Chapter 155: My Art Style Is Above Yours
The roaring purple thunder dragon pursued the King of Ants relentlessly, on the verge of swallowing him whole.
At the last moment, the King of Ants abruptly veered upward, brushing past Mord's body into the air. The thunder dragon followed closely, too fast to change course.
Mord had nowhere to hide.
Watching from above, the King of Ants wore a triumphant smile.
Mord was thus engulfed by the thunder dragon he himself had unleashed.
"Hahaha, in the end, I am the victor!"
"The King is undefeatable!"
The King of Ants laughed maniacally.
His laughter echoed across the entire wasteland. On a distant mountain peak, Netero observed the scene, his expression instantly tightening.
"Could it really be impossible after all..."
He stared intently into the distance, his mind wrestling with internal conflict.
Just then, the electrical light dissipated.
Netero saw the familiar figure still standing and finally released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. In that brief second, sweat had already beaded on his forehead.
One could imagine how intense his internal struggle had been.
"Why is this happening?"
Staring at the completely unharmed Mord before him, the King of Ants widened his eyes, his face filled with shock.
Having endured the violet thunderbolt himself, he knew its power all too well. The King of Ants' current state—covered in wounds, flesh torn and blurred—was entirely due to these purple heavenly thunderbolts.
"Why are you completely unscathed?" the King of Ants demanded loudly.
"This is the final form of the Bankai I developed—Raijin!"
Mord gazed calmly at the King of Ants as he spoke. "With your strength, you should be able to sense the gap between us now."
"What am I so afraid of?!" The King of Ants stared fixedly at Mord, his fists involuntarily clenching. "I am the king born from the collective will of my entire species. Through prolonged evolution, all pinnacle achievements have converged within me alone. The entire ant race evolved solely to perfect my existence. I am the sovereign standing at the apex of life."
"I cannot possibly lose!"
Enraged, the King of Ants erupted with overwhelming Nen, dense black energy enveloping his entire form as he launched an assault toward Mord.
Ha-ta ha-ta ha-ta ha-ta ha-ta!
Countless fist shadows surged toward Mord like a violent storm.
Each punch carried cataclysmic force. Explosions reverberated continuously, shaking the earth until it trembled, cracking the ground with over a dozen terrifying fissures. Dust clouds billowed upward, taking a long while to settle.
"Still refusing to face reality?"
As these words fell, a sharp shiiing echoed—the sound of a Zanpakutō being drawn.
Beyond the blade's unsheathing, the King of Ants also heard a dragon's roar.
The sword light that sliced through the air resembled the sharp claws of a thunder dragon, its keen, lethal blade energy intertwining with lightning capable of annihilating all things.
On a distant hillside, Netero watched the scene and instinctively rose to his feet.
Even with only one leg remaining.
He couldn't describe the heart-stopping intensity of that blade cleaving the air. In his lifelong pursuit of martial arts, Netero had witnessed countless masters, yet never such an awe-inspiring strike.
No language in this world could capture its divine essence.
For this blade embodied the true limits of martial arts.
It was the wrath of heaven, a flash of lightning, a radiance tearing through the dark night!
Where the sword light reached, the King of Ants felt enveloped by blade energy and lightning, a chilling cold sweeping over him.
Having witnessed such existence before death, he had no regrets.
Outmatched in skill, the weak are prey to the strong—survival of the fittest.
If there was any true regret, it was about his name.
"Meruem, your name."
"It means 'light'."
Hearing Mord's words, the King of Ants slowly closed his eyes, completely free of regret now.
Just as the blade light was about to pierce through the King of Ants, a figure suddenly dashed between them.
"My King!!!"
The King of Ants suddenly felt a scalding heat on his cheek. Opening his eyes, he saw a familiar face.
"Neferpitou!"
Looking at Neferpitou, who had been impaled alongside him, the King of Ants spoke with infinite tenderness, "Why are you here?"
"...Guarding... guarding the King is my duty."
The Cat Girl Neferpitou coughed up a mouthful of blood, smiling at the King of Ants with maternal affection.
"Komugi... I've already revived her. Pitou did not fail the King's trust."
"Don't... say anymore." The King of Ants interrupted Neferpitou. "Use your ability to heal yourself, quickly."
Neferpitou shook her head, saying, "It's too late."
The Cat Girl turned to Mord, smiling as she spoke, "This life was brief, but meeting you made me happy, Mord, nya..."
"It's just a pity our battle will have to wait until the next life."
Mord gazed calmly at the Cat Girl and said, "If there is a next life, I'll be waiting for you."
"Then... it's a promise, nya..."
Neferpitou lay quietly in the King of Ants' embrace, having completely ceased breathing.
The King of Ants himself didn't have much time left either.
The terrifying lightning power had already destroyed his internal organs, leaving him in a state where his life force was completely severed. The only reason he hadn't died immediately was due to sheer stubborn willpower keeping him going.
"I have one final wish..."
"I'll take you there."
Mord decided to fulfill his opponent's last request.
.....
In a side chamber of the palace.
"Komugi, wake up! Time for Gungi!"
Hearing the familiar voice, the little girl climbed out of bed.
"Is that you, Supreme Commander?"
"I only remember someone kicking me hard in the stomach. When I woke up, I found myself here. Did you save me, Supreme Commander?"
"No, it was my subordinate who saved you."
The King of Ants recalled Neferpitou's final moments, then thought of Shaiapouf and Youpi.
I don't deserve to be their king.
"In that case, I should thank them in person," Komugi said.
"I'll convey your gratitude," the King of Ants replied calmly while arranging the game board. "I'll be seeing them soon myself."
"I understand. Let's start quickly then."
"Yes!"
The moment they began playing Gungi, Komugi became incredibly happy.
"It feels like it's been so long since we last played! Playing in dreams is really different from playing with actual pieces!"
"Hmm." The King of Ants nodded. "You asked for my name before, didn't you?"
"Ah, yes."
"My name is Meruem."
"Meru... Lord Meruem, my name is Komugi. Pleased to meet you!" Komugi bowed formally.
"I already know your name. And drop the 'Lord'."
"N-no, I can't! That would be absolutely improper. I could never address the Supreme Commander so casually."
"In that case, if I beat you at Gungi, you must stop adding 'Lord' to my name."
"I understand. If I lose, I'll call you by your name and then die, right?" Komugi said with complete seriousness.
Seeing Komugi's earnest expression, the King of Ants smiled.
"You don't need to die. I'm quite different from before now, so prepare yourself for a losing streak."