Gon's eyes locked onto the boy as he lunged forward, his movement little more than a blur,
a streak of pink hair slicing through the air like a thrown ribbon.
But Gon didn't focus on the hair. His attention zeroed in on the snake.
It launched from the boy's stick like a spear, fangs gleaming, mouth agape, a wet hiss tearing through the noise of the crowd. It came at him fast, too fast.
No time to hesitate.
Gon triggered his shadow step, mana flaring beneath his skin.
A pulse of power surged through his limbs, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished from where he stood.
The world stretched sideways in a blur of motion, and he reappeared just feet away with a sharp flick of displacement energy.
The snake struck nothing but air, jaws snapping shut with a violent crack.
It recoiled instantly, as if furious, its sinuous body whipping back around the boy's stick in a smooth spiral.
It hissed again, louder this time, frustrated, hungry.
