Negotiations: Part 4

Borksen stands behind the table in a light jacket, pointing down at the "Yes" card with wide eyes. Starburst effects flare around her as she shouts, "NO WAY...!!!" and "NO..." A large speech bubble declares, "THIS IS THE CARD I CHOSE, WITHOUT A DOUBT." Smaller shock circles repeat, "THIS ISN'T WHAT I...!" and "THIS ISN'T..." In a lower panel the same card rests alone on the table. Morena, seen from behind, responds, "IT'S JUST A BIT... JUST A TINY BIT DISAPPOINTING." She adds, "I SEE. I'M GLAD TO HAVE YOU JOIN US, BUT..." Borksen, now shown in close-up with a tense expression, accuses, "YOU CHEATED, DIDN'T YOU..." Morena, also in close-up, maintains a calm gaze.

A close-up shows a stern eye glaring as a voice accuses, "You marked the 'R' card...!" The speaker continues, "The moment you stopped the shuffler and picked up those two cards to check them... ...it must have been after you used the 'D' card." The blonde girl with curly hair stares at two face-down cards on the table, asking, "Can I flip them a look?" A panel notes, "These two cards..." She flips them over, revealing the marks, and asks, "Well?" An off-panel voice replies, "Yeah." She confirms, "It's 'NO' and 'R', right?" The final panels display the two marked cards lying on the wooden floor, clearly showing the bold black letters.

The long-haired woman with the stitched headband explains, "No matter which way it was facing after the shuffle, you could still check for the marks. I couldn't see it clearly from where I was, and because the shuffler, the orange, could only see the other side." She adds, "You could destroy the evidence. And by crushing the card in the excitement of victory... You probably made tiny dents along both vertical edges on the front of the card...!" The blonde girl stares with wide eyes. The woman continues, "The responsibility of that choice is entirely on you. Even though the last card... reduced your options to just two... If you cheat, my manipulation ability automatically activates, leaving you with only two choices: yes or no. This negotiation game and the cards are part of my ability." The two face each other closely. The blonde girl says, "That's how you should have understood it." The woman replies, "Cheating amounts to retiring from a fair match."

Borksen faces Morena and declares, "I'LL BE JOINING YOU." Morena replies with a slight smile, "YEAH." She continues, "SAYING 'YES' MEANS YOU'LL BE JOINING US, RIGHT? NOW..." In a spacious room, several figures stand and clap repeatedly, the sound effect "CLAP 10千" echoing around the table and floor. Borksen drops to her knees with a sharp impact, hands pressed to the ground. Morena stands over her and explains, "THE 'YES?' CARD, WHICH YOU DIDN'T CHOOSE DURING THE GAME. WELL THEN, FOR OUR NEWEST MEMBER, LET ME PROPERLY EXPLAIN..." Borksen rises in the foreground, eyes wide with tension as motion lines streak behind her.

Morena continues speaking to Borksen, "OF COURSE, THAT ALSO INCLUDES THE PEOPLE IMPORTANT TO YOU... AS LONG AS YOU'RE ALIVE AND REMAIN ONE OF US, WE WON'T TARGET YOU." A diagram shows Morena at the center of a glowing network connected to multiple portraits, with text explaining, "IT'S INSTALLED DIRECTLY INTO YOU, AND AS THE ADMIN, I MANAGE THE PLAY DATA. MY ABILITY IS CALLED 'CONTAGION: ETUDE OF LOVE', AND IT WORKS LIKE A GAME APP." Further panels detail the three conditions for full membership, the inability to uninstall the app until the game clears or the admin disappears, and monitoring of levels, points, location, situation, and ability stats. Morena adds, "AS LONG AS I DO NOT CONSIDER IT CROSSING THE LINE. NEITHER INFIGHTING NOR BETRAYAL IS EXPLICITLY PROHIBITED." Borksen listens with a serious expression as the final panel shows Morena's face in shadow with impact effects.

The woman with the thorny headband leans close, her intense gaze fixed on the kneeling figure. She explains the rules of advancement: "At level 100, you'll be able to create your own team, just like me." She continues, "Once you reach level 21, you'll awaken your own Nen ability." The kneeling person listens intently as more details follow: "Right now, you're at level 0... a provisional member who hasn't yet satisfied the conditions for full membership." The woman adds, "You need to clear the final condition to formally become a level 1 member..." and "Killing a Nen user raises your level by 10. Killing a civilian raises your level by 1. And killing a prince raises your level by 50." In the lower panel, the woman's silhouette towers over the kneeling figure amid scribbled outlines of other people. She states, "Whether you stay here or return to your friends is also up to you... you're free to do as you please." The kneeling person remains silent as the woman concludes, "After all, our goal is to kill people." On the right, she warns, "Whether you choose to raise your level or not is up to you... However, you do realize that if we consider you unnecessary, we can easily betray you, right?"

