Chapter 421

"So this is the human child from the rumors... Hmph, nothing special."

Buccia, squeezed in the middle of the enemy army, stopped in front of a Chimera Ant whose fur color was different from the thugs he had encountered so far. The rank of a Chimera Ant soldier varies by level. None of them were weaklings who could be killed in a single blow.

The name of the enemy blocking Buccia's path was Squadron Leader Zazan. She had a massive scorpion tail, but in other respects, she looked like a human female. However, the sheer power and physical strength of her exoskeleton were unimaginable from her appearance; she caught Buccia's baseball with one hand.

"I was panting when I killed you, but I didn't say a word. The weaker the dog, the easier it is to say dangerous things. Do you understand your position a little better now?"

Zazan crushed the ball he had been playing with. The metal produced by the main body was not a perfect Philosopher's Stone. When it lost the creator's Aura control, it would rapidly deteriorate and naturally collapse. The raw stone could not be produced.

"... Sure, that's right."

Buccia remained calm in the face of Zazan's provocative insults. Zazan was unaware of the opponent's reaction, which was completely different from the bloody words and actions he had seen so far. Because he had assumed he would definitely get angry.

"'Kill' is my favorite phrase. I just started wondering if..."

"... using strong words indiscriminately might sound cheap." Buccia was thinking of a new catchphrase of his own. He had specifically taken out a dictionary to look up some words that seemed fitting.

"My new catchphrase is... 'Konasu' (to handle/finish off)."

The word "Konasu" originally comes from the meaning of "turning into powder." As a frequently used expression, it conveys how to handle work and tasks well, such as "doing a job." It also has meanings of crushing things into small pieces, digesting things, and looking down on others.

"To me, killing is just completing a task, right?"

"Aren't you an idiot?"

He didn't intend to provoke Zazan. He was just speaking his true feelings. However, this impression of candor made Zazan angry, causing his Aura to boil like a water heater.

"You bastard! I'll smash you!"

Buccia created a Philosopher's Stone baseball. Zazan had already seen this technique once and could easily block it. He mocked Buccia, who was trying to pitch again, thinking he was an idiot.

"No one can stop my ball! I can't catch it! Let's go, 'Slugger'!"

Zazan decided to show the boy who challenged him without knowing his place the desperate difference in ability, charging head-on for another attack.

The seed of Buccia's ability was broken. It was a homing Bullet that changed the trajectory of the launched ball through Manipulation System ability. You could definitely deal with it by defending rather than trying to dodge. Zazan's dynamic vision was catching up to the superhuman-class fastball. Zazan possessed overwhelming physical ability, excellent not only in strength but also in speed.

Just like before, he stopped the ball flying in a straight line with one hand. However, right after this, Zazan realized he had misread the Aura contained in the ball.

It was clearly heavier than the ball he had caught before. He thought this was why he had put his heart and soul into the pitch. Zazan stopped it with both hands, but he still couldn't kill the force. Even without piercing her armor, it started pushing her back bit by bit.

Due to the excessive force, it became difficult to play and parry. Gradually, it became less effective, and the speed of falling backward increased. He backed into a tree, but the tree he leaned against screamed and snapped. If he lost his strength, he didn't know how far he would be blown away.

"Hey...!"

The contempt vanished from Zazan. The scorpion tail sprang up quickly from his blocked hand and launched an attack at Buccia. Usually, she liked to use this tail as a weapon.

This tail stretched and contracted stiffly and flexibly, performing faster and more powerful attacks than using her limbs. It could inject a fast-acting paralytic venom from the stinger at the tip.

"Aura!"

But Buccia firmly grabbed the tail strike. Zazan's tail, hit by the bat, was torn off. The surprise attack seemed to have failed, but Zazan's expression relaxed.

For Zazan, it was fine if the paralytic poison attack hit, and it was also fine if it didn't. Although he didn't cut corners on attack speed, he had deliberately lowered the amount of Aura reinforcing the tail's armor, intentionally lowering its defense.

The reason lay behind Zazan. When she got serious, she had a second form that changed her entire body shape, gaining several times the power of her normal state. The key to its activation was the destruction of the scorpion tail. When this tail was torn off, she would transform into the second form.

Zazan's muscles swelled with squeaks and creaks, and his exoskeleton armor exploded. The increased muscle filling the inside of the hard exoskeleton further enhanced the defense. The overwhelming defensive power of this double-layered iron wall, refined both inside and out, was the highest level among the Squadron Leaders.

