"Can someone tell me what happened?" Allen demanded, his brow furrowed.
To prevent a situation like this, he had left almost all members of the extermination team behind. With such a lineup, even if they couldn't immediately resolve the final Royal Guard, they should have at least been able to stall and maintain a stalemate until he arrived to finish things.
"That guy, Neferpitou, told Gon that Kite had already been eaten by the Queen. Then... then it became like this..." Killua answered, his voice trembling slightly.
It was clear the boy was emotionally unstable. He knew that gaining such a terrifying surge in power in such a short time necessitated paying a catastrophic price.
Killua wasn't the only one; the others looked just as grim. Especially Hisoka, who viewed Gon as a ripening "green fruit." Several times he had looked ready to charge in and join the fray, but each time Illumi had restrained him with a sharp glare. Illumi knew all too well that once this battle ended, the little apple would likely be utterly broken, perhaps even dead on the spot. Hisoka wanted to seize this chance to gamble his own life on a final duel, willing to be killed without regret.
"What do we do now? Should we stop him?" Morel asked in a helpless tone, rubbing his forehead.
Allen shook his head without a second thought. "It's too late. Call the Association. Tell them to prepare a specialized hospital room immediately and to come handle the remaining mess."
It wasn't that Allen hadn't thought about telling Gon that Kite was still alive, merely reincarnated as a Chimera Ant. The problem was that the reborn Kite was still an infant with unawakened memories; even if he said it, no one would believe him.
"Understood." Morel immediately pulled out his phone and dialed.
"By the way, where is Chairman Netero?" Knov interjected suddenly.
"The Chairman fell in battle. He not only used prohibited drugs but also exhausted every last drop of his life force with the 100-Type Guanyin: Zero Hand. That spectacle we saw earlier was the result of the Zero Hand."
Allen didn't hide anything, bluntly announcing the old man's death. In truth, there was no point in hiding it. Whether it was the V5, Beyond Netero, or the Kakin Royal Family, they were all monitoring this extermination war. They likely had already witnessed the bloody scene of Netero being consumed by the Ant King through technological means or Nen abilities.
"What? The Chairman... dead?!! This... how is that possible!" Knov collapsed to his knees, his face a mask of shock and disbelief.
Before the group could fully process the bombshell of Netero's death, Morel suddenly hung up his phone and cursed. "Damn it! Things are getting complicated. The Association is in total chaos for some reason. Moreover, Pariston Hill seems to have known something in advance. He set out with a rescue team days ago and is now only a few hours away from our location."
"He set out days ago?" Baise asked, her voice filled with suspicion.
Morel nodded grimly. "Exactly! I'd bet my life that bastard is plotting some kind of conspiracy."
"Don't worry. I know what Pariston is after, and I won't let him get a single thing from here." Allen pulled out the Fun Fun Cloth from his pocket, a chilling light flickering in his eyes.
"What's inside...?" Baise probed cautiously.
Allen answered nonchalantly, "Eggs. Humans who were being modified into Chimera Ant cocoons. They've undergone strict screening, so once they hatch, they will be natural-born Nen users. Imagine the result if over four thousand of these eggs hatched and were controlled by a single person."
"I see! That explains it! That bastard Pariston wants these eggs. He probably intends to use these Nen users to seize total control of the Association. We can't let that happen!" Morel, ever the strategist, immediately realized the gravity of the situation.
Ignoring the quality for a moment, four thousand Nen users was a staggering number. If they were all inducted into the Hunter Association, they could shift the internal balance of power in an instant. Furthermore, with the most prestigious figure, Netero, gone, and the leaders of the Zodiacs constantly at each other's throats, it would trigger a catastrophe of internal conflict.
"So, our battle hasn't ended; it has only just begun. The Chimera Ants were just the enemies on the surface. What we face next are the enemies hiding in the shadows."
With that, Allen walked toward Gon, who was still brutally pummeling Pitou's corpse. He grabbed Gon's arm and barked, "Enough! Your opponent is already dead!"
"But... but Kite... he's never coming back!"
As those words left his mouth, Gon's body began to rapidly revert. He returned to his adolescent form, but his bones, muscles, blood vessels, and internal organs began to wither, entering a state of necrotic decay. In just two or three seconds, he lost consciousness completely.
"Gon!" Killua was the first to lunge forward, catching his friend.
Hisoka, standing nearby, asked immediately, "Can you heal him?"
Allen shook his head without hesitation. "Sorry, I'm powerless here. This isn't a simple injury, disease, or curse. This is the price of a Vow and Limitation. Nen of this intensity... I'm afraid even an Exorcist would be useless."
"No! I have a way!" Killua stood up abruptly.
Hearing this, Illumi's expression turned terrifying. He questioned in a stern, severe tone, "Do you have any idea what you're doing?"
"Yeah! I know! As long as I can save Gon, I'm willing to try anything!" Killua looked up, meeting his older brother's gaze without fear.
"You cannot. Your actions will put the entire family in danger. I won't allow it!" Illumi warned, refusing to yield an inch.
"I'm sorry, but you don't get a say in this! Besides, I made a promise to Dad to never betray your friends!"
With that, Killua was suddenly enveloped in silver electricity. He transformed into a bolt of lightning and vanished from the spot. Aside from Allen, no one present could track his movements.
"What was the method Killua mentioned?" Hisoka asked, deeply curious.
Illumi responded with a dark expression, "A secret concerning the Zoldyck family. There are too many people here; if you want to know, follow me. Regardless, we must stop Killua's reckless move, or the consequences will be unthinkable."
"Oh? That serious?" Hisoka arched an eyebrow in surprise, then quickly looked at Allen, seemingly seeking permission. After all, they had an agreement, and with Netero dead, Allen was the only leader on the scene everyone respected.
"Go," Allen gave his approval without hesitation. "I'll take responsibility for getting Gon to the Association's specialized ward and do everything I can to keep him alive."
"Thanks!"
Swiftly, Hisoka and Illumi left the team, chasing after the trail Killua had left behind.