"Pieces of the memory I took back wring my heart. Even if every time shows the reason why you left, I kill myself for my foolishness"
-Vana N' Ice, 'Immoral Memory, The Lost Memory'


Chapter 6

"Good job, Nobunaga" I eyed the bloody corpse on the grass, my earlier opponent, the head of Pierre Vin Roze's servants, Fritz.

Nobunaga sheathed his sword. "Mm... "

Before Nobunaga could say more, from the ear piece Jonah gave me, a panicked voice of a subordinate spoke, "H-help! We have completely scoured the area but a trap lay for us on the way back! Jonah is facing off against Valmet! Aaaahhh!"

The man's scream nearly made me deaf.

"What is it, danchou?" Nobunaga asked.

"A trap. Jonah and Lilianne's men are going to get killed. Get the others who are done scouring. I'll go on ahead."

Nobunaga hesitantly nodded and I nodded back, then used the Bandit's Secret to teleport to the area nearest to Jonah since I'm not sure where he specifically is.

When I arrived, most of the remaining men were dead, some on the brink of it, and some still standing and fighting. What really caught me off guard was the trap itself; nen wires intricately laced the trees, concealed with In so I had to use Gyo unless I want to end up like the majority who got their bodies minced.

"Ah!" A sudden and short exclamation of one of Lilianne's subordinates as he was, with great strength, pushed and went through the wires.

Using the death of that subordinate as a distraction, I charged at the attacker and beheaded him in a less than a second. I fought with the remaining servants and it didn't take long for us to turn the tables around. But the wires were still invisible so it's safe to assume that Valmet is the one who made them.

"Where's Jonah?" I asked urgently. The last thing I need is having Jonah dead. Whether I admit it to myself or not, Jonah is the only one who can give me the strength to leave Lilianne after this. The first time she came to the Phantom Troupe, I saw a woman who can handle anything, one who can live on her own, even if it's in the streets. But these past few days changed that and I realized that she's a greatly fragile child who needs protection.

"Head south from here. That's where Valmet led him." answered one servant as he gunned down an enemy.

I nodded and left, dashing through the trees and undergrowth.

(Lilianne)

I was thrown off by Sylvia nee-sama's words but then I thought of the Troupe being on my side and Jonah. The confidence I lost returned and I countered nee-sama by smiling confidently and saying, "Nee-sama... You shouldn't take my men so lightly. They are still servants of the Vin Roze like yours... and Jonah... He is MY servant. Whatever may happen, he won't lose. He'll NEVER lose."

I sensed nee-sama waver behind that amused smile and like a finishing blow, I said, "Besides, Jonah knows every one of Valmet's weaknesses and whether she patched them up through training doesn't matter... because Jonah will always find his opponent's weaknesses and blind spots. He's that talented."

Nee-sama's eyes widened in surprise and then turned around in defeat, biting her lower lip. Then she collapsed, kneeling on the ground, trembling. Her reaction is more than what I expected or could it be?...

(Chrollo)

As I made my way, I noticed that I was dashing towards Lilianne's favorite spot. And when I got there, Jonah stood, bathed in blood and Valmet pinned to a tree with a knife buried deep into her chest, with a look of pure shock on her face and dull gray eyes.

"To lead me here and desecrate one of my mistress's few sanctuaries... It's unforgivable... Valmet." His voice was cold as ice and deadly as poison dripped from each word. And then, as to end her suffering, he took out his gun and shot her straight on the forehead. "You have my respect as a fighter... but not as a fellow servant."

He put his gun away and without the need to face me said, "Don't take oujo-sama's servants so lightly. Were you so sure that I'll die here, Chrollo? As Lilianne Vin Roze's head servant, I could never lose."


"Let me say this: We're the Phantom Troupe. What we want, we steal. We don't need your money or your gifts, and we don't want them either." I clearly stated.

The Game was over and Lilianne won with the elimination and massacre of her siblings' subordinates. The moment we got back, the surviving subordinates, my Troupe and I were given instructions to line up outside, at the back of the mansion. Sylvia and Pierre were kneeling on the ground, blindfolded with their hands tied behind their backs. Unlike Pierre who's neutral and completely accepted his fate with an expressionless face, Sylvia was smiling as though she's the victor.

