HxH: Ryomen... Satoru?

"Killua Zoldyck, Illumi Zoldyck, Hisoka Morow, Gon Freecss…"

"These are the candidates the Examination Committee specifically requested to be closely monitored."

Cyr placed the received photos of the candidates on the table, one by one.

Using a false identity to register for the Hunter Exam was forbidden—if caught, the registration would be void.

So why was he able to register under a fake name?

Well… because that fake name was the only identity he had ever used in this world.

Meteor City residents only obtained an official identity once they left.

Within Meteor City itself?

No identification was ever needed.

—

"Who are you most interested in, sir?"

Maro glanced at the various faces in the photos before losing interest and turning his gaze away.

"Hmm… no one in particular. But if I had to choose… Killua, I suppose."

Cyr picked up Killua's photo.

"It'd be fun if we ended up in the same frame," he mused, pressing the picture beside his own face with a small smile.

"..."

Maro lowered his head as he stared at the expressionless, white-haired, blue-eyed boy in the photo.

Why don't I have white hair and blue eyes?!

—

"Rrraooowrrr—"

The tiger, now a year old, was no longer the tiny cub that could be easily carried around.

At two meters long and weighing over 300 kilograms, it had lost all its former cuteness and now exuded an imposing presence.

Despite this, it loved curling up beside Cyr, half-wrapping its massive body around him, resting its head on his lap while he absentmindedly scratched its fur—deep, contented purring vibrating through its chest.

"I wanna go for a walk," it rumbled, large, pale-blue eyes fixed on Cyr.

"Right now? Below us is the Wetlands, you know…"

Cyr absentmindedly ruffled the tiger's fur, using its body as a makeshift cushion.

Milsy Wetlands—

Danger level aside, the place was filthy.

A white-furred beast like this one would end up covered in muck in no time.

"Go ahead," Cyr said casually, patting the tiger's head. "But if you come back covered in dirt, don't bother returning."

The tiger flicked its tail, stood up, and gave itself a vigorous shake, making its fur fluff up.

After slipping on specially made shoes, it strode toward the open hatch of the airship—

—and jumped.

The invisible wind coiled beneath its paws, allowing it to glide effortlessly through the air.

"ROOOAARRR—!"

The moment it landed, the tiger let out a deafening roar, announcing its arrival.

If it had roared like that on the airship, its owner would have kicked it off immediately for being too loud.

So, naturally, it had to let loose while outside.

—

The candidates trekking through the Numere Wetlands froze, instinctively snapping their heads toward the direction of the sound.

Then—

They ran faster.

Just by hearing it, they could tell—

Another vicious beast had entered the area.

Run.

Run now.

There wasn't a single creature here that was easy to deal with.

—

The white tiger, its paws protected by boots, strolled through the swampy terrain at a leisurely pace.

For it, manipulating the wind was as natural as breathing.

The weaker creatures—moths, scavenger birds—were completely unable to get close.

It was searching for its target.

Every time it returned from a walk, it had a habit of bringing back a gift for its owner.

Not necessarily an animal—

Sometimes a unique plant it had never seen before.

Sometimes something edible.

—

Meanwhile—

Tonpa was sprinting for his life, desperate to escape Hisoka, who had—just like last year—started slaughtering candidates left and right.

Thick fog obscured the view.

No path could be seen ahead.

No people could be seen behind.

It seemed that if one strayed too far, even voices would disappear into the mist.

Tonpa had merely turned his head to check behind him, his pace never slowing.

But when he turned forward again—

A massive figure had appeared in his path.

Tonpa came to an abrupt stop, nearly tripping over himself.

The towering beast in front of him suddenly lowered its head, staring directly at him.

The moment Tonpa recognized what kind of beast it was—

His face went completely blank.

A white-haired brat was bad enough.

Now there's a white-haired beast too?!

And not just any white-haired beast—

It had a white coat, black stripes, and blue eyes.

Its entire presence screamed bad omen.

Wait a minute—

Could that white-haired demon actually be a beast in disguise?

Was this its true form?!

…Heh.

