Author note:-
Dear amazing readers
First, I want to sincerely apologize for the long wait since my last update on November 13, 2023. Life has thrown some unexpected challenges my way, and I haven't been able to dive back into this world as soon as I'd hoped. I truly appreciate your patience and support, it means the world to me that you've stuck with this story! But here's the exciting news: I'm thrilled to announce that a new chapter is on the horizon! I've been pouring my heart into making it worth the wait, and I can't wait to share this next part of the journey with you. Get ready for more epic crossover action, because Hunter X Asura is roaring back to life soon. Thank you for your unwavering enthusiasm, stay tuned, and let's get hyped together!
Readers Feedback:-
Plague Live 57: Wow, thank you so much for your awesome feedback! it's been chilling in the fridge for way too long, haha. I really appreciate you sticking with it! You're spot-on about the King and Asura facing off soon. I love that you're hoping for more than just a straight-up brawl-to-the-death, don't worry, I've got some twists in mind, and Asura's definitely not the type to just punch first and ask questions later. The idea of him trying to talk the Ant King down is super interesting, and I'll tease this much: Asura's presence is going to shake things up in ways even I didn't expect when I started plotting this arc. As for Gon... YES, I'm so excited you brought that up! Asura's been through the wringer with anger and revenge, and you're right that he'd see a bit of himself in Gon. I'm playing with some ideas there, whether it's Asura rubbing off on him or stepping in at a critical moment, I want it to feel earned and impactful. No spoilers yet, but I'm definitely keeping Gon's arc in mind! And Pitou living? Oh, I hear you! I've always thought Pitou's got more potential than just being a punching bag, so I'm tossing around some ideas to mix things up there. As for Asura's enemies showing up, great question! Let's just say the crossover vibes might get even wilder down the line, but I won't spill the beans just yet. No need to apologize for the long comment... I LOVE hearing your thoughts! you keep me motivated. The next chapter's is here, so hang tight and let me know what you think once it drops!"
Guest: I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting, life got a little crazy, but I'm pumped to say the next chapter is ready! and I promise it's going to be worth the wait.
Chapter 3
The wind howled past Gon and Killua as they plummeted from the tower, the palace's jagged silhouette fading into a chaotic smear against the darkening sky.
Gon's hazel eyes locked onto the faint, menacing shimmer of Neferpitou's aura in the distance… a pulsing beacon of danger and vengeance that seemed to taunt him with every flicker. His fists clenched tightly, nails biting into his palms, but his face held an unsettling calm.
Too calm, Killua thought, a cold shiver crawling up his spine as he stole a glance at his friend. Something about Gon's expression felt off… like a storm brewing beneath a still sea.
"Gon, wait!" Killua's voice sliced through the rush of air as he landed with feline grace in the shattered courtyard below, dust blooming around his sneakers in a gritty haze. "We can't just charge in blind. Pitou's no pushover… she's sharp, and you know it!"
Gon landed with a heavy thud beside him, his boots cracking the already fractured stone. He didn't respond immediately, his gaze still fixed on the distant shimmer of Neferpitou's aura. The air around him crackled faintly, a telltale sign of his Nen stirring.
"I don't care," he finally muttered, his voice low but steel-laced. "She's got to pay for what she did to Kite."
Killua's electric blue eyes narrowed, but he bit back a retort. He knew arguing with Gon in this state was like trying to reason with a wildfire.
Instead, he followed closely as they sprinted across the courtyard, their footsteps echoing through the desolate expanse until they reached one of the palace's crumbling chambers.
Inside, the air was thick with the scent of blood and Nen. Neferpitou knelt in the center of the room, her feline ears twitching as she focused intently on her task.
Above her hovered Doctor Blythe, the grotesque Nen construct stitching together the frail, unconscious form of Komugi, the human girl cradled in a makeshift bed of rubble.
The puppet-like doctor moved with unsettling precision, its needle weaving through the air as threads of Nen glowed faintly with each suture.
Neferpitou's head snapped up as Gon and Killua entered, her crimson eyes narrowing at Gon's aura intensifying, darkening like a storm cloud on the horizon.
The boy's presence hit her like a shockwave—an untamed, primal force that bristled through the air and set her fur on edge. Gon stepped forward, his frame taut with purpose, his voice ringing out steady and straightforward yet simmering with a fury so raw it seemed to pulse beneath his words. "Do you remember me?" His eyes blazed, locking onto hers with unyielding intent. Slowly, deliberately, he clenched his fist, knuckles whitening as rage coiled tighter. "I'm GON FREECSS," he declared, his name a vow carved in steel. "I'm here to take KITE back from you."
Neferpitou didn't respond immediately, so her focus returned to Komugi. Her silence only fueled Gon's anger, his aura flaring sharper, hotter as if it could burn the room to ashes.
Killua, standing a step behind, analyzed the scene with a cool detachment born of years of training. He noted Neferpitou's uncanny passivity… no hostility, no immediate threat… focus—and something else—protection. She shielded the girl, and her posture was defensive rather than aggressive.
"She's healing her," Killua murmured, more to himself than to Gon, piecing it together. He remembered what his grandfather, Zeno, had told them earlier about the chaos of the invasion… how his Dragon Dive had torn through the palace, indiscriminately wounding anything in its path. "That girl… must've been caught in Grandpa's attack."
Gon didn't seem to hear him. His eyes burned with a singular focus as he took another step forward, his voice rising. "I don't care what you're doing. You're the enemy. FIGHT ME—NOW!"
Neferpitou froze, then slowly turned to face him fully. In a gesture that caught both boys off guard, she bowed her head low, placing her palms face up before her in a show of submission. The room fell silent, save for the faint hum of Doctor Blythe's Nen threads. "Please," Neferpitou said, her voice soft but resolute. Wait. I must save her."
The words hit Gon like a punch to the gut. His aura surged violently, a dark wave that made the air tremble, and his voice cracked with rage. "w
WAIT?! After what you did to KITE? You think I'll stand here while you—?!"
"Please," Neferpitou repeated, her tone unwavering despite the danger radiating from Gon. "I promise to do anything you say. But she must live."
Gon's fists trembled violently, his knuckles stark white against the taut, straining skin as if his fury could barely be contained. "You don't get to make promises!" he roared, his voice a jagged thunderclap that ricocheted off the fractured, crumbling walls, filling the air with its raw power. "I'm telling you—to take that monster and get it away from her right now! And then—" His eyes flared with a wild, unyielding resolve as he stepped closer, chest heaving. "Fight me! Fight me so I get Kite back!"
Killua stepped forward, placing a cautious hand on Gon's shoulder. "Gon, hold on. Think about this. That girl—right? She's probably hurt because of the invasion, not because of Pitou. Look at her. She's not fighting us right now."
Gon whirled on him, his hazel eyes blazing with anger and betrayal. "Don't tell me to trust that creature! After everything she's done? After what she did to KITE?!"
Before Killua could respond, Neferpitou moved. With a swift, deliberate motion, she grasped her left arm and snapped it at the elbow, the crack of bone reverberating through the room like a gunshot.
"If you want," she said, her voice steady despite the pain that must have been shooting through her body, "you can have my right arm as well. If that isn't enough, take both legs." She looked at Gon directly, her eyes burning with an almost tangible intensity. "And if you're worried that I might change my mind after the healing is done, you can break any part of my body that isn't necessary for healing her."
Gon felt a chill run down his spine. The 'her' in question was the human girl who had somehow captured the heart of the Chimera Ant King. Neferpitou's loyalty to the King was legendary, and now she was willing to sacrifice her body to save someone dear to him.
"Please," Neferpitou implored, her voice dropping to a whisper, "let me save her."
Gon's hands shook, and he could feel the rage and confusion bubbling inside him. This was the same Neferpitou who had broken and kidnapped Kite, his friend and mentor. And yet, here she was, offering herself up in such a selfless act. It wasn't very clear, enraging, and somehow, profoundly moving.
Killua looked on in shocked silence beside him, his eyes wide with surprise. The room seemed to hold its breath; the moment's gravity was palpable, the air thick with tension and uncertainty.
Gon's emotions were a tumultuous storm, anger, and confusion colliding within him like thunder and lightning.
The sight of Neferpitou—the merciless creature who had shattered Kite's life—now offering herself up to save another human struck Gon like a cruel, incomprehensible riddle, clawing at the very fabric of his soul.
His teeth clenched so hard they ached, and with a guttural, primal roar, he drove his fist into the stone floor. The impact was ferocious, the rock splitting beneath his knuckles with a sickening crunch, fracturing outward like a spider's web woven in chaos. Blood seeped from his torn skin, staining the cracked stone crimson.
"That's not fair!" he bellowed, slamming his bloodied fist down again, his voice booming through the chamber like a thunderclap tearing the silence apart. "It's not fair, damn it!"
Tears welled in his eyes, hot and stinging, blurring the world into a haze of pain and rage. "Why are you helping her?" he choked out, his voice splintering under the weight of his emotions. "After everything you did to Kite?!"
"Gon!" Killua's voice cut through the chaos, sharp and desperate, a lifeline thrown into the storm of his friend's rage.
As the words tore from his throat, his aura erupted around him, a savage, untamed tempest that lashed at the air, howling with the fury he could no longer contain. "Why?!" Gon screamed, his voice raw and ragged, echoing off the shattered walls. "Why?!" The word ripped from him again, a howl of anguish and disbelief, as if yelling it louder might force the world to make sense.
