Gon's Resolve

"This is the last lesson I've learned..."

Thinking of Netero's dying words to him, he sighed softly.

What class?

Without any bias, not under pressure from the Hunter Association or V5, but simply as a human being... to confront the Chimera Ant as a human being, to prove the strength and will of humanity.

The old man wanted him to remember that no matter how powerful Oboro became in the future, he was still a human being.

When a race is in trouble, it is natural to protect it.

Or even if a world war breaks out in the future, we must ensure that our race is not wiped out.

He's dead, and perhaps next will be Oboro, standing resolutely at the forefront...

There was no selfish motive.

Of course, this also indirectly reminded him of the follow-up handling of the Association... hoping that Oboro would 'digest' it in a gentle way.

Netero didn't lose, after all, he dragged the Chimera Ant King down with him to hell.

From the perspective of the human side's operations, the plan was successful, with only one insignificant human life lost...

After flying a distance further, confirming that the infectious virus was unlikely to spread here or drift over on the wind in a short time, Oboro manipulated his Nen to make Youpi and Shaiapouf's consciousness regain control of their physical bodies.

Then, wisps of black 'light' burst out from the bodies of the two ants, all returning to the black mist surging on the surface of the ant's body.

Their eyes instantly regained their clarity.

"Let's go take a look..."

Long stood on the ground and said calmly.

It's not an instruction or command, but simply a reminder.

Youpi and Shaiapouf were able to sense everything that had just happened.

"King!"

Shaiapouf was the most emotional, tears immediately streaming down his face. Without even needing to be told, he soared into the sky and flew towards the battlefield. At that moment, he didn't care whether the humans in front of him were his enemies or whether he wanted revenge. Youpi followed closely behind.

Compared to the safety of the Chimera Ant King, the life or death of Oboro... is completely unimportant.

Whoosh! The two ants raced away at breakneck speed.

Oboro put his hands in his pockets and watched them leave.

"Although you have absolute confidence in yourself, you weren't unaware of this outcome, otherwise you wouldn't have agreed to let them implant a bomb in your body... The things you said to me... it seems that you had already made arrangements with the Association before coming to NGL."

Long gazed at the sky, murmuring, "Is it... gold?"

Long had a premonition.

It might not be so easy for him to take over as president.

The old man's last words revealed... a sense of both trust and doubt.

I believe in him because Oboro is Hunter x Hunter, and also a human... and possesses undeniable strength.

Questioning... is an attempt to 'awaken' Oboro's conscience as a human being. Going to the Dark Continent is not a wise move; it will bring unimaginable disaster to the world.

From this perspective, the old man was unprepared, and Oboro did not believe it.

Oboro recalled his rivalry with Ging Freecss, who had said he was absolutely certain he wouldn't let Oboro be elected chairman.

From this perspective...

Meanwhile, Youpi and Shaiapouf quickly arrived at the battlefield, which had been destroyed by the explosion and was now filled with lava and fire.

The space was filled with billowing smoke and the acrid smell of cooking, and the temperature was alarmingly high.

However, they still managed to find the Chimera Ant King's body, which had been burned to a crisp.

Just like in the original story, he fed the 'essence of life' he had condensed into himself into Meruem's mouth in the form of 'nectar'.

At this moment, Oboro had already left her location and disappeared.

Moments later, the Chimera Ant King was resurrected.

With Youpi and Shaiapouf in their miniature forms, they appeared in the sky where Oboro had just stood in a very short time.

"That human... got away!"

"I hate it, "Shaiapouf said.

The Chimera Ant King is currently in perfect harmony with Youpi and Shaiapouf, so he knows what is happening in the palace without them having to say a word.

Judging from Shaiapouf and Youpi's attitude towards this human, their forces within the palace wouldn't have suffered such a severe blow if it weren't for him...

Meruem's strength has increased even more since its rebirth. In the blink of an eye, its circle and perception swept towards the horizon like a tidal wave.

It is searching for the human named Oboro.

The murderer of Neferpitou.

At his current speed, it's impossible for any human to slip away right under his nose.

When his Nen power erupted and covered an extremely vast area of the ground, Meruem's eyelids twitched. In his mind, many dense, torch-like fluctuations appeared all around him, some separated by a thousand meters, and some even by several thousand meters, numbering over a thousand.

"Soul..." His pupils contracted as he looked in one direction, and the scene in his field of vision was magnified and became clearly visible.

A mass of pitch-black Nen power floated motionless in the air.

That was a soul.

