DEFENDING WITH NO SPELLS

In the town square, a large man in a striped shirt reads a book while standing near a tree. Gon and Killua continue their conversation nearby. Killua suggests, "IF THERE WERE ONLY CLUMSY GUYS LIKE THESE, IT WOULD BE FINE." Gon replies that they must stay alert because even the weakest opponent could steal from them without defensive spells. Gon then proposes using an attack spell, saying, "I HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF HOW THESE ATTACK SPELLS MIGHT WORK." Killua questions, "BECAUSE YOU'RE A VIDEO GAME MANIAC?" They consider a spell that forces an opponent to give up a random card from their imposed slots. Gon smiles and concludes, "IF I'M RIGHT, WE CAN DEFEND OURSELVES EVEN WITHOUT HAVING SPELL CARDS." A small note reads, "No maniac, just a regular player."

Gon and Killua walk along a stone-paved street lined with buildings. Gon remarks, "Yeah, thinking about it, it does seem possible." Killua answers, "The guys from the 'Hame' group said there were spells like this." Spotting something ahead, Gon exclaims, "Oh, I see! Clever trick!" Killua replies, "Then if you......" They continue discussing the situation. Gon notes, "The guys we saw must be thinking like this..." Killua suggests, "Ah, here, here, this will do." Gon asks, "Well, how 'bout this one? Shall we use it?" Killua agrees, "Yup." In a smaller panel, Gon holds up a card and declares, "This is great!" Killua responds, "Oh... Then we might as well... let's do it!" The page shifts to a close-up of a sweating dark-haired man with a worried expression. He thinks, "But I've got a living to make. My wife is counting on me to bring money home. I'm really in a tight spot. Damn, what should I do, to take cards from a couple kids, and they seem so happy. This doesn't feel right..." Smaller panels show his eyes and face as he continues, "It will sell for at least 10 million jennis if I can get my hands on it (too bad it's not real money, though). The prize for the 'Antokiba Monthly Tournament' is an imposed slot item on odd months. No, no, it's not the time to think about that. That card is what I must concentrate on. How did it all come down to this... spending these years in the game, finally settling down, getting a job and even marrying..."

The dark-haired man recalls seeing six List cards in one pack and buying five packs at a magic shop, obtaining fifteen cards total. He holds up a card labeled 1007 THIEF C-50, which allows stealing a random card from another player. He reflects, "I did get one rare card, 'Thief,' but at that time..." A large panel shows the Thief card with its effect description. The man continues, "With 10 million, I won't have to worry about earning my living on G.I. anymore. If I sell the card at a trade shop in town, I can keep the extra money that won't fit in my binder there." Bold text reads "UNTIL TODAY...." He thinks, "THIEF...! I saved it, but opportunities to use it kept eluding me..." The man concludes, "Everything was meant to happen for me to use this card on this day. Thinking about it now, fate also had that I used a 'List' spell on the tournament prize, 'Sword of Truth.' I saw that there were only about 10 people who had the card, because the occasion to acquire it comes around only once a year." In the final panels, the man sweats heavily while imagining another player, thinking, "If I keep hesitating, another guy will beat me to the punch." He resolves, "Even if I don't, take that card from them, someone else will. Give up useless remorse, Motarike."

A towering man in a black vest stands with legs spread wide, shouting down at two small figures below. "WAIT, YOU TWO OVER THERE!!" he yells, arms outstretched. Gon and Killua look up from the street. Nearby, two startled men react in panic: "SOMEONE ELSE DID IT FIRST!" one exclaims, while the other mutters "DAMN!" Gon and Killua exchange tense glances. The large man leans in close, sweat on his face, and issues a direct order: "IF YOU DO AS I SAY, I WON'T HURT YOU. PUT THE 'SWORD OF TRUTH' CARD ON THE GROUND."

Genthru's face twists with conflicting thoughts as he sees the boys' terrified expressions. He internally notes his resolve weakening but then hardens again. He tells the boys to get lost. Holding up a card with a circular symbol, he says "WAIT." A large book materializes in the air with a burst of energy. Gon and Killua stare in shock. Genthru raises the card high and shouts "ATTACK KILLUA!! TAKE THE 'SWORD OF TRUTH'!!" while declaring "HERE I COME! 'THIEF' ON!!" The card glows brightly in his hand.

A man in a dark vest raises his right hand high, clutching a small card between his fingers as a large SFX erupts beside him. His eyes widen in the next panel. A tight close-up shows sweat drops and a question mark hovering near narrowed eyes. Below, Gon stares in shock while the man in the vest gapes at an open binder. A large black panel states: THERE WERE NO CARDS IN THE IMPOSED SLOTS OF KILLUA'S BINDER. "THIEF" HAS BEEN USED UP. Killua's face twists in disbelief as he yells, "YOU PUT IT IN A FREE SLOT...!!!" Killua continues, "DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO PUT IT IN AN IMPOSED SLOT." Gon smiles calmly and replies, "JUST BECAUSE IT'S AN IMPOSED SLOT CARD." In the bottom panel the man laughs triumphantly while running away with the binder, shouting "HAHAHA, THANKS A LOT. I SAW EVERYTHING!" as Killua and Gon watch from the left and a small voice calls "my card~" from the open pages.

