Hunter × Hunter Chapter 376: Determination

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Kurapika stands bound in heavy chains, his blond hair falling across a face marked by intense red eyes. His arms are crossed tightly in front of him, one hand gripping a sharp dagger while the other is weighed down by rings and links. The chains wrap around his body and extend into the smoky darkness, emphasizing his restrained yet defiant posture. Small glowing particles drift around him as he fixes a steady, piercing gaze forward.

In the royal courtroom, a heated legal proceeding unfolds. A large bald man in a white puffer jacket points forward and shouts 'Objection!' A uniformed man on the right declares that after being shot at by the 1st Prince's private guard Musse, 2nd Prince Camilla retaliated in self-defense. Another speaker explains that Camilla gave chase to the fleeing Musse and was met by the 1st Prince's private guard Yurikov and the 1st Queen's family guard Volff. The prosecution demands the 1st Prince and his personal guard hand over Musse for the attempted assassination of the 2nd Prince. They further accuse the 1st Prince Benjamin of spraying off ten rounds while unarmed and not resisting, calling the force excessive. The defense counters that they are not sheltering Musse. The judge announces that both princes shall be confined to the VIP area under surveillance until Musse's whereabouts are confirmed. The court also grants a search of the 2nd Prince's residential quarters. The judge bangs the gavel and declares 'Court is adjourned!' as the session ends.

In a grand hallway of the building, two large men in heavy jackets stand with their backs to the viewer while a uniformed guard watches from the side. Other figures move in the distance. Close-ups reveal a bald man with a scar and stern expression, a sharp-featured face, and a woman with long wavy hair tied back. In a dark panel, three silhouettes stand beneath a glowing owl emblem as narration explains the situation. Musse's owl sees through all. It does not matter. Unfortunately, she managed to evade arrest. A tense scene follows: the woman is visible through a window marked VRRR as she walks away, while a spiky-haired man with intense eyes and a scar on his forehead glares forward. No matter where she may go, or what she may do, I've got my eye on her. The panel is timestamped THIRD DAY, 10:05AM.

An older bearded man in a robe sits with a serious expression, surrounded by speech bubbles discussing the culprit. It is the same culprit... Muhan was attacked the moment he entered the toilet. So, it's possible for them to observe and give orders from afar... it must be a manipulator. In another area, a suited man with glasses holds a phone and gestures while speaking to a worried woman holding a baby. The criminal is clearly targeting people who cannot use Nen. Please stay there. Again?! Is everything alright? Other panels show two men in suits at a doorway, a blond man pointing a gun, and a young person with light hair looking concerned. In this situation, it wouldn't be strange at all for people to think we might be involved with what happened here. With him being taken by surprise, he likely had no means of resisting at all without access to Nen... In the mere ten seconds since we heard him scream, he'd completely dried up...!

In the long ornate hall, a white-haired man in a dark suit raises his hand and shouts, "AND THEN THEY PLOT TO KILL US OFF ONE BY ONE!!" Beside him another suited man declares, "THIS SETTLES IT!! THIS WHOLE 'LECTURES AND INFORMATION ABOUT NEN' IS JUST A BUNCH OF SWEET TALK TO LURE US ALL IN!!" Further into the room several men argue heatedly. One points accusingly and says, "YOU'RE PLANNING TO CONTINUE THE LESSONS TO SLOWLY WHITTLE THROUGH OUR NUMBERS... AND IF YOUR CLASSES DO END, THEN YOU'LL JUST SWEEP US ALL UNDER THE RUG AND PRETEND YOU HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT!" A younger man in the center spreads his arms and replies, "PLEASE WAIT! I SAID EVERYTHING ABOUT NEN IS TRUE! THIS IS BY NO MEANS A CONSPIRACY ON OUR PART!!" Another voice exclaims, "I THOUGHT IT SOUNDED TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE FROM THE GET GO!! SO IT WAS ALL A LIE?!" A seated man warns, "WE NEED TO CALL THE ROYAL ARMY IMMEDIATELY!! IT'S OBVIOUS WHICH OF US THE JUDGE WILL SIDE WITH ON THIS MATTER, AFTER ALL." In close-up panels an older man with a serious expression says "EXCUSE ME..." while another with a wig raises his hand and offers, "IF I MAY SAY SOMETHING..." A voice insists, "WE CANNOT ALLOW THEM TO CALL THE ROYAL ARMY HERE LIKE THIS!!" and continues, "I HAVE TO CONVINCE THEM TO CONTINUE WITH THE LECTURES SOMEHOW...!" A young light-haired character with wide eyes and a sweat drop thinks, "EVEN WITH ROYAL PRIVILEGE ...THIS IS A WORST CASE SCENARIO. IT'S TRUE... THEIR SIDE IS MUCH MORE LOGICAL, AND THEY HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE...! AT THIS RATE, WE COULD ALL BE ARRESTED ALONG WITH THE QUEEN AND PRINCE...!"

