Chapter 5: Two Mysterious Boys
In the rehearsal hall, Moritonio was already waiting in a corner for Hisoka and Haze.
When they arrived, the circus leader waved them over.
Hisoka and Neo sat together, while Hazeremained standing.
"The troupe is afraid Hisoka will steal their techniques," Moritonio said with a faint smile. "So they've secretly increased the number of performers in training…"
Normally, after a Haze day of exhausting work, members would return to their dorms after dinner.
But now… there were still faint movements in the distance.
They hadn't noticed yet.
"Everyone's so timid," Moritonio sighed. "It's obvious Hisoka isn't interested in other people's tricks."
"No, Captain," Hisoka replied, eyes glimmering. "There's actually one thing I'd like to learn."
Seeing that the captain already seemed to know what he meant, Hisoka continued, pointing at him.
"It's your famous 'Aerial Swimming,' Moritonio. That seems… very interesting."
The captain didn't get angry at being addressed so casually. Instead, he smiled.
"Well… I won't teach you. No matter how talented you are, that isn't something you can copy."
"True enough," Hisoka nodded lightly.
After all, it was the captain's signature act his pride and the golden emblem of the circus.
"Captain's special technique…" Hisoka's voice turned curious, eyes narrowing toward Neo. "Is it connected to this thing that flows so smoothly around you… this substance?"
"Hm?"
Moritonio was visibly startled.
"Hisoka… you can see Nen?"
"Nen?" Hisoka tilted his head.
"Or maybe you call it something else… life energy?"
"Ah… you mean this faint light covering your body?"
Hisoka's calm words stunned Moritonio and even Haze's expression changed slightly.
He had assumed Hisoka could merely sense the captain's presence, perhaps faintly detect the aura of a Nen user.
Ordinary people's aura was too weak to be perceived.
But Hisoka wasn't just sensing the captain he had identified the aura itself.
Monstrous.
More monstrous than Hazehad expected.
A faint sting of jealousy crept into him.
Sometimes, he thought bitterly, life's "fairness" was the cruelest injustice.
"You're relying solely on your innate senses…" Moritonio murmured, pausing mid-sentence.
"My Nen is so faint," Hisoka said lightly, noticing the difference. "It's nowhere near as dense as yours, Captain."
"Nen is something everyone possesses," Moritonio explained, regaining composure. "Mine is strong because I've trained and cultivated it over many years."
At that point, the captain stopped hiding it.
He had gathered Hisoka and Hazeprecisely to see if they had talent for Nen.
"Those who can strengthen, transform, and freely control their life energy are called Nen users."
"Ordinary people can't sense their aura, can't retain it within or around their bodies so it leaks away constantly."
"To refine and temper this energy requires practice. Retaining it and circulating it through your body is called Ten; expanding and releasing it outward is Ren."
Hisoka leaned forward, intrigued.
Haze, meanwhile, stayed perfectly calm.
For him, the captain's words were nothing more than elementary theory like a kindergarten lesson.
"Abaki," said Moritonio, turning to the young woman beside him, "show them."
Abaki nodded, crossing her arms and centering herself.
With a soft exhale, her Nen flared to life becoming visible to Hisoka's eyes.
As for Haze, he could feel the aura radiating from her, pressing down on him like invisible gravity.
He knew she was using Nen… but he couldn't see it.
"So this is… Ren?" Hisoka asked, standing up.
Ren the art of releasing aura outward was one of the most basic yet essential skills of Nen.
To master it fully, one also needed to practice Ten, the art of retaining and stabilizing it.
"With your talent, Hisoka," Moritonio said, glancing at him approvingly, "learning Ren won't be hard. But mastering Ten… even with focus, it would take an ordinary person about a year. Reaching Abaki's level could take three."
He patted Hisoka's shoulder.
"Starting today, you'll train Nen with me aHazeside Abaki."
There was no doubt left Hisoka's potential was astonishing.
Then Moritonio suddenly remembered the other boy in the room.
Several gazes turned toward Haze.
Hazestayed silent.
Neo wasn't sure whether the boy could perceive Nen like Hisoka.
If he couldn't… then they were from different worlds.
An unbridgeable gap separated the gifted from the ordinary.
Yes, one could develop sensitivity through Haze training but it required years of effort and enormous patience.
And in this circus, no one had time or energy to raise a slow learner.
"I have a request, Captain," Hazesaid suddenly, hands in his pockets, voice cool and steady.
