Chapter Summaries

Cordis and Knuckle confronted Gido, whose body was being harmed by Cordis’s blood manipulation and Knuckle’s growing interest-collecting creature. Gido tried to attack the creature, then sped away, leaving Cordis and Knuckle watching him disappear.

• Gido shrugged off Knuckle’s punch and taunted him, but Cordis warned that Gido would die there and made pain flare inside his body.
• Cordis realized Gido’s tough shell made him a difficult opponent, while Knuckle’s white creature appeared and announced that its interest was due.
• Gido turned on Knuckle, but he fell before reaching him, frightened by the unseen force that had tripped him.
• Cordis mocked Gido and stepped aside as Knuckle’s creature grew larger while calculating interest.
• Gido punched the creature, then tried to escape by sprinting away at extreme speed as Cordis and Knuckle watched.

Cordis and Knuckle returned to town and joined Morel, Knov, and Shoot, where Gon and Killua came face to face with Kite in his altered condition. The chapter ended as Kite emerged from Shoot’s Lantern.

• Cordis and Knuckle let Gido escape, and Cordis made Knuckle repair the car’s damaged tires before they drove back to town.
• Knuckle worried about how Gon and Killua were doing under observation, and Cordis drove faster without answering.
• Cordis and Knuckle met Morel, Knov, and Shoot in a dim cellar, where Shoot struggled to contain Kite inside his Lantern.
• Gon and Killua arrived, and Knuckle warned them that Kite might no longer be the person they remembered.
• Gon promised that they would cure Kite, and Shoot opened the Lantern as a small, unsteady figure stepped out.

Gon reunited with Kite, who had been turned into a mindless, stitched-together monster, and endured his attacks without fighting back. The chapter ended with Gon finally holding Kite and asking him to rest while the others handled the danger.

• Kite emerged from the lantern and began returning to his original size, prompting Shoot to warn that he was still dangerous.
• Gon recognized Kite and approached him despite Knuckle's warning, while Kite attacked him without recognizing anyone.
• Killua noticed Cordis's worsening condition, and Cordis nearly collapsed from exhaustion and an untreated wound.
• Gon took Kite's punches without dodging, even though his Nen Ability was temporarily sealed after losing to Knuckle.
• Gon finally dodged an attack, grabbed Kite, and told him to take a little rest while they handled the rest.

Cordis and the others traveled to East Gorteau as they prepared for the next stage of their plan, debating whether Gon and Killua should accompany them. After arriving in a border town, they learned from a television broadcast that Commander Diego had ordered everyone to attend a three-day celebration in Peijing ten days later.

• Cordis rested for two days after the matter of Kite was temporarily settled, then spent weeks attending meetings.
• On the train to East Gorteau, Knov argued that bringing Gon and Killua did not break their agreement, while Cordis worried they would be in danger.
• Morel and Shoot defended bringing the boys, and Morel said they would soon see Gon regain his strength.
• The group arrived in a sandy border town in East Gorteau and stopped at a roadside restaurant to eat.
• A television report announced that Commander Diego had ordered all residents, including infants and the sick, to attend a three-day founding anniversary celebration in Peijing ten days later.

Cordis and the Hunters prepared to stop East Gorteau’s deadly selection after Netero ordered the operation to begin at midnight. As the others fought below, Hisoka cornered Cordis and asked whether he hated him.

• Cordis and Knov learned that East Gorteau planned a selection that would kill nearly everyone at the rally, and Knov said they had ten days to stop it.
• Knov received Netero’s message ordering the Hunters to split into three pairs, lure the Royal Guards away from the King, and begin at midnight on the eve of the rally.
• At midnight, Gon regained access to his Nen, and Morel challenged him to a fight while Cordis watched from the balcony.
• Hisoka arrived at Cordis’s room, dismissed the idea of fighting the King, and asked Cordis whether he hated him.

Cordis struggled to understand his feelings after Hisoka treated his answer as a confession, then returned to the mission with Gon and the others. As President Diego's troops began violently screening the population, Knuckle's anger clashed with Cordis's insistence that they stay undercover.

• Hisoka asked Cordis whether he hated him, then took Cordis's uncertain response as a confession.
• Cordis told Hisoka he would explain his feelings after thinking them through, then jumped down to join Gon.
• Morel urged the group to put the mission first, while he and Knov kept quiet about the powerful presence they had sensed near Cordis.
• President Diego ordered troops to separate families and shoot anyone who resisted the population screening.
• Knuckle angrily protested the screening of five million people in ten days, while Cordis told him and Shoot to focus on staying undercover.

Cordis, Shoot, and Knuckle argued over sacrificing five million people to protect humanity, until news came that Gon and Killua had disrupted the military's selection process. Gon later told Cordis that Killua had gone to stop the selection without him, leaving Cordis worried about both boys.

• Cordis and Shoot tried to persuade Knuckle that sacrificing five million people was necessary to save humanity, and Cordis angrily reminded him that a Royal Guard had taken his eye.
• Cordis received a call from Morel and learned that Gon and Killua had gone to stop the military's selection process.
• Knuckle celebrated their intervention, but Cordis worried that the changed plan might put Gon and Killua in danger.
• Knuckle answered Gon’s call, then handed the phone to Cordis, who asked where Gon and Killua were and whether they were hurt.
• Gon told Cordis that Killua had gone to stop the selection and had refused to let Gon come with him.

