(T/N: my bad always mistaking the abbreviation of both novels T-T... I think i need a break hahaha. sorry again)
It was him!
The sudden, shocking change shattered all the noise.
Clark's severed arm flew into the air, was caught by the wind, and plunged into the sea, swallowed by the waves in an instant.
"Pshhh—" Blood spurted out... Pariston Hill and Gore were both stunned. The slash had grazed past their shoulders, torn through the ship's railing, and left a perfectly straight gash on the deck.
"Hey, hey, my ship!" Maxim, who had been sound asleep, was startled and tumbled off his chair. Through the window, he saw a shocking trench stretching from the bow all the way to the railing, more exaggerated than a lightning strike!
"Roy Zoldyck..." The blond-haired young man snapped back to his senses, the smile completely gone from his face.
Gore quickly tore a strip of cloth to bandage Clark, performing simple first aid. Clark bit his lip to keep from making a sound, glaring angrily at Roy. He took the opportunity to close his aura nodes and activate [Zetsu] to begin healing.
The young man walked over unhurriedly, following the trench cut by the slash. At this moment, all fighting seemed to stop, parting to the sides to make way for him.
He was expressionless, showing neither sorrow nor joy, just quietly watching Pariston Hill's trio.
Pariston Hill pulled his hands out of his pockets and asked calmly, "Why?"
"You know we don't want to be your enemy, which is why we've been avoiding you... I trust that with your intelligence, you could see that."
'The person who likes to be hated is now hating someone else first...' This suffocating feeling nearly drove Pariston Hill mad, and "Nen" involuntarily coiled around his hands.
"Tap... tap..." Roy walked down from the bow, crossing Kurajing's line of sight, passed the stunned dagger-wielding man, and arrived beside the strange man in a few steps.
A ripple passed through the strange man's hollow eyes. He craned his neck to look, snorted coldly, and said, "I didn't ask for your help."
"Shut up! I'll deal with you when we get back!" Roy leveled his cane-sword, pointing it directly at Pariston Hill's throat. "All three of you, come at me together. My stupid little brother isn't strong enough to take on three at once, so let his big brother test your quality for him..."
'What does he mean?'
"He's your family?" Pariston Hill glanced at the strange man being shielded behind Roy and came to a sudden realization... He actively dissipated his "Nen," spread his hands, and put on an apologetic smile. "A misunderstanding... it's all a misunderstanding... If we had known he was your family, we wouldn't have attacked....
This is truly a case of fighting one of our own..."
The bleeding from Clark's severed arm stopped. As he processed what was happening, a mouthful of frustrated blood welled up in his chest, and he almost passed out again.
"Another Zoldyck?!"
'You fucking... why didn't you say so earlier?! I wouldn't have attacked you if I'd known!'
"Calm down, you're bleeding again..." Gore patted Clark, coldly sizing up the brothers, Roy and Illumi.
Because Roy had boarded the ship... he could faintly feel the pressure infinitely magnifying.
Roy held his cane-sword, and having raised it, he had no intention of lowering it. This had nothing to do with the Zoldycks, nor with ordinary people.
"Since you chose to attack, you must be prepared for the consequences."
It was too late to talk about this now!
[Magnetism · Oppression · Gravity Blade!]
"Bzz—" The air wrapped around the arms and legs of Pariston Hill, Gore, and Clark like threads!
The three of them felt their bodies suddenly sink, as if they had been struck head-on by a giant boulder. With a "crack," their feet were pressed directly into the deck!
Next... they saw a flash of a bright blade, along with a "Nen needle" and several "coins," aiming for their vital points in the instant they were immobilized.
"I told you, I didn't ask for your help!" Illumi flashed forward, rushing toward Clark, acting just like a stubborn mule.
Beside him, moving even faster, was Gotoh!
The young butler pushed up the glasses on his nose, brushed past Roy's shoulder, and ran toward Gore. Coins poured from his hand, comparable to bullets. "My apologies, young master. I cannot bear to just watch from the sidelines. Please understand..."
'One... two of them... "You're all really causing me trouble..."' A slash flew out, faster than the "Nen needle" or the "coins."
Roy strolled leisurely toward Pariston Hill.
"Ka... ka..." With a few muffled sounds, the deck was torn up. Amidst the flying wood chips, it blocked the "Nen needle" and the "coins," but it failed to block the slash. It flew past Pariston Hill's ear, heading out to sea, taking a lock of his golden hair with it.
"Boom!" The sea's surface exploded, forming a whirlpool.
Pariston Hill's eyebrow twitched. He could clearly feel the sharpness coming from the slash. He undid his buttons, took off his suit jacket, revealing the white shirt underneath. "To be honest, I really don't like fighting. But... since you're not willing to listen..."
"Clark, Gore, don't hold back. Kill them!"
The man who would one day become the Vice-Chairman of the Hunter Association was not without decisiveness!
When reason failed, "force" had to be brought to the forefront, to thoroughly beat the enemy, to make them feel the pain!
Clark and Gore received the order, and their hearts hardened. 'Who cares if they're Zoldycks? Kill them first!'
Amidst the flurry of "Nen," they engaged Gotoh and Illumi, respectively...
"Bang, bang, bang..." The sound of clashing weapons was endless. Maxim was so heartbroken he almost fainted... He kept shouting, "Gently... my ship... my ship..."
Beside him, crew members and exam candidates had flooded into the captain's room, all ducking their heads. Not a single one dared to suggest breaking up the fight...
Roy raised his sword and twirled it in a flourish. Nen coated the blade, pulsing with a cold light. He leaped and sliced apart a wooden plank flying toward him, then, in the next instant, used a perfected "Dark Step" to thrust toward Pariston Hill.
"Sun Breathing · Seventh Form: Sunflower Thrust!"
The tip of the blade ignited from friction with the air. Supported by over a hundred points in constitution, Roy's thrust was so fast it created a sharp whistle, approaching Pariston Hill's heart in the blink of an eye.
The blond-haired young man narrowed his eyes, raised his right hand, and snapped his fingers lightly. "Come out, chessboard!"
A chessboard of black and white squares instantly spread out with him at the center. Then came the sound of horses neighing, "Hee-hee-hee..."
From the white squares, eight magnificent horses suddenly leaped out, fully clad in armor, carrying knights on their backs. They aimed their lances and blocked Roy's path!
'A chessboard... cavalry... controlling the whole board... A game-strategy-type "Nen ability." I have to say, it's very your style, Pariston Hill.' Eight lances thrust at him. Roy changed his move mid-way, switching from a "thrust" to an "upward swing," executing a "Circular Slash"...
The flame-wreathed slash, carrying waves of cold light, cut through the lances and the hands of the knights holding them... Next came several raised hooves, as the knights pulled the reins, directing the horses to stomp down on Roy!
"Oh my god... what am I seeing?"
"Why is the sword on fire?"
"Why did our bodies get heavy?"
"And those armored horses... those knights in armor... what are they?"
Flashes of blades and swords flickered before their eyes. Occasionally, a stray "sword aura" would slice open a window and burst into the captain's room... Everyone, except Maxim, shivered and huddled together...
'So...'
"Is this the real Hunter Exam?"
Kurajing was crouched in an empty corner, staring blankly... Her beautiful pupils were filled with the image of the young man wielding his cane-sword, unleashing a sky full of sword aura.—