I'm HERE! I'm foreshadowing something here. Hehe. Keep your eyes open! And lol. I'm trying Mandarin. Just because. Okay, I got jelly. (I'm looking at you, Grandpamuffin!). They're kewl as dividers. Haha. Tell me if I'm using the characters incorrectly! Esp. in context. xD I'll probably try Japanese or Korean next. Lol. Again…, just because.
Disclaimer: I wish I own Hunter x Hunter.
...
CHAPTER 31: Tragedy x Fights x Reconciliation
Dear Gon,
How could you do this to us? YOU PROMISED! D:
You're going to need to do a lot for me to forgive you.
Like: teach me how to tame a dragon… and give me a bag-full of souvenirs from wherever you are.
By the way, I know you and Ging are lying about where you come from. I know you have your reasons. But still. All the more reason to give me lots of souveniers! :D Bring me a pet if you don't want me to ask about it again.
Yours Truly,
Lovely Lilica
P.S. Aniki says to keep writing to us! Or else we really won't forgive you. (He's bumped into more tables than I could count tho.)
P.S.S. I know your dad's partly disappointed too (not sure if it's missing you or missing the birth of a relative)
but I'm pretty sure he's just too shy to show it.
二水流
WHALE ISLAND
It had been a week since the 294th Hunter Exam. Mito was already well into her second trimester of pregnancy—the least torturous of the three halves—which meant it was high time for baby-planning.
Elena on the other hand agreed to help them so long as Killua (or Alluka, for this matter) won the game. She did warn them, however, greatly increases the percentage error of her accuracy.
Gon and Killua were lounging on the grass-filled clearing near the house, just after Ten training a little past dawn, when Momo arrived to bring them a letter. "They don't know where you are? (And who is this 'aniki' the girl spoke of?)" He asked, looking over her shoulders as they sat. She already took off her jacket then, and she was wearing her dark-colored sleeveless shirt.
"This place." She said, moving her shoulder as she answered and it made his eyes gravitate towards her exposed skin, and totally not registering the latter question. "I mean the known world—before the existence of the Dark Continent was publicized—almost died the last time we got infested with creatures from the dark continent. You have no idea how strict the Association is when it comes to returning hunters."
"I see…" He said, breathing out and he felt her shiver a little under his breath. "Ne, Gon…" He said, lifting his head up a little so his mouth was an inch away from her ear. "It's been a while, since we've been alone like this."
Indeed, it was one of the rare times they were alone. Alluka saw Mito and Obaa-chan cooking and was utterly fascinated by it. They didn't seem to mind the small girl's presence. Heck. They doted on her. It was one of the many scenes that proved that taking Alluka away from the estate was one of the best decisions he ever made.
Gon turned her head to face him. They were so close, he could almost taste her. And before he knew it, he already was.
Their kisses were chaste and sweet, innocent even. But even when he knew his body occasionally yearned for more— less distance; more physical intimacy—he understood this was, paradoxically, more than enough. And they savored every moment of it.
But alas, like always, their short moments cut even shorter by some sort of interruption. This time it was the inexplicable timing of Gon's phone. Again.
Gon was never one to ignore calls, especially since she saw it was from Leorio. They had asked him to call if there were updates regarding the situation in the Aui mountain.
"Hello?" She asked, a few inches away from her ears (even when both of them could hear everything regardless). She did not bother to move her hand from his shoulder.
"Ah. Gon, Killua." Leorio said with a tired tone that made them lift their guards, knowing they'll be in for some unfortunate news. Leorio will be briefing them of the tragedy that fell on the peaceful village.
"How are those two?"
"Hanging on," he said with a sigh. "It's a good thing you sent Colt here. Reina would've broken a long time ago."
"It's good you're still there."
They received a weak grunt of agreement. "I decided to stay for a few more days, at least until this Kaito arrives." "I think even with his façade, he still thinks it's partly their fault half of the villagers are dead."
The two froze at that, minds having a difficult time absorbing that fact. Half in the village was dead?
Despite all they've been through, something like this would never be easy to swallow. They were all so kind and innocent and just what this world needed. It stung: how good people seem to be dying so much quicker than the evil ones.
There was a long and heavy silence that passed by, and both parties were frozen in place. Finally, Gon cleared her throat. "Please… send our regards to all of them."
Killua nodded at this in agreement, as if Leorio could see. "Have you buried all the bodies?"
"Almost. The recent ones haven't yet."
"Okay. We'll be there to pay our respects." Gon announced, giving Killua a look. The latter made an affirmative. Gon smiled sadly, before turning away to focus on her chat with Leorio again. "Leorio?" She uttered, whispered really. "What about you? Are you okay?"
"Yeah," came a response a few seconds of silence later. There was a wordless exchange between the three, all of whom were recalling what was happening around the world: All the disasters, the plagues, and the general suffering. "These are especially troublesome times for our species," Leorio finally said. "Sad to say but this is something that I, as a doctor, should get used to."
And then he sighed, very heavily.