Explosive thoughts burst from the kneeling person: "It's clear that I need power to stand against them... to acquire an ability through the shortest route, I have to kill someone...!!!" Panic rises: "If getting her app installed in me means I've been hacked, then I need to assume that everything I see and hear from now on will be leaked...!!!" and "There's a time limit, and the deadline is unknown... If another specialist candidate is found, I'll be tossed out without a second thought...!!!" The scene shifts to the woman in a black dress facing the short-haired figure, who stands with head bowed. In close-up, the woman says, "Don't forget... We're your allies, too." The short-haired person responds with determination, "I'll return to where my allies are...!"

Two women stand against a stark black background with radiating lines. The short-haired woman in a high-collared jacket stares forward with a serious expression while the long-haired woman with a headband smiles faintly beside her. Bold text declares, "NOW THAT WE'VE FOUND A GOAL....!!" A hand with crossed fingers appears between them. In a close-up panel the long-haired woman asks, "WILL YOU GUIDE ME?" addressing the short-haired woman, who turns slightly. The scene shifts to a stormy sea where a massive black creature with a single glowing eye emerges from the waves. Speech bubbles read, "ABOUT MY 'ALLIES'." and "BEFORE I GO BACK, THERE ARE A FEW THINGS I'D LIKE TO KNOW..."

Armed soldiers in uniform stand in a multi-level building under martial law. A tall soldier with a rifle announces, "ANYONE WHO MOVES WILL BE SHOT IMMEDIATELY AND WITHOUT WARNING!! SPECIAL MARTIAL LAW IS IN EFFECT!! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!!" Another soldier warns, "DO NOT MOVE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES UNTIL THE INSPECTION OF YOUR BELONGINGS IS COMPLETE!!" Civilians kneel or lie on the floor while a figure in heavy armor crouches and points forward. Lower panels show soldiers securing the area; one reports an "S-CASE" while another calls "CAP-TAIN!!" A soldier on a phone states, "THE CENTRAL AREA OF TIER 3 IS SECURE!"

Two armed soldiers stand guard outside door 3101, which is sealed with multiple strips of 'KEEP OUT' tape and a black-and-white striped barrier. Below, investigators examine the scene. One soldier reports that someone cut through the bathroom wall into a hidden space behind the next room. Another notes the missing corporal and soldiers may be connected to the case. A third recalls a witness statement: three soldiers entered the room and vanished one after another. The group identifies the area as Heil-Ly's turf on Tier 3 and contacts Tier 1. They conclude the hidden entrance links to room 125 and that this is a supernatural case. In the largest panel, a spiky-haired man holding a large rifle declares there is no one inside and they are investigating under the assumption of other secret hideouts. A soldier reports to him that they found a room that could be the Heil-Ly hideout and that a Nen user was involved.

The spiky-haired man stands surrounded by armed soldiers, issuing rapid orders. He notes Zhang Lei may have requested Ministry of Justice protection and possibly regrouped with his mafia after going to the lower tiers. He commands the Second Squad to prioritize securing Zhang Lei. He orders others to hurry and locate Zhang Lei and Luzurus, whose whereabouts and status are unknown, and to focus on lower-ranking princes afterward. He directs the team to leave the Heil-Ly to the Third Squad, stating their top priority remains securing the remaining princes. A soldier confirms they have determined Zhang Lei escaped to Tier 2 through a connecting bridge from the Xi-Yu boss's residence shortly before the announcement. Another soldier reports they are confirming the route and will report back in fifteen minutes. In the final close-up panel, the spiky-haired man thinks that once symptoms begin he has ten hours until coma and two more hours until death, giving him nine and a half hours to eradicate the remaining princes.

