HxH: Ryomen... Satoru?

The walls of the training room, still riddled with cracks from neglect, stood as a grim reminder to all who trained there of the white-haired boy's terrifying strength.

"Damn it..." A frustrated candidate slammed his fist against the wall but couldn't leave even a scratch.

It only served to emphasize the insurmountable gap between them and that monster.

"How did we end up in the same exam as someone like that..." the man muttered weakly, collapsing onto the ground in defeat.

"What if we team up with the others and eliminate him first?" someone suggested.

The group turned to him.

"Are you suggesting a group suicide mission?" one asked, glancing at the massive crater in the wall.

"The Hunter Exam can be taken more than once, and it's not like only one person passes each year. But if you provoke that thing..." someone else said with grave seriousness.

"You only get one life," others murmured in agreement.

"...Fair point," the man who made the suggestion eventually conceded, nodding.

The group sat on the training room floor, unexpectedly harmonious.

Just a short while ago, none of them would have imagined they could coexist so peacefully in the same space.

It was at this moment that the door to the training room opened, and a blonde-haired boy walked in.

Seeing him, someone smirked and nudged their neighbor. "The punching bag is back. Who wants to play with him?"

"He's so boring."

"No thanks."

The memory of how the boy let himself be beaten without fighting back was still fresh. No one wanted to waste their time on such a weakling.

Yes, waste of time was the right phrase.

There was no benefit in sparring with someone who didn't fight back. It didn't even qualify as training.

Honestly, they wondered how someone like him made it through the earlier tests and onto the airship.

Malo stood in front of them, his gaze moving over each of them in turn.

The seated candidates, feeling humiliated by his condescending stare, began to stand up one by one.

"What do you want?" they asked, their tone light but their eyes wary as they scanned the blonde boy.

"That one," Malo said at last, picking a target. He took a deep breath.

And then, without warning, he swung his fist at the man's face.

Though his punch wasn't particularly fast, it wasn't slow either. His target, caught off guard, took the hit squarely and his head snapped to the side.

A moment later, the man who'd been punched flew into a rage.

"You little—"

---

When Cyr woke up, the first thing he did was brew himself a cup of restorative tea, his eyes drifting to the ashes of the incense that had burned out by his bedside.

The incense hadn't helped him sleep at all.

Was it defective, or was there something wrong with him? Obviously, it couldn't be his problem.

It had to be the incense. That shady apothecary must've sold him fake goods.

Next time he visited, he'd definitely give the guy a beating.

Shouldering his bag, Cyr opened his door in a foul mood.

And immediately, a... lump... a filthy, disheveled person slumped backward into his room as the door opened.

The white-haired boy stopped the intruder with the tip of his foot, nudging them forward to keep them from falling inside entirely.

The motion stirred the figure, who slowly came to consciousness.

"Master Cyr, I did it..." Maro blinked up at him, his green eyes lighting up when they met Cyr's blue ones. His tone was excited, eager.

"You're filthy. Get away from me," Cyr interrupted impatiently, cutting him off without ceremony.

Malo glanced down at himself, taking in the bloodstains and the unpleasant smell wafting from his body.

"My deepest apologies for appearing so unseemly before you!" he said, bowing his head in shame.

Malo's face turned bright red as he abruptly stood up, seemingly tapping into some hidden reserve of energy, and bolted away at an impressive speed.

"Looks like he really took a beating yesterday..." Cyr murmured, watching the boy's retreating figure with mild amusement.

So far, the kid's only redeeming quality seemed to be his remarkable resilience to getting knocked around.

The doors of nearby rooms creaked open, and one by one, candidates appeared—some standing in their doorways, others peeking out silently to observe the scene.

"What's your relationship with that kid?" someone asked, their tone respectful, seemingly influenced by Malo's earlier behavior.

The other candidates turned their gazes toward Cyr, waiting for his answer. His reply would dictate how they treated the blonde boy moving forward.

"None whatsoever," Cyr replied without hesitation, his tone casual and dismissive.

"Don't tell me he managed to beat any of you yesterday?" Cyr's piercing blue eyes scanned the gathered group, resting briefly on one individual who had a fresh black eye.

With exaggerated disbelief, Cyr began his performance. "That guy is ridiculously weak, and yet you're telling me he bested one of you? That's truly shocking."

He even let out a scoff at the word "shocking," shaking his head in mock disappointment.

"Pathetic," he added nonchalantly before strolling away, leaving behind a group of fuming candidates.

Fueled by their humiliation, they rolled up their sleeves and began scouring the airship for the blonde boy who had embarrassed them.

Meanwhile, Cyr, having stirred the pot, leisurely settled into the dining hall to enjoy his breakfast.

The airship drifted over an endless expanse of ocean, with no land in sight—an isolated island floating in the sky.

What kind of test would be conducted in such a setting?

Cyr's six eyes noticed two powerful life forces approaching from behind him.

Without turning his head, still gazing out at the vast ocean through the window, he spoke:

"Shouldn't examiners be waiting at the official test site ahead of time? What are you two doing traveling with the candidates?"

Binda and Rogoff, the two examiners, exchanged a surprised glance.

The boy hadn't even looked their way, yet he had detected their presence with unnerving precision.

And they had specifically used Zetsu to suppress their aura, making themselves almost undetectable.

(Zetsu: A Nen technique that blocks and conceals one's energy, making them nearly invisible to sensory detection while also conserving energy.)

"Well, we examiners are only human," Binda replied with a laugh, brushing it off. "Sometimes we like to take it easy and tag along with the candidates. Nothing unusual about that, right?"

Rogoff nodded silently in agreement.

"Is that so? And here I thought you two might be plotting some clever tricks to make the exam more interesting," Cyr said, finally turning to face them.

Leaning against the glass window, the azure sky and drifting clouds outside framed him perfectly. His eyes, the same shade as the boundless sky, seemed like an extension of it.

"Not at all," Binda replied with a chuckle, steering the conversation no further.

To avoid further interaction, he and Rogoff quickly packed their meals to go and left the dining hall.

"Well, now I'm even more certain something's going to happen," Cyr muttered to his reflection in the glass.

It was about time this dull journey got a little more exciting.

°°°

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