Part 56: Still X Not X Free

"Are you Pisacco?"

The short sudden silence between us caught my attention, couldn't be able to know why he didn't answer my question. I turned my head around to see his face, only to witness his eyes widened out of shock, couldn't believe that he would hear that name.

But seconds past, he lowered his head and showed a wide sincere smile to me, confirming my question without saying anything.

"So you came all the way here for me?" He said as he stopped wrapping my arm with my bandages. I took the turn from him and finished what he started. "I assume you wanted your arm to be removed."

"Y-Yes..." I answered, still getting dizzy after taking the depressant, but at least, I couldn't hear the voices of my arm. How did he know about my objective? I understood that he knew about my arm because I exposed it carelessly, but the fact that he even knew that I'm trying to remove it really piqued my interest. "How did you... know that?"

"I once had a colleague. She had the same problem as yours." He answered, didn't even doubt me for asking it. It looks like he trusts other people too easily.

But after mentioning that topic about his colleague, a sudden realization came to my head. That woman he was talking about... could it be...?

"You mean... Manisty?" I asked, unsure if I really did the right thing.

His eyes widened in shock, couldn't be able to determine how I got that kind of information. But it didn't last long, as he rotated his head, staring at nothing in a far distance.

"So someone told you, huh?" He tried to ask, which I nodded to confirm. " Well, it's not my problem they will get exposed."

After thinking about the consequences that the 'they' he was talking about, which I assumed those Chimera Ant soldiers that I just fought before, he turned to look at me.

"You're right. She's Manisty, the mantis. Unlike you, she didn't request for my help and tried to do everything all by herself." He started explaining, as I listened. "She said that after she was being eaten by the Queen and gone through rebirth, the monster in her arm vanished."

"But what she didn't know... is that it's still lurking inside her, and every time, I can feel it. And it's not in her arm anymore." He lowered his voice, trying to increase the tension of the story. I don't know what the reason behind this, but I continued to listen.

"It's in her head." Those few words widened my eyes, as I couldn't believe what happened. How did that end up in her head?

"She refused to believe this and just accepted the lie that the monster wasn't there anymore. So I decided to follow her since my past life of being an Exorcist came back to me."

"These mysterious Nen Beasts who tried to take over people's bodies, are dangerous threats." He lowered her head and grasped for both of his hands, anxious about different scenarios he could think of once these monsters will start to invade, like how the Chimera Ants are doing. "Once they made it into your mind, you wouldn't even notice that they were there."

I also looked down, thinking about the possibilities and dangers they will bring to humanity, and I didn't even think of this kind of thing before since I only focused on removing the curse.

"But just as I said, unlike you, she wasn't careful. So I can count on you that you've done your research about it." He said, raising his head to go back to our business. I was too distracted by the future that I forgot about the present task.

"But you know that I couldn't remove a Nen Beast completely. I can only take a portion, and it might be risky for you. You may experience pain, loss... even death." He lectured, with his arms crossed on his chest, trying to discuss the matter with me.

After hearing the conditions, I lowered my head, starting to doubt my decision of going here. But I know I can't turn back. I already started this mission, so I must end it as possible.

"I-I'll do it! I'll do anything!" I shouted with enthusiasm as I stared at his eyes, showing that I'm determined to accept any consequences. Even though I don't know what will happen to me after this, I know that I made the right thing of removing my arm.

"Are you sure? You're sacrificing yourself." He asked, trying to give me second thoughts about it and change my mind. But... I remembered my father, Gon, Killua, and my other friends that have been by my side. They accepted me despite the monster living inside my body.

"I would rather sacrifice myself... than seeing my friends suffer because of me," I spoke, lowered my head once again, trying to be strong for them. I couldn't let my arm hurt them. I promised to be stronger to protect them. And the first thing that I must protect them from... was myself.

"Taking care of yourself is another way to keep them from suffering. You should remember that." He replied, still doing his best to stop me from my goals. I understand that he tried to save my life from my reckless actions. But I just couldn't get out of here with my arm still sticking with me. I swore to remove it right from the start of my life.

"What's the point of taking care of yourself... if you couldn't even take care of the ones you loved?" I answered, trying to fight him through the weapon of the words. "I've been living with this arm my whole life. I was ridiculed, bullied, and even got sold to an auction. I killed many people with this... and I couldn't let it kill the people that are precious to me next."

We stood in the middle of the hall in silence. The sound of the war coming from above didn't bother our argument at all. I looked at him, with my eyebrows almost stick to each other as I tried to win this staring contest.

