"I'll call your name over and over again as I want you to recall it, even if my voice gets hoarse"
- Vana N' Ice, "Immoral Memory- Lost Memory"
Chapter 5
(Lilianne)
"My, my, seems like sister dear is finally well"
"Achoo!"
"Oh, guess not"
The Game has begun. A game that has given birth to the strongest of the family, an unbreakable tradition. Defy or be disowned or even be killed. A game where the flowers and eyes glow a menacing and beautiful red, where mercy is for the weak, compassion is obsolete, and false leadership is death.
Sylvia nee-sama has been taunting me since the game began. She has always been like that, picking on me with that psychotic look on her face. It's like a sadistic love she shows towards me. I blew my nose and disposed of the snot-filled sheet.
"Better than yesterday I suppose." I answered coolly.
My siblings and I are all in one room. We'll all stay here until only one side remains. None of us have anything dangerous and some of my father's subordinates are here too to make sure none of us kill each other. While Pierre nii-sama and Sylvia nee-sama are taking it easy, sitting on the couches and drinking their tea, I was anxious. I didn't show it to them though but I was constantly in front of the 5 feet window, looking at the vast forest which is the battlefield.
Why do I feel so anxious? It's not like I'll lose with the Troupe fighting for me... but... how do I know that they are?
The dreadful thought made my stomach twist in unimaginable knots. I feel so sick that I had to sit down on the couch farthest from my siblings.
It's all my fault... I couldn't secure my victory... My men's lives... Jonah's life... All because of my own selfishness.
(Chrollo)
"Roooaaa!" An unknown subordinate charged at me, shooting like hell.
"Trigger happy" I muttered as, in a swift movement, I stabbed him with my Ben's Knife. He died in a split second.
"Watch out!"
I instinctively did a back kick and another enemy went flying meters away, hitting a tree. Jonah, who warned me, gave the finishing blow, direct headshot.
"Stay sharp" Jonah reminded, his glowing red eyes filled with the determination to win and survive.
"I know and I am." I answered in my usual calm tone, my face betraying no emotion.
Jonah just nodded but even I know that I'm not my usual self today. And for some odd reason, my chest feels really tight, no matter how many deep breaths I take. It all started with yesterday's argument.
"Get out" were her words, her expression was somewhat calm but the tone so sharp it can break through any hindrances in your nervous system, almost like there's manipulation and enhancement in her words. Any regular person, subordinate or no, will immediately obey in fright. But I'm not a subordinate and I'm definitely not a regular person either. So I just sat there and stared at her blankly.
I realized that she was struggling to keep her composure and one more thing...
"I told you before, you don't need to follow me anywhere. " Her lips started trembling but her hair is covering her face so well I don't know if she's still all right.
... She's pushing me away.
"Keep in mind, you are only here because of the Game. The moment it's done, I'll pay you and your Troupe, and you can leave me for good. You can even kill me afterward! Go on ahead! But make sure to win!"
I was getting full of it. Normally, I would just up and leave without a word to avoid any useless further squabbling but... I didn't know whether I should yell at her, tell her to stop saying such ridiculous things... But those words are also true. I calmed myself internally and felt the urge to pat this arrogant and psychotically insane princess's silver blonde head. Just as my hand was about to make contact, my eyes widened at the quickness of Lilianne's reflexes, how she instinctively and coldly slapped my hand away. But what surprised me even more... were the tears flowing down her cold and frustrated face, looking at me right now. So much struggle, inside and out.
"Enough! You've had your fun already! Now leave me alone!" The same time her voice cracked at the end, something in me cracked as well.
Much as I try, words are stuck in my throat and when I open my mouth, no words dare come out. I was at a loss. I was confused in a way that I do not know what to do for the first time. I was always sure of my decisions and that's why the spider lived so long but... why now? I was so dumbfounded in front of her with a tight feeling in my chest.
Hesitantly, I stood and silently left the crying princess's room.
"Danchou!" Out of the blue, Machi called and in front of me, in a blink of an eye lies a corpse of an enemy. "Danchou, you're acting strange. Please keep your head in the battle."
