Killua had wanted to ask something but kept quiet. Soon enough, he spotted a delivery truck speeding towards the horizon on the other side. The truck honked as it stopped, kicking up a cloud of dust on the open ground.
Through the haze, three figures slowly emerged, walking in Killua's direction. 'Reinforcements,' he realized immediately. His eyes narrowed with a mix of hope and anticipation.
Could Larry be among them? He desperately wanted to believe so, maybe this was the chance to save Kite.
As the dust settled, Killua got a clear look at the three approaching figures. On the left stood a tall, muscular man with silver hair and a broad nose, his square face and brown skin partially hidden by the iconic sunglasses perched on his face. Draped over his shoulders was a large pipe wrapped in cloth, ready to be unveiled once the fight began.
This was Morel, the same man who had met Larry not long ago. On the right was a man in a sharp black suit and glasses, exuding an aristocratic air. He looked calm and composed. This was Knov, a Hunter Association staff member who always dressed impeccably.
But it was the man in the middle who caught Killua's full attention, Chairman Netero, the founder of the chimera ant expedition. Killua whispered the name in disbelief, "President Netero… ." He hadn't expected the chairman himself to show up.
Yet despite Netero's presence, Killua couldn't shake his disappointment. Larry wasn't there. He doubted even Netero could defeat Neferpitou.
Netero glanced at Killua, who was shaking his head, looking defeated and gloomy. Then his eyes drifted to the unconscious Gon.
Stroking his long beard thoughtfully, Netero's expression remained unchanged, but inside, he sighed. It was becoming clear that the chimera ants is not just learning nen, but already mastering it.
He already had a rough idea of Gon's and Killua's strength, they were definitely not ordinary kids. In fact, their power surpassed most average hunter. Yet here they were: one unconscious, the other looking utterly hopeless.
Netero's mind went back to reports he'd read about chimera ants before. Most of the ants appearing now were from the Dark Continent, but their traits were very similar to the chimera ants from the six continents, especially the class divisions, from soldiers at the bottom to the ant king at the top.
'According to experts, the ant king shouldn't have been born yet. So, if only chimera ants under the ant king had this kind of strength...'
Netero rubbed his beard and sighed quietly, feeling even more thankful that he had invited Larry. Without him, dealing with this would be a nightmare.
Nearby, Morel looked at Killua's desperate face and opened his mouth to speak but stopped. At first, he had thought these two kids weren't very strong, just scared when facing tougher opponents.
After all, how strong could two kids really be? If they returned safely, the enemy's strength probably wasn't much higher. From that perspective, did they really need to bring in all three of them, or even President Netero?
But as he mulled it over, a sudden memory flashed through his mind, his encounter with Dark Sonata alongside Larry and the others. That experience made one thing clear: there were terrifying dangers lurking in the Six Continents.
No matter what challenges you face, staying cautious is key. That was the biggest lesson Morel took away from the recent operation, and it's why he stayed silent afterward. Could it be that they ran into a crisis similar to what happened during Dark Sonata?
Unlike in the original story, Morel kept quiet, but Knov spoke up from the other side. "So pathetic," Knov said, pushing up his glasses as a bright glare flashed off the lenses, making his eyes look sharper. "They're just kids, so of course they're scared."
At that moment, Knov's thoughts mirrored what Morel had felt earlier. Killua and his friends had underestimated the chimera ants because of their youthful appearance.
"Is it just the three of you?" Killua asked, lowering his head, and the disappointment in his voice was clear to everyone.
Knov frowned. In his view, he and Morel were strong enough, not to mention someone like President Netero. Still, Killua seemed to think their support wasn't enough.
"Oh? Why do you ask?" Netero inquired with genuine curiosity, even though Killua's point was obvious.
"Not enough..." Killua slowly lifted his head and stared straight at the three of them. His eyes were dark and lifeless. "Because I've also learned Nen, I could vaguely tell how strong all of you are."
At that moment, Killua could sense their auras were even stronger than before. Especially President Netero, who stood with a massive statue of a thousand-faced, thousand-armed Guanyin behind him, he was clearly the most powerful among them.
"But it's still not enough! You can't defeat the enemy!" Killua's blunt words even made Morel feel that he was being a bit harsh. It was one thing to say Knov and Morel weren't strong enough, but President Netero was a legendary figure, once the strongest in the world, and still incredibly powerful despite the passing of time. Wasn't that support enough?
"Hohoho, if we're not enough, then who else do you think you need to have on your side?" Netero chuckled, challenging Killua's doubt.
He was curious about this mysterious enemy that none of them had met before. He knew how cautious Killua was when it came to danger, so if Killua said something, it was probably true.
"Larry!" Killua insisted. "We have to bring Larry here! Only he can defeat that enemy!" He locked eyes with Netero, his determination speaking louder than words.
Even when he mentioned Larry, his usually dark eyes seemed to light up with hope. Right now, Larry's arrival was their biggest hope.
As soon as Killua spoke the name, everyone but Netero was stunned. Morel blinked in disbelief. "Wait, are you serious? Do you know what kind of person Larry is?"
Morel could hardly believe Killua's reaction was so intense. While some might not fully grasp Larry's power, Morel definitely did, he had seen Larry in action firsthand.
It wasn't an exaggeration to call Larry the "Strongest in the New World." His strength was far beyond anyone else around him, so much so that "Larry" was practically in a league of his own. And now this kid was saying that even President Netero wasn't enough, that they needed Larry to step in?
Killua glanced at Morel with a firm tone. "I know Larry well, that's why I'm so determined to have him join us."
Morel's face showed a mix of surprise and doubt. 'Could Killua really know Larry? '
"When people face an unknown enemy, they often overestimate the threat. You're just panicking," Knov said, shaking his head. To him, these were just kids reacting emotionally, which was understandable. "Leave this to us, and you can go rest."
But Netero smiled as he pulled out his phone. "No, we still have one more member who hasn't arrived yet."