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in: Chapters, Succession Contest arc, Volume 37

Chapter 389

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Curse (呪(じゅ)詛(そ)()()()()()()()(), Juso) is the 389th chapter of the Hunter × Hunter manga, written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi.

Synopsis[]

Chap 389 - Balsamilco critiquing Kanjidol's theory

Balsamilco critiquing Kanjidol's theory

A flashback to 10:00 a.m. on the ninth day of the voyage. Kanjidol recounts to Benjamin and Balsamilco the events that transpired in Luzurus' quarters. He goes over all who were present in the room with the Prince while he was watching a movie and doing (legal) drugs. He tells them that Shikaku shouted "Long live Prince Benjamin" before shooting himself, and the rumbling then stopped. Kanjidol surmises that an ability close to Halkenburg was directly responsible for Shikaku's suicide and that it was possibly forced to assure Benjamin's safety since an Emitter ability could have been used to attack him. Balsamilco agrees with his assessment overall but has three issues with his theory. First, he explains that Halkenburg would have had to fire the attack through the rooms of the Eleventh and Thirteenth Princes in order to reach Benjamin in the VVIP area. He believes that even if Halkenburg has decided to go all-out in the battle for succession, he would never carry out a plan this quickly that had a forced suicide or involved sacrificing the lower-ranked Princes. Second, if they were able to control Shikaku and give him an order, he asks why they didn't get him to assassinate another Prince. Third, he brings up the theory of whether Princes are able to kill one another. Both he and Benjamin have theorized that the contest would be over already if the Nen beasts could kill one another or the Princes themselves. He surmises that since killing a royal is a capital offense, even for a Prince, it's easy to assume that the Nen beasts would also be bound to this law. Accordingly, he says, Halkenburg's Nen beast would never support an ability capable of killing a Prince directly. Kanjidol asks about Shikaku being manipulated, and Balsamilco still wonders why he committed suicide, saying since he was a Manipulator himself, he should have manipulated himself first to block the enemy's attack. Balsamilco tells Kanjidol that the key to Shikaku's suicide is understanding why he did so in front of Luzurus' quarters. Kanjidol's mission is now to remember anything else he can and to monitor what everyone does in Room 1007 from now on.

Return to the present, 11:30 a.m. on the tenth day of the voyage. Benjamin and Balsamilco feel the fourth rumbling of aura, and wonder what's happening with Vict, who is now stationed with Halkenburg. Suddenly a voice that keeps breaking up comes over the radio, saying that it doesn't work, mentioning Halkenburg and something about a bow and him being invincible. The man screams, and Benjamin turns off the receiver, confirming it was Vict. He had hoped that Vict's ability, Tackle Shield, would have at least kept Halkenburg in check, but he underestimated Halkenburg's aggression and the power of his ability. Given said power, Benjamin assumes it involves using his entire team, and Balsamilco adds that they may have to sacrifice one of their own for every attack. Looking at the four stars on his hand, Benjamin confirms Shikaku's death but says Vict is still alive. He wonders if they should move Musse's owl from Camilla to one of Halkenburg's guards, but Balsamilco advises keeping it on Camilla since they know even less about her ability given how quickly it killed Musse. He has a plan to deal with Halkenburg, explaining that since the killings in the lower tiers are requiring soldiers to be redeployed there, and their own soldiers are experiencing anomalies, they have the evidence and motive to arrest Halkenburg on suspicion of premeditated murder. This will allow them to separate the Prince from his men, hopefully neutralizing his ability for the time being.

Chap 389 - Steiner and Peuckert arriving to arrest Halkenburg

Steiner and Peuckert arriving to arrest Halkenburg

Five men from the Restricted Voyage Permit Agency's special task force arrive, including Steiner and Peuckert, and take Halkenburg into custody. Balsamilco confirms to Benjamin that Halkenburg cannot contact his men until after the trial. But since Vict's whereabouts are still unknown, he explains it's likely that he will be released due to insufficient evidence, but be put under surveillance, just as Camilla was for the incident with Musse. And so, the two plan to make their move at Halkenburg's trial.

Chap 389 - Giuliano reading Book of Tyson

Giuliano ardently reading the Book of Tyson

In Tyson's quarters, Izunavi tells Giuliano that it's time to change shifts, coming upon him still reading the Book of Tyson. Since the book is full of classic song lyrics, Giuliano says it's hard to put down, adding that he was wrong about the Prince. He would love for her to be King, but says that's completely against her principles, and that the book feels like a parting message from her. Izunavi warns him about getting too emotionally attached, and that their mission is to protect her until they reach the New Continent, where the real job begins. Giuliano knows this but is unsure if he'll be able to move on and say goodbye when he can see, as he describes it, the upcoming tragedy. He leaves Izunavi, walking to the main room to start his shift, and is startled by everyone waiting for him as they wish him a happy birthday. He's confused since it isn't his birthday, but Tyson, holding a cake for him, tells him that's why they're doing it now since they'll have to say goodbye in two months. She says that she's glad to have met him, and Giuliano starts crying.

