Outside a burrow in the ant colony.
Neferpitou sat cross-legged outside the ant nest, gazing at the bright moon in the sky.
A gentle breeze rustled its hair, and its cat tail swished lazily behind it.
Its eyes, fixed on the moon, were devoid of emotion – no curiosity, no appreciation… It simply waited with a languid posture for the King's birth.
As for the human Nen users, they were merely a minor diversion during the wait, something to pass the time.
In reality, it cared not for the lives of the ants, nor the fate of the division chiefs and its kin; its sole concern was the King.
Its genes contained no directive to serve the Queen Ant.
Nor did it need to obey the Queen Ant.
Suddenly, Neferpitou's cat ears twitched. Although the surroundings were silent, with only the occasional sound of the wind, it seemed to hear a faint, subtle movement.
Then, its swishing tail stopped, and its head naturally turned towards the source of the sound.
There… far away, lost in the deep, dark night.
To ordinary creatures, only darkness would be visible, nothing else…
But it not only heard the footsteps of humans but also smelled the scent of prey… and its gaze pierced through the night, locking onto the target.
Neferpitou's cat-like eyes instantly narrowed into slits.
Raising a finger to its lips, it smiled with interest. "It seems… this is a rather unusual Nen user."
Immediately, it slowly stood up.
Its entire body coiled low like a leopard, the muscles in its hind legs bulging explosively. With a bang, it shot into the sky, heading towards the direction of the humans.
Its form cut through the air, like a supersonic missile in flight.
The sound lagged behind due to its extreme speed, a sharp, piercing whine.
...
Something is coming!
Kite's heart leaped. His senses hadn't detected it.
This meant the opponent was outside his range of perception…
This is bad!
"Run!"
Kite roared, suddenly pushing Gon and Killua, who were frozen like ice, away.
These two brats were already terrified by the emanating aura!
In that instant, a black shadow flashed across Kite's eyes… the enemy had arrived!
The previous second… he couldn't detect it, meaning the enemy was far away. The next second… it was right in front of him.
What kind of speed is this?!
Blood splattered…
Kite quickly retreated, but his reaction was still too slow… His Nen defense was as fragile as paper against the opponent's attack.
One of his arms flew off and landed on the ground, while his chest and abdomen were slashed with several deep, bone-revealing wounds.
The atmosphere in the area instantly became heavy.
At this moment, Kite finally saw the enemy's appearance… an ant with feline physical characteristics.
Seeing this creature, Kite already had a premonition: he was going to die!
The aura emanating from the opponent was something he had never felt before…
"Run!"
Kite activated his Nen ability, Mad Clown, preparing to hold off the ant at the cost of his life, allowing Gon and Killua to escape.
He glanced over and saw that Gon was completely stunned… staring blankly at him.
His serious injuries had splattered blood all over Gon's face.
In this situation, Kite could only shout at Killua.
Killua realized Kite was sacrificing himself. Without a word, he hugged Gon and tried to pull him away… but Gon snapped back to reality and understood Kite's actions.
His previously cold heart instantly reignited. "Kite!" In the end, he and Killua had become Kite's burden.
Mad Clown materialized, looking at Kite's injured state, and couldn't help but mock him.
This time, the number rolled was 3. Kite murmured softly, "What bad luck…"
He seemed somewhat regretful about the weapon that appeared this time – a magic staff.
The clown face on one end of the staff cried out, "Bad luck? Every number I roll is the most suitable weapon and ability for your current combat situation, the most beneficial to you! And you still complain?! Damn it!"
Killua and Gon were pulling at each other. Seeing Gon's angry and uncontrollable expression.
As in the original work, Killua knocked Gon unconscious.
Kite gave Killua a look of approval.
At times, Killua's mental fortitude and decisiveness were far superior to Gon's… the latter tended to act emotionally.
Neferpitou, the cat-woman on the opposite side, did not press her attack after the initial strike. Instead, she calmly crouched on the ground, licking the blood from her claws, her gaze fixed intently on Kite… As for the two human brats, she completely ignored them.
"You're very strong…"
Neferpitou smiled at the human before her. "But, judging by your strength, you're not the person I was expecting… I thought…"
"Being praised by an ant, I really can't feel happy."
Blood dripped continuously from Kite's body onto the ground. He said coldly.
Then, changing the subject, he turned his back to Killua and commanded, "Run back… Oboro is probably nearby!"
Killua's expression shifted slightly.
Carrying Gon on his back, electricity crackled beneath his feet, and he instantly disappeared from the spot.
And the cat-woman, seemingly uninterested in the weak, instinctively preferred hunting creatures that appeared stronger.