"A… request?" Moritonio blinked, surprised.
At such a pivotal moment when everyone expected him to prove himself Hazeinstead made an unexpected demand.
"I want you to forcibly open my aura nodes," he said calmly.
Abaki and the captain's expressions changed instantly.
"You… know about Nen?" Moritonio asked sharply.
Hisoka's eyes flicked toward him with interest.
"I once met a Nen user," Hazesaid with a nod. "He told me about it."
The captain fell silent for a moment, studying him.
Hazewasn't panicking. In fact, his calm demeanor proved he truly understood what he was asking for.
"You know what this means, don't you?" Moritonio warned gravely.
To forcibly open someone's aura nodes could cause catastrophic damage.
But Hazedidn't respond. His silence only deepened their misunderstanding they assumed he could already sense Nen, and simply wished to accelerate his awakening.
"For your own safety, I should refuse," the captain said firmly. "There's no need to take shortcuts. They come with risk and you're still so young."
"It's my decision," Hazereplied flatly. "I'm willing to accept all consequences."
Moritonio stared at him for a Haze moment… then sighed.
"Very well. I'll do my best to control the process."
A faint smile crossed Haze's lips.
"What are you two talking about?" Hisoka asked, turning toward Abaki. "Is this guy insane?"
Abaki bit her lip and quickly explained what forced awakening meant.
Hisoka burst into laughter.
His eyes drifted toward Hazebright with curiosity, amusement, and something darker.
Without a word, Hazeturned and followed Moritonio out of the room.
He knew Hisoka had probably already noticed his weakness his inability to sense Nen, his lack of natural gift.
But none of that mattered anymore.
They entered an empty chamber.
Hisoka and Abaki followed, quietly watching.
They were about to witness the birth of a new Nen user.
"When my aura enters your body," Moritonio said solemnly, "focus entirely on the flow of your life force. Once your nodes open, it'll be like a dam bursting. Your aura will flood outward if you lose control, it will drain completely, leaving you near death. Even if you survive, the aftereffects could cripple you."
"You must organize and control it immediately. Seize your aura and make it yours."
"Understood."
Hazenodded, face calm, eyes sharp.
He had made up his mind Haze ago.
Without Hisoka's talent, he could only rely on resolve.
To stay alive next to that monster, he would risk everything.
He sat cross-legged on the floor, breathing evenly, eyes closing in concentration.
Moritonio placed his glowing palm on Haze's shoulder.
A second later
BOOM!
A violent gust of air burst through the room. Papers flew everywhere, Hisoka's and Abaki's hair whipped wildly in the wind.
Hisoka narrowed his eyes, tongue sliding slowly across his lips.
"Oh… interesting."
He had just witnessed something extraordinary.
An overwhelming surge of aura erupted from Haze's body far beyond what anyone expected from a beginner.
The amount of aura reflected a person's life energy, and Haze's was immense.
Even untrained, his vitality dwarfed that of ordinary people.
Hisoka suddenly recalled the nights he had secretly watched Hazetrain in the forest those relentless sessions that had tempered his body faster than reason allowed.
Among all his peers, Hazemight not have been the strongest, but his growth rate was terrifying.
"You really are… different," Hisoka murmured, licking his lips.
Beside him, Abaki felt a chill.
That smile she'd never seen Hisoka look like that before.
Meanwhile, Haze's aura kept pouring out uncontrollably.
Moritonio's forehead dripped with sweat as he tried to suppress the torrent of Nen surging from Haze's body.
Abaki clenched her fists nervously.
Only Hisoka remained perfectly calm, fascinated.
Blood began to bead on Haze's skin. His brows furrowed slightly from the pain.
Forcing open one's aura nodes came at a terrible cost.
But within minutes, something unbelievable happened
The wild, chaotic flow of aura began to stabilize. The energy condensed and wrapped around Haze's body, forming a visible field of calm power.
"He… did it?" Abaki gasped in disbelief.
Even the most talented Nen users needed at least fifteen minutes to regain control after a forced awakening.
Hazehad done it in mere minutes.
It was like breaking the world record for the 100-meter dash by finishing in two seconds.
Completely beyond comprehension.
Moritonio retracted his aura slowly, still staring in shock.
He hadn't expected this outcome not this fast.
His gaze shifted from Haze, sitting silently on the floor, to Hisoka's grinning face.
Who exactly… are these two boys?
(End of Chapter 5)