Cordis and Gon arranged to meet in Mandai City, where Gon introduced Merion, a Chimera Ant, as a dependable ally. Cordis and Knuckle accepted him, while Shoot was left to give his opinion.

• Cordis warned Gon that Knov and Morel would be occupied keeping Neferpitou busy and asked him to bring his ally to Mandai City.
• Cordis, Knuckle, and Shoot traveled toward Mandai City while avoiding dragonflies overhead.
• Cordis and the others met Gon in the forest, and Gon announced that he had found a dependable ally.
• Gon called Merion out from behind a tree, surprising Knuckle and Shoot with the Chimera Ant's appearance.
• Cordis welcomed Merion as an ally against Meruem, and Knuckle accepted him before everyone turned to Shoot.

While Gon trained and the group waited for orders, Cordis reconnected with an injured Killua and learned that Knov had been badly shaken after encountering a Royal Guard in the palace. The group suspected Palm was trapped in the underground storage tunnels, and Knov might no longer be able to fight.

• Shoot kept his distance from Merion while Gon trained and Merion and Knuckle grew friendly during the group's wait for instructions.
• Cordis answered Killua's call and learned Killua had been injured in a fight and was recovering in a hospital before planning to join them.
• Cordis told Gon that Killua would recover, and the group discussed Palm's disappearance and concluded she might be trapped in the underground storage area beneath the palace.
• Cordis called Morel and learned Knov was doing poorly and might not be able to fight again.
• Knov had entered the palace to set up an exit, sensed a terrifying aura from one of the three guards, froze with fear, and escaped only after forcing himself to move.

Killua invited Ikalgo to join him and his friends, assuring him they were friends who could help each other without owing thanks. Cordis arrived as Ikalgo accepted Killua’s friendship, and he thanked Ikalgo for looking after Killua.

• Cordis reflected that Knov had abandoned the mission after escaping the palace, while the exits he had prepared would still allow the others to proceed.
• Killua finished recovering from his injuries, and Ikalgo visited him before a nurse told him to leave because the money had arrived.
• Killua invited the hesitant Ikalgo to come meet his friends, then told him that friends did not need to thank each other for helping.
• Ikalgo cried with happiness and told Killua he would even be willing to die for him.
• Cordis appeared with a handkerchief, and Killua introduced him to Ikalgo as one of his companions.
• Cordis crouched beside Ikalgo and thanked him for looking after Killua.

Cordis returned to the rendezvous point with Killua and Ikalgo, then joined the team’s assault on the Palace despite his fear of dying. After Knov opened the entrance closest to the Palace, Cordis overcame his hesitation and jumped in.

• Cordis and Killua discussed the Chimera Ants’ rapid evolution as they returned to the rendezvous point with Ikalgo.
• Gon joyfully welcomed Killua back, met Ikalgo, and joined the others when Knuckle called them over.
• At the cliff, Knov revealed three entrances and explained that the nearest entrance led closest to the Palace.
• Morel ordered the team to launch its assault from the Palace stairway, and Knov opened the closest entrance.
• Cordis hesitated as Knov warned him not to force himself, but Cordis decided to continue and jumped into the entrance.

Cordis reminisced about the things and person he could no longer let go of before Killua and Morel lightened the mood with promises of future treats and an airship. Knov reported the Royal Guards’ movements, and the group debated whether they would remain beside the King as Cordis questioned the purpose of the women brought to the palace.

• Cordis nervously waited with the team, and Gon noticed his injured hand and offered him chips.
• Cordis recalled his old reliance on bandages and wished he could revisit Yorknew City and ride a Hunter Association airship.
• Killua promised to take Cordis for pancakes after the mission, while Morel offered him an airship and promised Knuckle lollipops.
• Knov reported that Pitou had left, Youpi had returned to the palace, and Shaiapouf was scattering scales before departing through a hidden door.
• Killua and Ikalgo argued over whether the Royal Guards would stay with the King, and Morel suggested the King might need privacy to reproduce.
• Cordis pointed out that the King was less than a month old and questioned how the palace’s human captives could bear his children.

Cordis and the others discussed the King’s motives and prepared to enter the Palace, concluding that his pride and ruthlessness could make a fight unavoidable. Cordis removed the Eyepatch Gon and Killua had given him, then joined the team as Morel led them out.

• Cordis reasoned that the King might seek to test his intellect, while Killua questioned why he had left the Ant Queen early.
• Morel insisted that the plan to rescue Palm would proceed, and Gon suggested the King might hurt himself because he could not forgive himself.
• Morel and Cordis concluded that the King was a proud, ruthless ruler and that they might have no choice but to fight him.
• As the team gathered to enter the Palace, Cordis removed his Eyepatch and told Gon he did not want to lose the gift they had given him.
• Morel checked his watch and charged out the door with the others.

