Chapter 261

An aerial view reveals a vast fortified complex with multiple blue-domed buildings, courtyards, and surrounding walls set against a barren landscape. Inside a luxurious bathhouse, two women with orange hair are bathing. One sits in a white tub with a concerned expression, while the other stands with her back turned, wrapped partially in a large red cloth. A green-skinned, fish-like attendant named Shidore holds the cloth and assists them. The standing woman speaks aloud, reflecting on a compliment from Leol-sama. Shidore comments on the difficulty of Nen removal. A small yellow SFX reads 'chapo' near the water.

Character profiles introduce Hina, Leol Troop Captain, and Shidore, Leol Troop Task Soldier. Hina stands with a serious expression, hand near her face, while a small chibi version of herself comments on her stomach growing depending on the opponent's ability strength. Shidore appears with a surprised look, hands raised, as a background figure protests about deserving more prizes from Leol-sama. A woman in a headscarf speaks about going along with plans and the rarity of lower soldiers who understand words. The scene shifts to a long, dark hallway where a lone figure walks away from the viewer. Speech bubbles discuss a foreigner standing out among civilians and the threat of killing her on sight if she is not cared for.

Bizef holds a cell phone to his ear in a dimly lit room, sweat on his face. "HELLO? IT'S ME! THAT 'PERSON' I TOLD YOU ABOUT..." he says urgently. His expression shifts to shock as he exclaims, "SHIT!! SHIT!! WHAT COULD THAT WOMAN HAVE BEEN UP TO...?" A small panel shows him still on the phone while a silhouette stands in the distance. "HEY!!" a voice calls out. Wolfen, the large wolf-like chimera ant with a fierce mane, looms in a dramatic close-up against a black background, his eyes glowing. In the next panels Wolfen grabs Bizef and growls, "NEXT TIME I CATCH YOU WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO CRUSH IT TO PIECES. AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT... THOSE ELECTRO-MAGNETIC WAVES SHOOT RIGHT INTO MY EARS AND GIVE ME A TERRIBLE HEADACHE..." Bizef pleads on his knees, "PLEASE, YOU MUST HAVE SOME MERCY ON ME... ER... UMM... BUT I'M ALWAYS USING IT TO DEAL WITH VERY IMPORTANT MATTERS REQUIRING QUICK RESPONSES." Wolfen turns away and says, "YES! I'LL CALL BACK LATER..." while Bizef shouts after him, "HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO USE YOUR CELL PHONE IN HERE?"

Wolfen grabs Bizef by the collar in a hallway, demanding answers. "SO SEARCHING FOR AN ESCAPED WOMAN IS IMPORTANT BUSINESS TO YOU?" he growls. Bizef looks up in surprise. Wolfen leans in close with a sly expression and offers, "HOW ABOUT I JUST GO AND FIND HER FOR YOU...?" Bizef responds, "WELL, IT'S JUST GIVE-AND-TAKE, RIGHT? IT'LL BE GOOD FOR BOTH OF US... YOUR WORK IS BEING RECOGNIZED BY THE ROYAL GUARD, SO I VALUE THAT. IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT WOMAN'S BODY TOUCHED, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO TRACK HER. I HAVE A GREAT NOSE FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS..." A small figure appears in a panel as Bizef continues, "BUT IN ORDER FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, THE ONE WHO MUST FALL IS NOT THE KING, BUT BIZEF!!" Wolfen replies, "KUKUKU... I'LL BECOME KING OF THE SHADOWS... IF YOU FIND HER, BRING HER TO ME IN SECRECY!!" Bizef agrees, "ALRIGHT! I'M GOING TO BE COUNTING ON YOU!" Later Wolfen stands alone holding his head, complaining, "SHIT... THIS SIGNAL FROM THOSE LOWER-CLASS SOLDIERS ALSO HURTS MY EARS... THEY TALK LIKE BABIES, AND THERE ISN'T EVEN A REAL POINT TO THEIR MESSAGES..." while a voice calls, "WEREFIN-SAMA, YOUR PRESENCE IS NECESSARY. THERE IS A THREAT."

