Hunter x Hunter: Unleashed

With his win over the veteran, Auren steps back—satisfied for now, but still not truly content.

I need more fights. This fight felt a bit awkward. What if he had seen through my first feint? I need stronger opponents. I want to experiment more.

Auren watches the next match—this time between two veterans.

The fight turns out to be surprisingly dull, both fighters overly cautious and defensive. It takes five full minutes before one of them finally lands a decent blow, allowing him to tackle his opponent to the ground. The other's head hits the floor hard, prompting Kanzai to end the match before any serious injuries occur.

Finally, it's Goreinu's turn.

"You there, eyebrow guy! Same rules I gave the kid apply to you… got it?" Kanzai calls out.

Goreinu shakes his head. "I'll try to avoid it, but I'm not promising anything."

"HUH?! You dare talk back to me?!" Kanzai snaps.

Goreinu sighs, clearly annoyed and not in the mood to deal with Kanzai's temper. After a brief pause, he relents. "Fine…"

Despite his reluctant agreement, Goreinu defeats his opponent in mere seconds. He steps into range with precision, unleashing a quick barrage of punches. When the opponent finally swings back, Goreinu knocks the incoming fist aside and delivers a powerful kick straight to the chest, sending him flying. The opponent faints without realizing what hit him.

"See?! Worked out just fine! Why were you so stubborn earlier? You're dumb!" Kanzai says smugly.

This guy… I hate people like him. Thankfully, this joke of an exam is already over.

"Ahem. No. 133, No. 97, No. 175—you pass the third phase of this year's Hunter Exam!" Kanzai announces.

No. 175, still looking roughed up, turns to him. "Wait… third phase? Isn't this the end? There are only three of us left!"

Kanzai shakes his head. "Are you stupid? Cheadle told us exams usually have five or six phases, so we shouldn't deviate from the previous exams. That endless meeting about this stupid exam was such a bore! The old man even called it an E-Rank mission. It's so annoying! Anyway, you're not done yet. We split things up fairly—three Zodiacs each belonging to a different faction, took a portion of the exam. Then we annoyed the two most unwilling ones and forced them to join too, so it's fair for us. So! You've got two more exams to go! Follow me—I'll take you to your next examiner."

Not good. I hope there are no more duels. 

Kanzai marches out of the hall, followed closely by Auren, Goreinu, and Candidate No. 175.

This exam took fifteen minutes. I can't really complain… but still. This is definitely surprising.

Kanzai leads them back toward the building's entrance, stopping before an elevator. They ride it to the top—the seventh floor.

Upon exiting, they reach a large office at the far end of the corridor.

Kanzai grumbles, "You go in. I don't even wanna see that guy."

Auren glances at the plaque on the door: Mira Novalis, Head of the Ochima Branch.

He exchanges a look with Goreinu, who then glances at Candidate No. 175. The man shrugs and enters the office first.

Inside, the room is neat and professional-looking—surprisingly normal.

Despite the name on the door, the person waiting inside isn't a woman but a smiling man.

He has medium-length, dark blond hair and sharp brown eyes. He wears a fine green suit speckled with purple dots—clearly expensive.

Pariston… I don't remember much, but… I need to be cautious around this guy.

"Welcome, candidates! Congratulations on making it this far. You know, I respect my fellow Hunters and fellow Zodiacs, but I can't help but shake my head when I think about how this exam's been handled. I saw around 200 highly skilled individuals at the start of this exam—people who could've made fine Hunters. Instead of nurturing and investing in that prestigious batch, my fellow Zodiacs have ruthlessly eliminated them. In Cluck's case, even sacrificed them. I'm disgusted. I am truly ashamed. I am so powerless…"

He looks like he's about to cry, then straightens up and continues, "My name is Pariston Hill. My goal is to become the next Vice Chairman of the Hunter Association, and in time—the Chairman. I hope that once I attain that position, I can finally enact the much-needed changes this organization deserves. I hope that talented people like you—clearly suited to become Hunters—will support me in this effort. But for now, since we're still mid-exam, I'll be acting as your next examiner."

He's not Vice Chairman yet? I don't remember all the details…

"Now, as for my task," Pariston begins. "I'd like to introduce you to an interesting career path—and I'll base my exam around it. Have you ever heard of Temp Hunters? They make up the largest group within the Hunter Association. Nearly a third of all Hunters work as Temp Hunters. I see some of you already know what I'm talking about!"

