Chapter 55
Netero swept his gaze across the applicants, amusement shining in his eyes.
"I put a great deal of thought into these matchups."
"Every one of you will have at least two chances."
Netero was extremely pleased with the bracket.
Whether the applicants shared his opinion was of no concern to him.
Haruto glanced at the Chairman and sighed, but saw no point in objecting.
Even if he complained, Netero would never change the matchups now that they had been decided.
He would be better off figuring out how to win.
Netero went on to explain the reasoning behind the arrangement before finally outlining the rules.
"The matches themselves are simple."
"You may use any weapon you like. As long as you make your opponent verbally admit defeat, you win."
His expression then became serious.
"However, if you kill your opponent during a match, you will immediately be disqualified."
"Every other remaining applicant will then pass automatically."
Everyone here had the potential to become an excellent Hunter.
Netero had no intention of allowing several promising candidates to die over a single examination, so some restrictions were necessary.
None of the applicants objected.
A short while later, a referee walked to the center of the arena.
"The Final Phase of the Hunter Exam will now begin!"
"The first match is Suzuki Haruto versus Gon Freecs!"
"Both competitors, please enter the arena!"
Haruto and Gon walked toward the center of the room.
Looking into Gon’s clear, intensely earnest eyes, Haruto shook his head helplessly.
From the very beginning, there had been no chance of settling this match through combat.
Even if Haruto completely overwhelmed him physically, Gon would never willingly surrender.
"I’m Masta, the referee overseeing the Final Phase. I will be responsible for judging this match. I look forward to seeing what both of you can do."
Masta gave them a slight bow.
Haruto and Gon nodded in acknowledgment.
"Very well."
Masta stepped back several paces, leaving the arena to the two competitors.
"Begin!"
The moment Masta announced the start, Gon’s entire body tensed. His fists clenched instinctively as he prepared to attack.
Before he could move, Haruto spoke.
"Wait."
Gon stopped and looked at him in confusion.
"We don’t necessarily have to fight to decide the winner."
Haruto rubbed his brow.
He genuinely had no desire to fight Gon.
What would be the point of beating him?
Victory required forcing the opponent to surrender voluntarily.
Fighting Gon would accomplish nothing. It would waste time and energy while putting Haruto in a terrible mood.
"You don’t want to fight?"
Gon looked troubled.
"But that would put me in a difficult position."
Haruto almost laughed from sheer irritation.
"What? You’re the one in a difficult position?"
"I’m the one who should be complaining!"
"Even if I beat you, you still won’t surrender. Fighting you would be a complete waste of effort."
"..."
Haruto stared at Gon in frustration.
After venting for a moment, he drew a deep breath and calmed himself before making a serious offer.
"What if I trade you information about your father in exchange for your surrender?"
"You know something about my father?!"
Gon stared at him with sudden excitement.
His main reason for becoming a Hunter was to find his father.
Of course, he was also genuinely curious about what made being a Hunter so special.
"I do know a few things."
Haruto nodded.
"So, will you accept my offer?"
Gon firmly shook his head.
"No!"
No matter how desperately he wanted information about his father, he refused to surrender that way!
Haruto was not surprised.
He had only asked on the off chance that Gon might agree.
Shrugging, he made another suggestion.
"Then how about deciding the match through something other than fighting?"
"Chairman Netero said there were no restrictions on how the matches had to be conducted."
"As long as one of us admits defeat, the result counts. Isn’t that right?"
For the last two sentences, Haruto turned toward Netero at the edge of the arena, silently asking for confirmation.
"That is correct."
Netero stroked his beard, smiling until his eyes narrowed into thin lines.
He did not care what method the applicants used.
In fact, he rather approved of Haruto seeking a nonviolent solution.
After playing keep-away with Gon aboard the airship, Netero understood the boy’s stubbornness all too well.
Even if Haruto defeated him in a fight, forcing Gon to surrender would be extremely difficult.
After receiving Netero’s confirmation, Haruto turned back toward Gon.
"There you have it. And if you agree, I’ll still tell you what I know about your father."
Information about Ging held no real value for Haruto.
He might as well exchange it for a chance to win the match.
Gon fell silent for a moment.
The proposal seemed fair enough.
He finally looked at Haruto and nodded solemnly.
"I agree. We can decide the winner some other way."
Haruto visibly relaxed.
"Good. You can choose the game, Gon."
If Gon chose the method himself, he could hardly refuse to accept the outcome after losing.
Besides, Haruto already had a strong suspicion about what he would choose.
The moment Gon was given the decision, he answered without hesitation.
"Rock-paper-scissors!"
Gon was extremely confident in his ability at the game.
Ever since discovering his unbeatable method, he had never lost.
"Fine by me."
Haruto agreed immediately, amusement flashing through his eyes.
Just as expected, Gon had chosen rock-paper-scissors.
Before Gon could reconsider, Haruto hurried to settle the details.
"Then let’s begin. The referee can count to three, and we’ll throw at the same time. Sound good?"
"Sure."
Gon nodded without sensing anything suspicious.
Masta looked somewhat helpless at the unusual turn of events.
However, after receiving a signal of approval from Netero, he cleared his throat and began counting.
"One, two, three!"
Before the final word had completely left his mouth, Gon and Haruto threw their hands forward simultaneously.
Haruto opened his palm—Paper.
Gon’s hand remained clenched—Rock.
"I... lost?"
Gon blinked, staring in complete confusion.
He had clearly seen Haruto preparing to throw scissors!
How had it turned into paper?
Haruto’s mood improved considerably as he watched Gon struggle to understand.
He knew the secret behind Gon’s supposed unbeatable strategy.
Gon relied on his exceptional dynamic vision to catch the tiny movements an opponent made at the instant they threw their hand.
By reading those movements, he could predict their choice and respond accordingly.
But once Haruto knew that trick in advance, the outcome was easy to manipulate.
A single feint had been enough to mislead Gon completely.
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