But it didn't last long, when all of a sudden, a wall of the room suddenly exploded, scattering the cemented debris all over the floor. Pisacco and I sprinted back, avoiding the unexpected attack.

The explosion made a large hole in the wall, causing the remains to fall on the ground, couldn't be able to bring them back together. Then, suddenly, a figure of a Chimera Ant showed up on the hole.

"What do we have here, Wynn?" A female voice can be heard from that direction, but none of us answered her call, even Pisacco, who was currently called Wynn. The Chimera Ant walked towards us from the shadows, finally revealing herself. She has a lower body of a mantis and an upper body of a naked woman. Thankfully, her long curly hair covered her private parts, so I didn't have to cover my eyes from the unpleasing view. Based on her characteristics, this must be Manisty. I didn't expect that we'll be meeting this fast.

Kill.

Suddenly, I can feel my arm growing...

Why? Why does it have to be now?

"An intruder? You know that's not very good?" Manisty said as she crossed her mantis arms with sharp blades on her chest, not pleased by my companion's treat on her.

"Manisty, this is..." Pisacco turned around to see me, realized that he actually didn't know my name yet.

"Secco," I answered.

"Miss Secco. She has the same arms as yours before." He continued his sentence earlier, pretended that his lack of information about me didn't exist at all. Well, I can't blame him, since I only came here for his exorcism.

"Oh. So she's seeking help from you. What a weakling." She said while she looked at me with a wide smirk on her face as she tried to cover it with her arm, trying to mock and insult me with her words. I didn't care about her opinion, actually. As long as my arm will be removed, I'll get out of here as soon as I can, and will help the others in the infiltration. "We know that your power to cure curses isn't working, so why this lady bother to go to you?"

"Look, young lady. I removed the monster alone, by letting myself became a Chimera Ant. You don't need Wynn to do that." She added as she walked towards me with her tall sharp legs like a crab, her every step brings holes to the floor we're standing. I could feel my heart started to beat faster than before, as my sweats started to pour. I can also feel my arm growing into a monster, and I don't know why.

"You can be free from the arm!" I can hear her breath as she leaned closer to my ear, trying to control me with her voice. I don't care about what she's gonna say, but the fact that she had those sharp arms and legs made me feel fear. But I didn't show it and still keep my face fearless. "All you have to do... was to become a Chimera Ant. Come with me and I'll let you become one."

"No," I answered with her offer, with my eyebrows almost stick at each other.

"What?" Her eyes widened out of the shock of what I have been saying. It looks like anytime now, she'll snap all of her identity out.

"You aren't free yet. I can still feel the dark aura surrounding you." I explained, still staying with my serious face. Pisacco said that she was too blinded by the fact that the monster is still there. "Your arm may be gone, but the monster is still lurking inside your head."

My explanation was being followed by a long silence between us three. My friend was just watching the whole scene to move along, I'm just waiting for Manisty to reply to me, and she was just lowering her head, didn't want to show her face.

"N-No..." She whispered as she was still lowering her head.

"No! No! No!" She continued shouting, as she raised her head with a shocked and twisted face. Her eyes were dilated and widened as ever, causing the pink nerves of her eyeball to show up in every corner. "That's impossible! I've rid of it!"

"You didn't. It's still–"

"Shut up! Shut up! You don't know anything about me!" She yelled again, keeping me from saying anything that will contradict all of her statements. I have a feeling that this won't go in a good direction. "I removed it! I removed it! All by myself!"

"You're just trying to manipulate me! That's right, you're manipulating me!" Her smile became wider than before like it was being sewed and forced. I can see the sweats pouring from her forehead, and the way she breathes is becoming more aggressive than before.

"I'm not! I just want–"

"Noo!! You shut your mouth, you little b*tch!" Then, I finally knew she snapped. She is turning from a manipulative woman, into an unstoppable beast. Her arm blades doubled as it grew from her original arms. I noticed that the skin on her forehead started to turn into wrinkled purple ones, the same as my arm.

'Kill.'

My arm continued to grow, way faster than before, making the remaining bandages wrapping around it to let loose and fall on the floor. I can clearly see the intense red eyes popping out of it, one by one. It must be Manisty that was triggering it to grow.

"I've worked hard for this! And I won't let you destroy it!"

Now, with her mind, that cannot be stopped from wreaking havoc, and my arm that started to grow without any control, the messed up battle between us finally begun.