Squad Leader VS Brigade (Second Update)

PS: Here's the second chapter as promised—bring on the recommendations~!

"Oh, interesting, interesting! Still weak as ever, but who'd have thought that Zazan could transform! (°?°)? Though she looks damn ugly." Cheetu, who had been eating popcorn and nearly dozing off watching the fight, perked up when Zazan started transforming. "Too bad even if her body got stronger, her Nen hasn't changed much. She can't beat that shorty like this—he hasn't even used his unique Nen ability yet. What could it be? Really makes me curious! (｀?ω?′)"

"Flaws all over her body." The final moment of Zazan's transformation was also the perfect time for Feitan to strike. As a top-tier assassin, he wasn't about to miss that chance.

"I won't be merciful enough to let this opportunity slip." Feitan circled behind Zazan again, this time holding a sharp blade. If he swung it at her head, even her hardened body couldn't block an attack infused with Nen.

But ideals are nice, while reality...

Zazan hadn't just changed physically—her reflexes had greatly improved too. Besides, Chimera Ants had an extremely keen sense of Nen. Feitan's movements were fully read by Zazan; all she had to do was wait for him to get a little closer and she could easily kill him.

"!!!" But Feitan's Five Senses were also sharp. At the same moment, he sensed something wrong and quickly retreated.

"Hmph, don't think I'll let you off that easily." Zazan swung a palm toward Feitan's position. A solid mass of Nen shot out and struck Feitan midair, hitting him with a powerful Nen bullet.

"Feitan tried to use Ken to attack, but it ended up being a flaw," Phinks said. Since Zazan transformed, every member of the Troupe had gotten serious. An attack of this level wouldn't just hurt Feitan—any of them would take damage.

"Looks like the enemy knows how to use Nen. This Queen isn't so simple," Shalnark analyzed.

"Cough, cough." Feitan got up from the ground, but the attack had done serious damage to his body. The upper half of his clothes was destroyed, and Fresh Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. He must have taken considerable internal injuries.

"Hehehe, you think that's a flaw? Let me tell you, this form of mine has no flaws at all." Zazan laughed triumphantly. In her eyes, once she transformed into this form, victory was assured.

"Hey, shouldn't we help?" Kalluto, sensing the opponent's strength was beyond his ability, asked the others.

"Huh? Why?" Phinks said. "Like I said, this is a competition. If Feitan gets taken down, the next one steps up."

"Then who's next?" Shizuku asked. "In order of arrival," Shalnark said. "That's me," Phinks said.

"Hold on, I took mine down at the same time as you," Bonolenov said. "You idiot, I waited for you to fight, didn't I?" Phinks said. "Fine, fine, let's decide by coin toss," Shalnark said.

Is this what they call Bushido? Pretty boring. But the order was quickly decided: after Feitan fell, Bonolenov would go next, then Phinks.

Just then, Feitan took a heavy blow from Zazan, his entire arm twisted unnaturally.

"Hahaha, hurts, doesn't it? Feitan, want Bonolenov to take over?" Phinks started taunting. In the Troupe, the closer the bond, the more they enjoyed seeing each other get humbled.

"Tch, damn it. Getting cocky!" Feitan's eyes were hidden beneath his hair as he focused all his Nen.

"!! Ah oh! He's going all out. Can't take a joke. Let's go, we'll get caught in it." Phinks's last words were to Kalluto. The others had already started moving.

"?" Kalluto didn't understand.

"That guy, once he gets angry, he uses his ability without caring about his surroundings." "Last time I just wanted to watch, but I almost got killed."

"Let's go fast—this guy's ability has a wide range. Getting caught in this attack will be fatal," Phinks explained to Kalluto again.

"Ohh, that shorty's getting serious! What kind of ability will it be? Can't wait to see. (^?ω?^)" Cheetu showed the extreme curiosity of a feline. After all, leopards are cats too. But his confidence was as strong as ever.

Standing in the center, Feitan suddenly had a strange outfit on him—an inverted cross like some cult's bizarre clothing.

"What? When did that shorty change clothes?" These wild Squad Leaders only had a beginner's grasp of Nen, or just knew it existed. Most didn't even know how to use "Hatsu" abilities.

"Come to think of it, that guy looks a lot stronger than before. Is it because of the clothes?" Seeing Feitan motionless, Zazan didn't act either. But once Feitan finished chanting that long incantation, it would be Zazan's death. A more experienced Nen User might have run or rushed in to interrupt Feitan's move.

"I'll return the pain to you." Feitan's chant neared its end. "Become scorching hot!!!" A ball of light the size of a basketball flew out of that strange outfit.

"Unforgivable one! Be burned by the sun!" The light ball exploded with immense light and heat midair. The temperature was close to the sun's surface.

