Hunter × Hunter Chapter 18: Two Trumps

In a vast illuminated hall, Gon stands triumphant in the center of the arena floor with both arms raised high. Two men in suits watch from the side; one claps and shouts, 'GOOD JOB! WE NOW HAVE ONE VICTORY!' A narration box adds, 'AND AS WE CAN COUNT ON YOUR VICTORY AND KURAPIKA'S, WE'LL SURELY PASS.' Kurapika, wearing a black vest marked 404, stands in the foreground with a serious expression and declares, 'WELL, MY TURN!' In the next panels, two hooded figures react sharply. One snaps, 'IT WAS STUPID TO COUNT ON YOUR TOOLS TO WIN!' while the other retorts, 'YOU BAKA!' A voice urges, 'LOOK!' and continues, 'TO TRICK THE ENEMY, YOU HAVE TO TAKE RISKS.' The final wide panel shows a desolate rocky landscape under a cloudy sky with a single tall pole standing in the distance.

A full-page title illustration shows Killua standing alone against a solid black background. He wears a black-and-white striped shirt with checkered sleeves and baggy pants covered in heavy scribbled shading. His expression is neutral and direct as he faces forward. Large lettering at the top reads 'N°018 TWO TRUMPS'.

A massive impact shakes the area as a grotesque, muscular figure with a skull-like face and headband bursts forward, mouth agape in a roar. SFX TADAN explodes around his head. Nearby, metal buckets clang to the floor and a metal patch is torn from the wall. The hulking man flexes, his chest marked with rows of black hearts, as powerful sound effects BOM and TIC erupt around him. At the bottom of the scene, Killua stands with a neutral expression while a uniformed guard sweats and asks, "HAVE YOU SEEN THE HEAD AND THE BODY OF THIS GUY?" The guard adds an uneasy "OOPS..." as realization dawns.

Majitani looms in shadow, declaring he has already killed nineteen people but finds the number unsatisfying. A shadowy silhouette laughs "HE! HE! HE!" and claims "I'M HAPPY!" while noting the annoying non-round total. Leorio reacts in shock, shouting "A SERIAL KILLER THIS TIME?!" Gon and Killua stand nearby with concerned expressions. Majitani stands tall in the arena, proclaiming he dislikes making things in half and needs the excitement of life-risking fights, blood, and ripped bodies. Killua watches silently from below with a serious gaze.

Majitani lies sprawled on the arena floor after being struck, his body marked with fresh injuries. He mutters in disbelief, 'YOU'RE NOT MISSING ANY COG... AND ME WHO WAS THINKING HE WOULD BE TOTALLY AFRAID... I WASN'T EXPECTING THAT...' Killua stands calmly nearby, replying with a neat tone, 'THAT'S OK FOR ME!' Majitani then rises with a twisted grin, eyes wide and bloodied, declaring the brutal terms: 'BUT IF YOU COULD DECIDE THE FIGHT'S RULES IT WOULD BE FINE. HERE WHAT I SUGGEST: A FIGHT TO THE DEATH! WE FIGHT UNTIL THE OTHER FIGHTER ADMITS HIS DEFEAT OR UNTIL HE DIES!' Killua answers without hesitation, 'OK, FINE FOR ME.' Majitani presses further, 'SUPPOSING THAT YOU ASSUME YOU FAIL DURING THE FIGHT...' while Killua retorts, 'I CAN'T GUARANTEE I'LL STOP HITTING!' A loud 'DON' sound effect echoes as the tension spikes.

Majitani looms forward with a furious expression, shouting, 'NEVERTHELESS, I TOLD HIM THAT WE'LL FIGHT UNTIL ONE FIGHTER DIES!?' Killua, standing with his back partially turned, questions the logic, 'DIDN'T HE LISTEN TO WHAT I'VE JUST SAID? NORMALLY, JUST BY SEEING ME HE SHOULD BE SCARED. IS HE STUPID OR WHAT?' He then asks, 'SHALL WE START?' A close-up shows Majitani's shocked face with a bright impact flash. In the background, other prisoners watch as one says, 'WE CAN'T USE WEAPONS' and another notes, 'IT'S AN ONLY HAND FIGHT.' Killua's hand taps the floor with a 'TAP' effect while he thinks, 'WAIT! I FORGOT SOMETHING.' He draws a long sword with a 'TAC' sound, replying to the prisoners, 'I SEE... WE AREN'T ALLOWED TO USE WEAPONS' as a prisoner adds, 'EVEN IF WE'RE MEMBERS OF THE JURY, WE'RE STILL PRISONERS.'

