Hi everyone! I'd like to say sorry for not being active for almost a month now. I've been dealing with a couple of family issues but things are starting to be better so I'll resume uploading every week. I hope you enjoy!
Fearsome monsters... Exotic creatures... Vast riches... Hidden treasures... Evil enclaves... Unexplored lands... The world "unknown" holds magic. And some incredible people are drawn to that magic. They are known... as Hunters!
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"If Gon fails, wouldn't that make the rest of our fights meaningless?" Hanzo said walking towards the others. The bodyguards carefully took Gon out of the room.
"Don't worry. Gon has passed. Nothing he says can change that." Netero answered making Leorio and Kurapika feel a slight ease. "If Gon were to throw a fit and kill me, we still wouldn't be able to revoke his license."
"Very well." Hanzo said crossing his arms.
"Why did you let him win?" Killua suddenly asked.
Ayami turned to see his angry and confused expression as he monotonously asked Hanzo. Why is he mad? Doesn't he like Gon? Or could it be... he thought that Gon had no chance of winning. But I taught him to never assume your opponents strength and willpower to carry on. Unless if Illumi and Father decided to change their teaching. She pouted and looked at Gitta who stared back. He knows.
"Let him win?" Hanzo said back.
"I'm sure you knew how to make Gon surrender without killing him. Given your skills." Everyone was now looking at Killua who seemed to almost resent the fact of Gon's win.
"When I torture someone, I expect that person to hate me for the rest of their life. It's more affective and less stressful. When someone is in pain, their eyes show a gleam of hostility toward the one responsible for that pain. Even with extensive training, it is difficult to suppress that gleam of hate and rage. But their was no gleam in Gon's eyes. Can you believe it? I had just broken his arm. But his eyes had already forgotten about that." Hanzo said looking down at Killua who had a confused expression.
"I guess you could say that he won me over." Hanzo added to which Hisoka hummed in agreement. "If you need a reason, there you go."
Ayami glanced at Hisoka and shook her head. His obsession for Gon is... Something else.
"The next match is Kurapika versus Hisoka!" Masta yelled. Kurapika looked at Leorio and back at Hisoka who started to walk to his side. The two faced each other in the middle of the room.
"Began!" Masta yelled and the two were quick to attack each other. Kurapika kept with Hisoka's pace and moved when he did. Ayami could tell from the sidelines that Hisoka was holding back considering he didn't seem to win in the first couple of moves. Kurapika had suffered some punches from not dodging fast enough yet tried to continue to match with Hisoka's speed.
After a while Hisoka landed a clean hit to Kurapika's face sending him back. Kurapika tried to regain his composure but in a blink of an eye Hisoka was right in front of him. Ayami let out a breath. I guess Hisoka will win now...
To her and everyone else's surprise, Hisoka stopped and whispered something to Kurapika who's eyes widened at what he said. Hisoka smiled and walked away from Kurapika. "I lose."
"Huh?"
Ayami stared with a confused expression. Now I know what Killua felt... What the fuck just happened? Kurapika stood frozen as Hisoka approached the sidelines with the others. "Hey, what did you say to him?"
Hisoka smiled and looked down at the pouting girls. "Something about spiders~."
"What's that suppose to-"
"Next up, Hanzo versus Pokkle!" Masta yelled.
Ayami looked at the two approaching the center to begin fighting. She glanced back up at Hisoka who also directed his attention to the middle. What'd he say about spiders?
"Begin!" Masta yelled and immediately Hanzo pinned Pokkle to the ground while holding one of his arms against his back. "Surrender now, or I'll break your arm."
Pokkle froze immediately knowing Hanzo wasn't bluffing after breaking Gon's arm. Hanzo glared at him and pulled his arm further making the muscles even more tense. "Sorry, but I won't go easy on you."
"F-Fine! I surrender!" Pokkle yelled. He gasped as Hanzo let him go after standing up. Hanzo smirked as he heading to the others.
That wasn't even five minutes. Ayami stared as Hanzo stood next to Kurapika.
