But maybe death would stop the ability from working.
Chrollo wasn't a good guy. Saving himself definitely mattered more than saving Saiki Kusuo.
The burning bandage dragged behind Chrollo like a long tail of fire. The flames didn't destroy it instantly—it burned slowly, crawling up toward him. He could feel the heat getting closer and closer.
So Chrollo didn't stop him. He just stood there, calmly watching as Saiki Kusuo slammed into the wall. Waiting for him to burst right through.
*Bang!*
"Ugh…" Saiki Kusuo's back hit the wall hard—but he didn't break through. He groaned, clearly in pain. That was rare.
Was Saiki Kusuo weaker now? Not exactly. His powers hadn't disappeared, but between the seasickness and the effects of his wristband, things had changed. His powers, which had always been stable and outward-facing, were now pulled back into his body. Even his physical strength wasn't enhanced. Either the power had shrunk back on its own—or the wristband had eaten it up.
But his powers weren't completely shut off. They were just acting… weird.
Chrollo didn't understand any of this. All he knew was that nothing was bending or breaking anymore. From his point of view, Saiki Kusuo was finally settling down.
Since he didn't crash through, Chrollo decided to go over and check. He couldn't let this unknown ability keep burning his book.
Carefully, Chrollo used the flaming bandage to touch Saiki Kusuo. He shook him. Lifted him. Still no response.
[I feel awful…]
A thought?
Chrollo jumped in surprise and called out, "Saiki? Are you awake?"
Bandages—foreign objects—were wrapped around his body. That triggered a response from Saiki Kusuo's powers. But they were too disorganized to launch a proper counterattack. His mind was foggy, so his abilities picked one of the most commonly used responses: telepathy.
A basic, but very useful skill.
Saiki Kusuo's feelings of discomfort—and the full sensation of his body—were instantly broadcast through telepathy to everyone within three meters.
But within three meters, the only person nearby… was Chrollo.
Suddenly, Chrollo was hit with a wave of dizziness so strong that the world seemed to spin. He lost his sense of direction for a moment, but quickly shut his eyes and slammed his arm into the nearby wall to steady himself. The danger wasn't over yet. At the same time, he started to feel heat.
Chrollo opened his eyes and checked himself—he wasn't actually burning.
He wasn't physically on fire. It was just that all of his heat-sensing nerves, especially in his brain, were being affected by some sort of telepathy. It was like his body was being told: *You're hot.*
Was it just a feeling? Chrollo knew Saiki Kusuo could use illusions—he had once disguised himself using them. Could this be that same trick, transferring his own sensations to others?
Still, Chrollo had a very bad feeling. If this kept up, things could go really wrong.
This was a level of misperception too real to brush off. Even if nothing was actually happening, the brain could affect the body. There were plenty of cases of people dying from illusion-based poisons. Sometimes they even died without touching a weapon.
If this continued, it'd be dangerous—not just for him. Saiki Kusuo, the one causing the illusion, had to cool down too.
Chrollo quickly had his fire-bandages lift Saiki Kusuo up to the rooftop and followed after him, straight into the rain.
The heavy downpour hit them both, easing the burning sensation slightly. But the dizziness suddenly got worse. Chrollo took a couple of steps and nearly couldn't walk straight.
He was seasick. The ship had been shaking violently from the tornado.
This was a mess… He couldn't even ask Hisoka for help now? Wasn't that Illumi-looking guy a Nen user too? Where were they?
The two of them were at the back of the ship. Everyone else was focused on keeping the ship steady. No one noticed what was happening to them.
Holding onto the railing, Chrollo fought the spinning in his head while trying to come up with a solution.
He needed to lower the heat, not just for himself, but for Saiki Kusuo too. His arms were going numb and he could barely move them. The rain helped, but not enough.
And the dizziness? That was from the seasickness.
To stop both, he had to get off the ship and cool down. So…
Would jumping into the sea work?
*BOOM!*
A lightning strike lit up the sky, followed by thunder that shook the air.
In this kind of weather—with a wild storm and a ship that could barely stay upright—was jumping into the ocean really an option?
Chrollo took a deep breath. The cold rain cleared his head a bit and helped with the heat.
He held onto the railing and slowly stood up, pulling Saiki Kusuo—who seemed to be half-conscious—along with him. The fire-bandages were the only thing holding him up now, wrapped tightly around his body.
The ship rocked again. Chrollo wasn't usually seasick, but now all the symptoms hit him at once. For someone as disciplined and normally calm as him, this loss of control was unbearable.
Time to jump.
Chrollo stood firm in the storm and made up his mind.
It wasn't overconfidence. His book had a skill that could help him survive in the sea. The problem was, the page with that ability had been burned by the fire, and he couldn't switch abilities easily. Unless…
Unless he could activate two powers at the same time, right before dying.
That would take a perfect contract, with tons of conditions and limits. And since one power was already in use, switching would be even harder.
But he believed he could pull it off. He just needed a clear head.
The ship rocked again, water rushing everywhere. The two of them slid across the deck, but Chrollo suddenly jumped. In mid-air, he spun once and landed neatly on a tilted pole caused by the shaking.
The storm howled. Tornadoes and thunder danced in the distance. But Chrollo was calm. In fact, he felt almost happy—danger this extreme brought a thrill with it. And through all the noise of mixed-up thoughts and feelings, he finally found something that was purely his.
The part of himself that Saiki Kusuo couldn't reach.
He had always been intense on the inside—excited by danger, drawn to challenges, even enjoying the dance with death.
Chrollo Lucilfer was never meant to be swallowed up by someone else's sensations. He would never lose himself like that.
Standing on the tilted railing, he looked toward the storm. The swirling wind and roaring sea looked like a giant dance floor, calling out to him.
His dizziness kept pounding at him. But now that he had decided to jump, he didn't want to spend another second on that ship.
He pulled his wrist sharply, yanking Saiki Kusuo with the fire-bandages. The arc of their bodies drew a curve through the air. Chrollo landed lightly on the side of the ship, then pushed off hard with his next step, kicking the railing with all his Nen-powered strength.
Just like a swimmer pushing off the wall underwater, he gave it everything he had. He picked the sturdiest part of the ship and kicked with full force, launching himself far away from the boat.
Too close, and they'd get sucked into the propellers. He needed distance. He might not make it back on the ship again. He would have to find another way through this stormy, raging sea…
What a risky move. But also, what a rush.
For a thief, it was nothing new.
Chrollo held his breath and hit the water.
…
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