===========================================
Previously on the story?
Kill: "Aaah! Kurapika, you bastard!"
Kurapika: "Regrettably, you're the one at fault for attacking a weapons shop and becoming a wanted criminal."
Ai: "And now I'll take all the bounty money Kurapika received for capturing Killua. Go, Getchu Robo G!"
Kurapika: "W-What have you done!?"
Gon: "Hmm… I lost to the boss again. I've gotta get stronger."
◆
Kurapika: "Tch, I can't hit him!"
Kill: "Heh, don't underestimate a speed-type! That's payback for earlier!"
Ai: "I-I lost in a three-way battle… Give me back my weapons!"
Gon: "Because of the Unbreakable Rock, I can't leave the dungeon…"
◆
Kill & Ai: "Gyaaaah!"
Kurapika: "You cannot withstand a field spell specialized in magic power."
Gon: "…I didn't even do anything."
◆
Gon: "It's fine if this is the end… so… I'll use everything!"
Ai: "Everyone run!!"
Kill & Kurapika: "Huh?"
Ai: "Gon turned into Devilar-Man…! It's over, we're doomed!"
Gon has finally abandoned everything and become Devilar-Man! Can Aisha and the others survive this ordeal!? Casting aside all past quarrels, the three unite as one! Defeat him! The terrifying Devila-Gon!
Devila: "this way"
...
...
===========================================
"Come on, don't collapse now. Recovery comes later."
"Training while exhausted is effective in its own way. Don't assume you'll always be in perfect condition."
"Six!!"
"Correct. But Gon and Killua were slightly slow. Gon—500 push-ups. Killua—300."
Grr… lost again!
Kurapika's reaction speed is on a completely different level now. Apparently, he's been doing this Gyo-number-guessing training against Aisha nonstop—and losing every time.
When we expanded it to three people (excluding Aisha) and did the number-guessing exercise together, the first time he actually won he looked genuinely moved. Though maybe because losing had become a habit, he reflexively started doing push-ups even after winning.
The way Aisha and Bisky looked at him—there was guilt… and pity in their eyes.
Still… this is the training Kurapika's been enduring?
It's tough, sure. But it's not unbearable. It's not like being electrocuted, drinking poison, or building resistance to torture and pain. Not literal torture.
The real problem… is the density.
They cram training in nonstop. We move until we collapse—then Bisky's Magical Esthetician heals us in just 30 minutes by force. And then it starts all over again.
We wrap our shovels in Shu and dig. Dig and dig and dig.
Once we've dug enough, we refill the hole. Since we don't want to damage the environment too much, we keep repeating this in the same place—right in front of Gon's house.
Sure, repeating it makes you tired. And coating a shovel in aura takes serious effort. Maybe it's a two-birds-one-stone training method—increasing both physical ability and aura reserves.
But digging dirt is easy. Soft soil doesn't even need aura. Once it's been dug up and loosened, digging it again should be nothing.
Except Aisha didn't let it be that simple.
There's a reason we have to use aura-coated shovels on dirt that should be easy to dig. It's not just to increase aura.
It's because we literally can't dig it otherwise.
That idiot Aisha!!
Why are you using Shu on the ground itself!?
The earth she reinforces with Shu becomes just hard enough that we can barely dig it with aura-coated shovels—but not without them. Perfectly balanced hardness.
And so we dig and fill. Dig and fill. Over and over. An endless cycle. It's torture—but in a completely different way from the torture I used to endure.
Apparently, this is the first stage: raising our fundamentals, mental strength, total aura capacity, and control. In between, we also get Nen lectures from Aisha and Bisky, plus more number-guessing Gyo training.
Kurapika, meanwhile, focuses on extending the duration of Ten, Ren, and Ken. Sometimes he trains Ryu-based techniques with Bisky—something derived from Ryu-Ryu Bu, I think?—and spars with Aisha. For him, this schedule is apparently much easier than before.
…Just how insane was his old training?
At this point, if someone told me it was the "Kurapika Extreme Remodeling Project," I'd believe it.
But seriously—Aisha is ridiculous. I still have no idea how strong she actually is.
While reinforcing the ground we're digging with Shu, she reads books, does strength training, spars with Kurapika, spars with Bisky—and I've never once seen her run out of aura. How much does she even have!?
