Using that momentum, Tonpa vaulted cleanly to the opposite bank.
"Thanks," he said, glancing back at the fallen examinee. Though he spoke politely, it was a deliberate mockery.
That rookie glared at him, practically gnashing his teeth in hate.
Before long, Tonpa spotted another target. He flicked his wrist.
A stone he threw landed smack on a Landmine Mushroom near an unwary candidate, who was trying not to disturb it. The candidate's pupils contracted in shock, followed by a massive blast that blew him away.
Then Tonpa knocked down a wasp nest, sending a swarm of enraged insects straight at another newcomer.
Very soon, he had taken out more than a dozen examinees.
"This is paradise! It's absolutely wonderful!"
Tonpa wore a satisfied grin. He kept replaying the looks of fury and frustration on those he'd sabotaged and couldn't continue. That memory thrilled him.
Yet he still recalled a handful of faces.
"If I could eliminate those few cocky brats, that'd be perfect. The exam would be truly complete for me. One day, Tonpa will teach them what a real Hunter Exam is all about!"
While Tonpa was enjoying himself, Hisoka was far harder to please.
The fate of those Hisoka targeted was far more brutal than Tonpa's victims.
One after another, challengers rushed Hisoka— And one after another, they collapsed.
None of them even knew Nen, so they didn't stand a chance.
They couldn't force Hisoka to get serious.
Although Hisoka ended up killing many examinees, drenching his hands in blood, he felt no satisfaction. His real prey was Ron—a Nen user and a Floor Master at Heaven's Arena, with a strength that eclipsed Kastro's.
Judging by Ron's age when he became a Floor Master—barely twelve or thirteen back then—his talent must be off the charts.
Now that Hisoka knew Ron was a member of the Zoldyck family, he felt even more certain Ron's gifts were extraordinary. Illumi was like that; Killua was like that. Naturally, Ron would be as well.
Hisoka craved a fight with Ron more than ever—yet ironically, that made it impossible for him to be satisfied with these random easy kills.
He'd hoped killing others might relieve his frustration, but it backfired.
It was like a man dying of thirst discovering only a jug of thick syrup—drinking it only made him thirstier.
Meanwhile, Sheila was feeling equally trapped.
When the magical beasts started showing up, she saw a glimmer of freedom—maybe someone had gained control of Sumas and could finally let her out. But after waiting a long time, no new beasts arrived at all. Not even a hint of movement.
Various possibilities crossed her mind:
1) Sumas really does have a new owner, but they're not focusing on it right now; Sheila just has to wait.
2) The new owner discovered her and is wary, secretly watching her.
3) Sumas has no new owner, and all of this was triggered by Sumas itself.
Sheila's gaze flickered.
"The first scenario is acceptable.
If it's the second, I need to prove my sincerity. But I really hope it's not the third."
She clung to hope that what she'd seen was a lifeline, not just a mirage.
Elsewhere, Ron narrowed his eyes, glancing without expression at a patch of shrubs.
Those hiding there probably thought they were concealed, but Ron sensed them all—his En had grown to a diameter of over forty meters just with his main body. If he summoned multiple Nen Beasts, he could easily cover a radius well over one hundred meters.
A voice snapped, and four figures burst out of the undergrowth at once, charging straight at Ron.
Ron stayed put, merely watching them calmly.
"Did he freeze up from fear?"
"If so, he can just die! We're doing him a favor—cleaning up the trash of the Hunter Exam!"
In that instant, a dark-haired girl appeared in front of Ron.
Yet none of the four could see her.
Akame gripped the hilt of Murasame.
And the moment those four attackers closed in…
A single draw, four cuts landed.
Instantly, the blade's power activated:
"One strike, instant kill."
Akame's greatest strength was precisely this effect: if a living body was cut, it was certain death. She didn't need to aim for vital points. Any wound would be fatal.
That significantly lowered her difficulty in landing an attack. The vital areas of the human body are small, and even an untrained person instinctively guards them; people with any training do so even more.
So Akame's slashes exploited the openings that people typically neglect.
The four attackers had no idea what happened. Eyes wide, they collapsed on the spot.
Ron willed Akame to vanish.
Gradually, the fog lifted.
The forest receded, revealing an expanse of open ground. Not far ahead stood a massive wall, with a gate at its center.
Satotz was waiting near that gate, surrounded by a few examinees who'd arrived.
Ron headed over to the group.
Illumi gave him a small nod.
Others continued filtering out of the forest.
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