Not long ago, Colt had brought little Kite out from inside the ant queen's body. Since then, Kite's body had already grown a full circle.
After giving it some thought, Larry found this growth understandable. In the original story, within about a month, little Kite would grow to the size of a five or six-year-old child.
After all, she had the body of a Chimera Ant, so you couldn't really judge her growth by normal human standards.
Eventually, with some reluctance, Gon placed little Kite back into a special cradle designed to support her rapid growth. Given how fast she was developing, the cradle would probably need to be replaced every two or three days.
Gon looked at Kite carefully, then turned to Killua with a determined gaze. "We can't afford to lose the next challenge," he said firmly.
Even though they now knew Kite wasn't dead, Gon's desire for revenge had only grown stronger. Seeing Kite in this state made him feel powerless, and he silently vowed to avenge her no matter what.
To do that, the two of them had to defeat the two Nakus and join the Ant King's crusade.
Turning to Larry, Gon asked, "Do you have any advice on how we can get stronger faster?" To him, Larry had always seemed like the strongest person around.
But Larry simply shook his head. "I can't really help with that. Biscuit is good at teaching, just listen to her."
However, Larry did have one piece of advice. "Killua, you need to learn to use your brain," he said, pointing to his own head with a serious expression.
Killua lowered his gaze, trying to understand what Larry meant. He felt like he was on the verge of realizing something, but couldn't quite grasp it.
At that moment, in Larry's eyes, he saw something else, an invisible needle buried just above Killua's forehead. It was a mind-control needle implanted by Killua's brother, Illumi. Its purpose was to influence Killua's judgment.
Whenever he faced an enemy who seemed even slightly stronger, the needle's effect would activate. Combined with the ideas instilled in him since childhood, it would push Killua to retreat first, even if he might have been able to win.
Ilmi's intense, almost morbid love for his younger brother Killua stops him from letting Killua take any dangerous risks. This is why Killua always keeps his distance whenever he senses the strong aura of someone like Larry, even more so than Gon does. It's like a mental block, something limiting Killua's ability to fully tap into his strength.
Whenever he faces a stronger enemy, his first instinct is to run away. Gon can't do much about this, but Killua still manages to hold back because of it.
The key is for Killua to remove that mental "needle" himself; only then can he truly unleash his power. Larry only gave him a subtle hint, leaving it up to Killua to realize it on his own.
"Let's head back for now," Larry said as the space portal opened again.
They stepped through and quickly reappeared in their original hotel room. Just then, Larry's phone buzzed with a new message.
It was from the president, "I'll find a place to lay low for a while. Wait for my signal before launching a full attack. Don't compete with me for the target."
Though he wasn't physically present, Larry could feel his words hanging heavily in the air.
"Don't compete with me..." Larry muttered quietly as he stared at the screen. "If you can't beat me, old man, don't blame me for making my move."
Larry didn't just want the Ant King's experience points, he also craved to fight a strong figher.
Two days later, night had fallen, and the final battle between Gon and Knuckle was underway. This fight would decide which side would join the Ant King's crusade team.
"I can tell you're strong," shoot said. "But there's one thing I don't get, you always back off at the most critical moments. It feels like you're unwilling to take even the smallest risk."
Shoot stood before Killua with a serious expression, a flicker of doubt and confusion in his eyes.
Killua remained still, not because he was unwilling to act, but because he was struggling to resist the influence of the mind needle embedded in him. After their earlier skirmish, Shoot's floating hand had struck the left side of Killua's face, and the mind needle kept sending thoughts urging him to retreat.
But Killua refused to back down. Clenching his fists tightly, he gritted his teeth, the pain evident in the sharp sound he made.
Biscuit's warning echoed in his mind before the fight: his own safety was supposed to be his top priority. If there was any danger, they had to retreat. But if Killua held onto that idea, he would eventually die without ever saving Gon.
Biscuit's words were harsh but truthful. Killua knew he had to change his mindset. He couldn't just stand by and watch Gon die.
Even if he couldn't beat Shoot now, Biscuit wouldn't allow him to face Gon again. That was a price Killua simply couldn't accept, and he trusted Biscuit would keep her promise.
Gon's words from the past two days echoed in his mind: they had promised to go together to avenge Kite.
But how could he completely change his mindset?
Suddenly, Killua remembered what Larry had told him two days ago, "Do you need to use your brain?"
Just as Shoot sighed softly, disappointed that Killua was still frozen in place and prepared to send his three floating hands toward him alongside Knuckle, a sharp cracking sound suddenly broke the tension.
The rings on Killua's fingers, the ones connecting his special yo-yos, shattered under extreme pressure. Killua's weapon was unique, special yo-yos capable of conducting electricity.
Shoot's brow furrowed in confusion. ;Had Killua just disconnected himself from his yo-yos? What was he planning?;
Then, without warning, Killua pulled back his right hand and slammed it against his own head with incredible speed.
Shoot's heart tightened, fearing Killua was trying to hurt himself.
Killua moved so fast that his sharp nails pierced through the scalp, digging deep. Blood spilled quickly, staining his silver hair a vivid red. With hands capable of ripping out a person's heart, it was no trouble at all for Killua to puncture his own head like that.
Before Shoot could even react, Killua pulled his hand back, now holding a needle between his fingers, freshly pulled from his own head.
"Did you really stick something like this in my head? That guy, Illumi!" Killua glared at the needle, instantly recognizing it as his older brother Illumi's doing.