Last chapter!

Conclusion Time

A knife cut through the air, its edge forming a wide arc just where a yellow figure was moments before.

The stark concentration on Gon's face was comedic when watched from a distance. A few autumn leaves clung to his hair, its coppery hues or red and brown contrasting with the green tinge that reflected the sunlight as always.

Killua gave a small sigh, putting his hands on his hips.

"So much for subtle," he commented.

Nagsia, to his side, gave no reply; his blue eyes were transfixed on Gon.

A week after the incident with Freyzard, Gon was officially a member of Class E and Nagisa was on his way to becoming a Nen-user. With Karasuma's permission, of course. Killua wondered if Korosensei knew Nen. He didn't seem to react much to its existence, but he never showed any signs of using it. Perhaps, like Gon, he had lost his nen too.

Suddenly Gon stopped, midway through a second attack, in a simple feint.

The worry on Korosensei's yellow face was momentarily there, faced with a surprising move, but it was quickly gone, replaced by his usual look of smugness. Even from this distance, from the top of the cliff in the forest, Killua could see the teacher's expression carefully.

"HAAAA!"

At the final scream, Gon throw his punch. Killua sighed again as it missed Korosensei's blurring form by miles.

But still, that feint had been good – simple but effective. Despite having never tried assassination before, Gon was surprisingly adept at it. Years ago, when Gon had told him he had stalked Hisoka for over a day, Killua had had trouble believing him. Now he realised what he had been missing: Gon wasn't just a fighter, he was a Hunter.

Assassin and Hunter. They were surprisingly similar, now that Killua thought about it. They both, to an extent, relied on underhand tactics and an uneven playing field, with strategic planning sometimes winning against strength. You only needed one hit. Your aim wasn't to win.

("I'm not an assassin anymore; I'm a Hunter.")

Killua had run from assassination for so long now, he had almost forgotten why. Yet here, at Class E, it was suddenly something he was forced to confront with on a daily bases.

And for some reason he found he didn't mind. No, killing wasn't the path he had chosen, but perhaps he would never turn his back on it altogether.

Korosensei had appeared behind Gon, his usual stripy face showing. Gon sensed him milliseconds later, turning with wide eyed shock. Was that a hairbrush in the octopus' hand?

"Killua, lessons start in ten minutes," Nagisa said from beside him. Killua got out his phone to check the fact; he was right.

Gon was laughing. Killua noted that the black haired boy's impossible spiky hair had been tamed down with some sort of gel, so that he looked like a magazine cover school boy. But excitement on his face was as genuine and innocent as it always had been. Killua found a smile of his own slipping onto his face.

There was just enough time for one last thing.

As he slipped his hand into his uniform pocket, Killua's fingers touched a smooth, rounded surface of anti-Korosensei material. Karasuma had given it to him yesterday. Killua took out the bright yellow yoyo and put the loop of string around his middle finger. Without batting an eyelid, he stepped forward.

The wind was rushing across his face, whipping his platinum hair backwards. Gon saw him and their eyes met; suddenly, it seemed, both of them knew what the other was going to do. As Killua swung his yoyo towards Korosensei's face, Gon readied himself for another attack.

"As long as she has that power, it will always be a risk, Killua-kun. Whether that risk is something to take, is ultimately her own choice," Korosensei explained.

Killua didn't reply. The silence sat heavily in the air for a long while. The man introduced as Karasuma stood sternly in the corner of his office, watching carefully without interrupting.

Nanika? With no powers?

Alluka tried to think about what that would mean, or whether it was even possible. True, they hadn't used Nanika's wish granted ability for over a year and nor had they thought they would ever use it again. However, it had always been a part of her and she wasn't quite sure how she would feel if she lost it.

But it wasn't Alluka's choice. It wasn't her power.

I don't mind. As long as Killua pats my head!

"Nanika… are you sure?"

All eyes – Killua, Karasuma and Korosensei's – were on her. No wishes…

Killua had never said it, but he had implied it enough times. It was Nanika which made her special… different and was the reason the whole family had argued so fiercely. Without Nanika's wishes, perhaps everything would be better.

"Alluka?" Killua asked, a little trepidation evident in his voice.

"Let me think," Alluka said. "Let us think." Nanika stirred inside her.

"Of course, it is your choice if you wish to kill me now," Korosensei said. "My life is in your hands."

Killua stared at Korosensei. Alluka knew what he was thinking today, plain as day. Nanika had always been a backup plan, hadn't she? In case Korosensei couldn't be assassinated by the end of the year, Nanika was always there to grant wishes. Alluka wasn't sure what choice was right.

"Why? Why are you doing this?" Killua asked.

"Doing what?" Korosensei asked, his smile unfaltering.

"Threatening to destroy the world. Teaching," Killua explained. Korosensei was so infuriating sometimes - like he was the puppeteer of his own little stage, playing a game that no one else had full vantage of. But it wasn't a game. This stage was meant to teach.

"Before you make your decision, Alluka-san, Killua-kun, Nanika-san. There is one thing I want you to hear," Korosensei said.

Alluka turned to Korosensei.

"What's that?" she asked.

"My past," Korosensei said.

-o0o-

A day later the decision was made. This time, Killua, Alluka and Nanika sat alone in their apartment's living room. Killua was unnaturally sombre, although Alluka and Nanika tried to cheer him up as much as possible.

"It's not like we're leaving!" Alluka teased, pocking her brother in the ribs. They weren't. Nothing would change, other than the fact the two of them would be just ordinary children. In fact it was a giant weight off their back, with no more fear of wishes to juggle.

