Shadow and Light 2

Gon leans forward with a bright, open-mouthed smile, his spiky black hair framing his face as he looks downward. Directly below him, Killua's head appears upside-down, eyes wide and teeth clenched in a tense expression, his wild white hair fanning out. A bold banner reading "SHADOW AND LIGHT 2" cuts diagonally across the image, with a small rectangular label marked "N°036" attached to its left side.

In a spacious hall with ornate pillars and a tiled ceiling, a long-haired figure in a decorated uniform stands on the left while Killua walks away toward the right, his back turned. A close-up shows Killua's surprised face with wide eyes and sweat drops. Beside him, the long-haired figure speaks with a neutral expression. Below, an elderly bearded man looks upward, followed by a sharp profile of a man with a star-shaped mark on his cheek. The final panel reveals the examiner with sunglasses standing over a small, seated Killua as a speech bubble reads "THE BROTHER OF KILLUA ...?".

Gon stands with a serious expression and replies, "YOU COULD SAY IT LIKE THAT..." The long-haired woman in the patterned outfit asks, "MUM AND MIRUKI TOLD ME YOU'VE HIT THEM?" In a wider view, Leorio gestures emphatically while declaring, "OBVIOUSLY! A MOTHER THAT SUFFERS FROM THIS FROM HER OWN SON..." and "SUCH AN IRREDEEMABLE BOY..." Close-up panels show the woman's eyes as she states, "MUM WAS CRYING." Gon appears small beside large shadowy feet while the woman continues, "SUCCEEDING IN EDUCATING THAT WAY GIVES ME SUCH PLEASURE"... and notes, "SHE WAS CONFUSED." In the lower sequence of panels, the woman explains, "TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, I ALSO WANTED AN ACCREDITATION FOR MY NEXT WORK," followed by, "SHE FEARED YOU'D LIKE TO BE A HUNTER," "IT'S AN UNEXPECTED MEETING," and, "BUT I'M WORRIED TO SEE HIM LEAVE RIGHT NOW"... concluding, "AFTER THINKING A LOT, SHE CALLED ME."

A close-up of a dark swirling eye accompanies the line, "SO I CAN TALK TO YOU OPENLY." The woman continues, "THAT'S REASSURING." Gon, now wearing glasses, states, "I JUST WANTED TO TRY THE EXAM. I DON'T ESPECIALLY WANT TO BE A HUNTER." The woman's large eyes appear again as she declares, "YOU WON'T BECOME A HUNTER." In a wide establishing shot inside a large tent-like structure with wooden beams, Gon stands with his back to the viewer facing the long-haired woman, who replies, "BECAUSE YOUR VOCATION IS TO BE A KILLER."

Gon stares forward with wide eyes and a tense expression, a small cross-shaped mark visible on his forehead. Beside him, Illumi appears in profile, his slicked-back hair curling at the ends as he gazes sideways with a calm, calculating look. In a flashback panel, a small child with spiky hair sits hunched on a bed surrounded by wrapped gifts, looking down. Speech bubbles read, 'He talked to me about his family, but that...' and 'That's really what he said?' Illumi continues speaking, his face half-shadowed: 'You're just a dark puppet, passionless.' He adds, 'He continued this way...' with another bubble stating 'More...over...' In the final panel, Illumi faces forward, his long hair flowing as he declares, 'You feed yourself with shadow, and the only pleasure you can feel comes from the death of people.' A second bubble finishes, 'Inside you, you have no passion, nor desire.'

Illumi's large eyes fill a panel as he asks, 'What were you expecting in becoming a Hunter?' Killua appears drenched in sweat, his spiky hair wild and face tense. A small panel shows feet in distinctive shoes stepping on debris. Killua replies, 'It's not that I wanted to become a Hunter that lead me here.' Another bubble states, 'You're just as we taught you, father and I.' Illumi, now in ornate clothing, stands with arms at his sides and says, 'No, there isn't anything.' Killua looks up at him, responding, 'But there's something I'd like to have...' Illumi leans in, hand extended, demanding, 'So tell it to me!' Killua shouts, 'What would you want?' Illumi's back is shown as he answers, 'Pff!' and then, 'Yes, there's something!'

