Hunter × Hunter Chapter 279: Escape

Youpi leaps high above the rubble, roaring that he will smash the place apart until he finds the little mice. Below him, Knuckle hides among the rocks. Youpi thinks to himself that he is nothing more than a foolish servant of the king roaming in search of prey, having abandoned his reason for pure fury. He declares he is ready to seize the opportunity to strike just before he explodes. As he screams his heart out in an attempt to draw out Knuckle, Youpi thrusts his body into a false fury. Now adding interest.

Far in the distance, a grand domed palace erupts in a massive cloud of smoke and debris as the structure partially collapses. Over in the throne room, a long-haired man identified as Shoot swings his weapon in a wide arc amid swirling smoke, his stance wide and determined. He shouts that he will keep this guy trapped no matter what is happening outside. A massive column of dense smoke rises like a twisting tower, with narration explaining that tiny creatures small enough to slip through the gaps between individual particles of smoke—approximately one hundred billion of them—are present within it. The smoke jail holds firm for now as the battle rages on.

With the tiniest of sensations that their opponent Morau could never hope to sense, the creatures slowly but surely begin to make their escape from within the smoke jail. Small winged insects emerge from the dense smoke, slipping through the gaps as the smoke begins to thin and drip downward. A digital timer at the bottom of the page displays 0:03:20:13, marking the elapsed time of the escape sequence.

A detailed schematic labels the palace and its surrounding storage zones. Area A is the weaponry and ammunition storage area. Area B holds cultural assets and national treasures. Area C is the leapers' private personal storage area. Area D is the emergency rations and stores area. Area E is the leapers' private shelter area. Area F is marked as Charps' area. A note states that at the very tip of the P-area wing lies a storage area that Bizef has secretly appropriated for housing his women. Another note explains that to the north of the palace lies a huge underground storage facility whose shape resembles that of a dragonfly. In the lower panel a truck races forward at high speed down a long straight road. Having ascertained the location thanks to Marcos' information, Ikalgo heads toward this destination.

A hand grips a control device as Satellitombo reaches storage area A. At the same time the junction leading off to areas A and B is reached. Palm puts Bizef to sleep and heads for the palace. The door to the target area stands open, noted as a good sign. Inside a vehicle Palm drives while Bizef slumps unconscious beside her. Narration states that whatever the reason this has to be quicker and lower-risk than blasting the door herself, and that chances are good Bizef rushed out forgetting to lock the door as he chased after her.

A massive insectoid figure looms in the dim interior, its armored body hunched forward with one clawed limb extended toward the floor. A sharp impact sound effect erupts beside it. Brovuda walked around fifty metres down the path to area E... and then stopped in his tracks. The satellitombo stationed in the soldiers' area spotted Brovuda. In a narrow corridor view, Brovuda's small silhouette stands motionless far down the passage. To Ikalgo, this meant... A close-up shows a bandaged foot stepping forward, while a tiny inset panel displays three round objects and a silhouette with trailing dots.

Brovuda stands fully upright in the center of the long corridor, massive claws hanging at its sides and its body casting a shadow on the floor. A narration box states that a confrontation with Brovuda was now inevitable. In a smaller panel, a spiky-haired character grips a steering wheel tightly, sweat flying as he thinks carefully about what he could have and could not have noticed. Another panel shows Ikalgo's shocked face with wide eyes and an open mouth, his hand raised, while Brovuda's clawed hand appears nearby with motion lines. Brovuda has his suspicions about me... Why...?! What did I do wrong...?! Calm down...!! Think carefully and work out what he could have and could not have noticed...!!!

A large truck speeds away down the road under dramatic speed lines as a voice warns, "OTHERWISE, YOU WON'T SURVIVE...!!" In a narrow alley, a round-faced character crouches and reflects that his excuse of following Hagya's orders could easily have looked unnatural. Nearby, the spiky-haired man in a patterned robe wonders aloud whether something in his impersonation of Fratta seemed off or if he made a suspicious move during their earlier exchange. Deeper in the corridor, a woman in a long dress walks away while the man continues his internal monologue, realizing he simply cast a soft shadow in a corner of Brouvada's heart rather than making a fatal error. The spiky-haired man concludes that Brouvada did not immediately call him out, meaning the mistake was not fatal, and that Brouvada is now waiting for him. In close-up, the round-faced character sweats heavily, questioning whether it was a grave mistake and whether Brouvada wants final confirmation of his suspicions. A dragonfly hovers in the foreground as the man decides he must determine the true nature of that shadow.

The spiky-haired man resolves that he must enter the building assuming he is the attacker and cannot afford to hope for the best. He declares he will be the killer. Inside a room, the woman in the dress calls out, "IS ANYBODY HERE?!" and identifies herself as an envoy of the secretary under orders from the secretary. The spiky-haired man shouts for Shinka Bell to come quickly if needed. A note states that Shinka Bell is Palm's codename. The woman sits on a bed and makes a predetermined signal confirming that Palm is an ally. Suddenly the spiky-haired man bursts through a door with a loud crash, startling the woman who reacts with "AH!!" as debris flies. The man stares in shock at the empty or altered space inside.

A short-haired woman clutches her face in distress, declaring, "...AND I'M FORBIDDEN FROM HAVING ANY CONTACT WITH ANYBODY OTHER THAN HIM, SO..." Nearby narration notes that Secretary Bizef-pono says she mustn't leave this place. An afro-haired man in a loose robe stands with arms crossed and demands twice, "IF YOU WERE IN HERE, THEN WHY DID YOU NOT RESPOND?" The other four women react similarly, one with a bun hairstyle glancing aside. The woman for her part thought that this must be a test of loyalty organised by the secretary. Thinking that the arrival of such a strange person meant they were being tested to see if they could stick to their orders calmly even when faced with an unusual situation, they all refused to converse with Ikalgo at any length. The source of their doubts was that "IT'S ODD FOR AN ENVOY TO COME HERE WHEN THERE'S A PRIVATE PHONE LINE STRAIGHT TO BIZEF." Besides, Ikalgo did not have the time to spare worrying about the lives of others, never mind trying to protect them. Ikalgo's small form reacts with shock, marked by a large "X" sound effect. The afro-haired man turns and announces, "HERE WE ARE...!" He was aware that their chances of survival would be far higher if they stayed right where they were.

