Hunter × Hunter Chapter 378: Balance

In an ornate dining room, O'Neal Longbao, head of the Xi-Yu family and illegitimate half-brother to Nasubi Hui Guo Rou, sits on the phone with a serious expression. He declares that for those that 'have' to continue to have with stability, many will ultimately have to go 'without'... that is balance. A woman seated at the table eats quietly with chopsticks while another woman leans in to feed O'Neal a spoonful of food. He continues that there is a finite amount of material wealth to be had, and the more people that need a share, the less your own portion is. The same goes for 'power', and if anything, it requires even more delicate adjustments to maintain. O'Neal states that military power is the most effective way to rapidly bring about a redistribution of wealth, which is precisely why 'those without' should never be allowed to obtain power. The bottom of the panel identifies him as fixer to 3rd Prince Zhang Lei.

Brocco Li, head of the Cha-R family and fixer to 7th Prince Luzurus, speaks on the phone while reclining with a small cat on his lap. He notes that even in Meteor City, that lot stuck out for being trouble. He adds that the Troupe does not act with the class and propriety befitting those with 'power.' Adjusting them would be extremely difficult. Their infamy is such that even some of their own younger members are secret fans. In the lower panel, a large fish-like creature labeled Kuku Ku reacts with surprise, asking if that is the some day that we'll adjust. Another voice denies it was just saying that even if we do nothing, birds of a feather will inevitably clash some day. A third voice wonders if there is something you want me to say. The creature concludes that they sound a lot like a certain someone who became head of the family by breaking all the rules.

In a spacious room, several figures stand and sit in the background while a seated man with an afro holding a small cat turns slightly. A voice calls out 'HEY.' The view shifts to two sharply dressed men standing side by side. Lieutenant Hinrigi Bigandaphno of the Xi Yu family, with long wavy hair and a bold striped suit, responds 'YES, SIR.' Beside him, Lieutenant Ou Ken-I of the Cha-R family, wearing a pinstripe suit and glasses, receives the urgent order: 'FIND HISOKA BEFORE THE SPIDERS DO...!' Both men snap to attention. Hinrigi's eyes widen intensely as he replies 'YES, SIR!' while Ou Ken-I maintains a stern, focused expression.

The two lieutenants continue receiving instructions. If Hisoka cannot be found among the listed families, they are told to check the royal army's passenger list for solo male travelers, including children and the elderly. A reward of 10 million is offered to the person who finds Hisoka, plus another 10 million to the squad leader of that sector. An older man in a robe emphasizes using connections with laborers and workers. Hinrigi discusses the possibility that Hisoka stowed away or used a ruse, while Ou Ken-I notes the Spiders' head may already be in motion. A bald man in a robe warns that nobody asked for his opinion. The exchange ends with a close-up of Hinrigi and Ou Ken-I as one declares 'JUST FIND HIM, THEN I'LL TAKE IT FROM THERE...!'

Morena Prude stands centered against a stark black background, her long hair flowing outward with dramatic motion lines. Her upper face shows closed eyes and a serene smile framed by a thorny crown, while her lower face reveals intense, glaring eyes and a determined grin. Speech bubbles surround her as she addresses unseen listeners. She begins, 'FIRST OFF... ALLOW ME TO EXPRESS MY DEEPEST GRATITUDE. YOU TRULY HAVE MY DEEPEST THANKS.' She continues, 'THOUGH I WAS ORDERED INTO THIS DEATH MATCH, YOU'VE STILL DECIDED TO STAY BY MY SIDE. FOR THAT, I AM DEEPLY INDEBTED TO YOU ALL.' Morena adds, 'EVEN THOUGH I AM INEXPERIENCED... AND STILL BUT A POTENTIAL SUCCESSOR.' Her tone shifts as she declares, '...BUT... I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THIS WORLD, OR ANYTHING OR ANYONE IN IT, INCLUDING MYSELF.' A central information box identifies her as 'HEAD OF THE HEIL-LY FAMILY MORENA PRUDE (LV.45) ILLEGITIMATE DAUGHTER OF NASUBI HUI GUO ROU AND HIS MISTRESS FIXER - 4TH PRINCE TSERRIEDNICH'. Morena concludes with resolve, 'SO... ONE WAY OR THE OTHER... LET'S TEAR IT TO THE GROUND.'

