Chapter 1 — The Aura Beneath the Ruins
The night sky above East Gorteau was unusually quiet.
The palace that once belonged to the Chimera Ant King now stood in ruins. Broken pillars leaned like wounded soldiers, and the massive courtyard where battles once shook the earth was silent.
Only the wind moved through the shattered stone halls.
Gon and Killua were sitting on the edge of a collapsed balcony overlooking the empty courtyard.
For a long time, neither of them spoke.
Finally Killua stretched his arms behind his head.
"So… what now?"
Gon blinked.
"What do you mean?"
Killua looked at him sideways.
"The ants are gone. The king is gone. The palace is empty."
He paused.
"Well… mostly empty."
Gon tilted his head.
"You think something's still here?"
Killua shrugged.
"My instincts are just… itchy."
Gon smiled.
"That usually means something interesting is about to happen."
Killua groaned.
"That's exactly what I'm worried about."
A Strange Presence
Suddenly Killua's body stiffened.
His assassin instincts reacted before his mind could process it.
A faint ripple of Nen brushed across the palace grounds.
Killua's pupils shrank.
"…Did you feel that?"
Gon closed his eyes.
For a moment he concentrated.
Then his eyes opened wide.
"Yeah."
The aura was strange.
It wasn't aggressive.
It wasn't chaotic.
It felt ancient.
Heavy.
Like a deep ocean hidden beneath calm water.
Killua stood up slowly.
"That's not leftover aura from the battle."
Gon jumped to his feet.
"So someone's here?"
Killua nodded slowly.
"Someone very strong."
Deep Underground
Far beneath the ruined palace…
Hidden behind layers of collapsed tunnels and broken stone…
A large underground chamber remained perfectly intact.
Inside the chamber stood a long wooden table.
On the table rested a beautifully carved chessboard.
But the pieces were unusual.
Each piece resembled a Chimera Ant soldier.
A Royal Guard.
And one large piece representing the King.
A tall man sat beside the board.
His long silver hair fell loosely over his shoulders.
His eyes were calm.
Too calm.
He moved a piece slowly.
Click.
The sound echoed through the chamber.
"So…"
His voice was quiet.
"The king has fallen."
He studied the board.
"But the world continues moving."
He picked up a different piece.
A small one.
A pawn carved into the shape of a young hunter.
"New players always appear."
Back Above Ground
Gon cracked his knuckles excitedly.
"I want to meet them."
Killua looked at him like he was crazy.
"You always want to meet dangerous people."
Gon grinned.
"That's because the strongest people are the most interesting."
Killua sighed.
"That logic is going to get us killed one day."
Gon laughed.
"Probably."
Killua walked toward the entrance of the palace ruins.
"Well if someone strong is hiding here, we should at least check it out."
Gon immediately followed.
"Right!"
The Hidden Tunnel
As they entered the palace ruins, Killua's sharp senses immediately picked up something unusual.
A cold breeze was flowing through the hallway.
Killua stopped.
"That's weird."
Gon looked around.
"What?"
Killua pointed toward the floor.
One of the large stone tiles was slightly raised.
Almost unnoticeable.
But Killua's trained eyes spotted it instantly.
Gon crouched down.
"You think it's a trap?"
Killua smirked.
"Only one way to find out."
With a quick movement, Killua pushed the tile aside.
A dark staircase revealed itself beneath.
Cold air flowed upward from the depths.
Gon leaned forward and looked down.
It was deep.
Very deep.
He smiled.
"This is definitely interesting."
Killua sighed.
"I hate that you're excited about this."
Meanwhile Below
The silver-haired man paused.
His eyes slowly shifted toward the ceiling.
"They found the entrance faster than I expected."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Good."
He stood up.
His aura expanded slightly.
The chamber trembled.
But the Nen was perfectly controlled.
Not a single piece on the chessboard moved.
He walked slowly toward the center of the room.
Beside the chessboard lay an old Hunter License.
The name had been scratched away long ago.
The man picked it up and studied it.
Then he whispered quietly.
"It's been a long time…"
"Since I hunted someone interesting."
Descent Into Darkness
Gon and Killua walked carefully down the narrow stone staircase.
The deeper they went, the heavier the air became.
Killua frowned.
"This aura…"
"It's too controlled."
Gon nodded.
"Yeah."
"It feels like someone is watching us."
Killua whispered:
"Because they probably are."
They reached the bottom of the staircase.
A long tunnel stretched forward into darkness.
At the end of the tunnel…
A faint light flickered.
Gon smiled.
"Found them."
Killua cracked his neck.
"Let's see what kind of monster we're dealing with."
The First Meeting
Gon and Killua stepped into the chamber.
The room was enormous.
Torches burned along the walls.
And in the center…
The silver-haired man stood calmly beside the chessboard.
For several seconds, no one spoke.
Then the man smiled slightly.
"So."
His voice echoed softly.
"You're the famous Gon Freecss."
Gon blinked.
"You know me?"
The man nodded.
"Of course."
He turned his gaze toward Killua.
"And Killua Zoldyck."
Killua's eyes narrowed instantly.
"Not many people recognize us that easily."
The man laughed quietly.
"I've been watching hunters for a very long time."
Gon looked at the chessboard curiously.
"What's with the pieces?"
The man placed one final piece on the board.
A pawn.
Shaped like a young hunter.
"Every hunt begins with a move."
He looked directly at Gon.
"And you two…"
"…just made yours."
Final Panel
Killua whispers:
"Gon… this guy is dangerous."
Gon smiles.
"I know."
The silver-haired man's aura begins to rise.
And the torches flicker violently.
He whispers:
"Let's see how strong the next generation of hunters really is."