PARASITE

A short-haired woman levels a handgun and states that answering one question at a time will make everything simpler. In the background, a cluster of suited men stand on a checkered floor; one man with slicked-back hair insists he had no idea about the succession war and claims he is merely the queen’s assistant. Two other men nearby display tense, sweating expressions. The woman’s eyes narrow as she continues pressing for answers. A close-up reveals a bald man with a scar staring forward, followed by another man’s intense gaze. Someone off-panel utters “I KNEW…”. In the lower section, the scarred man repeats “I KNEW, TOO.” while a spiky-haired man and a mustached man stand beside him, both looking grim and alert.

The short-haired woman continues questioning the group from behind, asking if they are allies of Prince Woble. A spiky-haired man and a mustached man stand with her. The spiky-haired man and the mustached man both state they did not know about the matter. A large man with slicked-back hair answers “YES… NOT EXACTLY…”. Another man replies that they are not allies. Suddenly the woman shouts “WAIT A SECOND!!” and “SHOOT THEM…!!!” while sweat runs down her face. In the lower panel, several suited men raise their hands in alarm; one man points a gun at the group and yells to shoot both right now, while another pleads for Queen Oito to stay calm.

Kurapika and Bill discuss the deaths of the five bodyguards assigned to Prince Woble. "They were all working for different people," Kurapika notes. "Yeah... The 5 people that died weren't on Prince Woble's side either, were they?" Bill replies. Queen Oito, holding Prince Woble, listens intently as Bill continues, "The information they have will be extremely valuable to our survival. Please listen to what I have to say, Queen Oito. We can shoot them if they refuse to cooperate." Kurapika reacts with surprise. "Different people...?" Bill explains the royal family's decision: "Why do you suppose they chose '7'? The royal family assigned 7 bodyguards to Prince Woble." Two stern bodyguards sit nearby. "Correct," Bill affirms when Kurapika grasps the pattern. "The number of princes apart from Queen Oito...!" A large panel shows the crowded hall of queens, princes, and bodyguards. Bill narrates the system: "Every time the king had a new wife, the number of bodyguards would increase, but the upper ranked queens and princes wouldn't ever have the lower ranked ones keeping surveillance on them. Each of the princes were using their bodyguards to keep tabs on her...! To make sure that none of the lower ranked princes and queens thought of rising up against them."

Bill diagrams the bodyguard counts for the lowest princes. Queen Oito, the lowest ranked, has not yet received the full explanation. When a new queen is added she becomes the lowest ranked and gains one real bodyguard plus surveillance from every queen above her. Bill states, "The mere existence of the other princes is a threat to their own safety now...!" Another man insists the succession war has changed circumstances completely. Bill adds that their mission is to ensure Prince Woble's safety. Kurapika asks whether an order to assassinate Prince Woble has been given. Bill replies that the queen giving such an order would result in imprisonment. A flashback panel shows a man saying he came only half-convinced of the plan. King Kakin approved the succession war. Kurapika listens with a serious expression as the discussion continues about the risks and difficulties of planning assassinations.

In a dimly lit room, a stern man with short hair declares that the conflict is being fought by the princes themselves. He adds that it is not fought by them and some private soldiers. Another panel shows an ornate long table in an elegant chamber as he continues, explaining that seeing the corpse and hearing talk of Nen abilities changed his thinking. He concludes that the Succession War is really beginning. In the lower section, Bill sits with a teacup while addressing Queen Oito, who holds Prince Woble. He states that the event was most certainly a ritual to endow her with Nen abilities and asks if she went through the parasite egg jar ceremony. Queen Oito reacts in shock, asking what he is talking about. Kurapika warns that if she becomes alarmed and uneasy, her anxiety could become a danger to all of them. Bill presses on, saying that if they accept the explanation, young Prince Woble's Nen ability is likely a power that activates through his own self-defense instinct. Queen Oito protests that the ugly old pot is just some stupid legend and a tradition while being urged to stay calm.

Kurapika continues theorizing that it is reasonable to assume one of the bodyguards saw an opportunity and acted independently upon sensing killing intent, and that the other princes likely targeted the youngest and weakest prince first. She notes this is only a theory based on what has been heard so far. In a smaller panel, Kurapika asks when the ceremony was performed around a month ago. Another panel discusses how Nen normally takes a great amount of time to master and that there is still the question of the learning process. A spiky-haired man interjects that it would not be impossible for a parasite-type. The group debates whether the theory of a human who just learned Nen is too short a time after acquiring it. Kurapika's eye is shown in close-up with dramatic shading. The discussion concludes that the case would go along with the ceremony explanation and confirms it is a parasite-type.

