Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter X Hunter

Chapter 1: Exchange

(Kurapika) I know it will happen eventually… but I never thought it would be so soon... And because of my recklessness… my friends and my boss….. are in danger… taken as hostage by my worst enemy…

"Genei... Ryodan…" my voice was full of hatred… my heart was thumping hardly because of anger… and my eyes were burning in deep scarlet as I look at the pitiful state of my friends.

"GET OUT OF HERE, KURA-!" Senritsu's attempt of persuading me was cut off as the man in Pharaoh-like outfit grabbed her from her neck and pinned her to the wall.

"Shut up, on'na," the man said coldly. "Even if there are only a few of us here, your friend cannot flee from here without being caught by any one of us."

He's right. Even if there are only a few of them, they are at the upper hand.

"Do not listen to him!" Basho shouted, ignoring the pain all over his body as the violet haired girl tightened her string around him, cutting his skin slowly.

"Kurapika!" Miss Neon shouted in fear while being held by the samurai, with his bloody sword in front of her.

Right, there are only three of them right now, and they already killed the rest of the household members before I even arrived. I was only on my way back from a personal business, but when I entered the mansion, it was already in a wreck, blood splattered all over the place, along with the dead bodies of the household members, including Mr. Light.

"RUN AWAY! KURAPIKA!" Basho persisted.

"That one is a real persistent guy," the man in Pharaoh-like outfit commented as he let go the already unconscious Senritsu to the floor. "You better not do anything stupid," he said as he turned his head to me.

His words are like acid to my ears. They hurt, but he's right. I cannot do anything stupid. One wrong move, and my friends are dead. But what should I do? I cannot keep standing here in front of them without doing anything other than clenching my hands.

"What do you want?" I asked.

An evil smirk graced the face of the man in Pharaoh-like outfit. "Wait… until they come."

His voice echoed in my ears, until not long after, his words became like a nightmare. Echoing steps coming from a distance reached my ears. As I turned my body to the sounds, they are already there, walking toward me.

I know it will happen eventually…. but I never thought it would be so soon…. that the leader of my worst enemy… Kuroro Lucifer… will be freed from my chain….

(Kuroro) I have waited patiently for this day, the day that I would walk freely with my nen, and along with my comrades, ready to take my revenge against the chain user.

I have been restrained for a long time. And now, I am free. But I have to restrain myself from laughing out loud at the sight that the chain user is giving me. His horror stricken face is the best out of all the emotions that he showed during my capture. But this is not the time for laughing. After I took my revenge, I will laugh to my heart's content. For now, a mocking smirk is sufficient.

"Good morning, chain user. It's nice seeing you again," I said, faking with innocence in my tone. I am not lying, though. Seeing him today completed my day. What more when I achieve my goal of taking revenge from him? Just the thought of it makes me excited. I cannot wait to fulfil it.

"Kuroro Lucifer," the way he uttered my name, it was as if he could kill me with it. But to me, it was like a beautiful song. The hatred in his voice that comes with the anxiety that he was trying to hide, it was nothing, but a perfect melody.

The chain user glared at me with his scarlet eyes. Ah! Those beautiful eyes. I cannot wait to pluck them off with my own fingers.

"If you're here to take your revenge," the chain user tried to speak calmly, but his tone was wavering, either from anger or from anxiety, or both. Either way, I have no qualms about it. "Do not involve my friends. Let them go."

I snorted, finding his words hilarious. "They will be freed, chain user. But only after I got my revenge."

"What are you going to do?" he asked.

Thinking that the wrecked mansion is not a good place to take my revenge, I better lead him to a more appropriate place… alone.

"Come," I said to him, and turned to my comrades. "Do not move from here until I gave my order. I will notify you immediately after I'm done." With that, I left the mansion and headed out with the chain user following behind. Using our nen, we ran aimlessly as I lead the chain user anywhere my feet brought me, until I found a nearby forest and settled down inside.

"This place will do," I said to no one in particular. I turned to look at the chain user, finding him frowning while looking at the trees, as if they are the most unusual trees in the world.

"Stop acting as if there is something wrong, chain user."

He did stop looking at the trees, but turned to me as if something is wrong with me. "Stop staring at me like that. You better prepare yourself?"

"What do you want me to do?" he frowned.

With a smile, I said to him: "I am giving you a chance to defend yourself. Be thankful."

