Hello everyone. I'm Gon Freecss, and I'm so excited for this fight against Meruem I can't stop shaking. The original me reached that peak; now it's my turn to prove I can stand there too.
***
The western edge of Memphis (formerly East Gorteau) was a desolate buffer zone where humanity rarely set foot. In this silent wasteland, the Chimera Ant army led by Meruem stood waiting for the Hunter Association.
Meruem sat at the front of the formation on a lavish carpet, one knee drawn up. Shaiapouf and Menthuthuyoupi stood like statues on either side of him, with Neferpitou directly behind. Following Meruem's precise orders, the rest of the ants were lined up in a disciplined, efficient formation that would have earned the respect of any military strategist.
"Lord Meruem, they are entering my range," Pitou reported.
She had expanded her En to its limit, infusing it with a terrifying pressure to gauge the incoming enemy. Yet, the group of Hunters continued to sprint toward them at a steady pace, not a single soul faltering under the weight of her aura.
"Hmph. I have words for their leader before we begin," Meruem said, standing up. "Do not embarrass me with a premature outburst."
"As you command!"
Gon and the others arrived, moving at speeds that would have seemed like teleportation to an average person. They halted at a distance too far for a casual conversation, yet far too close for a comfortable standoff.
"Welcome, Hunter Association. I am Meruem, King of the Chimera Ants and Sovereign of the Sun Nation of Memphis. Let me say this: I am truly grateful for this duel."
Meruem gave a shallow bow. The Hunters watched in shock, while the other ants trembled with fury, forced to stay silent to avoid staining their King's honor.
"Ho ho ho! I can't stop myself from respecting you more and more," Netero laughed. "As Chairman of the Hunter Association, I officially declare: your kind shall be recognized as a sentient, sapient sub-human species."
"I see. Does that mean our survival is guaranteed regardless of the battle's outcome?" Meruem asked.
"Don't play coy. Our goal is to gauge your threat. Do not hold back. In the natural world, the weak are merely consumed."
"A foolish warning. Do not fall too easily, old man. I have no desire to be bitten by a terrified weakling."
Netero and Meruem exchanged smiles, even as the air around them vibrated with the ants' suppressed rage. Sensing Pouf was at his limit, Meruem cut to the chase, questioning the intent of the Association in bringing only a small, elite group of seven.
"It's simple," Netero replied. "We decided this was all we needed."
Before Pouf could explode, a staggering pillar of aura erupted from the Hunter side.
"Pleased to meet you, Chimera Ants. Before you stands the supreme combat power of the Hunter Association!!"
Gon and the others stepped forward, their auras exploding as they bypassed Netero to face their respective targets.
"What's this? Come to be stepped on, you insects?!" Youpi roared.
"Actually, you're about to learn how cunning humans can be," Morel grinned.
"Sorry to triple-team you, but it's still a fair fight! Let's get fired up, you jerk!" Knuckle shouted.
"Yeah, I've never felt this pumped!" Shoot added.
Royal Guard Youpi vs. Morel, Knuckle, and Shoot
"Well, well. Youpi gets three, while I get a single child? You're underestimating me. That is all," Pouf sneered.
"I'm not underestimating you. I'm the 'optimal solution' for you. I'm gonna make you regret that smug face," Killua replied.
Royal Guard Shaiapouf vs. Killua Zoldyck
"...!?" Pitou hissed as a shadow loomed over her.
"Hi. I've been wanting to meet you. I hope you're ready to die," Hisoka whispered.
Royal Guard Neferpitou vs. Hisoka Morow
"I'll handle the rest of you myself," Netero declared, looking at the army. "Learn the weight of time, you infants."
"Don't get cocky, old man!" Leol barked.
The Chimera Ant Army vs. Isaac Netero
"Hahaha! Magnificent! So humanity has someone like you as well!!" Meruem laughed.
"Come at me with everything, Meruem. I'm going to surpass you and reach the summit!" Gon shouted.
Meruem vs. Gon Freecss
With the exception of Netero, the Vanguard members reached out and slammed Knov's Spare Keys into the ground. Portals to the Hide-and-Seek four-dimensional mansion opened instantly. Before the ants could react, they were pulled into the voids, disappearing from the wasteland.
***
"My King?!" the ants cried out.
"Don't worry, they've just moved," Netero said calmly. "We intend to defeat your King and the Guards head-on. And, of course, the same goes for you."
"You senile old fool! You've lost the ability to count?!" Leol shouted.
Though the ants possessed diverse human personalities, they were united in their goal.
"He's alone! Surround him and crush him!!"
Under Leol's command, the ants unleashed their abilities in a thunderous roar.
"Ranged unit, fire!!" Bloster commanded. A barrage of aura orbs, flames, and acid rained down on Netero.
"Give him everything we've got!!" Welfin added, joining the bombardment with his own special tactical attacks.
The combined carpet-bombing of hundreds of ants created an explosion that would have leveled a city. As the dust settled, the ants began to cheer.
"Not yet!" Leol shouted, his instincts screaming. Welfin, too, realized his special debuffs hadn't triggered.
A massive Guanyin hand emerged from the dust, sweeping the air clear.
"Ho ho. Not a bad attack. You're well-trained and your coordination is excellent," Netero remarked.
He stood in a shallow crater created by the bombardment, completely unscathed. He casually patted the dust off his clothes and looked at the ants as they shifted into defensive positions.
"Your discipline is truly impressive. I'd like to hire you for some Association jobs once this is over."
"If we survive and the King permits it, I wouldn't mind," Leol replied, summoning his Grooming Army Pad. "But for now, we're killing you, old man!!"