"So, what should we have for dinner tonight? Any requests?"
She asks that casually.
Who is she talking to? Us, digging holes after push-ups? Bisky, reading some suspicious book with a satisfied grin? Or Kurapika, who's currently still spinning midair from sparring with her?
Oh—Kurapika managed to wrap his chain around Aisha while spinning—
—and she spun him along with the chain.
How!?
Before his sense of balance improves, he might permanently acquire punch-drunk syndrome as a passive skill…
"S-Something light… would be good…"
"Yeah… nothing greasy…"
"I… would prefer not to eat at all. If I eat… it'll come back up."
We're barely alive.
No matter how much your stamina recovers, with training this dense… your appetite disappears.
"Pathetic. Aisha, I want some Japon cuisine. You're fairly good at it, right?"
"I can't make proper kaiseki. But something simpler, perhaps."
"That's fine. I'm not asking for restaurant-level food. Home cooking is nice too."
"Why don't you cook, then? You're not incapable."
"Nope. Food tastes better when someone else makes it. By the way, reinforcing the ground with Shu is pretty convenient. You could dig anywhere."
"I originally used it to increase the impact of Kazama-ryu throws. Against Nen users, slamming them into normal ground isn't always effective."
"That's… creative. Though it burns aura."
"It doubles as my own training. Very efficient, don't you think?"
"Yes. Would've been nice if you thought of that before buying that mountainous digging site."
"Ugh… Some ideas only come when necessary…"
They're chatting happily while we're dying beside them.
I don't even have the energy to yell.
"Hmm. Could we get recovery now? Any further would be inefficient. Except for Kurapika, of course."
"Alright, lie down. I'll grant you bliss courtesy of Cookie-chan. Except Kurapika."
"And thus friction among people gradually becomes discrimination. If we do not sever this resentment now, it will lead to great calamity—"
"You've still got energy. Stop talking nonsense and maintain Ken."
"…Unacceptable."
I'm used to Kurapika's weirdness now. Honestly, with training like this, anyone would go strange.
Sigh… recovery again. It's around 3 p.m., so we'll probably dig once more before dinner. Sure, physical fatigue disappears—but what I want is mental rest.
"…Gon, you okay?"
"…Barely. You?"
"On the edge. Don't wanna move."
"You'll be able to in 30 minutes…"
Yeah. Super convenient. There was a time I thought so too.
"Hmm. You still have the energy to talk. As expected of Gon and Killua. Perhaps we can increase the pace."
"..."
She's a demon.
When she trains us, she's a demon.
The moment we grow even slightly stronger, she raises the difficulty. And once we adapt, she raises it again. I swear the ground is harder than before. She's definitely pouring more aura into it.
And no matter how brutal it gets, our bodies don't break.
This is endless hell.
"Everyone! Snack time's ready! Training's important, but why not take a little break?"
"Thank you, Mito-san. Then let's pause for snacks."
"Thanks, Mito-san!"
"Yes! Mito-san is an angel!"
"Truly, a goddess in hell."
"Oh my, you exaggerate. I made pudding today, so wash your hands first."
"Yes!"
Exaggerating? Not at all.
We're escaping hell—for a little while!
"'A goddess in hell,' huh? Then what does that make us?"
"If it's hell, we'll be demons. Or devils. If that makes you stronger, I'd be happy. Hehehe."
…Wait. She didn't realize she was already a demon?
This pudding might be our last meal.
Gon and Kurapika seem to think the same—we're walking back to the house with hollow, corpse-like expressions.
…Yeah. I'm going to savor every bite.
"Didn't you guys say you couldn't eat anything?"
"That's that. This is this."
"Mito-san's pudding is exquisite. The whipped cream on top is the best."
"Yeah, this is seriously good. Still… even after getting healed, the muscle sluggishness doesn't go away."
"Of course. That's because your muscles are damaged from overuse. Fatigue and aura can be restored, but injured flesh cannot be fully healed."
"It's not that all-powerful, you know. Well, recovery does speed up a bit. But still—mm! Sweets really are the best~"
That made sense. If it healed that much, it'd be way too overpowered. Besides, it might interfere with muscle growth from supercompensation. From a training standpoint, her ability really was ideal.
"Hey, Aisha. Are you sure that method for Greed Island will really work?"
"Yes. For us, who would have extreme difficulty obtaining the software itself, this is the best option."
