[Hunter x Hunter] Scamming My Way to the Top

[Boumargood]

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Chapter 60: Ten Meters

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'Dam—'

His attacker gave him no time to finish.

Something slammed into Tonpa's back, doubling him over and sending him flying several meters. He glimpsed the ground rushing toward him and tried to shield his face with his arm before landing on his shoulder and tumbling through the leaves. A tree trunk stopped him with an impact that forced the last of the air from his lungs.

The trees settled before his eyes.

His chest still refused to cooperate.

He opened his mouth and tried to inhale again. His fingers scraped across the dirt, searching for somewhere to brace himself, but pain surged between his shoulder blades when he tried to rise, forcing him to stay down.

A faint groan escaped his throat. A shallow breath followed, then a cough that shook his injured side.

He closed his eyes for a moment.

A shoe scraped against the ground behind him, and he opened them at once. His palm remained pressed into the dirt. His body still would not obey.

'Damn you.'

He lifted his head, pushed against the ground, and drew one knee beneath him. He had no idea how long it took him to stand. His arm nearly gave out, and his side protested violently as he forced his legs to support him.

He turned.

He saw the shoe first.

His gaze traveled up a thick leg to a heavy body, broad shoulders, and a bald head. The man stood a few steps away, one foot drawn back in preparation for another kick.

Tonpa glanced at the trunk he had struck, then back at the man.

'This guy...'

His stomach tightened. The face was familiar from the airship, but it was not among the original survivors he remembered. Probably one of the four extras.

'Don't tell me the first person to benefit from my interference decided to repay me by breaking my back.'

The man's eyes narrowed as he studied Tonpa's face. Then his eyebrows rose.

"Tonpa?"

He did not answer. He was still trying to draw a full breath.

One corner of the man's mouth lifted.

"I was looking for you... I didn't expect you to come to me yourself."

Tonpa felt as though the air he had just recovered was no longer enough.

'Of course. Out of all the trees on this island, I chose to land in front of my hunter. Damn my luck.'

Even so, a short breath escaped him as he studied the man's face again.

It was not Hisoka.

Nor was it Illumi.

Ever since the draw, the possibility that one of those two had drawn his number had been enough to dry his throat whenever the forest stayed quiet for too long. Now, at least, his hunter had a face he could look at without immediately thinking about his will.

'Fine. It's neither of those two. I still have a chance.'

Pain throbbed in his back, making him flinch despite himself.

'A chance to take a second kick if I keep standing here.'

The man's smile vanished, and he raised his fists. Tonpa did the same, a tremor running through his forearm. He was still panting from his fight with the owner of Badge 303 and the kick that had followed, while his hunter looked completely unharmed.

The bushes to his right stirred.

Tonpa's gaze snapped toward the sound, and his eyes widened before he could hide his reaction.

'Don't tell me there's another one.'

A thin man dressed in white emerged from the branches. His eyes fell on the body lying near the water, and he stopped.

"Barco!"

Tonpa glanced at the unconscious man.

'Barco. So that's his name.'

The thin man hurried over and bent down to check on him. The broad-shouldered man remained in front of Tonpa, looking at his fallen companion before turning his eyes back to him.

"You're the one who took him down?"

Tonpa swallowed, watching the narrow gap to the man's left.

"If I say no, will you believe me?"

"No."

"Then yes."

The thin man clenched his jaw and searched Barco's jacket pockets with frantic haste before rising.

"And you took his Badge too, you bastard!"

Tonpa wiped the dirt from his mouth.

"We're in the Fourth Phase. I thought that part was clear."

The thin man turned to his companion.

"Barter, cut him off!"

The broad-shouldered man, apparently named Barter, moved to block the route toward the stream while the thin man approached from the other side.

'It was clear to them, all right. That's why they want to take it from me along with the rest of my teeth.'

Tonpa's amusement vanished. He tightened his fists.

"Two against an injured man?"

The thin man answered coldly.

"You said it yourself. We're in the Fourth Phase."

'I shouldn't have explained the rules.'

Barter lunged. Tonpa saw his shoulder move and tried to block the punch, but his forearm came up too late. The blow slid over it and struck his jaw. His vision flashed, and before he could steady his feet, the thin man came in from the side and kicked him behind the knee.

'This is bad.'

He dropped to one knee. Before he could fall, he shoved the thin man with his shoulder, then swung a fist at Barter to force him back. The punch missed, but it bought him half a step of space.

Thirty exams, and all Tonpa's memories could offer him were a late block and a shove using his weight. He found nothing in them that could save him from two men attacking together.

'Damn it. If they close in again, they'll put me down right here.'

He feinted a charge at the thin man. The man raised his arms, but Tonpa planted his foot and veered toward the gap between Barter and a tree. Barter reached out, his fingers sliding over Tonpa's jacket without catching it.

Tonpa sprinted between the trees.

He tried to lengthen his stride, but the leg that had taken the kick faltered at the first root. He had to shorten his steps to keep from falling.

He made it only ten meters.

He passed between two trees and had barely regained his rhythm when a chime cut through the sound of his breathing.

Ding!

A red window formed before him.

[Warning.]

[The Host is in danger.]

'Dam—'

He ducked and twisted, but he did not move far enough.

A stone struck the back of his shoulder.

The curse burst from his mouth with the pain. He lost his balance, his foot sliding over the leaves, but caught a tree trunk and pushed away before he could fall.

'Even stones?! Aren't your filthy hands enough?'

Rapid footsteps sounded behind him, followed by Barter's voice.

"Damn it! I nearly hit his head!"

Tonpa glanced over his shoulder. The man was running after him, the smile gone from his face.

'That bastard... If he'd hit my head...'

He turned his eyes back to the path and clenched his teeth.

"Cowards!" he shouted. "Two men and stones? Bring some clubs too!"

'Excellent. Suggest more weapons. There are still places on your body they haven't hit.'

He cleared a root in his path and pushed forward into a long stride. Pain stabbed beneath his ribs halfway through it, breaking his rhythm, and he heard the thin man closing the distance behind him.

"How can he run with that belly?!"

Tonpa shot him a furious look, but dared not keep his eyes off the ground for long. By the time he focused on the path again, the footsteps had moved from behind him to his side.

'Not again.'

