Chapter 120: Mode Doesn't Care
"Amateurs with just guns can't hope to match Chimera Ants." Kite glanced at the firearms in the container and spoke.
Gon spoke up and asked, "What about the leader of this country?"
"Not sure if he escaped or got eaten." Kite pressed down on his hat. "Either way, the current situation is quite troublesome."
Kite spread his En—in his perception, aside from the three of them, there were no other living beings present.
It was worth noting that they had already reached the heart of NGL, yet even so, they hadn't encountered a single Chimera Ant.
Something unusual was definitely afoot.
An expert of Kite's caliber would never consider this a good sign.
If they weren't out hunting, then something earth-shattering must be happening inside the Chimera Ant nest at that very moment.
Kite's expression grew extremely grave.
"NGL and the Chimera Ants—this is the most terrifying combination I can imagine. It's going to be an unprecedented biological disaster!"
"Gon! Killua!"
"?" Gon and Killua turned to look at Kite simultaneously.
"We still know absolutely nothing about what's currently happening at the Chimera Ant nest. If we encounter any danger and I end up in a perilous situation, don't worry about me—just run and save yourselves."
Kite's expression was utterly serious as he spoke. Gon and Killua watched him, and the atmosphere at the scene grew intensely solemn.
"Understood?"
...
Meanwhile, at the Chimera Ant nest that Kite was so concerned about, Mord's game continued unabated.
Squadron Leader Alligator had been decapitated, the brutal and vicious centaur Yunju had been sliced in half, and the birdman Colt lay before the Chimera Ant Queen, his wings severed, barely clinging to life.
He looked up at his Queen, tears streaming from his eyes.
"Your Majesty... this subordinate is incompetent... I can no longer protect you in this life."
"Failed to protect again..."
Why "again"?
In his dying moments, a hazy voice seemed to echo in Colt's mind.
A figure was running ahead of him.
"Brother, brother, over here, over here!"
A bell-like laughter reverberated in his ears.
Not just hallucinations—was he hearing things too?
In the vision, Colt instinctively followed the running figure, gradually making out the other's appearance.
It was a cute little girl.
For some reason, Colt felt this figure was familiar, as if he'd seen her somewhere before.
Brother?
Was this a memory from his time as a human?
"Reina wants to grow up quickly, so she can take good care of Brother and Mom." The little girl turned around, sunlight illuminating her radiant smile that struck straight into Colt's heart.
Reina!
In that instant, all his memories from his previous life came flooding back.
"Reina, your brother failed you." Colt's face was already drenched in tears.
The little girl shook her head, spread her small arms, and embraced the birdman Colt.
In the vision, the birdman Colt gradually shed his Chimera Ant features, reverting to his appearance as a young boy from his human life.
"It was all Brother's fault. In our next life, I'll definitely protect you properly."
"Promise, Brother."
"Yes, Reina!"
...
The Chimera Ant Queen gazed at the first Squadron Leader she had ever birthed—the first child capable of speech after consuming humans.
The scene remained vivid in her memory.
Though her heart had always belonged solely to the King, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow now.
Was this sensation... pain?
The Queen found it peculiar, an emotion that shouldn't belong to her. Perhaps there truly lingered traces of human blood within her.
She was born from the previous King and a female.
She wished to beg Mord to save this child of hers.
The next instant.
A blade pierced straight through Colt's skull, ending its suffering-filled life.
Mord withdrew his Zanpakutō from the opponent's head, his eyes icy cold.
As if he'd merely performed a trivial act—like crushing an ant.
And indeed, he had only killed an ant.
Witnessing this scene, Mord suddenly recalled some amusing memories from the original storyline.
In the original tale, after countless hardships, Gon finally confronted the perpetrator who had harmed Kite. Immediately, Gon stepped forward to declare his purpose for coming.
State names, explain the causal relationship between them, then commence battle.
At least, that was what Gon had intended.
No matter how powerful the enemy.
Gon had come prepared to die, yet he never expected the Cat Girl wouldn't even register his words. Her mind was wholly consumed with protecting Komugi—for it was the King's command.
But in Gon's eyes, the unconscious Komugi's form overlapped with Kite's image, and his mind flooded with visions of Kite being tortured.
The demon responsible for all atrocities seemed to be continuing its violent acts.
Rage surged through Gon as he strode forward to "save" the little girl behind the Cat Girl. Then came the most dramatic moment.
Facing Gon, the Cat Girl uttered words completely beyond his expectations:
"I'll obey anything you say, so please wait. I... I must save this person no matter what."
These simple words pushed Gon past the point of no return.
To earn Gon's trust, the Cat Girl even snapped off her own arm.
In Gon's heart, this was supposed to be a tale where the hero defeats the demon, saves the gravely injured friend, and ultimately earns forgiveness.
Yet now this demon (the Cat Girl) was radiating a humanity utterly contrary to his expectations.
Just like Colt and the Chimera Ant Queen before him.
By any measure, Mord appeared to be the truly irredeemable arch-villain in this moment.
But Mord didn't care.
His slaughter of these Chimera Ants had nothing to do with them.
After absorbing the Aura of four more Squadron Leaders, the volume of Mord's life energy had reached a terrifying level.
Mord opened his character status panel:
[Name: Mord]
[Aura Level: B+]
[Nen Ability: Zanpakutō]
[Awakened Attributes]:
[Pierce Through, Gonryōmaru!—Freely add lightning damage to Aura attacks (LV3: 5000/5000, Bankai unlock available)]
[Smash them, Gegetsuburi!—Possesses overwhelming destructive power (LV2: 823/3000, Shikai unlock available)]
[Nake, Benihime!—Possessing the power to reshape all things (LV2:3250/10000, partial Shikai abilities available)]
[Specialization Energy: 307/100 (Can extract related attributes. Insufficient Aura level prevents acquiring more Zanpakutō)]
From B+ to A would be a qualitative leap.
Just one step away, Mord would ascend to an entirely different level.
Looking at the Chimera Ants before him, the corners of his mouth lifted into a cold smile.
"Come and fight!"