"No, no, no."
Netero looked at Leorio.
"It seems you've misunderstood something. The condition for passing the final exam is actually very simple. You just need to achieve one victory in a match.
The ones who'll have to fight a second one-on-one match are the losers from the previous round. In the end, there will only be one person who fails."
In an instant, the examinee's expressions changed dramatically.
They'd been solemn and tense before, but now they were filled with excitement. Out of eleven candidates, ten could pass.
Everyone believed they wouldn't be that one person to fail.
Still, some among them felt something was off.
"That's a lot of successful candidates. I don't think there's ever been a Hunter Exam with that many people passing.
"Is this really okay?
"Could it be that the Hunter Association needs more manpower?"
A nearby examinee interjected,
"Who cares? As long as we can get a Hunter License, it's good for us. Whether the Association needs more people or not doesn't really matter.
"The Hunter Association is a loose organization. Becoming a Hunter doesn't mean you have to work for them; you still keep a good deal of freedom."
Netero cleared his throat.
"Now, I'll announce your matchups."
With that, he tore away a strip of white tape on the board.
A tournament bracket was revealed below, showing pictures and numbers matching each candidate.
On one side, it was just as Ron remembered from the original storyline:
- First match: Hanzo vs. Gon
- Next: Pokkle
- Next: Killua
- Next: Illumi
On the other side, it had changed significantly:
- First match: Kurapika vs. Ron
- Next: Hisoka
- Next: Elita
- Next: Bodoro
- Leorio was at the end.
"Any questions?"
"Excuse me…" Pokkle raised his hand. "But given these matchups, isn't this somewhat unfair? Kurapika and Ron have six potential matches.
Hanzo and Gon have five. But others clearly have fewer."
He was mainly pointing at several people.
For Pokkle himself, the number of opportunities was still acceptable, but Illumi and Leorio each had only two, clearly far fewer than those Pokkle had named.
Illumi didn't care, but Leorio did.
"Is it because I'm the weakest? Though… does that mean Gittarackur's strength is on my level?"
Netero nodded.
"That's correct.
I arranged this bracket according to your performances in the previous phases of the Hunter Exam. The exam as a whole measured three things:
"Your physical fortitude…
"Your mental toughness…
"And your potential as a Hunter.
"Of course, getting this far proves your physical and mental energies are quite impressive, so I based this arrangement mainly on your potential for being a Hunter."
At that, several candidates frowned.
Humans, by nature, can handle hearing about their flaws—laziness or areas where they haven't worked hard enough.
But talent is another matter.
Accepting 'You just don't have the gift' is never easy; it usually takes a bitter experience to bring someone to admit it.
Now, this bracket made it very clear.
Gon, Hanzo, Ron, Kurapika, Hisoka…
They obviously didn't mind, and Illumi didn't care, either.
But some people did—namely Pokkle, Killua, and Leorio.
In Pokkle's mind, he was constantly comparing himself to Kurapika.
Killua was unconsciously comparing himself to Gon.
Leorio simply ended up dead last, implying the worst potential of all, which he found hard to swallow.
Pokkle had four possible matches, which wasn't too bad, but Kurapika had six. He wasn't pleased.
Pokkle felt he was at least on par with Kurapika.
Killua recalled everything he'd done so far in the exam—he'd performed quite well overall, except for being attacked by Hanzo.
But Gon had run into Hisoka and survived.
"Gon has five opportunities, while I only have three. Are we really that far apart?"
They were the same age, and Gon's talent, strength, and personality appealed to Killua. He wanted to be friends. Still, friendship didn't eliminate comparisons.
Killua understood that, at present, he was stronger than Gon. He also felt his exam performance had been better.
So why did the bracket suggest his potential was lacking?
A small hint of doubt welled up inside him.
Netero spoke up,
"Next, I'll announce the detailed rules of the matches.
Unrestricted combat.
Weapons, tools, any moves or abilities, targeting any part of your opponent—it's all allowed.
But you cannot kill them. If anyone commits murder in the fight, they immediately lose qualification.
Once a match ends, whoever remains automatically passes.
Everybody clear?"
He swept his gaze across the group, then nodded.
"Well then, let's begin the first match.
"Ron vs. Kurapika."
One side had five candidates; the other side had six.
So, the first match would be among those six. They would also have more downtime to rest.
Once their names were called, Ron and Kurapika stepped forward to the center.
Several main examiners arrived to watch, along with about a dozen men in suits, sunglasses, and attire reminiscent of Underworld Mafia officers—styling that didn't quite fit the Hunter Association.
For most, this fight held little suspense.
Ron's strength exceeded Kurapika's as of now.
But not everyone was aware of that.
Bodoro, Pokkle, and Hanzo, for instance, didn't really understand Ron's power. Especially Pokkle, who was focused on Kurapika.
Kurapika regarded Ron solemnly.
"I didn't think our first match would be you vs. me. I know I'm far from your level. Still, having come this far, I want to give it a try.
"I want to see just how big the gap is between us.
"Ron, please use your full strength."
Ron gave a slight nod.
"Go ahead."
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