Impossible Disappearance

Meleoron continues speaking while gesturing, "THEN THAT'S FINE. IT'S THE 100% TRUTH! NOT ME. I'M NOT LYING! OH... NO WAY NO WAY. I'M NOT LYING!" He grows agitated, "THEY'RE THE WORDS YOU SHOULD BE SUSPICIOUS OF THE MOST, NO!? WORDS LIKE 'I SWEAR' ARE THE MOST FREQUENTLY USED PHRASES BY COMPULSIVE LIARS!! NO, IT'S NOT ENOUGH!!" Gon watches silently. Meleoron thinks to himself, "NO MATTER HOW STRONG HE IS, A KID'S JUST A KID... I JUST PUT MYSELF IN THE SAME BOAT WITH THIS NAIVE KID... SIGH~~~~ I MUST BE GOING SENILE..." He then says aloud, "I WON'T HAVE TO SHOW YOU ANY MERCY. EASY ON YOUR MIND? IF YOU ARE LYING, IT'LL BE EASY ON MY MIND. AND BESIDES..." The final panel shows a close-up of Gon smiling confidently, declaring, "I CAN DEFEAT YOU WITHOUT ANY HESITATION."

A massive pair of glaring eyes fills the top of the page. Below them, a hooded figure with spiky hair and glasses stares upward in shock. "I FELT IT BACK THEN TOO!!" reads one panel. "THAT'S RIGHT...!" answers another. In a forest clearing, the hooded man crouches while Gon sits nearby. "THIS... KID...!!!" the hooded man exclaims. Gon looks at him and says, "I CAN SEE SOMETHING IN HIS EYES..." A black panel flashes with the hooded man's thoughts: "ABOUT HIM!! YEAH!!" and "THERE'S SOMETHING..." In the next wide panel, Gon sits on a rock with his hands clasped while the hooded man, now seen from behind with a long tail-like appendage, clutches his head. "AN END TO HIS LIMIT...!!!" reads the background text. The hooded man mutters, "I CAN'T SEE..." as "kata kata" sound effects rattle near Gon's feet.

The hooded man stands with his long appendage curling as Gon watches from the trees. "HM?" appears in a small box. The hooded man, cigarette in mouth, says, "IT... WOULD BE BETTER IF YOU STOPPED SMOKING." Gon replies, "THANKS FOR THE WARNING." The hooded man continues, "...HE HE... THE SMELL WILL GIVE YOU AWAY. EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE AN ABILITY THAT MAKES YOU INVISIBLE..." Gon looks surprised and asks, "?" The hooded man explains, "MY REAL ABILITY IS A STEP HIGHER. MY INVISIBILITY IS SORTA LIKE MY BUSINESS CARD. BUT IT'S NOT A PROBLEM AT ALL-" In the final wide panel, the hooded man crouches on a rock facing Gon, who sits opposite him. "WANNA SEE?" the hooded man offers with "suuu" sound effects near his head.

Killua kneels on a fallen log in the forest clearing, staring at the disturbed ground ahead where something has clearly shifted. Motion lines and impact shapes fill the air as he processes the sudden change. In a close-up, his eyes widen in realization: only the lingering scent of a cigarette remains. He stands up sharply, arms out, declaring that the figure is not invisible and really not here. The surrounding earth shows fresh craters and scattered debris where the presence had been moments before. In a wide shot, Killua stands small amid the rocks and logs, the empty space emphasizing the absence. A final close-up captures his tense expression as he wonders how anyone could have moved from that spot in an instant without making any noise.

Killua stands on the log, still processing the empty space, when a sudden voice asks how the disappearance happened. He shouts in shock as a cloaked figure with a swirling tail materializes right in front of him. The figure, wearing a hooded jacket and goggles, calmly states he was there the entire time. Killua reacts with visible surprise, sweat drops flying, demanding to know where the stranger appeared from. The cloaked character remains crouched, hands clasped, showing no sign of prior movement.

A close-up shows a wild-haired character with swirling eyes declaring his power. "As long as I'm holding my breath, 'no one can sense even a trace of my presence'!!" he announces. "My second ability, 'Perfect Plan'!!" he adds with emphasis. In the next panels, Gon stands facing him with a surprised expression marked by question marks. The character explains from a low position, "I'm here, but no one can notice me." He continues, "This is the ultimate form. There are those whose presence can't be felt, right? Like a man with a vague impression. The kind of guy who waitresses always forget to fill the water glass for at restaurants when in a group." Gon questions from the side, "But you weren't able to be consciously aware of it! Just now, you were definitely touching me." The character replies about using a dummy for invisibility. Gon reacts with "... Huh~~~" as realization hits. In a dramatic close-up, Gon stares forward with wide eyes and radiating lines, asking, "Are you and me... And the only ones who know about this ability..."

In a forest setting, the wild-haired character continues speaking to Gon. "I can't move on to the main issue unless I have your trust, don't you think?" he says. Gon responds, "The partnership you mentioned before?" The character replies, "Well, it's to solidify our trust I guess... I'm the one trying to win your trust, so I have to take a higher risk." Gon sits on a rock asking, "...The main issue being..." The wild-haired character leans in close with wide eyes, stating, "But now isn't a good time to talk. Yeah." Gon questions with a "?" as the character stands and turns away. The character insists, "I need to hear from you the words 'I can be your partner' before we discuss any further. In other words... Like I said, the trust issue comes first." Gon stands with a determined look and answers, "Okay. I can be your partner." The wild-haired character reacts with shock, exclaiming "So quick—!!"

