As I Descend

Chapter Nine: As Fortune Would Have It

"Contrary to Chrollo's belief, I was not cast out from heaven—thrown form paradise. I like to think I fell much like a star: bright, burning, furious…and with no regrets. I can't see why I would have any when all I've ever wanted was to join him in his darkness."

"Hey, Princess."

A grin split Phinks' face as he clambered into her room, taking a cursory look around, eyes falling to her solid gold music box and crystal mirror near her desk. His hands went every where, touching this and that, even fiddling with the pale pink diamonds she'd tossed on her bed. "Whoa…and you want to come with us?"

Azyel shook her head at him, swatting at his hands at he picked up bits and bobs from her bookcases. "You wouldn't understand." She said, eyeing his choice of track suit with curiosity, "I have a duty to myself above all else."

His brow wrinkled, not understanding. "How's that?"

"'The preservation of the true self is worth all the world.'" Azyel recited the words with her head held high, remembering the warmth of her father's voice as he said them, the way his large hand patted her head. She remembered her mother looking on, it may have been a trick of the light, but Azyel could have sworn she saw a tear. "I can't let myself be caged…not even by my own family. I have to find my true place as soon as possible."

"You seem a little young to talk like that."

She'd never considered that, and, no one she'd known had ever remarked on it. "Do I?"

Phinks watched her for a moment, his heavy brow crinkled. After a while, he shrugged, "Whatever you say. So, anyway, where are all the guards?"

"Guards?" Azyel watched him a moment before it clicked, "Oh, yes. You mean the butlers. I told them to stay downstairs. Even if they knew you were here, they wouldn't come up unless they felt my hostility."

Still walking around her room, Phinks asked, "Wouldn't they worry about you?"

"You're using zetsu aren't you? And besides, I do what pleases me…mostly." She frowned at the balcony doors, the swinging curtains, "Where is he?"

"You mean the Boss?"

Azyel stilled, but didn't turn to his voice. A deep pit opened up in her stomach. She was minutely aware of her breathing suddenly. "…naturally. I forget. How many more of you there are? I've only ever met you and Pakunoda. I figured she'd come too."

He snorted, "No, she's back home…or is she?" he shrugged, "Right now there's thirteen."

Flashes, echoed through her mind. Papers. Books. Television screens.

"…Ugary Castle raided by the nefarious group The Phantom Troupe, their identities are not well known but their reputation speaks louder than any picture. Known as one of the most ruthless criminal organizations in the world it takes second place to the Crow, a gang whose activities are supposedly backed by a wealthy philanthropist…"

Her father watched the screen with hard eyes, like he was peering through it. Her mother flipped through her book like the world turned only because she said so. Azyel hadn't spoken to Chrollo in two months then. The timing added up.

Azyel blinked. Her throat felt warm and tight. She'd guessed at it, mused at the possibility. Afterall, Chrollo wasn't trying to hide himself or his occupation. She just thought it too impossible to be true. If it had been, wouldn't he just attack her home, kill them all, and take their fortune?

Moreover, if he could give her a future elsewhere, regardless of his true self, what did his means and methods matter?

"…he'll be here soon," Phinks finished whatever he had been saying. At least she was good at appearing to listen, years of practice. "While we wait, can you tell me what this does?"

He pointed over to her music box. It was closed, but drew the eye regardless. With its etchings and rising suns, it was impossible to ignore. When she first got it, she looked at in everyday with awe. After a week, she'd forgotten all about it.

"It's a music box," Azyel joined him at her desk, turning the key to unlock it, as it opened light spilled out and a ballerina whirled around in a spin. Her skin brown and her tutu ivory. It was a gift from her mother. The music was soft, twinkling and sweet as it played. She looked up at Phinks, his eyes fixed on the spinning girl.

"She looks like you," He said, his lips pressed into a line. Azyel didn't care for his mood. It was…much too somber for her taste, so unlike the boisterous man she'd met on so many other occasions.

"Yeah, and look where that got her," she said, closing the case swiftly. A breath of silence built between them. Frowning, she shoved her elbow into his arm, "enough of that. Come here and entertain me. I haven't got all night!"

He snorted, the smirk returning, "You've got some nerve, kid. Be thankful I'm so forgiving."

Chrollo arrived through the doors twenty minutes later, as the two played cards, and Phinks lost every round.

"There's no way you aren't cheating!" Phinks snarled and he picked up his meager pile of cards. "Let me see your hand!"

