"That flame…stronger than Old O's best attack. How is that possible, at his age? With the Hunter Association producing people like Ging Freecss and now Ron—do I even have any hope of regaining my freedom, or avenging the KUTO Thieves…?"
Old T felt despair. Natsu's display of power instilled a deep fear in him.
First Ging Freecss, now Ron—Old T's spirit sank. As Natsu and Sasuke closed in, he lowered his head.
"I surrender! I surrender!"
Old T dropped to his knees, body pressed to the floor like a dying dog. Natsu and Sasuke slowed. But then—
Old T's figure suddenly withered into a mass of dead wood, rotting away on the spot. The ground behind Ron writhed.
A figure burst from the floor.
Old T launched himself out of the ground, eyes murderous, lunging at Ron, who seemed momentarily unprepared.
Hands clapped together.
Natsu's hands connected, and in an instant, his place and Ron's were exchanged. Old T froze—he'd already committed to the strike and had no time to redirect or withdraw. His attack drove straight at Natsu instead.
"There's another ability like that?" Old T's pupils shrank. "This kid's got so many Beasts, and now this? What kind of talent does he have? This isn't fair!"
Ron now stood where Natsu had been. He glanced over his shoulder at Old T. The assault slammed into Natsu, who'd already adopted a defensive stance.
They collided. Another figure appeared behind Old T. He sensed it, but chose not to turn, focusing entirely on Natsu. He knew he was at his limit and likely wouldn't leave here alive—so he might as well make one last bid to kill Ron. If he only guarded against Natsu, he could ignore the other Beast's attack, then seize a chance to strike Ron's main body.
Usually, that logic might hold. But—
Akame's blade drove into Old T's torso—missing vital organs, but that hardly mattered. At first, Old T's face twitched with a trace of relief. He was still alive, after all a Nen user were much more resilient then normal humans. Then his features twisted in alarm; somehow, his life force was draining at an unimaginable rate, even faster than when Natsu's fire had scorched him.
His eyes bulged in disbelief.
Old T crumpled to the ground, gaze fixed wide in shock, as though unable to grasp how he could die so easily. Akame sheathed her sword.
Ron cast a calm glance at Old T's corpse, then dismissed the Beasts with a thought.
A nearby door opened. Ron spared a final look at the body, then walked toward the door. Stepping through the passage, he emerged not long afterward onto the ground floor of Trick Tower—those who reached this place were deemed to have cleared the exam. A number of candidates were already there.
Illumi glanced over; their eyes met briefly before Ron settled near his exit.
Hisoka, also present, narrowed his eyes.
"Clearly a fierce fight—more intense than that 'stop at first contact' spar we had. Who was Ron's opponent? That old man? Another examiner?"
Ron noticed a screen nearby listing names in order of arrival:
1. Gittarackur (Illumi)
Gon, Killua, Kurapika, Leorio, and the others hadn't arrived yet.
"That order's not surprising. Illumi, Hisoka, and I are by far the strongest here. Hanzo tops the non-Nen group. I'm behind Hanzo largely because I chose the multi-person route with Gon and them…and then there was Old T. Certainly feels like a setup from Chairman Netero."
Gon's group path must have diverged heavily from the original story by now.
Soon, the fifth candidate arrived: Geretta—a dark-skinned man in ornate clothing, wielding a cane and wearing a broad hat and glasses. He specialized in blowguns and staves. The rest of the candidates would presumably trickle in much later.
Ron ate some of the food provided by the Association and turned his focus inward, into the Sumas Space. He directed Sasuke to the pyramid area inside Sumas, where a suitable sparring partner was waiting.
It was an A-level Nen user from the Republic of Mingbo, specializing in ice powers. A perfect test subject for Sasuke's new abilities. Chii would also head there, as Ron could gain all intel from his Beasts only after they returned or linked up with him. In this case, he wanted to see, in real time, what Sasuke's new fusion powers could do.
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