Moreover, these souls were cleverly distributed, with a certain distance between them, and because their positions were inconsistent, they could not be destroyed all at once.

It was obvious that the human named Oboro was wary of him.

They had already prepared a backup plan.

Meruem was certain that Oboro was hiding nearby.

Using some special means, he disguised his presence or aura, making it impossible for even him to pinpoint the target's location immediately.

"Hazy..."

Because he was reborn, his original body suffered severe damage, causing him to forget some of his memories.

However, he remembered what Netero had told him before he died.

"Your name... there's only one person in the world who might know it now, but unfortunately... you'll never see him."

The Chimera Ant King had a premonition.

The person the old man was referring to was this human named Oboro.

"Three minutes."

Meruem surveyed the vast land. Oboro's methods were amusing, but in his eyes, they were utterly a joke. If he wanted, he could destroy all the soul points in a short time! In that case, Oboro would definitely be exposed. However... compared to dealing with this human, he felt a greater sense of urgency.

They needed to hurry back to the palace, as if there was something more important there than killing this human...

He had a knot in his heart.

It was as if something within the palace was calling to him...

They urged him to go back quickly.

Moreover, this item is of paramount importance to him.

Finally, to Shaiapouf's astonishment and shock, the Chimera Ant King flapped his newly grown wings and flew towards the royal city with two of his subordinates, ignoring Oboro.

"King?"

Shaiapouf was taken aback because it sensed that something was wrong with the Chimera Ant King.

Oboro was clearly the greatest threat to them among humans, and given the Chimera Ant King's previous personality, he would never have let the former go.

What's going on? "Speaking of which... why did he let us go to rescue the king... With his strength, killing you and me would be very easy for him." The Youpi pondered a question for the first time, looking at Shaiapouf.

This is indeed contrary to Oboro's position as a human being.

But Shaiapouf had lost all interest in communicating with him...

Shaiapouf's attention was focused on the Chimera Ant King, and he had a premonition.

Once he was certain that the Chimera Ant King had completely disappeared as a black dot and that he could no longer sense its presence, Oboro emerged from the shadow of a huge rock.

The scattered souls were successively brought back.

It then released its spirit form, just as it had done when it was spying on Netero and the Chimera Ant King's battle, flying towards the fireworks and throwing them onto the engulfing battlefield.

However, it was impossible to bring the old man's lost soul out all at once, because the burning and high temperature of the flames made the spirit body unstable and easily annihilated. Therefore, after sensing that the dispatched ghosts had disappeared, Oboro had to repeatedly sever the soul from the Ghost Mist.

After a long period of moving... finally, hard work paid off, and its soul was brought to a safe place.

Next... Absorb! The familiar armor and ability power, each increased by 2 points.

It is not reflected in the numerical values.

But Oboro's Nen, Thresh's passive skill... for the first time, he couldn't control it.

His Nen power transformed into a vast expanse of Ghost Mist, which exploded instantly around him, sweeping across the surrounding area.

At the same time, a colossal figure formed from Nen power stood tall under the night sky, emitting a terrifying yet sinister laugh that echoed through the heavens.

It's Thresh!

The royal palace on the other side.

The Chimera Ant had all been dealt with by Oboro, their souls gone, all dead... This made the members of the extermination team, who were originally preparing for a big battle, feel relieved.

They began taking notes or reporting to the Association.

As for Killua and Gon, they also found the girl Oboro mentioned, Komugi.

Komugi was not harmed by Zeno's Dragon Dive.

There were originally a few ants in the room protecting her, but they were all devoured by the ghost and lost their life force.

However, no matter how they explained, Komugi didn't seem to believe they were on the 'side of justice'.

Instead, they insisted on waiting for the Chimera Ant King to return.

This left Gon and Killua somewhat helpless. They didn't know if the Chairman could defeat the Chimera Ant King. If he failed, the Chimera Ant King would definitely return, and this place would become a new battlefield. Moreover, the danger they would face might be dozens or even hundreds of times greater than before! Therefore, they had to move Komugi to a safe location.

But Komugi just wouldn't cooperate... In the end, seeing how flustered Gon was, Killua knocked Komugi unconscious and forcibly 'kidnapped' the girl.

"..."

Gon was speechless at Killua's rude behavior.

Killua ignored all that and insisted on taking the Komugi away first. So far, only the ants in the palace have been cleared out... but there are still some 'wanderers' in East Gorteau.

