The Trick Tower's heavy stone walls loomed around them, cold and unforgiving.
Two victories were behind them — Gon and Kurapika had won their battles.
Now, it was Leorio's turn.
The third door creaked open, revealing their next opponent.
A tall, sly woman with sharp eyes and a mocking smile stepped forward.
> "My name is Leroute.
A former defense attorney... now prisoner for fraud and murder."
Leorio stiffened.
He hated scam artists more than anything.
---
Gamble Battle
Instead of a physical fight, Leroute proposed a gamble:
> "Let's play a guessing game.
Winner takes all.
Loser falls."
The team hesitated.
Time was running out — their 72 hours were ticking.
Leorio, proud and stubborn, stepped up.
---
Noah's Silent Support
Before Leorio could act, Noah leaned close and murmured:
> "Stay calm.
Trust logic, not emotions.
Fraudsters rely on panic."
Leorio glanced at Noah, his fists clenched...
but nodded slightly.
---
The gamble began —
simple at first, guessing odds or evens with a coin toss.
But Leroute's tricks grew nastier.
Bluffing, lying, baiting emotions.
Leorio nearly cracked —
until he remembered Noah's advice.
He slowed his breath.
He watched her body language carefully — the twitch of a lip, a shift of her fingers.
And then, Leorio made his move.
He called her final bluff — and won.
The others cheered.
> "Good job, doctor." Noah said casually.
Leorio just laughed, chest heaving with relief.
---
Time Cost
But the victory came with a heavy cost.
The prisoners had delayed the team.
They had wasted hours during the games.
They now had only 9 hours left to escape Trick Tower.
The tension thickened.
---
Final Opponent
The last prisoner appeared:
Tonpa.
Yes — the traitor himself.
Smirking, he tried to surrender instantly, offering no fight at all.
Trying to waste even more time.
Noah's eyes sharpened.
Enough.
He moved in one blur.
Before Tonpa could even blink, Noah tapped a pressure point on his neck —
using precise chakra control.
Tonpa collapsed instantly, unconscious.
Everyone stared.
Gon blinked.
Killua raised an eyebrow, impressed.
> "Pressure point technique." Noah said simply.
"Quicker than arguing with cowards."
Satotz's voice crackled from the speaker:
> "Victory confirmed.
Proceed to the next floor."
---
Countdown to Escape
With no time to waste, they rushed downward.
Trap rooms, collapsing bridges, hidden puzzles —
they pushed through desperately, Gon leading with instinct, Killua with speed, Kurapika with strategy, Leorio with luck...
And Noah?
Noah cleared traps ahead of them silently, using chakra senses to feel out mechanisms.
He never showed off — but without him, they would have fallen more than once.
---
Last Moments
With only seconds left, they smashed through the final stone door —
bursting out into the bright open sunlight.
The applicants cheered wildly, collapsing on the grassy field.
They had survived Trick Tower.
Barely.
Satotz smiled faintly.
> "Congratulations.
You have cleared the Second Phase."
---
Silent Promise
As Gon laughed and Killua teased Leorio,
Noah stood quietly at the back.
He looked up at the endless sky.
> "This world is more brutal than they realize...
I'll make sure they have a fighting chance."
The next lessons would begin soon.
He would teach them not just to survive —
but to soar.