Greed Island comes to an end with a massive celebration.
Asta looked over the men with barely a scratch on them. There were no physical wounds, anything to indicate they had been in a fight. So how, did the kids manage to deal a blow so rough, not even the maniac was willing to remove his bindings?
"How on earth did you guys even manage to win? Did you bore them to death?" Asta gestured to even the men's clothes, "Not even a rip on their shirt, there should at least be a bruise… or something.
"We…" Raphael awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. He knew it was going to come up. Frankly, he was hoping she'd bring it up after had already removed the bomb from her body… not before.
Asta was terrified of being in the same vicinity of the men after finding out he killed everyone from their last group, "healed them."
"You WHAT?" Asta took several steps back from Genthru, "Are you crazy, calling us over here while he's not at least incapacitated?"
"It'll be fine…" Raphael dismissed the woman's concern. It's not like Genthru has a reason to attack anyone at this point. He had been completely demoralised from making any kind of move.
"Genthru took one look at Bara, and he knew he was knee-deep in shit. Should've seen his chest, though. Gon punched the poor man so hard, he was lucky his ribs didn't get caved in."
When Asta saw Genthru's eyes meet her's, she found herself panicking, "Stop gloating while he's right there."
"Again, it'll be fine." Raphael patted the man's shin, "Just say I caught the Bomber, and all your problems will go away."
"Really…"
"Absolutely."
Hesitantly, the older woman stepped closer. She reached out to touch the man.
As Raphael left to join his friends, Asta took a deep breath. She willed her heart to calm down, her eyes once more falling on the man laying still.
He showed no signs of ripping himself free from his bindings.
"I… I caught the bomber." A puff of smoke vanished from where the man touched her, the bomb vanishing before it was activated. But she did catch a glimpse of the bomb, the screen with the coils disappearing into her chest.
She was glad she never saw that in person, the bomb probably would've blown up before she had a chance to breathe. It probably didn't work like that, but she didn't know any better.
For all she knew, it counted down from a number that was regulated by a normal body function, like the number of breaths she takes. Given that she'll be hyperventilating, it'll be over before she has control over her body.
The other two did the same, relieved by the freedom from the bombs.
As the boy was in the process of handing the last of his cards to Gon, Asta approached the boy. Raphael stopped to give her attention. When she held out her hand, he looked at her in confusion.
"It's called a handshake…"
"I know, but why?"
She let out a long sigh, "Thanks… for everything. You didn't need to help us. And you certainly didn't need to waste your time making sure we got rid of Genthru's bombs."
"Asta, I already told you. I consider you my peer. I also intended to give you a chunk of my winnings. It's about-"
"Keep it." The woman interrupted the boy before he could say anymore on the matter. Asta and her team came to agreement, that it wouldn't be fair to take any of the money Raphael does win, "You already gave us more than enough. We're getting to walk out of this game with our lives intact. You better win this game, or I'm going to beat the ever living shit out of you. You got it?!"
"Understood…" The teen shook her hand, "I can do that."
With a wave she started walking away "See ya."
When she was just within earshot, Killua felt a little mischievous. He wondered how she'd react knowing how much he got for assisting Tsezguerra, "So, what are you planning on doing with that three billion Raphael?"
Asta stopped in her tracks, turning around to power walk back to the incredibly rich kid, "On second thoughts, I'd gladly take a small-" She was ripped away from the teens when Amana yanked her back, pulling the woman away. She wasn't going to let her change her mind after looking so cool a second ago, "But why? What the fuck is a teen going to do with three billion dollars…"
Both Killua and Raphael found themselves bursting into laughter from the situation.
"What about three-hundred million? That's chump-change?" The poor woman could be still heard crying from a distance "We could've been FILTHY RICH!"
"~"
Raphael hands the last card over to Gon, #099 Maid Panda. The boy slots the last card into their respective, Raphael taking several steps back in case the dragon can disrupt anything.
After a few seconds, a chime sounded through every book in unison.
A player has collected ninety-nine restricted slot cards. Ten minutes from now, in honour of this event, there will be a quiz contest for all Greed Island players.
There will be one-hundred total questions dealing with restricted slot cards. The player who has the most correct answers will receive #0 Ruler's Blessing as a prize.