With that, I plunge myself toward him and delivered a kick toward his head. The chain user managed to block my attack with his forearm as he maneuvered his body and delivered a punch to my stomach. With a quick movement, I dodged his fist and delivered in my turn, a nen induced punch. My fist landed on his side with an impact, throwing him away to the trunk of a nearby tree, bouncing down to the ground.

"How weak," I said as I walked toward him.

The howling wind blew throughout the forest, making the trees sway wildly as the leaves rustled loudly. It was as if a storm is coming on its way. But I do not care about that. All I want at this moment is getting my fingers in the chain user's eye socket and pluck his beautiful scarlet eyes… alive. I want those scarlet eyes fresh in my hands, and I want to see him grieving for them.

The chain user seated himself up from the ground with his head down, crossing his arm as he put his hand over his side that was hit from my fist. That was not even my strongest punch, but he was acting as if it gave him a great damage.

Strange. It was as if he was not the same chain user that captured me before. Did he become too weak for the past few months? What happened to the strength that he used to have that time? Or, was he only acting to deceive me? What nonsense? That cannot be the chain user I am looking for.

"Look at me, chain user," I said to him coldly.

He lifted his head slowly, giving me a seemingly innocent look, but his expression was suddenly replaced by horror as his eyes widened as if seeing as unworldly being.

"What?" I frowned. But his eyes are not even focused to me. Was he seeing something behind me? No, there are only the two of us in this forest. He could be faking his expression to deceive me. No, the chain user I know would not do a non-sense acting like that.

So, without waiting for his reply, I turned carefully to my back as I tried to keep him from my peripheral view, but what I saw from the other end of my peripheral view made me turn completely, and behold, there, standing right in front of me was indeed, an unworldly being, a massive, semi-transparent creature that seems to be a giant, black owl.

The creature opened its mouth, letting out a booming voice.

What do you think you are doing in this forest, rascal humans! Not only trying to destroy the forest, but also disturbing the peace of the dwellers!

"What the-."

You will be furnished for your doings!

Without letting me finish my sentence, the creature spread its wings and plunged toward us. Its massive body passed through us and to the ground like a violent wind, but his body doesn't seem to have no end. The pressure passing through my body was too strong for me to maintain my balance. Whey my body hit the ground, I felt like I am drowning in thick mud… I cannot breathe... I feel like a helpless child… I do not like this feeling… and it's getting worse by minute… The only thing I can do now… is succumb to the darkness….

(Kurapika)

"Kurapika! Kurapika!

I heard a familiar voice calling out to me. I am sure of it, it was the voice of my best friend, persistent and childish.

"Pairo," I called back silently.

"Wake up, Kurapika!"

"Why?"

"You better wake up now, or the spirits will kill you."

"What are you talking about?... Wait, spirit?"

I woke up from my sleep with a start, remembering the giant owl-like spirit that engulfed me into the darkness. I mean me and my worst enemy. I looked around my surrounding, thankful that I am still in the forest, not in the hell or anywhere near the hell, at least.

Thinking about hell, I wonder what happened to Kuroro Lucifer. I shifted my body to look further at my surroundings, but I suddenly felt that something is wrong with my body. I lifted my hands in front of me, but they are not my hands that I am seeing. Even my clothes, they are not mine. And my body… it feels like it was bigger than is used to be. And then it occurred to me… making me look again throughout my body.

"This clothes-." I raised my palm over my mouth as I heard the baritone voice of my very enemy.

It can't be… this can't be… am I really…

I turned my body to look again at the surroundings, and there I saw, lying on the ground… my very own body…

It stirred, indicating that it is waking up….

(Kuroro) I do not know when the pressure stopped passing through my body. I just know that the giant creature has gone now. Nonetheless, I still feel the pain all over my body. I do not know what happened after I lost my consciousness. I guess I should stand up now and see the state of my being. For all I know, that creature might have turned me into a restless spirit.

I stirred up, trying to move my sore body. Adjusting to the pain, I opened the heavy lids of my eyes and slowly lifted myself from the cold ground. I remained seated for a while and reached my hand over my eyes to rub the haziness off.

Fluttering my eyes to adjust my vision, I turned my head to my surrounding. And the first thing I saw is the least of my expectation: myself.

Author's note and warning:

Do not expect regular updates.

Do not expect a long chapter.

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That's all for now. Good day!