"So…" Leorio initiated, wanting to veer away from the heavy topic. "When is Mito going to give birth?"
"In a little less than six months."
"I see." "I'll make it a point to be there before then." Leorio said, just before hanging up. "See you soon!"
Gon gently threw her phone at a random patch of grass beside her before flopping down on the grass. Slowly, Killua joined her, and they stared at the clouds for a long time before either of them could begin to speak.
"At least we know they'd be taken care of." She said. "Kaito will be good to them."
"Yeah." "Hey," He said holding her hand and raising it absent-mindledly. "How true do you think his words are?" he asked, eyebrows furrowed in worry. "Should he really get used to all those deaths?"
"It's a morbid thought, and it makes me sad… but it's likely." Killua turned his head to face hers, still looking at the sky. He half-expected her to deny it, or at least use euphemisms. How much had she seen in that place that she'd be so un-optimistic? "These past few years have been large turning points—for humanity," she said after a while. "But I'm pretty sure we'd get through it."
"Hmn." He only mumbled and his eyes traced her skin from her feminine hands—so small compared to his, but he wouldn't be stupid enough to think for a moment they were weak—and reached her pretty face. "There were so many foreshadows that our journeys won't be easy."
Her eyebrows raised at this, mocking. "Has it ever gotten easy for us, Killua?"
He wanted to laugh at the realization that indeed, it never had been easy. Not for them.
"No." He smirked. "We'll just be awesome and overcome every and each one of them."
二水流
MT. AUI
Inside one of the many now-abandoned houses in that small agricultural village, Leorio smiled at his phone, creating a semblance of contrast between his momentarily-brightened demeanour to his bleak surrounding. (He did miss them, those brats. It had been a few weeks since they separated).
But the moment he hid his phone and its artificial light disappeared, he was pulled back to his reality. He stretched his arms out, as if some warm-up before going out. It was around that time that he noticed some sort of commotion outside. The anger that he hears gave him goosebumps so he careened to the source and saw that the Kids were surrounded by many people. There were no physical contact, but they attacked with no less-hurtful venomous words. Colt patted Reina's back as she sobbed.
"You monsters!" A man yelled. "Go back to where you came from!"
"Yeah!" Another agreed, a bit too passionately. "Or just disappear altogether!"
"LEAVE!"
Leorio took a deep breath and calmed his nerves. At least to the point he would shout at them to SHUT THE HELL UP. "What's going on here?" he asked, gritting his teeth to the point of sharpness. He just knew from experience that shouting at these people who were only looking out for their own lives and families never end well.
"YOU!" The man was unfamiliar, but judging by his outfit and their weapons (old-fashioned guns and pitch forks), he knew they were from the villages nearby. "You're a hunter aren't you? Why are you keeping these—" The man's face made ugly wrinkled as he eyed the two. "—beasts alive?!"
"Whoa there." Leorio said, sounding nonchalant, and he would've looked as such—if it weren't for all those veins popping around on his head. "That's not a very nice thing to say."
"What?" "You're just a sissy. If you won't get rid of these pests—we will!"
Something snapped in Leorio's head and his eyes twitched. Still, he maintained his façade and his personalized background music played in his head. "First off," He said, folding his sleeves. "They're also the victims. You're just here to sate you fears—because there's nothing else you could bloody do."
"Second—" He raised an arm to intervene with the man before he began speaking. "These are children who just lost their family. You're friggin old men now. How can you be so immature?"
But they kept rambling on about things, this and that, and how much the two kids needed to be gone. Or just die.
And using a momentum from raising his hand high up, Leorio hit the soil. The men stared. What's this bastard doing? Punching the ground like an idiot.
Until they felt a chill coming from below and was hit simultaneously by what felt like uppercut. They saw nothing. But it sure did hurt a lot.
Because most of them were unconscious afterwards.
…
"We're so sorry…" Reina mumbled in-between her sobs. Colt only looked on the ground, wishing to be strong for his little sister but understandably feeling the guilt as well.
He sighed and put a hand on each of their shoulders, squeezing them gently. A connection.
"You are just a big a victim in this as everyone else," he told them. "It was not your fault you got eaten by an alien creature from the sea."
They weren't sure if that wasn't a joke, but they were comforted regardless. Leorio smiled empathically as the kids loose up, even if it was just a little. A little bit of optimism would go a long way, especially during these times.
Leorio remained oblivious, however, as he consoled the two chimearas, of the presences of three unknown men behind the shadows... who were strong enough to hide their presences from Leorio.
They looked at the two beasts. They agreed with the mob, for most part, but for more extremist reasons. After all the Dark Continent was at least four times as large as the Known Land… these creatures had no right to occupy a cubic foot of space.
They weren't stupid enough to openly start a conflict with Zodiacs, however. But they were still professional hunters and, looking voraciously at the ants.
They always succeed in winning the hunt. And they will.
