Hunter x Hunter: Unleashed

Hearing the second exam end, Auren, Vanessa, and Neffi walk up the ramp to the airship, being among the first examinees who passed.

The failed examinees, meanwhile, have to wait before they’ll eventually get picked up by another Association airship.

“I’d like to shower...” Vanessa says. “Surely that’s possible?”

“I am not quite sure... There should be restrooms, but this airship is not designed with individual rooms in mind. The rooms designated for the examiners should have those amenities, however. Anyway, most people will have to sleep on a couch in the lounge, on a chair, or on the ground,” Auren explains. “Don’t expect too much.”

As more and more of the remaining 47 examinees enter, nobody leaves yet, as Netero and Beans lead them to a spacious observation deck near the top of the airship.

Standing at the back and leaning against the wall, Auren listens to the old man speak.

“Ho... I should introduce myself properly to all of you, I guess. I am Netero... chairman of the selection committee for this year’s Hunter Exam,” he says.

“Casually leaving out that he’s the chairman of the entire Association,” Neffi adds. “Though... I guess most here should know. Some basic research should tell you the name of the current chairman.”

“True,” Auren confirms.

“I figured I didn’t need to show up until the final round... but now that I’m here, I suppose...” Netero says, his face serious until it softens into a smile. “I’ll accompany you for a while and enjoy this nice and tense atmosphere. Exams are always fun, aren’t they?”

“Don’t you agree... Auren?” Netero asks, staring right at him, putting his hand into his robe, and throwing a small metallic object at him.

Auren catches it with one hand and takes a good look. It’s a red license with a different Hunter logo, looking almost royal in comparison to the business-like license. Even compared to his Single-Star license, it looks far superior and more exclusive.

Beans walks over to him and stretches out his hands. “Auren, I’ll require your old one.”

Wordlessly, Auren hands over his old license, which Beans accepts with a smile. “Once again, congratulations on becoming a Double-Star Hunter... the youngest we’ve ever welcomed into our midst.”

What a kind way to cut our little game short.

Fine... it was overdue anyway.

“Thanks,” Auren says.

“Double-Star Hunter?!”

“I heard they’re all veterans who made groundbreaking discoveries or achieved one-of-a-kind results.”

“Auren?! I saw him as an examiner two years ago!”

“The two-time champion of Battle Olympia... that’s a big shot.”

“Some say he’s the strongest Martial Artist in the world.”

“This guy... he’s the youngest Double-Star Hunter ever?”

“Hoho,” Netero laughs. “Excuse my young student in the back. It’s just his second time as an examiner... he said he wanted to take a close look to learn and also to prevent a certain... tragedy from repeating. I heard he inconvenienced a few of you... if you want to launch a formal complaint, I’m willing to lend you an ear.”

“Heh, he saved our lives.”

“Good! It’s too bad he’s the only one who seems to care.”

Nobody speaks up, as only Hisoka was truly hurt by Auren’s interference, while he saved quite a few lives. Of course, the jester, surprisingly able to keep up a perfect emotionless poker face, does not speak up and obviously does not launch a formal complaint.

Slowly leaning forward and walking towards the exit of the room, Auren speaks up. “Well... since you’ve deemed it worthy to expose us, old man, we’ll take our leave.”

With their armor and helmets still on, the three are still somewhat anonymous, as the real examinees can only stare at them in surprise.

A few people are appearing calm but are secretly intrigued, namely Hisoka, who, despite his injuries, can’t help but stare at Auren with interest, as well as a certain group of four with whom he had some contact earlier, excluding the white-haired boy.

Walking through the airship, Auren, without asking for permission, bypasses the set of black-suited Hunters and enters the upper levels of the familiar airship, reserved only for examiners.

Sitting on a comfortable sofa in the lounge, Netero and Beans soon appear, the latter speaking up immediately. “Why don’t you three join us for dinner? Satotz, Buhara, and Menchi are there as well. I heard Menchi is even doing some of the cooking herself.”

“Might as well,” Auren replies, accepting the offer.

Following Netero and Beans, they join the three examiners at a large table.

Out of respect, Auren, Vanessa, and Neffi take off their helmets when they sit down, immediately catching the attention of the others.

Still, the group eats wordlessly. “Was that act... really necessary?” Satotz asks suddenly, staring at Auren.

“Reform is necessary. I loathe the current state of the Hunter Exam,” Auren states. “You might as well take my criticism seriously and urge everyone else to make swift and extensive changes... before the system comes crashing down and the exam becomes unrecognizable, which is exactly what will happen if it continues like this. You can choose change... or you can choose to instead lose control entirely and see the Association taken over by others. I shouldn’t say this, but I prefer the former.”

“Huh?” Menchi wonders. “What are you talking about?”

“I don’t get it either...” Buhara adds simply.

“Aren’t you... the chairman’s student? You speak like the newly appointed Vice-President,” Satotz points out.

“Didn’t you listen to what I said? I said I’d prefer it if things only change without completely dismantling the current structure. Also, I agree with him on the topic of the Hunter Exam. Though I don’t want to use it for personal ambition, this kind of exam is a joke, and you are like the dogs of the V5. I’ll never accept the exam in its current form. I liked the exam I held two years earlier. Surprisingly, that one went exactly how I want an exam to go. Even Pariston didn’t have a lot of criticism toward it. I wonder why we’re heading down this path of self-destruction and madness....” Auren states honestly, speaking out his true thoughts.

