"Oh, I see.
I'll keep that in mind.
Killua? He's here.
Should I bring him home?
No…? Alright then.
Later."
At a secluded corner of the Hunter Exam venue, far from the noise and traffic, a man with a face full of pins hung up the phone. He stood quietly, somewhat distracted.
He wore a green cloak, had an eerie blue mohawk, and his pale violet skin was littered with pins. His expression never changed—maybe because of the pins or maybe because he simply never needed to. He always wore that haunting smile.
Gittarackur.
Candidate No. 301. His origins were unknown. But everyone knew—he was dangerous.
Why?
Because he was traveling with someone arguably even more unstable.
Candidate No. 44 — Hisoka Morow.
"He… ho… ho… You're so heartless, Illumi~"
"Shfff~ shfff~"
Cards spun between Hisoka's fingers, blurring into a deadly fan.
The magician wore his signature clown-like makeup: a tear drop under one eye, a star under the other, and his form-fitting outfit bore the heart and diamond suit symbols across the chest. He was unpredictable—beautiful, terrifying, and utterly unhinged.
Illumi Zoldyck didn't flinch at Hisoka's comment. He casually dropped a bomb.
"My good-for-nothing little brother is coming. Killua."
"You mean… that Killua?"
Hisoka's eyes lit up, the corners of his mouth pulling into a slow, deranged grin.
He raised his arms, exaggerated and mocking.
"No way~ That apple's still too green! Way too sour…"
Then he paused. Licked his lips. His gaze sharpened as he tilted his head toward Illumi.
"But… if you asked me to eat it, I might just make an exception~"
"If you lay a hand on him, I'll kill you," Illumi replied flatly.
He didn't even look at Hisoka—but the bloodlust that poured from him was thick enough to choke on. Cold. Icy. Deadly.
"Four mouths and one inside…" Hisoka muttered cryptically, trembling with glee.
His fingers twitched. His aura pulsed with twisted excitement.
Ah~ That red apple… So tempting…
So sweet…
So killable…
"Shff—" His cards flipped faster, slicing the air. Finally, snap—he clapped them together and exhaled.
"Since it's not Killua…" he mused, licking his lips, "…it must be the blind one."
"But rotten apples are boring…"
"Rotten?" Illumi repeated, recalling Silva's words from the call just now.
Roy has changed recently.
He looked thoughtful.
"You don't know, do you?" Hisoka's eyes narrowed with sadistic interest.
Something had changed. Something fun. Something new.
The magician's smile widened.
"Ahh… so the sour apple got spoiled by the rotten one. Tsk, tsk."
"That won't do. I'll just have to—"
"—cut the rotten one off myself~"
"Shhffff~"
Cards slid into his hand, sharper than steel. They gleamed in the moonlight, whispering promises of blood.
Meanwhile…
Far from the exam site, in a passage through the mountains, Roy and his group had been walking for two hours straight.
Leorio was the first to cave.
He flopped down, hugging his briefcase like a pillow.
"I'm dead. How much longer? Can't we rest?"
Despite his height, Leorio's stamina was the worst of the group.
"Tap… tap… tap…"
Roy's staff-knife echoed against the stone path, never breaking stride.
He didn't bother responding. He already had a full scan of their capabilities.
Gon — Physique: 35
Kurapika — Physique: 31
Leorio — Physique: 24
"Just as I thought…" Roy muttered.
"Ordinary humans…"
In the manga, they couldn't even push open the Testing Gate at Kukuroo Mountain. They had to train under Zebro just to lift the first door. Weak, in other words.
"Hang in there, Leorio," Kurapika encouraged. "We need to find the examiner's guide."
"Each exam has a different venue and test," he explained to Gon. "We need that guide if we want to pass."
Gon looked curious. "What do they look like? Will they be like that scary old lady earlier?"
Kurapika hesitated.
He glanced at Roy, wondering if he might know. After all, Roy had accurately predicted the previous question.
Roy felt the attention but didn't respond. He stopped suddenly.
The lake ahead sparkled under the moonlight. A small boat bobbed at the shore.
Without a word, Roy vanished and reappeared on the boat.
"Finally~!" Gon ran to catch up, excited as ever.
"Uncle, wait for me!"
His fishing rod bounced on his shoulder as he ran.
"Finally here?" Leorio dragged himself forward. Now with renewed vigor, he sprinted past Kurapika like a track star.
Kurapika chuckled. "So now you're fast…"
They reached the boat and began rowing across.
Roy sat at the bow, cross-legged, his blade resting across his knees. He ignored the wooden signs floating in the water.
Leorio noticed one, reading it aloud.
"Beware of Lake Monster."
He snorted. "Monsters? Please. I've got guts."
Right on cue, the water began to ripple.
Roy's ear twitched.
He recognized the script.
Here comes the snake.
A giant serpent erupted from the lake. Leorio's cockiness shattered as he scrambled for the oars.
"Aaaaahhh!"
He paddled frantically, cutting twin wakes across the surface.
Roy, meanwhile, stayed calm.
"Gon," he said, eyes still closed, "Take another sniff. What do you smell?"
Gon sniffed.
A moment passed.
Then his eyes lit up.
"There's a fox! A super stinky fox! Over there in the trees!"
The real guide.
Deep in the woods, the Foxbear disguised as a tour guide twitched.
"Stinky fox?!" he snarled. "YOUR WHOLE FAMILY'S A STINKY FOX!"
Furious at being exposed, the fox leapt deeper into the forest, preparing a trap.
But…
"Zzzzzzzzt—"
A black thread snapped through the air.
The Fox was snagged mid-leap, yanked off course, and dragged screamingly toward the lake.
"What the hell?!"
He clawed at the wire—then sparks exploded.
CLANG!
His claws shattered on contact.
"WORIIIII—!!"