Well that was interesting. Choerry was not expecting to see such a relaxed scene. Chuu and her were both trailing the girls from behind, finding their footprints as they made a quick search over the branching paths from the main trail. Most of them were very dead ends. Their shoes sizes were not uncommon, even if the majority of applicants did lean on scale to a larger body size. 

Despite that, they wound up finding them relatively soon, already running in the territory, where trees grew branches strong enough to travel through the canopy, which they did, still in Zetsu.

What surprised her - and, she would guess, Chuu - was to see them traversing in relative safety and peace. They were jogging lightly, seemingly unperturbed neither by lack of any guiding noise nor footprints to follow.

Even stranger, it was HeeJin, who was guiding them.

They finally were nearing the blurry border of the most precarious territory, swamp slowly melting away. Fog was still present, but nothing compared to what it was before, just a low, barely seen layer of film near the ground.

Choerry cheered internally. Overall, the situation was great!

And it was going to continue being great, seeing where they were heading - she wanted to see what happened there and their direction lined up nicely.

Hopefully, neither of them was of faint heart, as it seemed they were aiming directly towards epicenter of Hisoka’s bloodlust.

Lost in her thoughts, HeeJin mused over the scare Hisoka gave at the exit - it was quite possible that he inadvertently saved her and HyunJin’s life with that stunt. She entertained herself thinking how, if he was any less insane, she might’ve thanked him later. Alas, she would just avoid him like plague - no need to signal about her mental disorder to random criminals. Or attract their attention at all.

They were jogging for quite a while, and slower pace helped her immensely - she was still runnin. HeeJin even chose to regard a slight wind to their backs as a blessing, both in direction and making humidity more beareable, it felt almost ordinary compared to the dangerous opaque swamp several miles ago.

She was grateful HyunJin wasn't asking more questions though.

They heard some noise up ahead and HeeJin felt her eight's breath opening - they caught up! Her guide flickered and darted ahead, before stopping dead in its tracks. HeeJin paid that no mind, her joy clouding a tired conscious, rushing right past it's small figure - she could see decreese of tall vegitation up ahead, they caught up!

To her left, HyunJin said, alarmed, digging er heels in the mud, nostrils flaring, "Wait, something's wrong!.."

A sudden change of scenery startled HeeJin as she stopped dead in her tracks a couple meters further, inertion carrying her ahead, right before bursting into an border of a clearing. What laid in it captured her attention and strangled any question in . Trees weren't as dence as before and horror of the view behind them wasn't obstructed in the least.

As soon as her consciousness caught up with her surroundings, HeeJin involuntarily made a step back.

There were dozens of people lying on the ground. Some had local fauna (and, in a disturbing case further to the edge of the clearing some distance away from them, twisting flora) already began feasting on them. On the undoubtedly dead crowd.

There were rabbits hopping around, sniffing curiously at dead man, uncaring of other animals or the bloodbath that occured. One hopped right into small pool of blood, gathered in a small cavity of mud, not disturbing the surface, before sniffing the man's face, thankfully turned away from her. HeeJin couldn't see his face, but a gash that almost cut off his shoulder from the torso was pointing right at her.

Clearing was filled with dozens upon dozens of corpses.

HeeJin felt bile rise to . She pushed it down, mindlessly raising her hand to her face.

“There was a fight,” said HyunJin.

Sarcasm, HeeJin was unable to swallow back. “Did bodies clued you in?”

She scowled. It wasn't HeeJin's first time seeing a dead person and she knew that the exam was lethal and seeing death was a matter of fact, but it still did not prepare her for this. “Sorry, it's...”

“I mean besides those men. Look,” HyunJin interrupted her, unperturbed by the scene, pointing at some dirt patches, “there, there and tracks there. Someone walked in different directions and later returned… and here someone fell, but no body. Someone rolled on the ground a lot in this region. But it seems like the fighters went their own ways, there are no bodies outside those in uniform.” Tracks easily preserved echoes of the fight and as HyunJin pointed at them.

Tearing her eyes away from and looking past them, HeeJin did slow deep breaths, holding it for six seconds between, calming herself down. Not tranquil, but no longer on the verge of vomiting. 

