Despite the turmoil inside me, I had to keep up the act, balancing laughter and tears as I pushed down the unease gnawing at my mind. Forcing myself to hold steady, I declared:
"That's right! Let's play a game where it only ends when one of us either dies or admits defeat. But I'll warn you, even if you surrender halfway, don't expect me to stop right away. I'll only ease up after I've claimed my victory."
I struck the signature stance of the Shingen-ryu martial art, maintaining my intense focus.
Chirping, clearly uneasy, felt a bead of sweat run down his face, though from his angle, I couldn't see it.
"I've got two secret weapons," he thought, his confidence wavering. "One in my right hand and another on my back. But to use them effectively, I need to first hit him with my iron-loaded right fist, then make it seem like I'm exposing my back 'by accident.' That's the only way to sell the deception."
He glanced at me nervously, clearly weighing his options.
"But if this guy's even stronger than Johness, I'm doomed the moment I try to get close…"
His hesitation was written all over his face.
Seeing this, I couldn't help but chuckle. "What's wrong? Are you coming over, or should I make the first move?"
"..."
"It's do or die," Chirping muttered under his breath. With a nervous grin, he shouted, "Don't get cocky! I was just planning how to take you down. Take this punch!"
With impressive agility, he leaped into the air, bringing his fist down hard in my direction.
Boom!
The floor cracked beneath the force of his punch, sending fragments of debris flying everywhere. However, I had anticipated his move. I knew he wouldn't have the courage to strike effectively, so I had already gauged the distance of his blow. He had no chance of hitting me.
Still, to keep up appearances, I dodged theatrically, moving just enough to let the small stones fly past me.
"Alright!"
Seeing that things were playing out just as he'd hoped, Majtani smiled triumphantly. Slowly, he turned around, revealing a massive tattoo on his back.
"A spider tattoo…?" Leorio's voice was filled with shock, cutting through the tension. "Is that…?"
"What is it, Leorio?" Gon asked, wide-eyed and confused.
"That's the mark of the Phantom Troupe—a world-famous group of ruthless killers."
Hearing the name, Kurapika's eyes flared red with rage.
"Phantom Troupe…" he growled under his breath, fists clenched, clearly fighting to hold back his emotions. He wanted nothing more than to charge forward and obliterate the enemy in front of him.
Leorio glanced at him, concerned. "Don't worry, Kurapika. If Ronnel's the one facing him, this guy doesn't stand a chance."
Leorio's expression remained grave, focused not only on Majtani but also on Kurapika's mental state.
"The Phantom Troupe?" Killua murmured, uncertainty flickering in his eyes.
Leorio turned toward Ronnel, raising his voice to warn him. "Ronnel! That guy over there is—"
Before he could finish, Kurapika placed a hand on Leorio's shoulder, stopping him. "I'm fine," he whispered, though his blood-red eyes never left the spider tattoo.
Majtani stood in the middle of the arena, laughing maniacally. "I've reinforced my right hand with steel, making my fist strong enough to shatter rocks! And as for this tattoo—anyone who sees the mark of the Phantom Troupe knows they don't stand a chance!"
He turned his back to me, clearly convinced that his display of power had left me trembling. His arrogance was palpable.
"You're scared stiff, aren't you?" he taunted. "I'm one of the Phantom Troupe, and they call me the King of Destruction! Hahaha! That little punch earlier? Just a warm-up! But if you're ready to surrender now, I might spare you. What do you say?"
Kurapika, watching from the sidelines, clenched his fists but managed to keep his cool.
"His story has too many holes," he muttered. "For one thing, the real Phantom Troupe members have numbers on their spider tattoos. And they'd never waste time bragging about their kills."
Everyone's eyes widened in realization.
"So… he's an imposter," Gon said.
Kurapika nodded, his tone deadly serious. "Just a fraud using the Phantom Troupe's name."
Leorio and Gon exchanged glances, relief washing over them, but they remained on edge.
"Even knowing the tattoo is fake, the sight of that spider almost made me lose it," Kurapika admitted, his voice low. "It shows how deep my hatred runs…"
He lowered his head, covering his face with his hand, struggling to hold himself together.
"Better make sure Kurapika never sees a spider tattoo again," Killua whispered to himself, finally piecing everything together.
Meanwhile, Majtani was still laughing. "Kahaha, boy, you—"
"Nice performance."
My quiet voice cut through the arena, silencing Majtani's laughter instantly.
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