The俠客 knew that 默爾絲 would come to him, and his sudden departure was due to receiving a message from her—默爾絲 hoped that the 俠客 would come to the airport to pick her up.
And the result?
The result was that he didn't pick anyone up.
默爾絲 set an extremely demanding, idealized time, and the 俠客 failed to arrive on time.
[Challenge Failed]
"Sigh—" the 俠客 held his phone in one hand, looking around the airport with a frustrated expression.
He had a slight thought that he might make it.
It wasn't the first time 默爾絲 had proposed a strange idea.
Although the content was clearly designed to make things difficult, 默爾絲 would not impose any substantial punishment on the 俠客, and failure was not a big deal; the key was the attitude of making an effort to complete the task.
She probably wanted to use this to verify if the 俠客 was dedicated enough to her affairs, much like how some women liked to ask men, "Between me and so-and-so, who is more important in your heart?"
...Much like a real "couple."
"Will the next activity be hide-and-seek?" the 俠客 sent a message to 默爾絲, and after waiting five minutes, he received no reply.
默爾絲 liked to play hide-and-seek, but not about technique.
She was always the one hiding. Her favorite hiding spots were cabinets, followed by under the bed; these were unoriginal and unchallenging locations, and she enjoyed them immensely.
Even knowing where she was hiding, the 俠客 still pretended to overlook her hiding spot. Even when opening the cabinet door, he wouldn't push aside the clothes rack that could obscure her figure, "Where is my 默爾絲?"
"Huh? Not here."
"This isn't right either."
"Where could she possibly be?"
After searching all the wrong places, the 俠客 finally came to her hiding spot, opened the cabinet door again, and as if suddenly enlightened, pushed aside the clothes, exposing her figure to the light, "...Found you."
Sometimes 默爾絲 would pull him into the cabinet, and sometimes 默爾絲 would let him carry her out.
Then they would become intimate, and 默爾絲 would be very excited; she truly enjoyed playing hide-and-seek.
But these were merely superficial things, not touching upon the true essence, and no different from all her previous partners.
Love is a game.
What the 俠客 wanted was not 默爾絲's superficial dependence on him, but a deeper, more profound "hidden path" that would allow him to see the internal structure by peeling back the outer shell.
The process of dismantling, fiddling with parts, and then rebuilding fascinated him.
The last person (the manipulator) who shaped a doll (默爾絲) to this extent was his imaginary enemy; he would overwrite the old code (model) with new code (model).
As long as 默爾絲 lived, the mental imprint left by the 俠客 would accompany her, following her like a shadow.
Compared to tattoos that couldn't be washed off, compared to scars that couldn't be erased... compared to these simple marks etched on the body, how could a mental imprint be more unforgettable?
The goal of the love game had already been set; he wanted to leave a significant mark on 默爾絲's life and then leave unscathed.
Of course, nothing goes perfectly smoothly, and 默爾絲 would also give him unexpected "surprises."
After searching in vain at the airport and returning to his residence, upon opening the door, the traces he saw were enough for the 俠客 to understand what had likely happened while he was out.
If he had to step into the scene to understand the current situation, then he shouldn't be called "Spider-Brain"; he should just be called "Pig-Brain."
Adhering to rationality, the 俠客 first took a shower, meticulously dried his hair with a towel, changed his clothes, and then proceeded to the scene.
The crime scene, with its door wide open, featured an obviously important invitation letter, and the 俠客 naturally had to "mind his appearance."
Moreover, he had a strong premonition, a premonition that a "hidden path of the game had been activated."
...In every sense of the word.
Like a party reaching its peak temperature, the crime scene was filled with an atmosphere of unrestrained enjoyment.
Was he interrupting?
No, neither the host nor the guests had intentionally hidden their presence. When the host returned to the residence, both parties were already aware of each other's existence.
The most important part of analyzing the current situation is understanding the underlying motives, because many human behaviors are often centered around a specific motive.
