"I'm your next opponent. How are we going to fight mister?" Gon asked as Setokan just stood there and stared at him.
"Well, its obvious that I'm a weak person. I have no muscle. I'm can't jump or move fast. I can't even throw a punch. So how about we play a little game?" Setokan asked
"Okay. I like games" Gon said with a smile.
"Very well then." Setokan pulled out two candles from behind his back. "These are just two different candles. The game we'll play is simple. Whoever's candle blows out first loses. That's it."
"That sounds easy. I'll play the game" Gon said as he gave Setokan a thumbs up.
"Okay. I have a long candle and a short candle. Choose which one you want and I'll take the other one." said Setokan.
"Hm. If Gon chooses the longer one, that one may be a trick" said Leorio
"So can the shorter one. Or maybe Setokan put a trick on both candles." I said
"Aoi is right. Either way, there's a fifty percent chance Gon may be tricked" Kurapika said
"Oi! Gon! Which candle will you choose!?" Killua screamed for Gon to hear.
"I choose the long one!" Gon screamed back
"Why the long one?" Setokan asked
"Easy. That's because the long one burns faster than the short one. duh" Gon said while flashing a smile towards us
We all smacked our faces with our hand. Dumbest decision ever.
"Gon is kidding right?" Killua asked
"I wish, but he's an idiot!" Leorio screamed
Gon grabbed the longer candle while Setokan kept the shorter one.
They both lit the candles and the flames were going off. Everything seemed normal for the first two minutes until Gon's flame grew bigger all of a sudden.
"Ah!? Hot! Hot! Hot!" Gon shouted
"I knew it! The longer candle was a trick! Awh man Gon is done for!" Leorio screamed
"Gon! Don't drop the candle! Keep holding onto it!" I yelled hoping that Gon doesn't lose
"It's really hot though! Ouch!" Gon couldn't hold the candle anymore due to it burning him.
Gon let go of the candle and it fell on the floor. Surprisingly, the candle didn't blow out. It was still going. I looked at Gon and he seemed to have an idea.
"Give up kid?" Setokan said as if he just won the match
"Nope. My flame is still lit up. Since I'm not holding it, then I can do this." Gon quickly ran in front of Setokan and blew out his candle
"W-what!? My candle!" Setokan said while being startled
"I guess I win" Gon said as he turned around and flashed us a peace sign.
"You did it Gon!" I screamed
"He actually did it" Killua said amazed
"Alright! Another point for us!" Leorio said in victory
"Gon can actually be very smart. Although he does make stupid decisions" Kurapika said
"I can agree to that." I said
Gon came back to our group and Leorio 'hi'-fived him. On the other side of the ring, I saw the next opponent walking towards the center. That person didn't even waste a single second to get there. That person took off their cloak and it revealed to be a huge, bulky, purple skin man with a really ugly face.
"You want to take this guy Killua?" Kurapika asked
"Hm...nah. He doesn't look like he's worth my time" Killua said while looking away
"Wait! What about me Kurapika?" Leorio said
"Do you want to take this guy?" Kurapika asked annoyed
"Uh..well...not really..he's like a macho man..." Leorio whispered
"Then I didn't have to ask" Kurapika said as he started walking towards the ring.
"Well jeez. Didn't have to be so mean" Leorio said as he wrapped his arms together and 'huff'-ed
"We all know you wouldn't even want to take this guy on Leorio. He's probably too strong for you" I said in a sarcastic tone
"I agree. Leorio might've lost to this guy in two seconds" Killua said with a smirk
"Shut up! I can't take this guy on!" Leorio screamed
"Well it's too late now. Kurapika is there" I said as we see Kurapika and the purple man standing in front of each other.
"Ha! You're going to be my next victim. I've killed nineteen so far in the past and you'll be number twenty!" said the purple man
"So I'm your next opponent. Whatever you want to do is fine with me." Kurapika said
"Very well. Then we'll have a death match. Whoever gives up or dies first, loses. Got that?" The man said while cracking his knuckles
"I accept" Kurapika said as he took out his weapon and got into a fighting stance.
I have never seen Kurapika fight before. So this is going to be interesting to watch. I wonder just how strong Kurapika is. Maybe he's stronger than everyone else here.
"Time for you to die!" The purple man threw a punch towards Kurapika but Kurapika easily dodged it and stood a few feet away from his original spot.
"Try again" Kurapika taunted
"Why you little punk!"
Punches kept getting thrown around Kurapika as he gracefully dodge them.
It eventually came to the point where the purple man lifted up both of his arms and was about to smash Kurapika to the ground but he managed to dodge it in the last second. The ground got smashed and the purple man's shirt ripped off in the process. He took the shirt off and tossed it to the ground. He then turned his back towards us and I saw something that definitely should not be there.
The spider tattoo is on his back.
"Oh no. That tattoo. The spider with twelve legs." Leorio said
"Huh? I don't get it. What does that tattoo mean?" Gon asked confused
"Having that spider tattoo means you're part of the Phantom Troupe" I said, trying not to be angry.
This guy has the tattoo on his back but I can clearly see that it is a fake. He disgusts me. It's just truly disgusting at how he can mock our name like that.
"Aoi is right. This means that this guy is a member of the Phantom Spiders." Leorio said. "And these are the guys that killed Kurapika's clan"
My gaze quickly shifted to Leorio.
