Remaining Time

Knuckle stands with arms crossed, his robe shifting slightly. He turns his back toward the forest, a speech bubble showing "!!" as he reacts. In the background, Gon and Killua remain crouched near a large tree. A close-up shows Knuckle's narrowed eyes with sweat drops and tension lines around them. The final panel focuses on Knuckle's face in profile, sweat dripping heavily as his expression hardens. Sound effects read "BURU BURU" beside him, and "GIRA ZAKU" appears near his ear.

Three large speech bubbles burst across the top of the page. 'GO NOW!!' 'THIS IS MY CHANCE, GO!!' 'HERE I GO!' A small panel shows a torn wooden barrier with motion lines. Next to it, a close-up reveals a pair of feet in sandals standing on grass beside a tree root. The scene widens to a forest path at dusk. Two small figures, one with spiky hair and one with dark hair, walk away down the trail toward distant lights. On the right side of the path stands a tall, stern man with long hair wearing a loose robe, his arms crossed as he watches them leave. A close-up shows his face half-shadowed, eyes narrowed. A text box beside him reads 'WEAKNESS: TOO TIMID TO TAKE CHANCES.' Another box lists 'SHOOT = MCMAHON AGE 28, BLOOD TYPE AB, UMA (UNIDENTIFIED MYSTERIOUS ANIMAL) HUNTER'.

Inside a long hallway with framed pictures, a voice wonders why Knuckle-san isn't good enough. The view shifts to an exterior of a large half-timbered building. Gon and Killua stand facing each other on rocky ground. Gon asks 'TO GO INTO NGL?' while Killua replies 'HM? FOR WHAT?' Close-ups capture their serious expressions as they discuss Knuckle's combat ability and possible psychological factors. Gon notes that Knuckle shows too much empathy toward animals. The final wide panel shows the two boys looking at a person surrounded by many dogs, with speech bubbles stating 'AND THOSE DOGS AROUND HIM... THEY HAVE INCREASED IN NUMBERS.' and 'BEFORE WE EVEN REALIZED IT, HE'S BECOME A WILLING COOPERATOR.'

Biscuit watches the boys with a satisfied smile. If they can maintain this for three hours, she might have them fight in their best condition. Now they can easily maintain Ren for two hours without concentrating. This is good progress. In close-up her expression turns thoughtful as she realizes it will only be half of it, but she hopes they will then realize what they need and what they lack. Knuckle may even have to fight with all his strength to deal with them. Gon and Killua stand facing each other. Gon points out that the remaining time after today would only be one day. Killua raises his hands and replies that at this rate it will take around ten days to reach that point. In the kitchen a long-haired woman with her back to the viewer chops ingredients on a cutting board while steam rises from pots. Killua watches her from the doorway with a worried expression and mutters that it does not look like they will make it.

A close-up shows Palm's eye with intense shading and strands of hair falling across it. In the next panel she stands holding a large knife in her right hand, blade pointed upward. A tall silhouette of Palm appears against a dark background with vertical motion lines and repeated onomatopoeia TON TON TON running down the right side. The final panel is a tight close-up of Palm's face in profile, eyes half-lidded and mouth slightly open, conveying a focused or ominous expression as the knife blade is visible at the edge of the frame.

Under a dark, cloudy sky, Gon sits alone and thinks to himself, 'Maybe I should prepare to run away...' even if it's by myself. A large spread of food is presented with the announcement 'FOOD'S READY....' Gon eagerly begins eating, exclaiming 'LET'S EAT!!' with enthusiastic sounds of 'Got Mushya Bat Mushya' as he devours the meal. Palm, with her long disheveled hair, questions him about the remaining food. Gon responds cheerfully that it is absolutely delicious. Palm trails off with '...so...?'

Biscuit comments that Palm sees through everything and notes the training progress. Palm observes that Gon is trying to improve his abilities to fight Knuckle at full strength but has only made about two-thirds progress. Gon asks Biscuit if that is true. Biscuit warns that Gon's situation is only getting worse by the day. Gon confidently replies that they will definitely win before time is up. Palm internally reflects on her growing impatience while staring at a kitchen knife, tempted to kill Gon but holding back because the food is delicious and because of the time limit to defeat Knuckle.

