Chapter 13: End of Preliminary
There lived a group of warriors; they were called Saints. Champions of the cosmos, controlling the power within themselves - their cosmos. Their bodies were their weapons, carrying the strength to crack the earth with a kick, and pierce the sky with a punch. Among these groups of warriors, bringers of peace and justice, fighters for Athena - the Goddess of War and Wisdom, there is one Saint; a warrior strength in body and at heart. A passion that cuts fire, and a courage that overcomes impossible odds.
His name... is Saint Seiya.
Emma stared at the young man who held such a young face. In armor like a knight, with a crown-like head piece like a prince. Having punched that large beast at its face, his fist firing as if they were shooting stars, fists that held such a power. She would have such dreams, to have such strength, to lift heavy objects or go against much bigger foes with her own little arms, the realm of whimsical fantasy, but was grounded in admittance of her own capabilities even as an athletic child. Essentially, she dreamed, and is resolute to the point of being unreasonable, but still knew to be sensible.
To do such amazing things, she would pursue it, but it was not so simple as to say that she could just wall-run up a tall obstacle, tear a tree right off from the ground and swung at her opponents, punch a creature that sought to kill with these little fists. She was a dreamer who had to accept the foundation of what was physically possible - like wanting to use a rocket launcher but not having the arm strength to use it, so she had to compromise, and find a much smaller weapon to wield. A compromise, like having to leave behind the youngest in order to secure the path to freedom. She could still hope, she could still sprint for that better path, but ultimately, it was not within her power to decide if something or someone were to accept her plea-
The nameless man who knew insufferable loneliness and survivors guilt, who knew of a family, and who had been just like her, wanting to reach the Human World.
Or deny it, and let her be succumbed to the trials of survival and despair.
The tall demon in dark clothing, his vice for a worthy opponent, slaughtering and sparing children for his own search of a true battle, merciless and hungry for a challenge.
Yet here was someone who looked so young, to have done something so superhuman, just like Garou, just like Gon and Killua. Once again, she was at awe of what human beings like herself can actually achieve.
She thought back on Seiya's statement. The words he said that left her drawing a blank, and then, epiphany.
Contact anyone within range!
I heard your call.
The action she had done that granted her the Contact Card, she had been vague in her request, but it was something she had to do if in case Gon and Killua were to have suddenly left the forest, she was also unaware of their full names, so she generalized. Because of that, the Contact Card must have opened a communication link with anyone, literally anyone, around the whole forest, in hopes that she may reach those boys.
And this armored fighter had been in the area. He had heard her call for Gon and Killua, everything they discussed between each other through the Support Card, and came as soon as it sounded that she and Garou were in trouble. He had come to help.
Garou observed in silence, a blank yet intense focus that acknowledged the person before him, a dawning click in his eyes not of recognition, but the instant thought that came at this person's appearance. They heard a rumble from the falling rocks of the hill the Greymon had crashed into, and the dinosaur-beast stagnantly rises, shaking its head to keep its consciousness, the fragments of its horned-helmet flying off.
Seiya turns back to the Greymon, his warm brown eyes turned stern, a hint of a grin. "Honestly, I never thought I would face something like a T-Rex here..."
The Greymon looked over with an intense glare.
"But then again, I've once fought a dragon," and there has not been a beast in his world that could compete the strength of a Saint. Seiya's hands then made motion, as if drawing some sort of shape with wings.
The Greymon lifted itself up, and its mouth began to fill up with fire once more. With amazing speed, Seiya sprung forward, a yell in preparation to his pulled-back fist, and he thrust forward his pointed knuckles. Slamming a punch to the body of the Greymon, his strength shocking and undeniable, the monster was forced further into the hill, breaking through completely as chunks of the hill scattered, and the Greymon disappeared through the cloud of dust.
He quickly looked back at the competitors that were still eyeing him with either great amazement, or odd scrutiny.
"Get somewhere safe! I'll buy you some time!" With that, Seiya dashes into the cloud of dust, and leaving their chance of escape through this large opening between the walls of flames.
They stared at the path he disappeared to for another moment, Garou especially even while his shoulder bled through his ripped fabric of a sleeve. Emma looked up as she heard his blood dripping and jolted. Her arms frantic for him, "Ah! We have to treat and close that wound up!"
He seemed to recall that the girl was there and blinked at her way, but then, a disturbance quietly tended the ground, and the sight of the skeletal ape he had punched into the ground, forcing its head out from his supposed to be killer punch. The face of its skull was completely crushed through, smashed little pieces that fell off one by one, but its vicious red eyes still sparked with intense life and hatred, emitting a deep release of a snarl through its broken face.
"That is one tough bastard..." Garou muttered, turning his defensive-offensive stance for the skeletal ape.
"It could be the same weakness, or maybe with enough hits from these enchanted arrows..." Emma grimaced with a thought, "But if it's reaction are too fast, it might just catch any arrow I fire, just like what that gorilla monster did before." And just like how she remembered Lewis could deflect bullets with not only his reaction but his terrifying speed.
Garou side-glances at her for a moment, and then back at the ape who was steadily rising, "In that case, think I can use that arrow you're holding?"
Caught off-guard by his request, while keeping her attention to the slow rising skeleton ape, she looked up at him confused. "The arrow? Just the arrow?"
