Rebirth in HxH World With Gardevoir

Larry's mind briefly drifted back to how he predicted Netero's presence here. Originally, Satotz had been assigned to monitor Menchi, ensuring that she didn't go too far with her judgment during the exam.

When Larry saw Menchi starting to reject every candidate except him, he realized things were about to go south. In the original timeline, Satotz had called the Hunter Association at that exact moment, and within minutes, an airship had arrived. There was no way an airship could have arrived that quickly from the Association headquarters— Which meant it had already been on standby nearby. And if an airship was stationed nearby… Then Netero had to be on it.

So Larry used Satotz to summon the airship early, altering the chain of events just slightly. And now—here he was. Face to face with Isaac Netero.

Netero placed his tea back onto the table, his gaze never leaving Larry's. "Are you enjoying the Hunter Exam so far?" he asked with a playful grin.

Larry took a sip of his own tea before answering. "It's been interesting," he admitted. "Some things were expected—others, not so much."

The corners of Netero's lips twitched upward at the choice of words. "Hohoho," the old man chuckled, stroking his curved beard. "To think you'd see through my little trick so easily."

Larry smirked. "Was it really a trick, though? You were never trying to hide in the first place."

Netero's eyebrows lifted slightly, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Perhaps," he admitted. Then, after a brief pause— His entire demeanor changed. From playful to serious in an instant. "So, what do you think?"

Larry knew exactly what he was asking. This wasn't just small talk. This was a challenge.

Isaac Netero had been pursuing martial arts mastery for his entire life. As a young man, he devoted himself to pushing his limits, punching 10,000 times a day, every single day—until his body became a perfect weapon.

Through decades of relentless training, he had surpassed the limits of human capability. By his prime, he had already defeated every known martial artist in existence. He was declared the strongest Nen user in the world— A title he held for decades. And even now, despite his old age, his Nen ability—100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva—remained a world-class technique. His normal strength was at an S- Rank, but if he fully prepared, he could reach S-Rank combat power. His 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva was a devastating combination of overwhelming speed and power, capable of unleashing hundreds of strikes per second. And his Zero Hand—his trump card—was the strongest of them all.

Larry slowly placed his teacup down. Netero's eyes sparkled with excitement— Like a warrior who had finally found a worthy opponent. The Hunter Association President sat back, waiting for Larry's response. Larry smirked. "Are you asking me if I want to fight?"

Netero's laughter exploded through the room. "Hohohoho! You're sharper than I thought!" Then, narrowing his eyes— "What do you say, Larry? How about a little warm-up match?"

The atmosphere in the room shifted. The weight of the challenge settled between them. For a brief moment, neither of them spoke. Larry exhaled slowly, a small grin playing at his lips. "Why not?" he said, leaning forward. "Sounds fun."

Bang.

Larry set his teacup down onto the table, the sound crisp in the otherwise silent room. "But—" Just as a grin began to spread across Netero's face, Larry continued, "Not now."

The old man's expression froze for a split second before he let out a quiet chuckle, stroking his beard. Larry leaned back slightly, arms crossed. "We're on an airship, President. I wouldn't be able to stretch my arms properly in a fight like that, and you wouldn't want to settle for just a few exchanged blows, would you?"

Netero took another sip of tea, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Hohoho… You make a fair point."

The old man nodded, finally suppressing the fighting spirit that had begun to surface. Larry downed the rest of his tea and stood up, making his way toward the door. As he reached for the handle, he paused, glancing over his shoulder. "I won't make you wait too long." With that, he stepped out, closing the door behind him.

For a few moments, Netero simply stared at his own reflection in the tea. "Won't make me wait too long, huh…?" A wide grin spread across his face. 'Interesting.' He had faced countless warriors, fighters, and prodigies in his lifetime— But something about Larry intrigued him more than most.

Not long after, Netero slowly rose from his seat and left the room. His fighting spirit was too riled up to sit still. So, to burn off the excess energy, he decided to find a few kids to play volleyball with.

Meanwhile, in the Hunter Association airship's dining hall, the three examiners—Menchi, Satotz, and Buhara—were enjoying their meal. Menchi leaned forward, gripping her spoon. "So… How many people do you guys think will pass this Hunter Exam?"

Satotz stroked the end of his curly beard, deep in thought. "Hmm… It's hard to say. The overall quality of this year's candidates is definitely higher than usual." Then, he smirked. "But I can say with absolute certainty—one person is guaranteed to pass."

Menchi tilted her head. "Oh? Who?" At the same time— "Larry!" Both Satotz and Menchi spoke in unison, their voices overlapping. Then, they exchanged a brief glance before bursting into laughter.

"If it's Larry," Satotz said with confidence, "he'll breeze through the exam. No doubt about it."

Unlike Menchi, Satotz had already witnessed Larry's strength firsthand. After all, he saw Larry summon Tyranitar—a feat that cemented his belief that Larry was no ordinary candidate. "If someone like him doesn't pass," Satotz added, shaking his head, "then hardly anyone in the world could."

Menchi furrowed her brows slightly. She had always been curious about Larry, but hearing Satotz speak about him with such certainty piqued her interest even more. "Wait—Mr. Satotz, do you know Larry?" she asked.

Before Satotz could answer— A familiar voice called out from the doorway. "Yes," Larry said with a grin. "We've fought side by side before."

Menchi turned, eyes widening slightly as she saw Larry standing there, casually leaning against the doorframe. Originally, he had planned to head straight to his room, But hearing them talk about him made him decide to drop in for a bit.

Seeing the opportunity, Larry joined them at the table and began sharing stories from his past experiences. He told Menchi about his adventures in the Gordeau Desert and about the Solvren Ruins. While he spoke, Buhara, seemingly uninterested, continued eating his meal, But in reality, he was listening just as closely as the others.

As the hours passed, the conversation flowed naturally, and for the first time that day Everyone felt relaxed. But soon, the night came to an end.

The Next Morning – The airship was scheduled to arrive at 8 a.m. sharp. But due to a certain old man's volleyball match, the landing was delayed by over an hour. When the airship finally touched down, the remaining 40 candidates stepped outside to face their next challenge. They had arrived at—The Trick Tower.