*a quick recap and a little bit of explanation is written at the end of this chapter so please read!

"Don't be so excited yet.. The last match isn't over." The petite figure from the other side spoke. It was a feminine voice.

"What do you mean? How so?!" Leorio asked, confused.

The figure walked towards Majitani to check his pulse. After confirming, she said, "He's alive, just unconscious." To prove her point that the third match wasn't over, she added, "That was a match to death. Either of them had to die or surrender to conclude the battle."

The man in a suit shrugged, "Ugh.. Kurapika, finish off that dude so we can continue."

Kurapika firmly said, "I will not."

"What??"

"He wasn't a fighter, yet I went ahead and knocked him down." Then, he gazed sharply at the ravenette. "If I had done anything more, it would be ludicrous cruelty." It seems he has taken a disliking towards her after her feat from the first round. Reiko caught that and responded with a smile that wasn't friendly-- it was amusement.

"But you have to end the match!" Leorio argued.

"I'll leave it to him to decide his fate." The blonde finalised.

The taller man growled in annoyance. "This is ridiculous! We're wasting time!"

Suddenly, the blue figure twitched. It didn't seem natural for someone unconscious. Reiko was the only person who saw it, it was by coincidence that she glanced at the body. It seemed suspicious, very likely that Majitani is just playing pretend to drag their time.

For the first time ever, she called his name which made him jump. "Leorio."

"Y-Yes?" He gulped, but he got a little used to her heavy presence. He didn't budge when she stood next to him.

"You have learned a thing or two about medical, yes?" She asked, gluing her gaze on the body.

"Yes."

"Look closely at Majitani and observe if he's really unconcious."

He obeyed her and let his professionalism take over. He was no longer nervous, no longer trembling, no longer sweating. His trained eyes loomed over the blue man's body, catching every sign and symptom. The muscles of the body were too still, too tensed. He observed the movement of his upper body to watch his breathing; it was too deep and too fast for an unconscious person.

He reported calmly to the ravenette next to him, "No, he's definitely conscious." It was loud enough for the entire place to hear.

Reiko glared at the body. "If you don't want to end this, Kurapika, I will go on your behalf. Even if it's not allowed, we can't afford to waste time."

Right after she spoke those words, Majitani shot up and screamed, "I give up! I give up! I surrender! Please don't kill me!" He cried, running all the way to his side like a coward. The girl smiled, turning to her group. "And now we proceed."

+++

19:02:57

Was the time all of them arrived in a circular room where the participants who passed the third phase gathered in. The group of five were covered in sweat; running away from traps and walking on countless stairs, doing stupid tasks until they reach the bottom. Even Reiko broke a sweat in the humid tower, finally showing a humane characteristic from her. There just a little over 20 people who passed including the team. The four boys sat on the floor and leaned their backs on the wall while the ravenette scanned the room, checking if her fellow acquaintance passed as well.

Her gaze stopped at a man in green. Ah.. There he is. He stood at her 2 o'clock, staring at her. Sitting next to him was a man with fuschia hair who was also looking at her. She didn't know him, but the aura he has was very identical to hers, he could be a useful ally to have. With that in mind, she approached him-- and his smile grew wider.

Before she greeted him, she turned to her acquaintance. "You made it."

"As did you."

Hisoka looked back and forth between the two, feeling a little confused. "Oh?" He licked his lips. "I never knew both of you were friends."

His remark about their friendship was ignored, but Reiko corrected him. "We are work partners.. Sometimes."

"Oh~ Her~" He chirped. There was more to her than he had expected and he knew, she was the perfect toy.

After some pointless chit-chats and a few drops of silences here and there, the speaker screamed. At long last, the 72 hours of the third exam has ended. A door was opened and a fairly short man with gravity defying hair was standing in front.

+++

HUNTER EXAMINATION
THIRD ROUND
QUALIFIED: 24

+++

"Congratulations, you have two more tests to pass. The next phase will be on Zevil Island." He pointed to the island far behind him. As of now, there was nothing special about it. "Before you take the boat there, please line up to draw lots." Standing next to him was a bald man who brought a box on a small trolley.

"What's that for?" A man in dark skin questioned.

The examiner's smile suddenly grew sly. "It determines who to hunt.. and who would hunt you."

After everyone has gotten the number of their prey, the examiner continued, "Your objective is to collect the badges of other opponents. The badge of your target is worth 3 points, as well as your own badge. Other badges are worth 1 point. You need a total of 6 points to advance to the final phase."

Right after more of his unnecessary briefing and wishes, everyone proceeded to the boat. A female examiner stood on the boat and began her share of speech. While everyone listened in stress and anxiety, Reiko retreated to a corner and rest. Most of the participants had hid their badge, but the ravenette decided to show her badge in all its glory. She was fearless. She closed her eyes and let herself drift to sleep. If someone decided to steal her badge before the exam starts, her 'guardian' would definitely butt in. She can relax to the maximum and let him do all the work.

His stare was simply too obvious, that clown.

When the violent breeze came to a halt, she knew they had reached their destination. It was time for the test to begin.

+++

Dedicated to Maizeq0 for voting on this story and my other stories as well! Another Naruto fan <3

Quick recap:

Everyone should have an idea of Reiko's personality, but let me explain a few things. She has a split personality. You know she's not being 'herself' when she speaks in bold texts and when her eyes gleam.

She does seem like a Mary-Sue, but I assure you that there is a reason behind it. Her inhumane strength, her almost infinite stamina and et cetera , all of it connects to the chairman and the past they share. They aren't related by all means. In fact, they've only met once.

So far, we know her name and that the chairman is connected to her in a way. She associates herself with the Zoldyck family.

Things for you to figure out:

Why does her eyes gleam?

How did she have a 2nd personality?

Why does she seem invincible?

Why does Killua not know her?

What did Hisoka mean by "Her?"

She seems incredibly strong, but she never showed her Nen...

If you have any questions, feel free to comment below! If it does not reveal any spoilers, I'll answer them.

I apologise about how slow the story is going, but I'm trying hard not to rush things. Also, I've requested for some suggestions for an assassin's nickname, so please comment them below! If you hadn't guessed already, it's for someone who works with the Zoldycks heh.

Published: 30 April 2018