Chapter 398 · Search

00AI-written

In a dimly lit corridor, a tall man in a long white coat holding a sheathed sword stands before a door and says, "ONCE I OPEN THIS..." Behind him, another man replies, "CAN I GO BACK TO MY ROOM?" A third voice answers firmly, "NOPE." The first man continues, "OPEN IT, AND GO INSIDE." Two small children stand nearby watching. The scene shifts to a labeled diagram of the hidden room showing a bed, old man at the center, radius X M, and trap radius. A spiky-haired man with a stern expression thinks, "I'M THINKING THE OLD FART'S A CONJURER'S CLONE, SERVING AS BOTH A LOOK-OUT AND THE CENTER POINT FOR THE TRAP RADIUS." Nearby, a man with an earring says, "THE MAFIA GUYS SAID HE HAD A TELEPORTATION ABILITY, RIGHT?" Another adds, "IF I'M RIGHT, THAT OLD MAN WILL BE IN THERE. IF HE ISN'T, WE'RE SAFE." In the next panels, the group reaches the door. One man exclaims, "HUH?" as another says, "COME AGAIN?!" A voice from the group warns, "STALL AGAIN, AND YOU GET TORN A NEW ASSHOLE." Someone replies, "UNLOCK IT." A curly-haired figure mutters, "UHH... THE DOOR'S LOCKED FROM THIS SIDE..." while another gripes, "YOU HEARD? DAMN IT CAN'T." The discussion continues with analysis: "IT'D BE ANOTHER STORY IF THE OLD MAN'S THE NEN USER HIMSELF, NOT JUST A CLONE." "WHILE CONJURERS CAN CREATE SPECIAL AREAS WITH SPECIFIC RULES, TELEPORTATION LEANS TOO HEAVY ON EMISSION." "QUIT YAPPING, HE COULD JUST BE A SPECIALIST." "HE COULD JUST BE A LOOKOUT, AND THE TRAP IS SOMEONE ELSE'S POWER." "THAT'S A REACH, MORON." A hand turns a key with a loud "KRRKHK" sound. The final panel shows a close-up of the old man's wrinkled face as he whispers, "ANYONE IN THERE...?"

sword-wielding man in white coatspiky-haired manearring mancurly-haired manold mantwo small children

A colorful beach illustration shows Gon Freecss in green swim trunks shading his eyes with one hand while holding goggles, standing on rocks with water splashing at his feet. Behind him, Killua with blue hair holds a popsicle, and Leorio in red trunks sits on the rocks pointing. Flying fish and birds fill the bright blue sky. Text at the top reads "PLEASE SUPPORT THE OFFICIAL RELEASE WHEN AVAILABLE IN YOUR REGION." The right side displays TCB SCANS credits listing translators, proofreaders, cleaners, redrawers, typesetters, and editor. A notes box contains a small dog-like drawing and states: "IT'S TANEHANA FROM THE STAFF. THE RECENT BATCH AS WELL AS THE NEXT 30 CHAPTERS WERE ALL DRAWN 4 YEARS AGO. I WANNA QUICKLY DRAW - (TOGASHI YOSHIHIRO)" Links to Discord and social media are shown at the bottom.

Gon FreecssKillua ZoldyckLeorio Paradinight

The curly-haired old man examines the locked door and declares, "ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, I'M OPENING IT." He points forward while noting, "THIS ONE'S LOCKED FROM THIS SIDE TOO..." Nearby, the long-haired man wonders if the old guy is a clone who could escape a locked room. The group realizes this is the only entrance to the hidden room, so someone must have locked it from inside. A top-down view shows the old man peering into the empty toilet room, thinking, "THERE'S NO ONE HERE..." In the next panel the spiky-haired man reacts with shock as the group debates the trap. The old man explains they knew about the trap ahead of time and burst in from the hidden chamber. The topknotted man and others consider that the culprit would disappear after locking both doors. The spiky-haired man exclaims, "IT'S FOR THE WALL," while the old man insists the front-door approach would have made them cautious. The long-haired man asks, "SO YOU'RE AGAINST ME TOO?!" The spiky-haired man points at a diagram of the room and says, "OKAY, YOU CONVINCED ME," adding, "MEANING IF YOU REVERSE THE LOGIC..." The bearded man concludes it is to buy time in case someone figures out the door is a trap.