At the grand entrance of a massive stone building, a tall man with spiky hair stands with his back to the viewer, facing a formation of armed soldiers in uniform who line the wide staircase. A masked soldier nearby holds a rifle. Large speech bubbles declare the man's intent: "I CAN PASS ON THE THRONE TO MY CHILD!!" and "THE RIGHTS OF SUCCESSION!! IF I CAN INHERIT THEM OFFICIALLY, EVEN IF I SHOULD DIE..." Another bubble explains, "IN OTHER WORDS, ARTICLE 1 OF THE STATE OF EMERGENCY ACT: 'CRISIS OF PRESERVING THE MONARCHY' WILL BE APPLIED!!" A sign reads "PRINCE BENJAMIN HAS ARRIVED!!" In a dramatic close-up below, Prince Benjamin glares forward with intense eyes, his hair forming a crown-like silhouette. He shouts, "THERE ARE FOUR PRINCES LEFT!!!!" A final bubble details his plan: "CONSIDERING THE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR FATHER, THE CURRENT KING, TO DECLARE THE TRANSFER OF SUCCESSION RIGHTS AND PRESENT ME THE OATH!! AND THEN FOR THE LEGAL PROCEDURES TO MAKE MY ILLEGITIMATE CHILD THE OFFICIAL SUCCESSOR!! THERE IS NOT A MOMENT TO SPARE!!"

Inside a large command room, Prince Benjamin stands in profile on the right, glaring leftward. On the left, a man in a helmet stares forward with wide eyes, followed by close-ups of a bald man with a fierce expression and a man with glasses looking serious. In the central scene, several armed men in jumpsuits stand with their backs to the viewer, facing a group that includes a tall figure with horns and a smaller person in a patterned outfit. A bespectacled man in a suit speaks: "I WILL HAVE THE THREE OF YOU BE WITNESSES." Prince Benjamin's face appears stern. In a smaller panel, the horned figure and others stand as speech bubbles state: "WE WILL TAKE OVER THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE AS THE CENTRAL COURTHOUSE TO UNIFY THE THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT..." and "AFTER THE MILITARY TAKES THE OATH AT THE CENTRAL COURTHOUSE TO UNIFY THE THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT..." A final bubble adds, "I'M DEPUTY MILITARY ADVISER BENJAMIN. LET'S GET STRAIGHT TO THE POINT."

A spiky-haired man stands in a corridor and states, "There are accomplices in our military, which is how a sample under development was brought aboard the ship." Another voice adds, "Tserriednich and Halkenburg conspired to commit bio-terrorism." A helmeted soldier reports, "First, I need to present you the basis for your declaration of special martial law and the King's letter of authorization." The spiky-haired man continues, "It seems some of the subjects are among the guards gathered by the princes for their security detail... Considering the worst-case scenario, I want to get the paperwork over with as soon as possible...!" He thinks, "This guy..." A large panel shows the man facing armed soldiers while declaring, "There are several accomplices, and multiple subjects are currently being detained and interrogated." A masked figure with a rifle stands among the troops. One soldier notes, "As long as the three branches are not unified, my side cannot authorize a transfer to the hospital without knowing what's happening on yours." Another adds, "Until the components of the sample are analyzed in detail, we cannot lift the quarantine of the individuals suspected of infection." The spiky-haired man thinks, "He's planning to use the princes on Tier 1 as hostages to demand control of the three branches...!!" A soldier warns, "The King's letter of authorization is currently being drafted. Once he signs and seals it, you will be notified, so make sure to go and collect it." Another observes, "Most of the basis he's presenting right now is probably fabricated, distorted to fit his narrative." A final soldier remarks, "The profile of him as an impulsive dictator who prefers the shortest route is fairly accurate." In a bottom strip the spiky-haired man says, "Sir Benjamin," while a bald man replies, "We should proceed as quickly as possible."

A spiky-haired man with a stern expression faces a bald man with a scar who asks, "Are you okay? You're not looking well..." The spiky-haired man replies, "I'm completely fine." A close-up shows his intense glare. A bespectacled man thinks, "With Halkenburg's symptoms as a precedent... If Prince Benjamin is in such a rush due to being 'infected' himself..." A small panel shows the armed group in the corridor. Large radiating text declares, "As a plan takes shape with special martial law declared aboard the ship, how will the princes respond?!" The spiky-haired man thinks, "I still have one final bastion...!" Another burst of text reads, "One more day... If I can escape this situation, I'll see the light at the end of the tunnel." A caption states, "40 minutes have passed since the declaration of special martial law." The page ends with the Hunter × Hunter logo and "Chapter 410 / End."

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