♪
Gon: Why?!
( Aura exploding )
Must be real nice for you.
You can stay calm...
Because it’s not your fight.
( Killua gasps )
Narrator: Gon’s cry led meleoron directly to the two boys.
♪
( Singing in Japanese )
♪
Zeno: I’m going to have to refuse.
I’m just not in the mood.
Cheetu: Aw, come on. Don’t be like that.
Just think of it as bad luck
that I was even able to find you.
I wanna test my new ability,
and you’re right here.
( Zeno sighs )
Cheetu: Oh, man, that hurts.
There’s no need to look at me like that.
I feel the same as you.
I’d rather be out here fighting someone else, too.
The sunglasses guy with the really big pipe,
you tag along with him, don’t you?
Zeno: You want him?
Then I suggest that you go out and look for him.
Cheetu: I know where he is, but I can’t get to him.
He controls smoke,
and he’s hidden himself behind a smoke screen,
and no matter how hard I try, I just can’t get through.
I scaled the roof to see if I could get in from above...
Huh?
And I just so happened to spot you.
Zeno: Ah, so i’m just a little warm-up
before you reach your real target.
Is that about right?
Cheetu: We have a winner!
( Wind blowing )
Zeno: I’m feeling very tired today.
Cheetu: Huh?
Zeno: Let me have your ear for a moment.
For the very first time since taking over the family business,
I may have accidentally killed someone who wasn’t my target.
Cheetu: Hey, come on!
My technique is incredible,
so just try not to be too shocked when you see it.
Well, there’ll be lots of time
for you to be shocked when we’re through.
( Zeno sighs )
Just how self-centered can you be?
It doesn’t look like i’ll be able
to persuade you to let me go.
Cheetu: You win again!
Huh?
Zeno: You know, if I were you,
I would keep a keen eye on my back.
( Cheetu laughs ) Yeah, nice try.
I’m not falling for that.
See? I learned something from one of your buddies,
never take your eyes off--
Zeno: Well...
Looking wouldn’t have helped you all that much anyway.
Silva: Would you have preferred I spared him?
Zeno: Hmm? Nah, not really.
Silva: How’s killua doing?
Zeno: Hmm? He’s matured.
And I have reason to believe he’s removed illumi’s needle.
Silva: I see.
Zeno: Oh, I almost forgot.
I had quite the bizarre experience.
You see, it felt as if time was being condensed.
Silva: I should take your stories
with a grain of salt, dad.
♪
Killua: Okay. You and I should be safe here.
What’s the update?
( Meleoron exhales )
God’s accomplice, deactivate.
Shoot is completely out of commission,
and knuckle is trying to fight youpi all by himself.
You gotta help.
Knuckle is gonna keep running around, avoiding youpi
to try and buy us more time. He’s out of his mind.
Killua: Okay.
What’s the maximum time you can use god’s accomplice?
Meleoron: The first time, I was so nervous,
that I tapped out after just ten seconds,
but i’ve calmed down now.
I could go a full minute if I don’t have to move.
Killua: That’s plenty,
’cause all i’m gonna need is one shot.
Narrator: Approximately three minutes
before killua raised his finger...
Knuckle was in the air.
He thought his best asset
was his ability to make a quick getaway.
Knuckle: Huh?
( Gasping )
( Sirens blaring )
Narrator: Once, he punched out a cop
to help his friend escape
and spent all day and night running around,
eluding four patrol cars and dozens of police.
And this was the day he graduated from grade school.
He was never caught.
( Knuckle yelling )
Narrator: His ability to maintain his stamina
while running at top speed far outshines that of a cheetah.
Knuckle revealed his presence to save shoot
and focused his energy on keeping his enemy distracted.
For the most part, it was the right choice.
Knuckle: Eh?
♪
He stopped chasing me?
Narrator: If he erred,
it was in his assessment of youpi’s perceptions.
Knuckle: Damn. Shoot’s in trouble.
Knuckle: For both shoot and knuckle,
youpi was a high-priority target,
but the reverse was not true for youpi.
As a royal guard,
his mission was protecting the king.
His focus was on keeping enemies far away from him.
Youpi could only assume
that the king was still in the throne room.
Since he had been assigned to keep watch over the staircase,
he also assumed that two other royal guards, pitou and pouf,
were currently protecting the king.
This meant that his main priority
was to keep enemies
from getting anywhere close to the throne room.
Since he didn’t know how many enemies there were,
the nature of his opponent’s ability
was of a lower priority,
as were enemies who were escaping or dying.
They did not warrant his concern.
Menthuthuyoupi: Pitou, where are you?!
( Knuckle gasps )
( Gasps )
( Shoot groaning )
Knuckle: Shoot!
Narrator: Shoot was still alive.
Knuckle: Shoot, I...
( Chorus vocalizing )
( Gasps )
Narrator: Given their positions, it was abundantly clear
that youpi had seen shoot when he passed by.
( Shoot groaning )
Knuckle: This guy doesn’t even think that...
We’re worth the effort to try and kill off.
Narrator: It was true.
Youpi didn’t care whether shoot lived or died.
This was an unprecedented insult to them both,
who had risked everything in this battle.
( Knuckle growls )
Are shoot and I nothing more than gnats to him?
Is that how it is?!
Fine, then, but you’re gonna regret it later,
because us gnats
are gonna make you go bankrupt in about ten minutes!
Menthuthuyoupi: Hey, pouf and pitou!
Hey, are you there?!
Knuckle: The boss used smoky jail on the throne room.
That must mean that he and pouf are in there alone,
so the king is somewhere else.
Menthuthuyoupi: Say something!
Can’t you hear me?! Hey!
( Knuckle laughs )
You moron. Go defend the empty room.
