Chapter 6
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Part 4

///

Poor Illumi.

The dark-haired assassin has no idea that the moon symbol on Chrollo's palm can mean nothing less than death.

Well, it does not literally mean death. Chrollo does not hold the power to kill someone with just a single thought or touch, but it is the symbol of a very strong power that he stole, one that can take someone's life in just about 3 seconds.

Much to Chrollo's satisfaction, the man marked Illumi's face as he intended to, taking away some of that smooth perfection that Illumi's skin holds. The mark of the sun on the side of Illumi's face will remain there permanently until it comes in contact with Chrollo's hand again, but if that contact is made, an explosion will erupt, popping Illumi's head right off his body.

The mark on Illumi's face is a sun with a plus sign in the center, the exact opposite of the moon symbol on Chrollo's hand.

"The sun and moon," Chrollo says. "A powerful explosion will occur between the moon on my hand and the sun on your face when the symbols touch."

Illumi hums, placing a few fingers up to his cheek where he had been slapped. Illumi cannot feel the symbol, but he knows that Chrollo is not lying. His face still burns from Chrollo's slap.

Illumi is standing straight up now, and his dislocated shoulder is still hanging limp, like a pathetic wet noodle. His stomach is churning and his mind is racing because, with these two set-backs—the sun symbol and the unusable arm—Illumi has no chance of surviving.

Something needs to change, fast. So, Illumi takes his hand away from his cheek, places it on his shoulder, and silently snaps the joint back into place.

Chrollo watches with unwavering stoicism.

"Can the mark be removed?" Illumi asks.

"If there was a way for it to be removed, I would not tell you about it," Chrollo says, "but there really is no way unless our symbols touch and the explosion is triggered. I have experimented with this power before, so I can assure you that anything you try will turn out to be a feeble effort."

Illumi has nothing to say now, nor does he have anything to do.

He nearly ended Chrollo's life, but he missed. Now his own life lies in Chrollo's overpowered grasp.

Illumi blinks several times. His aura has cooled to a dull grey fog around his figure; he feels no need to try and contain it, for he has nothing to use it for. He's standing at a dead end, staring off into a void of endless nothing.

Then, Illumi bows.

"My life lies in your hands," Illumi says, straightening himself once again. "I suppose I now have nothing to do except submit."

///

"Are you okay?"

Hisoka stares at you, his expression unreadable. "Yes, I am fine. Are you?"

You nod.

Machi is lifeless. Her figure lies limp on the ground, her eyes open and staring at nothing. Her skin has already begun to turn a greenish-purple shade.

"Should we go back to Illumi?" you ask.

"Is he still with Chrollo?"

"I'm not sure, but I think so."

"In that case, I should go." Hisoka turns, looking out into the forest. Perhaps he's searching for any nearby auras. He slides one hand into his pocket and lets it rest there. "You should either stay here or run further away."

"Why?"

Hisoka rolls his eyes. Usually, his countenance holds at least a slight touch of humor, but he lacks all of it now. Sincerity and irritation have taken over the creases of his eyelids and contorted his lips into a frown unlike himself. "Because Chrollo wants to kill you, and he wouldn't have a hard time doing so." Hisoka looks at the woods again. "You would only be a hinderance to Illumi and I."

"So you think Illumi's fighting Chrollo right now?"

Hisoka laughs sharply. "That would be the best case scenario, darling. There's no chance Illumi is running—well, of course Illumi tried to run, that's always his first instinct. But Chrollo would have no issue catching up if such were the case. That means that they are either fighting or Illumi is already dead."

A sensation like lightning strikes at your heart.

"Do you think you have a chance at killing Chrollo?" you ask. Your voice broke on the word 'you'.

"Not the slightest. But he doesn't have the slightest chance of killing me, either."

You stare at Hisoka.

He doesn't look at you.

"Then go," you say.

He looks at you now. Seriousness has his eyes narrowed to slits.

"Don't follow me," he orders cooly.

"Okay."

Hisoka cracks his knuckles, then appears to search for a point to run towards. Then he flies off into the trees.

You scoff.

Hisoka ran in the opposite direction of Chrollo's aura. He did it to throw you off, surely, so that if you tried to "follow" him, you would end up at some random spot in the woods, lost and confused, but safe from harm.

Little does Hisoka know, you could feel Chrollo's aura from the moment you killed Machi. You know exactly where both Illumi and Chrollo are right now.

You think Chrollo is sending off an alarm by extending his aura to a wider radius by releasing it in a thin circle. He's telling everyone around—you, Hisoka, and Machi—of his exact location so he gathers a crowd. Makes sense, considering the fact that he wants to kill you. You got away from him once, but he's trying his hand again to get you to come back.

It's almost stupid of Chrollo to let his aura go this far. You ran away from him and abandoned Illumi, so why does he think you would come back if he makes a big show of his aura?

It's probably because he knows that you will. He knows you would want to creep around the edge of his fight with Illumi and watch every move to make sure your companion does not die in battle.

Chrollo knows you better than you do.

You conceal your aura, containing it tight within your figure so even the slightest bit does not drip out. Then you begin to walk towards Chrollo's location, one step at a time.