Moonlight (
Synopsis[]
At 11:45 a.m. on the tenth day of the voyage, Kurapika and Bill lead Longhi behind closed doors in Room 1014 to awaken her Nen. Furykov watches on and considers how she will approach the situation since she already knows Nen, wondering if she will pretend to be awakened by Kurapika's Specialization attack or reveal her true self. He also hopes that she will eliminate Prince Woble, even if it costs her own life.
Behind closed doors, Longhi reveals that she doesn't need Water Divination since she already knows Nen. However, she reveals that the ability with the snakes does not belong to her, promising to show proof and explain why she is there. She then activates her Nen and produces a pen and paper made of aura, revealing that her ability is Transparent Words—Moonlight Act, a conditional Manipulation ability. She explains that after the other party signs a limited-term contract, she can loan the ability as well as restrict their actions. She asks Kurapika to listen to the entire explanation before making a decision since the ability requires a voluntary signature as an absolute condition.
Kurapika asks if she wants him to sign it and wonders what the contract's details are. Longhi replies that it's a cooperative partnership with Prince Tubeppa, but adds that Tubeppa is unaware of her ability and even the fact that she's a Nen user. She then reveals that the contract is just an insurance policy so her "true plan" can be carried out. As Kurapika tells her that it sounds intricate, his aura swells around him and he pulls out both his gun and Dowsing Chain. He declares that he has no time to sort through a mix of truth and lies, threatening to shoot if he hears any lies. Longhi quickly asks if the threat is a waste of time since a .22 caliber would be unlikely to kill a Nen user.
Longhi then continues her explanation, saying that her ability combines a vow and limitation that require her to explain everything in advance and without deceit. She adds that if all she wanted was to make a contract between him and Tubeppa, she would only need to communicate the contract's details accurately. She then reveals that for her "true plan", she wants to use her ability to grant him more power, which will require her to explain everything in detail and to get his signature before the power can be granted. Kurapika asks what the true plan is, and Longhi hesitates to answer, with Kurapika asking if something is wrong. Longhi wonders how she can explain it and says that she will start with what used to be the true plan, first revealing that she is the biological daughter of Beyond Netero.
With Bill, Kurapika, and Oito left stunned and confused, Kurapika eventually tells her to continue, with his gun and Dowsing Chain still drawn. Longhi explains that Beyond first recruited a young high-ranking soldier from Kakin and arranged a fake marriage around 30 years ago. She then reveals that there are multiple people in the same situation, and that each couple raised the children from the wives and Beyond as their own, enrolling them in the Royal Military Academy. She guesses that Beyond likely did this every time a new Prince was born. She says that each of them aspired to be royal soldiers and to eventually become personal guards for the Princes, guessing that most of them accomplished that. She explains that since they have had their Nen abilities awakened since birth, the exam wasn't a concern unless there were extremely special circumstances. She reveals that she learned the truth when she happened to discover that she didn't have the traits she should have inherited from her father. She admits that even after learning about her other siblings, she simply thought that her real father's goal was to place his blood relatives in the most important positions in the next king's entourage.
Kurapika then asks if that used to be the true plan, and Longhi says that it was revealed to her by her adoptive parents along with the details about Beyond. She assumes that her half-siblings haven't been told anything about their birth or the fact that they have brothers and sisters. She then says that even though she was aware of the details, she only saw herself as a soldier in the Kakin military with a unique family situation until the succession contest started. She explains that since she had been living in a dormitory since childhood, she didn’t feel much of a connection with her parents, adding that they would eagerly talk about Beyond's goals during all their visits and that she didn’t question them at all since they were consistent with the national policy of world unification under Kakin.
She then reveals that his method was off and that they were simply pawns to be discarded. She again mentions that she and her siblings have had their Nen abilities awakened since birth, explaining that when newborns awaken them, they instinctively try to avoid excessive fatigue, learning techniques like Ten and Zetsu. She then boasts that ever since she entered the Royal Military Academy, she has been at the top of her class in physical fitness even while saving her strength. However, she adds that this was a side effect of Beyond's Nen attack. With Kurapika left confused, Longhi reveals that Beyond placed a curse on them.
Longhi explains that this was all discovered by her half-sister, Makaha, who was supposed to serve under Prince Camilla. However, after Camilla promoted the marginalized Have-Nots to personal soldiers, Makaha was among the second graduating class of the Royal Military Academy that lost their chance as a result. She continues by saying that Makaha realized something was wrong when her parents' reaction was the opposite of her own disappointment, and that she eventually discovered her when they were both soldiers under Queen Duazul. In a flashback, Makaha remembers how eagerly her parents had talked about their dream of unifying the world with Beyond and how much they had encouraged her, with her then wondering why they were so indifferent when she didn't become a trusted soldier.
