Date: May 16th, 2011
After three long weeks flying in the airship, with a stop to take a breather in Kikuroku, we have finally arrived in the city of Gelsea, where Heavens Arena is located.
Upon landing, we are greeted by the vibrant and busting energy of the city. The streets are crowded with people from all walks of life, full of life and joy, and the towering skyscrapers loom above the normal buildings and marketplaces.
I have visited many cities so far, but from my previous life as an American to my life in this world, this is the first time I feel this sense of comfort and familiarity, as if I have returned home after a long trip abroad. The only thing that deters this feeling of nostalgia is the well-known and imposing tower that stands in the middle of the city.
"Nicholas, we've finally arrived at Gelsea, and that big tower in front of us is the famous Heavens Arena." I say, taking in the sights and sounds around us.
"It's incredible!" Nicolas replies, his eyes wide with wonder. "So that's where we're going to start building our reputation as mercenaries!"
"Yeah, that's right. But before we do that... I need to get some new clothes and haircut." I say looking at myself in disgust.
"Yes, I understand you. Let me check the net for a moment." He says starting to type.
Through his laptop, Nicholas quickly looks up the different places he needed to visit before heading to Heavens Arena. We catch a taxi to our destinations, passing many sights of the city. I wanted to visit Heavens Arena as soon as possible, but I had toget certain things now that I was going to become part of the civilized society, and fixing this ragged appearance is the first of the list.
The taxi stops. "Okay, customers, this is your stop." With this words, we pay the taxi driver
and enter the shopping district.
Our first stop is the clothing store called Beauty's Transformation Salon. As we enter, we are greeted by a store clerk with a flamboyant appearance. "Hello, customers. I am Gusto, the manager of this establishment. What may I help you with today?"
"Hello, Gusto. I'm here to buy some clothes. Can you hook me up with something stylish and practical?" I ask.
"Sir, simple clothes won't be enough. Let me take your measurements and ask you a few quick questions to help me choose the best clothes for your personal style. And you at his side." He says nodding to Nicholas, much to his surprise. "We'll also look for the proper pieces of clothing for a good-looking gentlemen like you."
For the next hour, I and Nicholas underwent what you would call a fashion show, trying on different clothes while being asked about our impressions. When we emerge from the shop, we looked far better than when they came in.
Nicholas is outfitted in a sleek red and black attire. He wears a tailored black suit jacket with red accents along the seams and lapels, over a white dress shirt. His black trousers are holded now by a brown belt with a flat metal buckle on which the letter "N" is inscribed. The ensemble is completed with polished black dress shoes and a red tie, giving him a sophisticated yet combat ready appearance.
By my part, my new outfit consists of a short sleeved black T-shirt covered by an orange vest, blue-gray color ripped jeans matching the outfit, and to complete the look, brown combat boots with orange accents, ready for both fashion and function.
Looking at our reflections in the store mirror, I couldn't help but feel a surge of confidence. "These look amazing, Gusto. Don't you agree Nicholas?" I ask.
"Yes, boss. They fit us like a glove." He answers.
"It's our pleasure to hear that! With these clothes, you two are now ready to take on Gelsea in style!" Gusto replies with a satisfied smile.
"I will go wearing these clothes, and I will also take outfits number 2, 5 and 9." I state.
"Good, then I'll also go likes this and take outfits number 4, 6 and 11." Nicholas adds.
"Alright! I'll prepare the requested clothes then!" Gusto says.
After they have prepared bags with the clothes we ordered (including Nicholas' original clothes), I take out my credit card (which surprises Nicholas) and pay for them. "Thank you very much for you purchase! We hope you visit us again!" Gusto says goodbye to us with a smile.
With our new outfits, we leave the store to head to our next stop on the road—a barber. After another hour of brushing, cutting, cleaning and drying my long, wild, 3-month-old hairstyle in the woods, I have finally regained the look of a respectable citizen.
'Yes, that's much better. After all, I don't want to be like Gon's father, all ragged and visibly unhygienic.' I think posing a little in front of my reflection.
"Alright, boss. With this we can now head to Heavens Arena." Nicholas says very excitedly.
"Not yet. There are still some matters I have to deal with before we head there." I state, making Nicholas tilt his head in confusion.
After my long and transformative experience, I needed some comforts to be able to consider myself a civilized member of society, and to be able to carry out my work as a Blacklist Hunter in the future. To do this, we head to a electronics store, and with the help of Nicholas's advice, I buy a phone for my everyday use.
