Hunter x hunter: I’m interested in Nen abilities

Chapter 33: A Smile

"What is this?"

Shizuku crouched beside Haru, examining the dense black symbols etched into the floor with curiosity.

"They're 'Nen inscriptions,'" Haru replied casually.

Shizuku turned her head toward him, silently waiting for an explanation.

Haru pressed his hand to the symbols on the ground, focusing his aura. Almost immediately, he felt his aura recovery rate accelerate sharply. It was like receiving a soothing, invisible massage, leaving him refreshed and invigorated.

"To put it simply, some Nen users can infuse their aura into these Nen inscriptions, turning them into auxiliary tools for Nen techniques," Haru explained.

He paused, considering what he remembered from the manga. Nen inscriptions were a rare and peculiar aspect of Nen. Examples included the string Cloud manipulated to bind Gon's finger, the box Ging left for Gon, or the glyphs etched into the arena during the Greed Island arc, which enhanced a fighter's teleportation punches.

In essence, the Nen inscriptions in the Hunter universe were somewhat akin to the sealing scrolls in the Naruto universe—except instead of storing jutsu or items, these inscriptions stored specific Nen techniques.

"The inscriptions in this Ferris wheel cabin seem to contain Enhancement-type aura," Haru speculated. "They likely amplify aura recovery. Once they detect our aura, they activate automatically."

Shizuku tilted her head. "Why would they activate? We didn't do anything when we came in."

"Didn't you?" Haru smirked. "To recover aura efficiently, aren't you maintaining Ten out of habit? Even though Ten isn't as effective as Zetsu for recovery, it's still far better than letting your aura disperse. A regular person wouldn't experience anything like this."

"Ah, that makes sense," Shizuku said, nodding.

"Alternatively," Haru added, "the activation trigger might be having an aura pool beyond a certain threshold. Creating Nen inscriptions is said to be labor-intensive and time-consuming. Their practical use in combat is limited, so they're mainly used for things like this."

Shizuku nodded again. "I see..."

After a while, Haru stopped analyzing the inscriptions. He had learned as much as he could for now.

The two sat opposite each other in the cabin, which was the only one illuminated on the Ferris wheel. As the wheel turned, they gradually ascended, the nighttime view expanding around them.

Looking out at the dark, unlit cabins, Shizuku asked, "Do those other ones have inscriptions, too?"

"No idea," Haru replied casually. Glancing at Shizuku's profile as she stared out the window, he suddenly asked, "Shizuku, why did you agree so easily?"

"Agree to what?" she replied, tilting her head slightly.

"To follow me if you lost the arm-wrestling match. Usually, people wouldn't just pledge their loyalty over a small competition," Haru said with a grin. "Don't tell me you plan on going back on your word now. If so, you'd better wait until we're off this Ferris wheel; there's nowhere to run in here."

As they reached the Ferris wheel's apex, Shizuku continued gazing at the view outside. "I'm not backing out. You're my boss now."

"Alright, then. What's my code name?"

"Jia," she answered.

"And yours?"

"Yi."

"Not bad. Your memory isn't as bad as they say." Haru chuckled. "Remember our first rule in the Akatsuki organization: always listen to the boss!"

"Got it," Shizuku replied.

"Good. Let's move on to the organization's name. While we're called 'Akatsuki' for short, our full name is 'Dawn of the Twilight.'"

"What does it mean?" Shizuku asked.

Haru smirked. "Where do you find twilight and dawn?"

"In the night?"

"Exactly. In the night."

Haru leaned back against his seat, gazing at the illuminated amusement park below. "Shizuku, have you ever heard of the Dark Continent?"

"No."

Not surprising. Shizuku had a tendency to forget things that didn't interest her, and the Dark Continent—an intentionally shrouded and forbidden subject—was likely something she'd never been told about, or had already forgotten.

As the Ferris wheel began descending, Haru stretched his legs, casually dangling them off the seat. "The Akatsuki's first objective: the Dark Continent. We're going there no matter what."

"Okay." Shizuku nodded, then asked, "What kind of place is it?"

"That's the thing—nobody knows. That's why it's so fascinating. We have to find out for ourselves."

"Ah, that makes sense," Shizuku replied, her curiosity piqued.

Haru briefly outlined what he knew about the Dark Continent: the strange and miraculous artifacts like the Eternal Rices and Perpetual Energy Stones, ancient cities lost to time, and mysterious lifeforms unknown to humanity. Shizuku's violet eyes glimmered with intrigue, though Haru suspected her enthusiasm might wane quickly.

"You still haven't answered my earlier question," Haru said. "Most people wouldn't risk following someone over a single arm-wrestling match. Why did you agree?"

Shizuku tilted her head slightly. "Are you worried I'll betray you?"

"A little," Haru admitted. "If loyalty comes too easily, it feels like it could vanish just as quickly."

Shizuku shook her head. "I won't."

This time, she answered his question directly. "It's not like I had anything better to do. Following you at least gives me a purpose."

Haru raised an eyebrow at her casual tone. So random, yet somehow deliberate.

Just then, a small shadow darted toward the cabin. With a faint thud, it struck the glass.

Shizuku turned to see a gray bird perched outside, pecking insistently at the window.

"Is that your pet?" she asked.

"Nah, just a stray I picked up," Haru replied dismissively.

The Ferris wheel finally reached the ground, its single lit cabin gently coming to a halt. Haru stood up and stepped out, turning back to Shizuku with a smile. "Second rule of the Akatsuki: we help each other, respect each other's space, and never betray one another."

Shizuku followed him out, nodding. "Understood."

"And you're smiling again," Haru teased.

"Am I?"

"Yep. You definitely smiled."

"Okay... if you say so."

Outside the cabin, Haru scooped up the gray bird as it fluttered toward him.

"What's your deal, huh?" he muttered, flicking the bird's beak playfully.

"Chirp!" the bird protested.

Shizuku watched the exchange, her usual blank expression softening. "So, it really is your pet."

"Not really," Haru replied, letting the bird perch on his shoulder.

As they strolled out of the Ferris wheel area, Haru suddenly stopped and turned, staring at the now-dark and silent structure.

"Blanchett Corporation's founder is a Hunter named Arantrier Blanchett," he murmured. "These Nen inscriptions might be his work..."

Shizuku tilted her head. "What are you thinking about?"

Haru smirked. "Instead of wandering around aimlessly for this job, let's change our focus. We'll search for more Nen inscriptions. If Blanchett is involved, there could be a pattern."

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