Hanzo was a descendant of the secret organization [Nin]. That background was no less demanding than the Zoldyck Family's environment. It could be said that from birth, he had undergone various rigorous training.
For eighteen years, he had trained tirelessly, never stopping.
This wasn't an exaggeration, but his actual experience.
Gon was being unilaterally beaten, or rather, unilaterally tortured, by such a Hanzo for a full three hours.
Even with Gon's decent physical constitution, three hours was enough to be fatal.
However, Gon still had the strength to stand up. On one hand, it was due to Gon's willpower, and on the other, it was because Hanzo was deliberately holding back.
Cannot kill the opponent.
This rule constrained Hanzo, so he controlled his strength, each strike measured precisely.
His goal was to continuously inject force into Gon's body without knocking him out or killing him, to elicit wave after wave of pain.
Undeniably, as an ordinary person who hadn't been exposed to Nen, Hanzo was outstanding in all aspects, even surpassing Killua.
Normally, it would be hard for anyone to endure such one-sided torture and not surrender early.
Unfortunately, the person he encountered was Gon.
Only the sound of fists hitting flesh remained in the hall. Everyone else watched in silence. Some could no longer bear to watch.
As the rule-maker, Netero looked completely calm, feeling like he had seen this scene before.
Tonpa came to Law's side, wanting to say something but hesitating.
Law seemed to sense it and looked up at him.
Tonpa immediately made a meaningful expression with his eyes, but Law pretended not to see it.
This test was originally part of Gon's growth. Even if Ging were present, he would act as if it had nothing to do with him.
Furthermore, Law could see that Hanzo was holding back. Otherwise, with Gon's physique, he wouldn't have lasted half an hour, let alone three hours.
Even if Hanzo broke Gon's limbs, Law could restore them afterward.
Honestly, Law even hoped Gon could change because of this test, to not always be so stubborn. However, he also knew very well that if Gon changed, would he still be Gon?
Crack!
Hanzo's patience ran out. He coldly broke both bones in Gon's arms.
Nearby, Law's eyelids lifted slightly. Netero stroked his beard.
Both men knew at that moment that while Hanzo seemed to have cut off Gon's retreat, he had actually cut off his own.
This way, even if Gon surrendered, he wouldn't have a chance to win the next match. Therefore, he was even less likely to surrender.
Because this match wasn't about winning through strength, but about who would surrender last.
Outside the ring, Kurapika clenched his fists. He knew very well that Gon wouldn't give up. If he intervened, Gon would be disqualified, something Gon surely wouldn't want.
Inside the ring, Gon struggled to his feet, his arms hanging limply. His eyes held no emotions like hatred, only the determination never to give up.
Seeing the look in Gon's eyes, Hanzo gritted his teeth. He drew a hidden dagger from his sleeve and said coldly, "Even if I kill you, I can take the test again next year. But you... will have nothing left."
Gon remained silent. His gaze was firm, showing no intention of backing down.
A flicker of killing intent passed through Hanzo's eyes.
At the same time, Law's right hand lifted slightly. Although he believed Hanzo wouldn't actually kill Gon, he had to be prepared for the worst.
Whoosh!
The sleeve blade shot out, its tip stopping right at Gon's forehead.
Trickles of blood slid down from his forehead. Gon still refused to back down.
"Is stubborn pride more important than your life? Are you really willing to die for a single statement?" Looking at Gon's unyielding reaction, several veins bulged on Hanzo's face.
"I will not back down," Gon replied unwaveringly.
Hanzo's teeth made a grinding sound. After a long time, as if he understood something, he let out a large breath, put away the sleeve blade, stepped forward abruptly, and punched Gon in the cheek.
This time, he used his full strength.
Gon was sent flying by the punch. When he landed, he was knocked out cold.
Seeing this, Law's right hand slowly lowered.
"I surrender. Start the next match," Hanzo said to the referee.
Realizing he couldn't make Gon surrender, Hanzo vented his inner anger with that ruthless punch. Then, he quickly adjusted his mindset, wanting to win the next match.
The referee nodded and called Killua into the ring. At the same time, another referee took the unconscious Gon to the medical room.
Killua glanced at Gon being carried away, then entered the ring and stood before Hanzo. He asked, "Why did you deliberately lose?"
"Deliberately?" Hanzo gently shook his hand, trying to get his body into combat readiness as soon as possible.
"You should have thought of ways to make him surrender without killing him, right?" Killua stared at Hanzo.
Hanzo was silent for a long moment, then said flatly, "So what? I couldn't see a trace of hatred or retreat in his eyes, only stubborn determination to the end. So I surrendered. If I had to give a reason, maybe it's because I admire him."
Killua fell silent.
"How about this? Let's decide the winner with rock-paper-scissors, okay?" Hanzo changed the subject, using a negotiating tone.
"Are you an idiot?" Killua pulled his hands out of his pockets.
"Uh..."
Hanzo's eye twitched. He was afraid Killua would be like Gon, as that would be a real pain. But...
He looked at Killua's expressionless face, his expression gradually becoming serious.
'This kid is completely different from the last one.'
"I can tell you're very proud," Hanzo suddenly said.
Killua didn't speak, already in a combat-ready state.
"Three hits," Hanzo suddenly raised three fingers and said calmly, "If you let me hit you three times, you surrender. Conversely, if I get hit by you even once, I surrender. How about that?"
Killua heard this, thought about it seriously, and then agreed: "Deal."
Seeing Hanzo learn his lesson after one setback, the other examinees couldn't help but look at Law, who was sitting on the ground.
Although that man had proposed a childish victory condition, it truly could handle the duel rules.
Otherwise, one might end up like Hanzo, encountering a stubborn blockhead and finding themselves in a frustrating and helpless situation.
Seeing Killua agree, Hanzo showed a confident smile.
As the referee called for the start, Killua moved first, immediately using Rhythm Echo, circling Hanzo and creating a series of afterimages.
"Oh? Clone Technique."
A flicker of surprise passed through Hanzo's eyes.
Creating afterimages to mislead the enemy's judgment was a technique masters in [Nin] were most skilled at.
'If that's all, then I'll gladly take the first hit.'
Killua suddenly moved, and the afterimages moved with him. For a moment, five or six images of Killua appeared in Hanzo's field of vision.
'First, hit number one.'
Hanzo saw through Killua's Rhythm Echo instantly. He sidestepped abruptly, avoiding Killua's attack, then delivered a knife-hand strike towards the back of Killua's neck.
His technique seen through, Killua was slightly startled. His rich combat experience allowed him to timely raise his hand to protect the back of his neck.
In that split second, Hanzo didn't pull back. The knife-hand struck the back of Killua's neck, while simultaneously, he delivered a rising kick that connected with Killua's abdomen.
This kick wasn't a controlled, torturous move… it was a genuine, real combat heavy kick.
Killua grunted in pain, stabilized his posture against the ground, and slid back five or six meters.
Hanzo looked at Killua, whose expression was slightly strained, and said, "Two more to go. But I should remind you, if you don't want to lose so quickly, you'd better not use that move again. It's useless against me!"