unwaver [illumi zoldyck]

Chapter 5 - An Unexpected Spar x and x An Unexpected Night

The second phase had been a breeze in itself. In the most literal sense.

Emiko rubbed her eyes gingerly and sat up from her bed. On the bed next to her, Illumi slept peacefully and she made sure to tiptoe as she slipped through the sliding door.

She could feel the machines vibrating faintly below her feet. The aircraft they were in was perhaps thousands of miles in the air now.

She took in the view from the aircraft, peering down below. In the far distance, the silhouette of the skyline pierced through the warm glow like a jagged mountain ridge. Millions of lights caused the dense mass of skyscrapers glitter. People were needle points and cars were blood cells flowing through the veins of the city. Despite the time, the hustle and bustle never came to a halt.

"Hey beauty, what are you doing up?" She heard a man say behind her, his footsteps echoing through the halls as he neared.

Pretending not to hear, Emiko decided it would be better just keep walking to go to the toilet as fast as possible and hide. She was too tired to do anything else, and that included killing someone, but it seemed like it was impossible in this moment.

The man caught her by her wrist and spun her around to face him. Emiko narrowed her eyes at him, letting a sigh escape her lips. She has seen people like him on daily basis, people who tried to flirt with her in the past and were either killed or severely punished. Either by Illumi or herself. Such a nuisance.

"Come on! No need to be shy," the man urged, holding a tight clutch on her wrist. He tried to pin her to the wall -

"What do you think you're doing?"

Before her brain could register what was happening, the man had released his grip, his hand no longer connected to his body. He bawled as he slumped to the floor, grasping at what was left of his arm.

"W-Why?!"Emiko exclaimed, her voice surprisingly steady, considering she was watching an innocent person bleed out.

"It's unforgivably rude to touch other people's toys. Besides, it's only an arm," her rescuer replied.

She had sensed another's aura, but she didn't realise it would be him, out of all people.

"Hisoka, you - God damn it! Jesus! What's wrong with you?" Emiko sputtered out, mouth open as she glimpsed at the decapitated arm."I'm really not in the mood for this, I'm exhausted," she confessed.

"Hm...? I was hoping for a word of thanks, at the very least, or perhaps a reward?" Hisoka said, his tone teasing as he knelt down next to his victim, who was crying at this point, "Wouldn't you agree?"

"Reward?"

Hisoka didn't need to answer. One look in his eyes and Emiko knew what he wanted was a fight.

After a few more words of persuasion, Emiko reluctantly agreed, hoping that once she knocks him out, he would finally leave her alone.

Now, it was forbidden to fight against other Troupe Members, but this was all but a fight to the death. She reminded herself to use anything but "Blood Linkage".

Emiko considered her options. She clenched her fist together and inhaled sharply, her gaze focused on forming a white ball of Air Infused Nen to trap Hisoka. Once he faints, she'd be able to go back to sleep.

Unsurprisingly, even in a state of euphoric suffocation, he managed to shoot one of his cards at her, just barely missing her cheek as it rooted itself in the walls. He sprinted over to her, a dangerous gleam in his eyes as he approached at an alarming speed. He threw his body weight behind the fist that edged closer to her face, it hit her jaw with such force that blood pooled into her mouth. Pain erupted from the point of impact. To repay him, with her own two hands, she grasped his head and brought her knee cap up to his nose, there was a blunt crack and she released his vibrantly coloured head. Crimson leaked from both his nostrils and his nose was twisted right.