A large panel shows Morena standing tall in a long black dress, arms outstretched, with a grid of twenty-three portrait panels arranged in three rows below her. Above the grid, a speech bubble states '23 HERE.' Another bubble reads 'WITH WE...'. Morena announces, 'COME HERE, ONE BY ONE...' and promises, 'NOW, AS PROMISED, I SHALL GRANT YOU ALL POWER.' Three smaller panels follow: Morena leans in to kiss a girl with pigtails on the cheek, then touches the face of another young woman, and finally the pigtail girl reacts with wide eyes and a slight smile, sweat drops visible. Silhouettes of additional figures line the top of the page. The grid contains a diverse array of men and women with varied expressions, hairstyles, and features, including one with a dog-like mask.

Against a stark black background, two women embrace and kiss passionately amid swirling smoke and aura effects. One woman with long flowing hair holds the other close. Large text boxes detail the ability: "ABILITY NAME: ETUDE OF LOVE (BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION) THROUGH MORENA, MEMBER ZERO'S, SALIVA. MORE MEMBERS ARE CREATED (UP TO A MAXIMUM OF 23 PEOPLE, INCLUDING HERSELF). WHEN A MEMBER KILLS SOMEONE, THEY LEVEL UP INCREASING THEIR AURA CAPACITY AND POWER." Another box states: "ONCE THEY PASS LEVEL 20, THEIR INDIVIDUAL UNIQUE POWER WILL MANIFEST. ONCE REACHING LEVEL 100, THAT MEMBER CAN ALSO BECOME MEMBER ZERO, CAPABLE OF CREATING THEIR OWN COMMUNITY." At the bottom, two oval panels read: "NEN USERS ARE WORTH 10." and "REGULAR PEOPLE ARE WORTH 1 LEVEL."

A close-up reveals a woman with long straight hair wearing a thorny crown, smiling confidently against a dark swirling background with flame-like shapes. Speech bubbles surround her: "IF YOU KILL A PRINCE..." "YOU WILL GAIN 50 LEVELS." "I WILL PRAY FOR YOU..." "THROUGH YOUR BRAVE BATTLES." A lower panel shows only the lower legs and feet of multiple standing figures. At the bottom, a final speech bubble reads "BON VOYAGE..."

A circular spotlight illuminates a tense scene inside a royal chamber. Several women in simple dresses stand around a large bed where a woman lies propped up, her arms raised in distress. Young children cling to the bedside, one reaching toward the woman while another stands with their back to the viewer. A text box defines the term 'SECOND RAKER*' as a portmanteau referring to descendants of the king who cannot become legitimate heirs. Below, a close-up shows two hands gripping straight razors. Text explains that these individuals are permitted to live only if they never appear in politics or the public eye, and that upon birth their faces are slashed with two razors. Two diagonal razor slashes are drawn at the bottom of the page.

Dark smoky background filled with floating speech bubbles containing fragmented thoughts: 'THEN ALLOW ITS EXISTENCE?', 'HURT IT...', 'SHUN IT...', 'THEN DOUBT IT...', and 'THEY SELFISHLY GIVE LIFE TO A CHILD...'. A rectangular panel shows a woman with long hair and a prominent stitched scar across her left cheek; she gently touches the scar while thinking 'BUT... I LIKE THIS SCAR.' Another panel displays two rows of stitches with the text 'WITHOUT IT... I WOULD HAVE TIPPED EVER CLOSER TOWARDS DEATH.' The woman stands barefoot on a white surface, declaring 'I HAVE FOUND MY BALANCE.' A final bubble states 'BUT THANKS TO THIS SCAR...'.

A lone woman stands at the center of a chaotic collage, arms spread wide in a commanding pose. She wears a long black dress and a delicate headpiece, her long hair flowing around her. Surrounding her are fragmented panels depicting a ruined world: a tiger and zebra in a desolate landscape, skeletal remains, a volcanic eruption, dead fish, a bird on a branch, lightning storms, industrial smokestacks belching pollution, and multiple corpses lying in streets and rooms. Men in suits and casual clothes are shown dead or kneeling. Large vertical text reads "THIS SHITHOLE OF A WORLD..." on the left and "IN ORDER TO RIP DOWN..." on the right. At the bottom, bold text states "SOME WILL TO LIVE. I HAVE FOUND..."

A diagram of a multi-deck ship is shown with labeled sections. Deck 1 has a ship icon. Deck 2 shows an arrow between sections. Deck 3 lists HEIL-LY FAMILY with a woman and man portraits, and TSERRIEDNICH. Deck 4 shows XI-YU FAMILY with two men and ZHANG LEI. Deck 5 shows CHA-R FAMILY with Luzurus and others. Speech bubbles explain family income sources and control over decks. Below, several panels depict a conversation: a spiky-haired man with a sword umbrella speaks about retrieving goods, a slick-haired man responds about procuring a weapon, and a group including a short figure with a topknot discusses hunting someone. One panel shows a skull-masked character saying they will worry about who and how after. Close-ups show intense facial expressions during the exchange.