Killua stands in a narrow corridor and calls out, 'There is!' A voice answers from off-panel, 'There's nothing, is there?' Killua turns with a neutral expression and asks, 'Well?' In a large close-up, sweat beads on Killua's face as he thinks intensely, 'I want to become friends with Gon. I want...' The scene shifts to a spacious hall where Killua, now in a different outfit, stands with his back to the viewer. He continues, 'I want to have fun, like a normal kid. ...to become friends with Gon. I'm fed up with killing. I just want...' A man in a dark suit and round glasses watches him silently from the foreground while a smaller version of Killua looks on from the side.

A long-haired character with a calm expression states, 'You can't make people be your friends. That's impossible!' In smaller panels, the same speaker continues, 'You're always together, aren't you? This has nothing to do with being friends. You're amazed by Gon. The only judgement you're able to pass on a human is to know if you can kill him or not. Because that's what we taught you. Because you're a natural born killer. Because you'll ask yourself if you're able to kill him or not.' Killua is shown crouching with Gon nearby, looking shocked. A close-up reveals Killua's tense face. The long-haired character adds, 'One day, you'll want to kill him. If you stay close to him...' while standing with arms crossed.

Leorio stands tall in a formal suit and sunglasses, one hand on his hip as a large 'HOW ZAT' sound effect erupts beside him. Below, Killua sits on the stairs muttering that Leorio is just an idiot who understands nothing. Leorio, seen from behind, admits he knows he will not get involved but still feels the need to speak. In the wide lower panel Leorio leans forward and roars at the spiky-haired boy behind him, demanding to know why he gets along so well with Gon and warning him not to fall asleep. He urges the boy to attack Gon the way he usually does and pass the exam. Gon stares forward with wide eyes while the long-haired examinee watches from the side.

Killua reacts with surprise as the long-haired examinee insists that Gon already considers him a friend. The examinee adds that Gon surely feels the same way. In a sudden close-up the examinee raises a finger and calmly states that the only solution is to kill Gon. A row of reaction portraits follows: an elderly bearded man, a stern man with a cheek mark, a spiky-haired boy looking down, Killua with a startled expression, and Leorio glaring sideways.

The trial isn't finished. 'Please ...' a voice begs while another demands, 'Where is he?' Hisoka stands with pins embedded across his face and dark sunglasses, his spiky hair wild. 'Because they're always in the way,' a silhouette declares. 'Killers don't need friends,' another voice replies. The long-haired woman suddenly lashes out; motion lines explode as she strikes. 'SLAT' rings sharply. Hisoka reels back with a pained 'AAH.' A close-up captures a wide eye and tense jaw. 'SO?' the woman asks. In the resting room two examinees remain... next... Hisoka's face contorts violently, eyes bulging, mouth open in a grimace as more pins shift. 'AAH ...?' he gasps. 'AIE !' he cries while 'CRAC' and 'CRAC' echo from the impact.

Feet shift on the floor as the impact lands. Hisoka is hurled backward across the tiled room, body twisting. 'AAH.' and 'AAH.' escape his mouth while debris flies. 'THANKS.' the long-haired woman says calmly. A tight close-up shows wide, intense eyes staring forward. In the hallway a line of examinees waits: a man in a suit with sunglasses, a white-haired boy, a bald man with arms crossed, Hisoka adjusting his stance, another suited man, and a man with round glasses. Close-ups reveal the white-haired boy's downturned gaze, the bald man's stern glare, and Hisoka's focused eyes behind his sunglasses.

Hisoka stares forward with a cold expression, his thoughts racing. 'If I kill them here, I'll be disqualified and Killua will automatically pass,' he muses. 'Damn it! If only I didn't need this certificate for my next work...' He clenches his fist. 'And then I'll kill Gon! I'll start with passing the exam...' In another panel, Gon looks up with wide, anxious eyes. Hisoka continues, 'I know! Because if I kill Gon, the result will be the same. I was going to make a mistake.' A woman in the background responds, 'Yes.' An elderly man with a long beard firmly states, 'No special rule allows that. No.' Hisoka presses on, 'My title can't be taken back, can it? Doing it this way, even if I kill everyone here...'

