Chapter 11-15

Chapter 11: Doubts x Rabbit

"Let's head deeper inside and see what we find."

Cheadle helped Dia to his feet, and they began walking down the dark, cavernous tunnel. At the very least, it would put some distance between them and the source of that Post-Mortem Nen.

As they walked, Cheadle began dissecting the suspicious elements of the situation with Dia. The reason she was involving him was simple: she suspected the kid was hiding something vital.

Dia spoke first, voicing his confusion: "The first thing I don't understand is the charge brought against that officer. Why wasn't it the much more serious crime of leaking state secrets?"

Back then, everyone, including Cheadle, had been perfectly calm, meaning she certainly knew the reason.

"The charge of 'leaking state secrets' is an extraordinary one," Cheadle explained. "Any file tagged with that designation becomes a 'High-Priority Document,' subject to intense, recurring audits for the next ten years."

"But since you could clearly see the nature of the leaks mentioned in the file, it suggests the investigators didn't consider the secrets stolen by the prisoner to be important enough to warrant that level of scrutiny."

"In fact," she continued, "the number of people arrested for selling national intelligence isn't small, but only a tiny fraction are ever charged with leaking state secrets, precisely because the information must be of significant consequence."

Cheadle's rapid-fire explanation made it click for Dia instantly. Once his doubt was resolved, Cheadle shifted to her own analysis.

"The turning point was undoubtedly when the prisoner suddenly spoke up. Ordinarily, to prevent a prisoner from saying anything they shouldn't before a hearing, an expert executioner would have cut out their tongue."

"But at that moment, the creature in his mouth, that slug, obviously didn't grow there on its own."

Dia's brow furrowed. "He mentioned the word 'Kakin.' Could it be...?"

"Most likely. That rising superpower across the sea, the Kakin Empire."

Cheadle's voice grew heavy. Whenever matters touched upon potential conflict between major powers, even she had to tread carefully. "The final explosion was likely Kakin's handiwork, but have you considered why? The prisoner was already incapacitated, and he would have been executed immediately after the trial ended. Why would Kakin go to such great lengths to force him into suicide?"

Dia suddenly stopped walking, a possibility striking him. "The trial! Their goal was the trial itself!"

"Exactly. Before the hearing began, no one but the judge knew what charge would be filed. If it had been categorized as a leak of state secrets, the matter would have been under constant investigation for years."

Indeed, the logic followed: Kakin did not want the content of that trial archived. The only variable that couldn't be controlled in advance was what the judge would charge the prisoner with, and that was the true objective of the conspirators behind the blast.

This also explained the presence of the Post-Mortem Nen. With that much Nen lingering, a standard construction crew could never clear the rubble to retrieve the court documents. Unless they spent a fortune hiring a Nen Exorcist to scrub the area, they would have to wait for the Nen to dissipate naturally over time, by which point, the evidence would be long gone.

Cheadle picked up the thread, her expression turning somber. "If this hypothesis holds true, then the secret that officer leaked is likely even more significant than he, or even the top brass of the Mimbo Republic, could have imagined."

Important as it was, it had nothing to do with either of them, so Cheadle didn't dwell on it. Instead, she brought up another point that had been bothering her.

"The explosion didn't cause me any serious injury. I protected myself with Ken, and Doctor Yorkshire blocked the brunt of the Nen impact. But the most crucial reason was that in the moment of the blast..."

Cheadle paused, glancing at Dia out of the corner of her eye.

"...in that split second, my body was pulled backward by an unknown force. Now that I think back on it, my physical posture shifted as if I had simply been naturally blown backward by the shockwave."

Dia didn't seem to notice her gaze, his own expression one of heavy contemplation. "Yes, I felt it too. A mysterious force pulled me out of the core of the explosion at a speed I couldn't comprehend. If not for the distance, and you blocking the shockwave in front of me, Sensei, I likely would have been critically wounded."

Seeing his reaction, which seemed genuine, and secretly doubting he was capable of such a feat, Cheadle felt a nagging uncertainty.

Does he really have nothing to do with it? But how do I explain the distance he was shifted?

Before that displacement, Dia had been only about 20 centimeters behind her. After it, he had ended up more than a meter behind her. This meant his backward movement had begun before hers. Could he have triggered a Nen ability?

Cheadle glanced at him again. She was certain he hadn't learned Nen; with her powers of observation and their proximity, she couldn't have missed it.

Just another loose end in a baffling case.

Feeling the situation spiraling into a mess, Cheadle instinctively raised a finger to her mouth and bit her nail, falling into deep thought.

The third issue was the strange ability Dia possessed.

