The group gets challenged by Chimera Ants to one-on-one fights.
Kite led them through the thick forest, the group finally getting closer to their original goal…
To kill the Queen before the King was born.
They were surprised they hadn't run into any more ants, given they shouldn't be that far from the ant queen's nest.
Raphael dug his fingers onto the rock, climbing up onto the small ledge. He cracked his back as he stood straight, groaning from having to scale such a large cliff with zero warning.
"Jeez…" He continued up the wall, sighing in relief when they finally reached a flat area. After walking a decent chuck into the dense forest, he was able to relax. They won't have to climb anymore for now, so it'll be smooth sailing from here on out, "We're getting way too much ex-"
Kite drew out his hand, stopping the boys from moving further, "We've got company."
Something landed in front of them, kicking up dirt and rocks. A symphony of growls and laughter followed as more things landed, several of the voices resembling human laughter. It was coming from all around them, meaning they had been trapped between Chimera Ants.
Kite's eyes peered slightly over his shoulder, "Looks like we've been surrounded." Shifting his gaze, his eyes fell onto the first of the creatures to land, a frog, "And by a decent few, no less."
The man showed no concern for his enemy, which meant they could relax a little. At least, when it comes to terms of difficulty.
"Now, then…" The frog barely looked at them, viewing them like all Chimera Ants had viewed them. Cattle… or toys to play with. Considering none of them immediately attacked, they had other nefarious goals in mind.
"Let's decide the order and methodology. As for our targets…" The frog sneered in the group's direction, "you have three choices." It held up three claws, continuing on to explain its plan or game "One… Decide the order in which you will fight. Two, attempt to escape. Three, give up and let us capture you. I suggest you choose option one, since option two will make us really mad, and three will infuriate us."
Raphael puffed up his cheeks, letting out a low ribbit as a joke. The creature turned their head in his direction, judging him over the noise. To be fair, they initiated combat with zero warning, and they were acting high and mighty about their plan to have fun killing or torturing them.
"Choosing option one will result in one-on-one battles with us for a chance to survive. That's if you can beat all of us. Otherwise, like I said earlier, we will not treat you fairly with option two or three. It results in your brutal capture. You'll be lucky if you survive long enough to be butchered and fed to the queen…"
There was a long pause, the frog staring them down. When neither of them moved, he quirked an eye at them, "So what are you thinking of choosing?"
Gon turned to the man who hadn't acted, or spoke at all. Maybe he was thinking of a way to protect all of them, "Kite…?"
The man turned to smile at the boys. Honestly, this was the best option. Constant one-on-one rounds, with no end in sight. They shouldn't waste this perfect opportunity to further improve themselves.
And, he'll need to step in only, if they snap or decide to go against their plan to tire them out, "We couldn't have asked for a better deal, honestly. One-on-one fights with their Captains. We should start with whoever is prepared to fight first."
"Me first!" Gon and Killua stuck up their hands in unison, equally excited to go first.
Seeing that they both wanted to go first, the two locked eyes with each other, practically glaring in hopes that the other would back off.
Neither of them were willing to go second…
Raphael let out a sigh, he knew what was about to happen. And he wasn't going to attempt to try winning first place from either of them.
It was clockwork, the two holding out their fist. They were going to settle their score via rock-paper-scissors, again.
"First comes rock!" They drew on their first round, the man dropping his eyes a little in shame. Their lives were being threatened, and they were opting to settle their position through a game.
Time and time again, the two drew, the ants in the background chuckling from the absurdity of a simple game making two teens frustrated. They were getting frustrated from who gets to die first.
When one finally won, Killua looked at his pair of scissors in disappointment. How could he lose to Gon? Then his eyes flicked to Raphael's "Don't you dare…"
"I'm good to go third."
"Good…" Killua cracked a sly grin. He was not settling for third place.
Gon walked past the man, now glaring at the frog-chimera ant, "Okay, I'm first!"
The creature wasn't easily impressed by the threatening glare. It simply held out its hand to one of the other ants, an oversized grasshopper.
"So, who are we sending first?" A dog-chimera spoke, the grasshopper now shaking a container in its hand.
A slip of paper popped out, the dog ant taking the slip of paper, "Who's #6?!"