"Did you have fun?" the 俠客 leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, smiling at 飛坦, who was intentionally blocking 默爾絲, "You even forgot to close the door." httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
The ruined living room was likely the result of a fight between the two. Did 默爾絲 lose?
No, judging by the extent of the damage to the scene, it was clear that neither side had gotten serious yet.
Was it actually just a sparring session, similar to those with spiders (companions)?
"You came at the wrong time." 飛坦 deliberately didn't close the door, but his desire not to be disturbed was also genuine; his dissatisfaction was almost overflowing.
It's contradictory. If he truly didn't want to be disturbed, why not close the door? Or simply find another place and leave the room.
Did he want to be discovered immediately?
Based on 飛坦's contradictory behavior, was this 默爾絲's idea?
What was this?
Although the 俠客 wanted a hidden path in the game, the current hidden path was not within the scope of what he wanted to experience.
"No, I've come at the perfect time." the 俠客 lowered his arms, looked down at the silver-white spread on the carpet, or rather, at 默爾絲, the likely mastermind of this incident, "May I join, 默爾?"
Did the 俠客 mind sharing private possessions? The 俠客 certainly did.
Was the 俠客 generous with private possessions? The 俠客 was actually not very generous.
The 俠客's statement at this moment was not just a test of 默爾絲's attitude.
There was 飛坦, who was clearly more sensitive and less generous than him. As the saying goes, "Share your pain with a friend, and you'll halve your suffering," so this was also a retort to 飛坦.
"By the way, I forgot to inform you..." 飛坦 interrupted as the 俠客 was speaking. He knew the 俠客's words were barbed, so he also adopted a colder, harder attitude, "默爾絲 has broken up with you. She's my woman now."
As if to echo 飛坦's words, 默爾絲's slender fingers ran through 飛坦's dark blue hair, then his delicate wrist, and finally, their arms intertwined, wrapping around 飛坦's neck.
As a reward, or perhaps a punishment, 飛坦 pinched 默爾絲's waist lightly, "Don't move around."
Before continuing his interaction with 默爾絲, he needed to deal with the bothersome 俠客 first.
From the 俠客's perspective, he could see 飛坦's blind spot, and he could see 默爾絲's hand behind 飛坦's neck holding a small paper box out of thin air—默爾絲 had activated her Nen ability to store items.
All people are born equal, but those with power are more equal.
飛坦, who noticed 默爾絲's subtle action a moment later, even though he was very displeased, would not ignore or erase 默爾絲's personal intentions at this moment.
Because they were equal, damn it, equal.
"默爾絲, you have quite an appetite." If looks could kill, 飛坦's glare would have reduced 默爾絲 to a thousand pieces.
"Ah Fei, don't worry, I'll be as usual..." the 俠客 said mockingly, walking over and catching the invitation (small paper) box that 默爾絲 tossed to him, "I'll cooperate."
"Cooperate... work?" As far as 飛坦 knew, the 俠客 wasn't exactly someone who liked to share, and the fact that the 俠客's first action upon returning was to take a shower was too suspicious. "俠客, what are you planning? Are you two... plotting against me?"
Like the 俠客, 飛坦 also considered 默爾絲 the mastermind of this incident. The difference was that he considered the unusually behaving 俠客 to be 默爾絲's accomplice.
Regardless of the truth, all the pressure was now on 默爾絲.
"...Mmm." 默爾絲 let out a soft moan as 飛坦 pinched her waist forcefully.
She continued to hook her arm around 飛坦's neck, retracted her other hand, and covered her neck with her palm. The next second, a voice-emitting device appeared on her neck, and she spoke through it, "...Ah Fei... I'm so hot."
"Don't try to fool me." 飛坦's eyes were filled with a coldness that was the complete opposite of his body's heat; he glared at 默爾絲 without moving, "What do you want by setting up this situation?"
"..." 默爾絲 tilted her head, feigning thought, and finally said, "...I want to play. I want... to play together."