HyunJin frowned, turning her head to the side, nostrils twitching again, barely noticeable. The girl made a step towards the circle of bodies and HeeJin was about to ask about that, when something big dropped in front of her. She flinched and jumped back, further than even HeeJin did, despite her being closer to the scare. HeeJin had her sable out and in position before her mind caught up with her eyes.

Choerry, with raised open palms.

“Do not startle us like that!” HeeJin hissed at the girl.

“Sorry,” apologetically waved the girl. “Did not want to startle you from behind.”

“How is it better than dropping from the sky right in front of us?” argued HyunJin, glaring.

“And how is it any better than just calling us?” HeeJin forcefully sheathed the sable. Choerry pinched her brows apologetically. “Wait, nevermind - no, do not nevermind, don’t do that again - were you following us? Or is this,” she motioned at the clearing as her voice dropped, feeling dread at a sudden thought, “your job?”

“Yes. No.” With an indignant yelp, HeeJin spun around facing Chuu. Can people stop sneaking up on them? She was informed on numerous occasions that that was rude and begging for a reflexive attack. “You are unbelievably lucky,” said Chuu, unnaturally serious, meeting her glare.

“Getting lost in the deadly swamp is hardly fortunate.”

“Remember Hisoka?” ignored her mumbling Chuu.

HeeJin snorted, crossing arms. “My head is not a sieve! How could anyone forget him?”

Chuu’s eyebrows made a barely-noticeable twitch. “When we were heading back, he was here,” she turned to HyunJin. “You have sharp eyes. The fact that he left someone alive is strange, but none of our concern. He was aching for a kill since before the exam started and finally got his fill. I do not know how to properly empathise exactly how unbelievably lucky you two are,” she fixed both of them with a heavy gaze. “Do not, under any circumstances, cross paths with him.”

HeeJin averted her eyes, looking back to the scene, where there was only one rabbit hopping around now. Chuu was right. She had no idea what would’ve happened if she met him in his worst. Die, probably. 

She looked away, fixing her eyes on horizon line closer to Chuu.

Humming in contemplation, HyunJin approached one of the corpses. She crouched, inspecting it closer, and HeeJin marveled at her composure and (or) lack of revulsion and fear towards death. HyunJin tilted her head and, for a moment, sat in silence. “No. I disagree. It concerns me a lot - we cannot guarantee that we will never stand next to him in the wrong moment.” Another moment passed. “Chuu, why didn’t he kill them?”

“I don’t know”, repeated Chuu, coming closer and taking HeeJin by the hand. To her surprise and relief, the girl carefully led her to the other edge of the clearing, pulling past the bodies. Despite her dread and a granted opportunity to not need to look at them, HeeJin did look at bodies. The only damage she saw in passing were deep cuts, one for each corpse. She looked at Choerry hovering over a single body laying slightly to the side, a track of blood on its nape. 

HeeJin looked away for the last time.

This scene was just... brutal. But also clean, to her extremely limited knowledge - only cuts, no bodies torn to shreads by explosions or shredded with bullets or wrung in convulsion and changing colour from poison. It brought her fleeting relief for some reason, but also stress - those fighters were nowhere close to Hisoka’s skill level. They hadn’t a chance against him. 

And neither did she.

Forget plague, HeeJin was avoiding him like a bomb laying next to open fire.

She allowed Chuu to pull her past all of the signs of struggle before digging her heels, wordlessly pointing back at HyunJin and Choerry, who were quietly talking about something. The redhead rolled her eyes and let go of her hand, slightly annoyed, but agreeing to wait. Chuu turned to the clearing, huffing and crossing her arms.

HeeJin hesitated for a moment. She leaned closer and hugged her for a moment. “Thank you,” she whispered. Then, realizing something, added: “For returning for us too.”

After two beats, HeeJin felt a hand on her back, giving her a couple pats. She let herself cling to Chuu for comfort for a couple more seconds before letting go, looking to the ground, a faint smile tugging her lips.

She would thank Choerry later too. The knowledge that they actively went back for them warmed her heart to an unspeakable degree.

Who knew she would get friends at this place?..

When HyunJin approached them, bunnyless clearing behind her, Chuu spun on her heels and led their group into the forest without another word.

Choerry caught up with them. “Then maybe he saved them for later?” she cheerfully continued the topic they had previously. “When he feels bloodlust again? Or for a favor at a later date? Or will he wait for them to be more worthwhile?” Contents of her words did not match with her words, morbid scenarios switching each other.

