Light and Shadow

High on a rocky cliff a bearded man in a cap shouts "WHY ON EARTH, WHY ... !?" while a speech bubble from inside a vehicle reads "BURORORORO." Another voice demands "YOU LEFT KAITO BEHIND?" Inside the moving vehicle an older man with a thick mustache says "WE'RE ON OUR WAY THERE ANYWAY" and is answered "JUST WAIT THERE!" Two other passengers react with surprise, one asking "WHAT... WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" and another yelling "WHAT DO YOU MEAN!? EXPLAIN CLEARLY WHY YOU ..." The scene shifts to the interior of the vehicle where Killua stands watching three cloaked figures; one of them declares "AND WE'RE BRINGING HELP ... !!" Sound effects show the vehicle in motion with "GATAN GATAN" and "BURORORORO." The final panels focus on the large rear wheel of the vehicle and Killua crouching on the ground, still panting.

Gon stares forward with wide, sweat-streaked eyes and a tense expression, his spiky hair disheveled. A small inset panel shows several silhouetted figures standing amid swirling dust marked 'ZAH'. The dust begins to clear. A massive, bold 'DOOON' erupts across the page with dramatic effect. President Netero strides forward carrying a long wrapped bundle over one shoulder, his long hair and eyepatch visible, a fierce grin on his face. Beside him walks a short elderly man in ornate robes holding a wooden staff, and on the other side a tall man in a black suit and glasses walks calmly with hands at his sides. Debris and smoke linger at the edges of the scene.

Gon remains in close-up, eyes wide and sweat visible. Morel, the suited man, covers his face with one hand while speaking. The tall man with the eyepatch grins and addresses someone off-panel. The small elderly man laughs heartily. Gon turns his head slightly, still tense. A large panel shows a ruined interior with several figures clustered together. Morel's face fills the right side in extreme close-up as he continues speaking. Dialogue flows between the characters about the enemy, a child, and an eerie aura.

In a dimly lit room, several suited men stand together as one with glasses declares he can now perceive Nen. A voice notes the aura feels more eerie than his brother's and more eerie than Hisoka's. Suddenly the scene erupts into chaos: a short-haired fighter in dark clothing is engulfed by a writhing mass of grotesque, clawed limbs and distorted faces that surge forward with heavy "ZUUU" reverberations. The fighter, unfazed, tells the monstrous horde they are very strong too. In a close-up, a wide-eyed character with wild hair reacts in disbelief, stating that the opponent has a chance of winning against that thing yet still refuses to believe it.

The man with glasses tells the spiky-haired youth to go rest, saying he and the others will handle the rest. He explains that people tend to overestimate what they do not understand and notes the youth is currently in a state of panic. The youth laughs loudly, insisting that is exactly what he said. In a wider view the glasses-wearing man continues lecturing the youth about slipping up by using the phrase "chance of winning" in a Nen fight, warning that the slightest misstep can lead to a critical hit and that having more aura will not save him then. The youth is shown crouching in a rocky outdoor setting while the man emphasizes that either side might be victorious in a true Nen fight.

A long-haired man with an eyepatch leans forward intensely, declaring, "THAT'S HOW A TRUE NEN USER ACTS." He continues, "YOU MUST FIGHT WITH A HUNDRED PERCENT EXPECTATION OF WINNING!" In the panels below, Killua kneels beside the sleeping Gon and explains, "WHAT ABOUT GON ... IS HE SLEEPING?" He adds, "I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO GO EASY, SO ... I DON'T KNOW WHEN HE'LL WAKE UP ..." and "HE TRIED TO ATTACK THE ENEMY, SO I STOPPED HIM BY FORCE." Another figure tells the eyepatch man, "YOU FAILED ... YOU ARE WORSE THAN A LOSER." and "BACK THERE YOU WERE OVERWHELMED BY THE ENEMY'S AURA AND YOU RAN." The eyepatch man snaps, "THAT'S ENOUGH, MORAU." Morau is called out sharply as "MORAU!" He laughs, "HA HA HA HA," and states, "THERE MAY STILL BE SOME HOPE FOR THAT KID OVER THERE." A bald man asks, "UNDERSTAND?" while another figure warns, "HAPHAZARD ATTACKS MAY ONLY BE DEFLECTED BY THE ENEMY." The panel continues, "HOWEVER, AS THAT IS THE REALITY, WE MUST DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO STOP THE SUFFERING." and "THE STORY THAT GIANT CHIMAERA ANTS WERE EATING HUMANS WAS HARD TO BELIEVE."