Greed Island.
There's no way we could afford software that might cost over ten billion. Apparently a few copies will appear at the upcoming Yorknew auction, but according to Aisha, some guy named Battera will probably buy them all. At auction, it might not even stop at ten billion.
Which is exactly why we're going with Aisha's idea.
Win Battera's approval and get selected to play Greed Island.
If he's buying Greed Island, he'll obviously need players to go with it. It wouldn't be strange if he were recruiting Nen users for that purpose. According to Biscuit, there have already been recruitment rounds before.
This time too, it seems advertisements have already appeared on the Hunter website and other restricted-access sites. Biscuit plans to join the player selection exam. Aisha said she would participate as well.
"If Gon wants to obtain Greed Island itself, that would be another matter. But if you simply want to play the game, this method is the most reliable."
"Yeah. I just want to try the game Jin made. I don't need to actually own it."
"Well, none of that matters if you don't pass the selection~"
"You saying we can't pass?"
"Who knows? I imagine the judges will be people with Greed Island experience. So the passing criteria will depend on how difficult the game is. If I were the judge, though, you two would fail as you are now."
As you are now, huh?
Then the answer's simple.
"If we can't pass now, we'll just get stronger."
"Exactly. We'll surpass you eventually, so look forward to it."
Looks like Gon felt the same. That's right. There's no way we're staying like this.
Tomorrow we'll be stronger than today. The day after, we'll work to be stronger than tomorrow. That's all there is to it.
"That's the spirit."
"Heh. You didn't have to phrase it so nastily."
"Well, I just wanted to tighten the screws a little. Seems unnecessary with you two."
Of course it is. We're not half-committed. Even if the training's hellish, when a person's serious about surviving, they can endure most things. If Kurapika could handle it, there's no reason we can't!
"Well, I do intend to design the training so that failing is absolutely not an option. There's less than two months left. It was Killua's wish too, after all. So we'll go with a super-hard course—harsher than what Kurapika had."
"Run."
"Why are you suddenly talking like a caveman!? And wait—wasn't the training here on Whale Island already 'super hard'!?"
Sure, she called it "light," but still. Kurapika endured something worse for four months? No wonder his personality's breaking.
"Well, yes, it was somewhat intense. But you sleep normally, and we haven't even started defensive training with Ken or Ryu yet. From now on, you'll train while sleeping too. I'll occasionally launch surprise attacks, so don't let your guard down.
"And no healing from Biscuit before bed. Training while exhausted is part of it. Make sure you rest properly so you don't carry fatigue into the next day—but never relax completely.
"Oh, and we'll need sparring practice. The Kazama-ryu dojo has various Nen users you can fight—it'll be good experience. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of people are there.
"Also, I'd like to include category-specific training, though that might be difficult. Perhaps we'll do that inside Greed Island. I'd also like to train internal aura control. And then—"
"Mito-san, thank you for raising me."
"Calm down, Gon. Mito-san went out shopping."
"Let's see… when's the next ship leaving Whale Island…"
"You too, Killua. Aren't you supposed to surpass me!?"
That only matters if we survive!! From what she just said, it sounds like training 24 hours a day, 365 days a year!! Even my house wasn't that insane!!
"That's seriously a super-hard course. You're cramming all that in before September? …If someone dies, that's not going to be my responsibility, right?"
"..."
"Hey, say something."
The instructors are about to start blaming each other already!?
And stop talking like death's a given!
"It'll be fine! It's only until we go to Yorknew in September! After that we'll return to a normal pace, okay?"
"Don't end that with a question mark!"
And so, our so-called "trip" to Whale Island continued—though calling it a trip might not be accurate.
…Something.
Huh? That word bothers me. …What was it again?
◆
After everyone had been completely worn out by the post-dinner training and fallen fast asleep, I quietly erased my presence and slowly got up. My goal, of course, was a surprise attack. Now then… who should I pick~?
The problem is that all three of them are sleeping in the same room. We don't have many rooms, so it can't be helped. Still, Gon and Killua are impressive. It hasn't even been that long since they started training, yet they're improving at a visibly rapid pace. Even with Biscuit's support, this can only be called talent.
Of course, that's because they're putting in even more effort.
