Ch. 4

"Give it BACK! GIVE THEM BACK!" She snarled as she pinned the man down to the ground, the Sword of the Creator dangerously positioned against his throat.

The man stared back into her fiery eyes with a blank look.

"No. I won't, Professor."

"How could you do this to me Chrollo?! Give them back!" She said as tears ran down her face, dripping down to the man pinned under her.

"Because I love you."

At those words, the woman angrily pressed the Sword deeper into his throat, drawing a thin line of blood.

But the blood was minuscule in amount compared to the ocean of red dripping from her own back.

"This cannot be love."

"But… you can't bring yourself to kill me, can you? If you don't love me back… kill me here and your powers might return."

The woman didn't move. But her hand shook slightly, unable to press her sword down any deeper than she already did.

"One day, Professor—no, Byleth—I'll take all of your powers. So that you'll be free. So that you'll become a mortal again."

"You'll never be able to," she spat out. "I'll never let you."

"But you already started to let me, didn't you?"

.

"Greed Island?" Byleth asked.

"Greed Island."

"Greed Island!"

Her question was met with two different emotions as one silver-haired ex-assassin merely looked slightly amused while the island boy looked completely ecstatic.

"So, do you know the game?" Gon asked with his eyes shining brightly.

"I do."

"Come on, give us the details! The price is crazy high and the only thing we might be able to find is through this memory card and this ring Gon's father left us." Killua said as he lifted up a familiar ring to Byleth's face.

The azure haired woman sighed.

"Typical Ging. He has no common decency other than leaving you with a single ring. Are you sure you want to find him, Gon? He's a terrible man."

"He's a bad person?!" Gon exclaimed with wide, concerned eyes. "B-but… he's my dad!" He looked so hurt.

Byleth flinched.

"W-wait. Please don't be sad Gon. He's not… exactly…? I just don't like Ging because he broke his promise to me. So once you find him, I just hope you know that it won't be pleasant for him."

"Yeah, yeah whatever. What you say won't deter us. So do you know this game?" the ex-assassin asked with a sly smile. "Or if you knew Ging, do you know where you can get us a copy?"

"I know where we can get a copy, but you're going there anyway, aren't you?"

"Huh?"

"Yorknew City. There's a giant auction that will happen and without a doubt, there are going to be copies of Greed Island sold there. Just a warning though, boys. It's not going to be cheap. We might not be able to buy it."

That was actually untrue. Byleth had plenty of money. But she didn't have to say such a thing to these boys yet.

"What's with that price tag anyways?"

"I can't say. Literally. When Ging and his friends developed the game, I had to sign a confidentiality document. It's connected to Nen, so I, unfortunately, can't say some things until the contract ends in thirty more years."

"Ehhh? Why did you have to sign such a document?"

"They used some of my Nen powers for the game, you see."

"What?! You were that close to Ging?" Killua asked with wide eyes. His friend mirrored his expression.

"We were, but not anymore. I haven't talked to him in twelve years." She sighed. "And please don't expect me to have a copy of that game. I haven't even played it myself."

Killua clicked his tongue in disappointment. "Dammit, woman. Are you sure that you'll even be a good teacher if you can't get us the game?"

"Hahaha… Killua…" Byleth gave a dark laugh. "Do you really want to find out for yourself?"

Killua visibly gulped at the Nen aura shrouding him. Gon laughed awkwardly, unsure if he should interfere or not.

His friend was really bad at dealing with women…

.

"Hey… just a question, Byleth…" Killua paused to glance toward the woman while resting his chin on the ledge of the blimp windows. "…sensei. How is it that you know my gramps so well? There's no way for him to just ask for you to chaperone me."

Byleth gave a mysterious smile while looking up from the book she was reading. It was one of those ancient texts that Killua has seen once or twice in his family's library. In the little corner next to the windows on the blimp, the azure haired woman rested her body against it comfortably.

"Now, telling you would be too easy, right? Maybe, if you ever find out how old I am, I can let you know." She said while turning a page.

"Huh, I bet you're a thousand years old or something." Killua said with a smirk, resting his chin on his palm and waiting for the reaction from his teacher.

But to his surprise, Byleth merely grinned with an amused look and continued scanning the page of her book silently.

.

"What do you think about your father, Gon?" Byleth said as she placed cards with Gon inside a breakroom in the blimp. Byleth mused happily that Gon had a lot of good luck on his side.

"My dad? Well… um… I don't know really, sensei" he said as he scratched the back of his head while almost showing off his hand due to his action. "That's why I want to meet him and see what kind of man he is myself! I wonder how strong he is. He's been a Hunter for so long after all!"

Byleth gave a soft chuckle while drawing another card from the pile.

"Don't be too surprised when you meet him Gon. He's still just a human. I know for sure that you'll grow to be even stronger than him."

Gon blushed a little at the compliment. "What about your parents, Byleth-san? What are they like?"

Byleth jumped back a little, caught unprepared for Gon to ask her such a question.

Seeing the conflicted expression on her face Gon, ever the kind boy, became flustered and tried to say that it was okay for her not to say anything.

"No, Gon. It's okay. It happened such a long time ago that I really never think about it. Unfortunately they both passed a long time ago. You know how sometimes, there can be birthing complications and you either have to choose the mother or child?"

Gon nodded in understanding. After all, he has seen his animal friends in the forest passing when because of birthing complications before.

"Yeah, so I haven't been able to ever meet her, but I had an amazing dad. He's passed away too though.

"Oh… um, I'm really, really sorry for bringing it up, Byleth-san!" Gon bowed his head with a sorrowful expression and Byleth patted the young boy's spikey hair softly.

"It's alright. I told you because I'm okay with you knowing."

The game of cards was seemingly forgotten and the two sat in silence for a few moments.

But then Gon looked up, blinking as if he realized something important.

"Ah! But you know, we're really similar!"

"Oh? What do you mean?"

"My mom also passed away when I was born. Or at least that's what I think." Seeing Byleth flinch and stare back with wide eyes, Gon frantically tried to soothe the woman. "Wait, but I'm okay that I didn't know my mom. I have Mito-san and she's like a mother to me."

But Byleth felt even more hurt when she heard those reassuring words.

"O-oh!" Byleth gave a strained smile. "I'm glad you have such a great aunt like that. Mito-san seemed like a wonderful woman. She is definitely a great person to have as a mother-like-figure."

And the azure haired woman quickly excused herself, making sure that the little boy didn't see the tears falling from her eyes.

.

"You chose to not tell him. What did you even expect?"

"I know."

"But you can choose to tell him."

"…No… I can't. Especially not now, Sothis. Not when I haven't gotten them back. Not when my mistakes roam the world. If I let Gon know, then I might pull him in more danger than he already is in."

"You already put him in danger by letting him be born."

"I know!" The azure haired woman yelled to the seemingly empty room. Then, hearing her voice echoing in the small room, she deflated. "I know… I want to say it. But what if he thinks I just abandoned him… although it's not wrong for him to think that I did if I ever do tell him. I left him to Ging and that piece of trash left him with his aunt! And now, we will no doubt run into my mistakes soon."

The green-haired apparition gave a sad smile and hugged her friend.

"Even though you have lived for so long, you're still a child, Byleth." The child goddess patted Byleth's head softly. "You can make Gon stronger. You'll be the one teaching him after all. "

Byleth hugged the apparition back with sorrow-filled eyes.

"They can never know about Gon. Especially Chrollo."

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