I’ll take shoot,
and we’ll both watch from a safe distance.
( Shoot groans )
Damn it.
( Knuckle gasps )
♪
Narrator: By the time knuckle realized
that he had made an error,
he had already made another one.
Knuckle: Youpi’s eyes had met with shoot’s.
Shoot must have been prepared to die
right then and there.
We knew death was a possibility going in.
Shoot was right there,
and youpi ignored him.
Narrator: When knuckle imagined the expression
on youpi’s face as he glanced at the bloodied shoot
and walked right past him on his way to the third floor,
he realized that he had made yet another error.
Shoot: Damn it.
Damn it.
Knuckle: How can I ignore the fact
that my friend was insulted?
And why? For what reason?
For the world? For humanity?
And what am I supposed to do if our mission succeeds?
Just shake shoot’s hand and say, "we did it"?
Pat each other on the back and laugh?
Do we just let this insult slide?
There’s no way in hell!
This is so unreal.
( Shoot groans )
Hey. What...The hell?
Knuckle: Oh. Sorry.
And speaking of sorry,
i’m gonna need you to wait here a little bit longer.
I haven’t punched that bastard in the face yet,
and i’ve gotta correct that.
I promise that when I do,
I swear i’ll lay one in from you, too.
Shoot: I know that my job right now
should be to try and stop knuckle.
"Are you crazy?" "Don’t go."
"Just keep your mouth shut, and buy more time."
That’s what I should be saying to him.
Please, knuckle! I beg you!
That son of a bitch, the way he looked at me,
it was like--it was like...
I was nothing more than trash!
( Crying ) When you find him...
Punch that bastard for me!
Knuckle: Yeah. I got this.
Sorry, master,
but the thing is, we’re both idiots.
Some things are more important than saving the world.
Narrator: A brand-new error,
the significance of something important.
♪
( Menthuthuyoupi grunts )
My attacks don’t have any effect on this smoke.
Sire!
Pitou, pouf, are you there?!
Answer me!
Morel: Is that youpi?
No way. Did shoot and knuckle get killed?
I hope the old man’s doing okay.
Pouf’s not responding.
I wonder why.
Something’s wrong.
How in the hell can he stay inside his cocoon for so long?
You would think that he would be rushing
to be back by the king’s side right now.
We thought we knew what we were dealing with,
but these royal guards, did we miscalculate?
I thought our plan was actually working.
Could I be wrong?
( Grunts ) No second-guessing.
I’m here to carry out my mission.
Shaiapouf: Suspicion, anxiety, impatience...
Despite these emotions,
the ratio of his conviction remains unchanged.
Just as I would expect from a strong warrior.
I’m impressed.
However, that constraint
will be what inhibits your decision making.
Menthuthuyoupi: Damn it.
Why the hell is pitou’s en gone?
Have the king, pitou, and pouf all vanished?
Did they really decide to leave me behind?
What happened? What’s going on?
A.p.r.: It is time.
You have accrued interest.
Menthuthuyoupi: Shut up!
♪
The fuzz on my shoulder won’t go away,
and this stupid thing keeps counting up.
I’ve gotta find the king fast.
Damn, I should have killed the gnat downstairs.
That might have gotten rid of this fuzz.
But right now, I have to find the king.
What the hell is going on?
It’s pissing me off!
Huh?
Knuckle: Hey.
( Joints pop )
Menthuthuyoupi: Okay, i’ve had enough!
What is it with you guys?!
Narrator: And as he yelled, youpi changed form.
It was drastic enough to make knuckle instantly turn to flee,
even though, moments ago, he’d been ready to accept the worst.
This was the embodiment of pure evil,
and clearly it sought only total destruction.
( Menthuthuyoupi roars )
♪
( Shoot groans )
Knuckle: Just hang on.
Shoot: Did you get him?
Knuckle: Huh?!
Shoot: Did you hit him for me?
Knuckle: No, not yet, damn it.
I promise you i’m going to, though,
but I can’t let you die before that happens. Let’s go!
( Explosion booming )
Narrator: Being under extreme mental stress
for the first time in his life, youpi became aware
that the true nature of his ability
was in truth not at all useful for guard duty.
Rather, he began to feel his entire body,
as well as his aura,
become engorged with his furious rage.
The destruction that was unleashed
was accompanied by intense pleasure.
Then, as he rapidly deflated,
he was overcome by a sense of great loss.
Having had more experience,
knuckle instantly understood what had happened to youpi.
Knuckle: We can win.
That was a powerful blast.
I doubt it’ll be easy
to goad him into doing that on purpose
and still make it out unharmed.
It’s high-risk-- no doubt about it--
but it’s an even higher return.
I’ll make him mad so he blows up.
I need to get a strike in,
and that’ll create the perfect opportunity,
and the aura consumed in the explosion
will reduce the time
that’s required for him to go bankrupt.
Narrator: The plan knuckle instantly envisioned
was close to perfect for defeating youpi.
But in the moment after the blast,
youpi proved his worth.
There, standing in the middle of the gaping chasm
between lingering pleasure and numbing despair,
youpi was trying desperately to figure out
how to utilize this self-indulgent ability
in a way that would better benefit the king.
Menthuthuyoupi: Selflessness.
Narrator: The instincts of an ant
and his nature as a magical beast functioned calmly
even after discovering his explosive emotions.
Menthuthuyoupi: The best way I can think of
to serve the king is to control this fury
without being consumed by emotion.
In other words, I need to use it to destroy these pests.
Narrator: Youpi was now armed
with both passion and presence of mind,
which meant that, for knuckle, the risks were incredibly high.
Three minutes have passed since the mission began.
♪
Everyone’s motives were beginning to merge.
( Singing in Japanese )