Chapter 1: Reincarnation × Shadowfang Beast × Kaiya
"Alistair, jump down already!"
A chubby kid popped out of the water, yelling up at Alistair, who was standing nervously at the edge of the reservoir.
"I'm doomed."
Alistair stared at the intimidating height below him, his legs trembling uncontrollably.
He glanced helplessly at James, who was sitting nearby reading a manga.
"Big bro, I'm about to jump—come on, talk me out of it!"
James glanced up impatiently, then quickly returned his gaze to the comic in his hands.
"If you're gonna jump, just do it. If you're gonna die, go die somewhere else. Stop whining."
"...Damn."
Alistair was speechless.
"Alistair chickened out! Hahaha!"
"Alistair, maybe you should get castrated? The Eastern Bureau needs talent like you."
"Yeah, like you even need that thing anyway."
"Why're you acting like a girl? If you're scared, just admit it already."
Kids in elementary school always wanted to one-up each other. Dominance came from belittling your peers in every possible way.
"Dammit! These little shits are really looking down on me. How am I supposed to survive in class after this?"
Even in second grade, cliques had already formed.
You could do a thousand badass things, but screw up once and you'd be mocked endlessly.
A kid's pride was laughably fragile—none of them wanted to look weak.
Clenching his teeth, Alistair leapt.
His body plunged downward, cutting through the air toward the water below.
Splash!
A huge splash erupted as his small figure disappeared beneath the surface.
Glub... glub...
The impact was immense. When Alistair opened his eyes, all he could see was a faint glimmer of sunlight.
He was far below the surface.
Panic surged. He had to get back up.
Kicking with all his might, he swam toward the light above.
Suddenly, he felt a strong current drag him down.
Before he could react, it swept him away.
His consciousness began to fade, his vision blurring.
Just before blacking out, he seemed to see his body floating lifelessly upward...
...while his consciousness sank deeper.
---
Hunter Year 1997, May
In an ancient jungle thick with towering trees, only dappled sunlight pierced through the dense canopy above.
At the end of a winding path, a cloud of dust kicked up.
A boy in an orange jacket came running, drenched in sweat, his clothes clinging to his body.
Hot on his heels was a terrifying Shadowfang Beast. Four meters long, muscular, with razor-sharp claws and gleaming fangs—it was the kind of monster even top-tier hunters avoided.
"Master! Master! I give up—I surrender!" the boy shouted. His clothes were tattered, and his once-adorable face was now contorted in panic.
Kite stood high in a tree, watching calmly.
He had no intention of stepping in.
The boy was none other than Alistair, who had reincarnated into the world of Hunter x Hunter three years ago after drowning.
When Kite rescued him back then, the boy couldn't even speak the common language.
After babbling nonsense and suddenly revealing scarlet eyes, Kite realized he was a surviving member of the Kurta Clan.
But Alistair hadn't inherited the original host's memories.
Kite never told him who he really was, simply assuming he had amnesia.
He named him "Kaiya."
At the time, the extermination of the Kurta Clan was front-page news.
To protect him, Kite sealed Kaiya's Scarlet Eyes using Nen, preventing them from activating under emotional stress.
He kept the boy close, teaching him language, literacy, and martial arts while searching for his master—Ging Freecss.
However, Kite deliberately avoided teaching Kaiya how to use Nen.
He had sensed something strange during the sealing process—Kaiya possessed a vast amount of aura, far beyond that of a normal person.
He was the kind of prodigy born once in ten million.
But with Kaiya still young and mentally undeveloped, awakening such power too early could result in disaster if someone manipulated him.
So Kite planned to raise him until at least age twelve, and then guide him to learn Nen gradually through the Hunter Exam.
"Master, help! I don't want to die!" Kaiya screamed.
This wasn't training—it was a death sentence!
He had no weapons, no way to break through the beast's hide, and 40 kilograms strapped to his legs—completely ruining any speed advantage.
Looking back at the rapidly approaching beast, sweat streamed down his neck.
"Observe your surroundings. Use the environment and any available resources to overcome an opponent stronger than yourself. That's today's lesson."
Kite took a sip of liquor, completely unfazed.
"You're kidding me. This is supposed to be training? Isn't training meant to be progressive? Like, start with chasing a chicken or something?"
Kaiya was panting heavily, clearly exhausted from hours of being hunted.
Just then, he felt a chill down his spine.
He abruptly stopped and rolled backward.
Pain exploded in his back.
He reached around and felt wetness—his hand came back covered in blood.
"Damn it, I swear—if you come at me one more time…"
He didn't finish. The beast snarled and lunged again.
"I'M OUT!"
Kaiya leapt into the trees, clutching his chest.
"Are you serious, Shadow? You're going all in?"
The Shadowfang Beast growled, froth dripping from its jaws.
"Old man, enough! Are you really trying to kill me?"
Kaiya shouted at Kite, who was still drinking lazily.
"Can you stop pretending and save your handsome, obedient, talented apprentice?"
"Handle it yourself," Kite replied.
He knew the kid was just lazy—too lazy to think.
"Oh come on! You can't just watch your genius disciple die, right?!"
"So where is he?" Kite looked around innocently.
"…"
Kaiya was stunned, but his mouth didn't stop:
"I get it. You want me dead so you can be the most handsome man on Azian Continent."
"You said no tree climbing! If I listened to you back then, I'd already be dead!"
Suddenly, the Shadowfang Beast leapt onto the tree.
"Crap! It can climb?!"
Kaiya launched himself to another tree, but the beast was close behind.
Their chase moved from the ground to the treetops.
"This kid never shuts up," Kite muttered. He couldn't understand how someone like him had ended up with such a chatterbox for a disciple.
Kaiya glanced back once—just once—and instantly regretted it.
That monster's claws were deadly. No way to fight it in close range.
If fists couldn't win, he'd have to use his brain.
His eyes scanned the forest.
About 100 meters ahead, two large tree branches had twisted together, forming a small natural tunnel.
It was narrow—but just big enough for his body.
A plan formed.
Without hesitation, he bolted toward it, intentionally slowing down to maintain a baiting distance.
This served two purposes: to keep the beast focused solely on him, ignoring the surroundings; and to reduce its line of sight the closer it got, increasing his chances.
The risk? If he misjudged even a little, he'd die here.
Still... ever since he came to this Hunter world, his mindset had shifted.
Since he was here, he might as well make a splash.
If he got the chance to rise above it all, wouldn't that beat becoming a corporate drone back on Blue Star?
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