Speaking up for what's right comes at a price—Kisho had long been prepared for that—
Like hell!
He never would have imagined that this guy, who was completely in the wrong and knew it himself, could still hit this hard.
Wind blades, rock spikes, fists and kicks… aside from Nen flames that might cause a fire, Kisho even used Chapter of the Stars, yet he still couldn't find even a single chance to counterattack amid Ging's storm-like assault—he couldn't even run.
—In other words, he was being chased down and beaten the whole time.
What made Kisho feel even worse was that from beginning to end, Ging never used "Nen." Using only physical strength and speed, he rendered Kisho completely unable to fight back.
But Kisho sensed no malice at all in Ging's moves.
Rather than retaliation for his "speaking up," this fight felt more like Ging being curious about him, and probing his background through this method.
"Bang!"
Kisho barely raised his arm to block Ging's punch, then was playfully kicked in the side of the waist. The huge force sent him stumbling back again and again, until his back slammed into a tree and he barely managed to steady himself.
After that kick, Mr. Ging finally had his fill of the one-sided "beating up a kid" game. He stopped attacking and looked at Kisho leisurely.
"Yo, you're pretty tough. Your fundamentals are solid, kid."
Kisho responded with silence, slowly adjusting his breathing.
Seeing Kisho still maintaining a guarded stance, a flash of appreciation passed through Ging's eyes.
Nen reserves far beyond his peers, bizarre and ever-changing Nen abilities. Though lacking in hand-to-hand combat, every move he used carried a clean, decisive ruthlessness.
On top of that, an awareness that never relaxed no matter what, and a calm mindset even when facing overwhelming disadvantage.
Very impressive…
That hair color looks a bit like a kid who came out of Kukuroo Mountain—but the age doesn't match.
So what, a disciple taught by some old monster from the Hunter Association?
Or did the world change while he buried himself in ruins for a few years, and he just couldn't keep up anymore?
Thinking this, Ging's expression changed. Without any courtesy, he directly asked Kisho:
"Kid, who taught you Nen?"
Kisho: "…"
Master… uh, that name's not exactly easy to say.
Facing Kisho's silence, Ging narrowed his eyes and raised his fist threateningly.
"Spit it out honestly, or I'll keep beating you!"
Kisho fell silent for a short moment, then suddenly felt there was nothing worth hiding.
—More importantly, Ging clearly wasn't joking. He didn't want to keep taking a one-sided beating.
So Kisho said:
"…The spider."
There was nothing wrong with saying it that way—the leader taught him the basics and advanced techniques of Nen; the other members of the troupe taught him how to use Nen abilities in combat.
But Ging clearly misunderstood. His expression suddenly turned strange.
"…A spider?"
Kisho froze.
Ging's unexpected reaction made him cry out internally, applaud, and cheer.
"Ah yes, yes, absolutely right!"
Ging: "…"
It suddenly dawned on him what Kisho had said.
The moment it did, he flashed to Kisho's side, then casually flipped a hand. Kisho's already tattered shirt—ruined from the earlier one-sided beating—was completely torn off.
Kisho's expression changed abruptly.
Under the surge of intense emotion, his left eye suddenly turned silver-blue. Violent Nen waves exploded outward from his body, snapping all the surrounding trees—
Yet Ging, standing right beside him, was completely unaffected. He merely lifted a hand to press down his hat, preventing it from being blown away by the Nen pressure.
His gaze was fixed straight on the spider tattoo on Kisho's back.
A few seconds later, he said softly:
"Yo. So you really are a little spider."
The words sounded teasing, but there wasn't the slightest hint of a joke in his tone.
A sharp Nen pressure erupted from Ging as well, and in an instant, Kisho's back was soaked with sweat.
Staring at Kisho, Ging asked unhurriedly:
"That Chrollo… set his sights on Whale Island?"
Kisho: "…"
Wow. Even in an extremely dangerous situation, hearing a name like "that Chrollo" still gave him an inexplicable sense of humor.
Seeing Ging's Nen pressure grow ever more terrifying, Kisho slowly raised his hands in surrender.
"If I say I'm just here to take the Hunter Exam and wait for the guide… would you believe me?"
"Who do you think you're fooling?" Ging's gaze remained icy. "There are still four months until the Hunter Exam!"