"Then you've come to the wrong person." 飛坦 grabbed her chin, "I've already told you, I don't like to share."
"..." 默爾絲 opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue.
A moment later, she raised her hand, holding a coin between her fingers—it was the special item used to resolve conflicts when the members disagreed. The coin was imprinted with a twelve-legged spider, the same pattern as the tattoo on 默爾絲's tongue.
In mainstream society, 飛坦 would undoubtedly be a dangerous criminal who endangered public order, but in the Phantom Troupe, 飛坦 was an undisputed model member, always adhering to the troupe's rules.
In the original Yorknew City arc, when he wanted to use torture on Gon to investigate, he clashed with Nobunaga but abided by the troupe rule of "resolving disputes among members by flipping a coin." When Chrollo was captured by Kurapika and taken hostage, he abided by the troupe rule of "the survival of the Troupe is more important than the leader's life" and unhesitatingly chose to abandon Kurapika.
But...
"This is not an occasion that can be decided by 'flipping a coin'," 飛坦 said with mockery in his voice.
"In that case, Ah Fei, are you playing for real, or is this a game?" the 俠客 suddenly interjected.
This question was very clever. If it was "playing for real," then according to the troupe rule of "no infighting," a "coin flip" was necessary. If it was "a game," then playing "coin flip" was also quite natural.
It seemed the 俠客 had decided to support 默爾絲, and the 俠客 did not intend to let go, at least not today.
The manipulator would rather suffer a hundred defeats than hand over his so-called "girlfriend."
Tsk.
飛坦 narrowed his eyes, "俠客, I have a whole new understanding of you today."
"We can gain even more understanding through the game," the 俠客's smile was as fake as a welded mask, and as unmoving as a welded mask, "How about it? Want to bet with us?"
"..." 飛坦 pressed 默爾絲's waist, because as soon as the 俠客 started speaking, 默爾絲 had begun to squirm restlessly, making him unbearable in every sense.
"Let's play... Ah Fei..." At this moment, 默爾絲 was completely different from her usual expressionless self.
The gap was so vast, it was as if she had taken drugs; her dull blue eyes were also shining with an unusual brilliance.
Yes, an unusual brilliance, as if she were broken.
"..." 飛坦 felt he might need to re-evaluate his deductions.
Before he could scrutinize the 俠客, 默爾絲 cupped his face, preventing him from turning his head.
"If we play together... I have something good to show you..." 默爾絲 said, "Something that even 俠客 hasn't seen."
"Oh? Really?" the 俠客's voice drifted from above, his voice full of energy, but his facial expression management was insincere, maintaining a cold demeanor. However, his expression was precisely at an angle that neither of the other two could see, and no one cared about his true expression, "I'm so curious."
"Then you'd better satisfy me." 飛坦 did not agree directly but took the spider coin from 默爾絲's hand. "As for whether to give you a chance to show it, that will be decided by 'this'."
飛坦 held the coin, flicked it with his thumb, and the coin spun into the air before falling. He caught it with the back of his hand, and his other hand simultaneously covered it, pressing down.
According to the rules, the person "flipping the coin" lets the other party guess heads or tails first.
"...Heads," 默爾絲 said.
Guessing heads or tails is a multiple-choice question with two options. After 默爾絲 chose one, the remaining option naturally belonged to 飛坦, "Tails."
Saying that, 飛坦 removed the hand that was covering the coin.
The coin landed with its tails side up.
"..." x3
After so much buildup, it all fell apart over the trivial matter of "flipping a coin." This was... a bit embarrassing.
She guessed wrong.
Right, she wasn't the protagonist and didn't have "protagonist's halo," so her luck was ordinary.
She was ordinary and lost due to her luck value.
She couldn't compare to the luck value of popular characters in the original work.
Yes, who did she think she was? What was she?
Once the halo given by the "Zoldyck family" was removed, she was just an unknown supporting character or a cannon fodder.