The wolf-like Chimera Ant examines the scene closely. If his footprints are here, I can only fear that the intruder has somehow made it deeper into the palace... The blood stains and dirty shoes... an intruder. This smells like Taragette's blood... The mud on these shoes looks like it's from the rainy day last week... But disposing of the shoes should have been his priority... was he pressed for time? There's no mistaking it - the intruder must have gotten rid of him. This matches the general timeframe from when Taragette went missing... A spiky-haired figure appears in another panel, puzzled. Was the mission to kidnap a soldier? Then why him...? Shit... I don't get it. The wolf-like character holds up one of the shoes. But the fact that Taragette has seemingly been disposed of... He was taken somewhere else and only these shoes were left behind. I'll just go and take care of this myself. Should I ask Shaiapouf for advice...? No...

The wolf-like Chimera Ant kneels on the tiled floor, one hand pressed down as he sniffs the ground. Last thought, he really was heading deeper into the palace. This is more important than Bizef's woman! He rises with a fierce expression, flames-like aura flaring from his head. You two, follow me! Inzagi and Maenore, both Werefin Squad Soldiers, stand at attention and respond Sir! The wolf-like leader charges forward with intense speed lines and impact symbols. BROU!!

In a long tiled hallway, the skeletal bird-like Zitoh stands upright after transforming, his massive claws and segmented limbs visible. A voice from off-panel calls out "ZITOH?" while another asks "OH, YOU WERE HERE? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Zitoh replies that he has just been busy learning a new ability. Nearby, Brouda, another former division commander, is labeled in the panel. A small silhouetted cat figure questions the new ability. Suddenly a large close-up reveals a fierce cat-eared chimera ant with spiky hair and whiskers shouting "MONROE WALK!" and declaring "I CALL IT..." Below, a Gungi board is shown with black and white pieces arranged. The cat-eared character reacts excitedly: "WHAT'S THAT REACTION?! HEY, COME ON, LISTEN TO ME A LITTLE! IT'S SO AWESOME!!" while an opponent mutters "WELL, DO YOUR BEST, I GUESS." and another voice adds "PFFT!"

Komugi sits cross-legged on the floor in front of a large Gungi board placed on a low table. Her hands rest on the edge of the board, fingers lightly touching the pieces. Across from her, only the lower body and knees of her opponent are visible, seated on the opposite side. The board is densely packed with black and white Gungi pieces in a complex mid-game formation. Komugi's expression is calm and focused, her large eyes staring straight ahead at the board. The scene is quiet, emphasizing the tension of the ongoing match.

Close-up panels focus on a pair of narrowed eyes, heavy with emotion. A dark, shrouded figure stands motionless against a textured background as narration reads: 'TOLD ME HIS NAME...' and 'HE NEVER EVEN...'. The scene shifts to a close-up of Killua's face, his eyes wide and glistening with tears, sweat visible on his cheek. A small speech bubble near his head reads: 'I HOPE WE PLAY SOON...'.

A lone silhouette stands in a vast stone courtyard lined with topiary trees under a dark sky, a long tail-like appendage curling upward. Text reads: 'WHAT... AM I...?'. Smaller panels show a crowd labeled 'ALL THOSE CONGREGATED BELOW ME!! ARE DOLLS WITHOUT CONSCIOUSNESS!' and a close-up of glasses with the words 'A KING WITHOUT A NAME.' and 'A CASTLE I BORROWED.'. A voice repeats 'KUK KUK KUK!'. A black panel states 'THEN...'. The final panel shows a clenched fist as text continues: 'IF THIS IS TRULY... THE DESTINY BESTOWED UPON ME...'.

A stark black-and-white close-up fills the page with a character's face locked in fierce resolve. The eyes are wide and circular, unblinking, while the mouth gapes open in a shout. Heavy motion lines and cross-hatching emphasize the intensity. At the top of the panel, bold lettering declares: "DESPITE SUCH BOREDOM, I WILL NOT REJECT IT," and at the bottom the declaration continues: "AND CONTINUE WITHOUT ANY HESITATION!"

The same face returns in vivid color, now tinted green with glowing red eyes that emit light. Red motion lines and impact streaks surround the open mouth. Vertical Japanese text runs down the right side while additional Japanese lettering appears on the left. At the bottom right the English word "WEIRD" is visible. The character continues the earlier declaration with Japanese text conveying the same unhesitating resolve.

A muscular man stands with his back to the viewer as a small cloaked figure holding a staff replies, "YES... BUT... DO NOT FOLLOW ME." The muscular man turns and walks away through a vast pillared hall while the small figure remains behind. A massive explosion erupts across the page with radiating speed lines and debris as the two figures are shown tiny in the distance. In a close-up, the helmeted figure warns, "DON'T MAKE ME TELL YOU AGAIN." Far below on a stone pillar under a starry sky, a cat-like chimera with curly hair and a tail laughs triumphantly, "NYA HA HA! NOW EVERYONE'S BEEN HIT BY THE KING AT LEAST ONCE." A small wide-eyed character peeks up from the pillar base, exclaiming, "COMING THIS WAY...?"