"No way," she pulled hers away, "You're being ridiculous. You shouldn't blame me because you're easy to read."

"I am not!"

"Are."

"Are NOT!"

Chrollo walked upon them, dark coat swinging behind, before he spoke, "What are you not exactly?"

"Oh, hey, Boss," Phinks' hand flew to his hair, and he looked slightly sheepish as Azyel grinned up at him, "I was just teaching the princess a few things."

Azyel rolled her eyes, replacing the cards in the box in a single scoop, "Never be a Politian, Phinks. You're a horrible liar."

He snarled at her, "Tch. Like you're any better."

Unimpressed, she shook her head at him, "I'm a great liar."

"Prove it." He said.

Azyel threw her hair over her shoulder, gearing up to show him just how great she is—

"Perhaps, we should delay that until we've put some distance between us and this property." Chrollo made it sound like a suggestion, when—everyone knew—it wasn't.

Azyel flashed Phinks a smile, "Another time."

He grinned, and she had to admit, it was infectious. Despite looking like he'd punch anyone in the face, no questions asked, he was fun to be around, moreso than Chrollo. But, Chrollo was fun in his own way, at least to look at.

Azyel laughed aloud.

"What is it?" Phinks asked, she swore, it was as if he noticed her every little thing and was pretty prepared to counter them.

"I can't just laugh?"

"No. Crazy people do that sort of thing."

She pointed at his face, "And you're not crazy for walking around calling some guy in black coat 'Boss'?"

Phinks stumbled at that, searching his mind for an answer, scratching his chin, "That's—"

"We're leaving," Chrollo said again, looking slightly puzzled about why he had to repeat himself at all. Puzzled, but not angry. His eyes lingered on Azyel a moment, but this went unnoticed.

"Pay attention, Phinks." Azyel leapt from her bed to match strides with Chrollo.

Phinks grumbled but didn't say anything else for fear he would get distracted again.

As they walked out onto the balcony, Azyel took one last long look out at her home—her world. Below them, the gardens stretched and fountains spilled crystal like water. The rushing blended with the crickets and the gentle rustling of leaves. The air felt thin, and warm and cold. Past the trees, far and far to the left, a white manor sat. it wasn't as sprawling or as large as her family's but she knew it well.

Her family was there now, unsuspecting. Happy.

She never even got to say good-bye. It isn't good-bye though. Azyel thought. As soon as I find what I need, I'll return to them. I just need to do this now before I can't anymore, before I'm locked away forever.

Azyel turned to Chrollo. For the first time, she'd seen him without his headband. His jet hair curtained an elaborate cross in the middle of his forehead. It was strange that she thought so, but a part of her thought it suited him, forever marked him.

"So," she started, drawing his dusky gaze down to her. She'd never felt small standing next to Chrollo, even now, she still didn't. "When were you going to tell me that you're Spiders?"

"Shit." Phinks' reaction she knew would come.

Chrollo only looked at her, his eyes narrowed slightly, but not in displeasure. It was as if he was zooming in, searching, seeing her fully. The wind ran between them, Phinks eyes were hot on her head.

Chrollo breathed in…and out, "What would it change?" He asked.

Her answer came quick, easy. "Nothing."

Chrollo studied her further, a moment passed and a smile began to curl the corner of his mouth.

In that moment, she felt…strange. Vindicated. Elated. There was something startling about his smile, something new, alien. This time, she didn't hate it—

An explosion ripped her backwards, but she found her footing immediately. Phinks had reached forward to brace her fall.

The tall manor in the distance exploded in a plume of smoke that welcomed darkness like a friend.

Azyel shook. Chrollo's eyes were on the manor and then to her, widened.

His words pounded through the walls of her mind: "Perhaps, we should delay that until we've put some distance between us and this property."

"You." The word slipped from her lips before she had fully processed it. She felt him reach for her, but she was gone. She dived from the balcony without a second look, tearing through the forest trees she knew so well.

She preferred not to exert herself, but her preferences were thrown away, replaced with instinct and fury. She darted like a bullet, clearing her property in the span of minutes. Next came the fence which she made to leap but found herself restrained.

Like a damn, her Ren broke free from her body.

"What the hell?!"

Feral and beastly she hit the ground, creating a crater beneath her feet and propelled herself forward once more. She flipped through the air, landing on the other side but slamming onto her back once she made to run again.