A creature walked out from the crowd of ants, chuckling from its insane luck, "Lucky me…."
They were a cross from some type of armadillo, a hard outer shell encasing most of their body. Due to their protection, they were probably tougher than that pervy-looking-bunny.
Given Gon's technique, Scissors, he should in theory be able to take him down with ease.
"So it's Baro, ey?" The frog shook his head in disappointment.
There could be a number of reasons for the frog ant's reaction. The way Baro fights, or his lack of luck for not being picked first.
"How will the victor be decided?" Gon posed an honest question, considering the circumstances, he probably shouldn't have asked. They clearly got a thrill from hunting and killing their prey.
They wouldn't be an exception to the rule, "Gon, they're going to want to kill us…" Raphael looked at the other ants, observing that very few ants had similar traits, "I doubt they'd accept surrendering as an option."
Gon wrinkled his nose in disgust, now turning to the others to confirm Raphael's analysis. The ants chuckling in response was the only confirmation he needed.
"He's right, this will be a massacre."
"What if…" Gon held up a finger to point at the armadillo ant, Baro, "You want to surrender?"
The ant gawked with a stunned expression at the boy.
This only made the ants roar with contagious laughter, Baro glaring at his allies.
Gon probably didn't realise what he just did, turning his honest question into an insult, "How dare you?!" The creature quaked with rage, turning his ire back to Gon for making him the laughingstock of the crowd, "The only one dying will be you. Don't you see that? We'll take what's left of your bruised and battered body to the queen to gorge herself on."
The boy merely looked at the ant, frowning. He already knew that. But the ant was refusing to accept the possibility that he may want to surrender instead.
"But if I beat you, I don't want to eat you. It's pointless if you can't surrender…"
The others only cried with laughter at the humiliation Gon was dishing out.
Gon went on to continue, "If you surrender, as long as you promise not to eat any more humans, we can let you live."
An ant pointed at Baro, some kind of bat without wings laughing hysterically, "This guy isn't taking you, let alone us seriously!"
"You hear Baro, you're just a joke to them." The wolf crossed with a snake hollered at his ally's frustration, "He has a lot more pep than any other human we've seen."
"Fuck you!" The armadillo finally snapped, "I'm going to kill you!"
The ant rolled itself up into a ball, launching himself at Gon. As Gon avoided the initial attack, a tree being knocked down drew Raphael's attention.
The ant's exterior body must act as both a defensive and offensive measure. Since it could uproot a tree, it could probably crush a normal human too. But Gon was no normal human, he was a Pro Hunter.
"You managed to dodge that one?" Baro let out a high-pitched cry, more annoyed than frustrated, "Then how about now?"
The creature spun towards Gon, Gon avoiding it by jumping to the side.
Raphael expected the creature to roll past like last time, but there was a distinct sound, something akin to a whip.
A second was all it took, Gon's body being slammed into the armadillo's hard caprice. But he wasn't being run over like one expected, the impact caused the boy to be carried along, slamming straight into another tree.
Raphael cast a glance towards the other ants, seeing if any of them interfered. He wouldn't be surprised if none of them were playing fair.
But they were all still standing in the same position. So it must have been something Baro did.
"Gon!"
The dust cleared, Gon now rubbing his arm across his mouth. He had accidentally spat out a bit of saliva from the impact. But he was just a little surprised from the change of course, not the dirt and grime that now clung to his clothes.
He was okay, "I'm fine…"
"Heh?!" Baro was taken off guard. Why was the kid still standing? He felt the impact, his body being crushed between the tree and his own. Was the tree not as sturdy as he initially thought, cushioning the blow of his attack, "Why are you so tough? By this point, the rest had already vomited their organs…"
Gon steeled his resolve. Raphael was right, they didn't care about anyone, they just wanted to torture humans by hunting them down as if they were merely cattle. He was more than ready to kill the ants with no remorse, since they clearly had none towards them.
Raphael grinned. This would be the perfect time to bust out Scissors or Rock. They were clearly going to ram Gon over and over again until he was a pancake.
A head on collision against Gon's aura would mean certain death for the armadillo, "Give him a good thrashing Gon, clearly he has a few brain cells loose."
The creature growled, clearly annoyed from the taunting and gloating from another human. He plans to kill that human next, since he's so eager to draw his friend towards his own demise.
