Gon paused for a moment, then nodded. "Alright."
"Let's leave East Gorteau. A massive upheaval is about to hit this place. It no longer concerns us, but if we stay any longer, we might get caught up in the aftermath."
Ron pulled out a card. "Accompany — Rejedo."
Rejedo was the name of a minor Chimera Ant soldier that Ron had previously left outside East Gorteau. When the three of them landed, Ron immediately sent Rejedo back into Sumas's space.
He had to admit, these ats were convenient. They were much more resilient than humans, but with none of the Nen. So he did not have to worry about them breaking through his control.
Then he took out a car.
"Get in."
Ron sat in the driver's seat while Gon and Killua took the back.
With the engine's rumble, the car headed toward the city. Before reaching the outer edge, Ron stored the vehicle and presented three pre-purchased airship tickets. Ron and Killua's tickets were for the same destination; Gon's was for another.
Gon's airship arrived first. Killua stood below to see him off, waving from a distance. Gon waved back faintly.
Before long, the airship shrank to a black dot in the sky—then vanished from sight.
"Ron-nii, do you think Gon will be alright?"
"He'll be fine." Ron spoke calmly. "For Nen users, for Hunters, going through something like this is common. If he can't handle it, he shouldn't be a Nen user at all. He'd be better off living an ordinary life."
"But even ordinary people face hardship. What Gon's been through doesn't even count for much in this world. There are countless others who've suffered more."
"NGL's people. The citizens here in East Gorteau. The ones from Greed Island. Meteor City…"
"Even you, Killua. What you've experienced is far more complicated than anything Gon's had to deal with."
"Honestly, Gon's life has been too smooth up until now."
Killua was taken aback.
Until Ron laid it out so plainly, Killua hadn't really thought about it. He had been consumed by worry for Gon. In his heart, Gon was his best friend—ranking even above Kurapika and Leorio.
But worry leads to clouded judgment.
Now that Ron had pointed it out, Killua realized how true it was. Gon's suffering was far from unique. There were plenty who had endured worse—and still survived, endured, and carried on.
So why couldn't Gon?
Of course he could. He just needed time.
Killua had been through hell himself. Like when Illumi had planted a Nen needle into his brain—that wasn't something just anyone could understand.
"The airship's here."
"Let's go."
Killua snapped out of his thoughts. "Yes, Ron-nii."
They boarded the airship and took their seats by the window. Ron sat on the outer edge, Killua in the middle. On Killua's other side was a young man—clearly not a Nen user.
"Ron-nii, can I ask you something?"
Killua had finally turned his mind away from Gon.
"What is it?"
"Right now, between you and Dad—who's stronger?"
"At this moment, I am," Ron answered.
Ron was an S-Class Hunter. Silva was A-Class. The gap between them wasn't just symbolic—it was a legitimate divide in strength. From what Ron knew of Silva, there was little chance he'd reach S-Class anytime soon. Even Zeno still had a long way to go.
Killua thought to himself: Just as I suspected.
Then he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
They were both from the Zoldyck family. Both born with immense talent. But still, a difference remained.
"When I reach Ron-nii's age… will I be able to reach that level?"
"Will I surpass Illumi? Surpass Dad?"
"Probably not."
"And maybe… this is why Great-Grandfather chose Ron-nii."
Among the younger generation of the Zoldyck family, two stood apart.
Killua, chosen as the family's successor, carried expectations that surpassed Illumi, Milluki, and Kalluto.
Ron, on the other hand, was chosen personally by Maha Zoldyck.
As Ron and Killua returned to the Zoldyck estate, word of Netero's death had already begun to spread across the Hunter Association. Within the community, emotions were mixed.
Netero had been around for far too long.
So long, in fact, that many current members of the Hunter Association hadn't even been born before he took office. For years, he had been a beacon—more than just a leader, he was a symbol.
Without Netero… was it still the Hunter Association?
"…Chairman."
In Yorknew, upon receiving the news, Cheadle fell silent for a long time. So did the other Zodiacs.
Bisky looked toward East Gorteau from afar. She had trained Gon and Killua personally, and thus was well aware of what had happened with the Chimera Ants.
She also knew—this had been Netero's decision.
Morel and Knov returned with their students.
Morel held a massive pipe in one hand, surrounded by rows of empty liquor bottles.
He didn't understand Netero's motives as clearly as Ron did. To Morel, the Chairman's death felt like a tragic sacrifice—for the sake of humanity.
Knuckle crouched before a huge metal tray as a dozen stray dogs gathered to eat.
Shoot sat on a second-floor windowsill, gazing out into the distance.
Knov stood in front of a mirror, adjusting a wig.
Palm stared at him, entranced.
Even though Knov had lost much of his hair after the aura trauma he suffered near the Ant King, in Palm's eyes… he was still the one who made her heart flutter.
"Knov-sensei…"
Palm's face turned slightly red.
.........
.....
.
Pariston shook his head with a faint hint of regret.
"Chairman, your death is such a shame."
"So much less fun now."
"But soon, new fun is on the way."
"Something worth looking forward to."
He wore a standard-issue smile, clad in his yellow-striped suit, looking less like a Hunter and more like an idol who lived under the spotlight.
..........
......
.
"That old man's dead?"
Hisoka raised an eyebrow. He casually tossed a Chimera Ant's head into the roadside ditch.
He no longer had any interest in the Chimera Ants. But if they came to him, he didn't mind killing them.
A few days later, the airship landed.
Ron and Killua disembarked and boarded a familiar tour bus.
----------------------------
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