Chapter 99

A lone figure stands on a narrow ledge high above the sprawling nighttime city, back turned to the viewer. The person wears a dark jacket with a prominent white star-shaped design across the back and loose pants, arms raised dramatically with one fist clenched upward. Below, the city lights twinkle across countless buildings under a dark sky. The pose suggests a commanding or triumphant stance overlooking the urban landscape.

Explosions rip through the city skyline at night. A massive "BOUM" erupts in the upper panel as missiles or projectiles streak through the air amid bright blasts and rising smoke. The middle panel reveals a street-level scene of raging fires, thick black smoke billowing upward, and several bodies lying motionless on a crosswalk. Smaller panels at the bottom show an empty building interior with closed doors and a distant view of more burning structures under the night sky.

High above the tiled floor, a suited man crashes downward through a shattered opening in the ceiling, debris scattering in all directions. Large jagged sound effects echo around the impact: ズズズ... ZUUU. Below, two figures stand alert on the lower level. One has spiky hair tied back and wears a dark vest, body angled as if ready to move. The other has long flowing hair and a rugged outfit, also gazing upward at the descending figure. In a wide bottom panel, three close-up faces appear side by side. On the left, a stern man with slicked-back hair, a mustache, and a high-collared garment glares forward. In the center, a long-haired man with intense eyes stares ahead. On the right, a bandaged man with dark hair and a headband looks downward with a focused, wary expression.

The mustached man extends his hand, unleashing a brilliant burst of aura with a sharp SHAN sound effect and radiating impact lines. Nearby panels show his focused profile and a hand gesture accompanied by cross-shaped SFX and ZUUU vibrations. In a close-up, the bandaged man’s eyes widen as two thought bubbles appear: “IF HE PENETRATES MY DEFENSE WITH THAT, MY GUARD WON’T BE ENOUGH...” and “HE CONCENTRATED HIS AURA IN HIS HAND...!!! SUCH POTENTIAL!!” A massive central panel erupts with the bold word DOOM as the bandaged man is hurled backward, his body twisting from the force while clutching a small box-like object that cracks under the impact. Motion lines and aura flashes fill the space around him, with partial faces of the other two men visible at the edges reacting to the strike.

A young man with spiky hair and a cross-shaped scar on his forehead grips an open black book in both hands. The cover displays ornate symbols and the title Skill Hunter. A large speech bubble erupts beside him: SKILL HUNTER, THE QUINTESSENCE OF THEFT !!! His fingers flip the pages while smaller inset panels show a wide-eyed girl staring upward in shock. Below, an action sequence depicts a figure extending an arm with a sharp TAC sound effect as motion lines streak across the frame.

A massive stylized impact graphic DON explodes across the page as a dark cloak unfurls dramatically from a figure. In a side panel a spiky-haired man mutters HMM... PROBLE... MATIC. while another voice questions A CLOAK...? MATERIALIZATION? Below, the same man watches intently as the cloaked figure stands in a ruined interior, the fabric billowing with repeated FiUuu sound effects. A final panel shows the back of a spiky-haired head observing the scene.

The figure in dark clothing taps their wrapped boots twice on the rocky ground. High above, the winged flyer banks sharply through the air, thinking, "Until I know exactly what it is, I can't directly attack him. It's one of the skills he stole, but..." A close-up shows a scarred face muttering, "That's what a normal person would say..." Below, the spiky-haired man in uniform unleashes a massive dragon-head construct that erupts forward with a roaring "PFFF..." and "ボオオ Boooo", declaring, "I can clearly see you're trying to stall. Dragon Head, the caricature of the head of dragon." The headband-wearing youth stares in shock at the oncoming attack.

The spiky-haired man thrusts both hands forward, shouting, "Dragon, throw the intrusion of claws!!" A colossal claw-shaped blast tears through the air with a massive "ズバ" and "DOOOM", shattering rock and sending debris flying. The headband-wearing youth is hurled backward by the force, cloak and wings trailing. In a small inset, the attacker grins and exclaims, "He!!!" as the blast continues to expand with blinding light and motion lines.

The spiky-haired fighter lunges forward with a furious expression, mouth wide open as he shouts "YA!!!" His fist drives straight ahead in a heavy strike. A skull-shaped construct shatters violently under the blow, pieces flying outward with sharp "sat" and "FLINT" sound effects. Motion lines and impact bursts fill the panel. In the lower section, a large dragon-like creature with tattered wings and a dark skull head bursts through a surface, accompanied by a loud "shat" effect as debris scatters and the creature twists in motion.

