly.

"Hey, Killua!" Leorio shouted, but Killua seemed unfazed and continued his path. "Damn, he's not listening."

"We should let him be. He might have a plan," Kurapika said, trying to reassure the group.

Morgan knew Killua was capable of taking lives, but she wondered how his abilities compared to Johannes, who had murdered people for decades.

As Killua faced Johannes, he asked with a relaxed smile, "How are we settling this contest?"

"Contest?" Johannes replied, his hand twitching as if he were ready to crush Killua. "I think you're confused. This will be a one-sided massacre. I have no interest in the exam or any offer of amnesty. I just want to hear you scream."

"Really, okay. Then the loser is the one who dies," Killua replied casually. Before Johannes could react, Killua made his move. In an instant, Johannes was left with a gaping hole the size of a fist in his left chest, collapsing in a grotesque and disturbing display.

Morgan's eyes widened in shock, her mouth agape, mirroring a horrified and stunned expression. The sheer speed and lethality of Killua's actions left her and the rest of the group speechless.

Johannes, despite being on the brink of death, turned around and saw Killua holding his still-beating heart, his nails sharp and erect. "G-Give it back," he managed to utter, his voice weak and desperate, before collapsing lifelessly.

Killua placed the heart in his outstretched hand and walked back to his team. The group now led 4-2 points, and the atmosphere was tense.

"Who is he?" Leorio asked cautiously.

"That's right, you guys don't know," Gon suddenly spoke up, noticing the look of newfound dread on everyone's faces except Morgan's as they stared at Killua. "Killua comes from an elite family of assassins."

Morgan already knew this information.

"A family of assassins?!" Leorio exclaimed, taking a step back as Killua returned to the group.

Killua seemed puzzled by Leorio's reaction. "What?" he asked, unsure of the reason behind Leorio's behavior.

"Umm, well… good job!" Leorio scratched the back of his head, offering a forced compliment.

Leorio noticed Morgan's lack of surprise and commented on it. "You don't seem surprised," he pointed out.

Morgan remained silent, her gaze steady and composed. She had expected this from Killua, but witnessing it firsthand was still unsettling.

"You knew?"

Morgan sighed. "Initially, no. I only found out last night, and it was quite unpleasant."

A panel in one of the walls opened, revealing a bridge that extended outward. "Cross the bridge, and you'll find a small room where you can spend the forty-nine hours you lost," Lippo announced.

"Let's go," Killua said, looking indifferent.

Even though the match had ended, the disturbing scene lingered in Morgan's mind, replaying over and over. She stole a quick glance at the young assassin in front of her. Killua was far too young to be involved in such violent work.

He was a deadly killer, yet he seemed completely at ease around them, especially Gon. It felt almost as though...

'Could it be that he's trying his best to act normal around Gon?' she wondered. The thought made her feel uneasy, yet hopeful that perhaps Killua sought a sense of belonging and normalcy.

They entered the waiting room, and the door locked behind them.

"We have to spend forty-nine hours in this room?" Leorio grumbled as he plopped down on one of the armrest-less leather sofas.

Leorio's complaint suggested he didn't enjoy the room, but Morgan saw nothing wrong with it. The room was spacious, with a large flat-screen TV, three black leather foldable sofas, two foldable chairs, a glass coffee table, a fridge, and a large bookcase in the far corner. The carpet was a lilac-grey shade and appeared plush. Two doors were located on the left wall.

"Killua," Kurapika called out. "Can you explain how that technique works?"

"Oh, that wasn't even a technique. I just ripped it out," Killua responded, raising his hand and showing how he could manipulate his body to extend his sharp nails like claws. "Mass murderers are just amateurs. I used to be a professional. But my old man would've done better. When he removes a heart, you wouldn't see a single drop of blood," he explained to the group.

Morgan listened to Killua's explanation with a mix of curiosity and unease. His casual demeanor when talking about such lethal actions was unsettling, but it was part of who he was and the upbringing he'd had in his assassin family.

Leorio wasn't sure whether to be impressed or unnerved by Killua's casual explanation. "How reassuring," he commented dryly.

As long as Killua was on their side, there seemed to be no cause for concern. Nevertheless, Morgan found herself intrigued by Killua's technique. She raised her right hand and stared at it, attempting to extend her nails.

"What do you think you're doing?" Killua asked, noticing her actions.

"Just trying. Maybe I could do it too," Morgan responded without looking up.

Killua scoffed. "One try won't be enough. It took me a while to perfect it," he explained. "Why are you interested?"

Morgan shrugged. "It seems more convenient than carrying around daggers."

"Good luck with that," Killua said indifferently. "Well, we've got more than two days left." He shifted the topic, glancing at the wall-mounted monitor.

49:50

Now the challenge was how to kill time.

