HxH: Ryomen... Satoru?

In the open space in front of the Zoldyck estate's gatehouse, a boy in green clenched his fists, looking firmly at the white-haired figure floating above him.

"Please tell Killua—we'll be there to see him soon!"

Covered in dust, he looked like an enthusiastic little puppy, all scruffy and eager.

Even crouching down, the white-haired boy still gazed down at the three figures below him from above.

"No," he drawled lazily, his deep blue eyes sweeping over them. "I'm not in the business of delivering messages."

Just moments ago, he had been teasing them with a smile, but in an instant, his demeanor had shifted—cold, distant, unapproachable.

Then, without giving them a chance to argue, he straightened up and disappeared before their eyes.

For the next while, Gon and the others occasionally ran into him—especially during training, where he would sit comfortably against a fluffy, oversized tiger, snacking as he watched them struggle with their cleaning duties.

Sometimes, he would even throw in a few sarcastic remarks:

"Already worn out when it's not even 200kg? Tsk, tsk, tsk."

"Hunters~" (in an oddly meaningful tone).

"So weak~"

Whenever they started thinking he might be easy to talk to, he would suddenly pull away again, creating an insurmountable distance between them.

Leorio had long since decided the guy was an unpredictable weirdo.

But soon, they wouldn't have to deal with him anymore.

Because finally—they had passed their training!

"Let's go find Killua." The three of them shed their weighted vests and headed toward the Testing Gate.

Even just pushing open the smallest, first door made every muscle in their bodies strain, even their eyebrows working hard—just to create a narrow gap they could squeeze through.

Even so, they were beyond thrilled.

As they excitedly ran toward the Zoldyck main estate at the mountaintop, they encountered two figures walking in the opposite direction.

The white-haired boy had his hands behind his head, taking a few steps, then hopping, repeating the pattern playfully. Behind him, a blond young man followed with a calm expression—his face pale with a faint purple hue.

"Safe travels," a girl in a tailcoat and tuxedo dress murmured, hugging her cane. She remained in place, bowing slightly with lowered eyes.

The white-haired boy and his companion brushed past Gon's group, like two parallel lines that would never meet.

"You finally got the door open? Congratulations, congratulations," he commented as he walked ahead, his tone hovering between praise and mockery.

It sounded… off.

Gon turned to look back, only to see the figure walking away without looking back, growing smaller in the distance.

"Gon, stop staring. What's there to look at? He's gone." Leorio tugged at him.

"…Ah, oh." Gon nodded and jogged forward to catch up.

A girl with a wild, fluffy afro stood before them, her cane planted firmly on the ground. With a cold, emotionless expression, she warned:

"Tourists are not allowed beyond this point."

She was like a robotic sentry, perfectly fitting the Zoldyck household's style.

…

A crashing sound echoed from behind them.

"…" Maro turned to glance back for a moment, then lost interest and looked away.

Probably someone getting beaten up. He was all too familiar with that sound.

"Ah, the classic 'Shonen Protagonist Cockroach Syndrome'…" Cyr mused with an unreadable expression, despite not even turning around.

Getting beaten endlessly, never dying, and only getting stronger.

But none of that had anything to do with him.

"Can you drink poison like water now?" Shoving aside thoughts of whatever was happening behind him, Cyr looked at Maro eagerly.

It was as if, the moment Maro said "yes," he'd pull out a vial of poison and pour it straight down his throat to test it.

"…Gotoh said my body has developed resistance to most common poisons now…" Maro's voice was hoarse.

Lately, with all the toxins accumulating in his body, even his complexion and voice had changed.

But according to Gotoh, it was normal—he'd recover after training, and having some residual poison in his system wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"Common poisons, huh? So stronger ones still work. Weak." Cyr pondered aloud, rubbing his chin.

During his month-long stay at the Zoldyck estate, Cyr's body had undergone significant changes. At first, while he remained unharmed, he would still cough up blood after being poisoned. However, by the end of the month, he barely reacted to toxins at all.

Drinking poison like water was no longer an issue—his body's adaptability had become astonishing.

After a month of consuming poisoned food, even his black nails seemed to have gained a healthier sheen.

"Gotoh said the time was too short. The Zoldyck family members start this kind of training from a young age and continue it for years," Maro explained. "But I can continue training on my own. As long as I take different poisons every day, followed by their antidotes, I can keep strengthening my resistance."

His words were clear and methodical, showing that he had already planned his next steps.

"I see. Not bad, Maro," Cyr nodded in approval. He appreciated people who actively sought ways to strengthen themselves.

If someone was weak and had no desire to improve, they were just waiting to be slaughtered like livestock.

"You flatter me." Maro smiled, lowering his head to hide the deep contemplation in his gaze.

Neon's prophecy still echoed in his mind—if he stopped moving forward, he would be left behind.

—

The airship, parked in a forest clearing, slowly ascended into the sky, heading toward its next destination.

[Your preparation time is almost over. Please submit your match application at Heaven's Arena before the deadline. If you fail to do so, an opponent will be randomly assigned.]

Onboard, Cyr yawned in boredom as he read the message on his phone from Heaven's Arena.

The first reason for leaving the Zoldyck estate was simple—his month-long stay was up. If he didn't leave on his own, he'd get kicked out, which would be embarrassing.

The second reason?

It was time for the once-every-three-months Heaven's Arena tournament again.

By his calculations, this would only be his fourth match since reaching the 200th floor.

Since he had never actively challenged anyone—and after his first fight, no one had dared to challenge him—all his matches had been assigned by the arena whenever the time limit expired.

Currently, his record was three wins, zero losses. To become the Floor Master… he still had seven more fights to go.

So slow.

Why wasn't anyone challenging him?

Couldn't some overconfident newcomers show up and make things more exciting?

With that hope in mind, the airship finally arrived at Heaven's Arena.

Since it was still within Padokea's borders, the journey didn't take long.

Cyr and Maro returned to their rooms on the 200th floor. As they walked down the hallway toward the registration counter, they spotted several newcomers.

And, of course, a familiar face.

—

"Cyr~"

A red-haired man sat on the floor, pressing a playing card against his lips, smiling lazily as he greeted the white-haired boy.

After passing the Hunter Exam, Hisoka was back.

°°°

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