It could heal, soothe pain, and most importantly, resist the intrusion of Post-Mortem Nen. She had spent a vast amount of time developing Doctor Yorkshire. For someone like her, hailed as a top-tier genius since childhood, to struggle so much with the development of her own ability, yet for Dia to acquire something like this just by falling into a bit of water...?

"When I was unconscious earlier, it was your ability that helped me recover, wasn't it? Can it be transmitted into other people's bodies?"

Cheadle recalled the flow of warmth; it had only lasted a moment, but it was already comparable to a rare Healing-type Nen ability. If it could be transmitted into a patient... perhaps there was a turning point for that commission.

"Yes, it works. And I've tested it, not only can it heal the body, but it can also strengthen the human constitution to a certain degree," Dia explained, before countering with a question: "Sensei, how did you conjure those things earlier? Could I ever do something like that?"

Before Cheadle could respond, a sound echoed through the tunnel.

Riiiing!

Both of them froze. A phone ringing?

They looked toward the source. It was Cheadle's skirt. Cheadle realized her mobile was ringing. Dia looked puzzled. Did they even have reception down here?

"Hey, it actually connected! Hello, hello? Can you hear me, Cheadle-san?"

As soon as Cheadle answered, a sweet, high-pitched voice came through the receiver.

"Pyon? Has the Association already received word?"

Cheadle recognized the voice immediately. It was Pyon, one of the Zodiacs, the Paleograph Hunter and internet-addicted girl, Rabbit!

"Yeah! We got the news not long after things went south over there. Mizaistom tried to call you, but there was no signal, so I asked Ickshonpe to place this call."

On the other end of the line, a cute girl wearing a bunny-girl outfit, a long rabbit-eared headband, and a matching white rabbit emblem on her chest was speaking rapidly. Ickshonpe, whom she mentioned, was a rare Hacker Hunter within the Association.

"This call won't last long, so let me explain the situation outside. You two are trapped in the ruins of an ancient dynasty, 200 meters beneath the central island of Hundred-Ring Island."

Pyon held her black phone while checking her own pink, rabbit-eared one.

"Your entrance has been completely buried. The place is crawling with Post-Mortem Nen from out of nowhere; the construction crews can't get through."

"Oh, right, Cheadle-san, there's someone else with you, isn't there? I can see another red dot on the map."

Cheadle knew Pyon's ability well and wasn't surprised. "Yes, that's my student. We ducked into a tunnel when the explosion happened. Pyon, can you see where this tunnel leads?"

Cheadle and Dia had walked at least 500 meters, but the dark, deep path ahead showed no sign of ending. Since they couldn't count on the entrance being cleared, their only hope was the other end of the tunnel.

"I've already sent you the map Satotz-san gave me. I've marked it, just remember you're currently in Tunnel No. 3. Oh, and also..."

Before Pyon could finish, the call was cut off by interference.

Cheadle sighed and lowered her phone. She checked her inbox, and a map was already waiting there. Dia leaned in to take a look and realized this underground ruin was a complex labyrinth; they were still a long way from the nearest exit from Tunnel No. 3.

"Let's move. We don't have time to waste."

Cheadle tucked her phone away, having memorized the map in a single glance. Without hesitation, she gestured to Dia, and they began walking toward the exit.

Chapter 12: Escape x Promise

Within the dark, bottomless tunnel that seemed to stretch into eternity, Cheadle explained the fundamentals of Nen to Dia.

Then, she extended an invitation:

"Dia, your ability, this 'Ripple' of yours, is extraordinarily precious. To be frank, I want you to become a Hunter and join my team."

Cheadle laid her intentions out on the table, meeting Dia's gaze squarely, as if to prove her sincerity. There is something uniquely persuasive about the candor of a powerhouse. Under that steady, piercing stare, Dia couldn't bring himself to offer a perfunctory excuse. Instead, he expressed with gravity that he would attempt to become a Hunter, but he could not bring himself to join any team.

For someone like Dia, burdened by so many secrets, joining a team was a path toward disaster.

Cheadle felt little surprise; this wasn't the first time she had been turned down by him. This kid was simply too difficult to recruit.

"However, Cheadle-sensei, if you ever need to use my ability, I won't refuse."

Dia shifted the tone, not slamming the door shut. He had seen that Cheadle clearly had some specific task in mind that required his power. If that was the case, helping her out was a simple calculation; the benefits far outweighed the costs.

Cheadle realized this student had already sniffed out the truth, so she stopped beating around the bush. "I do have a favor to ask, but I won't ask you to work for free."

"In six hours, you will passively awaken your Nen due to my influence. You don't have a proper teacher for that yet, right?"