"Pretty much," he said patiently expectant. A second later and Emma was able to fathom his planned intent. It was a risky thing though, one that could harm him as much as it would to this skeleton beast, but then she remembered the steaming state of the Undead Yasha Ape, the fresh smoke and new burnt scars it wore as if it had been dowsed in flames recent, much more recent than when she did so.
She came to that conclusion then, confirmed by Garou's own words here even if he had not said it outright, and however he had done it, he seems to have not suffered any burnt marks, and he was agile, his punches just as quick, if he could actually use this arrow...
A terrible feeling arose in their guts as the gravel behind them sounded in disturbance. They whipped around to see that right there, a near-dead skeleton beast that had endured the Greymon's direct fire breath, completely charred head to toe, not a remaining color of its bone. Yet its body still kept together, and as it physically stammered bit by bit, it reaches out with its skeletal hand intent to crush. Emma backed away, Garou averted his arms to strike the coming skeletal beast.
A yo-yo suddenly zipped over and around the outstretched arm of the skeletal beast, a tight close then to a single yank, and the string pulls the arm away, an instant crack of its bone that threatens to break through.
"Emma!"
A familiar young voice calls from the top of the gold glimmering hill, where the awaited for have finally arrived, panting from their sprint all the way to this point. Emma widely smiled at the appearance of her friends.
"Gon! Killua!" She shouted for them. She felt a disturbance at one of the pockets of her vest, and had glanced down in time to see the Contact card glow, and then vanished, having accomplished its goal and no longer needed with the contacted people now in the area.
Gon and Killua ran down the hill as the burnt skeletal ape reaches to grab the string, but the yo-yo released its arm and retracts back to Killua's grasp. Gon swung his rod, tosses the hook for the near-death skeletal ape, hooking the end at its eye-socket, and he pulled. The skeletal ape was forced down by Gon's quick reel of its head, the neck close to snapping right off after just a tremendous pull from Gon's own aura enhanced strength, until the hook broke through the edge of its sockets, due to the intense fire it suffered that made its once hardened bones to lose its toughness.
"Finally found you guys. It sure did took us a while," Killua said, rolling the string of his yo-yo as the item spun in a dashed circle beside him. He tossed his yo-yo then, shooting it for the head of the skeletal ape, however, even for its immense injury, the skeletal ape reacted quickly, moving its head just in time to avoid the direct strike, and with added resolve, unhinges its burnt through jaw of several jagged sharp teeth and bites down the string.
"Damn!" Killua attempts to pull it, but even for this highly injured skeleton, it did not relent. Gon sprung forward, revving up a fist to its side, but the skeletal ape saw the boy's approach, and in an expertly performed swerved with its practically now brittle body, send forward a might swing of its arm and fist.
"Look out-!" Emma started her aim of the bow and arrow in hand and Garou with his own expression of alert.
Gon narrowly dodges the skeletal ape's punch by jumping to the side, springing forward into a brief jump at the height of the ape, and swung a tough kick, knocking its head into further breaking, and forcing its jaw to drop and release Killua's yo-yo string, having the young ex-assassin to be returned of its weapon back into his grasp with a single pull.
As the boys dealt with the skeletal ape behind Emma and Garou, the first skeletal beast that stood in front of them acted and they turned quickly back to it.
The skeletal ape fingers shoved into the ground, and with a mighty pull, breaks a large chunk of the ground, and hurtles it towards them. Garou immediately and at this point a common action that he essentially does so casually much to Emma's own surprised bemusement of it - lifted the little girl by the back of her vest and takes her aside, the boulder however extends for where Gon and Killua were, and with a leapt while Emma hangs by her back-vest at his grip, he kicks the boulder with incredible power, and the boulder was pushed aside, and pushing himself aside as well.
"Still willing to lend me that arrow, kid?"
Out of her frazzled state of being picked up with such ease once again, Emma looked up at Garou, and then back down at the arrow she held, the first of her remaining five arrows. Gripping the stick in her hand as Garou sets her down carefully, his sharp eyes remained on the furious ape that was howling to the sky of the mountain's interior, she offers the arrow to him and he takes it quickly, secretly, before the skeletal ape before them would figure out their intention.
She started to say something, but Garou cuts her off with a blunt "Alright, now get going where your friends are."
Seeing the battle between the heavily injured skeleton ape that still held enough power to fight the agile Gon and Killua. There was a heavy hit against Killua's blocking arm at the burnt beast's wild swing of its arm, a pain grunt evident in the boy's expression but was protected by his Nen from any severe damage to his limb. Emma was startled at the sight, a quick glance back at Garou's back as he did not offer to look back at her, having firmly said enough.
Emma affirmatively frowned, "...Okay."
The first skeletal ape before them begun its next move, and with a terrible roar for vengeance, it launches itself for Emma and Garou. Emma started her run for Gon and Killua, and Garou stood his ground, facing the creature head-on, baring fingers as his wolf-like fangs, he swiftly moved away, avoiding the direct attempted throttle of the skeletal ape that smashed against the earth.
"You're tough, nothing but brute force," he delivered swift, fast-paced, and brutal punches to the side of the wild skeletal ape, breaking the tough bones under his fists, "But that's all you have. No technique whatsoever. No subsistence at all."
The enchanted arrowhead gripped in between his fingers, breaking off the stick until he was left with just the magic-imbued stone, his arms flowed calm river streams, and his fist burst through. "You're gonna have to do better than that."
