Chapter 224 · Barusa Islands

00AI-written

A female news anchor with short dark hair appears on screen, delivering a report. In addition to the increasing number of victims, we have obtained convincing footage proving the authenticity of these occurrences. Our next news story is about the series of UMA (unidentified mysterious animals) sightings that have been occurring recently. A bandaged man with an eyepatch recounts his experience: When I woke up, I was lying in a hospital bed. I had no idea what was happening. The fact that they are still alive is a miraculous stroke of luck. The majority of the witnesses are active police officers. A man in a wheelchair states it was an enormous shrimp, and another confirms yes, that is correct. Over half of the other officers who rushed to the scene were killed by the unknown creature. In an outdoor scene, a large spotted creature with a beak-like face and segmented body attacks people, with officers and civilians visible in the background. We cannot show it to you due to the graphic nature of the content, but Tsukuma-san's fellow officers' bodies were lying at the creature's feet in an unspeakable state. This is video footage of the creature that claimed Tsukuma-san's right eye and both of his legs.

female news anchorbandaged man with eyepatchman in wheelchairpolice officersreportersspotted beak creature

A female reporter stands before a wall of photographs showing various creatures in different locations. What we know about these creatures is that they are extremely dangerous, have the ability of speech, and do not fear the presence of humans at all. Similar incidents have been occurring in numerous locations, and video footage of the creatures in varying appearances have been captured. A close-up shows a young man with spiky hair being interviewed. The freelance reporter who interviewed him patiently listened to the rants of this lionman but... He talked about his embarrassingly immature plans for his kingdom. Not only did he not pose for the camera, but he showed no qualms in being interviewed as well. The most explicit example would be 'the lionman of Neva-ska.' A large lion-like humanoid sits on a couch holding a remote, with a small girl nearby. Eventually, she asked him the question that everyone wanted to have answered. In a dark setting, a woman with a ponytail faces a microphone. Those were her last words. Can you prove to us at this very moment that you really are what you claim to be?

female reporter in dressspiky-haired young manlionman on couchsmall girlponytail woman with microphone

A young female reporter stares forward with wide eyes as bold text boxes flash across the screen. 'THAT IS SOMETHING A MAN IN A COSTUME CANNOT POSSIBLY DO!!' 'THE REPORTER'S UPPER-BODY WAS BITTEN OFF BY THE LIONMAN IN ONE BITE.' 'THESE MONSTERS ARE REAL!!' Another panel shows a tall, shaggy-haired man in an apron standing beside a seated woman, holding up a small creature. 'TO AVOID ANY OTHER SIMILAR CASUALTIES...' 'WE ISSUE THIS WARNING TO EVERYONE!' 'SHE WAS KILLED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS.' The scene shifts to the same reporter now standing before a map of the Yorulian continent marked with X's. 'HOWEVER, THERE IS A STRONG POSSIBILITY THAT APPEARANCES WILL EXPAND TO OTHER REGIONS, AND THE REALITY IS THAT NO METHOD TO STOP THEM HAS YET BEEN FOUND.' 'SO FAR, THE APPEARANCES OF THESE CREATURES HAVE BEEN LIMITED TO THE YORULIAN CONTINENT.' Below, only the lower bodies of several people are visible near a small figure on the ground. A man in a cap sits on the floor clutching a bottle. 'DO NOT APPROACH THEM OUT OF CURIOSITY! GET AWAY FROM THEM AS FAST AS YOU CAN!!' 'IF ANYONE ENCOUNTERS A SIMILAR CREATURE BY CHANCE...' Two people turn to leave. 'OK, SHALL WE GO?' 'SORRY TO KEEP YOU WAITING—'

short-haired female reporterapron-wearing shaggy-haired manseated woman with ponytailcapped man with bottleunidentified standing civilians

Killua stands on the left with hands on his hips, wearing a sleeveless tunic. Beside him looms a tall figure in flowing robes and an ornate fish-like helmet, one hand raised to his chest. To the right stand a bandaged mummy-like person holding a large mallet, a girl with glasses and a cross necklace, and a shorter figure with wild hair wearing a skull-patterned scarf over his face. The group poses together against a plain background. Below, a wide panel shows several silhouetted figures walking across a cloudy landscape. Speech bubbles read: 'THEY PROBABLY BECAME LIKE THAT AFTER MIXING WITH HUMANS.' 'I KNOW THAT.' 'APPARENTLY THEY'RE CALLED CHIMERA ANTS.' Japanese sound effects and onomatopoeia frame the silhouettes.