"Next up, Hisoka and Bodoro." Masta announced.
The two met up in the middle and the fight soon began. Hisoka seemed almost graceful and non-engaging during the first moments as Bodoro charged at him. He swiftly avoided all the attacks with a bored look in his eyes. As Bodoro tried punching Hisoka, he grabbed his arm stopping him and changed their position so that Hisoka could punch him and kick him back.
"This is extremely one-sided..." Ayami whispered to herself.
Bodoro kept getting punched left and right by Hisoka but still refused to give up. As he lied down on the floor breathing heavily, Hisoka approached and whispered something into his ear. Bodoro closed his eyes and shook with chills as he surrendered. Hisoka had won the match.
"Hey, what'd you say this time?" Ayami asked again knowing that he probably wouldn't answer like the last time.
"Secret~" He said winking.
"Next up, Pokkle versus Killua." Masta yelled as the two approached the center. Pokkle readied himself and Killua didn' take out his hands out of his pockets. Ayami noticed Killua's uninterested look and she quickly knew what that meant. You're to overconfident right now. Even if he is an easy win, take it.
Begin!"
Killua started walking slowly away confusing Masta and Pokkle. "Sorry, but I'm not interested in fighting you."
He confidently yelled as he walked to the others. Ayami suddenly realized the seriousness of the situation. You lost this round because your confident you'll win the next round. But now your going to be up against Illumi and I don't know what he's planning. And it's not I can ask him right now without raising suspicion. Shit Kil, why'd you have to go and complicate things? There's only only match the next one between the two...
"Excuse me, Masta? Can I request the next match be postponed so that Bodoro recovers from his injures?" Leorio asked directing his concern to the injured old man.
"I suppose we can. Then, we'll move on to the next match. Gittarackur versus Killua." Ayami widened her eyes and hastily walked to Gitta grabbing his arm catching his attention.
"What are you going to do?" She asked with an obvious shake in her voice.
"Win." He answered back looking at her.
"No, what are you going to do?" She asked trying to refer to the pins.
"Oh, that. You'll see." He said finally walking away to the middle of the room.
"Quit being so vague and just answer the question damn it!" Ayami yelled. The others gave her puzzled looks and wondered what she meant. Shit, shit, shit. What are you planning, Illumi?
"Begin!" Killua slowly began walking towards Gittarackur until he was almost in front of him.
"It's been too long, Kil." Killua stopped moving and looked up. Gittarackur slowly removed the pins from his head. As soon as he took at all the golden pins off himself, his face contorted and his short green mohawk turn into his long black hair. As his hair gently fell down, Killua shook in fear feeling beads of sweat roll down.
"Brother..."
"Guess who's also here with us..." He said looking at Ayami. She widened her eyes as Killua turned around gasping. So this was your plan. Illumi you idiot.
"W-What?" Killua said in a shaky voice staring at her from across the room.
"Why don't you take your pins off now, Ayami." Illumi said tilting his head.
"Right..." Ayami whispered while she stepped forward a bit and took the borrowed pins off quickly. She took them off fast and immediately contorted to her normal appearance. A woman the same height as Illumi with hair close to the ground. Her limbs were a lot thinner and her face matched Illumi's with defined cheekbones since she was still recovering. Her outfit was shorter on her body now because it was made for her other appearance. She looked almost identical to Illumi besides her blue eyes. She sensed the others surprise and Hisoka's lingering eyes as she finished changing.
"Hey, Kil. It's been a while..." Ayami mentally slapped herself. It's been five years and that's the first thing I say. What a great sister I am. She saw her little brother's eyes water as he looked at her.
"Ayami... Is that really... You're alive?" Killua said not moving. Ayami looked at him with sorrow and could tell he's been hurt from her absence.
"Yeah, I'm sorry I haven't told you earlier, but this really wasn't part of the plan?" She said feeling the air change into a tense situation.
"Killua's brother? Tsukiko... I mean Ayami is who exactly?" Leorio said scratching his head.
"They used those needles to change their face and appearance?!" Kurapika said just as confused and surprised.
