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"Ugh!" Struck by Mika's powerful blow, Meruem was sent flying backward, crashing through the forest and slamming into a stone wall.
The impact sent debris flying as a cloud of dust and smoke filled the air.
The King, who had effortlessly traded hundreds of blows with Mika moments before, was now clearly at a disadvantage.
Mika walked towards him, his pace measured yet swift, a predator closing in on his prey.
"This foolishness…or rather, a lack of information. My greatest strength lies in my physical Abilities, not my Nen. Fighting me with Nen might have been a viable strategy, but challenging me in hand-to-hand combat—that was a mistake." Like a classic villain, Mika explained his Abilities to his opponent.
Without using his Cosmo, his greatest strength was his Falna-enhanced physique, honed to terrifying levels.
While officially a Level 7—his stats at each level had far surpassed the usual limits—the accumulated gains from his numerous "Limit Breaks" making him far stronger than a typical Level 7 adventurer.
Mika progress at a single level was equivalent to two or three level-ups for other adventurers. Therefore, his physical strength was far beyond what a simple number could represent.
Standard adventurer levels were no longer an accurate measure of his Power.
This was his greatest asset—the foundation of his strength in every world.
Meruem, having absorbed the life force of countless ants, possessed Level 7 physical Abilities upon birth.
And after consuming numerous Nen users, his strength had further increased to Level 8—a level unheard of in the current era of Orario. Only the champions of the Zeus and Hera Familias had reached such heights.
However, this referred only to his base physical Abilities. Without his Nen, he was essentially a Level 8 monster. After all, for adventurers, Skills and Magic were their greatest strengths, allowing them to defeat opponents far above their level.
Bell Cranel, for instance, would eventually be able to fight opponents three levels above his own. This was the Power of Falna—And high-level adventurers in Orario often possessed numerous Skills and Magic Abilities.
Therefore, Mika estimated that even without his Nen, Meruem, despite his Level 8 physique, might not even be able to defeat a Level 6 adventurer like Finn—who possessed decades of combat experience.
However, with his Nen, Meruem's Power truly reached Level 8. Therefore, challenging Mika in hand-to-hand combat had been a mistake, playing to Mika's strengths.
Mika had indulged him, eager to face an opponent who could match his physical prowess. Such encounters were rare—But seeing Meruem's overconfidence, his reliance on his Chimera Ant physique, and his neglect of his Nen—Mika had decided to end the charade.
———
He reached Meruem, still embedded in the stone wall, the dust and smoke from the impact yet to settle.
"Remember this, Ant King: Your greatest strength isn't your Chimera Ant physique, but the Nen you inherited from humans—To cling to your pride as the King of the Chimera Ants and refuse to use your Nen—that is stupidity. Or perhaps you believed your fragile body could defeat me?"
"Perhaps you should learn some respect—Compared to you, humanity is the true master of this world." As he spoke, his aura rippled outwards, dispelling the smoke.
Meruem emerged from the wall, his body radiating a powerful Nen. This was his true advantage, his immense life force that dwarfed that of humans, granting him aura reserves ten, twenty, even hundreds of times greater than theirs.
This was the true terror of the Chimera Ants.
"You are the one who is mistaken. Humans are merely food," Meruem retorted, his voice cold.
Mika smiled. He had achieved his objective; he had provoked Meruem, forcing him to unleash his Nen.
"I'm such a good teacher," He thought, though his expression remained one of disdain.
"You think you can defeat me?"
"I will defeat you—" Meruem roared, his aura fluctuating wildly as if something were about to erupt. "I will rule this world and turn you all into food!"
Mika didn't know the extent of his Nen Abilities.
Meruem, having consumed countless Nen users, possessed a vast array of Powers. However, he knew that a Meruem who could utilize those Abilities effectively would be a truly challenging opponent.
The combination of different Nen Abilities, wielded by someone with Meruem's talent and learning capacity—and three days was more than enough time for him to master and integrate them, especially with his vast aura reserves—could be devastating.
