The Razor's Edge [[Feitan x Reader]]

19: The Training Session

  "Five minutes. Not bad," Machi said when I woke up.

   She had taken over my training since Feitan left, enlisting Nobunaga and Franklin to help. It had only been a couple of days since Feitan and Phinks went into Greed Island, but my recovery time had really improved. Machi didn't even bother bringing me up to my room anymore. She'd just prop me up against a tree in the backyard and tend to my wounds in the time that it took for me to come to.

   "It could still be better," I countered. "Come on, get the others. Let's go again."

   "You know, you don't have to push yourself so much just because Feitan isn't here to do it. You've already made a lot of progress in these past few days."

   I shrugged. "I'm fine, really. Besides, I want to do this. I want to be stronger so I can be more helpful to the troupe."

   "You don't have anything to prove, you know," Shizuku said from where she sat at the old rusted picnic table with Franklin and Nobunaga. She liked to sit out there and watch us train when the weather was nice. "We already consider you one of us."

   I gave her a warm smile. "Thanks, but I'm doing this for me, too. I want to master my ability so I can feel more in-control. I can't always really on my nen ability in a fight, not if it knocks me unconscious every time I use it. That's why I need to keep training."

   "Well, whatever your reason, you should take a break and rest," Machi insisted.

   It was odd. I had gotten so used to Feitan's push-you-past-your-limit training style that I almost resented the way Machi had been treating me. Of course, I knew she had my best interest at heart, but I didn't want to stall my progress, not when I felt so close to my goal.

   "I figured it out!" Shal yelled as he raced into the yard.

   "What are you going on about?" Nobunaga asked, looking up from where he sat cleaning his blade.

   "That game that Phinks and Feitan went into—Greed Island. I wasn't sure how exactly the creators made a game that you could actually die in, but I figured it out."

   "Well," Machi pressed him, "How'd they do it?"

   Shalnark smiled like he was letting us in on a big secret. "It isn't really a game."

   "What the hell do you mean by that?" Nobunaga asked.

   "Well, they are playing a game, but the game card itself is a teleportation device. You activate it with your nen. Then you're sent somewhere in the real world to play—some remote location that no one would be able to just stumble upon."

   Realization dawned on Machi's face. "Meaning. . ."

   "Exactly!" Shalnark smiled, glad that someone was able to keep up. "We can get the treasure without having to beat the game."

   "That's great!" Nobunaga said, standing up. "So when are we going?"

   "Well, that's actually the problem. I'm not a hundred percent sure where it takes place. Once Phinks and Feitan come back I can ask them questions about the game that will help me narrow it down."

   "But who knows how long that could take," I pointed out.

   He nodded. "Exactly. Players can leave and re-enter the game, but I don't know how often."

   "And what if they die in the game?" Shizuku asked.

   Nobunaga laughed. "Come on. This is Phinks and Feitan we're talking about."

   "Still," Shalnark said, "We don't know what they're up against. There's a reason why no one has been able to beat the game yet. We shouldn't underestimate its difficulty."