Chuu cheerfully smiled at Choerry (so brazenly misplaced, she thought). “Who knows.”

At some point they found a dirt road leading to the site of the second phase and left the last signs of the swamp behind. Fog disappeared completely, vanishing even before the ground became fully solid again, no longer slurping with each step. HyunJin heard HeeJin muttering quiet praise under her breath when they first saw the path, two wide tracks leading somewhere. She wasn’t going to lie - stepping not only on solid, but hard-pressed ground again was a great feeling.

Other examinees were gathered in front of the tall closed gates, catching their breaths, Satotz nowhere to be seen. Fence itself was beige and tall, almost six meters high, the gateway framed by two small towers. For now, the only concerning thing was a loud rumbling that was sometimes heard over it, any signs of other danger absent. 

As the girls arrived at the site, taking in the place, there was a stark difference that they noted - the crowd got smaller, only a hundred and a half applicants or so left out of the initial four hundred.

Before they came closer to the resting examinees, Chuu motioned them to move ahead, as she led Choerry back down the road. HyunJin readily let them do their thing and started searching for the applicants with any signs of battle. Quite a lot of examinees had dirt on them, but all of it was all splattered on their lower halves, from mud everyone threw around with their shoes. Not the ones she was looking for. She was also trying to find the source of one particular scent she noticed on the clearing.

“I hope no more running,” said HeeJin quietly behind her. HyunJin glanced back and smiled at her distrustful staring at the gates, “or I am throwing hands.”

“There won’t be a unified writing test, if you are hoping for that one. Better rest while there is a chance and prepare,” your fists, she finished internally. HyunJin shared the thought. She was tired, too, even if not as exhausted as HeeJin was - the girl joked on the last wisps of her second wind. She had to pull HeeJin by hand to make her walk anywhere ever since they finished the first phase. As soon as she found her target, she would let her rest, but, for now, they were sticking together.

Quick glances around proved that quite a lot of people were tired, not as shy about sitting or even lying down as after the tunnel. An hour-long run through the swamp exhausted them enough to encourage them to catch every bit of respite they could.

Unsurprisingly, HyunJin was the first to see the boys, immediately heading towards them, tugging HeeJin along. Leorio, still shirtless and now covered in dirt from head to toe, was propped against a tree. He was sporting a fascinating bruise on his swollen face that he kept confusedly poking. In a moment she noticed dirt on Gon’s clothes.

They were the ones to get out of the fight with Hisoka. That was bad. She expected that but still hoped someone else had caught his attention. It didn’t come as a surprise, as she thought she sensed Leorio's cologne there, but wasn't hundred percent sure. And there were plenty of really small footprints all over clearing, almost child-sized, later leading away from it.

They fought Hisoka and survived. With any luck, they will tell her, how.

The boys turned as they approached, Kurapika having a hint of a smile, opening his mouth for a greeting.

“How did he not kill you?” Her question caused Kurapika to shut his mouth with a clank, smile disappearing and brows furrowing. On the other hand, he might have not been in a fight. He had no signs of a struggle on his light clothes and neither had Killua, his clothes thoroughly wet. Likely from one of the temporary showers installed by the wall, as even now she could sense a clinging stench of vomit.

“Nice to see you all get here safe and sound, boys, really glad,” interrupted HeeJin before anyone could say anything else. “Why, thank you, we are also thrilled to get here unharmed, ah, your concern warms my heart,” she continued with pleasantries in the same monotonous tone, not giving anyone time to respond, shaking off HyunJin’s hand. “So wonderful indeed. Don’t mind me.”

HeeJin moved a couple more steps under the shadow and gracefully fell on the ground, dead to the outside world.

Gon turned to HyunJin and exclaimed, happily: “You found a way! Kurapika said you two fell really far behind!”

“We did,” answered HyunJin. She glanced at HeeJin’s form. “We were lucky to avoid all hostile flora and fauna on our way here.”

“Including Hisoka,” Kurapika crossed his arms. “How did you know about that?”

“Chuu and Choerry said it was him,” easily confessed HyunJin. “Said he was bloodthirsty enough to do that and killing those men might have been a way for him to calm down,” a look of slight irritation crossed over Killua’s features.

