Looking back on the other side of the room, Bendot had already limped away, clutching his arm tightly. The prisoners talked amongst themselves for a few minutes, before another contender stepped out to the ring. He revealed himself after the cuffs fell, he was a lanky man with plain, brown hair, a long face, and a thin body that showed no signs of any fighting experience. His name was Sedokan, a serial bomber sentenced to 149 years.
"Don't celebrate just yet, you still have two more wins to earn before you're allowed to leave. I will be your next opponent."
There wasn't much of a debate about who would be going next on the applicant's team; as Gon was the first to nominate himself. Although the new opponent didn't have the appearance of a fighter and everyone agreed to let him go; Leorio still warned Gon to keep his guard up. These were still criminals they were dealing with after all.
Gon walked up, onto the platform in silence followed by his opponent.
Sakura observed from the distance with everyone. From her perspective, she doubted that this person would be able to put up much of a fight in terms of hand-to-hand combat and that wasn't just on the bases of his physical appearance. Although that left to question; what kind of challenge is he going to give Gon?
Sedokan explained to Gon himself that his appearance was not a ploy, he was as he appeared in terms of physical strength and admitted that he did not enjoy anything that required it as opposed to Gon who admitted he did; the twelve-year-old also admitted that he wasn't very good at using his head.
"I came up with a simple game that we could both play," explained Sedokan.
"Game?"
"It doesn't rely on mental or physical activity,"
After Gon asked what kind of game they were going to be playing, Sedokan reached behind him into his back pockets to pull out two thick candles; each a different length.
The game was indeed simple. They would each light the candle at the same time and the person whose candle blew out first would lose the game. It seemed simple in retrospect, however, no one was able to peer past the sliver of suspicion that there was something wrong with one of those candles. If there was, the only one who would know about that would be the prisoner that initiated the game.
Sedokan held the two candles in either hand, the long one in his left hand and the short one in his right. "Now…decide which candle you want to use. Press O for the long one and X for the short one."
'They're the ones who choose the fight. That gives them the advantage.' Sakura shifted her feet against the stone floor.
"This has to be a trap," Leorio claimed, clenching his fists tightly; glaring at the prisoner. "Normally, you'd choose the long one, so there has to be something wrong with it."
Sakura crossed her arms, staring firmly at Gon and Sedokan. "Well yes, but what if he already knew we'd come to that conclusion and did something to the short candle?"
Despite her analysis, Sakura still felt like she was missing something with all of this and it was frustrating. Like when you're on the verge of completing one of those thousand peace puzzles you've been working on for days, only to discover you're missing a few pieces. It was mental frustration that you would constantly dwell on and…
'Waste time!'
When turning back to the pages of the book that she was in, Sakura found that it followed their current predicament, but the page was blank halfway through. She thought that the book would allow her foresight to the future in this world, but apparently, she hadn't worked out the unwritten terms and conditions.
Kurapika began explaining that when people were given an uneven choice, they would become suspicious and hesitate before deciding. The wrong choice always results in mental anguish.
Sakura bit her lip, there had to be something that they were missing in all of this. Perhaps he did something to both of the candles, but if that were true then he would be putting himself at a disadvantage as well.
'Which is where the real problem lies, it's why we can't figure this out.' Sakura thought. Then she frowned when she realized this factor. There was no way for them to figure out which one was a trap because they were putting into consideration that the prisoner had only given them one wrong choice of candles because he had to have one that would work to his advantage….but what if that wasn't the case?
'Dammit.' Sakura pulled a sneer when she concluded. She glared at the prisoner Sedokan as he sat down, telling the group to take their time. She had to remember what these people were really after their time. Just as her opponent had a plan to keep her in the ring, this would be Gon's opponent's intention as well and the second best option for them to win. If they won, then the group wouldn't be allowed to proceed any further and their time would be taken off of the criminal's sentences.
'That means, he must have a full-proof plan to win.' Sakura thought she had seen through deceptions before and this one was no exception. So she was assuming that Sedokan had more than just two candles on him-he had the advantage to prepare for this match, while they were in the dark. They were assuming that he was making it fair for them by giving them a choice, but this wasn't the case at all!
"Hey, which one should I choose?" Gon asked, looking back at his friends. Still smiling, without a hint of worry on his face.
"Damn, which one should we take?" Leorio asked he lacked the same calm demeanor that everyone else had.
Sakura hit her head at the back of the wall, she was about to tell them her theory when Kurapika spoke instead. "Gon, you decide! We'll abide by your decision! Choose what you think is best!"
"What?" Sakura shot up.
"Are you sure that's a good idea? He doesn't think things through." Killua said, his hand in his pocket.
"Instead of fretting over what to do, let's rely on Gon's instincts."
Kurapika made a point. It was better than wasting all their time and there were no promises that any of these fights would be fair anyway.
"Okay, I choose the long one!" Gon said, without a moment of hesitance.
Gon's opponent then asked why he chose the long candle and the boy honestly, yet naively answered, "Because the longer candle will burn a long time!"
Sakura's sweat dropped, but a smile formed. 'He reminds me of Naruto sometimes.'
Everyone else was a little awestruck that Gon was taking it at face value, but after knowing him for only a little while you would be able to tell that he wasn't the kind of person who enjoyed complications or could see through them. He was simplistic and honest.
"Told you," Killua had his hands behind his head, rolling his eyes. He knew Gon well enough too.
"Well, that's that," Kurapika said, pressing O. Followed by Leorio and Killua.
Sedokan stood up, throwing Gon the long candle. They both walked over to the edge of the platform where the lamps were lit. The two pots of fire lowered to reach them, Sedokan told Gon that they would light their candles at the same time.
Both held their candles to the lamps before removing them after they were lit, stepping back from the edge.
While Gon and Sedokan stood there, Killua glanced at his wristwatch to look at their remaining hours-70. "How long does it take for a regular candle to burn out?"
