After the tournament ended, we were all gathered in a room, sitting down as we listened to Netero's speech and Bean's explanation about the Hunter License. We had already received our license cards—I'd pocketed mine before the speech even began.
Then, Gon suddenly opened the door and walked in. Behind him was Satotz.
Satotz: "You should be resting. Your arm hasn't healed yet."
Gon: "It's fine."
The moment Gon entered, the speech and explanation paused. Without hesitation, he began looking around the room and then made his way straight toward Illumi.
Leorio (worried): "Gon..."
Max (thought):What's he gonna do...?
Gon approached Illumi, who remained indifferent, his expression as blank as ever.
Gon (angrily):"Apologize to Killua."
Max (thought):Well, that was direct. As expected of the protagonist.
Illumi finally looked at Gon, still expressionless.
Illumi:"Apologize? For what?"
Gon:"You seriously don't know what you did wrong?"
Illumi:"Nope."
Gon clenched his fist tightly.
Gon:"You don't deserve to be his brother."
Illumi:"Must I earn the right to be his brother?"
Without hesitation, Gon grabbed Illumi's arm and yanked him up to stand. Everyone in the room was shocked—but Illumi didn't react at all. Gon didn't care.
Gon:"He doesn't need to earn the right to be my friend!"
Still gripping Illumi's arm, Gon squeezed harder—until a loud crack echoed through the room. He had broken Illumi's arm. Even then, Illumi barely reacted. But his eyes did shift slightly.
Illumi (thought):This boy is…
Max (thought):Yeah, he's not reacting... so he's probably not planning to kill him. Knew it.
Gon still held onto Illumi's arm.
Gon:"Don't bother apologizing. Just take me to see Killua."
Illumi:"And what will you do then?"
Gon:"That should be obvious… I'm gonna rescue Killua!"
Max (thought):Sounds like a mouse walking into a tiger's den... but hey, Gon's the protagonist. He might actually pull it off. Hmmm, what should I do...? I was planning to go home after this exam, but I've got no money. Should I sell the Hunter License...?
...Nah, bad idea. That thing's way too valuable. I'll just find a way to earn some money. Guess I'll call my parents and tell them to wait a bit longer. For now… let's watch.
Illumi: You make it sound as though I kidnapped him… He walked away on his own.
Gon: But it wasn't by choice. He was being manipulated by you people. That's the same as kidnapping him.
Everyone in the room stared in silence until we heard approaching footsteps.
Netero: We happened to be discussing this very topic, Gon. Kurapika and Leorio have both lodged formal complaints. The committee has been debating the fairness of Killua's disqualification.
Max (thought): Yeah, sorry for not helping, but I'm not taking any risks over something this messy.
Kurapika stood up, calm but intense.
Kurapika: Killua's behavior changed drastically during and after his match with the man calling himself Gittarackur. I believe he was hypnotized into committing that murder. Normally, it's impossible to hypnotize someone into killing. But Killua comes from a family of assassins—murder was a routine part of his life. He lacks the moral restraint most of us have. Leorio stood up right after him.
Leorio: Also, the attack happened during the match between Bodoro and me. Maybe Killua thought he was helping me. If that's the case, then I should be the one disqualified—not him.
Kurapika: Exactly. Killua wasn't in control of his own actions.
Netero: That's speculation. There's no solid proof. No clear signs of manipulation. In fact, I question whether he was hypnotized at all.
Leorio and Kurapika were at a loss. They had no way to respond.
Max (thought): Yeah, you already know the truth, don't you, Chairman? You just don't want the hassle. Honestly, I get it. If I were in your position, I'd do the same thing.
Netero: Also, the incident occurred after Leorio and Bodoro's match had already begun. At that point, the two were evenly matched. Bodoro had more experience—but Leorio had the advantage in raw combat ability. There was no real need for Killua to step in.
Leorio clicked his tongue in frustration. Then, Pokkle decided to open his mouth.
Pokkle: There's something else fishy going on. Like when you fought Hisoka. He whispered something to you before he surrendered, right? That's weird. Neither of you looked tired. When I surrendered to Hanzo, it made sense—I was under pressure. Same with Bodoro and Hisoka. But with you two, the vibe was totally different. If we're questioning odd behavior, your victory is also suspicious as he is bargaining with you. If you've got nothing to hide, tell us what Hisoka said. Right now.
That was the last straw.
I stood up and slammed my fist into the table—shattering it. Everyone froze and stared.
Max: SHUT. THE. FUCK. UP. What the hell does that have to do with anything!? That's a completely different situation—it doesn't even involve hypnosis! Did they break any rules by whispering or bargaining? No? Then shut the fuck up already! You're just trying to start pointless shit. You already won—so what, you proud of that? You won by doing nothing and now you're acting high and mighty? Do you really need to know that badly? Then go ask Hisoka yourself! Why the hell are you interrogating Kurapika? God, I swear—I hate people who talk without any damn context.
Pokkle fell silent after hearing Max's outburst. Kurapika turned to look at Max, surprised. He hadn't expected Max to speak up, but there was a quiet sense of gratitude in his eyes.
Max: Tch... Don't get the wrong idea. I wasn't planning to say anything. I just couldn't take it anymore. I hate people who talk without understanding the damn situation. Besides, none of this matters—Killua's already disqualified. No matter what you guys say, he's not coming back.
Gon (murmuring): He's right… none of it matters.
Illumi blinked once, expression unreadable.
Max: Ah—sorry about the table, Chairman.
Max sat back down. Netero gave him a simple nod of acknowledgment.