Please wait with your binders open.
The group took in the information, Gon openly staring at his book "Questions about Restricted slot cards, huh?"
Raphael totally grinned at the other two, "Oh, you two are so fucked."
"Huh?!" Killua shot a glare at the other, "There's no way we'd lose to you, over some shitty quiz…"
Crossing his arms, Killua mocked the teen, "They only have this, to kill the players who wasted their entire time stealing cards in their tracks. Since it's #0 and not #001 it'll be impossible for them to answer the questions and receive this card. But we've actually played this game, so we'll know a lot more than the average thief."
Killua pointed a finger at Raphael, "Just because you've taught us most of the mechanics, doesn't mean we've forgotten how we obtained the cards. I've retained most of the information. You have no chance at beating us, you nerd."
"Hold on…" Raphael held up his hands in defence, stopping the boy from saying anymore on that matter. He never doubted the boy's memory. What he did doubt, however, is them knowing more than him, "Is that a challenge? You want to challenge me… to see who knows more about this game."
"Yeah!"
"Well pack your bags because you've already lost. I've researched every facet of this game and there's no way you're beating me."
"Oh, really?" Killua smiled mischievously. He knew exactly what he needed to do, "Hey Gon, you're not going to take that lying down. In fact, I bet I can get a higher score than the both of you, combined."
"Nuh uh! I know I have a chance of winning." Gon was quick to argue back. It doesn't matter who he's against, he's up for a challenge.
It'll be a difficult challenge given that Raphael was one of the most knowledgeable players on Greed Island, but he was up for the task "Which should spit up so we can memorise notes about the cards-"
"At least try to keep within fifteen metres of me. My dragon is stopping other players from targeting us, given that we assembled ninety-nine cards."
"And what about later when it comes to the test? What's stopping us from just copying each other's answers?"
"Simple, Bisky. I'm pretty sure none of us would want to have our head caved in. Is that okay with you?"
"Oh, gladly. You should've been taking mental notes thought the game anyway. If I catch any of you cheating, I'll beat you senseless. That applies to you too, Raphael. You had, or frankly, still do have a proclivity to give away notes and free information."
"That's fair…"
The three agreed to Bisky's command.
Killua added one more thing, "Lets up the stakes. Whoever scores the lowest, gets penalised."
"Deal!"
Raphael found himself looking between the two, "You do realise you're only making it worse for yourselves."
"Nuh uh! We're in it…"
"To win it!" Killua and Gon declared boldly.
"~"
The trio were waiting for the game's next chime, the announcement for the quiz to start.
While that happened, both Gon and Killua could be caught studying their book, observing their cards for clues about what they do.
This quiz is free for everyone to join in, no matter how many cards you have gotten.
With that, I will now start the quiz.
Question one. What is the name of the elder who gives an important hint about #1, Patch of Forest?
A: Hira
B: Hida
C: Hiso
D: Mayu
E: Hima
"Damn it! The first one and I'm already stumped!" Killua caught himself groaning out of frustration, "You gotta be kidding me. It had to be the one card we didn't get. Maybe Mayu, since the other four have similar sounding names?"
"Y-Yeah…"
When the two had selected their choice, Raphael found himself smirking, "Mayu was his wife's name. His name is actually Hida."
"Uh-" Gon gasped in surprise "That's not fair!"
Bisky's hand came flying out of nowhere, smacking Raphael across the back of the head, "Ow!"
"No freebies! Even after they answered the question."
"Fine… Good luck!"
Both Killua and Gon turned from the other, now annoyed at him. They still were going to win this, no matter what!
What is the condition to obtain #17, Breath of Archangel?
A: Visit the priestess of Limeiro to earn her favour?
B: Save the Archangel from a Demon prince?
C: Find her washed a drift the shore of Soufrabi?
D: Collect all forty spell cards?
E: Free the priestess from an evil curse?
"That's easy! D, the spell cards!"
"Correct, now probably another ninety-eight questions to go." The teen offered a smile, Killua effectively groaning at the thought of having to answer so many questions.
One by one, the trio answered the questions as they came, the tree bantering in hopes of throwing each other off.
It felt like it had gone on for hours, Killua now completely drained from the quiz.
