Hunter × Hunter Chapter 143: Countdown (sound of Fate)
Hunter × Hunter chapter 143: Countdown (sound of Fate) — what is in it
Greed Island arc · 16 pages · 40 characters
Key facts in this chapter
Genthru demonstrates his ability 'Count-Down' on the page. The keyword 'Bomber' is required to activate the bombs. Genthru must touch the target while saying the keyword.
Genthru reveals the cancellation phrase for his ability. Genthru uses 'Little Flower' on the boy he is holding. Genthru claims possession of a second ability.
Genthru issues a cautionary statement before the bombs activate. A spider-like device with a counter is attached to a boy's head. Identical devices appear on multiple people's chests simultaneously. The gray-haired man shows clear signs of shock upon seeing the devices.
Genthru states that revealing his ability was required to start the bomb process. The bomb trigger condition involves explaining the ability to the targets. Genthru already possesses nine of the ninety slot cards mentioned. Genthru offers a deal exchanging lives for the remaining imposed slot cards.
Genthru possesses a book labeled Greed Island The exchange is planned at the old Battera castle A disarming password is referenced as a potential countermeasure Genthru activates his book with the word BOOK
Genthru successfully escapes the game using leave Players fear losing spell cards if they follow outside Time limit pressure exists for players remaining in the game Players debate whether to pursue Genthru or keep their cards
Genthru wears a shirt marked 5437 The group is discussing a powerful Nen user who pretended to be weak The opponent can materialize over sixty bombs simultaneously The bombs have a timing system and fatal damage potential Players are gathered in a rocky outdoor area
Genthru stands in the foreground with hands clasped, addressing a tense crowd. He begins his explanation calmly. "LET ME START BY EXPLAINING... HOW I PUT BOMBS ON EVERYONE." The scene shifts to a barren rocky plain where Genthru faces scattered figures. He continues, "BY SAYING THE 'SPECIAL KEYWORD' WHILE TOUCHING MY TARGET AT THE LOCATION WHERE I WANT IT TO EXPLODE. MY ABILITY, 'COUNT-DOWN'... THE BOMB IS SET AND READY." A close-up reveals Genthru's intense eyes behind his glasses as he reveals the final detail: "THAT SPECIAL KEYWORD IS 'BOMBER.'" Onlookers watch in shock, their expressions frozen with dread.
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Genthru confirms his ability has reappeared. The bearded man warns others not to let Genthru spread his guts everywhere and urges caution around the 'Bomber.' Genthru explains the cancellation method: "YOU MUST, WHILE TOUCHING YOUR BODY, SAY 'BOMBER, CAUGHT YOU.' TO CANCEL IT." In the next moment Genthru grabs a struggling boy by the arm on the rocky ground. He declares "LITTLE FLOWER." and adds, "AND I'LL USE IT TO PREVENT YOU FROM DISARMING THE BOMBS... BUT, AS YOU SAW BEFORE, I HAVE ANOTHER ABILITY AS WELL." The boy flails desperately while Genthru maintains his grip.
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Genthru stands in profile, his spiky hair and glasses catching the light as he addresses the group with a calm yet warning tone. "IF YOU STILL WANT TO TRY, PLEASE BE CAREFUL," he says. Nearby, a stern gray-haired man and a woman marked with facial dots watch him closely, tension visible in their expressions. The gray-haired man reacts with surprise, sweat drops forming as question marks and "CH" sound effects appear around him. In a dramatic close-up, Genthru's face fills the frame while a spider-like bomb device clings to a young boy's head, its display reading 5897 beside the boy's own 5942 counter. The boy looks terrified. Below, several people clutch at identical spider bombs now attached to their chests, shouting in panic. "ON MY CHEST TOO!!" cries one. "HEY!! WHAT ....!!" yells another. "THIS IS...?!?!" exclaims a third as the group stares in horror at the devices.