Killua's face appears in close-up as he says, "YEAH." Narration states, "HENCE, THERE ARE JUST THREE PEOPLE ... A TEAM COMPOSED OF A SELECT FEW." A black panel reads, "GON AND I ... ARE HELPLESS ..." In the next scene, Killua sits holding a book while Gon stands nearby. A small Chimera Ant-like figure runs in the background. A speech bubble notes, "IN THE NEIGHBORING TOWN, THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE ..." Another bubble adds, "ASSASSINS WHO HAVE BEEN RELEASED." Killua looks surprised, saying, "BUT ..." The final panel shows Killua's determined face as he states, "IT'S UP TO YOU TO DECIDE WHETHER YOU'RE GOING TO FIGHT THEM OR NOT."

A spiky-haired figure in flowing robes leaps forward through the air, one hand extended, heading straight toward a massive grinning face that dominates the right side of the scene. A speech bubble from the large face reads, "JOIN US AFTER YOU DEFEAT THEM ..." while another bubble on the left declares, "IF YOU WANT TO LIVE AS A HUNTER." Below, an elderly man with a serious expression looks upward and states, "WHAT WE NEED IS STRONG PEOPLE." and "WE DON'T NEED A CAT'S PAW." Several papers bearing Japanese characters flutter through the air around the leaping figure, and a translator's note at the bottom explains the phrase "cat's paw."

A large black panel at the top displays the message "To. KILLUA & GON" followed by stylized text "L L X U !? @ Z X !?" and the questions "SHALL WE FIGHT!? OR NOT!?" and "WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER?" Below, a wide interior view shows a spacious hall filled with numerous people standing at tables and counters, some conversing while others walk about. In the bottom panel, Killua sits upright on the edge of a bed, looking down at the sleeping Gon whose head rests on a pillow.

Killua stands with his back turned, tears visible as he speaks. "THANK YOU." Gon watches him from the bed. Killua lowers his head, sweat on his face. Gon leans forward with wide eyes and asks what he means by saving thank you. Gon continues seriously: if the three of them had continued, they would all have been in trouble. If that had happened, Killua says he would have become a burden to Kaito. "You... were the one who stopped me, right?" Killua clenches his fist and shouts that he left Kaito behind to die. In the final panel Gon sits upright on the bed while Killua kneels before him, the words "...BUT!" hanging between them.

Gon leans forward with a fierce grin, hair wild, and declares "KAITO IS ALIVE!" Close-ups show his determined eyes as he states Kaito will never lose to such a person. He continues that even after winning, Kaito will need to hide somewhere and rest because of his injury. Killua stands in profile, listening silently. Gon finishes with absolute certainty: "HE'S WAITING FOR US TO RETURN!!"

Gon leans in close to Killua, his fist clenched tightly as he declares with fierce determination, "SO LET'S HURRY AND RETURN!" Killua responds with equal resolve, "WE'LL BECOME STRONGER!!" In a close-up, Gon's intense eyes shine as he thinks, "TO SAVE KAITO!" Narration reflects on the side: "SOMETIMES YOU'RE TOO RADIANT ... AND I CAN'T SEE THE IMMEDIATE TRUTH, BUT ..." Killua answers softly, "YEAH." "YOU'RE RIGHT." He continues, "YOU ARE ... THE LIGHT."

Floating text questions, "CAN I STILL STAY ... BY YOUR SIDE ... ?" A speech bubble answers, "LET'S GO!" A large black panel is addressed "To. KILLUA & GON" with bold text reading "STRONGER!!" "SHALL WE FIGHT!? OR NOT!?" "WE'LL WIN, BUT BRING IT ON!!" and "THE BATTLE BEGINS!" The page is marked "HUNTER×HUNTER No.199".

High above, two large circular panels display the ongoing conversation. "ONE THAT CAN HOLD MORE THAN A HUNDRED HUMANS," states one voice. "PREPARE A REFRIGERATION UNIT IN THE CASTLE," replies the other. A rectangular panel follows with "DOESN'T ROT." and "SO THAT THE TROPHY ..." The scene shifts to a cat-eared figure with wild light hair, wearing a torn black outfit, sitting cross-legged atop a bound and unconscious person with spiky hair. The bound figure lies face-down, wrapped tightly in ropes and cloth. The cat-eared character smiles widely with sharp teeth visible, hands clasped, tail curled, and says "I MIGHT BE PRETTY STRONG. ♡" A small bubble adds "YEAH." Large stylized text at the bottom reads "THE LIMITS OF EARNEST THINKING ..."