Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Vongrak.
Izumi POV.
All of us, Draw Sword's hunters and I, were spat out by my enormous Toad, who had appeared next to Taylor. I quickly looked around. All the S-rank hunters were around us, fully on guard, though they sighed with relief and calmed down when they saw us.
I could see a group of ants being kept at bay around us thanks to Taylor's quirk. And then I looked at the hunters. I could see Cha Hae-In; she seemed to have regained consciousness, though she was still slightly pale, but very much awake and alert.
"Izumi!" Taylor exclaimed as she approached in my direction.
"What's happening?" I heard the huntress Baek approaching.
"The mutant ant tried to ambush and kill us while we were scattered. My Observation Haki activated and showed me how they were killed thanks to my future vision. I managed to be fast enough to get them out of there and bring them here," I said in Korean so they could understand me.
"Were you also defeated?" asked Huntress Choi tensely.
"Huntress Goto?!" exclaimed Huntress Ma in shock. We all turned around and saw Goto sitting defeatedly on the ground, holding her amputated arm.
"Shimizu! Heal Goto!" Tanaka exclaimed. Shimizu was about to say something, but a single glance from Tanaka silenced her. Then she approached Goto and healed her immediately. Although that didn't make Goto react, she simply sat there with a glazed look in her eyes.
"I see... so the ant really did go looking for the Japanese, and Goto... and Goto lost, then..." said Huntress Baek solemnly, looking very pale. I grimaced.
"Miyamura! Why did you bring us to the nest?! Now we're trapped!" Kumamoto said, sounding shaky. I just grunted.
"You wanted us to regroup, so we regrouped," I said easily. I glanced sideways and saw Huntress Min translating our conversation for the other Korean hunters.
True, Ant King was consuming her mind. Besides having gained her healing powers, Ant King had been able to speak perfect Korean and Japanese, which showed that Huntress Min definitely mastered both languages. That was good.
"What's the plan?" Izawa asked solemnly. "None of us are capable of defeating that thing. And now we're inside the nest. Unless Miyamura can get us away from this island, we're trapped, and that monstrous ant could ambush us at any moment," she said, looking around.
"We can't escape," Huntress Baek said immediately, her words translated by Huntress Min. "Without us here, that mutant ant and the others will abandon Jeju! It will be a complete disaster!" Huntress Baek exclaimed firmly.
"And what do you expect us to do?" Hoshino asked, frowning.
"We are 18 S-ranks, we have two healers, we just have to overwhelm it and prevent it from reacting," said Huntress Baek quickly.
"It beat Goto," Huntress Hoshino said sharply. "We saw the fight; none of us could keep up with her. It'll be a massacre. Unless you have Huntress Sung Il-Hwan nearby and he can get here in the next two minutes, we'll all be dead." Hoshino shook her head. Huntress Baek gritted her teeth.
"Skitter, can you control that monster? Or at least disable it for a few seconds so we can finish it off if we give you enough time?" Huntress Baek asked, almost pleadingly. Taylor stopped stiffly before shaking her head.
"Impossible. This is different from the queen. The queen had a power similar to mine; we clashed, yes, but we could push against each other's control. But that ant... it shattered my control, it shattered my quirk, and I didn't even know it was possible." Taylor said, shaking her head. I could see the Koreans swearing.
"What if we give Goto some space? We have to support her, at least give her some room to counterattack," Fujishima asked immediately, and we all looked at her. Everyone in Draw Sword tensed up.
"You want to... help her after... 'that?'" Izawa asked incredulously. Fujishima glared at her.
"I don't like her. But Goto was the only one who could trade blows with that thing, the only one who could defend herself. If anyone has the slightest chance, it's her," Fujishima said through gritted teeth. The Japanese hunters tensed at that.
"What... is happening? Did something bad happen to Goto?" said Huntress Min while translating for Huntress Choi. The Korean hunters looked confused. All the Japanese hunters remained silent, completely tense and motionless.
