As tower staff rushed a critically injured Kai for emergency medical treatment, and the mood began to mellow out in Heavens Arena, hordes of police cars, news crews, and journalists arrived upon the Gelsea City Battle Monument seeking to question staff and visitors who had witnessed the events on the 230th floor in search of an explanation..
Date: July 14th, 2011
Back in the penthouse on the 230th floor, while Kai is watching these news in his flat-screen TV with bandages all over his body and his right hand in a cast, Nicholas knocks on the door before entering along the rest of the canon named characters to greet him with a wide grin.
"Boss, how are you feeling after being treated?" Nicholas asks approaching the bed where he lays.
"I feel better than yesterday thanks to the swift intervention of the tower's medical team: They disinfected my cuts, bandaged my wounds, gave me blood transfusions, and even splinted my mangled fingers." Kai says, thanking the doctors who treated him.
"The only thing that bothers me is being in such a vulnerable position right now due to my injuries. I wouldn't even be able to perform at a third of my ability in a real fight right now."
"Well, it was inevitable that you'd end up harmed to some degree by the way you performed in the fight. You put yourself in the middle of Hisoka's attacks on the audience and neglected your own safety to save them. It was a very risky thing to do, and you could have ended up much worse than this." Wing comments with some criticism among the group.
"But it was incredible! You held your own against Hisoka and you managed to counter everything he tried during the fight until you won!" Nicholas replies pretty excited.
"That's right! You both flew through the air of the stadium like you owned it, and I was amazed at all the abilities you'd created and implemented in your Emission category! Especially that Orbital Cannon! When you fired it to save the audience and it pierced the entire tower to the outside, it was so cool!" Zushi adds, showing a childlike enthusiasm typical of his age that he doesn't usually show.
"All that aside, Wing is right to criticize him. You were very careless again in the fight, and you should be more grateful for being able to recover so well despite all the damage you suffered. Seriously, when are you going to get over this bad habit of putting yourself in unnecessary danger?" Ponzu criticizes Kai by frowning at him with her hands on her hips.
"Well, what other choice did I have? If I hadn't intervened, Hisoka really would have killed those people right in front of my eyes. The important thing is that no one died in the end and I'll recover soon, so everything's okay." Kai says smiling and scratching the back of his neck nervously at Ponzu's obvious concern for his well-being.
"By the way, Gon, what did you think about the fight?"
At his question, everyone's gaze turns to the spiky-haired boy who looks somewhat dejected. "I think you were great too. It was an impressive battle, and so were your Nen abilities. Seriously, congratulations on your victory." Gon answers with a clear lack of confidence.
"Regretting that you couldn't be there to experience it firsthand?" Kai asks pointedly, making Gon look away. "I'm glad to see my punishment had the desired effect. I hope this has taught you the lesson about heeding my warnings."
At his statement, Gon nods resignedly, while Killua casually places his hands behind his head and stares into space. "I hate to admit it, but the fight was impressive. I would have felt pretty bad if I hadn't been able to experience it in person." Killua says.
"Hey Killua! You don't have to make me feel worse either!" Gon complains, with Killua sticking his tongue out in mockery.
"Be that as it may, we're all glad you've kept your promise, boss. You defeated that bastard Hisoka in the battle for the title of Floor Master, put an end to that lunatic's life, and have fulfilled all your objectives in Heavens Arena. Now you have nothing stopping you from leaving and fulfilling the working agreement with Mr. Battera. Honestly, boss, congratulations." Nicholas says with an appearance and aura of respect, pride and affection for his master.
At his congratulations, Kai smiles feeling a deep sense of satisfaction. "Thanks, Nicholas. But we still have a long way to go. You still have to face the challenge of becoming a Floor Master tomorrow, and after that, we'll both have to keep pushing ourselves to overcome whatever comes our way in the future."
Receiving a nod from Nicholas, Kai and the others continue chatting for a couple of hours about the progress of the recent fight, Gon and Killua's future plans, Kai fighting Wing again at his best someday, and other casual topics.
As the room begins to redden from the sunlight shining through the glass wall of Kai bedroom, the group prepares to leave, eager to watch Nicholas's match for the title of Floor Master tomorrow and wishing Kai a speedy recovery so he can attend as well.
"Wait Ponzu!" Kai suddenly calls as she is about to walk out the door, making her turn around. "Could you stay a little longer? I have some unfinished business to discuss with you before I have to leave Heavens Arena soon."
"Huh? What business are you referring to?" Gon asks somewhat intrigued by Kai statement.
"She'll also have to leave soon to continue her forestation project in the Ochima Federation, so we won't be able to see each other for a long time. I have to discuss staying in touch, the training she needs to continue, the Nen ability I've thought of for her, and other miscellaneous things." Kai answers, hiding his true motives with plausible and not entirely false arguments. "Well, what do you say? Can you wait before you leave?"
"O-Ok, no problem. Guys, he's right to discuss these issues. You go back to your rooms, I will stay a bit longer and see you tomorrow." Ponzu says, getting a nod from the others as they go out and leave the coupe alone in the big penthouse.
Point of View Switch: Kai
"Well, what's the first thing you want to discuss?"
At Ponzu's question, I take a few seconds looking down before answering: "I have kept my promise." At my words, Ponzu jolts a bit in surprise.
"I faced my long-awaited fight with Hisoka, fought him with all my might, overcame all his attempts to trap me, and finally cut off his head with my sword. Now, at last, I've finished the chapter of my life I began with him on Zevil Island, just as I promised you."
