Chapter 128

Killua explains observations are usually done near a town and consume energy even when alone, with SFX "U ン ッ" and "パチパチ" around him. Gon replies, "Ah, I see." A close-up shows Killua's intense face as he says, "From that direction, I get the strong impression of being watched." Gon thinks, "Oh... That's what I was thinking," while Killua continues, "The question is, why are people watching us, but... If we're able to detect them from this far away, they can't be that good." Killua points decisively and shouts, "This way!!" Gon agrees, "Let's decide on the count of three." Killua asks, "Anyways, which way should we go?" They both extend arms and yell together, "Let's go!" and "OK! JAN KEN!" with dramatic speed lines and impact effects.

Gon dashes forward across the open plain with his right fist raised high, shouting encouragement. Behind him stands a large wooden building with a thatched roof and a smaller attached tower. Killua stands near the building's entrance, one hand raised to his face, muttering in frustration. In the lower panel the two boys walk side-by-side across the grassy field. Gon glances back with a surprised expression while Killua walks ahead, both of them reacting to an unseen event as motion lines and scattered symbols fill the air around them.

Killua holds up a small book titled Greed Island and questions how many cards Gon obtained. Gon runs ahead while clutching the book, replying that the data was saved earlier. Killua wonders if it is a hint. In the next panel the boys continue walking; Gon suggests they enjoy the game as Jin instructed, while Killua notes they must start from scratch. Close-ups show their legs and the book as they discuss the rules. Killua admits he does not feel like playing and Gon proposes they first find a city to gather information.

A massive burst of energy erupts across the top of the page, jagged lines and impact shapes radiating outward from a central point. In the first panel below, a bearded man with slicked-back hair speaks while facing an older man with glasses. "They're good," he states. The older man replies, "How are the challengers this time?" In the adjacent panel, two men stand before a stone wall lined with monitors and control panels; one wears a striped shirt while the other, in a uniform, faces away. A close-up shows the bearded man's intense expression as he mutters, "Even I can't relax..." A digital watch on a wrist displays "PM 11:49" with the label "GREED ISLAND" visible on the band. The bearded man crosses his arms. In the final spread, a hand wearing a ring extends forward with urgency while another hand gestures nearby. The ringed hand declares, "If I don't get back into the game within 10 days, my card data will vanish." The other voice answers, "Well, I'm going to return to the game as well."

A dark forest canopy fills the top panel with tangled branches. Below, a boy with light hair holds a lantern while standing before an open laptop displaying lines of text; a sheet of paper nearby reads "Great." A close-up shows the boy's eye and ear as he reacts. In a larger panel, a black-haired figure in dark clothing leans over a chessboard while several children play in the ruined background. Shizuku and Kurotopi stand in a doorway amid debris. Speech bubbles read, "Do you have a sec?" and "SHIZUKU, KUROTOPI!" The black-haired figure responds, "Yeah." A young girl asks, "Shouldn't we go together?" Another voice replies, "In a game?" The final panel shows a wooden cross surrounded by numerous small flames or figures in a desolate landscape.

In the ruined building, Killua stands with hands on his hips facing the boy with glasses, who has his back turned. "YEAH ..." Killua replies. "YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO, EVEN IF YOU GO HOME, RIGHT?" the boy with glasses asks. In close-up, the boy with glasses questions, "WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH US, THEN?" Killua answers, "I DON'T PLAN ON BEATING THE GAME, ACTUALLY." The boy with glasses raises two fingers and explains, "BUT BECAUSE OF THE SAVE POSSIBILITIES, ONLY TWO PEOPLE CAN ENTER THE GAME." Looking up hopefully, Killua suggests, "I THINK IF WE'RE INSIDE THE GAME, WE'LL BE SAFER." The boy with glasses glances back with "SOME-HOW..." In the debris-strewn lower panel, the boy with glasses lies partially buried while Killua watches from the side. A black panel shows two speech bubbles: "IT'S FINE WITH ME." and "I UNDERSTAND ..."

Gon stands in the open field asking "WHAT'S UP?" while Killua faces him. Killua turns with a surprised expression, saying "I JUST HEARD SOMETHING FROM ABOVE US..." A sudden impact erupts between them with a bright flash and radiating lines labeled "キィィィィン". Both boys react with shock as a massive "BASHU!" explosion bursts from the ground in front of them, sending debris flying. Gon and Killua stand ready as the blast expands outward with motion lines and impact effects.

In the open prairie, a tall muscular man with a feathered headdress squats low while holding an open binder. Wind swirls around his legs as a large "SHUUU" sound effect drifts from the left. He wears headphones marked "GENTHRU," armbands with Japanese characters, and a flame-patterned knee pad. Below, Gon and Killua stand facing him. Gon asks, "SO... IS THIS YOUR FIRST TIME IN THE GAME? HMM?" The man replies, "THIS IS... THE PRAIRIE NEAR THE STARTING POINT..." Close-up panels show the man turning his head with "Kyoro Kyoro" sound effects while Gon and Killua watch with wide eyes.

