"Killua, what is it?"
"Biscuit, do you have a way to contact Chairman Netero?"
"What business do you have with Chairman Netero?"
"It's like this…" Killua briefly explained the situation.
Biscuit gathered her thoughts. "Kite took you to NGL, and there you encountered a very powerful creature. Because of Gon's impulsiveness, Kite fell into a disadvantage. His situation is uncertain now—he may well have met with misfortune. So you want to take part in the operation against the Chimera Ants?"
Killua nodded. "Yes."
"I can help you get in touch with Chairman Netero," Biscuit said, "but as for whether he'll agree to your request, that depends. I can't guarantee anything."
"Thank you."
Biscuit ended the call, and Killua and Gon sank into anxious waiting.
...........
...
.
A few isolated Chimera Ants entered Ron's field of vision. To their eyes, however, Ron and Benas looked like isolated humans. Without hesitation, the moment they spotted the two, they charged forward.
Ron raised his hand. "Nen Bullet!"
Three shots fired in succession.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The Ants had no chance to react before being struck down. All of them fell with wide eyes, their faces frozen in disbelief.
Benas stared at the fallen Chimera Ants, her eyes filled with longing. "If only I had such power. Then everyone in the village wouldn't have died. I could have protected them."
Ron glanced at the crystal ball before him. Its progress had barely risen, only about eight percent. Most of the Chimera Ants he had encountered so far were not particularly strong. The only exception was Gyro. His rank was merely squad captain, yet his human consciousness gave him an abnormally high ceiling. Even without becoming a Chimera Ant, if Gyro had learned Nen during his time as a human, he would surely have become a top-class Nen user—stronger than most division leaders.
......
....
.
In the Ant Nest, a sudden, chilling aura spread outward. Neferpitou, perched on a high spot, instinctively turned toward the source deep inside. An egg was hatching.
It was not only Neferpitou who sensed it. Every Chimera Ant within the nest felt it.
"So strong!"
"An incredible aura!"
"At the level of Neferpitou-sama…"
"Is this another Royal Guard?"
The division leaders felt a mix of awe and unease. Though they were bound to the Queen by absolute loyalty, they still carried their own personal ambitions. The overwhelming power of the Royal Guard subdued them, and with that came envy, even jealousy.
"Why wasn't I born a Royal Guard?"
The Queen, too, turned toward the aura. "Hurry and be born. For the sake of my unborn child. For the King I carry. Protect him, serve him, aid him…"
Her body trembled with excitement. "My King, my child, you are destined from birth to rule the entire world. You will become its sovereign. This is your mission, your destiny."
Crack!
A split opened across the surface of the egg. A figure slid out—a youth who looked strikingly human, his outward form nearly indistinguishable from mankind.
The lower the Chimera Ant, the more ant-like or beast-like traits it bore. The higher the rank, the more human it became. In appearance, Pouf and Youpi were closer to humans than Neferpitou. Neferpitou still carried many insect features, whereas Pouf bore little more than two golden antennae sprouting from short blond hair and a pair of wings upon his back. Dressed in white with a black cape, he radiated an aura of elegance.
Footsteps echoed in the passage. Neferpitou approached, studied him, then clapped lightly.
"Neferpitou. Shaiapouf."
Pouf looked back, hesitated, then asked, "How long until the King is born?"
"I can't say for certain, but it should be soon. Once the third Royal Guard emerges, the Queen will be close. She has worked tirelessly, though lately resource supply seems to have run into problems."
At that moment, Colt and Penguin approached to report.
"Neferpitou-sama." They lowered their heads with respect.
"What is it?"
"According to our latest findings," Colt said, "four squads have gone missing. We believe enemies are deliberately targeting us. But we cannot determine their exact nature. At this rate, our resource collection will suffer greatly."
Penguin added, "Neferpitou-sama, could you perhaps…"
Before he could finish, Neferpitou cut him off flatly. "I will not intervene. Nothing is more important than guarding the King's birth. Collecting resources is your task, your mission. Encountering enemies is normal. We treat humans as food—of course they will resist. What you must do is gather resources at any cost, even your lives.
"If you shrink back, fearing for your own safety, if you dare not travel far or face danger, then you have no reason to exist. The outside world is not my concern. Whatever resources the Queen needs, you will bring back. No matter the hardship, no matter the danger, you must overcome it. I do not care how many of you die. I care only about the resources you return with.
Do you understand?"
Colt tried to speak further, but under Neferpitou's oppressive aura, no words would come.
"…We understand, Neferpitou-sama. We will work harder, and bring back all that the Queen requires."
Neferpitou cast a cold glance at Penguin. "Not harder. Certainly."
"Yes, Neferpitou-sama."