And now for the final question…
"Fucken finally. It really was a hundred questions."
"Hush!"
What is the name of card #0?
A: Ruler's Banquet
B: Ruler's Invitation
C: Ruler's Reception
D: Ruler's Welcome
E: Ruler's Blessing
"Huh…" Raphael rubbed at his chin, "Didn't they tell us the name before the quiz started? Interesting…"
"Damn it! I already forgot…"
Raphael chuckled, "It was E, Ruler's blessing!"
Bisky smacked the boy again.
"You better not be lying!" Killua entered the answer.
Raphael rubbed at the bruise "I promise I'm not lying."
She smacked the boy again. The boy groaning in frustration. He had been smacked twice for the same question.
The quiz is over. I will now announce the player with the top score.
Killua crossed his fingers, constantly muttering to himself. Let it be me…
With a score of ninety-six out of a hundred points, our top scoring player is Raphael.
As Killua let out a long groan, Raphael smirked. Even though he did get the highest score, he wondered which questions he got wrong.
But at least Killua had a way to jab back if the boy gloats. Mr. I know everything, but he couldn't get a perfect score.
There was also another chance he could score second in place, "What did you get, Gon?"
"But we both get penalised. Raphael won."
"Only one of us should!"
Gon looked at his book, "Eighty-five."
Killua looked at his book, turning around to pout, "Damn it…" He was the one that got the lowest score. And he was too ashamed to admit it.
Gon took a peek, "Seventy-two, that's bad Killua."
"Why did you have to sneak a peek?" He hid his page behind his hands, but the damage was already done.
The other two laughed at Killua's dispense, "Is it too late to say we both should be punished?" This only made Raphael howl with laughter. Of course Killua wanted to get out of the punishment he managed to inflict on himself.
"But look on the bright side, Killua. We still won, so that means we now have all one-hundred." Gon cheered loudly, his enthusiasm infectious to even Killua, even though he still had the threat of the penalty lingering over his head.
An owl hooted from above, the group looking up at the sky. It dropped an envelope, Raphael forced to grab it when it was dropped.
He opened the envelope. There was a single card inside along with a note.
Ruler's Invitation
110 SS - 1
An invitation from the island's ruler. The envelope contains a map that shows the castle and a badge.
Player must have the badge to enter the castle.
Raphael frowned. It was a single slot card, which meant only one player could receive the reward.
Gon peeked over the boy's shoulder, reading the letter "We have to go to Limeiro?"
"Yes, and unfortunately, there's only one badge…"
"I guess we'll be waiting for you by the castle."
"But it doesn't feel fair to accept it…" Raphael continued to look at the card, still unsure if he should be the one to go to the castle.
"You should keep it!" Gon was quick to shut the teen down from arguing. To him, Raphael was a skilled player who now has the chance to speak to the Rulers of Greed Island. He explored way more of the island than they did. So, he should be the one to get the best prize of them all.
"If anyone deserves to meet the creators that built this game, it's you, Raphael. You'll get to probe them for more information."
Raphael continued to look at the card. He wants to. He so badly wants to meet them, to pick their brains for secrets he missed.
But he'll be robbing Gon of his one chance to find out more information about Ging. He got to briefly see how Gon reacted talking to Razor, so can't take another one of those precious moments from Gon.
"Here…" Raphael held out the card to his friend, the boy looking at him in confusion. He finds himself shaking his head "No. As much as I would love to pick their brains for things I missed, I'd be robbing you of your chance to find out more about Ging. Ask them questions, find out more about Ging. Do what you set out to do from the begin-"
Gon hugged Raphael tightly, "Thank you…"
Even though Killua was bristling, Raphael continued to hug Gon back. He wants his friends to be happy, because getting to explore Greed Island with them has been the most fun he had.
He wouldn't regret missing his one, and possibly only chance to meet the rulers, not when he has memories like these with Gon and Killua to eclipse the few moments he would've gotten to spend with the rulers.
"Well, since we need to go to Lumeiro and I already have the location unlocked, we'll use one of my Accompany cards."
The others offered a nod. At least they wouldn't have needed to use Drift to jump around Greed Island in hopes of unlocking that area.
