The mist swallowed everything.
Noah, Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio moved carefully through the swamp,
their eyes darting at every sound.
The bubbling of the mud, the distant screeches,
and the thick fog made it impossible to tell where Satotz had gone.
It felt like the swamp itself was alive —
watching, waiting for a mistake.
---
First Signs of Trouble
Ahead, a familiar figure emerged from the fog.
It was Satotz.
He waved at them calmly.
> "This way," he said, smiling.
Gon started forward instinctively —
but Noah's hand shot out, grabbing his shoulder.
"Wait," Noah said quietly.
Everyone froze.
Killua's eyes narrowed, suspicious.
Kurapika clenched his fists.
Something was wrong.
Even though Satotz looked the same...
his steps were too heavy.
His scent was different — almost rotten.
Noah activated a flicker of chakra into his Sharingan, hidden by his dark bangs.
The illusion peeled away.
Underneath the fake image —
a grotesque creature with slimy gray skin and sharp fangs smiled hungrily at them.
An imposter.
---
The Warning
Noah released Gon and whispered urgently:
> "That's not Satotz."
Killua instantly reacted, spinning his skateboard into his hand like a weapon.
Kurapika and Leorio tensed up.
The fake Satotz lunged forward, its mouth stretching into a nightmarish grin.
But before it could strike —
FWOOSH!
A thin wire shot out from the trees, wrapping around the creature's neck.
With a savage pull, it was yanked off its feet and dragged screaming into the mist.
The real Satotz appeared nearby, adjusting his gloves.
> "Good instincts," he said without looking back.
> "Keep moving. There will be more."
Without another word, he sprinted forward again into the fog.
---
Blood in the Fog
The group pressed on, weaving through twisted roots and sinking mud.
But suddenly —
a scream pierced the air.
Then another.
The sounds of frantic fighting echoed through the swamp, muffled by the fog.
The group stopped instinctively.
Ahead, through the mist, shapes flickered —
applicants running, shouting... and being slaughtered.
A single figure walked calmly among the chaos.
A tall man with fiery red hair, clown-like makeup, and a wicked grin.
Hisoka.
His slender hand held a deck of sharp cards,
each flick slicing throats and limbs with effortless precision.
Blood sprayed through the mist like paint on a canvas.
Noah's eyes sharpened.
This guy... radiates killing intent stronger than most shinobi I've ever faced.
Even Killua's smirk was gone, replaced by cold calculation.
Kurapika gritted his teeth.
Leorio looked ready to bolt.
Only Gon stared, horrified but unable to look away.
---
Hisoka Notices
With an almost lazy turn of his head,
Hisoka's golden eyes locked onto their group.
He licked his lips slowly —
as if tasting the potential from afar.
> "Oooh... interesting ones," he murmured.
In a blink, Hisoka disappeared from view —
his speed unbelievable.
Noah instinctively dropped into a low stance, chakra surging quietly through his muscles.
BOOM!
Hisoka landed just a few meters in front of them, kicking up a burst of mud.
The air turned heavy, crushing.
For a moment, no one could move.
---
Predator and Prey
Hisoka's gaze swept over them.
Kurapika, cautious and ready to strike.
Leorio, trembling but trying to look tough.
Killua, tense but composed.
Gon, wide-eyed but fists clenched.
And then...
Hisoka's eyes fell on Noah.
A flicker of curiosity.
A dangerous smile.
> "You're not ordinary..."
he whispered.
Noah said nothing.
Only met his gaze with a steady, unreadable stare.
The mist swirled around them like a coiled snake.
For a tense moment —
it seemed Hisoka might attack.
---
A Test of Worth
Instead, Hisoka laughed — a soft, musical sound that was somehow more terrifying than his killing spree.
> "Not yet,"
he said, spinning a card lazily between his fingers.
> "You're seedlings.
I'll let you bloom a little more... before I pick you."
With a final chilling grin,
Hisoka turned away, vanishing back into the mist like a ghost.
All around them, silence fell.
The massacre had ended —
the survivors few and shaken.
---
A New Fear
Noah let out a slow breath,
releasing the chakra he had been ready to unleash.
Killua muttered under his breath, "Monster..."
Kurapika glanced at Noah.
"You saw it too, didn't you?"
he said quietly.
Noah nodded once.
That bloodlust wasn't human.
Even compared to the assassins and warriors Noah had known in his previous life —
Hisoka was something entirely different.
Not a hunter.
Not a soldier.
A true predator.
---
Pushing Forward
"Let's move," Noah said simply.
The group quickly fell into formation again,
moving swiftly and silently through the mist.
They couldn't afford to stop.
Behind them,
the swamp seemed to swallow the dead whole —
leaving no trace of the nightmare they had barely survived.
Ahead, the faint figure of Satotz could be seen again,
guiding them toward the next trial.
The First Phase was not over yet.