On the enormous bird raised by the Zoldyck family, there were actually four people: Germain, Netero, Zeno, and Silva.
However, only Germain, Netero, and Zeno jumped off the massive bird.
Silva remained in control of the bird, circling high above. His role was to descend to the ground and pick up Zeno when signaled. Beyond that, he had nothing else to do.
This arrangement meant that once their mission was complete, Silva and Zeno could leave and return to the Zoldyck family estate.
Whatever Germain and Netero encountered, and whatever outcome awaited them, had nothing to do with the Zoldyck father and son.
If both Germain and Netero survived, they might meet the Zoldycks again. Otherwise, that would be the end of it.
Germain, Netero, and Zeno plummeted from the sky. The fierce winds tugged at their clothes, but they used their Nen to envelop their bodies, forcing the winds to obey.
In doing so, the three became as unyielding as meteors, cutting through the air as they shot toward the palace below.
Their faces were emotionless, like stone statues.
In the next moment, Zeno moved his hands as if grasping the pressure points of the raging wind. A massive purple dragon roared out from between his palms.
"Dragon Head!"
The majestic dragon circled once in the air before positioning itself below the three figures.
The three landed on the dragon's back, standing tall. They bent slightly at the waist, coldly observing the scene below.
This slowed their descent but gave them greater control and stability, making it easier to respond to threats from the ground.
Soon, Zeno sensed an overwhelming and sinister Nen rising from below. It formed an irregular "En," wrapping around them and the purple dragon like a shockwave.
There was no need for further thought. They all knew this Nen belonged to one of the Royal Guards.
Zeno didn't make eye contact with anyone else.
He immediately moved, his hands vibrating with Nen as the purple dragon twisted violently.
In an instant, it transformed into a storm of arrows, shooting through the air with a piercing sound.
"Dragon Dive!"
Swish, swish, swish—
The golden arrows, formed from the small dragon's body, blanketed the entire East Gorteau palace in their assault.
At the same time, Netero, Zeno, and Germain seamlessly entered a state of "Zetsu."
Blending into the chaos of the dragon swarm, their silhouettes vanished into the night, silently awaiting the response of the Royal Guards.
The initiative was now in their hands. They had made their move and waited to see how the enemy would respond.
Neferpitou, with white hair and cat-like ears, was the first of the Royal Guards to detect the aerial ambush.
Acting swiftly and alone, it adjusted its "En" to focus on the sky.
It trusted that the other two Royal Guards would soon notice the anomaly on their own.
However, Neferpitou wasn't asking for help; it was merely reminding them of their duties.
Everything they did was for the King—nothing else mattered.
But when the massive purple dragon in the sky suddenly broke apart into a golden rain of arrows covering the entire palace, even Neferpitou was caught off guard.
What should be done in this situation?
It quickly regained composure, its initial shock replaced by growing excitement.
Nothing needed to be done.
This was a feint designed to obscure the true attack. Dealing with the golden dragon arrows individually would only play into the enemy's hands.
A mix of emotions—calm, excitement, anger, worry, and even joy—flooded through Neferpitou, further sharpening its instincts.
Its feline pupils narrowed intensely, scanning the dark sky.
Soon, it spotted three human figures maintaining "Zetsu," blending into the night.
Its expression darkened further.
These three humans were, without question, the strongest Neferpitou had ever encountered.
Three against three.
The Royal Guards and these human invaders matched in number, but Neferpitou couldn't rule out the possibility of other humans infiltrating the palace.
If there was a fourth fighter of similar caliber, things could go very wrong.
Even among these three, two seemed particularly troublesome.
A battle against them wouldn't end quickly—and there was even a risk of defeat.
Before Shaiapouf and Menthuthuyoupi arrived, Neferpitou would have to make a critical choice.
It would have to let one of the enemies go, no matter what.
Choices are crucial. If the wrong one was made, and that human managed to bypass both Shaiapouf and Youpi, threatening the "King," it would bear full responsibility.
Frustration and unease furrowed its brow tightly.
Who should it choose?
That old man with the braided hair?
Or perhaps the young man cloaked in black?
This hesitation, in truth, lasted less than a second. Neferpitou made its decision swiftly.
Boom—
Leaping out of the pillar, it darted like lightning, weaving through the barrage of golden dragon spears, aiming straight for Netero, who wore the martial uniform of the Shingen-ryu school.
When it operated on Palm, under its control, she revealed that the chairman of the Hunters' Association—the strongest among humans—had also come.
Based on Palm's description, this old man was very likely "Chairman Netero."
It would deal with him first.
Unlike most Chimera Ants, the King and his three Royal Guards awakened their Nen abilities shortly after their birth. It was an innate talent.
