"The Chimera Ant that fired the gun has already been taken care of by Kite. Don't worry."
Ponzu seemed to sense Joey's tension and wariness. She gave him a small smile and handed him a bottle of water.
Her attitude was noticeably gentler than the others', which left Joey momentarily confused.
Still, whenever someone showed him kindness, he returned it with a smile—and quietly remembered it.
He hadn't had a drink in nearly a day. Combined with the blood loss and the constant strain of fear, his body was close to its limit. Joey accepted the bottle and smiled faintly.
"Thank you."
He only took a few careful sips before politely handing it back to Ponzu.
Then he asked, "Are you still planning to go deeper? There are creatures here far more dangerous than that crocodile. If possible, it's better to leave as soon as we can."
Ponzu shook her head.
"Kite saved both me and Pokkle. He's incredibly capable. Going deeper is probably just to assess the Chimera Ants' strength. Besides, I followed his instructions and had my bees deliver information to the team that's on its way."
She paused briefly before adding,
"Don't worry. Once we deal with the Chimera Ants here, I'll stay behind and wait for the others. They can escort you and Pokkle back to the border first."
Kite turned toward them just as Joey was about to respond and raised a hand, signaling for silence.
A long smear of blood stretched across the ground ahead of them, as if something had been dragged deep into the forest.
The group exchanged glances and followed the trail.
After only a few hundred meters, several massive withered trees came into view.
Each one was impaled with the body of a large, muscular brown horse.
Under the crimson glow of the setting sun, the sky reflected in blood-red clouds, making the entire scene resemble some kind of ritualistic sacrificial ground.
Bloody. Twisted. Unsettling.
A chill crept down their spines.
Kite's calm voice broke the silence.
"It's a characteristic of shrikes. They impale their prey on thorns and tear it apart. Sometimes they don't eat everything—they store food this way."
"…Hey."
The sudden voice startled all six of them. They turned sharply toward the source.
A Chimera Ant stood there.
It was an unnatural fusion of multiple creatures—long green hair, rabbit-like ears, and a disturbingly human face.
A brown birthmark beneath its left eye gave it an almost comical look.
It stood upright like a human male, with a strong, well-built body. Feathered arms hung at its sides, and its large feet pressed firmly into the ground.
There was no aura.
No presence.
Even its scent blended seamlessly with the surroundings—so well that even Gon, with his keen sense of smell, hadn't detected it beforehand.
The moment everyone looked at it, the Chimera Ant's expression twisted dramatically.
Its face contorted in exaggerated rage as it roared and charged forward.
"Trash! Don't come near! That's mine!"
Bang!
Gon and Killua were the first to react—but they were still struck and sent flying backward as the Chimera Ant closed the distance.
Even so, both boys raised their arms in time, blocking most of the force.
The impact forced the Chimera Ant to pause after knocking them back.
Seizing the opening, Pokkle had already drawn his bow. Judging by the glow around his fingers, he had chosen an orange arrow—optimized for speed.
Beside Joey, Killer Queen shifted into a defensive stance, ready to strike at any moment.
At the same time, its position shielded Ponzu, whose bees were already emerging from beneath her hat.
Joey briefly cast a suspicious glance at Pokkle before turning his attention back to the Chimera Ant.
The creature's gaze locked onto Kite instantly.
It had sensed the greatest threat.
Killing intent surged.
Joey clearly saw the Chimera Ant's fur bristle—
—but before he could observe further, Kite vanished.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared in front of Joey and Ponzu.
"Gon. Killua."
His voice was cold.
"You need to figure out how to deal with this yourselves.
This is a soldier ant. You've already seen their remains on the way here. If you continue with me, you'll face more like it.
I won't save you every time.
If you can't win, go back to the border with Pokkle and the others.
Otherwise… you'll just get in my way."
His words were harsh—but undeniably realistic.
Joey watched silently.
At the same time, his hand moved discreetly to the gun at his waist. He ejected the magazine and reloaded it in one smooth motion, as if simply checking his remaining bullets.
The moment he saw the Chimera Ant, he recognized it.
He couldn't recall its actual name—but he remembered the nickname:
"Bugs Bunny."
In the anime, Gon and Killua had gained the upper hand. But at the last moment, the creature escaped—and was forced to awaken Nen due to injuries inflicted by Nen.
This time… Joey had no intention of letting that happen.
Kite noticed his actions but said nothing—only glanced at him briefly before looking away.
Meanwhile, Gon and Killua released their Nen.
A surge of life energy burst from their bodies, flowing around them like a steady river.
"Kite… we told you."
"We're Hunters too!"
"Don't treat us like kids!"
They spoke in unison as they stepped forward.
The Chimera Ant—Bugs Bunny—hesitated for a fraction of a second.
But that was all the opening they needed.
Gon and Killua exploded into motion.
At first, Joey could only see blurs—black streaks flashing across his vision.
He couldn't follow them.
But as the battle continued, something changed.
A faint warmth spread through his eyes.
His vision sharpened.
Fragmented images of the fight began to form.
Then—
Killua leaped into the air, lightning crackling around him as he struck downward.
At that moment, Joey's eyes finally caught up.
The speed.
The movement.
Everything became clearer.
The sudden adaptation startled him—but also filled him with a strange sense of exhilaration.
There was no time to dwell on it.
The instant Killua's lightning connected—
Gon's fist slammed into the Chimera Ant's abdomen.
The impact launched Bugs Bunny straight into the sky.
"Nice—bullseye!"
Killua landed lightly, his Nen surging through his legs as he prepared to dash forward and finish the fight.
But—
A winged figure reached the airborne Chimera Ant even faster, grabbing its shoulders mid-flight.
At the same time—
Joey acted.
His nerves were stretched to their limit as he drew his gun in one smooth motion.
He aimed.
Fired.
Again.
And again.
In that moment, his focus reached an unprecedented level.
His grip was steady—unnaturally steady.
Even the recoil barely affected him, his muscles absorbing the force with controlled tremors.
Still—
The first shot went slightly off target, grazing the Chimera Ant's toes.
But the next two bullets struck true.
They tore into its thigh, sending blood spraying through the air.
___________________________
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