She was nothing; she was actually a loser, trash.
From 飛坦's perspective, he only saw her expression, like a cat whose tail had been heavily stepped on, filled with pain.
Rarely, no, this was an expression 飛坦 had never seen on her face before, so he was slightly dazed, and 默爾絲 snatched the spider coin.
Gulp.
默爾絲 covered her mouth with both hands and swallowed the coin.
"I don't want to!" she exclaimed after letting go of her hands.
"I want to play... I want to play!" she shouted this time, but still using the voice-emitting device at a normal volume. Only her expression indicated she was shouting.
She grabbed 飛坦's shoulders with both hands and pushed him to the ground with all her might. With such immense force, a normal person's shoulders would likely have been crushed. Oh, and a concussion from hitting the back of their head on the ground.
"Boohoo... I want to play!" 默爾絲, sitting on 飛坦, repeatedly mumbled, shaking his shoulders, "I want to play! I want to play!"
"..." 飛坦's face turned ashen, being forcibly held down in front of a companion (?) and unable to break free immediately.
"..." The heartless but (highly survival-conscious) emotionally intelligent 俠客 held back his laughter.
However, the culprit started crying, and while crying, she was almost crushing 飛坦's shoulders.
"..." 飛坦's veins were bulging in every sense of the word.
"..." The 俠客 was silent in every sense of the word.
默爾絲 cried without making a sound, only tears falling "pat, pat" onto 飛坦's chest.
As 默爾絲 shook his shoulders, the play of light and shadow on her face changed continuously as her hair, falling by her temples, blocked the light, giving the impression of many different crying expressions in a short period. Thus, 飛坦 also silently stared at her crying.
Men's inherent flaws lie in "uncontrollable physiological phenomena." Even though he was unwilling internally, 飛坦 gradually felt a loss of control. Out of consideration for his (unnecessary) (boring) (superfluous) male dignity, 飛坦 maintained a cold expression, suppressing the increasingly strong sense of loss of control. This caused his expression at this moment to be almost identical to his expression when he wanted to kill someone.
It wasn't until the 俠客 rescued him from his torment (?) that things changed.
The 俠客 placed his hands under 默爾絲's armpits and, like picking up a cat, lifted 默爾絲 away from 飛坦. Immediately after, the 俠客 placed a game controller into 默爾絲's hand.
While 飛坦 was in a battle of wills, the 俠客 had quietly prepared the game controller.
"?!" 飛坦, whose spoils had been snatched (?), immediately exuded killing intent that filled the 俠客's face.
"She wants to play together, doesn't she?" the 俠客 picked up another game controller, "The game for more than two people in the living room was broken by you two, so now only two people can play, and you'll have to take turns."
默爾絲 and the 俠客 were having a lot of fun. When the 俠客 teased her, she playfully stuck out her bright red tongue.
The black spider with twelve legs quietly rested on her tongue.
飛坦, filled with hateful resentment, reached out and pinched her neck, once again crushing the voice-emitting device on her neck.
Under severe suffocation, 飛坦 finally saw the "good thing that even 俠客 hadn't seen" that she had mentioned.
The magnificent, glamorous, marvelous, splendid... Scarlet Eyes, known as one of the "Seven Wonders of the World."
Unlike the Scarlet Eyes floating in specimens, filled with despair, pain, and death, these were a crimson hue stirred with madness.
Scarlet Eyes... 飛坦 hadn't guessed wrong earlier; the leader (Chrollo) had been seduced by 默爾絲's Scarlet Eyes.
Had the 俠客 really never seen her Scarlet Eyes?
At least from the 俠客's current angle, he couldn't see 默爾絲's Scarlet Eyes.
Whether 默爾絲's Scarlet Eyes were innate or replaced by some means later, 飛坦 didn't care.
飛坦 only cared about the present. He cupped 默爾絲's cheeks, fixed her head, and monopolized the entire view of her face.
