Meanwhile, Youpi noticed the two kids completely ignoring him, and his anger flared. He decided to teach them a lesson. His massive arms were wrapped in a scarlet aura that gave off the chilling feeling of blood and death. His huge fist, glowing crimson, looked capable of shattering anything it struck.
Just as he swung to strike Gon's head, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him. "Ah!" Lucario blocked the fierce punch with his arms raised. One attack met one defense.
Bang!
The clash of their powerful auras sent a shockwave through the air, creating a strong wind that swept around them. Taking advantage of this moment, Gon, Killua, and Morel slipped past Lucario and rushed up to the second floor.
Youpi's face twisted with fierce anger as he glared at the three people rushing toward him, clearly wanting to tear them apart. But Lucario held him back firmly, which only made Youpi's expression grow even more savage, as if he wanted to swallow Lucario whole.
With a powerful roar, his muscles rippled and writhed under his skin, shifting rapidly. Since he had no human genes, his angry cries weren't like human shouts but sounded more like a beast's roar.
"What kind of monster is this?!" Meleoron gasped in shock, staring at Youpi's transformed form.
At that moment, Youpi's body had changed from having two arms to six, two on each side and two at the back. Larry thought it was still somewhat restrained; a pair of arms could even extend from his chest. His face, which once resembled Finks, was now completely unrecognizable, no longer human at all.
In place of a normal head was a grotesque, bloody mouth surrounded by countless blood-red eyes of varying sizes, all set against the same skin tone. The sheer number of eyes covered the huge head, giving him a creepy, terrifying appearance, likely so he could track Lucario's movements and react instantly.
Youpi had transformed into a creature covered with eyes and six powerful arms. Compared to the other two guards, he was the least strategic, attacking wildly whenever angered.
As a member of a guard team made entirely from monster genes, he had the ability to freely alter his body and turn his rage into raw destructive power. This terrifying new form was a clear display of his 170 ability. His aura intensified, stronger than before. If his casual attack had been dangerous, the next one would be lethal.
In a flash, all six of Youpi's arms moved in perfect unison, each fist charged with aura so strong that even the solid ore pillars nearby would shatter on impact.
The two arms on the left struck Lucario's right side, the two on the right hit his left side, and the two arms at the back swung down from above. Six arms attacking from three directions at once, it was a relentless and overwhelming assault.
Knov and Meleoron held their breath as they watched the incredible scene unfold, their bodies frozen in place, unable to move. They were completely stunned by the intensity of the battle, unsure of how to offer any help.
Lucario's eyes scanned swiftly to the top, left, and right, a serious expression settling over his face. Without six arms, his only chance to win was through speed.
Suddenly, Lucario's hands moved in a blur, and the four sensors behind his head began to emit blue waves. The power of the waveguide had been activated.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
In an instant, Lucario and Youpi clashed rapidly, the sounds of their collisions ringing out one after another.
Even though his opponent was missing four arms, Lucario handled the fight with remarkable ease. Knov and Meleoron watched in awe, barely able to keep up with the flurry of movements, only catching glimpses of afterimages.
At this level of battle, there was no way for them to get involved, the sheer force of what they were witnessing was more than enough to overwhelm them.
With the sound of cracking under their feet, both Lucario and Youpi struggled as the stairs beneath them began to crumble.
Suddenly, with a loud boom, the entire staircase gave way, causing both fighters to fall. Despite the fall, their battle raged on. At that exact moment, a golden light poured down through the palace ceiling, illuminating every floor.
Everyone present witnessed this powerful attack. The massive palace became the target of the Dragon Lance, and as the golden light descended, the structure started to crumble. Meanwhile, Gon, Killua, and Morel were searching the second floor for signs of the other two guards.
Killua, recognizing the familiar attack, was stunned. 'Is this the Dragon Lance,? Is Grandpa here too?' he wondered. He hadn't expected his grandfather to show up, especially since he thought Netero had invited him.
Killua knew Netero must have spent a fortune on this operation, given how expensive their services always were. Gon and Morel also noticed the attack but didnt panic.
Instead, they focused on tracking the enemy while avoiding the Dragon Star Groups assaults. Though the clashes downstairs were intense, they remained fearless, confident that Larry was holding the line.
From the moment Larry joined the strike team, the fate of the Chimera Ants was sealed.
Above the palace, as the golden dragons scattered, many Dragon Lance plummeted to the ground at high speed, though a large number still hovered in the air. Neferpitou paid little attention to these attacks; to her, the real threat was the hidden enemies inside the palace.
'Where exactly are they?' she wondered, crawling atop the palace tower with the grace and caution of a cat. Her body arched, tense and ready.
Raising her five senses to their peak, she quickly scanned the surroundings. Then, spotting Netero, she sprang into action, launching herself like a cannonball through the sky filled with Dragon Lance.
In the blink of an eye, she appeared right beside him, ready to strike.
Facing Netero up close, Neferpitou felt a growing warning deep inside her, urging her to act quickly. Without hesitation, she unleashed her secret weapon.
Almost instantly, a phantom made of blood-red threads appeared around her, resembling a puppeteer controlling strings, Neferpitou was the puppet.
This was her unique nen, called Terpsichora.
Terpsichora is Neferpitous hatsu, used only when she fights at full power. It activates in a blink, just 0.1 seconds from thought to attack, making it practically instantaneous.
The idea came to her suddenly. Usually, nen abilities let you control others, but Neferpitou wondered, why not control herself instead?
So, she developed this technique where a puppeteer manipulates her body through invisible strings, pushing her strength and speed beyond normal limits.
Its somewhat like the "Phantom Troupe" shalnark technique, where the mind controls ones own body to unleash greater power.
The difference is, the knight cant fully control himself, but Neferpitou remains in command of her actions. She once described it as Terpsichora, a dance beyond the limit, which inspired the name.
Facing an opponent as strong as Netero, Neferpitou took the risk and played her trump card. 'Ive thought of many attacks and defenses, but this might backfire,' she admitted.