Different attitudes toward the ants

When Gon returned with the floating debt collector trailing beside him, everyone already knew the outcome.

Gon had entered a state of Zetsu.

Even without knowing why the debt collector had appeared, it was obvious who had lost.

Palm's aura surged upward, almost beyond her control. Fortunately, Biscuit had been ready. She leaped up and knocked the knife-wielding Palm unconscious with a chop of her hand.

"Isn't that a bit much?" This was Andrei's first encounter with Palm. Though her earlier presence had frightened him a little, he couldn't help speaking up.

"Then why don't you wake her?" Biscuit rolled her eyes. "If you're leaving, get moving. If you're seeing them off, hurry up. Don't think you can get away."

Killua shuddered. He had a feeling he and Gon were doomed.

Even unconscious, Palm still radiated a terrifying presence.

"There's nothing shameful about Gon losing to Knuckle. But Killua, your performance was disappointing. Have you really not noticed, even after all this time?" Kite's gaze swept across Killua's forehead.

Killua lowered his head, his expression dark. "I..."

His voice came out hoarse, but in the end, he couldn't say anything else.

"After we leave, Gon's safety will depend entirely on you. I hope that when danger really comes, you won't make a choice you'll regret."

Kite's words carried a hidden meaning, but his final glance drifted toward Biscuit, seemingly by chance.

Joey thought he saw Biscuit give a discreet nod.

But even after thinking it over carefully, he couldn't find anything amiss.

The Chimera Ant that had forced Killua to pull out the needle in the anime had already died at his hands.

Were there still Chimera Ants eyeing Killua and Gon as prey? That shouldn't be possible!

Or could it be...? A possibility suddenly occurred to Joey.

Biscuit and Kite were working together!

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

Biscuit had long since noticed that Killua fled whenever he faced danger. Now, with Kite-a meticulous Conjuration user-here too, it wasn't impossible for them to uncover the general cause.

And even if they couldn't find the cause, at this point they still had to test Killua's resolve.

Otherwise, if Killua chose to flee from danger in the future, Gon, as his partner, might be left beyond any hope of rescue.

Testing what Killua would truly choose here was the responsible thing to do for everyone.

After all, there was no room for carelessness in the war against the Chimera Ants. Anyone without enough resolve was better off withdrawing early.

But didn't this also mean they were acknowledging that Killua and Gon might still join the extermination team and fight the Chimera Ants?

It looked like Kite had already prepared himself for the worst!

But that could wait. The important thing now was that quite a show would probably unfold here after they left!

He really wanted to see it!

As though sensing what Joey was thinking, Kite said no more and led everyone onto the truck bound for NGL.

The mood along the way wasn't particularly heavy. After all, Kite hadn't "died" in NGL this time.

Unable to go to NGL, Gon merely felt sorry toward Palm and disappointed in himself. He had no request that he absolutely needed someone else to fulfill.

So by the time they reached the checkpoint, Gon had pulled himself together and was smiling brightly again. "I'll catch up to you. I promise!"

"Make sure you give those rotten Chimera Ants a good beating!" Killua was unwilling to accept being left behind either.

"Don't worry! There's no way you'll catch up to us, so just sit tight in Pata City and wait for our triumphant return."

Knuckle wore an arrogant expression.

Joey was quite fond of this fellow with the pompadour, who looked just like a delinquent.

He was almost absurdly kindhearted, yet always insisted on putting on an arrogant front, giving Joey a perfect demonstration of what it meant to be a tsundere.

Shoot, standing beside him, was much more aloof.

With his purple hair swept into a side ponytail, he always looked serious and proud.

His only response to Killua and Gon was a slight nod.

The two groups then parted ways. Joey, who now had a new temporary identity, followed Kite and the others toward the checkpoint.

His new identity was that of a temporary worker hired by the Hunter Association. Kite had arranged it for him through Chairman Netero, using the incriminating information on NGL.

It was this identity that freed Joey from his status as a wanted Murderer.

But to clear his name, he still had to join the Chimera Ant extermination team. This was an alternative arrangement reached through a compromise among the higher-ups.

Their stated reason made little sense: Joey was a local, so he knew the area better.

Everyone understood their real purpose. They didn't want Joey-a former member of the Narcotics Organization and a novice who had only just awakened his Nen-to leave NGL alive.

Of course, if Joey did manage to survive, they probably wouldn't take any further revenge against him!

After all, compared with that incriminating information, Joey was nothing more than an insignificant pebble.

Despite the enormous crisis in NGL, procedures at the checkpoint remained exceptionally strict. The staff truly were dedicated to their jobs.

But before the group could pass through, the telephone inside the checkpoint rang.

Orders had come from above: the arriving Hunters were to accompany the Medical Team and the Chimera Ant Expert Group, bringing their equipment to the Chimera Ant nest.

The checkpoint had no authority to challenge a direct order from V5's higher-ups.

Everything was processed as quickly as possible. Four hours later, Joey arrived at the enormous Chimera Ant nest alongside specialists of all kinds.

It turned out that Meruem had been born several hours earlier and had left with the three members of his Royal Guard.

Because Meruem had emerged prematurely by tearing his way out of the Queen's abdomen, she was now on the verge of death.

Led by Colt, the flying Chimera Ant Joey had seen before, the Chimera Ants loyal to the Queen had surrendered to humanity in the hope that humans could save her.

But it was already too late. Even human medical technology couldn't save the Queen when nearly all her internal organs had been shattered.

Joey watched coldly from the sidelines the entire time. He had no fondness for any of the Chimera Ants.

Not even as these Chimera Ants slowly began revealing the human side of their souls.

Yet few people seemed to share Joey's view.

Morel and Knuckle, in particular, seemed moved by Colt's loyalty and sacrifice.

They were also caught up in the greatness of the Queen's maternal love, as she continued to worry about her child even on her deathbed.

Kite, however, shared Joey's attitude and regarded it all coldly.

And because Kite hadn't been "killed" by Neferpitou as he had in the anime, there was no additional Chimera Ant inside the Queen's abdomen.

After all, Kite had never been pushed far enough to use his life-saving ability.

So when the human rescue efforts failed and the Queen died, the atmosphere between the two sides grew delicate.

At some point, a coin had appeared in Joey's hand.

Thin strands of Specialization Nen brushed against it, seemingly by chance, as though they might awaken the coin at any moment and turn it into something extraordinary.

An icy presence also quietly emanated from Kite. Though it wasn't killing intent, it still made one's hair stand on end.

Among the Chimera Ants who had stayed behind, Colt and an Ox-Type Chimera Ant were lost in grief over the Queen's death.

"Again, I couldn't... protect anyone!" Colt's words broke through the sorrowful atmosphere.

"Again? Has something like this happened before?" Knov looked at the small, furry Chimera Ant beside him, who wore a headscarf and a white coat.

"No, he may be confusing his memories. Perhaps something like this happened when he was human." The furry Chimera Ant answered solemnly, like a doctor.

"What? You have memories from when you were human?" Morel exclaimed.