"I'll take care of the ant." I interrupted easily. Everyone turned to look at me.
"You?" Kei asked incredulously.
"It's not like they have any other choice," I said mockingly. Kei grunted.
"We don't have time to fight amongst ourselves!" Tawata interjected, stepping between us.
"You're on the child's side!?" Kei exclaimed incredulously.
"Do you have any better ideas?!" Tawata asked, pushing Kai. "Goto is catatonic after losing, none of us can keep up with It! At least Miyamura has already faced a national-ranked enemy, and you saw him fight Sung Il-Hwan's son. We have no choice!" Tawata said firmly. Everyone fell silent.
"I don't like it, but we don't really have many options," said Huntress Choi, breaking the silence and looking at me intently. "Where do you need us?" she asked immediately, looking at me. I stood still and saw everyone staring at me. Then I made a face.
"This is going to sound bad. But back off. The last thing I need is to worry about you while I'm fighting." I said with a grimace. I could see everyone bristle at my words. Some almost glared at me. And they should be. They were S-Rank hunters, theoretically the highest rank in strength.
They were about to reply, but we all felt the ant suddenly appear. Its suffocating aura immediately filled the entire nest. Then we heard its mandibles creaking and its hissing.
"The queen doesn't exist out there. Is there... anyone who could be a queen? You... are weak. Weak prey. I will kill you... and then I will search for the queen beyond the water." Taylor said shakily as she translated her words. We all tensed. I took a step forward and started walking toward the Ant King.
"Are you ready?" I asked Mai as I unsheathed Wado Ichimonji and placed it between my teeth, then I unsheathed Enma and Mai, imbued them all with haki and stood in front of the Ant King.
"No," Mai said curtly. I could sense her nervousness; I just gripped Mai's hilt tighter.
"Too bad, there's no going back. " I said tensely. I stood in front of Ant King before letting my aura explode, followed by my Conqueror's Haki. Ant King responded immediately with the same energy.
"SSKREEEEEEEEEECH!!" Ant King let out a deafening, colossal scream right in front of me. I just smiled maniacally. And we both moved at the same time. I raised my left hand and took the punch with Enma as Mai, in her Gravity Blade form, descended on Ant King.
The ant raised its arm and tried to block the attack with its forearm, only for its exoskeleton to creak under the massive weight of the Gravity Blade. Mai forcefully pushed Ant King down, forcing it to its knees in surprise. I seized the opportunity, and my Haki-infused foot slammed into Ant King's chest before it could regain its guard.
The Ant King shot backward at high speed before crashing into the wall. I smiled broadly before lifting Enma and Mai above my head, stopping the ant's attack as it appeared in front of me with both fists joined together, descending on my head.
I kept my arms stopping the attack, while still maintaining that position I stepped hard and turned my whole body until I reached my neck I spun like a whip and turned my head hard enough so that Wado Ichimonji hit Ant King's side pushing her several meters sliding along the ground.
This time, we both moved simultaneously. We met midway. My swords deflected her attacks with force, leaving her vulnerable to the next blows. My sword fell dully upon her body. Her exoskeleton was strong enough to prevent me from breaking; it only seemed to dent, but even so, it was my victory in that exchange.
We exchanged dozens more blows at high speed, but the Ant King was no match. My speed was superior, and my punches finally landed on its body, forcing it back.
Even when she screamed and her tongue shot out of her jaw, I was already expecting it, so I slashed and tore her tongue apart hundreds of times before the venom could hit me. Then I pressed down on the Ant King again. Mai fell hard onto the Ant King's head once more. She tried to fight back, but she was forced to her knees again.
I raised both swords as I swung down, only to see Ant King move swiftly. I easily followed her and watched her fly in front of me. She stared at me intently before her body visibly shrank.