Back in the present, Longhi says that with the Seed Urn Ceremony as a trigger, the two of them realized that they and their siblings had a "seal" in common.[note 1] Later, they had a renowned Nen user[note 2] examine it, which allowed them to learn the truth: each of them is possessed by a powerful and malevolent Nen that will be unleashed upon their death. She then asks Kurapika to use Gyo to see it clearly, slowly opening her mouth and revealing the cursed seal on the back of her tongue. She adds that the Nen user referred to her as a "strong curse sacrifice", surmising that they have been chosen to curse and kill their targets. She says there are at least 10 "powerful ones", including herself and Makaha. She then guesses that if there are just as many or more "weak curse sacrifices" who were excluded from the selection, then Beyond must have prepared numerous pawns since he couldn't predict the final number of Princes.
Longhi says that the Nen user told them it's something that can't be purged by burning its surface or cutting out the cursed areas, with them describing the cursed seal as the most powerful one they had ever seen. She emphasizes that their own bodies were turned into instruments of Beyond's plan, reiterating that they were made into "curse sacrifices". She then says that while she doesn't know what these abilities are or at whom they are directed, she is certain that each of them was possessed to ensure that their target will be cursed to death. Bill suddenly gets Kurapika's attention and worries that those outside will start to get suspicious if the conversation goes on for too long. However, Kurapika points out that they won't be able to make the contract with Tubeppa if they don't hear the whole story.
Longhi continues by saying that although some of them like Makaha, who served under Camila, were unable to become trusted soldiers, the fact that Beyond hasn't made any other moves has led them to believe that their targets aren't simply the Prince to whom they were assigned. She emphasizes that it may not have been necessary to be someone trusted by a Prince or to even to be a soldier, pointing out that even their life goals were manipulated by their cunning father. Kurapika asks if she's sure the targets of the curses are the Princes, and Longhi replies that even though it's just speculation, she is confident since there are more than 10 "powerful curse sacrifices" and 14 Princes. She is unsure who will curse and kill which Prince, but emphasizes that Beyond is fiercely determined to influence the succession contest.
Bill notes that Beyond not telling the "curse sacrifices" about any of this means that he is either in control of the activation switch or letting the activation happen on its own as a limitation to increase the curse's power. Kurapika believes the latter since Beyond has entrenched himself in the heart of Kakin, guessing that he wants Prince Benjamin to rightfully ascend the throne. He explains that a powerful curse assassination requires a "curse sacrifice" and that if this is secretly communicated to Benjamin to ensure he survives as successor, he can use his special martial law supported by the military as his ace in the hole. However, Longhi quickly replies that she doesn't think it's Benjamin since she finds it hard to believe that after so much planning and preparation, her cunning and greedy father would go through all that just for someone unrelated to him.
With Bill left confused, Kurapika realizes her meaning, and Longhi reveals that she believes one of the Princes is Beyond's child. With Bill wondering if that's possible, Kurapika quickly asks Oito what the conditions are for a Prince to participate in the contest. Oito nervously replies that it's limited only to the "children of legal wives" of Nasubi Hui Guo Rou. Even realizing the loophole, Oito herself is still unable to believe it. Outside the room, Hashito and Sakata stand near the double doors, with the latter suddenly knocking and anxiously asking if anything is wrong since they are taking so long. Kurapika opens the doors and assures them that everything is fine, explaining that negotiations for a peace treaty with Tubeppa are taking longer due to a disagreement over the terms. He then promises to explain the situation to them afterwards to avoid any unnecessary suspicion, asking them to wait a little longer. With Babimyna looking on in silence, Furykov notes no significant change in Kurapika's aura, but wonders how he hasn't noticed that Longhi is a Nen user and the culprit who has killed multiple people.
Closing the doors and again drawing his gun and Dowsing Chain, Kurapika tells Longhi to continue. Longhi states that the contract with Tubeppa is a peace agreement with Prince Woble and Queen Oito, explaining that neither side will interfere with or attack the other's Princes, Queens, or affiliated guards. She adds that it will expire at 9:00 a.m. next Sunday and will be renewed automatically for another week if a messenger from Tubeppa is inside Room 1014 at that time. She then assures them that her ability will only be activated if they do not abide by the contract of their agreement, with the punishment being one week of enforced Zetsu. Kurapika thinks about how powerful the punishment is and then tells Longhi that the definition of "attack" is vague since medical treatment and assistance involving Nen could also be considered "attacks".
Longhi mentions that her ability would also be considered an attack in that case. She then assures them that unless there's evidence of fraud, damage, or other actions clearly intended to harm them, Tubeppa will not unilaterally bring up the termination of the contract, and she will never arbitrarily decide to activate her ability. She then reveals the condition to grant Kurapika power: they must find Beyond's child before Tubeppa withdraws or there are only two Princes left. However, she assures him that if somehow none of the Princes meet the criteria, the condition will still be fulfilled, and her ability will be activated as a "reward" upon fulfillment. She adds that the condition will expire as soon as Tubeppa declares the termination of the agreement, but that if he continues his investigation and fulfills the condition, she will make another contract with him personally and grant the reward.