curly-haired old manspiky-haired mantopknotted manlong-haired manbearded man

The curly-haired old man stands in the doorway and says, "I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT..." The topknotted man replies, "SURE..." while gesturing inside, explaining that entering through the wall means the trap won't activate. The spiky-haired man grins and adds, "SAME GOES FOR THIS BATHROOM DOOR!" Inside the room the old man spreads his arms and announces, "NOTHING'S HAPPENING..." The spiky-haired man and the long-haired man watch from the side. The old man continues, "WELL... IF NOTHING HAPPENS WHEN EXIT, THEN COME BACK." He suggests going back to his room. The group agrees to try leaving through the front door. The spiky-haired man says, "COOL, NOW TRY LEAVING THROUGH THAT DOOR." In the final panels the old man sweats nervously, says "OKAY," and walks out while the others follow. He turns and calls, "NOW COME BACK IN," as the group watches him from the hallway.

curly-haired old manspiky-haired mantopknotted manlong-haired man

A curly-haired man sprints down a narrow corridor as a blinding flash erupts behind him. The spiky-haired swordsman lunges forward with a weapon drawn, motion lines streaking the panel. Close-ups capture the curly-haired man's startled face and the swordsman's intense glare. In a side room, the topknotted man in a robe and the light-haired man in a suit stand together. The topknotted man warns, "Once he gets going, he never stops at the ears. Get back here before you lose both ears!" The curly-haired man reappears in the hallway facing a small dark-haired girl holding two knives. He panics, asking which way to go. The girl points and says, "Right or left... pick one." Later, the curly-haired man returns through the doorway with the girl, arms raised triumphantly as he declares, "I'm back, baby!" The topknotted man and light-haired man watch from the room.

curly-haired manspiky-haired mantopknotted manlight-haired mansmall dark-haired girl

The group discusses the trap mechanism. The topknotted man notes that the trap must be at the same place they are being teleported to. The light-haired man observes that it seems to trigger even without the old man and concludes it is more of a boundary type than a landmine type. Informational boxes explain boundary type traps using Nen-infused tools and landmine type traps limited to two or three spots. The light-haired man suggests waiting if the trap can be triggered multiple times. The bandaged-face man with a sword agrees to go ahead with Nobunaga. In the hallway, the small dark-haired girl stands near the spiky-haired man while the curly-haired man gestures wildly, shouting about the Cha-r family. The spiky-haired man moves down the corridor as SFX indicate rapid movement.

topknotted manlight-haired manbandaged-face mansmall dark-haired girlcurly-haired manspiky-haired man

In a dimly lit hallway, the long-haired man with wavy locks addresses the group. "We can put off your suicide mission until after you've heard me out, right?" he says. "This might help us find their hideout." A voice replies, "The Xi-Yu underboss, Hinrigh, has a suggestion for you." "Wait a sec!" someone calls out. Hinrigh, the bespectacled man with slicked-back hair, explains, "Hinrigh is the one who put us onto that lead. He's also the one who found this room, so you can trust him." He continues, "My Cha-r men are heading out to tail two suspected Heil-ly members." The long-haired man adds, "...That we have no issue with the troupe. First and foremost, I'd like to say..." The long-haired man then states firmly, "The Heil-ly have betrayed the balance, so if you help us crush them I'll gladly cooperate. 'Balance' is what's most important to the Kakin mafia." In the background, the topknotted man, the bandana woman, and others stand listening as figures move down the corridor.

long-haired manHinrightopknotted manbandana womancurly-haired man

A hand holds up a small black device. "Worth a shot, don't you think?" someone asks. "A stooge will take this into the trap, and it'll transmit the base's location." Hinrigh warns, "If you send a civilian in, they'll immediately kill and search him. The device will be found in 5 mins top." The long-haired man replies, "They've got a massacre going on the other side of the trap, right?" The topknotted man asks, "How you find enemy base?" while the bandana woman holds a transmitter. "With this transmitter," she answers. Hinrigh says, "Speak for yourself." The long-haired man responds, "Appreciate the offer, but we're set on just charging in." In a dramatic close-up, the long-haired man activates his power, his hands glowing with energy and crackling lightning as an oyster-like form emerges. "I can turn tools or devices into living things," he declares. "A raw oyster... If I turn this into... That's where my ability comes in."