A long-haired figure with wide eyes insists there is no way to beat him like this. Gon, leaning forward with a determined glare, replies that if they are not going to run away, what are they going to do. He adds that he has already told them several times they are not going to run away. A bright panel shows a hand pointing upward against darkness. The long-haired figure stares in shock as Gon extends his pinky and declares they will take the pinky oath and win. Gon urges them to hurry and make the oath. The long-haired figure and Gon press their thumbs together. Gon explains they seal the promise by sticking their thumbs together like this, though it is just Mito-san and Nanko. The long-haired figure swears on the island that they finish the oath like this. Gon warns that if he is lying he will swallow a thousand needles, while the long-haired figure swears they will defeat Knuckle and shoot him in time.

A dramatic panel shows a hand forming a thumb kiss with hearts and radiating lines as someone declares it is made official with a thumb kiss. In the background Knuckle munches while the long-haired figure and Gon sit together. Gon states it is a promise. Knuckle comments that she seems to be leading him on though. Biscuit notes Gon has gotten good at pushing the right buttons with Palm. Palm asks what kind of broth Knuckle used after he mentions boiling chicken bones. Biscuit and the others react with surprise symbols. In a dark panel Knuckle tells Biscuit not to make it sound like an execution while she smiles and says just ten days left, holding a steaming cup.

Thick white fog blankets the entire forest, swirling between massive tree trunks and roots. A pointed-eared soldier stares upward in alarm and shouts, "IT'S THIS...!! THE FOG THAT'S COVERING THE ENTIRE FOREST...!!" A smaller bubble adds, "SO THICK..." From off-panel a voice commands, "GORAN, REPORT THE SITUATION!" In the lower scene the same soldier now runs through the mist, calling desperately, "GORAN, RESPOND! GORAN!" A fish-headed soldier looks on as another circular shout rings out: "GORAN DIVISION!! ANYBODY, REPORT THE SITUATION NOW!" A small bubble near the runner wonders, "...COULD THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN WIPED OUT!?"

A cat-like soldier issues orders: "BAITAL DIVISION, FORWARD!! LOCATE AND CONVERGE FORCES WITH GORAN DIVISION!!" Nearby panels show Zemu and Pokoro Divisions being told to follow Baital's lead in crane formation. The cat-like soldier notes, "THE SIGNALS ARE ALL MUDDLED..." and suggests establishing a communication system for when the division commander is absent. A close-up reveals wide eyes as text states, "THE SIGNALS FROM GORAN DIVISION ARE DYING ONE BY ONE!!" Below, the pointed-eared soldier kneels amid the fog, exclaiming, "WHAT IN THE... WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?"

High atop a rocky peak labeled "TOP OF ROCK," a lone figure stands against the cloudy sky. Below, the same figure leaps across the cliff face. A wide view of the sheer rock wall shows countless small dark shapes dotting the surface as narration states "TWO CAPTURED." Someone shouts "NOW!" In the vast rocky basin filled with countless tiny black figures, a man in a dark suit and glasses sits on a boulder, holding a small object while addressing the long-haired person sprawled on the ground before him. The suited man asks, "WHAT IS?" and challenges, "YOU THINK THIS IS OKAY?"

The glasses-wearing man in a suit continues speaking to the long-haired person, noting "AND BESIDES, HE SEEMS TO WANT IT THIS WAY." He adds that the chairman is stronger than them and that sending the chairman is fool-proof, though the long-haired person replies it feels too easy. The long-haired person reacts with "AH. SPEAK OF THE DEVIL." as a spiky-haired figure appears. In a large indoor chamber filled with defeated chimeric creatures, the spiky-haired person stands among the bodies and declares they are finally getting back into form. A woman with a headband suggests capturing a few more. At the bottom, two voices discuss sending another division while noting the old man's cruise control.

In a dimly lit rocky cavern, Gon stares ahead with a serious expression and declares, "THERE ARE 14 DIVISIONS REMAINING." A voice responds, "...THAT MEANS." Nearby, Knuckle Bine appears with a fierce look, adding, "BAITAI AND KABUTSU'S DIVISIONS HAVE NOT RETURNED." In the next panel, Gon and Killua stand side by side as Gon reacts with surprise, marked by an exclamation. A close-up shows Killua's face with a tense expression as he notes, "Seven days left..." The scene shifts to a dark, skull-strewn ground where a massive, round, pulsating creature looms. Inside it, a figure is visible. Knuckle Bine stands beside it, laughing "HU HU HU HU..." while the creature emits heavy "dokun dokun" sound effects. Someone inside the sphere says, "YOU WANT TO COME OUT QUICKLY, DON'T YOU....?"