There was no question that the actions of Allen and his team had been an unprecedented success. Not only had they severed the Chimera Ants' control over East Gorteau at its source, but they had also effectively locked the enemy within the palace.
Although many ants attempted to break through the blockade, they were invariably intercepted and eliminated by Hisoka, Illumi, Bodoro, and the others lying in wait. As time ticked by, the ants seemed to abandon the idea of a breakout. Instead, they began a frantic fortification of the palace perimeter until, from a distance, it resembled a massive bastion.
Using a specific Nen ability, they had transmuted the soil into incredibly hard rock, creating a sprawling network of tunnels from the surface deep into the earth—a literal labyrinth. Had it not been for the array of seismic sensors Allen had placed to detect underground vibrations, these creatures might have dug a tunnel spanning dozens, if not a hundred, kilometers to escape directly by sea.
When over half a month had passed, Chairman Netero finally arrived with authorization from the V5. The final war of extermination against the Chimera Ants was about to begin.
Staring at the maze-like fortress in the distance, Morel couldn't help but rub his forehead and groan. "Good grief! Have these ants gone mad? What are they trying to do, force us into a siege?"
"I advise you not to underestimate that castle," Illumi reminded him meaningfully. "Based on our tests, standard small-caliber shells can't even penetrate the outer walls. This means we must engage them in a life-or-death struggle on ground they've painstakingly prepared."
"How many ants are in there right now?" Knov asked, his brow furrowed. He had originally planned to infiltrate the palace to set an entry point for his Hide and Seek, launching a surprise attack when they were off-guard. But with the palace in this state, forget a stealthy entry, it was difficult to even find a proper door.
Allen rubbed his chin and answered, "Hard to say. Maybe one or two thousand, maybe three or four... possibly upwards of six thousand. They've been covertly screening the military across East Gorteau; roughly 14,000 people are missing. Accounting for those used as food, the rest have likely been turned into cocoons for genetic restructuring and transformation. Only they know how many have actually hatched. Also, I found the reason why tracking and scouting abilities have been failing: it's the ability of a Chimera Ant Officer. Because of his constant interference, we've been unable to gather effective intelligence. Oh, and I almost forgot, the castle is riddled with mines and bombs. Aside from the ants themselves, those are things you'll need to watch out for."
"Hahahaha! It seems the Ant King has prepared his stage for our showdown," Chairman Netero laughed, stroking his beard as he tested Allen. "However, knowing your personality, I doubt you'd just sit back and let them enjoy the home-field advantage."
"Of course not." Allen's lips curled upward as he pulled a sphere from his pocket. It pulsed with intense heat and a dark red, eerie glow.
"This is...?!" Netero's face instantly registered shock; he could undoubtedly feel the terrifying power contained within.
Everyone present shared a similar reaction. Killua, driven by curiosity, reached out to poke the searing object. "What is it?" he asked uncertainly.
"Something of horrifying power. Now, I'm going to use it to destroy the fortress the ants are so proud of, and their last shred of fragile confidence along with it."
As Allen spoke, he began to walk forward. He was holding a replica of the Eye of Sulfuras. He intended to use his Nen to create a duplicate of Ragnaros and simply flip this solid "turtle shell" over.
Play hide-and-seek with thousands of ants in a labyrinth? He didn't have the time or the patience. Nor would he allow the enemy to dictate the tempo of the final battle.
In the history of Azeroth, the Dark Iron Dwarves' summoning of the Firelord had resulted in the creation of Blackrock Mountain and the geological disasters known as the Burning Steppes and Searing Gorge. While Allen knew his Nen construct wouldn't be as powerful as the original, it certainly wouldn't be weak.
The ants watching from the shadows of the wall immediately sounded a piercing alarm when they saw a lone human approaching. Within seconds, Neferpitou appeared atop the highest pillar, looking down with intense vigilance.
Under the gaze of countless eyes, Allen stopped less than fifty meters from the fortified wall. He shouted to his opponent, "Little ants, are you ready to receive humanity's vengeance and destruction?"
"Save the talk! Just attack!" Pitou responded without hesitation. "I'll make sure you bleed your last drop before you even get near the King."
"Nice spirit. I hope you can maintain it, otherwise, this war would be far too boring."
With those words, Allen manifested his red Philosopher's Stone, the symbol of Fire, and fused it with the Eye of Sulfuras replica. He drew a staggering 1.5 million units of Aura from the Red Dragon's reserves and funneled it all into the object.
Instantly, the sphere erupted into a blinding white light and soared into the sky like a miniature sun. Before anyone could react, it plummeted into the center of the fortress.
The next second...
BOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!
Accompanied by a violent shaking of the earth and a deafening roar that echoed in their ears, the ground was torn asunder. Crimson lava erupted from the depths like a fountain, instantly swallowing countless Chimera Ants who had no time to flee. More terrifyingly, the magma ignited the mines and bombs buried nearby.
Explosions ripped through the air. Finally, a gargantuan figure composed entirely of raging flames and molten rock rose from the earth. Lifting a searing warhammer high, it roared:
"BY FIRE BE PURGED!!!!!! DIE, INSECTS!"
A horrific wave of flame radiated from it. The shockwave was so intense that even Pitou was forced to retreat in disarray, not daring to face the monster head-on.
"Taste the flames of Sulfuron!"
The Ragnaros replica had clearly inherited all the lines and skills from the dungeon. It swung its flaming warhammer, beginning a slaughter of all surrounding ants; every strike dealt unparalleled destruction. Under its rampage, the fortress the ants had spent so much effort building turned into a searing purgatory in minutes.
The deluge of lava swallowed almost everything, forcing even the King hiding in the depths to abandon his plans and emerge onto the chaotic battlefield.
The only downside was that while the Ragnaros replica's destructive power was immense, its movements were slow, too slow to pose a substantial threat to the Royal Guards or the King. However, with the death of the ant soldiers and the collapse of the fortress, it had fulfilled its mission. All that remained was to use the chaos to separate the Guards from their King.