Hunter x Hunter : Germain Joins The Hunt

Netero remembered how, not long ago, Germain had explained the effects of the Greed Island cards to everyone on the airship.

Among the cards, he mentioned the S-tier card, "Breath of the Archangel."

Germain had three of these cards in total. He handed two of them to Netero and Zeno, along with specially crafted Greed Island card cases for storage.

How to use the cards was left entirely up to Netero and Zeno.

Thinking about the card now, Netero couldn't help but smile.

It seemed that one of the "Breath of the Archangel" cards would be used on Germain right away...

Just as he thought that, a strange wind swept away most of the smoke and dust, revealing a figure.

Netero froze for a moment because he saw Germain standing there. His clothes were torn, but he stood tall and firm.

He's unharmed?

This was completely unexpected for Netero.

In that moment, Germain's entire body radiated a brilliant, white aura of Nen.

The next second, the Nen burst out like a flood breaking through a dam, spreading in all directions.

Buzz—

The trembling, dark crown of Nen was replaced by a steady, holy halo. Germain's eyes shone with unwavering determination.

Not only Netero but also Zeno and Silva, who had been heading back to the airship, stopped in their tracks. They turned, stunned, to look in the direction of the Nen surge.

What... is this?

The Nen was so vast and pure that they had never encountered anything like it before. It carried emotions of resolve, fearlessness, focus, bravery, and inspiration.

These feelings seemed to connect with their very souls.

At that moment, they felt deeply in tune with Germain, their hearts moved and uplifted by his unshakable willpower.

Even Tsubone on the airship couldn't help but walk to the porthole, gazing at the radiant light from afar.

They rushed into the endless darkness, as if determined to turn it into daylight.

Netero was the first to break free from this intense state.

He calmly raised his hands, prayed, and struck with precision. Every movement was flawless, reflecting the discipline of his well-honed body and mind.

This was the result of a lifetime of rigorous training.

100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva: Ninety-Ninth Hand!

Again!

The Hundred-Type Guanyin unleashed countless hands that tore through the pure white holy light, striking mercilessly at Germain!

But the attack missed. Germain appeared in a different spot, moving so fast that only afterimages could be seen!

Once, twice, three times.

Boom, boom, boom—

The relentless barrage of strikes tore through the already ruined ground, overturning it repeatedly. The terrain would be forever altered by the devastation.

Four times, five times, six times, seven, eight, nine…

Netero's heart sank. He had to predict Germain's landing points and suppress his momentum!

Ten times.

Failed to predict.

Eleven times.

Failed again.

The onslaught of the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva could no longer touch Germain. The holy light surrounding him grew closer and closer, and in the blink of an eye, it was right in front of Netero.

Netero's eyes narrowed. Then, with composure, he withdrew his palms, took a deep breath, and lowered his hands.

"I didn't expect you'd really achieve this..."

The holy light around Germain began to fade, like fireflies dispersing into the night.

Yet his condition was extraordinary, as if every fiber of his being was fully under his control.

He spoke slowly.

"Chairman Netero, during the battle at 12:00 AM on the 23rd, I will swiftly eliminate two of the three Royal Guards. After that, I will come to your side."

"Eliminate two of the three Royal Guards" meant that even if the Ant King, Meruem, was reborn, he would never reach the monstrous strength he did in the original timeline.

The final Royal Guard. Even with the combined strength of the remaining Chimera Ant extermination team, it should be enough to handle them.

It had always been Netero who gave commands that couldn't be questioned. But this time, it was reversed. It was Germain who spoke to him with certainty.

And now, Germain truly had the right to say such things.

Chairman Netero showed a complex smile.

"Heh, Germain, I don't need you to worry about me to this extent. Hmph... Do what you want, as you please."

Netero relented.

November 22, 1998, 11:26 PM.

Only half an hour remained until the agreed-upon battle time at midnight.

Inside the modest "Four-Dimensional Mansion," its owner—Knov—stood leaning against the boundary wall.

His once shiny black hair had turned dull and gray, and his eyes, behind his glasses, looked devoid of life.

"I'm sorry."

Knov's voice trembled.

"I… I just can't do it."

He had ultimately refused to participate in the upcoming assault on the palace. The only thing he could do was ensure that everyone in the "Four-Dimensional Mansion" reached the exit he had prepared.

It was hard to imagine that the current Knov was the same person as the Knov from six months ago.

"And… about Palm, I leave her to you. Please… find her."

Knov felt ashamed of his weakness, but every time he tried to muster courage, his mind flashed back to the aura of the Royal Guards that day.

Malice and terror crushed his spirit.

At that moment, Knov had suffered a mental breakdown from the sheer pressure, and even now, he hadn't fully escaped the grip of fear.

