engulfing lightning ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

page ten

“just a moment, fighting like this can get uncomfortable.” you raise a brow at your opponent, uncertain of his meaning. before you can question him, he lifts a hand and begins plucking out the thin needles embedded in his face, one by one. 

your eyes widen slightly as you watch the transformation unfold. his features, once sharp and stretched, start to shift. his lavender-tinged skin fades to an almost ghostly pale, his rigid mohawk softening, lengthening into sleek, jet-black strands that fall past his shoulders. his entire face reshapes, smoothing into something eerily perfect, inhumanly symmetrical. 

his magenta eyes darken, expanding into large, vacant pools of black, their emptiness mirroring the unsettling stillness in his expression. despite the dramatic change, there is no emotion, no flicker of discomfort or vanity—just the quiet precision of someone shedding a disguise. 

“sorry for the wait. we can continue now.” his voice remains the same—calm, monotonous, as if nothing about what just happened should faze you.

“i'll never get tired of watching that.” hisoka commented on the side.

“i see. so instead of growing stronger, your second form just makes you… prettier. an unusual strategy.” you stated, tone completely neutral, as if this was a perfectly reasonable observation. 

both hisoka and illumi turned to you with blank stares, their expressions unreadable. even gon, still hidden in the bushes, blinked in silent disbelief. 

how could you say that with a straight face? and more importantly—did you really just call your enemy pretty in the middle of a fight? well, technically not in the middle since you two haven't started yet.

and speaking of, you shouldn't drag this out any longer. you still needed to get his badge, then find your kids—maybe even kurapika and leorio, if luck was on your side. 

“i'll give you a tip,” illumi— or gittarackur spoke, his tone as unreadable as ever. “you’ll need something to defend yourself against my pins.” 

to emphasize his point, he lifted his hand, revealing an unsettling number of pins held delicately between his fingers, their sharp tips glinting under the light. 

“very well. i intended to fight you with my bare hands, but i suppose i shouldn’t disregard your warning.” you had initially planned to evade his pins without the need for a weapon, but considering the sheer number of them, perhaps a change in strategy was necessary. 

raising your hand to your side, shoulder level, you called forth your polearm—the engulfing lightning. the moment it materialized, you spun it with practiced ease, the weapon cutting through the air in a graceful arc before pointing it directly at gittarackur.

hisoka leaned forward slightly, a curious glint in his eyes as he watched you manifest the engulfing lightning. his grin faded into something more intrigued, as though he were watching a magician perform a trick for the first time.

“i’ve seen plenty of fighters summon weapons, but this… it’s different. no nen aura, no chant. she just… made it appear?”

hisoka's eyes narrowed, his intense gaze never leaving you as he silently observed. the corners of his lips curled slightly, as if a thought had crossed his mind.

“i’ll never get tired of your surprises, y/n,” he whispered into the wind, his voice barely audible but full of dark amusement.

illumi, standing nearby with his usual cold composure, glanced at you and then at the lifeless body of goz. his voice was almost too innocent as he spoke,

“polearm, what a great choice. i hope you don’t end up like my target though.” his eyes shifted back to you, his expression unreadable.

you didn’t flinch, your gaze steady as you responded, cutting through the tension with chilling confidence.

“you don’t have anything to worry about, but yourself.” the air between you and illumi grew tense, an almost electric charge hanging in the space as his eyes locked onto yours. the silence was broken only by his soft, almost imperceptible movements as he flicked his wrist, sending a flurry of pins shooting toward you with deadly accuracy.

with a calm fluidity, you used your polearm to expertly deflect the pins, each one sliding off the blade with practiced ease. the weapon moved like an extension of your body, guiding each strike with precision, never faltering as the pins flew toward you.

with every flick of his wrist, illumi sent another pin hurtling toward you, but each one met with the sharp edge of your polearm, deflected with a smooth twist of the wrist. the air between you buzzed with tension, the rapid rhythm of his attacks never quite breaking through your composed defense. you danced around each pin, your movements fluid, almost effortless—every strike and dodge timed perfectly. 

his cold, calculating gaze never wavered, yet you could feel the slight shift in his stance, the growing intensity behind his next move. he was adjusting, testing, waiting for an opening, and you are too.

still hiding in the bushes, gon couldn't help but watch in awe, his eyes following your every move. you were fast, graceful, and precise—your polearm flowing effortlessly through the air. but at the same time, a nagging worry bubbled up. he’d totally forgotten about getting hisoka’s badge. 

