Second part of the double update!
Chapter LVII
The countdown to the school's opening officially starts.
Chrollo oversees the distribution of tables and desks at the very entrance. Uvogin and Phinks, physically the strongest in the Troupe, are having a contest on who can bring more tables and chairs the fastest. Their little childish competition is a great help to prepare each classroom. Meanwhile, Valtiel and Nobunaga are carrying boxes of supplies—pens, crayons, notebooks, erasers. The Elders watch from the sidelines as the Spiders do everything at their own pace.
One night, during dinner, Chrollo has the layout of the entire school spread out in front of him. His dark eyes pore over the rooms. There are three floors, with long hallways that stretch for several meters. It is large enough to have an east and west wing, with ten classrooms each. He takes a pen and starts scribbling on the blueprint.
Valtiel finds him on the floor, a soup bowl in one hand and a pen in the other. She smiles and sits next to him, nestling against his broad shoulder. "What are you doing?"
He pauses from his work to kiss her on the cheek. "I'm planning the classrooms in the east wing," he says, handwriting elegant over the paper. "We don't know how many children would need the classrooms, so I suggest that we keep the east wing open for now. It has ten rooms, and one is enough to house thirty students at a time."
She nods, following his train of thoughts. "We can do that," she agrees, resting her chin on his shoulder. "What about the west wing? What do you have in mind?"
"Well, schools not only need classrooms, but also clinics, offices, and cafeterias." He makes a large circle on the western portion of the blueprint. "The cafeteria could be on the first floor, the clinic and office on the second floor."
"And the third?" She taps a finger on the massive empty space. It would be good for more classrooms, but as he mentioned, even the east wing is more than enough.
"Not sure yet." He tears his eyes from the work and nuzzles his nose against hers. She laughs quietly, and he leans forward for a kiss. He hums upon hearing her little soft sigh.
Still in the middle of their kiss, the Spiders burst into their room.
"DANCHOU!"
Phinks and Nobunaga enter first, but Uvogin catches up to them and tackles them to the floor. The three glare at each other, and then notice the couple just as Chrollo sighs exasperatedly while Valtiel blushes and hides her face behind the leader's shoulder.
Realizing what the three of them have just interrupted, they also flush in embarrassment and awkwardly compose themselves with weird coughs and looking away. Phinks and Nobunaga sit cross-legged on the floor, suddenly appearing interested on the bland wooden floor, while Uvogin is whistling innocently to the molding ceiling.
Like children having caught their parents in the act.
Chrollo clears his throat, raising an eyebrow. "Yes?"
They all flinch at his attention, faint blush of embarrassment still on their cheeks.
"Uh—" Phinks starts, scratching at his nape. "We received word from Shal."
"And?" Chrollo prompts. This is hardly a reason to interrupt his alone time with Valtiel.
"He said he's bringing more supplies with Shizuku," Nobunaga adds.
"Shal-san and Shizu-chan are coming?" Valtiel beams from behind Danchou.
"Yeah, but this idiot here—" Nobunaga jabs a finger in Uvogin's face. "This moron said he's been staying here for so long that he wants to go and have fun on his own."
"I didn't say that!" Uvogin shouts back, annoyed at Nobu for being a snitch. He turns to the couple across the room. "I was only saying that it's been a while since we had any missions, that's all! And since we've been cooped up here, I thought we could go have fun for once."
Nobunaga sniggers. "Not buying it, pal."
Uvo growls and bangs a large fist. "It's true!"
"Right now, the school is our utmost priority," Chrollo rules before the two could start another argument that may destroy the church for good. "We are merely weeks away from opening the school and starting the classes. Once we have everything settled, we'll all go for a mission."
"Really?!" Uvo's hazel eyes gleam at the Danchou.
"I promise," Chrollo says, sounding like a father promising his son a plaything.
"When are Shal-san and Shizu-chan set to arrive?" Valtiel asks again.
"In three days," Phinks answers, stretching long legs over the floor.
"That should give us enough time to clean up around the classrooms and pave the way to whatever supplies they bring." Danchou lets the silence hang for a moment, all five of them in the small room and staring at one another.
A few moments later, he nods. "Would that be all? Val and I are still in the middle of something."
At the provocative tease, the three young men flush quite scarlet again. Sputtering their excuses, they all scramble out of the room with the door slamming shut behind them.
Chrollo chuckles, turning to his muse. He laughs at her reaction. "What's that face, sweetheart?"
Valtiel gapes at his words. "Danchou!" she admonishes, pounding a fist to his shoulder. He laughs a little louder. "That was filthy talk! You shouldn't have!"
He shakes his head, twirling the pen over his fingers. "They know what we were doing," he says so casually as if he could not be bothered. "They're not innocent children. And they know well enough to respect our space and privacy."
