The Otonari's Last [Draft, Discontinued]

IX - the Fourth Phase

After Lippo explains the point system, we board a small boat to take us to Zevil Island.

"I'd like to commend everyone on board for their excellent work during the Hunter Exam's Third Phase!" a woman on the ship with us says through her microphone. "I will serve as your guide. My name is Khara! It will take two hours for this boat to reach Zevil Island." After these words, I tune out.

Two hours? What a drag... I put my headphones on and listen to my music. I notice Leorio and Kurapika look at me nervously, and I sigh. I pull out my card, showing them both that they weren't my target. They relax, and I close my eyes after putting the card away.

I sit in silence for the rest of the trip, ignoring other male competitors who tried to talk to me. We reach the shoreline of Zevil Island, and Khara lays a wooden plank down so we could get across. I shut off my music and stand, joining the crowd as we waited to leave the boat.

"Thanks for your patience, everyone. We've finally arrived at Zevil Island! Now, please disembark in the order by which you cleared the Third Phase. After each person disembarks, we'll wait two minutes before the next person's turn. You will stay on this island for exactly one week. During that time, you must amass your six points of ID tags and return here. Alright then, the first person may start!" One by one, each person disembarks the ship. I turn my music back on, pretty sure that I would be able to capture my target's tag relatively quickly.

"The fourth person may start!" I hear the woman call over my music. I shoot the boys a quick peace sign before leaving the ship. I climb into a tree, waiting for everyone to get off the boat. It's not any fun when there's only four people.

*Some Time Later*

My target left just a bit ago... He shouldn't have gotten far.

I trek into the woods, ignoring my follower for now. I had just taken my tag off before we docked at the island, allowing the person who had gotten my number to realize it was me that he was after.

I see a glimpse of my target's reddish-brown hair over the tall grass, and quickly conceal my presence. I slow my breathing and halt my movement. I was about twenty feet away from him: just the right distance for my ribbon. I pull it out quietly, being very careful not to jostle my bag too much. Thankfully, my target faced away from me, and I could safely pull back my arm and launch the ribbon. It wrapped around the lower half of his face, and I quickly ran toward him. I wrapped the rest of the ribbon around his body, rendering his arms and legs useless. I place one knee on his chest and press my hand over the cloth covering his mouth and nose.

"Sorry about this," I say, giving him a sympathetic look, "but I have to pass this exam." The suffocation causes him to black out, and I reach into his bag, latching onto his tag and tucking it into my own bag. I suddenly sense a presence from behind me, and swiftly duck under an arrow as it passes by me.

"Darn," I hear a voice say. I crouch in the grass, very aware that he probably had another arrow ready to shoot. "It's too bad that you dodged. The arrow was coated with a fast-acting tranquilizer. This causes violence that I didn't want, especially after watching what you did to number 255. That kick could've shattered his jaw, had there been any more strength behind it."

"You're observant," I call out to him. "What's your name?"

"Pokkle. And yours?"

"You can call me Ara." I launch myself toward his voice and shove my fist into his stomach. The breath leaves his lungs, and he drops his bow. Smirking, I kick his chest, forcing him to fly away from me. I approach his fallen form. "I suggest you let me be. I don't like unnecessary conflict, so you should probably find three others' tags to steal." I walk away from him, and notice Gon sitting in a tree. I smile and wave at him, which he immediately returns.