Hunter x Hunter: War of the Anime Worlds

Hisoka attached tremendous importance to "apples"—his personal term for people brimming with promise.

And that promise was multidimensional. It was not limited to raw strength or talent; it covered intelligence, adaptability, and the way a person coped with any situation or environment.

During the later stages of the Hunter Exam, the point‑based badge system led Hisoka into direct confrontations with Kurapika and Leorio.

Kurapika's cool, precise responses thoroughly impressed him. In terms of growth potential, however, Kurapika still lagged far behind Killua and Gon—but he was nonetheless worthy of being placed in Hisoka's orchard of future "fruits."

Leorio, too, possessed flashes of brilliance that Hisoka could not overlook.

People like that were destined—at high probability—to grow into formidable opponents someday, able to supply him with delicious fun and exhilaration in battle.

Xiang Nan, though… Hisoka's initial interest in him had been sparked by Illumi's appearance—

—and by a dash of curiosity about the "Nameless Town."

Back in the Heavens Arena arc, Hisoka had secretly tailed Xiang Nan for a while; virtually everything Xiang Nan did during that period fell under Hisoka's watchful eye.

Because of the system's cloaking effect back then, Hisoka could not act openly.

Even without that unseen protection, he would not have struck Xiang Nan. At the time, Xiang Nan was still an unripe fruit, yet one that constantly exuded a sweet fragrance, luring Hisoka onward.

The way Xiang Nan handled veteran fighters in Heavens Arena—his ruthless, incisive style—allowed Hisoka to glimpse a breathtaking sight: a future fruit too tempting to ignore.

One could say Hisoka had watched Xiang Nan grow up.

Learning that Xiang Nan had almost killed Machi during a brush with the Spiders thrilled Hisoka all the more;

Xiang Nan's rate of improvement was nothing short of "terrifying," and it stoked Hisoka's expectations.

Remember, Omokage had also been one of Hisoka's coveted fruits—yet Xiang Nan had stolen him away.

Ordinarily, that would be enough for Hisoka to intervene immediately… but for Xiang Nan, he could forgive it.

For Xiang Nan's eventual "flavor" surpassed even Omokage's.

Hisoka hadn't anticipated running into Xiang Nan at this year's Hunter Exam—

—and the instant he spotted the young man, his heartbeat went chaotic, for he could already smell the fruit's fragrance:

that exquisite moment when the apple can at last be plucked and devoured.

Unable to wait, he moved in on Xiang Nan—though, truth be told, Hisoka still could have held back.

Yet Xiang Nan's attitude and the instinctive threat Hisoka sensed in him—an aura that only the strong possess—lit Hisoka's fuse.

Once that feeling hit, restraint became impossible.

Hisoka's figure flashed forward—speed so extreme that his whole body seemed to stretch, facial features twisting into something almost pathological. Eyes locked on Xiang Nan, it was as though Xiang Nan's face alone filled Hisoka's entire vision.

"Ha‑ha‑ha‑ha‑ha!"

Xiang Nan listened to the eerie laugh, unmoved. He'd foreseen this.

Ever since deciding to sit the current Hunter Exam, he had suspected a predator might set sights on him—

—just not this soon.

What a madman… Self‑control? Close to zero!

"Left? Right? Right side?"

Xiang Nan's gaze grew sharper than ever.

In the manga, Hisoka's combat value far surpasses most of the Phantom Troupe—not merely in Nen proficiency but in wits and battle sense.

Hisoka's dash left after‑images; it was not a simple charge but a serpentine weave.

Whoosh!

While Xiang Nan was still thinking, all the phantoms disappeared.

A black blur shot from behind, fingers flicking a razor‑edged playing card straight at him.

Without turning, Xiang Nan shifted instantaneously to evade—

—and hurled a scalpel at empty space.

Pak!

Hisoka caught the scalpel mid‑air, delighted beyond measure. Rather than press the attack, he folded his arms across his chest, practically rolling his eyes in ecstasy.

That single probing strike had satisfied him to the core:

Xiang Nan had reacted effortlessly, slipping away from a blow at full force.

Hisoka had not held back.

"En, was it? Magnificent… absolutely magnificent…"

Discarding the scalpel, Hisoka stared at Xiang Nan, moaning in discomforting pleasure, his body trembling.

"You really are devious… pulling a little trick in advance."

Xiang Nan raised a hand; a brand‑new scalpel materialized. Coldly he spoke.

Hisoka's speed was almost beyond belief; if not for Xiang Nan's expanded aura, which enlarged the radius of his En, he might well have been hit.

That ridiculous speed, of course, came from Hisoka's Nen ability—Bungee Gum.

The scoundrel had clearly prepared for this bout long beforehand: threads of Nen were already glued to the walls, with their other ends stuck to Hisoka's body.

Once he released the Nen wrapped around his feet—the anchors that kept him in place—the elastic aura bands would retract and sling him back to his original spot, giving rise to that obscene burst of speed.

There was no way to set all that up in such a short time; it had to be advance groundwork.

"The terrifying part isn't the trick itself but this guy's mastery of Nen," Xiang Nan thought, eyes glittering.

Against Hisoka he had to keep high‑level Nen techniques online, burning aura in vast amounts.

In Gyo he saw several pink aura ribbons clinging to Hisoka, as if wires were stabbed through him. Even under constant pull, Hisoka maintained full mobility; the moment he landed he could anchor himself anew.

At any instant he might detach any ribbon—

—unleashing another burst whose angle and path were utterly unpredictable.

That demanded precise calculations about force, length, and his own limits, all while fighting at murderous intensity—

—leaving zero margin for error.

"Heh‑heh… You see my Nen, don't you?"

After savoring the thrill for a moment, Hisoka, already half‑ecstatic, squinted at Xiang Nan and laughed.

"So… which ribbon do you think I'll release next?"

He posed the question for sport.

"I'm not interested in sparring with you," Xiang Nan replied evenly. "I'm here to tell you that instead of scouring this world, cultivating tasty fruit one by one, I have a better way—a way to let you gorge yourself. I can open the gate to an orchard overflowing with bounty… another realm entirely. You will love it—and you'll thank me."

The words had barely fallen when Hisoka vanished.

"…That bastard," Xiang Nan muttered, frowning.

Clearly, Hisoka was in no state to listen.

Heh‑heh‑heh…

Hisoka flickered through the underground chamber in high‑frequency bursts.

Ceiling, floor—every surface became a foothold, crisscrossed in dozens of intersecting black lines, far too fast for the naked eye.

Even Xiang Nan couldn't track them all.

"Looks like I need to calm you down first."

His gaze turned ferocious; his voice dropped, edged with menace.

White gloves appeared on his hands—his own Nen ability, "Hands of Love," activating.

Invaders were still wreaking havoc in the city, and time was short.

Killing those intruding players had to be quick—no dragging things out.

~~~

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