Maybe he should do the same, to draw Gon's so-called humanity out. He'll draw the boy into charging towards him, using his recklessness as a way to crush his organs quicker.
It let out a snickering laugh, the boy raising an eyebrow at the ant armadillo waddling around him, "You know, we never told you why we enjoy killing humans. It's not to eat them…" It raised a single claw, dismissing the idea, "Nor feed them to the Queen…"
"Then why do you kill us…?"
The creature stopped, turning to give the boy a sinister smile, "It's because it's fun!"
Gon's eyes narrowed at the information, darkening slightly. The thought reminds him of the Phantom Troupe, their excuse for killing others being nothing more than a self-centred excuse.
Were the Chimera Ants the same? Would they cry over the loss of their compatriots, but spare none for another human being?
"I just love the sound of a human vomiting up their own organs, the sound of the plop as it hits the floor."
Gon opened his arms, the creature now sneering with delight, "It's hilarious to see them barf, to struggle with their dying breath to put them back in…"
Getting back into a rolling position, they charged the kid, "And I'm going to enjoy seeing your expression when your organs hit the floor with a plop, too!"
Raphael watched the boy's expression, worried about the budding rage. The aura that burst forth, a sign of Ren when he should be using Ryu or Ken.
He frowned as Gon opened his arms, as if welcoming the beast into a warm embrace. Gon roared with anger, the collision sending dirt, rocks and sticks in every direction.
He should've just used Rock and punched the beast to send it flying off toward the moon with a sparkle in the sky, or at least use Scissor to carve it like he was made of paper. Give it the good ol' paper snowflake treatment.
That'll give it a taste of its own medicine, forcing it to watch all its organs plop to the floor with no hopes of ever fitting them back in.
Instead, Gon tightened his grip, lifting the ant high off the ground. He applied force to the middle, stopping the ant from freeing himself, or unravelling within his grasps.
"You know what stupid about your attack?" Gon forced his hands into the middle section, the shell warping inward, "Compared to Razor's spikes…" The boy crushed the shell inward, the Chimera ant screaming in agony, "THIS IS NOTHING!" Blue blood ruptured between the cracks, spurting in all directions.
Raphael couldn't believe his eyes. He treated the ant like it was aluminium foil, crushing it between his palms.
Gon must have been correct because none of them alone could stop Razor's spike, except for Hisoka. Except, even he couldn't walk away without taking some damage too.
The boy tossed the body to the floor, blood continuously pooling from the crushed ant. The body failed to move, let alone twitch. He must have crushed the head like a ripe melon.
All the ants were stunned from the act. A kid killed their kind with little effort, using only his physical strength and whatever strength he gathered from that bright orange glow.
What kind of weapon was he using?
Killua frowned. They must have noticed something, which means they should be able to see Gon's aura.
He raised his hand in annoyance, stepping forward to draw their attention, "Like, come on. We don't have all night to beat you to a pulp. Who's my opponent, or I'm gonna point and pick for myself…" Killua flashed the ants a dangerous grin.
The frog was not amused, "Cocky kid…" They killed one of our weakest. It's not our fault Baro was so weak, he couldn't finish off a child. He ushered the grasshopper ant to start shaking, "So who's next?"
"Uh…" A slip of paper popped out, "#3. Who's #3?"
A muscular rhinoceros stepped forward, this one looking more human than animal, save for its face that looked beastly in nature.
Their heavy stomps parted the dirt as they walked down the cliff, "Cocky kid won't be smiling for long. I'll show you what a real hell looks like…"
Killua smirked at the argument, a cackle of laughter bubbling forth. What an unbelievably dumb thing to say to him, of all people.
"What's so funny?"
"Your joke…" Killua stopped to give the ant a smile, "Most people wouldn't say that, knowing my history…"
Raphael raised an eyebrow. Killua was confirming he knew what hell looks like, and he was doing it with a smile.
"You shouldn't be laughing, I ain't like that trash over there…"
Killua cast a glance in the corpse's direction, "Is that so?" Shifting his gaze back, the boy gave the ant a once over, "You don't look so tough to me."
Gon didn't like how the conversation was going. Did none of them care about each other? Did all they care about is being the one that gets to hunt and kill another human, "Why are you calling him trash?"
