𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐒

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝟏𝟔 | 𝐙𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐘𝐂𝐊 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘

Everyday Pleasures

ILLUMI watched, incredulous, as Reaper easily extracted the needle that he had embedded within Killua's skull that he had crafted in an attempt to make sure Killua would always run whenever facing an opponent who was potentially stronger than him. More so, from the way Reaper used that mist that always seemed to appear when she was grabbing a weapon to invade Killua's skull, he presumed it was a portal of some kind that allowed her to access points which others could not. It was a truly confounding skill, one that made him wonder just how exactly she was able to wrangle such power.

Reaper held up the needle for Killua to see, something that made his eyes widen before his gaze darted to Illumi, his scowl intensifying.

Illumi merely smiled.

It was a smile filled with nothing but twisted love and condescension.

"So..." Reaper began as she dropped the needle to the floor, watching as it clattered against the stone tile speckled with Killua's dry and fresh blood from his brother's whips, her voice cold and detached. "This is what family amounts to? I have to say I'm disappointed, albeit unsurprised. Even those of your own blood will not hesitate to extract what they want from you for their own gain. I guess blood is not thicker than water. Though, no matter what kind of ties one person has to another, blood-related or not, it still can be severed so very easily." Turning away from the scene, her cloak fluttering around her feet as she did so, she uttered, "My business here is done. Killua, expect to see Gon and the others soon. I heard they're looking for you."

With that, she swept out of the room.

Killua let his head fall, a bitter smile twisting onto his lips.

"I call him a fraud, and yet he still helps me?" Killua muttered, letting out an almost disbelieving scoff at the thought, everyone turning towards him at his words considering Reaper had gone. "Who is this guy?"

"I doubt you'll, or anyone else, will ever know—at least not truly," Illumi proclaimed, his dark gaze clashing with Killua's. "Reaper has made it very clear he doesn't intend to see any of us ever again."

"He certainly lives up to his name," the Grandfather proclaimed, twisting his fingers around his beard with interest. "It's true. That man is the Reaper from legend."

"Hah!?" The other brother exclaimed. "Grandfather, you can't be serious?"

The old man gave the boy a glare.

Instantly, he shut his mouth.

"Well, the true Reaper or not, I for one am not going to allow him to leave so easily," Hisoka tutted with a click of his tongue, turning to stride out of the room after Reaper before stopping briefly to look back at the Zoldyck brothers and Grandfather with a smirk drawling across his lips. "Illumi? Are you coming or not? Letting go of an interesting specimen such as our Reaper isn't like you at all."

"Of course I will be joining you," Illumi crossed his arms over his chest with a tilt of his head. "It would be a waste not to observe him and his abilties." Turning back to Killua, he voiced, "Kil. Though I am disappointed by the removal of my needle that ensures your survival, I'll allow you to be free of it for now—at least until you need it again, and you will. So, until your probation is up, continue training to become stronger. And... don't seek out the answer you're looking for concerning Reaper. It will come in due time. Until then."

Not bothering with any formal farewells, both Illumi and Hisoka strode out of the room and eventually the Zoldyck manor entirely, finding and catching up to Reaper rather quickly considering she had stopped in the middle of the pathway to stare into the woods. When Hisoka and Illumi stopped beside her and followed her gaze, they noticed Gon, Kurapika, Leorio, and another man standing in the middle of the wooded clearing, a massive creature resembling that of a wolf towering over them.

It was by no means an ordinary wolf, though.

"What is the matter, Reaper?" Illumi questioned, intrigued in how the watchdog his family had been keeping for many years had no effect on her.

And, he was right.

"Nothing," Reaper replied dully. "Nothing is wrong."

It was true, she did feel nothing when gazing into the beast's dark eyes that glimmered softly in the moonlight. Compared to Gon and the others who trembled in fear from encountering such a monster, she did not cower in fear. It was an interesting sight to both Illumi and Hisoka, most considerably Illumi who had seen even the most hardened of people break down and crumble upon looking into the wolf's eyes. Yet, what he didn't know about Reaper was that, after being alive for so many years to harness her strength and abilities to the point of perfection, a measly animal such as that had no effect on her. Turning, Reaper continued walking down the pathway, Illumi and Hisoka following her only a moment later.

"Are you two going to continue following me?" She asked after a moment's silence, already knowing what their answers would be due to their continual presences that always seemed to bother her whenever they could.

"Of course," Hisoka answered smoothly, not even missing a beat as he strode beside her. "I wouldn't want to miss our next battle now, would I?"

"You will only die," she uttered. "Last time when you challenged me, you had run away without a moment's notice when it was clear that you would lose. Try and fight me again, and my blade will not miss a second time."

"Aw, is that you're way of saying you don't want me dead?" Hisoka crooned, clearly twisting her words around in his head for his own liking.

"Think whatever you want."

"Are you really sure that's a good idea?" He chuckled.

Giving an audible sigh and stopping on the rocky terrain to face Hisoka, the breeze fluttering the ends of her black cloak silently, Reaper answered, "I don't particularly care whether you are dead or alive, Hisoka, and whether that will be at my hand or another's. That is all."

She continued walking.

"Hisoka," Illumi stopped the jester by letting a hand land upon his shoulder. "I would not pry too far into his thoughts."

"Why should I stop?" Hisoka smirked, shrugging Illumi's hand off as he stalked after Reaper. "His unwillingness only makes my curiosity grow."

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To be continued...