Hunter × Hunter Chapter 218: Confession

Gon continues speaking with his back turned, stating, "EVEN IF IT MEANS I HAVE TO SACRIFICE EVERYBODY ELSE." He adds firmly, "I'LL PROTECT HIM DURING THIS TIME!!" A large black speech bubble emphasizes, "THE MOST IMPORTANT THING RIGHT NOW IS THAT... GON CAN'T USE HIS NEN AT ALL...!!" Gon glances back with a sharp expression as motion lines and SFX "ッ ッ" appear. A large, fluffy bear-like creature with a striped snout emerges from foliage, its speech bubble reading "MO." Gon and Killua stand together in the forest while the creature follows behind them; Gon says, "LET'S HURRY." The final wide panel shows two white police cars speeding along a road with dramatic motion lines and SFX "ギャギャ" and "ギャギャ" as they race past a guardrail.

Debris, shattered vehicles, and bodies tumble through the air above a tense standoff. A squad of police officers levels rifles and handguns at a central figure while a man in a pinstripe suit grips a large shield and shouts orders. Speech bubbles ring out: "WE WILL GIVE YOU THREE SECONDS!!! IF YOU DO NOT COMPLY, WE WILL OPEN FIRE!! I REPEAT, WE WILL OPEN FIRE!!!" and "DROP YOUR WEAPON, PUT YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD AND LIE FACE DOWN ON THE GROUND!!!" A marked police car sits with doors open as officers take positions. Large numerals count down—2, then 3—while a small panel shows 1. In the middle of the encirclement, a cat-eared, fur-covered chimera with a long tail crouches protectively over a prone person on the ground. A close-up reveals the chimera’s lion-like face, teeth bared, as it utters a single word: "Ready."

Multiple officers open fire in unison, the word "FIRE!!" exploding beside them. Muzzle flashes and streaking bullets fill the panel as motion lines slash across the page. A wide shot shows the cat-eared chimera still crouched, body braced. Successive close-ups capture its eyes widening, then narrowing with focus. Thin motion lines and impact shapes streak past its head and shoulders. The creature remains upright amid the hail of gunfire, its expression locked in determination.

A massive, fur-covered humanoid creature with spiky hair and a long tail towers over police officers near parked cars on a street. The beast lunges forward with claws extended, scattering officers who draw their weapons in panic. One officer stares in shock, exclaiming 'HOT...?' as the creature vanishes in a blur of motion, leaving only dust clouds behind. 'HE VA-NISH-ED!?' another cries out. The creature reappears mid-roar with mouth wide open, 'AAAAAHHHH', while a close-up shows a trembling police officer's hand gripping a handgun and another officer raising his hands defensively.

The creature raises its clawed hand high while laughing 'nya ha ha ha', then lowers its fist with a dismissive expression. 'NOT EVEN WORTH THE TROUBLE.' it says, followed by 'YOU'RE A BUNCH OF SLOW POKES.' A large close-up shows the creature's clawed fingers. News footage then cuts to a stitched-faced person in formal attire reporting: 'ACCORDING TO THE OFFICERS AT THE SCENE, THE CREATURE MOVED AT A SPEED OF OVER 200 KILOMETERS PER HOUR AND SPOKE THE WORDS "I'LL BE BACK TOMORROW" AND "BRING SOME FASTER GUYS." BASED ON THESE FACTS, IT IS HIGHLY PROBABLE THAT THE CREATURE IS A NEW BREED OF DEMON BEAST. AN EVACUATION ORDER HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE RESIDENTS IN THE CITY'S VICINITY.' Additional reports detail seven murders by the creature near Pata City and its escape toward Mount Miera. The city's request for Hunter Association assistance has been accepted. The creature is shown watching the broadcast while eating.

Killua leans over a detailed map of the Republic of Rokario, tracing the locations of Ininge City, Pata City, Kuwent City, Dohri City, and Setoru City while noting the Birugal Desert and Rokario Mountain Range. He observes that Mount Miera lies in the opposite direction from Pata City, muttering that this could be a problem. In the next panel Killua sits before a glowing screen and declares he is finished, prompting Gon to reply with an upbeat “OKAY.” Under a starry night sky a large bird silhouette stands before a cityscape and announces it will spend the day training in the gym, adding that tomorrow everyone will be on their own. At a busy station entrance Gon, ticket in hand and wearing a white jacket, insists there is no way he can leave Gon there naked; Killua, standing nearby, simply answers “YEAH RIGHT.” Crowds of travelers move past the station sign reading “NG.”

Inside a bright gallery lined with framed pictures, Gon and Killua stand among other visitors. Gon exclaims that he could not recognize the person at all, while Killua reacts with a surprised “WOW.” A tall girl with long dark hair, wearing a sleeveless dress and earrings, smiles and waves while a sweat drop forms on her cheek. Killua, now in the foreground with an exaggerated expression, shouts “WHO THE HELL IS THAT?!” and questions whether he looks weird. The girl, identified as Palm, turns away blushing and insists they hurry along. Gon rushes forward with arms outstretched, loudly declaring that she looks absolutely beautiful, prompting Palm to protest that he should not say such things so loudly because it is embarrassing. Killua remains visible from behind, still wearing his backpack.

