In the open clearing outside the palace walls, Shaiapouf, one of the three Royal Guards, undoubtedly sensed the abnormality behind him. He immediately attempted to abandon his fight with Hisoka. Hisoka was already severely injured, yet like a complete madman, he was growing increasingly excited and frenzied. Pouf desperately wanted to return to the palace to see what had happened to the King.
But Hisoka, having already entered his "state," was not about to let his prey escape. In an instant, he released a massive amount of Bungee Gum, transforming the entire surroundings into a colossal spiderweb.
"Hahaha! Don't even think about running! You're mine!" Hisoka laughed maniacally. "Today, either I kill you, or you kill me. There is no third option."
"Hmph! An ignorant fool who doesn't know his own limits," Pouf sneered. "Have you still not realized the vast disparity in strength between us?"
"How could I not feel it? But that is exactly why it's so exhilarating! Only by destroying someone like you can I feel the true meaning of my existence."
With that, Hisoka wiped the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth and lunged forward once more like a rabid dog.
He punched!
He punched again!
And again!
To break through his opponent's indestructible defense, he concentrated all of his Aura into his attacks using Ko. As for the counterattacks, he relied solely on his vast combat experience and reflexes to evade.
It had to be said that this approach allowed the pervert to achieve a level of power capable of wounding a Royal Guard, even if it resulted in nothing more than superficial grazes. However, he was also exposing himself completely to the risk of death. If he failed to dodge a single strike or failed to buffer a hit with Bungee Gum in time, the battle would end instantly.
Just as Hisoka was savoring the pleasure of dancing on the edge of death, Pouf suddenly fragmented into countless bee-sized clones. They zipped through the gaps in the Bungee Gum web and reconstituted into a single form mid-air.
Through the scales scattered in the air, Pouf easily read Hisoka's stunned emotions. He mocked him in a tone of pure contempt: "My apologies, but it seems you lack the strength to force me into your 'one or the other' choice."
"Are you running away?" Hisoka narrowed his eyes, attempting to provoke him with words.
Unfortunately, Pouf was the most intelligent and cunning of the three Royal Guards. He wasn't about to be riled up by such a petty trick. Leaving behind a playful, mocking smile, he beat his wings and took flight toward the palace where the King resided.
Once Pouf had completely vanished into the night sky, Allen, who had been hiding nearby watching the show, finally deactivated God's Accomplice. He stepped slowly from behind a tree and asked meaningfully, "How does it feel?"
"Hehe, marvelous. It's just a pity I couldn't finish," Hisoka said, licking the blood from his knuckles with lingering desire.
Of course, the blood was his own.
"Don't be in such a hurry. When Chairman Netero arrives for the final showdown, you'll get your fill. Here, drink this quickly, or you might actually die from internal hemorrhaging." Allen tossed him a Healing Potion.
Hisoka caught it without a word, uncorked it, and downed the contents in one go.
In a matter of seconds, his battered body was mostly restored. Feeling the searing pain fade, he couldn't help but marvel, "What a fascinating liquid. No matter how severe the internal injuries, one drink heals them all. No wonder Illumi is so subservient to an employer like you."
"Let's go. Our mission for tonight is complete. All that's left is to monitor and wait. Besides, I think the newborn Chimera Ant King needs some time to cool down and consider exactly what he is."
A playful expression crossed Allen's face as he spoke. He was genuinely curious about the King's current state of mind.
Rage? Frustration? Unwillingness? Or perhaps an indescribable, intense sense of humiliation?
Psychological trauma could sometimes be far more devastating than physical wounds, especially for those who were pathologically proud and conceited.
"The King has truly been born?! How strong is he?" Hisoka asked, his face full of curiosity.
He couldn't help but wonder. If the Aura of the three Royal Guards was already this staggering, then how powerful must the King be, the one standing at the absolute apex of the Chimera Ant race?
Allen answered without hesitation, "In terms of raw Aura capacity, the King is roughly two to three times my current level, and he is still growing. Furthermore, he can continuously strengthen his Nen by consuming other Nen users. If he were given a year or two, we would likely see a truly invincible monster."
"That sounds quite terrifying~ But he doesn't have that kind of time, does he?" Hisoka rubbed his chin, a faint, knowing smile playing on his lips.
Allen nodded slightly. "Indeed. The King has no chance. Because whether it's Beyond or the Kakin Royal Family, they never intended to give him an opportunity to survive. From the moment he was born, his fate was sealed; he never even had a choice. The ants' bloodthirst and brutality are merely surface-level—the animal instincts of a predator. Compared to humans, they are far too simple. They haven't even learned how to hide their thoughts; how could they possibly be a match for humanity?"
Hisoka sighed with regret. "Sigh… what a shame! Once these little ants are dead, I'm afraid I'll lose interest in finding new toys for quite a long time."
"Don't worry. If you stay obsessed with dueling the three Royal Guards, I doubt you'll live to see the ants go extinct. You'll likely die long before that," Allen remarked bluntly.
If anyone else had said this, they might have taken it as an insult and lashed out. But this was Hisoka.
He wasn't a normal person; he was a twisted, neurotic deviant.
Instead of getting angry, Hisoka laughed excitedly. He spread his arms wide and said, "Isn't that even better? If given the chance, I would be more than happy to perish along with that lovely little butterfly."
"I'll give you that chance," Allen promised directly.
Though he wasn't quite sure what kind of "forbidden spark" had flown between the two weirdos, he didn't mind fulfilling Hisoka's wish. After all, this was Hisoka's only real hobby. Besides, while Hisoka's chances of defeating Pouf weren't zero, they certainly didn't exceed five percent. It wouldn't interfere with the established plan.
"You really do understand me best!" Hisoka said, blowing a flamboyant kiss.
The gesture disgusted Allen. He promptly floored Hisoka with a single punch and warned him with total disdain, "Don't play those boring little tricks with me, or I guarantee I'll crush half the bones in your body next time."
"Hehehe! Understood! Like I said... you're the boss. You call the shots."
Hisoka spat out the fresh blood from his mouth. There wasn't a hint of anger in his eyes, only a look of pure enjoyment.
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