Hunter × Hunter Chapter 243: The Perfect Partner

Meleoron stares in surprise at the bird, which remains perched without flying away. Gon points at the bird and notes "IT'S NOT TRYING TO FLY AWAY AT ALL...?". Meleoron realizes "THIS MEANS...". A glowing bird silhouette appears in the background. Meleoron explains "THIS IS MY THIRD ABILITY, "GOD'S ACCOMPLICE." Gon responds "EXACTLY." and questions "I WAS USING "PERFECT PLAN" TOO!?". A large panel shows a hand making a peace sign with the text ""PERFECT PLAN" IS CARRIED OVER!!" and "IF I TOUCH ANYTHING WHILE "PERFECT PLAN" IS ACTIVATED...". Gon and Meleoron continue their conversation in the forest.

Gon stares intently as Meleoron explains the power. "The greatness of this ability? Do you understand..." Meleoron leans forward with an intense grin, eyes wide and finger pointing straight ahead. "You can go right up to an enemy and attack without being noticed at all!! If you use this ability..." A small "Gulp" sound effect appears near Gon. Meleoron continues, "We can strike his weakpoint with the strongest critical hit and defeat him!! No matter how strong the king is..." Gon looks on with a bead of sweat, visibly tense. In a large bottom panel, Meleoron sits casually atop piles of books and scattered volumes, tail curled, holding up a playing card. "A guy who can dish out an unprecedented fatal blow to that bastard king!! You're the partner I've been looking for!!!!"

Meleoron recounts past events while sitting in a forest clearing. "They were guys who’d kill humans for pleasure whenever I wasn’t supervising them... Ah, you don’t need to worry about them, yeah? I had them attack you to test out your skills, but they were..." He adds, "Janken Rock-!!" thingy. "I saw it, Gon. Your... The opponent was one of my men." Gon reacts with shock, eyes wide and mouth open. Meleoron continues, "...Well, from their point of view, I guess I’m the one that’s weird, yeah? I don’t think of them as subordinates or comrades anymore..." Gon stares silently with "....." Meleoron suggests, "I know someone better suited for the job. About being your partner..." Gon replies simply, "Yup. You have someone in mind, huh?" A small "Hmm?" floats near Gon. The final wide panel shows a starry night sky with two large bubbles: "WAIT!!" and "I’LL CONTACT HIM."

In the forest clearing, Gon faces Meleoron and speaks earnestly. "However, trusting you and trusting somebody that you trust is a totally different matter!!" he declares. Meleoron listens with wide eyes as Gon continues, "Because after carefully observing and talking to you, 'I trust Gon' is the conclusion I came to." Gon asks, "Do you get what I'm saying?" Meleoron responds, "Even if you betray my trust in the future, I won't bear a grudge. I trust you — which means..." Gon replies, "'No one can sense my presence' means that..." Meleoron explains, "See... 'perfect plan' is most certainly not an invincible ability. In fact, it's rather fragile. I'm putting my life on the line here, you know?" Gon nods, "Hmmm... I get what you're saying but..." Meleoron clenches his hands together and states, "Which means that if an enemy attacks, I'll still be hit!!" He adds, "'Even though no one can sense me, I'm still existing there' ...!!" Gon reacts with surprise, "AH... I see...!" Meleoron asks, "They'd probably start attacking everywhere randomly, right? What would someone do if they knew there was an enemy with an ability like mine approaching?"

Meleoron continues explaining his ability to Gon. "I need them to think 'as long as I use 'en' I'll be okay'... In regards to my ability," he says. He adds, "When I'm simply invisible, I can be detected by 'en.' It's been proven, and the other division commanders know this as well." Meleoron states, "I'm not being modest. My fighting ability is the worst among the worst of the chimeras, on par with a labor ant. Even if it was a pure fluke, I can be taken out with that one attack." Gon listens intently. Meleoron declares, "It can be invincible...!! Because 'nobody knows about my ability'..." A close-up shows a cell phone being held. Meleoron says, "I'd rather not have anyone else know about my ability. It took a while for me to get there, but my point is that..." Gon reacts with shock, "HUH? You can see for yourself." Meleoron concludes, "Even if it's someone you have absolute faith in."

Gon shouts excitedly into his phone, 'YOOO!! I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOUR CALL, PUNK!! YOU DID IT!!' He demands to know the caller's location right now because he has tons of questions to ask. The spiky-haired man on the other end replies that whether the contact is worthy of trust can be judged from a distance and that he will call him without mentioning anything about Gon. The man continues, 'OUR PLAN COMPLETELY FELL APART BUT I SUPPORT WHAT YOU GUYS DID!!' and adds that the boss is moving under their cover. In a nighttime cityscape lit by bright flares, a long-haired figure perched on a minaret with a large telescope-like device states, 'WE CAN'T JUST SIT AROUND AND LET THEM SLAUGHTER 5 MILLION PEOPLE.' Another voice notes, 'BOSS IS PUTTING PEIJING UNDER SIEGE WITH HIS ABILITY.'

Gon listens intently with wide eyes as the conversation continues. The spiky-haired man explains that once the time to execute the plan comes around, the royal guards will have no strength left to fight against one of them, forcing the boss and Novu-san to concentrate all their power to tie down Neferpitou from now on. In a forest clearing, Gon runs forward while exclaiming 'RIGHT RIGHT!' as another speaker notes that the remote-control selection by Neferpitou will probably cease, leaving Neferpitou with no resources to disperse the ability. A large bird-like creature with sharp eyes appears, stating their situation has not improved at all because the threat of a massacre remains high and people are still gathering in the capital for the national assembly. The creature adds that it is impossible to contact the chairman now and that until the plan is executed, the boss will be concentrating on sharpening his claws somewhere.