The thin man thrust his leg across Tonpa's path. Tonpa barely jumped over it, but the movement slowed him. Barter caught up, driving a fist into his ribs.

The air left Tonpa's lungs. He veered toward a tree and pushed off its trunk to keep running, but the thin man cut off the next gap.

He had to retreat. His back touched a trunk, and Barter's fist rose before his face.

'At this rate, I'm finished.'

Tonpa gritted his teeth and fixed his eyes on the man's face.

"Is that your mother?!"

The fist stopped.

Barter's eyes widened, and his mouth fell open. His head turned involuntarily over his shoulder, his eyes searching the trees behind him.

"What...?"

The thin man stared at him.

"Why did you turn around?"

"I don't know!"

Tonpa darted past them, but the thin man caught up before he could get far.

"What did you do to him?"

He reached for Tonpa's shoulder. Tonpa turned toward him before his fingers could close on the jacket and shouted again.

"Is that your mother?!"

The thin man's lips parted, and his head turned backward. He clenched his jaw, but the movement carried through, his hand veering away from Tonpa's shoulder.

When he turned back, his face was red.

"Damn it! How are you making me do that?"

"Is this some kind of trick?" Barter shouted.

Tonpa did not answer. He was busy using the few seconds he had bought to avoid taking another blow.

He tried to run straight ahead, but the thin man began closing in from the side again, forcing him to veer around a thick trunk. He glimpsed water between the trees, and his stomach tightened.

He was still close to the stream.

All this running, and they were driving him from one narrow passage to another without letting him get away.

A third voice came from behind.

"Barter! Kot! Don't let him escape!"

Tonpa stole a glance back. Barco had regained consciousness and was coming after them on unsteady legs, one hand pressed to his swollen jaw.

"He attacked me from behind and stole my Badge!"

'Damn it... The idiot woke up.'

The thin man, whom Tonpa now knew as Kot, called to him.

"Did he use that trick on you?"

"Yes! He looks at you, shouts that question, and then something forces you to turn around."

"How?"

"If I knew, he wouldn't have hit me!"

Barco did not keep running behind the other two. Tonpa saw him veer between two trees to the left, cutting across the route he was trying to reach. Kot approached from the right, while Barter stayed behind him.

'Damn it. Weren't two enough?'

Tonpa slowed before entering the gap. Barco was closer than he would have liked, and turning the other way would put him in front of Kot.

Barco reached toward him.

Tonpa turned to face him and opened his mouth.

The man's eyes widened.

"Not again!"

"Is that your mother?!"

"You bastard—"

Barco's head turned involuntarily over his shoulder. The muscles in his neck tensed as his eyes searched the space behind him.

Tonpa slipped past his outstretched hand.

Barter shouted:

"Ignore what he's saying!"

"That doesn't work!"

"Then what do we do?!" Kot shouted.

Tonpa did not wait for them to agree. He charged through the opening Barco had left, but the man resumed the chase while Kot hurried to cut him off from the side.

Tonpa kept running. His throat burned with every breath, and his legs grew heavy. The question forced whoever he directed it at to turn around, but that left two others free to close in.

He looked at Barter behind him, then at Kot among the trees. He could no longer keep track of one without losing sight of the other.

He covered another ten meters before the distance began shrinking again.

'Damn it. My throat's drying out from all these questions.'

He tried to swallow as he watched Barco change direction to reach him before Kot. Barter charged after them, anger driving each man to try to get to him first.

Tonpa's gaze caught on the gaps between them.

His eyebrows lifted slightly.

An idea came to him.

It was dangerous, and it depended on all three men being equally stupid at the right moment.

'Either this works... or they'll beat me until I really do need my mother.'



_______________________________

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[Dacraun]

Yeah, see, fuck punching people. If he had the next speed rank, those goons couldn't even eat his dust.

As it stands now, I see no exit for him outside of deus ex machina BS where he gets saved.

 

[Boumargood]

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Chapter 61: A Friend in Need

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Tonpa's idea did not wait to become a good one.

It did not have that luxury.

He darted between two closely spaced trunks, scraping his shoulder against one as he ducked beneath a low branch. Behind him, he heard Barco curse, followed by Kot's footsteps quickening to his left.

The thin man appeared between the trees, trying to cut him off.

Tonpa changed direction at once, but Barter came from the other side. His fist struck Tonpa's shoulder as he tried to slip past, knocking him half a step off balance. Pain flared through his arm, but he stayed on his feet and moved before the two men could close in.

Whenever he gained a few meters on his pursuers, one of them appeared ahead of him, or a blow cost him the distance he had gained.

'If this keeps up, I won't need a plan. They'll pick me up off the ground and divide the pieces among themselves.'

He drew a ragged breath, then shouted as he ran.

"I suggest you stop! Hisoka is my friend, and if he finds out you're doing this, he'll kill you!"

For a moment, there was silence behind him.

Then Kot burst out laughing.

"Hisoka? Your friend?"

Barter spoke.

"Even your face says you're lying."

He was right, but Tonpa kept his voice steady.

"He doesn't like people bothering me."

Barco drew closer to his companions. His jaw was still swollen, and dirt clung to one side of his face, but neither kept him from hurrying after Tonpa.

"Then call him," he said. "Let him come and take your Badge with us."

The threat had not produced the response Tonpa wanted, but Barco had kept Hisoka's name in the conversation. Now he only had to stay on his feet long enough to make use of that.

He half turned as he ran and fixed his eyes on Barter's face.

"Is that your mother?!"

The man's eyes widened. His head turned involuntarily over his shoulder, searching the trees behind him for a woman who was not there.

He tripped over a root, caught his balance, and cursed Tonpa.

"Damn this stupid trick!" Kot said through clenched teeth.

Barter turned his head back toward them. "How do we resist it?"

"Don't give him time to ask his stupid question!"

'Wonderful. They're learning.'

The Skill had lost none of its effect, but two of them could keep chasing him while the third turned around. Tonpa needed a moment to catch his breath, not one opponent stopping behind him for a second.

Barco lunged in from the side and aimed a low kick at his leg. Tonpa saw it too late. He lifted his foot, but the heel caught his calf and broke his rhythm. He stumbled, reaching for a nearby trunk to keep from falling.