you and illumi had been going at it for what felt like hours now, but it hasn't been thirty minutes really, throwing pins and dodging them, and with the moon finally taking its place in the sky, casting pale light over everything.

feeling the strain of your defense, you decided it was time for a change. without warning, you vanished from sight. 

illumi’s eyes darted around, surprised by the sudden disappearance. he hadn’t expected you to switch things up so soon, and for a split second, he hesitated. 

then, just like that, you reappeared right in front of him. there was barely time for him to react before you swung your polearm at his neck, the strike coming fast and precise, cutting through the air with deadly accuracy.

unfortunately for you, illumi wasn’t caught off guard for long. in the blink of an eye, he vanished into thin air as well. being an assassin, this kind of thing was second nature to him.

but as you felt the shift in the air, you quickly realized something: illumi’s style was better suited for long-range attacks. the wide arc of his pins and precision strikes were his strength, but he wasn’t exactly built for close-quarters combat. and that’s where you had the advantage.

at least, that’s what you theorized for now, based on everything he had shown you so far. 

you bit your tongue, realizing you couldn’t feel his presence anymore. it was strange—these mortals had a way of concealing their presence. 

closing your eyes for just a moment, you honed in on your senses, trying to catch even the slightest hint of him in the air. 

“don’t close your eyes.” 

his voice was low, a whisper against the back of your neck, his breath sending a shiver down your spine. you didn’t flinch, though. you didn’t need to. 

in a flash, his hand shot toward your nape, intending to knock you out with a swift chop. but you were already prepared. with a fluid motion, you spun, your polearm sweeping across the air as you intercepted his arm with ease. 

there was no struggle, no force required—just perfect timing and control. your blade met his wrist, halting the strike with a sharp, clean motion, pushing his hand away as if it were nothing. 

illumi jumped back, effortlessly creating distance between you, his posture relaxed but poised. one hand rested on his hip as he stared at you, his expression still unreadable, a mask of cold detachment. it was the same expression he had worn since the start—emotionally distant, almost robotic. you couldn’t help but think that this was simply how he was. 

“you’re fast. i shall commend you for that. not many could keep up with my pins, you know.” you didn’t answer, not that you needed to. there was nothing to prove, no need for words. the silence between you spoke louder than any response could.

much to your surprise, illumi reached into his pocket and pulled out a badge—his badge. without a second thought, he tossed it casually into the air, sending it spinning toward you. 

you caught it effortlessly, still processing what had just happened. your eyes shifted back to him, a hint of wonder crossing your face. 

“take it. it’d be a pity if you lost here in phase four.” he said, his tone still as nonchalant as ever. without waiting for a response, he squatted down and started digging into the ground, his movements fast and purposeful. 

you just stared at him, your expression blank as you processed his actions. was he for real? this wasn’t what you had expected, not by a long shot. 

the silence was broken by hisoka’s chuckles, a wicked amusement in his voice. you turned to him, and the magician was laughing like he’d just seen the funniest thing in the world. 

“just as the fight is getting good,” he teased, his grin widening. 

you didn’t respond, instead glancing down at the badge in your hand. with a swift motion, you tucked it inside your kagemusha kimono, securing it with a simple gesture. then, you tossed your polearm into the air, watching it vanish into nothingness. 

hisoka’s eyes never left you, his amusement growing as he watched your every move.

"i'll take a nap before hunting for three more to make up for the three points i’ve lost. good night." illumi said casually, before disappearing into the pit he had dug. 

you let out a hum, looking up at the sky, realizing just then that it was already night. with a soft sigh, you walked over to a nearby tree and sat down, leaning against it, letting your body relax. 

"i’ll sleep too, don’t bother me." you muttered, closing your eyes, preparing for rest.

"why would i? you could even sleep with your head on my lap," hisoka chimed in, his tone playful, laced with flirtation. though, you were completely unaware of the implication.

"i don't need to rest in such a way. besides, i’d rather not indulge in such unnecessary gestures." you replied flatly, not bothering to open your eyes.

"if you say so... just know, my offer still stands."

"silence."

“what a meanie...”

    ┌ ╌ ╌ ╌ ╌  ㅤ °ㅤㅤ 𝒪𝒪.   .ㅤ     ╭◜
      *       ㅤ            ㅤ                              ╎
ㅤ         ㅤ           to be continuedㅤ       ❀

notes : i don't like writing fight scenes at all, i hope this isn't terrible.