"Ahh!! So hot!!!" Zazan's body was burned on contact with that blazing light! No, her entire body was like it was on fire. "My throat, I can't breathe."

"No, I have to run!" Zazan had no intention of continuing the fight now; she just wanted to escape that terrifying light ball. But Feitan wouldn't let her go so easily. No matter where she tried to move, Feitan stuck close, and the huge light ball kept shining on her. Every bit of fluid in Zazan's body was evaporating fast. Soon, she would die of dehydration—or be dried into a husk.

"Ugh, so hot, damn it! What a strong move! The King was right—humans look weak, but the Nen abilities they create can kill us." Though there was some distance between them, Feitan's "Sun" had a terrifying area of effect. Cheetu's position was also within its range. "Ah, ah. Looks like if I don't step in, Zazan's gonna get killed. This is the first task the King gave me—I don't want to mess it up." Cheetu dashed at super speed toward Zazan, who was about to become a dried husk. His speed was so fast that even Feitan, who prided himself on speed, didn't react.

"Who's there?!" As Cheetu moved, Feitan sensed his Nen. Its strength was no less than Feitan's own—maybe even a bit stronger. When had Meteor City produced a powerhouse like this? The earlier fights had made Feitan assume ants didn't know Nen. And since they were in Meteor City, he figured this Nen belonged to some strong user from there. But he never imagined the owner was an ant.

"Pfft." With a soft sound, the scorching "little sun" in the sky vanished.

"Fuel ran out? No reason for that." Feitan stared at where the "little sun" had been, muttering in confusion. "Wait, something's off. That thing couldn't have been burned to ash." Feitan's eyes locked on where Zazan had been—but now it was empty. "Someone managed to save the Queen under my move. Was it that Nen's owner?" Feitan immediately took a defensive stance, using Ren to gather Nen around his body. That was the best all-around defense. Against an owner of that speed, Feitan wasn't sure he could take them down.

"Come out! I see you!" Feitan shouted instinctively, but regretted it right after. Who would be dumb enough to fall for that?

"Ara ara~ ("▔□▔)/, didn't think I'd be found! I thought I was hiding pretty well~ Yo, buddy~ Can you tell me how you found me?" Surprisingly, there was such an idiot. Cheetu, who had been hiding in the shadows, strolled out with Zazan's body over his shoulder.

"..." Feitan.

"Y-you idiot. He didn't find you at all, and you believed his crap." Zazan said weakly, barely half alive.

"Eh~ (?Д?≡?д?)!? No way?" Cheetu had a WTF look on his face.

"Didn't expect another ant." Feitan wasn't the only one who sensed Cheetu's Nen. The other five Troupe members all rushed over when they felt it.

"Are you here to save the Queen?" Shalnark was the first to speak, looking at Cheetu.

"Queen? What Queen? Where?" Cheetu looked around curiously, even thinking the Chimera Ant Queen might have survived or come back.

"Uh, isn't that the one on your shoulder?" Shalnark pointed at Zazan on Cheetu's shoulder.

"Σ(?д?;)" Cheetu first had a "What the hell" expression, then "Pfft 2333333333 hahahaha, y-you're saying she's the Queen?" Cheetu pointed at Zazan, then at Shalnark, laughing so hard he almost rolled on the ground.

Meanwhile, the Troupe members looked like clueless bystanders, and Shalnark even scratched his face awkwardly. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Hey, hey, Zazan, he says you're the Queen." Cheetu, barely holding back his laughter, patted Zazan on the shoulder. But all he got in reply was her weak groans. What a loss of face—if Cheetu knew she'd crowned herself Queen and gotten beaten like this, he'd probably mock her forever.

"Save your breath. Looks like you're trying to take that guy away, huh?" Feitan, never one for patience, bristled at this point. He'd gone all out and the guy wasn't even fazed—plus, thanks to that Scorpion Woman, he was now covered in wounds. And on top of that, they'd been ignoring him from the start. You're just asking for death.

"I don't really want to save this guy, even though we've worked together before. But the King ordered me to rescue him and bring him back. So, please step aside." Cheetu said with a nonchalant expression.

"The King?" So there's some kind of big shot among these ants. None of the Troupe members were stupid; they quickly gleaned plenty of intel from the Idiot Leopard's words.

"You caused a huge ruckus in Meteor City, and now you want to take the main culprit away? Nothing in this world comes that cheap." Phinks, a powder keg himself, wasn't in a great mood either—especially since Meteor City was home to him and the rest of the Troupe.

"Oh? (⊙o⊙) Oh? Then let's see about that." Cheetu's gaze sharpened at that moment. There were a lot of strong fighters here. If he let his guard down, he might end up getting stuck here himself.