We made it guys chapter 10! Thanks to everyone who's been reading on both Webnovel and Quotev! I really appreciate all of you! Sorry, I couldn't update on Sunday but it was Sunday the day of the Lord I had to go to church. Don't worry though I was watching Hunter X Hunter with my brothers and I got an epiphany. And now Yumi finally has a goal. Don't worry I shouldn't keep you in suspense for too long about what it is though I'm sure some of you've already figured it out! Seeker Out!
P.S. It should stay changed between Yumi's and General POV because I'm still not sure which one I like better so if there are some POV mistakes please tell me! I'll make sure to correct them.
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(Yumis POV)
I wake up to the sound of Beans on the PA system or something telling us that we've arrived. I took a quick shower and put back on the clothes I wore as I washed them the night before and was sleeping in a bedroom I found on the ship. (What I was wearing was just my underwear but don't tell me you haven't done that before?)
As we all shuffled out unto the top of the tower of trials I think everyone started blabbing on and on about stuff nobody cared about none of the main four approached me or even tried to start a conversation as it was obvious that I was distracted.
"What's up with her?" Leorio asks whispering to Gon and Killua.
Gon shrugs while Killua looks at me intently trying to figure out what's going on inside my head.
"Ahem!" Beans says calling everyone's attention. "Everyone this is the site of the Hunter Exams third phase. You'll be competing here at the top of the trick tower"
'Oh, that's what it was called' I mentally note.
"In order to pass this phase you must be able to make it to the base of the tower alive. The time limit is 72 hours. And with that, the exam's third phase will now begin. Good luck to each and every one of you"
I watch absent-mindedly as Beans begins to walk into the blimp and flies off wishing us all luck.
I only snap back to reality once I realize that the blimp is a speck in the distance. I look around and see that the main four are at the edge of the tower. I imagine them falling and even if it is irrational I run as fast as I can and push all of them away from the edge.
They looked at me stunned for a moment. Leorio starts yelling 'What's that all about' while Kurapika sees the worry in my eyes as well as my frazzled state and is about to ask if I'm okay before those weird devilish cupids take the 'pro' rock climber away.
As I watch the man get eaten whole I feel a little pleasure from it which allows me to calm down slightly but it doesn't lower the suspiciousness of the situation. But it's anine so it flew over most of their heads and the others didn't care.
For a while, Yumi just started to look for trap doors as she wanted to make it easier for everyone else but of course, anime logic will always take the cake Gon soon called her over after calling Kurapika and Leorio as he had found a bunch of trap doors.
"Five hidden doors located in the same area," Kurapika says as he brings his finger to his chin. "Sounds a bit suspicious no doubt a few of them are traps."
Killua then adds his own two cents. "From what I can tell each of these trap doors can only be used one time."
"Seriously?" Leorio asks which Killua confirms.
"We saw somebody fall through one earlier but when we tried to open it, it wouldn't budge an inch."
"It looks like only one person can go through it at a time," Kurapika says doing the math.
"Which means only one person can use each door. It's beginning to look like we all are going to have to split up." Killua says laying the hard truth bare. "We decided that we each will pick a door and see how it goes."
"So no hard feelings if one of themselves a trap" Gon adds which they all agreed to.
We then all soon pick up our posts next to our doors. "Runners to your places" I joke giving my signature creepy smile which surprisingly the rest are happy to see again.
"Yeah ready!" Gon says.
"Set!" Killua follows.
"Go!" They all say at once as they jump/step onto their trap doors.
They all fall landing on their feet well except for Leorio as Yumi catches him bridal style. Once he realizes this he gets embarrassed and rolls out of her hands landing on the floor with his bottom.
Yumi. Killua and, Gon all laugh awkwardly when looking at each other while Kurapika dusts himself off.
"Well that was certainly a brief farewell"
"No kidding," Leorio says massaging his bum. "I don't think any of us expected all those trap doors to all lead to the same place"
Yumi chuckles which the four are used to by now. Killua rolls his eyes.
"Let me guess you had a feeling?"
Yumi is a bit stunned. "Wait how did you-"
"Save it," Killua says while following Gon to the front of the room where the bracelets were.
"Hey look at this!" Gon says reading the sign. "The five that walk into this chamber must find their way down together by consensus of the majority."
"Wow. Five perfect." Yumi says.
"Very Good!" A creepy voice says over the PA 'startling' everyone in the room.
"WHO'S THERE!" Leorio yells looking around.
"My name is Lippo. I'm the prison warden here and not to mention your examiner for the third phase of the exam."
"Wait did he say prison warden?" Kurapika asks but Lippo ignores him.
"We've gone through the trouble of preparing multiple routes through the tower. The one you've chosen is the path of majority rules. If you want to pass, as I'm sure you do, cooperation is the essence of success. One person acting selfishly could derail the entire group. As you already have five people I wish you the best of luck." That is the last thing Lippo says before shutting off the broadcast.
Before we knew it a portion of the wall rose revealing a door with a sign similar to the first one Gon read but this time with an X and an O underneath it.
"At this door select O to open and X not to open" Gon reads.
"Using majority rule already?" Leorio says reacting to the sign. "Alright at least the answer is obvious"
With that, we all select O and move on.
"Which way do you want to go," Gon says reading the sign. "O for right and left for X"
"Wait before we vote let's talk this out so we are all on the right page" Yumi speaks up.
"I think it obvious that we should go right as most contestants would go left," Killua explains his reasoning.
"Well, that is a good point. Is there any reason anyone would still want to go left?" Yumi asks.
Leorio who is scratching the back of his head pretends that he wasn't about to pick left while Gon shakes his head.
"Okay then everybody let's vote for left" Yumi directs everybody following her lead.
