Chapter 287: Opening Eyes with Deception
"Why are you glaring at me?" Auren says, slightly amused as he looks at Killua, still not accepting Auren's surprise appearance.
"That's not very nice... should I talk to your father and complain?" he continues.
"..." Reluctantly, Killua drops his glare and, in a resigned fashion, lowers his head.
"Much better," Auren says. "How about a simple test of your eyesight, reactions, and senses. It should be quite easy for someone like you."
"That doesn't tell me anything... tell me exactly what I need to do," Killua requests, doubt appearing on his face as he suspiciously looks at Auren.
"Leroute!" Auren yells towards the back. "When I give you the sign, count from five to one. At one, start a timer. Examinee 99 has to touch me within ten seconds, and he only gets one chance. If he misses, he loses. He has to do that three times, and if he succeeds, I'll count that as my loss. Besides that... the 'usual' rules apply, I guess."
I'm leaving him a way out.
"That's... unfair!" Killua points out. "Three times? You can just run away... and ten seconds is not a lot..."
"The ring is small, you can do it, Killua!" Gon yells.
"You misunderstand," Auren says. "Obviously, you'd never be able to catch me. Don't worry. I won't use speed to evade you. I told you this is about eyesight, reactions, and senses, didn't you pay attention? Get in the middle of the ring, and we can begin. Or are you scared? Are you just a kid like the others?"
"... Fine! I'll beat you at your own game," Killua says, his expression now deadly serious.
"Leroute, you can start counting now," Auren says, slowly but rhythmically moving around Killua, creating nine afterimages of himself.
"That's...!" Gon yells. "That's the same technique Killua used during the ball game! They all look the same."
"What kind of trick is that?!" Leorio screams, pointing a finger at Auren. "That's... projectors, some kind of trick."
Stunned and slightly late, Leroute counts. "Five... four... three... two... one... start!"
Killua does not react right away and instead slowly observes Auren. In the background, a timer echoes through the arena every second.
After exactly five seconds, Killua reacts and walks towards one image of Auren, tapping him on the shoulder.
Stopping, Auren lets the afterimages disappear and stands exactly in front of Killua.
"See... you can do it," Auren says.
"Don't think you can fool me this easily... at that speed, I'd be a total hopeless case if I couldn't recognize the real you... especially since you are using a technique I learned shortly after I could walk." Killua says.
"See, you learned it a lot earlier than I did, so you're at an advantage," Auren says, shrugging. "Next round."
Killua, now slightly more comfortable, returns to the center of the stage.
Auren repeats his earlier maneuver, but this time he is sprinting. "Start!" he yells as he creates not the nine images from earlier, but raises the number to a total of 29, adding complicated and rushed movements instead of his earlier walk. Exactly thirty copies of Auren are now erratically running around the ring, jumping, ducking, spinning, and sidestepping.
"This is insane! How is this possible?!" Leorio yells. "He's so fast... I couldn't even follow him without the afterimages!"
"I can't... spot a difference," Kurapika states, his eyes revealing genuine shock.
"You can..." Gon points out. "Listen closely. He must have done this on purpose to give him a chance."
"I don't hear anything... no steps, nothing," Leorio says. "What do you mean?"
"Five... four... three... two... one," Leroute counts down again, leaving Killua far more challenged.
Looking around, Killua's face shows a total lack of understanding and realization.
However, after six seconds, he closes his eyes.
Two seconds later, he finally makes his move and sprints towards one image of Auren.
Stopping all movement, Auren once again stands directly in front of Killua, as the images of himself disappear.
"Not bad," he says. "Two out of three... just one more."
"Your swords... they are not really high quality and do not fit your outfit... they make sounds as they move inside the sheaths," Killua points out. "They are cheap garbage."
"Indeed," Auren says, grabbing his two cheap katanas and snapping them in the middle with just his fingers, before throwing both the broken blades and the sheaths back towards Leroute, "Throw them away for me later, will you?"
A guard steps forward, grabs them, and carries them away.
"So those were just a disguise... I know your real sword... the black one... it's practically famous," Killua points out. "So this time... no sound? No handicap?"
Upon that realization, Killua, for the first time, looks genuinely worried.
"No, this was the real task. The next round is extremely simple, you'll see," Auren explains. "You know... that Jester was a little too playful and arrogant... I don't like it when people like him target people like you who are... unaware."
"Unaware..." Kurapika mutters, eyeing Auren carefully.
"What does he mean?" Leorio wonders. "I don't get it."
"However... a few of his tricks were quite impressive," Auren continues. "How about I show you one of mine?"
He then snaps his fingers, and a large amount of fog fills the stage.
This one will be interesting.
"What is this fog?! Is there a fog machine somewhere?" Leorio yells.
"It's... way too dense for that... what is this?" Kurapika asks. "Was there already fog gathered under the stage?"
"It just appeared..." Gon states. "It... came from him!"
Smiling, Auren creates two Water Clones of himself, the fog completely obscuring him and making it impossible for the others, even Killua, to see anything.
Finally, both of his clones loudly snap their fingers again, while Auren yells, "Start," uses Zetsu, and jumps back into the corridor with the prisoners.
While Leroute counts down again, the fog slowly clears until it completely disappears after five seconds, leaving just two images of Auren behind, slowly and rhythmically circling around Killua.
"Huh?!" almost everyone yells.