"Five to six hours?" asked Kurapika.
"Then the best way for that guy to shave off more time from his sentence would be to let the candles burn for the longest possible time," At least that was one case. Whether these criminals win or lose, all that mattered was the objective.
A harsh wind blew upwards, taunting the flames on the pole stands as well as the flames on the candles that the two held. Gon kept his free hand close to the fire.
There was no time for them to relax.
Gon continuously looked down to his candle and back up to Sedokan on a loop, making the man chuckle. "If you don't pay attention, your candle will go out."
"That's because you're planning to do something bad." Gon stated. "Otherwise, your candle would go out first."
Sedokan grinned, "I won't do anything. After all…I've already taken steps."
The flame of Gon's candle started to grow, before becoming incredibly big, burning at a sudden pace. Shocking the boy and his companions. The strength of the flames started to melt the wax candle quicker.
"Look at Gon's candle!" Leorio exclaimed.
Kurapika turned back around, frowning when he saw the flames. "He must have hidden gunpowder or some other inflammable substance inside, to make the candle burn faster!"
Sakura watched as Gon moved the candle from one hand to the other, as the wax dripped on the ground in front of him in clumps.
"So much for delaying," Sakura hissed.
Gon looked at the candle in his hand, holding what was left between his forefinger and thumb. He suddenly smiled, being struck with a wild idea. He leaned down, putting the stump of a candle on the floor. "If the flame is stronger, then a little breeze won't extinguish it."
With a quick step, that left a little breeze in its wake. Gon appeared in front of Sedokan too quickly for him to react, puffing out his cheeks and blowing out his opponent's candle. Gon turned back to see that his candle was burning brightly and held up two fingers in a peace sign.
"I win."
"Now that's some quick thinking," Sakura grinned.
Although they were happy about Gon's win, the celebrations didn't last long, since the next criminal was stepping onto the platform and this time Kurapika volunteered next.
"Don't let your guard down," Sakura called after him, but Kurapika was already heeding that advice before she said it.
When his opponent threw off his cloak, everyone's attention fell on the odd figure. A huge man, muscled with blue skin, and short dark green hair. One of his ears was missing, in its place was some cone-shaped object that had two red and blue tubes connecting to his neck. He had stitch scars running down his face and eyes. This criminal was known as Majitani, sentenced to 108 years for multiple crimes. Including fraud and blackmail.
"That's one freaky body." Leorio grimaced.
"And face." Killua and Sakura said together, turning to each other to give a grin before looking back with indifferent faces to the battle area.
Kurapika was also indifferent to the appearance of his opponent.
Majitani pointed to his chest, on the left side where there were several small hearts tattooed. "Look here, I've killed nineteen people, but it bugs me that nineteen is such an uneven number." He grinned. "I'm so glad I've gotten to meet number twenty."
Sakura raised an eyebrow, she could not sense any killing intent from this guy. If this was a farce, Kurapika would be able to see straight through it. He might even be more gracious in handling it than she would.
Killua sat down next to Sakura, "This guy is a complete joke."
Sakura couldn't do anything but agree, the guy was going on about how he wouldn't accept anything less than a match to the death. Then went on shouting blood, entrails, and agony like a lunatic but it was in a way that looked like it belonged in some exaggerated theatre performance.
Kurapika calmly agreed to the terms of the match, which seemed to surprise Majitani and Sakura could tell then, that he was trying to pull a bluff of some kind.
"I propose a death match, where we fight until one of us surrenders or dies." Majitani pointed to Kurapika, "However, don't expect me to stop when you surrender and beg for your life!"
He then started cackling again and Sakura covered her ears.
"WILL YOU SHUT UP AND FIGHT ALREADY!" Sakura yelled back, which silenced Majitani quickly enough. He even looked a little frightened under her glare, but coughed covering his mouth, and looked back to Kurapika.
"Well, it seems your little friend over there is in a hurry to prepare your funeral." Majitani said, "So, what do you say?"
"Very well, I accept." Removing his tabard, Kurapika stood passively. "Let us begin."
Majitani appeared surprised that the blonde boy agreed to the fight, he shouldn't be scared just by looking at him! Most people were. "I forgot to mention, no weapons allowed. After all, while I was hired as an examiner, I am still a prisoner. I'm not allowed to carry weapons."
Kurapika stated that his condition actually seemed fair and tossed aside his wooden sheathed swords, next to his tabard before asking if there was anything else before the match began.
Sakura scratched her cheek, wondering when exactly they were going to begin the match. Majitani was doing whatever he could to make Kurapika quit, she got that from the way he brought these conditions to the match. Then he leaned forward, his muscles started to bulge and grow.
"Unbelievable." She sighed, slapping her forehead.
"Is Kurapika going to be okay?" Leorio asked, feeling his sweat drop. "He looks dangerous."
Killua narrowed his eyes bored, wondering in what way exactly this guy looked dangerous. Leorio seemed to be the only one unable to see that this guy was all talk.
"Looks can be deceiving," Sakura stated.
"You don't need to worry." Gon said, his arms crossed an eyebrow raised. Leorio asked him how he was so sure and Gon replied, "Because when I look at him, I don't get chills."
Leorio frowned, putting his hands on his hips, "What does that mean?"
Sakura chided in, "He's got no bloodlust."
..
Back in the ring, Majitani had leaped into the air drawing back his fist as he headed for Kurapika. He ended up punching a hole into the floor as Kurapika stepped out of the way in time. A few remains of rubble are scattered around the floor.
"Are you guys sure he's not dangerous? He just made a hole in the floor." Leorio pointed.
Majitani had been bluffing as the rest of the group interpreted; his initial goal is to get Kurapika so frightened that he would give up without even attempting to fight him, however despite the handicaps he threw at the Kurta which included no weapons, the boy was still insisting on a fight. Since it didn't appear he was falling for the regular approaches, Majitani decided to take it one step further-unfortunately, he wouldn't be aware that it was a step off the end of Kurapika's tranquil demeanor.