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Genthru continues speaking from the right side of the page, his face partially visible. "BUT, IN FACT, IT WAS NECESSARY TO TRIGGER THE START OF THE PROCESS," he explains. "WASN'T IT STRANGE THAT I JUST STARTED BABBLING ABOUT MY ABILITIES LIKE THAT?" Another voice notes, "SEEMS IT'S WORKING." Genthru then states, "THIS IS THE CONDITION TO TRIGGER THE BOMBS. EXPLAIN EVERYTHING ABOUT MY ABILITY TO THE TARGET-" He suggests waiting for more challengers to appear. In a rocky outdoor setting, several figures stand or crouch while Genthru proposes, "AN EXCHANGE OF YOUR LIVES FOR 90 DIFFERENT IMPOSED SLOT CARDS... WELL, SINCE I ALREADY HAVE NINE OF THEM, 81. OKAY... NOW LET ME PROPOSE THE FOLLOWING:"
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In a dimly lit rocky cave, a figure viewed from behind addresses the group. "The place of the exchange will be at the old Battera castle... yes, I mean the location of the game stations. One single person anyone will do." Another voice adds, "Take your time, discuss it amongst yourselves." Genthru, spiky-haired with glasses, glares at a bearded man and snaps, "Don't think you'll just get away like this...!" The bearded man retorts, "Do you think you can escape from here?" A third voice questions, "If we can just catch you and say the disarming password, are you insane?" Genthru suddenly summons his book with a shout of "BOOK!" accompanied by smoke and impact effects. Someone yells "DAMN!" as Genthru clutches the open Greed Island book, a star-like symbol visible on its cover, while a figure in the foreground reacts with "UGH!" during the sudden struggle.
Genthru laughs triumphantly while holding his book high, shouting "HAHAHA-HAHA! HOPE I'LL SEE YOU SOON!!" and declaring "LEAVE" ON!!" as a massive impact erupts behind him. A player on the ground gasps, "HE ESCAPED OUTSIDE THE GAME...!!!" Inside the cave, panicked voices rise: "WAIT!! IF WE GO OUTSIDE, WE'LL LOSE ALL OUR SPELL CARDS!!" and "IT'S NOT TOO LATE!!" Another yells, "LET'S USE 'LEAVE' TOO, AND CHASE HIM!" A worried figure adds, "WE'LL ALL RUN OUT OF TIME AND DIE." Concern grows over what happens if Genthru escapes the game. The group debates giving free passes to outsiders and questions the guarantee that Genthru will disarm the bombs even if they surrender their cards. One insists, "DON'T BE STUPID!! IT'S BETTER TO GIVE HIM..." as the players stand together holding their cards.
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A bearded man with a scar shouts angrily, sweat flying, "IT WAS BECAUSE WE FOUND OUR FIGHTING CAPABILITIES TO BE LACKING!!" Another man with spiky hair wearing a numbered shirt yells back, "HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHY WE BANDED TOGETHER IN THE FIRST PLACE?!" A third man raises his hand and commands, "CALM DOWN!! IT ISN'T A GOOD STRATEGY TO HAVE SO MANY FOLLOW HIM!!" In a dark panel, several tense figures glare forward. A close-up shows the spiky-haired man sweating as he declares, "FROM WHAT I SAW, ONCE HE STOPPED PRETENDING, HE'S A PURE FIGHTER!! ONCE OUTSIDE, HE'LL PROBABLY JOIN HIS REAL FRIENDS." A wide rocky landscape shows scattered players standing apart. One man asks, "ANYONE IN HERE CONFIDENT HE CAN BEAT HIM?!" In the foreground, a woman with long hair stares at the spiky-haired man in the 5437 shirt as he explains, "TO BE ABLE TO MATERIALIZE MORE THAN 60 BOMBS AT ONCE!! AND NOT JUST ANY BOMBS, BUT ONES THAT CAN INFLICT FATAL DAMAGE AND HAVE A TIMING SYSTEM TO BOOT." A voice replies, "I GUESS NOT. THAT GUY IS PRETTY ABLE."