"俠客, it's my turn now," 飛坦 said.
"En..." the 俠客 did not immediately comply. He first handed the game item to 默爾絲 before handing the game controller to 飛坦.
Of course, the 俠客 wouldn't just stand by idly. He constantly chatted with 默爾絲, interacting with her.
It was as if 飛坦, who was playing the game with 默爾絲, was merely a tool there to witness them being fed dog food and to add to their excitement.
...Damn 俠客.
How could 飛坦 fall behind?
The advantage of two people compared to one was that they could simultaneously attend to more aspects of 默爾絲.
Both the 俠客 and 飛坦 were experienced and mature men; they wouldn't miss any of 默爾絲's potential needs.
In their confrontation, they gradually reached a tacit understanding, no longer deliberately competing with each other but switching to a relay race, filling in each other's weaknesses.
默爾絲 didn't have a chance to feel empty for even a moment, constantly being bombarded by their offensive.
One of the most important reasons why opponents could achieve cooperation was the establishment of a common "enemy."
That's right, the 俠客 and 飛坦 wanted 默爾絲 to truly experience the consequences of gluttony.
The best way to make someone lose their appetite is to make them eat until they're full.
This was the first time the 俠客 had seen 默爾絲's Scarlet Eyes, and also the first time he heard 默爾絲 call out "Mom."
"Boohoo... Mom... Mommy..." 默爾絲 cried.
Since he had the opportunity (to cooperate with 飛坦) to punish 默爾絲, who had betrayed him, the 俠客 naturally wouldn't let it go.
The woman crying out "Mom" was ignored by the men. All of this combined made it seem as if the 俠客 was bullying a mentally disabled woman.
"..." 飛坦 had seen similar scenes. In fact, such things happened quite easily. The weaker the prey, the easier it was to hunt.
"Does it feel like bullying a mentally disabled woman?" the 俠客's words were self-aware, but his expression was not, clearly deriving a different, bullying pleasure from it.
"俠客, even I think your interest is a bit perverted," commented 飛坦, a seasoned enthusiast of torture.
There were probably very few people in the world who could be called "perverted" by 飛坦, right?
"..." The 俠客 was momentarily stunned by 飛坦's severely inaccurate and sharp remark, "I've never done anything like this before."
"Who knows?" 飛坦 scoffed.
"Hey, hey..."
Before the 俠客's complaint was finished, 默爾絲 scratched his chin.
"Tsk." 飛坦 glanced at 默爾絲, "俠客, are you incapable? If you are, let me step in."
"Ah Fei, if you were truly capable, she wouldn't have added me." With things having reached this point, the 俠客 decided to go for a mutual destruction with 飛坦.
After that, there was another mêlée of shared enemies.
默爾絲's most cherished hair was also dirtied... no one knew who did it, and both the 俠客 and 飛坦 denied it... She originally wanted to call a truce and go take a bath (of course, the emphasis was on washing her hair), but the 俠客 and 飛坦 forcefully dragged her back, determined to decide on a winner.
Although the 俠客 and 飛坦 used their numerical advantage and chose a war of attrition, as the ones initiating the attack, their stamina consumption was much higher than that of 默爾絲, who was on the defensive.
When they exhausted their stamina, 默爾絲 still had enough energy to lean against the wall and go to the bathroom to wash.
In response, the 俠客, a non-combatant of the Troupe, chose to lie down, while 飛坦, a combatant of the Troupe, displayed an unyielding will and, after slightly recovering his stamina, went to the bathroom, leaning against the wall.
The bathroom was unnervingly quiet.
After the post-brawl mêlée, 默爾絲, covered in injuries, fell asleep in the bathtub water fully clothed, or perhaps resembling a corpse brutally murdered.
After checking her breathing, 飛坦 released the bathwater, sat on the floor beside the bathtub, crossed his arms, leaned his head against the bathtub, and closed his eyes.
[Achievement Unlocked: A Three-Person Movie]