Chapter 114

A small device with a ribbon is shown in close-up. Pakunoda's face appears in profile, her expression serious as she looks toward a brick wall where a small insect clings. In the next panel, Gon and Killua stand facing Pakunoda. Gon asks, "PAKU, ARE YOU OKAY?" Pakunoda replies, "OK." Nobunaga, standing nearby with Shizuku, says, "SHIZUKU, TAKE CARE OF HIM." Pakunoda continues, "WE UNDERESTIMATED THEM A LITTLE." Gon and Killua react with surprise. Pakunoda adds, "SAME HERE. A FEW BROKEN RIBS. OTHER THAN THAT, I'M FINE. MY LEFT ARM IS BROKEN AND ONE OF MY MOLARS IS GONE." Nobunaga stands in profile, holding a small knife and a folded paper. He glances sideways. Pakunoda's face appears again in close-up. Nobunaga looks down at the paper and knife in his hands. Pakunoda says, "WAIT..." as the kids walk away in the background. A suited man carries a bound figure, while Machi and others follow. Someone remarks, "THOSE KIDS HAVE... ANYWAYS, THOSE KIDS ARE INCREDIBLE."

A torn paper with symbols and text is held up. A box reads, "IF YOU SAY WHAT YOU READ IN THEIR MEMORIES, I KILL HIM." Pakunoda stands holding the paper and a lighter, her expression grave. Nobunaga says, "IT'S FOR YOU. PAKUNODA." A large SFX "SHIT" erupts across the panel. Kurapika's eye is shown in close-up. The torn paper is gripped tightly. In the lower scene, a bound man with a cross on his head is restrained, a woman with a ponytail stands nearby, and a suited man grins while holding a small object. Killua's face appears in the foreground with motion lines and the SFX "KIIIIIN."

A suited man leans forward in alarm, gesturing wildly as he demands answers. "YOU CAN'T TURN THE ELECTRICITY BACK ON? SO WHAT?! EXPLAIN, AT LEAST!" he shouts. "BUT WHAT'S GOING ON?" Nearby, Pakunoda stares with wide eyes, processing the blackout. Narration explains that for this distance the chain user needed two or three tenths of a second to attack, giving Danchou time to dodge, but above all no one saw it. He passed himself off as hotel staff. He has been targeted since the beginning with meticulous preparations. The darkness gave several chances to act, delaying Danchou a fraction of a second and preventing a counter. In a large panel Pakunoda's face fills the frame as she thinks: another mystery, the kids. They have known the chain guy for a long time, so why couldn't she read that in their memories the first time? The chain guy probably hid his abilities from his friends until just a little while ago. It is not possible, it is only an hour since they decided to come to this hotel. She checked the two kids and asked her question; the only answers were words like "7 o'clock" or "power outage." It was not a perfect plan.

Pakunoda's face appears in profile as she realizes he is using the kids as bait. She questions why he left that message, knowing they anticipated the flaw the dark would create. A small panel shows her gripping her head in distress with "SHOCK" written across it. Narration states they must not take this threat lightly. Pakunoda reflects that she is bright and able to understand what kind of person Kurapika is. If she tells the others, Kurapika will kill Danchou before his companions' eyes, but he will kill Danchou afterwards anyway. This message is the key for everything. Senritsu is able to tell her why he left that message. He has to perceive the feelings of others, listening to the rhythm of their heart. One of his comrades is called Senritsu. Pakunoda sweats heavily, thinking the kids represent a chance to free Danchou but also that the two kids are still useful to them. In the final panel Shizuku reacts with "!?" while a man shouts "PAKU !!!" and Pakunoda answers "PAKU !!!"

Nobunaga steps forward and offers, "I'LL TAKE YOUR PLACE." Machi stands nearby and instructs, "MACHI, CONCENTRATE ON YOUR THREADS." Kurapika turns and warns, "FROM THIS POINT ON, DON'T SAY ANYTHING." Nobunaga replies, "UNDERSTOOD?" In close-up Kurapika continues, "UNTIL THEN, WE TAKE CARE OF OUR HOSTAGES. THEY'RE VALUABLE. IF HE LEFT US A MESSAGE, IT'S BECAUSE HE'S WILLING TO CONTACT US AGAIN." Gon and Killua react with excitement as a large speech bubble declares, "NICE WORK, KURAPIKA! YOU DID IT!" Kurapika answers, "ACTUALLY, I'D RATHER PURSUE THEM, BUT..." The scene shifts to the Ryodan hideout where Nobunaga states, "IN THE RYODAN... WE'LL WAIT FOR PHINKS AND THE OTHERS. EVERYONE STAY ON GUARD." Another member adds, "THEY GOT IN A CAR, AND WITH THE TRAFFIC JAM, WE CAN STILL CATCH UP WITH THEM!" Kurapika concludes, "WE CAN'T LET THE KIDS GO, AND SEPARATING IS TOO RISKY." Nobunaga nods, "OK."

