Chapter 44 : Mereum

The silence returned to the world, and Satoru Gojo put on the black scarf to cover his eyes once more.

He finally understood the source of his unease.

A nuclear bomb!

It was such a small yet devastating nuclear bomb!

He knew that the ant king, Meruem, would undoubtedly not survive. Even if his physical body could withstand the explosion's force due to its incredible durability, the genetic damage from radiation had no remedy.

It was a poison that causes gene collapse that no flesh-and-blood creature could endure!

In the Shinigami world, Byakuya Kuchiki couldn't help but swallow hard.

"This is a bomb. Compared to it, my Bankai appears minor."

The Commander-in-Chief also widened his eyes, a look of shock evident.

Being highly attuned to flames, he could clearly sense that the explosion's center exceeded the temperature of his Bankai's 15 million degrees!

"It's unimaginable that a weak human could create such a terrifying weapon!"

"But what's with that ominous aura?"

He hoped for an explanation in the video.

[The screen continues.]

[A towering crimson mushroom cloud rises thousands of meters into the sky.]

[Viewed from above, it appears as if an exquisite flower is blooming on Earth.]

[However, this is a flower of destruction.]

[The core temperature of the exploding fireball reaches tens of millions of degrees, with even the outer edges exceeding hundreds of thousands of degrees.]

[The ensuing firestorm could easily obliterate a city.]

[Fortunately, this area, with a radius of hundreds of kilometers, is uninhabited; otherwise, countless lives would have been lost.]

[As the flower withers completely, a massive crater emerges.]

[The soil within the pit turns white, and the sand has transformed into glass.]

[As for Netero, a human by form, he has turned to ash.]

[Yet, on the crater's edge, a piece of damaged charcoal reKomugins, still clinging to life.]

[Although it flickers like a candle in the wind, the Ant King Meruem survives.]

In the palace, the Ant King paid no attention to his dire situation in the video and instead whispered his name.

"Meruem?... That human asked for my name, and this time, I can answer."

He intended to rise and look for Komugi, but the video continued.

In the Hunter world, ordinary people were in utter shock, even despair.

Yet in a certain council, the top human watching the video reKomugined expressionless.

These individuals had no fear of the video revealing tactics.

Nuclear bombs vary in scale, essentially concerning how much land and how many people are forsaken. For the Dark Continent plan, both the Ant King and Netero must perish.

[The screen continues.]

[As the Ant King neared death, one of his three royal guards rushed to him.]

[By sacrificing their body for the Ant King, he was reborn even stronger!]

Just as the viewers were astounded by this scene, the video began to fast-forward.

[The Ant King lost his memory due to the explosion but quickly regained it.]

[He chose not to seek revenge against humans but instead played chess with a human girl.]

[Their relationship seemed to transcend race, yet it reKomugined ambiguous.]

[One human and one ant, both genuinely happy.]

However, at that moment, the screen went completely black.

The voices of the two could still be heard, inexplicably playing blind chess.

["2-7-2, Shinobu Shin."]

["6-5-1, Horse Riding."]

Suddenly, the Ant King Meruem seemed anxious:

"Komugi, are you still there?"

"Yes, I'm... I'm not going anywhere."

"I've lost," sighed the Ant King.

The Ant King continued to lose the next few rounds.

When Komugi thought he would continue, the Ant King spoke wearily:

"A bit... tired..."

"Want to take a nap..."

Then he asked somewhat pleadingly:

"Can you just... hold my hand like this?"

"Can you always be by my side?"

At that moment, Komugi's pure and gentle voice rang out:

"I'm not leaving... we'll be together forever."

A very faint voice then sounded:

"Finally... can you call my name one more time..."

A small light appeared on the dark screen.

It was a small hand groping, finally touching the Ant King's face and firmly holding his hand.

The screen lit up entirely.

At some point, the Ant King had collapsed and quietly fell into Komugi's arms.

As for the once-healthy girl, blood flowed from her nose and mouth, her life's flame dimmed.

But the girl continued to smile, as if soothing a child, and softly said:

"Rest well... Meruem."

"I'll join you soon..."

At the end of the screen, Komugi embraced the lifeless body of the Ant King Meruem, smiling, and passed away peacefully.

In the end, no one survived this battle.

And the reason for the ominous rose flame became clear to all who watched it.

Radiation!

In other words, poison!

Invisible poison!

Even those nearby were not spared.

The viewers from various worlds fell into silence.

Using a nuclear bomb, was it despicable?

No!

As Netero had said, this was not his fight alone.

This was humanity's battle against the ants!

A struggle for survival!

In this sense, it was humanity that emerged victorious.

[The screen darkens, and the final comment appears.]

"Humans are strong because they are weak!"

Everyone understood that this was Netero's comment or that of a human.

Then, the Ant King Meruem had his say.

His ant head lit up, and a line of text appeared.

"When there is light in one's heart, one is no longer a cold-blooded creature!"

*****

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