Hunter x Hunter: Unleashed

“Lippo,” Auren says, glaring at the small man with his signature violet mohawk, having come to the entrance to greet them.

He called her an ex-prisoner? Is he for real?

“I wouldn’t recommend taunting her... it might get dangerous,” he replies coldly.

“I would never dream of doing that. There is no need to threaten me,” Lippo replies, grinning.

“I am not threatening you,” Auren clarifies. “I am warning you... with her Nen skills, I doubt you’d be able to defend yourself against her.”

“I have nothing against that man,” Neffi says, completely calm. “He did nothing wrong... in fact, he made things quite uncomplicated, allowing you to pick me up without any issue. Instead of a life sentence, I got to leave almost immediately, so why should I be angry?”

“Well, I’d love to say that you’re a model case for our Hunter program of paroling prisoners... and I know about her Nen abilities more than you might imagine... I’ve paid close attention to her, you see,” Lippo explains.

Smiling coldly, he continues. “But what interests me more is her behavior, not her abilities, seeing that those who ensured that she ended up here, along with various government officials and workers, all mysteriously died over the last couple of years. Everyone had a certain connection to her, a certain shadowy organisation that’s operating with high efficiency without any perceived weaknesses... Isn’t that a huge coincidence?”

“The entire Kukan’yu Kingdom is affected, and it couldn’t be more obvious to an experienced Blacklist Hunter like myself that it’s her doing, or that she’s at least involved or commanding these shadowy figures,” Lippo concludes, looking directly at Neffi. “It looks like you’ve simply learned how to control and focus your rage instead of being blindly controlled by it,” he clarifies. “You didn’t let go of revenge or forget about it; you merely learned a smarter way to carry it out, using your license, contacts, and abilities as a shield. Do you think that makes you untouchable?”

The scene grows tense, Auren and Vanessa a little taken aback by that revelation, while Neffi just looks at him without any emotion.

She did that? Never said a word.... Well... it’s her decision. I wouldn’t have interfered either way.

“Prove it and arrest me. As a Hunter, you’d better make sure you have decisive proof before trying to charge me with anything,” Neffi replies coldly.

“I’ve tried... but sadly, the deeds have been committed by multiple people, so claiming you personally are responsible is all but impossible,” Lippo states. “Whatever organization or professionals you hired are frighteningly efficient and competent... I sincerely hope that with your enemies dead, your spree of violence ends for good now. If you intend to spread your revenge all the way up to the King and his inner circle, you will be caught and killed, I can promise you that. Not even you can stop the entire V5, which controls the Association.”

“I wouldn’t ever dream of doing that...” Neffi replies, shrugging, not bothering to elaborate.

Yet....

But good... don’t say anything; there are cameras all over.

“Well... if you are not here to make a formal accusation, then I’d like to focus on the exam,” Auren states. “Surely, as a fellow examiner, you’ll let me spectate? I take it almost all rooms have cameras inside them?”

“Of course,” Lippo replies. “Who am I to deny the request of the chairman’s student and a new Double-Star Hunter? It’s been quite a surprise... the chairman has spread your accomplishment around. However, you’ll have to join the Shingen-Ryu and reach the rank of a master to be allowed to learn it. I doubt many people will ever get to learn that technique you came up with. Anyway... follow me... you might remember the way... who knows, maybe some of you will return to this tower someday, keke. As a Blacklist Hunter, it’s my job to incarcerate criminals with bounties.”

“Perhaps you’ll end up here yourself,” Auren suggests, playfully. 

“Hehe, who knows,” Lippo replies. “It would be an interesting experience!”

Following Lippo into the office situated on one of the lower floors of the tower, it takes just a couple of minutes to reach the warden’s office, where dozens of monitors are set up in front of a large seat that Lippo promptly sits down in. Next to him, smaller stations with at least six monitors each are placed, and at least twenty people are working hard, carefully taking notes and surveying the various examinees.

Auren, Neffi, and Vanessa stand behind Lippo and look at the screens. “I’m especially interested in the majority decision team I’ve set up. It’s always quite entertaining to see them blame and curse each other.”

“Is your job to examine and test them, or to make them suffer while you enjoy yourself?” Auren wonders aloud.

