Chapter 32: Fear X Friends
Unable to bear the exploding pain and mental damage, Killua lost consciousness.
Disappointed, Silva rose from his seat and left the announcing booth. After the door closed, Cocco looked around in suspicion. She shuddered after not seeing anyone but heard the door closed.
The referee had tallied Baygor's points but called the match in Baygor's favor after the teen fell asleep. Cocco announced Baygor as the winner and the crowd cheered, happy to see their respectable warrior return with a victory.
Sinbad leapt from the stands and landed by Killua's side, he loomed over the sleeping boy to protect his honor and dignity. He swooped him off the broken tile and carried him on his back, ignoring the rapturous crowd from his sudden appearance, he made his way off the stage.
Baygor stepped up to Sinbad. "You are an honorable man, helping your friend."
Sinbad didn't care for the man's words, continuing his pace as he descended the stairs.
"It's a shame we didn't get to fight," Baygor called out to Sinbad's back. He pounded his fists together, creating a tiny explosion from the impact. "Our fight would have been legendary."
Sinbad paused on the cement stairs."I doubt it, there was a point in time where it may have been a little challenging for me. But if we were to fight now, it would be boring."
Baygor laughed. "Boring? Now I'm intrigued on why you would think so, if you are that confident. I would love to see it in person."
"If you were to live, the type of defeat you would suffer from, would make you crawl into a hole and never show your face again," said Sinbad, turning around to look the man in the eyes.
Baygor's carefree and joyful expression remained. "Sounds like a lot of fun to me."
Sinbad marched back up the steps. "There will be no fun, because I don't fight with code or honor. I don't fight fairly to respect my opponent, I fight to crush the opposition. I will do everything in my power to make sure every single odd is staked in my favor, that is when I fight."
Sinbad glared up at Baygor, who remained standing at the top of the arena and Sinbad stood at the first step. At this point the crowd noticed this altercation and held their breath, watching the development of this interaction with great interest.
Baygor nodded, keeping his upbeat attitude. "I understand but that only makes me much more interested in fighting you."
At this, Sinbad's facial features relaxed into a grin. "Don't challenge me when I become Floor Master. Enjoy your victory a little longer."
As Sinbad said his parting words, he left and brought Killua to the stand by doctor.
Pokkle entered the makeshift hospital room and looked at the sleeping Killua with worry. "How is he?"
Sinbad leaned up from the single lounging chair to give Killua a glance. "He will be fine, just needs some sleep and will probably be up and moving in two days."
Pokkle sighed, relieved. "Its rare to see him get this banged up."
"Goes to show how skilled his opponent was," replied Sinbad, thinking about Baygor's Nen Ability. A relatively useless ability for him at this point so he truly had no desire to fight him. He did find the man intriguing but the Threads of Fate between them didn't show anything prominent.
"Yeah, Wing and Zushi will be here soon after catching up with him," Pokkle said, finding a seat on the opposite side of Killua's bed. "We noticed after the match, you two had a chat?"
"Nothing important," Sinbad dismissed. "He showed some interest in challenging me but I told him it wasn't worth his time because of the difference in strength."
Pokkle nodded, understanding regardless of the power Baygor demonstrated against Killua. He had no doubt, Sinbad was vastly superior in every regard.
"Oh, good news," Sinbad clapped his hands, remembering something actually important. "Yama reached out to me on the Hunter net, she wants our help with something. What's your thoughts on the sea?"
Pokkle demonstrated his disappointment by imitating himself vomiting. "Not fond. The sea isn't a good place for someone to be using a bow and arrow."
While sleeping, Killua raised a bandaged arm. "True!"
The two conscious people looked at him with suspicion.
Pokkle pointed at him. "Even while sleeping, he knows."
Sinbad shrugged. "So what, sailing out at sea is the best."
"What are we going to be doing out there anyway?" Pokkle asked. "What's there to hunt but large ugly fish monsters. Wait, are we going to be hunting down the Kraken?"
At this thought, Pokkle's voice tightened and his body tensed up.
"No," Sinbad answered, a devilish smile twisted on his face. "Something even scarier."
"Please no," whispered Pokkle.
"Sirens."
Pokkle deflated from the answer, not really sure how to respond to that. He still found the idea of hunting the Kraken much scarier.
Noticing the tension leave Pokkle's body, Sinbad stood up and walked around the foot of Killua's bed. "Do you like the ability to control your body movements?"
"Huh?" Pokkle mumbled, confused.
"Do you like that you have the capability to formulate your own thoughts?" Sinbad asked in a low tone like a camper leader telling a spooky story around a campfire. He got closer to Pokkle, grabbing onto his shoulder. "Do you trust the vision that your eyes tell you?"
"Yes?" Pokkle answered, meekly.
"With a single harmonious tune, a siren's enchanting and wicked voice can steal your bodily functions, thoughts, and cast illusions that will reshape your environment," explained Sinbad.
Understanding the dangers, Pokkle hugged himself. "Oh no."
"Yes," Sinbad nodded. "Out on the vast sea, in the middle of nowhere, they can manipulate you to see a grave enemy and try to attack me."
"I would never," shouted Pokkle.
"You have no choice and neither would I," said Sinbad, turning away sympathetically from the terrified Pokkle.
"What do you mean?" Pokkle asked.
"I would have to show no mercy and kill you, because you couldn't resist the siren's temptations," answered Sinbad.
Pokkle gave a high pitched scream. "No, there has to be another way. A safer way, right?"
"I don't know, never been in that situation," said Sinbad, folding his arms across his chest.