He punched and broke through the rib cage of the skeletal Yasha Ape several times over, a performance of his mixed martial arts of unrelenting hits. The ape stubbornly endured, and swung its arm for him, but a mere duck spared himself from being grappled, and with the arrowhead poking out between the fingers of his clenched fist, delivers a powerful uppercut, the heels of his feet pressing against the ground for boost. He immediately lets go of the arrow as it sticks underneath the bone jaw of the skeletal ape, and his hand shot back as a burst of flames exploded the head of the skeletal ape.
Whirlwind Iron Cutting Fist!
With a broken arm and hand, he simply used his unbroken limb. It was not as affected without the full use of both arms, but it was enough. Razor sharpness from his cutting fingers that tackled the body of the screaming ape, and immediate silence as its head weakens considerably from the direct hit of the fire arrow, and a sudden pierce from his knife-like fingers that slices through the bone neck of the skeletal ape, it was an incredible tough beast that no mere cut of a meager weapon can actually do no more than stab into the bone, but weakened by flames of the enchanted arrow, Garou's attack swiftly diced through the neck and rest of its body like cut up sticks of vegetables, his fingers his kitchen knives, as sharp and quick as the movement of a katana sword.
The burning head of the skeletal ape tumbled over, crumbling into bits of ashes, the body of the monster that had been pushed far, limped, dropping to its knees and then ultimately crumbling under all of the bone-breaking attacks, and becoming nothing but piles of smashed femurs, humeras, ribs and all, laying defeated the remains of the skeleton ape, as it is eaten away by the reaching walls of flame around them.
"HAH!" Gon punches the blocking arm of the second skeletal ape, pushing it back by a few feet as its feet drags against the ground in durable brace, even in it's completely burnt state. Emma rushes around the ape, finding any opening she can achieve, but if the skeletal ape's reaction are just as quick as the Undeas Yasha Ape, then these arrows will prove to be useless, and she may have to switch to her rifle.
It's likely to be effective now, given the state of the skeleton beast before them, but she must ensure this while Gin and Killua were not at direct confrontation against the skeletal ape, and be in the way of her firing. Even for their power, she can't imagine how much strain these boys are undergoing, considering their expressions to the tough injured beast before them. It was so comparably reminiscence to their fight against Garou, except he had been more agile than this current monster.
Killua lands beside her, having been forced back by the skeleton ape's strength, yo-yo in both hands. Emma looked over to the young ex-assassin, and the back at the beast. "It's weak to fire," she says, "With the enchanted arrows that the Kijin chief gave me, we can win this, but its reaction are fast, it'll just stop the arrow from hitting it."
"Then we need to distract him somehow... " Killua responded, rubbing his chin after barely getting a graze from one of the skeletal ape's hits.
Emma thought persistently, and then she glanced down at the yo-yo Killua held. "How accurate are you at hitting something with that."
Killua noted her stare at the weapons in his hand, "Pretty accurate. If I could get a good shot in, but if this ape is anything like the last one, it might also stop it from hitting it. Well, it's injured now so it might be worth a shot."
"I have an idea."
Killua takes heed of Emma, a look at her assured face. He honestly thought to suspect, but there was a calm intellectual sense in her determined eyes, and he had to at least hear her out, "What do you have in mind?"
Gon endures another punch at his arm, this time, his Nen have weakened considerably as he tries to keep his focus. While it was nothing more than a hit that wouldn't leave him a bruise, it was still a hurtful attack to his physical being and as he landed back, he grimaced with a wince, "Ow..." He rubbed his punched arm.
The burnt skeletal ape starts its stagger for the boy when he heard a whish of something heading for its head, and the beast turned, and grasped the arrow just before its point of carved runes pierced its head. The injured skeletal ape sees Emma with brave, intense eyes and her bow held up, and it growled for her, making its way towards her now.
But then it hears another sound, a sharp zip of a string as it turns its head, and with its other hand, grasped the yo-yo just before it crashed into its head, bearing with the heavy ton it weighed, enough for its hand to crack, down to its wrist and further.
"Got you."
The skeletal ape heard, and saw Killua suddenly appeared around its side, out from its Zetsu form and with his presence unveiled, he swung forward his left hand, and his second yo-yo shots forward. With the burnt skeletal ape's occupying both hands that grabbed both attempted attacks, it lifted one of its hand that was coming for the side of its head to block.
But the strength of the yo-yo that Killua infused with an extension of his Nen, made the yo-yo even stronger, and breaks through the hand, and pushing the arrowhead to stab into the side of the skeletal ape's head. An explosion of fire ignites within the skull and outside of the beast and the skeleton monster screamed. Killua forced back the return of his yo-yos as the ape flailed around from the fire it once again intakes.
A sudden grasp of a hook at its ankle, Gon saw his opportunity, quickly catching up to the plan Emma and Killua had conducted and acted to help them. Fists that relaxed as he grabbed his fishing rod again, he swung for the fishing line to extend, and captures around the ankle of the skeleton beast. With a Nen-infused strength into his whole body, he pulls the fishing rod, and the skeletal ape tripped.
"Got it!" Gon declared.
"Now Killua!" Emma shouted. Killua jumped a big height over the head of the fallen skeletal ape, and with his retrieved yo-yos, he throws them down with a yell of exertion, and the pair of dangerous toy-like weapons hits the skull of the skeletal ape, breaking through the bone, smashing it completely. Emma follows up, pulling her next arrow, and releases.