A spiky-haired man glares and asks, "DON'T YOU THINK THAT WAS FAR TOO CARELESS?" while a man with a large pompadour hairstyle sweats and thinks, "COMING INTO THE ENEMY'S TERRITORY AND THEN GOING TO THE BATHROOM..." A profile view states, "BUT I THINK THIS INCIDENT HERE WAS SIMPLY NEGLIGENCE." Another adds, "THE FIRST INCIDENT WITH BARRIGEN WAS CERTAINLY AN AMBUSH..." From behind, the pompadour man addresses the group, "WE'VE ALREADY SPLIT UP INTO THREE GROUPS, SO IF EACH OF US LOOKS OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER AND ACT TOGETHER, THERE'S NO WAY THIS TYPE OF ATTACK WILL BE ABLE TO WORK ON US, RIGHT?" He continues, "FIRST OFF, THE LECTURE ONLY LASTS 2 TO 3 HOURS. FOR THAT PERIOD, IT'S NOT TOO MUCH FOR US TO BE BY-THE-BOOK SECURITY GUARDS AND BE ALERT AND VIGILANT, IS IT?" A white-haired man retorts, "AND YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY... WHERE THERE'S SMOKE, THERE'S FIRE." Another warns, "THERE ARE RUMORS THAT YOU HAVE INFILTRATED THE SUCCESSION CONTEST TO TRY TO WORM YOUR WAY INTO THE INNER CIRCLE OF KAKIN." A calm voice replies, "WE DO NOT FULLY TRUST YOU MEMBERS OF THE HUNTER ASSOCIATION AT FACE VALUE." The young light-haired character listens silently with a small speech bubble. In a lower panel a man concludes, "THIS SUCCESSION WAR IS ALSO A BATTLE AMONGST THOSE EMPLOYED BY IT TO VIE FOR POSITION. WOW. WELL DONE ON THAT." while another says, "I SEE... SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT APART FROM BEING A BATTLE AMONGST THE PRINCES..."

In a spacious room with high windows, several suited men stand in tense confrontation. A man with slicked-back hair and a stern expression challenges the group: "CAN YOU EVEN HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ANYMORE? SPOUTING OFF RANDOM CLAIMS WITHOUT EVEN THINKING THEM ALL THE WAY THROUGH LIKE THAT." Another replies that gathering information on the other princes' defenses is vital and that he is under the Queen's orders. Hunters among them state they work to complete their current job before moving on, and that Nen training holds no interest for them. A sharp-featured man asks what reason remains to stay now that Barrigen is dead. Bill, the curly-haired man with a goatee, steps forward and declares loudly: "IF YOU WANNA CALL THE ROYAL ARMY, THEN JUST REQUEST THEY COME AND COLLECT THE BODY! BUT IF YOU ALL PLAN TO INDICT 8TH QUEEN OITO AND HER BODYGUARDS, THEN I'LL INDICT EVERYONE HERE OF THE SAME THING...!" He points emphatically. Others warn that stopping the lectures will cause them to lose their chance to do something useful and that the ones who will decide are you. In the final panel, a short-haired youth with large eyes watches silently with a serious expression.

Bill stands among a group of suited men and guards in a hallway, raising one hand while saying "COME HERE A MOMENT. VELE-REINTE." Nearby men exchange worried glances, one noting they will be suspected anyway. In a dining room with plates of food on the table, Bill speaks to a person in a dark suit: "BESIDES, THERE'S SOMETHING I NEED YOUR HELP WITH AS WELL." The suited figure replies there is no need to thank him. Bill then turns to the short-haired youth and asks, "CAN I BORROW BILL FOR ABOUT TEN MINUTES?" The youth responds with a simple "?" The final wide panel shows an open sea under cloudy skies where a large dark shape breaks the surface, creating ripples and foam.

Kurapika stands in a formal room and discusses the plan with an older suited man. "So then you want to pretend to be talking to Bill there while you give information through the door," Kurapika says. The man replies, "I'd stand out like a sore thumb. But if I stood in front of the door by myself, it wouldn't be good, would it?" He continues, "It may be a one-sided communication, but I thought I might be able to give information to them in room 1013 this way." Kurapika answers, "Yes. I see... It's worth a shot..." In the next panel Kurapika adds, "If the need arises, I'll try 'making contact' with it, but for now, I'd like to prioritize this dimension." The man notes, "So I've heard. Isn't 13th Prince Marayam's Nen beast inside the empty room? But due to special circumstances, I don't know if I'm able to return myself. Hanzo has returned to the room..." The older man thanks Kurapika and states he needs ten minutes to buy time for as many princes as possible while lectures continue. In the final wide panel the man walks alone down a long ornate hallway, two figures visible far ahead.