"Accompany on, Lumeiro."
"~"
The remaining members watched from the stairs, Gon disappearing into a heavily guarded castle.
The guards were probably just there for the looks.
The badge itself probably stopped visitors from wandering aimlessly in the castle, or at least from being repelled from the entry.
"I wonder what he's feeling…" Killua pondered aloud, Gon disappearing completely from sight.
"Wonder? A thrill? Possibly excitement from meeting more of Ging's friends…"
"I can see that." Killua hummed to the information, barely casting a glance over to the other teen, "You regret not going in there?"
"Yeah, but Gon deserves this way more than me."
"You sure you're not doing this to earn some brownie points? Cause Gon would've let you walk in first, you'd just need to make it up to him."
"I'm sure." The boy smiled at the other, "Gon needs this way more than I do. Besides, I could always come back way stronger and solo this game as a one-man army."
"Pfft…" Killua snickered at the idea, "You soloing Razor. I'd pay to see him mop the floor with you."
"First of all, rude…" Raphael turned to offer a sly grin to the other, "I reckon I could beat him with a decent amount of training."
"Sure…" The boy leaned back in response, "It'll be fun to see if either of us could come back later and solo people like Genthru and Razor."
"Definitely…"
"~"
The crowd was wild as they got transported in a car around Lumeiro, being paraded around the city as the new leaders of Lumeiro. It was merely a formality, their prize for beating the game.
The real reward, however, was the new binder Gon was given. They'll learn more about that, sadly, after the celebrations.
Fireworks exploded in the sky, well into the night. A banquet for everyone, large piles of food, drinks, music, dancing, pretty much there was something for everyone.
Raphael wasn't interested in any of that.
He roamed the crowded halls, searching for the hidden library. A castle like this surely had something of that sort lying about. He managed to find a room isolated from the rest of the castle, shelves littered with books. He perused the shelves, looking for history books about Greed Island.
Only when he heard somebody clearing their throat, did he stop searching to turn around.
A young man, who he could've sworn not only looked no older than him, he was also around his height. They were standing in the doorway, almost looking like he was trying to stop him from running away after being caught red-handed. But looks were deceptive. Greed Island had been running for a long time, and the fact he's one of the Game masters, must mean that his looks were quite deceptive.
At first, Raphael reacted like a wild deer caught in headlights. He didn't think a library of all places would be off limits during a celebration, "Oh shit, am I not supposed to be in here?"
"It's alright, you are one of the new lords of the castle after all." The man chuckled at the response. Gon did tell them that one of them should reach out to the teen, but he didn't expect him to react like he got caught with his hand in a cookie jar.
"In title, not meaning. Are you sure it's okay that I'm here?"
"Of course." The man closed the door, now observing the teen with a keen eye, "I'm guessing you're not the kind of person to enjoy the crowded scene with your friends and peers?"
"I am… it's just…" Raphael rolled his wrist, trying to think of the best way to explain his feelings, "This is the capital, the main castle in Greed Island where everything is run. The royal library may have contained the history of Greed Island, but I was hoping that this castle may contain more information that wasn't readily available. But from a quick glance, it was no more than the game's history here…"
Raphael faced the books, smiling at one of the many he could read in his hands, "I'm looking for concept art, ideas that didn't quite make it into the game. It would've been cool to see what else you guys came up with, rather than just the creative cards filling the restricted slots."
The man cracked a smile. Gon was right. This kid spent way more time in the game than the average player, actually looking for stuff rather than focusing on beating it.
And given the fact the dragon on his shoulder wasn't a part of the many restricted slot cards, that told him that he found some of the many hidden secrets. He could see this player making the other Game Masters who poured their heart and soul into this game smile at the idea of such a player existing, "Raphael, I presume."
"Yeah?"
"Gon talked a lot about you." The man moved a chair from the table, taking a seat for himself. He'd gladly talk to the teen about things he wants to hear about the game. It'll be his own reward in itself, "What would you like to know? I'm List, by the way. One of the Game Masters."
"Really, are you sure?"
"Certainly, you wasted time and precious resources to get Aduzla." The beast flew to the man after its name was called, now resting in the man's palm, "Anyone who did that certainly knew a lot more about the game than the restricted slots. This was actually one of Dwun's ideas. Ging kind of shot it down because it was too powerful, with little to no use as a restricted slot card."