A massive bird-like creature with enormous wings soars through a stormy sky filled with swirling clouds and a brilliant burst of light. Below, a bald man with a topknot sits cross-legged in deep meditation inside a rocky alcove, hands clasped before him. The landscape stretches into misty mountains and rugged terrain. In a dramatic close-up, a stern, wrinkled face with closed eyes and a furrowed brow fills the frame, conveying intense focus and resolve.

Gon, Killua, and a tall man with a patterned collar stand together against a dark background. The tall man declares with a serious expression, "THE FOUR OF US MUST DECIDE!!" Killua, arms crossed, responds about whether to call in new reinforcements or take on the three royal guards by themselves. Gon listens intently with wide eyes in a close-up panel. The tall man suggests, "TRY CALLING HIM." In a smaller panel, someone notes, "I SEE. SO THAT KID'S DOING THIS ON HIS OWN, EH?" Another voice adds, "I HEAR KILLUA'S OPINION ON THIS MATTER." A masked figure states, "...HE'S NOT HERE." In the forest, Gon, Killua, and a bespectacled character discuss the situation. Killua says, "CAN'T GET THROUGH. IT MUST BE TURNED OFF OR SOMETHING." The bespectacled character replies, "YEAH? JUST KEEP TRYING TILL YOU GET THROUGH." The masked figure questions, "WHAT? YOU GUYS ARE ACTING SEPARATELY?"

Two figures confer beneath leafy branches. The uniformed man lowers his hand from his chin and says, "Anyway, let's meet up. The sooner the better." The ponytail-wearing companion replies, "Then shall we meet at the halfway point between our present locations?" A small voice answers, "Okay." The scene shifts to a glowing handheld device displaying a grid map labeled with locations including Mandai City. Gon leans in, eyes wide, and declares, "...Here. MANDAI CITY...!!!" In a forest clearing, Gon crouches with fingers steepled, focused. Below him a small spotted creature leaps forward with a triumphant cry of "CHECK."

The octopus-like fighter looms over a game board, one tentacle raised, and announces, "IT'S CHECK-MATE." Tiles and captured pieces lie scattered on the ground beside the low table. In a wide indoor view the same octopus character sits across from a kneeling opponent. A close-up reveals the sweating, wide-eyed man with clenched teeth asking, "WHY DIDN'T YOU CONCEDE?"

The spotted boy stares ahead with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth as a small exclamation mark appears beside him. His expression shifts to confusion as he says, "HUH?" followed by a trailing silence. A helmeted figure with a large segmented headpiece leans in close, holding a small black rectangular object, and declares, "THE OUTCOME HAD ALREADY BEEN DECIDED 22 MOVES AGO, RIGHT? DO NOT MAKE ME REPEAT MYSELF." The boy suddenly clutches his head in pain, body twisting as impact lines burst around him with the sounds "ACK!" "OW! OUCH!" In close-up the boy sweats heavily, murmuring "UH... OW..." while the helmeted figure glares and asks, "DID YOU THINK I WOULD MAKE A MISTAKE? WHY DIDN'T YOU GIVE UP THEN?" The helmeted figure swings violently, sending the boy flying through the air with arms and legs flailing amid motion lines and the cries "AAAHHH AHH!" "AHH AHH!" A final large panel shows the boy sprawled on the ground as a voice declares, "FOOLISH."

A hand holds a rectangular game board with circular pieces while a voice explains, "IT LOOKS SIMPLE AT FIRST, BUT IS ACTUALLY VERY COMPLEX. IT MAY POSSIBLY REQUIRE A LITTLE MORE TIME THAN SHOGI." In another room a long-haired person sits cross-legged holding "THE RULE BOOK" and states, "NEXT IS THE DOMESTIC CHAMPION OF GO." A muscular man stands in a doorway as desperate cries echo from off-panel: "SOME-BODY!!! HELP MEEE~~~" and "PLEASE!! LET ME GO!! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS...!?" The helmeted figure turns and says, "YOU ARE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE KING." A short-haired person with glasses looks up in shock, sweat visible, while another panel shows the muscular man standing over a fallen figure with the sound effect "DOOM." The short-haired person's eyes widen in a close-up as tension fills the room.

In a cluttered room with scattered books, cushions, and electronic equipment, a boy with short dark hair stands in the foreground, looking toward the scene ahead. On the floor lies a person face-down in a pool of dark liquid, motionless. Nearby, another figure sits cross-legged on a cushion with a laptop open in front of them. A tall man with light hair stands nearby, hands clasped. A large speech bubble from the standing man reads, "CHOOSE ONE OR THE OTHER." The view shifts to a close-up of a stern-faced character wearing a distinctive hat, eyes narrowed intensely. Speech bubbles declare, "OR DIE." and "EITHER SIT DOWN IN FRONT OF ME IMMEDIATELY..." A small black oval object rests alone in a white panel below.

A large title splash displays the HUNTER × HUNTER logo with credits for NEXGEAR and website links. Below, a muscular bald man with a small topknot sits cross-legged on the floor in a meditative pose, hands clasped together in front of his chest, eyes closed in concentration.