She made a V-sign with her fingers, smiling with poise and self-assurance. "I passed the Hunter Exam at fifteen and have been studying Nen for nine years. I suppose you could call me a genius; teaching a rookie like you should be well within my means."

Dia, who hadn't expected the usually composed Cheadle to have such a playful side, was caught off guard for a moment. The oppressive tension of their situation suddenly eased. Is she trying to lighten the mood?

Dia, still somewhat serious by nature, exhaled. But he didn't immediately agree to the deal. "May I ask what the task is first?"

Cheadle had anticipated this. But the matter was so highly classified that she couldn't reveal a single detail until the time was right. "I cannot say. But I can guarantee it will not bring you any harm. You may choose not to believe me; I won't force you to agree."

Dia fell silent. It wasn't that he feared retaliation. Cheadle's moral compass wouldn't allow for such pettiness. It was just that without knowing the specifics, accepting such a task required significant deliberation. He briefly suspected Cheadle might be trying to manipulate him, but when he looked back into those clear, steadfast eyes, he discarded the thought. That kind of street-hustler tactic wasn't in her repertoire.

There was always the option of agreeing and then backing out later, but anyone with half a brain knew that was the worst possible choice.

Cheadle didn't press him. She turned silently and resumed leading the way. They trekked on in silence for two hours.

"We're almost at the exit."

After the long march, Cheadle deactivated Doctor Yorkshire; at this distance, Nen protection was no longer required. She turned her head, her long hair brushing against her shoulder, and fixed her emerald eyes on Dia, who was still wearing his white hospital scrubs.

"Dia, have you made your decision?"

Dia wore a look of intense focus. He met her gaze squarely. "I accept, Cheadle-sensei!"

He had actually decided long ago; he just hadn't known how to break the silence of the tunnel.

Cheadle felt a weight lift from her heart. With Dia's ability to assist, the success rate for that person's surgery would be vastly improved...

Several hours later.

On the second ring of Hundred-Ring Island, a nondescript hole sat in a seaside cliff. Dia and Cheadle pushed aside the thick vines blocking the opening, and the long-awaited sunlight poured in, turning the cold cave entrance warm and inviting.

We finally made it out, Dia thought, breathing a deep sigh of relief. Sunlight was truly wonderful.

Cheadle, sharp-eyed, pointed toward a small black speck in the distance. "That should be the Hunter Association's boat. It's here for us."

She checked the time on her phone. Three hours remained until the contract ended. Once the contract expired, she would be forced into a state of Zetsu for twelve hours due to the limitations of her ability. But by then, they should have reached the Association, and with Chairman Netero there, she wouldn't have to worry about danger.

With that in mind, she turned to Dia. "Come back to the Hunter Association with me. Once my ability is deactivated, the exhaustion you've been suppressing will crash down on you as your aura fades. For safety's sake, you should rest a night at the Association headquarters."

Dia didn't refuse. Instead, he asked curiously, "Cheadle-sensei, you mentioned that once your ability is deactivated, I would passively gain control over Nen. How exactly does that work?"

Cheadle gave him a brief explanation. "Your body has grown accustomed to my aura. Once the contract ends, your muscles will follow their memory and automatically engage Ten. You don't need to worry about your life energy leaking away."

That put Dia's mind at ease.

They boarded the Association boat and traveled back to Loy City.

At the Hunter Association headquarters in Loy City, the massive logo of the Association was incredibly striking amidst the skyline.

Inside a dojo on the top floor, Netero sat in his white robes, slowly stroking his beard as he listened to Cheadle's report of the incident.

"Well, in summary, it was just another dispute between nations over interests. Since we weren't hired for a contract, there's no need for us Hunters to pursue it further."

Netero settled the matter with a casual air. Having served as the Chairman of the Hunter Association for decades, he had seen these interstate struggles far too often. Before him, Cheadle sat in proper posture, currently forced into Zetsu. She nodded solemnly. "Yes, Chairman."

Netero watched the earnest Cheadle for a moment, then his expression shifted. A lecherous grin appeared on his face; one eye squinted while the other widened, and his posture slackened.

"Come to think of it, Cheadle-chan brought a boy back with her, didn't she? Oh my~ even the Cheadle who only has research on her mind has reached that age~"

Here he goes again. A bead of cold sweat rolled down Bean's forehead nearby.

Cheadle felt a vein throb in her forehead. What on earth does this incorrigible old man think about all day!

She restrained her urge to punch the Chairman and said, "I told you, he's a student! A student! If you're so bored, Chairman, why don't you help me write up the court reports for this trial!"

