Declaration of War

"Impossible! How could you be in NGL? If you were there, why didn't you report it to the Association?" Before Netero could reply, Yorkshire stood up and questioned him.

Is it Yorkshire?

On the phone, Long chuckled softly, "Sorry, I just arrived."

"Just arrived? If that's the case, how could your information about ants be more detailed than the Association's?"

Yorkshire sensed that something was wrong and had caught wind of it.

Hazy... how to explain?

If he had known about the Chimera Ant earlier, he would have had to inform the Association before Kite... in order to avoid unnecessary casualties.

"Don't get excited... This is NGL, and we have business dealings with the gangs. These ants have been around for a while now. Compared to outsiders, the locals of NGL definitely know more about this... So, if I want to get any information from them, it's just a matter of a word..."

The sound of the voice made Yorkshire feel like it was stuck in her throat, and she fell silent.

Yes, everyone present forgot about that.

Oboro's background is the Yakuza...

With just one sentence, it became difficult for the Zodiacs to find any problems.

NGL doesn't easily cooperate with any external organization, except... gangs.

"Since you saw the ant that fought Kite ... that means Kite is very likely dead." Ginta, the Goat of the Zodiacs, had tears welling up in his eyes.

He's just such a sentimental person.

"That ant is merely one member of the Royal Guards; there are two others of the same rank... their strength is unknown, and I've only seen one. Furthermore, from my observation... within this Chimera Ant colony, there are also rulers of the 'king' type, who are likely even more powerful... Therefore, if the Association takes any action, it's best to proceed with caution! My suggestion is to conduct targeted training first, and if the chairman is to personally intervene, I also suggest you get into form..."

Oboro continued.

"What do you mean? You're planning to ignore this? Since you're already in NGL and have enough ability to participate in the mission, why are you running away?" Yorkshire said angrily.

"Sorry... I've been a bit busy lately. I just happened to come and take a look. I think the Association is perfectly capable of handling this, and with the president personally taking action, there's no need for me to interfere." Oboro's somewhat indifferent tone infuriated Yorkshire.

This guy has absolutely no sense of responsibility as Hunter x Hunter.

The person was already in NGL! The conversation between the two made Pariston's eyes light up.

He was even more certain that Oboro was definitely not in NGL!

Yorkshire looked at the chairman; now, as long as Netero spoke, Oboro had to comply!

"Hehe... very good, you've been helpful..."

Unexpectedly, Netero stroked his beard and smiled, "Hearing you say that, I suddenly feel a bit looking forward to seeing these ants..."

"You won't be disappointed."

Long replied with one sentence and then hung up the phone.

"President..."

Yorkshire looked at Netero with confusion, not understanding why the chairman hadn't given Oboro an appointment.

"Oboro is right. If I, as the president, cannot resolve this personally, then... this matter is beyond the scope of our Association's capabilities."

The old man laughed.

A moment later, an Association member brought the information that Oboro had mentioned into the meeting room.

Pariston took the document himself and casually asked whether it had been delivered to the Association by fax or by someone from the Fills Family. The answer was that it had been delivered by someone.

Pariston chuckled and looked at everyone, saying, "Oboro's efficiency is truly outstanding... It's as if she knew we would be holding a meeting; she had the documents prepared in advance. It's not like she just arrived in NGL..."

He had an idea in mind.

"... What are you trying to say?"

Gel stared at him and said calmly.

"No... I just admire him."

Pariston waved his hand.

Ging Freecss, standing to the side, glanced at Pariston's expression with a cold look in his eyes.

On the other end, Oboro put down her phone and said softly, "Stupid woman."

He knew that Yorkshire would definitely make trouble for him.

So... he deliberately left a topic open for the woman to find fault with, and made her unconsciously play the supporting role, acting out a scene with him.

A show put on for Pariston.

This woman has some brains... but not many.

With his warning and Killua's account, the Association will surely take this seriously... They won't dare to launch an attack on the ant nest lightly and will definitely have to make some preparations.

As for how long it can be dragged out... that depends on how much confidence Netero has in himself.

The timeline is inherently delayed, so even if the preparation time is less than a month, Pouf, Shaiapouf, and the Chimera Ant King Youpi all be born by then.

Oboro lay on the patched bedding, the floor still stained with dried blood. The farmer had obviously been dead for a long time... and now it had become their place of refuge.

Fante was adding firewood to a small stove. "The Association will probably send people to investigate the ant colony from the outside first... but they dare not go too deep, as this would mean that they don't know much about the true backbone of the ant colony."