Standing up again, Majitani turned around with his back now facing Kurapika which wouldn't be considered the best move when fighting an opponent but there was something that he wanted Kurapika to see and from the blonde's expression it looked like he was getting the right reaction.
A sharp gasp left Kurapika as he stared at Majintani's back, in the corner on his right shoulder blade, there was a symbol of a spider, but it had more legs than it should've and its body also had the impression of a human skull.
Leorio also became rigid when he saw the mark, "A twelve-legged spider…That's the symbol worn by members of the Phantom Troupe. They're a notorious band of thieves."
Gon looked up at Leorio, "Really?"
"Yeah. I heard about them from Kurapika myself," Leorio swallowed heavily.
Sakura silently continued to watch Kurapika as he remained motionless, crouching down. This person was claiming to be part of the Phantom Troupe, the same group of people that murdered Kurapika's clan. She almost felt sorry for him.
Because Kurapika had snapped.
Kurapika stood up, his bangs obscuring his eyes as Majitani mocked him. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? I'm Majintani, one of the Phantom Troupe's kings!" He held up his fist, "Consider that first strike my way of saying hello. This is your last chance to surrender."
'I wish I had been the one to fight him,' Sakura thought, clenching her jaw in agitation. She would've shut that guy up already.
Sakura felt something shift in the air, and her eyes focused on Kurapika's back. Majitani had gone quiet himself as he looked at the Kurta boy.
When Kurapika looked back up at his opponent, he silenced him with his glare. His eyes shone scarlet red, as he took a breath, unblinking. For a second, Majitani lost sight of him, before he felt his jaw clamped and his cheeks painfully contracted in Kurapika's grip as he was lifted from the ground by the smaller male.
"O-Okay…" Majitani spluttered fearfully, "I-I get it. I surrend-
With his free hand, Kurapika clenched his fist, Majitani didn't get the chance to finish his statement as he was slammed into the ground hard. The force of the punch had him lifting slightly from the ground again as if he was a ball and then knocking back down again.
Everyone watched in awe as Kurapika stood a little ways from Majintani's body as he lay on his front, unmoving.
"Consider this a warning…." Kurapika trailed in a thick tone, "First, a real Phantom Troupes tattoo has the member number on the spider. Second, they don't bother counting how many they've killed. Third never mention the Troupe again. If you do," Kurapika turned down to the criminal, his eyes still bright crimson. "I'll kill you,"
There was silence on both sides of the room, as they watched Kurapika, some coiled in shock and others reeking of intimidation. Although to some, there was a level of predictability to this outcome.
The bridge reattached to the arena, after gathering up his clothing before making his way back to the group. Gon asked if he was alright but Leorio seemed more concerned about having to suffer the wrath of the Kurta bot in case he was still in a frenzied state.
"Is it safe to be around you?" Leorio asked, taking a small step back from Kurapika when he finally made it to the end of the ledge.
Kurapika covered his face, his eyes returned to their regular color, "From the moment I saw him I knew he was weak." Now his friends seemed fascinated, losing sight of the reason why Kurapika would fight the way he had all of a sudden when he knew the person was just impersonating to intimidate him. "But as soon as I saw that spider tattoo, my vision went red."
'Literally' Sakura thought.
"W-Well that's understandable," said Leorio.
Kurapika still appeared deterred by his outburst, he had often been composed in front of everyone. Even when he was angered, he did not violently erupt in that manner.
"Actually, the truth is, even when I see a real spider my personality changes and I enter a frenzy,"
Based on what they had just witnessed, this information had everyone quickly noting to keep Kurapika clear from spiders.
Kurapika leaned against the wall, sliding down with his arms resting on his knees as he began to settle, "But this means, the rage within me is as strong as ever. I guess I should be glad,"
A disturbing wave of nostalgia hit Sakura after hearing Kurapika's words. She disliked the whole concept of vengeance and how accurate it was to assume the display it would create regardless of an individual's unique aspects. When seeking revenge that all becomes moot. The point of it was blunt and yet there were so many who would take it to cut through life.
Leorio suddenly exclaimed as it dawned that with Sakura, Gon, and Kurapika defeating their opponents, they were three in. "Hey doesn't this mean we win?"
When Leorio didn't receive an enthusiastic response from anyone else, he was deterred, only to see them staring up at the scoreboard. Sakura, Gon, and Killua had also assumed the same until they saw that the number on the board didn't change from two.
'What's going on?' Sakura wondered, narrowing her eyes.
Leorio decided to call them up on it before anyone else could think about it, "Hey! Why didn't the score change? We won three so we get to go through!"
Another convict, with a face yet to be revealed and shackles yet to be released stepped into the light, "You haven't won."
"What are you talking about!?" Leorio hissed, "The rules were winning three and we did-
"You won two," the person told them calmly, stepping forward in front of Majitani and kneeling in front of him. "This match hasn't been settled yet."
It didn't take Sakura long to realize what this person was telling them. The match had been declared, the to-the-death. Even if it was meant as a ploy to scare Kurapika into surrendering. The only other way to escape would be to surrender-which Majitani did not have the chance to do before Kurapika knocked him down.
Sakura clicked her tongue, "I get it,"
Leorio, Gon, and Killua looked at the pinkette, "What?"
Sakura glared at the platform, "He's still alive isn't he?"
There was a soft laugh, "That's right. He was only knocked out and this was a death match. The fight doesn't end until one contestant surrenders or dies. He has done neither."
Leorio frowned, glaring as the convict walked back to their corner, away from Majitani's form that remained lying on the ground.
"Great, now what are we going to do?"
Sakura looked back at Kurapika who was leaning stoically against the wall, "Initially, I'd assume someone would have to finish their match."
Kurapika looked up to glare at her before turning away and closing his eyes again.
"You heard her Kurapika!" Leorio hissed "Go and finish that guy off!"
