This ti, the Chira Ant once again took the initiative.
It crouched, then burst forward explosively. In a single bound it was right in front of Gon. Gon's response was to et change with stillness.
"Janken!"
He dropped low, gathering montum. A surge of powerful aura condensed onto his fist.
The Chira Ant, suddenly alard, stopped and retreated quickly. Gon's stance was troubleso—it was the kind of charged state where the Ant knew it could land a strike, but Gon's blow would certainly hit in return. It did not know what sort of attack Gon could unleash, but the aura radiating from him made it clear that the strike would not be weak.
The Chira Ant had no wish to kill Gon only to gain its freedom, only to then be killed itself in the process. If that happened, there would be no aning to its release. Even if it survived but was gravely injured, would the humans spare it? Certainly not.
Ron was not a concern. If Ron had wanted to kill it, he would have done so already. He had promised freedom, and the Ant could only trust that. What it feared was Killua. If it killed Gon, Killua would never let it go, and in a wounded state it could not possibly deal with Killua as well.
So this ti, the one held back and constrained was the Chira Ant. The situation had reversed.
Ron looked at Killua, who had cald down. "Killua, have you thought it through?"
"What?"
"Between you and Gon, who is stronger?"
"It should be …" Killua answered with hesitation.
"Not should. It is certain."
Ron said, "Your base attributes surpass Gon's. You are the sa age, but before twelve you underwent the Zoldyck family's harsh training, while Gon grew up free. Before the Hunter Exam, your strength was many tis greater than his. After learning Nen, Gon's growth was faster than yours—that is partly due to his talent, and partly due to your own issues—but even so, in such a short ti, Gon could not have surpassed you. At least not yet.
"In speed, you are superior. In strength, you are superior. In reflexes, you are superior. In technique, you are superior. In experience, you are superior. In terms of abilities, each of you has your own advantages, but yours are more proactive. Killua, can you tell why you are performing so poorly?"
In Ron's eyes, both Gon and Killua had already reached the level of B-rank Nen users. Their rate of improvent was impressive—they were now comparable to upper-tier Shadow Beasts or the lower-ranked mbers of the Phantom Troupe. Compared to Kurapika, however, they were slower, though Kurapika had his own edge: deep hatred, the Scarlet Eyes, and severe vows and restrictions.
Gon and Killua stood at the sa level as squad captains. But the Chira Ants grasp of Nen was crude.
"I…" Killua was silent for a long ti. "My ability can't inflict lethal damage on the Ants. Their defenses are too strong. I can't kill them, so I don't believe I can win. Gon's ability, on the other hand, can threaten them."
Ron shook his head. "Killua, rember—you are an assassin. Gon is a warrior; his attacks are direct, frontal. You are a killer—why copy his thods? You were trained to wait patiently, to find the weak point, to end it in one blow. Have you forgotten all of that training?"
Killua's eyes flickered. "Weak point? But the Chira Ants don't have weak points. Their whole bodies are hard, even their joints."
Ron gave him a calm glance. "Even their joints look strong to you?"
Killua clenched his fists. Ron's words struck his pride.
"Then create stronger thods of attack. With your current strength, you are capable of it. Have you never thought of that? Or do you plan to spend your whole life only supporting Gon in battle? What if Gon dies? Or what if he is no longer your friend?"
Ron had already seen the truth. In overall attributes, Killua was stronger than Gon, but his ntality prevented him from using his full power.
Killua clenched his fist tightly. "I…"
At that mont, the Chira Ant finally lost patience and charged at Gon again, its aura flaring around its body.
"Die!"
Even before it reached him, its pressure was already crashing down on Gon. But Gon withstood it.
In the instant the Chira Ant closed in—
"Janken! Rock!"
His fist shot forward. Their strikes landed at the sa ti, and both were sent flying backward.
Bang!
Both slamd into the wall. Gon spat a mouthful of blood. The Chira Ant, by comparison, fared better. It looked at Gon and grinned.
"I overestimated you. If this is all, I should have attacked sooner. Now it's my turn. I'll kill you slowly, then eat you, make you part of . You'll die, but still live on as my flesh. I won't let your body go to waste."
Step by step, the Chira Ant walked toward Gon. Gon struggled to stand, but he could not.
Killua's fists trembled. "Ron… why don't you stop it? You could save him right now!"
Ron's gaze stayed steady. "I won't. Killua, don't forget—this is training. Gon already agreed that death could be the price. I'm not here to coddle him. And don't mistake for soone who acts on sentint. Even if I'm more carefree than the rest of the Zoldycks, I am still a Zoldyck. Your friend's death won't disturb ."
Killua froze. Each slow step the Chira Ant took toward Gon pressed against his chest like a weight, and Ron's words left no escape: if Gon was to live, it would have to be by Killua's own choice, not anyone else's.
The Ant reached Gon, lifted its hand, and reached for his throat.
Just as it was about to seize him—
Killua's figure vanished.
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