Third Person POV (Machi)

08:15 AM

The morning after the incident,

Meteor City,

In a dilapidated church surrounded by lumps of waste and metal.

The place was dark, and only a few rays of light entered through the painted windows.

“Are you sure you want to do this boss? That new trainee might die.” A blonde guy asked another. The man to whom he addressed the question was admiring the ceiling with a wistful expression.

His hair and eyes were black as night. He wore a simple purple long-sleeved T-shirt over faded jeans. As he gazed at the man who spoke, the sadness seemed to wash off, and what replaced it was a spirited smile.

The people seated on the service benches all looked towards him.

“Just a small hazing. Unless the kid is even nastier than you guys said?” He asked in a playful tone as he stared at the two people closest to him.

“I’m not sure. But....” A pink-haired girl answered before taking a small break in her speech. As she remembered that Kid’s “Ren” she continued:

“But?” One person in the audience asked.

“I think in terms of pure power, he’s already above Pakunoda.”

A dozen of people surrounded the man called “boss.” Before he could talk again, one of them spoke:

“Pakunoda isn’t a pure fighter, don’t forget that.” A small guy wearing black clothes said. His collar hid his chin and mouth. Probably for that reason, his voice had a burbling tone.

However, he delivered and articulated slowly enough for people to hear him.

“Feitan is right, but the kid has value. Good enhancers are precious, even for us.” This time the speaker was a blonde man in tracksuits.

“You’re saying this because you’re the second strongest enhancer in the troupe, Phinks. If that kid wants my position, he’ll have to fight for it!” A savage-looking giant retorted loudly. However, his grin betrayed his excitement.

“Why are you so quiet, Nobunaga?” the man who just spoke asked the man seated next to him. The man dressed in ancient eastern fashion and a conic straw hat hid his eyes. His most remarkable feature was the big saber strapped to his tissue belt.

“You’re all too noisy. Just kill the brat if he refuses to join.” The man said with a high pitch before taking one too many sips from a nearby gourd.

“...” Everyone looked at him with an odd expression for a few seconds. Then the man who spoke loudly laughed while the rest either facepalmed or shook their heads.

“As expected from our ace.” The blonde man near the stage winked and gave the former a thumbs up.

“...Peh.” The man called Nobunaga spat in disgust, clearly unable to distinguish the hint of sarcasm.

Everyone seemed to have their own opinions at that moment. It was also at that time that the man called “boss” coughed to clear the room’s air.

“Machi...” He said haltingly.

“Yes, boss.”

“What do you think?”

Everyone’s eyes focused on the girl at this precise moment. For some reason, her opinion seemed very relevant to them.

“The boy needs to be recruited at all costs.”

When those words got out of her mouth, everyone’s face turned serious.

“Why?”

The boss asked again.

“Something is off about him.” She replied naturally.

“How so?”

“Just a hunch.” She shrugged and said.

“...” The church went silent once more except that this time the air was a bit frosty.

“I’ve learned not to take that hunch of yours lightly over the years.” The boss said seriously. He then asked:

“If you took me as a nine...On a scale of one to ten, what’s the kid’s potential?.”

The girl thought nonchalantly on an answer. She then used her fingers and replied:

“Eleven.”

After she said this, Machi was too absorbed to notice the unusual expression the man showed or the contemptuous comments from her comrades.

She still thought when the boss gave new orders to the blonde at her side.

Most of the members felt her evaluation to be ludicrous. But she, herself knew how humble it was

“I haven’t been so alarmed by anybody before I met that fellow…” She thought.

Machi had chills when she recalled that sadistic smile and that distasteful make-up. That freak’s aura wasn’t particularly strong, but he was the most difficult man in her mind until yesterday.

…………………………………….

Third Person POV (Gon)

Flashback:

06:05 AM,

The morning after the incident,

Yorknew, Southside,

An alley behind a pawn shop,

“What?”

“Your brother is called Zepile? Is he a carver by any chance?”

Saegusa’s announcement astounded Gon.

“Yes, why?”

“Do you know each other?” The girl asked curiously.

“The thing is…” Gon, who was digesting the information, went speechless after her question. He couldn’t tell her that he had yet to meet the guy, could he?

The chances of all of this being a setup were small, but he didn’t want her growing suspicious.

“So?” Saegusa was still waiting for an answer. Gon, who felt rushed and was a lousy liar, finally remembered something important. Zepile could use nen!

