IN EXTREMIS...

A dramatic title page opens with a black banner across the top reading "N°31 IN EXTREMIS...". Below it, a large close-up shows Gon leaning forward intensely, his face partially obscured by heavy black motion lines and a strap across his cheek. His eyes are wide and determined, sweat visible on his face as he grips something unseen. The composition emphasizes extreme tension and forward momentum.

Deep inside a jagged rocky cavern, a group stands over a fallen figure. Someone shouts in shock, "HE'S DEAD?" Multiple "ZAT" sound effects echo across the stone walls and floor. In the foreground, Gon supports Leorio while Kurapika stands close by, all three staring toward the body. A small lantern rests nearby. Close-up panels show Kurapika's worried eyes, a spiky-haired examinee turning sharply, Gon's wide-eyed surprise, and a bandaged man glaring intensely. At the bottom of the page a massive serpent rears up, its jaws open and eyes glowing as it hisses with repeated "SSSS" effects.

Kurapika explains in close-up, "AS FOR KNOWING HOW, IT'S A FAMILY SECRET." Killua asks sharply, "IT WAS ME WHO KILLED HIM. WHY?!" and then states, "THE ONE WHO LAY THIS TRAP IS DEAD?" In the next panel Kurapika confirms, "YES," and tells Gon, "GON, TAKE CARE OF LEORIO." A small figure in the background watches. Leorio sits alone on the cave floor beside the lantern. Suddenly the scene erupts into violent motion lines and multiple "ZAT" impacts as Kurapika is struck and sent flying backward with an exclamation mark.

A massive snake rears up with its mouth open wide, hissing loudly. Nearby, Barbon sits motionless on the cave floor, his body completely covered by dozens of writhing snakes that also hiss. Killua stares at the scene with wide eyes and a tense expression. Gon leans in close and explains the danger: if anyone touches Barbon, every snake will strike at once. She adds that trying to search his body is useless. In a larger panel Gon continues, stating that in both cases the snakes will attack—whether someone tries to leave the cave or touches Barbon’s body.

Gon’s hat is visible as she looks toward the snakes. Killua glances sideways with a serious face. A close-up shows Killua’s eye gleaming as he deduces that Barbon died from anaphylactic shock caused by murderess bees. A large diagram illustrates a bee and explains that multiple stings in a short time can trigger an allergic reaction known as anaphylactic shock. At the bottom, an unseen speaker declares their target was Barbon. Gon smiles and replies that the deduction is exactly correct.

In a forest cave, a girl in a hat recounts her actions. After spraying soporific gas at the entrance, she followed the man inside. She entered the dark cave and found him deeply sleeping on the ground. When she approached with her sheet, many snakes came out from the fissures in the rock because the gas had little effect on them. The man had already prepared his trap.

A large pale creature covered in spots releases many small flying insects with a flit flit sound. The girl in the hat explains that the insects did not attack her because she moved back before touching the man's body. Gon and Killua react with surprise. The girl continues that if she starts shouting or falls due to a shock the insects will attack people around her, as they swarm toward her and the boys.

A character in a cap sweats heavily, admitting in a shaky voice, "I couldn't do anything." Nearby, a heavily bandaged examinee with a wrapped head lies amid rubble and debris, thinking, "How could I know if he had been or not in the past? I never thought he would die." The bandaged figure recalls the trap's deadly design. A hand reaches out as someone says, "You can come back." The bandaged examinee explains, "The problem is that, even after his death, his trap still works. Because of his trap, it was impossible to go to help him." In a rocky cavern, two figures stand with their backs turned; one states, "We're at a dead end." Another continues, "It's not conceivable of his renouncing taking his tag and simply leaving. Impossible to get something from him, or to try to get rid of his trap." On a dark panel, text explains the tags contain small transmitters that let the examiners track their location. The cap-wearing character sits with a hand to their face and declares, "I gave up. I'm waiting for the examiners to come and save me."

A tall figure holding a tag labeled "TAG" says, "That's out of the question. This year, you'd quit, and wait for help." Another panel shows a dark silhouette with the line, "At last, I'm happy that we only have one day left to wait." The cap-wearing examinee covers their face while thinking, "The committee will look for the ones that did not come back to the starting point. Obviously, it's no longer possible for the ones who lost their tag." Gon, Killua, and Kurapika appear together; someone insists, "It's not possible. We must take him to a doctor." Kurapika notes, "Leorio is in a critical state!" The cap-wearing examinee recalls, "He didn't listen to me, and entered. It's his fault. I warned him." A panel states that participants must settle their own problems during this round and that until the last day the committee won't act. Suddenly Leorio bursts forward with a panicked expression, shouting, "SNAKES...!! KURAPIKA!! GON!! DON'T EVER COME HERE!!" Kurapika responds firmly, "Do you understand what it means? The ones who have lost their tags are abandoned by the committee, they show no mercy."