Kurapika gave nothing more than a curt response, "I refuse,"
"Why!?" Leorio asked, bewildered as to why the blonde wouldn't finish the match.
"The fight is over," he stated. "He'd already lost his will to fight when I punched him. I will not fight someone who has lost."
"How about you try fighting so that we win?" Sakura suggested, glaring lightly at the Kurta. "You lost your composure and when that guy was literally on the verge of giving up, you couldn't contain yourself."
"Then let him handle it," Kurapika replied, visibly irritated. "Once he wakes up he can give us his answer. If not, I'll step back in,"
Leorio was not satisfied and continued to rant, "We only have a short period to get through this tower and you want us to wait?"
Kurapika stuck out his chin, "I have no intention of killing him!"
That statement was enough to tell everyone clearly that Kurapika was not going to be swayed in his decision, it also made it obvious that he was a novice to the act. It was a hunch Sakura had when she met Kurapika and read about him in the book, but she hadn't been able to confirm it. However as he was a self-proclaimed avenger, the question had been hooked in the back of her mind.
Killua stepped in, "Hey. If you don't want to dirty your hands, I'll do it."
The casualty of Killua's proclamation did not deter anyone.
"You haven't killed anyone before right?" Killua added hands in his pockets. "Are you scared?"
Kurapika replied calmly, "I have never considered whether murder is frightening. But this is a one-on-one battle. You cannot interfere."
Killua attempted to sway Kurapika's decision about waiting for his opponent to awaken and admit defeat by pointing out that they were working as a team and as such they were all going to be affected by this decision, including the loss of time.
Sakura sighed, throwing her head back, staring up at the ceiling, "Give it up guys. He's not going to budge."
"So you're with Kurapika on this Sakura?" Leorio asked, frowning at her.
"Neither of us took the match it's Kurapika's. He has the right to decide how he wants to execute this fight and as a team, we have to respect one another's decisions. We probably still have a long way to go down this tower and if you force Kurapika to kill that guy, he might develop hostility towards us and for majority rule, it can negatively affect our teamwork when it counts." Sakura said all of this without once looking at the Kurta. "Besides friends don't force friends to do something they aren't willing to. Consider Kurapika's feelings as well,"
In her honest mind, Sakura didn't think she was placing much of an argument, but she knew she would likely have the same reaction if she had been put in a position where she was pressured to kill someone she did not want to. Regardless of her personal feelings towards the person. She wouldn't want someone to draw her hand. Which wasn't good for a shinobi. This did affect all of them, but she had implicated it would affect Kurapika to a greater degree than the rest, which wasn't entirely accurate.
Although her theoretical logic seemed to have worked as it tranquilized the group somewhat.
"Then, we should just wait for him to wake up," Gon said.
Leorio slumped, muttering. "Guess we don't have a choice."
Sakura glanced between the four males, this situation of disagreement and clashes was a familiar one and she knew how it would affect teamwork. Having gone through it herself and seen the risks first hand. Be it personal or not, individual opinions were overruled by this majority rule and could cause the dissolution of the entire time. It would be better if there wasn't any internal strife.
..
..
..
Ten hours passed and Majitani was yet to awaken, no one said much of anything as they waited patiently. Although it was clear Leorio was holding on by a thread, even Sakura had been losing more patience with the fact that the pages were yet to ink themselves in words. Since then she hadn't said a word and even feigned sleep in hopes that time would escape her.
'What's happening now?'
Looking to her side, Gon was staring out at the platform where Majitani's body lay seemingly unconscious. Killua came up to ask him if anything was wrong and he confirmed there was. He just pointed to Majitani and Killua instantly came to understand the implication.
"I get it…"
Sakura stood up, coming next to Killua and Gon, "What's the matter?"
Killua just gestured over to the platform, walking further in the hallway to get to Leorio who was laying on the floor, his hand behind his head. "He might already be dead,"
Everyone's interest peaked; their thoughts came around the possibility as Gon pointed out the obvious period length Majitani had been unconscious. When Sakura thought about it she realized Gon had a point. Although the time a person can be knocked unconscious was not an exact science, Kurapika had put a lot of strength into his attack.
"The only way we can confirm whether he is dead or alive would be to check him," Sakura stated. From this distance and the way he was laying on his stomach, with his face turned from them, they couldn't even detect breathing.
Leorio called over to the other convicts, "Hey, we want to check his body!"
The fourth cloaked prisoner stepped forward, "What's that?"
Leorio pointed to Majitani, "He might already be dead."
"I already told you, he's only unconscious."
Leorio frowned, practically screaming out of the pent-up frustration. "How many hours has it been!? You think I can take your word for it!?"
Unfortunately for all of them, they missed the smirk behind the figure's cloak, "Then how about we make a bet?"
Sakura narrowed her eyes, 'A bet?'
"On what exactly?" asked Leorio,
"On whether he's dead or alive,"
"What would we wager?" Leorio asked,
"Time," was the subtle response. "Look at the monitor."
Everyone's heads turned to the monitor on the platform, it flashed on and showed the number fifty on both halves. The cloaked individual then further explained that they would bet time. But they could only wager in multiples of ten and they would continue to place bets until one of them ran out of time.
"A match where we bet time…."
Sakura came to realize along with everyone else that Leorio's match was likely about to begin. They were already this close to getting the three points, so if this went well then they would be able to pass.
"Well take turns deciding what to bet on. If you end up with zero hours your time limit will also be shortened by fifty hours. And if we end up with zero hours, our sentences will be extended by fifty years. If these terms are acceptable, I'll check whether or not he is alive or dead,"
Sakura couldn't shake off as paranoia. It was too simplistic and while the prisoners in the tower aimed to delay everyone as much as they could, there was something that seemed drastically wrong about this arrangement. But it was Leorio who would be challenging her since he had spoken out and was two of the five left to do battle. However, Sakura did believe that this person who had challenged Leorio must have been confident in their gambling ability if they were willing to wager fifty years add on to the sentence of all the prisoners and none of them were complaining about it.