Large narration bubbles explain the situation: "HE'S A MATERIALIZATION MANIPULATOR, AND THAT'S HOW HE MADE THAT BOOK, WHICH ALLOWS HIM TO LOOK UP THE SKILLS OF OTHERS. BUT WHEN HE USES THE ABILITIES IN THE BOOK, HE HAS TO KEEP IT IN CHECK...!!!" A close-up shows the man with the cross-shaped mark on his forehead thinking "I KNEW IT." In the next panel the cloaked figure is seen high above, suspended by threads. Further narration continues: "HIS ENTIRE ATTITUDE PROVES THAT HE WANTS TO APPROACH ME WHILE MAINTAINING HIS DEFENSE, AND TO LAUNCH A COUNTER-ATTACK...!!!" "THE CLOAK WAS ALSO MATERIALIZED!! AND IF HE DOESN'T SHOW ANY OFFENSIVE BEHAVIOR, IT'S BECAUSE HE'S SEARCHING FOR PERFECT TIMING..." "BUT IF I KEEP HIM AT A DISTANCE, I DON'T NEED TO WORRY!!" Below, the cross-marked man stands ready while two other figures appear in the shadows. A final panel shows close-up eyes with the line "AND STOP HIM!" and the thought "I HAVE TO WATCH FOR ANY OPENINGS..."

A book flaps open in a small panel. Kurapika stares in shock as motion lines erupt around him. "Amazing, that old man," he says. "In an instant, he understood what I wanted, but... I won't manage to keep him alive..." The force he borrowed disappears when he shuts the book. In a vast dark space, a long-haired fighter in dark clothing lunges forward while two small figures—one resembling Kurapika and another—hover amid jagged energy. "Despite this, he's really strong," the long-haired fighter thinks. "While still stopping my father's assaults, he hasn't stopped watching me."

The long-haired fighter continues, "Yes... there are a lot of things I ignored about his secret abilities." A small figure stands in a rocky cavern while the long-haired fighter watches from the side. "He's even stronger than the first time," the long-haired fighter notes. Kurapika appears in close-up with wide eyes and sweat drops, surrounded by striped motion lines and impact shapes. A rapid sequence shows the long-haired fighter's intense expression, a hand reaching out, and a small figure being struck amid speed lines and debris.

A colossal fist crashes down from above, shattering the air with a massive VLAM impact that sends debris flying in all directions. The force triggers a chain of explosions marked ADAN!! and BOOOM, blasting through the surroundings with jagged motion lines and dust clouds. In the foreground, a spiky-haired fighter with a wild grin and cross-shaped chest emblem flashes a thumbs-up, his eyes narrowed in fierce satisfaction. Behind him, a smaller figure is hurled violently through a crumbling wall amid a burst of impact stars and cracks, the back of their dark outfit visible as they tumble. The sequence ends with a sharp TCHAC sound effect as the victim crashes down amid heavy motion lines.

The spiky-haired fighter lunges forward in a blur of motion, delivering a barrage of rapid strikes marked by repeated TA sound effects and impact bursts. The young black-haired opponent in a light outfit is struck repeatedly, their body jolting with cric and crac impact indicators as they are driven back. The attacker presses the assault with intense focus, limbs extended in a flurry. The page culminates in a dramatic close-up of the spiky-haired fighter's face twisted in rage, mouth wide open as he shouts KILL HIM!!! and NOW!!! with heavy shading and speed lines emphasizing the command.

High above in a pitch-black void, a long-haired figure floats weightlessly between two massive white orbs ringed with jagged energy. The figure’s arms are outstretched, body tense as if channeling power. Below, framed by dark smoke, a spiky-haired man glares upward with wide, intense eyes and a gritted, sweat-streaked face. A dark-haired head is visible just in front of him. The lower panels erupt into motion: heavy speed lines slash across the frame, followed by a tight close-up of narrowed, focused eyes staring forward.

A towering cityscape fills the frame, skyscrapers rising under a sky filled with smoke and distant explosions. In the foreground, Killua stands with his back partially turned, short light hair slightly tousled, eyes wide in shock as a large “!?” bursts beside him. An inset panel shows the spiky-haired man from before, now with a fierce, bloodied expression, mouth open as if shouting. Massive onomatopoeia “BRRRR” and “ズ” explode across the right side while smaller “Goo” and “FUUOUT ズズズ..” mark impacts and movement in the background.

Gon leaps through the air with fierce determination, his body angled forward in a powerful mid-kick. His right leg extends straight toward the viewer, the large sole of his boot dominating the foreground with visible tread lines. His left arm is drawn back with a tightly clenched fist, while his right arm swings forward for balance. The boy's spiky black hair stands out sharply against the empty white background, and his eyes are wide with intense focus, brows furrowed and mouth set in a grim line. He wears a white zip-up jacket, light shorts, and dark boots, the fabric of his clothes showing folds from the dynamic motion.