The terrifying blade pressure formed a tornado that directly penetrated the night sky along with the clouds.
All the Chimera Ants present were torn apart in an instant!
It was too fast. By the time I came to my senses, my body had already fallen.
"So strong!"
Killua and Gon, who were at the foot of the mountain, watched this scene with shock. This was the first time they had seen Kite's Nen ability and true strength! Even though they could only see a corner of the battle from the bottom of the cliff, the pressure radiating outward still sent shivers down their spines.
The two boys quickly climbed the cliff, and when they reached the top, they saw Dragon standing alone, holding a huge sickle, surrounded by Chimera ants lying in pools of blood. The destructive force had blown away the earth within a hundred yards, leaving the ground barren and scorched.
After this single devastating blow, the weapon in Kite's hand made a distinct sound as it transformed back into the crazed clown. Seeing that Kite seemed to be dismissing it, the clown chirped in obvious dissatisfaction, seemingly accusing Kite of simply throwing it away after use, but Kite ignored the protest and deactivated his Nen ability.
Then he turned to Killua and Gon, who were jumping towards him, and pointed ahead. "I'll leave the rest to you!"
Killua and Gon followed his gesture and noticed four Chimera ants that had survived the onslaught. Kite had deliberately spared them, with the obvious intention of giving the boys a chance to hone their skills.
"Be careful, these Chimera ants are completely different from the soldier ants you faced before," Kite said, crossing his arms and stepping aside to watch. He had no intention of getting involved.
Gon and Killua approached the remaining ants with serious expressions. The surviving Chimera ants were captains serving under the two division commanders, and they had clearly heard what Kite had said to the young humans. After witnessing the white-haired man's terrifying strength, they knew there was no escape.
Their only option was to kill these two human children and then find a way to survive. The looks on their faces showed that they didn't take Gon and Killua seriously.
Meanwhile, Kite shifted his attention from the boys to the two dead Chimera Ant Division commanders. His eyes darkened as troubling thoughts began to take shape in his mind.
What was he planning?
The area Oboro had designated was obviously meant to provide a hunting ground for the ants, and also to attract members of the Association to conduct investigations in the hinterland. From what Kite had seen, Oboro and his team had been in NGL for quite some time, and not, as Menchi had claimed, as if they'd just arrived and noticed signs of Chimera ants. It was more like a premeditated plan, deliberately allowing the Association members to be captured by the ants in order to awaken the intelligence of the ants.
Of course, this was only Kite's speculation. He wasn't quite sure because everything he knew about Oboro came from Ging.
He had never met Oboro in person.
What Kite couldn't understand was why Oboro was doing this. What was the point of making the Chimera Ants more dangerous? Oboro was a hunter, too, and should be on the side of humanity!
For the Chairman?
Dragon frowned. Somehow, he felt like he had walked into a trap. The situation was more complex than he and Ging had imagined. This information had to be sent to the Association immediately, but being in the NGL, he had no way to contact the outside world. For now, he could only prioritize the mission at hand.
"I'm no match for him."
Kite was well aware of his limitations. He raised his head and adjusted the hat on his head with a serious expression. Even his teacher had found Oboro difficult to deal with, let alone him.
The deadly threat he now faced probably came not only from the ants, but also from Oboro's machinations. If his suspicions were correct, it meant that Ging's assessment of Oboro was accurate, and the Association needed to be on guard against this man.
Should I tell them?
Kite glanced at Killua and Gon, who were fighting the ants, and finally gave up on the idea. If his guess was right, Oboro wouldn't allow him to leave alive and pass on this message. Telling Killua and Gon would be like giving this explosive information to two children, and Gon seemed to have a special connection to Oboro.
Most importantly, this was probably about power struggles within the Association, and it would be inappropriate to involve two teenagers in such matters. The main opponent was Oboro, and Gon and Killua simply weren't capable of confronting him.
Whatever plan Kite might devise, Oboro would anticipate it.
With these thoughts weighing on his mind, Kite scanned the wilderness under the night sky, seemingly searching for something.
"As expected from his pupil."
At the foot of the cliff, in the forest that Kite and the others had just passed through, Oboro leaned against a tree trunk and smiled slightly. He had been hiding along this particular route, waiting for Kite and the two boys to arrive, watching their every move from the shadows without being detected.
Anthony and Fant weren't allowed to follow, because with Kite's abilities, even if they hid well, they could be discovered.
Despite the distance between them, Oboro's keen sense of smell told him that Kite had begun to suspect him after noticing a subtle change in his aura.
For the first time since his appearance, Kite's steady breathing had fluctuated. Even when confronted by two division commanders with their ant soldiers, Kite had remained perfectly calm. A person's aura is closely connected to his inner state.
"What a pity. Perhaps this is your inevitable fate," Oboro murmured quietly.
Soon, the battles that Kite had overseen came to an end. Gon and Killua had defeated the four Chimera Ant captains, and though they looked exhausted and wounded, they had emerged victorious.
The two boys were elated with their success. Kite offered rare praise, while also pointing out the flaws in their fighting techniques.
"Let's go," he said, continuing to lead them forward.
If we turn back now, we'll likely face even greater danger. If my suspicions are wrong, going back would only waste time and give the ants a chance to regroup. If I'm right, even if Oboro doesn't confront us directly, he must have some way to prevent us from leaving, so our only option is to keep going.
We're in a tight spot.
"Mr. Dragon, is something wrong?" Gon asked.
Gon's perception was sometimes so remarkable that even Killua didn't notice it, but Gon could tell that Kite seemed distracted.
"Nothing, I was just wondering what rank these ants had in the colony and if there were even stronger ones," Kite improvised.
"Oh," Gon replied. Then he smiled brightly and added, "Mr. Dragon is so powerful! I know he'll complete the mission successfully."
"Mm." Dragon nodded to him. There was no need to dampen the children's spirits at this point.
"Has that Oboro guy left already?" Killua interjected. He and Gon had heard what the ants had said earlier.
"Hmm, probably," Gon agreed.
"Tsk! He really has no sense of responsibility as a hunter, even after causing all this," Killua muttered.
"Maybe there's something more important," Gon suggested.