She purses her lips into a defeated pout. "I know, but you still shouldn't have said it aloud."
He stops from his current work and turns to her. She is bowing her head to hide her embarrassed blush.
So adorable.
Chrollo smiles as he reaches out and slides her towards him, pressed flush against his side. His arm wraps around her waist and he kisses her forehead in apology.
"I won't do it again," he promises. "I'm sorry."
Sometimes, because of the heat of their kisses and touches, he quite forgets that Valtiel is still a very modest, inexperienced woman. Small wonder his own Spiders are awkward about it—they have all been exposed to the filthy nature of the world that someone like Valtiel makes them feel weird and out of place.
She lifts her chin up, golden eyes flicking to his cross tattoo, his eyes, and then down to his mouth. Her gaze lingers there, almost as if a tease. He dares to lean down, their lips not quite touching yet—until Valtiel herself smiles and dips upwards, meeting his mouth halfway.
Her hands are roaming—on his shirt, his shoulders, his hair. Chrollo groans at the sensations and grabs her ass, digging his fingers to her flesh, earning a delicious gasp from her. She draws away from the kiss to catch her breath, as his fingers trace the curve of her ass and give another delicious squeeze and—
"DANCHOU!"
"Goddamn it," he curses under his breath at the second interruption. He glares murderously at the closed door. "What is it now?"
"Shal said they had a change in travel plans!" That's Phinks's embarrassed voice. Not too far from him, Uvo and Nobu can be heard snickering like children. "Said they'll be here tomorrow!"
"That's great, then," Chrollo shouts from the other side of the door. He hears the three scramble away from their room, their mischievous auras disappearing. He frowns at her. He should have known teasing his Spiders was a gamble. "They did that on purpose."
"Told you." Valtiel giggles and disentangles herself from him. She takes the pen from his side and pulls the blueprint towards her. "So, third floor, right?"
"Y-Yes." He coughs, forcing naughty thoughts to the back of his mind. "The, uh, third floor…"
"What should we do with it?"
"What do you think?"
It is obvious that Danchou is still quite reeling from their session. Valtiel rolls her eyes and returns to the task at hand. East wing for classrooms. West wing for other rooms and facilities. West wing's third floor on the other hand… She scrunches her nose and searches around, noting the poor condition of their small room.
She taps the pen over the blueprint. "We can turn the third floor into a dormitory," she says, watching his thoughtful face brighten with understanding. She loves how easy it is for him to understand her without much explanation.
He takes the pen and scribbles over the paper. "Yes, that's right. Dormitories on the third floor. With ten rooms, it could be done. It could be an extension of the church's sanctuary."
"And Healer Atara can establish a bigger infirmary here!"
"The citizens can also eat in the cafeteria," he adds, the ideas surging through them both.
Elated and excited, they continue working on the blueprint. Valtiel produces the maroon vintage notebook that she received as a birthday gift, and writes down hers and Danchou's ideas with the vintage fountain pen. They work for hours after hours, until midnight sets in and they are both so exhausted that they collapse on the floor.
Chrollo has enough strength to carry Valtiel to the bed, climbing in next to her and falling asleep again. He feels her turn in his arms and bury her face into his chest.
"Good night, Danchou," she murmurs.
"Sleep well, my love."
The next morning, Meteor City is even more bustling with the arrival of two more Spiders, both of them driving two large trucks.
Valtiel steps into the warm sunlight and watches as the trucks round towards the church. Behind her, Chrollo and the three Spiders also wait. She is bouncing on her toes as she notices Shalnark's cheerful grin from behind the vehicle's windshield.
When he climbs out, she rushes towards him with an excited, "Shal-san!"
"Hey, Val!" Shalnark snatches her up for an embrace, twirling them around, their combined laughs echoing in the space. He sets her down and receives a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Sup, Shal," Uvogin greets, glancing at the second truck. "Hey, Shizuku, how's it going?"
"Hello, everyone," Shizuku greets politely. She has trimmed her black hair up to her shoulders, and she wears a long black sweater and dark gray jeans to ward off the chill. Hands behind her back, she nods to her fellow Spiders, but bows a little lower in deference to their Danchou.
Chrollo smiles at her. "Welcome to Meteor City, Shizuku. Is this your first time here?"
The dark-haired girl pushes her glasses up her nose. "Mm, yes," she answers. Her maroon eyes blink behind her large glasses, as she takes her time studying her new surroundings—from the mountains of garbage, the strange-looking people in their equally strange clothes, the overcast skies and cawing crows. "Charming."
Valtiel finishes with Shalnark and comes up to greet her friend. "How are you, Shizu-chan?" She embraces her, standing almost at the same height. "It's so good to have you here."
Shizuku bobs her head, bangs swaying. "We heard that the school is almost finished, so we took it upon ourselves to bring more supplies. Shal found everything needed."