“Can you see anything?” Gon used his fingers to draw a circle in the air. As his nen materialized, he looked in the girl’s eye and asked.

“No. Did you do something?” Saegusa was confused.

“As I thought.” He sighed. He was betting on Zepile being able to use nen on his carvings right now. In the past, Killua and Gon were able to find several of Zepile’s counterfeits thanks to the trace left on them.

But Zepile never told them exactly since when he was able to use nen. The guy didn’t even know what nen was. It was only after the two teens explained it that he understood.

Right now, Gon was betting on something.

In his last life, Wing told Gon that some people used nen from birth or awakened it naturally. Most of them were unaware that they were using nen, but some were able to use it for their benefits, despite not knowing what that aura was.

People in several professions used nen without knowing it, especially when they felt enlightened or experienced sudden pangs of inspiration. Among these people were scholars, artists, or even athletes.

What Gon was betting on was Zepile being one of these blessed people. And if it was the case, the chances of his sister being able also to use or understand nen were high.

“I can’t see anything.” The girl didn’t understand but replied honestly.

“Too bad.” Gon said.

“Does it have something to do with why you’re so strong?” Saegusa asked curiously.

“You used some kind of energy earlier, didn’t you?”

“Yes.” Gon smiled when he realized she was getting interested. He felt terrible for lying about his relationship with her brother, but he had to meet him.

“Hm. Does it have something to do with you knowing my brother?”

“My brother can’t fight, you know,” Saegusa said while frowning this time.

“Haha. Don’t worry. I don’t want to fight him.” Gon tried to hold his laughter down. “The energy you can’t see is called nen. You can also use it to produce works of art.” Gon told a half-truth.

“I...see.” Saegusa blushed and exhaled a sigh of relief.

“As you can probably already guess, your brother can use that mysterious energy as well.” Gon said while looking in her eyes.

“Hm.” The girl nodded.

“Your brother uses that energy in different ways than mine. But the key thing is, I’m looking for talented people like him.”

“Why?” She inquired.

“Here it comes...I wish Killua were here to help in moments like these.” Gon scratched his head and thought.

“I know it may sound a bit pretentious as I’m only nine, but…” Gon paused.

“But?”

“I had plans to create this big business empire with people like your brother. To make it short, I need your brother’s help.” Gon said with a genuine smile when telling the last sentence.

“Hm...” Saegusa looked at Gon with an appealing face.

“What?” Gon shook inside but still asked.

“If you told this to me before I witnessed what you did tonight, I would have probably laughed in your face.” Saegusa smiled.

“Yes, it sounds a bit fishy for sure.” Gon admitted.

“But now even if I have some doubts, I owe you. And even if I didn’t, I know you’re a good kid. Hehe.” She chuckled.

This time Gon blushed.

“I don’t know how my brother can help you, but we need to leave this city in any case.”

Saegusa walked by a nearby wall where she took a poster off. This time her face was on it.

She looked at it for a few seconds before she sighed and said firmly:

“We need a telephone booth for this one.”

“Why?” Gon asked naively.

“The cops are after us, dummy! What if they traced my phone...” As she said the words, she realized a big problem.

“Who’s the dummy now?” Gon smirked and replied.

“What to do?” Saegusa finally panicked and asked the boy. Given how abnormal he was, he probably had ways for them to leave the town in secret.

But how would they get to her brother and flee from hundreds of armed cops if they already surveyed him?

“Just tell me where he leaves, and we’ll find somewhere near where you can hide.

I promise you I’ll be able to pick him up and leave safely.” Gon reassured.

“Are you sure?” The girl asked with gravity. “This is our life on the line, Gon.”

“Don’t you want to get your brother?” He asked calmly. “We don’t have any other choice.”

“I guess you’re right.” The girl realized her foolishness. She couldn’t leave her brother here at the end of the day.

“So have you decided?” The boy asked again.

“I’ll lead the way…” Saegusa's resignment showed in her answer. Despite her trembling, she had come to a resolution.

Her resolve made the kid wonder if she was already used to the sight of blood.

“But let’s call and see where he is first.” She added.

Gon nodded.

…………………………………………

End of Flashback:

Twenty hours following the talk between Gon and Saegusa.

In a forest somewhere, Hundred of miles away from Yorknew,

“So, kid, you’re saying I’m also able to use that weird nen thing?”

Gon glanced at the two people he was holding in each arm while running and held his laughter.

“They look nothing like each other…” He thought in secret.