And he, the Ant King, Meruem, could never fall by human hands!
He would eliminate every last invader and conqueror, one by one.
Just like now—eradicating the human standing before him.
This battle would be his declaration of war against the entire world!
Once he crushed this opponent, he would return to the palace, select humans, and take the next step toward domination.
And along the way, he would tell Komugi his name once more.
Speaking of Komugi…
"The blind girl from my palace—what happened to her?"
Meruem's gaze sharpened as he looked at Ronnel. Unconsciously, his tone grew more serious, and his heart pounded just a bit faster.
"The blind girl with a runny nose? Since she's human, we naturally granted her preferential treatment. She was injured before, but she should be recovering soon." Ronnel replied evenly.
"I see…" Meruem exhaled slightly, though he didn't realize the relief in his own voice.
Ronnel raised an eyebrow, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
"Why? I remember you seemed to care about her. Why wait until now to ask?"
"Because I saw Neferpitou's corpse. From that alone, I knew Komugi was safe."
"Neferpitou's corpse?"
"Pitou was my most loyal Royal Guard. I had ordered it to heal Komugi. It would have protected her to its last breath. And when I saw its body, its face was… serene."
Meruem's voice was steady, yet thoughtful.
"There was no trace of resentment—nothing. That means it believed it had fulfilled its duty perfectly. In other words…"
"Komugi is safe, right?" Ronnel finished for him, his tone slightly amused.
He hadn't expected that disposing of Pitou's body would bring Meruem such reassurance.
"But Shaiapouf and Menthuthuyoupi also showed no signs of resentment."
"Youpi was simpleminded, slow to process emotions. Pouf, on the other hand, overthought everything. He likely believed he had failed as a Royal Guard and became too overwhelmed by sorrow to feel resentment. I understand him well enough."
Meruem's explanation was calm and logical.
Ronnel, however, was left speechless.
"Alright then. Since we both have clarity now, there's only one thing left to do."
Ronnel shook his head, dismissing any lingering distractions. His gaze locked onto Meruem's, meeting those piercing, unwavering eyes. He couldn't help but smile.
A fierce battle hunger ignited within him.
"Then there's no need to say anything more—let's fight!"
Whoosh!
The instant the words left his mouth, Ronnel launched himself forward. His foot struck the ground, propelling him toward Meruem like an arrow loosed from its bow.
The battle had begun!
...
"Is this the Ant King's En?"
Morel watched in shock as an invisible force swept past him in an instant, spreading outward at an incredible speed. It was nearly imperceptible to the naked eye.
Had it not been for his own Nen wrapping around him, making him distinctly aware of the En's presence, he might have thought it was just his imagination.
"Huh?"
His eyes narrowed as he sensed movement. He turned his head sharply in a certain direction.
A figure was approaching at high speed, panting slightly as he ran.
"Meleoron?!"
The features were unmistakable—Morel recognized him immediately.
And on his back…
"Wait—is that… Chairman Netero?!"
As Meleoron closed the distance, Morel's eyes widened in disbelief. He blinked rapidly, as if trying to confirm that what he was seeing was real.
His shock only deepened as Meleoron shouted urgently:
"What are you standing around for?! Help me already!"
Snapping out of his stupor, Morel rushed forward without hesitation.
He took one look at Netero and felt his stomach drop.
The old man looked nothing like the vibrant, indomitable warrior Morel had last seen.
"T-this… is really him?!"
Meleoron nodded grimly. "Yeah."
Morel shuddered. Netero was in this state, while the Ant King's aura was still immense—brimming with power. That could only mean one thing.
The battle had been entirely one-sided.
Morel clenched his fists, feeling cold sweat on his palms.
Meleoron took a shaky breath. "Ronnel gave him some kind of life-saving medicine before. He's stable for now, but if he doesn't receive proper treatment soon, his condition could deteriorate again."
Just as Morel was about to respond, another voice called out behind him:
"Master, the blind girl in the second-floor reception hall has fully recovered. The healing machine worked wonders… Wait, wait, wait—is that really Chairman Netero?!"
Knuckle skidded to a halt, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.
"Get yourself together before you talk!" Morel barked. Then he latched onto the crucial part of Knuckle's report. "You said the blind girl's healed?"
"Yeah. She's completely recovered. Shoot's watching over her."
"Perfect. Then hurry up and help me get the Chairman into that machine! Now!"
"...!!"
They wasted no time. Soon, Netero was immersed in the nutrient solution, his body absorbing its restorative energy. Only then did Morel finally exhale in relief.
But something nagged at him. He turned toward Meleoron, who was standing silently nearby.
"How's the Ant King?"
"I don't know. When I left the battlefield, he was still heavily injured. But…" Meleoron hesitated. "While carrying the Chairman here, I could feel his aura shifting."
Morel fell into a contemplative silence, gripping his pipe tightly between his fingers.
A weight hung in the air between them, thick with unspoken dread.
Komugi, now fully healed yet oblivious to the horrors that had unfolded, clutched the hem of her robe. A quiet tremble ran through her frame as an inexplicable sense of fear crept into her heart…
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)