"It's strange you would say that, given you have cards like Pregnancy Stone, Imp's wink, Hormone Cookies, and Doyen's Virility Pills. Like, who would want those cards, when they could have the cool looking dragon that's more powerful than Paladin's Necklace, oh, and it reacts to your presence." Raphael took a seat at the table.
"I suppose you're right." List chuckled at the boy's argument. While he might not care for cards like those, there could be others out there who would want them. But that wasn't a discussion to be had, not when Raphael was more interested in the lore of Greed Island, the history behind its creation "So what would you like to know? About the main creator, Ging?"
"No…" The teen shook his head, "Tell me about the things that didn't make it into the game!"
"I can do that…"
"~"
"So this is the reward for beating the game…" Gon produced a small binder, "They're for restricted slot cards only, which isn't fair…"
Raphael looked at the small container with only three slots, looking at it from all angles. It wasn't much to look at, but the main problem was that there's only three slots and four of them "Besides there's not enough slots for all of us. How isn't this fair?"
"There are so many different cards in this game, but we're limited to only picking from the one-hundred. Oh, and we're not allowed to take multiple cards, too."
"Seems reasonable, at least for the multiple cards. They're trying to encourage us not to take like three gems that we could sell for bank. Just imagine all the rage we could generate if we sold three Blue Planets, which were one of a kind, nowhere else to be found?"
"Hey! One is for me!" Bisky was quick to defend their only copy."
"My point still stands with two…" The teen rubbed his chin as he thought about it, "Or, I guess you could take three Lonely Sapphire cards, and set three trillionaire hermits for life. Or the Roaming Ruby, just they'll be unable to stay in the same place for more than a week."
He could list another few potentially harmful combinations, like the Pitcher of Eternal Water, Mystery Pond, Tree of Plenty, all things that could practically solve world issues overnight with enough of them.
"Well, I was hoping they would be open for more cards to be chosen from…" Gon frowned.
Raphael looked at Gon with concern. There was something else he wasn't telling them.
"Although, once I've chosen my cards, I'm supposed to go to the port."
"Did they at least talk about your father?"
Gon nodded at the question. They did, "Yup. But like the note he left, he's not here. Nor do they know where he is right now."
"The game truly had no clues…" Bisky found herself looking away. It was sad to see Gon go through the entire game, only to find nothing about his father's current whereabouts.
Killua lets out a long sigh, "Well, he did warn us about that in the starting message…"
The group was quiet for the moment, Bisky now looking between the boys' expressions. There's no time to dwell on that. Gon should be focusing on his prize, the three cards "What are you planning to pick for the three cards?"
Killua looked around, "We have a problem. Four of us. Three slots. Rock-Paper-Scissors?"
"I already got my prize…" Raphael smiled at Gon, "I had a rich discussion with List, so thanks. You didn't have to do that for me, Gon."
"It was the least I could do after assisting us. But are you sure about that being your only reward?"
"Absolutely…"
Killua looked between the two, feeling jealous of the friendly smile they shared between each other. He didn't like that at all, "Well that's one problem solved. We should get a card slot each."
Bisky didn't hesitate. "Blue Planet is mine! No matter what, this is still the best card. I can't wait to have this all to myself in the real world."
Killua wasn't impressed in the slightest. She could've at least waiting until Gon picked something, before saying anything.
Having sensed the boy's judgemental stare, she forced the conversation on him, "How about you Killua? What do you want?"
"How about we let the person who got the prize in the first place, choose?"
Bisky's eye twitched out of anger. Was Killua actually picking a fight over something miniscule, "Are you picking a fight with me?"
"I dunno…" Killua cracked a smile, "Does the historic relic-"
Killua didn't have time to finish the statement, not when the hand came swinging hard and fast.
A vein protrudes across Killua's forehead, "Damn it! At least let Gon pick first before you're choosing your so called-" Killua fluttered his eyelashes, eyes sparkling out of exaggeration, "pretty little gem."
"Then say that next time, rather than picking a fight."
"Whatever…" The boy was quick to roll his eyes, now turning to his best friend with a smile, "So what were you hoping to pick?"