Her rage stayed steady, but her vision cleared enough for her to see Both Chrollo and Phinks standing before her, the former holding a book open in his hand, staring her down.

Phinks' sleeves were ripped from his arms, the chest of his suit in tatters, his arms appeared to be slightly bruised. The image of him injured checked her fury, but not enough. She stalked in a circle, looking for the prisms' weak points, but found none. It was actually restraining her aura output, it seemed, making it impossible for her to break it.

Phinks whistled, a mix of annoyance and awe, "I didn't expect that. What the hell are you trying to do?"

Ignoring him, Azyel flexed her wrist and tried to punch her way out of it, but was only expelled backward like she'd run into trampoline. Humiliation piled onto to her anger. She threw her head up as she commanded, "Let me out, peasant or I swear I'll rip your head from your shoulders—"

"Hey," Phinks hissed, "watch your mouth, kid."

Again, she cared very little for his words. She concerned herself only for this prison. Another explosion drew her attention, the sound of glass shattering en masse. Her eyes filled with warmth. Her stomach crumbled into itself.

She was free falling.

Nothing made sense.

There was nothing. Not anymore.

"Please…let me go." She couldn't look at him as she asked, "Don't hurt them."

"That's what we've been trying to tell you!" Phinks stared hard at her, but there was no hatred there. But there was no pity either, he didn't care that her family was probably getting blown to pieces.

Chrollo closed his book and the prism fell away. Phinks' words had distracted her so much, she didn't immediately charge toward the manor. Chrollo walked upon her, "It isn't the Spider."

"You're a liar."

"See for yourself." He gestured toward the house, "But we're going with you. Afterall," his voice ran quiet, icy. "this was not a part of the plan."

There was no sadness in his voice, only mild irritation that his scheme had been thwarted, put on pause. That's what this was. That's why he never tried to steal from them.

All this time, Azyel had been the prize. Azyel was worth more than their entire estate. Had he not said so numerous times?

"You are one of four in the world….without equal. Priceless."

She eyed them with suspicion, but would waste no more time. She charged ahead, and they kept pace feeling cold against her rage.

Zevil Island was quite scenic. Everything from the fluttering insects and the unassuming birds was peaceful. The Hunter Exam, she thought, had the very twisted idea of pairing beauty with death. It just goes to show how unhinged you have to be to design this whole thing.

Walking in third, she considered finding Gittarackur or even Hisoka. Hisoka, of course, was here to keep watch on her. He'd be forced to assist if she needed. Gittarackur…well, he was different. He wasn't being forced to do anything, he just wanted to. That sent a strange wave through her abdomen.

She'd find him again. At the moment, she concerned herself only with her tail. He'd appeared a full four hours after she'd wandered in. For the sake of humor, she decided to handle the issue personally. After finding herself deep within the woods, practically engulfed, she asked, "Are you after my badge?"

"No." his voice rose out of the trees like smoke. She appreciated the ambiance.

"If not then, do you need something?"

He stepped out of shadow, his facial features almost completely obscured by a dark purple ski mask. Strange fashion choice for such weather but she wasn't one to judge…not harshly anyway.

"No. But you need something from me."

Azyel, curious, reached out with her delicate fingers as if she wanted to pull away the mask. They lingered in the air a moment before she pulled them back into her palm. Her voice was sweet, slightly unsure. "What do you mean?"

"I know someone who can find your sister."

Azyel's eyes flickered up at him.

"They're here," He said low and deep, "on the island."

"Can you show me or…can you bring me to them?"

"Yes. I can."

He disappeared through the trees again. Without a moment's pause, she followed.

Through the brush, rock formations appeared more often, and the light of day was steadily growing dimmer. That changed when the Masked Man took a sudden right and fell from view.

Azyel paused a moment, looking around and squinting at the brightness before she stepped forward, "Hello—"

The ground beneath Azyel's feet crumbled and she slipped down for what felt like a mile before her feet softly hit ground. pulling the hood back from her head, she looked up in time to see the hole above her head close up, throwing her into complete darkness.

A match was struck. Immediately, lines of torches glowed to life all around her in a circle. If she didn't know any better, she would assume someone was about to be sacrificed.

Before her a muscled man stood, his beard thick, his beady gaze yellow. He wore a short coat that barely concealed his bulging biceps. His hair was dark and wild like a lion's mane. His expression reminded her a bit of Uvo, only Uvo had a more pleasing countenance. Despite his size, there was something creepy, eerie about this one.

