Meruem, whose name means "the light that illuminates all," had gifted Germain the "Gift of Resentment" with similar symbolic traits.
The "Sacred Moonlight Sword"—a large, two-handed greatsword.
When used, it radiates a cyan holy glow in the darkness of night, appearing exceptionally beautiful.
Germain sheathed the Sacred Moonlight Sword, cast one final glance at Meruem's lifeless body, and leapt into the air.
With several swift steps on the broken ruins, he vaulted out of the underground, abandoned testing site and landed on the surface above.
Turning back, he watched as the collapse of the testing site gradually settled. Most of the area was buried under stone and earth, becoming the haphazard grave of the Chimera Ant King.
Shriek!
A strange cry echoed from the sky.
Germain followed the sound and looked up to see the dragon-bird beast from the Zoldyck family circling above him. It was the very creature that had brought him to this battlefield.
Three dark figures leapt gracefully from the dragon-bird's back, landing lightly and steadily beside Germain.
It was, of course, Netero, Zeno, and Silva.
Netero approached Germain, placing a hand on his shoulder with a warm smile.
"You did it. Well done."
Zeno and Silva nodded silently in approval.
Germain's victory tonight was, undoubtedly, the best possible outcome.
Yet, the fact that he had managed to defeat Meruem—a foe so fearsome they themselves had been unwilling to approach and even Netero couldn't overcome—was utterly staggering.
Germain gave no response.
After leaving the battle, the silver-white halo encircling him had transformed into a Crown of Darkness, compounded by the invasive effects of the Contempt Armor. He was enduring immense physical and mental agony.
The prolonged use of this combat state had exacted a heavy price. To free himself from the Crown of Darkness and Contempt Armor, Germain now needed not just half an hour but an entire hour.
An hour of continuous torment. Germain wasn't sure if he could endure it; he might truly succumb to exhaustion and die.
The only way to interrupt the torture was to fight again, but Germain knew this would be like drinking poison to quench thirst.
It would merely delay the inevitable, without easing the suffering, and it would only extend the duration of his torment without limit.
He didn't want to go down that path.
Netero noticed that the blood on Germain's severed left wrist had stopped flowing, and the wound even showed signs of healing. He also observed Germain's silence and the deep exhaustion weighing on his body and spirit.
He quickly realized that Germain was enduring tremendous pain and suffering at that moment.
So, Netero took out a card case and showed Germain the last remaining card, "Breath of the Archangel."
"This is the only thing that can free you from your current state."
Netero activated "Breath of the Archangel" and used it on Germain.
Bathed in golden holy light, the Archangel manifested in a graceful, ethereal dance. She gazed at Germain tenderly, stretched out her palm, and slightly parted her lips, releasing a healing breath.
The healing breath gently flowed in the direction parallel to her outstretched palm, pouring entirely into Germain.
In an instant, Germain felt all the pain and soreness in his body fade away, as if a heavy rain had washed away every speck of mud clinging to him.
His left wrist visibly regenerated at an astonishing speed, the disdainful armor on his body dissolved like retreating tides, and the dark crown trembled and shattered.
Moments later, Germain was entirely healed, both physically and mentally.
The Archangel smiled softly, twirling gracefully a few more times in the radiant light before disappearing.
The healing power of "Breath of the Archangel" had been demonstrated to the group multiple times before, and its effectiveness was undeniable. Yet, Netero still asked a question.
"Germain, how are you feeling now?"
Germain glanced at his fully restored left wrist, noticing that his dark crown and disdainful armor had been forcibly removed. His body felt light, and his aura was back to full strength, just as it had been before the battle.
The next moment, as if to test himself, Germain activated "En" and expanded it outward.
The Nen first passed through Netero, Zeno, and Silva. The three instinctively raised their Nen defenses but, upon realizing it was "En," they relaxed, though the sensation left them slightly uncomfortable.
"En" expanded outward—100 meters, 200 meters, 300 meters, 320 meters...
In just one year, Germain had extended the range of his "En" far beyond Zeno's 300-meter radius, which Zeno had achieved through decades of dedicated training.
Netero, Zeno, and Silva were initially surprised but quickly accepted this reality. Germain's rapid improvement in all aspects was the key reason for Meruem's defeat tonight.
The distance of "En" doesn't necessarily equate to power, but most skilled Nen users tend to have a longer range for their "En."
However, in this area, the creatures from the Dark Continent have a natural advantage due to their innate abilities.
Neferpitou's irregular "En" could reach several kilometers at its furthest point.
And the reborn Meruem's "En" extended even farther, surpassing Neferpitou's limits in every direction.
(Correction: Chapter 251's description of Meruem's "En" was inaccurate.)
In an instant, Germain retracted his "En."
"I'm fine now," he said.
Suddenly, Germain raised his hand to stop Netero, who was about to speak, and pointed toward a direction in the night sky.
"I sense a lifeform approaching quickly... It must be Shaiapouf. He's coming."
Netero, Zeno, and Silva were taken aback but soon spread out their own "En" as well.
A moment later, a large swarm of particle-like Nen entered Netero's "En," then Zeno's, and finally Silva's.
Netero stroked his white beard thoughtfully.
"This sinister aura of Nen connects to itself in fragments. It must be the last of the Royal Guards—Shaiapouf. I didn't expect he had the ability to disperse himself into such tiny particles."
"Since he's the last of the Royal Guards, how should we handle this?"
Netero, being the highest-ranking and most senior person present, spoke these words while looking at Germain, wanting to hear his perspective.
Tonight, Germain had contributed greatly. In every respect, his opinion deserved to be respected.
"How should we handle it?"
Germain looked at his hands, then raised his head.
"Meruem is dead. As one of the Royal Guards, Shaiapouf is unquestionably loyal to Meruem. He won't negotiate with us and holds deep resentment toward us."
"On top of that, he has control over a large group of hostages through his Nen ability. If he decides to go down with us, many lives could be lost."
"Before he has a chance to act, we must eliminate him completely."
Germain conjured the Holy Moonlight Sword, gripping the overly large, green blade with both hands.
"Let me handle this," he added.
Germain wasn't overly bloodthirsty, nor was he looking for the Gift of Resentment from Shaiapouf's Post-mortem Nen. Instead, he wanted to use his own ability to erase Shaiapouf's Post-mortem Nen and bring a clean resolution to the situation.
Nen users, especially powerful ones, often leave behind Post-mortem Nen after death, which can result in dangerous curses akin to vengeful spirits.
After Meruem's death, Post-mortem Nen had begun to form but didn't linger, showing his last bit of dignity as a king.
Neferpitou and Youpi, on the other hand, were so devoted to protecting the King that their Post-mortem Nen sought to fulfill something even after their deaths.
Thus, it was entirely possible that Shaiapouf, as another of the Royal Guards, could also spread and amplify his Nen after death, using it to shatter the minds of the humans he had hypnotized.
Germain's Hunter's Badge was the nemesis of Post-mortem Nen, and he intended to eliminate such a possibility.
Netero and Zeno exchanged a glance.
Zeno shook his head with a smile, his demeanor calm and firm.
"It's not our mission to interfere, and we won't make a move," his stance seemed to say.
Netero could have acted himself—dealing with Shaiapouf wouldn't have been a problem for him.
But when Germain voluntarily offered to continue fighting, it reminded Netero of something.
So, he simply agreed.
"Alright, Germain, you can go."
********
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