"This one…" Killua's eyes gleamed with excitement. He leaned over to see what Gon was pointing at.
"Ehh? Really… but you can't take that."
Raphael looked to see what Gon was pointing at. It was an Accompany card.
"Technically, he can." Raphael pointed at the card next to it, "With that."
"Really, it'll work?"
"Sure. As long as it's one of the restricted slot cards…"
"Hmm…" Killua then flipped a few pages, "Then he'll need this too, right?" The boy pointed at Paladin's Necklace.
"Yes…"
Bisky leaned over to see what the boys were talking about. It seems like it was something involving the Paladin's Necklace, "Why…?"
Killua flipped a few pages back, "Then we should pick this card as the replacement."
"Killua, you're not thinking clearly."
"Huh?!"
"Plot of Beach is not only useless outside the game, it'll flag the person at the exit."
"Then what do you propose?"
Raphael points at the Pregnancy stones, "That?"
"That is an even dumber choice! A kid trying to bring that card would be an even bigger red flag."
"Aren't you a little curious to know how she'd react?"
"No!"
Raphael frowned. It could've been a funny moment. Well, there were other more useful cards to pick, "Alright…" The teen picked another, "Gold Dust Girl." Giving his friend a few nudges, he joked about the card, "You were eyeing her up, and it is very useful… after all."
"I wasn't eyeing her… she just happens to shed dust you can sell."
"But, we aren't bringing that card…" Gon looked between his now flustered friend, and the instigator, "It doesn't matter what we pick."
"Gon, if I were a Game Master, and I saw you bringing a card that is absolutely useless outside this game, I would question if it was the real card. If I were going to try to sneak a Fake and Paladin's Necklace through, I'd make sure that the Fake was going to fool them."
"Says the guy who told Gon to bring Pregnancy Stones. Now that's suspicious."
"Hey, mine is a joke. Gon was thinking of using Plot of Beach."
"That still doesn't explain why you'd want to Fake a basic spell. Unless…"
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking at first, but there's one name in my book that didn't make any sense…"
"Name…?" Bisky then looked at Gon, "What spell…? What are you talking about?"
"I think it would work, what about you Killua?"
"I don't see why not. It could be fun."
"Yeah! I say we try it. But we should still pick any card since it doesn't matter."
"Gon, you need to make sure it's useful. As in, it would be something anyone would take just in case you're questioned."
"Why would I be questioned about my choices? They said any restricted slot, as long as it's not multiples…"
Raphael let out a sigh. He couldn't technically argue with that logic. But, having that sort of safety net is beneficiary, "Sure, while that is true that there were no limits. This could still be a test, if not by the game masters… there could be one, set by your father."
"My father…?"
Bisky finally had enough, belting all three across the head. They ignored her, treating her as someone who didn't need to be in this conversation, "Who or what are you three arguing about?"
The three groaned, Raphael being the first to answer, "I'm talking about the game masters, and Ging."
"Well I'm talking about Nigg."
"Who on earth is Nigg?" Bisky crossed her arms at the name.
"The first person I met in this game…"
"No, that should be me."
"Not according to my book…" Gon smiled sheepishly, "When I was looking through all my names, I noticed Nigg, N-I-G-G was first, not Raphael."
"Oh!" Killua slapped his first in his palm, "It's an anagram. It can be used to spell Ging too!"
"I thought the same."
"Then Nigg is your test…"
The response made Gon look at Raphael with a puzzled expression, "What kind of test?"
"Accompany isn't the only teleportation spell. There's Return and Magnetic force too."
Gon looked down at his binder, at one of the two choices listed. He guesses he could use those too, but he wouldn't want to do that.
"I wouldn't pick those, even if they were going to give me a different outcome. If I were going to meet Ging, I would want to bring my best friend along. I want Ging to meet my friends too…"
Killua hid his smile, the faint blush gracing his cheeks. Gon wanted to bring him, which was why he picked Accompany first.
Not because these possible choices crossed his mind…
His immediate thought was Gon refused to leave him behind, "Well Gon has his plan. We should execute it, even if we get a different result."
"Yeah! I'd be disappointed if that was the case… but I want Killua to be by my side when I meet Ging."
