118 Chapter 112: Showmanship
"..."
The atmosphere fell into silence as Silva posed his question.
"Hahaha, please, just call me Raymond..."
Raymond chuckled.
He was completely unfazed as he then casually retrieved a chessboard and laid it out on the table.
He flashed them a smile as he said, "I found a chessboard here. Who wants to play a game?"
"...I'll play with you."
Zeno sighed and decided to take him up on the offer. He then made his way to the chairs and sat down.
Despite his outward calm, his mind buzzed with anticipation.
Beating Raymond would indirectly mean surpassing Chairman Netero, which intrigued him.
As Zeno contemplated the potential outcome of the match, Raymond turned to Silva with a request, "Ah, could you please destroy some of the buildings around us and make it sound like we're still fighting?"
"..."
Silva watched silently as Raymond, taking the white pieces, engaged in a casual game of chess with his father.
Meanwhile, he strode over to a nearby wall and delivered a powerful punch.
BOOM!
The impact shattered the wall, sending debris flying and causing the entire building to tremble with the force.
As the chess game progressed, Raymond maintained his confident smile while Zeno observed him closely.
Finally, Zeno broke the silence, "So, care to explain what's going on?"
"Hmm... Let me think of how to explain this..."
Raymond appeared to ponder for a moment before responding with a smirk, "Well, let's just say I need to put on a show..."
"..."
Zeno fell silent as he decided to focus on the chess game instead.
He moved his pawn forward, deep in thought.
However, Raymond truly meant what he said as he indeed needed to do this in order for his plan to start.
"Forget about it, then," Silva muttered, acknowledging that Raymond likely wouldn't offer much explanation for his actions.
As he walked to the other side, he posed another question, "Then, how do you plan to nullify the contract? You mentioned killing the one who hired us, didn't you?"
Raymond looked puzzled at the inquiry, "Huh? I didn't say that, though."
"...?"
Silva abruptly halted his punch mid-air, his expression turning serious as he turned to face Raymond.
He felt as if he might have misheard, staring intently at Raymond for clarification.
"What did you say again?"
Silva's voice cut through the tension.
"I said I'm not going to kill the commissioner."
BOOM!
Once more, the building quaked as Silva's fist shattered through it.
His expression darkened, "It's against our code of conduct to nullify a contract after we've accepted it."
"If you can't kill them, then we've got no other choice but to kill you..."
"Kuhaha..."
Raymond's sudden burst of laughter irked both Zeno and Silva, their brows furrowing in displeasure.
As Raymond stifled his laughter, he confidently moved his King forward, positioning it in front of his pawn.
Zeno's confusion deepened, "What the hell is this formation?"
"Formation?"
Raymond shook his head, a smirk playing on his lips, "In warfare, there's no standard form. It's all about deception."
And it just happened that...
Placing his King as bait was a tactic Raymond favored, and he chuckled as he waited for Zeno's next move.
"Still, you don't need to worry about it. Although it's true that I'm not planning to kill them, but who said someone else wouldn't kill them?"
Raymond chuckled, meeting Silva's intense gaze with his own.
As Silva locked eyes with Raymond's intense crimson gaze, a surge of excitement coursed through his veins, igniting his desire to take down this formidable opponent right away.
However, the gravity of Raymond's words quickly sobered him.
"Whatever, we can just fig---"
Silva began, but Raymond's interruption halted him mid-sentence.
"At worst, I just need to kill you both if they're still alive anyway. No big deal..." Raymond's words pierced through the tense atmosphere, plunging into chilling silence.
"..."
Silva and Zeno stared at Raymond, taken aback by his nonchalant demeanor.
However, seeing Raymond's smirk made them realize he was serious, and suddenly, all three of them burst into laughter, the tension dissipating momentarily.
"Hahaha!"
"You've got some nerve!"
Their chuckles echoed in the dimly lit ruins as their laughter gradually subsided.
Tap... Tap... Tap...
However, the silence was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps.
They turned to see Sin slowly making his way toward Raymond, his gaze filled with displeasure.
Zeno chuckled softly as he focused back on the chessboard.
Sin shook his head as he then shifted his attention back to Raymond, whispering, "They've taken the bait, Master..."
"Oh? I see..."
Raymond's crimson eyes gleamed with a chilling light, his smile fading away.
He muttered, "Well, I guess we can continue our plan without much issue then."
Zeno and Silva exchanged silent glances, intrigued by the new development. Their eyebrows raised in interest as they felt another presence coming.
"Eh? I'm confused..."
"...Dad, Grandpa, aren't you guys fighting Raymond?"
Gon and Killua exchanged bewildered glances as they surveyed the scene before them.
Despite the earlier explosion and the ensuing chaos, they found Zeno sitting with Raymond, engaged in a game of chess amidst the rubble.
The dim lights from the city outside cast eerie shadows across the destroyed building, adding to the surreal atmosphere.
Their confusion deepened as they struggled to make sense of the situation.
Leorio arrived and he immediately joined the group with his expression mirroring their confusion.
"...What the hell?"
He blinked repeatedly as if trying to snap out of a daze.
"Oh, that?"
Raymond chuckled, making another move on the chessboard. His pawn captured Zeno's trapped Knight.
"We did have a fight," he confirmed.
"Seriously?"
Killua's curiosity piqued.
His eyes sparkled with excitement, "So, who came out on top?"
Both Killua and Gon had their curiosity piqued as they ran up to the group. They glanced at the chessboard before turning to Raymond, eager for an answer.
"..."
Meanwhile, Zeno frowned at the unfolding situation on the board.
He clicked his tongue in annoyance, moving his King back to its original position.
Raymond smirked at this and advanced his own King piece.
Zeno's eyes widened in realization as Raymond posed the question, "Who won, huh?"
"That's a question I can answer," Raymond declared, his eyes gleaming with a cunning light.
"I won!"
Zeno fell silent, his gaze fixed on the chessboard as the realization of his defeat sunk in.
Raymond's voice echoed triumphantly, "Checkmate!"
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