REUNION ②

Multiple figures are hurled through the air amid jagged black lightning bolts and impact shapes. The spotted-furred fighter is struck and sent flying while shouting, "JUST YOU LETTING YOU KNOW, I'M NOT EVEN GOING SERIOUSLY YET." A voice taunts, "AHA HAHA, IT'S LIKE YOU'RE SWINGING AFTER THE BALL HAS ALREADY REACHED THE CATCHER'S MITT!!" The muscular man lands a powerful strike labeled "NGH!!" while declaring, "NOT MY PUNCHES. NOT MY SPEED... GET IT!?" Smaller panels show distant figures tumbling and a determined runner in the background.

A cat-eared fighter with a striped tail leaps forward in a dynamic pose, fists clenched, while a short-haired opponent crouches low and a hooded figure rushes in from the side. An exclamation mark pops above the action. In close-up panels the cat-eared fighter’s eyes widen in surprise as a fist swings toward their face. Narration reads: “THIS GUY’S SURPRISING.” The attacker’s arm extends fully as the cat-eared fighter thinks, “AND ATTACKED STRAIGHT ON.!!!” and “HE ACCURATELY AIMED FOR MY FACE...” A tight close-up shows the attacker’s intense glare. The cat-eared fighter lands a counter, sending the short-haired opponent flying backward. Final panels show the cat-eared fighter’s shocked expression and the two attackers recovering, with the thought: “JUST BEFORE, HE COULDN’T EVEN CHASE MY MOVEMENTS WITH HIS EYES... WAS THIS JUST A COINCIDENCE!?”

A tall figure in a loose shirt and sunglasses stands with hand raised, thinking: “IT’S CLEAR THAT THEY’RE CALCULATING MY MOVEMENTS... AND INITIATING THEIR ATTACKS.” The cat-eared fighter is struck mid-air by the short-haired opponent while the hooded fighter swings a weapon from behind. The cat-eared fighter’s hair flares wildly as they realize: “THEY’VE ALREADY CAUGHT UP TO MY MOVEMENTS IN THAT SHORT PERIOD OF TIME...!? IT HASN’T EVEN BEEN A MINUTE SINCE WE’VE BEGUN FIGHTING.” The cat-eared fighter grins and declares: “...THIS IS FUN.” A panel shows the short-haired fighter saying “THESE GUYS ARE DEFINITELY DIFFERENT FROM YESTERDAY’S...!!!” The hooded fighter is sent flying with motion lines and impact effects reading “1/2 1/2”. The cat-eared fighter is shown slammed against a wall or floor amid debris.

A blinding flash erupts as a long-haired man swings a massive weapon, sparks flying from the impact. The cat-eared girl leaps through the air, her body twisting to avoid the strike while a muscular man watches from the side. A speech bubble declares, "IT'S GONNA BE WORTH MESSING AROUND WITH THEM!" Smaller panels capture the aftermath: shattered debris, the girl's intense expression, and motion lines showing the force of the clash. In the large lower panel set against swirling clouds, the long-haired man stands ready with his weapon while the muscular man crouches. The cat-eared girl faces them with arms outstretched. The long-haired man shouts, "THE DIFFERENCE IN PHYSICAL ABILITY IS OBVIOUS!! HOW YOU GONNA MAKE UP FOR IT? GUNS? SHEER NUMBERS?" The muscular man laughs, "HAHAHA YOUR BODY CAN'T SEEM TO KEEP UP WITH YOUR MIND!"

The long-haired man grips his weapon labeled "H" while the muscular man appears with a massive, brain-like head formation. A thought bubble questions, "HOW ABOUT WISDOM AND EXPERIENCE?" Swirling energy surrounds the scene as the cat-eared girl floats in the vortex, an exclamation mark appearing near her. She thinks, "I DIDN'T REALIZE IT'S BEEN SHROUDING MY SURROUNDINGS..." The long-haired man is shown within the same vortex. In the bottom panels the cat-eared girl wonders if this is some kind of ability, while the long-haired man states, "NO... THEY'RE ALSO CONTAINED WITHIN IT, EXPOSED..." She questions further, "POISON? OR MAYBE HYPNOSIS? SMOKE... OR IS IT GAS?"

A long-haired man wearing sunglasses stands against a cloudy sky and addresses unseen opponents. "IT'S OKAY TO RUN AWAY," he says with a smirk, followed by "YOU SCARED?" Below, several cat-eared fighters react to a spreading smoke screen. One with spiky hair mutters, "A 'SMOKE SCREEN'... THIS HAS TO BE..." while another laughs, "DOES THAT MEAN YOU GUYS AREN'T RUNNING AWAY? HA HA!" A close-up reveals intense eyes on a determined cat-eared face. "WELL... LET'S SEE WHAT YOU'VE GOT," the fighter says. "ARE THEY THINKING OF HIDING IN THE SMOKE AND ATTACKING?" In the next instant the fighter lunges forward with a punch, thinking "JUST AS I THOUGHT" as motion lines and impact bursts fill the panel. Multiple figures clash violently in the smoke-filled chaos.

A massive melee erupts as dozens of muscular fighters in dark caps swarm a central cat-eared figure from every direction. Bodies twist and leap through the air amid heavy motion lines and dust clouds. The cat-eared fighter is surrounded on all sides, ducking and weaving while punches and kicks fly past. At the bottom of the page a close-up shows the fighter's wide, shocked eyes. "WHA..." escapes in a jagged speech bubble as the overwhelming assault continues.