Kot arrived at the same moment.

Tonpa ducked. A fist passed above his ear, brushing his hair. He pushed off the trunk with his palm and ran again, his heart pounding.

His new strength and speed had kept him upright, but they had not given him any martial skill. His body responded faster than he could make decisions, and the original Tonpa's memories offered little beyond experience in running from angry people.

'One wrong step, and they'll finish discussing my secret while standing on my face.'

"Hisoka!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "Where are you?!"

Barco called from behind him.

"Your friend can't hear you!"

Kot's footsteps drew closer again. Tonpa turned toward him just as the man reached for his clothes.

"Is that your mother?!"

Kot's eyes shifted involuntarily toward the space behind his own shoulder, his head following. His fingers loosened before they could close around the fabric.

"Damn you!" he shouted as he turned back toward Tonpa.

Barter gave him no further opening.

"Don't give him time! Hit him! He's about to collapse!"

Barco's fist struck Tonpa's side. He twisted enough to take some of the force off the blow, but pain drove through his ribs and forced the air from his chest. He kept running, stumbling as he went, his throat so dry that every breath scraped through it.

"Is That Your Mother?" no longer opened a path to escape. When one of them turned around, two remained to chase him. By the time he used it on the second, the first had already turned back.

He needed something that would buy him more than a second.

Something that would make them forget the Badge altogether.

He looked up through the trees. About twenty meters away, a broad tree stood to the right of his path, slightly apart from those around it. In the broken light, its dark trunk reminded him of a tall human figure.

'If this doesn't work, I'm finished.'

He remembered how many uses the Skill had left. He had held on to it until now because he had not wanted to spend one on a minor trick, but the footsteps of the three men behind him left no room for thrift.

"It's time," he muttered.

Barco heard him.

"Time for what?"

Tonpa reached a patch of ground clear of roots, turned toward them, and took two backward steps. He raised his voice with a confidence he no longer felt.

"You brought death on yourselves!"

He pointed over his shoulder toward the tree.

"Oh, is that you?"

'Come on. Don't make me explain that I was practicing how to greet trees.'

A white wisp gathered around the trunk.

The whiteness thickened around it and rose among the branches, hiding the tree. His pursuers slowed, and Barco turned his head toward it.

The mass suddenly contracted.

The tip of a shoe appeared beneath it, followed by a long leg. The remaining whiteness receded from a hand with a playing card resting between its fingers, then from a pale face bearing a small smile.

Tonpa's breath caught at the star painted on one cheek.

On the other, a teardrop.

'Hisoka...'

His fingers clenched before he remembered that he was the one who had asked for this appearance.

'It worked.'

An unexpected irritation followed his relief. He had spent the chase threatening them with the name of a man he had no desire to meet, only to feel happy when his likeness appeared before him.

He did not waste the opportunity.

"Hisoka!" he shouted, genuine joy slipping into his voice. "Finally! These three are trying to kill me!"

The chase stopped.

Barter went rigid. Kot's face paled, while Barco's gaze moved from Tonpa to the magician's figure, then settled on the card between his fingers.

Kot spoke in a hushed voice.

"It really is..."

Barter did not wait for him to finish. He turned and sprinted through the trees in the opposite direction. Kot followed immediately. Barco backed away two steps, staring at Hisoka, before cursing Tonpa and running after them.

Tonpa watched until the trunks hid them from view.

Then his knees buckled, and he had to brace both hands on them to catch his breath.

"Cowards..."

The word came out weakly, followed by a breath that broke in his chest.

He tried to draw air slowly, but his body would not wait. Short, painful breaths came one after another, and whenever he thought he had regained control, his legs started trembling again.

He raised his head toward the copy.

It was still smiling.

'Easy for you. You didn't take a stone to the back.'

He tried to laugh, but his side hurt. He settled for closing his mouth and waiting until he could stand without the ground tilting beneath him.

One use had saved him from all three. Now he had to get away before the minute ended or one of them decided to return.

He turned his back on the figure and walked. His steps were shorter than he wanted, his feet heavier than he remembered. He stepped over a small root, and the movement nearly brought him down.

'Just a little farther...'

"Were you looking for me?"

His foot stopped in mid-step.

He knew that voice.

For a moment, he kept staring at the dirt, as though putting off the turn might give him a better explanation.

Ding!

[Warning: An extremely dangerous individual is watching the Host.]

The sweat at his neck turned cold.

The copy was several steps behind him. The voice, however, had come from directly behind his right shoulder.

He turned as far as his back would allow.

The first thing he saw was a playing card moving between two fingers. He raised his gaze and found the star and the teardrop. Above them, two eyes followed his movement.

His mouth parted.

Hisoka's name would not come out.

The man kept watching him as Tonpa drew a small breath that never quite filled his lungs.

'Damn it... How do I get out of this?'

_______________________________

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[DreadKnight22]

Speak of the devil, man. I'm intrigued to see if "Is That Your Mother?" works on Hisoka, and I'm also curious to see if Hisoka is curious if it affects him.

 

[Lewdhandholding]

Wonder if he browned his pants. Wouldn't blame him, tbh.

 

[Boumargood]

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Chapter 62: The Tonpa I Know

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Tonpa took a step back without taking his eyes off the face so close to his own.

His heel caught against a root, throwing him off balance. He braced his legs to keep from falling. His side tightened beneath his shirt, and his mouth stayed open as he struggled to finish drawing breath.

Hisoka really was standing in front of him.

'Damn my luck.'

His foot moved backward again. The magician did not follow. He merely watched, then turned his head slightly toward the copy standing where the tree had been. His gaze moved between the identical face and Tonpa's, and his smile widened.

At the edge of his vision, Tonpa spotted a narrow passage between two trunks to his left. He kept trying to judge the distance without looking away from the magician. Two steps, perhaps three, and he could put the trees between them.

But Hisoka was closer than the passage.

And if he stayed, what was he supposed to say? That he had borrowed Hisoka's face for a moment? That the experiment was over and they could both get on with their day?

'Run.'

He readied his foot to push off, but his eyes remained fixed on the magician.

'He'll reach you before you turn around.'

Hisoka's hand moved, cutting off his thoughts.