His legs buckled beneath him, and he collapsed to his knees, his body trembling with wrenching sobs. He glared up at Neferpitou through the tears streaming down his face, each drop a glistening testament to his grief, his frustration, and the unbearable contradiction tearing him apart.
Then, as if the fire within him flickered, he stilled. His chest heaved, breaths uneven, and his voice dropped to a low, bitter murmur. "To hell with that." The words carried a quiet venom, rejecting the unbearable contradiction before him.
He straightened, eyes narrowing with a steely resolve. "First comes—"
"Gon," Killua interjected, his tone firm yet laced with urgency, stepping closer. "If you kill Pitou now, we'll never get Kite back."
Gon's head jerked up, his tear-stained face twisted into a mask of raw frustration. "It's easy for you to stay calm, Killua!" he spat, his voice jagged with pent-up pain. "You're perfectly calm… since it means nothing to you!" The words tumbled out, sharp as shards of glass, before he could claw them back. Killua flinched, a subtle twitch in his expression as if the accusation had struck a nerve, and for a fleeting heartbeat, a heavy silence swallowed the space between them, the sting of Gon's unguarded barb hanging like smoke in the air.
Killua's jaw clenched, a flicker of hurt flashing in his silver eyes, but he didn't snap back. Instead, he drew a slow, steadying breath, his gaze locking onto Gon's with a quiet, unshakable resolve. "You're wrong, Gon," he said, his voice low but firm, cutting through the tension. "I care—more than you think. But I also care about you not throwing yourself away to this." He paused, letting the weight of his words settle, then softened his tone, almost a whisper. "Remember what Asura told you? 'Don't let your anger and hatred consume you like they did me.' You gave him your word you'd keep it in check."
The words hit Gon like a wave, washing away the haze of rage for a fleeting moment. He staggered back, shoulders slumping as he recalled his promise to Asura, an oath made in the heat of camaraderie. "I… I did," he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Neferpitou, silently watching the exchange, felt a jolt of recognition at Asura's name. Her feline eyes widened slightly, her mind racing. Was Asura the freak-looking guy with the King and those two old humans? The one who nearly killed Youpi with a single blow? The thought sent a ripple of unease through her, but she kept her composure, her focus returning to Komugi.
Gon wiped his tears with the back of his hand. His breathing was ragged but steadier now. He turned to Neferpitou, his voice still edged with anger but more controlled. "How long will it take to heal her?"
Neferpitou hesitated, calculating. "A full healing would take three to four hours," she said cautiously, noting the flicker of impatience in Gon's eyes.
Before he could protest, she added quickly, "But I can stabilize her most critical injuries in one hour. Please… just one hour."
Gon's jaw clenched, his instincts screaming to refuse. But Asura's words echoed in his mind again, a quiet anchor amidst the storm of his emotions. He exhaled sharply, then nodded.
"Fine. One hour. But after that, you're coming with me to Peijin to heal Kite. No tricks."
Neferpitou nodded solemnly, her broken arm dangling limply at her side. "I understand."
Gon sat heavily on the cracked floor before the Royal Guard, crossing his legs and fixing her with an unblinking stare.
His determination was palpable, a silent vow that he wouldn't let her out of sight until the hour was up. Neferpitou turned back to Komugi, her Nen threads resuming their delicate work.
Killua, who had been silent during the negotiation, glanced at Gon one last time before slipping out of the room without a word. His expression was unreadable, a mix of concern and resolve.
Gon didn't notice his departure, his mind drifting as he sat there, Asura's words replaying repeatedly like a mantra. Don't let your anger consume you… don't let it consume you…
The seconds ticked by, each one feeling heavier than the last as the fate of Komugi and perhaps Kite hung in the balance.
Miles away, the Nen-dragon unraveled into a cascade of shimmering sparks, its serpentine form dissipating as it settled onto a desolate stretch of jagged rock and swirling dust.
Thunder cracked overhead, the sky fracturing with jagged bolts of lightning that bathed the barren wasteland in an electric glow.
The air trembled with the promise of violence as if nature held its breath for the battle.
The King strode forward with a predator's grace, his segmented tail curling like a living lash behind him. His piercing purple eyes locked onto the towering figure before him: Asura, the demigod of Wrath.
A faint, predatory smirk tugged at the King's lips, his voice smooth but laced with an edge of menace. "This will suffice," he said, gesturing to the desolate expanse around them. "No distractions. Just us."
Asura cracked his knuckles with a sound like snapping iron, the golden sheen of his arms flaring briefly under the storm's erratic flashes.
His lips curled into a feral grin, a deep, guttural snarl forged in the fires of endless battles rumbling from his chest. "Perfect," he growled, his voice carrying the weight of a Warhammer. "I've been itching to wipe that smug grin off your face since I first heard your voice."
Behind them, Isaac Netero lingered at the edge of the battlefield; his hands clasped calmly behind his back, and his sharp eyes glinted beneath the shadow of his brow, betraying a flicker of intrigue. "Easy now, Asura," he cautioned, his tone steady but carrying a razor's warning edge. "This isn't your brawl alone. The King's no mere thug; he's a strategist. Underestimate him, and you'll regret it."
The King's chuckle rolled low and dark, resonant as distant thunder. He spread his arms wide as if beckoning the challenge, his aura igniting around him like a molten blaze… wild yet chillingly controlled. "Sound advice, old man," he said, his smirk unwavering. "But when was the last time either of you faced a true equal? I'll grant you both the chance to test yourselves."
His stance shifted subtly, muscles coiling beneath his sleek exoskeleton, ready to strike.
Asura didn't flinch, closing the distance until he loomed mere inches from the King. His breath came hot and heavy, tinged with barely contained rage as their gazes locked, a clash of wills as tangible as any physical blow.
"Save your fancy speeches," Asura spat, his voice dripping with disdain. "Where I come from, I crushed gods under my heel. You? You're just a crowned insect begging for a swat." His white eyes flared brighter, a pulsing glow of wrath radiating from within. The air around him cracked with the sheer force of his fury.
The King's smirk sharpened into something lethal, his purple eyes gleaming with a cold, calculating malice. "Then prove it," he whispered, his voice a coiled threat that seemed to slither through the charged air. "Show me this 'wrath' you wield like a badge of honor."
Before Netero could interject, Asura unleashed a bellow that shook the heavens, the sound reverberating through the wasteland like the roar of some primordial beast. His fist surged forward with the force of a collapsing star, the air screaming as it parted around his strike.
The King countered with a strike of his own, his clawed hand meeting Asura's fist in a collision that birthed a shockwave, stones shattered into dust, the ground splintered beneath their feet, and a howling gust roared outward, tearing at the jagged landscape.
Netero sprang back with the agility of a man quarter his age, his T-shirt whipping in the gale as he landed lightly on a nearby outcrop. A ghost of a grin tugged at his weathered face, his eyes alight with exhilaration. "Well now," he murmured to the chaos before him, "this ought to be worth watching."
The wasteland quaked as Asura's fist met the King's, the sheer force of their clash splitting the earth like brittle glass. Dust and splintered rock spiraled upward in a gritty haze, veiling the combatants until a ferocious gust ripped the shroud apart.
The King stumbled back a single step, his clawed hand trembling faintly from the blow, yet that infuriating smirk clung stubbornly to his lips. "Not bad," he said coolly, flexing his fingers with deliberate slowness as though savoring the pain. "But it'll take more than brute force to stir me."
Asura's eyes blazed a fiercer white, the golden sheen of his arms flashing under the storm's fractured lightning. "Stir you?" he snarled, his voice a rolling thunderhead that seemed to shake the clouds above. "I'm not here to tickle your ego, insect!" He surged forward in a blur too fast for mortal eyes to follow, unleashing a torrent of punches, each strike a sonic roar that gouged craters into the ground, sending shards of rock flying like shrapnel.
The King danced backward with preternatural agility, his tail snapping like a whip to parry the onslaught, but Asura's relentless fury forced him onto the defensive. A stray fist grazed the King's shoulder, the impact sending him skidding across the stone, his claws digging deep furrows into the bedrock as he fought to hold his ground.
The storm above the wasteland raged on, lightning splitting the sky in jagged arcs as Asura and the King clashed with earth-shaking ferocity.
Each blow they exchanged sent tremors through the fractured ground, the air vibrating with the raw power of their colliding forces. Asura's golden arms gleamed with every strike, his white eyes burning with a wrath that seemed to consume the storm around them.
Yet, as the battle wore on, there was a subtle restraint in his movements… a deliberate leash on his fury that didn't go unnoticed.
Perched on his jagged outcrop, Isaac Netero's keen eyes tracked every motion with the precision of a seasoned predator. The old hunter's weathered face betrayed a flicker of astonishment, his brows lifting as he leaned forward, his usual smirk replaced by a rare expression of genuine awe. "Incredible," he murmured, his voice nearly lost to the howling wind. "That power… it's like staring into the heart of a supernova. And yet, he's holding back."
Netero's fingers twitched at his sides, itching for a fight, but he restrained himself, his mind racing to comprehend the scale of Asura's energy. It wasn't just raw strength… it was something primal, boundless as if the demigod carried the fury of an entire cosmos within him.
The King, too, sensed something amiss as he danced through Asura's onslaught, his emerald eyes narrowing with curiosity and frustration. The Chimera Ant King gritted his teeth, his tail lashing like a whip as he aimed a razor-sharp strike at Asura's flank. "What is your body made of?" he hissed, his voice a blend of irritation and grudging respect.
The question hung unanswered as Asura sidestepped the attack with unnerving ease, his movements fluid despite the ferocity of the battle.