'They must have had this in mind from the start,' Sakura concluded, glancing at Leorio before looking back at the cloaked figure (by a voice she assumed was female), 'I bet this prisoner has a criminal history with gambling,'
If Sakura had bothered to look at the book then she would realize how right she was. The prisoner's name was Leroute. Serving '112' a year sentence for endangered species trafficking and illegal gambling.
"Okay, I'm choosing the first bet on whether he's dead or alive." Leroute stated, "And there's one more add-on to this first gamble. If he is dead that's one point to your side and you five get to leave immediately. However, if he is alive, then that's one point deducted from your side."
"SAY WHAT!" Sakura exclaimed,
"Hey, can you even deduct points like that!?" Leorio demanded, frowning.
There was a soft but clear snicker, "The prisoners get to decide the conditions of the battle and this is mine for the first bet only. After all, it was you who wanted to continue to the next round without properly finishing the other. This is the only way I am going to check him. Don't worry, you wouldn't lose the two points you already have, just the one you would have gotten from the third match."
Whoever was behind that cloak was nothing short of a genius, at least from Sakura's perspective. Without a doubt now, Majitani was alive and they all knew this. The assumption that he was dead might have been Gon's honest prediction, but it still gave them an excuse to check and have something happen. But with this bet, the odds had fallen out. If he was dead then they would gain a point and have three and if he was alive then they would lose the point they would have gotten from Kurapika's match and still have two. In which they would have to rely on Leorio to win this round to get them to three or Killua in the next.
And that wasn't even what they were betting, the stakes were on their time, not just points. But now with the way things were, Sakura was worried.
"Well," Leroute chided, "What's it going to be?"
"I bet ten hours that he's alive," Leorio stated.
"Very well then, let's check,"
Leroute stepped onto the platform, standing over Majitani. Leorio stepped onto the platform as well, and with that, the next round started. The conditions of this bet were what seemed to concern Leorio the most when he stated Majitani was alive. If he was alive, then they would lose the point, yes, but he would win the bet and if he was dead Kurapika would get the point, and then they would have won and lost nothing more than ten hours.
'He's too cautious,' Sakura thought.
While she only knew to gamble from the perspective of her master, who had terrible luck and was known worldwide as the 'Legendary Sucker,' Tsunade had always told her pupil that the only way to win a gamble was by having the will to take risks. Because otherwise, it was a greater chance you would never win if you played it safe. It would just be a waste of time as well as money. While Tsunade didn't know the meaning of the word 'quit while you're behind' Sakura did see some sort of logic. Being too cautious can cause paranoia and give your opponent easy access to your mind.
Leorio leaned down, turning Majitani on his fright and checking his pulse at his neck, feeling the pulse and then opening one of his closed eyelids before stating his conclusion. "He's alive."
That brought the group at sixty hours and their opponents down to forty. However, the screen above the criminals on their side had changed to one point while they remained at two.
"Least we've got two chances to get back to the point," Sakura said, folding her arms.
"This is bad," Killua told them, "It's possible he isn't going to wake up,"
Sakura nodded seriously, "I get what you're saying. When that woman walked to check him, I don't think that it would have done them much good to tell us he was dead since that would lose a point and time for them." She slapped her forehead hard, "Dammit! But saying he's unconscious while we couldn't confirm it, meant they could stall for time,"
Killua swore under his breath, "Great,"
"That was their intention all along," Kurapika said in disbelief.
Back on the platform, Leroute told Leorio to make the second bet. And everyone felt a ray of hope when Leorio chose his bet. He pointed to Majitani.
"How about we bet whether or not this guy is unconscious?"
Majitani lay on the ground, wondering what he was going to do now. The bet was that if he was alive that the group would lose their point from the third match but he didn't know what to do now. He was meant to stall for time by pretending to be unconscious.
"Very well, I bet twenty hours that he is unconscious," Leroute stated calmly.
Majitani grinned internally if he was to remain in this state for a few more hours their sentences could still be reduced.
"But how do we confirm whether he's unconscious?"
Leorio smirked, leaning back down to Majitani and taking the man's arm to lift him, dragging his body over the end of the platform. Leorio held Majitani by his shoulder while the rest of the man's body was slumped back.
"I'll just toss him over the edge," Leorio stated, "If he's unconscious, he'll fall to his death,"
Sakura had a wide mouth grin, "Not bad,"
"Are you insane? You weren't his opponent and even though the point was already taken, the match has not officially been declared over. We can't accept those terms." Leroute stated.
"Don't worry. If he is unconscious, then we'll forfeit the match and you guys have two points. What do you say?" Leorio asked with a mocking grin.
"Yes, it is,"
Kurapika, Killua, Gon, and Sakura watched with smiles on their faces. This way they would be rid of the factor delaying them.
"But then I'm changing my wager," Leroute told him, "I bet forty hours that he isn't unconscious."
That was an unexpected twist to things, but not entirely out of bounds. There was no stating the person betting couldn't change their bet. Everyone looked on diligently as Leorio let go of Majitani. The instant Leorio had let go of his shoulder, Majitani's eyes shot open and he started reaching out for something to grab on to before he lost his balance over the edge.
Leorio grabbed his arm and pulled him back to the platform where he fell to his knees.
"Forget the sentence reduction! You people are crazy!" he said before storming back to his section. "I surrender,"
Sakura exhaled, "At least we're rid of the delaying factor,"
It seemed that had been Leorio's intention from the beginning, they had already lost the point that would have been gained if he was dead or surrendered, but at least now he couldn't be used to stall for them. If anything, they could have just said that Kurapika still hadn't finished his match as it wasn't confirmed and then they would just have to wait it out.
"The only problem now is we've only got twenty hours left," Kurapika said, looking at the scoreboard that had drastically changed with this single bet.
