HxH: I Will Be Supreme

"David, do as he says," Lily said quietly.

"Yes, madam." The old butler struggled to his feet, carefully stepping over the bodies as he made his way to the door.

The man in clown makeup had appeared in the hall without warning, completely avoiding detection by the guards and even the Nen users recently hired by the Fells family. He'd threatened the lives of both Lily and David, preventing their men from acting rashly.

David had initially refused to give out his master's number, but Hisoka had made only one statement - about killing Lily. The butler couldn't risk calling that bluff, not after years in the mafia. The tone in Hisoka's voice had been deadly serious.

"I didn't scare you, did I?" Hisoka fixed Lily with an unsettling gaze, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

The woman's beautiful eyes shifted as she smiled and looked directly at him. "Oboro... seems to hate you."

"Bingo! You have keen instincts... I'm one of the few people in this world who really knows him. No one likes to be seen through... the less others know about us, the better. Understanding breeds hatred." Hisoka's fingers danced, making the ace of spades disappear between them.

He rested his chin on one hand and studied the woman with an amused smile. "I never expected him to be interested in the Mafia... though I can guess his motives."

"Why?"

Lily's question had a knowing tone to it.

"Why, for entertainment... the thrill of getting stronger." Hisoka's answer came smoothly. "But judging by your expression... you disagree?"

He enjoyed the subtle changes in her composure.

"Hisoka... may I call you that?"

"By all means."

"I may not know the Patriarch as well as you, but I think you have misunderstood him. I don't think he considers you a friend. You and he are very different." Lily spoke bluntly.

With just the two of them in the room, she showed no fear of the notorious killer.

"Hmm... he seems to have changed since we parted..." Hisoka's playful tone did not waver.

"What do you mean?"

Lily pressed further. While Hisoka himself was of no interest to her, everything concerning Oboro warranted her attention.

"What do you think he would do if I killed you and the butler?" Hisoka tilted his head.

"He would kill you."

"To avenge us?"

Lily fell silent.

"It would be because I disrupted his plans... You and the butler are just convenient excuses for his rage. He is an extraordinarily dangerous creature... Everything he does is part of a game, one that serves his goal of becoming stronger." Hisoka's words left Lily speechless.

"As for you... you're just the beneficiaries of the warmth he shows in his idle moments. Don't take him too seriously or you might find yourself devoured one day."

"Your misunderstanding stems from the fact that you are not a threat to him. Your desire to rely on him is easily accommodated... It causes him no inconvenience. But the moment you do something that disturbs his comfort... would you like to guess his reaction?"

Hisoka's warning was accompanied by laughter.

"You don't know him at all..."

"Are you sure?"

Lily's breathing became uneven.

Hisoka rose from the sofa and walked past her before pausing to look back. "I understand now why Oboro kept you around..."

His usual smile returned. "Would you show me his room?"

...

At the other end of the line, Oboro exhaled heavily as he put the phone down. While Hisoka's discovery of the Fells was unexpected, there was no immediate cause for concern. Hisoka's reaction indicated that he wasn't ready to sever their connection, and the madman probably had no interest in the mafia. There were far more effective ways to provoke Oboro's anger.

Hisoka would not choose the least effective option. The Mafia and the Ten Dons weren't Oboro's weakness - he cared too little about them to be truly vulnerable. Otherwise, he wouldn't have become an absentee boss in order to travel.

Hisoka understood that perfectly.

By this time, Oboro's wariness of Hisoka had diminished since their first encounters. His own strength had grown considerably - since their parting, Hisoka's chances of victory had steadily decreased.

Besides, Hisoka was still of value to Oboro. The man owed him a favor.

This visit was probably motivated by curiosity about Oboro's growth. Becoming one of the Ten Dons was no small feat and Hisoka surely knew enough about the mafia to deduce that Oboro had defeated numerous powerful Nen users in the past year. Such progress would excite him.

"Right now, he's probably searching my quarters in the Fells' mansion, looking for records of my battles... calculating my current level of strength," Oboro sneered. "It seems he hasn't changed at all in the last few years..."

Dismissing the incident, Oboro continued towards the docks. His next destination was Lukso Province, home of the Kurta clan.

He wanted to witness the Scarlet Eyes firsthand.

When Kurta Clan members experienced intense emotions, their eyes would glow scarlet, triggering enhanced physical abilities. Kurapika's Emperor Time ability particularly intrigued Oboro, making him curious about both the eyes themselves and the clan's bloodline.

The Kurta clan had not yet been massacred - a rare opportunity to observe them up close.

He arrived at the port on time and boarded the ship that left Whale Island. After several stops, they arrived in Lukso Province a week later.

The province consisted mostly of plateaus and mountains, with few large cities and only scattered towns and villages. It was decidedly remote, and its inhabitants maintained distinct cultural traditions.

When Oboro inquired about the "scarlet-eyed demons," the faces of most of the older villagers twisted with hatred, which intrigued him. He wondered what the Kurta had done to deserve such hostility, though it could simply be that fear of the unknown breeds prejudice and discrimination.

Over a century ago, hunting Kurta had been a local custom. Though time had tempered the practice - both through the Kurta's increased secrecy and the passing of older generations - traces of prejudice remained.

After some investigation, Oboro found a town with recent signs of "demon" activity.

The Kurta clan regularly sent members to buy supplies. Though times had changed, outsiders knew little about them. Under normal circumstances, they looked no different than anyone else.

But Oboro knew their distinctive clothes and patterns. All he needed was patience.

The last reported sighting of a "demon" was twenty years ago. Oboro suspected it was a young Kurta who had failed the clan's test and lost control of his emotions in front of outsiders.

Supply runs were crucial but dangerous missions for the Kurta. They wouldn't change their designated buyers lightly.

His patience paid off after two weeks. Just as he was about to give up, his targets appeared - two grown men leading their mounts to the city's largest market.

Their clothing was mostly blue and orange, loose-fitting yet practical, with identical fabrics and patterns.

Oboro smiled to himself.

His curiosity about the Kurta went beyond their eyes to their origins. Their architectural patterns, the vine-like designs, even the labels on their special potions - all bore a striking resemblance to the gates leading to the Dark Continent. Their distinctive mount, an ostrich-like bird, matched illustrations of the fauna of the Dark Continent.

Combined with their scarlet eyes, unique physiology, and the "demon messenger" mythology surrounding them, it raised intriguing possibilities about their true origins.

Though it could all be coincidence, Oboro looked forward to learning more about the history of this mysterious clan.