二水流
BLOODSWORTH MANSION
Nerys looked at the very powerful men that congregated inside the grand hall of her home. They were the remaining Injuus, her two brothers, and a few guards her father lent her to exact her revenge. After Aaron's death, all of a sudden this wasn't just about her and her failed love life anymore.
She and her brother just finished discussing the plan in getting rid of the people who caused them so much trouble. The injuus, granted they primarily were in this for money, also acted to some extent out of their comrades. They had been partners for over two years now, even when only recently did they began to show their presence, so they too would like to see this as honourable act of vengeance.
Atom was the one who dismissed them and reminded them of their meeting place. "Get ready. We leave in an hour." He finally said, and everyone (including their other brother who was in-charge of the family guards) disappeared.
Suddenly left alone in the intricately designed grand hall, the imposing atmosphere interestingly remained. This time however, it was directed towards Nerys herself.
"What?" She asked as she felt her brother's assessing stare. He was looking at her like some sort of plan on paper going awry.
Atom crossed his arms. "He—or rather, she—who digs a hole for someone else, ends up in it."
"Don't you want to avenge Aaron?"
"Of course I do, why do you think I'm coming with you?" he asked rhetorically to confirm he was abetting this decision, just before turning away. "All I'm saying is—attacking out of pure rage will only get you killed. These people are strong. You should know better not to underestimate them."
"What do you propose, then?" She asked, tone slightly rising. "That I just collect myself and act as if they didn't do so much to me?"
The last statement seemed to have been expected, and Atom sighed. "I'm proposing that you stop making this about you, and more about Aaron. And our family pride."
Her mouth opened indignantly. "I'm not—"
"Yes, you are." He stated, turning around and obviously not interested in what she was about to say. "And if you refuse to acknowledge it,
"Then you better get ready for the consequences."
二水流
LUKSO PROVINCE
As Kurapika stood motionless in front of his family's crypt, he thought about an old friend's.
Senritsu's mausoleum had many visitors, and that had been obvious with all the gifts and letters and flowers that surrounded both the interior and the exterior of her mausoleum. Many of whom came from people he knew, as she had met them during her search for the cursed sheets. Kurapika now truly understood how much she was loved, and would definitely be remembered even by people who weren't born yet. He, Kurapika—a zodiac—made sure of that.
His clan's, on the other hand—the grave he was currently standing at—received no such thing. All he could've done for them was write about them in texts, but he had to be objective. He couldn't even publish the village's location for he was certain it'd be tainted and it was also the Eyes' resting place. He had done all he could to preserve his home, including buying several hundred hectares of land that surrounded it.
Hence, the memories of Pairo and his parents and everyone in his village..., their laughter and their stories, all of those would really only stay with him. And he had tainted that with his quest for revenge.
He sat down the mausoleum and just stayed there for a while. And as he had been doing during the past visits, he shared stories and adventures with his clan as if they were alive and had the capacity to reply. This story, however, included Nerys and his reflection of himself on her... and the fact that he had been intimate with her. Was he ashamed? He asked them, but of course there was no reply.
His story telling was interrupted by the squeal of an incoming messenger bird. He stared at the sky for a while, ensuring it was going to his direction. And when it did he stood up straight and raised his hand, allowing for it a clean landing.
It was a cryptic letter from Mizaistom.
And his eyes turned red the moment he read the first paragraph.
...
RIIIIINGGG!
He blinked, his crimson eyes returning to its cerulean color, and he wondered just how long he was in a daze. He looked at the reddening sky. It seemed that he had been standing there, frozen, for a couple of hours. He wanted to sardonically laugh at himself for so many reasons. He didn't though, and he composed himself before answering the call.
"Hello?" He managed to ask coherently, and his eyebrows furrowed at the news. If he hadn't been so shocked at what was inside Mizaistom's letter, his eyes would've turned red again.
His information bounty about the Spiders, something he posted five years prior, finally got a hit.
The Spiders were in the Dark Continent.
"Okay, thanks." He said as his mind shifted to the letter from Mizaistom. He closed his eyes and took out the piece of paper.
We found a clan. Their eyes turn red.
And finally:
What do you know of your clan's history?
He had been steadily moving forward, especially since the Spiders disappeared. But now this?
How ironic that his two new paths meet in the Dark Continent.
A familiar heavy feeling occupied his being again and he thought of what he'd do to get a reassuring embrace from Gon. And then he remembered what he committed with Nerys and he knew he wasn't pitiful enough to wish for that anymore.
Thinking of Pairo and his parents, he gathered the courage to go to the village and explore—something he had been explicitly avoiding for his own sanity. He passed through the Lukso woods and he was reminded of Sheila, the girl they met who introduced them to the outside world. He never blamed her of course. He wondered if she had become a hunter already.
When he finally went to the village he grew up in, he was overwhelmed with an incredibly heavy feeling of nostalgia. The tree roots and vines the feeling of natural abandonment. But it felt oddly peaceful, visually, sensually, and spiritually.
Perhaps because he knew it was because his clan's bodies regenerated the land.
He walked past the ruins to and underground area for storage, a hiding place. He wiped away the webs and the dust and…
Dino Hunter.