In a bustling town square filled with outdoor cafes and crowds of people, a lone figure stands on a wooden platform overlooking the water. Below, a boy in a fuzzy pom-pom beanie hides among the diners, sweat dripping as he watches a pair of familiar figures. Killua thinks to himself that he has turned into some kind of stalker and wonders what he is doing. Nearby, Gon stands with Palm, the long-haired girl holding a small object between them. Gon smiles and remarks that the enemy can emerge from anywhere at any time. Killua's thoughts race: he must not forget his main objective and has got to be protecting Gon. The page ends with a wide silhouette of dark mountains under a bright sky.

Deep in a dense jungle, Gon and Palm walk along a narrow path surrounded by thick foliage and tall trees. In the background, two small figures continue ahead. A sudden extreme close-up shows Killua's wide eyes and sweat as he senses something. Large text declares IT'S HERE!!!! Black narration boxes explain that the remnants of an aura are still hanging in the wind and coming through, making the area too dangerous. Killua's foot steps on leaves as he thinks it is probably the aura of a soldier ant, though not that close but not that far away either. He questions whether he should let them know.

In a moonlit forest clearing, Gon, Killua, and Palm arrive at their destination. A large thought bubble declares there is no reason to let those two know right now. Palm announces "WE'RE HERE!" and gestures toward the spot. She offers Gon a folding chair with the words "USE THIS CHAIR." Killua internally notes that Gon cannot use his nen abilities at all in his current condition. He worries that if Palm throws a tantrum in such a quiet place, a nearby ant would surely notice them. Palm sits beside the boys by the water's edge. Gon replies "THANKS, BUT IT'S OKAY." Killua resolves firmly to himself, "I CAN'T LET EITHER OF THEM KNOW...!!" Close-up panels show Gon and Palm turning with startled expressions as two exclamation marks appear.

The night sky is filled with countless stars above a massive, glowing tree whose branches spread wide over the water. From behind, Gon and Palm sit together on the grass. Palm softly says "AMA... ZING." In a close-up, Killua's face appears tense and determined as he declares "BY MYSELF!!!" and "I HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THIS...".

Gon smiles and points upward as he presents his gift. "THE WORLD'S MOST BEAUTIFUL FLOWER," he declares, then adds, "THIS IS YOUR PRESENT." He leads Palm along a winding path beside dark foliage and announces, "HERE." Speech bubbles explain that the creatures "CAN ONLY LIVE NEAR BRACKISH WATERS, AND IT'S THEIR MATING PERIOD RIGHT NOW" and label them "SEASHORE FIREFLIES." Palm, wearing a fur-trimmed hood, holds up a small bare branch and murmurs, "...THIS?" Gon tells her, "JUST WAIT A MOMENT." Several wide panels show the night sky filled with countless glowing points of light above silhouetted trees. Palm stands alone, still clutching the branch, and reacts with a small exclamation mark as the fireflies begin to gather.

Fireflies swarm around the branch Palm holds, drawn by its sap which matches their pheromones. Gon and Palm watch the glowing cloud together. Palm looks moved and says she is so happy. Gon leans in and asks if she really likes it; Palm thanks him softly. They sit side by side on the grass beneath a large tree, both gazing at the fireflies. Gon turns to Palm and tells her he does not think he can give her what she really wants. Palm's profile is shown in close-up as she listens. Gon continues that he needs time for just the two of them. The final panel shifts to Killua training alone at night, surrounded by impact dust, declaring that the only way he can become stronger is through more training and that he wants to defeat the Chimera Ants.

Under a starry night sky, a voice declares determination: "I WANT TO CONCENTRATE ALL MY EFFORTS IN TRAINING TO DEFEAT THE CHIMERA ANTS." Another replies, "SO... AT LEAST UNTIL WE CAN BRING KAITO BACK TO NORMAL..." A close-up shows Gon in profile as he explains, "HE'S UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE ENEMY AND I THINK THE ONLY WAY FOR HIM TO RETURN TO NORMAL IS TO FIGHT AGAINST THE ONE WHO'S CONTROLLING HIM." He adds, "KAITO WILL BE COMING BACK AFTER TOMORROW." A sudden burst of energy erupts in the next sequence. "IT'S HEADED THIS WAY!!" reads one panel amid flying debris and impact lines. "THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT IT," another states as a spiky-haired figure reacts in the center of radiating force. "THE AURA'S GETTING STRONGER!!!!" intensifies the scene. Gon and Killua stand with a long-haired woman whose back is to the viewer. Gon asks, "ALRIGHT...?" while Killua wonders, "IS THAT..." The woman turns sharply in a dramatic close-up, eyes wide and mouth open in shock. "WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY?" she demands as another voice exclaims, "WHAT?"