At this moment, everyone, who had been preparing to go their separate ways, paused because of the scene Raizo had created.
They all looked at Moses with different expressions.
In this year's Hunter Exam, Moses alone had left a profound impression on them, a force that words could not describe.
Although he didn't look much older than them, his strength had already placed him far beyond their reach. They had also deeply realized...
That among their peers, there existed a monster named Moses.
Then, they couldn't help but think of what Netero said at the end of the briefing.
"The moment you step out of this conference room, you will become Pro Hunters like us. We are companions and also competitors."
'Competitors...'
'With a monster like him?'
'No, thank you!'
People like Pokkle, Hanzo and Ponzu shared the same sentiment.
Under the varied stares from those around him, Moses did not say goodbye to Killua and the others, instead striding out of the corridor without a word.
Now, he just wants to fight Netero with all his strength.
Just as Raizo wanted to see the real gap from him, Moses wished to test his growth over the past few years and, likewise, the distance he still had to cover.
Soon, Moses's figure disappeared from everyone's sight.
It was also at this time that Raizo finally broke free from his decadent state, and then he slumped on the ground as if he had lost all his strength.
Hanzo slowly walked to Raizo's side, crossed his arms, and said coolly: "So you actually took that old man's words seriously, huh? Don't kid yourself, we're not even on the same plane as him."
"…"
Hearing Hanzo's sardonic comment, Raizo did not respond. Instead, he slowly unsheathed his sword.
When facing Moses, he was so overwhelmed by his presence that he couldn't even manage to draw his sword.
But against this mouthy bald ninja in front of him, he certainly could put his katana to use.
"Whoa, whoa! I'm just helping you face reality here. What's with the sword? Did I hit a nerve?"
When Hanzo saw Raizo drawing his sword, Hanzo decisively a couple of steps back to maintain a safe distance, but he showed no intention of stopping.
"I don't mean to criticize you, but you should have realized this when we were fighting for the number plate."
"Someone like you, skulking around in the shadows like a sewer rat..."
Veins popped up on Raizo's forehead as he glared at Hanzo. He drew out his katana and said in a deep voice, "Could never understand the conviction of people like us!"
Before he finished speaking, Raizo raised his sword and charged at Hanzo.
"Oh, so you're trying to get your confidence back from me, huh?"
Hanzo leapt back to dodge Raizo's strike, then took off running, clearly not willing to give Raizo that satisfaction.
With an icy gaze and a sword raised, Raizo pursued after Hanzo, determined to silence this irritating chatterbox.
Not far away-
Urtaido pulled out a camera to capture the scene, but Hanzo had already run far away and he couldn't send the photo to him.
Pokkle and Ponzu joined Urtaido, talking about their plans for the future.
Gon and Killua were having a similar conversation.
"Killua, do you want to come visit my place?"
Gon invited him with a smile.
Killua held the back of his head with his hands, and his eyes were looking in the direction where Moses left. Upon hearing Gon's invitation, his interest was piqued.
"Sure."
He agreed readily.
But-
Before heading to Gon's home, he wanted to find Moses first.
Leorio, standing on the side, put his Hunter License into his suitcase with satisfaction.
With this license, he won't have to pay the hefty tuition fees when attending a public medical school.
Before parting ways, the group that had forged life-and-death bonds during the Hunter Exam gathered with smiles, exchanging a few last words.
Only Kurapika seemed preoccupied. As he chatted with Gon and the others, he kept glancing toward Hisoka, who was leaning against the wall in the distance, idly toying with a deck of playing cards.
The other party did not leave immediately and looked like he was waiting for something.
"…"
Kurapika stared at Hisoka's profile, and the whispers that Hisoka had shared during the final test flashed through his mind.
"Let me tell you something about the Spiders. If you're interested, I'll be waiting for you in Yorknew City on September 1st."
It was this single sentence that had compelled him to concede defeat in their one-on-one match, and after the exam briefing, he chose not to pursue Hisoka for further answers.
Because he knew that after Hisoka gave him such a clear date and place, he wouldn't reveal any additional information.
A little while later…
Pokkle, Geretta, Ponzu, and Urtaido came over to say goodbye to Gon and his friends before leaving the venue, each heading off in a different direction.
Leorio soon said goodbye to Gon and the others and set out on the journey back to his hometown to attend the medical school.
As for Gon, Killua, and Kurapika, they all stayed behind at the venue for now.
Killua and Kurapika both wanted to speak with Moses, while Gon stayed back to wait for Killua.
Meanwhile, Hisoka left the venue just before Leorio, though he had no intention of leaving the oasis just yet.
Part of the reason was that he, too, wanted to wait for Moses. Another reason was the sudden message he had received from Moses.
"I have something to talk to you about."
With that simple message, Hisoka obediently went to meet Moses.
A few minutes later-
Moses was now fiddling with a deck of cards he'd requested from Hisoka.
Beside him, Hisoka drooped his eyelids and said listlessly, "I thought this would be something important."
After receiving the text message, he had hurried over to find Moses, but it turned out that Moses just asked him for a deck of cards.
"Well, it's actually quite important," Moses replied, waving the cards in front of Hisoka, "I need these right now."
Upon hearing this, Hisoka narrowed his eyes and suddenly became interested. He then asked, "Important, you say? How so?"
"Guess."
"…"
Hisoka immediately fell silent.
A slight smile played at the corner of Moses's lips.
He planned to use these playing cards to try out the Divine Script, [Exchange Position]—a preparation for his upcoming spar with Netero.
Of course, there was no way he'd let Hisoka in on this.
Even if he didn't mind letting Hisoka watch the fight, he knew it would be hard to get Netero's permission.
"Wait for my call."
Moses said before turning and walking away.
Hisoka, who already had the prototype of a tool, could only watch Moses leave with an unhappy face.
Meanwhile-
On the sand some distance away from the venue.
Milluki lowered his head, holding the remote control with a small screen in his hand.
He stood there like a piece of wood, but sweat was pouring down his face. Even his clothes were soaked, as if he'd just been fished out of water.
Kalluto, who was standing nearby, noticed something was wrong and frowned as he looked at Milluki, who seemed as frozen as a statue.
What's even more strange is Milluki's sudden profuse sweating reaction...
Even if it was due to the heat, he hadn't shown any signs of sweating like this the entire way here.
"What's the situation?"
Kalluto asked softly, holding back his curiosity.
Milluki's hands holding the remote control trembled for a moment, then he turned his neck mechanically and slowly looked at Kalluto beside him.
"I... think I might have heatstroke. Maybe I should go home first?"
"???"
A flurry of question marks seemed to pop up over Kalluto's watermelon head.