Phantom Troupe's Web

Chapter 65.

Under the moon, six Phantom Troupe members walk up the shore of an isolated island, drops of water falling off their clothes.

"Alright. Where are we on the island?" the blonde brute of the group asks, leading the way up the beach. "Let's steal an Accompany card so we can go somewhere."

He notices a presence up ahead, holding an arm out to stop the others from walking further. He glares, lowering his arm as the figure approaches the group from the shadows; their Ren flaring around them.

"Uninvited guests, huh?" the stranger spoke, stepping out onto the beach and into the light. He's tall and muscular, a clear sign that he's been working out for a long, long time; he wears a plain white shirt that's tight on him and a pair of short, red shorts with white-red sneakers, and his purple hair is styled upwards into a spear. "It makes me nervous...I just want to make sure, you're not castaways, are you?"

"It's impossible to accidentally drift to this island due to the currents..," the man stops in front of the group, a hand resting on his waist.

"Who are you? Are you supposed to be our guide?" Phinks questions, gesturing to the group.

The man smiles, his closed eyes make it eerie, similar to the Phantom Troupe's Web whenever she was silently threatening them. "I'm one of the creators of this game. The name's Razor. I mainly handle the Emitter spells, including all movement via spells and dealing with external threats." he introduces himself, pulling out a card from his pocket.

"This is a special spell only usable by a Game Master. Sorry, but you'll have to leave," Razor informs the troupe members. "We'll welcome you back as long as you arrive the right way. There's an item you can get by fighting me. Should you decide to play, we'll probably get to fight eventually."

"Sounds good...We'll come back through the front door," Phinks agrees, a vein appearing on his temple.

Razor activates the Game Master's only card, the thin rectangle dissipating from his fingers. A shield of static coats the six Spiders before sending them away from the island. "Hmm, that was some group..," the purple-haired man comments once they are gone. He glances out to the ocean, spotting the boat the troupe had used and summons a ball of red energy; he tosses it high into the air before jumping and spiking it, sinking the boat with a large explosion.

•••

Shalnark stands in front of Franklin, Shizuku, Feitan, Kortopi and Phinks, his book floating in front of him and a broad smile on his face. His eyes flutter shut, laughing at the predicament they found themselves in, confusing the other Spiders who merely watched the blonde.

"Hey, Shal...Stop laughing and explain what this is about," Franklin takes the lead, stopping the male from his laughing fit.

He apologises, pointing at the familiar name in his binder. "This probably isn't the boss. He hasn't exorcised the Nen from body," going on the explain the situation to them. "I should have realised this sooner...This island is directly east of York New City."

The others' eyes widen at the finding, thinking back to the fortune Chrollo had written down before his capture by the chain user; they hear his voice reading it out loud in their minds.

"I see. So the boss came here to find someone to exorcise that Nen," Phinks concludes.

"The boss arrived the same way we did, but then Razor kicked him out. That's probably when he realised this was Greed Island, but since the boss can't use Nen, he can't enter the island via the usual channels. So he must have hired someone to come to this island for him," Shalnak began his theory, a finger raised habitually. "He had them use his name as a hidden message to us. I wonder if Illu-chan is aware of this," he allows himself to chuckle again.

Phinks hums, turning to look over at the other Spiders. "Change in plans again...Let's bring everyone else here."

"Yes, we'll all start looking for this exorcist. Iris should be informed as well," Franklin agrees.

A voice interrupts their meeting, giving a correction to Shalnark's theory and revealing themselves to the six troupe members. Flamboyant as usual, Hisoka sinisterly smirks as he approaches with his arms stretched out; his white jester-inspired outfit standing out against his pinkish skin.

"It was my idea to use Chrollo's name. I didn't know you could enter any name you like until I was already inside...You should praise my initiative. Since I helped you understand Chrollo's message," the magician smugly says.

"Ah, so that's what this is about," Phinks clenches his fist, glaring at the redhead. "I'm dying to kill you right here and now, but I'll leave that to the boss."

Hisoka smirks, shrugging his shoulders and turning his back to the group. "Well, if anything comes up, use Contact to get in touch. If I learn anything new, I'll let you know," he bids them goodbye, walking deeper into the forest.

Shizuku watches his figure dissipate within the acres of trees, commenting on Hisoka being the person hired by their leader to enter the game on his behalf; the group debate the ruthless magician's reasons for complying with the order, though more concerned about whether or not Illuki knew about this plan. Either way, the result of their collaboration would be the return of Chrollo Lucifer to the Phantom Troupe.

•••

Outside of Greed Island, in a different location from the hideout, Illuki sits on a velvet sofa with her legs crossed elegantly over each other. Her split-coloured hair flows freely, and a cup of tea is placed on the table beside her. She smiles softly, her head tilting to the side slightly as her eyes flutter open to reveal green orbs.

"Only a matter of time," she mutters, her lips turning her smile into a smirk. She blinks, the green hue reverting to its original blue state.

author's note !
hi hello! i have been incredibly busy with uni since semester two started not too long ago hehe...
i haven't updated this book in a while so you guys get a double update from me yay! i will try to update as much as possible while doing assignments (this gives me an excuse to take a break from them :p)
love ya!
xo lily