'Great! I can finally start contacting the numbers I've been collecting during my journey. Well, let's move on to the next thing on the list.' I think as I check the time on my wristwatch.
Minutes later, we find ourselves in a franchise restaurant, and after a while of waiting, the waitress brings us our orders. For Nicholas, a plate of fried rice with oyster sauce and a plate of grilled pork chops with a side salad, and for me...
"Three king of meat burgers with extra cheese, no pickles, no onions, accompanied by French fries and a big cola." The smiling waitress says, serving me the tray with what any health-obsessed person would call "a guaranteed heart attack". "Enjoy your meal."
With the waitress's parting words, I grab the bottle of ketchup to dress my burgers and fries, and taking a firm grip on one of them, I take a big bite.
'Fuck, yeah, this is what I was talking about. The strong flavor of the fatty meat, the dressing of the ketchup, the secondary flavor of the cheese and tomato, all mixed together in a simple but tasty dish.' I review the burger as the flavors and textures expand across my palate until I decide to swallow.
I know this may seem like an unfounded cliché, having been American in my past life, but like any normal person, I enjoyed junk food from time to time on Earth. Whether I ordered it for delivery or went out with my college friends, this kind of food provided me with a sense of comfort and satisfaction that I couldn't get from more complex dishes.
'It had been 16 years since I had last enjoyed this unhealthy experience! I had eaten all kinds of new and delicious dishes in this new world, but none of them could provide me with this feeling of gluttony and remembrance, and now that I have it again, I plan to enjoy every bite until the meal is over.' I think as Nicholas stares speechlessly at my passionate and unmannered way of eating.
"Honestly, boss, I don't remember you acting like that during the exam. I'm sure you always ate in a much more refined and self-controlled manner." Nicholas comments, prompting me to swallow the food I was chewing.
"Nicholas, do you know what I've been doing for the last 3 months?" I ask leaving my second half-eaten burger on the table and looking down with a gloomy attitude.
"Training with Satotz." He answers doubtfully for my sudden change in attitude.
"Yes. For the past 3 months, I've been enduring an unprecedented hellish training, focused solely on strengthening my body, my Nen and preparing for the future." I begin to explain as my aura tinged with frustration and stress starts leaking out of my body, frightening not only Nicholas, but also the people around us.
"For 24 hours a day, even when I was sleeping, those were the only things I devoted all my efforts to. Even if my body screamed in pain, even if I vomited blood, even if Satotz gave me looks of pity and disagreement, I did not stop striving for a single minute to achieve my goals."
"So now that I've finally gotten over that tortuous period of my life, I want to spend this day relaxing as much as I can without worrying about my image, reputation or any other annoying thing. Do you understand me?" I ask Nicholas, subtly threatening him with a look that conveys my maliciousness and bloodlust for his rudeness.
"Y-Yes, I-I understand." Nicholas stutters shrunken and cold sweating as he begins to eat from his rice dish.
Seeing that Nicholas has understood the callousness of his words, I retract my aura back into my body, easing the discomfort of Nicholas and everyone else in the restaurant, and picking up my half-eaten burger, I prepare to resume the conversation.
"Speaking of which... How was your training with Nen?" I ask taking a bite. "You were able to partially open your aura nodes without any prior knowledge of the subject, meaning you are a prodigy at a certain level. Still, three months is indeed a very short time to master the art of Nen."
"I was able to do it due to particular circumstances, but I may have put you in a hurry with my sudden call. So, I'd like you to explain to me how you have progressed in this regard."
Nicholas stares at his food in contemplation for a moment before answering me. "Lippo's training was quite thorough and efficient. Thanks to him I improved my physical abilities, and managed to master the 4 basic principles of Nen. However, I haven't created a Hatsu ability yet."
"Why not?" I ask curiously while eating a fry.
"Because I wanted to wait to meet you, boss. Knowing you, I knew you could imagine a Nen ability far superior to any I could think for our future as Hunters. That's why I focused on reinforcing the 4 principles and doing combat practice with Lippo instead."
"So, what do you say, boss? Would you like to give me your opinion on what ability I should create?" Nicholas asks with his gaze projecting the faith and loyalty that a religious fanatic would display in front of his object of veneration.
I eat another handful of fries before asking, "What's your Nen category?"
"Specialization." Nicholas directly answers, making me jump a little in surprise.
