Hunter x Hunter No. 419: Implementation

Tserreidnich’s daring escape plan is underway. His ability is really showcased this chapter. While still a tad confusing, I think we get a good sense of how his powers function, at least in a practical sense. I think this is often then case with Hunter x Hunter and is a real positive aspect of Togashi’s writing that you can follow along perfectly well even if you don’t quite grasp the full ruleset of the abilities showcased, but if you do understand the ins and outs, you can perhaps figure out where the story is headed next. As Tserreidnich moves through the ship, he understands his own ability better, the radius of his ability is 36 meters, meaning he can chain together the effect every 36 meters he moves, energy consumption notwithstanding.

The 4th Prince uses his ability to both kill and cause the guards to believe they are killed, stunning almost all of them. He’s able to convince some of the soldiers he’s on their side as a covert operative, giving them some convoluted code to test loyalty. He’s killed briefly, and once he deactivates his ability, his body disappearing causes a lot of confusion. The spray of bullets every which way causes a bloodbath, Tserreidnich really is a nightmare as he slips away unnoticed, leaving only destruction in his wake. The cruise ship within the ship begins a full lockdown to try and capture the mystery assailant. Tserreidnich makes his way to the Casino area as the chapter draws to a close.

This was a showcase chapter, a showcase for Tserreidnich’s ability and a real lean back into the action roots of the series. It’s very refreshing, even with plenty of text, the action is given a lot more room to breathe and is exceptionally focused. Tserreidnich’s slippery and manipulative nature is exemplified in the way he deceives and moulds the battlefield to his whim. Fear and confusion are the tools with which he will conquer this place and ascend to the throne. In regards to the casino, weren’t Hisoka and some of the Phantom Troupe members here recently? If so, that could be incredibly exciting! Their subplot hasn’t been developed during this batch of chapters at all, while featuring quite heavily prior. Tserreidnich would fit in quite well with those underworld characters, and I think could potentially prove a match for some of them, if he continues to develop at the speed he is. On the flipside, someone as conniving as Hisoka could potentially hijack his entire operation in order to feed his revenge-quest. Speaking of which, as I’ve only begun covering this series in a professional capacity as of this year, I haven’t been able to talk about how Hisoka and Kurapika both wish to eliminate the Troupe, the goal that aligns them, yet they still haven’t crossed paths on the ship. I don’t want to overemphasise it, just in case it doesn’t pan out that way, but a fight between the 4th Prince and the 4th Spider could be something truly special. We could see Hisoka as soon as next week