“Both, of course. That’s my privilege as an examiner,” Lippo implies, laughing while grabbing a few cookies and stuffing them into his mouth.

“You want some as well?” he asks, not bothering to turn around.

“You jest... of course not,” Auren states, showing a hint of disgust.

“I want some rice instead...” Vanessa says, her stomach churning. “So hungry... I’ve gotten used to tasty and nutritious meals....”

She is not addicted to the rice specifically, but to stuffing herself. Her constant training has raised her metabolism to the max, so she needs a lot of high-calorie and energy foods to support it... like the rice.

“Hehe... your loss,” Lippo snickers, greedily eating more cookies. “I’m notified that four people entered the majority-decision pathway... and a fifth one clearly saw them. Yet he’s deliberately waiting... Examinee No. 16, Tonpa... an interesting man. He might be able to entertain me.”

“Just a cockroach who made it his life mission to sabotage others... he should have simply passed, learned Nen, and then applied to become an examiner like you if he loves messing with people that badly,” Auren comments. “What a waste... so he’ll enter, and those five will have to team up? That will be painful to watch.”

“Anything you’d rather want to see, Hunter Auren?” Lippo asks.

“If there’s something special going on with examinee No. 44, tell me,” Auren says.

“He... one of our former examiners... has agreed to become an examiner again, this time in a minor role,” Lippo says. “He’ll confront that examinee you were talking about. I’m afraid the exam will end for him right now. Especially since he already lost half an arm... that’s quite the surprise... you wouldn’t have anything to do with that, right?”

“I’m not quite sure about that,” Auren replies. “Tell your colleague that if he doesn’t want to die, he should drop his thirst for revenge... surely he must have realized last year that he’s hopelessly outclassed.”

“It’s pointless to argue... that man has made his decision,” Lippo states. “Just watch... and enjoy! He came prepared.”

“I see...” Auren comments, staring at the screen, seeing the man waiting for Hisoka.

Though Hisoka is badly wounded... and without an arm... still I can’t see him lose against a nobody like that. I don’t even remember him.

He carefully looks at the waiting examiner, playing with two curved knives and looking quite dangerous and skilled.

He might not be a nobody after all... against Hisoka at his best, he has no chance... but against the current Hisoka.

“He’ll arrive soon,” Lippo comments, excitedly. “Oh, I also have to relay instructions. I’d better get to work.”

“This is so boring...” Vanessa comments.

“Auren.”

Hm?

Auren turns around only to see Neffi standing a short distance away.

“Can we talk?” she asks, her head lowered.

“Sure,” Auren replies. “I’ll be back shortly. Make sure to watch No. 44, Vanessa... make sure he doesn’t break any of the rules.”

“Okay,” she replies.

Leaving the room and walking a few meters into a nearby dark corridor, Neffi finally stops.

“...”

En!

No cameras... no microphones.

“What is it?” Auren asks. “Are you alright?”

“Aren’t you mad?” she asks. “I didn’t tell you... I did that all on my own... even asked Hollow Blade to help, used my company as leverage to call in favors... just paid some donations in return. Rakshala... along with a few elders helped me. A few are part of a more radical faction that’s barely under control... I still requested their help, and they happily obliged. I didn’t tell master... but I guess she knows. You must be livid.”

“Huh?” Auren asks. “Why should I be? It’s your business what you do. Surely you had the help of Hollow Blade; that much is obvious from the way Lippo explained it. Why would I be bothered? Don’t think I am some sort of hero or saint. If you want revenge... then it’s your choice to act on those desires. I’m a little sad that you didn’t ask for my help, but on second thought, you probably simply didn’t need it. As long as you didn’t get caught... who cares? You could have told me; I’d simply offered to help, and that’s it.”

“Really?” Neffi asks, her eyes widening. “I... I am sorry for not telling you and not asking for permission.”

“You are two years older than I am. Why are you asking me for permission in the first place? Ask Rakshala or Grunah. I’m only in charge when we’re on missions, and that’s based on my experience, equipment, rank, and combat strength. For anything else, I’d like to think I’m just a friend. If you need my help or advice, ask... if you don’t, simply do what you think is right.”

Neffi then steps forward and hugs Auren, pressing her head into his chest, completely silent.

