Netero heard Meruem's declaration of victory and wanted to argue back.
But then he remembered how his "100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva" had been completely analyzed and countered by Meruem.
The words caught in his throat, and his face darkened as he glanced at Germain.
If it's Meruem, it's entirely possible he's already memorized all of Germain's attack patterns and techniques.
And from there, he might have found a way to land a critical strike.
However...
Things have reached this point, and all I can do now is support Germain to the end.
I'll try to use my "100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva" to cover any gaps in Germain's defense.
With that thought, Netero pressed his palms together, standing on one leg while the other folded under his hip.
The aura of the "100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva" burst forth, golden hands spreading like the petals of a lotus flower.
From now on, he needed to focus completely and push himself to his limits.
Germain glanced at Netero, then turned his full attention back to Meruem.
He studied the subtle shifts in Meruem's aura and movements.
Meruem's words might sound arrogant and overconfident, but he truly had the talent and strength to back them up.
Right now, Meruem was still immature in both mind and body.
If his terrifying potential ever fully blossomed, no human on the six continents could defeat him in a one-on-one fight.
Germain wouldn't allow himself to be careless.
Meruem had read countless books and experienced many things, yet his mind still retained a certain innocence.
You could even call it arrogance.
For example, he had a habit of announcing his next move to his opponent.
"Germain, I'm coming."
Boom—
Before the words had even finished, Meruem had launched himself forward, appearing in front of Germain in an instant.
Netero was stunned.
Because he sensed that, in that split second, Meruem's seamless movements—gathering Nen, lifting his leg, and leaping forward—had already surpassed the speed of his "100-Type Guanyin."
Too fast!
My "100-Type Guanyin" couldn't act in time to fill the gaps and block Meruem's moves for Germain!
As frustration, tension, and worry surged within him, Netero barely had time to see what had happened before a sharp explosion pierced the air!
Boom!
What Netero couldn't see, Germain saw clearly.
Germain's arm, covered in sturdy armor, shot up suddenly. In the nick of time, he blocked Meruem's punch aimed squarely at his chest, taking the full force of the blow head-on.
At the same time, a barrage of weapons—Cleaver, Firearm blasts, flamethrowers, a spiral staff, and Tachi Thousand Shadows—attacked Meruem like Germain had suddenly grown six extra arms, unleashing a relentless onslaught at point-blank range!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Meruem's response proved he hadn't exaggerated his abilities.
His fists and feet moved with such speed and precision that they formed an impenetrable barrier, like the canopy of an umbrella deflecting every raindrop of Germain's violent storm.
This dazzling display of attack and defense lasted only two seconds.
Netero took a deep breath. His "100-Type Guanyin" stood idle, unable to find even a moment to intervene.
Unless Germain and Meruem separated, Netero couldn't find an opening to attack.
The situation was terrifying.
By the third and fourth seconds, Meruem still appeared to be solely defending against Germain's relentless assault, making no extra moves of his own.
But Meruem was a "King" who meant every word he said. When he declared that the outcome would be decided within five seconds, he intended to make it so.
He never went back on his word, nor did he repeat himself unnecessarily.
Meruem had already offered Netero a chance to surrender once. He had also said the same to Germain when he entered the battlefield.
He wouldn't offer words of mercy again. Instead, he would use overwhelming power to make his intentions clear.
In his view, only the strong had the right to rule, to determine the future of their kind, and to decide the life and death of others.
For Meruem, humanity's system of placing weak and powerless individuals on thrones as kings and leaders was utterly incomprehensible.
Even Komugi, his dear friend and a genius at Gungi, could not be considered a "Queen."
Mastery in Gungi could not rule the world.
The two things simply weren't the same.
Meruem wanted to teach Germain* a lesson—one that would make him submit, just like the Royal Guards, even if it meant using brute force to drive the point home.
The time had come.
In the fifth second, Meruem's tail, which had been coiled behind him all this time, suddenly lashed out, striking Germain with a powerful, thunderous blow!
Whoosh—
The tail sliced through the air with a sharp hiss, like a venomous snake baring its fangs, ready to strike!
Germain's offensive and defensive style was not perfect. There were always small gaps in his technique, and he relied on his speed to cover those weaknesses.
In other words, theoretically, if someone could surpass his speed and precisely predict the trajectory of all his attacks, they would find the weakest point in his defense at that moment.
Even Netero hadn't been able to achieve that.
When Netero attacked Germain earlier, he had used a broader approach, relying on the sheer range of the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva to land his strikes.
In simpler terms, Netero's attacks were somewhat rough—straightforward and direct.
But this kind of attack wasn't very effective against monsters like Meruem and Germain, whose defenses were nearly unbreakable.
Meruem's approach, on the other hand, was far more refined—precise, focused on a single point, and aimed to deliver a perfect, deadly strike.
If he could land such a blow, it would catch his opponent completely off guard, causing devastating results. And it would look flawless.
Achieving this required extraordinary talent, unmatched strength, sharp logical thinking, and exceptional memory.
It was similar to Netero's pursuit of the Shingen-Ryu, but expressed in a different way—two branches from the same tree, both reflecting the union of body and mind.
Amid countless combinations of offense and defense, Meruem seized the perfect moment.
He struck at just the right time, targeting the most vulnerable point. His tail pierced straight toward Germain's abdomen.
However, in that instant, Meruem sensed a change in Germain's breathing.
It was an incredibly subtle, almost imperceptible change.
Panic?
Was it the panic of someone pushed to the brink?
No.
Meruem felt it again—that unexplainable, hair-raising emotion.
Not long ago, when he tried to attack Netero and Germain suddenly appeared behind him, he felt the same emotion.
So, it wasn't an illusion after all?
Even earlier, during Meruem's games with Komugi, he had experienced a similar feeling.
The next moment, Meruem's tail was caught.
Germain's fingers gripped it tightly, and it felt as if every weapon in the world was aimed at Meruem in that instant.
Swish, swish, swish, swish—
But Germain's eyes were focused only on Meruem's tail.
His fangs and claws were like hooks, gripping the joint of the tail, emitting a terrifying white light.
"Critical hit!"
Slash—
A large section of Meruem's tail was ripped off, with dark red blood raining onto the gray-white floor like droplets.
The Chimera Ant King's expression darkened.
He spun through the air with lightning speed, retreating to a safe distance, but he remained poised and vigilant.
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