The clock winds back to shortly before Kite and his team discovered the ant mound.
In the incubation chamber, located deep within the hive, the three supreme powers of the Chimera Ants—the Royal Guard—were born at the exact same moment.
"...Well, hello. It's a pleasure to meet you both. I look forward to our time together."
"I have no intention of socializing, but I will cooperate for the sake of our duties. Anything other than the King is mere chaff. That is all."
"Whatever. The King hasn't been born yet, right? For now, let's go pay our respects to the Queen."
Brought into existence with the Queen's concentrated essence, the three Guards were shrouded in aura from the second they drew breath, possessing a perfect understanding of the fundamentals of Nen. After receiving clothing from the waiting worker ants and dressing themselves in their preferred styles, they were approached by Peggy, a penguin-like Squadron Leader.
"Good morning, members of the Royal Guard. The Queen has requested your presence. Please, follow me."
Though not a combat type, Peggy could feel the staggering pressure emanating from the trio. Cold sweat matted his feathers as he waddled quickly to lead the way.
The three Guards followed at a leisurely pace until they reached the heart of the mound. There, their expressions shifted to pure, ecstatic devotion as they gazed upon the entity at the back of the room.
"My Royal Guard... it warms my heart to see you born safely. I shall now bestow upon you your names and your purposes. Until the King is born, you will protect me with your lives."
The Queen sat upon no throne. Her abdomen, retaining its insectoid form, had swollen to several times its normal size. Through its translucent surface, a humanoid shadow could be seen drifting in the center. Even without being told, the Guards could feel the gargantuan aura and pressure radiating from it. This was the King they were born to serve.
"First, you. Step forward."
The Queen pointed to a beautiful young man dressed in a tuxedo, sporting butterfly antennae and wings. He approached and bowed deeply, directing his reverence toward the unborn King.
"Your name is Shaiapouf. Your purpose is Blind Devotion. You must affirm everything the King does. Offer everything to him. Sacrifice all else—including yourself—for his sake. You are the one who will complete the King's perfection."
"As you command. I, Shaiapouf, shall present the world to the King. Everything belongs to him from the start. That is all."
Pouf bowed elegantly, spread his toxic yet beautiful wings, and drifted back to his position without a sound.
"Next, you. Step forward."
The second was a massive, blue-grey powerhouse wearing only trousers. With a rugged simplicity, he knelt before the shadow of the King.
"Your name is Menthuthuyoupi. Your purpose is the King's Weapon. You shall be his spear and his shield, destroying all who harbor ill will toward him. You are the one who will protect the King's perfection."
"Understood. I will slaughter the King's enemies."
Youpi stood, flashed a defiant grin, and returned to his spot after a final nod to the King.
"Finally, you. Step forward."
The last was a beautiful girl with cat ears and a tail, dressed casually in a black shirt and half-pants. Her eyes, with their vertical pupils, glowed with intensity. Unlike the others, she knelt with a clear sense of respect for the Queen as well.
"Your name is Neferpitou. Your purpose is Affection for the King. Love him. Lead him. Be his servant, his family, and his friend. You are the one who will nurture the King's perfection."
"As you command. I shall live and die solely for the King. Everything for the sake of our beloved King's future."
As the three stood side by side, the Queen delivered their standing orders.
"Neferpitou, you are to guard the perimeter of the mound. Menthuthuyoupi, you shall stand sentry before this inner chamber. Shaiapouf, you are to scout for a new base of operations once the King is born."
"Understood."
The Royal Guard set out to fulfill their duties, each beginning to refine their Nen into specific abilities tailored to their nature. Though their personalities and philosophies differed wildly, they acted as a single unit for one purpose.
The nation of the Chimera Ants was now complete.
***
A little after noon, just five days after Kite's SOS, the first wave from the Hunter Association arrived at the NGL border and established a base camp.
The temporary warehouse was packed with food, medicine, and enough firearms to allow even non-combatants to defend themselves. At the center of the camp, Leorio had set up a medical tent where he could perform surgery at a moment's notice. It was clear he was going to be very busy.
"...You know, you're a lot more 'normal' than I expected."
"That's the first time anyone's said that to me upon meeting," Kite replied. "What exactly did you think I'd be like?"
"Well, you were Gon's first teacher, right? After seeing what that kid has become, I figured his master had to be a complete lunatic."
"...I only taught him the basics. I didn't 'raise' him. The kid already had a few screws loose when I met him."
Kite was the medical tent's first official patient. He had been waiting for the first wave with only basic first aid on his stump. Leorio, who was becoming something of a specialist in reattaching limbs, chatted while he worked, completely healing the arm to the point where Kite would have no trouble leading the vanguard.
"Your speed and precision are incredible," Kite remarked. "It's like you've done this a thousand times."
"Well, this is the third time I've dealt with a total severance. If you count near-losses or crushed limbs, I've done it over a dozen times."
