"Oh my, oh my — so you noticed? I thought I'd been hiding it quite well." Chairman Netero hadn't expected someone to catch on so quickly.
"So it's true." Killua stared in surprise. Netero had been standing on one leg the entire time, holding the ball in one hand — and his other hand had barely touched it at all.
"He's… incredibly strong." Killua couldn't help thinking that maybe Chairman Netero was even stronger than his father.
(And for once, he wasn't exaggerating — though it wasn't just "a little" stronger. It was much more.)
"Now that you know, stop worrying about me and just give up," Anita said to Gon. Unlike with Killua, she didn't have any particular prejudice against Gon and could speak more calmly.
Lu ou glanced at Anita. Although she had the unusual ability to sneak aboard the airship and even obtain a portrait of Killua, her sharp tongue was certainly irritating.
"I won't," Gon said loudly.
"Didn't you hear what I just said? You'll never get that ball!" Anita snapped, annoyed by his stubbornness.
"You might be right," Gon admitted, "but it's too early to give up. There's still plenty of time. At the very least, I want to make Chairman Netero use his right hand."
Even after realizing through Anita's words and his own attempts that this wager was practically impossible to win, Gon still wanted to push himself further.
That was just how he was. He didn't care about conventional logic — only about doing what he believed was right.
"Gon, take a rest. I'll try this round," Lu ou said, noticing Gon was still breathing heavily after more than an hour of exertion.
He had gathered enough data. Now it was time to test it.
"Lu ou's going to play? That's great!" Gon immediately perked up and moved aside.
"Lu ou's going too?" Leorio hadn't been interested from the start. The Hunter License was tempting, sure — but after seeing Gon and Killua fail, he felt the effort probably wasn't worth it. Better to conserve strength for the actual exam.
Kurapika, skilled at analyzing situations, had already concluded that Gon and Killua had no chance of taking the ball. He had no intention of trying either — not when there were still tests ahead.
But now that Lu ou was stepping in, things became unpredictable. Kurapika couldn't foresee how this would turn out.
"Lu ou, you're really going?" Killua asked, eyes shining with anticipation. He had always suspected Luou was hiding something.
"Relax. It's just a game." Lu ou nodded calmly.
"It's just a game," Netero echoed with a chuckle — though a hint of seriousness entered his gaze.
"Let's see what the boy who's awakened Nen can do."
Netero had wanted to test Lu ou's potential since their first meeting. Now he finally had the chance.
"Then here I come."
Lu ou walked forward unhurriedly and even gave Netero a respectful bow before assuming his stance.
"Wait," Lu ou suddenly said with grave seriousness. "Chairman, I've just realized I'm a little hungry. Please give me time for a meal."
Netero blinked.
The others, who had been preparing to watch intently, were equally stunned.
That turn of events was so abrupt even a veteran couldn't keep up.
"Go ahead, go ahead," Netero said calmly.
Lu ou didn't hesitate. He returned to his bag and began taking out food — rare fruits gathered earlier by the humanoid apes, along with several extra Boiled Spider Eagle eggs he'd prepared in advance.
He laid out quite a feast. Even Netero had to admit — this kid could really eat.
After intense exercise, replenishing energy made sense. And the food Lu ou brought out wasn't ordinary — some items were nearly impossible for normal humans to collect.
Anita had barely noticed Lu ou before. Since he hadn't spoken much, he seemed insignificant. Killua was strong — she acknowledged that. But even Killua had failed. How could this quiet boy succeed?
Still, those were certainly some fine ingredients. Netero, recalling the humanoid apes from earlier, had a rough idea where they came from.
About fifteen minutes later, Lu ou finished eating and stood.
"All right. Let's begin." He brushed crumbs from his hands and walked to the center of the room.
Netero stepped forward as well, holding the ball. He stood there without moving, seemingly full of openings.
At least, that's how it looked.
Lu ou closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, they were clear and focused.
Without hesitation, he burst forward toward the ball in Netero's raised hand.
To Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio, it felt like a gust of wind passed them — and suddenly Lu ou was already in front of Netero.
"So fast!" they exclaimed simultaneously.
"Not bad," Netero said, as if he had expected it.
Lu ou had awakened Nen. No matter how mediocre he once seemed, that alone placed him above the ordinary. And his natural aptitude wasn't poor — he simply lacked systematic training and experience.
After two rounds of exertion, his body had warmed up significantly. His speed, agility, and reaction time now surpassed those of his companions — even though they were all one-in-a-million talents.
But even enhanced by Nen, Lu ou's speed couldn't compare to Chairman Netero's.
The gap was enormous.
Netero effortlessly shifted aside, the ball tracing a smooth arc past Lu ou's grasp.
"Hey! The Chairman moved his left foot! Lu ou's amazing!" Gon shouted.
It was true — to avoid Lu ou's superior burst of speed and unpredictability, Netero had used his left foot to pivot.
"He's strong," Killua murmured.
Only someone who had fought Netero would understand how difficult it was to make him move that foot.
As expected of Lu ou.
Killua's eyes gleamed. Lu ou might truly be the strongest among them — and that wasn't just talk.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Lu ou maintained his maximum speed, circling Netero continuously, ready at any moment to reach for the ever-elusive ball in his hand.