"I heard that you cut up Mom and Milluki." Ayami said from the sidelines. She smiled and Killua slightly smiled back not letting his guard down by Illumi.
"I guess." Killua said looking at her quickly and turned back to Illumi.
"Mom was crying, you know." Illumi tilted his head.
"Anyone would cry if their son did that to them." Leorio said.
"Tears of joy." Illumi finished. Ayami glanced at Leorio as he fell in confusion. She looked back at her two brothers in the room. "She was so happy to see that you'd finally grown up. But she was worried about you leaving home, so she asked me to check up on you. If only you had stayed a couple more days, you could've greeted your big sister home. It was a coincidence meeting you here, like Ayami said. We didn't plan that you'd be doing the Exam. I didn't know you wanted to be a Hunter. Ayami needs to get herself back in shape after being away for so long. As for me, I'm trying to get a license for my next job."
"I don't really want to be a Hunter. I just felt like taking the exam." Killua explained with a calm but quick voice. Beads of sweat gathered on his face from the surprise and nervousness of being around his oldest siblings.
"I see. That's a relief. Than I have some advice for you." Illumi started to release some of his Nen against Killua making him freeze in fear. "You're not cut to be a Hunter. You were born to be... A killer."
Ayami felt something within her get angry. What's Illumi doing. He's releasing a weird amount of Nen right now. And what's with saying that he's raised to be a killer? It's true, but really?
"You're a puppet of darkness, without passion. You don't want anything or wish for anything." Illumi continued.
"Illumi. What are you saying right now? Killua can have as much emotion and passion for what he wants. You can't control what he wants or wishes just cause you tell him to." Ayami yelled catching Killua's eye but he felt the need to keep his focus on Illumi.
"That may be what you taught him to think, however things changed Ayami. He knows what happens when we put our emotions first." Illumi retorted back not losing his focus on his little brother. He looked him in the eye like he was in a trance. "As one who lives in the shadows, you can only feel pleasure when people die. That's how Dad and I raised you, after Ayami was gone. What would you accomplish by becoming a Hunter?"
"True. I don't desire to become a Hunter. But... I do have something I want..." Killua said looking down.
"You don't."
"Let him talk." Ayami fired back.
"I do! There's something I really want!" Killua said finagling looking up and taking a step.
"Then, tell us what it is that you want." Illumi said frightening Killua. He looked down and was at a loss for words. "Hmm. What's wrong? There's nothing you really want, is there?"
"That's not it!" Killua yelled with anger but not looking up in his eyes. He glanced at Ayami who gave him a look of assurance to keep speaking. "I want to become friends with Gon..."
"Friends... All you want is friends..." Ayami whispered. She felt an emotional wave go through her as he said the word friends. None of them were ever permitted to have friends. In her eyes, Killua was the closest to normal in her family so of course he'd end up feeling that way.
"I'm sick of killing people... I want to become friends with Gon, and to live a normal life." Killua said quietly.
"That's impossible." Illumi said bluntly making Killua flinch. "You'll never be able to make friends."
"Enough, Illumi. He's willing to choose a different path that we don't decide for him." Ayami said looking at Illumi. She clenched her fist and released her Nen challenging his.
"No. His only concern when he meets someone is whether he should kill them." He said staring at her.
He looked down at his nervous brother and said, "You just don't know how to classify Gon because he's to dazzling for your eyes. You don't actually want to become friends with him."
"Your wrong..." Killua said under his breath.
"If you stay with him, you will end up wanting to kill him one day. You'll get the urge to see if you can kill him or not. Because we have the souls of killers." Illumi continued.
Ayami felt a sense of betrayal against Illumi after what he said. She agreed that they were killers but she felt that didn't mean he couldn't change. Maybe it's to late for me but Killua still has a chance to choose. She thought to herself. She saw from the corner of her eye that Leorio was trying to approach them but was stopped by one of the bodyguards.
"As we mentioned before..." The man started saying.
"Yeah, I know," Leorio fired dismissively before shouting. "Killua! I don't give a damn if he's your brother. He a worthless piece of crap! Don't listen to him!"