In this state, you can easily bounce the ball. Thinking this, Zazan felt a sense of incongruity in his heart. He still couldn't move from the position where he caught the ball. Even with the power of Zazan, who had become the second form of the superhuman-strength lizard mode, he couldn't change the straight path of the ball.

"Ah, this is impossible!? It's clearly stronger than before!"

No matter how strong the momentum is, even if it is a manipulated ball, if the suppressed force is greater than the bearing force, its power should weaken. However, the power of the ball also jumped along with the powered-up Zazan's power.

This is the effect of Buccia's combined ability of Manipulation System and Emission, "Slugger." Pitches launched using this ability will increase in power and speed to offset the force interfering with their path. The enhanced Aura is additionally collected from the caster, Buccia.

"Shibuten. Damn it."

The pleasant sound of a Kakin pitch rang out. Zazan, fully focused on the ball in front of him, gasped. She could not withstand Buccia's second strike now. Zazan was about to intercept it with her tail, but fortunately, the ball veered off her and flew into the bushes behind her.

But Buccia could not miss his target. The homing ball flew behind Zazan, hit a tree, bounced, and hit her back. The ball rushed out from the ventral and dorsal sides.

"Gi!? This...!"

The ball affected by the "Destroyer" effect will be strengthened by as much force as the one blocking it from going straight. What happens when these two balls collide head-on? Blocking each other, their power rises without knowing a ceiling. And Zazan was caught between the two balls.

"'PowerStrikeOffset(Backdraft)'"

The colliding balls could not withstand the power contained within them and collapsed with a boom. The massive energy turned into a shockwave, destroying Zazan's body. Her torso exploded, leaving behind a tragedy of death.

"Hey, that Martial Arts guy...!"

"Let Peke know! We are no match!"

The Chimera Ants who witnessed Zazan's defeat began to retreat at full speed. Buccia was about to let go of the pitch, but he was startled. Metal balls were not infinite either. Using the ability of the Philosopher's Stone in large quantities would increase the mental burden accordingly.

Once the big move was out, he immediately felt the depletion of his Aura. It was still possible to fight enough, but you should avoid wasting hits. He couldn't go around searching for the fleeing enemies.

"This, I am... this, this, this... right...!"

Although only the upper body remained, Zazan was still alive. Their lives would eventually die, but the abnormal Life Force of the Chimera Ants did not let them die easily, even if they had been reduced to just a neck.

Buccia had no pity or sympathy for such a monster, left the incompetent enemy, and continued forward. He was concerned about his Vulcan comrade, who was ahead of him.

Squadron Leader Zazan's strength exceeded expectations, even for Buccia. A single one was not much of a threat, but if they were connected with enemies of this level, it would be a hard battle.

"This is troublesome, but will you handle it?"

To keep up with Vulcan, who had rushed into the middle of the enemy formation, Buccia put on his baseball cap and started running.

"Enough! Get down from the Captain class too! We are Squadron Leaders!"

Colt raised his voice and gave instructions to the surrounding soldiers. The interference waves emitted by the enemy hindered radio communication. Use energy to suppress the enemy's radio wave attacks echoing in your mind.

"Galens Raash! Ha, ha..."

Before leaving, when seeing the 15th Squadron of the Allied Forces lined up in front of the nest, Colt's heart was filled with pride and confidence. With this, he thought that no matter what kind of enemy he faced, he would not lose. Such a sweet prospect had now been shattered.

"What happened to Hagya!? I can't see you!"

"I don't know! You ran away anyway!"

Colt's eyes were filled with uncontrollable anger. Either be killed or run away. It was difficult for the Allied Forces, who had lost control of radio signals, to confirm, and countless soldiers disappeared from the front line.

The enemy was that strong. This human, clad in red armor, sweeping away all Obstacles with a great Sword, was truly the embodiment of violence. The great Sword danced effortlessly, like a dry branch a child plays with, and whirlwinds and shockwaves swept through the great army.

Even for a Squadron Leader, being hit directly would inevitably lead to incapacitation. However, after countless sacrifices, the enemy finally began to show signs of fatigue.

Colt and the others only recently acquired Nen Ability, but even from a beginner's perspective, it was easy to see that the enemy's Aura control was crude. The power was astonishing, but conversely, it seemed to be swayed by that very power. If the fight continued like this, the moment their Aura ran dry would surely come.

