The airship hummed gently as it glided through star-swept skies. Inside, the mood had shifted. The Second Phase was behind them. For the moment, there was quiet.
Most examinees rested.
Kurapika sat against a wall, arms crossed and eyes shut. Leorio had already sprawled out in a chair and begun snoring. Tonpa lurked nearby, pretending to read a manual on Hunter regulations while watching everyone out of the corner of his eye.
Renzo stood alone by a window, arms folded. His reflection in the glass was a silhouette. He wasn't watching the clouds.
He was listening.
Beneath the hum of the ship's engine, there was another frequency—thin, distant, but undeniable. A pulse of aura moving through the corridor like ripples through water.
He recognized it instantly.
Netero.
Further down the corridor, Gon and Killua wandered, laughing in low voices. The ship's maze-like interior opened to wide halls and sharp turns, lined with metallic bulkheads.
They felt it too—someone watching.
Killua spun around. "Someone's fast."
From behind, Netero stepped out.
"Evening, boys," he said lightly, holding a small ball in one hand.
Killua raised a brow. "You're the Chairman?"
Netero gave a slow nod. "Would you like to play a game? If you can take this ball from me, you pass the exam. Instantly."
Gon blinked. "Really!?"
"Of course," Netero smiled. "But I doubt you'll manage it."
Renzo remained at the far end of the hallway, unseen. He didn't move toward them. He didn't need to.
He crouched slightly, adjusting his breathing, and extended his senses instead. Jack had taught him that sometimes it was better to listen to aura than to chase it.
And Netero's aura?
It wasn't just strong. It was joyful. A madman's rhythm, dancing between enlightenment and chaos.
Down the corridor, the game had begun.
Killua was first, dashing in with Rhythm Echo, his body leaving blurring afterimages. He struck for Netero's leg—
And winced.
He'd hit it—but it was like punching iron.
Netero chuckled. "Careful. You'll hurt yourself."
Gon followed next, leaping forward. They attacked together—flanking, feinting, spinning—
Netero didn't move more than inches at a time. But the ball never left his grip.
They tried again. And again. Each time, the gap widened—not in distance, but in understanding. The man wasn't holding the ball. He was the ball. The center of a storm they couldn't reach.
Killua backed off, face shadowed. "He's not even using both arms."
Netero shrugged.
"I'm going to bed," Killua said suddenly, walking away.
As he passed, two other examinees bumped into him, demanding an apology.
They never got the chance.
Killua kept walking.
Gon stayed. His shirt clung with sweat, his feet unsteady. But he burned with determination.
He lunged one last time—
And Netero used his right arm.
Just for a second.
The ball spun through the air.
Gon collapsed, face bright with awe.
Footsteps echoed.
Netero turned.
Renzo was standing behind him.
"You didn't want to play?" the Chairman asked.
"No."
"Too smart?"
"Just observant."
Netero smiled faintly. "You watched instead of acting. That's dangerous in its own way."
Renzo didn't respond.
Netero's eyes narrowed slightly. "You trained in silence, didn't you?"
"My teacher's name is Jack. A practitioner of Shingen-ryu."
That made Netero stop.
The smile faded, just for a breath.
"I knew a few from that lineage," he said softly. "They moved like monks. Fought like ghosts."
"He taught me to breathe before I learned to fight."
"Then he taught you right," Netero said.
He turned to face Renzo fully. The lights flickered overhead.
"There's something in your stance," Netero said. "You move like a boy walking forward... but carrying something that doesn't belong to him."
Renzo looked him in the eye. "Then maybe I'll walk until it fits."
For a long moment, the hallway was silent.
Then Netero smiled again.
"You're an odd one."
He walked away.
Renzo stood in the quiet, feeling the pulse of aura still lingering on the walls. Gon snored nearby, passed out cold. The ball rolled slowly across the floor, untouched.
Renzo didn't reach for it.
Some prizes weren't worth stealing.