Chapter 28: Surrender x Battle with Hanzo
On the field,
Lorlin looked at the little kid in front of him and sighed inwardly.
“If I had known, I would have preferred to fight Hisoka!”
It wasn’t that Gon was particularly strong, but getting him to surrender was incredibly difficult.
In the original storyline, Gon had endured three hours of torment in his match against Hanzo without ever saying the word “surrender.”
When it came to tormenting others, Lorlin didn’t believe he could compare to Hanzo.
Of course, if he resorted to some low-level threats, he could force Gon to give in.
But threatening a twelve-year-old with those tactics was beneath him. He couldn’t afford to lose face.
“Let’s just consider it a favor for the person who’s still taking the exam!” Lorlin sighed heavily.
In the previous exam, it was Gon’s sudden attack that had allowed him to escape from Hisoka so easily.
Otherwise, it was hard to predict what Hisoka would have done to someone in such a vulnerable state.
At this moment, Gon looked serious and excited as he stared at Lorlin.
After the second test on the airship and the encounter with Hisoka in the fourth test, Gon had seen everything.
He could be considered one of the few who truly understood Lorlin’s strength.
However, this was precisely why Gon felt a thrill about their upcoming match.
But…
“I surrender!” Lorlin raised his hand and said.
“Huh?” Gon was stunned for a moment and then grew anxious. “How can that be? We haven’t even fought yet!”
Lorlin tilted his head, looking at Gon. “Can you beat me?”
“Uh… I can’t.” Gon wanted to insist they give it a try, but he knew deep down that he wasn’t Lorlin’s match.
“Then if you can’t beat me, will you surrender?” Lorlin asked again.
“Absolutely not!” Gon replied emphatically.
“See? You can’t beat me and won’t surrender, so I might as well surrender myself! No point in wasting time.” Lorlin shrugged.
“But this is a competition! Shouldn’t we determine a winner fairly?” Gon insisted, looking worried.
He still wanted to have a proper fight with Lorlin!
“If we’re going to fight fairly, you can’t let me take it easy on you and not go all out until you’re unconscious before admitting defeat, can you?” Lorlin’s words left Gon with no retort.
“But… but…” Gon found himself at a loss for words. He realized that his idea of victory might actually lead to that scenario.
However…
This wasn’t the kind of victory Gon wanted, and he felt he wouldn’t be happy at all!
Seeing Gon in turmoil, Lorlin ignored him and directly addressed the referee. “Referee, just announce the result!”
“Wait, I… I surrender!” Gon hurriedly called out.
“If winning is going to be like this, I might as well…”
Gon’s words were cut off as the referee loudly announced the result.
“In the first match, contestant Lorlin surrenders, and contestant Gon wins!”
After announcing the result, the referee shot a glance at Gon.
“Do you think you can just surrender whenever you feel like it?
Is this the final test of our Hunter Association?
Surrendering in a competition?
What a joke!
If you delay your surrender, you might as well accept the result!”*
After the referee’s announcement, Lorlin walked off the stage, while Gon stood there, still wanting to argue with the referee.
Unfortunately…
The referee coldly ignored Gon, loudly declaring the next match to begin.
As for Gon…
He was forcibly pulled back by Leorio.
The second match was Hisoka versus Kurapika.
The outcome of this battle held no surprises.
After a bout that could hardly be called a fight, Hisoka was very satisfied with Kurapika’s potential.
Whispering some intel about the Phantom Troupe in Kurapika’s ear, he chose to surrender.
Compared to Gon, Kurapika wasn’t so sentimental.
Faced with Hisoka’s surrender and the information about the Troupe, Kurapika accepted this victory without a hint of resistance.
Then came the third match.
It was Lorlin versus Hanzo.
Lorlin looked at Hanzo with satisfaction; the man’s powerful hairstyle was what he expected from a worthy opponent.
Unlike his fight with Gon, which felt like bullying a child.
“Contestants Hanzo and Lorlin, please come to the stage and prepare for the match!” The referee said seriously to both of them.
“Hey! Long time no see!” Hanzo walked onto the stage and greeted the referee with a smile.
“…” The referee remained silent.
“You were the one behind me in the fourth test, right?” Hanzo laughed. “Thanks for giving me such a high score!”
“You noticed?” The referee replied.
“Huh?”
“Of course, everyone here should have figured it out!” Hanzo said nonchalantly.
Below the stage,
Gon and Leorio felt awkward.
Yep.
They were the only two who hadn’t realized they were being followed.
“Let’s stop reminiscing! Let’s get to the match!” Lorlin interrupted directly.
If he didn’t cut in, Hanzo could easily chat for ten more minutes.
Having been interrupted by Lorlin, the referee quickly regained composure and cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Fourth round, Lorlin versus Hanzo, begin!” the referee announced.
With the start signal,
Hanzo, who had been joking around with the referee, suddenly turned serious, moving a few steps to the side.
He transitioned from stillness to rapid motion, charging toward Lorlin from his blind spot.
However…
“Too slow!”
Lorlin slightly shifted his stance, facing the charging Hanzo, and then struck out with a palm, unleashing terrifying power.
The originally aggressive Hanzo was sent flying, crashing heavily against the wall of the hall.