The world is but a stage.
Nothing in it is permanent. Everything is destined to vanish, making way for others that will fade in turn. The true fool is the one who seeks meaning in a world born of chaos. What's truer than living freely? What's more authentic than savoring each moment, chasing thrills and raw sensation? What's more exhilarating than the dance of combat, where two souls move in perfect harmony to the melody of death?
Death is inevitable. Why fear it when you can laugh at it?
That's why the world is a stage, and I'm its player. As its maestro, I have the grand calling to direct and orchestrate the performances.
The world is a stage, and I'm its joker!
Hahahahaha! Admit it—you bought that, didn't you?
When Hisoka joined the first test of the Hunter Exam, he was disappointed to see mere insects strutting about, deluded into thinking they were elite. 'Calm down, Hisoka. You'll act in the second test. The harvest will be richer there.' He'd managed to restrain his urges.
But the second phase of the first test changed everything. Screams of candidates echoed from all directions. The stench of crushed flesh and blood filled the air. Faced with these triggers, Hisoka reached his limit. His body broke, unleashing his thirst.
'I need to quench it.'
With a swift, sharp motion, he slit the throat of a candidate running beside him. The act was seen by those nearby, sparking widespread shock. Another candidate approached to question him, but before he could speak, his head detached from his body. He died clueless.
"Who the hell is this psycho?!" a terrified young woman screamed.
Three playing cards impaled her, mangling her delicate face. The cries of agony only fueled Hisoka's fervor as he indulged his murderous madness with fervor—beheadings, dismemberments, impalements, tortures of all kinds.
Yet something was missing. These people were mere dogs, lacking substance. They quenched his thirst, but the quality was lacking. "You've all failed. ♠" Hisoka murmured, his gaze tinged with disappointment.
But just as he resigned himself to this foul water, a tingling sensation coursed through him—the kind he felt when his perverse instincts sensed a prime source of satisfaction approaching.
'He's not alone.'
Wanting no distractions during this serendipitous encounter, Hisoka flung three cards toward his target's companion. But the target saved his ally, heightening Hisoka's excitement. He decided to meet them.
"Care to join the 'Judge' game? ♥" he asked, his eyes fixed on his exceptional prey despite addressing both.
'What a delicious energy.'
Unexpectedly, his prey exuded an aura like his own—a formidable opponent. Even up close, Hisoka couldn't gauge his strength, sensing only something profound. A truly exquisite fruit. Hisoka could barely contain himself, practically drooling.
But his ardor had to wait. The prey's companion attacked, calling him a lunatic and a freak. Annoyed, Hisoka was about to silence the nuisance, but the young man's gaze captivated him. Though far below his prey's caliber, the companion was another quality find. From experience, Hisoka knew this one's talent rivaled his current target's—a prime fruit, just not yet ripe, as he liked to call them.
The companion's fiery spirit, charging despite trembling, eyes blazing with resolve, touched Hisoka. Having already sated much of his bloodlust, he could afford to let this fruit ripen for later harvest. After toying with the companion, Hisoka ended it, eager to focus on his coveted prey.
Turning to the target, he invited him to dance. "Did you kill him?" The prey's first words were surprising.
To clarify his intent, Hisoka unleashed a surge of aura toward him, startling himself momentarily. Meanwhile, the prey hoisted his companion onto his back and prepared to leave.
'Ignoring me? How fascinating.'
Hisoka blocked the path. The choice was never the prey's to make. Hisoka wanted to dance, and the prey had no option but to comply. 'Make me thrill, boy.'
A strike to the face—not a real blow, just a greeting. But as his hand neared, it froze. Hisoka jerked his upper body as if dodging something, then leaped back a meter.
'What?'
His neck. He'd seen the prey's right hand slice his throat, the cut so clean and swift he couldn't react. He'd retreated urgently, checking his body and the prey. The boy hadn't moved. His throat? Intact.
'An illusion?'
Hisoka swore he'd felt and seen the prey's hand sever his head. He thought it was over—his loss, no, his death. But it was just an illusion.
'Is this his Nen ability?'
Rubbing his neck, Hisoka fixed his gaze on the prey. The blond boy maintained his stance, suggesting he hadn't budged. An excited grin spread across Hisoka's face. This would be more thrilling than he'd hoped.
