Hunter × Hunter Chapter 197: No.197 VS HAGYA SQUAD #4

An eyepatch-wearing man with spiky hair discusses the effects of a nerve-poison sting, stating creatures normally sleep for about a month and that no one should wake up in just three days. The large chef questions why the boy is not here and asks if anyone has seen anything suspicious. The spiky-haired boy replies that he has experienced their power firsthand and suggests the boy might be special. In a rocky area filled with skulls and bones, the eyepatch man, chef, and spiky-haired boy stand among the remains. The chef notes the antidote hidden in his back teeth helped. At the bottom, a long-haired girl lies among piles of skulls, thinking she is already at her limit and cannot hide much longer.

Two small figures examine a distant person. "NOPE, DON'T SEE IT," one replies. "A GLOW?" the winged companion asks. "DO YOU SEE IT? THE GLOW EMITTED BY THIS GUY'S BODY?" A profile view shows a pointy-eared man declaring, "THIS IS WHAT IS KNOWN AS TALENT." Beside him: "SO THERE ARE THOSE AMONG THEM WHO DON'T SEE IT." In the rocky terrain, a small cloaked figure faces a large bald man with a topknot. "LET ME ASK YOU SOMETHING," the small one says. "WHY ARE YOU SO INTERESTED IN HIM?" A wide narration panel reads: "A STRENGTH THAT ONLY THE CHOSEN ONES HAVE! IF I JUST MASTER THIS POWER ..." and "KU KU KU KU, THIS TALENT IS WHAT HEAVEN HAS BESTOWED UPON ME!" The page ends on a close-up of the winged, horned character with a black eye patch, smirking as he thinks, "IS NOT TOO FAR-FETCHED!" and "EVEN THE IDEA OF BECOMING KING ..."

The winged horned chimera ant lunges forward in a dynamic full-page spread, gripping a large skull-like object in one hand while the other is clenched. Long feathered wings and wild hair trail behind him amid heavy motion lines and speed effects. The lower panel shows a tight close-up of the same character's face, one eye blackened, mouth curved in a grin, accompanied by the large vertical SFX "CAW".

A distorted face twists in shock, eyes bulging and mouth agape as sweat flies off, with a jagged speech bubble exclaiming "... AH!". In the next panel a spiky-haired figure stands with its back turned, facing a tiny distant silhouette. Speech bubbles read "YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO BECOME SOMETHING?" and "IT SEEMS LIKE YOU JUST SAID SOMETHING VERY INTERESTING." The final panel shows a close-up of a cat-eared girl with wild hair and wide eyes, her mouth curved in a slight smile as she says "I DIDN'T HEAR THAT CLEARLY ENOUGH."

On the left a terrified face fills a narrow vertical panel, eyes wide and mouth open with heavy sweat drops flying. The main panel reveals the full figure of the cat-eared girl standing tall and confident, wearing a dark uniform with a large bow at the waist, knee pads, and striped socks. Black diamond-shaped fragments float around her as motion lines streak the background. Bold text declares "PERSONAL GUARD!!!" and "THE QUEEN'S" with a small note "(menace)" at the bottom right.

A close-up reveals the face of a long-haired figure with pointed ears, wide dark eyes, and sweat drops, labeled DREAM. The expression shifts to one of shock as narration continues: IT WAS A SHORT ... AND FOOLISH .... Below, a massive rounded form presses against a textured surface beside a large feathered or wing-like structure. At the bottom of the page, the same long-haired figure lies collapsed on the ground in a heap. Standing a short distance away, Killua watches with arms crossed, his white hair and dark outfit clearly visible. Narration states DIFFERENT LEVEL. SHE'S ON A COMPLETELY ...

Killua sits with arms crossed and a slight smile, one hand moving slowly as indicated by the note (moving hand slowly). Narration reads: THE POSITION AND ROLE BESTOWED UPON YOU. THE HARSH REALITY THAT CANNOT BE CHANGED. A sudden burst of motion follows as a powerful strike or aura blast sends the long-haired figure flying, marked by sharp Z-shaped impact symbols and heavy motion lines. The bottom panels show residual aura effects and small debris or energy traces. The page is numbered 384 with an (Aura) label.

