Chapter 67: Don't You Have Any Logic, You Big Lout?
The water near the shore was too shallow and treacherous for the sharks. They couldn't push the raft all the way up the beach without beaching themselves on the hidden reefs.
So, with a final, powerful surge, the shark pack gave the raft one last shove toward the dark coastline. Then, following Kai's mental command, they turned and vanished silently into the deep black water.
Kai's final order to them was specific: "Swim away for ten minutes. Then, do whatever it takes to destroy the Star Markers in your mouths. Ideally, destroy them all at once."
He did this for a practical reason. Every time a Star Marker carrier was injured and the healing activated, Kai felt a faint, mental "ping"—like a notification on his phone. It was useful for tracking, allowing him to control a target even if they were out of sight.
But he didn't want to be spammed with mental notifications every time a shark scraped itself on coral or got into a fight. These weren't pets like Butch. They were tools. Best to cut the connection clean.
The raft drifted lazily toward the shore.
Kai and Shizuku didn't wait. They jumped into the chest-deep water and waded ashore. Kortopi, his body moving against his will, splashed in after them.
They dragged themselves onto the sand, dripping wet.
Kai looked back. The raft was drifting away on the current.
And Pariston Hill was gone.
"Looking for someone?"
A cheerful voice came from behind them.
Kai spun around. Pariston was standing on the beach, perfectly dry, beaming at them in the moonlight. "A little swim isn't enough to make me look like a drowned rat! Haha! Oh, sorry, I wasn't talking about you."
Kai stared at him with dead-fish eyes. "Shizuku."
"Blinky," Shizuku said, raising her hand. "Suck the seawater off us."
Whirrr!
The vacuum roared to life. In an instant, the water drenching their clothes and hair was sucked away, leaving them dry and comfortable.
Shizuku then flipped a switch on the vacuum. She aimed the nozzle at Pariston. "Spit it at him."
WHOOSH!
A high-pressure jet of salty water blasted out of Blinky's mouth, aimed straight at Pariston's face.
But he was already moving. He side-stepped effortlessly, the water splashing harmlessly onto the sand.
Kai and Shizuku hadn't really expected to hit him. It was just the principle of the thing.
As for Kortopi... he was still soaked, shivering slightly in the night air.
Kai wasn't kind enough to dry him off.
And Shizuku wouldn't help a stranger unless her Boss told her to. Even if that stranger was from Meteor City.
The four of them began to walk inland, leaving the beach behind.
The night was dark. It was February 2nd—the new moon. Only a sliver of silver hung in the sky, offering little light. The island's interior was a wall of blackness, the mountains looming like the spine of a sleeping dragon waiting to wake up and eat them.
Flap, flap...
Above them, three birds circled in the darkness.
Through Rock Sparrow's eyes, Kai scanned the island. In the distance, deep in the interior, he saw the faint, warm glow of city lights.
It's inhabited, he thought with relief. At least we won't starve.
But his relief was short-lived.
As they walked, a figure emerged from the shadows ahead of them.
Kai's heart sank.
Pariston, you jinxed us.
A tall, broad-shouldered man walked out of the darkness, illuminated by the faint starlight. He was wearing a casual t-shirt and shorts, looking like he was ready for a game of beach volleyball. His muscles bulged against the fabric. His hair was spiky, reminiscent of Akira Sendoh from Slam Dunk, with a rebellious little tail at the back.
And most importantly... his eyes were narrowed into thin, dangerous slits.
It was Razor.
One of the Game Masters of Greed Island. A convicted murderer on death row, personally recruited by Ging Freecss.
Of course it's him, Kai thought bitterly. Pariston's mouth is cursed.
The group stopped. Pariston looked amused. Kai looked annoyed. Shizuku looked curious. Kortopi... well, his hair covered his face, so who knew?
"It's been a long time since we've had uninvited guests..." Razor said, stopping in front of them.
He was about to launch into his standard intimidation speech when he felt it.
A sharp, cold spike of killing intent.
It wasn't aimed at him.
It was coming from the boy, Kai. And it was aimed directly at the small, long-haired man next to him—Kortopi.
Kortopi felt it, too. His pupil contracted in terror. He tried to react, to defend himself, but his body was frozen. It refused to obey his commands.
Manipulation, he realized with dread. I'm going to die.
He didn't know how he'd been caught, but he knew the result. He was helpless.
But the killing intent vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
It seemed Kai had considered killing him... and then decided against it.
'He's worried about the survivors,' Kortopi realized, relief washing over him. 'He doesn't know if killing me will make the rafts and the corpse-island disappear. He needs me alive to keep his Conjurations active.'
'Why did he want to kill him right then?' Pariston wondered, watching the exchange with interest.
He had deduced the same thing about the survivors. But the timing... why now? Why the sudden urge to execute his prisoner the moment Razor appeared?
Kai's killing intent had been a flicker, a momentary lapse in control. A top-tier assassin like a Zoldyck could hide their intent until the split-second of the kill. Kai wasn't there yet.
Razor, however, didn't seem to care about their internal drama.
He stood with his hands in his pockets, his eyes still closed. "Uninvited guests... always make me nervous."
Shizuku raised her hand. "Excuse me. Who are you? Is this Greed Island?"
Razor paused. "Before I answer that... let me ask you something. Did you drift here from the ocean? Because normally, the currents around this island make that impossible."
"Don't answer a question with a question," Pariston chirped, smiling. "Normally, would someone find us this quickly? You came straight to us."
Flap, flap.
The three birds descended, landing on Kai's and Shizuku's shoulders.
"I am Razor," the man said simply. "This is indeed Greed Island. I am one of the Game Masters responsible for its creation."
He reached into his pocket. "I'm in charge of Emission systems... movement spells... and dealing with intruders."
Kai saw the motion. He remembered the manga. Razor had a special "spell card" he used to eject trespassers.
"Wait just a second!" Kai shouted, raising his hand.
Razor stopped, opening one eye to look at the boy.
Kai narrowed his own eyes, matching Razor's glare. "Who said we're intruders? Who said it's impossible to drift here? We did drift here! Go look at the beach! Our raft is right there! We are victims of a shipwreck! We're refugees! Refugees!"
Kai pointed an accusing finger at the Game Master. "Since when do you kick out shipwreck survivors? Don't you have any logic, you big lout?!"
(End of Chapter)