Killua has always known that their opponents consisted of two individuals.
Despite his relationship with Knuckle improving significantly, he remained cautious. The other opponent, a guy named Shoot, seemed to prefer operating from the shadows.
On the surface, Killua appeared to be supporting Gon, but in reality, he was also diverting some of his attention to keeping an eye on Shoot.
However… His caution seemed unnecessary.
"Has a battle already started in the dense forest? One of the energy signatures belongs to Shoot, whom I've encountered before."
"And the other… Is it Kite?!!"
Killua's eyes briefly lit up with excitement before quickly returning to normal.
After spending so much time fighting alongside Kite, Killua had long memorized Kite's aura.
Now, using the aura perception techniques taught by Lan, he sensed the activity in the dense forest, and his heart swelled with excitement.
Because Kite's arrival didn't just mean an additional powerful ally on their side; more importantly, if Kite had returned, he might have brought information about Gon's father, Ging Freecss!
For both Killua and Gon, this was an incredibly positive development.
"Gon is going to be so happy when he finds out that Kite is back."
"With him joining the battle, our chances of victory have increased by 30%."
"This greatly improves our odds of obtaining a token and fulfilling Palm's wish…"
(T/N: Change Pom to Palm.)
Killua exhaled in relief.
Palm had been cooking extravagant meals for them for days, and they had deeply appreciated it. If they were to fail now, they wouldn't just disappoint themselves…
He could still vividly remember Palm sharpening her knives in that dimly lit room, constantly preparing for the moment they returned in failure.
But now… That grim fate might not come to pass.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Knuckle and Gon, who were using the Multi-Form Technique, clashed once again.
Killua had full confidence in Gon.
Even though Gon looked a bit odd at the moment, he had actually mastered many of the Turtle School martial arts techniques.
Once he got serious, he would surely give Knuckle an endless string of surprises.
Tonight's battle was bound to determine the final outcome, who would ultimately obtain the wooden tile, gain entry into the Neo-Green Life (NGL) Autonomous Region, and join the Chimera Ant extermination team.
As this intense battle unfolded inside the Chimera Ant nest.
"Ahhh!!!"
In the deepest part of the nest, accompanied by the Chimera Ant Queen's heart-wrenching pain, the Ant King was finally born.
"Wait, it's still early..."
The Chimera Ant Queen endured great pain and was still thinking about the development of the Ant King.
"Shut up!!"
A low, muffled voice rumbled from within the massive yellow-green egg sac inside her abdomen, completely disregarding her plea.
The queen tried to say something more, but the response was…
Splat!
A dark green arm suddenly punched through her swollen egg sac, shooting upwards!
Dark green and black bodily fluids sprayed everywhere, and the blood vessels wrapped around the sac snapped apart in an instant!
The Chimera Ant Queen arched her back in silent agony, unable to even scream under the sheer pain.
But the Ant King inside her body showed no concern for her suffering.
A second dark green arm pushed out from the gaping hole in the egg sac.
With both hands gripping the torn opening, the Ant King ripped the sac apart!
Squelch!!!
A torrent of fluids gushed out as the Ant king burst forth from his confinement!
At the same time, hurried footsteps echoed from the tunnel outside the chamber.
These were the squadron leaders, who had heard the Queen's scream and were rushing to the scene.
However, the royal guards, who were meant to serve the king, remained completely unfazed.
"The king is going to be born early, huh?"
Neferpitou leaned against the rock wall; her cat eyes did not waver, and there was still a faint smile on the corner of her mouth.
That was a complete disregard for the life and death of the Chimera Ant Queen.
They did not care about the life and death of the Queen, but the Squadron Leaders of the Chimera Ants gathered one after another and ran towards the Queen's bedroom.
And when they arrived.
They saw an upright creature with a dark green body standing next to the queen, who collapsed on the bed.
The top of his head was in the shape of a crown, which seemed to be a crown decoration born with him, destined him to be superior.
The upper and lower parts of his sturdy body were still covered with some liquid, and at the same time, the amazing pressure that was constantly radiating outward without active consciousness was enough to announce its identity.
"The… The king?!"
The Squadron Leaders' throats rolled with difficulty, especially when the Ant King turned his head and looked at them with a ruthless gaze.
They felt a huge pressure coming and covering them.
The blood-red pupils swept over them one by one, making their bodies tense, and even their thoughts seemed to be stagnant.
Click.
The Ant King's long earlobes twitched, and his dark green body moved slightly. Then, the fluids covering his body evaporated instantly.
"I'm hungry."
Those were the first sentences the Chimera Ant king spoke upon entering this world.
Raising his thick, needle-like tail, he pointed directly at the squadron leaders standing before him.
As for the Queen, lying in a pool of her own blood, barely clinging to life, she had been completely forgotten by him.
Or rather, he simply did not care.
Even though, technically, she was his mother.