Kurapika struck first.
His two wooden swords flashed, one aiming for the neck, the other for the legs.
"My, my! Hahahaha! Are these toys for children?"
Kenpachi Ryker laughed maniacally.
Playing the villain was liberating. No social niceties, just pure chaos.
He lifted his leg slightly, blocking the lower strike with his sole, and pinched the upper sword with two fingers.
"What?!"
Kurapika's face paled. Both his weapons were neutralized instantly.
He let go of the swords and rolled away, abandoning his dignity to survive. He expected a lethal slash.
But Ryker didn't attack. He just played with the wooden swords, snapping them like twigs.
"Tiger Fist Style: EXPLOSION FLOW!!"
Bodoro the Martial Artist seized the opening.
His aura flared. His fists became a blur, striking Ryker's chest like a jackhammer.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
"So strong!!" Ponzu gasped from the sidelines.
Bodoro's punches could shatter brick walls. With his "Explosion Flow" technique, he could dent steel.
But as the punches landed, Bodoro's face turned ugly.
His chest heaved. His knuckles were bloody, skin peeled back to reveal white bone. His hands trembled uncontrollably.
I hit him with everything I had... but I'm the one who got hurt?
It was like punching a mountain of diamond.
"Hehehe. You got my clothes dirty," Kenpachi Ryker grinned, his face twisting into a demonic visage. "Without my permission... who said you could tickle me?"
Bodoro's eyes bulged.
BOOM!
A five-meter-tall slash wave erupted.
Bodoro was launched across the room, embedding himself into the far wall.
A horrifying gash stretched from his left shoulder to his right hip, nearly cutting him in half.
"Medic! Hurry!" Beans screamed.
Leorio and Gon turned pale.
He really means to kill us.
[DING! You defeated Bodoro.]
[Copy Successful! Acquired: [Fist Genius] (Blue).]
Trash.
"Gon!!" Killua signaled.
"Got it!!"
Gon sprinted around Ryker, creating afterimages.
Killua used Rhythm Echo, creating multiple clones.
Gon lunged, throwing a punch. Or so it seemed.
Mid-attack, his form shifted. He cast his fishing line.
Zip!
The invisible line wrapped around Ryker's sword hand.
"NOW!!"
Killua appeared behind Ryker.
His hands were sharpened into claws, glowing with a faint purple hue.
Poison fingernails.
He wasn't treating this as an exam. He was treating it as an assassination.
Nice coordination, Ryker thought. But useless.
"Heh!"
Ryker spun around and opened his mouth.
CHOMP.
"WHAT?!" Killua's eyes widened in horror.
Ryker bit Killua's hand. He caught the poison claw between his teeth.
Madman!
My nails are poisoned!
BAM!
Ryker kicked Killua in the stomach.
The assassin flew across the room like a ragdoll. Leorio jumped in to catch him, acting as a meat cushion, and they both slammed into the wall, coughing blood.
"Change of plans!! Kite him! Stall for time! We only need three minutes!" Kurapika shouted.
"Do NOT try to tank his attacks!"
The spectators—Hisoka, Illumi, Hanzo, Menchi, Buhara, Satotz—were stunned.
"When did we get a Kenpachi Examiner?" Menchi murmured. "He's insane."
"I've never heard of him. But his strength... it might be on par with Ging," Satotz whispered, shaking his head.
They thought Ryker was arrogant for setting a 3-minute limit.
Now they realized he was being generous.
He could have wiped them out in 30 seconds.
"Killua! Leorio!!" Kurapika screamed.
Ryker was already in front of them.
He raised his massive sword.
"NO! RUN, KILLUA!!"
Leorio roared, charging forward to shield the boy.
WHOOSH.
The slash didn't come.
Instead, Ryker flipped the sword and tapped Leorio on the neck with the blunt spine.
Thud.
Leorio collapsed, unconscious.
[DING! You defeated Leorio.]
[Copy Failed.]
"Expected," Ryker shrugged.
The room fell silent.
Pokkle and Bodoro were half-dead.
But Leorio... just got a love tap?
Why is the tyrant so lenient with him?
"Protecting your comrades is a Hunter's conviction," Kenpachi Ryker grinned, showing his sharp teeth.
"As for the rest of you... prepare to fail, little brats!"
Read ahead with 30+ chapters now with daily updates!
@patreon.com/Authorizz