Chapter 22: You're Pretty High-Strung. Are You a Conjurer?
Kai rubbed Butch's head, gave him a hug, and then went back to his own routine, letting his Aura recover.
Once he was rested, he fell back into the same "wild man" training as the days before.
Ten, Zetsu, Ren, Hatsu...
Gyo, Shu, Ryu, Ken...
This time, in addition to his Emission training, he didn't skip his Manipulation practice. He realized that while he was good with his Star Marker, there were plenty of other ways to develop his Hatsu.
For his Emission training, he remembered Bisky's "Level 5" lesson for Gon—a one-handed handstand, releasing Aura from the palm to push yourself off the ground and float.
So, Kai got into a one-handed handstand.
He tried to release Aura from his palm. A moment later, an invisible force pushed against the ground. His hand lifted a full five centimeters...
"Holy crap, I'm flying!"
He got so excited he almost toppled over, catching himself just half a centimeter from the ground. He held the position, his palm steadily pulsing Aura to keep him balanced.
"This... is way more exhausting than just holding Ken..."
He lasted less than a minute before collapsing.
But he was hooked. When he got tired of that, he'd switch to something else. He'd stand, unleash his Ren, and then, at the right moment, trap it with Ten, converting it into Ken.
Time ticked by.
He'd left town in the early morning. Now, the sun was high overhead. It had to be past 10:00 AM.
As noon approached, he could hear the distant, lively sounds from East Town.
Kai, exhausted, played with Butch for a bit, ate some of his own food, and fed Rock Sparrow.
They were at the far southern edge of the East Coast, near the "exit" of the Ghost Soul Peninsula that led to the mainland. But as he looked around, he found it even stranger. There was still no proper road.
Are all those tourists at the amusement park arriving by boat?
He followed the "seawater creek" that Butch had found, heading south. Where the water line ended, the ground changed abruptly. He sat down on the strange, jagged rocks.
This was the border between Ghost Soul Island and the mainland.
But the geology was completely different. The direction he'd come from was normal forest soil. But this dividing line looked as if someone had cut a chunk out of a rocky beach and dropped it here.
"What is this?" Kai muttered. "Is this two islands just... smashed together?"
"You're right... and you're wrong," a new voice said.
Kai looked over. A man was standing there. He had a natural afro held back by a headband, thick "sausage" lips surrounded by stubble, and a body that was both muscular and round. He looked... simple and honest.
And next to him, giving Kai a two-fingered "V" sign and a mischievous grin, was Menchi.
Kai ignored the girl and looked at the big man. "Where am I right, and where am I wrong?"
The man looked down at the rocky boundary. "This is Ghost Soul Island. But it wasn't originally here. As for why it's here... no one has an answer."
Menchi crossed her arms. "Exactly. When we were searching online yesterday, I thought it was weird. Why were there no search results about an entire island suddenly appearing 24 years ago?"
"Appeared 24 years ago..." Kai understood instantly.
That explained the whole confusing conversation between Babimaina (Kakin) and Sloe (Ochima). This island was originally Kakin territory. The two nations had been in a legal battle over it ever since.
He frowned. "Wait. So 'Ghost Soul Island' means the island itself appeared like a ghost? Not that it's actually... haunted?"
Menchi paused. "You know, now that you say it..."
The big man just stood there silently.
He didn't need to say much. Kai recognized him. That afro, that headband, that build...
This guy is Ginta. The Sheep Zodiac.
What the hell is going on? I just ran into Kanzai, the Tiger, and now a wild Sheep spawns? Why are the Zodiacs running all over the place?
Ginta suddenly spoke. "It seems you recognize me."
Kai bluffed. "I checked the Hunter website. With this spitfire, actually."
Menchi sniffed her armpits.
Ginta looked at Kai. "Then you're not 20 years old."
"Because I had to look you up?" Kai shot back. "That's a weak argument. You think there aren't plenty of veteran Hunters who are completely ignorant of the Association's internal politics?"
Ginta nodded. He'd just met one that morning.
Kai turned it on them. "Don't you two have anything better to do? Why does everyone keep tracking me down?"
Ginta just pointed at Butch, who was watching them calmly.
Menchi explained, "He's my Nen teacher. And he's a Poaching Hunter—a Hunter who hunts poachers!"
"So? Why are you staring at me?" Kai said. He looked Menchi up and down. "He's a Poaching Hunter, he's your teacher... so you're a Poaching Hunter, too?"
Menchi puffed out her chest. "I'm a Gourmet Hunter!"
Kai knew that. He was just probing. Why is a Zodiac teaching a rookie in a totally different field?
Ginta answered. "I was in the area, and I had free time."
Kai was skeptical. "I'd have thought a Gourmet Hunter would be taught by... I don't know, another Gourmet Hunter? Like that old master from the Association, Linne?"
"In terms of Nen," Ginta said, "Linne-senpai is stronger than 10,000 Menchis."
"Hey!" Menchi protested. "Am I really that weak?"
Kai shrugged. "You need to be realistic. You couldn't beat me with one hand tied behind your back, let alone an old monster—er, veteran like her."
Ginta continued, "But in the culinary world, Menchi—who won the World Chef's Competition at age 12—has talent and confidence that are second to none."
"Hmph!" Menchi shot Kai a smug look. "I could beat you with both hands tied behind my back! My cooking is 100 times better than yours! No, 10,000 times!"
"You'd probably need to," Kai said.
Ginta cut in. "Besides, I was just teaching her the basics. Anyone in the Association could have done it. The job just fell to me."
Kai was getting annoyed. "So, why are you really here?"
Ginta looked at him. "I'm here to confirm if you're a poacher."
"And am I?" Kai asked.
"In character, no. Legally, that's another question." Ginta glanced at Butch, who looked healthy and happy. "I also came to warn you. That man you defeated, Garo, was a former Heaven's Arena Floor Master."
Kai scoffed. "Floor Masters are all that weak?"
"He only held the title once."
"That explains it."
"When Garo woke up, I tested him. He's a natural Enhancer, but he wasted his potential training a Conjuration ability and trying to use it with Emission and Manipulation techniques."
"..." Kai was speechless. What a Kastro.
"So, you were lucky," Ginta said, his voice serious. "I felt it was necessary to warn you. A talented young Hunter like you shouldn'T misjudge your own strength."
"Thanks," Kai said, and he meant it. "But... what's her problem? Why is she staring at my friend like he's a piece of meat on a cutting board?"
Menchi was, in fact, staring at Butch with a terrifying, hungry intensity. Butch sensed it and took two nervous steps back.
"What!" Menchi snapped, blushing. "I'm not a Poaching Hunter, I'm a Gourmet Hunter! What's wrong with seeing a rare, high-quality ingredient and... only thinking of a few hundred ways to cook it?!"
Kai stared at her. "You're so neurotic... Are you a Conjurer?"
Menchi's jaw dropped. "How did you know?!"
"And now," Kai added, "you're acting like an Enhancer."
So, Ginta thought, he knows how to guess Nen types based on personality.
(End of Chapter)