Longhi reveals that the reward will allow Kurapika to use her ability one time. Kurapika thinks about the condition and says that while it's not bad, it's limited and dependent on the other party, adding that he can activate the enforced Zetsu under conditions that are much easier than the risk of his own ability. He then notes that his chain isn't moving at all, signifying that Longhi has yet to tell a lie. Longhi finally moves on to her current true plan and asks that Kurapika decide whether he wants to sign after hearing it. She reveals that if, as expected, Beyond's child is one of the Princes, she will kill them herself. With the others looking at her in silence as aura swells around her, Longhi says that if Beyond had simply told her everything, even if her role were exactly the same as it is now, she would not have come to this decision. After Longhi's reveal, Kurapika's chain remains motionless.
The door slowly opens, and everyone waits patiently for them to walk out. With aura around Longhi's body, Furykov is left confused and begins to analyze the situation, noting no signs of a physical struggle and saying that a Nen fight is also unlikely given the quietness of their aura. He also notes that there was nothing unnatural about Kurapika's behavior when he gave his explanation earlier. However, he then realizes that Longhi has been crying and wonders what happened behind closed doors. He continues to analyze the situation, saying that he senses something slightly different in Kurapika's aura, unable to tell if it's a subtle change in his body and mind or if it's due to Longhi's Nen. He then considers the possibility of an attack from Longhi, wondering if her ability is a remote one that involves several steps or a strong and unmatched one that can have incredible power under the right conditions. In the end, Furykov is unable to narrow down the possibilities.
He posits that it would be difficult to have both Bill and Kurapika meet her conditions at the same time, and that the logical inference of Longhi being the assassin in question would also be incorrect. He then wonders if the negotiation was based on a tearful appeal with no Nen abilities being involved. He laments how unprovable it all is and comments that Kurapika and the others are difficult to figure out. Kurapika apologizes to the group for the wait and says that they were discussing a peace agreement with Tubeppa, explaining that while both sides are open to an agreement, they can't find common ground. He adds that there is also a difference of opinion about how much information they should share about the agreement's details. Furykov says to himself that there's no way they haven't reached a compromise, praising their gutsy maneuver to maintain balance with the Third and Fifth Princes.
Kurapika and Bill then lead Tenftory behind closed doors, with the former saying that they will discuss the matter at hand afterwards. Furykov notes that they can just explain the situation to Tenftory inside. He then says to himself that as long as the system of teaching people how to awaken their Nen behind closed doors keeps working, Prince Woble will be safe. He then points out how worthless it would be for him to claim they are plotting a conspiracy and for the training to be stopped since the evidence would be weak, and he wouldn't even be able to bring it to trial. He also worries that it would actually strengthen their unity. He then turns to Babimyna and admits that he's starting to wish for a reassignment, asking him if he feels the same way. Babimyna doesn't respond, and Furykov asks if something is wrong. Babiymna hesitates but eventually says that it's nothing.
At 2:00 p.m. on the tenth day, Beyond continues to sit in his cell on Tier 1. With a book in his hand, he asks Kanzai if he can get a new one. Kanzai says that there's no exchanging, telling him to read it again or write a novel himself. Beyond likes the idea and asks for a pen and paper. Kanzai tells him that he can't grant the request for security reasons, reminding him that he has a beard and blood. Beyond considers his reasoning and wonders if he could take off Kanzai's head with the book. Kanzai pretends to be scared by the threat and then asks if he has any other requests, telling him to say anything he wants and that all he can do is say it. Beyond laughs at his joke and calls him funny, saying that there's someone he wants to talk to and asking Kanzai if he can arrange a meeting.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Morena Prudo (Cover)
- Longhi
- Furykov
- Kurapika
- Bill
- Tubeppa Hui Guo Rou (Mentioned)
- Oito Hui Guo Rou
- Makaha (Flashback; Debut; Mentioned)
- Camilla Hui Guo Rou (Mentioned)
- Duazul Hui Guo Rou (Mentioned indirectly)
- Woble Hui Guo Rou
- Benjamin Hui Guo Rou (Mentioned)
- Nasubi Hui Guo Rou (Mentioned)
- Hashito
- Sakata
- Tenftory
- Satobi
- Babimyna
- Yuhirai
- Shedule
- Danjin
- Belerainte
- Illardia
- Ladiolus
- Zhang Lei Hui Guo Rou (Mentioned)
- Beyond Netero
- Kanzai
Trivia[]
Intertextuality and References[]
- The subtitle of Longhi's Nen ability, "Moonlight Act" (ゲッコウジョウレイ, Gekkō Jōrei), is a reference to the manga series written and illustrated by Kazuhiro Fujita.
- The magazine Kanzai is seen reading is titled "Monthly Knees" (月刊膝). This is possibly a nod to Me & Roboco, a series also in Weekly Shōnen Jump.
Notes
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