29 An Amusement Trip

The noices of the amusement park were bustling with people, the sound of laughter and music filling the air. Ikki and Pairo wandered around, taking in the sights and sounds of the various rides and attractions. Ikki had even accented his new roots he wore proudly his kurta clan clothes, with his katana strapped to his back.

Pairo seemed to be enjoying himself, but there was something off about him today. His normally misty eyes seemed distant and clear, and his speech was a bit slower than usual.

Ikki noticed his friend's strange behavior and approached him. "Hey, Pairo, are you okay?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

Pairo turned to him, a small smile on his face. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said, his words a bit slurred.

Ikki frowned, unsure of what to make of Pairo's odd behavior. He decided to let it go for now and focus on enjoying their day together.

After a few hours of rides and games, they made their way back to the inn. The hot bath was a welcome relief for their tired bodies, and they both felt the stress of their situation begin to melt away.

As they settled into their room, Ikki pulled out a couple of pillows and tossed one to Pairo. "Wanna have a pillow fight?" he asked, a mischievous grin on his face.

Pairo's eyes rolled but he nodedd, and he grabbed the pillow. For a few minutes, they whacked each other with the pillows, laughing and shouting.

Eventually, exhaustion caught up with them, and they settled into beds. As they drifted off to sleep, Ikki couldn't help but wonder what was going on with Pairo. He resolved to keep an eye on his friend and make sure he was okay.

Then suddenly the door crashes it's splinges exploding, Ikki springs quickly on his feet. He can feel his heart pounding in his chest as he sees the hulking figure of a beastly men filling the doorway.

"Pairo, come on!" Ikki shouts, his voice filled with urgency.

Pairo stumbles to his feet, his eyes wide with fear. He's clearly disoriented, his speech slurred and his movements uncoordinated.

"Hey...what's happening?" Pairo stammers.

Ikki doesn't have time to answer. He just grabs Pairo and hoists him up onto his back, feeling the weight of the other boy pressing down on him.

"Hey.. Let me go!"

He activates his ability, feeling a surge of power coursing through his veins. His muscles bulge and his senses sharpen, making him feel almost invincible.

With a burst of speed, he charges towards the window, crashing through it in a shower of broken glass. He lands on the ground outside, feeling the impact jarring his bones.

But he doesn't stop. He keeps running, his mind racing with thoughts of escape. He can hear Uvogin's heavy footsteps behind him, following him with a steady have step that rumbled earth.

Pairo clings to his back, his breathing ragged and uneven. "What's happening?" he asks his voice shivering.

"We're being chased, We will play a tag game with those gentlemen's" Ikki says, his voice strained. "Just hold on tight."

They run through the narrow streets of the city, dodging past startled pedestrians and leaping over obstacles in their path. Ikki's mind is racing, trying to think of a way to escape their pursuer.

Then he spots it - a narrow alleyway, barely wide enough for two people to pass through. He veers off towards it, feeling Pairo clinging to him like a koala.

As they enter the alleyway, Ikki can hear Uvogin's footsteps getting closer. He knows that they're running out of time.

"Get ready, Pairo," he says, his voice low. "This is going to be close."

He runs towards the end of the alleyway, then jumps up onto the wall and uses it to push off to the other side, propelling himself and Pairo up onto the roof of the adjacent building, he barely mangaes to grab it edge.

They land with a thud, and Ikki can feel his muscles burning with the effort. He turns to see Uvogin standing at the end of the alleyway, his massive frame just standing there.

But then something unexpected happens. The man just smiles and turned around.

Ikki can hardly believe it. He turns to Pairo, who is still clinging to his back, and says, "Come on, let's get out of here before he changes his mind."

As they make their way to a safe spot, they hear footsteps approaching from behind.

Suddenly, out of the dark corner, Nobunaga comes out with his hand on the grip of his katana, sighs looking pretty out of it. Ikki tries to raise his katana to ready himself, but then he feels something swish slip right from his back, a heavy thud land, and something land on the pavement.

His brain is still not registering what just happend, he blinks and stares, "What is that?..."

"Haha!"

"Pairo, we need to run, so take your head and let's go," he looked blankly down

and collapsesed on his kneels with tears marring his face, cradling the head in his arms.