I nodded. Machi's right.
If I die now, here in this pathetic battlefield, what will become of the spider? And if I do live but portrayed a weak image of myself, then what am I as the head? And lastly...
Lilianne's image earlier flashed in my mind, how she stood tall in her black and violet Victorian-like dress despite her illness, how her strong voice and sharp command resonated in the vast room where we, the Troupe and her subordinates, gathered... and how her tattoo glowed such a beautiful red that it can stand on par with or even surpass the scarlet eyes.
Yeah... Living and winning... Just for that...
With my resolve at its fullest, I charge at the nearest enemy and killed him in an instant. Then jumping to the side to avoid bullets enhanced by nen.
(Lilianne)
With each passing minute, I can feel my men dying. It's not only me, despite their calm facade, my siblings can also feel the death of their subordinates. And it's all because of the tattoos on the back of our hands. Besides enhancing our subordinates' abilities, it also gives us a certain connection to them so when the Vin Roze dies, the subordinates will feel it and they would either be free or driven to madness, depending on their loyalty or how attached they are to their master. Some also die with their master, the strong desire to be with them until death.
Sitting in that far corner and snapping out from my thoughts, I heard the tapping of heels towards me and in front of me is my half-sister, Sylvia nee-sama, bending to my level. Her face has that insane and psychotic smile and I know that she will say something to shake me.
"Are you all right, Lilianne?" Her tone was sweet yet mocking. I just blankly stared at her. "You can feel it, can't you? Death snatching our subordinates one by one, granting them a cold kiss to end it all."
I still didn't say anything.
"I wonder... How are Chrollo and the Phantom Troupe holding up?" She moved away from me and gazed at the big window, gently tapping her cheek in thought. "They're so strong as expected so Lilianne might just be the one to win."
She smiled sweetly at me then said, "But you know, when I win, I'll be sure to give you special treatment, my sweet sister. The moment I chop your head off cleanly, I'll be sure to preserve it! Have it placed over there" she pointed to the wall where animal heads were displayed. " Then I'll show it to your future nieces and nephews, their great aunt who managed to convince the infamous Phantom Troupe to fight for her, yet she lost."
Sylvia nee-sama giggled amusingly. As I said earlier, this is nee-sama's love. You can say, she loves me so much but she doesn't want to die either. It has bothered her for so long that it has driven her to the point of madness.
"Sylvia, stop messing with our sister. Besides, you're probably... anxious, aren't you?" Pierre nii-sama's words made Sylvia nee-sama's smile twitch, then drop completely. Nee-sama can very dangerous when that smile has been wiped off because behind that psychotic and even clumsy act, is a tactical genius and now she's being greatly overwhelmed in strength. "You can feel it as well, right? The rapid decline of our subordinates' numbers." Nii-sama put down his tea cup ever so calmly, and he and nee-sama faced each other at the same time.
I didn't see it but I'm sure Sylvia nee-sama scowled just as Pierre nii-sama smirked.
Then I guess... I'm winning.
The thought brought an unconscious smile on my lips, a gentle solace in my mind and an overwhelming happiness in my heart, like a storm just ceased and the waves are once more peaceful in the sea.
(Chrollo)
The opponents have gotten less and less. While Jonah and the remaining men of Lilianne scour the east, my Troupe and I scour the west, cleanly eliminating all enemies of Lilianne's.
"We're close to reaching the border." Machi reminded, jumping to another tree.
"Don't you think that those subordinates would cross it? After all, some of them would want to live, right?" Nobunaga asked, jumping to another tree as well.
"I doubt it. The power of the flower tattoos and the strength of the master's command bind them to this place, in their masters' territory, by their masters' sides. None of them would dare cross." I then smirked and declared with confidence. "But if some were to do so, we'll hunt them down and wipe them off the face of this world."
Just then, my phone rang. Stopping on a branch, I answered the call.
"Kortopi"
"Danchou" Kortopi called. "An enemy. Where we left the copies. A very strong one too."
"I got it." I ended the call and turned back. The others I'm with stopped jumping and looked at me for instructions. "Continue scouring the area. I'll take care of the enemy where the copies are. I think I know who it is."