'Nicholas is a Specialist? Wow, I didn't expect that. From the way he acts, I would have considered him more of a Conjurer or Manipulator. That just goes to show that Hisoka's personality test isn't as reliable as it may seem at first.' I think, beginning to analyze the situation in depth as I continue eating.
'If what Nicholas says is true, he can apply the principles of any category to his abilities, even if only partially. So aside from training the advanced applications of Enhancement, he would also need to know Manipulation and Conjuration, which are adjacent.'
'As for creating a Hatsu, as far as Specialization goes the ideal would be either an ability of incredible relevance like Neon and Tserriednich's precognitive abilities, or one that had potential for further growth like Chrollo and Morena's. Which option he should invest his efforts in depends a lot on what other abilities he develops with Manipulation or Conjuration.'
'After all, Chrollo and Neferpitou proved themselves capable of using both categories effectively, so Nicholas should also be able to learn one or two skills from those categories as well in addition to a Specialization one.'
'Furthermore, from an objective standpoint, Conjuration abilities are the most similar to Specialization, as the conjured objects possess special abilities outside of the other categories to fit the needs of their users. Combine that with the versatile applications of Manipulation, and you have a pretty solid and convenient set of powers at your disposal.'
'Still, it will also depend a lot on his talent and affinity with those categories. So before creating a Nen ability, he will need a bit of training to know what he is best at and what areas he needs to cover.'
"I have some initial ideas in mind about possible Nen abilities that we can discuss later. For now, focus on finishing your food before it gets cold. You're going to need energy for what I have planned later." I say pointing at his food and starting to drink my cola.
After a few minutes we finish our meals, and after paying the waitress we leave the restaurant to go to rent a hotel room. After all, we need a place to sleep and leave our stuff until we can get private rooms in Heavens Arena.
Once we drop off our luggage and clothes in our rooms, there's just one more thing left for me to do before we register at Heavens Arena. So I take Nicholas out of the hotel and run with him to the outskirts of the city.
"In the Hunter Exam, you showed some skill in close combat in your battle against Pokkle, and you mentioned that Lippo has also trained you a bit these past three months. So before we register at Heavens Arena, I want to see what you're capable of. So, could you start by showing me your Ren?" I ask Nicholas about 6 meters in front of me.
Nodding seriously and taking the Kiai stance typical of shonen manga, Nicholas unfolds his Ren. It's funny how being a person watching the story and being a person from this world can change so much the way you perceive the Ren technique.
When you're a Nen user watching it live, you're able to sense a lot of things that you can't notice as a simple viewer of the series. The amount of aura being used, the speed at which it reaches that amount, the control of its flow, its smoothness, stability, the posture of the body... Being able to sense all of this things, I get an idea of Nicholas's overall combat level.
"You're still very green. From my experience watching other Hunters, your aura quantity is around average. On top of that, I can see that it takes you a few seconds to reach that level, and it's evident that your aura control is rigid and rough. You certainly need more training and practice." As I give him this harsh assessment, I take a fighting stance.
"Checking your Nen level, it's time to see how well you fight. So don't be shy and come to me whenever you want."
At my words, we both regulate the flow of our aura, and after a few seconds, Nicholas darts forward me. He starts trying to land a swift kick that I dodge it by moving to the left, after which I throw a right punch that Nicholas manages to dodge, turning his body to try to give me a side kick, only for me to distance myself and dodge it as well. After this, Nicholas closes the distance again, and starts delivering a rapid combination of punches and kicks, seamlessly blending a series of martial arts techniques into his attacks.
Amidst the flurry of blows, I am able to appreciate that Nicholas's agility and reflexes are a little above average Hunter, but in the end my close-quarters combat skills prove to be superior even just using my hands and Ten, delivering precise and aura-free hits to his open points.
Nicholas tries to counterattack or defend against my attacks alternating between the states of Ten and Ren, but he's unable to react appropriately to my jabs and feints, wasting his aura reserves and proving his lack of experience in real combat.
After 10 minutes of demonstrating my dominance, I catch Nicholas's arm mid-punch and twist it into a joint lock with a swift movement, sweeping his legs and pinning him to the ground. He struggles to free himself, but I mantain my grip on him unyielding, preventing any chance of escape.
"The fight is over. I've confirmed what I needed to know, so you can turn off your Nen now." I say to Nicholas on the ground.
Though reluctant, Nicholas deactivates his Ten, so I release him from my lock key and help him up. "So, what's your assessment then, boss?" He asks not so confidently.
