The sun had begun to rise, casting a soft light over the airship, but most of the Hunter examinees were still fast asleep.
Those who were awake moved sluggishly, much like snails going about their business at a leisurely pace.
In a quiet corner of the airship, a red-haired boy carefully carried a sleeping boy with brown hair. He gently placed him in an empty room, ensuring that the boy could continue to sleep peacefully, undisturbed by the outside world.
"Do you want to ask me anything?" Togiri inquired as he began stretching, warming up his body with a series of handstand push-ups.
"Hmm... Not really," Netero responded, mirroring Togiri's movements as he prepared himself.
"Okay. Let's begin." Togiri settled into his fighting stance, his left foot forward, right foot back, knees bent.
His left hand was positioned like a jab, but lower, hovering near his chest with the index and middle fingers pressed together, while his right fist rested against his stomach, his body perfectly aligned.
"Hard, yet soft. Unyielding, yet flexible. Not bad," Netero remarked, a hint of approval in his voice.
"Are you gonna put away the ball and take me seriously?" Togiri responded, an excited smile playing on his lips.
"No," Netero replied with a mischievous grin. The moment the word left Netero's mouth, Togiri launched his attack.
A barrage of rapid jabs flew towards Netero, each one faster than the last, yet none managed to land. Netero effortlessly dodged the punches, all while balancing the ball on his head.
Togiri increased his speed, his movements becoming a blur, as if he had sprouted an extra pair of arms. Still, Netero evaded every strike.
"Do you think that was it?" Togiri asked, his voice laced with determination.
He began using both hands, but even that didn't faze Netero. Togiri let out a low chuckle before pushing his speed to its limit.
The once silent room now echoed with the sharp crack of air being whipped by his punches. The faster he moved, the thicker the air seemed, and the louder the room became.
Netero, now unable to dodge all the attacks while maintaining his balance and blocked a few punches with ease.
Togiri suddenly halted his assault and leaped back. He chuckled and saif "Unfortunately, we can't go all out, or we might end up destroying the airship."
'His body is even stronger than the Zoldyck kid's. It took me decades to reach this level, and yet this boy... he must have some secrets.'
"Ho-ho-ho. Was that all?" Netero taunted, his voice brimming with amusement.
Togiri grinned. "You're about to witness my latest technique."
Slowly, Togiri advanced toward Netero. "Rhythm Echo—Togiri version." As he moved, four identical copies of himself materialized beside him.
"Unlike Killua's version, I don't create as many copies, but I'm not restricted to a single path around you." Togiri launched another attack, and all the copies joined in, their movements synchronized.
Netero expertly dodged the strikes from the front Togiris, but the real Togiri, positioned in the middle, delivered a powerful kick to Netero's stomach, bypassing his clones entirely.
As the Rhythm Echo technique dissipated, the clones vanished, and Togiri seized the moment to reach for the ball.
Netero, however, threw a punch for the first time, landing a clean hit on Togiri's face, sending him flying across the room into the wall.
"Hah," Togiri exhaled as he wiped the blood from his nose. "I didn't know you hit children."
"Are you a child?" Netero's response took Togiri by surprise.
"What? I'm a child. Are you blind?"
"Do you think I'm stupid? That body of yours has been forged over decades of grueling effort. Few ever reach such a level, even after dedicating their entire lives to training."
'Shit! Does he know of Seven?' "What if I told you I achieved this in just five years?"
"Then you'd be the greatest genius ever born." @More like the greatest system with the greatest recovery effect@ Seven felt happy being complimented.
"No, I'm not. That's why I asked you to become my teacher." Togiri relaxed his stance and bowed deeply before Netero.
"...." Netero didn't respond, and silence filled the room for several long minutes. 'How long does it take to say no or yes?' @I bet he will say no,@ Seven commented.
"I see the good in your actions, but I also see the evil in your heart, barely kept under control. If that darkness were ever unleashed, if you became a threat like Fang's older brother, I would personally end you."
"...So that means yes?" Togiri asked nervously, still unsure of Netero's decision.
"No, but if you can fully control the evil within you, then—"
"You won't regret it, master!" Togiri cut him off, bowing again in gratitude. Netero promptly knocked him on the head.
"I'm not your master yet, you brat!"
*Knock Knock* Togiri turned towards the door while Netero, rubbing his stomach where Togiri had kicked him, smiled.
'It seems the new generation will always surpass the old. This boy is bound to shock many old monsters with his talent and relentless desire to grow stronger.'
"Hey! Didn't you promise that I'd be first? You dirty liar!" Fang pouted from the doorway.
"I didn't start. We were only warming up," Togiri defended.
"You—take this!" Fang leaped at Togiri, and the two began to wrestle.
"Brats! How about you both take me on at once?" Netero challenged, putting the ball away. Fang and Togiri stopped wrestling, exchanged smiles, and completed their special handshake.
Fang stretched his feet. "Ready?" "Ready!" Both boys charged at Netero. 'Don't think! Don't think... Be... unpredictable.' Fang ran up the wall, bouncing off the ceiling and floor like a rubber ball with no apparent sense of direction.