A winged humanoid figure stands with arms raised, shouting in frustration. "DOES NOT EXIST PURELY FOR MY BENEFIT!!" Nearby, a small figure in a dark dress walks away into the distance. The winged figure adds, "MY ABILITY ..." In close-up panels, a spiky-haired character speaks with a sly expression: "LET'S GO TALK OVER THERE." "OH WELL, CHEER UP." A response comes: "YES!!" followed by a hesitant "Y..." Large narration boxes emphasize the revelation: "THE POWER EXISTS ONLY TO SERVE THEM!!" and "IT EXISTS FOR HER ... AND THE QUEEN SHE SERVES". A shocked close-up shows a wide-eyed face dripping with sweat, thinking "WHAT IS SHE ... ?" and "IMPOSSIBLE ...". In the final panel, the spiky-haired character glares forward with intense focus.

The short-haired girl in the dark dress walks away from the viewer into a vast swirling cloud of smoke or aura that fills the entire background. Bold text overlays the scene: "THAT KIND OF TERRIFYING POWER!!!" At the bottom, an empty rectangular panel contains a small speech bubble reading "OH, BY THE WAY ...".

Deep inside a vast cavern, a massive pile of skulls and bones dominates the foreground. Three tiny figures stand far in the background near the cave wall. A large exclamation mark bursts from one of them. Nearby, a voice wonders aloud, 'WHY DO I SMELL LIFE UNDER THAT PILE OF BONES?' In a close-up, a spiky-haired boy stares with wide, sweat-beaded eyes, his expression frozen in shock. Below, a winged chimera ant with a mask-like face stands beside a small spiky-haired child, while next to them a boy with wild hair and a single visible eye glares intensely, dark aura flaring around him.

Narration explains the Queen's feeding process: when feeding time arrives, captured prey is chopped into pieces while still alive, then delivered motionless to the Queen's premises as balls of meat. The Queen's appetite never stops increasing until she gives birth to the King. She consumes two hundred and fifty balls of meat every day. A massive insectoid Queen is shown with her mouth open, while a soldier ant carries a basket overflowing with round meat balls toward a towering pile of similar spheres. Sound effects indicate crunching as the process continues.

A stark top panel shows only a heartbeat sound effect pulsing across the white space with the letters TAK N TAK N and a small speech bubble reading AH .... Below, a large multi-legged creature with a massive skull-like head lies sprawled on the ground, its body marked by heavy black shading and cracks. A smaller humanoid figure wearing a helmet and dark clothing clings to its back, one arm raised. The creature's limbs twitch violently. A voice declares IT'S MOVING. Another voice gasps AH as the massive form shifts beneath the rider, sending dust and debris flying. The heartbeat effect continues to throb in the background.

Large narration text states that claws and teeth were once considered one's most important assets. An illustration shows a lion fiercely attacking a zebra, its claws and teeth sunk deep into the striped body. Additional text explains that filling one's empty stomach was the greatest satisfaction one could ever have and that one could end the lives of others by simply waving claws and teeth effortlessly. Smaller panels read THINGS AREN'T LIKE THAT ANY MORE. BUT NOW, INSTEAD OF DYING, I REALIZED THIS AND BECAME STRONGER. A wide lower panel depicts three silhouetted figures standing on a rocky ledge beneath a large circular shape in the sky. Narration continues: I'VE NEVER BEEN TO THE SUMMIT. EVEN THOSE ON TOP HAVE SOMEONE ABOVE THEM.

Three figures stand at the base of a towering rocky mountain crowned by a massive sphere under a cloudy sky. In the distance, the group gazes upward at the imposing formation. Close-up panels reveal the tense expressions of the lion-like man with a wild mane, the spiky-haired fighter with wide eyes, Gon staring forward with determination, and the long-haired figure in a wide hat looking aside. The lion-like man speaks with a grim face: "WE HAVE NO CHANCE OF DEFEATING THEM. IN OUR CURRENT STATE," while another voice questions, "EH? WHAT ABOUT THE FEAST!?" The lion-like man turns sharply and declares, "LET'S RETREAT." A bold caption emphasizes, "FORMIDABLE ENEMIES WHO POSSESS MORE THAN MERELY STRENGTH ... !!" In the lower wide panel the spiky-haired fighter stands with back partially turned, the lion-like man strides forward with a serious gait, and the hatted figure crouches low. Narration continues, "IS OUR ONLY WEAPON NOW. LEARNING AND ADAPTING ..."