Killua's eye is shown in extreme close-up. A small panel reveals Gon standing in the distance. Hisoka appears with spiky hair and sweat drops, looking tense. Hisoka leans in and says, 'Did you hear, Killua? You won't be able to save Gon. If you don't win against me...' Killua's large eyes fill a panel as he replies, 'No, you can't.' A dramatic full-body panel shows Killua on the ground looking up at Hisoka, who stands over him with long hair flowing. Hisoka declares, 'What matters is the if here and now, you can defeat me or not. The reason is simple: more than the friendship...'

Killua stands frozen, sweat beading on his face as a voice declares, "WITH MY STRENGTH, I CAN'T BEAT MY BROTHER." "YOU ALREADY HAVE THE ANSWER." The long-haired man extends an open hand toward him and continues, "I WAS THE ONE WHO GAVE YOU THAT ADVICE, DO YOU REMEMBER?" "IF YOU FEEL YOU CAN'T BEAT HIM, DON'T CONFRONT HIM." Close shots capture tense feet planted firmly and a wide, sweating eye. The long-haired man now towers over a prone figure on the ground, stating, "FROM THE MOMENT OUR BODIES TOUCH EACH OTHER, THE FIGHT WILL BEGIN." "IF YOU MOVE EVEN A TINY BIT, I'LL CONSIDER IT TO BE THE START OF THE FIGHT." "DON'T MOVE."

Killua's hair stands on end, his expression still tense. The long-haired man leans in close, saying, "YOUR PRECIOUS GON WILL DIE." "BUT... DON'T FORGET: IF YOU DON'T CONFRONT ME..." "THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO STOP ME. YOU UNDERSTAND?" A loud voice cuts in from off-panel: "WHATEVER HE DOES, WE'LL STOP HIM!! DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO!!" "GO ON, KILLUA! WHATEVER HAPPENS, WE WON'T LET ANYONE GET KILLED, NOT GON, NOT YOU!!" Sweat drips heavily as the long-haired man's hand reaches toward Killua's head.

Gon hangs limply in the air, held by the tall figure with long dark hair. "DAMN..." he mutters. "I LOST." The tall figure stands firm, one arm extended upward. In close-up, Gon's spiky hair is visible from behind. Killua stares with wide eyes, sweat visible on his face. Leorio, wearing sunglasses, glares angrily with mouth open. Below, a woman in an ornate dress taps the defeated Gon on the head with a fan. "I ONLY WANTED TO TEST YOU," she says. "HA HA HA! I LIED TO YOU, KILLUA, I HAVE NO INTENTION OF KILLING GON!" she continues. "NOW I HAVE WHAT I WANTED." Another girl in similar attire claps, saying "I'M DONE WITH THE FIGHTS." A third girl with a neutral expression adds, "AH! I FEEL BETTER!" Sound effects show "TAP TAP" and "CLAP".

The long-haired man leans in close to Gon, one hand resting on the boy's head. "YOU DON'T HAVE THE QUALIFICATIONS TO MAKE ANY FRIENDS," he says. "MORE SO, YOU DON'T NEED ANY." Gon sweats, looking up with a tense expression. The man continues, "BUT NOW, THAT'S THE CASE. IF SOMEDAY IT BECOMES NECESSARY FOR YOU TO PASS THIS EXAM, I'LL GUIDE YOU." Separate panels show the man stating, "YOU ONLY HAVE TO DO YOUR WORK CORRECTLY AND EVERYTHING WILL BE OK." and "YOU'LL CONTINUE LISTENING TO WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I TELL YOU." Narration boxes describe distant events: "LEORIO AND KURAPIKA TRIED THEIR HARDEST TO TALK TO HIM, BUT HE NEVER ANSWERED BACK. NEXT, HE CLOSED HIMSELF LIKE AN OYSTER. AND THEN, SUDDENLY..." The scene shifts to an empty hallway with motion lines suggesting sudden movement.

When the fight between Leorio and Bodoro had just begun, a figure burst into the arena. He entered with a wild, aggressive stance, his spiky hair flaring and mouth open in a shout as he was immediately grabbed and restrained by the larger fighter. The heavy double doors slammed shut behind him with a resounding CLANG. He was immediately disqualified by the jury. In the stands, Gon stares forward with wide eyes and a serious expression, a cross-shaped bandage visible on his forehead. Beside him, a dark-haired girl in a patterned outfit watches the stage intently. From behind, Gon looks down at the distant figures on the examination platform where the disqualification has just occurred.