Tonpa let out a bitter chuckle in his mind, already scrambling away without looking back.

Nothing good ever comes from encountering white-haired beings.

His entire life had been traumatized by them.

He had only one thought left:

Get that white hair away from me!!!

—

Visca Forest Preserve , 12:00 PM

Current Number of Candidates: 148

By the time the exhausted examinees finally made it past the Wetlands, they arrived at the location for the second phase of the exam.

But before they could even catch their breath, movement came from the forest behind them.

A new figure emerged—

Just like them, it had come from the Milsy Wetlands.

"A BEAST—"

"A BEAST FOLLOWED US!!!"

Panic spread instantly as candidates shouted, pointing toward the massive white tiger stepping out of the trees.

Weapons were immediately drawn.

"…It's not attacking," Gon said, watching intently.

He glanced at Kurapika and the others, who remained tense.

The white tiger, wearing boots and dragging an oversized frog by its tail, sauntered toward the group at a leisurely pace.

Every step it took forward, the candidates took one back.

Then—

With a loud creak, the doors behind them suddenly swung open from the inside.

A blond man in a black suit stood in the doorway, his expression cold as his gaze fell upon the white tiger.

"Sora, you're too slow. The Master is waiting."

The tiger picked up its pace.

—

Within the crowd, a red-haired man narrowed his eyes.

The boy he had once deemed insignificant in last year's exam—

Had changed.

Significantly.

He might just be—

A fruit worth plucking.

—

The candidates hesitantly stepped inside, their eyes landing on the figures already seated in the room.

A pink-haired woman lounged on an orange couch, wearing only a black sports bra beneath a fishnet crop top, her midriff exposed.

Behind her sat an enormous man, built like a mountain, forced to sit on the floor because there was no chair big enough for him.

And on the opposite side—

A long black couch was occupied by a white-haired boy.

Lying comfortably, a game console in his hands, he didn't even glance up.

The blond man led the white tiger beside the couch, then stood motionless.

The tiger curled up at the boy's side, its long tail winding around his wrist—as if it had a mind of its own.

Then, the pink-haired woman finally spoke.

"We're the examiners for the second phase. I'm Menchi. That's Buhara. And that's Maro."

Her tone was impatient, but she introduced them anyway.

The candidates instantly noticed—

The white-haired boy on the black couch had not been introduced.

Who was he?

Not an examiner?

Not a candidate?

Then why was he here?

Killua's gaze fixed on the boy.

Then he turned—

"Tonpa."

His voice was calm, but his eyes were piercing.

"That guy you said looks like me—"

"Is it him?"

—

Tonpa's face was ashen, looking like a corpse.

His entire body trembled as he desperately tried to hide behind the crowd.

Seeing someone that resembled the white-haired demon was bad enough.

Seeing a beast that resembled him was even worse.

But now?

He was face-to-face with the real thing.

—

"…As long as two of us three judges find your cooking delicious, you pass."

Menchi explained the rules flatly.

"Anyone who doesn't want to participate—"

"You can leave now and eat your own damn food. We won't stop you."

She waved them off, clearly uninterested in wasting time.

—

"WHO IS THAT GUY?!"

One of the candidates suddenly snapped, pointing at the white-haired boy on the couch.

"If he's not a candidate and he's not an examiner, WHY is he even here?!"

They had fought tooth and nail to get here—

So what gave him the right?!

—

"I'm an observer."

The boy, previously lying down, shifted his position, now half-sitting, half-reclining.

He gave a lazy yawn and spoke softly:

"The kind that can give you extra points."

—

"Observer?!"

"There's such a thing?!"

The candidates exchanged glances, some suspicious, some curious.

"Of course there is," the blond examiner said firmly.

As one of the three examiners, his words carried weight.

And just like that—

The candidates' attitudes toward the white-haired boy completely changed.

—

Cyr's lips curled into a smirk.

One hand idly grasping Sora's tail, he studied the candidates before him.

Then—

He caught Hisoka's gaze.

And without a word—

He winked.

His lips moved silently.

But only Hisoka saw the message.

°°°

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