Lilianne arrived with one of her father's subordinates, clothed in a black and white Victorian-like dress with a 3 layered skirt that goes down to her knees with white frilly trimmings, puffed sleeves, and a ruby fashioned into a rose on her chest; in black platformed lolita shoes; her left arm covered with a fingerless arm warmer made of lace with intricately woven black roses and rose vines; and on her head was a small top black top hat tilted to the side of her head and a net hanging over half her face, making her look like a mourning dark princess, an image of death.

I found it quite breathtaking and at the same time, horrifyingly and beautifully haunting.

"Congratulations again on your Victory, Lilianne oujo-sama" bowed her father's servant and then turned to us. "Congratulations on your victory."

Lilianne's subordinates bowed while my Troupe and I couldn't care less about formalities.

"Now, " He turned back to Lilianne and handed her a gun. "As the tradition goes, please do the honors, Lilianne oujo-sama"

Lilianne took the gun silently and aimed. The first headshot was Pierre's. He died instantly. She aimed again, her face void of any emotion.

"Fufu... Pray that I will bear you no grudges, sister dear. Much as I loved you, I still had no plans of dying." Sylvia mused.

"Be grateful I'll end it now... rather than have you take a long painful road to becoming a corpse... nee-sama" Lilianne answered coldly and finally sent the bullet through Sylvia's head.

After the bodies have been taken cared of, my Troupe and I approached her and bid farewell.

"Is that so? Well, you have no more business here anyway. Just let me give you your reward before you leave." Her tone was so hollow yet cold.

And that's when I declined and cleared it out for her, how the Troupe does things. At the very least with Jonah by her side, they saw us through the gates, walking into the sunset without looking back, with each footstep away from her feeling heavier and heavier, and then suddenly disappearing somewhere.


We went to our old base, where we stayed before Lilianne offered us her roof to stay in.

"Thank god that's done. And those men barely gave me good fight." Hisoka complained. "Well, I'll be off now. Bye~ "

And he went off.

"Much as I don't like Hisoka, I agree with him. They have skill, I'll give them that. But all in all, they lack a lot." Nobunaga commented in his usual tone.

"The girl, Lilianne Vin Roze was pretty interesting though." Shalnark added enthusiastically. "I managed to observe a lot on how her nen and power works. In fact, it's strange how all three of those half-siblings have the same power though their attitudes are different."

"Well, it was a lot better than just lying around and getting bored to death. Fighting them nearly got me to use my yell. Haha!" Uvogin seemed pretty satisfied.

"Oh well, what's done is done. Danchou, contact us again for another job." Machi said and with that, everyone scattered off.

I was left alone and I looked out of the broken window and noticed for the first time the bright full moon. Approaching it and staring off into the sky, I thought about Lilianne and how she looked earlier.

"Why do you act to so coldly, I wonder? You opened up a little but then, you closed just almost as soon as you realized it." I disappointedly smiled. "Such a cruel princess... to attract stray thieves only to have them taste bitter defeat in the end. I feel as though I'm the prey and you're the spider..."

I chuckled to myself but in the instant that I stopped, I was overcome with loneliness. A loneliness so familiar yet so distant. And, with my aching and breaking heart, yearned to see the beautiful princess one last time.

In that instant, I took out the Bandit's Secret and teleported to her estate. In my luck, she left the window open and the cool night's breeze went in her room, making the silk curtains dance and sway. She was sleeping peacefully it seemed. It was hard to tell with the trees leaving little moonlight to illuminate her room. I felt discontent so from the branch, I jumped and landed soundlessly in her room. I approached her sleeping form, her face almost hidden in the shadows of her canopy bed's drawn curtains, and she looked as though she was having a nightmare. I smiled unknowingly.

"C-... Chrollo..." the words that came from her trembling lips sent a shock through my body, as well as a shiver down my spine.

Lilianne was sweating despite the coldness of the night. Her frailness right now added to her child-like features. She's absolutely vulnerable but beautifully vulnerable, like a fragile dream.

If I ask you this as a reward, will you give it to me? ... But I'm a thief... the leader of the Phantom Troupe...

Leaning, closing the distance between our faces, I kissed the sleeping beauty lightly on the lips.

What I want... I steal...