That look—fearful yet yearning for protection—made his heart ache.
"Shidore... Shidore..."
He stared blankly, whispering the name under his breath.
"Shidore... Reina..."
Suddenly, a strange yet familiar name surfaced in his mind, slipping from Kurt's lips almost involuntarily.
"Reina... she's my sister... I have to protect Reina..."
In the next moment, Kurt's eyes widened as vivid, long-buried memories surged from the depths of his mind.
His mother. His sister. The two of them fishing... encountering a monster... being killed. And then—
Being turned into meatballs and devoured.
One by one, the fragments replayed with crystal clarity.
"Reina... Sister... I failed to protect her..."
Before he realized it, hot tears streamed down his face. His past life's memories had finally awakened.
Not to mention Shidore—Reina had also recognized Kurt as her human brother. After the touching reunion between the siblings left everyone in tears.
Knuckle and the others, upon learning the full story, were deeply moved. Overcome with emotion, Kurt pleaded with Morel to let him take his sister to see their mother.
Morel, visibly affected as well, agreed without hesitation. However, in the interest of duty, he and the others would accompany Kurt.
Of course, they would only travel to the village, they would not interfere when mother and child reunited.
...
Ronnel rushed toward Doli City at top speed.
On the way back, he spoke with Razor over the phone. Upon hearing the news, Razor enthusiastically welcomed him, saying that Greed Island had gone too long without fresh blood.
Things progressed smoothly on Greed Island. However, when Ronnel arrived at the house where Bisky had sent them, he immediately noticed something was off.
"Yeah, it's a mess."
Bisky surveyed the room with a sigh.
Shredded dolls lay scattered across the floor, their cotton stuffing strewn everywhere.
"At least Gon agreed to go out with that girl tomorrow, so things finally settled down."
As she spoke, a sly grin spread across her face, excitement barely contained.
"Gon's only 13, and he's already learning how to woo girls. I can't imagine what he'll be like when he grows up! And Killua—his face was priceless. A 13-year-old boy going on a date? Hehehehe!"
Seeing Bisky lost in amusement, Ronnel shook his head, exasperated.
He decided to wait for her to come back to her senses.
Once Bisky finally calmed down, Ronnel told her about his plan to undergo intense training, requiring someone to guard him while he went into seclusion. Bisky, however, was not having it.
"Hey, Ronnel, can't you just wait one day? Just one!"
She blinked her big eyes, exaggeratedly pleading.
"Let me watch Gon and Palm's date tomorrow! After that, we can go into training, okay?!"
"I'm afraid we don't have that luxury."
After calculating the time, Ronnel shook his head slightly.
"The opponent I'll be facing next might be the strongest guy in the world. Time is short. I have to ensure I'm in top condition as soon as possible—preferably starting now."
"But Shizuku will be watching over me. That should be enough. You can go tomorrow, just make sure to fill me in when you return."
"The strongest in the world..."
The moment Ronnel said those words, Bisky's playful expression vanished. She immediately switched to a serious mindset.
She scrutinized Ronnel carefully.
Physically, he seemed fine—no injuries, his aura strong and steady. Yet, as someone with a keen eye for beauty and form, she noticed something slightly off.
He wasn't injured. If anything, his body had improved significantly. But at the same time… there was something subtly off-putting about it.
She couldn't quite pinpoint the flaw, but it was there—an almost imperceptible imbalance.
Her expression turned solemn. "If you say you'll be facing someone worthy of the title 'strongest in the world,' I take it this guy is really terrifying?"
"How does he compare to Chairman Netero?"
"The chairman is old."
With those simple words, Ronnel made it clear. Bisky instantly understood and fell into silence.
After a moment, she sighed softly.
"Looks like my special love story of a handsome 13-year-old boy and a lovestruck, heartbroken girl is going to remain unfinished."
At that, it was clear—Bisky had made her choice.
A warm, appreciative smile spread across Ronnel's face.
"Thank you, Master."
"Tch! If Shizuku weren't staying behind, I'd have left already to watch the drama unfold. What a waste."
Despite her grumbling, Bisky's mood improved, though she was still a little miffed.
"Alright, you'd better make this training count! If you still can't defeat this so-called strongest guy when you come out, I won't let you off easy!"
When it came to important matters, Bisky was nothing if not dependable.
"That's a promise."
Ronnel smiled, then turned to look at Shizuku, who had been silently watching him.
They exchanged a knowing glance.
Then, without another word, Ronnel stepped into the small room, ready to begin his training.
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)