Chapter Forty-Seven
Justice and Judgment
One. More. Chapter. After this. And then 1 official epilogue and 3 side-story/epilogues.
A thrill washes over Illumi when he realizes that no one recognizes the Zoldyck name. Whether that is the affect of their hypnosis or merely Meteor City, he finds the anonymity liberating. His siblings can be more than assassins here.
The scores of ants may not recognize their name, but they quickly realize that they Zoldycks are not, apparently, an easy family to kill. Much like his needlepeople, Illumi thinks, brainwashed people do not good fighters make.
The real trick, Illumi finds, is not killing them.
He fills his needles with minimal aura, stab them until they compliantly sleep for Master Illumi. Like the needle he placed in Killua's head. Not enough to kill, but to control, at least for now.
And then Killua's electricity cauterizes where the needles pierce. He's finally, finally working with his brother.
The lives of an entire city, or at least its children, may depend ont hem, but Illumi has never felt more alive. They're too busy for him to fear for Killua. He has no choice but to trust him, and as a result, Killua even smiles at him.
Kalluto's fan sends a fox-like ant crashing a crumbling block that Milluki sends flying. The ant drops to the ground, and Palm's hair promptly secures its hands.
"Where would the men be without us," Machi grumbles to Palm as her stitches fasten half a dozen more ants to the ground.
Palm grins. This Spider is zany herself. And she doesn't think Palm is crazy. They could be friends, when this is done.
Alluka holds up her sister as her concern grows. Her relationship-sensing nen is useless right now, meaning she's only here because the alternative was leaving her with a sedated Kikyo inside the circus.
Now she thinks she needs to be here, though. Because while Nanika removes the consciousness of one ant after another, her twin clearly hasn't recovered from the Hall of Elders. She sways on her feet.
"What if I bleed the ants to almost death? Would you be able to save them?" Hisoka wheedles, using bungee gum to tie a few more down. One looks to be younger than Kallluto, and it hurts as he screams.
Alluka glares at him.
"She's inherited your death eyes, Illumi," Hisoka calls as he pops the nose of a wolflike creature. He'll say anything light. Anything to avoid the past, once more. At least until they win.
"On the contrary," Kurapika says. "I may be the most hypocritical of all."
"You're not," Chrollo says instantly. He won't abide Kurapika castigating himself any longer.
"Really, you both are." Pariston laughs as Meleoron approaches them. "If I ordered your friend to kill you now, you both would let it happen. For friendship. And yet you killed, threatened, maimed how many? Just because you didn't know them."
He pirouettes. "Not that I am one to condemn. I'm no better."
"But you do think you are, or else why would you do this?" Kurapika counters. "You slaughtered the elders for complicity. You could have used their nen; Chrollo's told me how powerful it is. Instead you killed them. Was that for some idea of justice?"
"You're both blind." Pariston howls with laughter before sobering. He clenches his fist. "I am not interested in justice. I'm interested in testing the limits of our species. I want to break through the limits of life itself."
"You I killed the elders as a farce to gain followers," Chrollo says smoothly. Much like the Spiders once helped dismantle a mafia stronghold in Meteor City. That had earned them the city's gratitude.
"Indeed," Pariston says. He sighs, almost languid. "Not now, Meleoron. Don't fight them. I still need to extract more invisibility before you die."
Meleoron falls back.
"You don't own him," Kurapika says furiously. This ant is Killua and Gon's friend. Kurapika won't let him be hurt.
"And yet I have utter control over him, so now we're just arguing semantics." Pariston giggles. "Say, here I am, trapped by two powerful nen users. Is there a reason you haven't killed me yet?"
"Nen is more powerful after death," Chrollo says darkly. "I know. I would not risk these innocent people's lives."
"When stemming from strong emotion, yes, nen is more powerful. Killing me, now, that would be an experiment." Pariston claps his hands. "Because your little Kurapika is wrong. My strongest emotion has always been simple amusement. It's weak, an annoying, detestable thing, like a fruit fly, almost. My nen doesn't function on feelings."
He preens. "So kill me. Oh, do try it. Would my thoughts, my reason, become more powerful than primal emotions? That would be marvelous."
"I'm not the science type," Chrollo says dryly, though Kurapika's fingers flick towards his chains.
"Let's test that." Pariston flutters his fingers. His sparks fly onto Kurapika's chain, heating it until Kurapika leaps back, his hand blistered and burned.
These are conjured – Kurapika gasps.
He burns nen.
Kurapika opens his mouth to yell a warning, because it's clear now – but Pariston already holds up his desire. Bandit's Secret rests in his lovely, soft hands.