It was the book Sheila gave them. The book that gave him and Pairo a look at the outside world for the first time.
D Hunter, eh? He wanted to be one as a kid. Who'd have thought he'd turn out to be a Blacklist hunter, then a Mafia lord, and then a Zodiac.
He stopped at the name of his father, etched outside one of the rooms. He knew it was the room reserved for his family.
He did not enter immediately, as if there was another person on the other side and he needed to get ready. After a while, he entered.
There was a box filled with accessories and small books.
Above it was a set of Tabard, ordained with intricate golden pattern his clan knew well. One was especially long… and he knew it was his mother's favourite. Beside it were the ones he wore as a child, one that held too many memories of his own transgressions that he could not touch it. And then came the largest one, his father's. He gingerly took it out and held it in front of him, unconsciously putting it closer to his chest.
A perfect fit. And it was all he needed.
二水流
WHALE ISLAND
Killua stared at the horrendous thing considered to be 'food' on his plate.
Red Peppers. The particularly shiny kind.
Granted, it was covered with other leafy vegetables and fruits but red peppers had their way of singling themselves out, like all the other food that he didn't want to have anything to do with.
He found himself poking at it with its fork and if he was still twelve he would've openly showed his face of disgust. His hardened stoic façade saved him from that humiliation, though, but he knew that suspicious bead of sweat sliding down his cheek was revealing his inner thoughts.
"Alluka-chan cooked that for you, you know."
Great, he mused grimly. No wonder it was cut so unevenly.
He lifted his eyes from his plate to meet his sister's large ogling eyes. Mito chuckled and Gon watched in amusement as she effortlessly ate her breakfast, just in time to catch her eating her peppers. Killua envied her stomach, and her taste buds.
"I was taught to avoid fights I'm not sure I can win." He said, not even referring to his fight-or-run upbringing as a child. "Still, a burnt child keeps away from fire. Red peppers are totally considered fire."
Mito huffed and crossed her arms. "Just eat it already—mou!" She shook her head and poked his head. "You're really beginning to tire me out here." "You are no longer twelve."
Grandma laughed at this, before touching her daughter's hand. "Ah, Mito," she called. "Perhaps you should rest. I see you paling hours ago." "Illumi is coming by later, won't he?" Killua's eyes twitched a little, especially with grandma's addition that Illumi was going to be there very soon. "We'd want you looking good no?"
Mito blushed a little, before clearing her throat. "…okay mother." Then she whipped her head to Killua, making him flinch. "But be sure to eat your peppers!"
He heaved a relieved sigh.
But it was short-lived.
Because even with Mito gone, there was still someone vent to make him eat his peppers.
"Onii-chan doesn't like my cooking?" A teary-eyed Alluka stared at him pitifully, making his stomach drop. Tsk. Leave it to Alluka to make him feel like the worst brother in the world.
"That's not it—" Tears begun lining up, just on the verge of falling. "Alright, alright." He said, stabbing the pepper bitterly, and he raised it to enter his mouth at a terrifyingly slow pace.
Slowly, the distance between his sensitive taste buds to the horrendous creation of nature diminished.
But then it landed back on the plate. "Wait—" He stopped, showing a completely dramatic face. "Do you sense that?"
"Stop changing the topic, Killua." Gon sighed and looked at Alluka. "Alluka-chan's a great cook, you know."
"No, seriously." He said with a dire expression, even when he was particularly active because he didn't want to eat it. "I feel hostile auras."
"Killua—" Then she blinked, the moment she subliminally upped her guard. "You're right." She whispered, unconsciously standing up.
"We should check it out." He said, not noticing relief oozed out of his voice rather than anxiety.
"Yeah." Gon said but stopped after taking a step. She was eyeing Killua's plate. "But before we go—" She said, grabbing the fork with one of her hands, and Killua's shirt with the other.
Killua was ready to avoid Gon the moment she'd lunge the fork to him, but he didn't expect her to put the pepper in her mouth. And that was the moment she pulled him in, and took advantage of his surprised gape to make him eat the dreaded vegetable.
As he watched her beckoning him to follow a moment later, he realized didn't mind chewing the red pepper then. Not at all.
…
Gon and Killua stood—ready—many meters from the house, between the incoming forces and their loved ones. They left Alluka inside the house, and telling the two women upstairs they were going to check something out and please don't get out of the house. They could only tell them a swarm of insects was coming due to some natural causes, and only hunters(sans Alluka) can deal with them. It wasn't that much of a lie, anyway.
The newcomers were using Zetsu, it was practically perfect for most, but the number of people who didn't have the perfect Zetsu easily gave them away. Still, to be sensed when they haven't even reached the island yet meant the small fries (which were likely Bloodsworth hires) weren't particularly strong—at least nowhere near as strong as the Ryoudan members were five years prior. Not even at Canary's level.
The hatred oozing from the well-hidden ones, however, also stated how much bloodlust was etched into the motivation of these people. They were definitely there to kill, and there was only one family in the island worthy of such dramatics.