"Wait, what...?"
Kite was speechless, catching a glimpse of the insane environment Leorio must have been working in to gain such proficiency.
Once healed, Kite joined the strategy meeting with the vanguard and provided his assessment of the situation.
"The soldier ants are positioned specifically to prevent external infiltration. The King's birth must be imminent. The most dangerous individual I identified was maintaining a high-level En with a radius of several kilometers for an extended period. It was off the charts."
"Is it possible that individual is the King?" Knov asked, voicing a theory many were considering. "I'd hate to think there's more than one monster of that caliber."
Kite shook his head. "It's definitely not the King. Given the biology of the Chimera Ants, the King would never be assigned sentry duty. Furthermore, that individual noticed us even while we were outside the En's range. The fact that it didn't leave its post suggests its sole focus is protecting the mound."
Kite's explanation was clinical and precise—he knew more about this species than anyone else present. But the details he gave on the hierarchy were chilling.
Soldiers: Low intelligence but capable of military coordination. Human-sized insects with high physical stats. Numerous and annoying.
Captains: Human-level intelligence. They lead the soldiers. All possess Nen, but few are high-level.
Squadron Leaders: High intelligence, specialized Hatsu, and unique biological traits from mixed DNA. Dangerous if underestimated.
Royal Guard: The top tier. They never number more than five, but each is strong enough to wipe out every other ant in the hive combined. Kite had fled from one of these.
The King: An absolute ruler born with power surpassing even the Guard.
"We have two choices," Kite concluded. "Attack now and face the entire hive before the King is born, or wait for them to move and pick them off individually. Though, the King might be born while we're sitting here talking."
As the debate intensified, Netero turned to Kite for a blunt comparison.
"Give me your honest opinion, Kite. Based on what you felt, who is stronger—me, or that Royal Guard?"
Netero flared his aura just enough for Kite to feel it. It was a refined, needle-sharp pressure. Kite felt a cold sweat run down his back as he compared it to the roiling, terrifying presence he had felt at the mound.
"Both of you are in the clouds compared to me," Kite admitted. "But if I had to choose... the Chimera Ant felt more terrifying. It was something that had moved entirely beyond the human framework."
Netero nodded thoughtfully. He led Kite and the vanguard outside and called Gon forward.
"The enemy seems to be more troublesome than I thought. Gon, I want Kite to compare your aura to what he felt from the Royal Guard. Depending on the result and everyone's resolve, we'll finalize the vanguard."
Netero told Gon to give it everything he had. Kite, who had taught Gon the basics, was eager to see his growth. He didn't realize he was about to regret that curiosity.
Gon unleashed his Full Borrowed Muscle Power. The air grew heavy, as if gravity itself had increased tenfold. Kite's knees buckled, and he collapsed onto the grass. He hadn't been mentally prepared for the sheer weight of it.
After Leorio helped him back to his senses, Kite gasped for air and managed to speak.
"...I can't say for sure. I only saw the Guard's aura; I didn't touch it. But I can tell you this: if the aura I saw back then had been Gon's... I still would have retreated immediately."
It was an admission that even with Gon, they might be outmatched. Yet, looking around, Kite saw that no one was backing down. In fact, the morale was higher than ever. Leorio helped Kite to his feet.
"Look, I get it. Gon is the most 'non-human' thing on our side," Leorio explained. "But we're okay because we have people who are even crazier than him."
"Impossible. Is there actually anyone who can stand against that level of power?!"
"Well, in their sparring matches, Chairman Netero and Bisky usually win. And then..." Leorio pointed to the side. "There's that psycho over there with the creepy face. He actually beats the Chairman more often than not."
Kite looked where Leorio was pointing. Hisoka was staring at Gon's flared aura with a look of pure, ecstatic trance. The moment Kite really looked at Hisoka, he went pale. The sheer malice and omen in Hisoka's aura surpassed even what he had felt from the Royal Guard.
"...Is he actually on our side? Why is a thing like that here?!"
Leorio gave a wry smile and patted Kite's shoulder. "You didn't even notice him until now, right? Hisoka only cares about Gon. As long as that's true, he's manageable. And in terms of combat power, he's as elite as they come."
As they watched, Hisoka looked like he was about to pounce on Gon, only to be intercepted by a blurring streak of electricity—Killua in his Godspeed form. Kite was floored once again. He realized he had drastically underestimated the sheer concentrated power of this group.
(Ging... your son has become something truly unbelievable. They say a good Hunter is blessed with good allies, but I've never seen it personified like this.)
Kite felt his fear of the ants begin to ebb, replaced by a deep sense of gratitude for his mentor. He was certain that just as he had found Ging, Gon would find his father soon enough.
He remembered one of Gon's goals was to punch Ging in the face. Kite looked up at the sky and offered a silent prayer for his master's soul—half in respect, half in amusement at the reckoning that was coming for him.
***
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