Hunter × Hunter Chapter 385: Warning

Theta stands with her back to the viewer, her short bob haircut visible, as she reacts with surprise. A close-up shows her scarred face with wide eyes as she says something about a presence on the left shoulder. Tserriednich appears in full view, tall and muscular in a tank top and loose pants, looking down with a neutral expression. Theta turns and speaks to him, suggesting they start over from the top. In a wider view, Tserriednich stands beside her while she questions if something is wrong; he replies it is nothing. Another panel shows Tserriednich warning that the effect will be far worse when the attack comes from an enemy, urging her to hang on as Theta plays dirty. A close-up captures Tserriednich's intense face with wide eyes and the sound effect 'ズズ…' as he tells himself to focus. In the background, Theta and a suited figure stand before a swirling, ominous aura manifestation with the sound 'ゴルルル…'. The final panel shows Theta's determined close-up as she declares she must not rush it and warns herself not to let her focus stray from outside sounds.

Theta, in a suit, stands facing Tserriednich and explains that to kill him she must act quickly and with certainty before he undoes his Zetsu. A panel shows Tserriednich with eyes closed as narration reveals the 4th Prince has incredible aura and that physical attacks become impossible once his Guardian Beast appears. Theta continues that using a fully realized Zetsu to cut off the aura source may not be enough, and the Guardian Beast could remain active for over 40 minutes in the worst case. In a hallway scene, Theta tells approaching figures it is nothing while one calls out 'Your Highness?!'. Guards react with shock as a loud sound effect 'ガシャン!!' echoes. Tserriednich appears in the foreground with aura flaring around him, looking serious. Theta shouts for no interruptions as the prince concentrates.

The long-haired muscular man stands with a serious expression and declares, "I'M GOING TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT THIS." He continues, "STARTING NOW, YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ME." In a separate panel his close-up face adds, "NOT EVEN A HAIR ON MY NECK WILL BUDGE, SO DO NOT WORRY. EVEN IF YOU WERE WRITHING IN PAIN AND FOAMING AT THE MOUTH..." From off-panel a voice replies, "YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN YOUR ZETSU WITHOUT GETTING INTERRUPTED BY THINGS LIKE THEM. ANYWAYS, LET'S JUST CONSIDER THEIR LITTLE INTRUSION PART OF YOUR TRAINING. NOW, LET'S START OVER AGAIN." The suited figure with bobbed hair stands in the background while a small silhouette appears on the floor. A large panel shows the massive horned creature looming over the woman in the tank top and the suited person; narration states, "NOW, THE PRINCE'S CONCENTRATION HAS ENTERED AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT LEVEL..." The woman answers, "YES, SIR." Text beside the panel reads, "HIS SWITCH HAS BEEN ENGAGED...!" At the bottom, reaction panels show dust clouds, motion lines, and the creature's intense face with sweat drops and impact symbols.

The long-haired muscular man and the suited bob-haired person stand facing each other in a wide empty space. A wide establishing shot shows the long hallway with doors and the two figures at opposite ends. Close-ups reveal the man's half-closed eyes and the suited person's stern gaze with a bandage on the cheek. In a darkened panel the suited person stands with a serious expression while motion lines and symbols appear around them. The long-haired man turns his back, his muscular shoulders visible. The suited person's hand forms a gesture with the index finger extended; a small white orb appears near the hand. Final panels focus on the hand gesture and a clenched fist with motion lines.

Tserriednich stands in profile, his long hair shifting slightly as a sharp reaction line and the SFX 'ノノノ' flare beside his head. His eyes remain half-lidded. In the next panel his expression stays neutral. He appears full-body in a sleeveless top, facing right. Beside him, a short-haired figure in a dark suit raises a hand and points forward while a woman with a facial scar and bob haircut stands with arms crossed, her gaze fixed ahead. Close-ups follow of Tserriednich’s face: his eyes slowly open wider, pupils visible, hair strands framing his features against a dotted background. The scarred woman glances sideways with a stern look. Tserriednich’s eyes narrow again in the final close-up before the sequence ends with the woman’s tense expression.

In a vast ornate hall with checkered floor and double doors, an older man in a dark suit stands centered, flanked by attendants and a woman in kimono arranging flowers. Two small silhouettes face each other across a wide empty panel. Close-ups show the scarred woman in profile and Tserriednich’s face turned away. A decorative clock on a mantel is visible. Silhouetted busts of the scarred woman appear side by side, one with hand on hip. The final panel reveals a figure from the waist down in a dark suit, both hands gripping a handgun pointed downward.

Tserriednich stands face-to-face with Theta, eyes closed in a tense stare as the sound effect "ジリ..." lingers. Theta's hand grips a pistol tightly. Theta's boots step forward across the floor. A close-up reveals Theta's sharp eye and ear. A large announcement echoes: "AS A PRESENT, A SURPRISE MUSICAL PERFORMANCE FROM THE ROYAL SPONSORED CONCERT FOR EVERYONE FROM THE HIGH AREA (DECKS 1 AND 2)." Another voice states, "DEAR PASSENGERS, WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE SUDDEN ANNOUNCEMENT." In a grand ornate hallway, Tserriednich walks ahead with his back turned while Theta stands facing forward in a dark suit.