He pauses, smiling, then continues, "Still, let me explain. Temp Hunters receive jobs directly from the Association, with guaranteed pay based on difficulty and risk. The Association, in turn, gets these jobs from governments around the world. Not only is your pay guaranteed, but you also contribute to society in a meaningful way. Most of my selfish colleagues don't understand that. Some of the worst offenders even look down on Temp Hunters, can you believe it? I hope you realize that this is indeed a very noble and rewarding job."

"Now, for your task, gentlemen: The Association has received a contract to provide additional security for an important festival celebrating Union Day. Union Day, which happens to be tomorrow, commemorates the unification of all Federation states. Sadly, there are still groups—mostly separatists—who oppose the Federation of Ochima and like to cause mischief. While there haven't been major incidents recently, the risk of terrorism or attacks remains.

"You three will join a team of Temp Hunters under my leadership to help with security. I'll assign each of you to a different post. You'll be evaluated by me and my team. Any questions?"

The room stays silent.

Sounds normal enough. Doesn't seem difficult at all. Does he have information about…?

"No. 123, Auren, right? You look very serious. You've got something on your mind, don't you? Go ahead—ask away. I welcome questions. Be honest."

Auren responds calmly, "Understood, Examiner. Temp Hunters do sound interesting, and it's a career I might consider. I'd certainly like to try it if I pass the exam. What I don't understand is why the Association was hired for basic security. Have there been any specific threats? I doubt Temp Hunters come cheap—even for governments with large budgets."

Pariston bursts into laughter, his grin widening. "Haha! So young, yet already asking the right questions. You're talented, aren't you? I'm delighted you're interested in becoming a Temp Hunter!"

"But to answer your question—I'm afraid I have to disappoint you. The Association was hired mostly as a deterrent. This is the fifth year in a row we've taken this job, and nothing major has ever happened. I can almost guarantee there won't be any major incidents. At most, you might have to deal with a small riot or protest. We want to see how you handle that."

"I understand. Thank you," Auren replies.

Really? Then what's his true aim? I doubt he'd waste our time without a reason.

"Now, please relax! We'll meet in the lobby at 8 AM tomorrow. Don't be late. And once again, congratulations for making it this far!" Pariston says, warmly encouraging the three candidates.

As Auren, Goreinu, and Candidate No. 175 leave the office, Goreinu mutters, "What a nice guy!"

"True," Auren replies, deciding to just go along with it.

Later, Auren and Goreinu head out to grab a bite and call Konrad, meeting up at a nearby restaurant.

It's a mid-sized place—neither too fancy, nor cheap.

"Why such a basic restaurant?" Konrad complains, unimpressed.

"This is perfect for me," Auren says, scanning the menu the waitress hands him.

Goreinu nods, seemingly unbothered.

"…"

"So your next task is to play Temp Hunter for a day and protect some festival? I barely know anything about it. It's not even a major event," Konrad says.

"There has to be more to it," Goreinu replies. "I can't believe we're just playing bodyguard. Like Auren said—no government hires Hunters just for fun. And since this is part of the exam, something unique must be going on."

"I disagree," Auren says. "I think it'll be an automatic pass—as long as we don't go rogue or randomly attack people. Pariston seems to be recruiting. I think he's trying to take complete control of the Temp Hunter division and the Association in general. He needs broad support for that to happen. Since Temp Hunters make up such a large portion of the Association, that would give him serious influence. This is his way of showing us that working with him has benefits."

"You could be right, Auren," Konrad nods thoughtfully.

Goreinu brightens up. "After these last three exams, I think we deserve an easy one. Hopefully, that's exactly what this is."

"We'll see," Auren replies, his eyes gleaming as he watches the waitress bring over a massive tray of meat.

The three enjoy their evening, and Auren and Goreinu return to the Association Branch, and sleep peacefully, trying to be as rested as possible for the upcoming job.

The next morning, well-rested, Auren, Goreinu, and Candidate No. 175 wait in the lobby—arriving well before 8 AM.

Exactly at 8 AM, Pariston enters the lobby, accompanied by a few hunters.

"The Fourth phase of this year's exam is starting now!"

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