Phantom Troupe's Web

Chapter 66.

Illuki returns to the hideout with Hisoka's replacement trailing behind her like a baby duckling. She wanders into the main loft, stopping at the gaming console sitting on the ground with wires connecting it to a computer Shalnark had installed. Her head turns, pointing at the device and instructing the recruit on how to enter the game, allowing them to enter first before activating her Ren and transporting herself into Greed Island.

The Zoldyck woman meets up with the other members to exchange information, halfheartedly introducing the troupe's newest member. Her rosy lips curl into a pleased smirk, her arms crossing in front of her chest and her weight shifting to her non-dominated leg; she digresses her comrades' questions about Hisoka using their leader's name, wanting an insight into what had transpired between the magician and Chrollo. Instead of responding, Illuki reminds the group about their priority — finding an exorcist for Chrollo.

"Book," the dichromatic-haired woman summons her binder, scanning the list of names with a perfectly manicured finger until it stops under a familiar name. She smiles, taking an Accompany card and showing it to the other members. "I'll handle Hisoka. You all focus on finding the exorcist. Contact me when you need us."

"Got it. Let us know if something comes up," Shalnark beams, waving her off.

•••

With a soft thud, the static barrier around Illuki dissipates. She takes in her surroundings, humming to herself and rubbing her chin with a hand; she sighs and closes her eyes for a moment before starting her expedition. The Zoldyck woman wanders into the forest, her eyes surveying the landscape; she listens for signs of humanity, heading forward. Her feet lead the woman to an extensive clearing; a lake takes up most of the spot, with rocks lining the edges and logs sticking out; steam flies through the air, fogging it as the moonlight gleams off the water's surface. Trees guard the serene area, the sound of nothing filling the assassin's ears and promptly making her let out a breath of relief.
She approaches slowly, reaching down to her boots and unzipping them. She kicks them off, holding them by the tops as she dips her feet into the warm liquid. A soft smile appears on her pale face. Her boots sit beside her, and her arms lean back to bask in the moon.

"Well, well, well..."

Illuki internally groans, her head swinging back with despair to meet Hisoka's eyes and psychotic smirk. He leans against a tree, eyeing the assassin who looks back at the lake. Her feet lightly kick the water, watching the droplets ripple back into its body, humming as the magician walks closer.

"What brings you to me, Darling~?" he asks, stripping off his cropped shirt.

"Who knows what you get up to," Illuki deadpans, ignoring his strip-tease. "I'm just here to monitor you."

Hisoka hums, diving into the lake after removing his pants; swimming around the lake. He stops by a log that had fallen into the water, standing up and exposing himself to the Zoldyck woman; Illuki raises an eyebrow at his actions, flicking her feet to splash the magician with the warm water.

"Are you trying to seduce me?" she wonders with a playful smirk. "Cause it won't work."

"At least I tried," Hisoka chuckled.

Shaking her head, Illuki stands on her feet and stretches her arms with a small moan escaping her; she turns on her heels silently and ventures into the misty forest, ignoring whether or not Hisoka notices her disappearance or not. The assassin scans the landscape, listening attentively for any sign of life before returning to the lake where she left the ruthless magician; when she sensed a new presence in the area, she walked back to inform Hisoka.

The woman swings herself onto a branch, hopping from branch to branch until she reaches the clearing; she sits on a branch, the ends of her lips curling into a smirk as she stares at the back of Killua and Gon's heads alongside their companions. Her legs swing back and forth playfully, and her head tilts to the side as she listens closely to their discussion with the magician, curiosity gnawing at her. Standing in front of the group, a naked Hisoka begins dressing himself, aware of the Web's presence however remains silent about it — his main focus being on Gon.

"So, what do you want with me...No, with Chrollo?" Hisoka asks, pulling down his cropped shirt.

"I have a question. Why are you here?" Gon asks.

Hisoka turns, facing their direction though his eyes are locked on the woman sitting on a branch. He turns away for a second before looking back at Gon and his group, a hand running through his damp hair; his golden eyes narrowing with menace. "I'm looking for Chrollo. There's actually a way to remove Kurapika's Nen from him," he discloses.

"You can exorcise it."

"So you knew? Then that makes this easier," Hisoka comments freely. "I'm looking for Chrollo to give him that information, but I have no leads. That's when I remembered that a few of the Spiders and their Web were interested in this game. I thought that they might know where Chrollo is. And by using this handle, I'm certain they'll try to contact me."

Killua thinks over his words, lifting his chin in realisation. "I get it. He was just pretending to be a member of the troupe," Gon nods, agreeing with the statement.

"That won't stop us from killing you," the Hunters turn swiftly, their eyes widening at the sight of the woman sitting elegantly on a tree branch. Her blue eyes narrow past them to the magician, a cold smile on her face as she wriggles her fingers at Gon and Killua in a silent greeting. "Once his Nen is restored, I'll exterminate you."

Hisoka lets out a low chuckle, smiling creepily at the woman. "I'd have nothing less, Web."

author's note !

hi everyone,, long time no write hehe 😅

i have been in a bad writing slump but i'm trying to get into the habit of writing every day whether it's for wattpad or my personal project outside of fandoms.

this leads to my next announcement:
i sincerely apologise for those who wanted me to finish this book before rewriting but i truly cannot continue this version.
it has plot holes regarding illuki's involvement and some of the arcs do not make sense due the next few focusing mostly on gon and killua.
because of this, i will be discontinuing it (this will be the last chapter for this version) until i publish the rewrite — which i will announce.
i hope you can understand where i am coming from as a writer and continue to read this book when it's newly written :D

much love,
— lily 🫶🏻