The magician slowly turned the playing card between his fingers until its edge faced Tonpa. Tonpa stopped backing away and cautiously shifted his weight forward, abandoning the step he had almost taken.

'Damn it.'

He raised his hands a little. He did not try to smile. He could not trust the expression that might appear on his face, or how Hisoka would read it.

The magician spoke.

"Weren't you calling me?"

Tonpa's throat bobbed.

"I..."

The card tilted between the two fingers, cutting the word short.

"Aren't I your friend? Why are you moving away?"

Tonpa looked back at his face. The answer was humiliatingly obvious, but saying it would not help him stay alive.

"I didn't mean that..."

"Then what did you mean?"

Tonpa's eyelids fluttered. He could think of nothing to say.

'Damn this lunatic.'

Hisoka's smile widened as he examined Tonpa's raised hands.

"Anyway, why do you look so frightened?"

'Because you're here, you lunatic. Obviously.'

The thought almost helped him pull himself together, but the card moved again, drawing his attention straight back to it. He needed an opening, even a moment in which Hisoka looked at something else.

Ding!

The chime tore through his thoughts, making his shoulder jerk.

'What?'

Words appeared before his eyes.

[One minute has passed since "Oh, Is That You?" was activated.]

[Skill Effect Ended.]

[Remaining Uses: 2/3]

As soon as the notification was complete, whiteness gathered around the copy.

Hisoka turned his head toward it, and the card stopped moving between his fingers. The star and teardrop blurred, and the face began dissolving into the mist. As it receded, branches and leaves emerged, and bark appeared where the body had been.

Nothing remained of the copy.

The magician's eyebrow rose. His lips moved slightly, but no sound came out.

'Please work.'

Tonpa filled his chest with as much air as he could and shouted at Hisoka.

"Is that your mother?!"

The magician's smile faltered, and his eyes widened slightly.

His pupils darted toward the corners of his eyes. The muscles in his neck began contracting as though they were about to turn his head toward the space behind his shoulder.

But he did not turn around.

Tonpa waited no longer.

He spun and lunged toward the passage. His leg faltered on the first step, forcing him to throw out an arm to avoid hitting the trunk. His shoulder passed close to the bark, and a branch slapped his cheek as he broke through to the other side.

'Move!'

Pain dug beneath his ribs. He took short, broken breaths and drove his legs onward despite his body's protests. He was not running as fast as he wanted, but trees were beginning to separate him from the spot where he had left Hisoka.

He heard no footsteps behind him.

He did not dare check.

Ding!

[Warning.]

[The Host is in danger.]

'Dam—'

He planted his foot and veered left, ducking his head.

Something passed beside his neck.

A sharp sting, followed by a dry impact ahead. He glimpsed a white card embedded in the bark, directly along the path he would have taken a moment earlier.

His stride faltered, but he kept running. He touched his neck, then pulled his fingers away and saw blood on them.

'If I'd been any slower...'

He darted behind the nearest trunk before finishing the thought.

The open path no longer looked inviting. He swerved around a bush, then passed between two trees to get clear of the line of the previous throw. The new cut stung, and the pain in his side worsened whenever he had to change direction.

A groan rose in his throat. He stifled it between his teeth. Hisoka did not need any more help finding him.

Several seconds passed without another attack.

A small hope crept in with every tree he passed. Perhaps Hisoka had stayed to examine the tree. Perhaps he had only meant to frighten him and was letting him escape.

Tonpa clung to the last possibility despite the blood trickling beneath his collar.

He did not want to stop, but his body was beginning to force the issue. He was dragging his feet more than lifting them, and each breath came to an abrupt stop before his lungs could fill.

His foot slipped among the leaves. He swung an arm to regain his balance, then continued with shorter steps.

Everything behind him remained silent.

That no longer reassured him. He stared at the path ahead, putting off the backward glance one step at a time. He was afraid he would find Hisoka close enough to see his smile.

Doubt finally won. He turned his head sharply.

No one.

The bush he had pushed through was still trembling slightly, and the passage between the trunks was clearly visible. He slowed, watching the empty space before lifting his gaze to the branches above it.

'No... Where did he go?'

The relief he had expected never came.

He began turning forward again, a single thought hammering through his head.

'If he isn't behind me, then where—'

A hand appeared at the edge of his vision.

He saw it reaching for his neck from in front of him. His eyes widened, and he raised his arm to block it, but the hand closed around his throat before he could reach it.

His forward momentum stopped violently. His feet left the ground, and his breath caught in his throat. He clutched the wrist with both hands, pushing without shifting it.

He raised his eyes.

Hisoka stood before him.

His breathing had not quickened. Even his smile was just as Tonpa had left it, as though the distance that had nearly torn his lungs apart had been no more than a casual step for the magician.

He tried to slip a finger between the hand and his throat but found no room. He pulled at the wrist with all his strength. Pain flared through his injured shoulder without the grip moving at all.

His feet searched for the ground.

They did not reach it.

Hisoka's smile faded slightly, and his tone changed.

"What did you just use?"

Tonpa's mouth moved without a sound.

'Air...'

The pressure eased a little. He drew a sharp breath, followed by a coughing fit that shook his whole body. He clung to the wrist until it passed, then kept drawing short breaths through the narrow opening the fingers allowed.

Hisoka waited.

"You don't use Nen."

His eyes settled on Tonpa's face.

"So what almost made me turn around?"

Tonpa tried to swallow. The fingers pressing against his throat made it hurt, and a faint groan escaped him.

"It's..."

The word stopped.

The magician did not hurry him. He simply held him there and waited while Tonpa searched for an answer he could give.

The System was not an option.

If he told Hisoka about it, knowing why the question had affected him would not be enough. He might decide to keep Tonpa around to see what else he could get out of him.

The magician's fingers shifted slightly against his neck, and Tonpa forced the words out.

"A Skill... passed down in my family."

Hisoka raised an eyebrow.

He loosened his grip a little. Tonpa took another breath and used it before it was gone.

"We learn it... as children."

The magician smiled.

Ding!

[Persuasion Failed.]

'Damn it.'

Tonpa's eyes caught on the line before returning to the face so close to his own. He needed a detail to support the lie. A name, a condition, a reason other people could not learn it.

If he had been sitting down and able to breathe, he would have thought of something.