Against a dark background, a bald man with a mechanical device attached to his head stands with a grim expression, sweat on his face. Nearby, a spiky-haired man looks tense while a blonde woman leans in close, speaking to him. The scene shifts to a brighter room where the blonde woman walks forward, asking if others can see something unusual. The bald man’s head device is shown in close-up, emitting strange visual effects and musical notes. A mustached man and the spiky-haired man react with surprise and focus, their eyes locked on the device and the space around it.

In a grand room, several suited men stand facing a woman holding a baby. The blonde man in a suit gestures and warns that something might react to them. The bald man with the head device kneels, looking alarmed. The spiky-haired man and others shout in confusion. Close-ups show the bald man demanding an explanation about what is on his head while the mustached man yells that the others cannot see the entities. The woman holding the baby asks the person addressed as Your Highness if they can see the beings. The blonde man tells her to stay behind him as tension rises among the group.

Three men in dark suits stand with their backs to the viewer, facing a massive white bear-like Nen beast with a jagged mouth and round ears that looms over them in the ornate hall. Nearby, a fierce dragon-like creature with horns and sharp teeth crawls on the floor amid scattered ladybug-patterned orbs and jellyfish-like entities crawling on walls and ceiling. In the lower panels, an older mustached man points upward in alarm, shouting for attention. A spiky-haired young man in a suit reacts with wide-eyed panic, while a blonde girl watches nervously from the side. Close-ups show a stern man with a goatee and the bear creature's face. A voice asks if someone is free.

Two women stare upward in shock at a chaotic ceiling filled with massive segmented centipede-like Nen constructs, polka-dotted orbs, and small crawling creatures. One woman has light hair and a sweat drop; the other has darker hair. Speech bubbles express confusion about the scene. Below, the spiky-haired man and mustached man appear alarmed amid swirling energy. A woman carrying a small child stands protectively near a young boy as they observe the unfolding events. Narration notes the start of the succession war and the probing of abilities.

In a vast hall lined with strange, segmented tubes overhead, a group of suited figures stands amid bizarre, floating parasitic creatures. Kurapika, dressed in a dark suit, strides forward with a tense expression while Queen Oito clutches Prince Woble protectively. Nearby, a spiky-haired man and other attendants react with alarm as jellyfish-like entities drift through the air, some bearing spotted patterns and trailing tendrils. A massive dragon-like beast with scales and horns crawls across the floor, while a giant bear-shaped creature looms on the right, its body marked with a heart and a window-like mouth, surrounded by tiny stick-figure silhouettes. The air is filled with chaotic motion lines and scattered parasites. Bold text declares the event: "THE PARASITIC EGG JAR CEREMONY..." as another bubble reads "SO... IT'S GU*..."

Biscuit speaks into a communication device, asking about Prince Marayam's safety. Melody reports that multiple unidentified Nen beasts have appeared in Area 14 and requests updates from every area. Kurapika, on the phone, declares an emergency and orders everyone to use the common channel, identifying himself as a Hunter Association member. Biscuit confirms nothing abnormal in Area 13, while Melody notes nothing strange in Area 10. A close-up shows Kurapika's intense eyes as he wonders if the beasts are unconscious of their own actions, possibly awakened by the Parasite Egg Jar Ceremony. He concludes they are parasite-type Nen. Bill appears in a small panel. Kurapika continues speaking with Queen Oito nearby, noting that if the beasts are not conscious, their awakened abilities should at least allow them to see the Nen beasts.

Two suited men stand close together in discussion. The spiky-haired man explains that the Nen beasts act without their host being aware, and their host cannot control them, noting some protect their hosts while others attack. The blonde man replies that it utilizes its host's aura to invoke abilities and can materialize itself in many forms, then asks if this parasite-type Nen ability is somewhat like a curse. Below, a close-up shows the spiky-haired man's feet on a patterned floor as he mutters about the mission. In the next panel the blonde man continues that no matter how much aura the beasts suck up, their host will feel nothing apart from growing tired and fatigued, but it is convenient if they cannot, meaning it does not matter if their host can or cannot use Nen. The blonde man turns to the spiky-haired man and states that if he is going to resign, now is the time to say so, warning that the situation is far more dangerous than thought. In the background, Queen Oito sits on a bed holding Prince Woble while two men stand guard nearby. The spiky-haired man insists that no matter how much more danger presents itself, that is no reason to abandon a mission, and their mission is to protect the prince and queen. The blonde man replies that he already told him earlier. A young girl with short hair appears and tells the spiky-haired man that if he is a Hunter then at least he can patrol Deck 2 for her so that he does not get in the way of his real mission. The spiky-haired man faces the blonde man and says that in order to protect the prince and queen, the two of them need to exchange information, right? The blonde man answers that since the situation has worsened, the circumstances between them have changed.

