Since Larry hadn't faced the Ant King directly, he couldn't use his ability to gauge its power. But with Colt here, he could get a rough idea.
Naturally, the Ant King was stronger than Netero, but exactly how much stronger was hard to tell. So, he decided to compare it with Tyrannitar, who was ranked at S+ level.
Suddenly, a terrifying aura erupted, far more intense and overwhelming than Netero's own. It felt like a great terror had descended upon the cave itself.
The violent energy surged through the entire space, shaking the mountain as well. Yellow sands seemed to materialize from nowhere, swirling both inside the cave and over the mountain outside.
Colt's pupils contracted sharply; his body trembled uncontrollably, and his legs shook. This was no ordinary power, it was a breath of pure dread. The cave where Larry and the others stood sat atop a massive exposed rock, or more accurately, a large hill, making the sudden surge of aura all the more terrifying.
Hills like this are common in the area, you can see dozens of similar ones at a glance. At their bases lie patches of forest and rivers, which contrast sharply with the hills' bare, rocky tops.
These hills have dark caves scattered across them, and where the caves are dense, they resemble honeycombs. But the hill where Larry and the others stand has changed dramatically, it's now covered in piles of yellow sand, a strange sight for this region.
The sand spread across the entire mountain in moments, blanketing it completely. Even under Tyrannitar's control, only this mountain transformed; the forest at the foot of the hill remained untouched. In an instant, the hill's gray surface turned yellow, with more sand still pouring down steadily.
Along with the sand, Tyrannitar's overwhelming aura was impossible to ignore. The steel giant's presence cloaked the entire mountain, and if he wished, he could extend his aura far beyond this area.
Under the weight of Tyrannitar's S+ level aura, faint cracks appeared not just in the caves but across the whole mountain. It looked like the hill couldn't handle the pressure and might crumble into rubble at any second.
Knov pressed himself against the rock wall, trying to ease the pressure bearing down on him. He couldn't even bear to look directly at Tyrannitar, unlike before when he faced President Netero, this time Knov averted his gaze completely.
Not just Knov, except for President Netero, no one dared to meet Tyrannitar's gaze. Morel and Colt also pressed their bodies against the rock, avoiding eye contact.
If Netero had seemed like a blazing fireball just moments ago, then Tyrannitar's aura was like the scorching sun itself, so intense they could barely see it, and it felt as if his very skin was burning from the heat.
Knov glanced at the nearby wall and saw cracks spreading like knife cuts, growing larger by the second. If this kept up, the whole mountain might shatter under the pressure of Larry's nen beast.
Knov realized that if he hadn't shielded his glasses with his own aura, they would have been shattered by now. "Is that... the nen beast?" he wondered, trembling under the immense power radiating from the hill.
"Remember, it's called Tyrannitar," Netero reminded himself as he squinted, but unlike the others, he could look straight at Tyrannitar without blinking.
Through the aura, he clearly saw Tyrannitar's form below. Among Larry's many nen beasts, Tyrannitar was the one he knew best.
It was one of the few beasts he had actually fought before, and the same one that had defeated Jed in their last encounter. And that was just from a single fight!
Compared to that time, Tyrannitar's aura now was countless times stronger. Its power was truly terrifying. But Netero knew that Larry's real strength hadn't even shown yet.
The small black shadow beast he'd seen last time, that was the real monster. That nen beast was the most terrifying creature Netero had ever laid eyes on. Its aura was incomparable, even next to the disasters from the Dark Continent.
Not long ago, the Ant King's aura had seemed overwhelming, but it wasn't even a fraction as fearsome as that shadow beast's presence. That's why Netero had such confidence in Larry.
Whether or not there were more nen beasts hidden away, the one revealed earlier was enough to handle anything. Taking on the Ant King and his three royal guards? No problem.
Humanity was incredibly lucky to have someone like Larry, proving that humans could conquer even the Dark Continent. Next to him, Colt looked even more terrified, his eagle-like eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
Tyrannitar's presence stirred something in him, a feeling like facing the Ant King himself. Not only was the aura just as intense, but the overwhelming dominance behind it was exactly the same, they both radiated the presence of a king.
As the display was almost over, Larry warned Tyrannitar to hold its breath; otherwise, the entire mountain might collapse. After a moment, the breath that had made everyone hold theirs finally eased, and Knov and the others all exhaled deeply.
Several people were sweating profusely, visible even without close inspection. "Really strong," colt murmured.
"This giant steel beast definitely matches the Ant King's strength. No! It could actually defeat the Ant King!" Colt bent over with his hands on his knees, still shocked but speaking with firm conviction.
This giant was undoubtedly as powerful as the Ant King. The intense fluctuations of thought energy made it hard to see clearly, but there was no doubt about its strength.
The giant's appearance was truly terrifying. Its entire body was covered in dark green steel, with a pair of glowing scarlet eyes.
Every time it exhaled, thick white smoke billowed out like pillars, adding to its intimidating presence. Just standing there, it radiated a powerful aura that made people uneasy.
Larry's gaze shifted from Colt to Tyrannitar, and it became clear that the Ant King was likely at an S+ level. That made sense, after all, President Netero had managed to reach S-level strength by wearing the "Heart" T-shirt, yet he still hadn't defeated the Ant King. So it was only natural for the Ant King to be at S+ level.
What remained uncertain was whether the Ant King, after consuming the three royal guards, could break through the S level barrier and ascend to SS-level. Larry thought it would be tough since even the Mega evolution of S+ level Tyrannitar couldn't reach SS.
The gap between S class and SS-class was enormous, as Marshadow's strength clearly showed. The two classes were separated by an unbridgeable chasm.
Still, even if the Ant King couldn't reach SS-level, it would definitely become much stronger after devouring the three royal guards. There was still value in doing so, and the guards' bodies could be reused for other purposes.
"I'm not sure why, but I feel something familiar about the Ant King," Colt muttered, a complex mix of emotions stirring in his heart.
Surprisingly, he had sensed the presence of two kings that day, both equally terrifying. Facing this giant steel beast felt like facing the Ant King itself, triggering a deep, instinctive urge to kneel and surrender. It was a natural response lower creatures had when confronted with beings far superior to themselves.
"That feeling is normal," Larry said calmly, raising an eyebrow as he explained to everyone.
A thought crossed his mind as he continued, "This creature is called Tyrannitar, known as the Desert Monarch. Or you could call him the 'Desert Tyrant'! "He's the king of the desert."