Netero's eyes drifted aimlessly around the room. He lay down on the tatami, supporting his head with one hand and scratching his back with the other, speaking distractedly. "Cheadle-chan is so scary. I'm an old man of over a hundred, you know~"

Seeing the Chairman in his lazy, scattered state, Cheadle knew he wanted to be left alone. She offered a polite excuse and exited the dojo.

Slide—

As the dojo doors closed, Cheadle stood in the hallway, her brows furrowed. The Chairman thought there was no need to investigate further, and truthfully, she had thought the same at the start. But some things don't stay buried just because you stop looking for them. What if the trouble decides to come looking for you?

Cheadle looked toward the lounge downstairs, where Dia was currently fast asleep.

Just in case, I should increase the intensity of Dia's future training. With his 'Ripple,' he shouldn't have to worry about the load being too high.

Inside the dojo, Netero sat up, his expression turning serious.

Though Cheadle was a genius at Nen training, as a non-combatant, her battle intuition still lacked a certain edge. A martial artist's instinct told Netero that the strange "lateral shift" she had glossed over in her report was, in all likelihood, the work of her student!

I'll go take a look once he's rested. It's been a few years since the Association had any outstanding newcomers.

Netero sat cross-legged before the scroll bearing the character for "Heart," and closed his eyes.

Chapter 13: Chairman Netero × Water Divination

A night of raging storm.

'Where am I?'

Dia snapped awake. What met his eyes was a room resembling a public restroom. He found his body suspended upside down, unable to move a muscle. The air here was chilling and deathly still. He realized he could neither speak nor pull off any facial expressions.

What had happened?

Suddenly, Dia saw his Stand, The World, floating silently before him. He tried to command it to untie the ropes, but The World remained completely motionless.

"Hehehe~"

A red-haired clown walked in from the door, chuckling strangely while standing akimbo, holding something indistinct in his hands. Upon seeing the clown's face, Dia's heart skipped a beat:

'Hisoka? Why is he here?'

Hisoka's face wore a cruel, twisted smile. With a sudden burst of speed, he closed the distance until he was right in front of Dia. It was only then that Dia saw what the clown was carrying. It was Cheadle's severed head!

"Is this your companion? She tried so hard to save you..."

Dia's pupils contracted. Fueled by an unknown surge of strength, he struggled violently, desperate to carve out even the smallest bit of space. Finally, through a microscopic opening, he wrenched one arm free. With every ounce of his remaining strength, he unleashed a lightning-fast punch!

"Ouch!"

The wail shattered the dream. Dia's eyes flew open, and he focused on his surroundings, a green, indistinct creature in a suit was rolling on the floor, while a white-haired old man stood to the side, stroking his beard with a mischievous grin.

"Disturbing someone's sleep, and getting clocked for it, eh?"

Chairman Netero wore an expression that clearly said, 'I told you so.' It took a while for Beans to stop rolling on the floor, at which point he couldn't help but protest. "But Chairman, you were the one who said, 'That kid looks like he's having a nightmare,' and told me to wake him up!"

Chairman Netero picked his ear with the look of someone who hadn't heard a word. Then, as if he had just discovered something fascinating, he turned his gaze to Dia and said:

"Oh ho, you're awake. You're Dia, right? I am Netero, and this fellow beside me is Beans."

Beans scrambled up from the floor and bowed politely. Having witnessed the Chairman's little comedy act, Dia had a rough idea of what had just transpired. He stood up immediately, offered a slightly embarrassed bow, and replied:

"Nice to meet you, Chairman. My apologies, Beans-san. I have a habit of throwing punches in my sleep."

As he spoke, Dia sneaked a glance at Netero. Netero playfully flashed a peace sign at his furtive gaze.

'This is Isaac Netero. He's exactly as the source material described. The aura on his body is terrifyingly calm.'

Wait, aura?

Dia suddenly realized that he could see the aura, something he previously could only perceive while borrowing Cheadle's ability, quite clearly on his own now.

"Can you see it? The aura on my body."

"Ah, yes..." Dia replied tentatively. He could feel the aura flowing around his body, naturally, like an instinct, held tightly in Ten.

What about Ren?

Dia tried to relax the restraint on his aura, focusing his mental energy to urge the flow within him to push outward more intensely.

BOOM!

Dia felt his aura erupt like cold water hitting hot oil. Is this Ren?

"Figured out Ren on your own this quickly? Not bad, kid..."

Chairman Netero stroked his beard, observing the sudden burst of aura from Dia, then turned to Beans. "Beans, go bring the water divination kit."

Dia had heard the instruction. As someone who had read the series, he knew exactly what Netero was planning.

Water Divination, a common method used to determine one's Nen affinity. After mastering the Four Major Principles, Ten, Zetsu, Ren, and Hatsu, a user's Nen is categorized into one of six types based on their affinity.

