Without overthinking technique or form, Joey moved on instinct.
He slipped past the Chimera Ant's charge, angling toward its flank, and drove his fist straight toward its vitals.
But before his punch could land, the horse-headed Chimera Ant halted abruptly. Its rear leg lashed out with explosive speed, kicking straight toward Joey's chin.
The sudden reversal caught him completely off guard.
He had anticipated its movement—but the ant had anticipated his anticipation, adjusting instantly when the flow of battle shifted.
Fortunately, Joey wasn't alone.
Killer Queen reacted first. It seized his arm and yanked him backward, pulling him out of what would have been a devastating blow.
Cold sweat beaded across Joey's forehead.
Even though he had avoided the strike, the brush with danger left his heart pounding.
Stripped of Killer Queen's abnormal abilities, he was simply too weak in direct combat.
That weakness came from a lack of experience—something only real battles could fix.
Realizing this, Joey didn't retreat.
He attacked again.
By then, the Chimera Ant had already turned to face him. Its broad, fan-like hand clenched into a fist, muscles tightening as it launched a punch straight for Joey's head.
Its intent was obvious:
You strike my weak point—I crush your skull. A fair trade.
Joey had no intention of trading blows.
With a subtle adjustment from Killer Queen, he twisted his torso and narrowly evaded the punch, slipping into the ant's side once more.
His earlier charge had been a feint—bait to draw out a full-force attack.
Now, as he struck, his Nen instinctively concentrated into his fist.
Thud!
The blow landed solidly.
But the Chimera Ant merely staggered back a few steps before regaining its footing.
Its durability was far beyond what Joey had expected.
Even without Nen, its body was far tougher than anything he could break with a single strike.
Joey understood immediately.
The moment his fist connected, he changed tactics.
Instead of retreating, he stepped in closer.
Killer Queen vanished, merging back into him.
Joey ducked low, dodging another punch, then rose in one fluid motion—his right hand already pressed against the Chimera Ant's chest.
The First Bomb activated instantly.
In the next moment, the creature's body twisted, warped—
—and vanished in a silent explosion, reduced to nothing.
Joey exhaled, tension easing slightly.
But before he could fully relax, the sound of flapping wings came from above.
He looked up.
A small, bird-like Chimera Ant with black wings and a sharp beak swooped down toward him.
It never reached him.
Killer Queen reappeared midair, intercepting it.
With a heavy downward strike, it smashed the creature's beak-like face.
At the instant of contact, the condition for detonation was met.
The explosion came silently.
The bird-shaped Chimera Ant followed the same fate—its body swelling midair before being consumed by invisible flames, leaving nothing behind.
Seeing this, the two Chimera Ants approaching from the corridor abruptly stopped—
—and retreated.
Faster than they had advanced.
Clearly, they were shaken by Joey's method of killing.
But at that same moment, the ground beneath Joey shifted.
A pangolin-like Chimera Ant burst from below, lunging at him from behind.
Before it could strike—
Two arms grabbed it.
Gon.
With a powerful twist, he restrained the creature completely.
The ant struggled violently, letting out a shrill cry, but couldn't break free.
A dull, sickening pop followed.
Gon released his grip and casually tossed the still-twitching body aside.
At the same time, the two fleeing Chimera Ants didn't get far.
Killua flashed forward, cutting off their escape in an instant.
Two quick movements—
—and both of their hearts were torn out.
"They really are similar to humans," Killua said lightly, glancing at the still-beating organs in his hand. "Even the heart's in the same place."
He tossed them aside without a second thought.
"Let's go."
Kite's voice came from behind them.
"Leave now. I saw a munitions storage area on the map—there should be explosives. If something sets it off, this entire cave could collapse."
In his hand was a silver-white box—presumably containing the data from the database.
His other hand held a strange katana with a clown's head at the hilt.
The warning likely came from the weapon itself.
No one hesitated.
They immediately quickened their pace and headed out.
—
A few minutes later, they emerged from the base.
The Chimera Ants inside had been completely wiped out. Outside, there were no signs of reinforcements.
It seemed the forces sent after them had already been dealt with.
Just as the tension eased, the clown-headed weapon suddenly spoke:
"A roulette in my mouth, numbered one to nine! Each number brings a different weapon! That's me—the Crazy Clown!"
"Enough. Quiet."
Kite dismissed it and sheathed the blade.
"…It talks a lot," Killua muttered.
"So the roulette means you can't choose what weapon you get?" Gon asked, focusing on the key detail.
"Exactly," Kite replied. "And if you don't use the weapon properly, it won't disappear or change. It's… inconvenient."
Why create such an ability?
The same question crossed all their minds.
Kite continued walking, speaking as he went.
"Compared to mine, your abilities are far more straightforward."
He glanced at Gon first.
"You're using Enhancement as your base, with elements of Transmutation and Emission—like rock-paper-scissors."
"Yeah," Gon admitted. "Enhancement suits me best."
"Killua—Transmutation, specifically electricity?"
"Right. But it's still weak," Killua said, sparks flickering at his fingertips. "It doesn't last long."
"It will improve," Kite said calmly. "Whether you want it to or not."
Then, his gaze shifted to Joey.
"As for you… it hasn't been fully tested yet. But your ability appears to combine Enhancement, Emission, and Transmutation."
Joey scratched his head.
"Then what type am I exactly? And what do these categories even mean?"
Kite stopped walking.
He turned and looked at Joey—serious, focused.
Then he asked:
"Are you a serial killer?"
"…What?"
"Have you ever used your ability to blow someone up?"
"Do you have something unusual on your body—something like a second skin—that constantly supplies you with energy?"
"Do you feel a… connection to it? Like a soul link?"
"And finally—have you ever seen a strange insect… something grotesque, making an unusual sound?"
Joey froze.
The first question had already thrown him off—but as Kite continued, his confusion turned into shock.
Then came the mention of the "skin."
His expression stiffened.
And when the insect was mentioned—
His eyes widened completely.
Kite watched him closely.
"…So you have seen it," he said quietly.
Then he asked, one last time:
"Who are you, exactly?"
"Kira Yoshikage?"
"Joey?"
"…or someone else?"
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