———
BOOM!
Explosions echoed through the forest, accompanied by the whooshing sounds of projectiles and the rush of displaced air.
At the heart of the forest—Mika and Meruem clashed—their figures blurring through the trees, their movements too fast for the eye to follow.
Meruem, having learned his lesson, no longer attempted to match Mika's strength in hand-to-hand combat but relied on his diverse Nen Abilities, each one amplified by his immense aura reserves and used with surprising Skill.
Combined with his Ability to combine different Powers, he managed to hold his own against Mika.
One attack, in particular, had caught Mika off guard. Meruem had vanished, his presence completely erased, even from Mika's enhanced senses.
Mika quickly realized what had happened.
It was a Nen Ability from the original story—known as God's Accomplice.
It granted the user perfect invisibility, their presence undetectable even through touch. It was the ultimate stealth Technique—In the original story, it was thanks to this Ability that the extermination team had been able to infiltrate the King's palace undetected.
Mika knew how to counter it:
A wide-area attack.
He unleashed his flames, his Cosmo transforming into a raging inferno that engulfed a kilometer-wide area—a Technique he had frequently used in the past, now amplified by his mastery of fire and his enhanced Cosmo.
The flames shot skyward, a terrifying spectacle that stunned even the soldiers outside the forest. Kite, Gon, and Killua, familiar with Nen, were awestruck by the sheer scale of the attack. The amount of aura required was unimaginable.
Only Netero, standing at the edge of the battlefield, understood. Both Mika and Meruem possessed aura reserves far beyond human comprehension.
———
"Argh!" Meruem's figure emerged from the flames, crashing to the ground, his body scorched.
While God's Accomplice rendered him intangible, he was still present, and therefore, still vulnerable to area-of-effect attacks, though targeting him directly was impossible.
"Consider that payback," Mika said with a smile, watching as Meruem got to his feet.
Meruem's earlier surprise attack, combined with his invisibility, had managed to injure Mika. Now, he had returned the favor.
They were both injured, though Mika's wounds had already healed, while the burns on Meruem's body were rapidly fading. They both possessed powerful regenerative Abilities. This made a war of attrition inevitable.
Meruem, relying on his diverse Nen Abilities—continued to evade Mika—avoiding close combat and using hit-and-run tactics, searching for an opening.
And his strategy was working; he managed to injure Mika again, though the wound quickly closed.
Even Netero, with his enhanced physical strength and Nen, hadn't been able to break through Mika's Falna-enhanced defenses. This was why he had been so certain Mika hadn't been fighting at his full strength.
However, Meruem, despite his lack of Skills and Techniques, possessed a Level 8 physique, amplified by his Nen, making him capable of penetrating Mika's defenses.
And the moment he was injured, Mika felt a surge of excitement.
It wasn't masochism; for him, pain was a reminder of the thrill of battle. He had often been injured during his early days in the dungeon; it was an inevitable part of an adventurer's life. And it was in those moments of pain and desperation that he often found his greatest strength.
While his recent duel with Netero had been exhilarating, his enhanced defenses had prevented him from experiencing any real danger.
But Meruem's attack had changed that. The feeling of blood flowing, of his body pushed to its limits…it ignited his fighting spirit.
"A battle without pain…isn't a true battle!"
"You haven't disappointed me, Meruem!" he roared, his attacks intensifying. He unleashed his Hundred Strikes: Sword and Spear, his giant avatar a whirlwind of blades, his eyes tracking Meruem's every move.
Meruem, with God's Accomplice, could vanish and reappear at will, making him incredibly difficult to pin down. However, Mika's honed instincts and battle experience kept him from being overwhelmed.
———
As their battle raged on, Mika smiled.
"It seems you've run out of tricks."
"What?" Meruem asked, still evading his attacks.
"You've avoided using any new Nen Abilities five times in a row, when you were clearly in danger. And you haven't used any new Techniques in the past three minutes—You've reached your limit."
"Then it's my turn." Mika grinned.
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