The body of the skeletal ape was swarmed by fire instantly, this time, the ape lost its power to scream, the light in its eyes instantly vanished as the urgent biting flames ultimately surrounds it once again, and evaporates what was left of its already brittle body, making it become nothing more than ash.
Killua drops back down with an easy landing, the children went up close to the pile of ashes, an accomplished feeling settled in Gon and Killua's hearts, while Emma's was filled with only sorrow. But, she was happy that her friends are safe now.
They quickly turned back for the other remaining ape in the area, but have found and witnessed Garou's own quick defeat of the skeletal ape, and he had turned to see the result of the children's own work.
We did it... Emma thought to herself in relief. But the excitement was not done yet, as they all hear heat blasts igniting from the other side of that crushed through hill.
Emma and Garou were reminded of the armored person who had come and stopped the direct attack of the Greymon, Gon and Killua looked over to where they here, and even see the smokes of the ruckus. "Another monster nearby? Or is that another competitor?" Killua questioned openly.
Rather than answer, Emma sprinted for the direction. Her abrupt run surprised Gon and Killua. "Emma? Where are you going!" Gon goes after her, with Killua following behind. She passes by Garou who averted his gaze from the distant and unseen fight for her form that boldly moves towards the open direction, the path that freed them from this large circle of flames. Well, not like there were any place else to get out through from here.
"There was someone else before you guys showed up!" Emma explained to Gon and Killua. "Come on! He might need our help-!"
Of course, when they arrived, it was debatable just how much help he needed. As by the time they found the rescuer Emma claimed. "Pegasus Meteor Fist!" They see him send forth another devastating and powerful punches. Several attacks in a seemingly single action, like literal meteors tackling the body of the roaring Greymon. With such speed that Emma's eyes could not keep up with, and neither could Gon and Killua; not without accessing their Gido, which even then they could barely grasp the move they just wintessed, and Garou...
Holy... His sharp eyes widened, His punch... no, his punches... That was for sure several hits he just threw at once.
Like a hundred punches in a second. They were faster than Death Gatling's use of his Gatling Gun, for that amount of punches done in under such an impossibly short time, this guy would compete with the accomplishment of Flashy Flash. Gon and Killua had similar thoughts, they have met strong men, but none like this one with this kind of power, especially one who looked no older than they were.
Emma had no way to tell as much as the rest, all she could see was that Seiya had thrown a single punch, and the aftermath of the monster was as if it had been attacked over and over and over, that was what she came to conclude, but even her own mind could not keep up with the sheer superhuman ability that this person performed, a knight in shining armor, but with his arms his sword, the strength to punch this dinosaur size beast as if he were a superhero, warriors of justice with incredible powers.
"AAAAAAAAARRRHHHH!" The mighty warrior roared back, and he sprinted pass the Greymon with a final punch. The monster stood still, and then, it slowly descended, and fell with a drop of its body that quake the ground, his back facing its defeated form.
Seiya sighed briefly, picking up his fist and unclenching it, "What a tough creature. Well, not like I haven't faced strong guys before."
He turns at the acknowledgement of his far away observers. "I heard some noises back there! Are you guys alright?"
"Y-yeah!" Emma started, her eyes glistening in pure wonder. "That was amazing! You- you actually defeated that giant monster by yourself!"
To punch a dinosaur right in its face by the hand of a human boy, her younger siblings would be thrilled to hear that she had witnessed such a thing. Gon joined her wonder, throwing his arms with a wide smile of amazement as he and Emma rushed for the man. "Awesome! That really was awesome! Who are you?"
Killua did not hold that same enthusiasm as he quickly follows after Gon, though clearly interested, he remained wary of the stranger. The armored boy responded, "I'm Seiya - Pegasus Saint Seiya. What about you kids?"
He started his walk towards their direction, his eyes surveying the area for any other threat nearby. At his closing approach, Emma noted just how young he really looked - just a some years older than them. Brown eyes full of passion and strength, and a body that looked to have been worked for most of his life. The silver armor he wore having a beautiful glint, he looked just as dashing of a knight as she last saw that blonde girl in a blue dress from her first night of the Preliminary.
"I'm Gon! These are my friends, Emma and Killua," Gon introduced themselves.
"You guys are competitors too?" Seiya said, regarding each younger before meeting Emma's eyes, smiling as he waved his hand in greeting. Emma snapped out of her awe and reactively returned the wave with her own, evaluating his appearance and the shine of his armor in continuing awe. Was he another knight like that blonde girl in blue at the first preliminary night?
Gon answered yes, "We were looking for a way out after getting all of our badges. Wow, you really have a lot of stars on you!"
Seiya smirked, "Heh. Yeah, I've been pretty busy this week fighting all sorts of opponents. Nothing that I haven't dealt with before, although fighting actual monsters is another thing."
"Are... are you a superhero?" Emma then asked with a wide and amazed gaze.
"Heh. I do look the part, don't I? You probably wouldn't be wrong either," Seiya knelt to her level and answered. "I'm a Saint. A warrior of Athena who fights and stops anyone who thinks they can get away with all sorts of trouble."
"You sure you're not just a nerd whose way into costumes and superheroes?" Killua asked.
"If that were true, then I might just be the biggest nerd in the world," Seiya snipped back in equal forthright. Killua was impressed, though he still found it weird for anyone to wear that over excessive get up, even for a purposed armor, there were some exposed areas on the body that should be guarded.
"Athena... that's the name of the Greek Goddess of War," Emma asked, recalling that name from mythology books.