"So…" she began, glancing around the space. It was as if someone had planned this down to the T. All rock had been pushed against the walls, the floor was almost completely unobscured. It appeared much like an arena. "You lied to me. I thought so, but still…"

He chuckled, "This is the Hunter's Exam, little girl. What did you expect?"

"Subtlety," she told him frankly, her faux softness falling away, "You must be very new at your job, clearly assassination isn't your strong point."

"Quiet. I'm no assassin." He grumbled, insulted for whatever reason, unbuckling two large axes from his belt, they pulsed with his nen. "I'm a mercenary. And I've been offered one hundred million for your head."

That's all? Azyel sighed, she should be the one insulted. "May I ask who offered you this bounty?"

"The Crow." He said, honest with a shrug. "Something about revenge…you know the deal." He raised his left axe in her direction. He smirked, assured confidence. For the first time, the man was actually behaving like an enhancer, even down to truth telling. "This isn't personal. Just business."

"What did this gang member look like?" She asked sweetly, keeping him on track. "Dark hair?"

"Yeah, tall too, walked around with a blondie about your height, pretty thing like you. Not my type, too small. I prefer a more full-figured woman myself but…" he shrugged, waving the axe at her. "To each their own."

"Indeed." Azyel let the seconds multiply. One. Two. Three. Four. "And me…how do you find me?"

"You offering?" He grinned at that, eyes trailing over her figure, staying primarily over her chest and then down to her hips. His tongue slipped from his lips without his noticing. "You have your charm. You look a little young for me. I like an older woman, one with experience."

At that Azyel smiled.

Tick-Tick-Ding.

Giggling, she managed to calm herself. "You liar."

His brow crinkled, his lips pulled up, showing his square, yellowed teeth.

"Lust is a sin, you know." She chided him with a simple shake of her head.

Snarling, he tried to speak, "What are—"

"You've wronged me, you've lied, and now…you've lusted." Azyel declared, holding her head high as her nen exploded from her body reaching deep into the farthest corners. The walls glowed gold.

The lights flickered around them, swaying like a breeze trickled through the small space. "What the hell?"

He took a step back, his right leg shaking, the hairs on his arms stood on end.

She took a deep breath, she felt her territory expand to fit the shape of the room, engulf it. "…And you're in range."

Azyel stepped out into the day, stretching her arms above her head. The sweet smell of damp grass, and wild flowers served as her shot of caffeine. A breeze ruffled her cloak, and she pulled the hood down over her hair…and thought better of it.

There was no point in hiding now. Besides, he clearly worked alone. She had little to worry about now, little to consider. The license of hers was just in reach.

She turned the white badge over in her hands, 3. Poor thing, he'd gotten to the exam site so early too. Too bad she didn't need his badge. She kept it, stowing it away into the bag around her waist. Azyel had two options, find her mark, or take two more. To be fair, she didn't want to do either. Azyel wasn't lazy exactly, she just preferred other things to killing. She'd seen so much of it, it was hardly thrilling. Violence, even without death, held little color for her.

She was far more fascinated by jewels than blood. Her heart didn't hammer at the sight of a strong opponent, or endless potential. Azyel did burn with the need to be better, to crush.

She simply liked the finer things in life. That was all.

A car. A yacht. A diamond. An emerald. A smile. A face. A physique. An aura. A determination. A sense of drowning…

A living, breathing jewel.

Azyel couldn't imagine anything better.

She could feel it in her fingers, snapping and clawing to escape. Azyel never felt more fulfilled than when she was holding something precious in her palms, watching it dance and adore. She never felt so alive.

Perhaps he was right. We're too much alike. Azyel thought, precisely why we should never see each other, ever again.

If they did…well, Azyel couldn't think of a single thing she wouldn't do to be next to him.

Azyel paused to lean against the nearest tree to catch her bearings. Before she saw anyone else, she needed to come down to earth. With the raw feeling—the allure—still running through her veins, she couldn't be sure what she'd do. She couldn't be trusted.

A kaleidoscope of butterflies, pink with wings dipped in red, fluttered by her. She watched as the dazzling cluster tried its hardest to dive under the deep crater behind her. Rock and stone and minerals were piled high and then flattened. The stone themselves painted red.

She couldn't blame the nameless mercenary. Not really.