My Transparent World could easily see what was happening. Her muscles compacted tightly. Somehow, she lost a little mass, but not too much; most of her muscles became much denser as the slender figure of Ant King emerged. Her claws were long and sharp, while her muscles seemed to have changed and adapted into a much more agile form, allowing for more explosive movements. Even her wings were reinforced.
I looked at the flying ant with a deranged grin, then lunged at it, only for the ant to appear in front of me with its claws pointed at my neck. It was fast; its speed had increased dramatically.
Even so, I could only manage a chuckle before we started exchanging blows. My swords danced and clashed against her hands, claws, and jaws thousands of times in a matter of seconds. Before I could break through her defenses, Mai slammed her body down like a massive mountain, sending her flying.
I immediately followed and intercepted her. Ant King started flying, trying to lose me, but I just kept pace and we began moving at breakneck speed around the cave. I burst out laughing as we exchanged hundreds of blows in seconds.
Our blows, even our clashes where we were evenly matched, were destroying everything around us. The ceiling had collapsed several times. The walls were receiving more and more cuts and cracks from our fight. Enormous craters appeared wherever we passed and collided. It was definitely an unstable place.
She matched my speed, barely, but she was relying on her defense to strike me effectively, leaving small cuts on my skin as she wore down my aura. My blows struck her exoskeleton with greater force. I could see it crack and crumble under the pressure of my attacks.
Our exchanges were counted in hundreds of clashes per second as we tore everything around us apart and barely stayed in the same place. So I decided to push the fight to the next level. I smiled slightly as I sacrificed my wolves and Nue and thrust the Totality upon myself.
Wings sprouted from my back as my swords crackled with lightning before bursting into flames. I shifted once more, crouching low before striking the ground with my feet and using my wings to propel myself forward, my speed increasing as a result. If Ant King had been able to defend herself before, she was now completely outmatched. My attacks continued to pound her body as Ant King seemed truly determined to push me away.
Finally, I struck her hands, breaking her defense, and she was completely vulnerable. Rengoku Oni Giri. I moved immediately and slashed at the Ant King's body; a huge, cross-shaped hedgehog appeared on her body. My swords finally pierced the ant's exoskeleton, though that didn't stop her.
She moved swiftly. Her body seemed to move explosively in a tremendous display of speed. She grabbed me with one hand and slammed me to the ground, while the claws of her other hand descended upon my head. I smiled maniacally.
A small toad appeared above my head, its mouth wide open. Ant King's claws plunged into the small toad, and a second toad leaped from the shadows, its mouth opening at Ant King's head. Claws emerged from the second toad. Ant King saw its own attack heading toward its head and stopped, stiff and almost confused. I dropped back into my shadows before darting out to the side and continuing my attack.
The Ant King remained on the defensive as my blows slowly shattered all its defenses. Finally, it seemed to panic.
"SSKREEEEEEEEEECH!!" Ant King let out a deafening, enormous scream, which pushed me back and I looked at her with a frown, although I was about to launch myself again.
"Watch out!" Taylor said in a panic. I stopped for a moment and looked back and saw Taylor move and attack the ants that had been under her control. The others looked surprised, but they attacked immediately and killed them just as quickly. "That ant just broke my control over the other ants and just called the rest! All the remaining ants, thousands of them, are heading this way!" Taylor said rapidly.
And just as she had said, the nest seemed to tremble slightly as thousands of footsteps and bodies crawled toward us. The cave seemed to fill with ants, ants climbing and flying everywhere.
I just clicked my tongue.
"Mai! Daggers!" I said without hesitation. But before Mai could transform, I saw something appear in the corner of my eye.
"Leave it to us, Miyamura!" Tawata said, appearing beside me with her swords drawn. Then the other Draw Sword hunters and the Koreans appeared beside us. "Focus on finishing off that monster and don't get distracted, we'll take care of the rest!" Tawata ordered without hesitation. I paused slightly before smiling.
"Ha! Very well! If they want to have some fun, who am I to deny them!" I said, letting out a laugh. Then I gripped my swords tightly before launching myself at Ant King again. My blades clashed against her claws, and she glared at me furiously. She let out another shriek, and I could feel dozens of ants swarming in my direction.
