__________ POV Narration__________
The journey back to the new continent was somewhat uneventful after that.
The Zoldycks didn't really know how to react to Ashton's 'new' appearance. Killua and Gon didn't even react, the both of them were still somewhat wary of Ashton.
But the senior members of the Zoldyck family now looked up to Ashton, who had willingly given away his own lifespan to help them out of that perilous situation.
Maha and Zeno didn't have the slightest doubt that Ashton would've been capable of leaving by himself if he truly wanted to. But he chose to stay and protect the others.
It was something that was deserving of respect in the eyes of the Zoldyck family.
The journey back only lasted around a day and a half. The Ark not being anywhere near as fast as Ashton's explosive propulsion through the air.
In the end, reaching the new continent allowed the Zoldycks, as well as everyone else on board, to heave a sigh of relief. Seeing land so close to them was an exciting idea.
"I can already see the city..." Maha said while his empty sleeve dangled in the wind. He looked through a small binocular at the city in the distance.
"Indeed, there are 3 of them, one still under construction. That's where most of the new arrivals will be staying." I sail while sitting on the edge of the ship. Propped onto the rail of the ship.
"Is food going to be sufficient?" The journey towards the new continent was relaxed since Ashton came over, they didn't need to worry about provisions since over half of the mouths they were feeding were currently in a place without any flow of time.
"Of course, we have already established farms large enough to sustain three times the amount of people we currently have. Preventive reserves are also there, food won't be an issue anytime soon." Ashton's words made Maha nod, but he was still in thought.
The two of them had spent most of their time together. Ashton had gotten a proper haircut, a few of the passengers were apparently capable hairdressers, which was a skill that was quite lacking in the colonies.
Imagine that, they had engineers of all colours but they lacked both sufficient doctors and hairdressers. It was actually amusing to think about.
But not all of the topics that the two old men spoke about were amusing. In that short journey, Ashton also learned exactly what had happened to the rest of humanity.
He learned of the 'Mass Suicide Spots'. It wasn't all that shocking to him. But it was concerning to him.
He still wanted to learn more about the reason for such an attack.
He really doubted that the 'gods' were only doing this out of spite or boredom, although that wouldn't have surprised him if it were the case.
But he did realise something. 'The appearance of the ancestral whales doesn't mean anything good for humanity'. It was something that he had thought of at the moment as well. But only now did he understand the ramifications of such an appearance.
In between Lake Mobius and the rest of the world, there was a barrier put in place. Ashton had no idea of what had created it, where its origin was or for how long it had been there.
But he knew of its assistance. It was what kept the stronger beings a long distance away from Lake Mobius. It was what had allowed humanity to survive for so long within that small corner of the world...
And the appearance of the Whales only meant one thing... 'The barrier is falling.'
He didn't know how or why. But he knew that it was happening. So, he needed to hurry and gain enough strength to protect humanity. Lest they were all doomed.
It wasn't that he didn't trust humanity at all. But he knew that they weren't anywhere near ready to fight the being that the rest of the world held.
The Dark Continent would rip and tear into the remaining humans with ease and barbaric ferocity. It wasn't something that Ashton wanted to let happen. Not if he could help it.
'Heh... To think I'd end up being the only safety net that humanity has in the end...' It was an amusing, yet somewhat dreadful thought.
"Say... Are you truly sure that more powerful beasts will show up from now on?" Maha asked, still not taking his gaze away from the bustling city in the distance.
"More than certain... It's not even a question at this point. From here on out, it will be a struggle for survival. Without any stops for rest... Can your old body take that much?" I asked with a smile.
I honestly don't know what I was expecting. Maha revealed a smile, one filled with energy that I hadn't seen from him in a long time. Ever since he took the head of the thing that had killed his son.
"... There aren't many as strong as I am. You are an exception. It is my obligation as a human to make sure that the next generations can live on unbothered..." He said while putting down his spyglass and looking at me with a smile.
"Hah... In the end, it comes to us old soldiers... To take care of things once and for all. But our time will eventually run out." Ashton said, casting a serious gaze while staring at the civilians that were happily walking on his Ark. The children laughing, the adults smiling happily.
They were all nothing but children in his eyes though.
"I still have a few years in me... Especially with that drop of water you gave me. I won't croak anytime soon." The old assassin said while also gazing at the civilians.
"Obviously... Say, I think you'll like this thing as much as your son did." Ashton plunged his hand into the void, pulling out an ancient-looking ornamental knife. Maha looked at it with curiosity.
"This little toy... It's called 'Yama's Dagger' or 'Yama's Nail'. Everything it cuts, it kills. The user pays the price in the aura, corresponding with the strength of the target. If you run out of Nen, it will drain your life..." Maha still watched the dagger with a questioning eye.
"This relic used to be the weapon of your son. We had sealed it away to prevent any greedy individuals from targeting him and the Zoldycks... But I don't think we have the luxury to worry about that anymore."
Maha took the dagger with a shaky hand. He looked it over a few times, before raising it to the sky and smiling.
"I guess the two of us did always have similar tastes..." He spoke in a melancholic tone, but his features didn't show any sadness. He just seemed content.
"Well, he was also similar to you in personality... Maybe a bit less tame." Ashton said with a wry smile.
Zigg had always lacked the cautiousness of an assassin. But when it came to actually being sneaky, no one could actually beat him.
Maha just laughed a bit, before starting at the approaching wooden fort of the city.
"Well... We've arrived!" Ashton shouted as he turned around to the rest of the people. What greeted him were resounding cheers from the people on board.
He just smiled in with hidden irritation as he tuned out the loudness of their joy. And focused on other things...
'I wonder how Momoze will react to my 'new' appearance...' He thought with a smile.
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