Hunter × Hunter Chapter 41: The Zoldick Family 2

A gigantic clawed hand dominates the foreground, fingers spread wide as if reaching forward. Behind the massive palm, Killua's face appears, his spiky white hair visible and one eye staring forward with a serious expression. The enormous hand nearly obscures him, showing only part of his head and shoulder. At the bottom of the page, the chapter title is displayed in bold lettering.

Outside a large wooden lodge on a mountainside, Zebulo stands tall in his dark suit beside Gon and Killua. Gon waves enthusiastically while Killua remains composed. Bubbles ring out: "IT'S NOTHING!", "TAKE CARE!!!", "WE WILL!", and "ZEBULO-SAN! GON! KILLUA! THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP!" Zebulo smiles faintly as the boys prepare to depart. In the next panel an elderly man in a cap apologizes, "I'M SORRY, I'M NOT VERY USEFUL..." while Leorio reassures him, "NO, DON'T WORRY!" Leorio continues, "I'VE BEEN WORKING HERE FOR 20 YEARS, BUT I'VE NEVER ONCE BEEN THERE." A cloaked figure points ahead, stating, "THEIR RESIDENCE MUST BE SOMEWHERE ON THE MOUNTAIN, THAT'S A SURE THING. FOLLOW THIS ROAD GOING TO THE MOUNTAIN..." Further down, a bearded man in a fur collar recognizes Leorio, noting, "I RECOGNIZE N THEM SOME GUYS WHO'LL BECOME PROFESSIONAL HUNTERS. THE YOUNG LEORIO HAS EVEN OPENED TWO." Another adds, "AFTER ONLY 20 DAYS OF TRAINING, THEY PASSED THE TEST OF THE DOOR. GREAT GUYS." In the lower section an older hunter recalls, "THREE YEARS AGO, A HUNDRED BLACK LIST HUNTERS CAME HERE TO ASSAULT THE MOUNTAIN WITH THEIR TROOPS. DO YOU REMEMBER?" Leorio laughs, "HA! HA! HA! ... YOU SHOULDN'T DREAM TOO MUCH." The final visible speaker wonders, "I WONDER IF THEY'LL BE ABLE TO REACH THEIR RESIDENCE...?"

A grim battlefield scene unfolds under dark smoke. A lone cloaked figure stands amid a mountain of corpses and shattered weapons. A large speech bubble declares, "A 10 YEAR OLD GIRL." Another voice questions, "YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ONES THAT WERE DECIMATED BY AN INTENDANT STILL IN TRAINING...?" The cloaked figure remains silhouetted against the carnage. In the next panel the fur-collared hunter replies, "IT WAS WEIRD." Leorio smiles uneasily while the scarred hunter confirms, "YES, I REMEMBER: A HUNTER WHO HAD BEEN HIRED AND WAS SCARED TO DEATH." Below, a wide mountain vista appears with the words, "IF ONLY THEY COULD GO AROUND ON THE 'OTHER SIDE'..." The scarred hunter adds, "THEY'RE ALL MASTERS AND EMPLOYEES..." In close-up a character states, "IT'S TERRIBLE, BUT, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT... YOU UNDERSTAND EVERYBODY MUST STAY IN HIS OWN WORLD..."

Gon and Killua stand at the edge of the overgrown path, staring ahead in shock. "Ah..." Gon exclaims. A solitary figure waits far down the stone walkway between crumbling pillars and dense foliage under a dark canopy. The path leads directly to a massive closed gate. In close-up, a young woman with elaborate braided pigtails secured by multiple bands stares forward with a neutral, unyielding expression, dressed in a formal dark suit and tie.

The Zoldyck Intendant stands on the path and addresses the intruders. "It can't be changed, you're not allowed to be here. You are on private property. Leave." Gon and Killua protest from the foreground. "We called, we even passed through the door of verification. We said we were friends, but despite this, we weren't given the okay." The woman replies, "In that case, how can we get an authorization? That doesn't mean there have been any previous authorizations." Killua questions, "So what?" The woman continues, "That's simply because there have never been any previous authorizations." Gon asks, "Yes, that's true. So all we could do was enter without permission." The woman warns, "But if you take another step, I'll use all my strength to kill you. Whatever, I will tolerate you as far as here."

