Two squad captains appeared—one with the form of a rabbit, the other resembling a loach. With a coach like Ant Division Leader leading them.
Ron gave a thought. "Yuzuru Yamai."
In the next moment, Yuzuru Yamai appeared at his side.
"Solo."
Her voice drifted toward the three Chimera Ants, immediately affecting them.
Ron moved behind the rabbit Chimera Ant. With one hand he seized the back of its neck. The Ant cried out in pain and snapped back to awareness, but it was useless; Ron's strength was far too great for it to break free.
On the other side, Knov had already opened a spatial portal. Ron hurled the rabbit Chimera Ant forcefully in that direction. Its body was pulled uncontrollably toward the portal, unable to alter its path midway, and could only watch helplessly as it entered. Knov closed the portal immediately.
In the distance, Netero rose, stretching slightly as he saw the captured Ant arrive.
Ron clenched his fist, aura gathering tightly around it, and struck at the loach Chimera Ant.
Boom!
The Ant's head exploded instantly.
The tremendous sound snapped the cockroach Chimera Ant out of Yuzuru Yamai's Solo. It was now one-on-one—exactly as Ron intended.
"Human?" The cockroach Ant's face darkened. "You're seeking death!"
Its antennae swung like blades, slashing toward Ron. The sound of tearing air cut through the clearing, but Ron merely shifted a step to the side, slipping past the strikes.
"As expected of a division leader," Ron remarked. "Much stronger than a squad captain. No wonder that scorpion Ant could push Feitan so far."
In the original course of events, after the Queen's death the division leaders and lower-ranked Ants scattered. Some reached Meteor City. Unlike Gyro, who acted independently, the scorpion Chimera Ant and its followers took control with overwhelming force, enslaving the surrounding humans until the return of the Phantom Troupe. Battles broke out, fierce on the surface, but in every case the Troupe triumphed. It proved that the Troupe's members were, in truth, stronger than the Ants.
Feitan's fight against the scorpion Ant ended decisively—when he unleashed his ultimate technique, the Ant had no means to resist and could only die before him. The scorpion was never his match.
Ron's strength far exceeded Feitan's.
At this moment, Ron could honestly say: though both he and Feitan were A-rank Nen users, the gap between himself and Feitan was even greater than the gap between Feitan and an ordinary man.
The cockroach Chimera Ant had no chance of victory. Ron was not even using his abilities—only raw martial skill.
It was deliberate.
Absorbing Chimera Ant traits was one of Ron's goals here, but the second was to face the King or the Royal Guards. For someone who planned soon to enter the Dark Continent, this was a way to preview the power and methods of its creatures. The Ants might be artificially created hybrids, infused with human characteristics, but some of their genetic origin came from the Dark Continent.
Ron's experience with Nen Beast combat was extensive, but with his own body he had fewer opportunities. He wanted to use this time to sharpen his personal battle skills.
Fighting the King or the Guards would be unlike anything he had faced before. Those would be battles where every trump card might have to be played, and even then, victory was uncertain. That was why Ron treated this now as special training.
From not far away, Knov watched Ron fighting the cockroach Ant.
"He's not using his Nen Beasts, only his body?" Knov muttered. "But isn't he a Nen Beast specialist?"
Thinking it through, Knov realized it was reasonable.
"After all, he is from the Zoldyck family. Their assassins are never weak in close combat. Ron must be the same. Still… how does he divide his focus? A person's energy is limited. If he invests so much into one aspect, surely another should suffer. But at his age… how can he be flawless in every area?"
To Knov, it was inconceivable. Ron looked like a perfectly balanced fighter, with no weaknesses at all.
The battle grew fiercer, though that was only the cockroach Ant's perception. From beginning to end, Ron wore a calm, unhurried expression.
"Faster!" the Ant roared. "Faster!"
Through sheer willpower, it seemed to break through some barrier, its speed suddenly surging to another level. The Ant's eyes lit with exhilaration. "Kill!"
But Ron saw the truth. The cockroach Ant had unknowingly bound itself with a restriction and vow. Its power spike came at the cost of overdrawn stamina and life force. It could not last long.
"Then let's end this."
"At this point, you can no longer serve any use to me."
Ron channeled aura into his hand, shaping it into a blade. His eyes swept over the cockroach Ant, weak points appearing before him as if highlighted.
Without hesitation, he swung his hand down at one of them.
Puchi!
The Ant's eyes widened. Looking down, it saw Ron's strike had pierced clean through. Its expression was filled with disbelief.
The body it had trusted so absolutely, its hardened shell that had resisted every attack until now, had been sliced open in an instant.
Even the Ant itself had never known this weakness—but Ron had seen it clearly.