Had she done what was needed, she wouldn't have had to kill him at all. But, some people never learn their lessons.

Azyel gave fair warning and she was not in the mood to repeat herself.

The breeze shifted, lifting the metallic smell up and beneath her nose. With that, Azyel turned and walked away. She'd start her search once she's had a nap.

Azyel's target was…somewhere. He could also very well be dead, but…he had to be…somewhere. She could use her en to find him, to search, but that was a no. Low profiles are hard to keep that way. No.

She had thought wasting almost an entire day would be the best thing, but now she had no leads.

Staring at the sky, she watched a raven flap its wings before it danced and landed lightly below her.

"Gittarackur." Smiling, Azyel leapt from the tree, watching the ground rush to meet her and waited. She couldn't use her en, but now she had a sense for him. Finding him would be easy, and he would find her target. As her eyes closed, the blackness swallowed her whole. She was just barely aware of her own breathing. After a moment, a scattering of lights appeared before her, one of the brightest: Gittarackur. "There you are."

As she moved leisurely through the woods, she considered hiding her presence entirely, but thought against it. It was clear from her trek that, he'd also travelled a way into the island. Did he find his target?

A second light appeared on her radar and then…a third. Gon.

What was his number? 405. Surely, they weren't—

Azyel slowed her approach, moving soundlessly forward. Plain as day, Gittarackur stood in a small clearing, his back to her. A body lay discarded on the ground swarming with the red butterflies. Hisoka sat on a stone, casually speaking to Gittarackur like they did this all the time.

Gon meanwhile was hidden. Wait, at least…I thought he was… Azyel shut her eyes again and was not deceived. Yes, there, in the underbrush. He's amazing. She thought walking toward the three. I better pull Gittarackur away from him just in case though. If he's with me, Gittarackur would be distracted anyway, and if he's Gon's target and not Hisoka (which it seems he is) then Gon has a better chance of catching him unawares.

Azyel caught the very tail end of their conversation before she stepped into the clearing. She'd been so consumed by Gon's excellence that she had not noticed that, Gittarackur was unpinning himself as Hisoka watched on—marveling.

Piece by piece, he shifted, coming completely undone until…

"Aah, that's much better."

"You." Azyel half whispered the word, her surprise darkening everything else around them. It felt a lot like looking back, thinking on a dream that was too far away to be real. Those eyes though, they were a jolt to her brain.

Everything. Every word. They all came flooding back into her brain as if they'd never left. The images of her parents' expectant faces. His mother. His father. Killua.

Did he recognize me?

"Illumi." That name too slipped from her mouth at a whisper, she probably didn't even say it. She more like felt it like a phantom in the farthest corner of a room.

His face was unforgettable. The way he looked over his shoulder, eyebrows raised reinforced this. "Oh…Azyel. Hello."

Somehow, her body managed to move forward without attacking. Her mouth didn't move any more. Her eyes, the clear cut accusation seemed to prompt him. He turned fully to her, forgetting the smiling magician in his glee.

"Surprise!" he held his hands up like he was throwing confetti out of them. She stepped forward, slowly, inch by inch. Part of her was probably trying to get in close enough to slap him, she couldn't be completely sure. At her lack of reaction, he opened a palm out to her. "It's been a long time…well…sort of anyway."

"Uh-huh." He is both awkward and unable to sense the awkwardness of the situation. Two struggles to contend with.

"To be honest," Illumi drawled tilting his head to the left, "I had wanted this to go a bit differently. I imagined spending a little more time with you, earning your trust before I revealed my true identity." He sighed, "but…you were in the perfect position to approach."

"I wasn't hiding from you," she said, although she probably should have been. Gon, she could feel hidden away. They didn't notice him. She noticed though. Like a pin prick against her palm, she knew he was there. One of the two of them would be his target.

It's what they deserved.

"Wait, hold the phone," Hisoka lifted a hand toward her, "Why are you talking like you've met before the exam began?"

It had been a long time since she'd thought about it. That minute part of her life had been erased, pressed from her mind. Had she not tried to run from him in the first place…where would she be now?

She closed her eyes. No use in wondering. She can't rewrite time, even if she wanted to place blame here and there, wondering would do nothing.

Chipperly, Illumi obliged, "Well, you see—actually, I thought I told you this already?"

"Hmm?" Hisoka frowned, peering into the air before turning back to Illumi. "No, definitely not. I would remember this."