In other words, humans alone cannot quell the Chimera Ant disaster in a short period of time, because even if the Chimera Ant King is killed, the ants that have dispersed to other countries will still exist, and their numbers will not be small.

The impact is enormous.

"Killua, do you think the Chairman and Mr. Oboro will be alright?"

Seeing Killua carrying the girl on his back, Gon couldn't help but ask a question.

"It's alright. Putting aside the old man, Oboro... is very strong, not necessarily weaker than the chairman. He probably went to help the chairman... As for why he took those two ants... it's probably for some reason." Killua turned around and gave Gon a reassuring smile.

"Um."

Gon nodded.

Although several senior members of the Association, including Biscuit, were skeptical of Oboro's motives.

But Gon undoubtedly believed in Long.

In his view, Oboro must have gone to help the chairman.

Killua looked at Gon's expression and hesitated to speak.

Since Kite's death, Gon has become quite depressed. Later, realizing the concerns of others, he intentionally pretended to be very open-minded... While this might fool others, it couldn't fool Killua. Gon's question clearly showed his concern for the Chairman and Oboro... especially Oboro.

Having already suffered the blow of Kite's death, if something were to happen to Oboro, including the student council president... I'm afraid...

Killua composed himself, gave a shout, and then his body Godspeed with electricity as he used his Nen to leave through the door.

But suddenly... without any warning.

Both he and Gon had tense faces, their hair standing on end.

An indescribable pressure enveloped the entire palace.

We lost!

Almost simultaneously, the same thought popped into the minds of the two boys.

It's the Chimera Ant King! The return of this ant means... the Chairman... is dead? The two couldn't believe it, and their minds went blank for a moment.

Before they could react, a swarm of flies flew in from outside the door. Upon closer inspection, they realized it was one of the members of the Royal Guards that the expeditionary force was supposed to deal with, Shaiapouf.

When Shaiapouf saw the Komugi on Killua's back, his eyes instantly turned red, revealing his murderous intent.

It was now certain that the reason the King had spared Oboro and rushed back was because he was worried about the girl! However, it hadn't yet figured it out...

On the way, the Chimera Ant King asked Shaiapouf some questions.

Therefore, it deliberately delayed and maneuvered, rushing to kill the Komugi first!

"Gon!"

Killua shouted, "It's up to you!"

After saying that, he transformed into a bolt of lightning and passed through the gap in the room.

Shaiapouf couldn't possibly stand by and watch the two escape, so he swarmed over in droves.

Just as Killua was about to collide with the large group of 'Little Shaiapouf', he suddenly shifted his feet to the side, creating space and revealing Gon charging forward with his fist clenched.

Gon's fist, imbued with Nen power, exploded among the 'flies,' allowing Killua to seize the opportunity and make a swift escape.

Some of Shaiapouf's clones were destroyed, but a group of them remained that had dodged Gon's attack. They circled halfway in mid-air, about to chase after Killua, when Pouf looked up and saw that the boy who had just attacked him, Gon, was already blocking the doorway, his eyes revealing an indescribable will.

His expression was somber... even gloomy...

This was the first time Gon, who has always been gentle and outgoing, had shown this expression.

Shaiapouf's expression changed slightly, as if he had sensed something from the boy...

"You..."

"Mr. Oboro... I clearly had you under control, how could you still be alive?" Gon stared at Shaiapouf.

Is he dead?

Hahahaha...

Shaiapouf's clones burst into mocking laughter.

"What are you hoping for? You are nothing but a bunch of lowly beings... Mere humans, yet you dare to dream of standing shoulder to shoulder with the supreme king? How laughable!"

"I understand... those two humans are your reliance, right?"

"They are dead... all dead, all fallen beneath our king! As a lower species, they have reason to be proud. Not every human has the opportunity to be executed by our king; for them, this is an honor!"

Shaiapouf lied.

Since they are enemies, isn't this an opportunity to instill psychological fear in the human expeditionary force?

Perhaps, the boy in front of me will have an emotional breakdown because of this pressure! "You mean... the president and Mr. Oboro were both killed by it?" Gon's eyes narrowed, and he emphasized the word 'it'.

It refers to the Chimera Ant King.

"Otherwise what?"

While Shaiapouf appeared to be dealing with Gon, his true form had actually split off again to chase after Killua.

"Not only those two, but all of you will die, paying the price for your disrespect towards our king!"

Shaiapouf shouted.

Gon lowered his head and remained silent.

A few seconds later, Shaiapouf was horrified.

The little devil in front of him was emitting an aura that made him uneasy... even ominous.