First, we must weaken the enemy and wait for an opening to appear. Strike it with maximum firepower. Behorn is the strongest bovine-type Chimera Ant among the Squadron Leaders, and is in the rear. In terms of overall combat power like defense and speed, he does not reach Zazan's second form, but in terms of pure physical attack power, he is undoubtedly the strongest among the Squadron Leaders.

He believed that as long as Behorn's ultimate technique landed, it was possible to take down this enemy. However, the ultimate technique requires charging, and once released, it cannot be used consecutively. Behorn can only step forward and keep the opponent from being exhausted until he is certain of a hit.

"Jeetu! I'm counting on you!"

"Oops."

Jeetu, a cheetah-type Chimera Ant, responded lightly and jumped out. He approached Vulcan, a boy wielding a great Sword, without hesitation.

"Well, it's no fun if we don't fight."

"Wait a moment...!"

Jeetu is the fastest Squadron Leader. He effortlessly dodged Vulcan's lethal, powerful attacks. Vulcan was constrained by his incredible speed.

Jeetu's leg strength is not only explosive but his endurance is also outstanding, allowing him to run all day at speeds of over 200 kilometers per hour. His coordination with the power-type Vulcan, who relies on strength, is excellent, and he is not in any danger while dealing with him.

However, despite having speed, his attack power is not quite good enough. Seeing an opening, I struck Vulcan with my fist, but it was blocked by a sturdy protector and did not take much damage.

Even so, the main purpose of this operation was to exhaust the enemy, so it could be said that Jeetu had fully played his part. However, he thought, he wanted to overwhelm this powerful enemy with his own strength.

"I will show you soon, my Nen Ability 'Dreamer's Walk', which Shauapuf taught me."

Shauapuf, one of the three Royal Guards, excels at reading people's minds and using hypnosis to stimulate their psychological potential. With a keen eye, he offers advice to talented individuals among the Squadron Leaders.

Originally, a person would spend a long time finding the most suitable source based on their system, personality, and experience, but Shauapuf is able to see through the essence of the subject and find the ability that suits that person.

Jeetu ran in front of Vulcan at top speed. The leopard print on his body left afterimages at such speed. No, these were not afterimages. It turned into Another Self with substance and attacked Vulcan.

It is a Nen doll capable of creating another self exactly like its own. Jeetu, having reached maximum speed, can create up to four afterimage doubles at the same time, but the activation time is short, and the substance of the doubles can only be maintained for 0.5 seconds.

Even so, the fastest Squadron Leader, Jeetu, can attack multiple times within those 0.5 seconds. In exchange for a short activation time, it consumes less Aura, and the Aura within the body that was not destroyed is returned to Jeetu after the activation time is successfully completed. This makes it possible to use the Another Self ability continuously at a low cost.

Even Vulcan could not stop five Jeetus from attacking simultaneously, merging the four doubles with the main body. The target is the gap in the protector. If movable parts like joints are covered by armor, movement is restricted, so there will be gaps.

"Katie! Are you really this human!?"

That part could be called flesh and blood, but the offensive and defensive power of that Aura was functioning well. Jeetu's attacks, even using Another Self, caused almost no damage. However, Jeetu's attacks were slowly driving Vulcan into a corner. He himself was aware of the accumulated fatigue.

Except for the weapon made at the beginning, I did not make any new weapons using the Philosopher's Stone. However, the imperfect Philosopher's Stone made by the main body has the characteristic of deteriorating over time, and maintaining a large amount of equipment, such as armor and a set of huge weapons, requires a lot of cost to compensate for constant wear and tear. I need it.

Vulcan was the most exhausted of the four test-subject children because his actions were reckless and unreasonable. The more impatient he became, the more tedious his attacks grew.

"Noooooooo! You alien monsters! For the sake of world peace, I cannot let you die here!"

Adversity accelerated Vulcan's delusions. Completely transformed into Space Squadron Leader Gared, driven by a mad sense of justice that could not distinguish reality from fantasy, he drew out a huge Aura with the power of the Philosopher's Stone. The red Sword emitted a mysterious light.

"Kura Fatal!"

If the opponent's movement speed is too fast, then you can annihilate a wide area you cannot dodge all at once. This is a rough technique that increases the amount of Aura manifested by releasing it through the Enhancement system, and then explosively amplifies it with the help of the Philosopher's Stone. It is a self-destruct technique that cannot be controlled at all, and the power extends to oneself, but Vulcan's body is protected by a protector, so the damage is reduced to a certain extent.