The method requires a glass of water with a leaf floating on top. The user performs Ren on both sides of the glass, effectively pouring their Nen into the water.

Enhancement: The volume of water increases.

Emission: The color of the water changes.

Transmutation: The taste of the water changes.

Manipulation: The leaf moves.

Conjuration: Crystals or impurities appear in the water.

Specialization: Anything outside these categories, or if multiple phenomena occur, is classified as Specialization.

Beans promptly prepared the glass with a tea leaf resting on the surface.

"Give it a try, kid. You should know what to do," Netero said.

Dia nodded solemnly. He placed his hands on either side of the glass.

Ren!

As Dia's Ren flared, the water in the glass changed instantly. The clear, transparent liquid turned a brilliant, dazzling gold!

What was this?

"Emission, eh? A very fine affinity to have." Netero praised.

As one of the "top three" categories, Emission was indeed an excellent Nen type. Its characteristic is that Nen energy does not diminish after leaving the body. It is also the most suitable category for developing Nen beasts, aside from Specialization. Furthermore, a point not often mentioned is that space-based abilities often require Emission-type Nen.

Representing the Emission category in the original series were individuals like the volleyball player Razor, the medical student Leorio, the fruit-lover Goreinu, the long-haired Knov, and the most heavyweight guest of all, the Chimera Ant King, Meruem.

It was only now that it truly hit Dia that he had become a Nen user. His plan to study Nen hadn't even truly begun; there was no grueling training, no risk of a forced opening. He had simply gone to sleep and awakened as a Nen user.

'Now, I just need to keep practicing the Four Major Principles until I can develop my own Hatsu.'

Dia began to calculate the timeline in his head. He didn't know when Cheadle's commission would begin, but until then, he could take full advantage of her guidance.

Creak—

The lounge door was suddenly pushed open, drawing everyone's gaze. Under the eyes of all three, Cheadle walked in naturally, carrying a cake, only to freeze in place as she saw Netero's winking, suggestive look.

Eh? What's happening? How did Dia wake up so fast? Why is the Chairman here, and what is that look supposed to mean?

"Ahem! I suddenly remembered that Ging has something to discuss with me. I'll leave you two to it."

Before he even finished the sentence, Netero darted out of the lounge with speed too fast for Dia's eyes to follow, dragging a bewildered Beans along with him.

Cheadle: ? Doesn't everyone know Ging has been missing for nearly a year?

Suddenly, her gaze shifted to the food in her hands. It dawned on her: surely the Chairman didn't think she had come here specifically to look after Dia, right?! But she had planned to eat these while waiting for him to wake up!!

Cheadle, who always prided herself on being composed and dignified, felt like her fur was standing on end.

"Uh, Cheadle-sensei?"

Watching her stand there dazed, Dia couldn't help but speak up. Hearing his voice, Cheadle snapped back to reality and hurriedly asked:

"That old... ahem, why was Chairman Netero here?"

Dia recounted everything that had just happened, which finally allowed Cheadle to calm down. But even as she regained her composure, the memory of the Chairman's strange look kept circling in her mind, and she found herself at a loss for words.

Meanwhile, as soon as Dia saw Cheadle, the dream from earlier flashed through his mind, and he didn't know what to say either.

The atmosphere in the lounge fell into an awkward silence.

Chapter 14: Nebula Lava Cake × 1 Second

'Why did I have that dream... I've never even met Hisoka before?'

'Could it be a precognitive dream? Should I go hunt Hisoka down preemptively...'

(Somewhere in the distance, Hisoka, who was busy taking a bath, frowned, suddenly feeling a bit uneasy.)

Dia knitted his brows. Hisoka was a rare top-tier fighter in the Hunter x Hunter world, someone who attained his status through sheer combat skill alone. To defeat him, whether in a frontal assault or a surprise encounter, was pure delusion for someone of Dia's current caliber.

However, Hisoka had a peculiar habit: he rarely used his full strength at the start of a fight, preferring to toy with weaker opponents until he was sufficiently entertained. Given this temperament, and the fact that he wasn't an Enhancer specialized in defense, Dia reasoned that if the secret of The World remained hidden, there was a window for a first-strike kill if he prepared correctly.

'Wait... The World?'

Dia suddenly recalled seeing the Stand in his dream. A certain intuition struck him. The content of the dream likely didn't matter; what mattered was the appearance of The World at that moment!

Dia moved to summon The World to inspect it, but quickly glanced at Cheadle out of the corner of his eye. True, she couldn't see the Stand, but if Dia began checking it out, his physical behavior would surely be visible.

This strange, fleeting glance was precisely captured by Cheadle.