Amid a chaotic melee of fists and motion lines, the furry beast-like fighter is struck violently and sent tumbling through the air. A smaller panel shows the same fighter crashing down with limbs outstretched. Close by, the long-haired fighter winces sharply. "NGH!! ..." In the lower section, Novu appears in profile, sweat on his brow, and states firmly, "BUT JUST ONE HIT IS ENOUGH." Opposite him, the opponent stands amid swirling smoke and debris, arms raised in a ready stance. "YOUR BODY JUST WENT 'GYOT' OUT OF SURPRISE AND STIFFENED UP, RIGHT?" he observes. A separate bubble adds, "THIS ISN'T SOMETHING I CAN KEEP USING ON THE SAME OPPONENT..." Large stylized SFX "ウウウウウ" dominate the smoky background.

A close-up shows the furry fighter's back and a small winged creature labeled "ETO" flying nearby with a surprised expression. "WHAT'S THIS?" the creature asks. The furry fighter, arms crossed, admits, "I ADMIT YOU GOT ME THERE BY SURPRISE..." and adds, "BUT I BARELY RECEIVED ANY DAMAGE." A small bubble notes "DOESN'T HURT AT ALL..." while another asks "WHERE?" In the next tier, a man in a cap wonders "WHAT COULD IT BE?" while the opponent and the ETO creature stand together; the opponent remarks, "IT'S TIME! THE INTEREST IS PILING UP!" The final row shows a massive impact SFX as the furry fighter lunges forward, shouting "ANSWER ME!!" with intense wide eyes. The opponent is seen from behind amid more motion lines.

Rain lashes down in heavy vertical streaks across a dark sky. A small white star-shaped object floats in an empty panel. Below, a skeletal winged figure with spiky hair and a tail tumbles through thick clouds, limbs flailing. A dark cylindrical object falls nearby. In the lower panels the winged figure lands in a crouch, snarling, while a long-haired person in sunglasses stands over it holding a staff-like weapon. A close-up shows a single wide eye peering from beneath fur. The long-haired figure speaks calmly. The winged figure, visibly enraged, is held by the arm. Someone says, "THIS TIME, YOU LET YOUR ANGER BLIND YOU TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS." Another voice replies, "IT'S JUST TOO EASY TO BEAT YOU."

A close-up shows the winged figure's face twisted in fury, mouth open wide, screaming "YOU BASTARDS!" and "DRAA AAA AAAA" amid heavy rain. The scene widens to a rainy road where the same figure runs desperately into the distance. Lower panels reveal a sweat-covered angry face with cat-like features, a small round character displaying "375" on its head, a tiny winged figure hovering, and the winged fighter roaring "WHERE ARE YOU!?" and "IT'S TIME! THE INTEREST IS PILING UP!" while another voice yells "THEY'RE GONE!!"

The transformed fighter raises his clawed arms high as speed lines radiate outward. "LIKE THIS!!" he declares. A close-up shows his determined face with "HMPH!" and trailing dots as he thinks. "ALL I HAVE TO DO IS OUTRUN IT..." he states. "DOESN'T MATTER WHAT KIND OF ABILITY IT IS," another panel reads. In a massive circular panel, the fighter streaks around a glowing ring of energy with an explosion of debris and motion lines, a tiny silhouette racing along the bottom curve. Below, in an open grassy field under scattered clouds, Palm stands among tall plants looking toward the horizon where a small distant figure runs. A speech bubble from off-panel calls "GON!" as the landscape stretches into rolling hills.

Palm, with long hair and sunglasses, speaks while standing in the field. "YOU NEVER UNDERESTIMATE YOUR OPPONENT. HE'S ONLY USING HIS NATURAL ABILITIES BUT HE'S STILL STRONG..." she says. "NEVER UNDERESTIMATE YOUR OPPONENT. HE'S ONLY USING HIS NATURAL ABILITIES BUT HE'S STILL STRONG..." continues. "WELL, IT MEANS HE'S JUST A LEVEL ONE SOLDIER ANT." "GUESS HE DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH 'ZETSU.'" A figure with a phone appears, saying "IF WE JUST CHASE AFTER HIM AND SURPRISE HIM, WE'LL KNOW HIS GENERAL LOCATION." Close-up shows the phone user noting "IF I GET NEAR IT, THE CLOCK WILL START RUNNING AGAIN." Palm replies about the interest stopping. "YOU'RE RIGHT. WE CAN LEAVE THE REST UP TO A NEW USER THAT CAN MATCH UP WELL WITH HIM." "YOU IDIOT. EVEN THOUGH WE CAN READ HIS MOVEMENTS, THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO HIT HIM." In the field, a small figure in a dress stands among plants as another character falls or moves nearby. "I'M GETTING A BIT WORRIED ABOUT GON AND KILLUA ANYWAY."

In a dense forest, a figure with long hair and spotted clothing crouches behind a tree trunk while a small winged creature hovers nearby. The figure thinks, 'THIS IS WHAT NEN IS—...?' A voice declares, 'SPEED ALONE DOESN'T WORK.' In the next panel, a grotesque, multi-limbed creature clings to a tree root as the small creature flies closer. The long-haired figure sweats and thinks, 'DAMN THIS GUY. I CAN'T LOSE HIM AT ALL.' A large close-up shows the figure, now revealed as a cat-eared girl with glasses and sweat drops, shouting 'SPEED!!' while thinking, 'I NEED ANOTHER STRENGTH OTHER THAN'. At the bottom, Gon stares forward with wide eyes while holding a small object, and Killua, bruised and bandaged, looks down at a similar object with a speech bubble reading 'W-who, secret'.