The stitched-headed fighter stands with his back to the viewer, sweat dripping as he mutters to himself. "HMM... YES..." and "HUH?" float above him while small TAC TAC TAC sound effects mark the nervous tapping of a baton held by a slim figure in the background. The fighter wonders aloud, "IF NOT, I WOULD LIKE TO START ANYTHING ELSE?" In the next panel his thoughts turn inward: "HE MUSTN'T BE VERY CLEVER TO NOT SUSPECT, IN SEEING ME, THAT I'M AN HORRIBLE PERSON... UNLESS HE CAN'T SIMPLY GO AWAY...?" A close-up reveals a grinning skull-like face with wide eyes. "I WAS CERTAIN HE HAD WEAPONS ON HIM... BUT HE DIDN'T SEEM TO REALLY COUNT ON THEM... IS HE CONFIDENT IN HIS ABILITIES?" The fighter declares, "I'VE GOT TWO SPECIAL TRUMPS. AGAINST ADVERSARIES OF HIS KIND..." The page ends on a dramatic full-page splash of the massive, bare-chested fighter flexing in darkness, white impact bursts around his arms as he roars, "IN MY RIGHT ARM AND ON MY BACK....!!!"

Gon stares forward with wide eyes and declares, "FOR ME, IT'S CLEAR THAT THIS GUY..." Kurapika's voice cuts in, "KURAPIKA? IN DANGER?" Leorio sweats and asks, "HE MUST REALLY MISTRUST HIS OPPONENT... HOW DO YOU FEEL FOR KURAPIKA?" Gon continues in profile, "HE'S ONLY AN IMPOSTOR. ISN'T ABLE TO KILL HIM, NOR EVEN HIT HIM..." Killua watches silently with a thoughtful "HMM..." The scene shifts to a dramatic full-page spread: Kurapika stands with his back to the viewer facing the massive fighter under a brilliant starburst of light, a torch burning nearby. An unseen voice commands, "LET THE COMBAT BEGIN!!!!" In the final tier Gon looks on with "..." Leorio replies, "SO WHAT?" while wiping his brow, "WELL, WHEN I LOOK AT HIM, I HAVE NO PALPITATION." Killua and Gon stand together as Killua says, "IN MY MIND, WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY..."

The muscular fighter leaps high into the air, arms spread wide as he declares his intent. "MY TWO TRUMPS !!!" he shouts from the top panel. "I'M GONNA SHOW YOU!!!!" he continues with fierce determination. He plummets downward with tremendous force, slamming into the arena floor. A massive "BAM" erupts along with his battle cry "HIAAA !!!" as debris flies outward. Below, a black-haired man stares upward in shock, eyes wide and mouth agape with exclamation marks hovering near his head. To the right, the muscular fighter has seized a small spiky-haired opponent by the head and arm, driving him toward the ground while the captive cries out "AAH !!!" in pain.

The muscular fighter smashes his fist into the arena floor with devastating power, sending the spiky-haired boy crashing down amid flying debris and a massive "CRATCH" impact. The ground shatters outward in all directions. In the aftermath, the blonde-haired boy lies on the floor, lifting his head with a dazed expression. A close-up shows his eye narrowing in focus. Nearby, the black-haired man with number 448 on his shirt reacts with open-mouthed shock, shouting "HE DESTROYED THE GROUND WITH HIS FIST!!" while another figure yells "OUTCH!" and covers their face.

A massively muscled man with a shaved head and a large black spider tattoo on his back kneels on the stone floor, his body cracking loudly under strain as dramatic speed lines radiate outward. The spider tattoo has twelve legs. In the next panels a man with spiky black hair stares in shock, sweat flying, and exclaims that the design matches a spider with twelve legs. Text at the bottom declares that the worst group of criminals in all history is the Phantom Brigade and that anyone pretending to become a Hunter must have heard of them at least once. A small inset shows a wide-eyed face laughing 'HE HE HE HE !!!' while the tattooed man remains on his knees.

The muscular man with the spider tattoo on his back twists around, declaring that the mark is the sign of the Phantom Brigade. Nearby, Leorio confirms there is no mistake and recalls that it is a famous story he even heard from Kurapika. The tattooed man explains he is showing the tattoo discreetly. A close-up shows his arm flexing with the words 'AND MY TATOO OF THE BRIGADE !!' A mechanical hand wearing a wrist device clicks repeatedly with 'clic clic clic' while the man notes that the force once used to put steel in his arm now lets him break rocks, though it hurts only once a day.