"Book burning? How ignorant," Chrollo responds.
Owl emerges behind Pariston. The courier between Gyro and Pariston's factions, in this for his own selfishness. For the retrieval of his own nen.
Chrollo doesn't hate him, to his own surprise. He pities him.
But still. He needs that book back.
"I'd prefer not to. But I will, unless your little concubine yields." Pariston smiles at Kurapika.
"I'm his fiancé, not a concubine," Kurapika replies, his eyes glowing Scarlet, a Scarlet he will never give Pariston. "It's as if no one in this plot can see sex apart from power. And I won't yield to you."
"Are you so certain?"
Kurapika waits.
"Did you know, Kurapika? He wasn't in Zetsu during his captivity. He could have escaped anytime. Do you know why he didn't? Did he tell you?" Pariston grins. "It's the same reason he won't escape now."
Chrollo's expression is raw, as if Pariston has peeled off his body and exposed his most vulnerable feelings.
"You could have escaped?" Kurapika's voice cracks. He looks rattled.
"Not until shortly before the trial. And then…I still couldn't, even if I was physically free." Chrollo sucks in a breath. How can he say this? This was to be his next confession, once they were free.
Pariston jumps in. "He did it all to save you. He willingly sacrificed himself for you. You're his weakness."
Chrollo's face flickers with indignation. How dare this man expose his feelings to his lover before he could?
"Why?" Kurapika gasps.
Why, indeed…
Why. It's the one of the first questions Kurapika ever asked him. Aboard the Black Whale. Chrollo smiles slightly at the memory.
"Why?" Kurapika repeats.
Why? Why? Why, why, why?
In the end, isn't that the only question? Chrollo's words are cracked, hollow, barren.
He squeezes his eyes shut and releases a cry. "Because it's my fault!"
Kurapika looks ill.
Chrollo's grey eyes open wide, glistening with tears and fears. "It's my fault you hurt others! If I hadn't slaughtered your clan, you never would have done any of this! You would be having adventures with Pairo, who would have gotten healed. I can't give them back – I can't – so I gave you the only thing I could – I gave you atonement – because I know how much justice means to you."
Kurapika's lips part.
"I'm as much a masochist as you – would that I had been one sooner. Would that you had been criminal sooner. Would that we both learned from each other without killing." Chrollo shakes his head as he futilely wipes his eyes. "Why did we do that? Why did I start the killing?"
"Hey!"
Gon turns to look, but just then, an ant is sent reeling backwards into Gon.
Gon punches the ant, and though his nen is now different – it's stretchier, almost, and softer – he's pleased to see he's still strong enough to render the female serpent unconscious.
"Hey yourselves," Machi calls.
Gon's mouth falls open.
Leorio sends his punch soaring towards more ants. Cheadle, Melody, and the rest of the Phantom Troupe stand behind him. Ging Freecs is held securely by Beyond Netero, and several mafia wives and mistresses straggle along, guarded by the Hunters.
"Thought you were supposed to hide!" shouts Alluka. She looks as pissed as Illumi would be if his siblings were in danger. Gon makes a mental note to tease Killua about that later.
"We got bored." Leorio grins and nods towards Cheadle.
She snorts. "And we were ordered by queens."
"And we need to find Kurapika," Leorio adds. "We're his friends. He and Chrollo are with the person who started this. We have to help."
"And Meleoron!" Ikalgo adds.
Cheadle marches through the ants without a care, towards the door of the circus. She's not a target, so they ignore her, like the mindless beasts they most definitely are not.
Cheadle turns to the rest of the group. "We'll protect these kids. The queens and wives will enter along with the kids. Let the rest of us handle these ants; you go see about your friends."
Biscuit morphs into her true form and crackles her knuckles; Hanzo is already diving into the fray, and Shoot's multiple hands weave in and out to target the strongest ants.
"Nanika, can you get us there?" Palm holds a hand against her eye to zero in on Kurapika, Chrollo, and Pariston. Her heart rate increases, to Melody's concern.
Nanika nods. "I won't be able to get us out, though."
"That's okay." Illumi reassures her before Killua can assure her himself.
The Zoldycks, Palm, Melody, and Gon rush out of the melee, towards Leorio, but Oito hesitates.
Raissa Valdrada holds out her hands to Oito. "I can take your child until you return."
"You won't harm us," Oito says, not even bothering to hide her manipulation.
"I never planned on it," Raissa promises, and oddly, Oito thinks she can trust her.
"Damn, I really liked fighting as a Zoldyck," says Hisoka as their surroundings begin to fade rush back into the grimy Hall.
