Killua cried out in pain. Even though he was well-trained, having something as heavy as a chunk of iron smash into his forehead all of a sudden would be unbearable for anyone — even a superhuman.
"You broke the rules! You said you wouldn't counterattack!" Killua covered his forehead with one hand and immediately sprang up from the ground.
"That only applied to passing the ball. Who knew it would just happen to hit your face?" Chairman Netero balanced the ball on his head, clearly enjoying himself and showing not the slightest guilt about hitting someone.
"Killua, come down and take a break. Let Gon try." Lu ou pointed at Gon, who had already begun stretching nearby.
He suggested Killua rest because that brief attempt had already taken up nearly an hour — he had to be exhausted.
"Fine." Killua hadn't gained any advantage at all. Instead, he'd been thoroughly schooled by the Chairman. It was better to rest and regroup.
"Gon, be careful. That old man's full of tricks." Since Killua had suffered, he had to warn his partner — and maybe make things a little harder for the old geezer so he wouldn't get too smug.
"I know. Let me try." Gon's eyes sparkled, eager and excited.
After loosening up with a short set of stretches, Gon stomped the ground and shot toward Chairman Netero at incredible speed.
"I'm coming!" Gon called out — very much in character, announcing his attack openly.
"Not bad explosive power for a brat," Netero observed. "But to compete with me? Train another ten years."
From that alone, it was clear he thought highly of Gon's potential.
Gon rushed forward — but it was a feint. He vanished just before reaching Netero. He had nearly touched the ball in the instant he disappeared, but wanting to be absolutely certain, he kicked off again midair to gain more height.
And then… he overshot.
"Above me," Netero said calmly, instantly tracking him with sharp perception.
Unfortunately, Gon misjudged his strength and slammed straight into the ceiling with a loud bang. Thankfully, the ceiling didn't crack.
Lu ou glanced up at it — if it broke, they'd never be able to afford the repairs.
"Ow…" Gon fell from above and rolled on the floor in pain.
"Take it slow, Gon." Even Lu ou couldn't help laughing a little — a classic case of overdoing it.
"Gon, I know your jumping power is strong, but you have to account for the height of the ceiling. You finally had a chance to grab the ball and wasted it," Killua said regretfully.
"That brat looks airheaded, but his brain works pretty well," Netero said, bouncing the ball. He was clearly pleased.
"Failed, failed." Gon rubbed his head a few times, then jumped back up full of energy, completely fired up again.
"Heh… Looks like I can't let my guard down against these two. I'll raise the level a bit," Netero thought as he casually dribbled. It was probably time to get a little more serious.
Killua, seeing Gon recover so quickly, said nothing more. He grabbed his shirt, walked over to Lu ou, and leaned against the wall to rest — unfortunately ending up too close to Anita.
"What exactly are you trying to do? If you think saving me will atone for what you did, don't waste your effort. Even if you save me, I won't thank you," Anita snapped bitterly.
Ever since she confirmed Killua was the one who killed her father, she'd been consumed with anger.
"Don't misunderstand," Killua replied evenly. "I'm just testing myself. What I really want to catch isn't the ball or the old man — it's my father's standard."
Killua had taken Lu ou and Gon's earlier words to heart.
He had always planned to surpass his father. Facing someone strong like Netero naturally made him want to use him as a stepping stone.
In every child's eyes, their father is the strongest — and Killua was no exception.
Of course, that was before he had seen Chairman Netero's true strength.
Lu ou silently took note: this was Netero's playing speed. The key wasn't how to steal the ball from Netero — it was how to steal it while Netero was playing.
And seeing it in person confirmed something else: Netero was a shameless cheat. The moment the game became too easy, he'd casually raise his level just a notch.
For someone his age, he was unbelievably childish.
Slap, slap, slap.
Netero bounced the ball lazily, standing relaxed. Gon stood opposite him, eyes fixed intently on the rhythm.
Suddenly Gon's gaze sharpened. He found an opening and launched himself forward.
Netero didn't even move from his spot. He simply pivoted while bouncing the ball, completely evading Gon's attack.
But Gon wasn't easy prey. He circled Netero rapidly, trying to snatch the ball. When Netero made a wide dodge, Gon lost control of his momentum and shot past.
Using the wall, Gon planted both feet and pushed off, rebounding toward the ball with explosive speed.
Netero's arms seemed spring-loaded — wherever Gon reached, Netero's hand slipped in the opposite direction, leaving only afterimages.
After a high-intensity exchange, Gon hadn't even touched Netero's hand — let alone the ball.
"Haa… haa…"
Gon collapsed to his knees, bracing himself with both hands on the floor, sweat dripping steadily from his forehead.
"What's wrong? Tired already? Kids these days are so useless," Netero teased lightly, standing on one leg with the ball raised, breathing perfectly steady as if he hadn't moved at all.
"Well? Giving up?" he offered kindly.
"No. I still want to play. I was just a little short that last time. There's still plenty of time. And if I quit halfway, I'd feel bad for Anita too." Gon would never give up easily.
"It's impossible," Anita said coldly. "From start to finish, Chairman Netero hasn't even really moved his right hand or left foot. At this rate, even if you tried for a year, you wouldn't get the ball."
"Huh?" Gon blinked in surprise. He hadn't noticed.
"She's right, Gon," Lu ou confirmed.
This was Chairman Netero. Even if he was only assessing their ability, he wouldn't get truly serious. Otherwise, Killua and Gon wouldn't even have a chance to move.
Even without using Nen, relying purely on physical ability, one strike would be enough to overwhelm them.
If they wanted to succeed, they would have to unleash power beyond the level Netero was casually playing at — fast enough that he wouldn't have time to casually "raise it just a little."