Shoot and Knuckle stay behind to fight Youpi while Morel rushes forward to face Pouf. While looking for Pitou, Killua turns back briefly to assist Ikalgo unaware that he accidentally put his friend's cover at risk.

Separated from the Royal Guard, the king departs from the palace with Netero to have their fight elsewhere and Gon, learning of Pitou's location, steels himself to confront it. Meanwhile, Pouf enters in a cocoon in preparation to confront Morel, and Shoot fights Youpi to the limit of his forces until Knuckle steps in to protect him.

The disguised Ikalgo reaches the lower levels of the palace to look for Palm, unaware that he is being followed. Meanwhile, Meleoron leaves Knuckle's side and proceeds further into the palace, but another Chimera Ant, Welfin, tracks his smell. Elsewhere, Gon and Killua find Pitou, who is too busy to fight them while tending to Komugi's wounds.

Face to face with Pitou, Gon can't hold back his rage and urges the chimera to fight him. Realizing that Pitou is willing to sacrifice itself to protect Komugi, Killua attempts to calm down his friend down with no success, but in the end, Gon gives one hour for Pitou to treat Komugi in exchange of accompanying him to meet Kite and help him recover his senses.

Cheetu attempts to provoke Zeno into fighting him, but Silva appears to pick up his father, killing the ant instanly in the occasion. Separated from the others, Youpi realizes that he failed to prevent the intruders from approaching the king and attempts to vent out his anger on Knuckle and Shoot, creating an overwhelming explosion, a feat that surprised even himself. Knuckle believes this could prove itself as an opportunity to make a comeback, while Youpi plans to use it to defeat them for good.

Ikalgo infiltrates the palace's lower levels to look for Palm with no success. While returning to the surface, his cover is blown and he finds himself trapped in the undergound with an enemy. Meanwhile, Youpi pretends to be angered in order to have Knuckle falsely believe there is an opening for him to attack. Youpi's plan works, but just before he could kill his opponent, Killua paralyzes the ant with a lighting bolt and steps in to fight him.

Taking advantage of Youpi's distraction, Killua vents out his anger by beating him up, but is forced to flee after his lighting power runs out. Meanwhile, Ikalgo makes use of the underground security system to outsmart his pursuer and find a way to escape back to surface. Morel, on the other hand, is in doubt about whether he should make the first move against Pouf or not.

Morel decides to make the first move and unwillingly frees Pouf from his restrain. Upon realizing that Shoot is missing, unaware that he was taken by Knov to be treated, Knuckle confronts Youpi, assisted by Morel, whose options are drastically reduced upon having his pipe stolen by Pouf, who after realizing that the king is nowhere to be found, decides to rejoin Pitou, who is still working to stabilize Komugi under Gon's vigilant eyes.

Knuckle and Morel confront Youpi with their lives on the line, but just a few moments left of neutralizing his nen with his ability, he is forced to abandon his master or give up on defeating his oponent.

Far away from the palace, Netero prepares himself to confront the king, who much to his surprise, recognizes his value as a fighter and is not willing to kill him. Meanwhile, Pouf learns the situation from Pitou and sneaks past Gon's vigilance to rejoin Youpi as they leave the palace to search for the king.

Ikalgo is attacked by Welfin but the enemy's attempt to restrain him backfires and they find themselves in a stand off. In the occasion, Welfin regains some of his lost memories from when he was still human and gives him a hint regarding Palm's location.

Killua meets Palm and learns that she was transformed into a Chimera. Refusing to let her see Gon in fear of what effects this could have on his already unstable mind, Killua is attacked by her, unaware that she is under Pouf's control.