"Ou really is amazing. It wasn't just my imagination."
Even though Leorio and Kurapika didn't say it aloud, the same thought surfaced in their hearts.
Only now did the group truly grasp a portion of Lu Ou's strength. It was not to be underestimated. At the same time, it further ignited Killua and Gon's competitive spirits.
"Gon, how about we go together?" Seeing that Lu Ou had stopped playing, Killua—who had already come up with several new ideas—immediately pulled Gon along.
"Sure!" Gon was never one to sit still.
Since Lu Ou had managed to touch the ball and nearly secure it, Gon naturally wanted to try as well.
"Be careful," Lu Ou reminded them when he saw the two preparing to step in.
"Got it!" They waved their hands and headed toward Chairman Netero.
"Oh? Both of you together? Not bad. That'll save time," Netero said with mock surprise. What he really meant, everyone understood perfectly well.
"Gon, let's go," Killua said, ignoring the chairman's teasing tone.
"Don't focus too much on the ball's movement. If you concentrate on it too hard, no matter how you move, he'll know," Killua added.
That was the conclusion he had drawn from watching Lu Ou. As the saying goes, the onlooker sees more clearly than the one involved.
"I see. I was planning to chase the ball itself. No wonder I kept getting played around," Gon replied, quick to understand.
"We can't let the rhythm of the dribbling affect us."
Gon closed his eyes and began reaching for the ball purely by instinct.
"Oh ho? When did you two get so nimble?" Netero barely avoided their suddenly flexible and unpredictable movements.
"Yes! Just like that! Gon, let's keep attacking!" Killua had almost touched the ball just now. His confidence surged as he shouted and chased after Netero again.
Although Killua and Gon were full of energy—and had even drawn useful experience from Lu Ou's attempt—it didn't make much difference.
Because they weren't just facing a strong opponent.
They were facing a strong opponent who cheated.
No matter how they changed tactics, they couldn't escape Chairman Netero's grasp—like Sun Wukong unable to escape from the palm of the Buddha.
Their best result came when they barely managed to strike the chairman's arm, knocking the ball away and forcing him to use his left foot to reclaim it.
"Hu… hu…"
After more than an hour, both Gon and Killua were exhausted. But young as they were, neither wanted to admit defeat. They kept thinking that maybe the next second they would finally touch the ball, and so they refused to give up.
"That's enough, Killua, Gon. Time to rest. There's another test later," Lu Ou said when he saw the clock pointing at 2 a.m. He knew it was time.
"But…" Gon said unwillingly. They still hadn't truly secured the ball.
"No buts. Didn't the chairman just use his left foot? That's progress. We're still far from his level. Getting this far is already impressive. And the chairman's tired too—after all, he's getting old," Lu Ou said.
Gon was a considerate child. Hearing that Chairman Netero might be tired, he stopped immediately. They had made progress—he could accept that.
"So tired…"
Killua also walked back toward Lu Ou, planning to rest there and wait for the next test to begin.
Anita, who had been shocked by Lu Ou's strength and realized she couldn't gain any advantage, had already slipped back to her room earlier. She couldn't stand staying near Killua—the one she believed to be her father's killer—yet she also couldn't act against him. The frustration was unbearable.
"She's gone?" Killua glanced around, feeling slightly unused to her absence.
"She went back to her room. Whatever it is, we'll deal with it tomorrow," Lu Ou replied.
"Mm." Killua trusted Lu Ou's judgment and had no objections.
Seeing Gon and Killua return, Leorio and Kurapika nodded and closed their eyes to rest and recover.
All of them were utterly exhausted. Leaning against the wall, they quickly fell asleep.
As for the "old man" left behind, Chairman Netero saw that the brats had all left and said nothing more. He simply picked up the ball and walked away.
"That kid really is peculiar. His Nen ability seems quite unique," Netero thought. Though he hadn't said much, he was inwardly very satisfied with Lu Ou.
"Explosive power, speed, agility—all excellent. And meticulous in his thinking." He reflected that if he hadn't increased his speed slightly at the end, the ball might have ended up in someone else's hands.
The thought of such a rising star joining the ranks of Hunters filled him with quiet satisfaction.
"Captain, how's the flight? Oh, I see. Sorry to trouble you—but I'd like us to maintain a steady, slower speed toward the destination. As slow as possible."
Thinking of the completely drained youngsters, Netero decided to let them rest properly.
"Hehehe…"
After all, the upcoming test would require good stamina.
No matter how long the night, it would eventually give way to dawn.
A streak of orange-red light slowly emerged from the horizon, tinged with gold, gradually spreading warmth across the land.
A new day had begun.
"Thank you for waiting. We're about to arrive at our destination."
On the airship, the peanut-shaped secretary spotted a tall cylindrical structure in the distance and immediately informed the candidates still lost in dreams.
The airship descended steadily with a loud rumble. The examinees lined up and disembarked in order.
Lu Ou and the others walked last, as they still had to deal with Anita.
"Chairman Netero won't press any charges against me for sneaking onto the airship. Thank you—it's thanks to you," Anita said to Gon.
Although the original scenario—where Killua nearly lost control of his assassin instincts and almost killed her—had not happened here, Anita was still a kind-hearted girl.
Even though the desire to avenge her father tormented her constantly, she could still recognize kindness when it was shown to her. No matter what, she needed to say thank you.
"That's great," Leorio said. He couldn't stand to see a pretty girl punished.
Even Kurapika let out a sigh of relief. Watching an innocent person suffer was something his gentle nature could not bear.
Killua, too, felt relieved. He took out the pearl-like earring he had previously picked up and held it out to Anita.
"This…?" Anita asked.
"You dropped it," Killua said.
"This was a gift from my father!"
Anita snatched it back. Even if she couldn't avenge him now, facing the one she believed to be her enemy meant she could not possibly show a pleasant expression.