In the sky, a ray of morning light quietly appeared, signaling the end of the night.
The capital of the Republic of East Gorteau welcomed its final calm and peaceful morning.
It was 5:00 am, and with only 19 hours left until midnight for the final selection day, it meant that for the Chimera Ant Extermination Team, tonight was the night they would begin their operation.
Before starting, they needed to go over all the details once more.
Killua and Gon would ascend the central stairs while assaulting the palace, heading straight towards the royal throne room.
Knov would take the elevator on the northeast side of the palace, heading down to the basement to find his disciple, Palm.
Once he found her, he would quickly use his abilities to escape and not worry about the other team members.
If the Ant King and the three royal guards were in the throne room, they would proceed with the original plan.
The issue was, what if they weren't there?
Even though the likelihood of this happening was extremely low, they still needed to consider all possible unforeseen circumstances.
The extermination team had first conducted a detailed investigation of the enemy's behavioral patterns before settling on the operation day.
They had coordinated with the assumption that the enemy would definitely be there, setting a trap to wait for them. However, this approach was risky, as it could lead to unexpected situations.
Killua, in particular, was very experienced in this regard. When he was assassinating someone before, he often encountered such situations.
Normally, in such cases, he would choose to wait for a better opportunity to strike later.
But this time was different; not only could the timing not be changed, but once they made their move, there would be no turning back.
A moment of panic could cost them their lives.
So, they needed to consider every possible outcome.
Even if the Ant King and his royal guards weren't in the throne room, as long as they were still inside the palace, it wouldn't be a major issue.
"That Catwoman's En is large enough to cover the entire palace courtyard."
"In other words, once we charge in, we'll feel that same ominous, evil aura we sensed before."
"This indicates that the Ant King and his royal guards are definitely inside the palace. All we need to do is move toward the source of that evil presence."
"The problem is, if we can't sense the Catwoman's aura, meaning they're not in the palace, or if they're there but for some reason haven't activated En..."
Previously, when Knov infiltrated, there was a situation where the Catwoman didn't activate her En, which suggested that something unusual was going on inside the palace.
Despite knowing there were assassins and dangerous circumstances, not activating En to protect the Ant King indicated that the decision to lower the guard could only have come from the king himself.
The problem, then, seemed to lie with the Ant King.
"Since the royal guards can't leave the Ant King's side..."
Before they could finish their discussion, suddenly, a loud broadcast echoed across the entire capital.
"All residents of area A, please head to the main square. Other residents should be ready to move at any time."
The broadcast marked the official beginning of the selection.
"By 3:00 pm tomorrow, five million people will have gathered around the palace... Meow."
Neferpitou mused, standing on top of the palace, looking out at the expansive area with a satisfied expression.
"While waiting for the judgment, it seems the invading enemies haven't been idle."
"They may take advantage of the selection event and blend into the crowd."
Menthuthuyoupi, ever expressionless, spoke: "The king will also participate."
"I just worry that the king might be taken away by these enemies using some special ability..."
The greatest concern for the three royal guards was the possibility that the king could be taken somewhere unseen, away from their protection.
"Assuming the enemy has someone capable of moving matter, they could forcibly relocate the king to another place..."
Shaiapouf, deep in thought, added: "One of us must remain by his majesty's side at all times."
"This is indeed a tricky problem..."
Menthuthuyoupi scratched his head: "Recently, the king has prohibited anyone from getting close."
"So, we'll have to proceed in secret..."
Shaiapouf paused, thinking deeply. "We need to maintain an appropriate distance while keeping an eye on his majesty and quickly completing the selection process."
As he spoke, he glanced at Menthuthuyoupi, who was too large and obvious, and Neferpitou, who always got caught up in amusing distractions.
"If anything fun happens, she'll get completely distracted..."
"Alright, I understand."
Shaiapouf sighed with resignation. "I'm the only one suited for this task."
"The elimination method... It's just that simple."
Shaiapouf felt a wave of exhaustion. Working with these teammates was a lot of pressure.
Menthuthuyoupi tilted his head, and Neferpitou blinked in confusion; they couldn't understand Shaiapouf's frustration.
Suddenly, Neferpitou's ears twitched.
"Their presence... seems to have completely disappeared... Meow."
She turned her head to the front. "Their skills are so high that even the slightest aura can't be detected at all."
"Most likely, they're using Zetsu (Suppress/Null), blending in with the crowd of citizens..."
Neferpitou narrowed her eyes, and Menthuthuyoupi and Shaiapouf both finally put on a serious face.
They all knew that what awaited them now was the final showdown with these assassins.
Meanwhile, in a four-level mansion, the team led by Morel and Killua, who were preparing for their final strike, were also making their final preparations.
"We've predicted every move the enemy might make."
Morel said though he seemed a bit worried.
"If the royal guards can't find the assassins, will the selection event be called off?"
"Don't worry about that..."
Knov, still active and in good spirits, pushed up his glasses.
"I asked Colt and the others. As Chimera Ants, they're very familiar with the aura of their kind. The enemy can't possibly be planning this."
"This means the Ant King would never compromise with the enemy, and the royal guards will never allow the king to be humiliated."