"Do you have anything else to say?" Allen asked, looking down at his opponent from above.
He clearly recognized the creature's identity; he knew that before being eaten by the Queen, this guy had been one of Gyro's underlings.
Whether it was his past life of manufacturing and trafficking drugs or his current status as a Chimera Ant Squadron Leader, the evidence was sufficient to pronounce a death sentence, effective immediately.
"Don't... don't kill me! I surrender!"
Welfin was clearly no tough guy, nor did he possess any sense of integrity. He collapsed to his knees with a heavy thud, pleading for mercy while simultaneously releasing the Black Centipede from the two Hunters at lightning speed.
Unfortunately for him, Allen had no intention of giving this creature a chance to turn over a new leaf. He didn't believe for a second that a leopard could change its spots, or that a dog could stop eating filth. He flicked a Thorium Arrowhead with a casual toss, and it instantly pierced through Welfin's chest.
Because the projectile moved so fast, it took two or three seconds for the Squadron Leader to feel the agonizing pain. He fell backward onto the ground, feeling his life force drain away rapidly.
Moments later, under the searing heat of the Red Dragon's breath, he was reduced to a cocoon and swallowed whole.
Once finished, Allen allowed Vaelstrasz to phase back into his ethereal state and jumped down to face the two Hunters. "Are you two alright?"
"Ah! Yes... we're fine! Thank you so much for arriving in time. Otherwise, we really would have died here," the woman said, hurriedly standing up to offer her thanks.
The fat man wiped the blood from his face and let out a wry, sighing laugh. "To think our final savior would be the famous Grim Reaper. After seeing you in person, I finally understand why so many wanted criminals tremble at the mention of your name. They should be afraid. Compared to these Chimera Ants, you are the true monster."
"Thanks for the compliment. However, I'm in a bit of a hurry. Could you tell me where Gon, Killua, and Morel's two disciples are?" Allen asked bluntly.
He didn't know what was causing the interference, but his Hunting Map ability had recently become completely useless, making finding people an incredibly tedious chore.
"Sorry, we aren't very familiar with the people you mentioned, but Palm should know. She lives in a house just a few streets away," the woman said, turning to point the way.
"Thanks!"
Allen leaped onto a nearby roof, preparing to take the most direct route.
"We should be the ones saying thank you!" the woman shouted, standing on her tiptoes and waving both hands.
"Don't mention it! I'll see you if fate allows!"
With that, Allen vanished from sight. It didn't take long for him to locate the house where Palm lived.
Just as he was about to knock on the door, a piercing scream erupted from inside. A split second later, a crazed woman with long black hair, brandishing two kitchen knives, burst through the window.
There was no need to ask. This woman, radiating a gloom so thick it was palpable, was Knov's disciple, Palm Siberia.
At this very moment, she was pinned atop a Chimera Ant that looked like an Officer, her kitchen knives blurring in a frenzied hacking motion.
Blood, shredded meat, and severed limbs flew in every direction. The carnage was enough to make one's stomach acid churn just by looking at it.
By the time Palm finally stopped, the poor ant had been reduced to a basic skeletal frame. The rest of its biological matter—muscle, skin, internal organs—had been splattered across the surrounding ground, walls, and windows, coating the nearby street.
As the sole spectator, Allen's lip twitched slightly as he suppressed the urge to complain.
What kind of disciples are Morel and Knov recruiting?!
There wasn't a single normal person among them!
Knuckle was a guy who looked fierce and hot-tempered but was actually a sentimental softie at heart.
Shoot went without saying, a walking contradiction of pride and cowardice who often missed opportunities because of his internal agonizing and hesitation.
But Palm was the most absurd of all!
Despite being a top-tier beauty in terms of looks and physique, she spent her days dressed like "Sadako" from The Ring. She was neurotic and high-strung, displaying absolutely none of the typical traits of an Enhancer, looking more like a Conjurer instead.
"Hmm? Who are you?"
Having finished dismembering the ant, Palm finally noticed Allen standing nearby. She stood up, clutching her two knives dripping with gore.
Her aura and posture were so unsettling she could have walked straight into a horror movie as a ghost or a psychopathic serial killer without needing a costume.
"My name is Allen. I was commissioned by Morel-san to check on his two disciples, as well as Gon and Killua. If you don't mind, could you tell me where they are?" Allen stated his purpose cautiously.
He wasn't entirely sure if this madwoman would suddenly charge at him and try to mince him too.
"Morel?"
Palm blinked, momentarily stunned by the name, but she quickly recovered. "As far as I know, they went to the outskirts of the city for a duel a while ago. Based on the time, they should have been back by now. Could they have run into trouble?"
Before she had even finished speaking, she rushed back into the house and emerged holding a purple crystal ball. She immediately activated her ability—Wink Blue.
But after a long silence, no image appeared in the crystal ball; there was only a thick, white fog.
"Damn it! What's happening? Has my ability... failed?" Palm muttered to herself, looking utterly bewildered.
"No, it's not that your ability failed. Rather, all detection and tracking abilities are being jammed. Someone among the Chimera Ants has developed an interesting ability specifically to counter us," Allen explained meaningfully.
If it had only been his Hunting Map failing, he wouldn't have been so certain. But seeing Wink Blue fail, combined with Kalluto's previous report about only hearing static through his paper-cutting, it was now 100% clear that the ants were behind this.
He had to admit, it was a brilliant move.
On one hand, they had completely cut off the possibility of being tracked by Nen abilities; on the other, they used Squadron Leaders to attack human settlements to create a massive diversion.
If Allen hadn't already known that East Gorteau would be the ants' primary target, he likely would have been misled by this flurry of tactical maneuvers and made some disastrously wrong choices.
"Jamming? I see!"
A look of realization dawned on Palm's face.
Just as she was about to say something more, she realized Allen had already vanished, streaking away like an arrow from a bow.
Now that he knew the general location, given his current speed, he could likely find them within ten minutes.
Provided they were still alive, of course.
As for the invading ants scattered through the streets, he dealt with them casually as he passed by.
By the time he cleared the city limits, over eighty percent of the ants in the city were dead. Only a few stragglers remained, putting up a desperate last stand in an attempt to follow their orders to cause more slaughter.
A few smarter ants tried to set fire to a warehouse filled with flammable and explosive chemicals, only to be sliced into pieces by the arriving Palm. The scene was so bloody that many of the other Hunters present instinctively covered their mouths and noses.
With the execution of the last ant, the city finally fell into a state of tense calm. Police returned to the streets to maintain order and organized medical teams to treat the wounded.