Chapter 46: One on One Combat
After Leon Machi came in second, followed by the two nen users, the other five placements were taken up by regular people, which Leon couldn't care less about. Knuckles came in dead last, though, which Leon excepted.
" Damn it, why can't I catch a break. " Leon walked over to Knuckle as he collapsed to the ground in frustration, " To get this far is no small accomplishment. "
" That's only thanks to you and Machi. I can't do anything. "
" Knuckle, from what I can tell, you have no former training, no fighting skills, and no knowledge of anything useful. But the good thing is all of those can be fixed. There is no limit to how many times you can compete to become a hunter and become stronger and smarter. "
" I don't have time to train. I need a hunter license to save my home town. " Knuckle said, punching the ground, " Fine, go charge headfirst into every problem you have, sometimes it might work, but more than not, it will get you killed. "
That was the last thing Leon said to Knuckle as he walked away to move on with the rest of the winners, " You didn't have to be so harsh, you know. "
Leon sighed, " He needed to hear it. Without us, he would have never made it this far. Unlike Uvogin, he doesn't have the raw strength to make up for his lack of foresight. I can tell nothing will stop him from reaching his goal. "
Leaving behind the obstacle course, Leon, Machi, and the other eight contestants were escorted to an air blimp that would take them to the final trial.
Onboard, everyone was tense, the atmosphere so thick you could cut it with a knife. They were informed that the last round would be one on one combat. Only five of them would move on to become hunters. Leon wasn't worried. The only three people that could pose a threat were weaker than him by several margins.
Taking the opportunity to nap, Leon was woken up by Machi, " Hey idiot. We're here. " Yawning, Leon cleared his eyes, " Just a few more minutes, please, no more training. "
"You're not at home stupid, remember hunter exam, final trail, one on one combat. "
Now fully awake, Leon smiled, " Of course I remember. I just had a bad dream. Let's get this chapter over with. "
Walking down the ramp from the blimp, Leon was in awe at the scenery. They were in a mountain range with snowcapped tips and tall evergreens. The vicinity structure was the large dirt fighting ring and overlooking it a small area where an older man sat. He had a ponytail, a thick beard, and stretched earlobes with two piercings in both ears.
" Welcome all to the final exam of 276th annual hunters exam. I am Isaac Netero, the Chairman of the Hunter Association. I shall personally be overseeing your last trial. "
' Isaac Netero, the only man to face off against Maha and live. He acts weak and senile, but underneath all of it, a killer lies in wait. I wonder how long I could last in a fight against him. '
" Now, there are a few rules to follow. Killing is not permitted. Killing your opponent will result in you being disqualified. To win a match, you must make your opponent surrender or until one fighter can no longer fight. With that said, I will now draw the pairs. "
" First, Machi Komacine Vs. Beret Struten, next Susan Lilly Vs. Paul Baker,....and finally Leon Zoldyck Vs. Ingrid Hammond. "
' So it seems Machi is winning no matter what. All I have to do is play my cards carefully, and this should be a breeze. '
Leon moved outside the ring as Machi and Beret faced off against each other, " Hey Machi, don't take too long. I want to go back home. This is boring. "
Machi scowled, ' That idiot, can't he stay quite like any other assassin. '
Ignoring all the others' glares, Leon sat back in his chair and promptly fell back asleep.
Isaac wasn't too interested in the fight, he knew who would win and who would lose the moment they stepped off the blimp. What had really caught his attention was the latest heir to the Zoldyck family.
' Leon Zoldyck, even for a kid his age to have that kind of strength. These younger generations really do keep me on my toes. Maybe he will be the one to finally conqueror that accursed land and put an end to all the world's problems. '
While Isaac was stroking his beard in thought Machi and Beret had started their duel, " I commend you for your strength to make it this far but unfortunately I must stop you here to further my goals. "
Scowling Machi vanished leaving Beret confused, he tried to look around to see where Machi could have possibly gone but he couldn't move. Machi's threads had already bound him in place.
" W-whats going, I can't move. What are these strings so strong. " Beret continued to struggle only causing the string to tighten.
" Please stop struggling, it will only make things worse. "
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