In a spacious room with large windows, the spiky-haired man and the blonde man stand facing two seated men in suits. The spiky-haired man remarks that those Nen beasts are really nasty, and the blonde man adds that it looks like they are finally gone. A small panel shows the spiky-haired man from behind saying at least from this room they have all disappeared, with the blonde man replying yeah. A sudden close-up reveals a small round creature clinging to the back of the blonde man's head; the spiky-haired man reacts with shock, asking what the hell this thing following him is. The creature makes sounds like MK? and KAP? while the spiky-haired man demands to know when it will be free. The creature continues speaking as the spiky-haired man stares intensely. In the lower section of the room, the blonde man stands near the bed where Queen Oito and Prince Woble rest, telling the spiky-haired man he will not neglect his mission on the voyage. The spiky-haired man replies that his original goal was to explore the Dark Continent along with Master Beyond, and the blonde man warns him not to go neglecting the mission here on the voyage for that.

Kurapika stands facing Bill in a formal room, their conversation tense. Kurapika states, "OF COURSE, I'VE PUT PLENTY OF PLANNING INTO HER SAFETY." Bill replies that contact with Tserriednich is part of the mission but warns, "BUT YOUR SITUATION IS EVEN MORE PROBLEMATIC." Kurapika presses, "WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO GAIN FROM THIS 'SAFETY' IN THE MISSION YOU'RE PROPOSING?" Bill counters by asking what Kurapika is after and declares, "THE SAFETY OF THE QUEEN AND PRINCE COMES FIRST AND FOREMOST!" He adds that Kurapika has not built trust and the guards will not support the plan. Bill then says, "WE CAN DO THAT TOO," and questions whether helping the queen and prince escape the succession war would be the safest option. Kurapika retorts that enforcing the ship's safety rule is already impossible. In the lower panel Queen Oito holds Prince Woble and urges, "YOUR HIGHNESS! PLEASE TAKE YOUR TIME AND CALMLY GO OVER YOUR OPTIONS." Bill concludes, "AS OF NOW WE HAVE 3 POSSIBLE COURSES OF ACTION."

A sudden scream erupts as a long-haired woman shrieks in terror. Bill shouts, "YOUR HIGHNESS!! STAY CLOSE TO ME!!" while a small child watches from the background. A man in a suit gasps and draws a weapon as a knife flashes. The woman continues screaming "KYA-AAAAA AAAA AA!!" with hands near her face. In the wide panel a bald man and a dark-haired person sit slumped in ornate chairs while a figure lies stabbed on the floor with blood pooling. Kurapika stands with his back to the viewer, facing the scene. Queen Oito appears in the foreground looking shocked. In the bottom panels people react in panic: "WHY?! WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS?!" "SAI-RID!!" "H... HE GRABBED THE KNIFE OUT OF NO-WHERE AND STABBED THOSE..." "WHAT HAPPENED?!" "GET BACK!!"

A man in a dark suit sweats heavily, eyes wide with panic as fragmented memories surface. "I..." he mutters. "I was free..." "It asked me to..." "So..." In a flashback panel he clutches a handgun, stammering "It asked me to...!!!" while another voice cuts in "But..." A tense standoff erupts: the suited man advances with gun drawn as a spiky-haired figure points a weapon and shouts "DON'T MOVE!!" A woman yells "STOP!! OR I'LL SHOOT!!!" Motion lines explode across the page. The suited man lunges forward, arm outstretched, while the spiky-haired youth stands firm. A small child with wild spiky hair stares upward with large eyes. Nearby, a bob-haired woman and a stern man with pointed features watch. "I'LL STOP HIM," the youth declares. "BUT I'D PROBABLY BE HARD TO JUST INCAPACITATE A HUNTER WITH A .22 CALIBER." Another voice answers "WAIT... I WANT TO CAPTURE HIM ALIVE." "LOOK AFTER THE QUEEN FOR ME." The page ends with the chapter logo and note that Hunter × Hunter will be on break.

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