At this rate, they'll reach a level capable of passing the Greed Island selection exam by September. Even now, ordinary Nen users wouldn't stand a chance against them.
…Hm?
Biscuit's really asleep. That brat—does she plan to leave all the nighttime surprise attacks to me? If that's the case, maybe I should launch a surprise attack on her instead.
If this keeps up, I just might.
Oh? Someone's in the living room… ah, it's Mito-san. Come to think of it, she wasn't in the bedroom.
What's she doing up this late? It's past midnight already. Is she drinking?
"Mito-san. You're still awake."
"Oh my. Aisha-chan. What's wrong? Can't sleep?"
"No. I was thinking of launching a surprise attack on Gon and the others."
Ah. She is drinking. A little tipsy, maybe? Still, since she asked, I answered honestly… though maybe that wasn't the best idea.
"Wait, a surprise attack? Absolutely not! A girl shouldn't be doing things like that. You need to treasure yourself more!"
"Huh? No, that's not what I—"
Yeah, she's definitely a bit drunk. If this keeps up, she'll start clinging and I'll run out of time. I need to escape before that happens!
I can't stay here! I'm retreating to Gon's room!
Aisha fled!
"Hey now. You should listen when adults talk. Honestly… how did Gon turn out like this? He used to be such an obedient, sweet boy… well, he still is. But still… why did he have to get interested in becoming a Hunter…?"
However, she cut me off!
Didn't you know? There's no escaping a drunk person.
…Well, Mito-san has taken care of us. Listening to a little venting won't hurt.
"Hey, are you listening?"
"Um… wasn't it because he admires his father?"
I heard Gon wanted to become a Hunter to be like his dad. Though Gon doesn't really seem to know what kind of Hunter his father is.
"Yeah, well, that's true. But I never told Gon about Jin—ah, Gon's father—that he was a Hunter. And yet somehow, before I knew it, Gon started admiring him… Why would he admire someone like that?"
"…Mito-san, you like Jin-san, don't you?"
"Huh!? Wh—What are you talking about!? Why would I ever like someone like Jin!?"
She denied it, but when she talks about Jin, there's anger—yet no disgust.
There's dissatisfaction, contempt, even jealousy. But all of that feels like the flip side of affection. The person she liked went off into a world she didn't know, alone—and on top of that, he had a child, Gon. No wonder her emotions are all tangled together.
"There's no way I'd like a good-for-nothing like him! Do you know this, Aisha-chan!? He left Gon on Whale Island and hasn't once come back to see him! I would never fall for someone like that!"
Hmm. Either she hasn't realized it herself, or she has and just doesn't want to admit it.
That's understandable. In her position, it's hard to be honest. There's probably a strong sense of "it's too late now."
Still, it feels like a waste for someone as good as Mito-san to be stuck like this. She's attractive and capable—hasn't she had marriage proposals? With someone like her, she could take her pick.
"Listen, Aisha-chan. You mustn't fall for a useless man like that. In the end, it's always the woman who cries!"
…You just basically admitted you fell for him, you know?
"Aisha-chan, you're a bit naive about the world, and you're careless about yourself. I'm worried some bad man will deceive you."
"Huh!? Th-that won't happen!"
I have no intention of being with a man! I'm going to turn back into a man myself and redo my youth!
Right now I'm a halfway existence—I can't fall in love with men or women. But once I return to being male, this awkward mismatch will disappear!
"Oh, it absolutely could happen. Today you ate dinner wearing just a thin undershirt without even putting on a bra! What you've got is poison to men's eyes. What are you doing flaunting prime marbled meat in front of starving beasts? You may be strong, but one day someone stronger than you might attack you."
Someone stronger than me…? The only one I can think of right now is Netero.
Netero attacking me? Sexually?
Haha, no way. He's not that kind of— …actually, he is kind of a pervert.
…Still, there's no way he'd feel that way about me, knowing I'm Ryushou. He wouldn't think like that.
But it's not like there's no one stronger than me out there. Maybe I really should be careful.
"Understood. I'll be more careful from now on."
"Good. That's my girl. Aisha-chan's such a good child. Unlike Gon…"
"Gon is a better kid than I am."
That wasn't flattery. That was the truth.
Gon is purer than anyone. Once he trusts someone, he doesn't doubt them—and yet he still has good judgment. I'm sure many people have had their malice washed away by his sincerity.