"Fang's Super Cannonball!" Fang shouted as he curled into a ball, spinning rapidly as he launched himself at Netero.
Netero sidestepped Fang and focused on Togiri, but suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his back. Fang had double-kicked Netero's back and latched onto his left arm.
"Now! Togiri Drill!" Fang yelled as Togiri came spinning at top speed, fists aimed directly at Netero's stomach.
"Not bad, but you're a thousand years too young to defeat me." Netero deflected Fang, redirected Togiri's attack, and added even more spin to it.
Fang, his hands coated in Nen, managed to stop Togiri's momentum. "Why do I listen to you, Fang? You have the worst strateg—" Togiri covered his mouth, nearly throwing up from the spinning.
"Togiri, are you okay?" Fang asked, concerned, as he rubbed Togiri's back.
"I-I'm fine. Just... fight without me. I need to lie down for a bit." Togiri was about to leave the room, but paused at the door. "Fang."
"Huh?" Fang replied.
"You can use Nen, but don't destroy the ship." Togiri then stepped out and closed the door behind him.
'Do you think he'll buy this?' @Fang or Netero?@ Seven asked. 'Fang, of course,' Togiri replied. @Definitely. Why wouldn't he believe that the strongest guy he knows would throw up from a little spinning? Oh, and your acting is Oscar-worthy.@ said Seven sarcastically.
"Whatever. Better than wasting my time." @Said the guy who played cards for almost three days@ Seven quipped.
'How can I get the old man as a teacher? How am I supposed to get this shit out of me? Meditation doesn't work on shit like this. I will never FORGIVE or FORGET' Togiri's released Ken slowly changed from grey redish to a deep endless dark.
@Come down or I will need to heal your heart again@
Togiri took a deep breath and started to calm down.
'I tried asking nicely, respectfully. I tried bribing him. I even tried to awaken his martial artist spirit. Should I threaten him? Does he have grandkids?'
While Togiri contemplated how to blackmail Netero into accepting him as a student, Fang was locked in battle with the old man.
"You're a strong old man, but I'm stronger! That ball is mine!" Fang declared boldly.
"Hoh-hoh," Netero chuckled, stroking his beard. Fang suddenly stopped his assault, closing his eyes and focusing intently.
Aura poured out of him like a dam breaking, causing the walls to crack under the pressure. Fang channeled all the energy into his left fist.
"KO!" The technique Togiri had once used to demolish the podium at Heaven's Arena. Since then, Fang had mastered it even better than Togiri.
"If you use that, you'll destroy the whole airship," Netero warned.
"Oh... sorry!" Fang quickly dispersed the aura in his fist.
'Another little monster. His body isn't as well developed, but his Nen is even better than the other boy.'
"You and your friend are very different compared to other children" Netero observed with a grin.
"Haha, yeah. Togiri's always serious. Like this." Fang mimicked Togiri's stern expression and posture.
"Fang, don't do this! Fang, do you know how important blah blah is? Why do you never think before you act?" Fang's imitation made Netero laugh heartily.
"Brat. Do you want to become my student? I could make you stronger than your friend and your older brother." Fang stared suspiciously at Netero.
"Really?" Fang asked, eyeing Netero skeptically.
"Really!" Netero confirmed.
"You don't want anything in return?" Fang asked, still doubtful.
"No, I only want you to help others," Netero replied.
"I don't believe you! Togiri said it's extremely rare for someone to do something without expecting something in return. We aren't even friends or have known each other for more than a day," Fang said, crossing his arms and breathing out through his nose like a bull.
"Haha. He's not wrong, but I do want to teach you. So, how about it, brat?" Netero asked.
"Okay! Let me ask Togiri," Fang said.
"Wait!" Netero called out as Fang began to run out to find Togiri.
"Only you. I will not teach Togiri, and if you become my student, you will need to stay away from him," Netero said, his expression serious.
"Why?" Fang asked, confused.
"Togiri has darkness inside him. An evil that could destroy the world. It's hard to believe that a kid or anyone could harbor so much hate and pain" Netero explained.
"...." Fang looked down, his usual happy demeanor fading.
"Sorry kid, but you shouldn't be anywhere near someone like him," Netero said, placing a comforting hand on Fang's shoulder.
"...." Fang looked sad. "Sorry kid. Come on. Let—"
"I know," Fang mumbled, looking up directly into Netero's eyes. "I know! And I've already seen his dark side! He held back! He didn't kill anyone and saved me!"
Netero was taken aback by Fang's words. "He only used his darkness because of me!" Fang began to cry.
"If not for me, I... I— He would rather die than use it! Uwaaaahh!" Fang broke down completely, sobbing uncontrollably.
Netero felt a pang of guilt, feeling like the bad guy for making the boy cry. He comforted the distraught child.
"The boy had a dark heart, but no blood on his hands. So maybe he I can teach him a little" said Netero to cheer up Fang.
As Fang cried, Togiri was in another part of the airship, eating a plate full of meat and plotting ways to blackmail Netero into accepting him as his student.
And that's how the airship ride came to an end.