The tension in the arena changed after Ethan's match with Hanzo.
Not because he lost — losses were expected.
But because of how he lost: clean, deliberate, controlled.
It made the other examinees take him seriously in a quiet, unsettling way.
He wasn't flashy.
He wasn't loud.
He wasn't even among the finalists on paper.
But he had a style that unsettled fighters who relied on dominance.
And that was enough.
---
The Bracket Continues
The board flickered, showing the next matchup.
Gon Freecss vs. Hanzo.
A shockwave rolled through the audience. Even the examiners stirred.
Killua burst out laughing.
"Oh, this'll be fun."
Leorio nearly toppled over. "Fun? Did you SEE what Hanzo did to Ethan?"
Kurapika folded his arms. "Gon won't give up. That may be dangerous."
Ethan felt the corner of his mouth twitch.
Hanzo's going to have a long day.
---
Gon vs. Hanzo Begins
Gon stepped into the center of the arena with that ridiculous, fearless smile.
Hanzo entered with the poise of a professional — not cocky, but certain.
He bowed. "I'll warn you now: I won't go easy."
Gon nodded. "I won't give up."
The bell rang.
Hanzo moved like a lightning rod — fast, direct, efficient.
A blur of kicks, locks, and takedowns.
Gon endured all of it.
Every slam.
Every twist.
Every hold.
Every threat.
Hanzo's techniques were flawless — but Gon's stubbornness outclassed physics.
Ethan watched Hanzo's patience slowly bleed away.
Kurapika murmured, "He's inexperienced with children."
Killua smirked. "He's inexperienced with Gon."
Leorio cupped his face. "Forget children — nobody deals with Gon!"
The crowd's fear turned into morbid awe.
Gon's refusal to surrender became a force of its own — not skill, not technique, but something raw and primal: willpower weaponized.
Hanzo eventually froze, staring at Gon like someone staring at an unkillable insect.
"You're… insane."
Gon just blinked. "Huh?"
Hanzo straightened, threw his hands up… and surrendered.
The arena exploded.
Ethan exhaled quietly.
Typical Gon.
---
Next Matches — The Middle Bracket
The exam continued in bursts:
Kurapika vs. Hisoka
A match everyone had anticipated — except it ended quicker than expected.
Hisoka smiled that predatory smile, offered Kurapika a surrender path, and Kurapika accepted in order to preserve strength for the real future battles.
It wasn't cowardice.
It was strategy — the kind that burns white-hot behind Kurapika's eyes.
Ethan watched Hisoka's gaze sweep over the winners' row.
It passed by Ethan… paused… and then drifted on.
That single half-second stare left a cold knot in Ethan's stomach.
Panel silently flickered:
System Warning: "High-risk individual observing user."
He ignored it.
---
Leorio vs. Bodoro
Leorio did what Leorio does best — he fought with heart, got hit too much, and refused to back down until Bodoro simply overpowered him.
But Bodoro didn't hurt him more than necessary.
There was respect.
Ethan helped Leorio sit afterward as Gon and Killua fussed around him.
"You did good," Ethan said.
Leorio sniffed. "Yeah. I know."
He didn't know, but he needed to hear it.
---
Killua vs. Bodoro
This was the match that chilled the exam hall to the bone.
Bodoro bowed.
Killua did not.
The moment the bell rang—
Bodoro collapsed.
Dead.
The arena froze in place.
Hanzo leapt to the edge.
Leorio nearly vomited.
Gon shouted Killua's name.
Kurapika's eyes flashed wide with quiet horror.
Ethan felt his stomach twist.
This is it. The canon divergence risk.
His panel trilled in alarm.
"Emergency Alert: Fatal timeline event occurring near user."
But no—
This wasn't Ethan's doing.
This was Killua's trauma, Killua's conditioning, Killua's story.
For a split second, Killua stared at his own hand like he didn't recognize it.
Then he turned away, eyes dark.
"I'm sorry," he muttered to no one. "My brother's here."
Ethan stiffened.
He hadn't sensed Illumi at all…
But one look at the stands, and he saw him — disguised, still, patient.
Watching Killua fall apart.
And then Killua fled.
---
Ethan's Reaction — The Quiet Weight
"Killua—!" Gon tried to chase him, but Netero's voice stopped him.
"The match is over. Return to your seats."
Gon trembled, torn between anger and panic.
Ethan laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Gon. He isn't running from us. He's running from something he can't face alone."
Gon's fists clenched. "We can help him!"
"We will," Ethan said. "But give him a moment."
Kurapika nodded sadly. "He's right. Killua needs to make the first move."
Leorio was visibly shaken. "That wasn't Killua. Not really."
Ethan didn't disagree.
But the view of Illumi sitting there, silent as a shadow, sent a stab of unease through him.
He felt it in his bones — Illumi was the first person in this world who made the Panel's "danger" warnings feel inadequate.
"Illumi…" Ethan whispered under his breath. "You're a monster."
---
The Chairman Speaks
Netero stepped onto the center platform.
"Killua Zoldyck is hereby disqualified for killing another applicant."
The decision landed heavy.
Gon's face fell. Kurapika exhaled sharply. Leorio cursed under his breath.
Ethan simply watched.
Killua wasn't gone.
Not yet.
But this was the break that would define who he would become next.
---
A New Chapter Begins
The final names were listed.
Hunter Licenses awarded.
Gon, Kurapika, Leorio, Hanzo, Pokkle, several others…
Ethan's name remained unlit.
He had lost his final bracket chance — by choice, earlier — and now Killua's disqualification erased another path the system could've exploited.
Ethan sighed softly.
Gon turned to him, stunned.
"You didn't get it…?"
Ethan smiled.
"It wasn't my year."
Leorio threw his arms around him. "We're gonna get drinks. You're coming with us."
Kurapika nodded. "You fought well. Your journey isn't over."
Gon grabbed Ethan's wrist. "We're friends. And friends don't get left behind just because of a license."
Ethan felt warmth bloom through him.
The Panel chimed:
Bond Level Increased — Passive boost granted.
For once, he didn't curse the system.
He just smiled.