MASQUERADE

Kurapika sits alone at a gambling table, his chin resting on one hand while the other reaches toward the cards. Stacks of chips stand to his left. Five cards lie face-up in front of him: the 5 of clubs, 5 of spades, 5 of diamonds, 5 of hearts, and ace of hearts, followed by two aces of spades. The large title "HUNTER×HUNTER" appears in the upper right. Text in the upper left reads "No.405 ♦ MASQUERADE" and "TOGASHI YOSHIHIRO". On the right side, narration states: "AMIDST THE SUCCESSION WAR, HE PLAYS A SOLO GAME..."

Inside a lavish casino hall, patrons gather around slot machines and tables. A woman with bunny ears stands near a machine. Narration reads "PERFECTLY VANILLA.♣" A close-up shows spinning slot reels, followed by a clenched fist and a close-up of an eye. Three slot machines display 777. Narration continues: "THEY WERE JUST ANTS, AFTER ALL.♠" and "MY HEART REMAINED TAME AND UNMOVING WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THE ASSAULT ON THE ANTS..." Kurapika stands in the foreground of the casino floor, hands in pockets. Additional narration states: "I INSTANTLY COOLED OFF. WHEN I FOUND OUT IT WAS A GROUP ABILITY POWERED BY A NEW BEAST, AWAKENED IN A RITUAL.♠" and "SAME WITH ALL THOSE RUMBLINGS AROUND HERE..." A speech bubble begins "I'M..."

A man in a two-tone vest stands with his back to the viewer in a stark panel. "ALL I WANT..." he begins. "I'M VANILLA. GROUP PLAY OR ANIMAL KINKS DO NOTHING FOR ME." In the next panel the same man, now in a sharp black suit and bow tie, lunges forward with a savage expression, his hand tearing through a smaller figure that bursts apart in a spray of debris and torn clothing. "...ONE-ON-ONE," he declares as the fragments scatter. "...IS TO RAVAGE A PARTNER..." A close-up shows a different young man with straight, light hair in profile, a faint blush on his cheek. "I DON'T MIND PLAYING WITH MYSELF," he says calmly. "IT'S SAD, BUT OH WELL."

In a grand multi-level casino interior, the suited man walks away from the viewer past slot machines and patrons. Below, the short-haired young man stands in the foreground with a neutral expression, the casino floor visible behind him through a cracked window. A large shaded panel shows his profile as he speaks. "WAIT A MINUTE... DON'T TELL ME, ANOTHER FAKE?" he asks. "RUNNING INTO HIM IN THE CASINO'S VIP SECTION... WHAT ARE THE ODDS?" From below, an unseen speaker replies "YES." The young man continues, "YOU WANT ME TO TRANSFORM INTO HISOKA?" The casino bustles with people on multiple balconies and staircases beneath the dialogue.

Narration explains the plan: "THE SOLUTION IS TO MONITOR HISOKA AND DRAW HIM AWAY FROM US. IT'S EASIER THAN CONTROLLING AN ENTIRE GROUP'S MOVEMENTS." Another box adds, "THEY SEE HISOKA AND US AS WILD CARDS, SO LETTING US ROAM AROUND THEIR TERRITORY AFFECTS THEIR REP. BUT OFFICIALLY TAKING A SIDE COULD CAUSE A CONFLICT THAT WOULD DISRUPT THE KAKIN MAFIA'S BALANCE." A voice questions, "HOW COME?" The response continues, "ROAM AROUND PLACES THE MAFIA FREQUENT. IT'S A FREE TICKET TO A FANCIER ROOM." Further narration states, "THAT SAID, THEY MIGHT EXTEND AN INVITATION TO A FLOOR MASTER LIKE HISOKA FOR PROMOTION." A small character notes, "THAT WAY, THE MAFIA CAN SAVE FACE WHILE WE SEARCH FOR THE REAL HISOKA." The explanation concludes, "I SEE. IF THE MAFIA BELIEVES THEY'VE ISOLATED HISOKA SOMEWHERE, THEN THEY NO LONGER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT US WANDERING AROUND LOOKING FOR HIM." In the hallway, a suited man with a heart emblem on his back says, "BOSS WAS RIGHT." A large box warns, "BUT THE FACT THAT HE DIDN'T BRING THIS UP AT OUR MEETING TELLS ME HE'S PLANNING ON HANDLING THIS HIMSELF." Another narration reads, "IT'S LIKELY HISOKA HAS MET A PRINCE AND SECURED HIMSELF A TIER 1 VIP SPOT. SO IF THE MAFIA INVITES YOU UP, BE CAREFUL NOT TO RUN INTO HIM." In a lower panel, a muscular bald man with sunglasses transforms amid "ZII" sound effects while saying, "DON'T NEED TO TELL ME TWICE. OUR POWERS ARE A BAD MATCH-UP. I'M A SITTING DUCK FOR HIS GUM WHILST TRANSFORMING." A large man in a tuxedo reacts with a question mark. Hisoka stands poised by ornate doors, declaring, "IF YOU SEE HISOKA, TURN INTO SOMEONE ELSE AND WAIT FOR ME. I'LL DECIDE WHETHER TO FIGHT HIM OR NOT."

