A Worthy Opponent (HunterxHunter)

Chapter 3: A Magic Duel

I should have known the city would be 'eventful'. There were so many things happening over here. Over the past week, I've still been staying at a hotel, but I found a forest nearby to run in every day. I also heard Gon was in the hospital, an unfortunate setback. When I had gone to visit him, there were many strangers surrounding the area, or perhaps guarding. I surprisingly hadn't seen Killua, the kid who Gon introduced me to after he got his Hunter License.

My mind wandered back to reality, maintaining my endurance through the new territory. I was running during the day this time because of the weather. Not a cloud in the sky and the winds were crisp.

After an hour or so in the mountains, a distant ringing caught my attention. An unusual hum of energy rushed against me. My gut urged me to stop in my tracks. Dirt slashed my skin at the sudden break. Something was happening, something near. My entire body went on alert as I climbed to the top of a tree, and to my shock, lightning-sparked briefly within the woods, then disappeared over the horizon.

My body grimaced at another burst of energy, and I turned to my left. This one hurt. I clenched my stomach breaking down possible events in my head. Sweat trickled down my forehead.

Someone's aura was in pain. A fight perhaps? My eyes darted anxiously from tree to tree for the source. This was the ringing tugging at me. I immediately leaped off and raced headfirst into it.

Who?

My vision sparked blue, a man is flying into a tree. I gasped speeding up to catch him.

Who am I even saving?

I was taken back as my body collided into an immense force when I caught him as if his body would break right through a tree if he kept flying. I gritted my teeth. "Are you alright?!" I asked.

His heart was still beating but he was knocked out. He wearing a black suit, broken glasses, and was slashed with blood over his pale skin. I set him down at a tree then spun around on instinct.

A familiar presence greeted me. A mysterious man hummed a frivolous tune whilst a dark aura emerged from behind a tree. A card fumbled in his hand. A tear drop and heart saturated his cheeks. His smirk faltered, as if he also recognized me, then his pupils dilated smaller in shock.

"You," I said with an accusatory tone. My eyes pierced through him. "From the election."

"And those eyes of yours were quite fascinating~" he whisked his card away with a smirk so smug, I cringed in vexation. His voice lingered like toxic honey.

I would hate to love it.

His golden eyes lit up in hunger as he approached me. "Mmmm, and just my luck...I was afraid this was getting rather boring~" Those last words were barely audible. He circled me, though I didn't bother moving. Instead, I faced the ground and kept my composure. This person couldn't be taken lightly, even if he was only looking for fun. What would a fight even do right now? My priorities lie in saving the man, not entertaining him.

Before he could talk again, I turned away towards the broken man, leaving silence between us. Blood dripped from his head. My heart weighed solemnly at the sight, wanting nothing more than to ease his pain. Just within the fold of his suite perked a red playing card. I paused in my tracks looming over him.

Those cards...how can they be so sharp?

The jester wandered beside me. His footsteps audibly patted through the grass. "He was not bad. But I still have enough energy for one more round~" He cocked his head with crossed arms and slight admiration for his wounded opponent.