Illumi x Reader

19: Paired

As the third phase started, you noticed that some of the applicants were now missing. The only way going down the tower is through its floors because earlier, an examinee tried going down the tower by climbing it down, only to be swarmed and eaten alive by the creatures guarding the tower.

Your eyes found Killua who was with his friends, they seem to find a way to go down. You observed them going down together as the floor they were standing on flipped. Your eyebrows perked. You ran towards the floor they stood on and try stepping on it but failed. It wouldn't turn anymore. It only turns once.

You sighed as you searched the area. Some applicants were still trying to figure out how to get down. There were only a few left. You tried to search for Hisoka as your remembered you promised that you'll fight him in this phase. Forget it. He probably found his way down already. You wouldn't be able to fight him if you still can't find your way down.

Without realization, you stepped on one of the trap doors. You felt the trap door turn dropping you down a room. You landed quietly and precisely on your feet. The room was cold, moist and dark. Some kind of fungi were growing on the cracked walls. It smelt moldy in there. You sighed,

You felt a familiar and dark presence behind you, it almost felt like a thousand needles pricking your back, your eyes widened as you felt your instincts kicking in, so you turned your head, simultaneously catching the card aimed at your head with your index and middle finger. You caught this swiftly despite the lack of brightness in the room while only relying on your instincts. It made the man chuckle.

"Must be fate." You heard his mischievous voice as it echoed throughout the small and dirty room.

"You again." You replied with disinterest. You sighed in   annoyance as you threw the card to the side that you caught on the dirty floor. Hisoka revealed himself from the shadows of the room. How lucky. He seemed like he was waiting down in there for quite a while now.

You turned to the other side of the room, there were 2 heavily locked doors and 2 bracelets on a table with a flat screen on the wall. The flat screen turned on, it showed a quick static but as seconds passed, the screen showed a short man with glasses, sitting on his swivel chair looking at the camera with a grin.

"Good day applicants, I am Lippo, a blacklist hunter, the examiner of the third phase. " The examiner introduced himself through the screen.

"As you can see, the phase has started for awhile now. In the room you're in, you can find 2 doors and 2 bracelets. Wear the bracelets provided for the both of you. Since there's only 2 of you required in this room, all you have to do is press the button 'X' or 'O'." Both you and Hisoka reached for the bracelet with buttons.

"To open the left door, press 'X'. To open the right door press 'O'. Both doors lead to different paths and contains different obstacles. You can also press different buttons if you decide to part ways. However, you can only press once every time you vote. You have 72 hours to complete the exam and reach the base of the tower. Goodluck." The flat screen showed static before it turned off.

You turned away to Hisoka and went with the button 'X'. However, you were low on luck, you both ended up pressing the same button. Your eyebrows frowned from annoyance. The door from the left finally opened. Hisoka only smiled when you looked at him with a slight frown.

"You can't convince me that it's not fate that keep us together." He said quite politely with a light tone.

"I can't believe you believe in such things." You said coldly as you walked towards the opened door, he only giggled on how annoyed you looked. Hisoka followed you.

You and the clown entered the tight and poorly lit passage, his heels were the only one producing a sound that echoed through the hallways, he noticed this and was amused at how quiet your footsteps are.

"Before we start fighting, I have a question to ask you." You said breaking the silence while walking beside Hisoka in a poorly lit and small passage that barely fit the two of you. Your arms were almost touching.

You received a curious hum from him as his eyes were on you. "Go on."

"I'm not in my best shape, as you can see. So why do you insist that we fight?" Hisoka folded his arms against his chest and a smooth chuckle came out of his mouth echoing through the dark hall way.

"You've simply passed the test." Hisoka said making a card appear in between his middle and index fingers.

"Test? What am I? some kind of plaything that somehow met your standards?"

"If you put it simply. Yes, you're right." Hisoka chuckled with a playful smile on his face.

"You barely know what I'm capable of."

"Oh, that's not really a problem you see." His voice was laced with mischief, knowing that he knows something you don't.

"You didn't just passed the test, I know you're different. And it makes it harder for me to suppress the urge to fight you again whenever I remember what happened in heavens arena." With the card on his hand, instead of making it disappear, Hisoka crumpled it in his right hand with a heavy sigh as if he was pent up and holding back from something.

"I am barely in the condition to fight." You exclaimed as Hisoka let the crumpled card roll off his palm. both of you continued walking in the seemingly endless passage.

"That's what you keep saying. But you wouldn't really bring yourself to me if you weren't confident in yourself, won't you?"

"At least let me rest first so you wouldn't be disappointed with your expectations for me."

"I'm a patient man. You can trust me. We do have plenty of time to spare." With that Hisoka stopped walking as he sees you stop as well, you deactivated your ability, slowly returning to your original form. Your aura was visible, Hisoka was always so amused to see it, he always had a smirk on his face.

Your aura holds a sinister and dark force. It was the color of crimson, it almost looked like a deep red flame when you activate ren or when you use your abilities.

With only little space between you two, Hisoka smirked in amusement as he sees your transformation up close.

As you were back to your real form, you sighed waiting for the exhaustion to kick in, "I must say, I do prefer you in your original form." You sighed again, annoyed at his unnecessary comment.

"Who cares what you... l-like." The exhaustion kicked in, your knees weakened but it wasn't like yesterday where you couldn't move a muscle, it was bearable now.

You hated that Hisoka has already seen your helpless and vulnerable side. You barely knew him and it irritated you that he got the privilege of seeing you exposed and defenseless.

"Careful now, or I might have to carry you again~"