Hunter × Hunter Chapter 157: Duels ②

A dramatic panel shows a large SFX and the headband boxer announcing the rules with arms crossed: "THREE MINUTES PER ROUND! THE FIGHT GOES ON UNTIL A PLAYER IS KO-ED!" Gon stands ready with boxing gloves on the left. The headband boxer smiles confidently and says, "FIGHT!" In the next panel, the headband boxer tells Gon, "YOU CHOSE BOXING AS YOUR CHALLENGE." Gon replies, "I GUESS I UNDERSTAND WHY..." A close-up shows intense eyes and the sound effect "SSS!!" The final wide panel depicts Gon and the headband boxer charging toward each other inside the ring with heavy motion lines and impact symbols, ready to clash.

In the boxing ring, a bald man with a facial scar stares forward with wide eyes as a bright impact flashes beside him. The opponent in a dark beanie delivers a powerful punch, the strike marked by sharp SFX. A man with glasses watches closely and remarks, "IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP IT IF YOU'RE NOT PREPARED IN ADVANCE." The beanie fighter replies, "NICE DODGE..." Close-up on intense eyes as a voice states, "I'M ALMOST POSITIVE THAT YOU'RE AN EMISSION NEN USER TOO, AREN'T YOU?" The beanie fighter assumes a stance and declares, "THERE ARE NO BETTER CONDITIONS FOR AN EMISSION USER." Across the ring, the spiky-haired fighter in gloves listens as the opponent continues, "FIGHTING WITHIN A CONFINED AREA, AND KEEPING YOUR DISTANCE FROM YOUR OPPONENT..." The spiky-haired fighter leans in aggressively, shouting, "ONE MISTAKE!" and "YOU ONLY MADE..."

The spiky-haired fighter lunges forward with a rapid series of punches, his fists blurring into multiple afterimages marked by heavy SFX. The beanie fighter is driven back under the barrage. A speech bubble declares, "THERE ARE NEN USERS STRONGER THAN YOU!!" The attacker adds, "LIKE ME!!" On the sidelines, two young observers watch in shock; one exclaims, "IMPOSSIBLE TO AVOID!" while the other shouts, "WHOA! LIKE A MACHINE GUN!!" The beanie fighter is shown taking multiple direct hits, impact bursts erupting across his body as he reels from the machine-gun-like assault.

In the boxing ring, two fighters collide with devastating force. One is sent flying backward while the other staggers from the impact, both striking simultaneously. A large target symbol marks the point of collision. Spectators react in shock. Gon and Killua stare in disbelief as someone shouts, "WHAT?!" Another voice clarifies, "NO. THEY HIT EACH OTHER SIMULTANEOUSLY." From the crowd, a bald man exclaims, "EASY VICTORY!" while another yells, "YEAH! DOWN!!" The referee begins the count, raising his finger and declaring, "ONE! TWO! BOTH FIGHTERS ARE DOWN." Nearby onlookers gasp, with one man shouting, "WHAT HAPPENED?!" and a woman with styled hair asking, "BUT... WHY?!" The downed fighter lies near another target symbol as the scene emphasizes the double impact.

The count continues as the referee calls out, "SEVEN! EIGHT!" One fighter struggles to rise, declaring, "I'M UP." while the other remains down. The referee raises his hand and announces, "END OF THE FIGHT!" completing the count with "NINE! TEN!" A man with a topknot hat stands victorious in the ring. In the audience, a group of men in jester-like hats laugh "Ku Ku Ku Ku Ku..." A smiling man states, "THAT'S OUR FIRST VICTORY." Gon and Killua react with surprise, asking, "WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" and "HEY, PLEASE TELL US..." The victor explains, "BUT I DIDN'T MAKE ANY MISTAKES. IT'S TRUE THAT I'M AN EMISSION NEN USER..." Killua observes, "IT WAS MOVEMENT THAT LASTED ONLY AN INSTANT." while Gon adds, "REALLY, THESE GUYS ARE USELESS..."

Killua stares in profile with wide eyes at the boxing ring action. The fighter wearing a black beanie and white shirt launches an uppercut while his opponent in a similar outfit recoils. Speech bubbles read: "Oh... some of them noticed what I did?" and "Instantaneous movement?!" A caption states "Just an uppercut." In a wide panel the beanie fighter's leg is raised high with motion lines as he delivers the blow. Close-ups show the punch connecting, the opponent's head snapping back with blood and impact effects, and the beanie fighter's determined face. A final caption declares "He severed his flesh and bone." The defeated boxer staggers while the beanie fighter stands victorious with raised fists.

Gon, Killua, and Biscuit stand together analyzing the previous match. Speech bubbles explain the strategy: the opponent planned a counter expecting hits but the power was weak, while the uppercut jolted the brain directly. The beanie fighter holds a soccer ball and declares "I'm next, then." Biscuit says "The theme is soccer ball hovering." Gon and Killua agree it is better this way. Biscuit calls out "Gon, Biscuit." The beanie fighter notices her and says "Oh? A little girl? Take care not to hurt yourself." Biscuit responds excitedly "Yes! I'm next!" while striking a pose in her frilly dress.

A boy in a beanie and soccer-style outfit holds a ball and explains the rules in a dark panel. He states that the battle takes place within this room; if your ball touches the floor, you're lost. The same goes if your ball is touched by one of your allies. You can attack the opponent with Nen, but can't touch the opponent's ball with your hands. A small girl with pigtails reacts with surprise as the ball bounces near her, exclaiming it doesn't hurt. The man with slicked-back hair confirms the winner is the one who lasts longest. The girl agrees enthusiastically. The three prepare as the boy and girl stand facing each other in darkness with a glowing light between them. The man smiles and shouts for them to go.