"Sure?" Killua asked.

"Yep," Alluka returned with a cheerful grin.

"You can think about this if you want."

"We're sure," Alluka said firmly. They didn't kill Korosensei in the end. Killua might have contemplated, but Alluka most definitely wouldn't allow it. More than anything, Class E's success relied on this and the two had no right to take this from them. The world would probably be alright anyway, whatever doubts anyone held. There was a silent agreement, however, that Gon wouldn't be told.

("I will die in a year's time, whether through assassination or not.")

She closed her eyes.

Can you come out? Alluka asked Nanika.

'Kay.

The world slipped to black.

("Nanika. This is my final order to you. You are forbidden from listening to anyone's wishes again, even from me." "'Kay…")

When Alluka returned to the normal world, Killua's expression was a little odd, staring at her expectantly. In contrast, Nanika seemed overjoyed, apparently having got a pat from Killua. Alluka knew what had been done. She didn't feel sad. On the other hand he felt kind of light.

"I love you Brother!" she said. Killua smiled back, genuine and cheerful.

"Gon's probably gonna be back soon," Killua said, glancing at the clock. Alluka smiled sweetly.

"I think I should eat all the chocolate."

Killua stared at her, anger on his face that didn't reach his eyes.

"You wouldn't!" he cried melodramatically.

("Gon needs you, Brother. But that doesn't mean you have to be with him every second of his life!")

Killua's yoyo missed Korosensei by millimetres. The spinning end travelled in a wide arc and hit a nearby tree, bouncing off with a loud thud. It wasn't as strong as the yoyos Killua was used to, as the new material compromised the weight. Gon's punch also missed but it was stratifying to see the hue of panic appear on Korosensei's face.

"Damn!" Gon said loudly.

Killua landed at the bottom of the cliff effortlessly, unperturbed by the massive drop.

"Nurufufufu."

Korosensei's laugh was as conspicuous as usual. Killua felt the large presence behind him and turned around slowly. After a few weeks in Class E, he had gotten used to the teacher's presence suddenly appearing behind him, as Korosensei had a tendency to do.

"More imagination. I always tell you this," Korosensei said, holding up a tentacle. "However, Killua-kun, your teamwork has improved immensely over the past week." Killua shoved his hands back into his pockets and sighed.

"You're too fast. It's unfair," he said.

Korosensei's smile widened. He was holding a suspicious amount of hairbrushes in his many tentacles.

Killua took a shaky step backwards.

"Umm… I need to go," he said quickly. He didn't hold a single chance. Korosensei was on him in an instant, brushing his usually puffy hair down and straightening it. Killua threw a knife at him but it missed by metres.

"You…" Killua started.

"See you in Class," Korosensei said and he was off, a yellow streak zooming through the sky.

Gon was laughing at him. From the top of the cliff, Nagisa was too. Killua shot both of them a half-hearted glare. Putting a hand to his head, he winced as he realised the state of his hair, now lying flat on his head.

"Idiot! You're hair's not much better!" Killua shouted at Gon.

Gon didn't stop laughing. If anything he started laughing harder, holding his stomach.

Killua frantically ruffled his hair, attempting to return it to its original position.

"We should go to class," he said.

Gon stopped laughing, finally.

"Aww… Killua! Classes are boring!" He had exploded in maths yesterday, to the horror of many of his classmates. They were still trying to convince the rest of the class that Gon was alright.

"Idiot," Killua said again, hitting him hard on the head. It wasn't a serious punch, although Gon rubbed his head with a pout on his face.

The awkward stiltedness of their conversations had disappeared almost entirely after the whole incident with Tadaoka and Freyzard. Perhaps risking their lives had jolted them suddenly back into their old routine of trust.

"Fine," Gon whined.

Together, they headed off to the first lesson of the day.

A single rose slipped out of place in the plastic bucket and fell soundlessly to the ground. Its colour was white as snow, shining almost translucently on the dusty pavement where it lay. The man who worked at the small flower shop picked it up with thin, delicate fingers before carefully flicking away in dirt that clung to its petals. It wasn't as sturdy as its darker varieties, but with care it was a rose that could thrive quite spectacularly.

"Electricity," he muttered quietly under his breath.

There was a small smile on the shop keeper's face. It was silent and still, a strange dissonance to his otherwise warm features. He studied the rose for a second more before he slipped it back into the bucket with the rest of the flowers, next to a light pink rose with a soft scent.

"And the Hunter who can't use Nen."

From a different bucket, he picked up another flower, a bright yellow sunflower with dark leaves. With some clippers, he trimmed the edge of the stem before slipping it in-between the flowers at the back of the bucket.

A shame Tadaoka and Freyzard was defeated. I was optimistic about that plan.

He really was the only person he seemed to be able to trust. To be honest he had predicted this – one reason he had gotten Tadaoka to orchestrate it, instead of himself.

He would have to make a personal appearance on the stage soon.

He stared the odd variety of different flowers in the plain black bucket. There didn't seemed to be any pattern to the type of flowers – from a small daisy to a bright camellia. Some were out of season but he was the Master of Cultivation and no challenge could deter him. His collection had grown from the start of the year.

Such beautiful flowers were just waiting to be picked.

Despite being the Master of Assassination, he had never dealt with such a large group. Not that it would matter. He was the Master of all plans. He never failed.

And that's it! I feel like it's been so long since I started writing thisXD

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