In a blur of motion, he seized the King's segmented tail mid-strike, his iron grip unyielding as the King's momentum faltered.
"You talk too much," Asura growled, his voice a low rumble that seemed to shake the earth beneath them. With a fierce yank, he pulled him off balance, the King's claws scrabbling against the stone for purchase.
In the same heartbeat, Asura drew back his fist, the golden sheen of his arm flaring like molten fire under the storm's electric glow. "Try this instead!" he roared, unleashing a devastating falcon punch that connected squarely with the King's chest.
The impact echoed like a thunderclap, a shockwave rippling outward with enough force to hurl shards of rock skyward as if the wasteland recoiled from the blow.
The King was launched backward, his body a streak against the storm-lit sky. He crashed into a jagged boulder with enough force to shatter it into rubble. Dust and debris erupted in a choking cloud, veiling the King's form momentarily as the ground trembled beneath the aftermath.
When the haze cleared, the King rose slowly, his exoskeleton marred with faint cracks where Asura's fist had struck. His eyes burned with a mix of pain and intrigue, his breath coming in sharp, measured bursts. He wiped a trickle of blue blood from the corner of his mouth, his smirk returning, though it now carried a sharper edge of defiance. "So you can hit," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "But if you're holding back, you're a fool. I'll rip that restraint from you, piece by piece."
Asura stood his ground, his massive fists still clenched tightly, steam rising from his knuckles as if his wrath scorched the air. "Keep dreaming, insect," he growled, his eyes narrowing as he cracked his neck with a deliberate roll of his shoulders. "I'm just getting warmed up."
The words were a taunt, but there was truth beneath them. Netero could see how Asura's aura pulsed, restrained yet brimming with untapped potential, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
Netero's smirk returned, tinged with a thrill he hadn't felt in decades. "Holding back against him, of all opponents," he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "Either he's got a death wish or the power to spare that'd make even the gods sweat." His eyes glinted with anticipation, his fingers drumming lightly against his thigh as he awaited the following exchange.
Whatever Asura was hiding promised a spectacle unlike any Netero had witnessed, and he wasn't about to miss a second of it.
The wasteland trembled beneath the unrelenting storm, flashes of lightning illuminating the devastation left by Asura and the King clash. Craters scarred the earth like the aftermath of a meteor shower, and the air crackled with the raw energy of their colliding forces.
The King, despite his earlier resilience, now bore the marks of battle… shallow cracks spiderwebbed across his exoskeleton, and his eyes burned with a mix of frustration and fascination as he faced the towering demigod.
The Chimera Ant King's composure faltered, his voice laced with irritation as he lunged forward, his tail whipping toward Asura with deadly precision. "What kind of power do you wield?" he demanded, his tone sharp and incredulous. "It's not Nen—this energy… it defies everything I know!"
Asura didn't slow his assault, charging through the storm of dust and debris with the ferocity of a tempest. He sidestepped the King's tail strike with a fluid twist of his massive frame, his golden arms gleaming under the lightning's glare as he closed the distance in an instant.
"It's Mantra," he roared, his voice a thunderous growl that seemed to echo beyond the battlefield. "It's wilder, stronger than the Nen you cling to!" With a brutal uppercut, he caught the King off guard, sending him skidding backward across the jagged rocks, his claws screeching against stone as he fought to regain his footing.
The King eyes widened, a flicker of shock breaking through his regal facade. Mantra… a term he'd never encountered, yet its raw, untamed essence pulsed around Asura like a living flame, distinct from the disciplined flow of Nen he mastered.
His mind raced, analyzing the implications even as his body braced for the next assault 'This power… it wasn't structured like Nen, with its defined categories and techniques. It was primal, chaotic… an incomprehensible force that seemed to bend the very fabric of reality with Asura's every move.'
Atop his jagged outcrop, Isaac Netero froze mid observation, his sharp eyes narrowing as Asura's words sank in. The old hunter's weathered hand rose to rub his chin thoughtfully, his usual smirk replaced by a rare expression of contemplative wonder.
"Mantra!" he murmured, his voice barely audible over the howling wind. "An energy ancient in our world… older than even the earliest records of Nen. I always thought it was a myth tales of warriors who harnessed the raw emotions of mortals to shatter mountains and defy gods." His gaze flickered to Asura, whose crimson aura pulsed with an intensity that sent shivers down Netero's spine. "But this… this is no myth. It's real, and it's standing right before us."
The revelation hung heavy in the air as Asura pressed his attack, his fists a blur of golden fury. Each strike carried the weight of centuries old wrath, the Mantra fueling his movements with a relentless, almost feral energy that seemed to grow with every passing second.
The King dodged and countered with all the skill of a born predator, his tail lashing out in desperate retaliation, but Asura's sheer momentum was overwhelming.
A glancing blow caught the King's shoulder, spinning him into a nearby boulder with a crash that sent shards of rock flying like shrapnel. He rose from the rubble, his exoskeleton marred with fresh cracks, blue blood trickling from a cut above his brow. His eyes narrowed, not with fear but with a burning curiosity that bordered on obsession.
"Mantra…" he repeated, tasting the word as if it were a challenge to unravel. "Stronger than Nen, you claim? Then show me its true depths… or are you still holding back?" His voice dripped with defiance, his aura flaring anew, a molten blaze that pushed back against the oppressive weight of Asura's Mantra.
Asura cracked his knuckles, the sound like snapping steel in the charged air, his eyes blazing with a dangerous glint. "You want the real thing?" he growled, a feral grin splitting his face as his aura surged, the ground beneath him cracking under the invisible pressure. "Keep pushing, insect. You'll regret it."
Netero's fingers tightened around the edge of the outcrop, his heart pounding with an exhilaration he hadn't felt in decades. "Ancient power or not, this fight's about to get uglier," he muttered, his smirk returning with a sharp edge. "And I'm not sure the world's ready for what happens when Asura stops playing nice."
Minutes Later...
The storm above the wasteland began to wane, its fury spent as the lightning faded into a distant rumble.
The jagged battlefield lay in ruins, a testament to the cataclysmic clash between Asura and the King.
Craters pocked the earth like the scars of a war-torn moon, and shards of shattered rock scattered amidst swirling dust.
The air still hummed with the lingering echoes of their battle, but an eerie silence settled over the desolate expanse as the fight reached its brutal conclusion.
Asura stood over the fallen Chimera Ant King, his massive frame casting a long shadow across the broken ground.
The King lay crumpled amidst the rubble, his once-pristine exoskeleton marred with deep scratches and cracks, blue blood pooling beneath him in a slow, sticky spread. His eyes, usually so sharp and calculating, were closed, his chest rising faintly with shallow breaths, unconscious from the relentless beating he had endured.
Asura's golden arms gleamed dully under the fading starlight, smeared with dirt and traces of the King's blood. His eyes were still smoldering with the embers of wrath.
The demigod's chest heaved as he caught his breath. His aura flickered like a dying flame, its wild intensity now subdued but no less palpable.
He cracked his knuckles with a sound like snapping steel, the tension in his muscles slowly unwinding as he surveyed his opponent's wreckage.
The bug had fought fiercely, his skill and tenacity undeniable, but in the end, Asura's raw power, fueled by Mantra's primal force, had overwhelmed him.
Blow after bone-shattering blow; Asura had beaten the King into submission; each strikes a thunderous declaration of his dominance until he could withstand no more.
Turning away from the defeated King, Asura glanced over his shoulder at Netero, who had remained perched on his jagged outcrop throughout the battle. "Should I spare his life, old man?" Asura rumbled, his low growl tinged with a surprising hint of deference.
His tone had no mockery, only a question as if weighing the worth of mercy against the instinct to crush his foe utterly.
Netero's sharp gaze lingered on the demigod, his mind still reeling from the raw spectacle of Asura's dominance. He blinked once as if grounding himself, then vaulted from his perch with a grace that belied his years.
His sandals whispered against the cracked earth as he landed beside Asura, hands clasping behind his back in a posture of quiet authority.
His eyes flicked to the King's broken figure; exoskeleton splintered, blue blood pooling beneath, then returned to Asura, a storm of awe and calculation brewing beneath his weathered brow. "He's had his lesson carved into him," Netero said, his voice steady but laced with a marvel he couldn't quite mask. "Spare him. We'll take him alive." His lips twitched into a wry smirk, a glint of mischief sparking in his gaze. "But don't get too comfortable, Asura. You owe me about after that display. I won't let it pass without testing you myself."
Asura's stern visage cracked, a rare grin splitting his features, a jagged, toothy thing that rumbled into a chuckle, deep and resonant like thunder rolling over a far horizon. It was rough-hewn, unrefined, yet carried a warmth that cut through his earlier ferocity. "Fair enough, old man," he replied, a flicker of camaraderie softening his tone as he rolled his shoulders, the creak of his battle-worn frame punctuating the words. "Once this chaos settles, I'll give you your fight. Brace yourself; it won't be a soft sparring match."
Netero's smirk bloomed into a complete, wolfish grin, his eyes alight with a thrill that danced decades off his frame. "Good," he shot back, clapping his hands together with a crack that split the silence like a whip. "I'd be insulted if it were anything less." He straightened, his voice taking on a mock-formal edge. "By the authority of Isaac Netero, Chairman of the Hunter Association, I'll hold you to that."
Asura arched a brow, his grin fading into a curious tilt of his head. "So, you're the head of these hunters," he rumbled, sizing Netero up anew. "Explains the steel in you."