Hanzo: Come on… I just want this lecture to end so I can leave.
Kurapika and Leorio looked toward Hanzo. Leorio was about to protest—
Leorio: Hey, now…
—but he stopped when Gon suddenly raised his voice.
Gon (loudly): None of that matters!
Everyone turned to face him.
Gon: It's pointless to argue over who should've passed. If you're not satisfied with how you won, then keep working until you are. If Killua retakes the Hunter Exam, he'll definitely pass. It sucks that he failed this time, but that's just how it is. What does matter… is whether or not someone's been forcing Killua to kill—against his will. If that's true… then I'll make you pay!
Illumi showed no reaction, his expression as blank as ever.
Illumi:Make me pay? And what, exactly, do you plan to do?
Gon: I won't do anything to you. But once I rescue Killua… I'll never let you see him again!
Illumi raised his other hand, reaching toward Gon's head—but Gon quickly let go of the arm he was holding and stepped back, tense and alert.
Netero (clearing his throat): Ahem. Is everyone finished?
He looked over the room, his voice firm.
Netero: Gon and Max are absolutely correct. Each of you must decide for yourselves whether you were worthy of passing. You're free to complain about the results—but we will not change our decision. Killua has been disqualified. The rest of you… have passed the Hunter Exam.
Netero looked at Beans, who gave a small nod before stepping forward.
Beans: Alright then, I'll continue with the orientation. The cards I've handed out are your official Hunter Licenses. This card grants you access to 90% of countries with restricted immigration policies and 75% of the world's restricted areas.
Hanzo: That's insane...
Beans (continuing): It also gives you free access to 95% of public facilities and a line of credit comparable to those of large corporations. If you were to sell this card, you'd have enough money to live comfortably for seven lifetimes. But if you choose to keep it, you'll still enjoy a very comfortable life. So, take extra care not to lose it—it won't be replaced. Based on our estimates, one in five new Hunters loses their card within a year. Your first challenge as a Hunter is protecting that license. After that... it's up to you. Rise to the challenges ahead, believe in your own strength, and pursue your dreams.
Once Beans finished, Netero stepped forward again.
Netero: I now declare the eight of you present here to be officially licensed Hunters. That concludes the ceremony. You're free to go.
The speech ended, and everyone began to disperse. I slipped away to a quiet spot, making sure I was far from Hisoka and Illumi—I didn't want to give them any chance to mess with me. I pulled out my phone and called my dad.
Max: Hello, Dad? I did it. I passed the Hunter Exam.
Dad: I knew you could do it! I'm so proud of you. Was it tough?
Max: Eh, not really. Most of it was fine... except for the final part.
Dad: So, are you coming back now?
Max: Not yet. I haven't earned any money. Once I've made enough, I'll return. Unless... you want me to sell the license and come back faster?
Dad: No, Max. That's your choice. Do what feels right. Besides, we don't really need that much money—we're not struggling.
Max: Then I think I'll keep it. It's more useful than selling it.
Dad: Fair enough. Even if you send us money, your mom and I will probably keep fishing.
Max: Seriously? Why?
Dad: Because we love it. I met your mom while we were fishing on the same boat, remember? And now I do it for fun with my friends too. It's a part of who we are.
Max: I get that. But do you have to fish in the sea? You wouldn't believe the storms I passed through during the exam. I can handle them—but you guys?
Dad (laughs): Relax, Max. You were on a different route. Besides, heavy storms are rare when we're out at sea. And the ocean's where the best fish are.
Max (thought):Damn it, Dad... That sounds exactly like a death flag. Now I'm even more worried.
Max: Still... even if there's only a 1% chance of danger, it worries me. Dad, when I come back, I want you and Mom to stop working.
Dad (sighs): We don't think we will... but we'll try, son.
Max (thought): The way he said that… yeah, they're not going to stop.
Max: I'll probably be gone for a while—maybe a year, maybe less. Just… hang in there, alright?
Dad: Don't worry about us, son. Our life's not that hard—we don't really need the money. Just do what you want to do.
Max:sighs Alright, Dad.
Dad: By the way, did you make any friends out there?
Max: Not really. Just became... acquaintances, I guess.
Max (thought): I don't really like having friends. They tend to mess with your decisions.
Dad: That's still something. You could probably count them as friends anyway.
Max: Maybe... Alright then, Dad. I'm heading out now.
Max (thought): Yeah... not happening.
Dad: Take care, Max. Stay safe.
Max: You too.
I ended the call and let out a long sigh.
Max (thought):I just hope nothing happens while I'm gone. But who am I kidding? Even if I send them money, they won't stop working. I just hope there's no accident... Damn, this is the hardest part about having a normal family when their son isn't exactly "normal." If something happens by accident, I'll have to accept it with a heavy heart. But if someone hurts them—or worse—I swear, I'll make them pay. Still... if this were just a normal world, I wouldn't be worrying like this. Why the hell am I already imagining them dying in a storm? Am I really that negative? Yeah... I guess I am. But if I forced them to quit, they'd only be sad. They might even see me as some kind of monster. I don't want that. So... I'm supposed to just accept this? Gaaah, this is frying my brain. I need to focus—earn some real money first. I'll figure everything else out later. For now... where the hell do I even start?
As I stood there, unsure of where to begin next, I noticed Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio deep in thought.
Max (thought):a year's still a long time. For now, I'll stick with them and figure things out later. I'm still curious about their story, anyway.
With that thought, I approached them, wondering what they were discussing.
To be continued...