"Huh?" The rhinoceros ant was shocked at the boy's question. He of all people should know why Baro was considered trash. He got defeated pretty easily. He even went out crying like the soft piece of trash he was.
Gon's expression soured. They truly don't care about anyone, just about having fun.
"I'm ten times stronger than that guy."
Killua rolled his eyes, scoffing at the idea of his enemy being stronger than Gon's. If Gon could beat him with little effort… so could he, "Then prove it!"
Killua slid up to the ant, claws sharpening as they were poised towards the beast's chest. Can't do much without a beating heart…
His claws met the harden skin, nails tracing across the spot like it was made out of something harder than metal.
"What's the matter? My hardened skin is too tough for you?
He let out an irritated click of his tongue, the creature swung at him like he was going to stand there and take a knuckle sandwich to the face.
Raphael watched Killua slide backwards, the ant trying to keep up with his movements. He looked like he was a simple beef cake, all strength, zero speed.
The teen continued to watch the fight, taking in Killua's latest technique. It looked like multiple series of his Mirage ability, except all of them looked identical.
He couldn't tell which one was Killua, unless he were to fixate on the glow of his gentle, precise aura.
This act of Killua striding towards the ant only made it angry. It charged towards the mirages, passing through all of them.
The crash of the tree being sent splinting to the floor showed signs of strength, but not speed. Their steps were slow and clunky, something that meant this was a poor pairing.
Unless he grabs Killua, he has no chance of hurting his friend, let alone touching him.
Killua zipped past the beast while it was distracted searching for him, sending sparks of electricity hurling against the spot he initially attacked.
This seemed to only aggravate the beast. Good, let's see how many hits it takes before that tough exterior cracks…
The beast charged Killua where he once stood, only to receive another zap against the same spot.
"Is that all you can do? I'll take as many as you want to throw at me. It won't make a difference once I catch you. I'll treat you like that kid did to Baro, cave your skull in like it was made out of wet tissue."
"I'd like to see you try…"
Killua was incredibly fast, snapping around the field like he had ants in his pants.
Time and time again, the ant seized up, a wave of electricity enveloping their body every time the boy swiped at his body. They couldn't do much as his body spasmed, unable to fight against their seizing muscles.
It was like that to the bitter end, Killua finally appearing, holding a heart as blood ruptured from the creature's body, with the heart still beating in his hand.
The boy was quite brutal with his actions, but they wouldn't have spared him any curtsy had he been in the rhinoceros' position.
The ant's eyes went dull, collapsing straight onto the floor in a limp heap.
Killua showed the other ants he wasn't messing around as he turned to face them, "So who's next? Surely, one of you must be ten times stronger than him…" He tossed the heart back to the dead rhinoceros, the organ hitting the floor with a wet plop.
Funnily enough, it was a call back to Baro's words, except he never got to hear the sound, and it was one of his allies that ended up suffering what he enjoyed doing to others.
The frog's eyes twitch, radiating anger. Twice they've been humiliated, both by kids. He turned to glare at the grasshopper, "Start shaking…" The frog turned to the others, "You better not fail the next time. These are kids humiliating you."
"Kids who know what they're doing…" Raphael stepped up to the field, addressing the others, "Aren't you a little entertained." Raphael tightened his fist, "Or is it only fun when you humiliate your enemies?"
"#12?"
The dirt rumbled beneath the boy's feet, Raphael taking a step back as the ground opened up.
A creature reached out to try to grab him, but Raphael quickly swatted the hands away, taking several steps back. He braced himself for the ant to go crawling back into the dirt it came from, but it merely got out, irritated from failing to drag him under.
The Chimera ant was a cross between a goat and tortoise, a huge shell encasing most of their body.
It made no sense why it would dig its way through the dirt, unless it was part mole or something else as well.
"I'm guessing you're twelve?"
"Annoying. You predicted my movement."
"No, this just isn't my first rodeo with an under dweller." Raphael gestured to the chimera ant, expecting an introduction of some kind, "So do I get the honour of a name, or will you be as forgettable as Mr Rhinoceros over there…" He gestured to the dead ant.
This only seemed to anger the creature, a vein protruding on their forehead. He couldn't imagine why, since he was merely stating a basic fact.