Tserriednich's face appears with eyes closed beside a narration box stating the performance will be given by Miss Melody of the Hunter Association along with a duet by Lady Kacho and Fugetsu. Tserriednich remarks, "A COMPLETELY IMMACULATE ZETSU..." Theta, seen from behind, faces him. Theta exclaims, "THIS IS INCREDIBLE, YOUR HIGHNESS..." Close-ups show intense eyes as a voice says, "PLEASE GIVE YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION AND LISTEN." Another line reads, "IF ONLY HE WERE THE KIND OF PERSON THAT WOULD USE IT FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS..." Theta continues, "WE WILL FIRST BEGIN WITH MISS MELODY'S FLUTE PERFORMANCE. WITH THIS TALENT..." A black bar displays "AT THE VERY LEAST..." In the final panel a hand aims a pistol with the words "I'LL FINISH YOU SWIFTLY..." and the caption "...AND PAINLESSLY WITH ONE SHOT."

A powerfully built man with long, flowing hair stands with his back turned, his muscular frame dominating the frame. Blood and fragments burst violently from the back of his head as a gunshot rings out. Beside him, a short-haired woman in a dark suit grips a handgun with both hands, her eyes wide and focused, the muzzle flash illuminating the moment she fires directly into his skull. The man’s body remains upright, one fist clenched, the other arm slightly extended, as if the impact has not yet registered.

The short-haired woman stares forward with a fierce expression, her face filling the panel as she declares her intent. A speech bubble reads “WILL BE FOLLOWING ALONG RIGHT AFTER…” while another fragment states “AND THEN I…”. Below, the long-haired man’s face appears with a small star-shaped mark glowing on his forehead, eyes wide and mouth agape in shock. His hands are shown raised amid scattering particles. In the final panel the man lies sprawled on the ground, arms still lifted, while the woman stands over him holding the gun, smoke and debris drifting around the fallen body.

In a serene, butterfly-filled wilderness, a suited figure stands atop a rocky outcrop holding a handgun while a body lies sprawled face-up among the foliage below. Butterflies drift through the air around the scene. A large close-up shows Theta's wide-eyed, stunned face as she processes what she sees. Smaller inset panels depict an ornate room with musical notes floating near a window, a ticking grandfather clock, dense foliage, and a sudden blinding flash of light that scatters butterflies outward in all directions.

High above a checkered hallway, a figure in a suit is flung backward through the air while firing a gun, debris scattering. Theta stares in shock, sweat on her face. Text panels read: 'HAS VANISHED...?! THE PRINCE...' and 'WHAT ...?'. Further down the corridor the narration continues: 'THE BLOODSTAINS... ARE GONE...?!' and 'NO... EVEN CRAZIER THAN THAT...'. In the bottom panels Theta raises her gun with both hands, declaring 'IT COULDN'T BE!! THE PRINCE WAS IN ZETSU...' and questions 'WHY...?! WAS THIS THE PRINCE'S ABILITY?!'. From off-panel, voices shout 'THETA!! DON'T MOVE!! YOUR HIGHNESS!! WHAT WAS THAT GUNSHOT JUST NOW?!' as two armed men appear in the background.

In a stark black-and-white panel, Tserriednich stands with one hand raised, a radiant aura bursting behind him as he addresses Theta. "THIS WAS JUST PART OF OUR TRAINING. THERE'S NO ISSUE HERE," he declares confidently. Theta, her bobbed hair framing a bandaged face, stares with wide, unblinking eyes. Close-ups reveal Tserriednich's calm expression as he asks, "I DIDN'T EVEN FLINCH TO YOUR GUNSHOT, RIGHT? WELL, THETA? HOW WAS MY ZETSU?" Theta's eyes widen further in the next panel, sweat drops forming as she thinks "IMPOSSIBLE..." Flashback panels show a blood-soaked floor and a body with a head wound; a voice recalls, "AND HIS BRAINS WERE SPLATTERED EVERYWHERE...!!! THERE WAS SO MUCH BLOOD THERE...!!! HE WAS LAYING RIGHT THERE...!!! I KILLED HIM... I'M SURE OF IT...!" Theta's trembling hands and feet appear in fragmented shots. In the present, suited men approach her on the checkered floor. One says, "YOUR HIGHNESS... ...THIS IS ALL A LITTLE BIT WORRYING..." Another adds, "I THINK YOU REALLY TOOK IT TOO FAR, THETA....!" Theta stands frozen, a single sweat drop on her cheek.

