A Worthy Opponent (HunterxHunter)

Chapter 19: Showdown

"I was told he used to work here." She leaped in the air for kick, but I strayed from physical contact, only evading like Bisky's training. "He was here for only a short time, killed the old ringleader, then left. Everyone told me to do as he said."

I ran away again sensing Kesem on his way.

I knew it. Hisoka was tied to this place.

My head jerked left, Kesem's Nen was already here and I darted in the opposite direction.

"AGHHHHH HELP ME!"

My heart leaped. I looked around. The voice of a little girl, shrieking as if she was about to die.

What-

I covered my ears again. Another blood-curdling scream came from a different direction. Then another. And another. And another. I stopped in my tracks, stunned, as the screams endlessly overlapped each other, and I was sure my ears were bleeding. It wasn't just the volume that shook me, but the realism of it.

And then she tapped me. "Finally..."

My body immediately disobeyed my brain, standing up to mirror her. My head throbbed from a headache, sweat trickling down my skin. The shrieking stopped but my heart kept jumping, unsure who to follow.

Kesem caught up and revealed himself. "Did you think it was only one? My acts truly are art of deception."

The ringmaster also appeared. We were on a roof near the wall of jungle trees. Night speckled above, not letting me cool down. The clouds hid the moon and for a moment I felt lost.

The ringmaster whistled, "You're a wild one. Did you enjoy the show?"

I bit my lip in discomfort. For my body to not be in control...who knows what could happen to me. Was there a way out of this?

"Cherry, keep her steady and hold her towards the floor." The ringmaster said.

Her name is Cherry...

The woman sat on her knees, holding out her wrist and I copied. They tied my hands and feet with a rope.

"How lovely~" Hisoka's daunting voice caught my attention. "So naive you are...you knew I would break you did you not?"

"I won't." I held a firm gaze. Breaking wasn't an option.

"I won't kill you of course. But I could at least break your spirit~" He came towards me. His body shrouded in the same bloodlust I saw last night. Someone about to kill. "You didn't think I'd let you carry out your mission without a scratch now~"

"Kesem," I said ignoring him. He didn't speak but raised an eyebrow at my sudden call. "How- what was the purpose of the rabbit?"

Hisoka narrowed his eyes then crossed his arms and nodded, giving Kesem approval to respond.

"Well, it was just a cover-up for my ability."

Kesem didn't actually reveal his ability, but he didn't have to. The rabbit gave him an excuse to lean into his hat, to whisper into it. That's why he kept the hat off most of the time, his sounds teleported into the floating speakers.

A conjurer. Dangerous and overwhelming. I'll have to catch him off guard.

"It wasn't hard to figure you out," Hisoka continued, "your weakness is clear as day. Even strangers prompted your fear."

Fear? Not possible. I would know if I was scared of something.

"You're wasting your time." I gritted my teeth but winced as the ropes burned my skin. Cherry's subtle movements rubbed harshly against it. Her power released on my neck and head, while the rest of my body sat still, obedient. Hisoka snapped his fingers and the ringmaster created a young woman with pink drabs from his aura, who looked around frightened.