Netero chuckled, a dry, knowing sound, as he stepped closer to the King's fallen form. He crouched briefly, pressing two fingers to the King's neck with the practiced ease of a battlefield medic. A faint pulse thrummed beneath the cracked exoskeleton, stubborn and defiant. "Tough little bastard," Netero muttered, a note of grudging admiration slipping through. He rose, brushing dust from his hands, and nodded to Asura. "Give me a hand. I'm not hauling him back alone, not when you've got arms like that."
Asura grunted, a sound that might've been amusement or assent, and stooped to lift the King's limp body. He slung the King over his shoulder with effortless strength as if the once-mighty Chimera Ant were no heavier than a child's toy.
Blue blood smeared across his battered armor, mingling with battle scars, but he paid no heed. His eyes gaze swept the horizon, alert and unyielding, already hunting the subsequent trial.
Netero stepped beside him, his stride smooth despite the uneven ground, his ponytail swaying with each measured pace. His mind churned, plans forming, contingencies shifting, yet a quiet thrill pulsed beneath it all, stoked by the promise of clashing with the demigod at his side.
Asura had felled the King, a being Netero himself had once deemed a near-peerless threat, and yet the hunter sensed the demigod had barely scratched the surface of his power. The thought set his blood ablaze.
While Asura's golden arms gleamed dully, untouched by the wear of battle, beside him, Netero walked with a steady gait. His sharp eyes scan the horizon, ever alert despite the calm that followed their cataclysmic clash.
The silence between them was comfortable, mutual respect simmering beneath their sparse words until a sudden shift in the air halted them in their tracks.
Two towering presences emerged from the haze of dust ahead: Menthuthuyoupi and Shaiapouf, the remaining Royal Guards of the Chimera Ant King.
Their forms loomed like specters of vengeance, their auras flickering with a volatile mix of shock and dread as their eyes fell upon the King's broken body slung over Asura's shoulder.
Youpi's massive frame trembled, his crimson skin darkening as rage boiled beneath his surface. His molten eyes locked onto Asura, memories of their earlier encounter in the palace flashing through his mind, the humiliating punch that had nearly ended his life, sending him crashing through walls like a ragdoll.
Beside him, Pouf's butterfly wings quivered, his usually composed visage twisting with a raw, visceral hatred for the humans and this monstrous stranger who dared to threaten their beloved king.
The Royal Guards froze, their instincts torn between the urge to attack and the paralyzing fear of facing the towering demigod who had effortlessly fallen their master.
Netero stepped forward, his posture deceptively relaxed as he clasped his hands behind his back. But his aura sharpened like a blade, a silent warning that radiated from him with the weight of decades of battle-hardened experience. "I'd think twice before making any sudden moves," he said, calm but edging with steel. "Your King's alive, for now. Don't tempt us to change that."
Asura shifted the King's weight on his shoulder, his eyes narrowing as he matched Netero's stance with a menacing glare of his own.
His lips curled into a predatory smirk, the golden sheen of his arms catching the faint light as he loomed like a storm waiting to break. "Listen to the old man," he growled, his voice a low rumble that sent a shiver through the air. "I'm in no mood for pests."
Youpi's fists clenched, his molten form rippling as he stepped forward, his grudge against Asura burning hotter than his fear. "YOU…" he snarled, his voice thick with venom. "That punch back at the palace… you nearly killed me! I'll have my revenge, you oversized freak!"
His aura flared, a molten wave of heat warping the air around him, but there was a tremor in his stance, a hesitation born of instinct warning him of the danger before him.
Asura's smirk widened, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes. He shifted the King's unconscious form slightly to emphasize his dominance.
"Revenge?" he echoed, his tone dripping with mockery. "I didn't kill you then because you weren't worth the effort. But if you don't crawl back to whatever hole you came from, I'll crush you for good this time." His words carried the weight of a promise, his aura spiking briefly, a raw, untamed pulse of Mantra that made the ground beneath him crack faintly in protest.
Pouf's antennae twitched, his golden eyes darting between Asura and Netero as his mind raced for a strategy.
The sight of the King's bloodied form ignited a storm of emotions within him… grief, rage, and an overwhelming hatred for these interlopers who dared to defile his King.
But he was no fool; he could sense the power radiating from Asura, who stood unscathed while the King lay broken.
Fighting them head-on would be suicide. Then, an idea sparked in his cunning mind… a desperate gambit to shift the odds.
"Enough of this!" Pouf interjected, his voice trembling with feigned urgency as he raised a delicate hand to halt Youpi's advance. "We have no intention of fighting you… not yet. But know this: Neferpitou holds Gon and Killua as hostages back at the palace." His wings fluttered nervously as he spoke, his golden eyes gleaming with a calculated falsehood.
"One of my Beelzebub clones watches over them as we speak. Harm our King further, and they'll pay the price." Pouf smiled evilly.
Netero's sharp gaze locked onto Pouf, his eyes narrowing as he studied the Royal Guard's expression.
Years of experience had honed his instincts for deception, and the subtle flicker in Pouf's demeanor… the slight tremor in his voice, the way his wings twitched, betrayed him.
The old hunter's lips curled into a faint, knowing smirk. "A liar's eyes always give him away," Netero said coolly, his tone cutting through Pouf's words like a blade. "You're bluffing. I've seen enough schemers to know when one's spinning tales."
Pouf's facade faltered for a fraction of a second, his antennae drooping as frustration gnawed at him. He knew engaging these two, especially the hulking monster who stood without a scratch while their King bled… was a death sentence.
Asura's sheer presence was maddening, his unscathed form a silent taunt that stoked Pouf's hatred to a fever pitch. But he couldn't risk it, not when the King's life hung in the balance.
Youpi, sensing Pouf's gambit had failed, shifted uneasily, his molten fists unclenching as the fight drained from him. The Royal Guards exchanged glances, their shared loyalty to their King outweighing their desire for vengeance… at least for now.
Pouf's wings drooped further, his voice softening into a desperate plea as he took a cautious step forward. "Please," he said, his tone stripped of its earlier venom. "Hand us our King… just for healing. We swear that we won't assault any intruders in the palace."
Youpi nodded reluctantly, his molten eyes still burning with resentment but tempered by the weight of their situation. "We only want to save him," he growled, his voice low and strained.
"Give him to us, and we'll leave you be." Pouf finished bowing his head.
Asura's eyes flicked between the two Royal Guards, his smirk fading into a hard line as he considered their words. The plea didn't soften his wrath, but it did give him pause, enough to glance at Netero for direction.
The old hunter rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his gaze never leaving Pouf and Youpi, weighing their sincerity against the risks. "What do you think, Asura?" Netero asked, his tone neutral but tinged with a hint of curiosity. "They're desperate enough to beg, but desperate ants bite hardest."
Asura grunted as he glared down at the Royal Guards. "They can have him… after we're sure they won't stab us in the back," he rumbled, his voice a low warning. "One wrong move and I'll tear you both apart faster than you can blink."
Pouf and Youpi stiffened under Asura's gaze, the unspoken threat hanging heavy in the air, a promise etched in the blood already staining the demigod's fists. For now, their hatred would have to wait.
Asura and Netero stood side by side, their imposing figures casting long shadows as they watched the retreating forms of Shaiapouf and Menthuthuyoupi.
The Royal Guards carried their broken king with reverent care, the King's limp body cradled between them as they disappeared into the haze of dust on the horizon. Blue blood trailed in their wake, glistening faintly under the pale light of a breaking dawn.
Netero's sharp eyes followed their departure, his expression unreadable beneath the shadow of his brow. Without turning to face Asura, he spoke, his voice low and tinged with a wary edge. "They'll be back," he said, his tone carrying the weight of experience. "Don't trust them, not for a second."
Asura's gaze remained fixed on the fading silhouettes, his massive arms crossed over his chest. He didn't turn to Netero, his voice a gravelly rumble that matched the old hunter's caution. "I agree with you, old man," he grunted. "The blonde insect's a sneaky bastard… I could see it in his eyes. He's scheming even now."
The two warriors stood in mutual understanding, their mistrust of the Royal Guards a silent bond between them. The wind tugged at Netero's T-shirt and stirred the dust around Asura's boots, but neither moved, their thoughts already turning to the battles ahead.
Meanwhile, Pouf and Youpi hurried through the barren landscape, their king's weight growing heavier with every step.
The King's blood seeped steadily from his cracked exoskeleton, staining their hands and pooling in the dirt beneath them. His breaths came shallow and ragged, each a faint whisper against the growing panic in the Royal Guards' hearts. They had never seen their king so fragile, so close to the edge of oblivion, and the realization gripped them with terror.
"Faster, Youpi!" Pouf's voice cracked with desperation, his golden wings fluttering erratically as he adjusted his grip on the King's limp form. His antennae twitched with every faltering heartbeat he sensed from their king, his usually composed demeanor shattered by the looming specter of loss. "He's bleeding too much… we're losing him!"
Youpi's molten form rippled with tension, his massive arms trembling not from the weight but from the dread clawing at his core. His fiery eyes darted to the King's pale face, his features now marred with cuts and bruises from Asura's relentless assault.
"What do we do, Pouf?" he growled, his voice thick with anguish. "We're too far from the palace… he won't last that long!"
Pouf's mind raced his thoughts a whirlwind of fear and determination. Then, a memory surfaced, a fleeting moment from their early days with the King when his power began to manifest.
His ability to consume other Nen users, absorbing their strength to bolster his own… had been the cornerstone of his evolution.
Pouf's golden eyes widened with grim resolve as the idea took shape. "There's only one way," he said, his voice steadying despite the terror in his heart. "We have to give ourselves to him."
