With the last of the cards needed at his disposal, he returns to the dragon.
It had taken him a couple of days, but eventually he found that monastery hiding in the mountains. It was an absolute slog to get through, infested by fleshy amalgamations, things that were supposed to resemble goats, but were mixed with genes of other species…
The brutes, vanguard, warriors, spear throwers and archers, different types of beast all with their own talents. And the bastards never seemed to end coming, one after another, like lambs to an endless slaughter.
You had to kill the 'mothers', the mindless beasts that vomited out their kin like it was not a feat to give birth every couple of minutes.
But once those beasts were cleared out, it was smooth sailing.
The gem was only being protected by the hordes, no special boss or anything of that sort. If he took too long, maybe there may have been a special event. But he didn't have time to test that theory.
Slotting that last card into the new receptacle, the dragon moved. It greeted him with a smile, their palm opening to reveal an egg, "Raise my kin, and it'll protect you from what you ask."
When Raphael held the egg, it transformed into a card.
Baby Aduzla Dragon
44000 SS - 3
A dragon capable of protecting their parents from all targeted spells. But must be protected from all harm, given that it's weak. Mistreatment of the dragon will cause it to leave their owner.
He raised an eyebrow, expecting the beast resting before him, not a baby of the same dragon. But at this point he can't be fussy, this is what he was given. He just hopes the creature does exactly what he needs to be done.
"Now to make a clone for Asta…"
"~"
The teen sat with the trio, two eggs sitting between them. Raphael opted to sit with the egg between his crossed legs, treating the egg like he would the Fledgling series of cards.
"And we're supposed to sit on our ass all day looking after these eggs? How long do they take to hatch?"
"Treat it like the Fledgling Egg."
"We don't have ONE to TEN years to look after a damn egg. We have one, maybe two weeks for this mindless beast to hatch."
"Yeah, well, the Fledgling series of cards says it depends on your desires."
"Like the will to live will make it hatch quicker." She scoffed at the idea. Then it should've hatched the moment she held it in her hands.
"Yeah, well, as the card states…" The teen touched Asta's egg, "If you mistreat this majestic beast, it'll run from you."
Asta pulled the egg away from the boy, "And we have to protect it from harm. It'll probably die from a booger hitting its face, knowing our luck." Resting the egg in her lap once more, the woman frowned, "If Genthru finds us, it's all over anyway. The bastard will take us out before we have a chance to respond."
"Luckily for you, Gon taunted him. He'll go after him, before he targets you…"
"And if Gon can't beat him?"
"He'll come after me, most likely. One attempted look at my Book, and he'll know something is up. He probably even thinks I'm the one couriering cards for Tsezguerra, which is technically true… but I'll be the last target on his list. I don't have the Wild Luck Alexandrite."
Asta's expression fell. She felt glum about the whole situation, given that she was depending on a teenager, of all people, to protect them.
Feeling shy suddenly, she admitted something quietly, "Thanks…"
"For…?"
"This, given how I've been the bane of your existence."
"Bane?" Raphael found himself laughing quietly, "You've been nothing more than an annoying mosquito I kept having to swat away."
"Asshole." Asta found herself cracking a smile anyway. It was true that she has never been a problem for the teen, and the idea didn't hurt her in the slightest given her situation, "If we don't make it-"
"Rules of horror, don't make a deathbed confession. That's just a death wish waiting to come true."
"Huh, I'm trying to-"
Raphael held a finger to his lips, stopping her from saying anything on the matter, "I promised that no matter what, I'd find a way to keep you alive. It's just two more weeks. Once Genthru is taken out, I'll let you know."
"And if we all get wiped out before then?"
"Then, you can tell me I told you so in the afterlife. Problem solved." He offered a sly grin, "But until then, I intend to keep my promise about protecting my friends."
"Heh…" The older woman left out a breathy chuckle. It was short and missable, no build up into full-blown laughter. They were never a threat to the teen. He played them from the moment he started fighting back…
She was grateful he still considered them a friend, a peer.
But that didn't stop the fear she felt, the threat just out there, lurking… biding his time like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. She feels the ticktock in her bones. This egg is the one thing standing between Genthru and living.
As if sensing her fear, cracks formed across the surface of the shell, sections chipping outward.
At first, she's surprised. Her egg was the first to hatch. A small blue beak forced its way through the shell, the top collapsing inward.
Out of fear, she forced the collapsed shell off the creature's head. Two beady looking eyes met her's. Asta clasped a hand over her mouth, the creature climbing out on her palm.
The tiny dragon was adorable.
It let out the tiniest of squeaks, an act that made her break down. With this creature alone, she knew they'd be okay.
They'd live…
She just knew…
Asta let out a few sobs, the creature looking up in confusion. All it could do was crawl up her tank top, resting its head on top of her bosom as though they were pillows.
She wanted to let out a howl of laughter, but all she could do was continue to cry.
Raphael took his leave, only hearing a couple of thank yous being muttered between sobs.
"~"
Goreinu smiled slightly after his discussion about Tsezguerra's plan, "Raphael currently has all his cards."