Ayami glanced and smiled out how bold Leorio was to yell at Illumi who put a hand on his hip with annoyance.
"Just beat the crap out of him like usual and win! You want to become friends with Gon? Are you daft? You already are friends! I'm sure that's how Gon feels!" Leorio continued. Ayami saw Killua react to his words and Illumi change as well.
"Really?" Illumi said finally acknowledging Leorio.
"Hell yeah, idiot!" He yelled back.
"Really... That's no good," Illumi said putting a hand close to his mouth as if he were processing everything. "He considers Kil a friend. Okay, I'll kill Gon."
Everyone suddenly gasped in shock including Hisoka and Netero. Ayami looked at her brother who was dead serious. "What the hell Illumi!?"
"A killer doesn't need any friends. They'll only slow you down." Illumi said taking out his pins. He turned around and started walking towards the door. "Where is he?"
Killua looked up with sweat dripping down from him like crazy.
"P-Please wait! The match is still..." the bodyguard didn't get to finish as Illumi launched three pins to his forehead. His face started to painfully contort as he cried out.
"Where is he?" Illumi said with a calm voice. Ayami saw his intentions and rushed to the doors to block him with Hanzo, Kurapika, and Leorio following her lead.
"The waiting room over there..." the man said before collapsing in pain.
"Thank you." He said before stopping to see his sister and others blocking the door. "Hm?"
"Sorry, but we aren't letting you threw. I won't let you kill our brother's friend." Ayami said. She felt weird going against him but she knew he couldn't hurt or kill her.
"This won't do. I need a Hunter license to do my job... But if I kill the ones behind you, I'll fail, and Kil will pass automatically. Oh! The same thing will happen if I kill Gon." He said taking a brief pause to think. "I know! I'll pass the exam before killing Gon."
Killua started to feel emotionally distressed from what he said. Ayami couldn't figure out if Illumi was being serious or joking to get his way and saw him walk back to Killua. Leorio glared with fire in his eyes as he quietly whispered, "Bastard..."
"If I wait until after passing the exam, I can kill everyone here and still keep my license, right?" Illumi said staring at Netero.
"Yes, according to the rules." He said back.
"Did you hear that, Kil?" Illumi said turning around and facing him. "You'll have to beat me if you want to save Gon. Will you fight me for your friends sake? You can't do it. Because your more worried about whether or not you can defeat me. And you already have your answer: "I'm not strong enough to beat my brother." and "Never fight an enemy you can't beat." I drilled that into you..." Illumi said raising his hand to his brother.
Killua tried taking a step back before Illumi said, "Don't move! If you move an inch, I'll assume that the fight has begun. And if our bodies make contact, that will also mean the fight has begun."
Hes using his Nen somehow to manipulate Kil but there's no visible pins on him, so how? He has to be bluffing about killing Gon, too... Ayami stared with anticipation. She felt helpless since she couldn't intervene.
"There's only one way to stop me. You know what that is." Illumi said as his hand inched closer and closer to touching his head. "But don't forget... If you don't fight me, your dear Gon will die."
"Take him out, Killua!" Leorio yelled. "We won't let him kill Gon! We'll stop him, whatever it takes! Let him have it!"
Killua kept gasping for air as he stared into his brother's eyes. He jolted his head down looking away from Illumi's eyes and feeling the sweat stain his clothes. "I surrender. I lose..."
Ayami looked at Killua as the others gasped in shock. Illumi smiled and clapped his hands together. "Oh, that's good! Then the battles over."
He laughed and patted Killua's shoulder who had a hazy look in his eyes. "I lied, Kil. I was lying about killing Gon! Aya would have had it out for me if I hurt him. That was just a little test. But now I have my answer."
Ayami's heart dropped seeing her little brother in shock as Illumi knelt down to his level. "We don't have the right to make friends. Nor do we need them."
"You should just listen to Dad and me, and do your job as you always have. When the time comes, I'll tell you to take the Hunter Exam. You don't need a license yet." Illumi continued with a softer voice. "Now why don't you go greet Aya?"
