Shuffle The Deck

Chapter 19 - A Redeemed Fighter

One month has gone by. Lilah had her first match against her opponent, whose name was Tazuko. He was a man with unruly red locks and a powerful enhancement punch and proved to be someone she could actually fight. She barely used Nen, however, and just resorted to her fists and kicks to beat him. It started like a normal fight, though instead of Tazuko acting stuck-up and selfish, he acknowledged her. This made her even happier to be able to fight such an opponent, and she even helped him out of the ring when she knocked him unconscious with a kick to the gut. She had cracked his left rib and broken his right leg. In comparison, she had a bruised wrist and a gash on her thigh.

She wished him a quick and healthy recovery and spent her whole month training in the forest near the outskirts of the city. She had spoken to Ren as well, telling him that she wouldn't want to be in a relationship with him or anything more than friends. He didn't take it too well but respected the woman's wishes. 

Lilah barely stayed inside, so she didn't get to watch anyone else's matches. All she could do was wait for Hisoka's rematch against the famous Kastro, which she had heard a lot about. It was rather odd that Hisoka had given her the invite to speak a month after he delivered his message, but she didn't mind. Speaking to him at any time felt like bliss, even if she knew it was wrong.

But, one thing she did figure out was that Gon and Killua were in Heaven's Arena. She thought she recognized their faces from before, but now it was confirmed. She had planned to visit them today, having only known prior to one week ago. She would have wanted to see them sooner, but her training did keep her quite busy. Plus, she didn't want to become a distraction for them if they had upcoming fights.

Lilah fixed the white ribbon in her hair and made sure to tighten the back bow of her black mini-dress as much as she could. It wasn't too uncomfortable, so she kept it quite tight.

She had her hair curly today, and it swayed in the wind like usual. It was a clear and sunny day, with no clouds in sight. The perfect day to grab a coffee before meeting up with the two boys.

And with that, her mind was made up. She made her way through the building, all the way to the first floor. She exited the large tower and set her sights on the same café she had been going to since discovering it one month ago. It had an amazing view, not to mention the delicious coffee and pastries. It was the perfect place to head to in the mornings, and it always woke her up.

Some of the workers recognized her and greeted her as she ordered her usual.

"Ah, good morning Lilah! Cappuccino with extra foam and cinnamon?"

"You know it. A croissant with butter as well please," she added with a smile.

"Of course! Anything interesting happening in the Arena right now?"

"Well, a very popular fight is happening today, and I still have to grab tickets," Lilah explained to the barista, who was filling her mug with caffeine.

"Oh really? I had no idea. Who's going against who?"

"I believe it's Hisoka versus Kastro. It's said they fought each other two years ago, and this is a rematch."

"Wow, that is interesting! I have heard of Hisoka before. Isn't he a ruthless murderer?"

"No, what makes you think that?" Lilah unknowingly picked up her voice and lowered it as soon as she saw eyes moving in her direction.

The barista snickered and added a dash of cream to her coffee.

"You really are something, aren't you Lilah?"

"What do you mean?" She hissed, eyeing the coffee maker curiously.

"I can tell you've got something for him. It's a talent of mine."