Hello everyone. I'm Gon Freecss, and I can't stop shaking with excitement for the final clash with the Chimera Ants. The original version of me reached that summit; if he could do it, so can I.
"Diego, Bizeff. I trust there will be no issues, but you know what to do in case of an emergency, correct?"
"While you are away, Your Majesty, we will devote our full strength to the administration. The Hunter Association has made their stance clear, and our diplomacy is stable, so we don't expect any interference from other nations," Bizeff replied.
"Hmph. And you, Diego—do you think the coward who threw away his throne will make a move?"
"No, I doubt it. Even if the Chimera Ants were massacring the populace, that man would simply watch from a distance as if it were someone else's problem," Diego answered flatly.
On the day of the final battle between the Chimera Ants and the Hunter Association, Meruem was conducting a final audit with Diego and Bizeff. Since the survival of the species was at stake, the entire ant force would be heading to the battlefield, requiring the King to coordinate the palace's administration and security with the humans left behind.
"The experts I 'collected' have been refined by Pouf and Pitou. They are now as strong as they were in life. The other 'Meat-Soldiers' have also been enhanced. Use them correctly and guard this palace."
"Understood!!"
Diego and Bizeff responded with a level of respect that their former selves would never have believed. While Pouf's brainwashing played a part, it was also true that they were becoming increasingly dependent on Meruem's leadership even as the brainwashing was slowly phased out. The sight of the palace—and indeed, the entire Sun Nation of Memphis—devoting itself to Meruem was a testament to the possibility of coexistence between man and ant.
Once his royal duties were concluded, Meruem spent a rare moment alone with Komugi. There was no Pouf hovering in the shadows, and no maids to attend to the blind girl. The only sounds in the room were the click of the pieces and the two voices calling out their moves.
"...No. It's mate."
"Hehe! Man, the Kokoriko is so much fun!! The infinite variations in the mid-game really get my heart racing!"
"Yes. Given that we've played so many matches and yet no clear 'standard' has emerged, the variations can truly be called infinite."
Lately, almost every match between Meruem and Komugi had revolved around the Kokoriko strategy, regardless of who went first. Even when they tried other openers for a change of pace, they always returned to the Kokoriko, drawn by the pure tactical depth of its mid-game.
"But it's a strange record," Meruem mused. "Why is it that the side that secures the mid-game always loses?"
"That's the mystery! You have to fight tooth and nail but still end up at a disadvantage, or you just get crushed in the end. It's like we're being pulled toward a pre-determined goal."
The reason they were so obsessed with the Kokoriko was that choosing the "correct" move in the mid-game often led to an inevitable defeat later. While Meruem had yet to win a full match, he almost always outplayed Komugi in the mid-game. Yet, during the endgame, the momentum would shift as if by magic, and Meruem would find himself defeated. Neither of them understood the logic behind it; it felt less like a tactical error and more like a whim of God.
"I failed to win again today. I wonder when I'll finally be able to make you call me by my name?"
"Honestly, the gap is definitely closing," Komugi said, her voice bright with encouragement. "It's a fact that I'm losing the mid-game battles, and I'm constantly surprised by your moves during our post-game analysis!"
Coming from Komugi—who was honest to a fault about Gungi—the praise helped Meruem regain his composure. He looked at the girl as she continued to chatter about the match, and decided to voice a selfish request while they were alone.
"Komugi. I am going to war tomorrow. It is a battle I cannot afford to lose—yet it is a difficult match where I cannot simply aim to win too decisively."
He didn't wait for her to process the sudden declaration. He needed words to bolster his own spirit. He, the King who believed "giving" was his duty, was now begging for something he desperately wanted to receive.
"Just once... call me by my name... call me Meruem. And tell me to win. Tell me to come back here so we can play Gungi again."
This was the plea of Meruem the individual, not the King who had been created to be the supreme ruler. To someone like Shaiapouf, this would have been seen as a weakness. But for a Nen user—and for a living being—it was a vital, necessary element for growth.
"...I... I used to wonder why someone who can only do Gungi was allowed to live. I've lived my whole life just for this game, and I was satisfied. But now... I'm terrified of going back to that. It's scarier than death."
