Chapter 32: The Ten Celestials
Shizuku paused to think, then looked straight at Kai. "What do you want?"
Kai grinned. "If I win, you'll call me 'Boss' and follow me from now on. How about it?"
Shizuku thought about it, but not for long. She looked at the powerful, steady Aura flowing from the small hand gripping hers.
"Okay," she said.
"Then... one... two... three...!" Kai called. "Start!"
In an instant, a dense shroud of Aura enveloped both of their arms.
Aura is life energy, the power of the spirit. It's inseparable from the body. Once a Nen user awakens, they rarely bother with inefficient, purely physical training. Strengthening their Aura is the fastest path to strengthening their body.
Kai hadn't done a single push-up since arriving, but his Nen training was a cheat code. By grinding his Total Aura (P.O.P.) to 6,000, his physical strength had been massively enhanced along with it.
He couldn't be compared to someone like Killua, who had been raised on poison and electricity, but you could no longer judge Kai's strength by his size.
The same was true for Shizuku.
She wasn't a bodybuilder, but the Aura she focused into her arm gave her a terrifying amount of power. Even so, she couldn't slam the boy's hand down. Instead, she felt an overpowering, steady pressure pushing back.
Is his strength... greater than mine?
In the contest of pure, Aura-fueled power, Shizuku could feel both of their arms vibrating. Slowly, the force coming from Kai's side grew stronger, and stronger, until it was impossible to resist.
Her brow furrowed. Her arm was being pushed down, inch by inch...
SLAM!
Her hand hit the table.
"I lose," Shizuku said, a little disappointed as she shook her aching arm.
The crowd, however, was in stunned silence. This was the first time they had ever seen anyone last nearly a full minute against the "Fountain Kid."
"That was insane... I think I saw the table crack!"
"What kind of monster-girl is she?!"
...
Shizuku rubbed her sore arm. Only now did she focus her Gyo on Kai. She immediately saw that his left hand had been pressed to the tabletop the entire time, channeling Shu (Aura envelopment) to keep the table from shattering.
"If the table broke, we couldn't finish the match," Kai said with a smile.
"You're strong," Shizuku stated. "I thought my Aura was stronger. Why did I lose?"
"Fundamentals," Kai said, holding up his hand.
Shizuku watched with her Gyo as Kai's Aura, which had been flowing evenly around his body, suddenly flowed like a river, converging entirely on his right arm and hand.
"Your Total Aura is probably a bit higher than mine," Kai explained. "But my basic control of Ryu (Aura distribution) is better. That's why I'll always win."
He was a Manipulator. She was a Conjurer. Both were equally distant from the raw power of an Enhancer, so they were on even ground there.
Kai estimated her Total Aura was around 7,000, slightly higher than his. But his fundamentals were rock-solid. If he hadn't needed to use Shu to protect the table, he could have just used Ko (a 100% Aura concentration) on his arm and ended the match in a split second.
"Oh..." Shizuku nodded, as if she understood. She was a good loser. "I lost."
Kai grinned. "So, I'm your boss now?"
"Mm."
"And you have to listen to your boss."
"Mm."
"Alright, then! Let's go!" Kai hopped off the stool and waved to the crowd. "Show's over, folks! Packin' it up!"
...
"Here. A present from your new boss."
They were walking through the neon-lit amusement park. Kai tossed the Blue Moon Jewel to Shizuku.
She didn't refuse. She clearly loved jewels. She held it up to the light, and for the first time, Kai saw a different kind of shine in her normally placid, violet-colored eyes.
"So," Kai said, "I'm putting together a little organization. The name is 'Akatsuki'."
"The Hunter Association has its 12 Zodiacs," he continued. "So, we'll have 'The Ten Celestials' (Jū Tenkan)."
"As the leader, I am 'Jia'." He pointed at her. "You're the first member I've recruited. You'll be 'Yi'."
Shizuku finally tore her gaze away from the jewel. "But you're a Hunter. Why are you making a different organization?"
"Why not?" Kai said, walking with his hands behind his head. "Being a Hunter is just one identity. Plenty of Pros have other jobs. Lawyers, judges, doctors... This is just our own little group. No big deal."
"Oh." Shizuku nodded, as if that made perfect sense.
Kai smiled, already knowing the answer. "So, why did you want my Hunter License so badly?"
Shizuku pointed. "That Ferris wheel over there. They said only Hunters can ride it."
Kai, who had guided her here with his "Kai-Crows," knew this. "That one?"
He pointed to the Ferris wheel in question. It was the only attraction in the park that was completely dark. It wasn't moving.
"I haven't been on it either. Let's check it out."
Shizuku pocketed her jewel and followed him.
...
"This... this is a Hunter License, alright..."
The two Blanchett Company employees at the ride's entrance examined Kai's card, barely believing their eyes. A Pro Hunter this young?
They knew their company's founder, the world-famous billionaire, was also a Pro Hunter. They'd heard Hunters were a strange bunch... so they didn't question it.
One staff member led them forward while the other went to start the ride.
Vmmmm....
With a deep groan, the massive, dark wheel began to turn. Shizuku looked up, and noticed that of the 30 cabins, only one was lit.
The staff member explained, "For... certain reasons, this is the only cabin available for use. To be honest, we don't get many Hunters riding it anyway."
"Makes sense," Kai said.
They waited. The single lit cabin descended, stopped, and the door was opened. They stepped inside.
Vmmm....
The Ferris wheel began its slow, grinding ascent into the night sky.
As the door closed, both Kai and Shizuku let out a small, surprised "Huh?"
Inside the cabin, Shizuku looked down at her hands, confused.
Kai, however, was examining the cabin floor. He took a few steps back, and his eyes widened in realization.
He could feel his Aura, which had been depleted from the arm-wrestling match, suddenly regenerating at an incredible speed.
He looked down. The entire floor of the cabin was covered in strange, ancient black characters, woven together like a massive, complex runic array.
(Author's Note: In the manga, when Shizuku arm-wrestled Gon, there's a panel showing Aura rising from their hands, so I'm assuming they were both using Nen, not just pure muscle, for that match. Kai and Shizuku's match here also used Aura.)