With ten minutes left on the countdown, everyone completed their final warmups and gathered in the room behind the palace's central staircase.
At seven minutes to go, the group entered a phase of calm relaxation.
Morel reminded everyone he'd begin the final countdown from the last minute.
Knuckle and Meleoron were still going over last-minute coordination.
Killua, Gon, and Ikalgo continued to debate the reason behind Neferpitou's earlier disappearance of En. They'd already discussed dozens of theories.
Joey and Kite stood to the side, quietly listening.
At five minutes to go, Nob returned, bringing fresh intel.
"The Royal Guards are on the move. All three have gathered near the palace gates. Seems like they're discussing something. Pitou stayed in place. Youpi's returned inside. Pouf is still scattering scales in the air. No abnormalities detected so far."
He opened a 4-D Apartment door.
"I'll report again if anything changes."
"That's fine. We're tight on time anyway," Morel nodded.
Less than two minutes after Nob left, Killua and Gon started arguing again, clearly unable to reconcile their differing theories.
Ikalgo tried to mediate.
Suddenly, Morel adjusted his sunglasses and chimed in, casually:
"If something is going on… I bet it's about a woman."
All eyes turned to him.
"One of the King's goals is reproduction, right? Whatever he's doing inside the palace… it's probably about making babies.
And I doubt Pitou is gonna hang around watching that happen."
Joey rolled his eyes, but Killua clapped his hands.
"That makes sense!"
He turned to Gon:
"See? I told you. Something unexpected is going to happen."
"Hold on, this is all just speculation," Knuckle replied bluntly.
"Yeah, but you can't deny it's possible," Killua countered.
"According to your theory, the reason for Pitou's deactivation of En is something completely outside our expectations—and inherently unpredictable," Joey added.
"Exactly," Killua nodded. "And that's why it's a problem."
"Alright, fine…" Joey backed off.
"Three minutes left. You really think there's value in continuing this conversation?" Shoot interjected.
"Yes," Killua answered firmly.
Morel's playful tone disappeared:
"Enough. Without concrete intel, continued speculation becomes a trap. It won't lead to anything useful.
This is a siege. And unless the King surrenders— which he won't— the Royal Guards will fight to the end.
Once it starts, there's no turning back. You all need to be ready for that."
Joey silently nodded.
He glanced at his new wristwatch. One minute left.
Morel took command and moved toward the door:
"One minute before breach. Fall in."
"I'll begin the final countdown at ten seconds. Be mentally prepared."
His last words were nearly a roar.
The team shed all unnecessary equipment.
A heavy silence blanketed the room.
They stepped forward—toward the dark, dimensional doorway leading directly beneath the palace's grand staircase.
Beyond that threshold was the Royal Chamber.
At ten seconds on the countdown, Pitou's En—which had covered the entire upper levels of the palace—vanished.
An instant later, it surged upward into the sky.
Seated on the stairs to the second floor, Youpi's eyes narrowed.
Pitou would never deactivate En without reason.
Just as they'd anticipated, something had triggered it.
His aura bristled, surging with quiet violence.
High above, Pouf, fluttering mid-air, turned sharply toward Pitou's direction—
and saw it.
A glowing dragon, descending from the heavens.
But it wasn't the dragon itself that caught their attention.
It was the two figures riding it.
Pitou's face shifted from shock to glee.
Pouf broke into a cold sweat, expression tighter than ever.
The dragon touched Pitou's En.
And in that moment, Pitou's ecstatic grin faltered.
Through the touch of Nen, she felt the man's strength.
Her lips curved even higher.
She canceled her En.
And at the same moment, her aura thickened around her—wild, chaotic.
She was fully primed for combat.
Then the dragon fragmented.
Dragon Dive.
Hundreds of shimmering mini-dragons rained down from the sky, blanketing the palace grounds in holy destruction.
Simultaneously, beneath the grand staircase, the door to the 4-D Apartment burst open.
The assault team began to pour out—disciplined and synchronized.
High in the air, Pouf, after a moment's hesitation, bolted upward—toward the third floor of the Royal Chamber.
The King is up there!
The dragon storm crashed down upon the palace.
Pitou's face twisted into rage.
This sudden, overwhelming shift pushed her instincts to their limit.
All six senses sharpened to extremes.
In a blink, she pinpointed the two completely silent invaders and launched herself toward them.
She knew.
More dangerous than the rain of dragons, more deadly than the blinding explosions, was the man floating motionless in the sky—
Chairman Netero.
Pitou activated her close-combat technique:
"Terpsichora" – The Black Puppet Dance.
Activation to attack: less than 0.1 seconds.
But in that infinitesimal frame of time, Pitou saw it.
Netero's hands pressed together in prayer.
"Thank you."
Then the blow struck.
Unavoidable. Instant.
Pitou was launched like a comet, soaring through the sky.
As she flew, mind and body in overdrive, her enhanced senses told her:
If I don't do something—I'll be blown so far away I'll lose everything. This is unacceptable!
And so she triggered a different ability.
"Dr. Blythe" – The King's Healer.
High above, a massive nurse-like puppet materialized.
This was the healing ability Pitou developed under Pouf's suggestion, dedicated solely to serving the King.
Its key restriction:
The puppet couldn't move from its place of manifestation.
And since Pitou was connected to it via her tail, she too was rooted within a 20-meter radius.
A healing technique, now repurposed as a tether—
to stop her own momentum.
She crashed to a halt, canceled the ability, and began falling toward the ground.
As she descended, she witnessed it—
Dragon Dive tearing through the palace.
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For this week I will do more release depending on the power stones !
100 Power Stones = 1 chapter (in addition to the daily update)
So give stones if you want mooooar !