The database—barely a dozen square meters in size—was small, yet crammed with towering stacks of documents.
Although the group had the strength to clear it out entirely, they lacked any container capable of holding so much material.
In the end, they could only extract the most critical information.
At the same time, Kite's En extended over a radius of more than forty meters—meaning the pursuing Chimera Ants were already closing in.
"Leave them to us," Killua and Gon said in unison.
Clearly, the previous fight hadn't satisfied them. As for Joey, he had no intention of jumping into another battle—he wanted to use this opportunity to recover his strength.
Kite nodded. He did need time.
"Don't stray too far. Call for backup immediately if anything happens," he instructed. Then he added, almost casually, "Joey, go with them. You won't be much help here."
Joey felt slightly used—but oddly, that made him more certain that Kite didn't intend to kill him.
In fact, from everything he'd observed so far, it almost seemed as if Kite wanted to keep him alive… perhaps even train him.
But why?
The thought lingered, but Joey didn't resist. He simply followed Gon and Killua out of the database.
—
Outside, deeper within the base, in what had once been Zazan's "throne room," the first Chimera Ant arrived.
It resembled a massive shrimp, its thick pincers raised defensively as if anticipating an attack.
Killua didn't give it the chance.
With a flash of movement, he slipped past its guard—and in the next instant, its head was gone.
Casually flicking his wrist, Killua tossed the severed head aside.
"If only it were a real lobster," he muttered. "Something that big would taste amazing grilled."
"And you even removed the inedible part first. How considerate," Joey replied dryly.
He raised his rifle, mimicking Kite's earlier method, and fired a controlled burst into the still-twitching body.
Only after confirming it was completely dead did he lower the weapon.
"Firearms really do have their uses," Killua commented.
Nearby, Gon had already shifted into a combat stance, his focus sharp. He clearly wasn't in the mood for jokes.
Joey's gunshot had effectively revealed their position. Soon, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the corridor.
Killer Queen materialized beside Joey, its form wrapped in a faint aura. This time, he didn't summon the Chariot.
Without knowing how many enemies were approaching, it would be reckless. If he couldn't recall it in time—or if repeated explosions drained his stamina—it would only make things worse.
Instead, Joey decided to use this chance to test his close-combat abilities.
With Killer Queen at his side—and Killua and Gon nearby—this was as safe a training ground as he could hope for.
"I'll handle the next ones," he said. "I want to try fighting up close. If things get dangerous… I'll rely on you two."
He said it without hesitation.
After all, relationships were built on give and take.
Help now, repay later—that was how bonds formed.
It had always been his way.
"Sure," Killua agreed immediately.
Joey smiled, nodded, and stepped forward, leading Killer Queen to meet the next Chimera Ant.
The creature seemed to sense his intent, raising an arm to stop the one behind it.
This one had the head of a horse.
Its body was powerful, its hooves striking the ground with heavy force.
Joey's aura wrapped tightly around him—but when it came to stance… he hesitated.
He had no real combat training.
At most, he'd watched elderly men practice tai chi in the mornings… and gone through some basic military drills during school.
That was it.
So he awkwardly assumed a horse stance—then hesitated again.
Should he move first? Stay grounded? Try something else?
"Has he… never fought before?" Killua snorted from behind.
"Yeah," Gon said, nodding with unsettling sincerity. "He looks like a complete beginner."
"Hard to believe someone like that could be involved in a drug organization," Killua added.
"Those kinds of groups don't always value strength," he continued. "More like intelligence… and connections."
He paused, then emphasized, "Mostly connections."
"His Nen beast is strong, though," Gon said after a moment.
Killua nodded thoughtfully. Though he'd only seen it once, he began analyzing it aloud.
"It reminds me a bit of Genthru's ability—but easier to trigger, and more dangerous. If you ever fight him, you'd have to be careful of everything around him."
"Seems like anything he touches can turn into a bomb," Gon added, his eyes sharpening. "And once it makes contact… it detonates."
"But there are still too many unknowns," Killua concluded. "Hard to say for sure."
As they spoke, Gon activated Gyo—focusing his aura into his eyes.
With it, he could see through concealment and observe the flow of aura during combat.
It wasn't an easy skill. It required both training and experience.
But Gon was already applying it instinctively.
—
By then, Joey had already engaged the enemy.
The Chimera Ant struck first.
Just as Joey settled into position, the horse-headed creature exploded forward with incredible speed.
But Joey had anticipated that.
From the moment he saw its form, he had made a simple assumption—
Horses meant speed.
So he had prepared accordingly.
And just as expected, the Chimera Ant relied on velocity.
Yet compared to Killua and Gon, it was nothing special.
Joey's eyes, already accustomed to tracking their movements, could easily follow every action of the horse-headed ant.
To him, its speed wasn't overwhelming at all.
Every movement was clear.
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