The blond young man snickers cheerfully. "Yup! Don't worry, Val—" He winks at her—"I've got you covered! We stole only the latest, most sophisticated laptops and other equipment for the students to use. Of course, we'll need to establish WiFi and all that, but nothing we can't do."
"That's wonderful!" Valtiel claps her hands, utterly delighted at the news. She twirls her arm with Shalnark's arm, then takes Shizuku's arm in the other, and the three of them stride back into the church, whispering the school's progress between themselves.
"So that's it then," Uvo groans and yawns. "She found new playmates."
"About time, too." Phinks flexes the sore muscles of his shoulders. "She's far too energetic."
"And excitable," Nobunaga adds unhelpfully.
"She is, isn't she?" Chrollo muses with a soft smile. Then he inclines his head. "Come on, let's follow them inside. Can't let Shal and Shizuku get all the credit."
With mischievous smiles, the four of them race each other across the stairs.
Winter is fast approaching, the temperature dropping at night. By morning, they find their windows crisp and frozen.
It takes them a few more weeks to organize a solid plan for the school's curriculum. With everything already in place, all that is left to fulfill are the roles of teachers and staff. Valtiel, the mastermind behind all this, volunteers to teach reading, writing, and the basic languages. Shizuku suggests teaching basic mathematics. Shalnark, grinning proudly, offers to teach basic geography and politics. Chrollo nods his agreement—these subjects would be a good place to start.
Uvogin, Phinks, and Nobunaga serve as the "muscles" of their little crew, screening whoever enters the building on its opening day, keeping a sharp watch on their faces.
Warren and Julia lead a large group of their playmates into the foyer. With Shizuku's Nen ability, the corpses and blood are cleaned, leaving the stone floor white and polished once more. The children excitedly climb up the winding staircase, searching for their classroom and ready for their very first lesson of the day with their teacher Valtiel.
She feels a surge of happiness and pride to stand before them, to see them all seated at their new desks, with notebooks and pens instead of blades and guns. Their classroom is spacious and bright, with the ambiance warm and inviting with its soft blue curtains and flowers in glass vases, a gift from Chrollo himself.
Even the children are ecstatic to start, giggling and pulling pranks at one another. Whenever Valtiel turns around from the whiteboard, a book in hand, she pretends to glare at them. The mischievous boys at the back clamp their mouths shut and continue listening. She chuckles inwardly and continues with her lesson.
They are the same with Shizuku's classes. Some children are scratching their heads at the concept of adding and subtracting numbers, but Shizuku is endlessly patient and soft-spoken. Some of the older boys blush whenever her maroon eyes land on them. Valtiel giggles every time she passes by her friend's classroom, and Shizuku, clueless as ever, just blinks and goes back to her teaching.
As for Shalnark, well, the children are both tense and at ease during his classes. Known for being one of the original Phantom Troupe member, the children know he could kill them all in one effortless flick of his hand—but at the same time, he is too cheerful and ecstatic in his own lessons that it makes the children interested in geography, their eyes wide with earnest curiosity to learn about the different parts of the world, to know that there is more to life than just Meteor City.
Chrollo acts almost like a principal: he spends most of the days wandering around the school, making sure everything is in place and in order. He manages the cafeteria, noting the rations while Elder Meinerth keeps track of the ingredients in a little notepad. Next, the Danchou would go towards the back of the school, where Healer Atara has established a modest infirmary. He receives a package of herbal ointments, bandages, gauze—a courtesy from Machi herself.
The rest of the Spiders are doing their share. Bonolenov sends them countless books and musical pieces throughout the harsh winter. Pakunoda and Franklin have been travelling the world, visiting any kind of auction, selling whatever they could and transferring the money to the school's account that Shalnark opened for their funds.
Feitan contributes as well—he sends art books and drawing tools. Valtiel smiles when she remembers that the Troupe's expert torturer has a soft spot for arts and crafts. Not artistic herself, she asks Chrollo to oversee one art class with the children. The Danchou had them all drawing whatever they liked, Julia drawing princesses in towers and Warren opting for a more gruesome scene of boats, pirates, and curved swords.
The classes eventually slow down due to winter. Instead of classrooms, the children head straight to the dormitories on the third floor, warm in their new beds and clean linens and blankets. Those who are hungry can go to the cafeteria anytime for a fresh bread or steaming coffee.
One cold night, Chrollo draws the curtains against the freezing winds and approaches Valtiel on the bed, where she is curled up with her Toryuhun manuscript again.
"Converting the third floor into a dormitory was a smart move," he commends as he sinks to the space next to her, groaning at his aching legs. "Gave more people shelter other than the church."
"We'll need to provide for more food and drinks," she says idly. She has the manuscript in her right hand, matching Feitan's native language like a dictionary, while in her left she has Elder Meinerth's notepad about their expenses.