The cat-like chimera continues, "BUT IN ORDER TO KEEP A VIGILANT WATCH, I CAN'T JUST STOP-NYA... I HAD A FEELING HE'D SAY THAT...." The muscular man replies, "BUT I DON'T WANT TO GET HIT AGAIN. WELL, DO AS YOU WISH." High above, a winged figure flies near a pillar as a voice declares, "NI?! THE KING SAID YOUR "EN" IS ANNOYING." The staff-wielding figure stands alone in a circle panel. The cat-like chimera proposes, "I WILL BLOCK MY AURA FROM YOUR MAJESTY IN A SPHERICAL FASHION. WOULD THIS BE TO YOUR MAJESTY'S SATISFACTION?" Inside the hall the curly-haired character asks the helmeted man, "ARE YOU TELLING ME NOT TO MOVE?" The helmeted man answers with silence and later explains, "WITH THIS, THE FEELING OF MY PRESENCE SHOULD WEAKEN." In a final close-up the helmeted man states, "IN OTHER WORDS, IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO KEEP BLOCKING YOUR AURA FROM ME IN A CIRCLE LIKE THAT, IF YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHERE I'M GOING. IF I MOVE WITHIN AN AREA THAT IS FREE OF YOUR MAJESTY'S "EN," THERE SHOULD BE NO WAY FOR YOU TO KNOW FROM SUCH A DISTANCE."

A figure with curly hair questions whether every detail must be communicated for movement. Another replies that even without worrying about presence, movement remains limited to the sphere. A helmeted soldier confirms merely considering surveillance. An unseen voice states it is out of the question to follow simply with eyes. The soldier explains only using En to survey the palace perimeter. The curly-haired figure offers no response. A close-up shows the soldier's intense gaze asking if there is an intruder within their midst. The curly-haired one notes still-unsatisfied surveillance outside the palace exceeds what can be handled. The soldier insists control must be maintained until selection. The curly-haired figure affirms it is as majesty says. A small creature raises a hand asking if that is wrong. The soldier warns that using En to catch intruders would be like collecting water in a strainer. The curly-haired figure explains it is not the type of ability that could automatically sense an intruder already within the palace. A diagram shows the palace with arrows indicating underground entry points.

The curly-haired figure continues that discerning manipulation would be very hard. A small creature states there are still eleven soldiers remaining. The soldier asks who is free to enter and leave as a general rule, noting including Leol, Furatta, and Taragette. The curly-haired one asks if referring to Komugi. The soldier shouts enough and orders no one told to come to the second floor. The soldier declares if anyone suspicious appears, they will handle it. The soldier explains extending En to the first floor only allows catching underground intruders. A figure with white hair asks where they should be. The soldier states the other ants were banned from the second floor. The white-haired figure notes the central stairway connects first to second floor as easiest break-in point. The soldier warns if an intruder appears, they will hold personally responsible.

In a vast, dimly lit stone chamber, three small figures stand separated on the floor. One winged silhouette mutters "...", another replies "NYAH". A larger speech bubble continues, "BUT REGARDLESS, THE KING HAS CERTAINLY BEEN IN ILL HUMOR LATELY. IT SEEMS LIKE LOSING AT GUN-GI IS TRULY PAINFUL FOR HIM." In the next tier of panels, narration reads, "BUT TO HIS MAJESTY, IT WOULD BECOME THE GREATEST INSULT." A close-up shows Pouf with flowing hair, thinking, "NO...THAT'S MERELY AN EXCUSE... TO BE HONEST, I'M JUST FRIGHTENED. MY ABILITY... 'SPIRITUAL MESSAGE' SHOULD BE ABLE TO CONFIRM THE TRUTH. THE ROOT OF HIS IRRITATION... PERHAPS MY PREDICTION WAS CORRECT." The bottom splash panel reveals a night scene dominated by a grand domed palace flying a flag, surrounded by jagged rocky spires. Pouf stands with wings spread wide while two other figures wait nearby. Overlaid text declares, "WHAT IS GROWING INSIDE THE KING RIGHT NOW... IS GIVING ME A LIMITLESS SENSE OF ANXIETY AND FEAR THAT I CANNOT STAND..." The caption at the base reads "The trembling tyrant...".