long-haired manHinrightopknotted manbandana woman

The spiky-haired man explains that the bigger the object, the faster it runs out, noting something this size should last about two hours once Nen is depleted. Hinrigh, the long-haired man, holds a small transmitter between his fingers and states that even if they stripped the stooge and did a cavity search it would not turn up, adding that the stooge just needs to swallow it. The spiky-haired man asks which one of them is going to swallow it. Hinrigh replies that it is a solid compromise since he does not want to go directly and these guys want to charge right in. In the next panel Hinrigh and the spiky-haired man turn toward the background where Nobunaga stands with arms crossed and a small figure lingers nearby; the spiky-haired man reacts with a surprised "Huh?". The bandana woman declares she does not eat anything someone else has touched and definitely nothing someone else has spoken over. Nobunaga, sweating, admits he cannot eat shellfish because he had a bad one once and the taste of them makes him want to throw up. At the doorway Hinrigh tells the group he already has a stooge. Nobunaga laughs and says he did not expect them to trust him right away.

Hinrighspiky-haired manNobunagabandana woman

Hinrigh declares "ME." and places the transmitter into his own mouth. A small "GULP" sound effect appears as he swallows it. Three reaction panels show the spiky-haired man, the bandana woman, and two other men staring in shock. Hinrigh then holds a radar-like receiver and explains that the maximum radius is one kilometer but altitude is not taken into account, so they must be mindful of that. He adds that the closer they are the more frequent and high-pitched the noise will be, with the bar turning red at zero distance. Hinrigh demonstrates the receiver, noting it is not very precise but will give a vague indication of the transmitter's distance and direction. A separate panel shows a "TWHIP" sound effect with a spiky visual burst. Hinrigh tells the group he will be counting on them. In the final wide shot the party stands in a hallway with an open doorway; Hinrigh warns that it would be a massive failure if he is unlucky enough to be killed and dissected, so he will do his best to hide the transmitter somewhere beforehand.

Hinrighspiky-haired manbandana womanNobunaga

A handheld device displays a grid and range scale as someone notes the color suggests the target is 500-1000 meters away and seems far off. Nearby, a spiky-haired man in a light robe holding a sheathed sword stands with a light-haired man in dark clothing and a braided-haired girl. The spiky-haired man remarks that he likes the bare guy who says the bare minimum and gets straight to it. The light-haired man observes that something is happening. A wide shot reveals a massive ship silhouette on the water, estimated at 1500 meters long with equal boom width and height. The group debates the ship's size and the hideout's location. In a long tiled corridor lined with doors and distant figures, they conclude that if the hideout is on this tier the color bar would redden, so they decide to head to the center of tier 3. The braided-haired girl turns and states that one of them needs to go. The two men react sharply with surprise and irritation.

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From a high angle, a curly-haired person plummets through the air and slams violently into a gridded tiled wall, body twisting on impact with motion lines and debris scattering. In the next moment the same figure is shown mid-crash, limbs flailing as cracks spread across the tiles. The scene shifts to a wide view of a ruined room with a large central door; the curly-haired person lies crumpled on the checkered floor amid scattered debris and broken furniture, the wall above heavily damaged.

curly-haired man

In a wrecked hallway lined with damaged doors and blood-smeared walls, the curly-haired man stands with legs spread wide, knife in hand, scanning the empty corridor. 'THERE'S NOBODY HERE?!' he exclaims, eyes wide with alarm. His face tightens as he considers the situation: 'MAYBE THEY INTERROGATED THE OTHER VICTIMS AND FOUND OUT ABOUT US?' and 'THE BLOOD ON THE FLOOR IS FRESH. I MUST REMAIN VIGILANT.' Suddenly a dark blur and sharp motion lines erupt from the side as an unseen attacker lunges forward with a blade, the impact sending debris flying. The curly-haired man's eyes snap wide in shock at the ambush.

curly-haired man

Nobunaga bursts into the hallway, sword drawn, confronting the curly-haired man. 'WHY ARE YOU HERE?' the curly-haired man demands. Nobunaga replies, 'NOBUNAGA-SA...' and notes 'NOT WHAT I EXPECTED.' In the background a bandana-wearing figure sits on a stool while another crouches. The curly-haired man retorts about a possible trap and co-op play. Nobunaga states they planned to greet him with a trap and cut him down. The curly-haired man warns that the other two have doubts and that his survival chances are low alone. Nobunaga asks his name again; the curly-haired man admits he forgot it. Nobunaga suggests observing or acting, then proposes they do something about the trap.

