The silence of the palace ship was always temporary.
Even in the night, dreams screamed. Some from desire, some from madness.
Tonight, both would find a voice.
⸻
🕷️ Hisoka's Entrance
It began with a flower.
Placed delicately on the threshold of Orien's royal suite—a lily, stained in blood.
And a card.
♠️ "Let's see if your dreams scream when they bleed." ♠️
Orien stood over the message, emotionless.
Mora stared in disbelief from the Mind Palace feed.
"He's making his move already? Hisoka never strikes without chaos."
Kaen's expression was unreadable, eyes fixed through the crown-link.
"Then we give him the chaos."
⸻
🧠 Command: Dreamspace Inversion
Kaen reached for a deeper layer of his Crown—a mirror within a mirror.
Command: "Invert the waking."
At that moment, reality within Orien's quarters twisted.
Walls became fluid. Shadows bloomed with impossible light. Gravity curled in curves.
The Mind Palace Dreamspace had layered itself over the Succession Ship.
Now, Hisoka would be fighting within Kaen's rules.
⸻
💥 Battle Begins: Hisoka vs. Orien
The suite exploded inwards as Hisoka entered without hesitation, his aura sparking with glee. The force of his leap shattered the illusion of doors—he moved like a painter slashing at canvas.
"Come now, Little King! Let's find out how real your dreams are!"
Orien countered fast.
His aura surged, focusing around him like orbiting moons. The Constellation Beast that followed him spun violently, creating pressure points in space where Hisoka's bungee aura couldn't attach.
"Spatial denial… interesting," Hisoka muttered, evading them like he was dancing.
The room folded in on itself. Kaen was pushing the boundaries now—scenes from Orien's training briefly appeared, flashing on the walls.
A memory of Renzu punching.
Mora's lectures.
Kaen's words: "Adapt, even if it means dying to be reborn."
Hisoka laughed.
"A memory palace and a Nen beast? You really are the King's toy!"
He attacked.
Orien blocked the first card with a whip of aura, spun low, then used his Nen Beast's gravitational field to force Hisoka to shift trajectory midair—only for Orien to meet him in mid-jump with a strike to the chest.
CRACK.
Hisoka's ribs cracked—but he smiled wider.
"Good. Now let me show you how clowns bury kings."
He twisted mid-air and threw a card laced with Bungee Gum to the ceiling, launching himself behind Orien—who barely dodged.
⸻
🧠 Kaen's Voice Echoes
From the mirrored corners of the dreamspace, Kaen's voice echoed into Orien's mind.
"He's not trying to kill you yet. He's testing how real you are."
Orien breathed heavily. The edges of his aura frayed, his Nen Beast flickering.
"Then I'll prove it."
⸻
🔥 First Kill
Hisoka made a sharp movement—and a hidden blade flicked from his sleeve, catching Orien across the cheek.
Blood splattered the mirrored floor.
Hisoka's grin widened.
"You bleed like a dream too. What happens when you die?"
Orien closed his eyes—and pushed all aura into his hands.
"Then let's die together."
His Nen Beast screamed, collapsing its gravity field into a single point, forcing Hisoka toward him.
In that instant, Orien drove his hand straight into Hisoka's shoulder, sending a surge of aura directly into Hisoka's internal circuit, distorting the flow—
Bungee Gum snapped.
The Spider tumbled backward, laughing, arm dangling.
"You did it. You broke my rhythm…"
Orien stepped forward.
"I don't need to kill you.
I just need you to respect me."
Hisoka stood. Laughed. Blood leaking from his side.
"Fine.
You've earned a smile.
For now."
And then—he vanished.
Gone in a flick of aura, leaving only the card embedded in the wall. It read:
"Next time, I won't play."
⸻
👑 Aftermath
In the Mind Palace, Kaen sat in silence.
Renzu stood nearby, still shocked.
"Orien… won. Against Hisoka."
Kaen raised a hand.
"He survived. That's more dangerous than winning."
⸻
🩸 A Forbidden Memory Unearthed
Back on the Succession War ship, Orien washed the blood from his hands when a glimmer caught his eye—beneath the broken floor tiles where the fight had raged.
A small metallic box, engraved with Kakin royal seals.
He touched it—and the Constellation Beast recoiled for the first time.
"Dangerous…?"
He opened it anyway.
Inside lay a fragment of parchment, a Nen-sealed memory log.
"Project DREAMWELL – Royal Psi Experiment 47A.
Memory Interface. Designed for Conscious Architecture Projection.
Creator: Unnamed Prince of the First Queen."
Orien stared in silence.
Someone else once tried to build a Mind Palace.
And it failed.
The Mind Palace trembled… just slightly.
⸻
🌌 Next Chapter: Chapter 48 – Dreamwell, Forgotten