Killuatall helmeted robed manskull-scarf masked manbandaged mummy-like personglasses-wearing girl with cross necklace

A man wearing a cap and sunglasses speaks while looking to the side. 'They should just be wandering around their nest. But weren't they originally ants?' In the next panel he continues, 'Since there are a lot of weird countries over there...' A small voice adds, 'We don't have the right to call other countries weird.' The man concludes, 'Working backwards from the dates and locations of the eyewitness accounts and casualty reports, it looks like they may have come from the Barusa Islands.' A narrow panel shows a distant landscape with the line 'Who knows. Why have they wandered all the way to a place like this?' The bottom of the page opens into a wide, cloud-filled vista crossed by heavy black motion lines. A speech bubble reads, 'Maybe they were attracted by the stench of garbage, or just happened to come here by chance.' Another bubble states, 'I don't think it was just a coincidence.' A boy with glasses peeks from the lower right of the upper panels, watching the conversation.

man in cap and sunglassesboy with glasses

A small panel shows black birds flying over a barren, littered ground. A bandaged figure with one visible eye states, 'The conditions are obviously the same as here.' Another bubble adds, 'So the ants were able to invade with assurance.' A boy with glasses points forward and says, 'Whether it be NGL or East Gorteau, they both hide what goes on inside their countries to the rest of the world.' In a lower panel a blond boy raises his hand and utters 'Woo.' The page then widens into a devastated cityscape filled with rubble, overturned vehicles, scattered debris, and many people scavenging among the ruins. A bubble reads, 'It's been quite a while.' At the bottom another bubble states, 'Not much has changed—' Figures in robes and ordinary clothing sift through trash while smoke drifts across the sky.

bandaged figureboy with glassesblond boyscavengers in ruined city

Three dark silhouettes stand against a cloudy sky. Below, three figures in heavy protective suits appear, one labeled Knov. A voice explains the desperate measures taken: "WE EVEN TRIED USING EXPLOSIVES. WE'RE STRUGGLING TO DEAL WITH THEM." Another adds, "INCLUDING THE ONES WHO'VE JOINED THEIR RANKS, WE HAVE SUFFERED MORE THAN 500 CASUALTIES." Gon, wide-eyed, asks "What's the situation?" while Killua stands beside him. In a wide view of a ruined street filled with small figures, someone questions "What does that mean?" A large speech bubble states, "AND ALSO, THE COUNCIL IS DIVIDED ON WHO TO CLASSIFY AS 'DECEASED.'" The scene shifts to empty streets and buildings, then to a group gathered around a massive, grotesque creature lying on the ground near a large ornate building.

KnovGonKillua

Gon and Killua react with surprise as a suited figure lunges forward with motion lines. A massive mutated creature dominates the panel, its body twisted and covered in growths. A suited figure notes, "...THE OTHER DAY, HE WAS STILL A NORMAL HUMAN BEING." Another voice says, "JUST THE WORK OF THE ANTS?" The creature's grotesque form is shown in detail. A suited figure asks, "WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?" while a woman replies, "BUT ISN'T IT OBVIOUS THAT HE'S 'DECEASED'?" A pointing hand declares, "THAT IS WHAT THE COUNCIL IS PRESENTLY LEANING TOWARDS AS THE DETERMINING FACTOR OF WHO IS 'DEAD.'" Further dialogue debates whether the transformed can be returned to normal, noting some willingly joined the ants and remain alive.

GonKilluaKnov

A close-up reveals a wide, confident grin as the sound effect KNOCK rings out. A voice speculates that the group should worry about revenge but instead debates whether the dead have been modified. A blond man with closed eyes holds a round object and calmly tells an unseen listener to go contemplate as much as desired. Nearby, three figures in bulky protective suits and goggles stand silently. In an open landscape under clouds, the same blond man stands beside a small, round creature with a beak-like mouth; he states that anyone who interferes will simply be eliminated and that they will do as they please. Three distant silhouettes watch from the horizon. The scene shifts to a ruined city street littered with debris. A group of people advances through the wreckage. One figure reassures the others not to worry, declaring that the self-proclaimed queen will be eradicated within the day.

blond manbeaked creaturethree suited figuresgroup of advancing people

A massive, web-covered structure towers over the devastated city, its tendrils wrapping around ruined buildings and stretching into the sky. Thick smoke and dust clouds rise from the ground where tiny figures stand amid the wreckage. Bold declarations emanate from the structure: those who resist will be condemned to death, while the chosen will be promised eternity in paradise. The voice proclaims itself the queen and demands immediate surrender, repeating the order with increasing force. Black impact marks and motion lines crisscross the panel, emphasizing the scale and threat of the colossal nest-like form dominating the landscape.

