Killua's attack was blocked by Ron once again.
"How is that possible?"
Killua's pupils contracted, and disbelief flooded his face.
"Why is Ron just as good in the dark, like it has no effect on him? Could he have gone through similar training? Is Ron from a family of assassins, too?"
Killua looked toward Ron, biting his lip.
"In that case, I'll try this one more thing. If it still doesn't work, I'll give up."
The next moment—
"Rhythm Echo!"
Killua's figure split into more than a dozen afterimages, circling Ron in a ring. Each phantom looked hazy, yet appeared as solid as the real one.
"Attack!"
All of them lunged at once, palms rigid like knives. If they hit flesh, they'd pierce deep.
Ron hesitated briefly.
"I've just been dodging and blocking, but that no longer serves any purpose. I might as well land one move. Time to end this lesson."
When the illusions closed in on Ron…
Slash!
Killua's hand-knife stabbed into what should have been Ron's body.
"I did it?"
Killua's eyes lit up momentarily—then froze in disappointment. He felt no sensation of hitting flesh at all; it felt like plunging into air.
Ron's form slowly faded before his eyes.
"A mirage?"
In that instant, Ron reappeared behind Killua. He raised a finger, bent it, then flicked Killua's head.
"Argh!"
Killua gasped in pain, clutching his head and darting away. "That hurts!"
Ron walked to the switch and flipped the lights back on.
Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio, now able to see again, realized the two had already stopped. Ron stood by the switch, looking perfectly fine, while Killua stood off to the side, rubbing his head vigorously.
"It's over?"
"Who won?" Leorio asked reflexively.
Kurapika shot him a look.
"Isn't that obvious?"
Gon excitedly approached Ron.
"Ron, can we have a match, too?"
Hearing that, Hisoka perked up, clearly intrigued. Ron glanced at Gon and shook his head.
"Next time. I'm a bit tired right now and want to rest. Another time is fine."
"Okay."
Though turned down, Gon didn't seem upset; he appeared to treat it like a firm promise. He trotted over to Killua.
"You okay, Killua?"
"I'm fine," Killua said, shaking his head. That flick from Ron had really hurt, but the pain quickly subsided.
He'd grown up enduring pain—Illumi's whips alone were countless. Still, something else weighed on his mind: how could Ron fight so effectively in the dark?
"Ron, can I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"Something about Heaven's Arena…" Killua trailed off.
Ron regarded him for a moment.
"Let's talk tonight."
"Sure."
They left the training room. Illumi, standing at a distance, watched Killua departing with Ron but didn't follow. If it had been only Hisoka, Illumi might have worried, but he trusted Ron not to let Hisoka pull anything. After the point-of-contact duel, Ron had proven himself capable of facing Hisoka. Just as Illumi had once warned Hisoka about Killua, so too would Ron—and that was the nature of the Zoldyck family.
Leorio and Kurapika sat across from each other, dinner on the table—provided free by the Hunter Association.
"Kurapika, do you think we can actually pass the Hunter Exam?" Leorio asked.
"Why ask?"
"We barely scraped by in the third stage. You, me, Gon—we're not all that strong compared to the others. Killua's way above us. And Ron's way above him. Then there's that terrifying Hisoka… plus Illumi, who finished first in Trick Tower, must be crazy strong too. And there's Tonpa, with tons of experience. I feel so out of my depth."
Leorio sighed. Kurapika was silent for a few seconds.
"I don't know what you're thinking, but I must become a Hunter—no matter what. If it can't be this year, then next year. If not then, the year after. There's something I need to do that requires a Hunter License. That's my burden."
He continued, "Leorio, if you're already scared, there's no shame in dropping out. It's not like you have an absolute need to be a Hunter. What you want could be obtained through other means."
Leorio's eyes narrowed. After a moment, he smiled.
"Thanks. But since I've come this far, quitting isn't in my nature."
Kurapika nodded, saying nothing more.
Night fell. Killua found Ron.
"Ron."
Ron gestured to a seat beside him.
"Have a seat."
Killua obliged.
"Ron, are you from an assassin family too?"
"Why do you ask?"
"In the dark earlier, you moved like you weren't handicapped at all. Normally that's impossible without specialized training. Usually only assassin families train that way."
Ron nodded.
"I've had training like that," he said, though he didn't confirm or deny an assassin lineage.
"I have another question. Did your family have dealings with the Zoldycks? I mean, I can't figure out why you agreed to my challenge so easily," Killua added.