Killua's pondering was cut short as a huge ring of En suddenly exploded beside him. He turned to look at Gon, who stood in the center of it. Its massive radius stayed fascinatingly steady for a while, scoping practically a quarter of the island, before it imploded as quickly as it expanded and—with what felt like a whoosh—it exploded into a million particles. They floated like dandelions, only much smaller, more viscous... and observant.
He sharpened the Gyo in his eyes to see the luminescent dust more clearly, a finger moving on its own to touch one. Doing this, he realized what this was. They were mesmerizing to look at, and even more so once you realize what they did. It was a new, and extremely difficult, application of En. "I didn't know you can do that." He voiced out; he didn't know it was even possible.
This way, their sight could span much much farther and, as he touched a particle (again), determined it was practically undetectable. "Impressive control, Gon."
"Thanks," she said, just before focusing her energy in the glowing dust. "They passed the island property, but they're not going down," she told him, a couple of minutes of silence later. "I'm guessing they're going straight here via blimp."
Killua nodded. "We'll be ready."
Gon had her eyes closed then and she looked at him with a knowing look. Killua had an idea that the auras she sensed were probably familiar, confirming his own assumptions. "We are going to be ready."
...
Sure enough, as Killua determined when the blimp was overhead, form contrasting with the darkening skies, and indeed—they do know the newcomers. It was the Bloodsworths, along with a few scores of small fries, and the remaining Injuus. They jumped down in a similar way Netero had years ago, albeit at a slightly lower height. The family stood imposingly in the back lines, like the injuus and the rest were knights.
The moment they realized only Gon and Killua were there to fight them, the raging smug look on their faces only intensified. "I don't think they're coordinated enough to simultaneously attack us." Killua whispered. "They likely will go by teams and weaken us successively."
Gon nodded. "To break their formation, we'd need to take out as much of the as quickly as they could." And at this, Killua wore a smug look on his face, as well.
"Do you know, Gon?" He asked her. "'Quick' is my middle name now."
"Really?"
"No, not really." He said with a grin, before a surge of energy surged through him. He looked at two injuus. "I'll deal with those two." And his eyes shifted to the poor dozen or so guards that stood in the way. "I'll add a few of them, as well."
And before Gon could even ask, he leaned his head down slightly to position himself for a quick dash. And he sprung. "Godspeed."
Gon's eyes widened at the explosion of aura and the gust of wind that passed her, realizing it was Killua, and the next thing she knew he was behind enemy lines, and everyone else's faces soon contorted in confusion. A second later—when two of the injuus and the guards were already unconscious and/or dead—their eyes widened in shock.
The rest—the ones quick enough—scattered like ants and Gon brightened. "Sugoi!" she yelled, just before concentrating aura to her feet for a sprint (albeit nowhere near Killua's pace, much to her chagrin). She took down the one who scattered to her direction, another one of the injuus. It was caught too off-guard, and it could only stare up at Gon for that one critical second. Gon focused aura on her fist and that move left the Bloodsworths with less than half of the injuus, in less than a minute since they arrived.
"Shit." Atom uttered out loud, with his siblings going to him for a defensive formation. "Were they this strong when we last encountered them?"
"I knew they haven't showed a fraction of their abilities back then, but—"
Nerys sensed the weakening of their wills. "Don't falter!" she told them. "It's too late for that now." She whipped her head to the enemy, who also regrouped but looked so composed that the hatred in her chest exacerbated even more.
"We need a different strategy." Atom said, crossing his arms. His peripheral very much aware of the Injuus huffing in shock. "A distraction," he begun, but flashes of their strength passed by his head. "A psychological one."
Nerys took it upon herself to do that. "Why do you fight along a man who has been unfaithful to you?" She yelled. "We kissed. Rather intimately, too." That was childish, she knew, but it felt good to say that. I even made-out with Kurapika, almost sleeping with him she wanted to add, but she couldn't. It felt too personal somehow.
And the distraction worked, indeed, as the other teenagers' had their eyes wide, with Killua being even paler. "It's not how she made it sound…!" She said, and—even as they took advantage and sprinted simultaneously—Atom and Adrian still felt offended that they were being underestimated so much that that actually worked.
"You see it was a time where you had no memories of me and I knew I can't be with you and—" He was cut when one of Adrian's attacks actually landed. Killua somehow managed to block it with his shoulder, but the force was enough to displace him.
"LOOK AT US," the Bloodsworth demanded with a growl. Before he manoeuvred himself to a safe distance against his silver-headed enemy.
"Killua," Gon mumbled as Killua held his slightly throbbing arm. "I do know I have no right to be mad at you." She said and kissed him on the cheek (how'd she got the chance, no one would know). "I'll just detoxify you later," She whispered just before countering the attack from an Injuu.
Killua blushed furiously.