"You knew he was awake," Leroute said to Leorio.
"I aspire to become a doctor. All I had to do was check his eye movement." Leorio said smiling.
While they may have lost their hours, Leorio knew that he would just have to make a bet that he would win and get those hours back, on top of it he needed to also win the bet so that they could get that last point they needed. Perhaps it was the fact that they were in the lead or that Leorio had figured out the women's scheme, but he was feeling confident.
"It's your turn. What do you want to bet on?"
The shackles around the women's hands and feet unlocked, the heavy metal falling on the ground. Laughing softly, as she pulled off her cloak, Leroute spoke. "Very well,"
Under the thin tattered cloak, was a young woman with long magenta hair in pigtails and violet eyes, her full appearance seemed to have changed Leorio's initial impression of her. Or at least that's how Sakura, Kurapika, and Killua felt while they watched from the platform.
"That old guy probably dancing on the inside," Killua stated to which Sakura nodded in agreement.
"I have a bad feeling about this," said Kurapika.
No sooner after revealing herself, Leroute declared the next bet. "Then let's bet on whether I'm a man or a woman,"
"Now I'm sure he's backflipping on the inside," Sakura grimaced.
It didn't take Sakura very long to realize the angle this woman was aiming from. And her worries only increased with Leorio's agreement to the gamble along with a question, she did not need to look in the book for an answer to.
'Don't do it Leorio,'
"Very well. But how will we prove if I'm wrong?"
"Oh right, I'll let you examine every part of my body," Leroute put the tips of her fingers at the base of her collarbone, "Until you're satisfied,"
"We're screwed," Sakura stated, with a deadpan expression. While the trap was obvious, the bait was simply too tempting for the prey. And Leorio was going to walk right into it knowingly.
Gon looked at her curiously, "Huh, why do you say that?"
"Because Leorio's going to bet she's a man," Kurapika told him.
Killua nodded, also seeing what was going on right in front of him. Gon was unaware still. He tried getting an explanation by asking his friends again why Leorio would deliberately lose the bet and all Sakura responded was, that Leorio wasn't going to feel like he had lost much of anything. But that still counted as ambiguous to Gon. At times like this, his pure and straightforward nature was a fault when he couldn't analyze to uncover his intention. Because he struggled to see further than what was right in front of him.
Leorio pointed to Leroute, "I bet ten hours that you're a man!"
"Dirty old man," Killua muttered.
"That pervert," Sakura whispered next to Killua.
Gon looked back at them, "How did you all know?"
Sakura paused from her facepalm to look at Gon, then glanced back at Leorio who demanded the answer almost too eagerly.
"Too bad, I'm a woman."
Leorio had a light blush across his face, "How do I know you're telling the truth?"
Leroute remained undeterred with her grin, "As I said before, you are free to examine me,"
The pinkette's eyes widened, watching Leorio moving towards Leroute to examine her and confirm her claims.
"Gon, Killua, come over here right now," Sakura pulled the boy's wrist so that he stood right in front of her and covered his eyes quickly. Killua still struggled a little, with realizing why she was doing this. The reasoning behind this was what caused his resistance.
"Hey don't' lump me in with-
"Shut up," Sakura quickly covered the cat-eyes of the Zoldyk boy and turned her head to the side as well. "Honestly, what the hell is wrong with him?"
Kurapika's eyes were closed as well, his arms folded over his chest as he tried to mask his discomfort and appall. "Now we've only got ten hours left,"
Although they were all more disturbed about how they had just lost those hours.
Leorio walked back to his side of the platform where his friends were fuming at him, but his expression implied he did not regret his decision in the slightest. Sakura was covering her ears in an attempt to block Gon and Killua's questions and ranting about covering their eyes. There was also greater concern about this, with Leorio playing so conservatively, and their hours remaining she didn't know if things could change.
Sakura that Leroute was aware of this as well. And now that they were able to see the finish line, (however blurry) the tension would be high.
'The only advantage we have now is that Leorio gets to decide the bet.
"Alright, now it's your turn. What do you want to bet on?"
Leorio had been internally celebrating from the last bet, but when he realized that it was his turn to make a bet and he needed to win this one otherwise, they were going to lose the point as well as the full fifty hours.
His friends observed him and were somewhat anxious about what would happen next. Leorio was struggling with these decisions, muttering out a few ideas.
"Leorio!" Gon called, waiting for his friend to look back at him, "How about you bet on whether or not you're a teenager!"
Regardless of the solidity of the idea, Leorio had taken offense and was quick to clarify before understanding the logic behind Gon's suggestion.
"Come on Gon! I don't look that old! I'm obviously in my teens!"
Sakura saw Leroute's expression change in surprise before narrowing her eyes to analyze Leorio, visually confirming for herself that he was a teenager, and it was clear she wasn't convinced.
"Yeah, you were so obvious we all had to pause on the stairway during the first phase!" Sakura stated sarcastically.
Leorio glared back at her "Oh you shut it if anything I should bet whether or not you're twelve or fifteen!"
Biting the inside of her cheeks, Sakura folded her arms and turned her head away, "That's obvious!"
Kurapika, Killua, and Gon were watching their female teammate skeptically, before turning their heads away when she looked their way, feeling their doubtful gazes but keeping herself in place.
"Just pick something Leorio! It doesn't matter!" Sakura exclaimed, still fuming.
Back on the platform, Leorio turned his back to the four, clearly deciding on the next bet, "Alright, in that case, we'll settle this with rock-paper-scissors. A bet who will win a game!"
"Never mind, have her guess my age!" Sakura called back, smacking her forehead.
"No way, we're going to bet on who will win at rock-paper-scissors," Leorio declared.
Leroute laughed softly, "Sure,"
Leorio didn't make this declaration on just a whim, he was truly confident in his rock-paper-scissors skill'. However what he failed to understand as his other friends did was that rock-paper-scissors, were not just a game of luck or skill as he had interpreted.