Majitani's voice booms from a black panel: "NOBODY WANTS TO FIGHT AGAINST ME ANYMORE !!!" and "WHEN I SHOW BOTH AT THE SAME TIME..." In the next panels, the skull-faced fighter points upward and declares, "BECAUSE AT THIS MOMENT OF THE FIGHT, I'M STILL..." and "IF YOU WISH TO RENOUNCE THE FIGHT, IT'S NOW THAT YOU HAVE TO TELL IT." He identifies himself as "I'M MAJITANI, ONE OF FOUR KINGS OF THE BRIGADE" while a small inset shows his opponent standing silently. Majitani taunts, "HMM, WELL? YOU'RE PRETTY DAMN SILENT RIGHT NOW?" and warns, "TAKE MY FIRST ATTACK FOR SOME KIND OF INTRODUCTION." The bottom splash shows Majitani transformed into a massive muscular form with a skull-like face, screaming "A A A H ..." as he lunges toward the ponytail-wearing fighter who stands with back turned, one hand raised defensively amid swirling energy lines.

A close-up reveals Kurapika's wide-eyed, shocked expression with sweat drops and slightly open mouth. Below, Majitani appears from behind, hunched and drenched in sweat with spiky hair, facing a tiny distant figure of Kurapika. In the next panel Majitani's head jerks upward with a motion line. The right side shows Majitani's massive transformed body recoiling violently from an unseen blow, cracks spreading across his form as he yells "WHAT DO YOU HAVE?!" while a small speech bubble adds "BUT..." A tiny Kurapika stands far below on the cracked floor.

The muscular fighter with the heart tattoo reels backward against the vertical bars, his face twisted in pain as he clutches at it with one massive hand. Killua clings to him from below, legs wrapped around the larger man's torso while driving repeated kicks into his body. Sharp sound effects crack through the air with each impact. A close-up panel captures the fighter's wide-eyed shock and open mouth as realization hits. At the bottom of the page the defeated man slumps, a speech bubble declaring 'I'VE LOS...' while another reads 'I'VE UNDERS... STOP IT !!!' as the boy continues his assault.

Killua is hurled violently through the air, his body twisting as a massive leg belonging to Majitani kicks him away. Debris and motion lines emphasize the force of the throw. In the lower panel the two silhouettes tumble downward together against a stark white background, their forms black against the drop.

Killua walks away from a shattered stone pillar as dramatic sound effects echo across the page. In a series of small panels, Gon stares in shock while an older man looks on with concern. Killua then delivers three pieces of advice in sequence. First, he explains that the real spider tattoo of the Phantom Brigade has the member's number written in the center. Second, he notes that the Brigade members have already killed so many people that the number is impossible to count. Third, staring intensely with his hair wild and eyes sharp, Killua warns that no one should ever usurp the name of the Brigade again. Because next time, he will kill without hesitation.

On a wide staircase, Kurapika walks ahead while Gon and Killua follow. Gon asks if Kurapika is okay. Kurapika replies that he has had nothing. Killua clarifies that he meant they risk approaching the real spider. In close-ups, Kurapika reflects that after seeing the spider tattoo in red he understood everything. He also knew the tattoo was an imitation and that he did not risk anything against the man. Leorio suddenly appears, grinning widely in his suit, and declares that he loses his mind and becomes unrecognizable every time he sees a simple spider. Gon looks up at him with a surprised expression.

Leorio stands with arms crossed, badge 403 visible on his jacket, while Gon looks up at him. Leorio declares, "WE'RE GONNA AVOID SHOWING HIM SPIDERS, AREN'T WE?" and adds, "AND I SHOULD RATHER BE DELIGHTED" and "THIS CERTAINLY MEANS THAT ALL MY HATRED HAVEN'T GONE AWAY." Gon replies with a cheerful "YEP!" Nearby, a spiky-haired figure slumps forward with a heavy "DOOOON どょーん" sound effect. In the next area, Majitani lies defeated on the stone floor as an information box details his crimes and failed surgery. Two hooded figures comment, "REALLY..." and "HE REALLY SUCKS..." A large cloaked prisoner looms over the scene while a smaller hooded figure says, "I HAVE NO IDEA ON THE QUESTION." Another voice urges, "LET ME DO!" and states, "WE HAVE NO MORE CHOICE." The large figure concludes, "I THINK YOU HAVE ALL UNDERSTOOD, HAVEN'T YOU?" Leorio then steps forward with a determined glare and shouts, "I'M GONNA END IT!" as someone else responds, "WELL !!!"