100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva and Zero Hand.
This was Netero's strongest and final attack.
"Is this truly within the realm of human power?"
As the Ant King felt the overwhelming force and lethal intent radiating from Netero, this thought briefly crossed his mind. Then, like a roaring storm, Guanyin unleashed a barrage of air blasts from its gaping mouth, all directed at the Chimera Ant King.
Almost instantly, Guanyin's massive palms spread apart, revealing the Ant King trapped within its grasp.
All of the energy converged upon him.
Boom!
The devastating attack struck with pinpoint precision, creating a massive crater, far larger than any before. The impact sent violent shockwaves tearing through the ground, kicking up dense clouds of smoke and debris that blanketed the battlefield in an instant. The sheer force was even greater than before.
And with that final attack, Netero collapsed to the ground, utterly spent.
His body shriveled instantly as Guanyin vanished, leaving him looking like an ancient, withered tree—perhaps revealing his true form all along.
"Haa... haa..."
Netero panted heavily, his chest rising and falling with each labored breath. His once-proud form, so full of life and strength during the battle, was now nothing more than that of a frail old man. A single gust of wind might have been enough to knock him over.
Had he done it?
He remained seated, his weary gaze fixed on the smoke-filled battlefield, a faint glimmer of hope lingering in his eyes.
He waited.
And then—
Footsteps. Slow, deliberate, and unmistakable.
Netero's dull black eyes, now clouded with exhaustion, filled with a mixture of despair and resignation.
Even Zero Hand wasn't enough?
From the swirling dust, the Ant King emerged. His body was battered—torn open in several places, deep purple-black blood oozing from his wounds. He looked nothing short of devastated.
And yet, Netero knew.
Compared to the hundreds of palm strikes he had suffered before, Zero Hand had inflicted true, tangible harm upon the Ant King. But it still wasn't fatal.
His wounds weren't as severe as Netero had hoped.
A long, weary sigh escaped the old man's lips as he slowly closed his eyes.
He had given everything. And yet, the Ant King still stood.
Defeat was absolute.
"My body is far past its prime. This outcome was inevitable."
He harbored no complaints. No regrets. Only a quiet acceptance of his own mortality, of the unrelenting march of time. If anything, there was only one lingering thought—a slight regret that he hadn't been able to face the Ant King decades ago, when he was at his strongest.
"That was a brilliant strike."
The Ant King, emerging from the dissipating dust, spoke in his usual measured tone. His body was riddled with gashes, torn open from head to tail. He was undeniably wounded, yet there was no trace of anger or resentment in his voice. Only calm acknowledgment.
It was as though even this devastating attack had fallen within his expectations.
"I was born into this world as a king. I have stood at the pinnacle of life since the moment of my birth. This is the natural order, the culmination of the Chimera Ants' evolution. My existence is the result of countless sacrifices made by my kind."
His eyes shone with an unusual brilliance as he looked at Netero—not with mockery, but with something akin to recognition.
"You are merely a human. Not the king of humanity, but just a single man. And I... I am the king who carries the hopes of an entire species. That is the fundamental difference between us."
"Through generations of evolution, the Chimera Ants have absorbed and refined the best traits of countless ecosystems. I am the embodiment of that process—the ultimate lifeform. No individual human could hope to match that."
...
Unrivaled?
Netero, who had been listening in silence, suddenly smiled.
A certain figure flickered in his mind—
A young warrior battling in Heavens Arena.
"There is no need for humans to cultivate Chimera Ants," the Ant King continued. "I now understand that the strong individualism of humans would only hinder the rule of my kind."
He seemed unaware of the growing smirk on Netero's lips, mistaking it for the last flicker of thought from a dying man.
"In recognition of your struggle, I will create a special zone where humans may live freely. When selecting humans for consumption, we will consider sustainable population levels."
"Your defiance was not in vain."
"Next time, I will not repeat my name."
The Ant King stood still, awaiting Netero's response.
In his mind, this was an act of mercy. The victor's privilege. A rare act of benevolence toward a defeated species, all because of Netero's valiant struggle.
But Netero had no intention of appreciating such generosity.
"Hohoho..."
A raspy chuckle broke the silence.
"You underestimate humans, Ant King."
Netero's grin widened despite his broken state.
"Even in this condition, I feel no fear."
His dark eyes met the Ant King's gaze—calm, steady, and filled with something far more terrifying than resignation.
"Because I know just how terrifying human malice can be in the face of infinite evolution."
His sunken eyes, once shrouded in fatigue, now glowed with an unfathomable depth—one that sent a shiver down the Ant King's spine.
This frail old man, who should have long since accepted death, radiated an ominous presence greater than even Zero Hand.
Netero raised his trembling hand, pressing his index and middle fingers together.
"Ant King, I am not the only truly powerful human."
A gentle smile crossed his lips, a farewell to his long, eventful life.
"I wonder... who would win? You or Ronnel? Unfortunately, we'll never know the answer. Because for that question to matter—"
His voice lowered into a whisper.
"You would have to still be alive."
------------
Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)