Morgan chose a book from the shelf and settled down to read, scanning the covers and deciding on one to start with. She picked a book titled Social Studies and opened it up.

As she began reading about social and economic stratification and social classes, the conversation in the room continued.

Leorio addressed Kurapika, "Once we've spent fifty hours here, we'll have fewer than ten hours, right?"

"Yes, that's correct," Kurapika replied, still browsing the bookcase for something to read.

Leorio grinned, though it seemed somewhat forced. "That's way more than enough time!"

Tonpa, who was sipping his tea, interrupted them. "You're a fool. Phase three lasts seventy-two hours. And each phase is designed to weed out half of the remaining candidates. So, on average, it's meant to take seventy-two hours. Just more proof that you're an idiot."

Morgan glanced up from her book at Tonpa's harsh comment, then turned her attention back to her reading, still absorbing the information on the page. The reality of their time constraints weighed on the group as they tried to make sense of their situation.

"Well, our chances of reaching the goal within ten hours will depend on the remaining trials." Kurapika added.

"Yeah, that's true." Leorio replied weakly.

"But when we've got a guy who's so down on his luck, he can't even win a simple game of rock-paper-scissor…" Tonpa added, just to annoy the tall guy.

"What was that?" Leorio said rather angrily.

"You deliberately lost a bet, just to satiate your libido. Then you chose rock-paper-scissors, a contest you couldn't win."

"Shut up!"Leorio rumbled. You surrendered without even a fight!"

"Sure, I surrendered. But I only wasted a second of our time. You lost, squandering fifty of our remaining hours. Take some responsibility, huh? Besides what kind of Hunter is so bad at gambling?"

Leorio had had enough and stood up. "Be quiet!" he yelled. "You don't even want to become a Hunter; you're just trying to sabotage us."

Killua's skateboard sped recklessly across the room, hitting the wall with a loud thud instead of Tonpa.

"What are you doing?" Leorio asked, his voice sharp.

"Sorry about that," Gon apologized.

"Don't ride a skateboard in this small space!"

"Aww," he grumbled.

Morgan snapped her book shut. "Nonsense."

The boys turned to look at her.

"Did we disturb you, Morgan? We're sorry," Gon asked, approaching her anxiously.

Morgan blinked and finally focused on the team. Gon appeared troubled. She shook her head. "No, I'm fine. I just read something I didn't enjoy," she said, placing the book on the floor. "Besides, these two were already distracting me," she added, pointing at Leorio and Tonpa with her lips.

"That fatso is pushing my buttons!" Leorio grumbled.

"Ignore him. We might be stuck here for fifty hours, but I don't blame you," Morgan said.

Tonpa scoffed. "Is that so? You were furious when Kurapika wasted just a few hours during his match. Your hypocrisy is something else."

Morgan almost flinched at his words. She saw Kurapika shift uncomfortably out of the corner of her eye. Gon and Leorio exchanged worried glances.

Morgan bit her lower lip, realizing Tonpa was right. Her anger had clouded her judgment, and her words had been harsh. Even she doesn't have the guts to kill someone.

The situation was awkward, but she wouldn't let Tonpa exploit the tension to break the team.

A mocking half-smile crossed her lips. "Done? Whatever our internal issues, they're none of your business. Remember, Leorio was a major help during Kurapika's fight."

Tonpa fell silent. Morgan raised an eyebrow at him before looking away, not wanting to see his irritating face.

Morgan noticed Leorio's appreciative glance and his mouthed 'thank you.' She smiled back and playfully winked.

"Let's find something else to do," Gon suggested.

Killua was about to agree when Leorio stopped him. "It's already midnight! You kids should go to sleep!"

"Aww," Gon whined.

Killua clicked his tongue, clearly unaccustomed to being told what to do. "Buzzkill, old man."

Even Morgan agreed with Leorio. Did the two of them eat some chocolate? Despite everything that had happened with the prisoners, they still seemed to have energy to spare.

Morgan stood up and headed to the lavatory. She washed her face, arms, and neck, finding the cool water refreshing. She wished she could just pour it all over herself.

As she prepared to turn in for the night and get some sleep, she noticed there was no available spot to rest.

Gon and Killua had already taken the sofa near the lavatory and refrigerator. They lay perpendicular to it, with their heads on the sofa and their feet on the floor.

Leorio had the entire sofa to himself. Due to his height, he had to bend his legs.

Tonpa was lying on the cold floor next to Leorio, using his bag as a pillow.

Finally, the blond-haired boy was on the third sofa in front of the door, positioned like the younger boys. The sofa could accommodate two people, but the tension between them made sharing unlikely.

Morgan's gaze returned to Leorio. A thought crossed her mind: to wake him up and make him give her some space on the sofa.