"Yes, you got it at the end. But you put yourself at a lot of unnecessary risk in your confrontation. With all your Nen abilities, it should have been easy for you to end the fight much sooner. And besides, you wouldn't have ended up so badly injured protecting the audience. You had me really worried, you idiot." Ponzu says rubbing her arm and looking to the side with a mixture of shyness and annoyance.
"It's true that doing it that way would have been easier, and it's generally how I'd go about it... but not for this fight." I start saying, looking at her with a serious expression. "I didn't want to win easily with dirty tricks; I wanted to prove that I was superior to Hisoka's. To defeat him beyond a shadow of a doubt, without anyone being able to call me a cheater or a coward. I wanted to emerge from this fight as the undisputed victor, so that I could mend my broken pride as a warrior."
"Besides, it wasn't my plan to reveal all those Nen abilities to the audience and the cameras in the first place. Honestly, if Hisoka hadn't started threatening the audience, I would have fought him using only my Barrier Orb." I say changing to a more relaxed attitude.
"Sigh. Seriously, you should stop being so confident and start worrying a little more about your own safety. By always rushing into these situations so recklessly, you make everyone around you worry, you idiot." Ponzu says pouting, prompting me to laugh at her cuteness.
"Well, well. The important thing is that my business with Hisoka is now settled, and he won't threaten you or anyone close to me ever again. Therefore, there's only one last matter to resolve before I can wrap this up." I say, attracting Ponzu's curious gaze.
"What matter are you talking about?" She asks.
"I think you know what I mean." I reply, looking at her with a suggestive look.
After a few seconds of processing, Ponzu realizes what I mean and looks at me with her eyes going dead with disappointment adorning her face before responding me. "Are you seriously proposing that right now? If so, maybe you really are stupid after all. But look at yourself! How can you even think of that in the state you're in right now?" She retorts.
"Don't you remember what I told you? That no matter how damaged or bandaged up I could be, I would celebrate my victory over Hisoka by making love to you all night long. I have every intention and desire to keep that promise. If you're worried about me getting hurt more, you can get on top this time." I argument, trying to change Ponzu's mind.
"Oh, so that's what it's about. Since you promised me, you're obligated to do it despite your situation. I can see you really are an idiot. Well, I'm sorry, but I'm not here to play along with your honor stuff, so you're going to have to mark today as the first time you can't keep a promise. Bye." Ponzu says looking hurt and upset as she turns around and tries to leave the room.
However, as soon as she starts to open it, I close it with my hand (having moved from the bed in the blink of an eye), holding it so she can't leave. "Take your hand away."
"You're wrong. I don't want to do it just for the promise, nor would this be the first promise I haven't kept." I adamantly state.
"No? Then which would be the first one?" Ponzu asks, calming down a bit and preparing to listen to my answer.
I ponder uneasily for a moment before answering abashedly: "When I said I wouldn't seek a romantic relationship with you."
"What?" Ponzu asks in confusion, her eyes widening and her cheeks blushing.
Noticing her change in attitude, I remove my hand from the door and continue explaining. "I'd long realized I had a serious problem interacting with women. It was something that left me vulnerable for my life as a Hunter, so as soon as I could, I began training tirelessly to overcome that weakness, and I promised myself I would never give in to temptation."
"But then you came back into my life, starting arguments about my insistence on denying others's comments about us, acting clingy, and wearing seductive clothes. And despite my best efforts to deny the feelings that blossomed with our interactions and your seductions attempts, I ultimately couldn't help but fall prey to my worldly desires."
"Since then I'm not just hot around you, but I also feel a sweet, soft, and gentle pleasure inside my chest, and that I have something that I didn't have before and that I don't want to give up now. Do you get it? I don't want to have sex just because you turn me on or because I promised you, but because I love you."
At my sincere declaration, the atmosphere falls silent and filled with uncertainty for a few seconds, until Ponzu bursts into uncontrollable laughter.
"Oh my god, that's too much! So your first broken promise is not being able to contain how horny you were with me! I see you're not just an idiot, but also a degenerate! Ha ha ha!" Ponzu yells laughing and making me extremely irritated despite her cute expression.
"I don't want to hear that word from someone who greeted me in a white lingerie set and told me to let myself be carried away by pleasure with her!" I retort pretty embarrased and angry by her reaction.
"Don't remind me of that moment! It was very embarrassing for me!" Ponzu replies changing to be flustered and with his face reddened.
"And this is also very embarrassing for me, and you go and laugh in my fucking face! It's your fault I'm feeling this way and saying all these things! Don't you think you should take responsibility for doing this to me?!" I ask with my head in disarray.
"Ha ha, yeah, you may be right." Ponzu says wrapping her arms around my neck and standing on tiptoes to join her lips with mine in an unexpected kiss. "Sorry I laughed, that wasn't nice. It's just that you were saying such nice things in such a shy way that I couldn't help myself. The truth is that I feel the same way about you."
With that confession, we both finally calm down from our little moment of awkwardness, Ponzu snuggling her head into my chest as I hold her close with my casted arm while a romantic atmosphere rise in the room lit red by the setting sun.
"Are you sure you want to do this now? I don't want to make your condition worse while you're still recovering."
"Even with all these bandages on my body, he'd still be able to wipe the floor with any fighter in the tower outside of our group. And even if I weren't, I still wouldn't back down." I say, looking down to see Ponzu's beautiful face illuminated by the light passing through the glass wall.
With everything cleared up, I walk Ponzu back to my big bed, and proceed to lie down on it as Ponzu climbs on top of me. With my mind swimming in a sea of pleasure, I wrap my arms around Ponzu to pull her down for another passionate kiss, and with this feeling of happiness inside us, we both let ourselves be swept away by the love and desire we feel for each other.