They seem friendlier than acquaintances. She pressed her lips into a line, rocking her weight to one side. You filthy liar.

"As I was saying, we were actually promised to each other when we were little," Illumi gestured from himself to her, voice warm in contrast to his expressionless eyes.

Azyel blinked, but she was sure to speak sweetly as she said, "You say 'little' like you weren't a goddamned teenager."

"Oh, right." He said gesturing with his palm up, casual despite her obvious ire, "I was scrawny back then, so it still holds."

At that, her eyes flew to his arms, his height, his hair. Everything about him was attractive—physically speaking. She had to wonder what about him that had repulsed her so when she was younger. It didn't seem to make sense now.

She remembered such deep revulsion. She remembered such hatred that turned so quickly for the need for action. She remembered her father. His disappointment and shock.

Most of all, she recalled the way Illumi had looked at her. So deep, as if he could capture her and hold her in that moment if he could. It was…possessive.

Her eyes lingered, on his gaze now. The look stood there, well at home in the darkness. The tiny hairs on her neck stood on end.

Sure, he wasn't handsome, he was more pretty than handsome. His more masculine features starting below his neck. The slicked back hair, of course, she detested. That would have to go. But the rest? Again, her eyes travelled to his arms.

They'd look better without the sleeves. She thought, idly, I could change his—

"No." she said, more to herself than to him, but she'd spoken aloud anyway. One peek at Hisoka, told her he was elated beyond measure. Ecstasy was on his face, he looked two seconds away from rolling his eyes back into his head.

"My, my, my," Hisoka purred, licking his lips, "who would have thought? I've never seen you show the least bit of interest before."

"Of course not," Illumi simply replied, "why would I when she's my fiancé?"

Hisoka gave her an appraising eye, "It's almost a shame. Azyel is exquisite, isn't she? no wonder the Boss—"

"Not. Another. Word." The air became briskly charged, and Azyel took a step forward.

Hisoka's eyes widened, and he seemed to forget who she was for a moment. Bloodlust oozed from his person in waves.

"Not her, Hisoka," Illumi warned, "If you try, I'll be forced to kill you."

Hisoka's bubble burst and he sat back down with sigh, waving away his bloodlust like it was a gnat. "Oh, yes, I forget. The bonds between lovers are not so easily broken."

Azyel noticed the barely concealed barb at her. Illumi gave Hisoka a slight scowl.

Content, Illumi turned back to Azyel, "Oh, I killed your target for you by the way. I figured you wouldn't mind, seeing as you've avoided fighting this whole time." Reaching into his vest, he withdrew a badge and tossed it to her. Azyel grabbed it. She was never one to refuse a gift. Looking down there it was: 12.

Azyel looked up at him, in his own slightly overbearing way, he was sweet. "Thank you."

"As always, you're welcome." Ever so pleased, he reached out to her, expectant.

She stared at the pale hand a moment, the anger forgotten. She reached toward the palm, her finger sketched the lines of his hand. Azyel could hear his breathing hitch, his hand spasmed slightly—shocked by her touch. Admittedly…Azyel felt it too—the zapping current. That's why she had touched him to begin with. She wanted to see and feel its potency. Azyel knew how easily it could sway her. Azyel also knew it was taking all of his will not to grab her to keep her from running, "You know…had you not lied to me, I would have said yes." She pulled her hand away, walking back the way she'd come. "I hate liars."

Illumi didn't immediately follow, instead thinking it okay to ask, "Which lie are you angry about? I have an explanation either way."

Asshole. She cut her eyes at him, standing there like a lump on a log. She ignored his words. If she didn't, she'd try to attack him. And worse may come to worse, next thing you know, she's trying to kiss him. Who knows anymore!

Pausing, Azyel remembered Gon before she disappeared from sight. Turning back she said, just so he didn't suddenly realize the hidden boy, "Oh, and by the way? Stay the hell away from me."

"Ouch," Hisoka said.

"Damn," Illumi commented lamely, "that could have gone better."

Author's Note: All out in the open now, at least Illumi is. He's decided Azyel is owed to him and so he's here to collect. As he said, it didn't go so well. Ha. I've been hush-hush about Azyel's nen ability, but I've shown you a bit and it suits her character well. More about it will be revealed later hopefully (if this story goes to plan).

Anyway, really appreciate the review from Patito, short but sweet and to the point. Enjoy all follows and favorites. Let me know what you think!