Youpi's molten gaze snapped to Pouf, his expression a mixture of shock and understanding. "So you mean…" he began, his voice trailing off as the weight of the suggestion settled in.
"Yes," Pouf replied, his tone firm but laced with sorrow. "The only way to save our King is by feeding our bodies to him. He's bleeding too badly… I fear if we don't act now before we even reach the palace… he'll die." His wings stilled as he spoke, the gravity of their decision anchoring him in that moment of clarity.
Youpi didn't hesitate. His fiery exterior softened, his molten form shimmering as he nodded solemnly. "Then let's do it," he growled, determination hardening his voice. "For the King."
Without another word, the two Royal Guards knelt in the dust, gently laying the King's broken form on the ground between them. Pouf's delicate hands trembled as he summoned his Beelzebub ability, his body fragmenting into a swarm of tiny clones that shimmered like golden motes of light.
Youpi, meanwhile, focused his Nen, his molten flesh beginning to dissolve into a concentrated essence of fiery energy.
Together, they channeled their life forces into the King, their bodies dissipating as their Nen flowed into the King's shattered form, mending his wounds with the very essence of their beings.
The process was agonizingly slow, each moment stretching into eternity as their forms faded.
Pouf's golden swarm dimmed, his consciousness slipping away with a final whisper of devotion to his King.
Youpi's fiery essence flickered like a dying ember; his last thought was a fierce vow to see The King rise again. And
then, they were gone… Shaiapouf and Menthuthuyoupi, the last of the Royal Guards, had sacrificed everything for their sovereign.
The King's blood ceased its relentless flow, the cracks in his exoskeleton sealing as a faint glow enveloped him.
Slowly, his purple eyes fluttered open, their piercing clarity returning as the haze of unconsciousness lifted.
He sat up with a groan, his clawed hand pressing against his newly healed chest, the pain a distant echo now.
Memories flooded back… the battle with Asura, the crushing defeat, the searing humiliation of being broken by that unrelenting demigod.
And then… the voices of Pouf and Youpi, their desperate cries as they gave themselves to him.
"No…" the King's voice was a low growl, his emerald eyes narrowing with frustration and rage. He slammed a fist into the ground, the impact sending a ripple through the dirt as his aura flared, a molten blaze tinged with newfound intensity.
"Such humiliation…" he muttered, his tail lashing behind him angrily. "And now, my Guards… gone because of me."
The realization stoked the flames of his anger, his pride wounded as deeply as his body had been.
But beneath the rage was something else… a begrudging respect for the foe who had bested him and a burning desire to rise more potent than before.
The King stood, his restored form radiating a quiet menace as he turned his gaze toward their location; he needed to find him and that geezer human.
His path was clear now… vengeance would come, but not through recklessness. He would rebuild, grow, and face Asura again. And next time, he vowed silently, the outcome would be different
Back at the Palace
The Palace stood as a shattered monument to chaos, its once opulent halls reduced to rubble and ash in thirty minutes.
Cracked marble pillars jutted from the debris like broken bones, and the air hung thick with the acrid scent of smoke and Nen residue.
Flickering flames cast eerie shadows across the wreckage, their faint crackling the only sound in the otherwise oppressive silence that followed the storm of battle.
Ikalgo emerged cautiously from the basement, his octopus-like limbs skittering across the uneven floor as he patrolled the area.
His radar-like eyes darted nervously, taking in the devastation with awe and dread.
Walls had crumbled into heaps of stone, and the grand staircases now led to nowhere, their steps shattered into jagged fragments. "How could it all fall apart so fast?" His antennae twitched, sensing threats, but the eerie stillness unnerved him more than any enemy could.
As he rounded a corner, Ikalgo nearly collided with Killua and Palm, who appeared from a side corridor, their expressions grim but determined.
Killua's blue eyes scanned the surroundings with a predator's focus, his hands stuffed casually in his pockets despite the tension in his posture.
Palm clutched her fists tightly, her long black hair disheveled and her crystal ball Nen ability flickering faintly in her grasp, reflecting the firelight. Ikalgo's tentacles relaxed slightly at the sight of familiar faces, though the weight of their mission pressed heavily on him.
"Killua! Palm!" Ikalgo exclaimed, his voice a blend of relief and urgency. "What's the plan? We can't just stand around… this place is a graveyard waiting for more bodies."
Killua's gaze flicked to Ikalgo, his usual smirk absent as he weighed their options. "First things first," he replied, his tone clipped but steady. "We need to regroup and figure out our next move."
Palm nodded, her sharp eyes narrowing as she surveyed the wreckage. "The palace may be in ruins, but the threats aren't gone. We need to stay sharp." She paused, then turned to Killua, her voice edged with concern. "What about Gon? Is he still facing Neferpitou alone?"
Ikalgo's antennae twitched at the mention of God, his worry bubbling to the surface. "Exactly," he chimed in, his tone urgent. "Killua, are you gonna help Gon against Pitou? I mean, I know he's strong, but…" He trailed off, the unspoken fear hanging heavy in the air… they all knew Neferpitou's terrifying power.
Killua's jaw tightened, a flicker of unease crossing his face before he banished it with a curt nod. "Yeah, I'll back him up," he said, his voice firm despite the task's weight. "He's my best friend… I'm not leaving him to face that monster alone."
Ikalgo also hesitated, his radar-like eyes dimming with doubt. "Even so…" he murmured, his tentacles curling inward as he voiced the grim reality. "Even if we take on Neferpitou together, I'm not sure it'll be enough. She's on a whole other level." He paused, then added with hope, "What about Asura? Where's he at? That guy's a walking disaster… he could tip the scales."
Killua's expression darkened slightly at the mention of Asura, his thoughts flashing back to the demigod's overwhelming presence. "He's off with the King and the Chairman," he replied, his tone clipped. "Last I saw, they were heading out to deal with the King. Don't know when… or if… he's coming back."
Palm's brow furrowed, confusion etching her features as she crossed her arms. "Wait a minute… who's this Asura guy?" she asked, her voice tinged with suspicion. "You keep mentioning him like he's some kind of big deal, but I've never heard of him."
Killua waved a hand dismissively, his focus already shifting to the task. "Later, Palm," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "It's a long story, and we don't have time for it right now."
Before Palm could press further, the sound of heavy footsteps crunching through the rubble interrupted their conversation.
Knuckle and Meleoron emerged from the shadows, their faces streaked with dirt and sweat but their eyes burning with resolve.
Knuckle's fists were clenched, his knuckles bruised from earlier skirmishes, while Meleoron's chameleon-like form shifted subtly in the flickering light, his God's Accomplice Nen ability dormant for now.
"Yo!" Knuckle called out, his voice gruff but steady as he approached the group. "Glad to see you're still in one piece. So, what's the next move?" He cracked his knuckles, a habit born of restless energy, and didn't wait for an answer before continuing. "Me, I'm staying right here to fight. No way I'm running after all this… we've unfinished business."
Meleoron nodded in agreement, his reptilian eyes glinting with quiet determination. "Same here," he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "We've come too far to back down now. Whatever's left in this place, we face it together."
Ikalgo's tentacles twitched with renewed resolve, the group's determination infectious despite his earlier doubts. "Right," he agreed, his voice steadier now. "Let's stick together and head back toward the palace's core. If Gon's facing Pitou, he'll need all the help he can get."
Killua exchanged a glance with Palm, who gave a sharp nod of assent. "Then it's settled," Killua said, his tone resolute as he turned toward the heart of the ruined palace. "We advance. No hesitation, no regrets. Gon's counting on us."
The group moved as one, their footsteps echoing through the shattered halls as they navigated the debris-strewn corridors. The flickering fires cast their shadows long and jagged against the walls, a grim reminder of the battles already fought and the ones still to come. But with each step, their resolve hardened, a unified front against the darkness that awaited them in the palace's depths.
Back to Gon and Pitou
The tower stood as a hollowed-out relic amidst the palace's ruins, its cracked stone walls casting jagged shadows in the flickering torchlight.
The air inside was thick with tension, the faint hum of Nen lingering like a storm about to break.
Gon sat cross-legged on the cold floor, his hazel eyes fixed on Neferpitou with an intensity that could carve steel.
His aura pulsed faintly, a coiled spring of rage held in check by sheer willpower. Across from him, Neferpitou knelt beside Komugi, her feline ears twitching as she worked to stabilize the girl's critical injuries with the last of her Nen threads.
The hour Gon had granted her had ticked down to its final moments.
"Your time's up," Gon declared, his voice low and unyielding, cutting through the oppressive silence like a blade.
He rose to his feet in a single, fluid motion, his boots scraping against the stone as he fixed Neferpitou with a glare that bore into her very soul.
Neferpitou's crimson eyes widened, a flicker of panic breaking through her carefully maintained composure.
Her tail stiffened, and her Nen threads faltered momentarily as she glanced at Gon, her mind racing. How did he see through me? she wondered, her thoughts spiraling with unease.
She had tried to mask her earlier bloodlust… the fleeting moment when her instincts had screamed to kill the boy before her… but now she realized it must have betrayed her.
That raw, murderous intent had lingered in her aura, and Gon, with his uncanny sensitivity, had sensed it like a predator sniffing out weakness.
"I… I'm almost done," she stammered, her voice tinged with desperation as she turned back to Komugi, her Nen threads trembling in her haste.
Doctor Blythe, the grotesque Nen construct hovering above Komugi, vanished in a shimmering fading aura. Its task was incomplete but urgent enough to warrant the interruption.