Genthru smirks while holding a small card and says, "HMM. DON'T BE AN IDIOT." Gon and Killua react in surprise as speech bubbles appear: "HEHE, THAT'S POSSIBLE..." "YOU'RE HOLDING A BINDER... YOU'RE A PLAYER?" "HOW DID YOU KNOW?" "DID HE FLY...?" "WHAT WAS THAT? NEN?" Genthru continues, "IF YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR BINDER WHEN I HAVE MINE OUT..." A large panel displays the glowing "STEAL" card numbered 1001, showing an eye symbol and the description: "Shows all the possessions of the targeted player. (restricted to players met within the game.)" Text reads, "THAT MEANS YOU'RE A COMPLETE AMATEUR...!" The final panels show an open device with the instruction "USE THE SPELL 'STEAL.' PLEASE SELECT THE TARGET PLAYER." Genthru's hand reaches toward the controls as impact lines burst around him.

Gon and Killua stare at a handheld device displaying names on its screen: IRU ZEFESUPA GUREKOROOSU, KILLUA, GON, with three Pi icons flashing. A close-up shows the braided-haired opponent wearing headphones, smirking as he remarks, "HMM... KILLUA-KUN AND GON-KUN..." Killua leans in sharply and demands, "HEY, HOW DO YOU KNOW OUR NAMES?" while Gon looks on in surprise. The opponent replies with a sly grin, "DAMN... WHAT THE HELL DID HE DO?" In a large panel the man leans back, eyes closed in amusement, and answers the unspoken question with "HOW" ...? "WELL ...?" He explains that the boys do not even know about spell cards and calls them useless to try. Laughing "HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH," he declares, "THAT GUY IS A COMPLETE BEGINNER!! DEFINITELY!!" The device screen states: "THERE ARE NO CARDS IN KILLUA'S 'FREE POCKET.' STEAL CARD DESTROYED." A final prompt appears: "DO YOU WANT TO WATCH KILLUA'S 'FREE POCKET'? YES NO"

The opponent holds up two spell cards: ADHESION C-50 and TRACE E-80. He thinks to himself, "THAT, THEY'RE JUST KIDS..." and decides, "THIS ONE WILL BE ENOUGH!!" while selecting the Trace card. The card description reads: "You will always be able to know the position of a targetted player." In a sudden motion the opponent shouts, "ATTACK ON KILLUA !!" and activates the spell with "TRACE ON!!" Killua reacts with a sharp "!!" as the card takes effect, the background streaked with speed lines.

Killua dashes across the open ground with Gon close behind as a distant opponent reels from a sudden strike. Massive impact lines and debris erupt around the enemy while Killua bursts into wild laughter. "KYA HA HA HA HAA!!" he yells, "IDIOT! HOW DO YOU PLAN TO ESCAPE FROM A SPELL OF THE GAME?!" A small panel captures the opponent’s pained reaction: "GUH ..." The sequence ends in a dramatic full-page splash of Killua leaping forward amid swirling black energy and a huge stylized numeral that dominates the lower half of the page.

A calm voice states, "IN THE GAME, INFORMATION ON OTHER PLAYERS IS WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT." Another speaker adds, "SUCCESSFUL ATTACK! AFTER THIS, I'LL ALWAYS KNOW THEIR LOCATION." Killua’s voice calls out from the hillside, "KILLUA!! ARE YOU OK?!" Below, a figure lies on the grass. Close-ups show the eyes of a man wearing headphones, sweat drops forming as he registers shock. The man mutters "Z... Z... Z..." then demands, "WHAT DID YOU DO... TO ME?" A large close-up of Killua’s face appears, his eyes narrowed and mouth slightly open as he asks, "TO ME?" The final panels show the headphone-wearing man’s eye and a shaky close-up of another character’s eyes with the line, "THAT GUY IS DANGEROUS..."

A man wearing headphones and a crown-like headpiece grips a large open book while shouting in alarm. "THIS KID ISN'T NORMAL !!" he yells as he extends one arm and commands, "RETURN ON!! TO MASEDORA !!" Below, in a vast open plain, a sudden violent explosion erupts in the distance, kicking up dust and debris with dramatic impact lines. Gon and Killua stand with their backs to the viewer, facing the blast. In the foreground, Killua glances sideways with a dismissive expression and mutters "FEH..." while Gon looks toward the source of the disturbance.

Gon runs forward with a bright, determined smile, his right fist clenched and extended toward the viewer. His left arm swings back for momentum, and the small black ball on the flexible antenna attached to his backpack bounces behind him. He wears his signature outfit with shorts, knee pads, and boots as he charges ahead against a plain white background.