Theta stands in profile, eyes shut and mouth open in a small gasp. Tserriednich's silhouette looms behind her as he says, "YOU WERE BRACING YOURSELF THAT WHOOOLE TIME, WEREN'T YOU...? WHY DON'T YOU REST A BIT, THETA?" In a sudden hallway scene, suited men are thrown backward with impact lines and "HEY!" and "WHA?!" exclamations. Theta lies collapsed on the floor, eyes closed, sweat covering her face. Extreme close-ups show her eyes swirling with spiral patterns and heavy sweat drops. A grotesque, horned, multi-limbed creature with flowing hair appears before a kneeling Tserriednich, declaring "YOU WILL CEASE TO EXIST AS A HUMAN." Tserriednich kneels with a slight smile as torn speech fragments read "THAT YOU ANSWER THE PRINCE'S QUESTIONS FALSELY..." and "THE NEXT TIME..." The creature's form drips with dark energy. Final panels show a suited man tumbling violently across the floor and Theta lying motionless with closed eyes.

In a lavishly decorated room, several formally dressed figures stand together. One man states they rushed over upon hearing the gunshot, while another notes that time flew by as a beautiful landscape unfolded before their eyes. A voice confirms the performer was Melody from the Hunter Association, originally planned to broadcast the 8th prince's rap, but most likely the music performance broadcast was the cause of their inability to move. A mustached man emphasizes that in that moment they were unable to move at all. In a lower panel, a short-haired woman in a suit stands with her back partly turned as a suited man declares they should summon Melody at once under the pretense of an invitation, noting an invitation is different from a summons order. The woman responds that depending on whether she answers yes or no they can infer the situation. A large lower panel shows a long-haired person with an earring turning their head slightly, two figures visible behind them.

A close-up reveals the long-haired person's face twisted in anguish, eyes wide and mouth open, screaming "THEEE... EEEEEE... BETAAA... AAAAA!!" while declaring "I CAN TRUST YOU, CAN'T I?!!" Extreme close-ups follow of wide, detailed eyes with radiating motion lines. The scene shifts to an office where Theta stands facing a suited man with spiky hair who exclaims "THAT WAS FAST! WHOA!" A small sweat drop appears near Theta. In the final panels the suited man, identified as addressing Theta, says "...BUT ENOUGH, THETA. YOU WEREN'T EVEN ASLEEP 15 MINUTES. IT'S ALRIGHT." Another figure asks "WHAT TIME IS IT?!"

The scarred woman stares intensely, her face marked with a dense pattern of dark dots across one side. She declares, "I'LL TAKE CARE OF THE REST." In the next panel she continues speaking into a phone, "I CAN'T JUST STOP AT THIS POINT...!! AND HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO FILL IN FOR ME NOW?" while a suited man with short hair and facial lines holds his own phone and replies, "...WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? YOU JUST REST NOW." A wide panel shows motion lines around a phone on the floor. The woman turns her head sharply, warning, "A PUNISHMENT CRUELER THAN DEATH IS WAITING FOR YOU...!!" The man responds with a stern expression, "IF YOU GO AGAINST ITS WARNING..." In the background a figure sits on a stool in a long hallway while another kneels nearby. The man notes, "IT MARKS YOU WITH A SCAR FOR YOUR FIRST LIE, NEXT IT WARNS YOU WITH WORDS AND SIGNS. YEAH. THIS MUST HAVE BEEN THE PRINCE'S GUARDIAN BEAST'S WORK..."

Explosive smoke and debris fill the background as thought bubbles question the prince's methods: "IN ORDER TO ADD TO THE PRINCE'S PAWNS...!! IN ORDER TO CHANGE THEM INTO 'SOME-THING NOT HUMAN'!!!" "THERE CAN CLEARLY ONLY BE ONE REASON." "WHY DOES THE PRINCE'S GUARDIAN BEAST USE SUCH ROUND-ABOUT METHODS AND ALLOW TRAITOROUS PEOPLE TO LIVE?" The short-haired man insists, "I KNOW... THAT'S WHY YOU NEED TO STAY CALM AND THINK THIS OVER CAREFULLY!" while the scarred woman replies, "BUT... AT THIS RATE...!!!" The man leans in and accuses, "ALL YOU ARE DOING IS MAKING THINGS MORE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR THE PRINCE. BY CONTINUING ON NOW..." The woman hesitates with "..." The man places a hand on his head and declares, "I'LL HANDLE IT SOMEHOW. JUST LEAVE IT TO ME, AND YOU REST...!!!" The woman asks, "AND HOW EXACTLY ARE YOU GONNA DO THAT?" In the hallway the man sits alone on a stool and thinks, "SOMEHOW, I FIGURED THAT'S WHAT YOU'D SAY. IDIOT...!" and "I WAS HOPING YOU'D FIGURE THAT OUT FOR ME WHILE YOU WERE RESTING." A final caption reads "HOW DO YOU HOLD BACK SUCH EXTRAORDINARY TALENT...?!"