Hm? Why is this kid looking at me?

Cheadle frowned, realizing she couldn't let the silence drag on any longer. "You've rested enough. Once you're ready, come with me to the dojo on the top floor. Today is the first lesson of your Nen training!"

She stood up decisively, with no room for hesitation. As soon as business was on the table, Cheadle instantly shifted into her usual, efficient, and no-nonsense state.

Dia prepared to get up, but suddenly, he paused. He stared at something for a brief moment before following Cheadle as if nothing had happened. Yet, from an angle Cheadle couldn't see, Dia performed a subtle, furtive gulp.

On the table, the Nebula Lava Cake, the one Cheadle had intended to save for her own dinner after learning the recipe from a Gourmet Hunter, had vanished.

In the Chairman's dojo on the top floor of the Hunter Association.

Dia stood in a quiet horse stance, eyes closed, seemingly feeling the aura around his body. In his mind, however, he was thinking: 'As expected, my The World is the ultimate, invincible Stand!'

Beside Dia, The World hovered silently. Once covered in cracks like fragile porcelain, the Stand now seemed to be healing, influenced by Dia awakening his Nen. The fissures were slowly fading away. It wouldn't take three days for it to be fully restored. That dream from earlier was likely just a byproduct of the mental fluctuations occurring as the Stand repaired itself.

Just now, through testing, Dia had confirmed that the time-stop duration for The World had reached an astounding one second.

In a battle between masters, one second was a decisive advantage. When he could push that to five seconds, or even nine...

"Alright, let's begin."

The voice pulled Dia out of his reverie. He opened his eyes to see that Cheadle had changed clothes. Her formal attire was clearly unsuitable for combat, so she had discarded her hat, the decorative dog ears, and even her large, round-rimmed glasses. (Yes, they were non-prescription; Cheadle didn't actually need glasses.)

She now wore an exquisite, handmade white training suit, and her long green hair was tied up into a simple, high ponytail, giving her a sharp and dashing air.

After Dia gave a solemn "Yes!", he waited for her instructions.

"Let's start with the basics, the Four Major Principles..."

Cheadle stopped mid-sentence, her nose twitching as if she smelled something familiar. When she realized the scent was coming from Dia, her eyes narrowed. She cleared her throat and changed her tone nonchalantly:

"Let's start with basic impact-resistance training. Maintain Ten, and use Gyo for defense!"

Eh? That's not right, is it?

Dia wanted to speak up, but Cheadle had already activated Ren, her presence erupting violently! She focused, bent her knees, and exploded forward with the force of an arrow released from a bow.

Dia only saw a blur. In the next instant, Cheadle was right in front of him, her left jab shooting out like a viper striking from a tricky angle.

This speed! I can't dodge it!

Ah!

Dia instinctively channeled his Ripple breathing to brace for the impact, but then remembered he should be using Gyo.

No time, do both!

Dia gritted his teeth and lowered his center of gravity.

POOF!

The sound was like leather striking the earth. The fist hit Dia's left arm with pinpoint accuracy. The immense force sent him sliding sideways, his feet carving long furrows into the hardwood floor.

Surprisingly... it doesn't hurt that much?

Dia was stunned. His arm, covered by both Ripple and Gyo, felt completely unscathed. Cheadle was also surprised. She hadn't used her full strength, she was only probing him with about thirty percent of her power, but it shouldn't have been this easy to block. When she noticed the faint, golden electrical sparks, she immediately understood.

Her worry eased, and a mischievous smile, identical to Netero's, appeared on her face.

"Ripple, huh? Then I don't have to worry about breaking you, student Dia!"

Before the words had even finished echoing, Cheadle was already closing the distance again, her emerald eyes fixed on him like a hawk. This time, she was faster! Before Dia could react, a straightforward, heavy rear-hand punch slammed into his gut.

BANG!

This time, it really hurt. Dia almost vomited up the stolen cake. Cheadle didn't give him a moment to breathe; her jabs, crosses, and hooks flowed like water, fast and uninterrupted, her movements as fluid as a high-speed, precision instrument.

Poof! Pap! Poof!

Sweat scattered in fine arcs through the air. Dia could only rely on his instincts to maintain Gyo and use Ripple to protect his vital points; he couldn't track the trajectory of her fists at all.

While Cheadle was labeled by Pariston in the original series as "lacking in combat ability," it was clear now that such a judgment only applied when compared to absolute monsters.

The relentless storm of fists pelted Dia, forcing him to stumble back like a tree buckling under a gale, holding his ground only by the fading consciousness awakened by pain. He didn't give up. He knew that the ability to endure pain was a prerequisite for greatness. He gritted his teeth, braced his arms, and refused to go down.