Chrollo stands with his back to the ruined room and states, "IT'S A PRINCIPLE NOT TIED WITH LIFE AND DEATH. THE BASIC RULE IS THAT THE BODY FOLLOWS THE ORDERS GIVEN BY THE HEAD AND MIND. I'LL BE THE MIND, AND YOU, THE BODY." He continues, "DEPENDING ON THE CASE, THE LEGS CAN BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE HEAD. FOR EXAMPLE, IF I WERE TO DIE, SOMEONE CAN EASILY REPLACE ME." Machi replies, "MY ORDERS ARE THE FIRST PRIORITY. BUT DON'T BE MISTAKEN. BUT PROTECTING MY LIFE IS NOT A PRIORITY." Pakunoda asks, "HE'S KURORO?" Chrollo adds, "I'M ALSO PART OF THE SPIDER. WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS NOT THAT I LIVE, BUT THAT THE SPIDER LIVES." In the final panel Machi warns, "DON'T EVER FORGET IT."

Pakunoda stares into the distance, her thoughts racing. "WHAT SHOULD I DO?" she wonders. "IN A CASE LIKE THIS..." Flashbacks show the group discussing the threat. "THERE WON'T BE ANY MORE CHAIN GUY !!!" someone declares. "NO MORE PROBLEM !!!!" If she reveals what she knows about Kurapika's Nen and his weak points to the others, the danger might end. Yet the probability that Danchou will die remains high. Before stealing her power, the girl had told Danchou something about his prediction. "WHAT COULD DANCHOU'S PREDICTION HAVE BEEN?" A skull looms with the words "TO PROTECT THE RYODAN ..." and "UVO PROBABLY..." Pakunoda's eyes narrow in resolve. A sharp "CLAC" sound effect cuts through the air as she turns her head, an exclamation mark appearing beside her. In the final panel she sits in silence, expression hardened.

Pakunoda continues her grim internal monologue. "IT'S THE SPIDER WHICH MUST LIVE." She weighs the options: "IF I SPEAK, I BETRAY. IF I REMAIN SILENT, I BETRAY." Pride or treachery are the only two answers until the gods of death visit. "THE GODS OF DEATH WOULD BE THOSE TWO KIDS?" she questions. A panel demands "SPEAK OR BE SILENT?!" and "WHO HAS TO LIVE ?!" She realizes the real choices cannot happen today. "NO... I'M THINKING TOO MUCH. IT'S ONLY SATURDAY. ALL THE PREDICTIONS ARE FOR NEXT WEEK." The final spread shows her brain exploding outward with the words "WOULD BE MY BRAIN ...? MY SMALL ROOM ...?" as the page fades to black.

Danchou...!!! A tense voice calls out as the question hangs in the air: What would you do if you were me? Pakunoda stands with a serious expression, her hair slightly tousled, while another member advises her to just remain silent and think. It's useless to try and think, another voice adds. A close-up reveals Chrollo's stern face with a scar, sweat visible, as he utters a quiet ... In the street below, the Phantom Troupe members gather urgently. Danchou... we still need you, one calls out while pointing. They have Danchou, another notes. Are they here? a suited man asks. Phinks hurries up, shouting Finks, hurry up. A large YES. stands tall on the wall as the group assembles, including a woman in a dark outfit and others looking toward the building.

A massive impact SFX FLASH erupts across the panel. The narration declares: Even if to save you, we have to betray the Spider...!!! A dark silhouette cracks against a bright circular burst. Below, rain falls on parked cars with motion lines and a Vrrrr sound effect. The final panel shows a chained figure in profile, short dark hair, earrings, and a feathered collar, staring forward with a serious expression against a watery background with city lights in the distance.

Inside the moving car, Kurapika grips the wheel, his expression stern behind dark sunglasses. In the back seat, Gon and Killua sit bound and tense beside Pakunoda. Kurapika glances back with a sharp look. Pakunoda stares ahead, calm and composed. Gon turns slightly and speaks reassuringly. "Some of them are injured. They won't move until reinforcement arrives." "Don't worry about it." Pakunoda remains silent for a moment, then asks, "What're you looking at?" as Gon stares at her.

Pakunoda warns Gon not to rely on appearances. Gon replies that he does not remember telling her he was female. Pakunoda admits she had not expected the person they were searching for to be a woman. Gon retorts that these could be his last words and tells her to pay more attention. Pakunoda leans in close and asks if Gon wants to get his friends back. She states that Gon will not kill her. From the front, Kurapika shouts for him to calm down. Gon insists he is not in a position to stay calm and tells Pakunoda not to provoke him. Pakunoda notes that none of this was mentioned in the girl's prediction.

Pakunoda sits bound tightly by multiple chains wrapped around her torso and arms. Her expression is calm and composed as she speaks. "WHICH MEANS I WASN'T NEEDED TO BE WARNED," she says. In a second speech bubble she continues, "IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT YOU'RE DOING NOW IS INSIGNIFICANT." Below, a close-up shows wide, shocked eyes. "WHAT ...!!!" someone exclaims. In the next panel, Leorio leans forward with a fierce glare, warning, "IF YOU KILL HIM, YOU'LL HAVE ME TO DEAL WITH...!" Beside him, a boy in a hat shouts desperately, "KURAPIKA!!!" The bottom of the page fades into a dark, rain-streaked panel.

A mostly blank white page holds only a single small panel in the lower right. Inside the panel, Gon is captured mid-motion with intense speed lines radiating outward. His body is angled sharply, one leg extended high, face set in determination as he appears to be launching or recovering from a powerful kick.