"I mean, I'm not a Zoldyck," Gon says.
"We'll adopt you," Hisoka says, almost hesitantly, as he feels himself floating. But he's not hesitant because of the queer sensation; he's hesitant as if he can't believe that anyone would want anything to do with him.
"I can't marry him if he's my nephew!" Killua hisses.
"No one is marrying anyone, children!" Illumi reprimands.
"Machi's not a Zoldyck, either." Shizuku looks to the pink-haired vixen, who flushes.
"That a technicality," Feitan says. Grey, lustrous stone begins to materialize around them.
"I already am. I'm Kalluto's surrogate mother, remember?" Machi sticks her tongue out at Gon, drawing a smiling from Kalluto.
Palm laughs, well aware of the shy glances Milluki sends her, because he obviously, clumsily, wants to make her a Zoldyck.
She'll kiss him later. When they're alone. A first kiss he will treasure.
"Speaking of marriage, before we meet them, did I tell you Danchou and the Chain Bastard got engaged behind our back?" Machi puts her hands on her hips.
"What?" Feitan spits.
"Why? Because we're both horrible, hurting humans who hurt others. Even if not to the same scale, we are the same. And I forgive you; you know that already. I'll say it as many times as I must," Kurapika begs. "Chrollo, you are forgiven."
Kurapika trembles. "Do you think I wouldn't take your crimes on my shoulders if I could? I would."
"This is all nice and compassionate, but let's move quickly, shall we?" Pariston tosses his head. "Kurapika, Chrollo will lose his book if you don't give in. Owl, another victim of the Spiders, will never recovr his nen."
Owl frowns. "Hand me the page!"
"Patience, my friend." Pariston shrugs. "Let's continue, Kurapika: your selfishness will destroy hundreds. Chrollo will be powerless to stop anyone in Meteor City who tries to kill him once they realize he is alive. And every ant in here, and more, will lose their lives under my Spark of Inspiration if you kill me. They'll probably kill you too."
Owl shakes his head frantically.
Pariston raises his voice. "You hear that? You all kill Kurapika if he kills me."
The ants stiffen. Ready to spring.
"I won't be powerless. I have friends," Chrollo replies. "Even if I don't deserve it."
Kurapika's brain begins to unfold the idea he's promised never to do. The idea that frightens Chrollo.
The idea that will save all of them from Pariston's nen, without killing Pariston.
If you're not going to make yourself useful, at least guard these kids. The ant woman with the orb on her forehead had shoved Kikyo inside the circus door as hundreds of killer monsters descended upon this circus. Now these kids sat here locked inside a circus, like pigs for slaughter, and even worse, she was stuck staring stared at a hundred beggar brats from her past.
How many of them would grow up to let their children be raped? To kill? To drug themselves into oblivion?
"Are you okay?" asks a teenage girl, the girl that was Gyro's slave. The girl Kikyo almost wants to kill because those words flood memories into her mind.
"No," Kikyo says in a brittle voice.
"You will be," says a boy who seems more mottled bruises than golden skin.
A chubby-cheeked girl nods. "Nanika is powerful. She says we're all going to be okay, too."
"I don't think I can be," Kikyo says thinly. Nanika. Since when is that thing a human? That thing possessed her child, ruined Kikyo's children.
Rage begins to dominate Kikyo. She shakes, and while some children grin, most draw back. Good.
Chlidren won't save her. They killed her husband. The only good thing in her life.
Every time she bore a black-haired child, she felt herself sinking further into failure, into memories of that child who definitely wasn't hers. And then Killua, blessed Killua, and then he'd betrayed all of them. Everything she'd given him.
Kikyo laughs maniacally. So this is despair.
She's not really sure how those who despair want to die. She doesn't want to die. She wants to burn in hell.
The door crashes open.
Despite herself, Kikyo's body reacts while her mind continues to melt. She whirls around with her needles in hand. Needles that should plunge any monster into her current emotion of despair.
Why is she fighting? Why does she even care? She's not saving these kids. It's not her responsibility.
She sends five needles towards the door anyways.
"Whoa!" A large figure barely escapes her nen.
Kikyo stumbles.
"Now, that isn't very kind," says Beyond Netero, ever jovial.
"You?" She growls. How humiliating. She hopes he hasn't felt her despair.
"You think we'd stay behind just to save our own skins? With innocent children at risk?" Seven of the eight Kakin queens rush into the circus, each with a feeble nen weapon of their own. Weak queens, but learning ones.
Ging Freecs is ushered inside next, followed by several mafia wives and Kikyo's former servants.