Komugi stirred on the makeshift bed of rubble, her frail form shifting as her blind eyes fluttered open. Her voice, soft and fragile, broke the charged silence. "What… what's going on?" she murmured, her hands groping blindly for something… or someone… familiar.
Gon's gaze flicked to the girl for a fleeting moment, his expression unreadable, before snapping back to Neferpitou.
He took a deliberate step toward the door, his intent clear, but Neferpitou's hesitation caught his attention.
A dark edge crept into his voice, his words laced with a threat that sent a chill through the room. "If you delay me any further," he said, his tone cold and final, "I'll kill her."
Neferpitou froze, her feline ears flattening against her head as her crimson eyes darted between Gon and Komugi.
The threat wasn't a bluff; she could feel the weight of Gon's resolve, the barely restrained fury simmering beneath his calm exterior.
Her loyalty to the King demanded she protect Komugi at all costs, but Gon's ultimatum left her no choice.
Swallowing her pride, she nodded stiffly, rising to her feet with a grace that belied her inner turmoil. "I'll come with you," she said quietly, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her. "Just… don't harm her."
Before Gon could respond, the heavy thud of footsteps echoed up the tower stairwell. Killua and Knuckle burst through the door, their entrance a whirlwind of urgency and tension.
Killua's eyes scanned the room instantly, taking in Gon's rigid stance, Neferpitou's wary posture, and Komugi's frail form on the floor.
Knuckle followed close behind, his fists clenched and his Nen aura flickering with restless energy, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.
"Whoa, tense much?" Knuckle muttered, his gruff voice breaking the silence as he cracked his knuckles… a nervous habit under pressure.
His sharp eyes locked onto Neferpitou, and a grin tugged at his lips as an idea struck him. "Hey, Gon, how 'bout I slap Hakoware on her?" he suggested, gesturing to the Royal Guard with a thumb jerk. "It'll drain her Nen and give you an edge in your plan. I owe her one for all the trouble she's caused."
Gon shook his head, his expression unwavering as he kept his gaze fixed on Neferpitou. "No," he replied, his voice firm but devoid of warmth. "That won't be necessary."
He paused, then turned to Killua and Knuckle, his hazel eyes softening slightly as he issued a different request. "I need you two to stay here and watch over the girl… as a hostage. Make sure nothing happens to her while I'm gone."
Killua's brow furrowed, a flicker of concern crossing his face as he studied his best friend. He took a step closer, his voice low but urgent.
"Gon, don't forget what Asura told you," he said, his tone carrying a weight that cut through the room's tension. "'Don't let your anger and hatred consume you.' You made a promise… don't break it now."
Gon hesitated, his shoulders tensing as Killua's words struck a chord deep within him. Asura's warning echoed in his mind, a reminder of the fine line he walked between justice and vengeance.
He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms as he wrestled with the storm inside him. "It'll be okay," he said finally, his voice softer but resolute as he met Killua's gaze. "I won't lose myself. I promise."
Neferpitou, still standing near Komugi, tilted her head slightly, her crimson eyes narrowing as she processed the exchange. 'Asura again… she thought, her feline ears twitching with curiosity and unease. Who is this man that even Gon and Killua speak of with such weight? He must be a big deal—perhaps even more dangerous than these two.' The thought sent a shiver down her spine, but she kept her expression neutral, her focus shifting to Gon's next move.
Killua nodded slowly, though the concern in his eyes didn't fade. "Alright," he said, stepping back to join Knuckle near Komugi. "We'll keep an eye on her. Just… be careful, Gon."
Knuckle crossed his arms, his usual bravado tempered by the moment's gravity. "Yeah, don't do anything stupid," he added gruffly, though his tone carried a rare note of sincerity. "We've got your back, kid."
Gon gave them a curt nod, his resolve hardening as he turned toward the door. Neferpitou followed reluctantly, her tail flicking with unease as she cast one last glance at Komugi, ensuring the girl's safety in the hands of her enemies.
The tower's shadows seemed to deepen as they descended the stairwell, the weight of their impending confrontation hanging heavy in the air. This clash would test the limits of their Nen and their wills.
The Final Battle
The wasteland blurred beneath the King as he soared high above the desolate expanse, his newly formed wings cutting through the air with predatory grace.
The shimmering blend of insectoid and draconic appendages shimmered faintly with the absorbed Nen of Pouf and Youpi, their sacrifice fueling his swift recovery and newfound power.
His eyes gleamed with a cold, vengeful fire as he scanned the horizon, searching for the two figures who had brought him to the brink of death. The wind howled around him, carrying the faint scent of blood and scorched earth, a reminder of the battle that had nearly ended him.
Below, Netero and Asura sprinted across the jagged terrain, their powerful strides kicking up dust clouds as they returned to the palace.
Despite their speed, a sudden shift in the air halted them in their tracks. The oppressive weight of a familiar aura descended from above, pressing down like a physical force.
Both warriors sensed it instantly… the King of the Chimera Ants had returned, and he was more substantial than before. They skidded to a stop, their gazes snapping upward as the Ant King descended, his wings folding with a soft hum as his clawed feet touched the ground.
He stood tall, his exoskeleton shimmering with an unnatural sheen, the cracks from Asura's beating replaced by a seamless, reinforced surface. His aura flared around him, a molten blaze infused with the Nen of his fallen Royal Guards, its intensity warping the air like a heatwave.
His eyes locked onto Asura, burning with a fury that promised retribution. "You won't get away," he snarled, his low, menacing growl echoing across the wasteland.
Asura's eyes narrowed, and a chuckle rumbled deep in his chest as he cracked his knuckles, the sound like snapping steel in the charged air. "What happened to your guards?" he taunted, his tone laced with mockery as he shifted into a fighting stance. "They ditched you already?"
The King's tail lashed angrily behind him, his sharp features twisting with frustration as the memory of Pouf and Youpi's sacrifice stung like an open wound. "They sacrificed their lives for me," he spat, his voice trembling with a mix of rage and reluctant admiration for their loyalty. "Their strength flows through me now… I am beyond what I was."
Netero's sharp eyes studied him intently, his weathered hand stroking his beard as he assessed the King's enhanced aura.
The old hunter's expression remained calm, but his voice carried a note of acknowledgment as he spoke. "I see," he said, his tone steady but tinged with intrigue. "You've grown even more powerful… feeding on your Royal Guards to rise again. A dangerous gambit."
The King's lips curled into a wicked smile, a dark laugh escaping him, a sound that chilled the air with its malevolent promise. "I will have my revenge," he declared, his gaze boring into Asura with an intensity that could shatter stone.
His aura surged, and the ground beneath him cracked under the invisible pressure as if the earth itself recoiled from his wrath.
Asura smirked, his golden arms flexing as he prepared to meet the challenge head-on, his aura flaring with the primal force of Mantra. But before he could take a step forward! Netero's hand landed firmly on his shoulder, the old hunter's grip steady and unyielding. "It's my turn, son," Netero said, his voice calm but carrying the weight of a lifetime of battles.
He turned his head slightly, a faint grin tugging at his lips as he met Asura's gaze. "Let me have this dance."
Asura's eyes flicked to Netero, a flicker of respect crossing his rugged features. He grunted in acknowledgment, stepping back with a slow nod. "Fine," he rumbled, his tone laced with a rough camaraderie. "But be careful, old man. He's got more bite now."
Netero chuckled softly, the sound a quiet ripple in the tense air. He rolled his shoulders, loosening his wiry frame for the fight ahead.
"Don't worry," he replied, his sharp eyes glinting with anticipation as he turned to face the King fully. "I've danced with worse." His aura flared to life, a radiant golden glow that contrasted sharply with the King's molten blaze, the power of his Nen ability stirring beneath the surface.
Asura crossed his arms, stepping back to the edge of the battlefield, his eyes narrowing as he settled in to observe. The wasteland trembled faintly beneath the weight of the two titans' auras, the air crackling with the promise of an apocalyptic clash.
Netero's grin sharpened, his hands clasping together meditatively as he prepared to unleash his ultimate technique, a battle that would test the limits of his Nen and the King's newfound power.
The King newly enhanced aura was a molten blaze of violet and gold infused with the sacrificed Nen of Pouf and Youpi. His wings shimmered faintly behind him, their iridescent sheen reflecting the pale light of dawn, while his eyes burned with a vengeful fire.
Asura watched from a distant outcrop, his massive form silhouetted against the fading storm clouds. His eyes gleamed with a mix of intrigue and respect; his golden arms crossed over his chest as he settled in to observe. "This better be a good, old man," he muttered under his breath, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Don't disappoint me."
The King's wicked smile widened, his tail coiling behind him like a serpent ready to strike. "Come to me, old man," he taunted, his voice dripping with malice as he spread his arms in invitation. "Show me what your kind can do against me."
Netero's eyes glinted beneath the shadow of his brow, his faint grin sharpening into a razor's edge. "As you wish," he replied, his voice steady but laced with an exhilaration he hadn't felt in decades.
Netero stood meditatively, his hands clasped in prayer, his aura radiating a golden glow that pulsed with the serene power of his Hundred-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva. The ground beneath them fractured faintly under the sheer weight of their combined presence, a prelude to the cataclysm to come. Its serene face belying the destruction it could wrought. Its countless hands hovered behind Netero, poised like a storm of retribution waiting to strike.
The battle began with an explosion of motion. Netero clapped his hands, and the Guanyin's first palm descended with lightning speed, a golden blur that split the air with a sonic boom.