Gon faces Killua with a worried expression, arms gesturing as he questions the decision. "You won't end up arguing with him!? If you team up with a strange monster like me without consulting him!? You have a friend, right? Is it really okay for you to decide on your own!?" Killua, hunched and agitated in his hoodie, snaps back, "Be suspicious!! Be more suspicious of me! Of the world! Why!! Why do you trust me like this!? And after all is said and done, then trust me!" Gon retorts, "What a disturb-bed guy— Dammit. I don't like being like this either!! Why am I belittling myself so much? I'm saying it's okay 'cause I don't wanna deal with that." Killua continues to protest while Gon stands firm. In a series of close reaction panels, Killua's face shifts from frustration to reluctant acceptance, sweat drops and hand gestures showing his internal conflict. Gon remains small and steady in the background. Killua finally exhales, "Oh well..." Gon replies quietly with "..." as Killua leans in, declaring, "Say ho!? Trust is not dependent on time!! You could even be betrayed by a friend of 20 years!!" Gon turns slightly, stating, "That's my line. Someone I can't be friends with. ...You don't go with the flow."

Floating speech bubbles continue the conversation above a treetop silhouette. "With what? —So you're okay with it? Won't your friend be against it? Teaming up with me!!" In the forest panels, Gon stands with Killua, who has a swirling hair detail. Gon says, "...Is that so? I feel for the guy." Killua replies, "Killua usually gives in at the end. Oh, but if I keep nagging him, it'll be okay. Then it won't work!!" A small cloaked figure is visible leaping between trees in the background. Gon affirms, "Yeah. Let's move on to the main issue. Well, if you say so, I'll believe you." The page ends on a dramatic close-up of Killua's intense face filling the frame, eyes wide and hair flaring, as he declares, "To defeat the king!!" Gon watches from the side with a serious expression.

Killua and Gon stand facing each other in tense conversation. Killua says, "YEAH. OF COURSE. Although I'll wait for you to say it." Gon asks, "DO YOU WANNA KNOW WHY?" Killua replies simply, "REVENGE." The scene shifts as a cloaked figure with a long curly tail walks away through the forest. Gon presses, "YOU'RE GONNA TELL ME NOW—!?" while the figure responds, "...HMPH. DO YOU WANNA KNOW THAT BADLY? I DON'T HAVE A CHOICE. I WANT TO ASK YOU... BUT I WON'T. ...OKAY. BUT I CAN'T TELL YOU THE REASON FOR MY VENGEANCE YET... —IS WHAT YOU PROBABLY WANTED ME TO SAY. but are you gonna tell me eventually...?" Gon insists, "I DIDN'T ASK. NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU BEG, I'M NOT GONNA TELL YOU NOW!! I'M JUST KIDDING!!" The cloaked figure continues walking as the exchange unfolds.

Flashback panels reveal the cloaked figure's memories. Text boxes state: "HIS HEAD WAS SMASHED OFF IN FRONT OF MY VERY EYES." "HIS NAME WAS PEGGY." The figure continues, "HE'S TELLING ME ANYWAY—!? A MAN I OWED A GREAT DEAL TO WAS KILLED..." The figure adds, "DIDN'T FEEL A THING EVEN THOUGH I OWED HIM SO MUCH. BUT I... THAT PEGGY WAS MY FOSTER PARENT EVEN WHEN HE WAS KILLED. I COULDN'T REMEMBER... I THOUGHT YOU SAID IT HAPPENED? HUH? HOW COME?" Killua reacts with surprise. The figure concludes while kneeling in the forest: "MY MEMORIES FROM WHEN I WAS A HUMAN...! I ONLY REMEMBERED RECENTLY."

Gon stares forward with wide, serious eyes against a black background. In the panels below, a voice recounts fragmented memories: "My foster father's name when I was a human as well. 'Peggy' was... I can only remember a little bit... No... that's not accurate. I'm not saying I remember everything... My father's name... my own name... just little scraps of my life... He would always carry around the NGL manual with him. Even when he was alive..." A cloaked figure sits in a forest clearing. A close-up silhouette appears as narration continues: "From when they were human... Has memories... Everyone..." At the bottom, Meleoron sits facing Gon and explains, "About why I felt that I could trust you from the moment we met. ...But I think I can finally understand a little. But there were definitely a few who manifested their beastly characteristics... And some I couldn't even understand what they were thinking. I don't know about everyone..."

Meleoron continues speaking while seated: "But the impression I got of you was the direct opposite. Am I? More than any other Chimera Ant I've met so far... Meleoron, you're a human now. You're very human." Gon smiles slightly in response. In the next panels, Meleoron leans forward with wide eyes and declares, "That's why I decided to team up with you. Instead of a human, I sensed in you a kind of inhuman-like monster!" Close-ups show Gon and Meleoron's intense expressions as they discuss boundaries. Meleoron asks, "Will you tell me your name?" while standing and gesturing. He then transforms into a hunched, monstrous form and says, "—But before that. Finally, to the main issue. Now..."

Two hands meet in a tight handshake. One voice calls out "GON FREECSS!!" The other replies "I'M GON." Gon stares forward with wide, startled eyes. Next to him, Meleoron leans in with a broad grin and a small "grin" sound effect. A smaller panel shows the two figures shaking hands amid swirling smoke and aura fragments. Meleoron states that the conditions to use his ability have just been met and that he has one more ability. In a large close-up, Meleoron's face fills the frame as he announces "MY THIRD ABILITY!!!" and promises "I WILL SHOW YOU..." A bottom caption reads "A third ability!? So did Meleoron trick Gon after all?"