"Very thorough, my love?" He takes the notepad to help her ease the responsibilities. He hums as he notes the less supply of flour, eggs, and even cheese. "We can't keep going back and forth in this weather," he murmurs, one hand rubbing the small of her back. "We'll have to save our supplies until the weather calms down in the next week or so."
"We still have the cans in the cellar," she reminds him. She narrows her eyes at the Toryuhun word, pursing her lips at the term.
"I'll have Uvogin bring those to the school tomorrow." He sighs, exhausted and weary from the cold seeping into their small room. "How do you still have time for this manuscript, Val? Between the school and your Nen training, I would think you would have forgotten this by now."
"It's called multitasking, my love."
"Hm." Chrollo slides closer to her, wrapping both arms around her waist and peering from her shoulder. At best, he could understand the basics of the language. Everything else is a blur that only Valtiel could understand. He grumbles and kisses her behind the ear.
"Multitasking, and yet forgetting all about me, sweetness." He growls and bites down on her shoulder to cement his point. It has been almost a month, and both have been so busy with the school and Spiders that they barely have time for each other.
Valtiel turns in his arms, her golden eyes bright with amusement. "Degui khune min," she says.
He smiles even wider. He loves it when she starts speaking in another language to him. He learns from her, and in return, she becomes more confident with herself.
"What does that mean?" he murmurs, brushing his thumb over her chin.
"That you're a naughty boy, Danchou."
"I am?" He blinks, amused. "I'm naughty?"
"Ah, mon." She giggles. "Yes," she translates.
"Teach me more." He removes the books and notepads from the bed, and embraces Valtiel around the waist, laying her across the bed. He props himself with one arm under his chin and looks down on her smiling face. "How do you say 'I love you' in Toryuhun?"
"Confessing to Fei-san, are you?" she teases.
"Of course." Chrollo grins, and she laughs.
Valtiel sighs and brushes her fingertips over the smooth skin of his cheek. Under the lamplight, he looks so young and innocent. With that smile in his lips, those alluring dark eyes, she gets lost in him yet again. She lifts herself up a little to give him a kiss, but Chrollo, already hovering above her, dives down to deepen the connection, pressing her against the mattress.
His hand is cold against the bare skin of her thigh, where he caresses the inside and squeezes at the flesh. She shudders from his touch, breathless from his deep kisses.
He pulls away for one second. "Tell me," he whispers against her open mouth before devouring her again. Her small hands are twisted into his shirt for leverage. "Tell me, pretty girl."
She gasps when he bites down her neck and gives a harsh suck. "Zür ta naryn khair," she moans against his shoulder. His touches feel so good that she also softly bites on his shoulder, and the Troupe leader positively groans at the feeling.
Chrollo supports himself up with his arms, staring down on her, watching her pant with an open mouth swollen with his kisses. "What does that mean?"
"The Toryuhun—" She keeps panting, heart beating wildly in her chest—"do not say 'I love you'. Instead, they say 'My heart is yours'." She licks at her lips, wincing a little. "Zür ta naryn khair."
"You are amazing." He places a tender peck on her lips. "You're the best, Val."
"And degui khune min," she says again, with a little glare this time. "You're naughty, Danchou."
"No, I'm not." He grins as he whips out his own knowledge on languages. "I'm ahmnach."
She frowns at him. "No, you're not awesome."
Chrollo buries his face into her neck and laughs again.
Toward the end of February, three months later, the school is well-established and organized. The children are taking their classes seriously, so much so that Shalnark has insisted that they receive medals and other prizes for getting good grades. They invent programs so the children could play in the large space at the back, turned into a "gymnasium" as Phinks calls it.
As the months pass, Valtiel notices that not only children attend the classes.
Some of the strange citizens have started coming and going, too. Old, limping men. Robed and cloaked individuals. Middle-aged women with tribal tattoos on their arms and neck. Even those who live in the outskirts have traveled to see the wonders of the school, attending one experimental languages class with Valtiel, and then later returning the next day for more.
She is surprised at her own naivety. When she wanted to build a school, she thought of the children's futures. She did not take into account the several other Meteor City citizens, people of all ages and backgrounds and histories, would want to learn, too. As the weeks go by, more of these citizens appear for the classes—sending the Spiders in a flurry to provide more desks and tables and even notebooks and pens for them.
Each classroom is packed. Even Chrollo himself has to volunteer to teach geography and politics when Shalnark's class is all but overflowing with eager students. Even the Elders have started volunteering. Elder Ryence in the reading and writing classes, Elder Meinerth in the mathematics class.
With the influx of more students means the demand for more food, as well. Shalnark and Chrollo spend late nights budgeting their funds, while Valtiel curls up in the choir loft, away from their constant brainstorming, to continue on her Toryuhun manuscript.
