Chapter 373: Chapter 373: What Is One-Hit Kill?
A figure appeared in front of Kaizen.
A girl with long black hair.
However, the four people facing her couldn’t see her at all.
"No dodge?"
"Could it be that you’re frozen in fear?"
"Since you’re just standing there like an idiot, you might as well go to hell!"
"We’re doing the Hunter Exam a favor by cleaning up the trash."
Akahito gripped the hilt of his cursed sword, Muramasa.
As the four attackers rushed forward—
A blade flashed.
Slash!
Slash!
Slash!
Slash!
One strike, and all four were cut down.
The next moment, Muramasa’s ability activated.
"One-hit kill."
Chitong’s ability ensured that as long as her blade made contact and drew blood, the target would inevitably die. It didn’t matter if the strike hit a vital point or not.
This drastically reduced the difficulty of landing a lethal blow. After all, while vital areas were small and well-guarded, the rest of the human body was far more exposed, especially among trained fighters who instinctively prioritized protecting their most vulnerable spots.
Chitong’s attack had exploited this perfectly.
"What...?!"
The four barely had time to register their fate before their bodies collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
Kaizen narrowed his eyes in thought.
Chitong’s figure faded.
Gradually, the weight of the illusion vanished.
The dense forest around him dissolved, revealing an open clearing. In the distance, a towering wall loomed, its massive gate at the center.
Satotz stood not far from the entrance.
Several examinees had already arrived.
Kaizen walked toward the gathered group.
One by one, candidates emerged from the forest.
Killua, Hanzo—they were all there.
Kaizen’s gaze drifted to the crystal ball floating nearby. The progress displayed on it had finally passed ten percent.
At that moment, he spotted Hisoka.
The magician was carrying someone over his shoulder.
Leorio.
Their eyes met for a brief moment before Hisoka casually tossed Leorio to the ground.
...
After some time, two more figures emerged from the forest.
Gon and Kurapika—both looking worse for wear. Their disheveled appearance made it clear they had been through a tough fight.
Kaizen recalled the scene.
"Hisoka’s examiner game, huh?"
"Using the test as a way to assess potential prey..."
"To determine if they’re worthy of his attention."
Leorio, Kurapika, Gon—they all had potential.
But it was obvious that Hisoka was particularly interested in Gon.
That raised a question in Kaizen’s mind.
Gon Freecss, son of Ging Freecss. A Hunter Society prodigy.
Ging must have accounted for Gon’s route through the exam, even if only loosely.
To Hisoka, Gon is just a promising toy.
But in Ging’s eyes... is Hisoka simply another tool for Gon’s growth?
Kaizen smirked.
Even if Hisoka realized that, he probably wouldn’t mind.
Gon and Kurapika finally noticed Hisoka standing to the side.
Hisoka pointed wordlessly.
Following his gaze, they spotted Leorio sprawled beneath a tree.
"Where am I...?"
"This is the examination room for the second exam."
Killua came over.
"I didn’t expect you to be so far behind and still be able to arrive here smoothly."
Leorio groaned, his memory seemingly incomplete.
"This is the second phase of the exam," Killua said as he approached.
"I’m honestly surprised you managed to catch up."
"I just followed the scent of Leorio’s cologne."
"Cologne?"
Killua sniffed the air. There was a faint scent, but nothing strong enough to use as a proper trail marker.
Especially considering the distance Gon and Leorio had been separated by earlier.
Killua studied Gon, intrigued.
Another kid his age, taking the Hunter Exam alongside him.
Among his peers, very few had ever piqued his interest.
But Gon was different.
His natural talent and instincts stood out.
"Killua, have you seen Kaizen?"
"He got here before me."
Killua gestured toward Kaizen, who was standing nearby.
Throughout the Hunter Exam, Kaizen was the only person Killua truly wanted to compare himself against.
During his time at Heavens Arena, Kaizen had become his benchmark.
Killua was well aware that Hisoka was powerful—undeniably stronger than most examinees. But he had no interest in testing himself against the magician.
Kaizen, however, was different.
Kaizen approached them.
"Kaizen!"
Gon waved excitedly.
Kaizen nodded and tossed a small jar in Gon’s direction.
Gon caught it instinctively.
"This is a trauma remedy. It should be more effective than whatever Leorio’s been carrying."
"Thanks, Kaizen!"
Leorio forced a smile.
Kaizen merely waved him off.
Kurapika stepped forward, lowering his voice.
"Kaizen... did you encounter Hisoka?"
"Yeah. Did he do that to you?"
Kurapika nodded grimly.
"Did you fight him?"
Kaizen shook his head. "No."
"Good."
Kurapika’s voice dropped even lower.
"That guy—Hisoka—he’s not just strong. He’s a complete lunatic. In the next phase, you should avoid him if possible. Otherwise, he could attack at any moment."
Kaizen already understood that.
But with Illumi participating in this exam, Hisoka had no reason to target him.
And besides—
Kaizen wasn’t particularly afraid of Hisoka.
Hisoka was strong.
But Kaizen wasn’t weak either.
"Thanks for the warning."
...
Meanwhile, Hisoka had approached Illumi.
"Illumi, can I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"Kaizen... you and him—are you close?"
Illumi considered the question for a moment before nodding.
"We’re cousins."
Kaizen’s grandfather was Maha Zoldyck.
Just like Illumi’s.
"Then why have you never met before?"
Illumi glanced at Hisoka, his face unreadable.
"Hisoka, that’s family business. The only thing you need to know is that Kaizen is my cousin. And that means he’s off-limits."
The two locked eyes for a long moment.
Finally, Hisoka let out a breath, rolling his shoulders with a smirk.
"I see."
"You’re no fun, Illumi."
Then, his grin widened.
"But tell me... what do you think of his strength?"
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