Kikyo refuses to look at the door.
"Your kids went to save their friends," says a wife with silky, limp green hair and childlike eyes. The woman who cradles the brat of the Kakin queen. Who someone seems to know what Kikyo refused to ask.
This bitch. She's too old to look so innocent. Not in Meteor City. Kikyo hates her.
Kikyo hates everyone. Including her kids, who have left her to guard kids she doesn't care about. She hates everything and everyone, and she hopes to burn in hell, that's right – it's untamable insurmountable despair – that's the only way to atone for Silva's death –
Tsubone snorts at Kikyo – or more specifically, her hand. Her hand that still holds a dozen needles, from when she expected an ant at the door.
Her hand pierces any self-delusions she has of untamable hatred or insurmountable despair.
Kurapika holds his Judgment Chain out. His heart pounds. He hopes – he hopes that somewhere in infinity Chrollo knows he's sorry.
Chrollo pales. "Kurapika, don't!"
Kurapika ignores him, like he always does, and swings the chain forward. "Stop!" Chrollo screams.
It catches Pariston's heart, and the man doubles over.
Kurapika does, too. His own heart fills with blood. Around his fingers, the chain begins to disintegrate into molten fragments that sear his flesh.
"Now you can never use your nen again," he hisses. His face turns ashen, and the pain he feels – it's nearly how he felt when he stumbled across that newspaper taunting him with his clan's eyeless bodies. He begins to sway.
"At least you'll go down, too. Both of you." Pariston uses what remains of his nen sparks to Chrollo's book.
"Have fun," he whispers as the pages ignite. He backs away, intending run, run far from what has just happened –
"You!" Meleoron leaps atop Pariston and pins him to the ground. Some ants scream to see their transformations. Some ants swarm Pariston, intent on revenge. And others begin to attack the door, determined to break free. All ignore Owl, as if he never mattered in the first place.
"Kurapika!" Chrollo rushes forward. His book is burning, along with every ability he's ever stolen – but Kurapika is dying.
"Kurapika, why would you do that? Are you crazy?" Chrollo catches the Kurta in his arms just before he collapses.
"Ngah – your book is burning." Kurapika's eyes aren't red. They're brown, because he's not really angry anymore.
"I don't care about that." Chrollo shakes him. His eyes shine with tears. Kurapika thinks they rather look like stars. His voice breaks. "Please, Kurapika – I love you."
Kurapika wishes he hadn't traded his soul for power. Placed a dagger in his own heart. But if he hadn't, he never would have met Chrollo in the first place.
So he doesn't mind.
Chrollo holds him tight as Gon and Killua materialize in, followed by Illumi and Hisoka. Leorio screams from behind them. Kalluto clutches Alluka and Nanika, and Feitan stops the rest of the troupe from approaching.
Danchou – Danchou is on is knees, cradling the Chain Bastard.
Tears stream from Chrollo's eyes as Kurapika looks at him. Kura doesn't smile with his mouth – he's too weak – but his eyes – they smile back at him, who doesn't deserve any of this.
And then their light fades. And Chrollo doesn't even have the heart to protest.
He's extincted the Kurta clan. By loving the last one. His own selfishness. He can't escape.
Chrollo hurts so much he forgets to breathe. He even forgets to see. Every muscle vibrates with pain. He would have rather himself died.
The sobs that escape his mouth are inhuman.
Gon gasps. "Wait."
Behind him, Illumi stiffens.
Chrollo frowns. The chain begins to reassemble. Each glowing droplet reforms, but this chain is different. It's gold instead of silver, and glorious enough that Chrollo feels unworthy to gaze upon it.
Kurapika coughs and stirs in Chrollo's arms.
"Kurapika?" Chrollo stares at the shifting young man. His eyes slowly open, and they're redder than Chrollo ever imagined, so red he wishes he were in heaven so he could look upon Kurapika forever.
Illumi kneels besides Kurapika. "What was the exact spell you used on this chain?"
"I would die if I used it for anyone but the Spiders," Kurapika mumbles.
Illumi smiles. Just a slight flicker. But it's enough to catch the attention of Hisoka and Killua.
"Then, by chaining Pariston, I think you did use it for the Spiders. Just…not in vengeance." Illumi traces the fine gold with his fingers. "Hence the shift from silver to gold. You used your nen curse for love instead of hate. It's rare, but not unknown."
Kurapika gapes at Chrollo.
"Told you that you loved me," Chrollo says gently, just knave enough for Kurapika to recognize him.
"Then why aren't you kissing me?" Kurapika yanks his lips onto his.