"I'll go find it."

Gon only said one sentence before suddenly turning around and walking towards the terrace outside the palace.

Shaiapouf swallowed nervously.

I was extremely terrified.

What was that energy...?

The Chimera Ant King did not arrive at the palace immediately.

However, even before he arrived, the aura he exuded had already spread.

At this moment, all members of the expedition team felt tense and uneasy, as if they were sitting on pins and needles.

Like Gon and Killua, they were all afraid and unwilling to believe it.

When they saw a full moon hanging high in the night sky after the dark clouds had dispersed... and then saw ants with a body shape similar to humans standing high in the air, above the entire palace, everyone felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar.

"Disperse!"

With just one shout, Morel and the others scattered and fled.

Their idea was simple.

This creates an opportunity for your partner to escape.

In this way, they sacrificed themselves to save their comrades' lives.

The main task is for him and Biscuit... If the two of them can hold off the Chimera Ant King, even if they can only delay him for a few seconds, that will be enough.

There are Knov's coordinates nearby, so let the younger generation enter the alternate dimension of the Four-Dimensional Mansion first.

The Chimera Ant King's strength is terrifying just from his aura... He might instantly kill them, so it's unrealistic to expect everyone to enter the Four-Dimensional Mansion.

Furthermore, the Chimera Ant King appeared too fast! Almost the instant the opponent's presence was detected, a whooshing sound had already shot over.

Meruem stood high in the sky, looking down at the ground, and naturally saw the humans who were scattering and fleeing, which were the enemies.

But he... didn't care at all.

They have no intention of making a move.

Instead, his gaze swept across the palaces.

Ultimately, the focus was placed on the palace with its arched roof.

Some blurry images were flashing through his mind... telling him that this was the place!

Shaiapouf, his true form gripping the Chimera Ant King's tail, observed Meruem's gaze and exclaimed, "Your Majesty... first, purge the humans from the palace! These..."

He was trying to distract Meruem.

However, the Chimera Ant King shut him up with just a look.

Then, it flew down from the sky and landed on the terrace.

This scene stunned Morel, Biscuit, and the others... The Chimera Ant King hadn't attacked them?! "King..."

Shaiapouf opened his mouth, as if to say something at the risk of great disrespect.

The Chimera Ant King stared calmly at the dark doorway leading into the palace.

Under his gaze, a young man exuding a terrifying aura emerged from within.

Even Meruem couldn't help but squint his eyes.

The reason this aura was so formidable was because it contained an astonishing will! Just like that... old man.

That's just... humanity...

They are not to be underestimated!

"Let's go somewhere else..."

The person who came out was Gon.

The moment he saw the Chimera Ant King, his body changed under the stimulation of the violent Nen energy.

When he finally stepped out of the door, he had grown from a boy into a grown-up, just like the character after his transformation into a villain in the original story.

His clothes, given his strong physique, looked like children's clothing.

Gon's expression remained expressionless; he calmly met the Chimera Ant King's gaze, raised his thumb, pointed elsewhere, and said indifferently.

At that moment, the Chimera Ant King realized it.

Like the deceased old man, the boy held a certain awareness.

There's no way to negotiate a peace...

There was no choice but to take action.

"To... save his comrades?"

The Chimera Ant King understood that, from the other side's perspective, his appearance was... decisive.

If nothing is done, all of humanity... will die.

However, he still intended to say something.

"That's enough... I won't kill the rest of you, I'll let you go."

"We...don't need your pity."

Gon began, "Besides, you've already committed an unforgivable crime..."

"..."

The Chimera Ant King remained silent, lost in thought.

"Could you wait a moment?"

"How long?"

"Immediately."

As the Chimera Ant King spoke, he stepped forward as if completely unsuspecting, walking past Gon without any concern that this human might attack him...

He entered the hall and saw the scattered chessboard.

And... the lingering scent of Shaiapouf.

Because of Gon, Shaiapouf still didn't manage to move the board and the scattered pieces...

The moment the Chimera Ant King saw these things, he remembered them all.

"There was also a human presence... Komugi, it was taken away."

The Chimera Ant King closed his eyes.

Komugi... should be safe.

Thinking it over, he turned back without blaming Shaiapouf.

Instead, he looked at Gon and said, "You lead the way."

He won't kill this human; he'll finish the job quickly, simply defeating or incapacitating him.

At the same time, it can also prove one's feelings to the human side.

He needs Komugi.

Moreover, the boy's current state...