The King reacted instantly, his wings snapping open as he propelled himself upward, narrowly evading the strike. The impact cratered the ground where he had stood, sending shards of rock flying like shrapnel. The King retaliated mid-flight, his tail lashing out like a whip, its tip glowing with concentrated Nen as it aimed for Netero's torso.
Netero's hands moved in a blur of prayer-like motions, summoning another of the Guanyin's palms to block the tail strike with a thunderous clash.
The force sent shockwaves rippling outward, dust spiraling into the air as the two combatants danced through the chaos.
The King's speed had increased exponentially, his movements a blur even to Netero's seasoned eyes, but the old hunter's precision was unmatched.
Each of the Guanyin's strikes was a calculated assault, forcing the King into a defensive pattern as he dodged and countered ruthlessly.
Asura's eyes narrowed as he watched the exchange, his smirk fading into a look of grudging admiration. "Not bad," he muttered, his voice a low rumble. "The old man's got moves…but the insect's faster than before. This ain't gonna be easy for either of them."
The King's frustration grew as the Guanyin's relentless barrage pinned him down, each palm strike narrowing his room to maneuver.
His eyes flared with fury, and he channeled his enhanced Nen into a single, devastating counterattack.
His wings glowed with a violet aura as he spun mid-air, unleashing a storm of razor-sharp Nen blades that sliced through the air like a swarm of locusts, aimed directly at Netero
The Chairman's expression didn't falter. With a serene chant, he summoned the Guanyin's Ninety-Ninth Hand, a technique reserved for the most formidable foes. The golden statue's hands formed a near-impenetrable barrier, deflecting the Nen blades with resounding clangs, the impacts echoing like a thunderstorm across the wasteland.
But the King's assault pushed through sheer volume, a few blades slipping past to graze Netero's shoulder and cheek, drawing thin lines of blood that glistened in the dim light.
Netero chuckled softly, wiping the blood from his cheek with a flick of his thumb. "Impressive," he conceded, his voice tinged with exhilaration.
Air thrummed with an electric tension as Netero's gaze hardened, his weathered frame radiating a quiet, lethal focus. "You're tougher than I thought," he said, voice low and edged with grudging respect. "Worthy of everything I've got."
His hands blurred into motion faster than sight could track, fingers weaving a final, desperate prayer. Above him, the towering Guanyin Bodhisattva reared to life, its golden form shimmering with an otherworldly menace.
Then, with a soundless clap of its massive hands, the Zero Hand unleashed a blinding torrent of divine Nen, a radiant beam of molten gold that roared forth as the wrath of a god unchained.
The wasteland convulsed beneath the onslaught, the earth splitting with a groan as the beam carved a searing path through stone and soil.
Rock melted into glowing slag, and a scorching wind howled outward, tearing at the jagged landscape. The light swallowed everything, a blinding inferno that painted the battlefield in hues of divine fury, drowning all sound but the deafening roar of unleashed power.
The King's scream tore through the golden maelstrom, a raw, guttural cry swallowed by the energy storm. His enhanced exoskeleton glowed cherry-red, veins of heat pulsing across its surface as the Zero Hand battered him relentlessly.
Yet he endured, his newfound strength surging to meet the assault. Drawing deep on the Nen stolen from Pouf and Youpi, he summoned a desperate counterforce, an aura dark and wild, crackling with defiance.
His tattered wings flared wide, shimmering with iridescent resilience, and he clawed his way forward, step by agonizing step, against the tide of Netero's might.
Netero sprang back, his dodge a flicker of instinct as the King's advance grazed the edge of the fading beam. "Tch," he spat, teeth gritted in irritation and exhaustion.
Sweat beaded on his brow, his chest heaving from the strain. 'I almost burned through my Nen with that one… damn tough bastard.' His annoyance warred with a flicker of admiration, his reserves teetering on the brink after the titanic effort.
Asura's massive frame tensed, leaning into the wind as the shockwave of the clash rippled through the air. His eyes widened, pupils dilating with savage glee as he felt the raw collision of energies reverberate in his bones. "That's the spirit, old man!" he roared, his voice a thunderclap that rolled across the desolation. "Burn him to ash!"
The Zero Hand's brilliance guttered out, its golden fury dissipating into wisps of fading light. The wasteland lay scarred, a molten trench gouged deep into the earth, its edges smoldering with residual heat.
Amid the devastation stood the King, scorched and battered but unbowed. His exoskeleton bore fresh fractures, spiderwebs of cracks radiating from the impact zones, oozing violet blood that hissed against the hot stone.
His breath rasped in jagged bursts, wings trembling as they folded behind him, yet his eyes blazed with an unbroken fire, fiercer, hungrier than ever. "Is that…" he snarled, voice a shredded growl laced with defiance, "…all you've got, human?"
The words hung in the air, a challenge forged in pain and pride, as the storm clouds above rumbled their approval, lightning flickering like a distant echo of the battle's fury.
Suddenly, the King's eyes widened as a faint, ethereal whisper echoed in his mind… a spiritual message from Pouf, his loyal Royal Guard, whose Nen lingered even after his sacrifice.
The message was a warning, laced with fragmented memories Pouf had gleaned through his En before his death: 'The old human… a bomb in his heart… a final gambit.' The King's movements faltered briefly as the realization sank in.
Netero wasn't just fighting to defeat him—he was prepared to die, taking the King with him in a cataclysmic explosion. A sinister grin curled across the King's lips as a dark idea took root, his mind racing with the implications. 'If I consume his brain… his Nen, his knowledge… I'll grow far stronger than even this bomb can destroy.'
Netero sensed the shift in the King's demeanor, his sharp eyes narrowing beneath his furrowed brow. "What's that look, King?" he called out, his voice steady despite the strain of maintaining the Guanyin's barrage. "Planning something nasty?"
The King's grin widened, his voice a low growl of anticipation. "You'll see, old man," he replied, his tone dripping with malice.
"Let's end this dance." With newfound resolve, he poured every ounce of his enhanced Nen into a series of ferocious counterattacks, his claws slashing through the air like scythes as he forced his way closer to Netero.
Each strike was a calculated risk, weathering the Guanyin's golden palms to find his opening.
The King's determination was unyielding; drawing on Pouf's agility and Youpi's raw power, he darted through the minor gaps in Netero's defense, his movements a blur of violet and gold. The old hunter's golden aura flickered as he pushed his Nen to its limits
But the King struck first. In a fleeting moment of vulnerability during the Guanyin's cooldown, his tail lashed out with lethal precision, its glowing tip slicing through the air like a guillotine.
Netero's eyes widened as he realized the attack's trajectory, but his peerless reflexes couldn't save him.
The tail struck true, cutting clean through his neck in a brutal arc. Blood sprayed in a crimson arc, and Netero's head tumbled from his shoulders, his body collapsing to the ground with a hollow thud.
The golden glow of the Guanyin faded, its serene form dissolving into motes of light as Netero's Nen winked out.
The King's clawed hand shot out, snatching Netero's severed head from the air before it could hit the ground. Blood dripped from his wounds, but his eyes gleamed with triumph as he held the trophy aloft, his wicked laughter echoing across the wasteland. "Your bomb won't save you now," he snarled, his voice thick with sadistic glee.
Asura's eyes widened in shock, his golden arms uncrossing as disbelief rooted him to the spot for a fleeting moment. "NOO…" he growled, his voice a low rumble of outrage.
The sight of Netero's headless body ignited a fire in his chest, his Mantra flaring violently as he launched himself forward with a roar. "You FILTHY insect! I'll TEAR you apart!"
His massive frame blurred across the battlefield, the ground quaking beneath his thunderous strides as he charged toward the King with murderous intent.
But the King was faster escaping. His wings snapped open, glowing with the combined Nen of his fallen Guards as he propelled himself skyward, evading Asura's grasp by mere inches.
Blood trailed in his wake, dripping from his wounds as he clutched Netero's head tightly, his laughter growing colder and more deranged with every beat of his wings
He ascended higher, putting distance between himself and the enraged demigod below, his eyes glinting with cruel satisfaction.
Asura's pursuit was cut short as Netero's body…reached its final trigger. The bomb detonated in a blinding flash of white-hot light, a deafening roar consuming the battlefield in an instant.
The explosion engulfed Asura mid-charge, a fiery inferno of destruction that turned stone to ash and earth to molten glass. The blast radius stretched for miles, a mushroom cloud of toxic energy rising into the sky as the wasteland trembled under the cataclysmic force.
The King watched from afar, perched on a distant cliff, his wings folding behind him as he held Netero's severed head in one clawed hand.
The fiery glow of the explosion reflected in his emerald eyes, illuminating the wicked grin that split his face. "Two birds with one stone," he murmured, his voice a chilling whisper against the roar of the blast.
His laughter echoed once more, a haunting sound across the devastated landscape, a testament to his brutal victory.
He raised Netero's head to his mouth, his sharp teeth glinting as he prepared to devour the old hunter's brain, eager to assimilate the Nen and knowledge within.
He tore into Netero's brain ravenously, consuming the Nen-infused flesh with a fervor that bordered on madness, his laughter echoing across the desolate expanse… a chilling, unhinged cackle that reverberated like a curse.
With each bite, the King's body began to change. The Nen within Netero's brain, decades of refined power from one of the strongest humans alive, surged through him, amplifying his already enhanced form.
A golden aura erupted around him, blinding and radiant, as his exoskeleton transformed, its violet sheen giving way to a molten gold that gleamed like forged sunlight.
His wings expanded, their edges now razor-sharp and glowing with ethereal light, while his tail elongated, its tip crackling with concentrated energy.