High on a rocky cliff face, small figures cling to the stone as a massive gate looms below. In the open courtyard, Gon stands beside Killua while a tall, expressionless man in a black suit watches them closely, one hand resting on a long staff. Gon's eyes widen in sudden alarm as he glances upward. A polished shoe steps forward and taps the ground with a sharp TAP. In the next instant the suited man blurs into motion. Gon is hurled violently backward, body twisting as jagged bone-like shapes explode outward around him with a resounding SLAT, dust and impact lines streaking across the panel.

The suited man looms over the fallen Gon, whose body lies sprawled on the cracked stone. Killua's voice rings out in panic: GON !!! Leorio and Kurapika lie collapsed nearby. Close-up panels show the butler's hands gripping a weapon and a syringe-like object. Killua draws his sword, eyes blazing, and shouts LEORIO!! KURAPIKA !!! At the bottom of the page two speech bubbles declare LET ME FIGHT! and DON'T INTERFERE! as Killua stands ready to engage.

The braided-haired girl in a dark suit stands firmly, extending her staff toward the group. "WE JUST WANT TO SEE KILLUA," declares one of the visitors. Killua sits on the ground nearby, wiping his face with a cloth and muttering "PFF... WE DON'T HAVE ANY INTENTION OF FIGHTING AGAINST YOU." A suited man stands with his back turned in the background. The girl grips her weapon tightly and states, "I OBEY ONLY THE MASTERS," while another voice adds, "WHATEVER THE REASON." She swings the staff, creating a sharp "TAP" sound as it strikes the ground. In the distance, Killua and Gon stand together near the trees while the suited figure watches. The girl and Killua exchange glances as another "TAP" echoes. The scene shifts to a nighttime clearing where Gon, Killua, and the tall suited man face each other.

The braided-hair girl leaps high into the air, staff raised, and delivers a powerful strike that sends Killua crashing violently to the ground amid dust and impact lines. Killua lies sprawled on his back with limbs splayed. A wide horizontal panel shows a dark treeline silhouette against a pale sky with birds flying. The girl stands partially visible through a jagged hole in a wall or barrier, marked by multiple "TAP TAP" sounds. Killua rises alone in an open area, rubbing his face with one hand while the other rests on his hip, looking upward with a tense expression. A small round creature with large eyes appears in a separate panel at the bottom.

Against a dark, windswept sky, the brutal fight rages on. A close-up reveals the spiky-haired boy's face, swollen and bloodied, one eye forced shut from the beating. In rapid succession the braided-haired fighter swings a heavy staff, landing crushing blows marked by sharp impact lines and the sound effects BLAM and VLAM. The spiky-haired boy is hurled backward, body twisting through the air as SPLATCH and ZIIK!! echo across the panels. Motion lines and debris emphasize the raw force of each strike, leaving the boy sprawled on the ground.

The braided-haired fighter pauses, staff lowered, and taps the spiky-haired boy's shoulder twice with a soft TAP. A close-up shows a tear on the braided-haired fighter's cheek. The spiky-haired boy sits alone in the distance, marked PF. In a tense exchange the braided-haired fighter's mouth moves as a speech bubble reads STOP IT..., followed by WELL.... The braided-haired fighter then swings the staff again with VLAM and impact symbols, while another panel shows the spiky-haired boy on the ground near a damaged stone wall. Finally the braided-haired fighter stands before a ruined doorway and shouts DON'T APPROACH ANY MORE! as the spiky-haired boy remains collapsed nearby.

Gon dashes through the ruined stone path, his feet tapping rapidly past weathered markers as he sprints forward with desperate speed. Motion lines streak behind him while he pushes ahead, hair whipping wildly. A close-up reveals his dirt-streaked, tearful face filled with anguish and determination. In the next instant he bursts forward in a powerful dash, dust flying from his boots. Below, the suited man with crossed arms shouts at Killua, 'BE REASONABLE!! YOU KNOW THIS WILL LEAD TO NOTHING!!' while another voice yells, 'AND YOU?! STOP HIM, HE'S YOUR FRIEND!!' Killua stands silently beside the butler, arms folded, watching the scene unfold. A stern man with round glasses stares forward with a serious expression.