"Just two?! He's out of steam, you got this, brat," Leorio yells.
"It's obviously a trap," Kurapika states. "This will be difficult."
"If you don't know, just guess! You've got a fifty percent chance!" Gon yells.
As the time ticks down, Killua stares at the images of Auren. However, this time he's completely confused. He constantly switches between them, briefly closes his eyes, and then stares at the images with piercing intensity.
When the time is almost up, with just one second left, he yells in frustration and charges towards one image. "Damn it!"
Then suddenly, just as Killua is about to touch the image of Auren, it disappears right in front of his face, causing Killua's eyes to widen, his hand slightly shaking.
Hehe....
"Damn it...!" he screams, turning around and glaring at the 'other Auren'. "You... this is impossible?! How did you do it? I can even see through Dad's Rhythm Echo at that speed, especially if I'm given enough time. With just two... this is... this doesn't make any sense! This wasn't Rhythm Echo! You faked it...!"
Auren's copy walks right at Killua, and just before it is about to reach him, it disappears as well, leaving the ring completely empty with just Killua inside.
"Huh?!" Killua yells.
"Didn't pay too much attention, did you?" Auren yells from the corridor, staring at Killua.
"I guess you failed... but since I left the ring before you guessed wrong, you win. At least you made a decision. Usually, it's best to just go with your gut and not overthink if the solution is completely out of reach," Auren explains. "Also... if you want one piece of advice. Sometimes it's important to expect the unexpected. When things appear too simple, and you are confronted by someone you can't exactly gauge, they usually are. Anyway, examinee 99, you win. I've also got one more prize for you."
"What is it...?" Killua asks, his face still pale, full of confusion.
"You won..." Auren states, pausing for dramatic effect. "A fifty-hour prison stay with your friends. Congratulations."
"..."
"..."
With that, Auren walks off, Leroute following him.
"You... what was that? Are you even a human being?" she asks, walking after him.
As Auren returns to the end of the corridor, multiple guards stand ready, and Lippo's subordinate, the one who escorted Auren there, addresses him respectfully. "I'm ready to escort you back, Hunter Auren."
Immediately, the other guards, shackles in their hands, walk towards the other prisoners.
Sighing loudly, Leroute stretches out her hands, having already resigned herself.
Auren turns around, looking at her. "Given up?"
"... I won't beg!" she says, staring right at Auren.
Impressive.
"Good enough," Auren says, shrugging. "Don't cuff her; I'm taking her with me."
"You... can't do that, she's a dangerous criminal with a lengthy prison sentence," the guard, who is about to cuff her, comments.
"That sentence got shortened a lot, and I don't think gambling and poaching are all that dangerous," Auren says, a little amused by the guard's insistence.
"Don't worry... it's on my authority, and I take full responsibility," Auren promises, smiling at the guard, who can't help but step back.
Following after Lippo's subordinate, Auren immediately feels a hint of regret as Leroute walks beside him, grabbing onto his arm and smiling widely.
"Don't do that," Auren immediately chastises her. "Not only will it destroy my reputation, it's also not the reason I'm bringing you with me. Don't expect to be free after this. I'm going to put you to work, and you'll probably be in a lot of danger as well. You just traded a wet and moldy prison cell for an open-air prison."
"Good enough for me," she says. "My offer still stands... I'm willing to do anything, especially if it's you. I had heard about you before I was arrested... you won Battle Olympia... and now you won it again. What luck... I didn't expect such a Prince Charming to come and rescue me. Even if you turn out to be a monster... and chain me for the rest of my life. If it's someone like you, I'm fine with that."
"I don't need to chain anyone," Auren simply replies. "Also... you're misunderstanding something entirely."
Returning to Lippo's office, not only Lippo, but also Neffi and Vanessa stare at Auren, who is being followed by Leroute.
"Don't tell me you..." Vanessa says, her mouth hanging open.
"Did it again..." Neffi finishes the sentence for her.
"Do you think this is an all-you-can-eat buffet?" Lippo asks. "You can't just grab prisoners you like... especially the hot ones; this is unfair. Do you know how boring it is for the guards and me around here?"
"Stop the bullshit," Auren replies. "She's going out with us. Neffi, Vanessa. You two decide who wants her. You should be grateful that I'm serving you a top-grade talent on a silver platter. She saw through my Zetsu. This might be a surprise and, frankly, an opportunity bigger than you can even imagine."
"I want someone younger... I'd feel weird training someone older than me," Neffi says, eyeing her with great care. "She looks like she's at least twenty."
"Twenty-one..." Leroute says, confused by the situation. "Uhm... I'm not really into girls... to be perfectly honest... but if that's what it takes to get out of here, I'll oblige."
"You are stupid! That's not it," Neffi yells angrily. "Forget it..."
"You are both older than I am," Auren immediately points out. "A couple years... especially after recent events... don't matter. Decades... don't matter. You might regret it, Neffi."
"No, it's fine. If she's worthy, she can be my friend, but not my student; that's... just weird," Neffi states, shaking her head.
"I guess... I'll take her then," Vanessa speaks up. "Also to teach her her place in the pecking order at the same time, hehe," Vanessa says, lowering her head and looking at Leroute.
"Since it's your recommendation..." Vanessa says, taking off her helmet and approaching her. "I'm Vanessa; it's nice to meet you."
Guess... that's solved then.
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