Which he was about to discover.
"Let's see, I'll bet eight hours on my win," Leroute smiled, while Leorio's face dropped.
Leorio's mind started running wild with thoughts with no particular direction in mind. He began thinking of the possibilities of the outcome here. Leroute continued to point out that she had the option of betting as much time as she wanted to and even as it was, Leorio would only have to bet the ten hours he had left. The way he was looking at it, it appeared as if Leroute was giving him the advantage. But the offer had sparked suspicion and urged him to look further to try and figure out what was the intention behind this. The fact that there was no reason for her to bet eighty and risk losing the bet meant an addition to the years of the prisoner's sentence was making Leorio stressed.
"Well, now what?" Sakura asked, turning to the males around her. "I can practically see the steam coming out of Leorio's ears."
Kurapika sighed, "I know, this doesn't look good."
"Why?" Gon asked curiously. "Rock-paper-scissors is easy to play right?"
"Well, that would be if you looked at it from a probability standpoint," Kurapika told him, "By doing this, there's only a one in three chance of losing. However, if your opponent can predict your reasoning and control your reactions, defeat becomes much more likely."
"And that's all this woman has been doing since she started betting with Leorio," Sakura added, frustration in her voice. She would have liked to be able to predict the outcome of this match by reading it beforehand just so that this tension would vanish for her. However, knowing the outcome could pose another problem on its own.
Taking a glance at the book, Sakura's expectations were met when her eyes wandered along the blank pages, the narration stopped only a few moments before she had opened the book. The pages would fill themselves without her having to read them; that was part of her analysis. She hoped to confirm the last part of her theory soon.
After Leorio stated his certainty in his decision, he turned back to face his opponent but wavered when Leroute took a step forward with a calm smile.
"It's obvious what you'll use." Leorio gasped softly, before she continued, "I can read minds."
"Liar." Leorio glared, leaning down slightly. The whole area was suddenly begging to feel hot. "Your bluffing won't scare me!"
"You'll believe me soon enough," Leroute grinned wider as she watched Leorio lose his composure over the blatant lie. She held up her fist, "Let's do this."
Before the first throw was made, Kurapika stated that Leorio was going to use rock softly on Gon, Killua, and Sakura. When the first move was made, both opponents had thrown rocks. Kurapika explained the reason he knew Leorio's move. Their friend was nervous and nervous people would unconsciously avoid opening up. It ensured that Leorio would avoid using paper as well.
Leorio looked at his clenched hand, "Hold on if we both used rock that means it was a draw right?"
"What of it?"
"Aha! I know you couldn't read my mind! If you could, you would have won!"
Leroute giggled "I gave you that win on purpose."
"Quit lying!"
"Did you forget? We're trying to stall you here. If I wanted, I could force an infinite series of draws." Leroute shrugged, "But that wouldn't be any fun," she smirked at Leorio, watching the beads of sweat run down his forehead, "So I'll end this in the next round."
Sakura felt her fingers digging into the skin of her arms, she could sense Leorio's anxiety. The mental strain these bets had placed was finally starting to weigh on him. He was grasping his head in his hands, trying to figure out what Leroute was planning on doing next when he didn't realize she had already executed her strategy.
'She's going to win,'
That's what Sakura's instinct told her.
Kurapika had deduced that Leorio's lack of confidence was going to result in him either throwing rock again or paper. And so long as Lerote used paper, she wouldn't lose either way. Taking the game of chance and turning it into a one-way win.
"Leroi!" Gon called, "You'll win if you use scissors next!"
Sakura gasped, "Gon! It doesn't help if she can hear you as well!"
"What? Scissors!?" Leorio looked back at Leroute in hopes of seeing some sort of flinch that would give away her game, but she just laughed.
"Go ahead and try."
The statement had Leorio assume that Leroute was going to use rock but then changed his thoughts that she would use paper in thinking a step ahead. But then just as the thought came to him, another left his mind. Throwing his head back, Leorio cried out.
"Man I have no idea what to think!"
Leroute then drew back her fist, taking the chance resented to her, "Here we go!"
Without a second to think, Leorio drew back his fist, waiting for Leroute to throw her hand, but she spoke as she did. Saying, 'here comes the draw!' however it was far from it. Leorio stilled, staring at his fist and the wide-open hand of Leroute. The monitor made a small noise, switching the right from ten to zero and ninety to a hundred.
"I win!" Leroute exclaimed happily, running around the platform with her arms spread.
"Now the score is two-two," Killua observed.
"Worse yet, we have to give up fifty hours he lost," Kurapika added.
Sakura remained silent, watching Leorio make his way back from the platform to their side. He was trying to keep his composure, but his disdain was coming off in waves.
"Sorry, I was pretty confident in my rock-paper-scissors ability,"
"It's done now. We still have a chance," Sakura told him calmly. "Killua looks like you're up."
"Finally," Killua sighed, moving towards the edge.
Leorio threw his arms up, "What? It's Killua's turn!?"
The cat-eyed boy glared at Leorio, "What's that supposed to mean?"
Instead of replying, Leorio voiced his inner monologue, "Dammit, I wish I knew how badly I needed to win my round."
Sakura covered her mouth to hide a small smile on her face, while Killua tried to get to Leorio but was blocked by Gon, attempting to calm him down.
"I don't want to hear it from someone who just lost us fifty hours," Killua retorted before turning his head, pouting slightly. "Well if it's something mental, I'm surrendering."
"How reassuring," Sakura mumbled behind her hand, but realized Killua could hear her when he fixed his glare on her. Although Killua's hostile face vanished when the pink-haired girl brought her hand down on his head and ruffled his messy white hair. "There, there, I'm only kidding."
