A Genius Thrown to the Wolves

It's Futile Ch. 33

A/N: Just before you start this part I wanted to let everyone know that I am going on vacation and won't be back until the 24th of July. I will be working on the next part when I'm board or have down time, but I plan on enjoying my vacation so I won't actually post ch. 34 until after I get back home. 

Machi hated Hisoka's teasing antics, he knew how curious she could get, and here he was throwing her out without indulging her with any information on the person she would be introduced to soon. Either way she couldn't do anything now so she turned to leave, but as she was getting into the elevator and waiting for the doors to close, she saw a small boy let himself into Hisoka's apartment, with his own key! Machi knew he took an odd interest in powerful children, but this was a new low even for him!

During the time leading up to the fight, Kiyotaka kept 'running into' Kastro, until Kastro finally took the initiative and began reaching out to Kiyotaka to hang out. It took a day longer then Kiyotaka had thought, but he'd planned for this so it didn't mess up his schedule at all. He slowly allowed things to progress, though towards the end of it Kastro tried to get a little handsy. Kiyotaka shut it down by acting both shy and coy in a way that Kastro couldn't say no to or push the subject on. Kiyotaka was little surprised to find that Kastro didn't push or rush the subject, but that made his job easier so he didn't mind at all. If anything it made him seem more virtuous and like he was something to be protected. Once they'd been meeting up recently enough Kiyotaka made up an encounter he had with Hisoka to further fuel Kastro's narrow mindedness of the fight, increasing his desperation to win. To say that phases one and two went better then planned was an understatement.

It's finally time for Hisoka and Kastro's fight. Kiyotaka sat on the side with Kastro's supporters, waving down at him and mouthing 'good luck, you got it' The encouragement filled Kastro's heart with joy and an eagerness to see Kiyotaka's face when he wins, already imagining it in his head. That's how you know Kiyotaka did his job well, Kastro was convinced he knew so much about Kiyotaka, but made such a fatal mistake as assuming he'd see him with a smile. Not once did Kiyotaka smile around him, yet he had deluded himself into thinking Kiyotaka smiling was such a normal and nonchalant thing to witness, when it was truly a rare jem.

The bliss was wiped from Kastro's face as Hisoka stepped into the arena. "Today I will kill you!" Kastro claimed boldly. "Hmm~ We'll see about that, now won't we~"  Kastro bit his lip in annoyance at the blatant disregard for the threat made on his life, did Hisoka still not believe he was strong enough, was he still being viewed as lesser? It pissed Kastro off, but his face remained calm as he prepared his next move.

Within a moment Kastro had launched himself at Hisoka, but when Hisoka went to block him, he was meet with thin air, and an attack from behind, one that had taken his arm away. Hisoka, ignoring the pain that should have been pulsating and agonizing, just looked calmly at his arm as it laid on the arena floor. "That was a nice trick~" Hisoka said turning around to face his opponent, "but the attack was weak." He'd said, voice dull but with a playful grin dancing on his lips.

Kastro was absolutely fed up with being disrespected by the man in front of him, 'if he could even be called a man'. Kastro was losing it, and fast. He was zoned out until he heard the audience roar to life, when he set his eyes on his opponent, the arm that he'd cut off was now back in its rightful place and cards were dancing around the jester's head, fluttering to the floor.

 

However, this was not enough to discourage Kastro. He readied his nen to make another clone and once again charged in for a frontal attack. Hisoka 'not falling for the same trick twice' swung at the Karsto coming up behind him. As his arm failed to deliver a heavy back fist to Kastro's face, he felt that same arm become suddenly lighter. Kastro jumped back and both opponents stood still. Hisoka looked from where his arm should have been to where it was currently laying on the arena floor. "Damn it." Hisoka cursed under his breath in mock frustration before turning to face Kastro. "Guess I'll have to finish this then" Hisoka started with more energy in his voice. "I'll after all, I can't keep Kiyotaka waiting~"

That was the last straw for Kastro. "He told me what you did! You won't lay another hand on him!" Kastro once again charged Hisoka together with his clone, but the outcome was severely different from the previous attacks. This time, Hisoka locked eyes with the real Kastro, a mocking look on his face, and landed a heavy blow to his jaw. Kastro stumbled back, "H-h-how!? My clones are perfect!" Kastro shouted in frustration and confusion. "Correction, they were perfect~" "What the hell do you mean 'were'" Kastro gritted at the criticism of his ability that took so long to cultivate. "I mean that the clone looks exactly like you did at the beginning of the fight-" "What!" "The second time you took my arm, I made sure to get some blood on your coat. You didn't notice, so when you created the last clone, he was blood free" Hisoka said with a shrug. 

"WHAT! A FEW SPATTERS OF BLOOD IS WHAT GAVE ME AWAY?! NO! NO NO NO!! I WON'T STAND FOR THIS!" Kastro was breaking down, the true show had begun. Kastro tried to make another clone, but nothing happened. "What?! What's going on? Why can't I create another clone?" Hisoka laughed, purposefully mocking the opponent across from him. "You mean to tell me you weren't paying attention to how much nen you were using? Oooh, haha, rookie mistake Kastro~" Kastro launched a fist at Hisoka's face only to be mercilessly kneed in the gut before his fist had any hope of connecting with it's target. Blood. Kastro threw up a lot of it. "Now I wonder why you would attack me with no nen? That's truly odd." Kastro's eyes snapped open from their grimaced state  as he looks up at Hisoka's attempt at a stumped expression. 

"I know!" Hisoka started, and Kastro hurried to put several feet between the both of them. "It's because you don't know how~" "I am a master at nen, how could I not know nen?!" Kastro shouted at Hisoka, desperate to keep him from finishing his thought. "Well~ you were good at nen, but then you came up with your little clone idea, and while it's a truly impressive technique, it takes a lot of focus. You spent the last year creating, training, and 'perfecting' that once technique, casting aside any other form or use of your nen. Not to mention that your technique obviously takes a large toll on your mind. You destroyed yourself in a desperate and, pathetically, futile attempt to beat me."

A/N: Sorry for the cliff hanger, but you'll have wait to figure out this battle ends, and how Kiyotaka decides to make his appearance!