At that moment, Neferpitou changed.
Until now, every thought and action had been directed toward the King. The King was everything. But now, there seemed to be a shift, a trace of self-consciousness emerging. For the first time, Neferpitou appeared to be considering personal feelings.
Pain Split had divided the aura, cutting their strength in half. Ron's control over Rosgell was also nearing its limit. Yet with this shift, as though a spark of human will had surfaced, Neferpitou seemed to grow stronger rather than weaker.
Ron's eyes flickered as he measured the situation. Rosgell was slipping from his control. Natsu and Sasuke together could not fully withstand Neferpitou's assaults, and Ron himself was not confident in direct confrontation.
In truth, the odds of victory were low.
A door appeared silently before him. But instead of retreating, Ron's intent was to pull Neferpitou into Sumas's space. Even an S-class Nen user, without an ability specifically designed to counter Sumas, would be unable to escape once dragged inside, trapped like a caged beast. And once Neferpitou was trapped, Ron would have far more methods at his disposal to deal with them.
Of course, Neferpitou might be able to improvise, developing some ability on the spot to break free. But doing so would require significant time. Before that could happen, Ron would have one option: to kill them.
He could throw a Poor Man's Rose into that confined space, an explosive powerful enough to kill even the King. If it could threaten the King, there was no reason it would fail to eliminate Neferpitou.
But that was a last resort. Ron's true objectives were different. First, he sought to absorb Chimera Ant traits to craft his next Nen Beast.
Second, he wanted to use this battle as an opportunity to sharpen his experience against S-class opponents and creatures comparable to those of the Dark Continent, testing his current limits.
Third, he desired to turn Neferpitou into a puppet, or into a humanoid Nen Beast akin to Rosgell. If that failed, he would force a contract. A Chimera Ant of this caliber would surely prove invaluable when venturing to the Dark Continent.
Humanity's plan, according to Netero, was to weaponize Chimera Ants to aid in exploration, mass-producing them without concern for casualties. A Royal Guard-level being like Neferpitou was a resource too valuable to waste.
Perhaps sensing this intent, Neferpitou launched a ferocious assault on Rosgell, trying to shatter Ron's control.
Finally, control snapped. Rosgell froze where it stood, ceasing all movement.
A smile touched Neferpitou's face. "Human. What will you do now? Do you have anything left?"
Ron stepped back. Then he noticed something strange. As Rosgell stilled, the miasma emitted by Lampent seeped into its body. Resonance had formed between them.
Ron's eyes lit with sudden realization. "Second Shadow."
(Note: If you forgot, Ron has a second nen ability that allows him to fuse his nen beast according to how high they synchronise. In this case, why it works for Rosgell is because Ron has fused his nen aura into Rosgell for a long time. Making him into a pseudo-nen beast.)
He invoked his second true Nen ability. Lampent drifted to Rosgell's side, circling once before settling at its neck. The two entities fused seamlessly. Rosgell became Lampent. Lampent became Rosgell.
Though Ron had lost direct control of Rosgell, he still retained control of Lampent. And Lampent required little command—it could act autonomously.
As Neferpitou charged at Ron with its back exposed, Rosgell moved.
Bang!
A heavy strike landed, sending Neferpitou flying backward. The initiative had shifted again.
The fusion made Rosgell stronger than before. All the aura Lampent had drained from Neferpitou now reinforced Rosgell's body. Ron's condition improved immediately. With Rosgell's interference, Neferpitou could not reach him.
Ron opened another door. A hand extended from within, carrying a massive tray. On it lay dishes prepared by Erina inside Sumas's space, crafted from the finest ingredients. Consuming them replenished aura rapidly—one of the applications of Gourmet Cells. For ordinary Nen users this method was impossible, unless they possessed a similar ability.
Restored, Ron shared aura with Natsu and Sasuke. Together, the three launched an assault on Neferpitou, whose movements were now tightly constrained.
Ron quickly analyzed Rosgell's current state. With Lampent fused, Rosgell had effectively become a new Nen Beast. More accurately, it was a half-Nen Beast—Ron could not dismiss it, only return it into Sumas's space. In practice, the distinction mattered little. Its strength now firmly reached S-class.
Even more crucial was its evolution. Previously Rosgell could only fight with brute strength, no different from Uvogin. Now, with Lampent's integration, it possessed abilities: Miasma, Pain Split, and even a new technique—Chain Combo.
When a target fell into a negative state, Rosgell could strike in succession. If the first blow landed, a special window opened: during this absolute time, the opponent could not react. Rosgell could deliver a second attack unhindered, as though time itself had frozen. Once the second strike connected, the effect ended.
"This ability is powerful," Ron thought, watching with anticipation.
Rosgell exhaled, releasing thick, choking miasma that surged to engulf Neferpitou. Stronger than anything Lampent had produced before, its toxicity, its ability to obscure vision, and its suppression of sensory perception were all magnified.
The battle shifted again.