Komugi's fingers slipped from the piece she was holding. She reached out toward Meruem. He hesitated for a second, his non-human hands hovering, then he gently grasped hers, careful not to cause her any harm.
"You're warm. I knew Your Majesty and the secretaries were different from us, but to me, the King is just the King. I... I want to keep playing Gungi with you for a long, long time."
She opened her sightless eyes, a look of radiant fulfillment on her face. She wrapped both hands around Meruem's and spoke as if offering a prayer.
"Please win. And please come home safe. I was born to play Gungi with you... with Meruem. If you leave me behind... I'll never forgive you."
In that moment, a completely new and unknown energy source was born within Meruem's heart. It was a surge of infinite power—a sense of invincibility that made it feel as if no enemy in the world could stand against him.
"Wait for me, Komugi. And prepare yourself. Once I win at Gungi, I won't let you use 'Your Majesty' or even 'Lord' anymore."
"Ugh... well... I want you to win before you start making those demands!"
Meruem didn't let go of her hands. He closed his eyes, focusing on the sensation.
"Forgive me. Just a moment longer. Touching you... it makes me feel surprisingly at peace..."
"Yes. As long as you like, Meruem..."
The two sovereigns sat in silence, the sound of the pieces gone. High atop the palace spires, Neferpitousensed the scene with her paper-thin En. She trembled with tears of joy, witnessing her King attain a new level of brilliance. The Sun King, holding onto the precious bond given to him by the Gungi King, enjoyed a final moment of peace before the storm.
***
In a room at the Hunter Association base, Knov and his disciple Palm Siberia were tensely watching a crystal ball.
Palm, an Enhancer by nature, possessed the ability to display anyone she had seen with her own eyes within a crystal ball held by a mummified mermaid. Since monitoring Meruem directly was too risky, she was observing Diego to indirectly keep tabs on the ants.
"...It seems the ants are deploying their entire force," Palm reported. "They've left the palace defenses light. Honestly, there's no reason for them to be doing that."
Palm's appearance—long, disheveled black hair and a grimy white dress—made her look like a ghost from a horror film. But Knov knew the sharp intelligence behind those eyes. He had made it a point to act somewhat overbearing to match her intense personality and rare ability.
"It can't be helped. It's the request from the V5 and the Chairman. Just keep watching, as I told you."
"Y-yes! I won't take my eyes off them for a single second... for your sake, Knov! ♥"
Palm's ability required her to offer her own blood to the mermaid, which usually limited her duration. However, Leorio—now the head of the medical team—had solved that issue. He had successfully conjured "Artificial Blood" using his One-Man Doctor ability.
Born from his frustration over the chronic blood shortage caused by the constant "monster" brawls, this artificial blood could be administered regardless of blood type and even provided a small boost to the patient's aura. It was a revolutionary invention. Cheadle and Sanbica were so impressed they had already suggested to Netero that Leorio be promoted to Triple-Star status if he could mass-produce it.
"Once today's monitoring is done, tomorrow is the real thing. Once the dust settles, I'll take you to a resort to recover, so be ready," Knov said.
"A-A trip with Knov?! I'll polish every inch of myself before we go!!"
Knov gave a wry smile and left the room. As he walked down the corridor, he reflected on his own growth.
"I was too obsessed with raw strength. To think evolution could be this simple."
He thought back to the night his spirit had broken after meeting Gon, and looked at the new ability he had developed as a result.
"That night drinking with Morel... that's why this exists. I'll call it the Spare Key."
Knov's Hide-and-Seek usually required his master key to move between the mansion and the exits. He had now created a "Spare Key"—a one-time-use item that allowed anyone to enter a specific room in the mansion.
The genius had stopped trying to grow "stronger" and focused instead on "refining," attaining a power that would be vital in the upcoming battle. He didn't even realize that by "opening up" after his defeat, he had reached a level of strength the "Old Knov" could never have attained.
***
In a small, makeshift smoking area outside the base, Morel was puffing on his giant pipe. Having endured the "Grand Battle of Monsters" training, he knew he was significantly stronger than before.