He didn't know how much time had passed... ten minutes? Half an hour?

The longer she fought, the more surprised Cheadle became. This kid is just too durable. In truth, the Ripple's ability to dampen pain was cheating, and though it only covered his vital spots, it was enough to keep him conscious.

Dia, now flickering like a candle in the wind, suddenly felt his hearing vanish. Everything around him slowed down.

He saw it clearly.

The droplets of sweat suspended in mid-air. The specks of blood he'd coughed up. The green ponytail dancing in the air. And Cheadle's stern, focused eyes.

And finally, that heavy, bottom-up uppercut, tearing through the sluggish air!

'This is supposed to be impact-resistance training, but they didn't say I couldn't counter-attack...'

With his perception compressed to the limit, Dia caught a microscopic gap in Cheadle's momentum. He moved with pure instinct! He swayed his body, moving into the attack instead of away, unfurled his arms to parry the uppercut, and threw his head forward, a reckless, undefended headbutt aimed squarely at Cheadle's face!

This was the "Bullet Time" he had brought from the JoJo universe. In a fraction of a second, he had completed the sequence from evasion to counter-attack!

'I'll call this move: Head-on Collision!'

Cheadle never expected Dia to have the energy left to dodge, let alone counter. As she saw a forehead flying toward her face, she felt the sheer intensity of his will to retaliate.

Quite the stubborn kid.

But, MUDA!! (useless)

Cheadle forcefully retracted her strength and, with lightning speed, whipped her head up and slammed it down!

BANG!

Cheadle's forehead collided hard with Dia's!

SPLAT!

With a thunderous thud, Dia hit the floor, splayed out face-down, plastered to the ground like a fly hit by a swatter.

Dia Diego has been eliminated!

Chapter 15: Ripple and Nen × A Commission Arrives

The next day at noon, in the underground training facility of the Hunter Association.

Cheadle was holding a piece of cake, nibbling at it with lady-like grace.

"..."

"So, in short, after combining the Ripple with Nen, it actually significantly enhances the offensive and defensive capabilities of your aura?"

"Mm-hm. And I feel that when I circulate the Ripple within my body, my latent Nen capacity seems to be steadily increasing. Ever since I made contact with Nen, the strength of the Ripple itself has been amplified by a significant margin!"

"Furthermore, if I treat the Nen emitted outside my body as a medium and wrap the Ripple around it, it seems to manifest different properties."

Dia raised his right hand, gathered Nen at his fingertips, and then channeled the Ripple to converge there. A dazzling golden light flashed! The Ripple naturally merged with the Nen within him, dyeing the white aura gold, with golden arcs of electricity crackling along its surface.

Cheadle suddenly remembered something and spoke up.

"Have you tried Water Divination in this state?"

The remark reminded Dia that he hadn't tried it yet. He wondered if his Nen affinity might shift under these circumstances. He prepared a new glass of water, placed a leaf on the surface, and activated Ren toward the glass, only this time, he carefully layered his "Sunlight Yellow Overdrive" ripple onto the aura.

Just like before, the water turned gold. However, the difference was that the water volume actually increased. Seeing this, Cheadle stepped forward, dipped a finger in, and took a taste. Her eyes lit up.

"Indeed. The water has turned sweet. Your Nen now possesses the characteristics of all three types: Transmutation, Emission, and Enhancement."

"Which means... it's Specialization!"

With the combination of the Ripple and Nen, he had now incorporated the properties of the "top three" categories for combat, in addition to his natural affinity for Emission. Dia's Nen had now encompassed the most advantageous types for combat. In other words, his future combat capability would likely soon surpass that of Cheadle, who was also a Specialization user but skewed more toward Conjuration!

"Dia, when you construct your own Nen ability in the future, it would be best to develop it around the Ripple. With such excellent properties, it would be a waste to develop a singular Emission ability."

"Understood! But there's one more thing I want to test."

As he spoke, Dia placed his hands on the sides of the glass again. Through a strange, rhythmic breathing, a crimson glow wrapped around his Nen.

Cheadle blinked, then hurried forward to take another taste of the water.

"Sss-ah! That's spicy!"

Cheadle hadn't expected the water to turn into the one flavor she was worst at handling, and she couldn't help but let out a sharp cry.

Dia, hearing this, curiously stepped forward to take a sip.

Sss— Not spicy!

He caught his breath in secret. He hadn't expected the flavor change to be so drastic, but it confirmed his hypothesis:

'Different Overdrives manifest different properties. Especially with the different energies of the "Sunlight Yellow" and the "Scarlet." Compared to these, the "Turquoise" and "Metal Silver" variants should also possess unique properties!'