Jeetu sensed the expanding Aura and tried to keep his distance, but Vulcan refused and stepped into the Wind. He is not good at seeing through the enemy's movements and reacting quickly, but his movement speed itself is not inferior to Jeetu's. Even if the Sword itself cannot hit, one can do something to chase it so it does not dodge the wide-range attack.

"Collision!!"

Vulcan tried to swing down his great Sword as he stepped in, but his foot slipped there. However, the momentum of the technique could not be interrupted, and the momentum exploded just like that. Jeetu escaped the storm area of the Aura at the last minute, but was only shaken by the aftermath.

The swung-down great Sword shattered the earth in one blow, and trees were rolled into pieces as if a natural disaster had occurred. If Vulcan had not slipped at the edge, Jeetu would not have died.

"Looks like we made it in time."

Jeetu's Fate was not a Coincidence. The ability of Peggy, a Squadron Leader from the rear guard, helped. Peggy, like Jeetu, was able to bloom in a short time under Shauapuf's hypnosis.

Its ability is called "NeoGreenLife", a technique that injects Aura into the ground and manipulates the properties of the earth. Peggy inherited some of the memories she had when she was a human before becoming a Chimera Ant. He was a devout NGL follower.

The ability is activated by passing an Aura through the NGL textbook that Peggy always carries and kneels on the ground to pray with. Peggy's Aura can travel through the earth and work anytime, anywhere. This softened the soil under Vulcan's feet.

Although it is an ability that requires maintaining a kneeling posture when the skill is activated and has many gaps, it played an excellent role as logistical support. The coordination between the Squadron Leaders provided support for the tightrope-walking offense and defense.

"Ha, ha... you scoundrel... defeat, move..."

The culprit of the destruction stood in the epicenter where the dust was dissipating, but it was hard to say his physical condition was good. Vulcan somehow managed to stand using his great Sword as a cane. Due to the damage from the self-destruction, part of the protector collapsed, and half of the helmet was lost. I seemed unable to repair it.

The fighting spirit did not disappear in the eyes peeking through the holes in the helmet. Heroes eliminate evil. This is his only Absolute truth. For the Chimera Ants, Vulcan's psychology is incomprehensible. Colt immediately initiated the next strategy.

"Jeetu is safe, and the enemy is already exhausted. Just as I expected, I will come to interrupt them, and Behorn will come to attack them."

"Are you okay? That attack just now, I didn't think it would come."

"Judging by his Aura, he shouldn't have enough stamina to fire another shot. We have already given up, and if coordinated properly, it is possible to deal with him."

Colt acted as a decoy for the disturbance until Jeetu returned, while Behorn waited for an opening to surely hit the enemy and deliver the final blow. Peggy provided geological operation support from behind.

Although there was no extra time, Colt confirmed again that there were no omissions in the strategy before proceeding. This was also the caution shown by his methodical personality, but beyond that, he also felt a baseless sense of unease.

This might be a feeling known as a sixth sense or insect information. Hesitating for a moment and tightening his nerves, Colt was the first to notice the sudden change on the battlefield.

Colt's eyes caught the sharp metallic sound and the projectile approaching at high speed from the forest bushes. Peggy and Behorn did not know. This was an attack from Vulcan's ally, Buccia's "Slugger".

Peggy was in the line of fire of the red shell. Realizing that this was another enemy's attack, Colt stepped forward to protect Peggy.

――"Guardian of Hope (Rescue Ray)"――

Colt successfully activated his Nen Ability while being forced to make a temporary decision. Colt manifested an eggshell-shaped shield around himself. This Nen Barrier itself has decent defensive power, but under certain conditions, its power increases dramatically.

The condition is "activating to protect someone". Colt's shield, becoming Peggy's shield, gained unparalleled power. This caused the power of the "Destroyer" to increase, having the effect of a defensive special attack, but Colt accidentally received help from the shield.

The shield imitating an eggshell was circular, and the ball that collided with it was skillfully diverted from its linear trajectory and parried while its power increased. The fastball missed its target, sparks flew, and it flew toward the rear direction while sliding on the surface of the shield.

"... Change strategy! First, I will search for information on the new enemy! As for the great Sword user..."

Colt confirmed with the corner of his eye that the blown-away Jeetu was about to return.

"Leave it to Jeetu! Peggy, ask for help! Behorn, protect Peggy from the enemy's long-range attacks, move flexibly! Now is the critical moment! Let's go!"