The ground beneath him trembled as his aura spiked, a tempest of power that warped the air and sent fissures snaking through the cliff.
The King's laughter grew louder, his voice a crescendo of triumph as he reveled in his most potent form yet… a godlike being forged from sacrifice and slaughter.
But his ecstasy was short-lived. From the smoldering crater below, a roar of pure, unbridled rage shattered the dawn's fragile stillness.
The flames of the Poor Man's Rose parted like a curtain, revealing Asura's towering form. His golden arms were scorched but unbowed, and his eyes blazed with a wrath that seemed to burn hotter than the explosion itself.
His Mantra pulsed violently around him, a crimson inferno that clashed against the fading violet smoke of Netero's bomb.
Asura's gaze locked onto Meruem, his voice a thunderous bellow that shook the heavens as he screamed the King's name with such fury that the cliffs seemed to shudder.
"MMMEEERRRUUUMMM!"
The King froze mid-laugh, his golden aura flickering as a jolt of shock coursed through him.
He lowered what was left of Netero's head, blood dripping from his fanged maw as he stared down at the demigod, disbelief etching his features.
"What… what do you mean by that name?" he stammered, his voice cracking, a jagged blend of confusion and dread that betrayed the unshakable confidence he'd worn moments before. The words tumbled out, halting and raw as if the notion gnawed at his core. 'No way he survived that blast… what exactly that bastard made of?' he thought, his mind reeling.
The sheer intensity in Asura's voice unnerved him, a crack in his newfound godhood.
Asura's face contorted with rage, his eyes glowing like twin suns as he clenched his fists. The golden sheen of his arms flared brighter with each word.
"The old man you killed told me your name!" he roared, his voice a raw, guttural snarl that carried the weight of his fury.
"Meruem, the King of the Chimera Ants… he told me your name while you were unconscious! And now I'm gonna make sure it's carved on your grave!" His anger boiled over, a primal force that seemed to shake the earth beneath him, his Mantra surging like a tidal wave of wrath.
Meruem's eyes narrowed as he analyzed Asura's words, his mind racing to assess the threat. But before he could respond, Asura leaped into the air with a deafening roar; his body was engulfed in a blinding crimson light as he transformed.
His form expanded, and six massive arms erupted from his back, each glowing with golden energy that cracked like lightning.
His skin took on a metallic sheen, and his crimson eyes blazed brighter as he ascended to his Six-Armed Vajra Asura form, a towering avatar of destruction straight from the legends of gods and demons.
The sheer power radiating from him warped the air, the cliffside trembling as his Mantra reached its zenith, a force of nature bent on annihilation.
For the first time since his birth, Meruem felt a cold shiver of fear grips his heart. His golden aura flickered as he stared at the monstrous form before him, realization dawning with chilling clarity.
Their first fight had been a game… Asura had toyed with him and nearly killed him with barely a fraction of his true strength. But now? This transformation promised no mercy, no restraint… only obliteration.
The King's wings twitched nervously, his tail curling defensively as he braced himself, his newfound power suddenly feeling inadequate against the wrath descending upon him.
Asura didn't hesitate. With a roar that split the heavens, he charged through the air, his six arms drawn back like a legion of Warhammer ready to strike.
The ground beneath him shattered from the sheer force of his takeoff, a shockwave rippling outward as he closed the distance instantly.
"This is for Netero, you bastard!" he bellowed, his voice a thunderclap of vengeance as he unleashed his first strike, a barrage of golden fists that tore through the air like meteors, aiming to crush Meruem into dust.
Meruem's instincts kicked in, his golden wings snapping open as he dodged to the side, the first fist missing him by inches and obliterating the cliffside in a shower of molten rock.
But Asura's onslaught was relentless… each of his six arms struck rapidly, a whirlwind of destruction that left Meruem no room to counter.
The King's golden aura flared as he summoned his enhanced Nen to block the next blow, his claws glowing with concentrated energy as he met Asura's fist head-on.
The impact sent a shockwave rippling across the wasteland, the air screaming as the two titans clashed with earth-shaking force.
Meruem gritted his teeth, his golden form trembling under the sheer power of Asura's assault. "You… you think you can stop me now?!" he snarled, his voice laced with defiance even as fear gnawed at his core.
But Asura's eyes held no mercy, only an unyielding wrath that bore down on him like the weight of a collapsing star.
The cliffside trembled beneath the weight of their clash, the air itself screaming as Asura, in his Six-Armed Vajra form, descended upon Meruem like a harbinger of annihilation.
His six golden arms glowed with the searing intensity of his Mantra, crimson energy crackling around him like a storm of divine fury.
Each movement sent shockwaves rippling through the wasteland, the ground fracturing beneath the sheer force of his wrath.
Meruem's golden form, newly forged from the Nen of Netero's brain, stood defiant but shaken. His eyes flickered with a mix of fear and desperation as he braced for the onslaught.
Their first fight had been a skirmish, a mere taste of Asura's power, but this was different. This was a reckoning.
Asura's roar echoed across the battlefield, a primal bellow that seemed to shake the heavens themselves. "You crossed a line, insect!" he snarled his voice, a thunderous growl imbued with the raw anguish of Netero's death. "Now you'll pay with more than your life!" His six arms struck in unison, a barrage of golden fists that tore through the air like meteors, each blow a sonic boom that shattered the cliffside into jagged shards.
Meruem's wings flared as he dodged frantically, his golden aura surging to block the assault. Still, Asura's speed and power were beyond anything the King had faced; there was no restraint, no mercy, and only unrelenting destruction.
Meruem countered with desperate ferocity, his claws glowing with concentrated Nen as he slashed at Asura's onslaught, each strike fueled by the combined power of Netero, Pouf, and Youpi. A glancing blow caught one of Asura's arms, but it didnt harm him, before the demigod's Mantra cauterized with a searing hiss.
But the attack only fueled Asura's rage further, his eyes blazing brighter as he roared, "That won't save you!" He seized Meruem's extended claw with two hands, twisting it with bone-crushing force until the King's golden exoskeleton cracked audibly under the strain.
Asura's relentless assault drowned out Meruem's scream of pain. With a brutal yank, Asura hurled the King into the ground, the impact cratering the earth and sending a plume of dust skyward.
Before Meruem could recover, Asura descended like a falling star, his six fists raining down in a storm of golden fury. Each strike was worse than their first fight, where Asura toyed with him; this was a massacre.
One punch shattered Meruem's left wing into glittering fragments; another cracked his golden chest plate, blue blood spraying like a fountain.
A third drove him deeper into the crater, the ground buckling as shockwaves rippled outward, carving fissures through the wasteland for miles.
Meruem clawed at the dirt, his golden aura dwindling as he struggled to rise. His eyes were wide with terror, an emotion he had never known until now. "ENOUGH!" he roared, his voice ragged and desperate as he summoned the last of his Nen into a defensive shield.
"You can't… you can't kill a KING!" But his words were hollow, his bravado crumbling under the weight of Asura's wrath.
The demigod loomed over him, his six arms drawn back like a pantheon of war gods ready to deliver judgment.
"This is for NETERO," Asura growled, his voice a low, guttural snarl that reverberated with the depth of his fury.
He channeled every ounce of his Mantra into his final strike, three golden fists aligning in perfect synchronicity as they descended toward Meruem's battered form.
The air seemed to ignite as his Mantra surged, a wave of crimson wrath erupting around him, a tempest of emotion so potent it warped reality. The sky above darkened as if recoiling from his rage. "Die!" he roared, his voice a thunderclap that split the heavens as his fists connected with Meruem's face.
B
RT
BURST
Y
EXCELLENT
The final impact was cataclysmic. A blinding wave of wrathful Mantra exploded outward, a crimson shockwave that consumed the battlefield in a fiery inferno of destruction.
The ground beneath Meruem disintegrated instantly, a mile-wide crater forming as the energy vaporized rock and ash.
Meruem's golden form buckled under the onslaught, his exoskeleton shattering like glass as his final scream tore through the air, a raw, desperate cry and screaming of "NOOOOOOOOOOO!" that echoed for a fleeting moment before being drowned out by the roar of Asura's attack.
His body began to fade, golden fragments dissolving into motes of light as the Mantra burned through him, vaporizing flesh, bone, and Nen until nothing remained but a faint violet mist carried away by the wind.
The wasteland fell silent, the echoes of the explosion fading into an oppressive stillness. Asura stood at the crater's center, his six arms slowly reverting to normal as his transformation receded.
His golden arms gleamed dully in the pale light, streaked with soot and violet blood—both his and Meruem's. His chest heaved with ragged breaths, his eyes dimming as the fire of his wrath simmered into a smoldering ember.
The King of the Chimera Ants Meruem was gone, erased from existence by a fury that knew no bounds.
Asura spat into the ash at his feet, his voice a low growl as he muttered, "That's what you get for crossing me, insect."
He turned his gaze toward the distant palace, the weight of Netero's death still heavy on his shoulders, but a grim satisfaction settled in his chest.
Meruem had paid the ultimate price, and though the battle had ended, Asura's path of vengeance was far from over.
With a final crack of his knuckles, he began his trek back toward the palace, ready to face whatever challenges awaited him next.
I'm beyond excited to finally share this new chapter with you all, thank you for your incredible patience. I've poured my heart into this one, my longest yet. A small apology if it feels a bit massive, I got carried away with the action, the drama, and Asura shaking up this world! I hope you'll dive in and enjoy the ride as much as I loved writing it. Can't wait to hear your thoughts!
To Be Continued...