"Right. That's the same goddess us Saints follow, serving justice under her name..." His eyes suddenly softened, and then hardened as if to erase whatever thoughts were behind that gaze. Emma caught it though, that gaze of his that seemed...
"Oh wow! You really are a hero then!" Gon said. "That move we saw you did was so cool too! It looked like you were using energy blasts."
"You were able to see that?" Seiya said, revealing his surprise, "There's been a few other people I've met who could catch something that quick. You guys really must be something else-"
As they talked, Garou remained somewhat afar and silent as he observed, his eyes especially focused on the young armored fighter. This person whom two of the three children had just called a hero.
The sort of hero he hunts.
This kid ain't a joke. Garou thinks to himself with an eager grin, sweat breaking from his temple. There really are tough people fighting in this competition. I really hit the jack-pot!
He was badly injured with a fractured arm and wounded shoulder, but he can't let this opportunity slip away. There have been only a couple of competitors he was able to clash with that he did hold some impression towards, including that man with the deadly touch. He fought against a red-orange haired teenager who could summon weapons out of thin air. A dark hair male with a shield over his arm. A red-hooded girl with a gun-wielding scythe, and a few others - be it good or bad impression, one that helps him evolve, and the other that aggravated him not just for the person's lack of strength to test his own, but their character as well.
He met someone once in the beginning week who told him their wish was to get a lifetime supplies of cheeseburgers. CHEESEBURGERS! Who the hell would waste a wish for something like that?! Garou likes food just as anyone else would, but wasting a wish for it was just its own level of insanity, and he showed absolutely no mercy to that competitor.
Now this, this was someone who can push him to his limits. He was in a bad shape but it was already too late to hide and recover anyhow, now exposed in the open and being unnoted by the Saint that left him actually miffed than relieved, he can't let either of themselves just walk away.
With that in mind, he starts his steps towards the armored competitor without another thought. His decision made to take this chance now while it was still fresh, while Seiya and Killua were in some belittling exchange, Gon still spouting awe and questions towards the person, and Emma glancing away from the three, an enlightened face as she separates herself from the group.
Garou drew closer, his eyes only focused on the Saint. Never mind the pain and injury. This was not a moment to miss, and he must attack-
A pressure against his stomach, not the persisting eruptive pain, but something warm that wrapped around his waist, stopping Garou in his tracks, his eagerness erased to a blank confusion, and he looked down. A head of frazzled orange strands was all he sees, pressed against his abs as Emma held him in an embrace. His plan of intention and overall thought ceased, a wide-eyed peculiarity as his hand that has been scarred by his recent various battles steadily raises over her head. "Ah? Huh?"
Emma removed her face from his stomach, and while still hugging him, she smiled up at him. "You've fought really amazingly too."
Garou stared down at her almost incomprehensibly, a hard blink in slow comprehension.
"You've kept me from getting hurt, protected me," she added, her smile gradually becoming warmer.
The Hero Hunter's thoughts came to, a memory of his action that stopped the fist of the Undead Yasha Ape from reaching her. Uh oh. He realized as he saw her appreciative soft look. A look he definitely did not want.
His hand reaches down, putting it between himself and her in a separation, and gently pushes her away as she releases him quaintly. His focus immediately shifted onto her, the action she had done throwing off his entire game and having him forget momentarily about the person he was about to hunt right in front of him, and yet here she stood there in the way with that smile on her.
"From that zombie ape," she started, "those other skeletons, even when we first met, when you fought off that snake monster, and all the other times too..."
Oh this is not good. This was not at all what Garou had intended to do. She completely misunderstood him and those times he helped spared her from a brutal fate.
"You really came through for us when we needed it." Her adoring smile widening that it made her eyes shimmer, she then reached the very words that spelled doom to his being unless he silenced her now. "So, for all of that, I just want to say thank-"
Garou's hand swiftly covered her mouth. Emma nearly stepped back in startle, looking up at him in innocent confusion.
"Don't get the wrong idea." He started gravely, so visibly disturbed by her it was a wonder if he was staring at some sort of abomination. "It's not like I did any of that for you. I just figured it'd be bad if you happen to die and your friends would pin that on me, and just leave me here while they get out of this valley with that card they have."
Emma blinked at him as he retreated his hand from her mouth. "I wasn't helping," Garou asserted, "Don't ever think I was. This was just keeping up with our arrangement, that's all."
Emma glanced down in thought, and looked up again, gentle yet firmly, as if there was nothing else to deny what she saw for herself, "But still though-"
"Atbabababa!" Garou cuts her off with a wave of his index finger. "None of that, alright? I'm not having it and I don't want it, so keep it."
"Ah...OH RIGHT!" She sprung up from her feet with sudden urgency, "Your arm! And your shoulder too! We need to get those treated now!"
Killua looked back, witnessing a sort of spoken exchange between Emma and Garou, a questionable reaction when Garou slapped over her mouth as if she was about to poison him with words. Afterwards, he watched as Emma fumbled for her backpack while Garou stares dumbly at her and she pulls out and waves a medical wrapping for him.
Seiya also glanced aside as he answered Gon's eager and curious-filled questions. Watching as Emma insisted the medical wrapping for the silver haired male, an inquiring eye to the older teen's physique, and instantly knew another fighter of great physical combat at a glance. Seiya's eyes narrowed, Just then, I thought I saw that guy walk towards me...
