Investigating the Princes' Guards

A detailed overhead diagram displays multiple floors of a large building, each room labeled with numbers from 10 to 14. Small figures populate the rooms, some seated at tables, others standing or lying down. A circular arrow points between levels marked 11, 12, and 13. In the lower right section, a bedroom scene shows several figures gathered around a canopied bed. Bold text declares "THE COCKROACH EYE GO MARCHING!!" A massive close-up of a cockroach dominates the bottom of the page, its body filling the frame with radiating speed lines and jagged motion effects emphasizing its rapid approach.

A small cockroach skitters across a windowsill near a barred window, the sound effect "SKITTER" floating beside it. A close-up reveals a woman's wide, startled eyes and sweat drop as she stares in alarm. Speech bubbles read "IT'S DARK THOUGH... IS SHE NOT THERE...?!" and "NEXT IS THE 12TH PRINCE'S BEDROOM!!!!" accompanied by motion lines and "////" sound effects. The view shifts to a dimly lit bedroom where a small figure lies in an ornate bed. A person clad in black crouches over the bed, a large X-shaped mark visible on their back. The final panel shows the same black-clad figure leaning closer to the sleeping child, hands planted on the sheets.

Kurapika and a stern-faced man stare forward with concern. In a lavish room, a panicked Queen Oito screams with wide eyes and raised hands, "STOP IT!!!" "NOOO OOOO OO!!!" Below, a figure shouts "STOP HIM!!" as several people scramble across a wooden floor; one man in uniform restrains another while a small figure with an H on their back reaches out. Kurapika grips Queen Oito by the shoulders and urges, "PLEASE CALM DOWN, QUEEN OITO!!" Queen Oito, tears streaming, cries out desperately, "PRINCE MOMOZE IS GOING TO BE KILLED!! YOU HAVE TO STOP HIM, QUICK!!!" Narration notes that the Nen user remains unaware of the watcher. A voice warns Queen Oito she is exhausted from a nightmare and must rest in her bedroom. Close-ups show Kurapika's serious expression and Queen Oito's fearful, tear-streaked face.

Kurapika and Queen Oito face each other tensely as jagged energy lines crackle between them. Queen Oito declares she will go herself if Kurapika refuses to help. In the hallway, Kurapika offers to act as intermediary. An operator explains he can only connect to a private officer of the higher princes. Bill instructs someone to enter room 1012 and confirm Prince Momoze's status. A man with styled hair and Kurapika stand with Queen Oito in the corridor as they prepare to move. Close-ups show the stern man's determined face and Kurapika's focused expression.

A long body bag is carried away on a stretcher by uniformed men. In the hallway below, Kurapika stands watching while Queen Oito tends to Prince Woble in his crib and another woman kneels nearby. Armed guards escort the covered body down the corridor past additional soldiers stationed at the doors. In the foreground a distraught woman clutches her head, tears streaming down her face. "WE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SAVE HIM...!!!" she cries. Another voice adds, "WE COULD HAVE STOPPED IT...!!!"

Kurapika and a stern-faced man discuss the situation. Six guards are detained and face court-martial; Queen Sevanchi pleads their case to the king, convinced they acted together. The cause of death is ruled asphyxiation. Four guards on duty outside the room testify that no one entered while the prince slept. The timing is called too perfect, warranting caution. A man in a suit points out that Prince Momoze's spirit beast should have protected her. Kurapika agrees. Another man asks if he may have a word.

In a quiet hallway discussion, a suited man with a hand to his chin suggests the hint lies in Prince Momoze's sleeping hours. Another voice questions what that means. Nearby panels show a hand gesture as someone notes the prince usually retired much earlier than usual, with a reply that she was probably extremely worn out for some reason. Exactly, comes the confirmation. A flashback reveals two figures in a corridor: one explains that the guardian beasts are parasitic, acting by feeding on their host's aura energy. The group stands together as the realization hits that the act should have consumed a large amount of aura. If one of the two Nen beasts that attacked the guards belonged to Prince Momoze, then the murderer is a person well-versed in Nen. After this event, demand for Nen information will only grow stronger. It would be tremendously advantageous to use Nen learning as an incentive to form alliances, including with Prince Tserriednich. Kurapika stands with a serious expression and states that therein lies the problem.

Kurapika's face fills the panel as he stresses the need to reduce risks to Prince Woble by any means and gather as much information as possible. In a separate room, Queen Oito kneels beside Prince Woble's crib while several guards stand watch. Kurapika notes it would be cruel to ask the exhausted queen to continue her survey of the princes. A pair of boots steps forward on the checkered floor as someone politely asks for a word with Her Majesty. Queen Oito appears distressed, covering her face with one hand. In the background, Kurapika, Bill, and two other men watch as Queen Oito embraces her child. A close-up shows Kurapika questioning what Prince Woble's guard expects to gain by confirming the queen had been using Nen. Another speaker wonders why the man shouted out earlier when doing so could only harm his own position.