Which is also why he's so dangerous. He's like a little brother you can't take your eyes off.
"I know Gon's a good kid. But I worry… whether he's seriously hurt somewhere, whether someone's deceiving him… Do parents and children resemble each other even when they're apart? In the end, all I can do is wait and worry."
"…Mito-san. There is something else you can do besides just worrying while you wait."
"Huh? You mean—"
"—Believe in him while you wait."
"Believe…? But that's still waiting, isn't it?"
"Yes. If you're going to wait either way, it's better to believe than to worry. That's more constructive. Gon may resemble Jin-san, but he's still Gon. He's not the same as Jin-san.
"He came back to see you properly, didn't he? …Besides, worrying about Gon feels kind of pointless."
That's honestly how I feel. His personality isn't exactly reassuring—but it's probably beyond fixing at this point.
If that's the case, worrying will only wear you down. It's better to believe that no matter what happens, Gon will be okay. That he'll overcome it.
"Pfft—ahaha! Ah, you might be right. Worrying is pointless, huh? …Yeah. Somehow that feels true. If I'm going to wait, I should believe in him. And… even if Jin and Gon are similar, I should be the one who understands best that they're still different."
Good. She wasn't just putting on a brave face—she really seemed lighter now. Listening to her vent was worth it.
"I'm sorry for making you listen to my complaints."
"What complaints? I'm here because I want to hear stories about little Gon."
"Hehe. Thank you. Then let's see… what should I tell you?"
And so, she told me stories about Gon and Jin from when they were young, and I told her about Gon from the Hunter Exam onward. We talked and laughed as the night quietly deepened.
In the end, I never launched a single surprise attack.
…but I guess that's fine.
We stayed on Whale Island for about two weeks, and it was finally time to head to the Kazama-ryu main dojo.
There wasn't much time left until September. Originally, we'd planned to leave after about a week—but thinking of Mito-san made us hesitate. We'd only just reunited. I'm sure she wanted to spend more time talking with Gon.
…Honestly, I wanted to let them stay together longer. But considering the travel time to the Kazama headquarters and the training schedule, we couldn't afford to relax (?) on Whale Island any further.
Even if our training time at the Kazama school ended up shorter than planned, we were able to thoroughly strengthen the fundamentals, so that's fine.
Kurapika's Ken endurance has now surpassed four hours—nothing to complain about there. They say extending Ken by even ten minutes can take a month, so that's seriously impressive.
Gon and Killua's hole-digging training also went smoothly. Both of them have improved so much physically they're almost unrecognizable.
Gon was still lacking when it came to nighttime ambushes, but Killua's reactions were excellent—as expected. He must have undergone similar training before. His response at the start was better than Kurapika's had been. Gon gradually improved as well, and now he can even detect slight disturbances in the air. Their growth rate is truly remarkable.
"Listen. Don't go sticking your noses into anything too dangerous. And training is fine, but take care of your bodies. Make sure you properly listen to what Aisha-chan says. And also—"
"It's okay. I get it, Mito-san."
Mito-san and Gon were saying their goodbyes.
Worrying may be pointless—but that doesn't mean she won't warn him.
And even though Gon says he understands, I personally don't trust that statement one bit. He's absolutely going to throw himself into some kind of trouble. I'm certain of it.
"Aisha-chan, I'm counting on you to look after Gon. He'll probably rush ahead on impulse sometimes."
"Yes. Leave it to me."
I agree completely, so I nod firmly. Gon is truly fortunate to have someone like Mito-san worrying about him.
…Watching the two of them makes me want to see my own mother terribly.
I can't see her anymore—but I can visit her grave.
While we were on this island, I confirmed where it was. On a whim, I searched for Father's family—the Koza Family—on the Hunter website, and it came up.
Mother's grave is at Father's house—in other words, the Koza Family's main residence. And their base is near the city of Amstrul, where the Kazama-ryu main dojo is located.
Even in my Ryushou days, I'd heard the name many times. A mafia family. They never approached me, and they weren't the type to harm civilians, so I never involved myself with them either.
I know where their headquarters is. It shouldn't take long to get there from the Kazama headquarters.
…When the time is right, I'll visit Mother's grave. I want to apologize to the mother who gave birth to me and died because of it. I want to thank her. I want to tell her that I'm living happily now, surrounded by precious friends.