For other Chimera Ants, however, awakening Nen typically required enduring an attack infused with Nen.
That was the gap between them.
Because of this, Neferpitou had long since mastered Nen and had evolved significantly in its use.
As it charged toward Netero, its evolved Nen pushed its body to its absolute limits!
"Terpsichora!"
Scarlet Nen, brimming with malice, enveloped Neferpitou, its form resembling a demonic beast baring its fangs.
From above, Netero descended.
His gaze was cold, his demeanor disdainful. He smirked.
"Little kitten, you were wrong from the very start… terribly wrong… In truth, you never had a choice."
Neferpitou's eyes widened, failing to grasp Netero's meaning, yet sensing the imminent danger in his words.
With its heightened observational skills, it noticed Netero's hands beginning to move.
The stance, the prayer, the strike!
"100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva: Second Hand!"
So fast!
That was Neferpitou's final thought.
Boom—
A surge of golden Nen roared in from the side, striking Neferpitou with overwhelming force and sending them flying out of the palace entirely.
Even under the devastating impact of the "100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva," the result was no different from the scratches Pitou had sustained under the King's casual blows.
However, this time, the sheer power of the attack left Pitou struggling to maintain balance. The force carried it far outside the palace, unable to stop the momentum.
Realizing it might be out of the fight for several minutes, Pitou caught sight of Shaiapouf nearby with a quick glance.
Pitou shouted at Shaiapouf, but the latter completely ignored the call.
Instead, Shaiapouf spread his elegant butterfly wings, crying out as he dashed toward the palace where the King resided.
Pitou frowned deeply.
If only Shaiapouf could calm down, he'd realize that a mere golden Dragon Dive wasn't enough to harm the King. There was no reason to panic like this.
But Shaiapouf, being the most emotional and devoted of the Royal Guards, acted without a second thought. His only focus was to protect the King, no matter what.
For Shaiapouf, it didn't matter whether the Dragon Dive could harm the King. He simply wouldn't allow even the slightest affront to his liege.
In truth, the correct course of action for Shaiapouf would've been to engage one of the three humans in the air directly.
But now that he was already heading toward the King, Pitou decided to let him go.
After all, Pitou had no intention of relying on Shaiapouf to stop its own fall.
It had its own way.
While still airborne, Pitou summoned a massive humanoid doll with crimson Nen. Its lips were stitched shut with threads, and its fingers bristled with strings, giving it a grotesque appearance.
"Doctor Blythe!"
This was the ability Pitou used to heal injuries or modify their body.
As a Specialist, Pitou had access to both healing and modification abilities, as well as the conjuration and manipulation of Nen. Such versatility was the benefit of its Specialization type.
Like all Nen abilities, "Doctor Blythe" came with Vows and Limitations.
The condition was that once manifested, "Doctor Blythe" had to remain stationary, and Pitou's tail had to stay connected to it, with the two unable to stray more than 20 meters apart.
Pitou turned this Vows and Limitations to its advantage.
As "Doctor Blythe" hovered in midair, Pitou continued to be propelled by the shockwave of the "100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva."
However, in the next moment, the tail connecting them snapped taut, pulling Pitou back with a grating sound as the tension escalated.
Neferpitou stopped in its tracks!
It blinked its eyes and was about to expand its "En" toward the direction of the royal palace to check the current situation. Suddenly, it felt a sharp, needle-like sense of danger!
When Neferpitou looked up, it saw a young man in a black robe descending toward it.
"Little kitty, you were wrong from the very beginning... so very wrong... In truth, you have no choice."
The words of that old man came to mind.
From Palm's memories, Neferpitou knew that the old man was likely the strongest among these humans, named Netero. That was why Neferpitou chose him as the target to attack.
As for the black-robed man before it now, Neferpitou couldn't confirm his identity.
Palm had known someone named Germain, but her memories were scattered. Most of them focused selectively on her teacher, Knov.
If Neferpitou wanted useful information, it would have to dissect Palm's confessions piece by piece.
This task would take an enormous amount of effort, and Neferpitou couldn't possibly identify everyone from Palm's memories. It could only focus on those she had recently encountered.
Those were the most likely to be members of the Chimera Ant extermination team.
But now, there were two exceptions.
One was the old man who unleashed the golden dragon arrow. The other was the black-robed man standing before it, whose threat level rivaled Netero's.
Palm's recent memories didn't include anyone resembling these two figures, suggesting they were specifically recruited by Netero.
Neferpitou processed all this in an instant. It realized it had to finish the fight with the black-robed man quickly, or returning to the royal palace would be impossible.
But a split second later, it found this thought utterly ridiculous.
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