Nobunagacurly-haired manbandana womantopknotted man

In a dimly lit, damaged hallway, the curly-haired man identified as Hinrigh stands beside the topknotted man. A large speech bubble declares, "WE WON'T KNOW WHICH IS BEST UNTIL WE TRY, SO WHAT'LL IT BE?" while another states, "IT'S HINRIGH." The topknotted man turns slightly and says, "THAT WAS MY PICK." Hinrigh replies, "GOOD. ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT AN INFORMED DECISION. ACTION." The two walk down the corridor away from the viewer, swords at their sides. A close-up shows the topknotted man's focused, narrowed eyes and a hand reaching toward a door marked with Japanese characters. Impact lines and debris mark the tense atmosphere.

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The topknotted man points forward dramatically and declares, "IT'S THEIR HIDEOUT. NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT." Hinrigh stands nearby as the topknotted man assumes a combat stance. He draws two swords and unleashes a powerful slash, creating massive impact lines and shattering effects with SFX "Zzz" and "V!! K!!" Hinrigh watches with wide eyes, asking, "WHY'S THAT?" while the topknotted man responds, "JUST WAIT AND SEE." The attack strikes an unseen barrier or door, producing dramatic motion lines and debris.

Hinrightopknotted man

A curly-haired figure and the topknotted swordsman stand before a concrete wall marked by spreading cracks. The curly-haired one notes the wall aloud while the swordsman leaps up, katana at his side, confirming it is guarded by Nen. They examine the damage closely. A close-up reveals a long-haired man with heavy facial stitches and a calm expression as cracks continue to form around him. The swordsman and curly-haired figure conclude the Nen user must be nearby and strong, possibly a conjurer or specialist. They decide their main base is here and resolve to head straight for the ringleader.

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In a dark, tiled corridor the topknotted man and curly-haired figure approach a row of doors marked with symbols. The topknotted man suggests starting by opening the doors while the curly-haired one agrees to keep watch. They begin checking the rooms one by one. A hand pushes open a door labeled with a symbol, revealing a large bathroom area containing multiple toilets and a shower. The curly-haired figure remarks that it is a large family facility.

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Nobunaga stands in the hallway as the curly-haired man opens the door ahead of him. "IT'S NOBU-NAGA," the curly-haired man reports. Inside the next panel the curly-haired man continues, "I'M SURE NOBUNAGA-SAN CAN PROTECT THE TRANSMITTER IF I DIE." Nobunaga, hand on his chin, replies, "I PICKED 'ACTION'." He adds, "IF WE WAIT HERE, WON'T THEY EVENTUALLY COME DO THEIR BUSINESS?" The curly-haired man points a small device and says "NOTED." Nobunaga answers, "YOU CAN DITCH THE HONORIFIC." The door slides open with loud mechanical groans and heavy thuds. From the side, Nobunaga watches the curly-haired man step into the dim, cluttered room filled with hanging laundry and stacked boxes. "WHAT KIND OF DEMONS ARE AWAITING THEM?" the curly-haired man wonders aloud as the chapter ends.

Nobunagacurly-haired man

End of chapter19 pages

Discussion

00AI-written

sword-wielding man in white coatspiky-haired manearring mancurly-haired manold mantwo small children

Gon FreecssKillua ZoldyckLeorio Paradinight

curly-haired old manspiky-haired mantopknotted manlong-haired manbearded man

curly-haired old manspiky-haired mantopknotted manlong-haired man

curly-haired manspiky-haired mantopknotted manlight-haired mansmall dark-haired girl

topknotted manlight-haired manbandaged-face mansmall dark-haired girlcurly-haired manspiky-haired man

long-haired manHinrightopknotted manbandana womancurly-haired man

long-haired manHinrightopknotted manbandana woman

Hinrighspiky-haired manNobunagabandana woman

Hinrighspiky-haired manbandana womanNobunaga

spiky-haired manlight-haired manbraided-haired girl

curly-haired man

Nobunagacurly-haired manbandana womantopknotted man

Hinrightopknotted man

topknotted mancurly-haired manstitched-face man

topknotted mancurly-haired man

Nobunagacurly-haired man

End of chapter19 pages