The Ninth || Chrollo x Reader

Epilogue

I hold the hand carefully, and twist it around. Fair skin, and fingers jeweled with rings, taken from the hand of a legendary queen who lived over three hundred thousand years ago. The Spiders and I are meeting inside the tomb of ancient royalty, a family who had exquisite burial rooms that were connected to hoards of treasure.

Sprawled over a velvet cushion, Phinks asks, "What was the name of the queen again?" as he pops a berry into his mouth. The juice from the fruit squirts onto the cushion, and Machi elbows him.

"Queen Hellieth," Kalluto replies. He sits on a gold-lined pillow on the ground. In his hands are cutouts of the Phantom Troupe members in paper. He stretches the cut out from between his fingers as the other Spiders speak.

"So, this is it, til next time, huh?" Nobunaga asks, leaning against a pillar. He taps his finger onto the tip of his silver katana, and glances over to us.

Feitan shrugs, and tosses a grape into the air which lands into his mouth. After the Swardani infiltration, the Phantom Troupe met up about six months afterwards. The Spiders rarely group together, preferring to do full scale robberies three times a year at most.

Since then, I'd stayed alone, preferring to keep to alleyways as wanted posters are now circulating. My face is regularly on printed signs, plastered around, even in the most desolate cities.

I sigh, disappointed because the times that I spent with the Troupe are the ones where I have the most to do. Otherwise, I keep to dark streets.

Chrollo stretches a hand towards me, and I place Queen Hellieth's into his. He holds it gingerly, and slides the rings from her fingers. He tosses them to me, and I examine the exquisite jewels as they sparkle under lanterns.

Yawning, Franklin stands up from a cushion, and salutes towards us. Shizuku and Kortopi follow, and before long the room is empty, except for Chrollo and I.

He continues to sit beside me, reading a book that he took from the shelves around us. I slide rings onto my fingers, and hold up my hand as I estimate their market prices.

"(y/n)," he says, as he closes the book and looks up to me. "What is it that you want?"

A few months ago, I most likely would have replied, 'Revenge.' Though now, I am unsure of what it is that I want. There is nothing materialistic that I want, as riches mean nothing to a person who cannot barter them without being sold out.

"To be with the Troupe, I guess," I reply. Satisfied with my response, I look back at Chrollo who chuckles lightly. He places his book down beside him, and says,

"Then be with me." His dark eyes glitter in amusement. "There is the final temple, if you'd like to do that."

The resting area of Queen Hellieth is a burial ground of underground temples, each armed with deadly traps. Making it through to her's, was already difficult, but there was one that the Troupe did not do.

Her husband, King Javen, also had a temple, directly next to her's, however due to the complexity of the design, it was unable to be found.

"Do you think you can find it?" I ask, curious. I genuinely was not sure whether Chrollo could find it or not, yet without hesitation, he replies,

"Yes." Standing up, he outstretches his hand, and I take it. It must have been a strange sight to the heavens. The girl who had sworn to kill him, is now with him. From the sand beneath our feet, I hear a snake slither along the side of a wall, where a spider sat.

It's hide is a dull green, contrasting that of the tan sand that makes up the ground beneath us. The spider, sits on a chunk of gold, not unlike the many bits that littered the hallway. The burial tomb was greatly damaged, and the walls, which were once made of solid gold, have cracked and decayed with time and erosion.

The black spider's intricate web shone from the light of the lanterns behind us, and from between it's webs are a few wrapped insects. However, it doesn't notice as the snake's golden eyes shine brighter as it approaches the spider.

Though before it could scatter, the snake's fangs closed on it.

Chrollo leads me down the hallway, and the corridor darkens with the lack of light. The torches in this area were extinguished long before we set foot inside the temples. He stops walking abruptly, and places a hand along the wall. Sliding it around the gold, he presses into an area, where a secret slab pushes deeper.

The hallway shudders, and sand from the cracks above us flutter down onto the ground. The massive wall shakes as it opens slowly, revealing a dark, bloodstained room. From behind it, there is a faint light, where treasure was most likely stored.

Glancing at me, Chrollo gestures towards the chamber, seemingly empty, as he says, "After you."

I shake my head, yet am smiling as I set foot into the chamber, Chrollo directly behind me. My Hatsu begins to glow, and Snake's Scales, the ability that I have in which my skin is hardened and heals, is activated. I swiftly dodge the traps that spring from the walls, until I reach the other side of the room.

Chrollo lands beside me, his hands in his pockets, as we continue to walk. A platform lifts a strange creature from beneath the room, and it hisses at us, with its tremendous height. It's fangs are bared and it's claws are sharp, as it begins to attack.

I feel Chrollo's hand grasp mine, and I turn to face him. Without fully facing me, his eyes gaze at mine, and he tilts his head at the monster. His eyes twinkle with a beautiful mystery, emotions that are unmasked, yet unreadable.

"Ladies first," his melodious voice echoes throughout the stone tiled room. He lifts my hand against his lips, and places a delicate kiss on my skin. His lips are smooth, and warm on my cool hand. As he lets go, his left arm outstretches as he gestures towards the creature ahead of us.

I smile and unsheathe my blades, before launching myself at it.

And though it is unnatural, nature witnessed a Spider and a Snake whose venom was not bore on the other.

Author's note: This is not the final chapter by the way! The next one will be the last one, and it might be longer than a usual chapter, so stay tuned :) Remember to vote if you liked this chapter and I'll see you again next time!
~Amorevolous