It was as if fear had been branded into his mind, leaving him unable to fight anymore.

If nothing changed, his future career as a Hunter would likely be severely affected. The idea of becoming a Triple-Star Hunter was all but impossible.

Knov kept his head down, avoiding eye contact with anyone else in the "Four-Dimensional Mansion."

Here's the translation into simple English while preserving the essence and spacing between lines:

No one blamed him.

Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Morel pushed his large smoking pipe aside and sighed softly.

"Alright, I promise you. I'll do everything I can to find Palm. If she's alive, I'll bring her back; if not, I'll recover her remains."

After speaking, he looked at the others in the "Four-Dimensional Mansion."

In addition to the original Chimera Ant Extermination Team members, two new allies from the Chimera Ant side had joined them.

One was Knuckle

The other was Shoot.

There was also the Chimera Ant squadron leader, Meleoron, a chameleon.

And Ikalgo, the Chimera Ant officer, an octopus.

Meleoron had voluntarily joined the Extermination Team. He wanted revenge against the Ant King and the Royal Guards for the death of his Chimera Ant comrades.

Ikalgo, on the other hand, had started as Knuckle's opponent but ended up respecting his sense of honor and loyalty. That admiration led him to switch sides and join the team.

Many other Chimera Ants had also sided with humanity. However, for various reasons, they did not take part in this final battle.

For example, the officer Colt, who resembled the mythical condor, had recovered memories of his human life and found his sister, who was also reborn as a Chimera Ant.

Colt took his Chimera ant-transformed sister to the rear lines.

The siblings planned to visit the NGL Autonomous Region after the final battle, hoping to reunite with their mother.

Other Chimera Ants, like Doctor Octopus, the polar bear squadron leader, and the koala officer, chose to avoid confrontation with the terrifying Ant King and the Royal Guards.

Instead, they stayed in the rear under human supervision.

As a result, only Meleoron and Ikalgo joined the Extermination Team in this decisive battle.

With Knov's will nearly broken, and the likelihood of receiving little support from him, everyone felt anxious.

Knov's "Four-Dimensional Mansion" had been a crucial tool in outmaneuvering the Royal Guards.

However, Knov was now paralyzed by fear and in poor condition. Forcing him to join the fight might lead to mistakes in such high-stakes battles. It was better not to involve him at all.

Since things had come to this, they had no choice but to accept the reality.

In the upcoming final battle, only five of them would infiltrate the royal palace.

Oh, no, that's not quite right. Chairman Netero would be there too.

Chairman Netero was the true core of this battle.

But since he was only one man, it was clear he would face the Ant King one-on-one, leaving the three Royal Guards to be handled by the others.

Thinking about this, the group's mood grew even heavier.

Although they hadn't faced the Royal Guards directly, the signs were clear—their strength far exceeded their own.

The Chimera Ant extermination team, now down to five members, had to stall the three Royal Guards to give Chairman Netero time to deal with the Ant King.

But how could that even be possible? 

Not to mention an even more terrifying possibility... What if Chairman Netero lost to the Ant King? 

Who would deal with the Ant King then? 

Could it be... us?

The oppressive atmosphere grew thicker, and morale dropped further.

Morel wanted to say something encouraging to lift everyone's spirits, but he didn't know where to begin.

Ding, ding, ding—

At that moment, as if aware of their situation, Morel received a text from Chairman Netero.

After reading it, he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"Listen up, everyone! Chairman Netero has secretly brought in two helpers to assist us in our mission."

"Secretly brought in two helpers?"

Everyone raised their heads, curiosity written all over their faces as they looked at Morel.

In a situation like this, where could Chairman Netero have found help? And what kind of help would it be?

Could it be the Zodiacs? But wasn't Chairman Netero against involving the Zodiacs in the extermination mission?

At this moment, Morel's face was filled with joy.

"One of them is Mr. Zeno from the Zoldyck family, and the other is Germain."

Zeno Zoldyck was well-known. Knov, Knuckle, and Shoot had all heard of him, so they immediately thought of the person.

But… "Germain?"

Which Germain was that?

Could it be that Germain?

Morel looked at the group.

"It's that Germain, the 'Fastest One-Star Hunter,' the Germain who defeated several Phantom Troupe members and wiped out the Shadow Beasts."

"Knov, Knuckle, Shoot, you should be very familiar with him. It seems that Chairman Netero personally requested him to come to the Republic of East Gorteau."

Knov, Knuckle, and Shoot couldn't help but show expressions of both surprise and joy.

It really is him!

They hadn't expected Chairman Netero to bring in the elusive Germain.

With that, Knov's battle power gap would be filled, and their chances of winning the final battle had just increased!

What a turn of events!

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