The afro-haired man sits on the floor in a hallway, writing a message using aura alone. Narration explains that this writing, inscribed using aura alone, could only be read through the use of gyo. This far reduced the risk of it being discovered by Bizef compared to leaving a message on paper or a recording device. A large stylized aura signature reading "Knuckle" appears across the page. Additional aura text states "YOU MUST ACT UNDER THE PREMISE THAT I HAVE DIED." The afro-haired man, identified in narration as having contacted someone by the time of the attack on the palace, says, "IF I HAVE NOT..." Ikalgo stares in shock with wide eyes and an open mouth at the glowing message.

Over five minutes had now passed since the initial invasion of the palace; Palm's part in this mission was long since over. A truck rolls steadily down the empty corridor. Ikalgo had been prepared for this outcome, but still the pain felt as though he had lost a part of his own body. Mixing truth with lies to confuse the enemy is an important mission... it's up to you! You should pretend to be contacting your commander while actually informing Meleoron of the situation. You are to use your satellite and the radio contact to support your comrades in any way you can. If by any chance Palm is dead, or a similar situation arises... Brovuda, who lies ahead of me, with clear doubts forming in his mind... In other words... And this is all dependent upon the fact that Meleoron's existence and my own betrayal remain a secret!! At the same time resonated strongly with the side of himself that refused to give up on rescuing Palm. Ikalgo, whilst trying to concentrate on his mission... MUST BE ELIMINATED!!! NO MATTER WHAT!!

The truck continues forward. The wild-haired driver grips the wheel. In the corridor ahead stands a large, heavily armored figure. The driver calls out Hey. The armored figure turns and replies Hey. You finished that mission for Hagya? Well, pretty much. Yeah. The driver stares in shock, eyes wide. The armored figure leans in with a piercing gaze. Hagya...... eh?

The spotted-head character stands amid debris, one hand raised as a dark silhouette looms nearby. A speech bubble appears beside him: "HE'D GET MAD IF YOU CALLED HIM THAT, YOU KNOW?" His expression shifts to shock, eyes bulging wide with teeth clenched in the next panel. A close-up captures his wide, dotted eyes staring in alarm. Suddenly a massive impact strikes, motion lines and debris exploding outward as large jagged SFX "KIDK!!" dominate the frame, the character's head snapping back from the force.

A massive hand-like form smashes into a vehicle, shattering it with dust and debris flying everywhere. Smaller panels show cracked walls, scattered fragments, and a pair of legs standing amid the destruction. A feathered, winged figure floats or recoils in mid-air surrounded by flying shards. At the bottom, the spotted-head character kneels on the ground while another figure stands nearby. Speech bubbles read "ONE FAKE, ELIMINATED" and "...... RIGHT."

An empty prison cell stands open and vacant. A large question mark floats in the air. "EMPTY?" someone wonders. In the next panel a massive truck sits parked with its rear door open; a small silhouette appears in the darkness. The spotted chimera ant Welfin leans forward, long snout twitching. "I'll just have to ask Hagya," he mutters. "EH, WHAT-EVER," he adds with a dismissive wave. Further panels show the same truck now damaged and smoking, then Welfin walking alone down a long tiled corridor. At the bottom of the page his face fills the frame, eyes wide. "THIS WAY, THE SUSPECT IS DEAD..." he concludes with a grim expression.

Welfin continues walking down the corridor, deep in thought. A giant thought bubble looms above him. "NOW, IF BROVUDA JUST MAKES SURE THE OTHERS KNOW ABOUT THIS...... I'LL BE ABLE TO MOVE ABOUT FREELY......!!" he thinks. In smaller panels his face twists with worry. "......NO, IT'S NO USE!!" he rejects the idea. He recalls that he himself did not know Hagya's new name and questions whether that fact will convince the others. "BUT TO THINK THAT HAGYA HAD CHOSEN SOME KIND OF DIFFERENT NAME TO BE CALLED BY...! HOW COULD I HAVE KNOWN THAT?!" The page ends with a dramatic panel of an explosion. "BROVUDA FIRED WITHOUT A MOMENT'S HESITATION BACK THERE!!" Welfin realizes. "THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR WHEN I GO BACK UP THERE!!" he steels himself. "IF I'M DISCOVERED, THAT'LL MEAN BATTLE..!!"

In a narrow corridor before an elevator, a tall masked figure with a bird-like beak stands over a crouched person with spiky hair. A large speech bubble commands "PLEASE ENTER THE NUMERICAL CODE." The masked figure glances down with a small "?" bubble. In the next panels the spiky-haired person reaches toward the keypad while the masked figure watches. The elevator doors remain closed. A round-headed character with a black mask appears in a lower panel, staring at the elevator with multiple "?" marks. Narration boxes read "...HE CAME DOWN HERE NOT EVEN KNOWING ABOUT THE" and "DON'T TELL ME..." Another box states "THE ELEVATOR ISN'T GOING UP....?" The round-headed character clenches a fist as two large impact circles frame the panel. Bold text declares "THE PERFECT EITHER-OR CHOICE!!" and "THIS IS MY CHANCE!!" The page footer shows the Hunter × Hunter logo and "No.279".