Most importantly, her intuition told her that the human before her could provide some information.
Information about Nen!
"It's useless~"
"After I kill you, I'll capture those two. As Nen users, your flesh and blood are very nutritious, especially your brains… If the Queen eats them, perhaps the birth of the King will be accelerated."
The cat-woman finally moved her eyeballs, glanced in the direction Killua had disappeared, and said indifferently.
"The name you just mentioned, Oboro… that human, should be the strong one who has been hunting our ant colony, right?"
Kite narrowed his eyes.
This ant was too perceptive!
"Who knows…"
He replied with a perfunctory smile.
Immediately, the smile on Neferpitou's face turned cruel… her eyes held a primal hunting wildness.
In an instant, she lunged at Kite.
...
Meanwhile, Killua was fleeing for his life.
He used almost all his strength.
Even now, his body and heart were still trembling.
He couldn't calm down.
He had already witnessed Kite's strength… he and Gon were currently no match for him.
Even so, he was completely unprepared and his body was pierced by the cat-woman in one blow.
Perhaps… his internal organs were injured.
"That aura… it's too terrifying…"
Killua swallowed, his face pale.
Kite was just holding on. He didn't know how much time he could buy them…
And given the cat-woman's sudden appearance, after killing Kite, she would definitely pursue them.
He couldn't escape…
Oboro!
Oboro is nearby!
Killua's back crackled with electricity as he ran, looking around.
His eyes were red and teary. He could no longer suppress the anxiety and hope in his heart, and he shouted, "Oboro!!!"
He thought Oboro and his team had already left.
But since Kite had deduced that Oboro was still here, and seemed to have been silently observing them.
Killua chose to believe Kite.
This was the only person who could save him and Gon right now.
...
And in Oboro's perception, he knew Killua was running towards him with Gon…
At the same time, Kite's aura was rapidly weakening. It seemed he wouldn't last much longer.
In the original work, when Kite first encountered Neferpitou, she had just been born. For the latter, her strength increased immeasurably with each passing day…
Not to mention that now, more than one Nen user had been captured by the ants.
Given Neferpitou's comprehension, her use and understanding of Nen would be quite thorough.
Originally, in the original work, Kite and Neferpitou were able to fight for a long time. On one hand, Kite himself was extremely skilled.
On the other hand, Neferpitou wanted to learn how to use Nen from Kite through this battle, so she didn't go all out.
But now… Neferpitou's strength was incomparable to the original work. Moreover, Kite's injuries were more severe.
Boom!
Ahead, a deafening sound erupted. Kite and Neferpitou's violent Nen forces intertwined… including their wills displayed in the battle, which even the boundless night and darkness could not conceal.
Kite was truly outstanding… Judging by Killua's actions, he had already guessed some of his plans.
It had to be said that Ging Freecss had trained his disciple very well.
Kite's own talent and abilities were also outstanding.
Most importantly… knowing he would die, Kite still charged forward without hesitation!
Swish!
As he was thinking, a bolt of lightning shot out from the ground, and Killua appeared before Oboro with Gon.
Killua's feet left two tracks on the ground as he skidded to a halt, his rapid movement stopping just in time.
Oboro no longer concealed his aura, so Killua, upon sensing it, immediately approached him…
Seeing the man he so disliked, wearing a black suit, hands in his pockets, and an expressionless face – Oboro – Killua's nose twitched, and for the first time, he cried!
Tears streamed down his face…
"Oboro…"
Killua's voice was choked with sobs.
Oboro walked forward, reached out, and stroked Killua's soft white hair. "In the end… you're still just a child…"
Then, Oboro crouched down, his expression serious as he looked directly at Killua. "Don't worry, I'm here…"
With these simple words.
Suddenly, Killua's restless heart, like a rootless duckweed, settled down.
He felt completely safe.
"Killua… you're different from Gon. Let's make a promise."
Oboro extended his thumb. "What happened here, don't tell anyone… You're very smart, you should understand what I mean…"
Killua wiped away his tears, his expression, which had shown vulnerability moments ago, now mature like an adult.
"As long as I can save Gon, I'll do anything you ask."
With that, he also extended his thumb, touching Oboro's.
"Mhm."
Oboro smiled faintly.
Then, his gaze passed over Killua's shoulder, looking towards the dim night scenery opposite them.
Killua's pupils instantly dilated, and his body stiffened.
That ant was coming… So fast!
This meant… Kite was dead!
In the darkness, a terrifying sea of aura slowly approached, originating from a single figure.
Killua had run for nearly fifteen minutes, but the cat-woman caught up in the blink of an eye.
