Between Two Worlds: Nen and Haki

The first one called was Tonpa, who held the smallest number.

Moments later, Hisoka was called second.

"So you're saying Leorio, Kurapika, and Killua—your targets just happened to be the three Amori Brothers?"

While they waited, Zane and the others rested and chatted idly.

Zane looked at the three of them in surprise when the topic shifted to their targets.

"Yeah, it was quite a coincidence. But thanks to that, we managed to get our tags pretty quickly," Leorio remarked with a sigh of relief.

He considered himself very lucky during this fourth phase.

Because the Amori Brothers always stuck together.

This led to him running into Kurapika and Killua while tracking them; eventually, the three of them teamed up and took down the Amori Brothers with ease.

Zane nodded slightly.

Things had definitely changed.

Of course, some things remained the same.

"Gon, you really were unlucky, drawing Hisoka of all people." Zane reached out and ruffled Gon's hair.

His brow furrowed.

The spiky hair was a bit prickly to the touch.

His palm slid over, and Zane's hand quietly moved onto Killua's head instead.

His furrowed brow instantly smoothed out.

'Yep, this one feels much better.'

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

Killua tried to shake his head to escape the petting, but no matter how he thrashed, Zane's palm seemed glued to his head.

Left with no other choice but to grumble, Killua looked resigned to his fate as Zane continued to mess with his hair.

"It was unlucky, but I learned a lot from the experience. Besides, I'll return this tag to Hisoka sooner or later." Gon took a deep breath and touched the #44 tag tucked in his chest pocket, his expression solemn.

"Then you'd better work hard. Based on my judgment, Hisoka is even stronger than this guy." Killua jerked his thumb toward Zane, who was still petting him.

'This little white cat is quite vengeful.'

Zane let out a cold snort and immediately used both hands to aggressively mess up the boy's white hair.

He didn't stop until Killua was on the verge of snapping, finally pulling his hands back with a satisfied look.

...

After a long wait, Zane's number was finally called.

Heading up to the second floor, Zane entered the reception room.

"Sit!" Holding a notebook in his left hand and a pen in his right, Netero gestured for Zane to take a seat across from him.

Zane walked forward and sat casually on the cushion.

"Alright, I just need to ask a few simple questions. First, why do you want to become a Hunter?" Netero looked up at Zane.

Zane replied with a smile, "For convenience. For one, it gives me the chance to learn Nen. Secondly, it makes traveling to different places much easier."

"Hmm... Second question. Out of the eight remaining applicants, which one are you most interested in?" Netero asked again.

"#376, Leorio. He came to take the Hunter Exam with me, and he's helped me before," Zane answered without hesitation.

"I see!" Netero nodded slightly before continuing, "Final question. Among the eight, which applicant would you least like to fight right now?"

"If this question pertains to the final phase, my answer is still #376—the reason should be obvious. But if it's unrelated to the exam, then it would be #44 Hisoka and #301 Gittarackur.

"To be honest, while I'm not afraid to fight them, I'm well aware that their strength is likely above mine. If it came down to a true life-or-death struggle, I'd probably be the one who ends up dead."

'Of course, they wouldn't exactly walk away unscathed either.'

Zane spoke about his own life and death in a remarkably relaxed manner.

"You're quite the honest fellow. Alright, that's all. You may leave," Netero said with an intrigued smile.

Zane gave a slight nod and stood up to leave the room.

...

The round of interviews concluded before anyone knew it.

Next came a period of waiting and recuperation.

As if to ensure everyone was in top shape for the final phase...

The airship traveled for three full days before reaching the location for the final exam.

It was a magnificent estate-style hotel.

"Applicants, have you all had a good rest?"

"This hotel is run by the Review Committee. Until the Hunter Exam concludes, you are free to use all the facilities here."

In the cavernous hall, Zane and the other applicants gathered alongside the examiners, with Netero at the head.

Eyeing the group, Netero stroked his beard and, after a brief greeting, immediately began to announce the objective of the final phase.

Nearby, an association staff member in a suit wheeled out a whiteboard covered by a cloth.

"The final phase will consist of a one-on-one tournament between the nine of you!"

With that, Netero whipped away the cloth, revealing the board's contents.

On it was a diagram of the bracket lines climbing upward.

"Does this mean only the person who reaches the top gets a Hunter License?"

Leorio was shocked by the bracket layout.

"Not quite!"

Netero raised a finger with a grin. "You only need a single victory to pass."

"Huh?!"

"Just one win?"

"Then these pairings are..."

Leorio and the others, who had been tense, were now completely bewildered.

"The winner of a match passes immediately and leaves the tournament, while the loser moves up to the next round until only one person remains at the end.

"In other words, the highest spot on this bracket represents failure!" Netero looked very satisfied with the applicants' reactions.

He then peeled away the strips covering the bottom of the chart to reveal the established match-ups.

Photos of the nine applicants were placed under their respective lines, divided into Group A and Group B.

From left to right:

Group A consisted of Zane, Gon, Hanzo, Killua, and Gittarackur.

Group B consisted of Tonpa, Kurapika, Hisoka, and Leorio.

Furthermore, the paths upward through the bracket weren't equal.

While everyone would fight at least twice, some had as many as five opportunities.

"Wait, why do Zane and Gon get five chances?"

Killua couldn't help but step forward to ask.

He was fourth in Group A and only had three matches scheduled.

While he didn't mind Gon having extra shots, he was definitely unhappy about the apparent unfairness.

The others nodded in agreement with Killua.

Unfair treatment was always bound to cause friction.

"Ho ho ho... I knew you'd ask that. These pairings were decided based on your performance in the previous phases and the way you handled various situations.

"Simply put, the more impressive your performance was in the earlier tests, the more chances I've given you," Netero said with a chuckle.