Hunter x Hunter: The Strongest Zoldyck

Fica followed the same path and arrived at the inner field of the arena.

This time, however, the audience was not as noisy as before.

The two consecutive matches between Roy and Serapika brought them quite a bit of shock.

So when Fica appeared on the field this time, they no longer simply thought the boy would lose; they began to observe and become more cautious.

Several spectators who had already placed bets contacted the event organizers again the moment they saw Fica and placed their bets again, this time on Fica instead.

call.....

Fica stepped out of the lounge, took a deep breath, and calmed his somewhat flustered emotions.

This was his first time fighting in front of so many people, and his first time experiencing such a large scene. You should know that in their clan, let alone so many people, even if there were ten times fewer, they wouldn't be able to gather them all.

So... under so many eyes watching, Fika unconsciously felt a little nervous.

Are there really that many people in big cities?

If I lose, will they curse me to death?

Will they throw watermelon rinds at me?

Will my boss look down on me?

Countless chaotic thoughts surfaced in his mind, and in a daze, he still stood on the arena, on arena number D-36.

But... he seems to have arrived earlier than the referee and another contestant.

Apart from the flickering lights and himself, there was no one else on the ring.

"Not there yet..."

Muttering something under his breath, Fica relaxed slightly when he saw that there was no one on the stage yet.

His initially agitated mood calmed down, and he even began to casually glance towards the lounge.

From the direction of the lounge, the calm and indifferent Kurta girl and the tense and serious-looking Roy came into view.

Nervous? Serious?

Why is the boss making that face?

The red-haired boy, Fika, looked puzzled. He didn't know why Roy had such an expression.

Puzzled, he withdrew his gaze and turned his attention back to the arena.

Not far away, a tall, slender figure slowly emerged from the shadows of the passage.

The light first illuminated his feet... barefoot...

The flesh-colored feet stepped on the cold stone slabs without making a sound.

In the interplay of light and shadow, the figure's waist, abdomen, chest, and face slowly emerged.

The moment he saw the person clearly... Fica's pupils contracted sharply, and an indescribable sense of panic surged into his heart.

He has met many people.

Members of the Red-Haired Clan, passengers on the Ogley, gatekeepers of the Seven Seas Alliance, referees of the Sky Arena...

But he had never seen anyone like that before.

The face was covered with white foundation, so thin that you could see the pale skin underneath. There was a star under the right eye and a teardrop under the left eye.

Her hair stood up like a burning flame, each strand carrying a certain untamed wildness.

What's most unsettling are those eyes... golden, long and narrow, with upturned corners, like a cat sizing up its prey.

The gaze fell on Fica, neither too light nor too heavy, carrying a chilling, penetrating feeling that sent shivers down one's spine.

Hisoka.....

As the figure slowly walked onto the stage, Roy recognized the person even before the referee announced it...

Without thinking, without reacting, almost intuitively, he recognized him... recognized this ultimate "green apple" enthusiast...

Hisoka Moro!!!

Although he had never met Hisoka before.

But he had already repeatedly etched the image of that charismatic character, who was deeply etched in his memory and active throughout the early stages of Hunter x Hunter's story, into his mind.

A star-shaped beauty mark, a wristband, a playing card costume, and exaggeratedly colorful clown makeup.

Everything was telling him... the identity of the person before him...

"Yo..."

Hisoka, standing in the center of the ring, smiled slyly:

"Let's play a fun game... Little Apple..."

Fika didn't reply. His jaw was clenched, his eyes were filled with terror, and his whole body was trembling uncontrollably.

He was enveloped by the illusion of being targeted by a hungry beast.

Perhaps it was instinct, perhaps it was fear, but before the referee gave the whistle, his body reacted before his brain did. He pushed off with his right foot, and his body sprang to the side, putting distance between himself and Hisoka.

Hisoka didn't chase after him; he didn't even move.

He just stood there, watching Fika leap to the other side of the ring like a startled rabbit...

"Oh? Not bad... but the game hasn't even started yet..."

Hisoka narrowed his eyes to slits, a hint of interest in his gaze as he looked at the hooded referee beside him:

"You... can announce the start..."

"Okay...okay..."

The referee stood in the center of the ring, holding a microphone, his lips trembling slightly.

He had seen countless competitors in the Sky Arena—strong, weak, ruthless, and insane...

But he had never seen anyone like that before.

The man who walked out of the passageway, just by standing there, had already lowered the temperature of the entire arena by several degrees.

"call.......!"

The referee took a deep breath, strained to steady his voice, and raised his right hand:

"Both...both players...ready!...Ready!!!"

"start!!!!!"

With a loud shout from the referee, Hisoka, who had been standing still, suddenly vanished as if he had never been there at all.

Fika stared wide-eyed at the spot where Hisoka had disappeared, trying to find any clues.

No matter how he looked around, there was nothing in front of him.

"Where are they? Where did they go?"

"Front, back, left, right? Or where?"

His head began to dart around, looking around, trying to find the figure of the man from before.

Are you looking for me?

The voice came from behind.

So close...so close, so close that Fika could even feel the warm breath brushing against the back of his neck.

In that instant... his body froze, not out of fear... but because it was too late.

Hisoka's hand was already on his shoulder, his five long fingers like five steel claws, not heavy, but very steady.

"Your heart is beating so fast."

Hisoka's voice floated down from above, carrying a hint of pleasure, like savoring a dessert.

"Scared? Or excited?"

Fica's lips trembled, and her right hand clenched tightly.

His body was telling him clearly: Run, run as fast as you can, it's dangerous here.

But the last vestiges of reason in his mind told him... a cruel reality... he couldn't escape it.

He can't escape...

Fine, since I can't escape, then... I won't run anymore!

Fica's eyes shifted subtly, all his negative emotions vanishing instantly, leaving only one emotion in his eyes... to defeat the poker player in front of him...

I must defeat him!!!

In a moment of thought, Fica suddenly turned around and slammed his right fist mercilessly into Hisoka's abdomen.

Thump...!

Hisoka did not dodge.

He simply raised his left hand, spread his fingers, and casually grasped Fica's fist.

It's not blocking... it's catching, like catching a ball thrown by a child, effortlessly.

The fist stopped in Hisoka's palm, and Fika couldn't exert any force, unable to penetrate or withdraw...

"Not bad..." Hisoka nodded approvingly, a hint of fervor flashing in his golden eyes.

Then he released his grip and took a step back.

"Ready to start my game?"