"You're not done with it yet?" Uvogin stretches on the loft's floor, tossing his head over the edge of the couch. "That looks like hard work you're doing for Fei."
"It's finished." She smiles and holds up the thick papers she has written over the last months. "I just need to get it bound like a proper book."
"Are you gonna publish it?"
"I'm not sure." She sifts through the many pages. "I want Fei-san to have this for himself for now. I could think of publishing it later."
"There you guys are." Phinks appears with Shizuku and Nobunaga, holding up trays of food and drinks. He settles on the floor and lays out the food amidst the mess of books and pens. "There are leftovers from today's lunch in the cafeteria so Elder Meinerth gave us these."
"They're changing the menu starting this week," Shizuku says, sitting cross-legged beside Nobunaga, who is already snatching a bowl of creamy soup. "Now that it's spring, they are trying to introduce greens in the children's diet. Healer Atara's suggestion, you know."
"And where are we gonna get proper greens in this place?" Uvo grumbles.
"I'm guessing the land is not good for growing vegetables," Valtiel points out. She receives her share of the food from Phinks. "Thank you, Phink-san."
"They'll have us scouring for vegetables, probably," Nobunaga says while in the middle of slurping his soup and biting down on a hard, cold bread. "Those Elders are useless as always."
"Careful, Nobu-san." Valtiel slurps her soup as well. "One of those Elders is my grandfather."
Nobunaga makes a face and wrinkles his nose. Laughing, Valtiel sticks her tongue out at him.
They set aside food for Chrollo and Shalnark, still closeted in the room and worrying about the school's expenses. Meanwhile, they eat together in the loft and talk about nothing in particular. Updates from the other Spiders. The weather and this year's events. That one time they ransacked an estate for jewelry.
The door opens, their Danchou and Shalnark striding towards them.
"Hm, everyone's here." Chrollo drops a quick kiss on Valtiel's head and sinks to the floor between Shalnark and Shizuku. He accepts a bowl from the latter. "Thank you."
"How's the budget going?" Shizuku leans forward to glance where Shalnark is seated at Valtiel's feet and beside Uvo. "You've been there for some time."
"Yeah," Shalnark drawls, shooting a sheepish grin at Chrollo. "About that—due to the sudden increase in the number of students, we've exhausted more than half of our funds in the last three months. We would have to do something to replenish our funds again."
"What about that Mafia don?" Nobunaga sniffs. "I thought he's supposed to assist?"
"Only with the equipment and such," Chrollo answers. "The maintenance and other amenities we would have to provide." He looks up to where Val sits on the couch. "I reckon you wouldn't want a second meeting and ask him for more provisions."
"I would sooner go back to the Leviathan, thank you," she retorts.
The Spiders chuckle at the derision in her tone.
Phinks leans back on his arms, belching. "So now what?"
Chrollo's dark eyes flash at his friend's manners. No wonder Valtiel has such crude manners—his Spiders are not helping her at all. As Phinks chuckles apologetically, the leader swirls his little spoon in his bowl and watches the potatoes bob in the cream.
"I thought we could go for a short mission," Danchou says quietly amidst his friends' loud bickering. They all hush when he speaks. "A short mission where we could get the money."
"Alright!" Uvogin fist bumps the air. "Finally!"
"But Uvo would have to stay behind to guard the school," Chrollo interrupts.
"Whaaaat?!" Uvo whines, deflating.
"I'm just joking," Chrollo says without emotion, but then playfully nudges Shalnark, who has been covering his mouth with his hands and is now bursting out laughing. "I told you I could do it."
"You're bastards!" Uvo barks at them both.
Valtiel rolls her eyes. The Spiders are like children if left unsupervised for so long. Even the Danchou is playing along, never looking more youthful than he does now when he is chuckling along with Shalnark and Nobunaga. She smiles as Uvogin keeps deflating, arms over his chest, scooting closer to her feet as if trying to get away from the others.
Shizuku only blinks and adjusts her glasses. "So, Danchou, what kind of mission?"
He inclines his head to the side, a small smile tugging at his lips. "We'll all go," he drawls, turning to Val. She raises a sleek eyebrow at him. "How do you feel about going to Kakin?"
A lifetime ago, a Kakin prince invited her to his country. To become his pet, bitch, concubine, queen—or whatever colorful terms he and his soldiers used. Once, she was too terrified to think about Kakin. She has suffered enough during her tenure at the Heavens Arena. She has always been afraid to make herself known in fear the Prince's spies would recognize her.
Now, in the presence of half the Phantom Troupe, she feels safe, untouchable. No one could ever harm her without going through Phinks or Uvogin first.
