September 4th

A hand holds a mobile phone displaying a message that reads "WE'RE WAITING FOR YOU IN THE D-ROAD GARDEN!! -GON AND KILLUA." Kurapika looks down with a focused expression, his hair partially covering his eyes. In a wide shot, Kurapika stands alone on an elevated structure overlooking a cityscape with buildings and water, birds flying in the sky around him as he gazes into the distance.

In a spacious office filled with computers and scattered papers, a bearded man in a suit stands and shouts upward, 'SO?! WHAT'S THE RESULT?!' Shalnark sits at a desk in front of a computer, focused on the screen. Two other men in suits stand nearby, one with a stern posture. Shalnark turns his head slightly and replies, 'THERE'S NOTHING.' The bearded man continues, 'IT'S ALREADY BEEN MORE THAN HALF A DAY.' He gestures emphatically while saying, 'WHO WAS THE ONE WHO SAID HE WAS ABLE TO FIND THE HIDDEN SONS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC IN LESS THAN 3 HOURS?' A close-up shows the bearded man's intense glare as he mutters, 'WHAT?' Shalnark remains seated, looking at the monitor with a calm expression.

A close-up shows Kurapika with a serious expression, sweat on his face. He says, "THEY..." and "DO NOT EXIST." The scene shifts to a swirling vortex background filled with registry images and small portraits of various people. Kurapika explains that he searched military bases, scholarly registries, DNA files, and even the death registry over a fifty-year span across the world. In the bottom panels, Kurapika stands before a bearded man in a suit and another figure. The bearded man reacts with shock, asking if the data has been erased. Kurapika confirms they have never existed in this world and questions if the others understand, stating there are no traces even in death.

Kurapika stands before a large computer setup, explaining that the system is a brain with three children and two computers functioning together, checking external data around the clock. He notes that even erased or replaced data would be restored in a tenth of a second. The bearded man and a second suited man react with alarm, mentioning that twenty or so people have been arrested for attempted murder and that accessing or erasing personal data is illegal under international courts. The risk is deemed too high. In the lower panels, Kurapika asks how many times he needs to explain. The scene cuts to an explosion at the computer station with debris flying. The bearded man and others shout in panic, demanding clear answers and rejecting the idea that the targets do not exist.

Silhouetted figures walk away into darkness as narration explains the difficulty of vanishing completely. "DISAPPEARING FROM SOCIETY AS A WHOLE, AND ERASING EVERY SINGLE DATA IN THEIR FILES IS IMPOSSIBLE," one voice states. Another adds, "DISAPPEARING AND PRETENDING TO BE DEAD IS SOMETHING EASY TO DO NOWADAYS, BUT... CONSEQUENTLY, THERE'S ONLY ONE POSSIBLE SOLUTION." A young man with light, layered hair and a cigarette in his mouth sits in shadow and replies, "IT DEPENDS ON WHERE HE WAS ABANDONED." Nearby, a figure at a computer terminal insists, "EVEN A CHILD ABANDONED AT BIRTH WOULD BE LISTED IN THE REGISTRY!" and "IT'S EVIDENT THAT THE SYSTEMS HAVE NEVER HAD A TRACE OF THEM, SINCE THEY WERE BORN." Small reaction panels show bearded men looking shocked. The young man leans forward, points directly ahead, and concludes with finality, "THERE'S NO REGISTRY. THERE."

Massive stylized sound effects explode across the top of the page: "ヒュオオオオ" and "FiUUUUUU". The scene reveals a vast, sprawling garbage dump filling the horizon under a bright sky. A wrecked vehicle lies in the foreground amid mountains of refuse. Text declares, "THERE, EVERYTHING IS ALLOWED TO BE THROWN AWAY." On the right, an arrow points to the distant city skyline with the label, "IN THE CITY OF THE SHOOTING STAR."

A close-up shows a bald man lying among debris with eyes closed. Nearby panels display discarded items labeled BABIES, CORPSES, WEAPONS, and GARBAGE, including a dark silhouette against a littered landscape with birds flying overhead. A massive horizontal panel reveals a desolate, trash-strewn world under a cloudy sky marked with the sound effect FUUUUUUUUUU. Silhouetted figures speak: "THROW EVERYTHING WE CAN... IN THIS WORLD..." Below, several figures in white protective suits walk across the barren ground, one carrying a sack. Text reads "SALVAGE EVERYTHING." and "INHABITANTS..." as more suited people move through the haze, with motion lines emphasizing their steady progress through the waste.

A panel shows a ruined cityscape with the label "CITY OF TOKYO • DEPARTMENT OF SAITAMA". Two men in suits stand beside a seated blond youth at a computer; speech bubbles explain that the surface matches the Republic of Rabe and that eight million inhabitants live there with no reliable records. Another bubble notes that for over 500 years the city has been considered a garbage dump and that officially these people do not exist. A close-up reveals the blond youth's serious face as he states they recently received a message and that no one knows how the people live or what they learn. The final black panel displays bold white text: "WE ACCEPT EVERYTHING. SO DON'T TAKE ANYTHING BACK."