This is awkward... it’s best if I don’t leave her hanging. Though I’m not sure what to say, I can at least show that I support her.

Despite being unsure how to act, Auren gently wraps his arm around her head and caresses her.

“...”

Remaining silent for a few minutes, Neffi finally lifts her head.

“Thank you...” she says quietly. “Let’s get back... I don’t want you to miss the exam.”

“As long as you are fine,” Auren replies. “Just please, if you want to continue your revenge, tell me. I can simply hire the Zoldycks. You are already on the radar of a Blacklist Hunter; if you want to continue, we need to be careful.”

“I... I’ll think about it, and I promise to tell you,” Neffi says, appearing a little shy.

“Good enough for me,” Auren states, turning around.

Returning with Neffi to the warden’s room, Vanessa immediately yells, “Hurry up, it just started! Hisoka against the former examiner!”

Auren and Neffi both stare at the screen.

“Togari is not merely a fool... with No. 44 hurt, he’s really in for a tough fight, I can promise you that!” Lippo says. “As you’re about to see... he’s a master Manipulator who can control his knives with his Hatsu, Endless Stream of Blades. He can control the flight path of his blades and even catch them again.”

Then Togari throws two blades at Hisoka, whose eyes widen for a second before he barely manages to dodge them, his movements incredibly sharp, surprising Auren.

How is he this fast?! His movements are so sharp... this madman probably fights better the closer to death he is.

“Hisoka’s usual weakness is his playfulness and overconfidence. He wants to be surprised and impressed. He doesn’t fear death,” Auren states. “If he underestimates his opponent... in his condition....”

However, contrary to Auren’s expectations, Hisoka seems razor-focused, not playing around at all.

With Togari rushing towards him, drawing a second set of knives, Hisoka does not merely dodge, but does so by the width of a hair, immediately drawing a card and cutting into Togari’s chest, causing a huge cut, dying his clothes red.

Togari screams and jumps back, only for Hisoka to throw the same card into his chest.

However, a wicked smile forms on Togari’s face as blood drips out of his mouth.

The two earlier knives he threw return towards Hisoka. Throwing two more knives, Hisoka is targeted from all four sides at the same time, leaving no point for him to hide.

However, Hisoka lies down flat on the ground, having found a safe spot and stretches his remaining healthy hand, as well as his stub, into the air.

These monitors are too low-quality... I can’t see much Aura through them, but he’s forming some sort of rubber wall to catch the knives. It’s his Hatsu I remember... Bungee Gum!

The knives suddenly stop in the air, as if frozen, spin a couple more times, and then come to a complete halt.

“That Hatsu... is quite versatile,” Lippo says. “Unbelievable. It seems to possess the properties of both rubber and gum.”

Auren’s face twists, something inside him deeply annoyed by Lippo’s observation.

At the same time, Hisoka speaks to Togari. “Your attack does not even qualify as a Hatsu... just some basic Manipulation... it’s pathetic. There is barely any Aura on those blades... you see, my Bungee Gum possesses the properties of both rubber and gum... if your blades were truly deadly... they’d cut right through my Bungee Gum.”

Hearing it twice makes it twice as annoying.

“But alas... your Hatsu is simply too weak. It’s almost a joke that you call that a technique to show off... after everything I’ve seen just recently... that’s just a blatant insult,” Hisoka continues, walking towards the still bleeding, yet unarmed Togari.

“He’s dead...” Lippo says, his face pale. “That No. 44 is really dangerous.”

“Send in medics now,” Auren says. “He won’t kill him.”

“Huh, what are you saying?!” Lippo asks, at the same moment Hisoka, his one arm raised and holding another card, storms forward, cuts off Togari’s arm, and then knees him in the stomach, causing him to faint.

On Hisoka’s face is a trace of anger and discomfort, but he soon calms down and simply moves on, disappearing from the camera.

“He’s passed... the rest of his path is just walking... we thought a one-on-one against Togari was challenge enough,” Lippo explains before looking at his co-examiners and helpers. “Anyway, you heard him! Send in medics, he can still be saved!”

I guess now it’s time to...

Auren’s eyes wander towards the monitor showing the now complete group of five: Gon, Killua, Kurapika, Leorio, and Tonpa.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!