He watches as Garou slowly and wordlessly accepted the wrappings, not as if he had no better sense to deny it, and starts tying around his broken arm, with how he presents himself that seemingly carried no pain, it was a surprise that he even had an injury if that stiff limb and that bleeding shoulder wasn't anything to go by.
For a moment there, it seemed like that guy wanted a fight. Was it just my imagination? Seiya thought. "Is that guy over there alright?"
Gon then takes a gander at Garou. "Oh. OH! What happened to him? He's actually really injured!" Gon had to take a long look of the older teen to finally realized Garou's state of being, much to the little boy's own shock.
Killua nonchalantly shrugs, "Yeah, but with how that guy's holding up, like he's barely even hurt. I'm sure he'll be fine."
Their answers and the demonstrated calm self-tending to his wounds, tells Seiya the level of endurance and tolerance this silver-white haired competitor has, and knew at once. This man was strong.
Di-ding! Di-ding!
The announcing bells ring around them. Their eyes immediately shoot for the noise, and spotted an approaching, floating-paced object from above. On the defensive as Garou finished wrapping his wounded shoulder and covering the obvious bite marks that quickly bleeds through the bandages, they cautiously observed the creature.
It was about the size of their heads. A white chubby mouse, almost beetle-like thing with round ears, tiny black eyes, and a smile of sharp teeth that reached its pink cheeks, and a short tail at its wider bottom.
"[Attention all competitors. Attention all competitors]," The creature echoed mechanically, as if someone speaks through it, "[This is a message delivered to you by the Koyemshi Announcer of the Competition Between Worlds]."
Its lack of hostility had them settled down slightly, and they observed with captured interest.
"[There are five hours remaining until the end of the Preliminary. The End Points have been set through various locations, and multiple directions have been implanted to lead all competitors to nearest End Point]."
It further explained, "[If you have collected the required number of five stars or above, go to the End Point where you will be transferred to the next area, and your place in the competition will be official. For all those within Beast Valley, please exit and locate the nearest End Point. If you do not reach the End Point before the time ends regardless the number of stars you have achieved, you will not be accepted into the next area and will declare your loss]."
The Koyemshi then flew off towards another direction. Seiya's eyes narrowed in thought, and he looks to the people with him, "You know a way of getting out of this valley?"
Gon assured with a nod, "Yeah. We actually have a way-"
Killua immediately clumped his hand over Gon's mouth before his friend might end up spilling the rest of their secrets. "Do you ever think before you say anything that might screw us over?!" He harshly whispered.
Gon pushes Killua's hand away and frowned, "But this guy helped Emma and Garou, so he's obviously someone we can trust."
Honestly, that simple mind was both Gon's best and worst quality. There were plenty of reasons why anyone would go out of their way to help someone else, and the reason being that it was done out of the goodness of the heart was a rare one. Plenty of ulterior motives that may believe the person being saved might provide some uses later on.
But then, of course, neither Gon or Killua had been here before this person had and saved their allies (friends may not be accurate when thinking of Garou however), so Killua couldn't say what reason Seiya had, other than if Seiya thought himself righteous, or an honest soul like how Gon would be, even in situations where he shouldn't for his own sake. But Killua doesn't know Seiya that well to tell for sure.
Seiya raised a brow at them, amused yet again, "Well, if you already got it covered, I guess I should be going."
Hearing his word of his self-leave, Emma hurries back to Seiya with the joy-killed mood of the silently baffled Garou behind and in one place. "Wait! Do you need help escaping this place?"
"Ngh-!" Killua's shocked gaze towards Emma. Right, he forgot there were two simple-minded people here.
Seiya smiled kindly at Emma, "I'll be fine. I'm actually here with a few other competitors. I should go find them," He send another quick glance at Garou, a glance that Garou caught, and Seiya referred to the other children. "Look out for each other, I'll be seeing you in the next round then."
Garou's eyes widened as he reached out, "Hey, hold-"
But Seiya had already kicked off, dashing with ease to the edge of the cliff they were at, and reaching the other one, running across the stone exterior and into another forest ahead. Garou instantly felt dumb at having let himself be distracted by the hug and letting his opponent get away. Ah... oh well. Might have been better this way since he needs to recover still. He'll just have to look out for that armored fighter next time.
Seiya huh? I'll remember that. He mentally marked the name on his hunting list.
"Whoa..." Emma sounded her amazement as she watched Seiya's leap and leave as if it were so easy. Gon tapped her by the shoulder and her gaze turns to him.
"So we have only five hours left before the Preliminary finishes," he said with a grin, "We're making good time. We all have our five stars now. If we reach the End Point, we'll be able to enter the competition as official competitors."
She registered those words and her amazement reimbursed its glow in her eyes. It was true, with the amount of stars they have, they should qualify, which means they have a shot, a chance for her and her friends to save the people waiting back in their individual worlds. But they must escape Beast Valley first, which means...
Gon reaches the side of his backpack, and reveals the remaining Support Card they have on them; Instant Travel. Their key to leave this place unscathed.
"Are you ready?" Gon asked her. Emma looked to Killua, Garou exiting his intense thinking and approaches them. She then faces Gon again, and nods.
With the affirmation from Killua, and the silent but close proximity of Garou. Gon then lifted the card, "Alright then. Here we go! Instant Travel - On! Take all four of us outside of Beast Valley!"