"Sounds fair…" Raphael cracked a smile, "Sounds like you have your heart set in the right spot." The teen turned to Killua, "If that is a possibility, would you have any objections?"
Killua looked away, "I…"
"That's mean! This is my say! I want Killua to be there, no matter what!"
The words made Killua freeze, unable to say anything on the matter. So he kept his mouth shut, only offering a small nod. He was too shy to admit he wants to be with Gon every step of the way.
"Alright, then Gon. You need to choose a good Fake. If you're going to meet Ging, he may have anticipated this move, which means the girl at the exit knows you're going to bring a Non-Restricted card. You have to be ready to fool her in the worst case scenario…"
"Alright, I'll pick something useful… Like Gold Dust Girl."
"Huh?"
"Even if it's not the real card, I want to make you happy too, Killua!"
"Baka!" I'm already happy…
Raphael cracked a smile at the situation. He genuinely believes that what those two have been unbreakable. It'll be sad to see them go off on their own adventure, but he'll be glad he got to spend every moment with them.
Hearing another firework, he looked outside the window. He wonders what life will bring him next… if he'll ever cross paths with Gon and Killua again in the future.
I wonder what I should do next…
"~"
Raphael waited at the designated spot with Bisky and Killua, the three waiting for Gon't return with good news. Their plan was a little iffy, but if nothing is suspected to go wrong, Killua and Gon would fulfil their goal.
A way to reach Ging…
The sudden appearance of Gon made Killua smile, the boy quickly waving him over, "Behind you! So did it work?"
"I dunno…" Gon patted down his body, looking perplexed, "It feels weird being back… in the real world."
"Technically we never left." Raphael pointed at Gon, "You were teleported to Greed Island when the game cartridge sensed your aura."
"Really… that doesn't sound as cool as I would've thought."
"You were hoping you'd be sucked into a virtual place? Isekai-ed?"
"Isekai…?"
"He means transported to another world. Now come on. Try calling your book?" Killua nudged his friend. He wanted to see the ring work outside the game.
Gon agreed, holding up his ring, "Book." The small binder popped into existence, dropping right in front of the boy's view. It looks like they functioned outside of Greed Island like they did inside the game, floating in the air. Killua and Gon's eyes gleamed with excitement as the binder opened to reveal their cards.
However, the moment they did so, Bisky was already attacking the binder "Gimme, gimme!" She excitedly plucked the card right out of the slot, holding it up before anyone could stop her "Gain!" Within her fingertips, she held the Blue Planet Gemstone. She couldn't contain her excitement, muttering to herself about how long she had been waiting to hold the real thing.
Things got real awkward for the boys as they were forced to watch her affectionately hug and cradle the gemstone.
It was so weird watching her talk about it as though it were her baby, her child she planned on cherishing for the rest of her life… Even going as far as to give it a nickname.
Could they even say anything at this point? Could they even call her a straight-up weirdo for acting like this, when they all know they acted like this about something in their lives…
Okay, maybe not to the same degree as Bisky.
As if finally sensing the awkwardness of the situation, Bisky hid the gemstone in her pocket. She turned to the boys, pretending as though none of that happened "What about you? Are you sure that's what you wanted?"
"Shall we test to see if it works?"
Gon pulled out the two cards, handing the Gold Dust Girl to Killua while the boy took the other card, Paladin's Necklace "Gain!" The necklace appeared around his neck, the gemstone glinting in the light. With that around his neck, he took the other card from Killua who almost looked disappointed when the card started transforming.
But once Gon held the Accompany card, that disappointment was replaced by a smile. The way he had reacted to his method working meant his plan should still work. He'll have a chance to find Ging "I'm glad it worked… I'll finally get to see Ging."
The boy reminisced on the moment for a few seconds, his longing smile thinking about his selection, "Oh, I wonder how Ging got me inside the game?"