"I see. It's not a 1-on-1, but this certainly gets the blood pumping! ♪"
Against hundreds of ants, the single "Martial God" prepared to dance.
***
In a plain hundreds of kilometers away, three shadows blurred around a massive, shifting giant.
"Dammit!! You annoying little gnats!!" Youpi roared.
Though he held a human silhouette, his body was a mass of magical beast DNA. He had grown to twice his normal size, sprouting dozens of lashing arms and eyes all over his body to eliminate blind spots. Every strike he threw carried lethal force, keeping Morel's team from closing in.
"Sorry, Master! I can't find a way through!" Shoot shouted.
"I can't even get close enough to land a feint! Without Knuckle's A.P.R., we're stuck!"
Knuckle and Shoot were fighting a desperate battle against a clearly superior foe. They were only surviving because they had spent months training against the even more absurd power and speed of Gon and Netero.
"...Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm ready!" Morel shouted.
His upper body had swollen to twice its size, his lungs holding a staggering amount of air.
"Youpi, was it? Tell me... have you ever fought the smoke?"
Morel exhaled a massive cloud of purple smoke that didn't dissipate. Instead, it coalesced into a towering figure that loomed over Youpi.
"Smoky Titan! Let's see how you handle this!!"
"Making yourself a bigger target? You're an idiot!" Youpi lashed out with his whip-like arms, shredding the giant's torso before it could land a punch.
But the arms passed through the smoke without resistance. The Titan's fist slammed down on Youpi's head.
"Gubwah?!"
The smoke fist, infused with aura, hit with the weight of steel. Furthermore, the purple smoke was a toxic, irritant gas. The dozens of eyes Youpi had sprouted were suddenly seared by the toxin, causing him to howl in pain as his vision blurred.
"A.P.R. (Hakoware)!!"
Knuckle didn't miss the opening. He landed a punch and attached the interest counter.
"The real fight starts now! Let's go!!"
***
In a quiet grove, Killua and Pouf stood facing each other. Neither had moved. Pouf had intended to fly into a rage at being pitted against a child, but the pressure radiating from Killua had killed that impulse instantly.
(My Spiritual Message isn't working... he's the 'optimal solution' for me, indeed. That is all,) Pouf thought.
(I breathed in a little and yeah, that's nasty,) Killua mused. (Nen toxins are a whole different beast compared to regular poison.)
Killua's Godspeed (Kanmuru) was allowing him to process and neutralize the scales within his body before they could take hold.
"I admit, you might be able to land a scratch on me," Pouf said, spreading his wings. "But you aren't a threat. I'll finish this quickly and return to Lord Meruem. That is all."
"I'm in my growth spurt," Killua replied, sparks dancing around him. "I'm the one who'll be standing at the end."
The assassin and the butterfly began their silent dance.
***
Not far from the original battlefield, two monsters faced each other. Meruem had actually chosen to follow Gon into the portal, his curiosity piqued.
"The Chairman is the peak of humanity, and the clown is a terrifying enigma," Meruem said. "But you, Gon... you are the only one I refuse to let anyone else have."
Meruem salivated. Despite having tasted the finest human cuisine, his instincts were screaming for Gon's unique, self-evolved muscle.
"Finish your preparations. I am a patient King today."
"Full Borrowed Muscle Power!!"
The months of sparring and medical refinement had pushed Gon's body to a new level. He hadn't yet reached the "original" Adult Gon's level, but he could now use his maximum output with almost no recoil. As his aura and muscles surged, Meruem's saliva dripped to the ground, only to be vaporized by the clashing pressures of their auras.
The Sun King and the Muscle Peak collided.
***
Hisoka and Neferpitou stood in a dense forest, the furthest point from the start. Hisoka wore a soft smile, while Pitou was drenched in cold sweat.
(I can't let him fight Lord Meruem!) Pitou thought frantically. (His fangs... they can reach the King's life!!)
Only Pitou had seen the "potential" in Gon that was on the verge of exploding into a god-like evolution.
"Are you worried about Gon?" Hisoka asked gently.
Pitou hissed. "I have to get back to the King, and yet...!"
"No. I'm not letting you go. ♦ You're going to die right here, by my hand. ♠"
(This one... he's a monster too,) Pitou realized. (He's stronger than me... maybe even stronger than the King!!)
Her instincts screamed that she had to stop Gon, but she was trapped. Her mind began to spiral until Meruem's last order echoed in her head: Do exactly what YOU want to do.
"Remodel my body. Mad Doctor."
A grotesque nurse manifested from Pitou's tail, plunging surgical tools into her own body. She was sacrificing her future potential and her biological "Queen" status to remodel herself into a pure combat engine.
"Burst my life. Terpsichora (Black Persona)!!"
A black prima donna manifested behind her. Pitou was now a puppet of her own lethal intent. She had abandoned the future of the species and her duty to the King for a single, selfish wish: to destroy Hisoka and Gon.
She stood at the apex of the Chimera Ants, her power now rivaling Meruem's.
"...What the hell are you doing?"
Hisoka's expression had vanished. Seeing Pitou remodel herself and turn into a puppet of her own aura reminded him of a certain style of fighting he loathed.
"You did it. You really did it... showing that to me, of all people..."
Hisoka's aura turned a roiling, pitch black. The pressure he released made Pitou's own bloodlust look like a toy.
"Kill. Don't think for a second that I'll let you die easily."
Pitou hissed and lunged. The strongest of humanity and the supreme evolution of the ants clashed in the shadows of the forest.
***
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