"Let the old man heal his injuries first."
Meruem's gaze naturally shifted from Netero to the young man who suddenly appeared—Germain.
This young man… was he the helper the old man had called for?
His aura was strong, his steps steady, and his breathing calm. He never once lowered his guard against me.
It seems his strength isn't weak—he's at least stronger than the other old man (Zeno) who brought me here earlier.
Why did he show up to help only now? Was this a last-minute decision? Or perhaps...
Meruem didn't know the old man's name, and he didn't need to.
Similarly, he didn't need to know the name of the young man in front of him.
Only if they surrendered and became his "guards" would he bother to remember their names.
Still, he was curious. With a helper like this by the old man's side, why had he only appeared now?
After all, Meruem had never objected to fighting multiple opponents at once from the very beginning.
At the same time, Germain was observing Meruem.
Meruem's skull resembled a round cap, and his strong arms were crossed firmly over his chest.
He wore a small jacket on his upper body, now emitting black smoke from burns.
His lower body was also shrouded in smoke, revealing muscular, perfectly sculpted legs.
His tail arched behind him, flexible like a fifth limb.
The "Zero Hand of Hundred-Type Guanyin" had only caused scratches and burns on Meruem's body.
Even his small jacket remained mostly intact.
This proved how effortlessly Meruem had handled his fight with Netero.
Even when struck suddenly by a powerful blast of Nen, he still had the strength to cover his clothes with Nen, protecting them.
From another perspective, this also shows that Chimera Ants, like humans, have a sense of shame. They don't want to expose their vital parts openly.
Germain stood in front of Netero, who was being healed by the "Breath of the Archangel," keeping a close eye on Meruem's movements.
Even though Meruem showed no hostility for now, Germain remained vigilant just in case.
Meruem seemed to notice Germain's cautious thoughts and let out a soft laugh before sitting down on the spot.
His sitting posture was one he often used—one leg bent upward, the other folded, with both hands resting on his knee. It was his favorite position.
Meruem had shown this posture to many people as a way to express his calm and composure.
To him, it symbolized the dignity of a king.
"Go ahead and focus on healing… If you still want to fight after it's done, feel free to try."
"But think carefully about the cost. You'll end up with serious injuries."
Meruem gestured toward Netero, who was being treated.
"The reason I didn't hand you over to my subordinates for transformation is that you earned my respect. Don't let me down."
This was the calm confidence of a king, but also his arrogance.
Germain said nothing, but Netero, behind him, chuckled softly.
The "Breath of the Archangel" completed its healing in an instant.
Netero's limbs were fully restored, and his previously frail body became strong and robust again, filled with Nen.
He stood up, stretched his body a bit, and his joints cracked loudly.
The "Breath of the Archangel" shimmered softly in the howling night wind, casting one last gentle look at Germain and Netero before dissolving into starlight and vanishing into the darkness.
Netero cracked his neck, producing a sharp series of pops, and then smiled—a grin more suited to a devil than a righteous man. He walked over to Germain.
"Germain, I have three things to tell you."
"What is it?" Germain cast a sidelong glance at Netero.
"First, from this moment on, we fight with no restraint. We'll do whatever it takes to win."
Germain nodded slightly.
"I was already planning on that. Besides, between the two of us, you're the only one daring enough to take the risk of facing Meruem one-on-one and defeating him."
Netero chuckled and stroked the short beard on his chin. He then tapped his chest with his hand.
"Second, the bomb connected to my heart, the 'Poor Man's Rose,' has not been deactivated. It seems the 'Breath of the Archangel' doesn't consider it an injury or illness."
"If my heart stops beating, the 'Poor Man's Rose' will explode and take us all with it. Even if someone survives the blast, the spreading poison will be enough to kill them."
"The 'Breath of the Archangel' only works on the same person once. In other words, if I sustain another fatal injury, you all will be dragged to hell with me."
Germain already knew this. He was the one who had explained the Vows and Limitations of the "Breath of the Archangel" to Netero in the first place.
So, these words weren't meant for him. They were meant for Meruem.
In truth, what Netero called the "first thing" and "second thing" were really the same thing:
"From this moment on, we fight with no restraint. We'll do whatever it takes to win."
Whether or not Meruem believed there was truly a bomb in Netero's body, or whether that bomb posed any threat to him, didn't matter. These words, once spoken, would inevitably have an impact.
What lay ahead was a battle between despicable and ruthless humans and the noble and proud king of the Chimera Ants. A fight that would also be a grueling psychological war.
Germain said nothing. He had already resolved himself before coming here.
That resolve was simple: no matter what happened, they had to defeat the "Ant King and his three Royal Guards."
By any means necessary, with no room for sentimentality.
In truth, whether in this timeline or the original one, only those with unwavering resolve could achieve concrete results during the decisive battle against the Chimera Ants.
Take the current Germain, for example. He managed to kill two of the "Royal Guards," leaving his record at 2/0/0.
Squadron Leader Meleoron, who served as "artillery," is excluded here.
Then there's Netero from the original timeline. He sacrificed himself to take Meruem down with him and indirectly poisoned Shaiapouf and Menthuthuyoupi. His record stood at 3/1/0.
As for Gon in the original timeline, he gave up his future to brutally defeat Neferpitou.
If it weren't for Killua's younger sibling, Alluka, and Nanika healing Gon, he would have died. In the end, Gon's record was 1/0/0.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Chimera Ant extermination team, except for Palm with a record of 0/1/0, all ended with 0/0/0.
It's not fair to say that people like Morel, Knov, Knuckle, and Shoot didn't contribute.
They each played their part and even gained the upper hand at times, but for various reasons, they failed to deliver the final blow.
Knuckle even empathized with Youpi and tried to resolve issues with Shaiapouf through communication.
Their actions weren't wrong, per se.
But because of their lack of true resolve, they could only be noble warriors willing to sacrifice themselves, not people capable of turning the tide in dire situations.
If not for the "Poor Man's Rose" detonating, Meruem—reborn after consuming the flesh and blood of Youpi and Shaiapouf—would have caused far more destruction beyond the Republic of East Gorteau.
Defeating the reborn Meruem would have required a price far greater than just Netero's life.
At the critical moment, only Netero and Gon were willing to give everything to achieve their goals. Only they truly eliminated the threat of the "Ant King and Royal Guards."
That's the difference in resolve.
********
Support me on my patreon and read upto 15 early chapters.
https://www.patreon.com/Unique_Writer