Chapter 225

Feitan questions the bandaged man, 'YOU MUST HAVE ABILITIES THAT YOU DON'T WANT US TO KNOW ABOUT EITHER, RIGHT?' The bandaged figure replies, 'OF COURSE. IT'S A RACE TO SEE WHO CAN KILL THE QUEEN FIRST.' In the background, the group scatters through the trees as one figure raises an arm. The bandaged man adds, 'EVERYONE'S SCATTERING? THEN I'LL TAKE THIS WAY.' A close-up shows the headband girl's eyes as she says, 'UNDERSTOOD.' A dramatic full-page spread erupts with the word 'START!!' surrounded by impact bursts and speed lines. Later, a grotesque face peers out and mutters, 'THEY HAVE DISPERSED.....' while a small sign reads 'SHUT'.

Pike, a large insectoid chimera ant, stands with multiple limbs outstretched against a burst background, declaring that his stride tells him the humans are no ordinary foes accustomed to the wild. Below, his clawed feet tread across webbed ground as he notes the feel of their walk on his web. Zazan lounges on a massive, ribbed throne of organic material, her long wavy hair flowing and a mark on her forehead, replying simply "YES." She then commands, "THEN YOU GO TOO." Pike bows low, sweat drops visible, insisting "I'LL BE FINE" while Zazan muses that there will be no one to guard her majesty but then trails off. In close-up, Pike swears with intense expression, "I, PIKE, SWEAR TO GIVE ZAZAN-SAMA MY EVERYTHING...!!!" as Zazan watches with a slight smile and responds that she has absolute faith in him, telling him to capture the enemies as fast as possible and return if worried about her. Pike launches into the air with dramatic speed lines and impact marks, shouting "I WILL BE BACK SOON!!"

Zazan, shown in profile with a serious expression, reflects that the mother's greatest misfortune was that she did not know the pleasure of battle. A small female attendant stands nearby holding a tray as Zazan, now standing with arms crossed and scorpion-like tail visible, asks if the attendant is going to battle as well. In the forest background, a distant figure walks among the trees. Zazan continues speaking while the attendant watches. Suddenly a massive, spiky, furred chimera ant creature with a wide toothy grin and wild hair bursts forward with intense speed lines and impact effects, its body partially wrapped in bandages or ropes.

A massive sound effect erupts across the top of the page as the spiky-haired creature lunges forward with outstretched arms. The creature, covered in fur and spikes, grins widely and declares, "I'll take you to heaven. Gehehe he..." while adding, "Stop resisting and let me hug you." In the lower panels the bald fighter with dotted skin and boxing gloves reacts in shock, his eyes widening as he notices the holes appearing on his body and exclaims, "HOLES!? MOLES... NO..." The creature's tentacles whip around the bald fighter, who stands his ground amid the chaotic lines and debris of the ruined environment.

The bald fighter suddenly breaks into an energetic dance, striking a pose with one arm raised as musical notes float around him. The spiky-haired creature's head appears in a small inset panel, its mouth stretched into a wide toothy grin. The fighter's eyes widen in surprise with a large "!?" effect. In the bottom panel the bald fighter is hurled violently through the air amid heavy motion lines and impact debris, his body twisting from the force of an unseen blow.

A small tribe that was chased out by development. Bonorenof is the descendant of the Gyudondondo tribe. The males of the Gyudondondo tribe reach the age of three, along with circumcision, they insert needles through various parts of their body. Gradually, the needles are replaced with increasingly thicker sticks, and ultimately stabilize the holes with a hollow bamboo stick, wood, or stone. Called Bapu (dancing fighter). They are dancing warriors. Before they engage in combat with enemy tribes or wild beasts, they use their bodies to perform the songs of the warrior and fight bravely. Through ceremonies of worship and prayer, they fulfill both the roles of a spiritual medium and of a performer. They can create a variety of sounds from those holes, depending on the size and shape, as well as the degree of movement. A highly-trained Bapu is considered to be on the same level as a god, and given a higher authority than the elder! It is believed that the more beautiful the sound they create, the greater the spirit that descends.

PROLOGUE!! Batte = Le Cantabile. Transform the melody into battle power!! A masked warrior in ornate armor plays a long instrument while striking a dynamic pose. Musical notes float across the top of the panel. The warrior swings the instrument with force, creating sharp motion lines and impact effects. In the background, two smaller figures react with surprise as the melody transforms into visible battle power.

A massive black silhouette of a roaring beast with wild mane and extended claws fills the upper half of the page, accompanied by jagged impact lines and the sound effect 'ズッ'. Below, three small panels depict a bald figure wrapped in flowing cloth standing in shallow water, a distant silhouette inside a dark vertical passage, and a spiky-haired warrior crouching with a spear in a jungle clearing. In the large bottom panel, Feitan stands in the foreground wearing his signature bandaged outfit and eye covering, facing a muscular spotted opponent in a forest of thick roots. The opponent assumes a fighting stance while Feitan raises one hand. Speech bubbles show Feitan declaring, 'IN THE NAME OF THE SPIRITS AND MY TRIBE... I WILL NOT BE DELAYED BY THE LIKES OF YOU.' and 'I HAVE INHERITED THE BLOOD OF THE TRIBE THAT FIGHTS MOST BEAUTIFULLY IN THE WORLD.'