A silhouetted figure in a suit explains the case of a tramp from the City of the Shooting Star. The man confessed to murder but had no official documents or registry listing. Research revealed he was not in any records. In the tribunal, the court-appointed lawyer did nothing, leading to a forced confession. Three years later the real murderer, a drug addict, was arrested and the tramp's innocence proven. The bearded man states that a total of 31 people who contributed to the false accusation were assassinated. A short while later the police, judges, inspectors, jurors, and lawyers were also eliminated.

The long-haired young man questions whether the Genei Ryodan are the dangerous ones responsible. The bearded man replies they are dealing with self-destruction. The long-haired man notes the troupe comes from the City of the Shooting Star and uses chest bombs with switches to explode with their targets. Because 31 people sacrificed themselves, 31 others were falsely imprisoned for three years. The witnesses who approached with smiles and handshakes were also blown up. The bearded man adds that the troupe members are tied more firmly than family with deeper links. At computers, the group notes that the godfathers all agree on that point and that their enemies are really dangerous.

Amid the ruins of a devastated city, a voice questions the meaning of recent events. "WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?" Another panel reveals a wrecked street as someone declares, "WE STRIKE CAMP." In the rubble, the Genei Ryodan members gather. A robed figure stands with his back turned while a swordsman adjusts his weapon nearby. A spiky-haired fighter and a girl with pigtails stand among the debris. "IT MEANS WHAT IT MEANS," one replies. "TONIGHT, WE LEAVE," another states. A seated man in dark clothing watches silently as a girl sits on the rubble. In close-up, a bearded man with slicked-back hair says, "NOT YET." Beside him, a woman with dark hair and an earring responds, "WE TAKE THE LOOT FROM TODAY'S AUCTION, AND IT'S OVER."

A close-up of intense eyes declares, "I WANT TO FIND THE CHAIN GUY." Silhouettes of two Genei Ryodan members appear against black panels. In the next sequence, a scarred man with stitches across his face insists, "IT'S AN ORDER FROM THE DANCHOU...!" Another replies, "NOBUNAGA, BE REASONABLE." The scarred man retorts, "I'M MAKING IT PERSONAL." A voice warns, "DON'T MAKE IT PERSONAL." A close-up of the leader's mouth identifies him as "KUROPI." and questions, "SHOULD I REALLY TAKE IT AS AN ORDER?" Three reaction panels show a worried man with a scar on his cheek, the scarred Nobunaga glaring, and a woman with a cross-shaped tattoo on her forehead staring forward with wide eyes.

A barren landscape of rubble stretches under a smoky sky as maniacal laughter echoes from above. "HA HA HA HA" rings out with Japanese SFX trailing the sound. The next panel reveals a massive heap of twisted metal, broken furniture, and scattered debris piled high. Below, a wide white panel shows several young boys in the aftermath. One boy with short black hair stands with his arm raised, declaring, "I WANTED IT, THAT'S ALL." Nearby, another boy with short dark hair kicks a small object while a curly-haired boy crouches and watches. A fourth boy sits on the ground with his hand near his mouth. Text floats beside them: "IN THE BEGINNING ..." At the very bottom, a close-up shows a rectangular box or case lying on its side.

An empty sky panel opens the page. Below, a park scene shows two figures sitting on the ground near trees and rocks, while another panel depicts a wide open area with benches and distant people. A close-up follows of a foot stepping firmly onto the ground. The next panels focus on Gon and Killua in the middle of an eating contest. Killua chews with wide eyes while Gon eats beside him; sound effects read "CRUNCH CRUNCH". A small inset shows the two continuing to stuff food into their mouths with the caption "IN THE MIDDLE OF A WHO-EATS-THE-FASTEST CONTEST". The final large panel shows both boys covered in food splatters, Gon grinning widely and shouting "FUUKA!!!" while Killua looks on with a messy face. The page number 179 appears at the bottom left.

Kurapika stands tall and motionless in the foreground, his long black-and-white uniform with the prominent infinity-like emblem on the chest and skirt dominating the right side of the page. In the upper left panel a cloaked figure floats high in the sky above a small, determined Gon who runs forward with fist raised. Kurapika’s face appears in close-up, eyes wide and serious, a small speech bubble near his mouth. Gon looks upward with a tense expression, another small bubble beside him. At the bottom, Leorio gestures emphatically while declaring the news; Kurapika’s profile shows closed eyes and a faint smile as he processes the words. Gon stares upward in shock and relief. Large bold text reads “FINALLY!!!” as Kurapika steps forward, motion lines radiating from his figure.

A dramatic close-up of Gon fills the top of the page, his spiky hair framed by radiating speed lines as he smiles confidently. Speech bubbles on either side of his face read “THE EYES OF YOUR BROTHERS-IN-BLOOD!” and “TO HURRY AND FIND…”. Below, four small panels show Leorio and Gon facing each other, then Leorio covering Gon’s eyes while saying they will help too. Kurapika appears in profile with a sweat drop, hair slightly tousled. A narrow panel shows only the back of Kurapika’s head and a small cloud-like effect. The bottom two panels depict Kurapika with eyes closed in a gentle smile, then opening his eyes with a calm, resolved expression and a small motion line near his shoulder.

Gon looks ahead with a bright, confident smile. Leorio turns slightly with a wide, toothy grin. Kurapika gazes forward with a calm, composed expression. Killua stares ahead with a neutral, steady look.