Bonolenov stands transformed in patterned clothing and sunglasses, one arm raised with a grotesque hand. A box details his ability: "METAMORPHOSE AN ABILITY THAT ALLOWS BONOLENOV TO TRANSFORM INTO SOMEONE HE'S SPOKEN WITH. HE CAN MAINTAIN THE APPEARANCE FOR ROUGHLY AS LONG AS HE'S SPENT FACE-TO-FACE WITH THAT PERSON." Another box explains, "THERE'S NO SIZE LIMIT TO THE TRANSFORMATION, BUT BONOLENOV BELIEVES THAT THE SHORTER THE TARGET IS COMPARED TO HIMSELF, THE SHORTER THE AMOUNT OF TIME HE CAN MAINTAIN THE TRANSFORMATION." Close-up of wide eyes behind sunglasses shows internal monologue: "I NEEDED THAT IV DRIP DUDE TO LEAD ME UP, SO HE'S OKAY, BUT... WHAT IF THEY FIND MY BODY? THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BLAME HISOKA, RIGHT?" A second thought adds, "THAT MIND READING LADY BLEW MY IDENTITY, SO I HAD TO KILL HER..." In the next scene, a man in a jacket labeled "G" reacts with "UGH!" as a woman with pigtails is struck, with text reading "NO, I'M ACTUALLY AN IMPOSTER DISGUISED AS HISOKA." A final panel shows two figures outside a building, one asking, "YOU HISOKA?"

A light-haired character stares forward with narrowed eyes and asks, "...HISOKA, RIGHT? YOU ARE..." In the corridor a dark-clad figure walks away while thinking, "SHIT, I'VE BEEN FOUND OUT! THAT GUY ON THE IV DRIP MUST'VE HEARD TOO..." and "WAS THAT MY VOICE JUST NOW?" A tight close-up of intense eyes realizes, "...SO ONLY THE USER AND TARGET HEAR THE INNER THOUGHTS...!!!" An off-panel voice replies, "HUH? PERHAPS YOU DIDN'T HEAR ME." A braided-haired woman leans in and shouts, "WRONG! HE'S A FAKE. I HEARD HIS BODY." Beside her another character confirms, "HE SAID HE'S HISOKA, DIDN'T HE?" A headband-wearing man glares and orders, "INFORM HINRICH IMMEDIATELY! LET'S RIP HIM TO PIECES! HE WAS TRYING TO DECEIVE US! HE MUST BE HEIL-LY OR A TROUPE MEMBER. EITHER WAY, WE CAN'T LET THIS SLIDE!" Two figures kneel in the long hallway while a woman sits slumped against stacked boxes. The light-haired character’s face fills the final panel with a grim expression: "THAT'S TOO BAD..." "OH, I SEE."

Inside a bustling casino a man at the bar wonders, "EVEN IF I'M WRONG, SURELY THE MAFIA WOULDN'T GATHER THEIR FORCES AND MARCH UP TO TIER 1 JUST TO KILL HISOKA, RIGHT? ...RIGHT?" A patterned-shirted man walks past and thinks, "SHOULD BE FINE, RIGHT? FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE, HER DEATH SHOULDN'T SEEM LINKED TO HER ALTERCATION WITH ME. IF ALL GOES WELL THEY'LL THINK SHE WAS KILLED AFTER THEY PARTED WAYS." He continues, "THEN I DISGUISED MYSELF AS THE WOMAN, I KILLED AND TRICKED THE IV GUY INTO GOING TO THE THEATER..." A short-haired person at a counter recalls, "WE ALL KNOW HOW MUCH SHALNARK AND KORTOPI'S DEATHS AFFECTED THE BOSS. AND HE KNOWS WE KNOW. WHICH IS WHY HE TRIES TO ACT ALL NONCHALANT. WE'RE CAUGHT IN A VICIOUS CIRCLE." The same person adds, "I DUNNO! I COULD JUST ASK THE BOSS BUT... I'D LIKE PHINKS AND THE OTHERS TO BE THE ONES TO HANDLE HISOKA." A crossed-out face of a star-marked man appears beside a book titled "108 KILL" with the caption, "BEFORE THE BOSS KILLS HIM FOR GOOD. THAT'S WHY EVERYONE WANTS TO KILL HIM FIRST... AND THAT THE TREASURE HE CAME TO STEAL IS A PAGE, ONE THAT'LL ENSURE HISOKA STAYS DEAD THIS TIME. IT'S OBVIOUS THE BOSS WANTS TO SETTLE THINGS WITH HIS OWN HANDS..." In the main hall Chrollo stands among patrons and says, "ONCE HISOKA'S DEALT WITH, LET'S PUT AN END TO THIS MASQUERADE. CHROLLO... I KNOW WHY YOU LEFT THE NO. 9 SPOT VACANT..."