The province is called Sochigel, all the way to the northern mountains, a few miles away from the nearest proper town. Despite the early April, the blizzard is strong and harsh, whipping at their faces and threatening them of frostbite. Each Spider is buried in thick layers of coats and jackets, though Chrollo is the only one who can make wearing a white fur coat look so fashionable and graceful.
Their camp is too small for seven Spiders to gather. Not even Uvogin curled up could fit. They have a small fire to keep them warm as they look down on the town below.
Not a town, Valtiel reminds herself, fingers frozen beneath her gloves. A concentration camp.
She resents Chrollo for taking her to this horrible place. Even in this distance, up on the mountain and surrounded by evergreen trees, she could hear the guns firing.
She feels someone approach from behind. Turning, she makes space for her. "Shizu-chan," she murmurs, her breaths coming in white smoke. "Not cold?"
"I lived up north for quite some time," Shizuku says, unperturbed by the snowfall. The only indication of her discomfort is her red nose. "Never thought I'd be back on the mountains again."
"Where is your family?" Valtiel wonders. She has known Shizuku for almost a year and yet she knows absolutely nothing about her. "Do you have siblings?"
"Yes, somewhere," Shizuku answers cheerfully. "They're all so much older than me, and they left the house long before I could even be on my own."
"Have you spoken to them?"
"Not for some time." The dark-haired girl shakes her head. "It's alright, I'm used to it."
Their conversation is halted when Chrollo walks up to them, flanked by the other Spiders.
"Are we ready?" he asks no one in particular.
Valtiel raises her hand. "Physically, no. Mentally, no."
He smiles. "Good, then you're ready." He turns his heels and directs the others. "Nobunaga and Shizuku, secure our escape route. You know where to go."
The pair nods at the orders. "Yes, Danchou."
Chrollo leads the rest of the group, going down the slippery slope. He stretches his arm out and Valtiel catches up to him. His arm goes around her waist as he whispers, "Stick close to me."
She groans, exasperated. "Aye aye, Danchou."
At the crossroads, he nods to the rest of them. Phinks, Shalnark, and Uvogin rush to the other direction, disappearing between the trees. The snow, despite their quick movements, barely seems disturbed. Chrollo and Valtiel round towards the back of the camp, following where the sewerage extends for a few meters, dumping the camp's waste to a nearby river.
Valtiel has grown accustomed to Meteor City's stench, so this is nothing now. "I see why the guards wouldn't be closer to the sewer. This stinks."
"Exactly." Chrollo gleams at her. They follow the brackish waters, hiking nearer and nearer towards the camp. "The back sewers are the most vulnerable part of the camp. Prisoners could find a way to slip into the waters and disappear for days, before swimming their way out."
"But there are fences." She glances to where barbed fences block the large yawning opening of the sewer. "How could they possibly swim out of that?"
"I'm guessing they could cut through the wires beneath the water."
"And they could hold their breaths and see underneath?" She is earnestly curious.
"You'll be surprised how desperate people can be in these hard times."
She falls silent as they come up to the camp's back entrance. The fences are thicker here, more barbed wires, with electricity surging through them. She hears them whirring against the evening gale, and she is almost afraid to stay too far and get herself electrocuted.
As always, the Danchou knows everything. He effortlessly makes the jump over the high fence, landing deftly on his feet and without a shuffle of snow under his boots. Through the fence, he grins and beckons her to follow. Still hesitant, she pounces after him. Chrollo catches her by the waist and then takes her hand, sneaking towards the closest cabin.
He shuts the door behind them. "That went well."
She blows warm breath to her bare hands. "What should we do now? You didn't tell me anything about this place." Her nerves are already too tense as she peeks between the planks on the windows. Outside, the field is white and dappled with some dark red droplets.
"I thought it's obvious," he hums, finding a chair in the darkness and leaning back.
"It's a concentration camp, I know." She cranes her neck, checking the high watchtower towards the middle of the field. She notices the shiny gleam of a rifle as the guard looks around the area.
"Yes, on the surface." He pulls out a small book and scoots to where the moonlight spills between the cracks on the window. "Beneath the show of slaves and guards, they are actually manufacturing illegal weapons here. The Kakin's Mafia is one of the biggest and most dangerous in the world, and from what I've heard, some of the Kakin Princes are beneficiaries of these Mafia communities."
"So, you brought me all the way to Kakin Mafia territory because it's not like the Fourth Prince of Kakin is hunting me for whatever personal reasons, did I get that right, my love?"
Chrollo's smile is infuriatingly polite. "But you can fight now, can't you, my pretty girl?" he teases, daring to mention this, despite his own worries. Hisoka warned him once—never let Valtiel think that she is incapable or restrained, or else she would prove you otherwise. "You can fight and kill like the rest of us. I should think the prince would be no match to you by now."