The attackers eventually blurred, with the two on the defensive and having little idea who was attacking. Killua managed to catch Nerys about to attack Gon, however, when she was busy defending against two injus. He blocked her kick with his own legs. "Don't you dare touch her," he said, venom oozing in his tone, and Nerys gritted her teeth in annoyance.
"Do you even know what it feels like to be deprived of something you earned?" She yelled, emotions circling inside her. So many flashes of embarrassing desperate memories passed by and, most importantly, Aaron's death. How she managed to be calm enough to visit him in the hospital that time, she'd no longer understand. She refused to acknowledge that if Kurapika had given his full attention on her, she'd have stayed that way forever.
The sky was darkening and Killua took advantage of the light shadows caused by the thick clouds overhead, and Nerys' distracted state, and she hadn't seen one of Killua's punches on the verge of connecting to her face. Her brothers protected her from it, just in time. "This is our fight. You will pay—for hurting my baby sister."
Killua's eyebrows furrow as Nerys stepped back and turned her attention to Gon. He was also pissed that he needed to save his burst of Godspeed when it was really needed. They might even see it coming now. Still, his worries did not show as he stared down at his opponents. "Do I look like I care?"
"You bastard—"
Gon, on the other hand, was managing to avoid and block every attack, with few exceptions. She had yet to figure out these two's abilities yet. Either case, she wished she had her staff, but it was weakened and cracked during the last time they fought injus. She took out her rod, which she placed at her back as if some sort of old habit.
The female Inju stepped back as the other, and Nerys, took all of Gon's attention. This hyped up her senses and she instantaneously used Gyo, to realize there were about a hundred acupuncture needles around her body. The female inju, if Gon wasn't jumping up to attack her, would've been impressed by this reaction time. Luckily for her, she managed to activate before Gon could reach her.
Killua whipped his head the millisecond before she even screamed. "GON!"
Gon's body was contorted in pain, almost as if she was being electrocuted. The female Inju laughed as her companion's smug look graced his bloodied face again. The woman laughed hysterically. "Now I can control everything that she feels. For now, it will be excruciating pain." Killua's shoulders tensed and they sensed he was about to use one of his signatures. "Ah, Ah, Ah~ I'll intensify it if you make a move," she said. "You of all people should know how quick nerves and lightning moves, yes?"
And she made Gon scream once more, to prove her point.
He was frozen. This was too familiar a scene.
The image of his father crushing Gon's head was still so vivid—
"You have to protect her this time."
His eyes snapped open. Was he going to commit the same mistakes again?
His ears rang and his vision blurred as if every blood cell in his body was vibrating.
A surge of power surrounded his being at the terror of seeing those horrible things happen again. He needed to stop that from happening.
He did not know what was happening, not consciously, but his instincts could tell his own body was doing something. The aura from what felt like coming from the roots of his very essence connected with something outside of him.
The sky.
Something flashed in his eyes—a small lightning bolt snapped down from the heavy clouds above—and the woman screamed in pain and shock, even after she seemingly had lost consciousness.
He gasped for air when it was over, still unsure of what he just did.
"K-Killua." Gon uttered weakly, then standing up, snapping him back to the present. "Thanks," she said and, barely giving a glimpse at the electrocuted Inju, because she had been distracted by the pain. She gave him a small but reassuring smile. But of course, both of them became aware that there were still many opponents to beat. They've been out long enough, Mito and the others might get worried.
The remaining Inju stood at a distance, recharging for what was probably his ending technique, and those who saw made it a priority to shake off the terror of what they just witnessed. The Bloodsworths were catching their breaths, but ready to attack.
Gon combed back her hair, stance straightening, and posture almost regal. "I'll show you one of the many things I learned in the Dark Continent." And Gon was surrounded by an impressive amount of aura.
Killua had a gut feeling something eye-opening was about to happen. There was something fundamentally different by how it all merged and how graceful it moved, too—like it had a life of its own—and he knew this was something he probably had never seen before.
But then, it disappeared, much like a pop of balloon. Everyone would find out why a second later.
"What's going on?" A voice cracked from the direction of the house. "Kids?"
"Get back inside Mito-san!" He yelled, while Gon's eyes were just wide in worry. The remaining Inju caught her expression, and the next move had been obvious. He gestured to use his ending technique on Mito.
The attack took one second, less than a fraction of the time needed to gather nen to do it. His arm extended as far as it could, torque from the behind him, and—facing Mito's direction—swinging his arm abruptly like a pendulum.
A shrapnel of earth the size of a human emerged from the ground, stabbing Mito just below the collar bone and passing through skin and bones.
"NO!" Gon let out a piercing scream and ran to Mito. "Please get a hold of yourself, Mito-san!" he heard her yell, just before he heard her voice crack. "Tell me you want to live. TELL ME!"
Killua snapped out of his shock and sprinted towards the attacker, weak from using his powerful attacks, but Atom and Adrian stood between them. His peripheral vision caught Nerys heading towards Mito and Gon and he jumped backwards to go between them instead. Now, he served as a shield against four powerful nen users.
And they took advantage of the handicap.
