The Chimera Ant's claws descended with terrifying speed.
If they landed—
Joey's head would be torn apart instantly.
---
But they never reached him.
---
A fist struck first.
---
A heavy, precise blow deflected the attack mid-air, forcing the claws aside and leaving only empty space.
---
Gunfire erupted immediately after.
---
Joey had already reacted.
Rifle in hand, he opened fire.
---
The bullets tore through the Chimera Ant's body and shattered the tree trunk it was clinging to.
---
Before both could fall—
Joey dove aside.
---
A narrow escape.
---
In that split second, he saw the enemy clearly.
---
A Chimera Ant with an ape-like form.
Feral.
Bestial.
---
Even in death—
Its eyes still burned with killing intent.
---
But its head was already destroyed.
No recovery was possible.
---
Joey didn't hesitate.
---
He rolled back to his feet and immediately swung his rifle toward another sudden flash of movement—
---
An explosion.
---
A Chimera Ant with a dog-like head was blasted backward through the forest.
---
At the same time—
The Skull Tank roared deeper into the woods.
---
There were still more enemies.
---
Joey fired again.
Bullets passed over the fallen body without stopping.
---
But he didn't stay to confirm the kill.
---
His eyes tracked the tank.
No new targets visible.
---
Then—
Something moved.
---
A shadow burst from the bushes at terrifying speed.
---
The Killer Queen reacted instantly.
Killer Queen stepped in front of Joey.
But even that wasn't enough time for a counterattack.
---
She raised her arm to block.
---
Impact.
---
A heavy collision sent Killer Queen stumbling backward—
Straight into Joey.
---
Both were knocked off balance.
---
Joey hit the ground hard.
Pain shot through his ribs.
---
His rifle slipped—but the strap held it in place.
---
Then—
A burning pain flared in his arm.
---
The damage had transferred.
---
Because the Stand was injured—
So was its user.
---
But Joey still managed to focus.
---
He saw the attacker.
---
A Chimera Ant curled like a pill bug.
Its body resembled a rolling armored wheel.
---
Its attack style—
A high-speed rolling charge.
---
It hesitated.
Confused.
Unable to see Killer Queen.
---
Then it adapted.
---
Multiple thin legs extended from its shell.
It pushed off the ground—
And rolled sideways.
---
Avoiding the counterattack.
---
Boom.
---
An explosion echoed in the distance.
The Skull Tank had struck again.
---
Joey pushed himself up.
The pill bug charged again.
---
Fast.
Heavier.
More aggressive.
---
Joey fired his pistol.
---
Some shots missed.
Others hit directly.
---
But it wasn't enough.
---
Instead of stopping—
The bullets made it faster.
---
More violent.
More desperate.
---
Another explosion echoed.
---
The tank was still fighting somewhere deeper in the forest.
---
But Joey couldn't rely on it.
Not anymore.
---
The pill bug closed in.
---
Joey dropped his pistol.
Dove sideways.
---
At the same time—
Killer Queen struck.
A clean punch.
---
Killer Queen delivered a direct hit.
---
The pill bug was knocked off balance and slammed into the ground.
---
Its armor cracked open.
Its body exposed.
---
Class A destructive power.
Close-range type.
---
It struggled.
Trying to rise.
---
But before it could—
Something rolled into its body.
---
A grenade.
---
Explosion.
---
The blast tore through its body, shredding its underside and legs.
---
Even then—
It wasn't completely dead.
---
It still twitched.
Still tried to move.
Still refused to stop.
---
Joey didn't finish it immediately.
---
His attention shifted.
---
Firelight in the forest.
Another explosion.
---
The fourth detonation of the Skull Tank.
---
He narrowed his eyes.
---
The last one—
Wouldn't be easy.
---
Then—
He moved.
---
Turning away from both the tank and the dying Chimera Ant—
He ran toward a less dense section of forest.
---
Before leaving—
He lightly touched a nearby tree.
---
And vanished into the woods.
---
Earlier—
While tracking bullets and movement—
Killer Queen had already warned him.
Two Chimera Ants were flanking him.
One had already begun to approach.
---
Although Joey couldn't share vision with his Stand—
He still trusted its perception.
---
And it responded correctly.
---
The unseen enemies were detected in time.
---
This confirmed something important.
---
These Chimera Ants—
Were neither elite fighters…
Nor capable of seeing Stands.
---
That gave him an advantage.
---
But he didn't act recklessly.
---
He adjusted his rifle angle in advance.
Prepared countermeasures.
And quietly deployed the Skull Tank as bait.
---
That decision had already eliminated two enemies.
---
But the remaining ones—
Were unpredictable.
---
The pill bug's attack speed was beyond expectations.
And another unknown Chimera Ant had survived the tank's pressure far longer than expected.
---
Still—
Joey had managed to confirm one thing.
---
There were only four enemies nearby.
---
Two eliminated instantly.
Half neutralized.
---
If there had been more—
He might have died when the pill bug hit him.
---
Now—
He ran.
---
Because staying—
Was no longer an option.
___________________________
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