At his question, I focus my gaze on him before beginning to give my evaluation. "I think you have some potential. You are quite fast and agile to begin with, and it seems like you know how to apply the principles of different martial arts in your own combat style. In my opinion, even without Nen you would rate at the level of a middle tier martial artist."
"However, you still must develop a lot your physical abilities. You must not only improve your speed and reflexes, but also your strength, stamina, mental speed and combat experience. During the fight, I could see that your attacks lacked power, and in several circumstances it took you a few seconds to process the information, giving me plenty of opportunities to hit you off guard."
"Also, your aura control is rather clumsy. Even though you did bother to switch between Ten and Ren during battle, like with processing information, it took you a couple of seconds to adjust your aura. This time nothing happened because I only used Ten and was easy with you, but in a real life situation, even a low level Nen user would have killed you without difficulty."
"Properly reacting to the events around you, and managing the flow and intensity of your aura according to the situation, is something you have to be able to do almost instinctively in less than a second if you want to even have a chance of surviving against a truly powerful enemy."
"But... how am I supposed to achieve all that? I'm a Specialist, the class furthest from Enhancement. No matter how hard I try, I'll never be suited for physical combat." He shyly asks expressing his lack of confidence.
'It's no wonder he thinks that way. Despite what story would have us believe, Specialists are not good hand-to-hand combatants. True, their skills may be versatile and powerful enough to make up for this lack, but they themselves are not made for close-quarters combat due to being so far from the Enhancement category.' I think elaborating the subject.
'Hunter x Hunter has introduced us to some very powerful Specialists like Chrollo, Kurapika, and Neferpitou, but they were powerful because of their unique powers and circumstances. More realistic examples of a Specialist's combat ability would be Pakunoda and Meleoron, who despite being as strong as they could be, were still considered weak by the other characters and themselves.'
'Considering how difficult it can be for a Specialist to learn advanced applications of Nen in the Enhancement category, and knowing that he could only master them at 40% of his capacity, anyone would agree to forget about training Nicholas and leave him as a support member. But...'
"Even if Specialists may not be the best melee fighters, that doesn't mean they have to be weak." I affirm with a resolute voice, earning Nicholas's curious and attentive look.
"Listen, no matter what category they fall into, all Nen users are superhuman to some extent. Breaking bones with your strikes or moving faster than the normal human eye can perceive is something any user can achieve with enough training."
"In the same way, a Specialist can also overpower a Enhancer, whether due to a level difference, lack of talent, the use of weapons, lowering their guard against their rival... It doesn't matter if your opponent is stronger or has more aura than you, a punctual circumstance can quickly turn the entire battle around and give you the victory or the opportunity to escape. That is the essence of Nen fights." As I say these words, Nicholas's eyes widen in awe, as if I had just said something inspiring and momentous.
"Nicholas, you have to decide what kind of Hunter you want to be: one who can hold his own on the front lines, or one who provides support for others from the rear. I won't judge you whatever you choose, but you must make up your mind in order to move forward. Well, what do you say?"
Nicholas's face shows an expression of uncertainty at my question, pondering for a few seconds before giving me his answer. "I want to... work side by side with you, boss Kai, whether fighting or giving you support. I no longer want to remain a fearful weakling who is unable to accomplish anything without the help of others. Please train me to become stronger!" Nicholas yells, bowing 90 degrees in front of me.
Seeing that Nicholas has mustered the courage to accept this challenge head on instead of taking the easy way out, I can't help but smile with pride and satisfaction at the prospect of welcoming my first pupil.
"Okay, that's what I was hoping to hear! I was actually hoping you'd take the option of getting stronger! You're an important person to me, after all, so I obviously don't want you to die for not being strong enough!" I affirm invigorated, causing Nicholas to be moved by my words.
"Now, if I'm going to act as your teacher, I must warn you that I'm not going to be as soft and easy going as Lippo. My training is going to be incredibly intensive and tailor-made, to the point where some would consider it insane. Are you sure you have what it takes to take on this challenge?"
"Yes, boss! No matter how difficult it is, I will do what it takes to become stronger and fight alongside you as a comrade!" Nicholas instantly responds with an eager attitude and a gaze in which I could swear I see stars.
"Good. Then, as your teacher I already know what my first step will be to ensure your growth is as fast and fruitful as possible." As I say this with a smile, Nicholas is surprised to notice the aura forming around me. "It's time for you to know what my Nen ability is."