'I'll just call this combination of the Ripple and Nen... "Ripple Nen".'

Afterward, Cheadle rushed through a few instructions regarding the training method, then bolted to find some milk.

Dia, meanwhile, secretly rejoiced that he had tested the combination. His familiarity with the Ripple was actually far greater than his current grasp of Nen. If the two abilities hadn't been compatible, he might have had to choose the higher potential of Nen and painfully abandon the Ripple. But now that he knew they didn't conflict, and that the Ripple actually strengthened his Nen, his path forward was simple.

Multi-tasking: training the Ripple and Nen simultaneously!

In truth, they were compatible. The Ripple was trained through breathing techniques, while Nen was trained through the continuous explosion of Ren; they did not clash.

With his goal set, Dia began his day's training without a moment's delay. He needed to continue familiarizing himself with Ren and Ten.

Cheadle, on the other hand, hurried back to the Medical University. She still had much to finish, such as the transcript for the previous Secret Tribunal session. Although Dia had been the court clerk at the time, given the length of time that had passed, Cheadle didn't believe he would be able to recreate it word-for-word.

To avoid making things difficult for Dia, Cheadle, who had possessed a photographic memory since childhood, quietly took the task upon herself, without ever mentioning it to him.

With great ability comes great responsibility. Having been hailed as a genius since she was young, Cheadle was accustomed to bearing heavier burdens, even if some tasks didn't strictly require her, and even if she did them silently without seeking credit. In this regard, Dia and Cheadle shared a similarity: both were individuals who, upon arriving in a world, would take charge of everything and view the eradication of criminals as their own personal mission.

...

"Mm-hm. I understand."

"So, the only person to protect is the 12th Prince. Those individuals sent by the 4th Prince are not within the scope of protection."

"...They are all 'ordinary people' with clear identities, but we cannot rule out the possibility of 'dangerous individuals' attempting to seize the auction items."

"Very well. I will arrange the bodyguard team. We'll calculate the commission fee at a C-rank."

Double-Star Crime Hunter Mizaistom put down the phone and fell into deep thought.

Just moments ago, he had received a commission from a very sensitive client, the 12th Prince of the Kakin Empire!

The contact claimed that the 12th Prince intended to head to Yorknew City to attend this year's auction. Simultaneously, the 4th Prince of Kakin had proposed sending people to accompany the 12th Prince to participate in the bidding for a certain item.

The client had handed part of the protection task to Mizaistom's private security firm, while the rest was to be handled by the Royal Guard. During this period, the guard sent by the Royal Family would be responsible for route planning, hotel reservations, scheduling, and transportation. Mizaistom's team would only be responsible for peripheral security and safeguarding the 12th Prince's personal safety alongside the Royal Guard. As for the people sent by the 4th Prince, it was explicitly stated that they were not to be protected; they were merely traveling companions.

During the call, Mizaistom had implicitly asked if any Nen users would be participating in the operation. The answer he received was that everyone was an "ordinary person," though the threat of an attack by Nen users could not be ruled out.

Seizing auction items was merely a pretext; an attack would likely be aimed at the Royal family members themselves.

'It seems this 12th Prince is not held in high regard...'

Mizaistom analyzed the situation calmly. Given the known possibility of attacks by Nen users, the Royal family had not dispatched any Nen users to guard the 12th Prince, but had instead shifted the responsibility of countering such threats onto him. This indicated that the Royal Guard did not place the highest priority on the safety of the 12th Prince; otherwise, they wouldn't have sent only ordinary people.

Given the prince's sensitive status, Mizaistom set the commission at C-rank, a level where Nen users might be present, but the overall danger level was not extreme.

'If I have to account for the bidding team sent by the 4th Prince, I would need to dispatch multiple Nen users, which would push it to B-rank.'

But the client had refused that suggestion. Either the 4th Prince was extremely confident in the strength of his team, or he simply didn't care if they lived or died. The fact that no Nen users were accompanying them ruled out the former.

'It seems the 4th Prince of Kakin is not exactly a benevolent man either.'

Regardless, the affairs of the Kakin Royal family had nothing to do with Mizaistom. His current task was to select the right personnel. It was a C-rank security commission, and with the bounty hunters already off the table, the firm was currently experiencing a shortage of available Nen users.

'Should I recruit some new Hunters temporarily...?'

Mizaistom thought for a moment and picked up the phone on his desk. He needed to call Chairman Netero to ask about the results of this year's Hunter Exam. By his calculations, if any new Hunters had passed the test, they should have already completed the final step, the "Heart of the Martial Artist," which meant they would have already mastered Nen.

As Mizaistom pondered this, a "click" sounded, and the line connected...