In room 1010 a bald man in a robe asks for help with studies while a small child peeks from behind. Melody, seated with a pen, calls out "MELODY!! COME HERE A SECOND!" A woman with long hair questions the request. Melody tells the bald man "You're gonna say it's pointless, since I'm going to die anyway?" The bald man reacts with surprise. Melody explains she is a contrarian motivated by such situations. She reassures the bald man that it is fine and she knows best how true it is. The bald man protests loudly. A close-up shows a girl with pigtails reacting to a sound "PII PIII PII PII PI PIII PIIII". Melody states the sound means the listener is the closest to being a fellow student. In a dramatic panel Melody realizes "SHE'S SENDING MORSE CODE!" and asks if the sender can hear her while wondering if it is a mosquito.

An angry woman with short hair glares at the long-haired girl and shouts, "ARE YOU TRYING TO PICK A FIGHT WITH ME?!" The girl snaps back, "WHAT?!" and adds, "STUDYING WASN'T EXACTLY MY STRONGEST SUIT, BUT I GUESS I'D HAVE TO SAY...MUSIC?" The woman retorts, "DOES IT LOOK LIKE I CALLED YOU OVER HERE TO STUDY MUSIC?!" The long-haired girl bows deeply, saying "PARDON ME!" and "I'M SORRY!" while someone else yelps "AHH...!" The girl then yells, "GET OUT OF HERE! GO!" and "NEVERMIND, I'LL DO IT MYSELF!" A close-up shows the bald child with wide eyes staring forward. Text on the right reads "KITCHEN CUPBOARD BOTTOM LEFT CORNER DEEP INSIDE." In the kitchen, two figures stand near a steaming pot on the stove. The bald child peeks from behind a curtain and says "NOO."

The bald child rummages through an open cupboard in a storage room filled with shelves. Close-up shows hands holding a round device and a card labeled "UP2" with lightning graphics. A panel displays the device and card with bold text: "ADULTS CAN'T HEAR IT!! SPEAK IN SECRET USING MOSQUITO SOUNDS!!" Narration reads "ALL IN ORDER TO SURVIVE..." followed by "SHE REALLY THOUGHT THIS THROUGH." The bald child stares ahead with determination as large text states "NO MATTER WHAT...!!" and "I WILL SAVE HER..." A final panel shows a bright light streak across darkness.

A hand holds up a coin marked with a prominent '1' against a stark black background, light rays bursting outward. At a glance, there seems to be nothing out of the ordinary at all with them... Another one dropped out of the sky this morning. In a well-appointed room, a man in a padded jacket explains that the first coin produces an effect that works the same as a real tool or weapon, while the other is a supernatural effect possible only through Nen. Conjured objects generally break down into two broad categories of effects. A close-up shows his serious face as he continues: which means it is likely a kind of catalyst that produces supernatural effects upon fulfilling certain conditions. As far as his research has gone, there exist no objects with the same design, therefore it is not the former. Nearby, a suited man gestures while speaking with a seated bald man who has a mustache and three dots on his forehead: with your experience, what kind of effect or ability would you suppose they have? But assuming these were created by the Nen beast... The bald man now holds a small white coin near his face and states that when the owner of the coin satisfies the conditions, multiple abilities shall be invoked. So in other words, you don't know anything about it, either. A text box identifies the ability as 3rd Prince Zhang Lei's Guardian Spirit Beast - a composite conjurer type ability that activates multiple abilities upon satisfying multiple conditions.

A young girl with short dark hair stares forward with wide eyes in a close-up panel. A box reads 4th Day - Wednesday - Late Night. Below, an ornate door with heart motifs is shown between motion lines and impact effects marked with large 'Z' sounds. The girl, now seen from behind with long hair visible, recalls that this magic only works once a day and appeared after she returned from the tunnel yesterday. She sits on a bed surrounded by scattered playing cards, a tray, and a bottle as a large 'IT APPEARED...!!' effect bursts on screen. In the next panel she sits on the floor before the same heart-decorated door, thinking: if perhaps it can even take me off this boat then I can go together with Ka-Chin... And more importantly, can I really go anywhere with this...? But if one of her bodyguards had seen me, that would have been bad news. I got lucky that Ka-Chin happened to be on her bed yesterday... Where should I try going today...?