"Those guys-"
Raphael interrupted the creature with a long, frustrated sigh. He could hear the argument coming from a mile away. Do none of them honestly care about their companions dying?
The hunt was the only reason they were together, and it's going to be the reason why they're going to be eradicated, "Losers are trash, and you are stronger. Yada, yada. Insert your gloating about how much stronger you are before you bite the dust." Raphael readied his fist, "Well come on, little goat, aren't you going to baaaack up your words?" With a small gesture, he ensured the creature would be enraged. He flicked his fingers towards him, ushering for the Chimera ant to come get him.
The beast charged forward like Gon's enemy, except he rotated his body while on his stomach like a spinning top. It decimated the floor in his path.
Raphael slammed his fist against the shell in hopes of diverting its attack pattern. Except, he was the one that was repelled, knocked back from the beast.
It giggled in response, the boy digging his palms into the dirt. Note to self, don't punch the shell while he's spinning.
Raphael shifted his feet, bouncing on the spot to show he was unharmed after the attack. There's nothing like a little humiliation to prove he's still in the fight, "That tickled. Again…?"
The chimera ant charged across the floor. The fight was far from over. Until that kid was captured and dragged across the floor to leave nothing but a bloodstain, he wouldn't stop.
Raphael avoided every attack, observing for any weaknesses.
It was obviously protecting their belly as the beast's main weakness. But why did it try to drag him under? Wouldn't the dirt make it impossible to spin. Unless, it dug out a small area so it could grind him into paste, with zero chance of escape.
If that was the case, surely, it had prepared a trap in advance. He'll use that to his advantage.
Raphael, tightened his fist, jumping high into the air. Aura pulsed around his fist as the creature moved around, unable to target him. He was going to destroy the ground beneath the ant's body, hoping that he could use the trap that had been potentially setup for him, against them.
The boy shifted his body, focusing more of his aura into his fist.
While Ko was better in terms of raw power over Ryu, considering he was focusing his strength into a single attack, Ryu would've still ensured he was protected, if he were to mess up.
The teen aimed for the ground, slamming his fist with enough force to crack the ground beneath him. Nature jostled around them, a large cave opening up below the beast, the creature flailing their arms in utter shock.
Where did all this strength come from? How could a kid collapse, the ground beneath his feet? He made sure no amount of weight or any of the fights would take out their support.
Yet this kid was able to do it in a single blow…
Raphael made his move while the ant was taken aback, aiming to grab the beast's head. Kite did mention their head was a major weak point. If he could behead them, they won't be doing anything.
The creature anticipated his move, withdrawing their head into their body. The creature cackled with delight, "I won't go-"
Raphael switched targets, swinging his foot right into the underbelly of the chimera ant. Using his full weight and force to, hopefully, crush the skull in the process.
A banshee-like scream of agony was let loose as the ant's body was slammed into the rubble, blood rupturing from the holes.
Then, there was silence…
He thought he'd need more force, but there were no issues whatsoever. The enemy's caprice did most of the work for him.
Raphael removed his foot from the squishy chest, frowning when he saw his shoe and potentially sock drenched in blood, "Ugh…" I'll be lucky if I get to wash my shoe in a pond on the way to kill the queen.
He shook his foot, blood splattering across the floor.
He wished he had Killua's finesse in times like these. That boy didn't get a speck of blood on his clothes when he ripped the ant's heart from their chest.
Dragging his foot across the floor, he could only sigh. It definitely wasn't coming off anytime soon, "Oh, man…"
The teen directed his eyes to the frog chimera ant, "Can we continue, before this sloppy mess in my shoes congeals. I'd prefer to wash it out before the end of the night."
The frog started to tremble, shaking with rage and humiliation. This was far from over. But clearly, none of the captains with him were adequate to harm one of them. I'm done with this…
The frog was done wasting time…
He was done, giving them leeway…
He was going to straight up murder the next one to fight, zero mercy.
Kite was impressed that all three managed to dispatch the chimera ants.
Sure, Gon had a slow start…
And Raphael had an issue with overexerting, expressing too much flair with his methods…
But they still completed their task with zero difficulty. The man adjusted his hat when he saw the frog visibly shaking. It seems like they finally met the threshold. That frog was no longer going to give them ample time to train. That, and time to kill the queen was running out.
