The moment the voice echoed, Joey had already turned around—eyes locking on the quadrupedal wolf-type Chimera Ant in the distance, missile rack mounted across its back.
Welfin.
So he came in afterward.
Had he discovered them, then tailed them into the palace?
But the idea that Welfin had entered earlier was quickly dismissed once Joey glanced at the dragonfly.
From where the dragonfly had been stationed, it was clear Ikalgo had left it at the entrance after sneaking into the underground palace—likely as a lookout, waiting for Knov to arrive and track them down.
After all, in the original plan, Knov was to assist Morel in keeping Pouf occupied, then join up with them to track the King and the Royal Guards.
Which meant: before Joey entered, the only Chimera Ant present underground was Brovada—the lobster-type.
With this confirmed, Joey turned his full attention to Welfin.
Still, most of his focus remained on Brovada. Unless he eliminated the lobster with First Bomb, he couldn't fully commit to Welfin.
But Welfin had already begun his countdown the moment he spoke.
He didn't care for Joey's reaction. As soon as the count ended, the missiles on his back fired—rocketing toward Joey.
"Missileman"
Welfin's Hatsu.
An ability perfectly suited to his paranoid, conniving nature.
The ability had three activation conditions:
Declare a Target.
Welfin had fulfilled this the moment he noticed Joey.
Pose a Question and Issue a Command.
He had already done that too—"Who are you? Why are you here?" then followed by "Answer me!"
Joey's refusal to answer triggered the key condition of the second step: defiance.
Which satisfied the third and final condition: commence attack.
The missiles launched without hesitation, spiraling toward Joey.
Welfin's eyes glinted with anticipated victory—but his ever-suspicious nature quickly smothered that flame. He wouldn't let his guard down before the fight was over. He couldn't risk assuming Joey didn't have a countermeasure.
Joey's brow lifted slightly as the missile approached.
Fast—but not beyond his ability to evade. And there was no point in hiding anymore. Welfin had already drawn Brovada's attention with his voice.
He took a step back, and Killer Queen appeared beside him at the corner.
With a sweep of his gaze, he spotted Brovada's raised claws—and the cockroach at his feet, entirely ignored.
Joey smirked. Killer Queen pressed her thumb.
A soundless explosion erupted upward from Brovada's foot, and just as Brovada raised his claw to fire a Nen blast, he was engulfed in the blast—obliterated.
Joey was already mid-roll, dodging both Brovada's death throes and the first incoming missile volley.
But before he could rise, the missile sharply veered—turning mid-air and accelerating back toward him.
In an instant, Joey realized: Welfin's attack must become unavoidable once certain conditions are met.
Dodging wouldn't help. Either intercept it—or eventually be struck.
Clearly not an Enhancer. And the fact that he didn't ambush, but instead loudly demanded answers, meant his Hatsu had activation triggers.
Manipulation-type, then. High probability.
After quickly recalling the relevant plot beats, Joey concluded: Missileman wasn't overly dangerous. Plenty of ways to neutralize it.
The simplest? Block the missile with something—and kill Welfin. Once Welfin dies, the homing ceases.
Resolved, Joey flicked a few coins. Killer Queen struck them sideways with a sharp backhand.
The coins split in two—one half hurtling toward Welfin, the other intercepting the missile.
Mid-flight, the coins twisted—transforming into hummingbirds, wings beating with supernatural speed.
Welfin didn't know Brovada was already dead. But he'd studied Joey before entering the palace.
He knew Joey could animate objects—be it eagles, wolves, or now, coin-hummingbirds. So while shocked, he wasn't unprepared.
What shocked him more—was that Joey had dodged the initial missile.
Even if the missiles weren't speed demons, they weren't slow. As far as Welfin was concerned, only the King, Royal Guards, or Leol should've been able to evade them in the palace corridors.
Now, with the hummingbirds almost upon him, his fur stood on end.
An instinctual dread seized him—he wasn't this guy's match.
His knees buckled.
He dropped to them. Kneeling before Joey.
But Missileman didn't deactivate. Joey didn't hesitate.
The hummingbirds surged forward—
—but a round grenade flew from Welfin's hand, landing among the swarm.
It exploded—
—but even as it did, a silent serpent slithered up behind him.
Coiled tight around his ankle.
Killer Queen pressed the thumb.
The silent explosion ripped Welfin apart—fear frozen on his face—and the homing missiles vanished mid-air.
Joey's lips twitched.