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An older bearded man states, "HE WOULD JUST HAVE COUNTERED WITH LITTLE FLOWER." A woman adds, "AND THAT CONFIDENT ATTITUDE, EVEN IF WE ATTACKED HIM ALL AT ONCE." Another voice notes, "EMISSION, MANIPULATION, MATERIALIZATION, TO BE ABLE TO BALANCE THE COMBINED USE OF THREE TYPES OF NEN..." A close-up shows a sweating man muttering, "SO CLOSE... WE WERE SO CLOSE!!!! SHIT....!" A stern man explains, "SO THAT AFTERWARDS, HE COULD MENTION THE KEYWORD TO MANY PEOPLE WITHOUT IT SEEMING UNNATURAL. HE HUNTED OTHER PLAYERS IN THE GAME USING THE 'BOMBER' NICKNAME. HE MUST HAVE PLANNED THIS ALL AT LEAST FIVE YEARS AGO... PROBABLY EVEN LONGER AGO THAN THAT. QUITE A FEARSOME GUY." In another panel a man reacts, "JUST THAT? HE KILLED ALL THE OTHER GUYS JUST FOR THAT?!" A bald man clenches his fist and growls, "THAT BASTARD... THAT BASTARD" while another voice asks, "ARE YOU KIDDING? 50 BILLION IS AT STAKE HERE!!" A final panel shows a shocked face and a small "?..." bubble.
older bearded manlong-haired womansweating spiky-haired manstern man with headbandbald manGenthrugroup of players
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A spiky-haired man stares in shock at the spider-shaped bomb device on his chest displaying 5030, shouting that it is true and questioning if he is not going faster than the others. Nearby, a woman with a bun hairstyle sweats and exclaims that the numbers are not changing at the same speed, telling everyone to wait a second. Other bystanders react with confusion and panic as the man demands to know why his count is dropping faster. A bearded man yells for anyone to explain what is going on. Stone panels display the digits 6, 7, 8, and 9. The spiky-haired man insists that only the last digit matters and begs Poorhatto to tell him his number. A close-up reveals the revelation that the displayed number is the count of heartbeats. The man in the black outfit with the cross emblem explains that excitement or movement accelerates the cardiac rhythm and therefore speeds up the countdown, confirming that the bomb's timer is directly linked to the wearer's pulse.
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The spiky-haired man is warned not to over-excite himself or he will die faster, while he questions what benefit there is in knowing the truth. In the background, the man in the black outfit stands facing the group as bystanders discuss that at normal speed the countdown would reach zero in about an hour and that it originally started at 6000. The man in the black outfit states they must give the cards or fight him to reach a consensus. The crowd argues about using the reward money, with one suggesting it could buy a vacation home in heaven if they die, while another notes the small reward share. A man with the bomb device showing 4581 on his chest screams in panic that they cannot do anything about the situation, while others yell at him to stop accelerating his own countdown and let go.
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A massive shattering impact erupts across the top of the page with the huge sound effect "ガシャン!!" as debris flies outward. In the rocky cavern, voices report the dire situation: "ALREADY BELOW 3500..." and "JISPER'S COUNT IS..." A tall man with curly hair stands calmly in the cave while several figures huddle on the ground nearby. Another panel shows a bearded man shouting encouragement: "HANG IN THERE!!" The scene cuts to a furious close-up of Genthru, sweat pouring down his face, eyes narrowed in rage as he demands "HAND OVER... THE CARDS!!" A second bubble beside him states "THERE'S NO TIME LEFT FOR HIM." At the bottom, a row of exhausted, sweating men stare forward in despair; one of them weakly pleads "PLEASE ..."
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Under a starry night sky, a large multi-story building sits atop a rocky cliff. Inside a dimly lit corridor of stone steps, a figure ascends. The next panel reveals an ornate hall with chandeliers and statues. In a dark control room lined with glowing monitors, a spiky-haired boy stands with arms crossed facing away, while a tall man in a hooded robe with a cross emblem stands nearby with arms folded. Below, Genthru crouches aggressively on cracked stone ground, one hand on the floor and the other clenched, glaring upward with visible anger as a bright white flash erupts from a small crater in front of him accompanied by the vertical SFX "ブウオオオ...!"
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In a dimly lit stone chamber, a spiky-haired man with glasses faces a bearded man across the darkness. The spiky-haired man remarks, "I really thought it would be Nikkess who would come." The bearded man replies, "What a surprise." In the next row of panels, the spiky-haired man asks, "Isn't that the case?" while the bearded man responds with "Hm?" and adds, "I thought there'd be more than one here. I'm surprised too." The scene widens to reveal the full chamber with cracked stone walls. The spiky-haired man with glasses stands on the left, another figure walks forward with a double exclamation mark above his head, and on the right Genthru floats near the wall while a woman in a light outfit stands nearby. In the bottom panels, the spiky-haired man with glasses gestures forward and says, "This is abrupt, but shall I take the ring?" Nearby faces of Genthru and two other men with V-shaped marks appear as one states, "They are both first-class, after all," and another notes, "It's understandable that you couldn't feel their presence."