"Quite the interesting ability you've got, boy. ♥" he said.
"Did I pass your test too?" the prey asked.
Hisoka laughed. "You're far tastier than your friend, so yes, you passed with flying colors. ♦" His gaze turned more sinister. "But now I'm all riled up. Let's have some fun, boy. ♥"
As he spoke, Hisoka vanished and reappeared before the prey, wielding two cards like blades to slash him. He didn't care about the companion on the prey's back. 'His ability's likely an illusion that makes the target experience their death. Let's see how it works.'
With this in mind, Hisoka attacked. The prey's gaze locked onto him.
"…?!"
Instinctively, Hisoka halted. A crushing weight hit his body, his knee joints creaking ominously. Ignoring it, he stopped and flipped backward. This time, he'd clearly seen the prey's hand pierce his chest and rip out his heart. Yet his chest was intact, and the prey hadn't moved.
"It's your eyes, isn't it? ♠" Hisoka asked.
The prey stayed silent, keeping his gaze fixed. Hisoka's face lit up. He didn't need confirmation—he knew he was right. 'An ability triggered by eye contact with the target, showing them their death at the user's hands. I only saw these visions when attacking, so the conditions must be eye contact and the target's aggression. Too early for firm conclusions, but let's test another approach. I'm so thrilled!'
Before retreating, he'd dropped cards near the prey, infusing them with his aura, which had the properties of rubber and gum. He'd linked two cards to the prey's neck and, during his first attack, attached others to the corpses behind, specifically the companion. "Let's play! ♥" he roared, retracting his aura.
The rear cards shot toward the prey's back, the two aimed for his neck, and he threw three more at him—a multi-directional assault. This time, Hisoka avoided the prey's gaze.
The sound of tearing flesh. A mutilated back, a slashed throat, a carved forehead, chest, and face. The attack hit… but the target had switched.
'How?!'
Hisoka saw himself struck by his own cards, as if he'd swapped places with the prey. As his consciousness faded, the scene shifted again. Confusion. He was back in his initial retreat from the prey, as if everything after never happened.
'I've been in his illusion from the start. One glance is enough to trap me? What a troublesome ability! No guarantee I'm not still in it. No matter how perfect an illusion, there's always a flaw.'
Hisoka scanned his surroundings. Nothing seemed off. The mutilated bodies were still there, arranged as before; his five senses were intact; the landscape unchanged…
'Wait, what if?'
A realization hit him. "You figured it out, huh?" the prey said, breaking his silence.
"A hypnotic ability you can only escape by pinpointing when you were hypnotized. That's a fun trick you've got, kid. ♣" Hisoka replied.
"I'll take that as a compliment," the prey said. "You're right. Since you found the tell, you're free to go."
"I'm guessing the real you won't be here when I come back, right? ♣" Hisoka ventured.
"Correct again," the prey nodded. "Time here flows like the real world, so I've had plenty to slip away."
"Plenty to kill me too. ♠" Hisoka said casually.
The prey smiled. "True. But as I said, I've got no beef with you to go that far. If you're so eager to fight, the real me will gladly take you on next time."
"Glad to hear it. ♦" Hisoka gave a farewell wave.
The entire scene plunged into darkness, dissolving into the void, leaving Hisoka alone in the shadows. Then, it shattered like glass. He snapped back to reality, standing in the fog, right hand extended into empty air. The prey and his companion were gone.
"Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!"
A manic laugh burst from Hisoka, so loud it seemed to engulf the forest. But it wasn't joyous or excited—his eyes were cold. Ten minutes later, he stopped, his expression making it hard to believe he'd just been laughing. A violent gust swirled around him, clearing fog and vegetation in a ten-meter radius. A vicious, purple miasma oozed from him, corroding the ground like acid.
A chime sounded, halting the miasma's spread. After a few seconds, Hisoka pulled a phone from his pocket and answered the incoming call.
[Why'd you take so long to pick up? Anyway, get back here—we're nearing the second test site.]
A robotic voice crackled through. "Got it. On my way," Hisoka replied curtly, hanging up. He pocketed the phone and tilted his face skyward.
A cynical smile curled his lips.
Schedule: 2 chaps/Monday
Follow me on P@treon for more chapters! +20 chaps available with more other fics
p@treon.com/Hemlet (Remplace @ to a)