He got up and walked to the sideline with Killua following after him with his head down. Ayami crouched down to Killua's level and looked into his eyes that reflected no emotion. She embraced him and felt him stiffly hug her back. "Welcome back, Sister."
"Kil. I'm so sorry." She said back not sure why she was apologizing. She felt Illumi's Nen over him as he stood next to her looking at the two. The others simply looked in astonishment as they heard Killua say sister. The air in the room felt tense as Killua let go from the embrace when Leorio and Kurapika tried talking to him. Killua didn't say anything back and absentmindedly stare across the room.
"Tsu- sorry... Ayami. But are you really Killua's sister?" Kurapika said somewhat nervously keeping his distance from them. Ayami looked up since she was still squatting.
"Agh. Yes. I had to keep my identity hidden since it's only been a couple of days that I've been back. I can't have everyone knowing I'm alive as of right now." She said looking at Kurapika who nodded in understanding. Killua kept swaying with a blank look in his eye.
"Next up, Leorio and Bodoro." Bodoro had finally healed enough to stand up and go against Leorio. The two met in the center of the room to begin fighting. Killua suddenly left Illumi's and Ayami's side before the fight began. Ayami saw him standing close behind Bodoro. She stood up but felt Illumi's hand on her shoulder stop her. She turned around and looked at what he was doing.
"Wait." He simply said before Masta yelled for the two in the middle to begin fighting. Killua caught Bodoro's attention and he sharpened his nails. He quickly stabbed through Bodoros back and immediately killed him.
"Kil..." Ayami muttered as the lifeless body fell onto the ground and his hands were stained with blood.
"Number 99, Killua. Your disqualified from the exam for killing participant number 191, Bodoro. Everyone else in the room who has not won a match yet automatically has passed." Masta announced to the whole room.
Killua didn't say anything and started heading to the door to leave. Ayami ran to him and hugged him from behind. "Where are you-"
"Home." He answered quietly so no one could hear.
"Okay. Be safe." She answered back before letting him go. He kept walking and opened the doors leaving the building. The room was silent as some bodyguards moved Bodoro and cleaned the blood spilling.
"So, that's it? We passed?" Leorio said with guilt and frustration.
"Yes. That is all for now. You may rest in some available rooms until we call you again." Netero said. After he finished everyone was escorted to a room while some stayed in the courtyard. Ayami felt strange with the whole situation. She sat on the bench next to Illumi who was texting someone.
"Illu."
"Yeah?"
"What did you do to Killua? I felt your Nen in him. I wouldn't have minded if he killed someone on his own will but it's clear to see your manipulating him." She said brushing her hair away from her face.
"I didn't think it would bother you this much. But it was agreed by Dad and Grandfather that Killua needs to be disciplined when he goes against what we've taught him. I'm simply helping him remember what's he supposed to be." He said putting his phone away and looking up.
"And that's what?"
"An assassin like the rest of the family."
"It doesn't mean he can't have friends. Just cause we had one bad mission doesn't mean he should be isolated from everything. Besides, having connections in the outside world is a good thing." Ayami said staring down at the marks on her arm.
"That mission almost got you killed. We were lucky to find you alive, Ayami." She looked at her brother who had a serious expression. "And Killua would do just fine with family."
"I guess. But Killua is different. He isn't like us but, I think it's a good thing. I think that's why he's the favorite of Dad and Grandpa." She said smiling.
"Will everyone please go to the meeting room with the red door. We will be handing your licenses to you and addressing other things." The voice from the speakers said.
"Let's go." He said standing up. She stood up and saw Hisoka in the distance saying something to Kurapika privately.
I wonder what they're talking about... She thought glancing at the two before heading to the room.
Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter cause it's been a while since I've uploaded but things are getting back to normal. The next one will hopefully be out this weekend if not next week. Also, as a little teaser, I do plan to make the characters react to Ayami about her appearance, relation to Killua, and make them question her loyalty as an ally. Hehehe~ Remember to vote and comment and thank you for reading!!