Kisho's eyes rolled. Without changing expression, he spun a lie.
"…Our leader said that if I fail, I shouldn't come back and embarrass him. So to be safe, I came early to scout the place."
"Heh." Ging sneered. "You just used a Transmutation-type ability, didn't you?"
He didn't believe a word of Kisho's nonsense.
"From how well you control it, you're definitely a Transmutation-type Nen user. Anything a Transmutation-type says—don't believe a single word."
"No, I'm actually Enhancement-type." Kisho said with utmost sincerity. "I'm not lying. If you don't believe me, I can do the water divination test for you."
Ging: "…"
Could he really have guessed wrong?
But he had clearly seen this kid transform Nen into all kinds of strange elements. If he weren't someone who could train Transmutation-type Nen to 100%, that would be basically impossible.
Yet at the beginning, he'd also seen this kid healing the foxbear's injuries; and the strength he showed while taking that beating just now—
From those points, calling him Enhancement-type wasn't wrong either.
"Fine. I'll believe you."
Ging withdrew his Nen pressure.
"But I'm still warning you—don't set your sights on Whale Island."
"…Is there anything on Whale Island worth me setting my sights on?"
Kisho rolled his eyes irritably while bending down to pick up his shredded shirt.
Though that annoying guy had torn it completely down the middle, wearing it like a tank top would still do. Better than going shirtless.
—Still, damn annoying.
Kisho decided to get his revenge verbally. He looked at Ging.
"Tsk. You only mention Whale Island and don't mention Gon at all—so in your heart, Whale Island is more important than Gon, huh?"
Ging: "…"
Then, unable to take it anymore, he raised his fist.
"Bang—!"
...
"The current Gon no longer needs a father."
After the beating, Kisho stood side by side with Ging and heard him speak slowly.
"The forest is his father. And what the forest can teach him is far more than what I can."
Kisho was speechless.
"Can I take that as an excuse for dodging responsibility—sorry, I won't say any more."
Only then did Ging withdraw his threatening gaze. He snorted coldly and continued:
"On his side, don't do anything unnecessary. And there's no need to tell him about my existence."
Kisho turned his head.
"What counts as unnecessary?"
"You'll understand after spending some time with that kid. His sensitivity far exceeds your imagination."
A proud look appeared on Ging's face.
"He'll soon notice the existence of 'Nen' through you. But don't let him come into contact with 'Nen' too early."
His expression turned serious.
"Uncontrolled 'Nen abilities' only bring disaster."
Kisho froze.
Ging's words made him involuntarily think of the Phantom Troupe, of Lashan Mountain, of the Republic of Pinsge's underworld, of the explosion he saw that night—
Overwhelming blood-red scenes, corpses, severed limbs.
Uncontrolled "Nen" only brings disaster.
After a few seconds of silence, he replied solemnly:
"…I understand."
"But—" Kisho looked at Ging.
"I've agreed to your two conditions already. Shouldn't you teach me something in return? For example… that kind of 'Zetsu' that can completely hide oneself?"
Ging narrowed his eyes.
"Tsk. As expected of a little spider—never do anything without benefits."
Kisho blinked and put on an innocent, pure, and adorable smile.
Watching this kid switch faces faster than flipping a book, Ging once again began to doubt the kid's Nen affinity.
Just then, hurried footsteps came from the bushes.
As the footsteps drew closer, Ging's face suddenly turned uglier than a ghost's.
Panicking, he tossed out a line—
"Tomorrow, avoid Gon. I'll come find you. If you dare reveal my existence, you're dead."
Then he vanished on the spot, as if he'd never appeared at all.
Kisho: "…"
"…Kisho, are you okay?"
Gon's panting, broken voice reached Kisho's ears from behind.
Perhaps because he'd been beaten so badly by Ging, when Kisho turned around and saw Gon staring at him with those big eyes, they were full of anxiety and concern.
Being looked at by such eyes, Kisho suddenly felt guilty, deeply burdened by the guilt of having to hide Ging's existence.
He shook his head.
"It's fine. I'm okay."
He pointed at the poachers still lying on the ground and smiled at Gon.
"See? All taken care of."
The setting sun sinking beyond the mountains reflected in the boy's eyes like warm flames.
"Don't worry. I told you it'd be fine—no little animals were hurt~"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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