If the King is born, this will all be for nought. Kite drew his hand up, the clown appearing, ready to give its whole speech.
"The numbers-"
"Roll…" Kite showed zero patience with his ability, the dial rotating for a draw, "Two, you're welcome!" Smoke covered the area, the man letting out an irritated click of his tongue. Out of all rolls, it had to be this one.
"Damn, bad roll…"
"Bad?! You ungrateful-"
The man ignored his ability's complaints, focusing only on the situation ahead.
Sure, he could wipe the enemies off the face of the earth, but the kids were also in the radius of his attack. This weapon doesn't discriminate. Kite, held the weapon out, the blade curving around his chest.
Gon felt like there were bugs crawling up his back. The boy felt nothing but dread, malicious intent oozing from the weapon, "Killua…"
"I know…" The boy in question rubbed the back of his neck. It felt horrible to him, probably the same as what Gon and even Raphael were feeling.
The man tilted the scythe slightly, the blade glinting in the mist, indicating where he was to their enemies, "Killua… Gon… Raphael… you must listen to everything I say."
Gon gave a nod at the request, this gnawing feeling settling at the back of his throat.
"In three seconds, you're going to jump up." Kite stopped, gripping the shaft with both hands. The mist swirled around them, like miniature whirlpools.
Raphael could feel Nen surging through the mist, waves of pressure threatening to drag them under too.
Kite held the blade out, the blade pointing to the side. When the mist shifted, on instinct, the others jumped.
He swung the weapon, the mist being drawn along a path, cycling through everyone still on the ground except for Kite.
There was a slight delay, the mist passing through everyone before dispersing up into the air, past the boys without harming any of them.
Then there was a sudden shift, the bodies of the ants being cleaved in half. The mist parted their bodies, leaving behind a clean cut that started pooling blood.
There wasn't even a splatter from having carved all their enemies like they were made from butter.
The moment they landed, Raphael's jaw dropped.
"Get lost…"
"What… Did you do?" Raphael's eyes gleamed with excitement. That ability was beyond crazy. He had practically wiped all the enemies out in a single strike.
"What did I do?" Kite turned to face the boys, his face impassive. He honestly hated that ability. Especially, when he had allies nearby. Had they not listened to him, they'd be joining the ranks of the Chimera Ants, "The technique can only be used with the scythe. And to make matters worse, unless I use Grime Reaper's Dance: Silent Waltz, the scythe will not disappear. Seriously…"
The man started walking away, "Such an annoying ability."
"Annoying?!" Raphael jogged closer to the man, "You cleared all the enemies with a single swing. What do you mean, annoying…?"
"Well, if you ignored me, you'd be dead too."
"Seriously?!"
When the man didn't answer, the teen's eyes widened in fear, "Wait, you are being serious!"
Kite let out an irritated click of his tongue, starting to run faster towards the main nest, "We need to keep moving. No time for rest. And be cautious, there could be other traps waiting for us the closer we get."
"Wait, you said we had to destroy the head or heart, right?"
"Yes…"
"Most of these guys were split in half. They won't attack us, right?"
"Unlikely. But yes, that attack won't be enough to kill them immediately." Kite stopped to look at the other two, "Are you okay?"
"Yup, no wounds on us." Killua made a show to dust his shirt, proving that not even a speck of dust landed on them.
"No, I mean mentally. It's only going to get worse from here on out. If you start to sympathise with the enemy, you won't be able to handle what's coming."
"They have no sympathy for each other…" Raphael mocked with a smile, "So why should we?"
"And if you meet one who cares…" Kite's eyes found the teen, "Would your tune change?"
"Not one of them has proved they have sympathy for others. Doubt that will change. But if they do show signs, they've still killed humans…" Raphael trembled a little, honestly feeling upset for being doubted once more, "So why should we?"
"I agree…" Gon looked over the bodies of the ants, "They just call each other trash. They'll never care for anyone, but their own entertainment. They're bugs through and through."
Kite looked away, not even wanting to entertain their thoughts. Would you really not care? What if one of them used themselves to protect another? Would you really follow through and kill the one being protected, even the one that was being protected…?
Would you truly not hold back, even if it was a little…?
A/N: Leave a review, it helps inspire me.