Under the crushing weight of this overwhelming aura, even taking a single step forward felt impossible. Turning around to assess the situation behind him was out of the question.
"Can we really defeat a monster like the Ant King?"
Meleoron was filled with doubt, his heart sinking further with each passing second. He couldn't help but worry about Ronnel, who was still out there on the battlefield.
But perhaps for that very reason, Netero—carrying him on his back—stared straight ahead with his wise, time-worn eyes, fixed on the battleground they had left behind.
"Ronnel..."
...
Royal Palace, East Gorteau
"Cough, cough, cough!"
After clearing out the last of the palace guards and finishing off the groundhogs, Morel took a long drag from his cigarette—only to choke on the smoke.
"What the hell is this aura?!"
His hand trembled slightly around his oversized pipe.
"Can a Nen user really possess something like this?!"
Behind him, Knuckle clutched his arms, his teeth chattering despite the warm season. Normally, he preferred to fight bare-chested, showing off his confidence and strength. But now, faced with this unknown, suffocating presence, he felt an unnatural chill seep into his very soul.
Beads of sweat gathered on Morel's forehead. The aura seemed to come from every direction at once. Turning his head toward a distant point, a deep sense of unease settled over him.
This energy... It wasn't like Netero's—a presence filled with strength and wisdom. Nor was it like Ronnel's—fierce yet composed.
No, this was different. This was raw, primal, and unrestrained.
It was the presence of a beast.
An ant...
Morel's brows furrowed deeply.
If his intuition was right, then the worst possible outcome was about to unfold.
...
Outside the Palace
Gon and Killua were racing toward the capital when they suddenly stumbled to a halt.
Both turned in the same direction, their eyes wide with shock.
"No way..."
They remembered it vividly—the moment they encountered the Ant King while searching for Neferpitou. They had watched as Killua's grandfather, Zeno, used his Dragon Dive to transport both the King and Netero away.
Back then, the Ant King had kept his aura suppressed, yet even that glimpse had left an indelible mark on them.
Now, this monstrous presence... There was no mistaking it.
"The Ant King... Is he really that powerful?!"
Killua swallowed hard, his silver hair damp with sweat. His body stiffened under the sheer pressure of the aura. Even though he had long since removed the needle Illumi had embedded in his forehead, fear still rooted him in place.
"Is the gap in power really this vast?"
He clenched his fists, frustration evident in his posture. Beside him, Gon bit his lip before turning sharply.
"Let's go."
Gon's voice was strained, his determination laced with frustration and concern.
Killua could hear it clearly—the regret, the helplessness.
"This is beyond us. I believe in Chairman Netero and Ronnel."
His hands tightened into fists as he forced himself to speak the next words.
"If it's them... They'll win. They have to."
As if saying it aloud solidified his resolve, Gon turned and took off running.
"Gon..."
Killua watched him go, unable to respond.
He knew better than anyone—Gon wanted nothing more than to help.
But ever since that first battle with Neferpitou, when Kite sacrificed himself to protect them, Gon had carried the weight of that failure. The guilt had etched itself into his very being.
Until he could see Kite healed with his own eyes, Gon would hold himself back, suppress his recklessness.
He couldn't let another friend end up like Kite.
And in doing so, he was growing.
Yet, in the process, he was also losing something important.
...
Border of East Gorteau
A sharp gust of wind whipped through the sky as Zeno and Silva stood atop their flying dragon, their gazes locked in the same direction.
Sensing the shift in the air, the dragon paused mid-flight, hovering.
"That aura... It's the Ant King, isn't it?" Silva's voice was low and firm.
His angular features, chiseled as if by blade and stone, were unreadable, but his long silver hair billowed like a lion's mane, imposing and unshaken.
"Yeah."
Zeno stroked his mustache, his piercing gaze narrowing.
"When I sent him away with Dragon Dive, he wasn't nearly this strong."
Silva's expression darkened. "Then... Netero is dead."
Though the words were delivered evenly, the weight behind them was undeniable.
They spoke as if it were a casual observation, but beneath the surface, both men had already tensed, their instincts sharpened.
"Probably," Zeno admitted. "And even if he isn't yet, against a monster like this... It's only a matter of time."
He exhaled slowly, shaking his head. "What a shame."
Silva was silent for a moment before murmuring, "V5 won't just stand by and let this happen, will they?"
"Of course not."
Zeno tapped his foot against the dragon's back, signaling it to resume flight.
"Even on the way here, I could tell from Netero's words—he had some kind of backup plan."
A smirk tugged at the corner of Zeno's lips. "He might not be able to kill the Ant King with his own power, but V5... they're excellent at one thing: eliminating threats to their authority."
The dragon let out a guttural growl as it soared higher into the sky.
"If nothing else, they'll make sure that thing doesn't get to walk away."
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)