Episode 13: All For A Candy Apple
Where is she…?
Where did she go…?
Kurapica was already walking around the square where the Festival was held for more than an hour.
" Kurapica! "
The seventeen-year-old turned at the mention of his name. It was Gon and Killua.
" Gon! Killua! " he called back, looking relieved.
He waited for both boys to catch up to him.
" Eh, where's your partner? " Killua asked him as soon as they caught up.
" That's exactly the problem. I'm trying to find Hikari. Have you both seen her? "
Gon and Killua shared a look and shook their heads.
" I'm sorry, but we haven't. But, what happened to her? " Gon asked.
" And why are you carrying a candy apple around? " Killua pointed out. " I thought you disliked sweets? "
Try as he might, Kurapica could not hold back as red tinged his cheeks. He knew that he looked silly, standing there and holding a candy apple in his hand.
" Eh, Kurapica, you're blushing! " Gon exclaimed.
" It's true, I don't like sweets but I bought this for Hikari. She wanted it, " Kurapica answered, looking embarrassed.
" Yeah, and she asked you? " Killua put in, impishly.
That made poor Kurapica blush harder.
" Yes…I mean no. "
Killua waggled his eyebrows at him teasingly.
" I saw her at the candy apple store, " Kurapica said, looking serious, his blush gone and ignoring Killua's mischievous antics. " And the next minute, she ran off. Mito-san would slaughter me if I don't find her. "
He did not want include the details about why she ran off so he made it sound like he just could not care less.
" Maybe, she ran towards the lake? " Gon offered, since he knew this island like the back of his hand.
" The lake? " Kurapica repeated.
Gon nodded.
" There's a lake close by. She must have gone there. "
Kurapica knew at once that that made sense to him since it was obvious that a humiliated person would want to be left alone in an out-of-the-way spot.
" Thank you, Gon! " he told the younger boy, quickly before he took off towards the direction of the lake.
Kurapica ran in the direction of those voices that he heard. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Hikari and five men which he did not recognise. Mechanically, he pressed his body close to a trunk of a tree to conceal himself and watched them, carefully.
Soon, he realised that those men had not come to chat but had a different purpose in mind. Rape. Over the months, he had grown very sensitive to a person's aura. He could tell whether he meant harm or not and these men were no different. All they had thoughts about were of raping Hikari. Another surge of anger welled through his body at the mere thought of anyone touching her body.
He was about to step in and save Hikari when there was a scream of pain. Kurapica realised that one man had been thrown backwards in the air.
Did she do that…?
Did she push him down…?
Does she know how to fight…?
Instantly, his eyes flew over to Hikari. A strangled gasp of surprise escaped his lips as he quickly hid himself again in the embrace of the darkness.
What the hell…?!
That girl…
I saw them…
She has those red eyes too…
Just like mine…
Does that mean she is also a part of the Kuruta Tribe too…?
And I'm not the only sole survivor…?
No wonder…
She looks so familiar to me…
She has the same eyes and hair like Hikari…
" Stay away from me! " I screamed out with such force that another man was flung backwards.
The other men threw their blades at me, in hopes to stab me with it. However, I made sure there was no such luck. I lashed my hand again and the knives stopped in mid-air for one moment before they spun around and were sent back towards their owners. I lost it completely as my mind was filled with so much abhorrence and rage.
However, a figure stepped out of the darkness. Through my already clouded vision, I could recognise the face of the person, but only barely. It was Kurapica.
Using his chain, Kurapica made a wide arc and swung it. The chain's path knocked the knives away from piercing their targets.
I was already so worn out from using so much of my energy that I staggered like someone who was drunk, barely conscious but I fought against it although I knew perfectly well that I was losing.
" Go! " Kurapica commanded. " And leave her alone! "
The men did not need telling twice. They were already fleeing up the hill, getting away from me.
Good…
Do run and never come back…
At least…
I did not hurt them…
That's the most imperative thing…
After all…
I've never wanted to hurt anyone with this ability of mine…
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kurapica approaching me, guardedly, his eyes never leaving mine.
" Don't come any closer to me… " I whispered faintly. " Kurapica-san, I might hurt you… "
He stopped, just inches away from me. That was when I saw it. Blood red eyes, those were similar to mine.
" Th-Those eyes…they are just like mine. Y-You are from the Kuruta Tribe? " I stumbled, my voice becoming softer and weaker as the exhaustion was too overwhelming for me but still I fought it for time.
He said nothing but continued to stare at me.
" K-Kurapica-san, I'm sorry… "
Then, I lost consciousness as my eyes rolled and all was sheer darkness.