He used the nen he could to use at least the percentage of Godspeed, both because he needed recharging and he needed to preserve his strength as Gon tried to heal Mito (how much pain was she undergoing right now?). He avoided many of the attack and blocked even more. They seemed quicker now, snatching the momentum from them. Or did he get slower?
He realized it was both.
He stifled a scream as something sharp embedded itself on his stomach. He ignored it and attacked whoever stabbed him. It was Adrian, and the man flopped several meters away, but still very conscious.
He couldn't even steal glances at Gon, but he could imagine her sweating so much due to the pain and he felt so angry. But despite all the rage—he simply no longer had much reservoir of strength left. He was losing.
He didn't even notice the Inju conjuring small shrapnel of earth until it was already heading to Gon's direction. "GON...!"
Gon's head snapped up as three sharp edges buried themselves on her back. She bit her lips and focused on the woman in front of her. The external pain was excruciating, she thought, but it felt nothing compared to the pain her ability gave her. But that didn't matter because that meant Mito so wanted to live, and that meant she'd heal faster.
She repositioned herself to make sure that even if the shrapnel passed through her, it wouldn't hit Mito, and continued in treating her.
The pain was distracting. She did not realize her mouth was bleeding as well, her teeth digging into whatever it could in an attempt to relieve the pain. She shook her head and just let the tears flow. She needed to get through this.
Gon was vaguely aware of the fight going on behind her—Killua would be fine. He won't die, she told herself—but forced herself to focus. Mito was the one who needed her help right now. So when Killua and the others seemed to have disappeared from the field—no doubt Killua luring them away will all his remaining strength—she didn't know what to feel.
It was around then that she realized that someone was coming. Her powers too focused on the task at hand that she hadn't realized it until it was already in front of her.
She looked at the boots that landed at the ground near Mito's form and she slowly looked up, almost dazedly, to see who it was.
It was Illumi. And his eyes were dark. "What happened here?"
"Attacked," she barely uttered out, barely having the energy to speak. And she didn't have to. There was something in Illumi's stoic expression that made terrified her despite everything. "She'll be fine!" she said without thinking, huffing as if she was losing her breath, every inch of pain already numbing her thinking. "I j-just need time."
Emotionless, Illumi turned to the forest, where the last battle was taking place. "And time, you will get." He told her, just before he disappeared.
She'd hear painful screams a second later.
.
Emerald eyes looked up at the long-haired figure standing above her and the bodies of the Inju and her brothers, carrying his unconscious brother on his shoulder. "Why do you spare me?" She yelled at him, covered in blood and lacking an arm. "KILL ME ALREADY!"
"Because you deserve to suffer," Illumi said, without even looking back, and he disappeared from her sight.
She couldn't move and she lost track of time and there came a time where she was in so much pain that she no longer felt anything. She didn't even realize she was sobbing until she saw her sights blurring.
She did not even care that someone was coming. What do you want? She asked, albeit no longer having the strength to utter it out.
"I just found out you're barren." Milluki said with a disinterested tone-of-voice. "That took guts."
"Are you going to finish me off, now?"
"You should know that what we would've done by the time we find out."
"Yeah…" "But at the very least…, I'd have married him already." She paused, gasping for a breath. "I would've died as his wife."
"I didn't think you were that kind of woman." Milluki told her with the same voice, but she could almost hear the disapproving tone. "To base much of your existence to a man."
She found this funny and a bit flattering. "You must've seen me as someone admirable, huh?"
He did not say anything, nor did his apathetic expression change. Instead, he threw something beside her, just within her reach. She turned her head to see what they were. They were white triangular pills.
"It'll stop the haemorrhaging." Milluki said, maintaining a lazy tone of voice. "You should survive."
And he too, disappeared, just like that.
Damned Zoldycks.
…
"She's fine." Gon breathes out, reassuredly but it was directed mostly to herself. "She's fine," she repeated, not realizing Illumi was carrying her on his other shoulder. He carried the three of them to the house.
"Onii-san! Gon!" Alluka yelled while Grandma's eyes were utterly wide in shock. So much blood, she thought, but Illumi's monotonous—yet powerful—voice snapped her out to reality, and they hurriedly took everyone to their respective beds.
Grandma was crying as she cleaned up Mito, checking on the baby as well. "I don't know what happened—but I lost consciousness soon after Gon and Killua went out. Now—"
Illumi did not answer and only allowed his hand to touch Mito's cold forehead. His eyes soon travelled to her wound and understood even better just how Gon saved Mito's life. And the child's. "She is stable now." He said, and turned around, knowing full well the children were in more critical condition than anyone else.
The two of them were sleeping soundly on twin beds, completely covered with bandages, with Alluka sleeping in the floor in the space between the bed. He watched them as they breathed peacefully, even through the wheezing caused by pain.
His brother had become so strong and, if it was him five years ago, he'd never have understood how nor the type of strength Killua had now. It was the strength to protect the people he cared about, more than his own life.
