As the Chimera Ant Extermination War finally reached its conclusion, the exhausted survivors sat amidst the total ruins of the palace. They silently processed the news of Chairman Netero's death and the terrifying conspiracies potentially lurking behind the scenes, all while patiently awaiting the arrival of the Association's backup.
Several hours later, airships bearing the Hunter Association crest appeared in the sky; not just one, but dozens of them.
"Hmph. That guy finally showed up. I wonder what kind of look will be on his face when he sees the empty incubation chambers," Morel said, a satirical smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Don't underestimate Pariston. He's a troublesome character capable of pinning Chairman Netero to his seat and making him unable to move," Knov warned.
Knov had clearly recovered from the shock of the Chairman's death, his eyes now burning with a quiet fury. Because Allen and his team had joined the extermination effort with such overwhelming force, Knov hadn't been forced to carry out the dangerous infiltration mission. As a result, he had successfully kept his thick, black hair and hadn't turned into a bald, nervous wreck. Similarly, Palm had avoided being modified into a Chimera Ant; she still looked as eccentric as ever, appearing not unlike the ghost Sadako.
As the two spoke, the massive fleet of airships rapidly descended, docking around the palace ruins.
About ten minutes later, Pariston Hill, dressed in his signature yellow suit, stepped off one of the ships. With a radiant, sun-like smile, he took the initiative to greet them. "Yo! Everyone from the Extermination Team, you've worked hard. On behalf of the Hunter Association, I thank you for your outstanding contributions and the sacrifices you've made to protect the human world. Please board the airships immediately for medical treatment; I'll handle the rest."
"Did you know Chairman Netero fell in battle?" Morel asked, staring directly into the man's eyes.
"What? The Chairman is dead!" Pariston's expression shifted instantly to one of utter shock.
If they hadn't known beforehand that this man was one of the masterminds behind the scenes, they likely would have been fooled by his superb acting.
"Yeah. In the battle against the King, the Chairman not only used prohibited drugs but also unleashed the 100-Type Guanyin: Zero Hand, exhausting his entire life force. But I'm curious, why did you bring so many airships? Are there more casualties we don't know about, or did you intend to load something else?" Knov tested him meaningfully.
"Hahahaha! How could that be! This was just a precaution in case there were civilian casualties, so I brought extra staff. Now, enough talk, get on the ships. The medical teams are waiting to examine you and treat your injuries."
Pariston clearly didn't want anyone to know his true plans and was eager to usher the Extermination Team members onto the vessels. Looking at that punchable face, Morel felt a strong urge to throw a fist, but he ultimately restrained himself.
As the other members of the team successfully boarded the airships one by one, Allen leaned in and lowered his voice as he passed Pariston. "Don't bother looking. What you want isn't here."
"Hm? What do you mean by that?" Pariston blinked, momentarily stunned.
"Exactly what I said. Everything you want is right here with me," Allen said, lightly shaking the Fun Fun Cloth in his hand, which was filled with the cocoons.
Seeing this, Pariston's smile froze. "How did you know I wanted those eggs?"
"I don't just know you wanted the eggs; I know you're planning to have some 'fun' during the upcoming Chairman election. Guess what I'm going to do next to crush all your plans and take away your fun?" Allen asked with a cold sneer.
"My, my, that sounds quite terrifying. But since you want to play this game, I suppose I have no choice but to see it through to the end," Pariston replied, his face showing genuine displeasure. As a man with an extremely warped and pathological psyche, there was nothing he hated more than someone disrupting his rhythm and interfering with his entertainment.
"No. This isn't a game. It's a declaration of war. Remember what I told you last time? Once a war starts, only the victor has the right to end it. By the way, give Beyond a message: the next time we meet, I will personally twist his head off."
With that, Allen walked onto the airship without looking back, shut the hatch, and signaled the pilot to depart.
Watching the airship slowly ascend toward the Hunter Association headquarters, Pariston immediately pulled out his phone and dialed his partner. After about ten seconds, Beyond Netero's voice came through the receiver. "Well? Did our plan succeed? Is the old man dead?"
"It succeeded. Chairman Netero is confirmed dead; you and Kakin can start moving now. However, I have some bad news. Allen seems to know our plan and took all the Chimera Ant eggs before I could get to them. He also told me to give you a message: the next time you meet, he will personally twist your head off," Pariston said, laying out everything that had just happened.
"Twist my head off? So, he's declared war on us, has he?" Beyond's tone instantly became excited.
"Correct. Both you and I are now his hunting targets. And after the Chimera Ant battle, I can no longer sense the depth of his strength. One thing is certain. He is very, very dangerous," Pariston said, using descriptors he rarely employed.
Beyond, however, didn't seem to care. Instead, he laughed heartily. "Hahahaha! Isn't that perfect? A powerful enemy! An unknown adventure! I can't wait!"
"Just be careful. For some reason, I've suddenly developed a very bad feeling about this," Pariston warned.
"There's no need! I'd like to see just how much this young man the old man favored has actually grown!"
"You're as arrogant as ever."
"Because I am Beyond Netero! With the old man dead, I am the strongest Nen user in the human world. It won't be long before I prove it."
It was clear that Beyond possessed a strong, blind confidence in his own strength. He had witnessed his father's invincible power in his prime, and he had also traveled to the Dark Continent on the other side of Lake Mobius, even nearly bringing back precious Alchemical plants. Consequently, when he looked at newcomers, he was used to looking down from a position of superiority. He didn't think much of Ging Freecss or the Zodiacs, let alone a rookie like Allen who had only been in the business for a year.
The arrogant fool didn't realize how terrifying Allen's Nen had become after devouring the Ant King. Furthermore, as time passed, the Essence of Life from those cocoons would allow Allen to complete a leap from quantitative change to qualitative transformation, turning him into a true superhuman.
"Let's hope so. Goodbye."
Seeing that Beyond wouldn't listen, Pariston didn't bother wasting more breath. He hung up and commanded the remaining airships to return. Since the eggs had been taken, he no longer had a reason to stay. As for what would become of East Gorteau, he had zero interest, and even less desire to deal with the stupid, greedy officials and generals left behind.
————
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my p-atre-on: p-atre-on.c-om/Overgod [Just remove the hyphen to access normally]