Half the ants that came toward me froze, the other half exploded in flames, and some were pierced by arrows. I just smiled sadistically at the ant before we resumed our fight.
I struck with force, launching her into the swarm of ants. I could see her trying to slip away, but I could sense her exact position with my Haki. So I launched myself into the swarm without hesitation. I cut through all the ants without slowing my pace and collided with Ant King once more.
The Ant King began moving around the ants, back and forth, as if trying to hide and camouflage herself, but it was useless. My attacks continued to rain down on her without mercy. Her entire exoskeleton was cracked and cut as it began to shatter under the force of my attacks.
To my surprise, she screamed once more before sinking one of her claws into one of the nearest ants. She ripped out its essence stone and swallowed it immediately. The Ant King's power surged before her body partially regenerated.
I almost wanted to groan loudly. For the love of—of course she'd find a way to heal, even after Taylor stopped the Ant King from eating Huntress Min. Still, she didn't seem perfect. The healing was partial, only sealing some of the cracks and cuts in her exoskeleton.
So I did the most obvious thing. I started chasing her, either throwing her away from the swarm of ants or simply smashing all the essence stones within reach. We kept moving back and forth, me pushing her away from the ants and the Ant King trying to reach them.
We went back and forth, oblivious to everything in our path. I barely paid attention to my surroundings, only to see the S-rank hunters containing and annihilating the swarm of ants. Though sometimes they were knocked back by my collision with the out-of-control Ant King.
Everyone was fighting with great determination. They had formed their groups and were holding their own perfectly. Except for one. Goto Ryuko. I almost wanted to stop and stare at her in disbelief. Was this what the supposed strongest S-rank fighter had come down to? One loss against a monster and she was practically catatonic? I just grunted.
She stopped me momentarily. I drew one of my spare swords. Nothing fancy, but a fairly sturdy katana. I let it emerge from the shadows before slashing at it with my foot in midair. The sword flew off at high speed and lodged itself in front of Goto. She looked up.
"You're pathetic! Get up and fight!" I yelled at her before chasing after the Ant King again. In that brief exchange, the Ant King had already eaten two essence stones and regenerated a little more. I just clicked my tongue.
We continued colliding for several seconds. I could barely see if Goto had actually gotten up, but I didn't care. I had already done the only thing I could, and it was more than he deserved after all the trouble he'd caused Taylor and the fact that he'd orchestrated our deaths.
I wasn't bothered that she died; I wouldn't shed a single tear for her. But I found it infuriating how pathetic she'd become. Seeing her reduced to that state was pathetic. It wasn't pity I felt for her, it bordered on disgust, and that was the only reason to help her, even in the smallest way. But if she wanted to be seen that way internationally, then screw her. I'd already tried to help her; the rest was her own fault, and she deserved it.
Putting my thoughts of Goto aside, deep in the background, I refocused on the fight. I clashed forcefully with the Ant King.
"IZUMI! I have an idea!!" I heard Taylor shout in the distance. My eyes darted around and I saw her approaching. Or rather, trying to.
"Ah?! Now?! Can't you wait?!" I yelled while growling in the middle of the fight.
"No! It has to be now! It's stupid! Really stupid!" I almost stopped in the middle of the fight. No, actually, I stopped to stare at her incredulously for a split second before continuing to fight the ant. Where on earth did she get the idea to do stupid things in this situation?!
…
Ah, yes.
"Huh?! Of all the things you could have learned from me, that's the one you choose to emulate?!" I exclaimed incredulously, not caring how hypocritical it might sound. I lived off my own hypocrisy.
"Izumi!" I could practically hear the plea in her voice. I looked straight into her eyes and saw the determination there. All I could do was grunt and groan loudly.
"Aahh! Fine, fuck it! What do you want?!" This was probably going to end badly.