"Then, let's keep it that way, I vote we don't go hunting out in the middle of nowhere searching for monsters that can take away our senses and turn us into potential enemies," said Pokkle.
"I vote that we go searching for the monsters that can take away our senses and turn us against each other," said Killua, sleep talking.
"What?!" Pokkle shouted, looking down at the injured sleeping boy.
"That settles that," Sinbad said, returning to his seat. After some thought, he smiled. "And by the way, sirens are not hideous sea beasts. Some legends say they are extremely gorgeous. They are said to be so beautiful that light glimmers off their skin and by looking at them, you will immediately fall in love."
"Oh so that is why you are so interested," Pokkle snapped. "You want to flirt with them."
Sinbad shrugged. "Doesn't sound like a terrible idea."
"You will be underwater," Pokkle replied with a yawn. "I hope you drown."
Sinbad ran a hand through his hair, elegantly whipping it behind him. "I don't need to utter a word to have a lady fall for my charm. I doubt they would be able to resist."
"What makes you so confident?" Pokkle asked, closing his eyes. "I have yet to see an actual woman fall for your charm."
"He does have a fan club of women," rebutted the sleeping Killua.
"They don't count," replied Pokkle.
"Yes, they do," said Killua.
"No, they are lunatics and they piss me off," Pokkle's eyes snapped open, looking at the sleeping Killua. "Are you awake or sleeping!"
"He's an assassin."
"I'm an assassin."
Sinbad and Killua said at the same time as if that was all he needed to know.
"I am unbeatable out at sea," Sinbad answered the previous question. "It's like homefield advantage."
"Be serious," said Pokkle.
"You will have to see for yourself."
…
Heavens Arena, April 11th…
Early in the morning of Sinbad and Hisoka's Floor Master fight, Killua's eyes batted open in the hospital room. A bit confused by his surroundings, he scanned the room.
To his left, Pokkle leaned over off his chair to rest his head on Killua's bed. The gray and white striped cat, Rain, lightly snored comfortably on his back.
Sinbad had his feet kicked up on Killua's bed, leaning back in his singular sofa chair.
'Were they that worried about me?' Killua thought in the dimly lit room. They wouldn't have been able to see his goofy smile, so he allowed himself to express the vulnerable emotion.
Then, memories of the match flashed in his mind. The helplessness he felt against Baygor's Nen Ability and the immense desire to kill him. He remembers hearing the soft whimpers of his past, condemning the cruel acts he committed, desperately trying to live a more honest life.
'Could I still be a Hunter that doesn't kill?' Killua contemplated, lifting his right hand from underneath the heavy blankets. 'Can I still be Sinbad's friend and help him achieve his goal without killing?'
That was the whole point of coming to Heavens Arena, to get stronger. So, he could be powerful enough to stand on his own against Illumi, confident enough to tell his true emotions to his father.
To go adventuring with his friends and have fun.
Killua's gaze lifted from his hand, turning his attention to Sinbad, who was wide awake and staring directly at him.
"Gyah!" Killua reacted, startled by him.
"Are you really awake or is this some secret ancient assassin training?" Sinbad asked, crossing his arms to protect himself from an unexpected attack.
Killua chuckled. "I'm awake."
"Figured," Sinbad said, relaxing back into his chair. He removed his feet from Killua's bed. "You looked too deep in thought for someone who wasn't awake but knowing you, I couldn't be so sure."
"What does that mean?" Killua asked, pouting.
"You don't know?" Sinbad asked, surprised. "You were having full conversations while asleep."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah…" Sinbad said, rising to his feet. He walked over to the counter, snagging a bottle of water for Killua. He tossed him the bottle, which Killua caught. "By the way, you can't take your vote back."
"What vote?" Killua asked.
"Don't worry bout," replied Sinbad.
"No, no, do worry bout it, my good friend, Kil," Pokkle interrupted, rising up from his position with a devious smile on his face. Rain meowed furiously, leaping off Pokkle's back. He pointed at Sinbad. "His vote doesn't count, he wasn't aware of it."
"So, how are you feeling?" Sinbad asked Killua, purposefully ignoring Pokkle.
Killua folded his arms behind his back, leaning back into the headrest. "Fine, banged up but I'll live."
"Good, because I meant what I said earlier in the Exams," Sinbad said, approaching Killua from the left side of the bed. "If you don't wish to kill anyone then that is fine with me, I will handle everything."
"But, I still need to be strong enough to pull my own weight," answered Killua.
Pokkle nodded in agreement.
"You already are, both of you." Sinbad smiled. He looked at Killua and then Pokkle. "Our journey together has only just begun."
Killua and Pokkle's eyes widened.
"Sure, the Contest of Kings between Gilgamesh and myself sounds a bit serious and comes with expectations but only I got to worry about that."
"Speaking of that, are you nervous about today?" Pokkle asked Sinbad, hinting at the Floor Master fight.
"What? Why should I?" Sinbad responded with another question.
"You are fighting that creep, Hisoka," Killua replied, wincing as he tried to get out of bed. Pokkle offered some assistance but was ultimately waved off. "He isn't like these other fighters on the 200th Floor."
"Surely, he will give you a tough time," added Pokkle.
"Nah, I doubt it," Sinbad answered, waving them off. "My victory was secured a long time ago, but until recently it became an absolute hundred percent."
"How so?" Killua inquired, annoyed by Sinbad's vagueness, especially when it came to his Nen Abilities. Wanting a deeper understanding of them and what he had planned for Hisoka.
Sinbad shrugged. "I will never lose a second fight against someone."