As the team charged Youpi at the palace entrance, a sudden bombardment disrupted their plan, but Knuckle opened a path for Gon and Killua to reach the second floor. Youpi attacked them as Cordis and Shoot moved to stop him.

• Knuckle carried Merion under [Proof of the Absent God] as the group rushed Youpi, while Ikalgo headed for the Cellar to find Palm.
• Youpi transformed by growing four long arms from his back, and Cordis and Shoot prepared to draw his attention.
• Meteor-like beams tore through the palace ceiling and shook the ground, disrupting the fighters and leaving them unsure whether Knuckle and Merion had survived.
• Cordis charged Youpi, and Knuckle struck him in the waist, opening a gap for Gon and Killua to reach the second floor.
• Youpi thrust a fist at Gon and Killua, and Cordis exchanged a glance with Shoot as they prepared to stop him.

Cordis and the others tried to hold Youpi back while Gon and Killua advanced, but Youpi collapsed the staircase and separated the team. Cordis was left with a crushed left hand, Shoot had a broken leg, and Gon and Killua had to continue alone.

• Cordis and an unseen Knuckle struck Youpi, giving Gon and Killua time to run upstairs.
• Youpi transformed, and Knuckle relied on Potclean’s debt collector to eventually stop him while the group tried to stall.
• Neferpitou sensed that the King was with the blind girl and saw Gon and Killua heading toward him.
• Youpi smashed the staircase, separating Gon and Killua from Cordis, Shoot, Knuckle, and Merion.
• Shoot broke his right leg, and falling rubble trapped and crushed Cordis’s left hand before Shoot carried him behind a wall.

Cordis and Shoot rejoined the battle against Youpi despite their injuries, with Shoot using his floating fists to rescue Cordis from a deadly blow. They began coordinating a distraction to exploit Youpi’s reactions.

• Cordis could not repair his severed left hand, so Shoot bandaged the stump before Cordis returned to the fight.
• Morel escaped through the smoke, allowing Knuckle to land another punch on Youpi before disappearing again.
• Cordis used [Flowing Woman] to make Youpi’s blood boil, but Youpi vanished and appeared in front of him.
• Shoot rescued Cordis with his floating fists, and Cordis threw Morel’s pipe back to him through the smoke.
• Cordis lured Youpi into smashing a fountain by tossing a stone into its pool.

Cordis drew Youpi’s attacks with taunts to give Shoot a chance to strike, but Youpi gravely wounded him. Shoot rescued Cordis and took him into the fog, where his condition continued to worsen.

• Cordis used scattered droplets to cut Youpi, then revealed himself and provoked Youpi into chasing him.
• Cordis dodged Youpi’s tentacles while taunting him, but eventually ran out of stamina.
• Youpi punched a bloody hole through Cordis’s abdomen and left him unconscious.
• Shoot seized one of Youpi’s eyes, evaded his counterattack, and carried Cordis into the fog.
• Knuckle watched Cordis fall unconscious without revealing himself, while Shoot tried to keep Cordis warm behind a slope.

Cordis woke during surgery and gave Doctor Qing Archangel's Breath to use on an injured child. Doctor Qing went to treat Gon Freecss, where Killua Zoldyck recognized Cordis as important to him.

• Cordis woke amid the battlefield ruins, realized Shoot was gone, and passed out from exhaustion.
• Cordis awoke during surgery and asked Doctor Qing to give Archangel's Breath to the injured child instead of using it on him.
• Doctor Qing left Cordis and found Knuckle and Shoot waiting outside, but could not bring himself to tell them how Cordis was doing.
• Doctor Qing entered Gon's room and found Killua demanding treatment for Gon Freecss.
• Doctor Qing asked Killua whether he knew Cordis, and Killua said Cordis was very important to him before asking how he was doing.

Killua learned that Cordis remained in critical danger and that Gon might not survive the night. Following Cordis's wishes, Killua used Archangel's Breath to save Gon, then went to find Cordis in the operating room.

• Killua asked the doctor about Cordis and learned that Cordis was still in danger.
• The doctor explained that Cordis had given Archangel's Breath to Gon and that Gon might not survive the night without it.
• The doctor summoned Archangel's Breath and asked Killua to make the request.
• Killua broke down, then told Archangel's Breath to save Gon.
• Archangel's Breath healed Gon's damaged skin, and the doctor led Killua to the operating room where Cordis lay.

Killua learned that Cordis had survived but was left in a vegetative state, and he resolved to find a way to wake him. After Gon recovered, he joined Killua in heading home to help Cordis, while Knuckle and Shoot cared for him; the chapter ended with Illumi asking Hisoka how much he cared about Cordis.

• A doctor told Killua, Knuckle, and Shoot that Cordis had survived, but his arm had been amputated and he would likely remain paralyzed and unconscious.
• Killua vowed to find a way to wake Cordis, and Shoot persuaded him to wait for Gon so they could go together.
• Gon woke the next morning fully healed, learned Cordis's condition from Knuckle, and left with Killua to seek a way to help him.
• Over the next two days, Knuckle and Shoot took turns caring for Cordis as he remained unconscious.
• Illumi appeared beside Hisoka on a cliff and asked whether he cared a lot about Cordis.