In Luzurus' quarters, Kanjidol's attempt to get more information from the guards proves unsuccessful, and he begins to theorize on his own. He guesses that Shikaku died in front of Room 1007 in order to create a diversion, possibly involving the six guards that Queen Duazul has with Luzurus. Halkenburg may have taken that opportunity to use the guards to do something, but Kanjidol wonders why he wouldn't have just used them to assassinate Luzurus. Two of Duazul's men, Odessa and Gadeau, were sleeping when the incident happened, so he suspects that they did something to Scairt and/or Macne, who were also sleeping at the time. He believes none of Duazul's men know Nen, but says he can't be sure since he's not as good a judge as Furykov. He worries about questioning those four since it would make them suspicious, deciding to wait and see instead. He guesses that they were trying to manipulate Macne to assassinate Luzurus, and if that's the case, he won't interfere since Benjamin would be fine with that. In addition, like Rihan, he considers the danger that Halkenburg poses, and wonders if they should prioritize eliminating him over investigating Luzurus' quarters. But he realizes that patience is key and admires Benjamin and Balsamilco's discipline.

He then approaches Basho, asking him if he'll cooperate with his investigation. Basho is immediately upfront, saying that he thinks Duazul's men are plotting something and that Macne and Scairt should be put under observation. However, he tells him that Luzurus is opposed to the idea, and that Duazul's secret to success is inaction, adding that Luzurus thinks she doesn't help any Prince. He also warns him of the possibility that her men are hiding their ability to use Nen. As Kanjidol agrees with him and walks away, Basho reveals he was just feigning that opinion, actually believing that Benjamin's men are behind everything and that there's an ability that activates through Shikaku taking his own life. He explicitly cites Nen after death and believes they staged the incident in front of Luzurus' quarters as a red herring while also trying to blame Halkenburg. He thinks they may be going after one of the higher-ranked Princes. Finally, he worries about others utilizing Nen after death and considers it another thing to be on the lookout for along with the Princes' Nen beasts.

Chap 389 - Camilla under surveillance

Camilla in the VVIP area

In the VVIP area, Camilla sits still under surveillance. Moswana, one of her soldiers, stands nearby and looks at a picture of Benjamin in her shirt pocket, saying to herself that she's been thinking about him every day and will curse him to death so Camilla can take the throne. It's explained that ancient Kakin had a tradition of sacrificial burial involving "afterlife companions." These companions were thought to supervise Princes who didn't become King in the afterlife, preventing them from turning into ghosts that could curse the King or Kakin. Although this tradition was considered an honor, the companions were selected only from the lowest of the caste system, known as Have-Nots. The tradition eventually stopped, but Kakin continued its caste system, and the Have-Nots were not allowed to hold public office or join the military. Camilla, however, allowed them to join her personal army, gave them a place to live, and granted them the same status and rights as those in the military. With the Have-Nots now supporting Camilla, they called for the tradition of afterlife companions to be brought back. This tradition combined with their Nen abilities, and turned them into curse assassins, one assigned to each of the other eleven remaining Princes. They carry something related to their target (name, picture, piece of clothing) and curse them whenever they can. The longer they do this and the closer they are to their target when they die, preferably by suicide, the stronger the curse becomes.

Sarahell, another of Camilla's soldiers assigned to curse Woble, is confident Shikaku wasn't a Have-Not but says he may have used the same kind of curse. In case Camilla herself gets cursed, they have a Nen exorcist on standby. The two Have-Nots who were assigned to Momoze and Salé-salé are told to investigate whether the enemy have any exorcists of their own. The ability of the Have-Nots is further explained, adding that once they've cursed the target every day for a period of time, they burn the object they've been carrying and drink an infusion of the ashes. Then they will use a dagger to commit suicide. Afterward, the target will be deprived of aura, and if the curse is at its most powerful, they will feel the curse's effects under enforced Zetsu, resulting in death after a few hours. Sarahell worries about the Princes' Nen beasts, considering also the Hunter Association and the possibility of them having an exorcist aboard the ship. She summons the Majordomo, Fukataki, and asks her if the Tenth, Eleventh, or Thirteenth Prince is the best to target, hoping for the Prince to live a few days while they see if the Hunters have an exorcist with them. Fukataki gives the timeline for the curses, but another soldier informs Sarahell that Kacho and Fugetsu are currently being held in custody for an escape attempt. Fukataki says it would now take six months for the curses to take effect on them. So Sarahell has no choice but to send Taler after Marayam. Still, Fukataki quickly points out that cursing the Princes will be very difficult since their Nen beasts protect them. The only chance they have is to commit suicide right in front of a Prince while looking into their eyes. Sarahell decides to take on the task herself, planning to attend Kurapika's next round of classes and curse Woble while she's there. Fukataki warns her of the danger, but Sarahell assures her that she has nothing to lose given her status as a Have-Not.

Chap 389 - Zhang Lei rewarding Tenftory

Zhang Lei rewarding Tenftory with a coin from his Nen beast

In Zhang Lei's quarters, Tenftory informs the Prince that the training was successful and they'll continue to improve during the remaining days of the class. He can now see the Nen beast, and Zhang Lei rewards him with one of the coins, saying he's the first to receive one. But standing nearby, Coventoba knows he was actually the first recipient, having secretly picked one up, and notices that the number on his coin has gone from "1" to "10".

Characters in Order of Appearance[]

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