Gon frowned at the news, "But wouldn't they notice another player has-"
Killua shoved Gon, "We both know they're not bozos. He's blocked other players from seeing what he's holding, and he has the necklace to block most attack spell cards…"
"And he's armed to the teeth with Defensive spell cards." The man casually pointed out, "He has five Holy Water, Levy cards, monsters, and Aduzla on him right now. Even if Genthru figures things out, he's well-prepared for an-"
The man saw Genthru's group vanish, "They're on the move! Shit, where are you?"
"Near Soufrabi…"
Goreinu peered towards the light, gauging the direction, "Masadora? No, Rubicuta. He's going after Raphael!"
"We should help him!" Gon pulled out a card, only to be stopped by his best friend, "What? Why?"
"Goreinu said he's armed to the teeth. Let's trust him to not make any mistakes. Besides, we'll have to waste a teleportation spell to go to him, which is a very bad idea because that means one less to get away from Genthru…"
Gon pouted at the news, "Okay…"
"Also…" Killua pressed a finger to Gon's head, "It's better he doesn't know we are working together. We'll also need every resource on our hands, too."
"~"
It had been a few weeks since his last meeting with Asta. He was alone at some ruins, the campfire now smouldering, barely any embers left.
The groups decided it was better if the teams kept to themselves.
When Genthru attacks, at least nobody would be together to make things easier for them.
Raphael held the egg between his palm, aura infusing with the object. It had yet to hatch, but given what transpired with Asta, her desire to live is what made it hatch so soon…
Or was that an incorrect assumption?
What was more likely, was her fear of death made it hatch sooner rather than later. It answered her pleas to live. He wanted both, yet it remained unhatched. Maybe it responds to a strong desire, or a person's will?
Whatever the case, it was bound to hatch sooner or later. He could feel the egg pulse with life between his fingertips.
A crack formed along the shell, just as a whistling sound soared through the air.
The boy frowned. Why hadn't Goreinu contacted him? Unless, was he…
"Book."
"Calm down." Genthru waved his hands dismissively, even though the boy couldn't see a thing with his back turned to them. He was an easy target at this point.
Still, it'll be useless if they scare him off.
They don't know exactly how many cards the teen is holding, he could've restocked while they were waiting for Tsezguerra's time to run out.
"So you've come to attack me? Not sure why, though." He didn't move, just in case. He'll wait until they ask a question.
"Not at all…" The man dismissed the argument with a smile, faking the sincerity in his voice, "We made a deal with Tsezguerra, wouldn't you like to hear us out, at least?"
"Never heard of a deal being made…"
"That's because he's not in the game anymore." Let's see if he rats out anyone else. If he doesn't mention another name, he's working alone. And he was the one that was supplying the man the cards, he may have other tricks up his sleeves, "I'll even let you check your binder to make sure I'm not lying."
The boy flipped over to his cards, "It seems you weren't lying." When Raphael heard the familiar sound of footsteps, he raised his voice, "I booby-trapped the area, you know. Wouldn't want an ally getting hurt."
It was a lie, but it did make Genthru pause.
"Tell me what he told you, and I'll come to you." More cracks formed on the egg. Just a little longer now…
"It was a simple deal. We beat the game on everyone's behalf, then everyone returns to the real world. And we'll split Battera's reward."
"And my extra cut?"
"Extra cut?"
"Yup, in my contract I get an extra cut for assisting him. Since you both agreed, surely he would've told you about that…"
"Must've slipped his mind."
"Uh, huh…" Raphael's hand moved over to his cards, getting ready for a fight, "Let's say I believe you. There's one way to prove it… Show me the Patch of Shore."
He knows the man is lying. But with this simple question, it ruins Genthru's story. To make matters worse, he didn't have any cards the man needed, other than a Patch of Shore.
The kid saw right through his ploy with a simple question, "Tch." Such a simple validation request ruined his ploy. If only the kid had acted a little dumber to his request, then he wouldn't have to need to resort to violence. But since his book is out, all they'd need to do is knock the kid out.
Genthru gave his allies a look, motioning for them to react the moment Raphael does anything incredibly stupid "Well, since Tzesgerra gave up so easily, I thought to myself… there's no way that man would give up with so much on the line to lose. But rumours say a kid was helping him out collecting cards. You just confirmed that by mentioning your contract, and given that, if I was that man… I would have faked all my cards, and given him the real ones. That way, I'd be free to come back and continue where I left off. You have all his cards… don't you?"
Raphael's hand slowly slips towards a Dullahan card.
"Attacking is pointless. All our cards are imprisoned."
"Oh really? If I remember correctly, it works on all cards, except for Levy. Oh, and would you look at that, I have one. Multiple, in fact."
The man bursts into sinister laughter. He wouldn't have a chance to withdraw a card. He still needs to flip back to those pages, "Sub. Bara. Get him."
"Gain!" A beast appeared in front of the boy, stepping towards them with their shield. It blocked the men with finesse. Drawing its sword to counter-attack them. Bara and Sub backed off in response.
