"I don't know either," Ron said, shaking his head. "There's a village ahead. Let's go and have a look."

The two of them walked out of the forest and into an open plain. A village stood there, ringed by walls with guard towers at intervals, just like the one Benas had come from. But this place was already ruined. Everywhere they looked were crumbling walls and scattered wreckage, nothing but ruins.

Benas fell silent. The scene before her dragged her mind back to the fate of her own village. "This village was attacked by Chimera Ants as well?"

"Most likely." Ron's tone was steady. "In NGL, aside from the Chimera Ants, there's no other force that would target civilians. Let's go inside. Maybe we'll find someone who was lucky enough to survive."

"Yes, Uncle."

They stepped through the broken gate. Before long, the sound of hurried footsteps reached Ron's ears. He looked up and saw a little girl sprinting toward them at full speed. Behind her, another figure watched calmly—it was a Chimera Ant with the appearance of a raccoon. One hand held a wine bottle while the other rested at its waist. When it noticed Ron and Benas, its expression hardened with wariness.

A second Chimera Ant appeared, this one spider-like in form. "Where's that little girl?" it demanded. "Quick, quick, I went to a lot of trouble to hide her. Today I'm finally going to have a good meal. Ever since resource collection became more difficult, the upper ranks have been too strict about humans. We're not allowed to eat them anymore, everything has to be offered up to the Queen. But we're the ones who work ourselves to death out there. Supplying the Queen is natural, sure—but shouldn't we at least get a share too?"

As it rambled, the spider Chimera Ant stepped closer. The raccoon Ant said nothing.

Ron had already understood. These two were responsible for the village's destruction. But while the spider Ant had hidden the girl in order to eat her itself, the raccoon Ant had actually intended to let her go.

"Nen Bullet."

Ron raised his hand, extended a finger, and aimed at the spider Ant. A heartbeat later, the blast fired.

Puchi!

The shot pierced straight through the spider Ant's forehead. Its eyes bulged wide before it toppled lifeless to the ground. The raccoon Ant froze, rigid with fear, unable to move.

Ron fixed his gaze on it. "You've awakened your human memories, haven't you?"

The raccoon Ant blinked in confusion. "What?"

"It seems not. Then why did you spare that little girl? Aren't humans supposed to be nothing but food to you? What made you act like that?"

"I just thought she looked pitiful."

"A Chimera Ant showing sympathy for a human?"

"I don't know why. But when I looked at her, I couldn't help feeling that way. I don't understand it myself." The raccoon Ant hesitated. "You just mentioned awakening human memories—what does that mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like," Ron said. "Every Chimera Ant is born after the Queen consumes food. But among all her meals, humans are different. Their consciousness, their memories, sometimes they don't disappear. They can attach themselves to an egg. When the Ant matures, those memories can resurface. I've already seen one Ant who regained its human memories. So when I saw you letting that girl go, I suspected the same of you. Otherwise you wouldn't have acted that way."

The raccoon Ant's eyes widened slightly. "So I might be close to awakening my human memories?"

"By rights, yes."

A flicker of excitement ran through the raccoon Ant—an echo from its submerged human self. But soon it looked lost again. "Even if I awaken those memories… like this, am I still human? Would humans accept me?"

It looked directly at Ron.

Ron didn't answer that. Instead he asked, "Do any images surface in your mind? Any fragments of recall?"

"No."

"Then try to think along those lines. It may speed the return of your memories."

Ever since Ron had suspected that the Chimera Ants might be the product of artificial interference, his interest in studying them had only grown. This raccoon Ant was a fine subject.

"Do you have to return to the nest, or can you move on your own?"

The raccoon Ant hesitated. "The Queen's orders are lenient right now. I can act independently."

"If you're willing, travel with us," Ron said. "I'm a Hunter, an Observation-type. I'm interested in the Chimera Ants. Benas is a victim from NGL—her family and friends were all killed by your kind."

"You want to observe me?"

"Exactly." Ron didn't try to hide it.

"I'll try it. By the way, can you tell me what the situation in NGL is right now?"

"No problem."

Ron explained, "The Chimera Ants are a disaster for NGL. Countless humans have died. You must have been a victim yourself back when you were human. At present, the Hunter Association has dispatched forces to intervene. The Ants activities have been obstructed, but every day, large numbers of humans are still being killed. When this is over, NGL's old social structure will collapse, and a new one will rise in its place."

The raccoon Ant frowned. "You have such confidence in humans? You think victory is guaranteed for them?"

"It is inevitable," Ron replied. "Humans cannot lose."

"But the Royal Guard is strong, far stronger than me. Their aura is overwhelming compared to mine. Are there humans with such strength as well? Even if there are humans who could match the Royal Guard… what about the King?"