What did he just say?
"Can you please repeat that Leorio? What do you mean we-" I quickly caught myself and changed the word. "They killed Kurapika's clan?"
I was so surprised that I almost slipped that I was a part of that group. Good thing I caught myself or else things would have been troublesome.
"Kurapika is from the Kuruta clan. He told me that the Phantom Troupe showed up four years ago and killed his entire clan. Kurapika is the sole survivor. He mentioned that he wants to become a Blacklist Hunter to search for that group and get his revenge."
"So this man is one of them!?" Gon said in shock
I felt like time froze for the next two minutes. My head was spinning.
The world was going black and white on me. Kurapika was from the Kuruta clan?
My God. It felt like this was karma. That was the clan that made me lose the desire to kill. It was this very clan, four years ago.
I wanted to get out of killing. I wanted to become a better person. Yet here I am, in a group where one of them is the sole survivor of a clan I assassinated.
Chrollo sent us there for their eyes. Those scarlet red eyes.
How would I know that I would be attracted to someone whose friends and family I killed!? Why is this happening to me?
I am so sorry for what I've done.
But what happens if Kurapika finds out? What would happen to me? Would Kurapika kill me? Would he tell me he never want to see me again? Would he force me to take him to everyone else? No. I don't want my friends to die. They're family to me. I can't let Kurapika near them. I just can't. I have to make sure he never finds out. It's not my fault that his clan died. I was only fourteen at the time. I was young and wild. I should be ashamed of myself.
"Oi! Aoi!? You there!?" Leorio was shouting in front of me while waving his hand
"Huh? Oh...yeah..I'm here...I was just thinking about something." I whispered, looking at the ground
"You look like you saw a ghost Miss Aoi" Killua said
"Yeah. You're as white as snow" Leorio said.
"I guess you can say that..." I whispered so low that no one can hear me.
"You guys, I think Kurapika is mad" Gon said as he pointed towards Kurapika
Kurapika was just standing there with his head down. How angry is he? Does he really believe that this man is part of the Spiders? What is he gonna do? Kill him?
"He should feel mad. This guy is one of the people that killed his clan" Leorio said
"No he's not!" I screamed. Not realizing it as my friends turned to look at me.
"What's wrong Miss Aoi?" Killua asked
"You seem angry too. Did that man do something personally to you too?" Gon asked
"No. I'm sorry guys. It's just. I feel sad for Kurapika and I took a look at his tattoo. It's a fake" I said. Feeling pain in my chest while tugging at my right glove. That's where my tattoo is. On my right hand.
"Are you sure it's a fake Aoi?" Leorio asked
"Yes. I'm sure. Trust me on this. It's a fake" I said.
Stuff that Leorio said earlier kept replaying in my head. How can I be so foolish? There's no way Kurapika would ever like a girl like me. I'm a killer. I was a killer. But I'll probably be a killer in Kurapika's eyes forever if he finds out.
We all looked at Kurapika and he had his head up. From where I'm standing, I can see those beautiful scarlet red eyes. Just looking at Kurapika, I felt fear. A different kind of fear from Hisoka. This fear was scarier. Those eyes shows strong emotions of pain, anger and despair. I feel so sorry.
"There are three things you need to need" Kurapika said as he grabbed the purple man's neck and flipped him to the ground really hard.
"One, each member of the Phantom Troupe should have a number on their tattoo. Your tattoo don't." Kurapika punched the man's face really hard. He is right. My number is four.
"Two, Members of the Spiders don't care how many people they've killed. They don't brag" He gave another hard punch.
"And three, never, ever use their name was a way to scare people. I will kill you if you act this foolish again." With that, Kurapika gave his last punch the hardest he can give and then walked away.
He still had an angry expression on him as he walked back to us. As he got closer to us, I felt the fear getting stronger. What do I say?
"Yo, Kurapika you okay?" Leorio asked as he put his hand on Kurapika's shoulder
"I'm fine. Just leave me alone for now." Kurapika said as he shrug Leorio's hand off.
"K-Kurapika..." I said. Starting to stutter.
"Aoi. I'm sorry you have to see me like that. My personality changes whenever I hear about spiders or that group." Kurapika said, sitting at a corner.
"Is it safe to be around you then?" Leorio asked as I just hit his head
"You're such an idiot!" I said as I took a seat next to Kurapika in the corner.
"I'm sorry if I scared you earlier. I'm guessing Leorio told you about my past?" Kurapika said as he looked at me. His scarlet eyes gone and it was back to his blue and black eyes.
"Yeah, Leorio did." I said looking at the ground. "I'm sorry Kurapika. About your clan"
"There is nothing to apologize for" Kurapika said, while putting his hand over mine. "The only apology I want are from members of the Spiders" He said while squeezing my hand.
But I am a member of the Spiders, I thought to myself. Wishing I could say that.
"So, if there is ever a day, where you face them. What would you do?" I asked. Scared to know his answer but I need to know.
"I would kill them and take back what they took from me" Kurapika said with determination in his tone.
"Oh. I see." Was all I could say.
I can feel tears forming in my eyes but I held them back. I feel horrible. I feel disgusted with myself. Kurapika does have the right to be angry. I can't blame him. I really hope he never bumps into everyone else. They would probably try and kill him too if they ever find out that one person from the Kuruta clan is still alive. I'll make sure our paths would never ever cross.