Kaizen walked straight over to Ponzu and took the seat beside her.
They were barely a meter apart.
This made Ponzu tense up even more.
"You're targeting me?" Kaizen asked calmly.
"N-No... I'm not," Ponzu stammered, her voice shaky.
Kaizen glanced at Ponzu. "From where I'm sitting, that seems to be the case."
He turned back to Ponzu. "But even if I am your target, why are you so nervous? Every examinee has one. It's nothing unusual."
That's what Kaizen was curious about.
Aside from his brief clash with Hisoka, Kaizen had shown almost no strength.
And even then, he hadn't lifted a finger—only his mind beast had fought.
To those without the ability to perceive aura, the creature was invisible.
"I... I'm not..."
Ponzu clenched her fists tightly. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and even her body began to shake.
"Then how about a game?" Kaizen suggested, voice light. "If you win, I'll give you my number badge. If you lose... you agree to a condition."
"...What kind of game?" Ponzu asked instinctively.
"You'll see when we get to the island."
Kaizen stood and walked off toward a quiet corner of the ship.
Ponzu watched him leave, biting her lip.
"Ponzu... seriously? You're pathetic. Why did you panic like that?"
She mentally scolded herself. She hated how easily Kaizen had unraveled her.
...
Most candidates kept to themselves on the ship. A few had formed groups, quietly discussing their strategies for when they reached Zevil Island.
Leorio and Kurapika sat shoulder to shoulder.
The three Amori brothers huddled together as usual, clearly planning something.
Imori glanced toward Killua.
"Is that white-haired kid your target?" Umori asked, catching his brother's gaze.
Imori nodded silently.
"Don't worry," Amori said, clapping him on the shoulder. "We've got your back. He looks sharp, but he's just a kid. He's no match for us."
"Yeah," Umori chimed in. "Once we help you take him down, you can return the favor later. Fair deal, right?"
Imori forced a smile.
"...Sure."
Though they called themselves brothers, Imori was clearly the one they pushed around—doing all the dirty work, taking the fall when things went south.
His personality was milder than Amori or Umori, and they liked having someone to boss around.
But what none of them knew... was that Killua was far beyond their league.
...
"Kaizen!"
Gon waved at him.
Kaizen looked over and noticed Kurapika and Leorio had joined Killua and Gon. The four were sitting together now.
After a brief pause, Kaizen made his way over.
From a distance, the Amori brothers were watching.
"Are those guys teaming up?"
"Looks like it. That's going to be trouble. There's only three of us, and they've got five."
"Not necessarily," Umori said. "They're not actual friends. They'll split up when it matters—everyone's got their own target. We'll wait and see."
"If they do form an alliance, though, we'll need to find some allies of our own."
...
Kaizen took a seat.
"Who's your target?" Gon asked.
"Number 371."
"Awesome! That means none of us are each other's targets."
Leorio let out a sigh of relief. "I'm after Number 103... but I can't remember who that is. I'll have to hunt them down once we're on the island."
"My target's Number 16," Kurapika added.
"Number 16?" Gon tilted his head. "Oh! That was the nice guy who gave us soda, right? I remember him. When he walked over to us back at the exam site, I saw his number."
Kurapika followed Gon's gaze toward Tonpa.
"That guy..." Kurapika muttered, eyes narrowing.
He quickly turned away. Tonpa hadn't noticed.
"Got it. Thanks, Gon."
"You're welcome! Just popped into my head." Gon scratched the back of his head with a sheepish smile.
"My target is one of those three," Killua said, looking straight at the Amori brothers.
Leorio frowned. "They stick together. Be careful, Killua. Don't go in alone. Maybe you can find someone else targeting one of them and team up."
Killua shook his head. "It's not a big deal."
He glanced sideways at Gon. "Honestly... the one I am worried about is Gon."
"Huh? Me?" Gon blinked.
Killua's eyes were serious. "Yeah. Your target is Number 44."
Everyone turned to look.
A tall figure with short red hair and a painted-on smile leaned against the railing. As their eyes landed on him, he turned—and smiled right back.
It was the kind of smile that made Leorio shudder.
Killua's expression darkened.
Kurapika's face grew stern.
"Hisoka... Gon, you can't be serious. That guy's not like the other candidates. He's on a whole different level."
"Way above us, even now."
Gon looked down and clenched his fist, holding it in front of his face.
"I know he's strong."
"I know it's dangerous."
"But I'm not backing down."
"This isn't some fight to the death. I just need his number badge."
He placed his hand over his heart.
"I'm scared. But at the same time... I'm excited."
"I know what I want."
Neither Leorio nor Kurapika could say anything.
They were his friends—but this was Gon's decision.
...
"Kaizen," Kurapika said quietly. "Do you know how strong Hisoka really is?"
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