Nobunaga just stands there, looking sad and resigned. "I'm sorry," he says, his voice low. "We were ordered to bring his head back, We really need "

Ikki can feel his anger rising, fury overclouding his mind.

He still just stands there, cradling Pairo's head and feeling tears streaming down his face.

As the rain starts to pour down from the dark sky, Ikki feels like his heart ripping in to pieaces. The drops fall heavily on his shoulders, mixing with his tears and making it hard for him to see.

He holds onto Pairo's head tightly, feeling its weight in his arms. His heart is heavy with grief and anger, and he can't believe that his friend is gone....

'Gone Gone gone gone, forever, death has claimed his life as all of my family'

Nobunaga just stands there, looking sad and resigned in the rain. His words cut through the silence like a knife, "Just know that the price for his head will feed many children like you".

Ikki's eyes narrow as he realizes his friend's life has been reduced to nothing more than a commodity.

But Nobunaga knocks him out with the hilt of his katana before he can do anything. He traversed the distance so quickly ' Even the rain didn't noticed him moving', Ikki's solar plexus impacted his breath taken away.

As Ikki's eyes roll up into his head, he have seen Nobunaga's face imprinted in his memories, burning it and cradling it with a hand. He can feel himself slipping away into darkness, but he clings to the memory of Villagers, the memory of their language he kept, determined to keep him alive at least in his heart.

....

The rain fell ceaselessly, as though the skies wept over Pairo's death. Except for two people walking in the shadows, the city streets were deserted, as if the people didn't dare to encroach on it.

Nobunaga, a skinny man with piercing eyes, stood next to a large man with a square jaw and olive-toned complexion. They'd just finished a grueling task, and their focus had shifted to the fruits of their labor.

Luca, the big man, gazed down at the dejected youngster on the floor before returning his gaze to Nobunaga. "So it's done," he remarked with a wicked grin. He shook Nobunaga's hand with a hard and confident grip. "You have a nasty hobby there. As specified in the agreement, one of the eyes for us. After all, we did supply location information."

Luca's broad fingers immediately yanked the eye out of its socket, sending a horrible squish across the room. He placed it in a tiny container and sealed it. "Bah, I truly will never understand the whims of the rich," he commented, shaking his head.

"Oh and remember your boss, Chrollo owe us a small favor, a favor we may never call"

He then smile widely with his jagged teeths

"But please do remember that our family doesn't like to waste money"

The boy lying on the floor stirred, bloodied but still alive. Luca gestured towards him, asking, "What about him? Do we put him with the fishes? After all, you don't want an avenger on your tail."

Nobunaga assessed the boy with cold eyes. "No," he said dismissively, "the kid wasn't as good as I thought. He will never reach our level."

Luca nodded, his curiosity peaked. "All right, we'll take him. After all, we need some new blood, and he's got a lot of spirit. Perhaps he might keep an eye on our little lady." He came to a halt, a malicious smirk forming across his face.

"But first, we'll need to smooth out his temperament."

The rain continued to pour down as He made his way back to their refuge, soaking them to the bone. The young boy lay on Lucas' shoulder, his hand bruised and ankles sprained.

The sound of police sirens could be heard in the distance, but he paid no attention, after all they were on the payroll of his Don.

......

Kurapika sat in a darkly lit hotel room, fatigued after a long day of researching doctors. He switched through the channels on the TV, seeking a brief distraction from his troubles. As he flipped through the channels, his finger on the remote stopped when he spotted the headline that would change his life forever.

"Breaking News: Entire Clan Massacred in Brutal Attack"

As he peered at the TV, his heart hammered and visions of the awful incident flashed before his eyes. As she narrated the killing of 127 members of his clan and the message left by the killers, the reporter's voice seemed distant. Kurapika's eyes flashed scarlet, as if the embers of a dying fire were burning within them. He squeezed his fists, his claws sinking into his palms, possessed by rage and despair.

But as he continued to observe, he saw something strange. There were only 127 bodies identified, not 128. He realized there was still one person missing and knew what he had to do. With a renewed sense of purpose in his heart, Kurapika turned off the TV and stood up, a determined expression on his face.

He knew that he had to find the last survivor of the Kurta clan and make sure they were safe. He couldn't let the tragedy of his clan end with just him.

Kurapika gathered his belongings and made his way to the door, feeling a sense of urgency driving him forward. He had to act fast before it was too late.