Muttering under his breath, Killua turned back to the platform. When he looked to the other side, he immediately noted the change in atmosphere around the inmates suddenly. They had backed away from the shadowy area in their section. Then there was a rough scraping noise heard within the darkness. Stones hitting the ground, rather the rubble that was collecting on the floor from the last concealed prisoner. The only visible part was his arms, rippling with muscles and veins. But when he removed his cloak to reveal his face, Leorio paled at the sight of the man. He had blonde hair, a square face with narrowed dull blue eyes.
"That guy…"
"You know him?" Gon asked.
Leorio's face was stern as he spoke, but it was surprising what he said next. "We should take the loss. Killua, don't fight him."
Killua held his hands in his pockets calmly, "Why not?"
"Johness the Dissector. The worst mass murderer in Zaban history. He chose his victims randomly. It was a famous case…"
Sakura's eyes narrowed as Leorio told them about this special criminal, he had supposedly murdered 146 people, with no regard and no exception to his victims. And they had all been murdered with his bare hands. Famous for his iron grip.
Johness crushed a piece of the wall, before turning to the five, "It's been a while since I touched human flesh."
"You don't have to face that psychotic killer, there's always next year," Leorio told him.
For only a moment, Sakura considered Leorio's suggestion to withdraw, but a single glance at Killua reassured her. He didn't make any particular gestures, nor meet her eyes as a means of assurance. Rather she came to remember everything she had learned about everyone since taking the Hunter's exams.
Killua stepped onto the bridge and paused, "Hey Sakura…."
"Yes?" Sakura waited patiently for Killua to respond, keeping her eyes on his back.
"We're friends right?"
Everyone looked at Sakura, there was a lingering curiosity. This question was signed for an event in the past that they had not been a part of but wanted an explanation for.
The implications could not have been clearer to Sakura, she easily took in the message. With her eyes becoming as hard as emeralds Sakura nodded. "Yes,"
Killua smirked, walking onto the platform, ignoring Leorio's calls to come back. Sakura continued to smile watching Killua. The question was a reference to her statement that night on the airship. When she had stopped him from killing and declared herself his friend. She knew then what he was asking. He wasn't asking for permission to kill, he was asking if she would still consider herself his friend if he did kill.
And she gave her response.
Gon was silent as well, watching Killua's back diligently without getting caught up in the bickering of Kurapika and Leorio.
Killua stared up at his larger opponent, while he returned the gaze blankly. "How are we settling this contest?"
Johnes's hands twitched with anticipation as he took in his next victim, "Contest? I believe you are confused. This will be a one-sided massacre. I have no interest in the exam or any offer of amnesty."
Sakura's eyebrows raised, 'Good because he won't be getting any,'
"I just want to hear you scream."
"Okay, so the loser is the one who dies," Killua stated calmly. Enough to make Johnes blink slightly baffled by the child's behavior.
"Yeah, that's right." Johness raised his hand. "I'll tear your body apart."
Killua's eyes became sharper and Sakura felt a shiver run down her spine. Although she couldn't see Killua's face, she could feel his bloodlust and murderous intent. He was definitely who he had claimed to be. His next actions verified that.
Before Johness could react, Killua had walked passed him with no difficulty. But it took a moment for the mass murderer to realize that he was missing something. On the left side of his chest, there was a small black hole, sinking into his clothing and thinly blended in crimson.
"W-What?" Johness clutched his top, where his heart was missing. "I'm so cold."
Killua turned back around, holding up his arm with a piece of cloth tainted red. His eyes were blank, but he had a taunting smirk on his face. The clump at the bottom of the cloth was moving, contracting, and expanding at a slow pace.
His heart.
'Wow….' Sakura held her breath as she watched, she didn't even see Killua rip out that man's heart but he was holding it now. It had all happened in an instant, barely a second she believed. But her eyes had missed it.
Johness turned around, trembling with every step he took as he tried to reclaim what Killua had just removed from him. "G-Give it back…."
As if still connected to his body, Johness fell the moment his heart stopped beating in the sack of material and he fell with his palm open. Killua promptly placed his heart in his hand before stepping back. A stream of pride ran through him from the rush and the awestruck expressions on everyone's faces. He glanced up at the entranceway, the monitor showing three for them.
"Okay, that's three wins and two losses. We pass right?" He called to the other convicts.
Bendot hadn't been able to move or find his voice to gasp his surprise when he saw Killua take out the most vicious criminal of them all. That was a confession from Lippo himself and surely he was looking at the monitors just as surprised as the rest of them.
'These aren't children, they're monsters.' He thought looking back to Sakura and then Killua.
Killua walked back to his side of the platform, his eyes wandering around to everyone, curious about what the aftermath of this would bring with his close companions who had now seen him in action. He had boasted many times of being an assassin but of course, it was seldom anyone believed him. Although he didn't know the reaction he would have from those who saw him carry out the craft, especially those who were novices to the world of darkness.
"As expected of a master assassin huh," Sakura said coming up to Killua, ruffling his hair (which earned her a hand slap).
"Did you say assassin?" Leorio asked.
"That's right. You guys don't know. Killua comes from an elite family of assassins," Gon told them.
Leorio was still taken aback, turning to the boy in disbelief. "Huh? E-Elite family of assassins?"
"That's right," Killua nodded, fixing his bangs that felt out of place after Sakura's assault.
"Uh….good work…" Leorio chuckled nervously. He hoped Killua did not hold grudges.
On the other side of the room, another bridge extended from the platform, and the part of the wall where it was leading ascended as well, making a third entranceway. The intercom went on and they heard their examiner's instructions.
"Across the bridge, you'll find a small room. You must spend the fifty hours you gambled away there."
Killua looked at the room and then back to the rest of the group,
"Well, let's go."
That's all for now! If there's any messaging you want to do or if you want to check for information you can check out my tumblr.
Here's the update schedule:
Members now:
-Kunoichi amongst heroes chapter 32 & 33
-Through the Looking Glass chapter 10
Public post October 15
-Kunoichi amongst heroes chapter 32
Members post October 15
-Kunoichi amongst Heroes chapter 34