A figure with long braided hair clasps their hands tightly while speaking. "I MUST SEEM RIDICULOUS FOR NOT STANDING BY IDLY WHILE SOMEONE ELSE'S DAUGHTER GET KILLED. TO ALL OF YOU COMPLETELY WRAPPED UP IN THIS SURVIVAL GAME..." Nearby, a young girl with light hair watches silently as a stern man with braided hair glances sideways. In another panel a woman with voluminous curly hair hunches forward, laughing uncontrollably. "FUFU... KUKUKU KUKUKU..." she chuckles, then adds, "DETRIMENTAL... YOU SAY?" A large close-up shows the braided-haired person bowing their head deeply. "I'VE NOTHING TO SAY TO YOU," one voice states. Another replies, "I UNDERSTAND IT ALL TOO WELL." At floor level, polished boots step across wooden planks. Two men stand with their backs partly turned; one asks, "HUH...?" The other answers, "LET'S GO, SAKATA." In the wide hall beyond, several figures including a person carrying a bag walk away across the patterned floor.

Kurapika stands in a formal black suit marked with an 'H', facing an ornate corridor. He says, "WE'LL LEAVE THE GUARDING TO KURAPIKA." A woman with a ponytail is visible behind him. Kurapika continues, "I'LL TALK TO SLACKER AS WELL. THE QUEEN WON'T BE AT EASE AS LONG AS WE'RE HERE." In a wooden corridor, Queen Oito in a robe stands opposite Kurapika; a sudden motion line and impact effect appear as someone lifts a weapon. "HE LIFTED HIS EN?!" a voice exclaims. Queen Oito speaks in close-up: "IT'S NOT LIKE I'M WORRIED ABOUT YOU. I'M DOING THIS FOR WOBLE." A small panel shows a strange creature-like object. A young girl with short hair stares forward with a serious expression. Kurapika, seen from behind, listens as an attendant urges, "YOUR MAJESTY...! YOU NEEDN'T FORCE YOURSELF TO..."

In a lavishly decorated room, Kurapika stands speaking with a seated woman who has curly hair, while Bill listens nearby. A suited man on the phone confirms that apart from the 2nd and 6th princes, ten of the princes intend to send their guards. He adds that they will begin tomorrow at 9 in the morning and asks to be contacted again in fifteen minutes for a decision. Bill notes that the first prince has shown a bigger response than expected and wonders if the leader of his bodyguards wants to keep tabs on his actions. The woman confirms this with a quiet yes. In the next scene, ornate curtains frame a tense discussion where Bill explains that the princes were cleverly goaded into participating through a mixture of doubt and curiosity toward learning Nen. Someone asks what about the other Hunters. The group debates the risks, with one figure clutching his head in pain from a deafening sound, cursing as Bill's voice echoes painfully. They agree to limit the group to two people for security reasons, noting that some princes may want multiple guards to learn Nen. Kurapika accepts the risks and states he has a plan despite the two-week time frame concern.

A sudden burst of black impact lines and motion streaks erupts across the panel, showing a wide-eyed close-up of a character with long hair. The narration states the next matter concerns the 3rd prince, Zhang Lei. In a lower panel, Bill stands with spiky hair flaring and a shocked expression, a sweat drop visible. The scene erupts into violent motion as two suited figures tumble through the air amid radiating speed lines and impact symbols. One figure is flipped upside down while the other reaches out, both caught in a powerful blast. Kurapika shouts in alarm as the bodies are hurled backward.

Hanzo's intense glare fills the upper panel, his bald head and formal suit emphasizing his stern focus. In the next tier, a close-up of narrowed eyes conveys regret as a voice states, "IF ONLY I WAS THERE, I COULD HAVE SAVED HER." Hanzo is shown slumped on wooden stairs with the label "HANZO..." while another figure notes, "RESTING IS ALSO PART OF OUR JOB." A short-haired woman turns toward him and declares, "IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT." A second woman adds, "YOU WERE SIMPLY FOLLOWING THE QUEEN'S ORDERS." In the bottom panel Hanzo, now facing forward with a grim expression, warns, "THE MURDERER WILL STRIKE AGAIN...!"