Three narrow panels at the top show Feitan's bandaged face in close-up with narrowed eyes, the bald opponent reacting with wide eyes, and a grinning close-up of the spotted fighter's face. The spotted fighter asks, 'WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?' while standing among trees. The bald opponent comments on the previous blow and questions if it was a true attack on tribal pride. The spotted fighter calls it a 'CHEAP SOUL.' A large central panel shows Feitan's eyes in extreme close-up, then his bandaged hand extended forward with multiple fingers bearing circular holes. Speech bubbles read, 'IT IS THE RUBBISH OF A MERE BEAST. IT HAS NO EFFECT ON ME.' and 'YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE THAT BACK.' A small panel shows a bandaged arm and a hanging pouch.

A monstrous, furry-faced creature looms in close-up, its mouth twisted in a sneer. "YOUR MEAGER PUNCHES FAIL TO EVEN MEA-SURE UP TO A MOSQUITO BITE," it taunts as "KLI KLI KLI KLI" sound effects ring out. A man in a long coat walks away from the beast through the forest. The creature, still gripping a spiked club, offers, "BEFORE I SEND YOU TO YOUR DEATH, I WILL GEN-EROUSLY LET YOU HIT ME ONE MORE TIME." The man replies coolly, "CONSIDERING YOU'RE JUST AN ANT, YOU KNOW SOME BIG WORDS." He accepts the challenge: "WELL THEN, I'LL TAKE YOU UP ON YOUR GENEROUS OFFER..." The creature swings its weapon, shouting "REALLY? YOU SURE ABOUT THAT!?" The man turns, fist raised, and answers, "WITH A PUNCH." In a tight close-up the man counts "15..." while the creature stares in confusion with a floating "?" and the man mutters, "SHOULD DO IT?"

A grotesque, toothed vacuum-like creature lunges forward with "GIO GIO" sound effects and radiating speed lines. Killua, in mid-air, drives his foot into the creature’s body while gripping his yo-yo string, sending it flying amid "ギッギッ" impact sounds. In the next panel Killua stands ready, yo-yo extended. A girl with glasses appears, declaring there will be no escape and noting a strong web if she gets tangled. The creature remarks, "OH? YOU'RE PRETTY STRONG FOR A GIRL." The girl’s face shows surprise with sweat drops as she wonders where the vacuum cleaner was hidden. A small "piro" sound effect appears near her.

Killua grips a thin needle in his hand. 'As long as I can stick this on him, I will win...' he thinks. 'If it's a one-on-one battle, it doesn't matter how strong my opponent is...' Nearby, he murmurs 'Hmm.' A large insect-like chimera ant with multiple limbs and a armored body stands in the forest path ahead. Killua turns and begins walking toward the creature, thinking 'But will I be able to stick it on that—?' His feet step forward with a soft 'pita' sound on the forest floor. Further ahead in the tunnel, a woman with long flowing hair stands facing a figure in a black cloak marked with a skull and crossbones.

Zazan smiles and says 'Fufufu, rejoice. She is standing right before your eyes.' Feitan, face partially covered, demands 'Where is the queen?' Zazan reacts with surprise as Feitan asks 'Was that supposed to be a joke?' She replies 'Ah? A joke?' In smaller panels, chibi-style figures discuss the situation: 'Well then, I'll take you up on your generous offer.' 'It is the rub-bish of a mere beast.' 'Naughty little kids like you need to be given a good spanking.' A silhouette shows someone thinking 'Looks like Feitan's with the queen...' while another voice wonders 'Is... should do it?' and notes 'Oh? You're pretty strong for a girl.'

In a dimly lit forest tunnel, a tall man in a white outfit stands with hands on his hips and calls out, "HEY LITTLE GIRL, COME OVER HERE." Nearby, another voice adds, "HEY HEY, IT'S JUST A KID." Further ahead in the tunnel, a cloaked figure holding a weapon wonders, "HOW SHALL I SNATCH THIS FROM HIM...?" A reptilian-faced man laughs, "AHAHA I GOT REJECTED." The cloaked figure responds flatly, "NO." With a determined expression, the man in white pulls out a long rope-like weapon and declares, "IN THAT CASE, MAYBE I'LL JUST KIDNAP YOU—" as sound effects show his aggressive motion. In a dramatic full-page spread, a young girl with long black hair in a flowing kimono stands amid swirling petals and glowing orbs, raising one arm and stating, "I'M IN A BIT OF A HURRY."