A young girl sits alone in a cluttered room, surrounded by scattered papers and books. She clutches her head, deep in thought about her mysterious door-creating ability. She wonders if she can change direction midway through a tunnel, how far she can travel, how many people the door can carry, and whether the exit location differs from the entrance. She questions how long the door remains after use and whether she can only use it once per day. Deciding she must investigate immediately, she resolves not to waste her single chance. The place she wants to reach is right next to the entrance. With her magic, she declares she will save Ka-Chin. She focuses and attempts to summon the door, but it fails to appear. She wonders if it is a one-way street from the entrance or if the exit only appears when she opens the entrance, but the door remains absent and nothing changes.

In a formal hallway, a stern man with a goatee confirms that the killer was a Nen user. Kurapika, with long hair, discusses the situation with him and another man. They note that Muhan was killed and that the assassin was likely one of the twenty-one people in room 1014. The killings have only occurred during lectures so far. Kurapika states his impression that the bodyguards' leader is not lying. They agree that even if Prince Woble's side claims they can teach Nen in two weeks, the group should continue participating in the lectures. The man with the goatee asks if Kurapika is prepared to continue, and Kurapika agrees for the most part. They conclude that the Hunter Association members are likely trying to create a stalemate by leveling the playing field and teaching everyone Nen until the princes reach the New Continent, preventing further assassinations.

A long-haired man stares intently to the side, sweat visible as he considers the implications. "THIS ACT OF 'TEACHING' MAY BE A CONDITION FOR ACTIVATING THAT VERY ABILITY..." he thinks. Nearby, a woman with a bob haircut and facial scar narrows her eyes. "IS THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO 'CONSIDER EVERY SINGLE POSSIBILITY', AND HE'S ALREADY DOING IT WITH MORE SPEED AND DEPTH THAN I CAN," she reflects. "ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILLS TO HAVE IN A NEN BATTLE... ...HOW TERRIFYING." A close-up shows an eye and then a mouth with sharp teeth. "ONE OF THE REQUIRED CONDITIONS FOR THE PRINCE'S NEN BEAST... THIS WOUND IS ALSO PROBABLY..." the long-haired man continues. He fixes a stern gaze forward. "REGARDLESS IF THE NEN TRAINING WAS REAL OR NOT, YOU WILL NEED TO BRING A 'GIFT'... TO PROVE YOU ARE INNOCENT AND STILL OF SOUND MIND. IF YOU DO INTEND TO CONTINUE... THEN ON THE LAST DAY OF TRAINING WHEN YOU COME BACK HERE..." At the bottom, a short-haired man with a tense expression declares, "I WILL CONTINUE...!" A voice responds, "UNDERSTOOD."

In a grand hall, the woman with the bob haircut and scar stands beside the long-haired man who gestures with smoke rising from his hands. A figure stands in the distant doorway. A black banner panel shows the woman's wide-eyed, determined face. "TO TEACH THE PRINCE 'ZETSU'! JUST 11 DAYS LEFT... THERE'S STILL ENOUGH TIME...!" she declares. The long-haired man asks, "FOR THAT WATER DIVINATION THING? I SHOULD BE READY NOW, NO?" In the hall, a suited attendant responds to a call. "YES, SIR?" The long-haired man addresses someone: "THETA..." A heated exchange follows as the woman turns away. "COME ON, MY TALENT IS SERIOUSLY SICK, ISN'T IT?" the long-haired man insists. "IT'S FINE! YOU DON'T NEED TO HOLD MY HAND THE WHOLE WAY LIKE THAT! LET'S JUST TAKE THE SHORTEST ROUTE!" The woman retorts, "OF COURSE... IT'S ALWAYS BEST TO FIND OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IF YOU FILL YOUR HEAD WITH NEEDLESS INFORMATION, IT COULD BE COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE! NOT YET!" She concludes, "THEN IT'S EASIER TO PREPARE COUNTERMEASURES. FINE, BUT I DID WARN YOU! IF YOU KNOW YOUR OPPONENT'S TYPE..."

A violent explosion erupts from a large circular apparatus overhead, sending black debris and sparks flying in all directions. In the foreground, a long-haired man grips a glowing, damaged card with both hands as energy crackles across his chest. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" he shouts. To his right, a suited man with slicked-back hair recoils, sweat visible on his face, and exclaims, "AH, THIS REEKS!!" The panel shifts to a close-up of swirling dark energy and text declaring, "AND A SERIOUSLY SINISTER LOOKING ONE AT THAT...!" A label reads, "A SPECIALIST..." The suited man's face fills the next panel as he continues, "I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE!" and "...I'VE..." Smaller text notes, "EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS MAN... IS COMPLETELY OUT OF THE NORM!" The page ends with the Hunter × Hunter logo and "CH. 376 / END".