Not everyone could strengthen their Nen post-mortem.
Someone like Welfin—weak, delusional, overconfident—didn't deserve that kind of grace.
He turned, striding toward the storage chamber.
Just as Ikalgo burst out—
"Joey! Quick! Shoot's dying!"
The words hit Joey like a hammer.
No time for greetings—he rushed inside.
Palm was crouched beside Shoot, panic in her eyes.
But Shoot's own were closed. The dark Hotel Rafflesia cage beside him evaporated the moment Joey arrived.
Joey's eyes turned bloodshot in a flash.
He dropped beside Shoot, pouring Nen into his body, screaming his name—
No response. No breath. No life.
Shoot... had finally let go—because Joey had arrived. He'd relaxed... and died.
Joey's mind fractured. Shoot had fallen—for nothing.
He staggered upright, dizzy, limbs hollow.
His aura had finally hit bottom.
Once it was gone completely—he'd be no more than dead weight.
Palm caught him: "Joey!"
"I'm fine." He rubbed his temple. "Check the King and Youpi's position."
If Youpi was down, at least his death would be meaningful. But if not—then Joey had to keep standing.
With Palm still here, his best bet was to have her assess the situation and get him topside again.
But from here on, he'd have to avoid using aura—relying only on Killer Queen. He'd be at a major disadvantage.
Still... if he could just land a single touch on Youpi, there was still hope.
Palm nodded, drawing a dagger and a mermaid skull crystal ball.
She slit her wrist, blood dripping across the orb as she chanted.
Images began to emerge. The King—Meruem—being flung through wildly shifting scenery.
Joey recognized it instantly—Buddha's Palm, Chairman Netero's ultimate Nen barrage.
Which meant: if he could find the Chairman in the footage, he could estimate how long they had left.
But then the image froze. The King sat down... and spoke.
Joey swallowed.
He'd watched this scene countless times in the anime. He knew—
The moment Meruem sat down, the Chairman had lost limbs. The battle would soon end.
"Switch to Youpi." Joey's voice cracked with dryness.
Palm hesitated, then complied.
The orb flickered—
And then her aura surged.
Before Joey could stop her, she bolted from the room.
Joey's arms fell limp.
He glimpsed the fading orb—just enough to see Youpi's blade piercing clean through Knov.
Lifted, impaled.
Knov was dead.
Joey clenched his jaw.
In his vision, the Extermination Team should've been stronger than in the manga.
So why... had things gone worse?
In the original, nobody died. Not Palm, not Knov, not Shoot. Gon lost himself, Knov went bald—but they all survived.
Now? Pouf was dead...
But Shoot and Knov had died.
And with Knov gone, 4D Mansion could no longer be opened.
The doctors, and Knuckle, inside—likely dead too.
And worst of all—no one could stop Youpi.
Pitou was untouched.
The moment Netero died, Pitou and Youpi would regroup. The Reborn King would return.
The squad had no chance.
Joey swallowed hard.
What now?
Hide among the selected East Gorteau citizens?
Pointless.
His aura was distinct—too different. The King's En would sniff him out instantly.
Even if he fled now—it was hopeless.
They didn't know how large the Reborn King's En would stretch, but Joey's stamina and aura wouldn't carry him far enough.
What now?
What could he—
Despair swallowed him whole.
He was going to die.
Inevitable.
If Knov had survived, the 4D Mansion was an escape route.
Now?
He was trapped. Like a rat in a tank with the water rising.
Every tick of his wristwatch echoed in his head—counting down the seconds of his life.
Ikalgo saw it. Joey was spiraling.
But he had his own burdens.
Shoot's death was on him—and Palm.
If not for them, if Shoot hadn't shielded them, he might've lived.
Joey might've saved him.
But now, Ikalgo couldn't afford to linger.
Killua was in danger too. He had to fight.
Gritting his teeth, he chased after Palm.
Joey remained frozen—crushed by the weight of despair.
Until—
A quiet sound near him: "...ngh..."
His eyes twitched toward it, focus slowly sharpening.
His thumb—bloody and ragged—had been bitten raw without him noticing.
And there—
Komugi.
Eyes vacant.
A spark ignited in his mind.
Killer Queen emerged behind him.
Together, they reached forward—touching Komugi's hand.
Killer Queen's right hand rose.
Expressionless. Mechanical.
Pressed the button.
A click like a pen cap.
Reality bent.
Killer Queen: Third Bomb – Bites the Dust
—Activated.