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The bearded man continues, "Especially Nikkess. He wants to use the 'Archangel's Breath' on the dying Jisper." The spiky-haired man with glasses replies, "We can't give it to you yet... or, rather, we couldn't agree." In a close panel the spiky-haired man asks, "What's wrong?" while another figure sweats with ellipsis marks. The spiky-haired man with glasses then wonders aloud, "Should I go there now and finish him off?" and mutters, "...what a joke." Tension rises as the bearded man warns, "If we can't reach a consensus before it's time over, everyone will die, and the rings in the ring will disappear!" The spiky-haired man with glasses counters that everyone is more puzzled than they think. Another panel shows the bearded man saying, "But like this, we'll mutually fail...!" The spiky-haired man with glasses raises a hand and declares he will go back and bring the remaining 80 imposed slot cards. In the final large panel, the bearded man grabs the spiky-haired man by the collar with motion lines and impact effects while the spiky-haired man responds, "I think I can make them come to terms," or something like that.
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The bearded man sweats heavily, his face tense as he speaks. "SHALL I SHOW YOU TRUE BARGAINING?" Genthru's face appears in close-up, replying "IS THAT WHY YOU WANT TO MAKE A DEAL?" and "DO A FAVOR AND BECOME A MEMBER OF OUR GROUP." Genthru then panics, raising a hand and shouting "WA- WAIT!!! IF YOU KILL ME..." while adding "WHETHER CALM OR CRAZY, YOU HAVE A KNACK FOR MAKING YOUR OPPONENT UNDERSTAND." In a sudden burst of motion, Genthru lunges forward with cards and rings erupting around him, yelling "THE CARDS IN MY IMPOSED-RRGH!" In the large bottom panel Genthru stands tall and composed, declaring "OUTSIDE THE GAME, EVEN IF YOU KILL OTHER PLAYERS AND STEAL THEIR RINGS, THE IMPOSED SLOT DATA WILL NOT DISAPPEAR. I TRIED IT. I CALL THIS A SECRET RULE." He reassures "DON'T WORRY." The bearded man lies defeated on the ground as Genthru glances down and remarks "BAH... DOESN'T LOOK LIKE YOU HAVE THE CARDS, ANYWAYS."
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Against a vast white background, Gon appears in the lower right corner, arms thrust high in triumph. His mouth is wide open in a joyful shout, eyes squeezed shut with excitement, as he holds a small rectangular card or item aloft in one raised fist.
Gon
End of chapter16 pages
Discussion
The target balanced Emission, Manipulation, and Materialization The bomber used the nickname to approach players Planning began at least five years earlier Fifty billion Jenny is at stake Little Flower is mentioned as a counter technique
The bomb countdown is linked to the wearer's heartbeat rate. The device displays the current heartbeat count as its number. Movement or excitement increases the countdown speed. Bystanders observe inconsistent countdown rates among different people.
The initial countdown value was 6000. At normal heart rate the bomb would detonate in roughly one hour. The group discusses whether to hand over the cards or fight. The reward for the cards is described as relatively small.
The card count is already below 3500. Jispa's count is being tracked. Genthru demands the cards immediately. Several men are collapsed or kneeling in the cave.
A large building stands on a cliff at night. A control room contains multiple computer monitors. Genthru crouches before a bright flash on the stone floor.
The meeting occurs inside a stone-walled chamber. Genthru is shown floating near the wall. Multiple characters bear identical V-shaped forehead marks. Dialogue references Nikkess and the ring directly.
Archangel's Breath is mentioned as a specific ability. The bearded man physically grabs the spiky-haired man. A deadline called 'time over' is referenced. 80 imposed slot cards remain to be collected.
Genthru reveals that imposed slot data does not disappear even if players are killed outside the game. Genthru tested the secret rule himself. The bearded opponent is shown defeated on the ground.