Now, every possibility that began to take shape scattered when he felt the fingers pressing against his throat.

"As children?"

He nodded as much as the grip allowed.

Hisoka spoke.

"I was at the previous Exam."

Tonpa's next attempt to speak stopped.

"I saw you ruin the rookies' chances, then walk away when you were done."

The magician's gaze dropped to his dangling legs.

"I never saw this kind of speed."

It returned to his face.

"Or these tricks."

Tonpa wanted to say he had hidden them. That he had not needed them. That his family had forbidden him from using them in front of others.

He chose the shortest answer he could manage.

"Didn't... need..."

The grip tightened, cutting off the sentence.

Hisoka watched his lips.

"Were you saving them for this Exam?"

Tonpa tried to pull himself up a little against the wrist, taking some of the weight off his neck. His arms trembled, then failed to hold him there.

His body dropped the short distance he had gained, and the pressure returned, worse than before.

Hisoka had believed none of it.

And the next lie would never make it out.

His feet began to move less. He could no longer judge how far they were from the ground, and the edges of Hisoka's face were starting to blur.

Tonpa blinked hard. For a moment, the eyes came back into focus.

So did the smile.

"The Tonpa I know was never this interesting."

Tonpa moved his lips.

The question.

If he could say it again, those eyes might turn away from him. Perhaps the grip would loosen a little. He needed no more than—

A brief rasp escaped him.

He tried to inhale, but his chest contracted without filling. He pushed at the wrist, then pulled, the two movements beginning to blur together in his mind.

One hand slipped.

He caught the wrist again in panic, digging his fingers into it with what strength he had left.

'No...'

Hisoka's free hand rose before him.

Another playing card appeared between its fingers, drawing Tonpa's gaze. Its edge was clean, with no blood or trace of anything it had cut.

"It was a pleasure meeting you," the magician said with a smile. "But you have to die now."

Tonpa's heart stopped for a moment.

'Wait!'

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. The card had already begun to move. He tried to twist away from it, but Hisoka's hand held his neck firmly, his feet dangling in the air.

Nothing remained in his vision but the approaching white edge.

The cut on his neck stung, reminding him how narrowly he had escaped the previous card. This time, there was no room to pull back.

A sharp whistle tore through the air beside his ear.

'Wha—'

A small object shot past his side and struck Hisoka in the face before Tonpa could follow it with his eyes.

The magician's head jerked sideways.

The card stopped.

Tonpa did not move. He waited for the edge to touch him, but it stayed clear of his skin. He kept staring at Hisoka's face until he caught sight of a thin, taut line stretching between the trees.

His eyes widened in disbelief.

'That line...?'

_______________________________

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[Lewdhandholding]

Was using the skill needed at the time? He already got distracted by the fading copy.

 

[Boumargood]

• ────────── ◆ ────────── •

Chapter 63: A Stolen Second

• ────────── ◆ ────────── •
​

The line remained taut between the trees.

Hisoka's head tilted under the blow, the playing card still raised near Tonpa's face. Through blurred eyes, Tonpa watched the stone weight rebound from the magician's cheek. The line slackened for an instant, and the hook dropped in front of his chest.

The movement did not end at Hisoka's face.

The hook caught beneath the rim of Badge 44.

A sharp, sudden tug came from among the trees. The pin resisted for a moment, then a small patch of fabric tore, and the Badge shot toward the trees with the hook, glinting as it swung at the end of the line.

Hisoka's eyes followed the Badge.

Tonpa saw them turn away from his face. The Badge was swinging at the end of the line, the card was still close to his eye, and the hand remained clamped around his neck.

'He's looking at it.'

Hisoka's fingers loosened slightly. It was not freedom, but it allowed Tonpa to draw a ragged breath. He suppressed the cough that nearly wasted it. He had to use that breath before the magician's eyes returned to him.

"Is that... your mother?!"

The question came out hoarse, the final word scraping his throat.

Hisoka's eyes stopped tracking the Badge and darted to one side. The muscles in his neck tightened, but he resisted turning again. The card remained motionless near Tonpa's face, and the grip had yet to tighten fully.

'Now!'

Tonpa let go of Hisoka's wrist with one hand and clenched that hand into a fist. He turned his shoulder as far as his position allowed, then drove his fist into Hisoka's stomach.

It struck taut muscle as though hitting a wall covered in cloth. Pain shot back into his wrist. Hisoka did not double over, but his foot shifted half a step backward, and his fingers opened briefly around Tonpa's neck.

Tonpa tucked his chin and pushed against the wrist with both hands, throwing his weight downward.

The grip slipped off his jaw.

His feet hit the ground awkwardly. He nearly collapsed onto his knees, but drove himself forward before he had fully straightened.

He did not attempt a second punch.

He turned and ran as fast as he could.

Air scraped through his swollen throat, and his ribs burned with every step, but he did not slow. Until he passed the first tree trunk, he kept expecting those fingers to close around his neck again.

A single second was a fortune when death had you by the throat.

"Run, Tonpa!"

Gon's voice came from among the trees to his right.

He did not need the advice. Even so, he glanced toward the sound and caught sight of a green jacket moving between the trunks, a fishing rod raised over its owner's shoulder. Badge 44 swung near Gon's hand as he ran diagonally away from Tonpa.

'He steals Hisoka's Badge, then shouts to give away his position. Courage and a death wish are alarmingly close neighbors in that child.'

Gon could have stayed hidden and waited for another chance at the Badge. Instead, he had struck before the card could come down on Tonpa.

That seemed like more than convenient timing for a theft.

Tonpa saved his gratitude for a better moment.

The present one was reserved for staying alive.

He jumped over a raised root and headed toward a line of rocks. He forced himself not to look back, but the absence of footsteps behind him became more frightening than their presence.

He could not stand it. Before the rocks blocked his view, he looked back through a gap between the trunks.

Hisoka was still standing where Tonpa had left him. He placed one hand over his stomach, then wiped his cheek with the back of the hand holding the card. His gaze moved between Tonpa and Gon, his eyes still slightly widened.

Then his smile grew.

"Interesting."

He turned in the direction Gon had fled.

Then he vanished among the trees.

Tonpa faced forward again and nearly ran into a trunk. He swerved around it and disappeared behind the rocks.