A television broadcast fills the screen with the face of a composed middle-aged man in a suit and tie. Narration boxes reflect on his achievements and the renewed admiration for the late Mr. Lismorth, chairman of the 'Mama Help' Foundation, while noting that ten years after his brutal killing the culprit remains at large. In a bustling public terminal, a slender figure wrapped in a long, tattered fur coat stands motionless before the same broadcast playing on a large monitor. The person’s dark hair frames a neutral expression as surrounding travelers glance at the screen. Speech bubbles from the crowd remark on the case’s initial misinformation and the philanthropist’s untimely end. One onlooker mutters that the trouble must spell the end for the perpetrator if caught, while another calls the scene shady as hell. The fur-coated watcher remains silent amid the murmurs.

In a dimly lit corridor, a man in a dark suit and glasses informs two others that Heil-ly recently acquired a new boss. A man with a topknot hairstyle and another with a small ponytail respond that they have been dealing with Heil-ly for a while. The scene shifts to an office where the suited man stands before a seated group. One man with a mustache and sword questions whether the other side would notice Heil-ly no longer operates as a mafia family. The topknotted man turns away, replying that it would be hard not to notice. In a close-up, the topknotted man asks if the group aboard the ship can really be called Heil-ly, while the suited man stares forward with a tense expression and asks what the speaker is getting at.

In a dimly lit corridor, two men in dark suits converse intently. The older man with a mustache and patterned jacket wonders aloud, "If they aren't the real Heil-ly, then who are they?" His companion with slicked-back hair and glasses replies, "It's an interesting idea..." They speculate that the old boss may have been manipulated by a Nen ability causing a deadly illness. The man with glasses continues, "We were there at the formal succession ceremony with our boss." In another panel, he explains Kakin traditions: "It's a Kakin tradition to name a royal with no right to the throne as the boss of each mafia family." A spiky-haired man listens nearby as questions arise about the current Heil-ly boss. The discussion concludes that officially they are the Heil-ly, but their real goal remains a mystery. Elsewhere, a man with short dark hair states, "I figured something out by fighting them," while another notes, "Nothing too concrete, but..." and "Like you said, we don't know her well enough to understand her true intentions."

The conversation continues as the man with glasses stands with arms crossed. His companion notes that when they infiltrated the hideout, the Heil-ly actions seemed coordinated with specific orders. A large panel shows a close-up of a scarred man with a topknot speaking intensely about the boss setting strategy. Diagrams labeled A and B appear, questioning the Heil-ly's purpose and orders. The scarred man suggests their goal might be to destroy everything. Another man with a topknot hairstyle replies "Who knows" when asked about killing unrelated passengers. The discussion turns to the possibility that the Heil-ly seek a once-in-a-lifetime chance aboard the ship, including targeting the royals. The man with glasses and the mustached man react with surprise as the theory unfolds.

A man with slicked-back hair and a scar speaks intensely about the need for sacrifices to gain supernatural power. He declares that in order to gain the strength needed to destroy everything, they need to kill people to acquire that power. Nearby, a bandaged figure explains that the Heil-Ly make the number of people killed condition the formula to produce powerful Nen, and that they want to kill everyone. In another panel, a mustached man with light hair notes that the group is just talking about the idea while another voice calls it deranged. A topknotted man stands by as the conversation continues. A large panel shows an older man in a suit explaining that conflict is always the last resort for their organization, which was twisted from the get-go but still takes pride in supporting Kakin from the shadows by maintaining balance. A man with glasses listens as another figure states that the Heil-Ly are completely different from the Kakin mafia, realizing they present themselves as Heil-Ly but inside are something else entirely.