The girl, on the other hand, had always been strong—her will alone making her the strongest of enemies. She was the sort that when situation becomes harsh, she'd be the person who will see it farthest.
Gon has always been the hardened warrior, even as a twelve year old.
And that sort of strength had been contagious, leaking all the way even to him. "He who has never been burned by the sun would never understand the shadow." He had been with the sun, and now he knew the terror of losing it. The girl saved him from actually having to face that reality.
He faced her completely, closing his eyes, and an indiscernible smile gracing his lips.
Thank you.
.
.
END OF CHAPTER 31
Coming Soon:
CHAPTER 32: Convergence x Departure x Chains
A few months after the clashes, the things set in motion finally begins spinning everyone around.
REPLIES TO ANGELS
Digilover23 – Awww it's ok! I'm glad to hear from you right now, and thank you for reviewing! And here it is! It's pretty eventful for me and I hope you like it!
RaNDoem – hahah. Tompa will only get skinny once he passes the exam. Which is never. Lel. Thank you for reviewing, btw! Hope this one is enjoyable as well~
AngelKitty27 – hahah. Thanks for telling me you loved it! And Alluka? I haven't really decided yet especially since Alluka's a guy. xD
Shen0 - *secret bro handshake* And thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you found the chapter cool. Hope this one satisfies too!
Pri-Chan 1410 – hehe. Well, the CA arc took a different turn and will cause different things. xD Hope it doesn't disappoint. And yes I agree! Alluka's the best. I need a plushie! Thx for reviewing btw. :D
Grandpamuffin – A marriage proposal, eh? Maybe, maybe not. I'll be vague about it. Haha. I'm super glad you liked this one as well and here's the next one! Do enjoy, and thank you for reviewing!
Guest [Nov 10 2015] x 4 (Because all of you didn't enter your names, the site called you one thing. I'll reply to all of you at once, if that's okay): Yes I updated quickly, because I had lots of vocal readers! I had a lot on this one too, but my thesis killed me. *sobs*. I sooo wanted to write during that time, but….yeah Thanks for thinking the chapter is awesome as well. And FINALLY: Do enjoy! All of you!
Guest [Nov 11 2015] x 3 (Because all of you didn't enter your names, the site called you one thing. I'll reply to all of you at once, if that's okay)- First of all thank you for reviewing, folks! I will do my best to continue writing. Oh and for the person who asked about Agatha and Ging, I'll be dealing with them when we get to the Dark Continent. And Antigone's based on the character from Oedipus Rex. The strong daughter. But no, there shall be no incest involved here. xD
RavenZaoldyeck99 – Thank you for reviewing! And FemGonxKillua shall forever be celebrated. xD I'm flattered you think I write great stories. I'll do my best to keep it up/do even better. And no problem about the reviews on your stories! I enjoyed reading them.
Giotto27 – hehehe. Thanks for calling the chapter awesome! And I'm glad you liked my approach on the Z-siblings. xD I hope you like this next chapter as well. Yay!
Killua fangirl – Thank you for the reviews! I can totally understand the fangirling. And Imagine what he looks like in his teens! *swoons* xDD And here's the update! Sorry I took so long. My thesis ate me up.
Phoenix-Thunder – IKR. Apparently a group of friends found out about the story through a reader and… they enjoyed spamming the review box. xD I'm not complaining. I just wished they wouldn't spam but how the hell do I tell them that?! And indeed. Killua will beat GI easily. I probably won't even write it much. Ahggha. Thanks for the review btw! *hugs* In retrospect, I should open my FB account now.
Dragonbooks249 – lol. You're not bitter, you're being rational. If Tompa passes…. He wouldn't be Tompa anymore! Hahahahah. Thank you for reviewing btw and glad you're liking the current developments!
Angaebi – Hahah I'm glad I'm making you smile, then! xD Thanks for telling me you think the chapter was wonderful. Hope you like this as well. :D
Otakuufan – Thank you for reviewing! And thanks for finding the story great. :D Enjoy this chap!
Guest [Nov 14 2015] – (Ch1) Thanks! And I will keep up the good work. Or at least I shall try. xDD
Reah-Kitsune – haha. I saw you calmly sipping choco-milk and then proceeded on doing your thing. Hahah. And glad to know your knee is okay! It should be even stronger now since I hear healed bones are stronger than before they were broken. Oh, and thx for reviewing btw!
Egichuu – hahah Trrruueee. Very few anime characters (are there any?) can surpass Killua's adorableness for me. Glad you loved the chap, and thx for the comment!
PrincessBluetree – Thank you for reviewing! I'm very glad to hear from you. And lol. I hope I don't disappoint with the whole GingxKillua thing. Hehe.
Guest [Nov 24] x 3 – Here it is! I'm sorry it took so long. My school stuff bogged me down. Anyway, I hope this was worth the wait and thx for the reviews!
…
Thanks for reading folks!
Considering this is my first chap after surviving this semester, I made it more eventful.
Hope you like it, and hope you don't leave the chap without letting me know you were here (and what you thought)!