'He chose the one with the Badge. Excellent decision. I never doubted his wisdom for a moment.'

He did not stop running until his heartbeat drowned out the sounds of the forest.

When his legs could take no more, he walked with one palm pressed against his side. He followed a winding route, crossing water whenever he found it and taking cover to listen before continuing. He saw no sign of Hisoka, but that was no longer enough to reassure him.

The journey dragged on. Light withdrew from the ground to the tree trunks, until only a little remained in the branches above. Tonpa tried to hurry before it disappeared altogether, but pain in his leg forced him to shorten his stride.

'Fine. We'll die slowly, then. No need to rush.'

He kept walking. By the time he recognized the rocks around the cave, he could barely make out each foothold until he was close to it. He stopped before the black opening at the base of the rise and listened carefully.

He inspected the ground around it, threw a stone inside as he had the previous night, and waited.

Hisoka did not come out.

That was enough.

Tonpa entered and went deeper until the bend in the cave hid him from the entrance. He sat near the wall and retrieved a handful of wild berries from Spatial Storage. He had picked them on his way here.

He chose one and raised it to his mouth.

Then his hand stopped.

He had been hungry when he picked them. Now, with one so close to his mouth, he began wondering whether hunger alone qualified him to choose his food.

He rolled the berry between two fingers, then brought it closer to his nose.

'I survive Hisoka, then poison myself with dinner. An ending worthy of my genius.'

He hesitated, but his stomach growled before he could return it to the others. He looked at the berries in his palm, then chose the smallest and put it in his mouth.

He chewed slowly, alert for any strange taste. It was slightly sour. He swallowed and waited, his eyes fixed on the rest.

He felt nothing, but knew that did not prove they were safe.

'All right... One more.'

He ate the second, then the third, paying close attention to his stomach between berries until his palm was empty. They had not filled him up, but they eased the pangs of hunger enough to let him stop thinking about them for a few moments.

He leaned back against the rock and released a long breath. The air scraped his sore throat, and his hand rose to his neck without thought.

The day's events returned with unwelcome clarity: Barco and his two companions, the chase, the false Hisoka, then the real Hisoka's fingers closing around his neck.

He ran his hand over the marks they had left and pulled it away when the touch hurt.

'What day did Gon take Hisoka's Badge in the original story?'

He tried to put his memories in order. Gon had spent time watching Hisoka and waiting for the right opportunity. Had the theft happened on the third day? The fourth? He was not even certain how many nights had passed before it happened in the anime.

He pressed his fingers to his forehead.

'Wonderful. I remember what the Badge looked like, the chase, and every useless detail, but the actual day decided to slip my mind.'

Perhaps the theft had happened on schedule. Perhaps his presence had forced Gon to act earlier than he should have. Either way, the last thing Tonpa had seen was Hisoka setting off after a child carrying his Badge.

Tonpa sighed.

"I hope you don't die, you idiot."

His concern was not entirely selfless. Gon's death would shatter the future he knew, ruin the trust quest, and perhaps draw the attention of people Tonpa did not even want to think about.

But he could not deny that the boy had saved him.

'He saved me, then led Hisoka away. I'll give him some free advice if he lives.'

His fear slowly turned to anger as he remembered the card raised before his face. He clenched his fist until his aching wrist protested.

That bastard Hisoka had nearly killed him out of curiosity.

One day, when he was stronger, he would repay him for the hand around his neck, the threat, and every second he had spent pretending they were having a normal conversation.

He pictured it for a moment, then looked at his trembling hand.

'I'll do it when the thought of getting close to him again stops being suicide.'

He rested his head against the rock and kept his eyes on the bend leading to the cave entrance.

It would not be tonight.

_______________________________

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[Boumargood]

• ────────── ◆ ────────── •

Chapter 64: Eight Points, No Breakfast

• ────────── ◆ ────────── •
​

Tonpa had barely slept.

Whenever a branch snapped outside the cave, his eyes opened before he remembered he was still alive. By the time morning light finally crept through the entrance, he was sitting with his back against the rock, one hand resting over the marks Hisoka's fingers had left around his neck.

The fourth day on Zevil Island had begun.

Tonpa had no desire to take part in it.

He held out his hand and retrieved the Badges from Spatial Storage one by one. The metal disks appeared silently in his palm: his own, number 16; his Target Badge, number 303; then Badges 277 and 191.

Eight points.

He put them away again and looked toward the bend leading to the entrance.

'That's enough to pass. Any more risks would be stupidity for its own sake.'

The island was full of people who still needed points. Some were stronger than him. Others were more desperate. Hisoka alone was reason enough to spend the remaining days inside a rock.

Perhaps the magician was no longer looking for him. The last Tonpa had seen of him the day before, he had been heading after Gon. Perhaps his stolen Badge was more interesting than a fat man who had escaped with a child's help.

But "perhaps" was a poor reason to leave the cave.

'I'll stay here until the phase ends. Anyone who wants a Badge can dig through the mountain for it.'

His stomach let out a long growl in the silence.

Tonpa looked down at it.

"Nobody asked you."

He stayed where he was for another hour.

He drank from the shallow basin beneath the crack in the wall until his stomach felt full, at least for the moment. Then he retrieved a bottle of juice from Spatial Storage. The orange liquid shifted inside as he turned it in his hands.

He had an entire bag of the stuff, but the bottles he had kept contained laxatives. Hunger had not changed what was in them, and he had no intention of testing their effects on his exhausted body.

He returned the bottle to storage.

'A whole bag of juice, and I can't drink a drop. Even my supplies can get me eliminated in a humiliating way.'

None of the berries he had eaten the previous night remained. They had barely taken the edge off his hunger, and by morning his stomach was demanding everything those few mouthfuls had failed to provide.

He tried to ignore it. Perhaps he could live on water until the end of the phase. But whenever he settled down, his stomach cramped and brought him back to the same problem.

By midmorning, he had begun thinking about the animals outside the cave.

Before long, he was imagining them cooked.

He rose, cursing the way his resolve always seemed to crumble whenever his stomach got involved. Pain pulled at his side as he straightened, leaving him hunched for a moment before he approached the entrance. He listened for a long time, inspecting the ground and bushes from behind the rocks. He saw no fresh footprints and noticed no movement nearby.

