Yakuza | DISCONTINUED | 2023 VERSION AVAILABLE NOW

Ten Weeks Later

Life in the Yakuza Estate seemed to return to normal. Ivan and Evo would help each other at reinforcing all electronics in the whole manor, Milla would help Hiro with his memories and emotions, Amira and Yamera occupied themselves with the baby, and Yukiko would get to explore and reintroduce herself to the family's cultures. It all seemed stereotypical and almost cliché, but Akira focused on cutting all contacts with a certain... well, Certain.

Her Nen spiked when her heart beat a little faster than usual. She finds herself indulging in more than a few psychopathic thoughts, showing her further that she wasn't capable of such but there was someone her heart knew who is. If that wasn't enough, she only learned she memorized more about him than she intended when his mannerisms began to grow on her. Sighing exasperatedly, she leans on her arms and closed her eyes. Yukiko...

A few minutes later, the child herself arrived, seeming just as anxious as she is, "You felt it too?"

"Are you sure you don't want to follow Killua?" She lent out a hand for her younger sister and she sat on a chair beside her. Yukiko's blue eyes shone with sadness and concern, "Unless he needs me, I'm not going to be a burden to him."

Failing to understand the completion of a bond yet, Akira let it pass. She was just 14, still a lot to know about how things work here.

"He's excited... in the bad way."

"That's probably for the worst, considering what happened." Yukiko replies, "You really don't want to clear things with him?"

"Why? You're against Ace?" Akira frowns, and Yukiko shakes her head, shoulder-length red hair flapping about before drawing back down, "Ace-nii is nice, but you can't be on silent treatment with Illumi forever."

But she did have a point.

~*~

"Oh dear."

"That was excessive." Hisoka dropped down and put a hand over his eyes to see clearer, "I thought you were going to ask him first."

"I have a little bird who brings me information." Illumi surveyed the car crash as well, "And after examining that information, there's something that's bothering me."

Hisoka dropped his hand and gave him a confused look. Illumi stayed looking at the smoke coming from where the car crashed. "Killua is hiding rules from us. If there are rules I don't know about, trying to negotiate with him is pointless. He might accede to my demands because they favor him, so I'll dispose of Alluka before he has a chance to use that advantage. I just need you to eliminate the butlers while you look for a chance to take Alluka from Killua. For now."

"Okay." He light-heartedly replied, then turning to the other, "By the way... Can I kill Killua?"

Only twice in his life has he remembered being so angered and composed about something, and this was the third time. Bloodlust emanated from him in waves and he paid vague attention to the scattering of birds behind him, threatening the smiling jester in a very Illumi-like manner; composed and quiet. There was a twinge of hidden anger in there somewhere too, but it still amused Hisoka, "Just kidding. You're oozing bloodlust, is that okay?"

Killing him became the last thing on his mind in a split second of Killua's own nen wavering, which indicated his reaction. He snapped back to an aloof and nonchalant demeanor, "Oh shit." He sent Hisoka an unimpressed look, "Was that on purpose?"

"No."

Locating Killua quick enough and not provoking him was hard enough, Yukiko didn't need time-consuming hostility to delay her from doing so. She could easily sense Illumi's distress from where he exposed his position to be, and can tell that he's at the borderline of getting better and getting worse. Such a situation was brought by a reason she knew she wasn't able to understand yet, and maybe that mind-set all on its own let Killua distinguish her from the dark. Calling her out, her steps were just as silent as his, and then the little girl Alluka pulled away, staring at her confusedly.

"Alluka. She's my sister. This is Yukiko-nee, Alluka, my..." It grew awkward, and small smiles were born on both girls' lips, "It's hard to explain, but we're also friends." Alluka just giggled.

They got to the station, and they got to an airship. Underestimating Amane getting distracted, Killua took Alluka and Yukiko to one airship and immediately went on their merry way.

"Alluka's asleep." She approached him, and seated herself beside him in front of the airship's controls. He was talking to Morel, and only gave a nod as an indication that he had acknowledged her. She learned that in Illumi's perspective, Alluka granting Killua's wish would mean the death of the family, and she knew with enough assessment of her elder twin sister that in her perspective, this was twisted. She glanced back at Alluka's sleeping form, thoughtfully deliberating if this was what Akira was feeling when they first met. An obligation and a want to protect someone who you don't even know, yet feel like you do for a long time, just because they matter to a person you care for... surreal.

"Hey."

She turned back to Killua, and noticed his wavering glances, "Maybe you should take some rest too."

"One aspect of what we have is mutualism. If you're limited, I am, so please don't disturb that symmetry."

"I thought Sirens can be independent without Certains?" He skeptically raised an eyebrow, making Yukiko almost do the same.

"Not precisely. Sure, if a Siren gets tired, a Certain doesn't. But if a Certain is exhausted, a Siren becomes empathic. If one of us should rest it's you, not me."

Killua grew silent, partly deliberating his decisions with awareness to the sky. She let him do as he pleases, all the more expertly hiding the sadness she had in her because of internal conflict. Not having anything against Alluka but still upset at her ability to draw Killua's attention was like promising yourself to use chocolate as motivation but eat it in the middle of reading anyway. Empty.

And at some times, feeling empty is feeling overwhelmed as well.