Several hours passed after Netero's speech. The airship arrived at the final exam venue, a vast and luxurious building nestled in a remote, mountainous area.
"Dear test takers, have you had a good rest?" Netero looked at the nine candidates present, speaking with a kind expression. "This is a hotel run by the Hunter Association. Until all the games are over, you may use it as you please."
At this moment, a staff member pushed over a display board covered with a curtain. Netero slowly unveiled the curtain on the display panel.
"Next, let's talk about the final exam. I'd like to invite the nine of you here to a one-on-one elimination tournament."
A tree diagram was drawn on the display board behind the curtain. However, the personnel arrangement at the bottom of the tree diagram was still covered by stickers. This left the candidates present somewhat disappointed.
This naturally included Ryusei as well. Because of his arrival, Ryusei was certain that the upcoming battles would change from the original timeline. He was also curious about how Netero would arrange things. However, it looked like they would have to wait a little longer.
Looking at the tree diagram, Leorio asked with a somewhat serious expression, "This means that only the one who fights to the end will win. Is it only possible to obtain a Hunter qualification?"
After all, the tree diagram clearly showed that ultimately only one person would appear at the very top. Therefore, in Leorio's view, this meant that only one person could obtain the Hunter qualification in this year's exam.
This undoubtedly put Leorio under immense pressure. After all, there weren't many people among those present whom he was confident he could defeat.
It wasn't just Leorio. Apart from Ryusei, the other candidates also felt the same way. And no one felt there was anything fundamentally wrong with this arrangement. In previous years, only one or two people typically passed the Hunter Exam. It wasn't too surprising that only one person qualified this year.
However, these candidates clearly misunderstood. Netero shook his head, then retorted very decisively.
"No. As long as you win One Match, you will pass." Netero held up one finger.
This Hunter Exam had produced so many outstanding young people. It was fair to say that these nine candidates would have all been qualified to pass the Hunter Exam in previous years.
It would be a shame if only one person passed. Therefore, he had specifically arranged a system where the losers were essentially promoted. Only one person would be eliminated in the end.
"Just one win?" Gon looked at Netero with some confusion. There were still some things that were not quite clear.
"So, the combination of this competition is..." Leorio pressed, though he already had a vague suspicion, he still wanted to confirm it.
"The winner will qualify directly," Netero explained. "And the losers will rise up the bracket, until the last person remains. In other words, the highest position on this schedule symbolizes failing. Is everything clear now?"
Netero looked at the nine people and explained very seriously. Netero's explanation instantly eased the expressions of many candidates present. If only one person fails, it means that the probability of them passing is very high!
"Simply put, there can only be one person who fails in the end, right?" Hanzo looked at Netero and couldn't help but confirm it again.
"That's right," Netero nodded readily. "And this is your matchup."
Netero removed the sticker at the bottom of the tree diagram, revealing the full bracket.
Looking at the complete tree-shaped battle schedule, Ryusei's face darkened. Ryusei was well aware that his presence had brought about significant changes to this exam, so naturally, many things were different from what he remembered.
The match schedule was likely to change as well. Therefore, Ryusei was not sure whether Killua would attack Bodoro again this time, or if Killua would choose to move against a different target, perhaps even him.
Therefore, if possible, Ryusei still wanted to get a good draw. For example, starting by fighting either Bodoro or Leorio. In that case, he should be able to easily obtain a Hunter's license.
However, after seeing the complete match schedule, Ryusei realized that obtaining a Hunter's license easily was practically impossible.
This time, the competition would still be divided into two groups, meaning that each group would select one person to reach the top. The two finalists from the two groups would then face off, with the loser becoming the last unqualified individual. This was no different from Ryusei's previous impression.
Even the opponents in the second group were exactly as he remembered them:
Kurapika vs. Hisoka.
The loser faces Bodoro.
The loser of that round faces Leorio.
However, the changes in the first group were very significant:
In the first match of the first group, Ryusei will face off against Gon.
The loser faces Hanzo.
The loser of that round faces Illumi (Gittarackur).
The loser of that round faces Killua.
Ryusei wasn't worried about Gon's physical strength; he was definitely stronger than Gon. However, Ryusei had no choice but to concede to Gon's personality. Once Gon had made up his mind about something, he would never back down, even if it meant death or severe injury.
It wouldn't be difficult for him to physically defeat Gon. But even if he won the fight against Gon, it was practically impossible to make him admit defeat. So, if there was no way to get Gon to concede, Ryusei would likely choose to give up the match himself.
If he conceded defeat, he would face Hanzo next. Ryusei had only recently acquired the Gourmet Cell, and his strength had increased significantly, but compared to someone like Hanzo, who underwent rigorous training from a young age, there was still a significant gap.
In Ryusei's view, Hanzo's strength was among the best of the nine candidates, second only to Hisoka and Illumi. He wasn't prepared to have his arms and legs broken by Hanzo. It was almost certain he would admit defeat again.
Then his third match would be against Illumi (Gittarackur). No doubt about it, there would be no need to fight; he would immediately concede.
Then came his fourth match, against Killua. Unfortunately, his physical strength was also inferior to Killua's. It was worth noting that Killua's ability to manipulate his gates meant his strength exceeded 16 tons, several times Ryusei's own, plus Killua's assassination skills. There was absolutely no way to win!
In other words, Ryusei was highly likely to be the final opponent in the first group. Fortunately, he was confident he could beat either Bodoro or Leorio in the second group if he faced them in the final, deciding match. So, getting a Hunter's license shouldn't be a problem. It's just embarrassing to potentially lose four times in a row!
Of course, this was assuming that nothing unexpected happened during the final exam—which only happens if his opponent doesn't voluntarily admit defeat first. Perhaps he could find a way to make Gon admit defeat.
Even if he lost to Gon and Hanzo, things might change with Illumi or Killua, who might concede to avoid a meaningless fight. Therefore, it was too early to draw absolute conclusions.
"I've been thinking about this combination for a long time!" Netero looked at the nine people with a smile and said. "No matter what, I'm making sure everyone has at least two chances to win." He had considered it carefully before making the final decision.