She frowns and keeps quiet. She knows what he is doing. He is trapping her into a situation where she would have no choice but to fight and kill.
Without orders from him, she sits in the corner, forever watching the outside. She doesn't see the other Spiders. Even if she tries, their auras are undetectable. No traces of excitement from Uvogin even. It puts her more on the edge knowing that she could feel nothing from the others.
Suddenly, the watchtower lights flicker, blazing white beams all over the fields. The camp becomes alive with a screeching alarm. The soldiers are pounding out of their cabins, rifles and body shields at the ready. Gunfire starts raining down on something, followed by the screams and horrified gasps of the prisoners.
Valtiel whirls to her lover, aghast. "What did you do?"
"Ah, it's time then." He snaps his book shut and strides towards her window. He watches the massacre happen with an appreciative nod. "We can go now."
"What's happening?" she demands, snatching him by the sleeve.
"We have our illegal weapons," he reports dutifully. "We're on our way to escape."
"But the prisoners?" She winces at the gunfire and screams, drowning her own voice.
"Oh." His nonchalant voice grates her. He knows what he is doing. He knows how to play with her temper, watching a ticking time bomb. "I asked Uvo to release all the prisoners so the soldiers won't notice their missing weapons. They would have about a thousand prisoners to deal with, so it would make it easier for us to slip away."
She throws her hands up, exasperated. "Just like that, Danchou? A thousand lives for an escape route? We could have escaped no matter what! Kill the guards instead!"
At once, he catches on to the suggestion and she realizes that he has been waiting for her to make the mistake this entire time. He walks back to her with that same smug smile that she would so very much like to slap—but she keeps her trembling hands curled into fists.
He stops just one feet away from her, peering down her face. "Would you?" he breathes, as if whispering the words in bed. "Would you kill five hundred soldiers in exchange for a thousand prisoners—slaves, men, women, and even children?"
Her tears of anger threaten to burst out of her, but she holds her ground in front of him. She is no longer little girl Valtiel who could be bullied into tears and spend the rest of her nights dreading the nightmares. She had fought and killed before. She had ripped a man from the inside-out in Heavens Arena before. She did it for money then. And now?
"I'm vulnerable to outside projectiles and attacks," she murmurs, defeated by the Danchou's own twisted game. Before her, Chrollo only blinks thoughtfully. "Even if I try to kill them all, their guns would get to me first. I need—" Her breath hitches in her throat. "I need to get into a strategic spot to take them all."
"We could arrange that." He peeks outside the window, narrowing his eyes at the large group of soldiers gunning down the escaped prisoners. He spots the watchtower in the middle of the field and nods to himself. "What is your range?"
She hates this. She hates herself.
"Thirty meters, but I can push it a few meters more depending on my physical condition."
He looks over his shoulder. "Is this your usual ability?"
She shakes her head. "No. It only has the same restrictions." Somewhat.
"That would be enough." He produces his phone and dials a number. At once, the other line answers. "Are you ready to leave, Shal? Alright, tell Nobunaga and Shizuku to take the weapons to the agreed location. Meanwhile, I need your group to gather all prisoners and send them away from the quadrangle. Valtiel and I will handle the soldiers."
Her blood runs as cold as snow when the Danchou gives her that look. That same look when he wants something done, and he knows he could get it whatever the cost.
Chrollo puts his phone away and opens the little cabin's door. "Let's go."
They slip behind the line of soldiers, still busy with hunting down their prisoners. Some of the men have grabbed a woman by the hair and forced her to her knees, the gun's barrel to her head, the gunshot ringing throughout the throng of screams and cries.
Valtiel closes her eyes as the men throw the woman's corpse to the sewer.
On the other side of the camp, Shalnark and Phinks are ushering the prisoners away like livestock. Uvogin serves as the defense, taking the brunt of the gunshots with his iron skin, a grin forever plastered in his face. When the prisoners are almost out of the way, the soldiers gather in a large group, rifles poised, and advance forward.
Danchou grabs her by the arm and drags her to the middlemost watchtower. At the very top, it gives them a good vantage view of half of the concentration camp. The remaining half is about five hundred meters away, comprising the brick buildings and prisoner cabins. The Spiders are drawing the prisoners towards the latter half, while the soldiers advance carefully beneath their watchtower.
"You have to go," Valtiel whispers to him. Up here, the winds are colder and harsher.
"Should I really?" Chrollo almost whines, wanting to watch her new ability with a front-row seat. He wants to see everything, from its activation to its effect. He saw how the crows were misshapen in the school's foyer. He wants to see what the soldiers would look like afterwards.
"Yes." She shivers, her braided hair coming undone from the gust. "Please."
"How far should I be away?"
"Just… far."
"For a few seconds?"
"Min Gud," she curses. "Yes!"
