Welfin's Nen ability had an almost playful quality to it, but considering how Nen abilities often reflect the user's personality, it made perfect sense.
However, Ronnel had no interest in such an ability. He didn't need it. He didn't even need to wait for Welfin to activate his ability—he could take him down with a single shot.
As for Welfin himself, though he later joined the extermination team, he had still acted on behalf of the Chimera Ants, even trying to negotiate with the King using wheat as a bargaining chip. But when faced with the King's overwhelming presence, he had been so terrified that he aged prematurely.
But that was after he had regained his memories. Before that, Welfin had taken many human lives. During his time under the Ant King, he had attempted to deceive the palace's underground human leader, Bizeff, to seize real power and become the so-called "shadow king" of the palace.
His hands were stained with blood.
Even now, Ronnel could still smell the stench of human blood on him. Letting him go was out of the question.
Moreover, Welfin had been Gyro's partner in his past life.
Gyro, the founder and leader of NGL, had established it under the guise of environmentalism while secretly using it to manufacture D2, an illicit anesthetic circulated worldwide.
NGL had become a breeding ground for evil, all because of Gyro.
He despised humanity and, after being consumed by the Chimera Ant Queen, was reborn as an ant. Unlike most, his hatred and malice were strong enough to preserve his memories, and he eventually abandoned the Queen to pursue his own twisted ambitions in the streets of Meteor City.
It was obvious what kind of person Welfin had been in his past life, considering he had been the partner of someone like Gyro.
In both this life and his past one, Welfin had already lived too long.
And as for his Nen ability, Missileman—Ronnel had no use for it.
Missileman was a Conjuration-type ability that allowed Welfin to launch missiles at targets identified through his sense of smell. The missiles would continue tracking their target until impact or until Welfin deactivated them.
Three conditions had to be met for activation:
Identifying the target through scent.
Issuing a reasonable request to the target.
The target refusing the request.
Once activated, the attack was unavoidable. If the missile hit, it implanted black centipedes into the victim's body. Resisting the infestation only caused the centipedes to grow, eventually leading to death.
However, the centipedes' vitality depended on Welfin's own psychological state.
Against Ikalgo, the red octopus Chimera Ant, Welfin had landed a hit, but Ikalgo had resolved himself to die. Despite his injuries, he had fired back with his gun, shaking Welfin's confidence. Overcome by fear, Welfin had ultimately surrendered, allowing the octopus to survive.
For such a convoluted ability, it was surprisingly inefficient. If Ronnel were in Welfin's position, he'd have simply shot the enemy himself. Why rely on a centipede missile when he could finish the job in an instant?
As for the other Squadron Leaders, including the crocodile Chimera Ant, they hadn't appeared in the original events. Ronnel didn't know them personally.
But since they had chosen to support Leol in abandoning the Queen to build a nation and harm humanity, Ronnel wasn't about to be merciful.
One by one, he sent them back to where they came from.
After all, Unlimited Firepower didn't run out of bullets.
These were just the Squadron Leaders and corps captains present. Many others were stationed throughout the palace.
For instance, Ikalgo, the red octopus who had saved Killua, and the pink koala Chimera Ant who always carried a wine gourd and dressed like a cold-blooded assassin, weren't present.
The deafening explosions from Ronnel's Mind Bombs had already drawn the attention of other Chimera Ants.
However, upon sensing the sheer force of his aura, they hesitated.
Many cowered in their respective corridors, trembling.
Some, driven by sheer terror, even considered fleeing the nest.
Too bad for them—Ronnel had stationed himself outside long ago, leaving a puppet in his place with the same thought patterns.
Any Chimera Ants that tried to escape? A bullet straight to the head.
Those who didn't deserve to die? Knocked unconscious and set aside for Netero and the others to deal with when they arrived.
So, if most of these ants wanted to live longer, their best bet was to stay put and pray they weren't next.
As for the four remaining Chimera Ants in front of him…
Ronnel's gaze sharpened.
The moment his eyes met theirs, they froze in place.
Their minds went blank.
They never expected a human to be this terrifying.
The palace reeked of blood. Ronnel had killed more Chimera Ants than they could count.
Hearing gunfire ring out and watching their comrades fall one after another left them paralyzed with fear.
"I-I-I… we won't be killed too, right?!"
The trembling voice came from Hina, the only female among them. She had brown eyes, blonde hair, and fur covering her chest and stomach. Dressed in a swimsuit, she bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes.
Atop her head, a pink plush-like creature—whether it was alive or just a toy—seemed to share her fear, its expression mirroring her anxiety.
"I just wanted to go outside and have fun…"
"P-Probably not?" Bloster, the blue-shelled lobster, wiped his sweat-soaked face with his pincers, sounding anything but convinced. "If he really wanted to kill us, he wouldn't have left us standing, right?"
Saying it aloud seemed to make him feel better. He forced a smile.
But his hands wouldn't stop trembling.
No matter how much he wiped his sweat away, more kept pouring down his face.
Next to him, Ramoto's buck teeth chattered, his whole body shaking so hard he couldn't even speak.
Meanwhile, Meleoron—the chameleon—stayed silent. His mind was working overtime, searching for a way to escape.
He wasn't about to leave his fate in someone else's hands.
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)