Now being defended, Raphael stood up to turn to the men, "I never leave myself open, unlike you."
Genthru's eyes narrowed on the egg. Especially after the teen shifted to hide it behind the monster.
"You can summon monsters, huh…"
Raphael gave a nod, "Some. Most are useless." The teen pulled out two more cards, "Gain! Gain!" Two more of those headless monsters surround the kid.
"Give us the Patch of the Shore, and we won't kill you or your friends."
He grits his teeth, "Leave them alone! They've done nothing to earn your ire! I'll make sure you never lay a hand on them…"
Genthru's palm cracked with aura, letting out an irritated click of his tongue, "Sub! Bara! I'll deal with the trash, you get the kid."
Raphael flicked out his palm to reach out for other cards, "Defend me at all costs." Cracks formed across the egg, a beak protruding from the skull. A manic smile graced his lips in response.
He grabbed a series of cards, "Levy, on!"
The trio charged him, cards dispersing from their binder to join Raphael's. The three Dullahan blocked the men, Genthru releasing a massive explosion to take out one of them in the process.
Of course, the beasts would be much weaker in the player's hands… or maybe Genthru was just a stronger player.
"Levy, on!" The boy took a few steps back.
Three more cards left them, followed by another three more when Raphael used the third card.
Genthru had already taken the last two guards out, his hand reaching out for the teen. But Raphael was well-prepared for the situation. He already anticipated the man would be able to reach him in seconds, the moment the last Dullahan was taken out.
He jumped back, smacking his hands away before they could grab him. In doing so, Genthru saw a miniature monster clinging onto the teen. He backed off just in case it had a special ability. But in doing so, it gave the kid more than enough time to react.
"See ya…" Raphael moved back, grabbing one more card as the dragon crawled over his arms. With a smile, he escaped the man's clutches, "Return on, Masadora!"
Genthru pauses, gritting his teeth from the escape, "Check your cards first."
"But he could-"
"He doesn't have any teleportation spells, otherwise he would've gone to another town. By the time he reaches the shop, we'll have him cornered." When he turned his page to the spare cards, he let out an irritated click, "He stole two Accompany cards, what about you?"
"I lost a Return…" Bara frowned, "The rest of the stolen cards were useless."
Sub stared at his binder in disbelief, he lost one of the cards they were hoarding from the rest of the players.
When Bara noticed his companion's reaction, he turned to him, "What did he get?"
Sub turned to the others, "He got one of my Night Jades."
Genthru's eyes fanned across the campsite, finding a small dice on the floor, "The bastard used a Risky Dice. He was already prepared for an attack. We'll need to get more Accompany cards just in case. We're going straight to the card shop!"
Genthru ripped a card from his binder, "Accompany on, Raphael." Nothing happened, the card vanishing from his fingertips. The man paused.
"What happened? Use another-"
"Wait!" Genthru adjusted his glasses, "The lizard…" Biting his lip, he grew frustrated. They were led right into a trap of the teen's making.
"He was biding his time, waiting for whatever was in the egg he was holding to hatch. Seeing as we could target him before with a teleportation spell and not now, it was likely whatever was in that egg, had already hatched. That must be what stopped us from directly targeting him."
"No kind of spell, let alone a monster, should be powerful enough to stop anyone from targeting someone." Bara argued against the notion.
"I would argue you're right. But he used other monsters to block us from pursuing him. It's likely that there's another monster who was able to pull off this stunt, something that wouldn't be that easy to obtain."
Sub and Bara were surprised to hear this.
He hummed to himself, thinking about the implications of such a rare card being removed from the restricted slots.
"This changes plans." Genthru pulled out another card, "He might not even be going to the card shop. This was just a ploy to warn the others about an imminent attack. It's likely he already made his way back to the others to warn them in person."
Considering Genthru hadn't said anything about what kind of card they're dealing with. Hell, they hadn't even heard of monsters being feasible cards until now. It's likely that the man doesn't know what kind of monster is protecting the teen.
"If I had to guess, it's a non-restricted card that is powerful enough to disrupt restricted cards, though I have no idea why the Game Masters would make it…"
The man gave a small nod, taking a moment to adjust his glasses, "Either way, we can't target him, which means he's not going to Masadora to restock. He's going to warn his friends. We'll assume the worst, test a theory by gauging their reaction to Tsezguerra's disappearance from the game, and Raphael's name being uttered. We'll spin a story about him betraying them."
"~"
Killua's book popped up "Speaking of the devil, did Genthru target you?"
"Unfortunately, yes. Good news though, I stole a couple of excellent cards given what I got. A few Accompany cards too. So, you'll have a bit more time to get ready before he targets you. So make sure these next few minutes, possibly hours count. Are you ready?"
Killua flashed a grin at Gon, "We're more than ready…"
With a nod, Gon agreed too.
"Good. If things change for any reason, don't hesitate to reach out to me with Contact. I may be risking Tsezgerra's cards, but I would rather that, then regret it. I'd regret not being there for my friends when they needed me…"
A/N: Leave a review, it helps inspire me.
Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year