As for Father… what should I do?
He probably thinks I'm dead. No— even if he believed I was alive, he wouldn't think I knew about him or Mother. The only reason I know is because of Mother's Nen.
…What would Father do if he learned I was alive?
…He would probably never forgive me.
I don't expect forgiveness. I can't even measure the weight of what I did to him. And yet… while he may still be wrapped in grief and hatred, I alone have been living freely.
I don't know what I'll do if I meet him.
But even so… I feel that I must.
"Well then, Mito-san! We're heading out!"
"Come back anytime! This is your home, after all!"
With our farewells complete, we departed Whale Island. We boarded the ship in high spirits, beginning a new journey.
"So this is goodbye to Whale Island."
"Hm. Did you grow that attached to it, Killua?"
"Eh, maybe a little. Mito-san was a good person. Wouldn't mind coming back to fish sometime."
"Come back when you've got time. I'm sure Mito-san would welcome you."
"Yes. Next time let's keep the training moderate and take it easy."
"Oh, so it'll still be moderate?"
"It's nice to see you all getting along."
Mm-hm. Maybe someday I'll spar with all three of them at once. With these three, the coordination would probably be impressive.
We set sail across the sea. We'd taken a ship here before, but sadly the captain wasn't that gentleman from before. It would've been fun if it were him.
I wonder where he's sailing now. I became a Hunter, after all—I wanted to thank him.
"Next stop is the Kazama headquarters, huh? I'm curious what kind of people are there."
"Don't underestimate them, or you'll get seriously hurt. The Nen users at headquarters are top-tier. Both in martial arts and Nen. …Except for one."
Hmm. It's been about fourteen years since I left. The senior instructors back then must have grown stronger, and there are probably new ones too. Many of them would be assigned to branch dojos, so maybe around ten instructor-level fighters remain at headquarters?
I'm excited. There must be many new disciples, and I can't wait to see how my former students have grown.
"Guess Aisha's not going to tell us to swim to the Yorbian Continent, at least."
"Of course not! What do you take me for?"
Swim to the Yorbian Continent? How many days would that take? That's suicide. Who knows what's in the sea—and there's nowhere to rest.
"(You say that, but I could totally see her suggesting it…)"
"(Yeah. If she did, I was planning to run back to Whale Island.)"
"(C'mon, guys… even Aisha wouldn't go that far… right?)"
They're whispering.
Should I enhance my hearing with Gyo? It's sad that I can more or less guess what they're saying.
…Maybe I'll ease up on the training pace just a little.
"Well then, you three."
"W-What!?"
"Wait, we can talk this out!"
"Looks like we'll be seeing Mito-san again sooner than expected."
Hey. What exactly do they think I am?
Calm down. They're still chicks. It's only natural that the training feels harsh. The reason I survived torture-like training back then was because of Absolute Obedience / Geass. They don't have that. The fact they've endured this much is impressive.
Maybe I should let their bodies and minds rest a little.
"Alright, no training today. Let's rest and enjoy the voyage."
"Gon!"
"Yeah! …No fever!"
"Kurapika!"
"Yes! …Pulse is normal!"
"Biscuit!"
"Indeed! …No enemy presence nearby!"
"Damn it! She's not being manipulated by Nen either!?"
"I will throw all of you overboard."
The fact they instantly started checking my vitals after I spoke—what kind of teamwork is that? Is this what they call perfect synchronization? And Biscuit, you know that kind of ability doesn't work on me. Stop encouraging them.
"I am perfectly sane! I just thought a rest day would be nice—but clearly that's unnecessary! Since we're here, Biscuit, I'll train you too."
"Listen carefully. I'll restrain Aisha for ten seconds. During that time, Kurapika binds her with chains. Then Gon and Killua attack upper and lower body simultaneously from both sides. While she's distracted, I'll knock her into the sea. Timing is everything. If we mess up even slightly… we die."
"Damn it! If it's come to this, we're going all in!"
"I refuse to die here. Aisha, I'll resist with everything I have!"
"Uh… how did it come to this?"
I'd like to know that too.
Well, this is a good opportunity to train their group combat coordination.
…Honestly, it's a miracle the ship didn't sink before we reached Yorbian.
-----------------------------
Read 10+ chapters on Patreon to support us.
The next chapter link is in the comments.