The slick-haired man grins widely while holding up a glowing card labeled 1006 PICKPOCKET F-170. He declares he gathered many items including the "Sword of Truth" and twelve "Garugaida." Killua and Gon listen with neutral expressions. The man activates the card, shouting "PICKPOCKET" ON! ATTACK KILLUA!! while a bright circular effect appears. He explains he is exchanging for an F-ranked spell card. The man then flicks his fingers twice with motion lines and SFX. In the final panels Killua smiles and tells the man he does not need to put acquired cards into his own binder. The man, now fleeing, yells back "YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN YOUR FREE SLOTS EITHER?!" as Killua and Gon give chase.

Gon charges forward shouting "ATTACK GON!" as the "PICK-POCKET ON!" command activates. A flurry of cards flies through the air while Genthru smirks and declares, "BUT I STILL HAVE OTHER 'PICK-POCKET' CARDS!!" followed by a dismissive "HMPH." Explosions erupt across the rocky ground as Gon and Killua scramble to avoid the blasts. Genthru swings a massive card like a weapon, the impact sending shockwaves outward. Gon watches warily from the side. Genthru examines a newly drawn card and mutters, "NOW, WHAT CARD DID I G..." A small inset shows him grinning with satisfaction: "HEHEHE, A SUCCESSFUL ATTACK." The revealed card displays "21449 STONE H-∞" with the description "Can be found on the roadside. Extremely common. If you throw it at a person, it can cause some small damage." Gon reacts in shock: "A SIMPLE STONE?!"

Killua notes, "YEAH, YOU PICKED UP A LOT OF THEM, DIDN'T YOU?" Gon replies, "AH, THAT'S A STONE I PICKED UP FROM THE PLAINS." Genthru reacts with surprise: "WHAT IS THAT?!" Genthru internally analyzes the situation, noting that the other free slots in Gon's binder must be filled with garbage cards too and that the probability of drawing the desired card is about 1:3. He thinks about the opponents' use of "SHUFFLE CARDS" and "FULL POCKETS" strategies. A large bald man suddenly appears holding a book labeled "SHABON" and shouts "SHABON!!" while declaring, "AT THE END OF YOUR TRICKS? THEN GET OUT OF MY WAY."

A close-up shows Genthru's intense face as he explains his strategy. 'Furthermore, by using "Steal," I know that "Sword of Truth" is in one of Gon's free slots.' He continues, 'But, by using "Sightvision," I had determined that "Sword of Truth" was not in Killua's binder!' Genthru stands on the stone-tiled floor, pointing at Killua who walks away holding a card. 'You lost because you had no information on the contents of your opponent's binder!' he declares. Below, Gon and Killua examine their cards while Genthru activates his own. 'I'm 100% sure of getting this card,' Genthru says confidently while holding up the Rob card. In a dramatic close-up, Genthru shouts with wide eyes and raised fist, 'Rob on!!' as the attack activates.

Gon leaps forward dynamically, holding the Rob card high in his right hand while his left fist is clenched. His body is angled aggressively toward Genthru and Killua below on the striped ground. 'You couldn't even see my movements,' Gon taunts. 'Lacking training, eh?' Genthru reacts with shock, sweat visible on his face as he turns. Killua stands nearby with a small card in hand. Gon appears in front of Genthru saying 'Here.' Genthru's face shows complete surprise with wide eyes and open mouth.

Killua glances back with a sharp expression and remarks that the man is an amateur while identifying the one nearby as a pro hunter. Gon stares ahead and promises to keep the card next time. The bald man in the striped shirt sweats heavily while holding up a spell card. In close-up, he explains that casting an attack spell requires being within a 20m range and warns that relying only on spells leaves no time to speak before the card is taken. Gon and Killua turn to face him as the bald man raises the card with a fierce glare and a sharp “Ku.” Killua tells Gon it is time to go. In a wide view of the town square the bald man stands with his back to the viewer, pointing upward while declaring there are plenty of stronger players here and that his methods only work against the weak, noting that most players could never escape the game.

Killua and Gon walk away across the square while discussing that they would not stand a chance if targeted by pro-level players. Killua notes they will still need spell cards to defend themselves. A close-up shows Killua's eye and ear as he listens. Footsteps with SFX mark their movement across the stones. In a wide overhead view of the square the two boys stand surrounded by multiple figures. A voice states that the bald man's words were true and that a large skill difference makes it impossible to take the card during spell casting. Another voice tells them not to even think about escaping, while a third asks if they thought only amateurs were after the card.

In the crowded street, a grinning man with wild hair and a fur collar announces, "ONLY IDIOTS WASTE TIME GOING TO THE OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT." Sharp sound effects explode nearby: JAN!! KEN!! PON!! A man with a headband smirks and remarks, "PFFT. SEEMS LIKE THE REAL COMPETITION IS BEGINNING." Beside him, a slick-haired man in a dark coat clenches his fist and proposes, "WELL, LET'S DECIDE WHO'LL USE SPELLS FIRST." Killua, sweat visible on his cheek, faces Gon and urges, "GIVE UP ALREADY. They don't seem like they're posing. They look like pros." Gon glares back with an angry starburst effect, shouting, "THESE GUYS PISS ME OFF!!" A massive starburst panel erupts with the words "NO OBJECTIONS!" as the view pulls back to reveal the city skyline and a tall tower. A large speech bubble declares, "THEN, THE NEXT DESTINATION IS MAGIC CITY MASADORA."

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