HxH: Ryomen... Satoru?

Pressure is an intangible force—though invisible, it can always be felt.

For example, when the silver-haired man and the white-haired boy faced off, everyone around them dared not even breathe. Their hearts pounded, faces unconsciously flushed, and breathing became shallow and uneven.

"If you're in league with the poachers, you won't leave this forest alive today," the man wielding the massive scythe said.

With a casual swing, the air seemed to ripple as though he had stirred the very field of force around him, causing a gust that lifted the bangs on the boy's forehead.

"Oh, really?" the boy murmured, lifting his foot and stepping down onto the ground once more.

The instant his shoe made contact, the earth trembled violently. Within a ten-meter radius around him, the ground caved in and cracked. Soil, debris, dust, and blades of grass were launched into the air.

"Then let's see who walks out of here," the white-haired, blue-eyed boy sneered. A ghostly blue energy orbited his body, pulling in the floating debris, which revolved around him like moons around a planet. As his words fell, the energy shifted to a vivid red hue. In the next moment, a forceful repulsion shot the debris outward, scattering fragments of soil and stone like heavy artillery.

The six members of the team retreated quickly, narrowly dodging projectiles that carried the force of high-powered bullets.

Meanwhile, the silver-haired man tightened his grip on his massive scythe. The flying debris disintegrated into ash the moment it came within three meters of him.

Just as a fight seemed inevitable, with the team holding their breath, another sound broke through: the echo of approaching footsteps.

"You lot—" A furious voice interrupted the tension.

The blonde-haired youth, dragging a line of tied-up bodies strung together with grass ropes, marched toward them. His footsteps alone radiated anger.

"Don't go too far!"

"How dare you think the master would stoop to associating with trash like this?!" With that, he flung the bound figures onto the ground and pointed at them, glaring at Kite and his team in fury.

All seven members of Kite's team, including the dog, turned to look at the tied-up figures now lying before them.

Unsurprisingly, these were the very poachers they had been chasing.

So… these two had already caught them.

No further explanations were needed. The battered and bruised poachers were proof enough that the duo wasn't part of their group.

"It seems there's been a misunderstanding. No need for this hostility," said a man with a head of frizzy, explosive hair as he stepped forward, trying to ease the tension.

"If you're not poachers, then we'll leave it at that," Kite said, his tone calmer now. "But there's no need to keep up the lie that you're an investigation team."

Proper investigation teams have a required number of members—unless you're someone like Ging Freecss, whose skills alone could rival an entire team.

It was clear the white-haired boy didn't know this, which is why he had lied so casually in an attempt to fool professionals like Kite.

"Tch," Cyr clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Having his lie exposed didn't faze him in the slightest. He wasn't the type to care about things like saving face.

"Still, you've been a great help. We almost let these guys escape..." The frizzy-haired man smiled brightly as he spoke.

"We weren't helping you," the blonde youth retorted coldly. "They were rude to the master, so they brought this upon themselves."

"That's not really important… hehe… hehe..." The man with the frizzy hair laughed awkwardly, his smile turning a bit strained.

What are you doing? Trying to make things worse?!

I'm trying to smooth things over, and here you are sabotaging everything. Are you hoping these two will really start fighting?

"These people must have others waiting for them outside the forest. I'll go take a look," the silver-haired man said, gripping his scythe tightly. With an agile leap, he disappeared from sight in an instant.

"No wonder Azian Continent is called the poacher's paradise. We've already run into three groups this month," the pink-haired woman wearing a beret said as she blew a bubble with her gum.

Especially since more than half of this area is forest, with countless undiscovered species that have yet to be documented.

Their biological research team was tasked with just such work—investigating unknown species, recording their information and behavior, and uploading it to the database.

"By the way... why don't the two of you sit down and chat with us for a bit?" the bespectacled man stammered.

"Oh, I made dinner. Want to join us?" the man with the frizzy hair enthusiastically invited them.

Given the situation, it was only right to be hospitable.

Not only had these two helped capture the poachers, but there was also something suspicious about them. Keeping them close for observation seemed much better than letting them wander off to do who-knows-what.

The blonde-haired youth glanced at the white-haired boy, as though waiting for him to make the decision.

"Let's go," Cyr said after a moment's thought, giving a slight nod.

When Kite returned to their camp, the scene that greeted him was unexpectedly harmonious.

The white-haired boy sat comfortably on a chair, the blonde youth standing quietly behind him. Meanwhile, five of Kite's six teammates surrounded Cyr, chatting with enthusiasm. Even Banana's dog lay on its back in front of the boy, exposing its belly in a sign of submission.

The only one not joining the lively gathering was Stick Deena, the man with the frizzy hair, who was busy preparing food.

"Oh, you're back, Kite." The white-haired boy glanced at him and gave a casual wave, as though they were long-time acquaintances.

For a moment, Kite couldn't tell if this was his team or Cyr's. How had he become the outsider here?

"You're back, Kite. Did you know Cyr and Maro only got their Hunter Licenses two months ago?" said the short-haired, green-eyed man with a smile as he turned to Kite.

"They took their exam in the eastern forest of Azian Continent," added the tall man with the build of a polar bear, sounding surprised.

Only two months since they got their Hunter Licenses?

The blonde one was easy enough to figure out, but the white-haired kid… his strength was unsettlingly abnormal.

Could he be someone like Biscuit?

If his appearance was real and his age matched it, then—

This boy's talent was terrifyingly extraordinary.

The only comparable person that came to mind was Ging.

Could he be a naturally gifted Nen user?

"They said they're here looking for a bird that's completely black and venomous," the pink-haired woman chimed in.

For someone well-versed in biological research, that description was enough for Kite to think of the Crystal Feathered Bonebird.

Its body, as black as crystal, was both beautiful and deadly. Because of its allure, it had become a frequent target for poachers—captured, dismembered, and its bones harvested to become part of human collections.

Or worse… used in conflict.

The bird's venom was so potent that even water contaminated by its feathers or bones could cause death.

This wasn't just speculation; it had been proven time and time again at the cost of countless lives.

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