"Cordis!"
Gon and Killua had never expected Cordis to do something like this.
Cordis must have put all his strength into that throw. The two boys flew through the air, and all they could see were swarms of Chimera Ants covering the hills.
What Cordis had just done seemed to have enraged the Chimera Ants.
The ants, which had been moving slowly before, suddenly roared and rushed toward Cordis.
In mere moments, Cordis disappeared beneath the swarm.
The two boys landed safely at the edge of the forest, but Gon scrambled back toward the trees before he had even found his footing.
He soon stumbled and fell to the ground.
Killua hurried over and helped Gon up. Gon was covered in mud, and branches had cut his knees and arms.
Blood seeped from the wounds.
At the sight, tears involuntarily welled in Killua's eyes.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but before he could speak, Gon wiped the mud from his face and frowned at him, his expression serious. "Killua! Men don't cry!"
"Why are you crying over a little setback like this? Kite and Cordis are still waiting for us! There's no time to cry!"
Ignoring his wounds, Gon charged into the depths of the forest again. After hearing his words, Killua forced back the tears that had been about to fall.
He hurried after Gon.
At some point, a light rain had begun to fall.
Along with the smell of earth, a faint scent of blood hung in the air. They could not tell whether it belonged to the Chimera Ants or Cordis.
The deeper they ventured into the forest, the stronger the smell became. A body or two lay along the way.
Gon wiped away the rainwater threatening to run into his eyes and wrinkled