Despite the severity of their situation, he manages to snicker. Now he is really getting into her nerves that she is speaking in another language altogether. "I'll go far, but close enough for assistance, alright?" He kisses her on the forehead and pounces off the tower.
Valtiel peers over the edge. She wants to make sure this bastard is not actually staying to watch her. If he doesn't die from her ability, she would slap him for disobedience.
She waits until he disappears behind the barbed fences, hidden somewhere in the forest.
With a heavy sigh, she turns around for the soldiers, still lingering in the field under her, suspicious of the Spiders guarding the prisoners' cabins. She narrows her eyes and calculates the distance—the three Spiders are far enough to be safe.
Her body is heavy and numb from the cold. She focuses on her aura, enveloping her in a familiar warmth. She lets it pulse around her, testing the waters, transitioning from gold to crimson, then back to gold again. Her aura spikes in larger waves, begging to be unleashed. When she closes her eyes, her head starts pounding.
No, she tells herself and the old man. Not the Scarlet Eyes.
To her surprise, the old man's voice doesn't mock her. Good. I don't need you tonight.
Hands on the wooden railing, she stares down at the soldiers. She times her aura with her breath, releasing when she exhales, slowly surrounding the field with the familiar magenta sphere. She watches from above as the first soldiers get swallowed.
Their bodies immediately react to her ability, contorting into nameless shapes and growing smaller and smaller, as if forced into an invisible box. The bodies spasm one by one, their rifles dropping to the snow, and then disappear in spurts of dark red blood against the white field.
Her chest hurts, and blood starts dripping down her nose. She wheezes a cough, muffled by her glove, and her hand comes away slick with red. Beneath her tower, the sphere continues extending, hungrily claiming the human bodies and turning them into nothingness.
Across the camp, Shalnark, Phinks, and Uvogin watch in utter horror and fascination. On one hand, this is a good ability to consume a large group of enemies. On the other hand…
"Holy shit," Phinks gasps, finding himself walking backwards, away from the aura as it keeps extending and engulfing the unsuspecting soldiers.
"Since when did she learn how to do this?" Shalnark winces as the last line of soldiers, practically a few feet away from them, distort like pressed meat and disappear. "Damn."
"She had been practicing for weeks," Uvo reports, a shudder running down his spine. "Nobu tried teaching her En, but she ended up getting frustrated and teaching herself instead." He whistles as the last soldier contorts, his face curled into a gruesome sneer. "I guess this is what we get if we cross her, ya know?"
Phinks flinches as the magenta sphere draws closer to their group. He is not looking forward to suffering the same as those unlucky bastards.
On cue, the sphere pauses—a mere arm's length away from them. They look up, towards the watchtower and see the unmistakable figure of Valtiel collapsing from exhaustion. The sphere disintegrates with the swirling snowflakes.
Running towards the tower, sidestepping invisible corpses, they notice Chrollo also racing across the field.
The three of them stay down as Danchou fetches her. Chrollo comes down with Valtiel in his arms, barely conscious, her mouth stained with blood. Her golden eyes flutter open, regarding them sleepily. The three Spiders feel a rush of empathy to see her so limp and exhausted.
A truck comes thundering towards them. Nobunaga and Shizuku jump out. The samurai's eyes are wide and crazed, his mouth hanging open.
"I saw that," Nobunaga pants, switching his wild gaze from Shalnark to Uvogin. "What in the world was that?! We saw those soldiers alive, and then just—gone!"
"Uh, yeah, that was Valtiel," Phinks deadpans, pointing a finger down at her unconscious form.
"I think I know what happened," Shizuku offers in the usual soft tone. She looks across the field, empty but for a few more drops of blood. "She rewound them out of existence."
"Holy shit," Nobunaga breathes.
"That's what I said," Phinks grumbles.
The Phantom Troupe members, all who have endured a certain horror one way or another, look to their Danchou for affirmation. All wide-eyed and somewhat terrified that someone in their midst, someone like Valtiel, could simply snap her fingers at any point, use her Nen ability, and rewind the hell out of their existence.
Author's Notes: The Phantom Troupe is the epitome of that The Simpson's gif right now:
*chuckles* "[We're] in danger."
Cue Chrollo nervously sweating in the background. "The risk I took was calculated, but man, am I bad at math."
And Valtiel will only be beaming and be like, "Look, guys! We have a school! 😃"
Dear readers, thoughts and prayers for the Spiders. The story ends with Valtiel just rewinding the Spiders. Hisoka will be crying in the corner. Thank you all for reading. LMAO. Can you imagine though? 👀 In all seriousness, I think this is where Chrollo will realize that he gloriously fucked up. Congrats, Danchou. You made a monster.
Thank you all for reading! I'll try to update the next chapter as soon as I can! Hopefully next week. Any comments or feedbacks will be treasured! I hope you have a great week!