A massive explosion of writhing spotted snakes erupts around a bandaged man, his body contorted as the creatures coil and lash outward in every direction. Below, Kurapika, Killua, and Gon stand together in tense discussion. Kurapika worries aloud that if his assumption is wrong they will only add another victim to the count. Killua counters that their success rate must still be high enough despite the risk. Gon refuses to accept the situation, insisting there has to be another way. A voice tells them they can only pray now that the one facing the threat proves strong enough until rescue arrives. In the next moment Gon shouts Kurapika’s name and orders him to take care of Leorio.

Gon’s face fills a panel with radiating speed lines as he declares there is a way and he is sure of it. Killua watches silently from smaller panels above and below. The scene shifts to a rocky cavern where Gon runs forward, tapping the ground twice with his staff. Barbon, the snake-wielding man, stands with snakes coiled around his head and shoulders. He extends a hand toward Gon while asking if Gon did not listen to what he just said. Killua and Kurapika react with shock in the background. In the final spread Barbon lunges, the word CATCH appears as his hand grabs for Gon amid motion lines and a falling backpack.

A determined boy with spiky hair stands amid a chaotic swarm of snakes coiling and striking around his body, his expression fierce and focused as the reptiles twist through the air with powerful motion lines. The snakes lunge and snap with open jaws, filling the space around him in a frenzy of scales and fangs. Below, rapid close-up panels capture the violent slithering and striking of the snakes accompanied by bold onomatopoeia reading SLAT SLAT, SLAT, and more SLAT sounds. In the final small panel, a young girl with pigtails stares in utter shock, eyes wide and hands clutched near her open mouth, sweat drops flying from her face as she reacts to the intense scene.

The pigtail girl exclaims that this kid is insane while another voice notes but he... as both she and Killua watch the unfolding chaos with tense expressions. In a large central panel, a dark silhouette sits amid a massive writhing pile of snakes that fill a rocky cavern, with numerous speech bubbles containing unreadable text and dramatic sound effects like ZAA ZAAA ZAAAA ZAA and other Japanese characters swirling around the mass. Killua and the girl observe from above. At the bottom, a bright panel shows a triumphant exclamation I GOT IT!!! as a close-up reveals a single large eye peering out from within the tangled snakes, sweat visible on the scales nearby.

A hand grips a walkie-talkie with an attached bottle as a voice urgently calls out. The device flashes with the name KURAPIKA. In a nearby panel, a boy with spiky hair reaches desperately for the falling device while another figure lunges forward. The walkie-talkie is caught. Suddenly a massive explosion erupts, sending Gon hurtling through the air amid writhing tentacles and debris as impact sounds echo. Leorio examines the walkie-talkie closely. Gon lies injured on the ground while Killua stands nearby. Gon speaks first, telling the others to take care of Leorio. Killua immediately asks if Gon is okay.

Killua reflects that inoculating the adversary with poison required a serum that was almost indispensable. He notes there was a strong chance the target already possessed one. The girl with pigtails adds that while the man was not even sure he would find some, he still obtained a serum. Gon sits up, his face determined, and asks if they still have some soporific gas. Leorio, sweating, questions whether Gon is still willing to trade his points for it. Gon holds up a tag marked 103 and offers to trade it, stating that with the tag the recipient will have their six points. The girl looks surprised and asks why.

Deep inside the snake-filled cave, the group considers their options. A large speech bubble notes that releasing gas here would be more effective than projecting it from the entrance, as it would take only about five minutes for the gas to completely invade the room and neutralize all the snakes. The girl in the hat and white outfit holds up two cards marked KILL while questioning whether Gon really intends to hold his breath the entire time. Gon, standing firm with a determined expression, refuses to leave her behind. In a close-up panel he declares he will not abandon her, while another panel shows him timing his breath with intense focus, counting down from nine minutes and forty-four seconds—his personal record.

Gon instructs the girl to release the gas when he gives the signal. He takes a deep breath, cheeks puffing out, then exhales forcefully with a loud HAAA. The girl watches closely from the side. Gon gives a thumbs-up and confirms he is ready. She activates the device, releasing a thick cloud of gas accompanied by loud SHHHH sound effects and swirling smoke. The gas billows outward with motion lines indicating rapid expansion as the plan is executed.

Swarming insects fill the air as a massive cloud of bees erupts from the left. A long snake coils through the sky while another panel shows a figure tumbling amid the chaos. Gon, wearing examinee tags 201 and 202, peers out from behind cover with a focused expression. In a wide view, Gon sprints through dense, swirling clouds marked by repeated SHHHH sound effects and vertical impact lines. The scene shifts to a quiet forest floor where two large holes have been blasted into the ground among the trees and rocks, with Gon visible as a small figure standing before one of the openings.

Gon bursts forward in a dynamic pose with motion lines and a large TADAN sound effect, carrying a round object while shouting. Behind him, several other examinees including a blonde figure and a person with light hair are visible in motion. In the next sequence, a girl with tag 246 holds up a small round object while Gon looks back. Speech bubbles show the girl saying she is sure he can find his way back alone and that she gave him tag #103. Gon turns with a cheerful expression, tag 246 visible, and tells her not to bear a grudge against him for the transport expenses.