So remember how we were gonna go find Killua? Well turns out traffic hates us and wants to get in our way. I was crammed in a taxi with Gon and Kurapika. Not the most ideal situation, but a ride is a ride.
"C'mon, move it pops!" Leorio complained to the driver
"Calm down the window face. He probably hates the traffic as much as we do" I scolded
"Well in that case..." Gon started as I hoped to any possible spiritual beings out there that weren't gonna be running. "We can just run there!" and there he goes (ugh).
Luckily, this wasn't nearly as bad as the first phase of the hunter's exam. I definitely felt myself being able to last longer compared to the constant running since then.
"Alright! Race you guys there!" Gon challenge
"I suggest you make a rule against me using my bird form for future races" I said as I transformed and zoomed past him.
"Hey no fair!"
~~~
Ah yes, airport. We finally arrived and had taken a seat at the cafeteria. Leorio went to pee, while I went "shopping" at one of the gift shops. I then took a seat and started playing a game on my handheld.
"Hey Azuki whatcha doing?" Gon asked, looking over my shoulder
"Playing a game on my new TS"
"Wait, where'd you even get that??"
"Gift shop. Turns out they're pretty popular in this area so I knew I had to snag one for myself"
"Aren't Twin-screens supposed to be crazy expensive though?" Kurapika wondered
"Who said anything about paying?" I told them nonchalantly, still keeping my eyes glued to the game. They knew what I meant. "Aw I got dead again. This game stinks"
~~~
Ah yes, train. A very nice and calming ride. Although, I had to go pee after a few minutes, so I did. After doing my business, I looked at my beautiful face in the mirror. "Well hello you sexy bitch"
"Azuki" said an ominous voice called out to me. "Azuki" it called louder
"The heck? Am I having hallucinations?"
"Azuki. Look closer in the mirror"
Although I was questioning my sanity, I obeyed the voice's order as my reflection shifted into an image of Yuki.
"Hey" she greeted
"Woah....Y-Yuki??" I questioned, reaching my hand out to touch the mirror. "How are you doing that?? Have I lost it?!"
"Don't worry, I'm no illusion. I'm talking to you via my spirit. Just like that dream you had during the exam"
"Woah....that's some freaky supernatural stuff. Any particular reason that this is happening?"
"It would be best not to tell you until you can control your own mind force. But enough about that. I've been watching over you, and I'm glad that you could pass the exam. I had feared the worst for you after that fight with Hisoka"
"It was nothing really. But uhhh...what's this 'mind force' thing you're talking about?"
"With time, you'll find out. Right now though I must go, see you later" and with that, she disappeared again.
"Of course she leaves when I want vital information"
~~~
And now we're at a village, trying to get information on Killua's whereabouts. Turns out there's a bus that could take us to the mountain. It only ran once a day, but at least there was a guide to show us around. With that being said, we finally arrived at our destination, via the bus.
"Huh, for a home of assassins, they really seemed to go all out in terms of design" I commented
"This is the front gate of the Zoldyck Mansion," the tour guide explained. "No one who has entered has ever returned alive, which has given this gate the nickname 'The Door to Hades.' beyond this is private property, so this is as far as we can legally go.'"
"But the mountain is all the way over there, how is this the front gate?!" Leorio questioned the lady
"The Zoldyck family owns Kukuroo Mountain, every inch of it, including all of the surrounding land."
"So, you're saying this is their front yard?" The questions from Leorio just wouldn't stop
Gon then spoke up. "Miss Tour Guide? What are we going to have to do to get inside?"
"Yeah is there some test or whatever that'll grant us access? Or is this just it?" I also questioned, though I kinda figured out the answer.
"Weren't either of you paying attention?" Yep there it is. Lemme tell ya though, that smile did NOT sit right with me.
"Well, yes but-" Gon wouldn't drop it.
"If you go inside, I'll never come back out," the woman looked like she was about to lose it." It's an assassin's hideout."