Gon is shown celebrating with a card raised overhead.
What is said, page by page
Genthru explains how he plants bombs on targets using a special keyword Genthru reveals his ability name 'Count-Down' and its activation method Genthru states the bomb is set once the keyword is spoken Genthru discloses the keyword 'Bomber' in a dramatic close-up
Genthru notes that 'Bomber' has appeared again Bearded man warns not to let Genthru spread his guts and to be careful of the 'Bomber' Genthru explains the phrase needed to cancel the ability Genthru activates 'Little Flower' while restraining the boy Genthru states he will prevent disarming and mentions another ability
Genthru warns the group to be careful if they still intend to proceed. Gray-haired man reacts with visible confusion and alarm at the unfolding situation. Multiple victims shout about the sudden appearance of bombs on their chests.
Genthru reveals that explaining his ability was the trigger condition for the bombs. An observer confirms the process appears to be working. Genthru outlines the bomb activation condition to the targets. Genthru proposes an exchange involving 81 remaining slot cards in return for lives.
Unseen speaker explains the exchange location at old Battera castle game stations, calm and directive Genthru threatens the group not to let him escape easily, tense and defiant Bearded man challenges Genthru's ability to flee, skeptical Unseen speaker suggests catching Genthru to use the disarming password, incredulous Genthru calls out his book ability, commanding and abrupt Unidentified voice curses in frustration as action erupts
Genthru laughs and taunts the group while activating leave, triumphant Player reports Genthru escaped the game, shocked Player warns that leaving will lose all spell cards, urgent Player urges using leave to chase Genthru, determined Player fears running out of time and dying outside, anxious Player questions the point of gathering cards if Genthru escapes, frustrated Player argues against giving cards to Genthru, heated
Bearded man angrily explains their past weakness Spiky-haired ally questions their original purpose Genthru orders calm and criticizes the strategy Genthru analyzes the target's true fighting nature Player questions if anyone can defeat the opponent Genthru details the overwhelming bomb materialization ability Unseen speaker concedes the target's strength
Older man notes the opponent's Little Flower counter Woman highlights the confident attitude under attack Speaker lists the three Nen types balanced by the target Man laments how close they came to success Stern man reveals the long-term keyword hunting plan Bald man questions the killings over the keyword Bald man curses the bomber repeatedly Someone emphasizes the fifty billion stake
spiky-haired man claims the countdown is true and questions his speed woman with bun notes the numbers changing at different speeds bearded man asks if anyone has a clue about the situation spiky-haired man asks Poorhatto for his exact number man in black outfit states the number represents heartbeats man in black outfit warns that excitement accelerates the countdown with the pulse
spiky-haired man is told not to over-excite himself or die faster spiky-haired man questions the point of knowing the truth bystanders calculate the countdown would finish in about an hour man in black outfit demands cards or a fight to reach consensus crowd debates using the reward money even if they die man with 4581 bomb yells they cannot do anything about it bystanders tell the panicked man to stop accelerating his countdown
Unseen speaker reports the card count has dropped below 3500 Unseen speaker notes Jispa's remaining count Bearded man urges the group to hang in there Genthru angrily orders the cards to be handed over Genthru states there is no time left for the target One of the exhausted men begs please
spiky-haired man with glasses states surprise that Nikkess did not appear bearded man expresses his own surprise at the visitor spiky-haired man questions if the situation matches expectations bearded man admits he expected multiple arrivals spiky-haired man abruptly offers to take the ring V-marked man notes the high caliber of the opponents another V-marked man explains the undetectable presence
bearded man explains Nikkess's plan to use Archangel's Breath on the dying Jisper spiky-haired man with glasses refuses to hand over the item yet spiky-haired man with glasses questions the sudden tension spiky-haired man with glasses considers finishing the target immediately bearded man warns that failure means everyone dies and rings vanish spiky-haired man with glasses notes mutual confusion bearded man states they will fail mutually spiky-haired man with glasses offers to retrieve the remaining slot cards spiky-haired man with glasses claims he can force an agreement
Bearded man proposes a deal involving a favor for group membership Genthru stalls desperately while being threatened Genthru explains a secret rule about imposed slot data persisting outside the game Genthru dismisses the opponent's card count