The Support Card glowed in reaction to Gon's command, and with a flicker of instant light, all four of them were cascaded in white. In a flash, they vanished from sight, a dash of a glowing blue orb shooting for the top of the mountain ceiling, passing the solid exterior like a ghost bullet, and leaving the wake of the lively plane of all roaring beasts and powerful monsters lay reign.
/.\
At another white flash, they appeared upon a new area. Emma was disorientated by the literal instant teleportation that had taken them from one place, then suddenly the next. Well, not that it was anything to complain about, it was good and quite incredible just how immediate the Support Card was. For Garou, it was mildly so, shrugging it off like nothing more than an itch to his head.
"Are we outside of the valley?" Killua observed their surroundings, blue-white stones around them. "This doesn't look like the forest where we came through, and the air's kind of thin. No wait, did we-?"
Gon gazes around, and at one place he spotted, a ledge over some rugged stones, he runs over there. Killua follows after him, then Emma and Garou trailing after.
Gon climbed up the stones and looked ahead, Killua climbs up next to him, and then Emma. "Ah! This is-!" Gon exclaimed, as Garou also comes up and looks for himself, and matched the other children's surprised eyes.
Below the sun, they see the vast orange-red desert below with its several attributes of stacks square rocks all over the place. Several distant figures walking across it, and some flying overhead, all traveling towards the same direction. Some in groups or pairs, and others by themselves, with seemingly shapes of creatures walking beside some of them as well.
They looked down further, and see a long, long way down, jagged rocks and unsafe ledges and few paths, and a far descent to the unseen bottom, defining their exact position.
The near summit of the mountain.
They hear the whoosh of a flying carpet and spotted to their right, the familiar boy of blue hair and white turbo hat, joined flying alongside by the girl riding on her winged staff, the yellow winged lion cub clutching her shoulder, and more people sharing the white fabric that carries them across the air, though they were too far to see as they flew down below where the other ant-size travelers were. They spotted another figure flying across the air, with wings or contraption of some kind that lifts them through the sky, and living creatures they ride upon.
"Other competitors?" Emma asked as she looks at the grand view around and below towards the becoming setting sun, her green eyes glimmering. She does not know how to accurately describe the sheer wow-ness she felt at everything happening before her own witness. "There's so many of them."
Humans and the like, non-humans and so on, all heading for that same path, all moving for the same goal, all likely to have wishes being carried in their hearts.
Garou huffed, "That's an understatement." He said as he recalled the exact number of participants that have applied here. A large number of people he has to get through, well, if he intends to become the main enemy of his world, then this number should be a cinch. A good prep of what's to come and how he shall handle it once he returns to his world.
A disruption to the lovely viewing by Gon's abrupt scream, grasping his own head in dawning dismay. "AAAAH! I should have said to take us all to the nearest End Point! Darn it! We're going to waste so much time getting down from all the way up here!"
Ah. Yes, transfer to the nearest End Point, that would have been a better way to put it, than the simple request of "take us outside of the mountain," which naturally led to a random selection. Thankfully they haven't been transported to anywhere dangerous, at least, not until they have to get down from this very, very high-up mountain.
Emma consoles Gon, "It's okay. We're out of Beast Valley anyway. We just need to get down now." Which is usually a terrible feat to overcome even with how many hours they have left, at least, if Emma had been unaware of the sort of people she is currently with. She had a feeling it wouldn't be much trouble for them at all, which only leaves her to catch up.
"Yeah, she's right," Killua glances at the below, "It might take us a while though, and who knows if there's anything dangerous that might be hiding down there."
"Don't worry," Emma shows the monster tracker in her hands, "With this, we can get down from this mountain. You are right though that it might take us a while, but we managed to get this far. I know we can overcome this too!"
Invigorated by Emma's optimism, Gon agreed highly, "Right! Let's do this!"
Seeing that they literally have no other choice, Killua nodded along, "Yeah. This shouldn't be a problem for us now. Not after the things we've been through up till now."
"Hmph," a quiet huff from Garou as he side-glances the three children beside him, their enthusiasm to pass this next obstacle. The three children then "Osu!" and thus, they all began their climb down from the hill.
/.\
Emma takes the lead downward with her tracker in one hand and the other granting her support as she carefully yet adeptly climbs down the steep stones beneath her feet as Gon, Killua, and Garou followed behind. It was a trek down from this tall mountain that lasted for three hours. Meaning that only two hours is what remained until they reach the nearest End Point. But they were making good time.
And then several monsters had emerged from the rocks, essentially beasts that wore rugged sharp stones on their bodies. At that point they started to diverge their intended path and sprinted elsewhere to avoid direct confrontation. Yet without much choice, they were spotted and then chased, large boulders tossed for them as they rushed for the bottom. They hustled down and up the uneven mountainside. There was no purpose to fight these monsters outright except out of self-defense, they cannot waste any more time, especially to face against these many monsters with an injured member and while the deadline grows ever closer.
Their constant fleeing through the uneven slope until eventually reaching the forest, where the monsters stopped their pursuit, never intend to move beyond their territory. Over an hour have already passed, and the sun was falling ever closer behind the horizon.
"[Attention all competitors. There are fifteen minutes until the Preliminary ends. Please reach the nearest End Point]."
"Dammit! Those monsters killed most of our time!" Killua scorned, as they rush through the forest.
Emma was sprinting with all her might as Gon and Killua took the lead, "We can still make it!" She said. Twenty minutes, it was manageable, it was still possible!