Two guys, one wielding a sword, did not heed the warning and walked behind her. "It's a total sham."
"The family of assassins no one has ever seen?" The blonde one spoke up.
"We can get 100 million in reward money, just for snapping a picture of them."
Holy shit, now I wish I had brought a camera to the exam.
"Seriously?! I should've taken a picture of Killua!" Leorio got the idea, but since this is Leorio we're talking about, obviously we just had to groan.
The two men then went to the box office, and started to threaten the old guy at it. He then gave the two a key leading to the front gate, which they immediately opened. But the old man's next line is what really would get people running.
"Oh darn. The master hates it when Mike snacks between meals."
"Welp, goodbye dumb and dumber"
Just then, there were a lot of ugly screams of pain and suffering, before a big furry paw opened the gate, two human skeletons in hand, before dropping them on the ground and promptly shutting the door. Their clothes were still intact, so it was pretty easy to tell that it was the people who had just gone in. Clearly the Zoldycks had some kinda guard dog.
In response to this, all of the background characters went back to the bus out of fear (understandable to be fair), but like the protagonists we are, we stayed behind.
"Huh, Mike is only supposed to eat at a designated time." The old man said after Mike finished his light snack. Of course, since I'm (mostly) a good person, I helped the man up since the two idiots knocked him over. This made me kinda glad that they got their just desserts.
After that whole song and dance, the old man invited us inside the booth for some tea.
"So, you're young master Killua's friends, are you?" Zebro (which we now know the name of) asked us.
"You got that right. We met during the hunter's exam and wanted to see him again after he left." I explained to the man.
"Happy to hear it." Zebro smiled. "I've worked here for 20 years now, and as much as I can remember, you four are the first friends to visit. Now I probably shouldn't be telling you this, seeing that I work here, but no one ever visits here, so it gets lonely from time to time." He then pointed to the two skeletons which I guess nobody is gonna bother to clean up. "except those types. We get plenty of those. But a family of assassins is bound to be unusual, guess it's the price they have to pay. So I'm glad you came, thanks for coming."
"Oh, don't mention it." Leorio said as if he didn't realize that he could use Killua's picture to pay for his future student loans just a moment ago.
Kurapika then asked what we've all been asking since 'certain tour guides' weren't any help. "So how is it you get inside? It's unlikely they would give you a keep, if not to let you inside."
"Very perceptive," Zebro complimented. "you're only half right, you see," he then reached into his pocket. "I don't need a key to get inside. " He then brought out the keys from earlier. "This key is made especially for intruders. Almost all of them go to the front gate. About 90% couldn't tell you why though."
As it turns out, Zebro wasn't really a security guard, but more so a caretaker for Mike.
"So then the front gate isn't actually locked?" I wondered
"Correct."
We then all watched as Leorio tried to open the gate, only to completely fail. I mean is anyone surprised though?"
"I'm afraid you're just not strong enough." Zebro laughed at the poor man
Leorio, red in the face from exhaustion, turned to Zebro. "Shut up! I was giving it everything I got!"
Zebro then removed his shirt, tie, and jacket, leaving him in just a tank top. "This gate is known as the 'testing gate'" he then placed his hands on the gate. "Because anyone who's not strong enough to open it, is considered unworthy." He then gave the gate a mighty push as he opened the first gate.
"The door closes automatically, so you'll want to sleep in while you can. Oh, and Mike won't harm you. She has strict orders not to touch anyone who comes through the testing gate." Zebro explained how the gate worked. "The first door weighs two tons each, each door is twice as heavy as the ones prior to it. In fact, when young master Killua returned to the estate, he opened three of them, just like that."
"Holy crap. He must be ripped if he's able to do it with such little effort."
"Three, that's like, twelve tons." Gon did some (unfortunately wrong) mental math.
"It's sixteen tons, Gon," Kurapika corrected the boy.
"Ah jeez, we're gonna be here for a while." I was not ready for that training.