“Well they are mistaken then, that certainly did not calm him down enough,” said Kurapika, then glanced at confused-looking Leorio and unfolded arms, sighing. “We still had to run, but he did not chase us… At least there was no need to.”

Gon motioned for HyunJin to lean closer, Killua also turning his ear to them. “Leorio does not remember what happened and we do not want to tell him.” HyunJin smiled slightly and nodded. Understandable, Leorio seemed like a person whose ego could be bruised. “We think he liked fighting us,” he said in a normal volume.

That also lined up with what Choerry said.

Killua, to whom this information seemed to be new, whistled. “You have seriously lucked out.”

HyunJin zoned the conversion out, sitting in the sun spot near HeeJin. It seemed there was no secret plan to live through a fight with Hisoka. Like Chuu advised, it was either “stray away” or “fight for your life”.

She hummed to herself, leaning back, bathing in sunshine. In the background, she listened to the boys discussing what weird animals they have seen in the swamp. She closed her eyes.

This exam was much more than she expected.

Inhale, exhale. She collected her thoughts. “Whoever taught you nen never mentioned not to grab others without warning,” stated Chuu as an opening and instantly caught how unintentionally aggressive that sounded. She explained, “What if I was into cutting arms off? What if I thought you were?”

They walked half a minute down the road and hid in the forest, far from prying eyes and ears. This was not exactly the talk she thought she would ever give, but if Choerry was not well-versed in use of nen and different hatsu possibilities yet, she had to clear some things for her, as a nonhostile nen-using senior.

Choerry shrugged, blinking. “Sorry, I thought I was slow enough to warn you.” 

Chuu squinted. Was Choerry not understanding or was that passive aggression? Or was Chuu looking too much into this? Should she tell her that if Choerry wasn’t that slow, Chuu would’ve cut her arms off, thinking of that as of a possible attack and retaliating?

“You are a nen-user, no matter how slowly you were moving. Besides, I have gloves!” She lifted her hands to bring her fingerless knitted gloves closer to Choerry’s face. “You could’ve easily tugged me by those! Do you know how many hatsus are activated by touch?”

Was Choerry not advanced enough yet to know of conditions and limitations? Activation or tagging on touch was a relatively common one.

At least, her angry hissing made Choerry wince, finally clicking something. “Yeah, sorry. Wasn’t thinking about that.”

Chuu watched the girl avert her eyes and throw both ponytails over her shoulders with a flick of her head. At this point of this gloriously messed-up day, she was certain Choerry was full of . Her last remarks at the Hisoka’s murder clearing? Chuu was unable to discern whether that was a lucky guess, experience with such people or a complete certainty and the girl was lying through her teeth. And God knew - hell, they knew - that no matter how unlikable he was, he knew people and people knew him… At least, for a while. She was familiar with his preying habits enough to label those who got away from that clearing as his new fruits. Chuu had nothing to offer them but her best wishes.

Her current biggest problem remained with Choerry. Chuu was confident in her lie detection skills and the uncertainty the girl brought to this whole mess of an exam was a major nuisance. Not a threat, at least, not yet. But it was difficult not to grow uneasy, when a competent person like Choerry let out little to none information or reactions to work off of. Some crumbs, that weren’t even puzzle pieces. It was expected, hence, “competent”, but Chuu was the infiltrator, goddammit! It was her direct job! It was clear the girl had some sort of training in that field.

Not to mention, Choerry’s age had the opposite effect on her than HeeJin and HyunJin’s. Not as worrisome as Killua with his well-trained soundless steps, but unnerving nonetheless.

Curse Yves for forbidding her to treat this as a mission and instead interpret this as a vacation and asking to find at least a friend!.. Just kidding, Chuu would never curse Yves.

And it was still the first day, barely the end of the first phase.

She made direct eye contact with the girl. “Do you know Hisoka?”

Choerry unflinchingly met her eyes. “No. I have never met him before the exam nor have I heard of him before.”

No matter how she searched, Chuu could not detect any lie in that. Voice, body language, nothing, her measly intuition.

This whole exam was spiraling out of control. This was not supposed to be this personally dangerous, full of uncertainty or confusion.

'Vacation'.

Chuu sighed. She wished Yves was here.