A chain reaction…
Neferpitou might not be interested in the two human brats, but she had been searching for Oboro all along.
So, she knew… by catching up, she could meet that person stronger than the white-haired man.
Therefore, she had no interest in prolonging the fight with Kite… because Oboro was a better learning subject than the latter.
"Found you… Finally found you… My intuition tells me you never left…"
Neferpitou walked step by step, with a cat-like gait, Kite's blood still clinging to her clothes. Her crimson hands were clasped behind her back, and she said with genuine joy.
Her cat-like eyes, upon seeing Oboro, revealed a particularly obvious joy.
If not for the Nen energy filling the surrounding space, judging solely by her appearance and physique, it would be difficult to associate her with such terrifying combat power.
"Let's go."
Oboro smiled and slowly stood up, patting Killua's shoulder.
"You… be careful!"
Killua bit his lip and left with Gon, uttering these words.
"Aren't you running?"
Neferpitou tilted her head curiously. "Your instincts should be warning you… that you're going to die, right? After all, you've been hiding all this time, and your personality doesn't seem to be the brave or reckless type…"
"You've only recently been born and arrived in this world… You naturally don't understand humans."
"Before your Chimera Ants, humans were the dominant species, ruling this continent for a long time… We understand very well that judging a life form's danger level isn't just about its appearance. You think I'm weak, judging only by limited physical data… but that doesn't necessarily represent reality. If you're too careless, you might be the one who dies in the end…"
Oboro smiled faintly.
As he spoke, he slowly took off his suit jacket, rolled up his shirt sleeves bit by bit, and a smile formed on his lips. "It's been so long since I last took off my jacket…"
"I still… can't lie to myself."
"Mhm… I've learned that humans, compared to us, seem to have more complex minds and are more emotional… But in my opinion, this is precisely a fatal weakness."
Neferpitou didn't attack immediately, giving Oboro ample time to prepare.
She wanted to see something different… about Nen.
She looked forward to the man surprising her.
After all, she would be the one to win in the end.
"Are you ready?" the cat-woman asked with a smile.
She seemed very relaxed… asking sincerely.
But unconsciously, there was an arrogance of a powerhouse.
"To be underestimated… what a novel feeling…"
Oboro also chuckled.
Oboro's aura erupted, and the ghost fog rippled out along with the souls.
However, compared to the aura Neferpitou unleashed, the range of his Nen radiation was much smaller, and he was still enveloped by Neferpitou's aura.
Neferpitou's eyes lit up.
"Are you… the strongest Nen user among humans? I've searched the memories in the brains of those foods, and humans like you seem to be very rare…" the cat-woman asked.
"Yes… little ant, I am the strongest among humans."
Suddenly, Oboro's smile vanished, and his expression turned cold.
His eyes were filled with calmness, ferocity, and excitement.
At this moment, Oboro chose to satisfy himself.
And chose to believe in himself.
Even if Netero asked, he would answer the same way.
"Hiding from you… wasn't because I was afraid, but because… you weren't worthy of my time yet."
Boom!
As soon as he finished speaking.
Neferpitou's pupils instantly constricted into slits, sensing the danger.
However, she couldn't dodge.
Because she was too close.
She was already within Oboro's attack range!
Oboro formed his fingers into a sword, instantly unleashing his full power, channeling his breathing, and amplifying his blood energy to the limit, his body temperature soaring.
His hand gesture pointed towards the cat-woman from a distance.
The skin on Neferpitou's chest, resembling an ant's carapace, burst with blood and caved in.
The terrifying force sent Neferpitou flying off the ground, her entire body shooting out like a bullet.
Meanwhile, Oboro, like a tiger, had already crouched low, his legs and arms bent, the muscles in his limbs swelling, veins and sinews on his body writhing like small snakes.
His clothes were all torn…
Oboro raised his lowered head, staring at the black shadow of the cat-woman flying away, hot white steam puffing from his lips.
His eyes were ferocious and menacing, filled with killing intent.
Like a pair of blood-red eyes.
"A mere inferior life form… How dare you underestimate humans…"
Oboro's voice rumbled from his throat.
With that, he shot out like a cannonball, catching up to the cat-woman's uncontrolled body in mid-air.
Appearing above Neferpitou.
A powerful punch.
He struck the ant's abdomen without mercy.
The black shadow was smashed into the ground, hitting it like a meteor.
For a moment, the churning earth and dust billowed towards the sky.
The instant Neferpitou was hit, her eyes widened… Blood gushed from her mouth.
She saw the expression on the human's face.
There was no fear… only excitement, madness, and joy.
And… satisfaction!
"This human… is different…"
____________________
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