In a long narrow hallway with cracked walls and dim lighting, the man in the patterned shirt stands with one arm extended, declaring that the Cha-R and Xi-Yu families will support fully and urging to crush the Heil-Ly. The slick-haired man stands in the foreground looking toward the hallway. A topknotted swordsman stands nearby with arms crossed, stating they will go on ahead and inform Hinrigh and the rest of the troupe. The bandaged figure remains silent in the background. In a close-up, the glasses man asks what the young ones will do now, and the patterned-shirt man replies that their young ones will go fetch them. Sound effects indicate movement as the group prepares to act.

A tall man in a black suit stands with his back partly turned, facing three figures across the room. He speaks calmly: "THIS ISN'T LOOKING GOOD FOR YOU, MORENA." and adds, "THESE GUYS ARE LIKELY TO REACH YOU SOONER THAN EXPECTED." The three figures include a person in a light robe with a topknot hairstyle holding a staff, a smaller figure in dark clothing, and a man with light hair in a jacket. In a close-up panel, the suited man's eyes behind glasses narrow as he continues, "YOU MAY HAVE TO PLAY YOUR JOKER ALREADY..." and "THE GAME'S ONLY JUST BEGUN, BUT..." The final panel reveals a close-up of a woman with long hair, a stitched headband across her forehead, and a neutral expression. Sound effects "ズズズ..." rumble around her as she stares forward.

In a room with bookshelves, a woman in a black off-shoulder dress and head covering sits at a desk. Speech bubbles read: "THERE WILL BE A LARGE CROWD, SO IT'S THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY." and "SEEMS LIKE A FUNERAL PROCESSION IS BEING HELD FOR HALKENBURG." A large silhouetted bull-like figure stands behind a muscular anthropomorphic dog character labeled "DOG." The dog replies "YEAH." A close-up shows an eye and the question "ARE YOU UP FOR IT?" The dogman, wearing a mask with a "犬" kanji, flexes and declares he has leveled up thanks to cooperation. A box states "DOGMAN ENHANCEMENT TYPE LEVEL 62." He boasts he can smell a person's Nen type within a 5m radius and identify them at 100% if close enough. A tiny dog face at the bottom exclaims "I'LL DEFINITELY FIND THEM!" with SFX "キラーン" as his eyes shine.

In a cluttered meeting room, a short-haired girl voices doubt about recruiting new members. A spiky-haired man pumps his fist and shouts, "ALRIGHT! I'M PUMPED!" while a long-haired woman with a headband explains the plan: "AND THAT WILL MARK THE BEGINNING OF THE END! IF OUR DOG SUCCESSFULLY LOCATES THE TARGET, HE'LL FIRE THE SIGNAL..." A curly-haired man with a dog-like companion replies, "I'LL BE NEXT TO YOU SO JUST SUBTLY POINT AT HIM AND I'LL TAKE CARE OF THE REST." The dog-masked figure asks, "LET'S GO, SODOM. HOW SHOULD I SIGNAL TO YOU ONCE I FIND THE TARGET?" The headband woman answers, "WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY DON'T SAY 'NO.'" "YUP. THAT'S WHY..." In another room, a suited man wonders, "WHERE DID THE OTHERS GO?" Morena responds from behind, "SO I SHOULD BE ABLE TO BRING THEM IN BY MYSELF. THE CONDITION FOR MY KIDNAPPING ABILITY HINGES ON THE TARGET NOT HAVING LEARNED NEN YET..." An empty hallway stretches ahead. Morena continues, "...TO GET REVENGE ON XI-YU'S HINRIGH. THEY'RE GRINDING IN THE PROCESSING AREA..." At the bottom, an explosion erupts in a corridor with silhouetted figures, while a vast industrial chamber filled with dark vats comes into view.

Amid swirling smoke and debris, a blonde woman in a long coat stands with hands at her sides. A heavily bandaged man in casual clothes declares, "LEVEL 5'S DOPE, LOL." A suited man with curly hair gestures excitedly, "WOW, IT'S JUST LIKE MORENA SAID... LET'S GOOOOO!! TIME FOR A MAFIA HUNT!" A bright flash cuts across the bottom of the panel. In the following sequence, a group moves through dim corridors. One man notes, "THIS DOOR..." Another panel shows figures walking away down a hallway. In a separate scene, a bearded man in robes exclaims, "WHAT IS THIS?" while a stern man beside him says, "WHAT THE..." A bound figure lies at their feet. Text reads, "HISOKA AND THE SPIDERS MAKE THEIR MOVES!" Two more characters react with surprise as one states, "THINGS MAY GET A BIT INTENSE. ALRIGHT, FROM HERE ON OUT..." The page ends with the Hunter × Hunter logo, "NO. 405 / END" and a teaser: "WHAT SIGHT AWAITS NOBUNAGA AND THE OTHERS?! THE SUCCESSION WAR RAGES ON!"