A large close-up shows Gon's wide-eyed, dirt-smeared face with a trembling expression as he stares ahead. In the following panels Gon insists, 'WE ONLY CAME TO SEE KILLUA...' while Killua echoes, 'WE ONLY CAME TO SEE OUR FRIEND...' A small panel shows Gon asking 'WHY...' with the sound 'POK'. Killua stands with clenched fists, a 'CRY' effect near his head. A large outburst bubble reads 'WHY DO WE HAVE TO DO ALL THIS?! SO WHY?!' The bottom spread depicts a devastated stone courtyard littered with rubble and broken pillars; Gon charges forward while the suited butler walks away from the destruction.

The curly-haired boy in a suit stares in surprise, mouth open. "Uh..." A spiky-haired boy with a black silhouette head responds "Hmm?" The curly-haired boy looks down at the line on the ground, asking "Uh... You don't hit me? My foot crossed the line..." The spiky-haired boy stands firm. A close-up shows a clenched fist. The curly-haired boy bursts into laughter with a "Pfff!" Elsewhere, a suited man with glasses stands beside a bowed figure. The curly-haired boy sweats heavily, eyes wide with tension. The spiky-haired boy appears battered, face bloodied and one eye swollen shut, staring forward intensely. A close-up reveals a wide, fearful eye with sweat drops falling.

In a lush garden path, the spiky-haired boy faces the curly-haired boy in a black suit holding a bell. The spiky-haired boy declares, "You're not like Mike." The curly-haired boy responds earnestly, "You can do whatever you want to hide your feelings... ...you still have a heart." Close-ups show the curly-haired boy's serious face and the spiky-haired boy's wide-eyed reaction. The curly-haired boy continues, "When I pronounced the name of Killua... for a fraction of a second, your eyes gave an impression of gentleness." He pleads, "Please ..."

A close-up reveals a young servant with elaborate pigtails, tears streaming down their face as they desperately cry out. "SAVE KILLUA-SAN!" The scene shifts with a sharp "PAN" sound effect to a wide view of Gon standing with his back to the viewer, fishing rod in hand, while the same servant is flung backward through the air. In a row of close-ups, Killua watches with wide-eyed concern, Leorio glares angrily with mouth open, Gon appears battered and bruised with a determined expression, and the servant recoils in shock with pigtails flailing.

From behind, a suited man questions what an employee might have revealed. "WHAT COULD THIS EMPLOYEE HAVE TOLD YOU?" A smaller figure with light hair stands nearby while a distant silhouette watches from the gate. In the garden below, a tall woman in an ornate Victorian-style dress and oversized hat adorned with flowers and feathers stands beside a small child in dark clothing. The woman’s face is hidden behind a visor-like mask as she holds a parasol, surrounded by dense foliage and trees.

A young girl with a straight black bob stares forward with wide, serious eyes. Beside her, a heavily bandaged figure wearing a tall hat marked with a zigzag pattern sits among flowers. Below, Leorio glares angrily through round goggles, Gon appears battered with a swollen eye and bruises, and Kurapika looks on with a concerned expression. Gon stands in profile as a landscape panel shows a moonlit scene and a distant figure in a wide hat. In a clearing near a wooden gate, a woman in an elaborate dress and bonnet stands with her back turned beside a small, dark figure. She speaks calmly: "It really seems that we handle Killua roughly." Another voice addresses Gon directly: "We told Killua you were in the domain about three weeks ago." The woman continues: "You are Gon, aren't you? I heard about you from Irumi." She adds, "You know, it's very impolite to come and behave childishly here."

A stone corridor leads into darkness on the left. On the right, a rugged mountain rises under dramatic sky with large onomatopoeia "Grooooooo". Speech bubbles read: "It's a real pleasure for me that you came..." and "I'm going to repeat to you word by word what Killua requested me to tell you." A close-up shows the back of spiky hair with the line: "Right now, I can't meet you..." Below, Killua hangs suspended by heavy chains, arms raised and bound at the wrists and ankles, his body covered in wounds and scars. An oval bubble states "Sorry."