Motherly love is selfless between any species.
Even the Chimera Ants that plunged the world into endless darkness are the same.
After giving birth to the Ant King, the Queen was on the brink of death.
Yet, the king she had painstakingly nurtured chose to leave her coldly.
Only Colt and a few loyal squadron leaders remained by her side.
With the help of Chairman Netero, Colt led the medical team to the Queen's chambers.
Under the skilled hands of Dr. Lee, she regained consciousness.
But the first words she spoke upon waking were out of concern for her son.
The very son who had gravely injured her left her in this state and abandoned her without a second thought.
Colt was heartbroken, but to avoid agitating the Queen, he had no choice but to lie: "Your majesty, don't worry... The king... He is leading his royal guards, searching for medicine to heal you."
No matter how resentful he was toward the king, he couldn't bear to let the Queen worry.
So, he forced himself to defend the king.
The only reason was to give the Queen peace of mind, to keep her from being overwhelmed by the cruel reality of being abandoned.
In truth, the king had already moved on and would never return.
Even the old octopus acting as the interpreter couldn't help but shake his head at Colt's words.
Let alone Knov and Morel, who stood by, silently watching.
"No, he must not waste time on someone like me..."
The Queen's signals suddenly became urgent. "He should leave this place as soon as possible! He cannot, and must not, be distracted by me!"
"He is destined to become the ruler of the entire world..."
It was clear, as a purely wild-born, that the Queen's Chimera Ant instincts were deeply rooted.
Unlike Colt and the old octopus, who had inherited human genes, she had no complex emotions, only an unshakable ambition and the primal desire to dominate.
"It's just that he was born too early... That's why I feel this attachment..."
"I have already fulfilled my mission. I know my own body's condition better than anyone."
"No matter how much effort is put in, it's too late to save me."
Hearing this, Dr. Lee's hands momentarily paused.
The Queen knew her fate, and as a doctor, how could she not?
But as someone bound by the duty to save lives, she had to try, even if the hope was minuscule.
"I don't have any regrets now..."
The Chimera Ant Queen seemed to be saying her last words: "In the last moments of my life, I have only one last request..."
Her tone was already pleading: "Tell the king, his name is..."
"Meruem."
The Chimera Ant Queen stretched out a trembling claw as if she wanted to grab the light from the spotlight above her head and hold it in her hand: "It means... The light that illuminates all things..."
"Please, deliver this message... To my beloved child..."
As if he had a premonition of something, Colt's eyes were red and filled with tears, and he was about to reach out to hold the Chimera Ant Queen's claw.
But at this moment, the Chimera Ant Queen's arm fell weakly on the bed sheet.
Colt watched this scene with two lines of tears unconsciously falling down.
Dr. Lee couldn't help but sigh. She glanced at the monitor beside her, watching as the Queen's vital signs weakened; death was only a matter of time.
If it weren't for the two mysterious humans who had administered emergency treatment earlier, the Queen likely wouldn't have lasted long enough to say these final words.
But in the end, the result was the same.
Unless some miraculous power could instantly restore her, there was nothing more to be done.
She had already done all she could.
"Has the Queen... Passed away?"
Killua and Gon, who had been silently observing, had now witnessed the entire process.
The situation between the Chimera Ants seems to be more complicated than the situation where they simply think they are bad guys.
"She still has one last breath left."
Killua, unfazed by death, especially since it was just a bug, remarked: "But there's no real difference between that and being dead."
He could see it clearly.
Without outside intervention, she was already…
"Who's there?!"
Suddenly, Morel's angry shout echoed through the chamber.
He had been momentarily moved by the Chimera Ants' loyalty, especially Colt's unwavering devotion to the Queen.
But before he could dwell on it, he noticed a shadow lurking at the entrance, moving suspiciously.
It looked like someone up to no good.
Frustrated and needing an outlet for his emotions, Morel didn't hesitate.
Whoosh!
In a flash, his massive body darted to the entrance.
With a swift grab, he effortlessly lifted the small figure with his hand and returned to the chamber, making the group finally get a clear look.
"It's a little ant?"
The figure wore a human-style dress but had the head of a small ant.
Her face was filled with terror, so much so that it seemed she might faint at any moment.
"Isn't this Shidore?"
Bihorn recognized her. "She was originally a soldier under Hina's command."
"But she didn't seem to leave the nest with that group of people."
When many ambitious squadron leaders left, they took away many of their soldiers, but there were also a few weird Chimera Ant soldiers who did not choose to follow them but stayed here instead.