But that would be rude. She herself despised being woken up from a good night's sleep.

Plus, Leorio's perverted soul could surface, so she quickly dismissed the idea.

Should she take the floor then?

No way.

This day had been chaotic enough. The least she deserved was a somewhat comfortable place to sleep.

She decided the boys could adjust for her. "Gon, could you scoot over a bit? If you don't mind."

He smiled. "Of course—"

"Not," Killua interjected.

Morgan raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"The space will shrink. And you look like you move a lot," Killua pointed out.

Wearing her stern face, one brow rolling up, she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Gon looked like he moves a lot than me. Even you."

"I don't—" Gon tried to protest, but Morgan didn't pay him any mind.

"And to set the record straight, I don't move or snore. Does that work for you?" she asked.

"I think it would be okay—" Gon began, but Killua interrupted him.

"No, it won't. The issue here is space. How can we rest comfortably if we're all squeezed onto this sofa?" Killua complained, sounding almost childish.

Well, he was a child, after all.

"I wasn't really asking for your opinion," Morgan said.

"Hmm, still no."

Morgan wanted to argue back but restrained herself, taking a deep breath. "An assassin... Better a floor than a knife in my chest," she murmured to herself, trying to keep her cool.

Killua continued to be a mystery to her.

Someone cleared his throat, and "My sofa has space for one more," the blonde suddenly said. The three of them looked at him, making his invitation sound hesitant.

"Well, there's your solution. Go ahead," Killua said, dismissing Morgan.

She glared at him briefly before turning back to the blonde. "Uh, yeah. Thanks." Who was she to refuse the offer.

Morgan walked over to Kurapika's sofa and settled herself beside him. There was a comfortable distance between them, but they were still close.

Sleeping next to him wasn't the difficult part; she could easily ignore the blonde if she wanted.

She closed her eyes, then blinked, staring at the ceiling for a few minutes before sighing.

Close, blink, stare, sigh...

She repeated the routine over and over, losing track of time. Had it been thirty minutes? An hour? Two hours?

Now that she could finally rest, her mind seemed determined to stay awake!

Morgan scanned the room, taking in the sight of Leorio sprawled across his sofa, already in a deep sleep, and Killua and Gon curled up together on their shared couch. While she doubted Killua was actually asleep—no assassin worth his salt would let his guard down in a room full of people—the scene still brought her a measure of comfort.

"Should I move?"

Morgan was startled by Kurapika's voice. He was awake. "Umm, no? Why would you?"

"You seem to be struggling to fall asleep. I thought I might be the reason," he said, facing away from her.

Her forehead creased. "Don't flatter yourself. It's not because of you, blondie."

"I see..." He paused for a moment. "I'm sorry about earlier."

She hadn't expected that. "No need to apologize. I was rude to you when we first met, and I kind of pushed you a bit," she said. "Quits?"

She sensed a slight movement, wondering if he nodded in agreement.

"Quits," he confirmed.

'Maybe he did nod,' she thought, clearing her throat as she stared up at the ceiling.

"We're basically strangers to each other. It's natural for us to have our disagreements. Maybe I'm just frustrated because I don't fully understand your stance on killing," she stated, and Kurapika turned to her curiously. "I thought you wanted to be a blacklist hunter."

Kurapika turned away, and for a moment she thought he might not respond. Not that she expected anything from him. "I don't actually want to be a blacklist hunter," he confessed. "I'm not out to chase down every criminal in the world; my focus is avenging my clan."

"And do you think you can do that without taking a life?" she asked, referencing his reluctance to kill Majitani.

Kurapika took a breath. "The Phantom Brigade is a group of the most vile and violent murderers," he said, his voice heated with anger. "When I face the Phantom Brigade, I will kill, but only then."

"That will put you at a severe disadvantage," she warned, hoping his eyes wouldn't turn crimson.

"How so?" Kurapika asked, his tone neutral.

"From what I can tell, the members of the Brigade seem to lack any morals," she explained. "If you hold on to all of yours, you won't be able to face them on equal footing."

Kurapika was silent for a long moment.

"Anyway, we should probably use these fifty hours to get some rest," she said. "We might not get the chance later."

"That's true," Kurapika said, conceding the point. "But I don't feel comfortable letting my guard down in this room." He glanced around and pointed out the unhidden cameras. "We're being constantly monitored."

"I don't think anyone could sneak up on all six of us at once," Morgan noted, though she understood Kurapika's hesitancy. She, too, couldn't relax completely in the confined space, surrounded by potential enemies.

Maybe that was why she was struggling to fall asleep.

"We can't stay awake for fifty hours straight, either," he observed.

"It's been a long day," she agreed, contemplating the situation. She glanced around, envying Leorio, who seemed completely unconcerned with the environment. "I'm going to try to sleep now."

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