--------------(Now move to the control room)----------
Lippo is eating his cookies while looking at the screen. "A leader I see. Let's see how they all hold up the next round"
‐---(Back to our cast who are now in the fighting area)----
'This reminds me of the battle stadium from Beyblade Burst Evolutions that scared the sh*t out of Wakiya when they were trying to save Shu no wait he was Red Eye at the time right? Well, whatever' Yumi rambles internally ready to start her plan.
I then turn to Leorio as the first army guy who looks like the long-lost brother of Ibiki from Naruto steps onto the stage.
"Everybody I have an idea on how Leorio can beat this guy," I say making the four curious.
"Really?" Leorio says skeptically.
"Yeah, do you have any sedatives? Oh, maybe some painkillers?"
"Yes I do have some Phenobarbital"
"Now how much is a lethal dosage?" Yumi asks evily which makes Leorio finally distinguish her plan and joins her evil smile.
"I know anything over 40mcg is toxic"
"So times it by 10!"
"1.5504 ml it is!" Leorio says preparing his syringe like he was cooking meth.
"But then how is he supposed to get the syringe in the guy before he gets killed?" Killua asks temporarily marching on our parade.
"How am I? Before I get torn apart by his muscles" Leorio says shifting gears completely as he is now quaking in his boots.
Yumi smiles. "Simple, how good are you at acting Leorio?"
"Will that work?" Kurapika asks intrigued.
"Well he pegs me as the muscley type and not a bright guy"
'Not to talk about how he got in here for robbery and murder and not something like embezzlement or something, and even if he tries anything I'll just go over there and kill him. Leorios life means more to me than a stupid exam'
"So if you can throw fast enough while his guard is low he won't even know what hit him and by the time he takes it out it'll be too late as the first symptoms should be immediate and death will slowly follow"
So with a newfound confidence, Leorio steps into the stadium and when the man proposes a fight to the death Leorio starts shaking trying to lower the man's guard to the floor as he proceeds to kneel on the ground and grabs his leg looking as pathetic as possible asking to reconsider.
Seeing this the man smiling reaches for his neck but Leorio with an expert hand injects the drug and before the man could even say that he's screwed he starts getting dizzy. He begins to see double as he sways and then he gets very sleepy. By now he is sure that Leorio did something to him and is furious.
In retaliation fueled by rage, he raises his arm to punch Leorio but just ends up punching the air as he blacks out and then slowly dies. Leorio bends down after a while shaking off the nerves of the exchange and checks his pulse.
"He's dead," he says breathing a sigh of relief before turning around and pumping his fist towards us.
"Well, he was a disappointment," Sedoka the scrawny man says as he steps forward his cuffs falling off.
"Who's my opponent?" He asks as Leorio walks off the platform joining the rest.
"Me!" Gon says raising his right hand.
"Are you sure?" Leorio asks Gon Yumi gives him a huge smile.
"Aww are you worried about him? Don't worry Leorio I'd be more surprised if he lost to that stick" Yumi says chuckling again at her joke.
"I still wouldn't let my guard down if I was him though," Leorio says getting slightly flustered (this is out of embarrassment. Not anything big).
Gon laughs before removing his backpack. "Don't worry, I'll be careful."
--------‐----(Time Skip To After Gon and Kurapikas Battle)--------------
"I will not continue fighting a loser," Kurapika says cementing his place and refusing to end the fight. Leorio is about to yell before Yumi stops him.
"Kurapika you said a loser is somebody who lost their will to fight correct?"
"Yes"
"Then what about somebody who is fighting a degrading illness in the hospital? They will fight and fight and fight but most of them still die correct?"
"Yes," Kurapika readily agrees.
"But they hadn't lost their will to fight right?"
"No, they hadn't"
"But they still lost in the end though? I won't make you fight as you obviously don't like the idea of murder as I may but I will tell you this." Yumi says as she begins to turn around.
"A loser is the person who dies and the winner is the person who lives. It doesn't matter who wanted to live the most or who was fighting the hardest. It doesn't matter talent, wealth, or power, it doesn't matter if you're related by blood or love. The person who is dead is always the loser."
Yumi then walks away and sits hanging off the edge waiting for the girl to challenge them. Leorio doesn't know her plan and starts yelling at her voice full of frustration at losing precious time on Yumi's philosophical speech.
"That didn't help at all! All that whoever loses is dead stuff blabber! I should've just done it my way instead of you just spouting this nonsense!"
Now Yumi could never honestly be angry with the four. She just needed to get that point across. It's something she learned in her past life and something she must teach these four even if it's hard if it makes their lives easier later in the story.
'You have to understand! I'm telling you to take your people's life more seriously! You just can't lose! Not on my watch.' Yumi spins around and looks Leorio in the eye murderously.
"What I said was not nonsense! It's a truth that we all unconsciously live by! And even if you don't I'll make you! Because-" Yumi looks away trying to think hard as she doesn't want to fumble her next words out of worry.
"Because I always have to win, to live, for the people that mean the most to me, which right now means you guys. And if you aren't willing to win as well then I'll have to force you to lose before anyone else does!"
This startels everyone even Kurapika looked up to witness this. The sole reason why everyone was so shocked was because Yumi the girl who's always either smiling (even if it sometimes looked a bit creepy) or kept a straight face. Looked torn. She looked so broken that everyone was afraid that if they spoke another word she'd shatter right in front of their eyes. And that's what shocked everyone the most.
I then turn to the inmates not willing to wait any longer now angry that they had to cause Leorio and the rest of them so much distress.
"I want to confirm that he's not dead. And if that means I'll have to face one of you I don't care. Even if it means I'll have to die"
The girl from before smiles under her brown robes.
"Instead of dying. Would you like to make a wager?"
(BTW double release today!)