He suppressed his aura with Zetsu, waited for the cold sensation beneath his skin to settle, then stepped outside.

The sensation held for a few steps before fading. He took cover behind a rock and slipped back into Zetsu, then moved on, relying on cover whenever he was in motion.

He had no intention of going far. One small animal, a fire in a hollow that would conceal its light, then back before anyone noticed the rock had given birth to Tonpa for a few minutes.

The first problem became apparent in less than half an hour.

He did not know how to hunt on his own.

The original Tonpa had plenty of experience poisoning juice, watching rookies, and escaping from those who discovered what he had done. Among his memories, Tonpa found nothing that would help him work out which way his breakfast might have gone.

He stopped beside a patch of mud and examined the small tracks pressed into it.

He remembered Karto crouching over similar tracks, pointing at nibbled grass and announcing that a rabbit had passed through. Karto had tracked the animal, driven it out of hiding, then used his knife to steer it toward Tonpa.

Now Tonpa first had to figure out what had left these tracks.

'A rabbit, a large rat, or something that'll make me regret trying to eat it.'

He followed them anyway.

They led him through low bushes until he caught a glimpse of gray near a fallen trunk. A small rabbit was nibbling tender leaves, its ears twitching at every sound.

Tonpa held his breath.

He crouched behind the bushes and slipped back into Zetsu. He stayed still until he was satisfied the animal had not noticed him, then advanced in short steps, choosing where to place each foot before putting his weight on it.

The sensation faded after a few steps. He stopped behind another bush and suppressed his aura again.

Ten meters.

He waited until the rabbit resumed nibbling, then moved.

Seven.

Pain tugged at his thigh as he crouched lower, but he kept going until only about five meters separated him from the animal.

He could split a boulder with his fist. He had escaped Karto and Bodoro, then Hisoka himself. Catching a rabbit should not be the hardest thing he had done that week.

His shoe pressed down on a thin twig.

A faint crack sounded.

The rabbit's ears rose. Its mouth stopped moving.

Tonpa froze with it.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Then the rabbit leaped.

'Damn it, my breakfast is getting away!'

Tonpa lunged out of hiding and reached with both hands. Pain seized his side, shortening his stride despite himself. The animal changed direction before he could reach it. His hands closed on empty air, and he slid across the leaves, planting a palm to keep his face from hitting the ground.

Pain shot through his wrist. He snatched his hand back with a stifled gasp and braced himself on one knee while the rabbit kept bounding away.

He refused to give up. With his other hand, he picked up a small stone, judged the animal's path, and threw it.

The stone flew faster than he expected.

It passed over the rabbit and struck the trunk ahead with a sharp crack, scattering bark. The animal changed direction again and vanished into the undergrowth.

Tonpa remained on one knee, his arm extended toward the spot where his breakfast had been.

'If the tree were edible, I'd call that a success.'

He got up and ran a few steps after the rabbit, but found only leaves trembling and then settling. He stopped, bracing his good hand on his knee while holding the other close to his side, and listened to his stomach object to the result.

"It was skinny anyway."

The words came out hoarse. He swallowed with difficulty.

His excuse sounded no more convincing aloud.

He was about to search in another direction when something rustled behind him.

He stiffened.

That was no rabbit. Several branches bent in succession beneath something heavier, followed by a footstep on the dirt.

His hand moved to his neck without his noticing.

'He can't have found me again.'

Tonpa slowly straightened, keeping the trunk between himself and the sound. Another movement came from among the trees, followed by low words he could not make out. A second voice answered from farther away.

At least two people.

They might be Barco and one of his companions. Or applicants looking for easy points. If one of them was Hisoka, knowing how many there were would not help much.

Tonpa took a step away from the route to the cave. He did not want to lead anyone there if he had to run. He bent down and picked up another stone with the hand that hurt less, refusing to look at the bark his previous throw had shattered.

The footsteps drew closer.

A shadow appeared among the bushes to his left. When he glanced toward the gap he had chosen for his escape, he caught another movement there.

His grip tightened around the stone.

He turned toward the nearer figure and raised his arm, but stopped before he could throw.

A lock of blond hair appeared between the leaves, followed by a familiar face above a blue collar embroidered with gold.

Tonpa's eyes widened.

'Kurapika?'

His arm remained raised as the young man stepped out of the bushes, his eyes settling on the stone.

Leaves parted at the other gap. A tall man in a suit emerged, holding a briefcase in front of his chest as though ready to block a blow with it.

Tonpa lowered the stone slightly.

'Leorio too?'

Leorio's gaze moved from the stone to his face. His eyes widened for a moment before his brows drew together.

"Tonpa?"

_______________________________

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[Boumargood]

• ────────── ◆ ────────── •

Chapter 65: A Speech That Worked Too Well

• ────────── ◆ ────────── •
​

Tonpa slowly lowered his hand, the stone still held between his fingers.

Kurapika continued watching him warily, while Leorio kept his briefcase raised in front of his chest.

"You were about to throw that at us," Leorio said.

"I heard something in the bushes. I didn't know it was you."

Kurapika examined his dirty clothes and the bruises on his face.

"Looks like you've run into more than wildlife."

Tonpa did not answer immediately. His gaze passed over their shoulders to the trees behind them, searching for any further movement. He had not expected to find them here, but his initial surprise soon gave way to a more useful thought.

He had gone looking for food and found two fresh opportunities for deception.

He tossed the stone aside and let his expression soften.

"You two are working together?"

Leorio lowered his briefcase.

"We ran into each other after the phase started and decided to team up."

Kurapika added, "Neither of us has our Target Badge yet. It's safer to search together."

One corner of Tonpa's mouth lifted.

"Good decision. This island isn't a place to wander around alone."

Unfortunately, that was his honest opinion, so he expected no reward for it.

He considered his next question before asking cautiously, "What about Hisoka? Have you run into him?"

Leorio shook his head.

"Thankfully, no. We haven't seen him since the phase began."

Kurapika confirmed it with a small nod.

Tonpa's smile faltered for a fraction of a second.

In the events he remembered, the two of them were supposed to encounter Hisoka before Gon managed to steal his Badge. But Gon had taken it yesterday, and Kurapika and Leorio had not met the magician at all.