(The downside of being able to do everything, I guess,) he sighed, exhaling a massive cloud of smoke. (To think I'm the only one...)
His frustration stemmed from an inferiority complex toward his peers. Everyone—from the kids to Knov and even Netero—had developed a "new move." Morel, a man of pure versatility, felt that while he had grown, his Deep Purple was still just "doing everything" rather than having a specific new evolution.
"Did I keep you waiting, Morel?"
Morel turned to see Gon wearing a bulky gas mask, making rhythmic, mechanical breathing sounds.
"Leorio made me wear this because he says your smoke is bad for me. Sorry," Gon muttered.
"Heh, I get where he's coming from. Don't worry, I control the smoke with my Nen, so there's no second-hand smoke for you to worry about. Take that mask off, it's distracting."
Gon pulled the mask off. "So, what did you want to talk about?"
Morel apologized for calling him out the night before the battle and confessed his frustration over his lack of a "new move."
"'New move' is just an excuse. I've progressed, but I want to... well, I want to evolve," Morel admitted.
Gon thought for a moment. "Morel, what do you think smoke is?"
"It's fluid. Ever-changing."
"Do you think clouds or fog are smoke?"
"No. Those are different."
Morel answered instantly, and Gon nodded. "I can't give you advice on smoke. But your lung capacity is incredible. If you inhaled with everything you had, could you create a vacuum around you?"
"Are you crazy? Do you know how much atmospheric pressure there is? Maybe in a small room, but otherwise, no way."
"Then why not use Deep Purple to make the room? Can't you make a 'Smoky Cell'?"
Morel froze. "Wait... I could do that. I could use a modified Smoky Jail."
He realized he could create a vacuum—or at least a low-oxygen environment—within his smoke prison while he breathed from the massive supply of air in his lungs. It was a perfect 1-on-1 finisher.
"That's... that's actually brilliant! I could use that as a new move!"
The "Old Morel" likely would have rejected such a "debuffing" style, but his time with the monsters had made his thinking more flexible. He had grown mentally tougher.
"Alright, I'm gonna go test the range for the vacuum effect. Thanks, Gon!"
"Morel, can I ask one more thing?"
Morel stopped. "What is it?"
"What do you think breathing is?"
"Breathing? It's... well, it's breathing. You inhale and exhale. That's it."
Gon shook his head. "Breathing is the intake of oxygen. Fish and worms... there are plenty of species that don't 'inhale air.'"
It was an insight that Morel, a Sea Hunter, had never considered in a Nen context. It was the kind of "madness" that only someone who had run a million simulations to become a monster could possess.
"It's a small percentage, but humans do 'skin breathing' too. If you mastered your breathing, maybe one day you could exhale smoke without ever having to inhale."
Gon walked away, leaving a stunned Morel behind. Morel sat back down and took a deep drag on his pipe.
"I see. So this is what the Chairman and Leorio were talking about. Man... I feel totally outclassed."
He felt a wave of shame for ever thinking Gon was just a simple meathead. Gon hadn't become a monster by accident; he had chosen the path and sprinted down it. The sheer amount of trial and error it must have taken for a kid that age to be more insightful about Nen than a veteran was staggering.
(He's terrifying. Truly, deeply terrifying. I can understand Netero's strength. I can understand Hisoka's. But Gon... he's moved beyond the realm of what I can understand.)
Morel vowed to have a drink with Knov after the battle, but he didn't break. He resolved to keep climbing. The influence of the "Freak Freecss" continued to spread, claiming another victim who stepped off the path of common sense.
Author's Note:
Shaiapouf's Ability: Cut and Metamorphose (Uwagaki no Uka).
This is a composite ability utilizing Manipulation, Transmutation, Conjuration, Specialization, and Enhancement.
He wraps a target in a cocoon, dissolving their body and their Nen into a liquid state before re-building them.
While some memories and abilities are lost in the process, it clears the target's "memory capacity," essentially allowing them to be re-built as a new Nen user.
The targets become absolutely obedient to Meruem and Pouf, and Pouf can dissolve them back into liquid at any time if he wishes.
The experts Meruem "collected" were treated by Pitou and then re-born by Pouf as new Nen soldiers for the palace guard.
***
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