After hitting Killua, Hanzo could have pressed his advantage, but he didn't.
Law and Illumi could tell that Hanzo was strictly adhering to the victory condition set before the duel began.
That condition was like a points system in a ring match, and each successful hit was like a separate round.
Moreover, from the brief exchange just now, Hanzo surpassed Killua in both physical skill and strategy.
This wasn't just an advantage due to age...
Inside the ring, Killua's face was slightly grim. The follow-up kick had been too fast.
This indicated that Hanzo had considered the possibility that Killua could protect the back of his neck in time. So, from the very beginning, Hanzo's trump card was the second attack.
Therefore, all of Hanzo's actions were based on the premise that he could dodge Killua's attacks.
Killua's mind raced. He understood Hanzo's words were true, and his Rhythm Echo had been easily seen through.
'I underestimated him.'
Killua's brows slowly furrowed. The injury to his abdomen was still within an acceptable range, but he needed to be more vigilant from now on.
"Thought of a strategy yet?"
Hanzo beckoned to Killua.
He was applying pressure, trying to appear relaxed, hoping Killua would surrender cleanly after he won.
Killua didn't say a word. He stomped his foot and charged straight at Hanzo.
"Head-on?" A glint flashed in Hanzo's eyes.
Killua reached Hanzo and launched a flurry of punches with both fists.
Seeing this, Hanzo also moved his hands.
Thud thud thud...
Their fists intertwined, creating gusts of wind from the impacts.
In the rapid exchange, Hanzo gradually gained the upper hand. He landed a punch on Killua's cheek, sending him flying.
"Two hits."
Hanzo said flatly.
Killua staggered back a distance but quickly stabilized his posture.
His right cheek was already red and swollen.
"I can't beat him."
Two rounds of exchange made Killua understand the gap.
'This bald guy, like me, came from a harsh training environment. Under the current rules, I had no chance of winning.'
"I surrender."
Killua looked at the referee and said coolly.
Seeing Killua suddenly surrender, Hanzo was taken aback. "Don't you have one more chance?"
Killua didn't explain. His gaze shifted, and a hint of darkness briefly tinged his eyes as he looked at Hanzo, but it vanished quickly.
The referee immediately announced Hanzo's victory in this duel.
Killua simply walked off the ring, leaving a confused Hanzo behind.
Compared to Gon's unyielding spirit, Killua gave up too easily, as if he didn't value the victory condition of the duel.
In fact, Killua realized that without killing Hanzo, he had no possibility of winning, hence his decisive withdrawal.
Netero's attention followed Killua from the ring to the sidelines. He couldn't help but recall the volleyball game on the airship that night. Killua had given up just as easily then, which fit the Zoldyck Family's training style.
It was like this: if you can't kill the target, just give up.
'This is Killua's current flaw, and it's also related to Illumi's needle,' Law thought silently.
Killua reached the sidelines, shoved his hands in his pockets, and lowered his head so no one could see his expression.
If Law and the others' duels were considered Group A, then the 'advancer' from Group A had been decided: Killua. Next would be Group B, where one person would advance through several rounds of duels to face Killua from Group A.
Looking at the brackets, Group B was practically a free-for-all, and the grouping order had a different style from Group A.
Group A was a sequential battle, which was why the loser of a duel had to immediately face the next examinee. Group B, however, had relatively normal one-on-one matches, with only Illumi having a bye, waiting to fight the person who advanced last.
In terms of final ranking, the last duel would be between the weakest from Group A and the weakest from Group B, thus deciding who would be eliminated in the final test.
The first match in Group B was Tonpa vs Kurapika. The result was Tonpa's complete victory.
The second match was Xiaoyu vs Ponzu. The result was Xiaoyu surrendering, citing 'not hitting women' as the reason, allowing Ponzu to get the license without any pressure.
The third match was Pokkle vs Bodoro. Pokkle, a medication expert similar to Ponzu, ultimately won using a poisoned hidden weapon that made Bodoro's body weak and limp.
He then offered the antidote in exchange for Bodoro's surrender.
The fourth match was Kurapika vs Xiaoyu. The result was Xiaoyu's complete victory.
Kurapika's two duels were both against Nen Users. Faced with an insurmountable gap, he could only surrender obediently.
The fifth match afterwards was Kurapika vs Bodoro. Because Kurapika had surrendered decisively in his first two duels, and the drug hadn't completely worn off from Bodoro's system, Kurapika ultimately won.
The final match in Group B was Bodoro vs Illumi.
By now, the situation was clear.
In this duel between Bodoro and Illumi, the loser would face Killua, and then the eliminee would be decided.
Law calculated the upcoming progression. The conclusion was that Illumi, to discourage Killua, would deliberately lose this duel against Bodoro.
Illumi entered the ring, pinching his chin in thought.
Winning against Bodoro would be simple, but the next match would be Bodoro vs Killua. In that case, without a doubt, Killua would win and become a glorious Professional Hunter.
For Illumi, that won't do.
'Killua isn't suited to be a Hunter, so he must not get the license'
'Therefore, to eliminate Killua, I must surrender in this fight.'
'Hmm, it has to be this way.'
Illumi thought to himself.
Bodoro dragged his tired body into the ring. He was mentally prepared to refuse surrender no matter what.
At this moment, the examinees who had already passed the test were relatively relaxed. There were two spots left, to be decided among Killua, Illumi, and Bodoro.
Seeing both examinees were ready, the referee immediately announced the start.
"I surrender."
Illumi said simply.
The entire hall fell silent.
After a moment, the referee calmly announced Bodoro's victory.
Bodoro won without a fight but felt no joy. In his current physical state, he wasn't in a position to say any proud words.
So, he withdrew from the ring dejectedly.
This old warrior, who had stated in the pre-final test Q&A that he wanted to challenge the strongest, No. 405 (Law), ended up suffering consecutive defeats and finally received a victory that felt like charity.
Even though he would get the Hunter License, he couldn't feel any joy, or rather, he couldn't accept his own performance.
After most of the day of testing, the final duel had finally arrived.
Killua entered the ring. His expression towards Illumi carried a trace of murderous intent… the look of someone absolutely determined to win.
'No matter what, Gon had already passed the test. If I lost this match, wouldn't that mean I was truly inferior to Gon?
'I absolutely must not lose.'
For once, a strong fighting spirit surged within him.
"Hmm, good expression."
A familiar, nightmare-like voice suddenly sounded, causing Killua's soaring fighting spirit to instantly deflate.
Illumi pulled out the needles inserted in his face and head. His face distorted and quickly returned to its original form.
Killua looked as if he had seen something extremely frightening. Sweat practically instantly covered his face, clearly revealing the turmoil within.
"B-Brother!"
"What a coincidence," Illumi said flatly.
"Is it?" Killua gritted his teeth.
'It's no coincidence. He was tracking me, right? I didn't notice at all from start to finish...'
Law watched the confrontation between Killua and Illumi, thinking about whether there was any way to get Illumi eliminated.