Crimson Eyes and a Caged Beast

The clown visits the red-eyed one's shop,

bringing a deal for the moon.

On the doorstep of 1014, Shinigetsu dies,

and the important calendar stirs.

The cross no longer sits idly by.

He'll fight the clown to the death,

trading secrets with the red-eyed one

for a pass to hell.

Trapped in a cramped room, caught between two choices,

hell on one side, the abyss on the other.

What matters most:

the eyes, the head, or the baby?

◆ Set during the Hunter x Hunter Dark Continent Succession Contest arc, aboard the Black Whale, around chapter 406. This takes place before the Ninth Prince's funeral and before First Prince Benjamin issues the special military martial law decree.

◆ A short story, mainly about the standoff, scheming, deals, and alliance between Hisoka, Chrollo, and Kurapika. The general plot is laid out in the fake prophetic poem above.

◆ The story features an alliance formed in the midst of a standoff, with no continuation of the Succession Contest. It will abruptly end at a certain point, because I ran out of ideas. When I started writing, the 2025 HxH chapters hadn't been published yet, so there are lots of personal headcanons and made-up details.

◆ Content warnings:

(1) A Phantom Troupe member dies. Diehard Phantom Troupe fans, enter with caution.

(2) Not very friendly to diehard fans of Hisoka, Chrollo, or Kurapika. They all put pressure on one another. The story is all about confrontation and keeping one another in check.

(3) Out-of-character warning.

(4) Made-up nonsense and rambling that won't stand up to scrutiny. Updates whenever inspiration strikes. Very, very short. Enter with caution.

(5) I'll add more if I think of anything.

Theme: Growing in the face of despair