The airship gradually settled into a quieter rhythm as evening deepened into night. The earlier excitement on the upper deck had faded, replaced by the dull hum of the engines and the soft murmur of exhausted applicants trying to rest wherever they could find space. Some leaned against the walls, others stretched out across benches, and a few simply sat where they were, too tired to care about comfort.
Gon, however, still had energy left.
He sat cross-legged on one of the lounge couches, replaying the game with the chairman in his head, his eyes bright with excitement. "I swear I almost had it that one time," he said, leaning forward. "If I'd just moved a little earlier-"
"You would've grabbed empty air again," Killua interrupted lazily from the couch opposite him.
Gon grinned. "Maybe. But it felt close."
Killua rested both hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. "That old man's ridiculous."
Kitse, who had been sitting nearby with a cup of tea he had quietly borrowed from the galley, glanced toward them. "You two were trying to beat someone who has spent decades refining how to move his body efficiently. 'Close' is already better than most people would manage."
Gon tilted his head. "You think so?"
Kitse shrugged lightly. "Your instincts are good. You adjust quickly once you notice something isn't working."
Killua looked sideways at him. "That didn't sound like a compliment."
"It wasn't entirely," Kitse replied calmly. "You both still rely too much on sudden bursts of speed. When that fails, you pause to think. Someone experienced takes advantage of that hesitation."
Killua smirked faintly. "So what should we do instead?"
"Keep moving even when you're thinking," Kitse said. "Momentum matters more than perfect timing."
Gon nodded seriously, as if committing the advice to memory.
After a while the conversation slowed. The long day was finally beginning to catch up with them.
Gon stretched his arms overhead and yawned. "I'm going to find somewhere to sleep."
Killua waved a hand dismissively. "Go ahead."
Gon stood, still smiling as he wandered off down the corridor.
Kitse finished the last of his tea and stood as well. "Try not to break anything while everyone's asleep," he said casually to Killua.
Killua snorted.
Kitse disappeared down another hallway, leaving the lounge mostly empty.
For several minutes Killua remained where he was, staring quietly at the ceiling.
Then the feeling returned.
It had started during the game with Isaac Netero. Each time the old man moved, effortlessly avoiding their attempts to grab the ball, Killua had felt something stir beneath his skin.
A familiar sensation.
Now that everything was quiet, the feeling grew stronger.
Killua slowly sat up.
His expression remained neutral, but the lazy boredom in his eyes had vanished. The cold clarity he normally carried during assassination work had surfaced instead.
Two applicants walked into the lounge from the corridor, speaking quietly.
One of them noticed Killua sitting alone.
"That kid's still up," he muttered.
The other glanced over and shrugged. "Doesn't matter. He's just a brat."
They approached without much caution.
Killua didn't react immediately.
Only when they stepped closer did he finally lift his eyes.
The change was subtle, but the two men froze instinctively.
The boy looking at them now did not resemble the bored kid from earlier. His gaze was calm and empty in a way that triggered a deep warning somewhere in the back of their minds.
They had already stepped too close.
Killua moved.
The first man didn't even manage to raise his arms before Killua's hand struck his throat. The movement was clean and precise, ending the fight before it had properly begun. The man collapsed immediately.
The second tried to retreat.
Killua's fingers closed around his neck before he could shout.
For a brief moment Killua studied him, head tilted slightly.
"You shouldn't approach people like that," he said quietly. "It's rude."
The man's struggle ended a second later.
Silence returned to the lounge.
Killua stood there for a moment before letting the body drop. The excitement that had flared during the fight faded quickly.
The feeling from earlier was gone again.
"Tch."
He shoved his hands into his pockets and walked out.
By the time morning arrived, the incident had already been quietly handled by the exam staff.
Several hours later, the airship descended through a thin layer of clouds.
Most of the remaining candidates gathered near the windows as a massive structure slowly came into view below.
A gigantic stone tower rose from the barren landscape like a pillar carved directly from the earth. Its walls stretched upward in sheer vertical lines that seemed almost endless.
The airship touched down on a wide platform at the very top.
Applicants stepped out cautiously, looking around in confusion.
There were no visible stairways and no possible ways to enter.
Just the enormous tower descending beneath them.
Isaac Netero stood waiting with his usual relaxed smile.
"Welcome," he said cheerfully, "to the next phase of the Hunter Exam."
Gon stepped forward to the edge and looked down.
"Whoa…" he murmured.
Killua joined him, peering over the side with mild interest. "That's a long way."
"This place is called Trick Tower," Netero continued. "Your objective is simple. Reach the bottom."
A ripple of confusion spread through the group.
"Is there a staircase somewhere?" Leorio asked loudly.
Netero clasped his hands behind his back. "You have seventy-two hours."
That was the only explanation he offered.
Applicants immediately began searching the platform for hidden doors or mechanisms.
One impatient man quickly grew frustrated.
"I'm not wasting three days playing guessing games," he muttered.
He tied a rope around his waist and secured the other end to a stone pillar.
"I'll climb down."
Several candidates moved closer to watch.
The man carefully lowered himself over the edge and began descending the tower wall.
For a few seconds, everything seemed fine.
Then something shifted in the shadows below.
A dark shape moved along the stone surface.
The man looked up just as several large winged creatures burst from openings in the wall.
Their hooked beaks snapped forward.
His scream echoed briefly along the side of the tower before it was abruptly cut off.
The rope swayed loosely in the wind.
Above, the platform fell completely silent.
Gon blinked and slowly leaned back from the edge.
"…Yeah," he said thoughtfully. "Climbing down probably isn't the right answer."
Killua shoved his hands into his pockets.
"Definitely not."
Behind them, Kitse watched the swinging rope for a moment before turning his gaze back to the platform.
"If the exam wanted us to climb," he said calmly, "they wouldn't have built a tower."
Gon brightened slightly. "So the entrance must be up here somewhere!"
As if responding to that conclusion, several hidden panels in the stone floor began to shift with a deep grinding sound.