Hanzo stands in the stairwell speaking with the two women. He explains that the culprit will likely change tactics or use clones again, noting, "IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN THEY'LL PROBABLY CHANGE THEIR M.O." The woman with the bun replies, "RELAX A BIT." Hanzo continues analyzing Kurapika's account and the guards' testimony, concluding the culprit used a clone. The woman with the bun warns that an arrest might only fuel the next crime. A massive close-up of Hanzo's glaring eyes declares, "I WILL STOP THEM NEXT TIME." In lower panels Hanzo asserts he is a ninja first and will find a way to counter the clone user, while the short-haired woman questions how he plans to do so and worries about the prince's system being bypassed.

A bald man with a fierce glare stares to the side, declaring, "THE CULPRIT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN A STATE WHERE THEY HAD TO COMPLETELY FOCUS ON THAT TASK ALONE!" Below, a small panel shows the reply "YEAH." In the next panels a young woman with braided hair and wide eyes continues the exchange: "WELL, IF YOU'VE ALREADY FIGURED THAT MUCH OUT, I SUPPOSE I CAN'T STOP YOU NOW." "THEN THAT MEANS IT HAS TO BE ONE OF THE TWO THAT WERE TAKING A BREAK... IS THAT IT?" "IF THE CRIMINAL WAS AMONG THOSE SIX..." A man in a pinstripe suit kneels on the floor, hands clasped, vowing with intense eyes, "I SWEAR IT. I WILL MAKE THEM PAY FOR THIS." The scene shifts to a long empty hallway where the bald man, seen from behind, says, "FOR NOW, JUST GET SOME REST, WILL YOU?" The young woman stands nearby, replying only with "..."

Under an overpass marked 1008, two hands perform a Nen technique with crackling aura and motion lines. A man with long hair stands beside the glowing energy, sweat visible on his face. A close-up shows a woman with short hair and a serious expression thinking, "IN JUST HALF A DAY, HE'S MANAGED TO GAIN A WORKING COMMAND OF 'GYO'....!" and "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT..." The long-haired man continues manipulating the aura while a young girl peeks from a doorway asking "YES?" Inside, the short-haired woman named Theta speaks with someone off-panel: "SAY, THETA..." "WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?" "HE SAYS THAT HE CAN TEACH US TO USE NEN IN 2 WEEKS." "A PHONE CALL FROM PRINCE WOBLE'S BODYGUARD WAS PATCHED THROUGH BY ZHANG LEI EARLIER..." A small figure reacts with "UHH..."

Kurapika stares forward with wide eyes and a tense expression while the long-haired man beside him narrows his gaze. A speech bubble appears beside the long-haired man: "THAT SOUNDS PRETTY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU SAID, DOESN'T IT?" Kurapika replies firmly, "YES. I WAS BEING COMPLETELY HONEST." The long-haired man continues, "YOU SAID THAT EVEN AT THE EARLIEST GRASPING THE VERY BASICS OF NEN WOULD TAKE HALF A YEAR." In the lower panels, Kurapika and the long-haired man discuss the risks of Nen training. The long-haired man questions whether Kurapika or the other person is bluffing about their abilities. Kurapika stands with two other figures visible behind him, one with long hair and another in formal attire. The long-haired man leans in close, sweat visible on his face, as he presses, "EITHER YOU OR HE IS LYING. I'M ASKING YOU WHICH OF YOU IT IS." Kurapika responds from the side, "...THAT... IS POSSIBLE." The long-haired man concludes, "SO THEN THAT WOULD MEAN THAT HE'S BLUFFING, WOULDN'T IT?" He then addresses someone off-panel, "HEY. I KNOW YOU'RE NOT THIS STUPID."

The long-haired man stands with his back partially turned, asking, "YOU KNOW WHAT THE ONE THING I HATE MOST IN THIS WORLD IS...?" Kurapika faces him and states, "IS THE FASTEST, MOST CORRECT METHOD. WITHOUT A DOUBT, MY METHOD..." The long-haired man leans in with a serious expression, asking, "SO... CAN I TRUST YOU?" Kurapika's face appears beside the long-haired man's, who declares, "IT'S A LYING BITCH..." Kurapika responds with a firm, "YES!" The long-haired man is shown with an intense, open-mouthed expression and visible saliva or sweat. The final panel is a wide banner reading "ONE WRONG STEP MEANS DEATH!" followed by the chapter end notice for Hunter × Hunter chapter 368.

A detailed color illustration shows Kurapika in close-up, his spiky blond hair framing a serious face with sharp brown eyes and a neutral mouth. He wears a blue textured vest over a white collared shirt and dark tie. The top of a small child's head with short brown hair appears in the lower left foreground.

A monochrome pencil sketch depicts Queen Oito with dark hair in two braids, wearing layered robes, cradling a sleeping baby Prince Woble against her chest. Her expression is weary and concerned as she gazes forward, with soft shading in the background.

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