But even the truth... can’t help convince them.

“It’s always been like this,” Menchi clarifies. “When I took the exam, hundreds of people died.”

“And that’s something you deem acceptable?” Auren questions her.

“No... not really. It’s just... it’s the Hunter Exam after all,” Menchi continues. “It’s supposed to be like that.”

“Difficulty does not have to mean that hundreds of highly talented individuals should die for sport,” Auren warns her. “Especially not without any kind of chance, just getting slaughtered by Nen users. Giving Nen users a stage to freely kill, without any repercussions... if you can’t spot the perversity and absurdity in that, then I believe there’s something wrong with you.”

“So much yapping and complaining!” Netero suddenly says, stuffing his mouth with food. “I’ll take a walk and hopefully get a better look at this year’s examinees!”

He then disappears, causing Beans to stand up as well and return to his own duties.

“Hopeless and stubborn old man,” Auren says before staring at Menchi, Buhara, and Satotz. “You might as well reconsider this approach... and who this kind of exam truly serves.”

“Do you two... also have an opinion?” Satotz asks Vanessa and Neffi.

“I don’t care too much,” Vanessa says. “But I like fair exams. Nen users slaughtering unaware examinees... I’ll never accept that. I could probably kill a majority of these poor examinees in a minute.”

Neffi nods as well. “If such a thing happened outside of an exam, that Hunter would be hunted by his comrades and quickly arrested... or executed. Why is it fine when it happens during the exam?”

“...” The three examiners fall silent, not quite ready to reply.

“The food was great,” Auren says, finishing up and then standing up, looking directly at Menchi. “Once this exam is over... let’s talk.”

Ignoring whatever else is going on on the airship, Auren, Vanessa, and Neffi find an empty cabin and are able to rest, sharing the large bed inside.

“Hehe,” Vanessa says, looking at Auren. “This feels so funny.”

“You can get out if you’re going to make it weird,” Auren instantly states, causing her to shut up.

Not quite tired, Auren activates En, adjusting the radius until it covers the entire airship.

So they’re sparring... no... they’re playing with a ball? Was there something like that?

“...”

Auren senses Netero sparring with Gon and Killua, who are seemingly not actually attacking him, but merely trying to steal the ball in his hands, making him vaguely recall such events.

Finally, when Killua attacks Netero outright, kicking against his leg, covered in Aura, of course, only to hurt his own in the process, he gives up, clearly angry about the result, yet calmly walking away.

Trying to break a Nen user’s leg... is almost impossible... at least when the attacker is a Non-Nen user, and the defender is a world-class expert.

As Killua is about to leave, Auren senses Illumi close by, using Zetsu; his Aura is cut off, yet his body is still clearly distinguishable. 

His Zetsu reveals his body, the lack of Aura more of a telltale sign instead of cover.

When Killua leaves the room and enters the hallway at the outer edge of the airship, he bumps into another examinee. He then mercilessly kills him and the one walking next to him, cutting them apart with ease with one of his transformed claw-hands as he walks past their corpses.

Then Illumi appears, removes their clothing, throws the corpses overboard, and even cleans up the blood with their own clothes to get rid of any traces of what happened.

Did... Illumi control Killua? I wasn’t aware of that.

This guy... he must sense my En, yet he still dares to kill openly like that. Killua is just his choice of weapon.

With many questions on his mind, Auren falls asleep, the girls quickly following suit.

The next morning, the airship arrives at its destination, Trick Tower, a location familiar to both Auren and Neffi. The colossal tower, easily offering enough space for fifty giant airships to land, seems unchanged, still being one of the largest prisons in the world.

It’s been a while....

Well rested, Auren, Vanessa, and Neffi join the examinees on the deck of Trick Tower.

They stand behind Beans, wearing their helmets again.

“We are at the top of Trick Tower,” Beans says calmly. “This is where you enter the third Phase. As for the test itself, the examiners have informed me that you have 72 hours to reach the base of Trick Tower.”

He then enters the airship, which almost immediately lifts off again, leaving all the examinees to stare at Auren, Neffi, and Vanessa.

“His words gave you a clue... indicating that the way down is hidden somewhere,” Auren says, pointing downwards, with all the examinees listening tensely. “I have nothing to do with this exam... should you pass... that might change very soon.”

“Also... I’m telling you this as a warning, and I can promise you it’s not a trick... don’t try to do what we’re about to do... you’ll regret it,” Auren says as he and the girls walk towards the outer edge of the colossal tower. “I wish you all the best of luck.”

Then they simply jump off, stunning the examinees.

All three of them, using their wingsuits, descend rapidly and glide towards the bottom at great speed, reaching it in just a minute, before pulling up and then comfortably landing right in front of the front door.

As they enter it, Auren sees a familiar man standing in front of him, ready to welcome them.

“It’s been a while, Hunter Auren, ex-prisoner Caraz... welcome back... to Trick Tower,” a familiar small man says, his face hidden as he stands in the dark tower.

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