"If they know each other well, then as the captain said, Netero will definitely not give the ant any breathing room..."

Anthony also offered a seemingly perfunctory analysis.

"Once they encounter ants at the level of a squadron leader or Squadron Leader, they will be certain of the accuracy of the information I provide, and naturally they will believe what I say."

"I say calmly."

"But... Captain, now that you've killed that Neferpitou, will those ants still dare to come out?"

"Yes, the queen ant has an enormous need for food. No matter how dangerous it is, the ants will come out... Also, the remaining two members of the Royal Guard, Shaiapouf and Youpi, after they are born, especially Youpi... Even if it knows that Neferpitou was killed and that there are powerful Nen user on the human side, it will not be afraid of it. It might come out to find me just like Neferpitou."

Looking up at the decaying roof beams above, Long continued, "Moreover, if I disappear for a while, some ants will probably think that I have been severely injured by the Neferpitou and have had to leave their territory... and the threat will naturally disappear."

Beep beep beep.

The three were chatting.

Suddenly, the phone that Oboro had just put down rang.

"Who?"

Fante and Anthony looked over at the same time.

"Ging Freecss".

Long uttered a name, and without even looking at the number, he knew who was calling.

He answered the phone and held it to his ear.

"Kite's soul... you took it with you, didn't you?"

On the other end of the phone, Jin asked calmly.

"Is the meeting over?"

The vague answer was irrelevant to the question.

"Um..."

"When I arrived... he was already dead," Oboro said sincerely.

"I know, I'm asking about his soul..."

It's gone!

Oboro raised the corners of his mouth. "His body was probably taken away by the ants. The Chimera Ant have awakened Nen, and they are using humans as samples for research, so... they won't leave any behind."

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

"When the physical body dies, the soul also dissipates. Some powerful individuals retain a portion of their consciousness after Post-Mortem Nen,' but this part of their obsession remains in their body as a driving force... That ant took Kite's remains away, so there was nothing I could do."

"The so-called dissipation of the soul... must take time, right?"

Jin hit the nail on the head. "Just like the content in the game..."

"Hehehe..."

Long laughed, "You really are smart, nothing can be hidden from you... Yes, I can make a little work out of Kite's soul, but this time, I really am powerless... What I said to the president is true! That ant is not ordinary, even I can only watch from afar and dare not get close."

"Sigh... there's nothing we can do about it then. I already warned him."

Jin sighed.

"Was the ant incident orchestrated by Pariston?"

"Huh? Really?"

"Long asked in surprise."

"..."

Gold.

"You went to NGL for your soul, right?"

"Moreover, this time, V5 gave a direct order, and even the guild leader couldn't shirk it... So, the guild leader is likely in mortal danger. You already knew this, and you were just waiting for this opportunity! The guild leader couldn't possibly not have noticed... It's just that he trusts himself, which is his consistent style of doing things."

"Judging from the current situation, even if you or I intervene, it won't make a difference... The 'King' you just mentioned in the meeting is no longer something that can be dealt with by ordinary means, right?"

"This is a dead end."

"Furthermore, your deliberate creation of a false impression to divert Pariston's attention from the ant incident, using the Dark Continent as a gimmick, is indeed very convincing and attractive."

"Heh... and what was the result?"

He asked with a long smile.

"He took the bait."

Jin Huidao.

"Long, how about we make a deal?"

"You say."

"I'll ensure you become the president, but the real management of the Association will be delegated to the Zodiacs... Anyway, your desire to become president is simply to check and balance V5 and increase your leverage. All you want is a title and a symbol; power isn't that important, is it..."

"I'm sorry, but I refuse! I don't like anything that's beyond my control... or that adds to the uncertainty. Besides... the position of chairman is already set in stone, and you can't stop it."

"Are you sure? Sometimes being too confident isn't a good thing."

Are you... declaring war on me?

"If you refuse, then so be it..."

This time, it was Oboro's turn to remain silent.

"Think about it. This doesn't harm your interests. I'm actually very reluctant to get involved in this kind of thing, but the Hunter Association is what the chairman cares about most, and it's the foundation he's built throughout his life. There's one more thing, which isn't part of the deal, but it's a personal request of mine... I hope you'll let Pariston go."

"Jin, being too smart isn't always a good thing."

Oboro suddenly spoke up, "I accept your challenge."

Beep beep beep...

Then, Jin's phone went dead with a busy tone.

"Ugh... what a hassle."

Outside the Hunter Association headquarters, Gin rubbed his hair, not surprised by the result.

He glanced back at the towering building behind him, then slowly walked away.