unseen queentiny figures in ruins

Seated upon a grand throne, the imposing scorpion-tailed woman reflects on the past. 'Was that she used the old and inefficient method of laying eggs to raise her armies,' a voice recalls as her attendants kneel beside her. 'Mother's greatest failure...' she muses. In close-up her serene face fills the panel. 'Was giving birth to me...!!!' she declares. 'Mother's one and only success...' The scene shifts to a spiky-haired man on the ground, screaming in agony, 'KILL ME!!' Nearby another figure pleads, 'STOP IT...! JUST KILL ME!' A small woman with long hair stands over the fallen man and remarks, 'You're a lively one.' In the background, horned and armored creatures drag and assault a struggling captive through a dim corridor.

scorpion-tailed womanlong-haired attendantshort-haired attendantspiky-haired mansmall long-haired womanhorned creaturearmored creaturecaptive fighter

The scorpion-tailed woman turns her head with flowing hair, remarking 'How promis-ing.' She begins to move, her tail whipping through the air. In rapid succession, smaller panels show a gasping face, debris flying, and onomatopoeia of impacts: 'AA-AH-MM', 'バン', 'バン', 'UGH', 'AH'. The woman strides forward, tail lashing. The final spread erupts with a grotesque newborn creature thrashing and roaring, its body covered in viscous fluid. Massive sound effects explode around it: 'ギギギ', 'ビキ', 'UAA', 'AAAA', 'ビキ', 'ギギ', 'AAAAA', 'ビキ', 'AH', 'キ', 'ビキ', 'AAH', 'ミキ'. The creature's eyes bulge as it screams in its first moments of life.

scorpion-tailed womangrotesque newborn creaturehorned creaturearmored creaturedistant fighter

In a lush forest setting, two cat-eared women address a kneeling figure. One declares, "You are now among the chosen. Welcome to paradise." The other adds, "Now pledge your eternal allegiance to her royal highness." Nearby, a tall woman with long flowing hair, a scorpion-like tail, and a revealing outfit stands before a massive skeletal creature marked with signs reading "Piki" and "Pika." The creature recoils with a startled "?!" as the woman looms over it. In the lower panel, the woman plants her foot firmly on the creature's lowered head, her tail curling behind her. Bold text declares "THE QUEEN." as she proclaims, "I AM..."

scorpion-tailed womanskeletal creaturetwo cat-eared women

Against a swirling dark background, the scorpion-tailed woman stands triumphantly with hands on her hips, her tail raised high. She declares, "WITH MY QUEEN SHOT... I WILL RULE THE WORLD!!!" Below, a group of onlookers reacts. A blond man with facial markings says, "FINE WITH ME." A spiky-haired young man shields his eyes while asking, "JUST BREAK THROUGH THE FRONT?" Other figures including a bandaged person, a girl with a skull-patterned scarf, and a glasses-wearing girl stand nearby.

scorpion-tailed womanblond man with facial markingsspiky-haired young manbandaged figuregirl with skull scarfglasses-wearing girl

The Hunter × Hunter logo dominates the upper half of the page. Below, three figures stand in a narrow horizontal panel against a backdrop of swirling clouds or smoke. The leftmost figure wears a loose hooded suit with a round respirator mask and has small circular eye holes; a sound effect reading KRAKRA appears near its shoulder. The middle figure is shorter, wearing goggles and a similar hooded respirator. The rightmost figure has a larger gas mask with a prominent cylindrical filter and a high collar. All three remain motionless, facing forward.

left hooded respirator figuremiddle goggled respirator figureright gas-mask figure

End of chapter15 pages

Discussion

00AI-written

female news anchorbandaged man with eyepatchman in wheelchairpolice officersreportersspotted beak creature

female reporter in dressspiky-haired young manlionman on couchsmall girlponytail woman with microphone

short-haired female reporterapron-wearing shaggy-haired manseated woman with ponytailcapped man with bottleunidentified standing civilians

Killuatall helmeted robed manskull-scarf masked manbandaged mummy-like personglasses-wearing girl with cross necklace

man in cap and sunglassesboy with glasses

bandaged figureboy with glassesblond boyscavengers in ruined city

KnovGonKillua

GonKilluaKnov

blond manbeaked creaturethree suited figuresgroup of advancing people

unseen queentiny figures in ruins

scorpion-tailed womanlong-haired attendantshort-haired attendantspiky-haired mansmall long-haired womanhorned creaturearmored creaturecaptive fighter

scorpion-tailed womangrotesque newborn creaturehorned creaturearmored creaturedistant fighter

scorpion-tailed womanskeletal creaturetwo cat-eared women

scorpion-tailed womanblond man with facial markingsspiky-haired young manbandaged figuregirl with skull scarfglasses-wearing girl

left hooded respirator figuremiddle goggled respirator figureright gas-mask figure

End of chapter15 pages