The long storage corridor stands empty under dim lights, lined with stacked boxes on both sides. A dark side passage reveals three distant silhouettes. In a close panel, Feitan stands between a topknotted man in a robe and a slick-haired man in a high-collared jacket, all facing forward with stern expressions. Nearby, several men wait in a side room, one seated on crates while others stand watch. In the main warehouse floor, the group confronts the Troupe members. One man states, "THEY GOT MIXED IN WITH THE BLACK MARKET STOCK." Another asks, "A KATANA AND AN UMBRELLA." A third inquires, "WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?" The man in the jacket replies, "I HEARD FROM THE OTHERS. YOU'RE THE TROUPE, RIGHT?" The spiky-haired masked figure stands silently in the foreground amid scattered crates and goods.

A forklift moves through the upper level as the group ascends stairs. A man gestures and says, "THIS WAY." A close-up shows a hand reaching toward the spiky-haired figure. The topknotted man extends an arm protectively in front of him. In rapid succession, the spiky-haired man vanishes. A close-up face declares, "FROM MY EN..." followed by "IN AN INSTANT ..." The slick-haired man notes, "HE DISAPPEARED." Another warns, "BE CAREFUL." In the warehouse below, the remaining members walk past shelves. One states, "I DON'T SENSE HIS PRESENCE AT ALL..." The slick-haired man replies, "YOU'RE RIGHT..."

In a dimly lit corridor lined with metal lockers, a man with a goatee glances upward. A small group advances down the hallway: a figure in a dark cloak, a man with a topknot, and another in a white robe. Someone remarks that the path ahead is a dead-end. The trio pauses as a distant figure with wild hair stands further down the corridor. Suddenly a brilliant flash erupts from the side passage they just left, accompanied by repeated heavy impact sounds. The bandaged-faced companion turns sharply, noting the sound came from the path they had just taken moments ago. The topknotted man and the white-robed figure exchange tense glances. The group resumes walking away from the source of the disturbance, their backs to the glowing corridor.

A bloodied corpse lies sprawled on the floor of the corridor. The topknotted man, white-robed man, and bandaged figure approach the body. A large panel reveals a bearded man in a torn shirt, arms outstretched, covered in dark stains. Text boxes explain that the missing mafia soldier has somehow slipped past the group and now lies dead in the dead-end. The bandaged figure questions what happened. The white-robed man suggests they leave the corpse and continue searching for their own missing items. The topknotted man agrees they should focus on finding the katana and umbrella first. In a close-up, a hand grips a weapon tightly as impact sounds echo. The topknotted man mutters that the white-robed man has serious priority issues. The bearded corpse lies motionless in the background.

In a crowded Deck 3 regular passenger area, soldiers block the entrance to an off-limits corridor while civilians press forward. A large sign reads 'THIS AREA IS OFF LIMITS UNTIL WE'RE DONE INVESTIGATING THE SCENE!!' amid chaotic shouting of 'NO, YOU CAN'T COME THROUGH!!' and heavy SFX. Below, investigators discuss the crime: the murder weapon was a blade with no Nen traces, the criminal is described as a slim man in his twenties around 185-190cm with a large crescent-shaped scar on his left cheek, and a survivor was present at the scene. One soldier asks about casualties and witnesses. A close-up shows a stern soldier's eyes as he says he'd like to hear the survivor's story himself. In the hallway, a woman in a light dress and a person in a black-and-white patterned outfit walk past kneeling soldiers and investigators. The survivor’s testimony is noted as vague and possibly confused due to shock, with no other witnesses matching the described man.

A close-up of Louisny, member of the Heil-ly Family level 21, with a prominent scar on his left cheek, grins wildly while gripping a cord. He shouts 'NOBUNAGA!! PHINKS!! FEITAN!!' and reacts to the Spiders, saying 'I'D EXPECT NOTHING LESS FROM THE INFAMOUS SPIDERS!! THEY SEND SUCH A CHILL UP MY SPINE!! THIS IS WHY I REALLY ADMIRE THEM~!!' He recalls that Kukuku calmly ignored his little prank. In a lower panel, three figures are seen from above through a narrow gap as 'THE WATCHER IN THE ATTIC CREEPS IN CLOSER!!' Louisny declares 'LET US DESTROY THIS WORLD TOGETHER~ !!!' The page ends with the Hunter x Hunter logo and 'CH.378 / END'.