"Considering you needed Nen to enter, I'm guessing you were originally a resident of Greed Island. Probably Ging and your mother, possibly a different Game Master are your parents. Or, I guess being the game Master meant he could do as he pleases, breaking the rules." He thought of another possibility, but that would've been a weird suggestion. There's no way Gon could be a product of Pregnancy Stones…
"Maybe…" Gon didn't care about that much about who his birth mother was. He'll always consider his mum to be Mito. So, he instead found himself looking back at the card, "Well, I'd like to think he was trying to tell me: If I'm ready to give up everything to find him, I have to get strong enough to clear the game…"
"Well, I'm not sure if he meant everything…" Raphael gestured to Killua, who raised an eyebrow in return. Killua was probably wondering why he was pointing at him after that statement, "That would be kinda messed up if he meant friends too."
Gon could agree with that. He would be upset if his father expected him to sacrifice his friendships, especially his best friend Killua, just so he could meet his father, "I don't think he'll want that…"
Bisky could only smile at the boy. He has so much respect for a figure he hasn't met. And top it off, he has an idolised version of the man. He didn't even consider the possibility of Ging having negative traits. She really hopes Ging turns out like Gon envisioned, "Your dedication is something else…"
This was so much for her to take in. Gon wanting to meet his father, and with their discussion last night, his intended goal to introduce his best friend to his father. She sniffed loudly, tears forming at her eyes.
It was so sweet… genuinely cute to see such an interaction, a wonderful bond that made these two so close.
Raphael held his hand up to give the two a wave, "I guess this is where we part ways. I'm gonna miss you two."
Gon looked at the teen in confusion, I thought you were coming?"
"Huh?" Killua was caught off guard by his friend, alongside the boy his comment was being directed at, "What do you mean by that?"
"I consider Raphael a friend I wouldn't mind introducing to Ging. Of course, you're welcome to come too, Bisky."
"No…" Bisky muttered under her breath after turning away, "I'm not interested in meeting men who already have kids. Nor is it in my place to infringe on your special moment…"
"Alright. What about you, Raphael? Do you want to come?"
Every fibre of his body wanted to scream yes. Who the fuck would want to miss the opportunity of a lifetime… To meet Ging Freecss of all people. But more than that. He was being given the chance to stay longer with Killua and Gon. And he'd love that more than anything in the world, "After beating Greed Island, my goal was going to go home back to my father while I search for my next big goal…"
Raphael turned to face the vast ocean. Unsure what to choose given his new option, "Can I really join you?"
"Of course! It was fun playing Greed Island with you too! I wouldn't mind if you came along too. Right, Killua?"
Killua blushed, not because he was being asked. It was because Gon was asking for his opinion, "I guess… it was pretty fun."
Raphael found himself unable to stop smiling at the information. He so badly wanted to join them, "I want to join you. But first, can I let my dad know I'll just be a little while longer? I did tell him I planned to return home, when Greed Island was beaten."
"~"
It has been so long since Nathaniel had heard from his son. So when he saw h8s son's name flash up on the ID, he wasn't sure he knew what kind of call he'll be receiving.
"Hey son?"
"Dad…"
Given the tone of his son's voice, he didn't know what to expect, "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah! You won't believe the kind of adventure I had." Raphael gave a run-down on the kind of adventure he had, the danger, the things he learned, the fact he was able to beat the game with some people he met, and the memories he made along the way…
By the time he had finished explaining everything, the man knew what kind of question he was going to get. And it made him smile from ear-to-ear.
But he couldn't help wanting to tease his son a little, to joke about how he's going to leave them after experiencing so much fun. But he couldn't bring himself to do so, not after hearing the inflection in his voice, the excitement he had "Is that so?" The man cracked a smile, "You hunted for your dream, and found it. And now you want to know if you can go?"
Raphael can hear the smile in his father's words, "I have… and yes, I want to stay a little longer."
"I don't see why not. To be a Hunter, means to always be on the hunt for the next thing. You've found something you want to go after, and I say why not. All I ask is that you keep me updated and stay as safe as you can, no serious risks."
Raphael's widened. He guesses he never thought of it in that way, "I plan to. I will keep hunting, dad. I'll continue to grow…"
"Good, I look forward to that. Stay safe, and have fun."
"I will…" Raphael looked to the others, now smiling from the affirmation. He can't wait for what happens next, "Hey Gon."
The boy looked at the other who called his name.
"Can I join you?"
Gon's eyes gleamed with excitement, "Yes!"
A/N: Leave a review, it helps inspire me.