The encounter might still happen, but the order he remembered had already changed.

When he realized Gon had drawn Hisoka's number, he had thought some events were still following their original course. Now Gon had the Badge, but what should have happened before that had never occurred.

Every new difference made his knowledge of this world a little less useful. If events kept diverging, his knowledge of the future would become a collection of memories of things that were under no obligation to happen.

'Wonderful. My knowledge of the future has gone from a map to a suggestion.'

He buried his frustration beneath a relieved smile and let out a breath, as though their answer had lifted a weight from his chest.

"Thank goodness. I was worried one of you might have run into him. I'm glad you're both all right."

Kurapika and Leorio exchanged a brief glance.

Leorio looked back at him.

"You were worried about us?"

Tonpa lowered his eyes slightly.

"After everything we've been through, it would be strange if I wasn't."

Ding!

The System's chime rang inside his head before the windows appeared.

[Deception Registered: Kurapika.]

[Nen Points +5]

[Experience Points +5]

[Deception Registered: Leorio.]

[Nen Points +5]

[Experience Points +5]

Tonpa dismissed the notifications, maintaining his calm smile.

'Ten points for a worried sigh. If the System paid for genuine feelings, I'd stay broke.'

His stomach gave a quiet growl.

Leorio's eyes dropped to his belly before Tonpa could pretend the sound had come from some distant animal.

He cleared his throat. Pain scraped through it, forcing him to swallow before asking, "Do you have anything left to eat?"

Kurapika answered before he had to explain just how badly he needed food.

"We caught a wild rabbit a few hours ago and roasted it. We kept the leftovers."

Tonpa's head lifted at the word "rabbit."

'Even the food I failed to catch found its way to me in the end.'

He gestured toward the rocky rise.

"I found a cave nearby. We can talk there instead of standing out in the open."

He led them cautiously back to the cave. Kurapika inspected the entrance before stepping inside, while Leorio kept looking around as though he expected the rightful occupant to appear and demand that they leave.

They went around the bend and sat near the wall. Kurapika took a bundle of broad leaves tied with string from his bag. When he opened it, Tonpa caught the smoky scent clinging to the pieces of roasted rabbit.

He took a piece and tried to eat slowly enough to preserve what remained of his dignity. But he attempted to swallow a mouthful his sore throat could not handle, forcing him to stop and close his eyes until the pain passed.

"Slow down," Leorio said. "We don't want you surviving the other applicants just to choke on a rabbit bone."

Tonpa swallowed carefully, then looked at the meat.

"I'm not giving it a last-minute victory."

He drank a little water from the shallow basin and returned to his spot. This time, he took smaller bites, though his hand reached for a second piece as soon as the first was gone. Once the cramps in his stomach eased, he leaned against the wall and let his shoulders relax.

Kurapika asked, "Have you seen Gon or Killua since we arrived?"

Tonpa's hand stopped beside the bundle.

"I haven't seen Killua. As for Gon…"

Both of them looked up.

Tonpa let the silence settle for a moment before continuing.

"I ran into Hisoka yesterday. He ambushed me and caught me before I could get away."

He did not mention that he had been calling for the magician beforehand, or that borrowing Hisoka's face had saved him from the first chase. He raised a hand to his neck. Leorio's eyes followed the movement and stopped on the finger marks.

His expression hardened.

"What happened?"

"Gon stepped in and hit him with the weight on his fishing line. He could have stayed hidden, but he put himself in danger to give me a chance to escape."

Tonpa left the stolen Badge out of the story. He wanted them picturing Gon saving him, not stealing a Badge worth three points.

He lowered his gaze to the piece of meat in his hand.

"The last thing I saw was Hisoka heading after him. I searched until dark, but I couldn't find him."

'I was looking for the cave. A minor detail they don't need.'

Leorio started to rise.

"Hisoka was chasing him?!"

"I saw him head in the same direction. I don't know what happened after that."

That part was true. He remembered Hisoka's smile before the magician vanished between the trees, and his fingers tightened around the meat without his noticing.

Kurapika asked, "And did you go out this morning to look for Gon?"

Tonpa raised his eyes.

Kurapika's tone was not accusatory, but his gaze moved to the food in Tonpa's hand, then returned to his face.

'Of course. You had to ask that now.'

He relaxed his fingers and set the piece down on the leaves.

"I went out to find something to eat first. I barely made it back here yesterday, and I couldn't keep searching in the dark. If I collapse out there, I'll be the one who needs rescuing."

Kurapika watched him for another moment. Tonpa returned his hand to his knee so neither of them would notice he had almost reached for the food again.

His answer explained the delay, but it had not yet given him what he wanted from the conversation.

He let his shoulders sag.

"I spent years treating the other applicants like obstacles. Gon didn't owe me anything, but he stepped in when he saw Hisoka holding me."

His voice came out rough. He did not have to fake that; he merely lowered it a little.

"I can't say I've changed, then hide here while the first person who treated me like a friend could be in danger."

He looked at them both before adding, "I'll go back and look for him. I can't stay here without knowing what happened to him."

'One more sentence, and I'll owe friendship itself an apology.'

Silence settled over the cave.

Ding!

[Deception Registered: Kurapika.]

[Nen Points +10]

[Experience Points +10]

[Deception Registered: Leorio.]

[Nen Points +10]

[Experience Points +10]

Tonpa dismissed the windows.

Another twenty points. He kept his eyes lowered, waiting for the smile threatening to appear to subside. He knew he should stop talking now. He had said enough.

Kurapika stood.

"We'll look for him together."

Tonpa raised his head.

Leorio got up too, taking his briefcase.

"We're not leaving him to face Hisoka alone."

Tonpa looked at them, then at the safe spot behind him.

He could have objected, if he had not just spent the past minute explaining why he could not stay there.

Kurapika gathered the remaining meat and tied the bundle shut again, while Leorio waited near the bend leading to the entrance.

Neither seemed to be waiting for another speech.

Tonpa rose slowly, bracing himself against the wall until his legs were steady.

"All right. Let's go."

'Thirty points to leave a safe cave and walk willingly toward Hisoka.'

He sighed as he followed them outside.

'The System isn't the only one with a talent for bad deals.'

_______________________________

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