A sudden grapple around her waist and her feet were off the ground, startled, she picked up her head and discovered Garou, carrying her as if she were luggage and he quickly picked up his speed. She grasped his uninjured arm out of surprise. Her face contorted to immediate worry, but he held an impassive face that took no glance at her way.
"You're going to need more than just guts, kid," Garou told her bluntly. She adjusted to his hold that was honestly a more preferable hold than being yanked around by the back of her vest. Emma braced through his carry, another show of her grateful smile that Garou does not eye down to see - otherwise sparing him of her appreciation he would have denied having and felt sick to look at.
[Ten minutes remaining].
They quickened their pace. Exiting the forest, their fleeting figures that could match and beat that of a healthy and athletic horse. They passed through several signs, Challenge Boards they have missed but the monster lists having been scrapped and replaced with an arrow directing towards someplace labeled as the End Point. The distant sun closing at its horizon. They ran for quite some time, not a single sight of another person that had been here, which means most of them have already passed through the End Point, and all that remains was themselves.
[Five minutes remaining].
"If everyone's gone already, then it should be close!" Gon said with certainty as they hurried through the now empty desert, the glow of the sun losing its light from the rest of the land, its sinking behind the earth following the count-down. They searched and searched, running, jumping to the stacked large rocks around them for better view, to see something that the other competitors had just went, following the planted instructive signs, resuming that direction that they saw the other competitors went towards. Emma being hogged along though she does her best to look as she remained being held around the waist by Garou.
"I see something! Over there!" Killua shouted from one of the tall-stacked rocks, pointing to the direction where they nearly ran passed. From a distant, at the vacant edge of the red desert, there was a glow right before the setting sun. A blue glow that stood out from the light and color of the sun, a rectangular shape like a sort of door, with nothing but light that awaits inside.
"It's all clear. Let's go now!" Emma encouraged in Garou's hold with a high voice, clutching the Monster Tracker in her hands. Her carrier darkly glared ahead.
"About time. Lets see what else this competition has to offer," With a bout of vicious energy, Garou then dashed forward the same time as Gon and Killua. Imbued by their Nen, the boys remained just ahead, sprinting and pushing themselves to reach the End Point.
[One minute remaining].
The End Point became all the more closer, the setting sun and its darkening sky making its glow all the more apparent. The path where everything else awaits, in this competition between worlds, of other strong and clever competitors, of other people of every variety and capability. Emma braced herself close to Garou's side as she bared through the speed from Garou's incredible fast run, her eyes squinting to peer pass Gon and Killua, as they dashed for the placed glow that will lead to the next area.
[Thirty seconds remaining].
The last remaining competitors. Rushing towards the End Point with every intention burning in their feet. The same point numerous have since passed.
[Ten seconds remaining].
The people from several worlds, of countless ambitions, all for a singular goal that will help achieve their wishes, or other interests.
[5].
The official upcoming of several rounds, extended for those determined to pursue.
[4].
For all its participants, the preparation to the start of everything.
[3].
Norman. Ray. A heart filled with hope, Emma looks to the finish line, and to whatever trial awaits beyond that gleaming point.
[2].
Everyone. Whatever it takes. For our family's future, and everyone else's. I'll win this.
[1].
The countdown reaching its final second, as the setting sun and its lingering light disappeared behind the horizon. They had successfully pass through the glowing door, and are instantly transported.
[0].
The End Point closes, its inviting blue light vanished with a shut. The night fell upon the land, the cooling wind it had just begun, suddenly stilled, and everything was silent.
[Concluding Preliminary Round. Resetting World... Progressing to the next stage].
The world started to break apart, grids filled the land and the sky, textures visually and physically dulled into nothing, colors cleared, flickering statics that erases the landscapes, the sky, the animals, and all else that lived here - monsters, villages, all its surroundings.
The fabricated dimension slumbered in infinite darkness, awaiting for its next wake into existence.
End of Preliminary Arc
A/N: Thus concludes the end of the Preliminary Arc, and the story continues! I honestly feel like this could have been better written but I really wanted to get it out, so I hope it was enjoyable to read. Now I may finally go look into writing the other chapters for my other stories, in the meantime that I shall let this story settle for a while, and better progress future chapters I may plan on making later on.
Q&A
Maxim7 : Yeah, Sakura and Aladdin would fit with the group, at least if it were just Emma, Gon and Killua - Garou would rather go off on his own, be his own group of one man. We may see Sakura and Aladdin sometime in the future. Look forward to it! And as far as I've heard, the Saints have been referenced to be powerful warriors, especially among the Anime community, like really strong.
I've also wanted to mention that there are actually quite a bit of similarities between Garou and Emma, granted, their experience and personality are vastly different, but they have a bit in common that it honestly surprised me, and that's not to mention the obvious similarities with Emma and Gon. I'd love to get into it, but maybe another time. Also, Garou managed to keep down his Nen - seriously tough dude, but by the next few chapters, well, we shall see what happens...
Thank you all so much for reading. Stay safe! And Please leave a Kind and Honest Review, as I crave for so much so that I may better myself as a writer, and also, if I ever need to correct any errors with these currently posted chapters, if there's anything to be spotted, I shall take a look and fix it, will also appreciate any pointers but hopefully, you'll find it intriguing where I'm taking this story.
I'll likely look back at this chapter and the other chapters and do a bit of rewriting, but for now, I hope you had a fun time getting through the Preliminary Arc, and hopefully, stick around for any more arcs that's coming up. Take care everyone!