They nodded and I made my way back to where I had Kortopi make copies of a few Troupe members, a snare to lure the arrogant enemy.
When I had arrived, hiding my presence and behind a bunch of leaves, crouching low and eyeing the man like a predator does to a prey. As I thought, it was Fritz, Pierre's head servant. He carefully investigated the fake corpses before him. His glowing red eyes analyzing each wound he gave them, his short dark blue hair neatly swept back, his firm chest covered by a bullet resistant vest like all the other subordinates. Like Jonah and Valmet, he looked a real soldier in his outfit, complete with a rifle in his hands and a knife sheathed and strapped on his leg.
When I finished eyeing his weapons and thought of how I should fight him, I saw him smile and that's when I knew that I should move and go for the kill now. Bringing out The Bandit's Secret, I teleported behind him and was about to stab him with my knife when he suddenly turned and pulled the trigger. I teleported immediately to avoid the bullets. Judging by how they mutilated the tree trunk they hit, the bullets were enhanced with nen.
I have to get rid of that gun.
Fritz has the agility and speed of a Troupe member. In order to analyze him more, I closed the Bandit's Secret and went head to head with him, dodging nen enhanced bullets as I did so. Just when I thought he ran out of bullets, he probably did the fastest reload I've ever seen.
Shit
Using the unbelievably small amount of interval, I charged faster at him and kicked the gun away from his hands, getting away with just a bullet grazing my cheek. The red liquid flowed from the wound like a tear.
Smirking, Fritz focused his nen on his legs and jumped so quickly I hardly had time to react. He was reaching for the gun. Using the Bandit's secret, I teleported and got to the gun a mere millisecond before he did but instead of getting the gun, I used the chance to kick him right on the face. He flew back, continuously destroying a few trees on the way. I landed on the ground with the rifle in my hand where the Bandit's Secret was. Not another second and Fritz was already charging at me with his knife. Judging by the knife's curve and structure, it's not poisonous. Aiming, I pulled the trigger and the sound of multiple gunshots echoed in the vast forest. But with speed greater than earlier, he dodged them successfully.
"You're shooting me with my own gun! Don't be foolish! I know exactly the timing of those bullets!" Fritz exclaimed as he jumped at me.
I threw the gun away and my blade met with his. He was combining his weight, strength, and nen all so well that it made me think that my knife will shatter. I had to break away from him and put some distance. The both of us jumped back.
The speedy and agile servant smirked. "Even though you're the leader of the Phantom Troupe, don't think I'll lose. Pierre-sama has given me the strength to defeat every single one who stands in his way! I will win and Pierre-sama will be the ultimate Mafia Don!"
His red eyes seemed to glowed even brighter with such fiery determination and loyalty. Seeing a glimmer of steel amidst the trees, I smirked.
"Too bad... because the great and genuinely insane princess, Lilianne Vin Roze, will be the victor!" With my words acting as the signal, a quick and almost silent slash was heard.
"Wha-?!" Fritz turned around, shocked. But it was too late. Nobunaga has slashed him across his body, almost in half if he had not reacted to the Iaido-user's sudden presence.
He dropped to the ground, his eyes going back to a dull gray, his blood dyeing the greenery a fiery crimson.
(Lilianne)
Crash!
Heads turned towards the sound, the breaking of a tea cup against the polished tiled floor. It was Pierre nii-sama.
"My apologies" He said in his usual calm tone as one of Father's servants swept the shards.
It unusual for Pierre nii-sama to drop something as fragile as a tea cup. He has always been careful, graceful even, in handling fragile objects, even me when I was young when my fragility knew no bounds.
What surprised me even more was how hard he bit his lip that it soon started bleeding. That's when I realized...
Fritz has been killed...
Nee-sama only smiled, almost saying that he deserved it. Then she turned to me with a sweet psychotic smile.
"Well, Lilianne, it seems there's only the two of us now~ Tee-hee! But you know, Valmet and I planned something really good!" Sylvia nee-sama winked at me and all of a sudden, my earlier confidence wore off and was replaced with dread.