Spectators react with surprise as the pigtail girl is sent flying by the ball impact, admitting she lost and that it was harder than expected. The ball continues rolling. A large bald fighter yells at a spiky-haired boy to prepare himself. The white-haired boy asks if the old man wants to go next. The large fighter laughs that he can keep knocking the opponent down repeatedly. The white-haired boy confirms the rules remain the same. A robed man observes that the fight continues as long as both stay within the circle and notes the use of weapons is allowed even without Nen.

In the spacious gymnasium, a large screen displays a stylized emblem as two large speech bubbles declare the outcome. "WE'VE WON." "THAT'S OUR EIGHTH VICTORY." The empty court and stacked chairs emphasize the vacated arena. A stern man in a headband addresses the crowd: "WE'LL KEEP DOING AS WE PLEASE IN THIS TOWN." Another voice adds, "PLEASE GO BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM." In the next panel a rotund man wearing a jester-style hat and vest points accusingly, shouting "I KNOW YOU LOST ON PURPOSE, COWARD!" while his companion yells "DAMN IT! THAT'S OUR DIRTY, YOU BASTARD!" At the bottom, Killua faces an older scarred man. Killua states firmly, "DON'T DOUBT THAT I'LL BE BACK." The older man replies, "CALM DOWN, OLD MAN," as small reaction lines and a tiny chibi Killua appear beside them.

From behind, the jester-hatted men walk away under a starry sky while the earring-wearing man smiles and remarks, "QUITE A THOUGHT-OUT DECISION..." Gon, Killua, and the earring man stand together. The earring man explains, "THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY COULDN'T POSSIBLY WIN EIGHT MATCHES, SO THEY CHOSE TO COLLECT INFORMATION." He continues, "THEY RETIRED AFTER SEEING THE TYPES OF DUELS AND HEARING THE RULES..." A wide night panel shows a sprawling illuminated building complex on a rocky cliff overlooking the sea. Narration states, "AND NEXT TIME, WITH A MUCH STRONGER GROUP..." followed by "THERE'S NO DOUBT THEY'LL COME BACK."

Under a starry sky, a hand forms a circle as voices discuss the situation. "It was a calculated risk," one says. "No, it's fine if one member in our group changes," another replies. "That was the risk..." a third notes. "We lost once, so this means we can't take part in the duels again...?" someone worries. A group of players stands together, one exclaiming "Huh?" while another states, "But this is as far as we'll go." Tsezguerra and others look on with concern. In a closer view, Killua smiles slightly and says, "It'll be impossible for them to gather a team of 15 players." Biscuit stands beside him, listening. "We managed to complete our first goal: preventing Bomber's group from completing the game," Killua continues. Nearby, Gon looks down and murmurs, "I guess... that's right..." A tall man warns, "There's a high risk that you'd become their target if you manage to somehow acquire the card. And you'd play for their sake." He adds, "You guys should do the same as we are." At the bottom, Gon, Killua, and Biscuit stand together, watching the departing group walk away across the sandy terrain.

In a small panel, a man in a cap gestures while speaking to Killua and Biscuit. A shooting star streaks across the night sky as Gon, Killua, and Biscuit watch it from a grassy area. On the right, Tsezguerra stands with a small cloaked figure under the stars. The three children stand together again, looking forward. Tsezguerra appears alone with arms crossed in a dark panel. In a close conversation, a man declares, "I'll keep looking for stronger companions." Another replies, "Same as you." Killua asks, "And you? What will you do?" A stern man responds, "If not, you wouldn't have changed tactics half-way through." He continues, "You're gonna keep going for it?" Gon, Killua, and Biscuit listen intently to the exchange.

In the starry night sky, Killua, Gon, and their companions discuss their strategy. Killua turns and says, "HUH? THAT'S IT." Gon replies, "TO AVOID INTERNAL DISCORD WITHIN OUR GROUP..." A serious-faced man states, "IT'S BEST TO GET THE CARD AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. THE OTHERS ARE MISTAKEN." The small boy with black hair exclaims, "AH..." while the girl with pigtails looks on. Gon continues, "SINCE THE BEGINNING, THE GOAL OF THIS TRIAL HAS BEEN TO MAKE MEMBERS OF A GROUP QUARREL." The man adds, "HOWEVER, EVEN IF WE USE 'CLONE,' THE MAXIMUM TRANSFORMATIONS OF ONE 'TSUBO' IS THREE. WE NEED AT LEAST 15 PEOPLE." The man turns and says, "WE'D NEED TO FIND AT LEAST FOUR OTHER STRONG MEMBERS." Killua responds, "SUPPOSING WE ALL WIN OUR FIGHTS..." Gon admits, "I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT AT FIRST, BUT... BEFORE, YOU SAID, 'QUITE NASTY...'" Killua explains, "THAT WAY, IT'D BE EASIER TO DIVIDE THE THREE COPIES OF 'COASTLINE OF ONE TSUBO' INTO THREE GROUPS." The small boy asks, "WHY?" The man concludes, "THE IDEAL WAY WOULD BE TO FIND A GROUP OF ELEVEN PLAYERS WHO WOULD JOIN US." In the vast starfield below, someone answers, "YEAH."