Negotiations

In a bustling multi-level courtyard filled with civilians, a young man in a cap stares in shock and shouts, 'BORKSEN IS MISSING?!' Nearby, a dark-haired girl in a cap replies that Borksen's last communication was right before the funeral procession about thirty minutes ago. The young man confirms this. The group discusses possibilities: if something changed there is no reason she would not have contacted them, they agreed to report anything unusual, and maybe she had a sudden reassignment or was tracking someone suspicious. Soldiers stand guard in the background as the dark-haired girl wonders how Borksen could have been taken without a struggle and without anyone noticing. She adds that Borksen is a soldier on a mission, but questions by whom and what their motive could be, concluding, 'BORKSEN WAS ABDUCTED.'

The discussion continues as the dark-haired girl considers how the abductors could have lured Borksen to the hospital by feigning illness where accomplices waited, or used a familiar face, or immobilized her with a drug in the dense crowd. The light-haired young man reacts with shock, suggesting the Heil-Ly might have abducted Borksen with Nen abilities to use her in an assassination attempt on Tserri, or to control her like hypnosis. Another character notes that for the worst-case scenario there are plenty of possible methods, as Momolly suggested. Security personnel order the group to keep proper distance and stay on guard while the special security alert remains in effect. A curly-haired girl asks if they are really okay with no contact for negotiations and no rescue attempts. The light-haired young man states they will each think it over and decide what to do until perimeter security is finished.

A black horizontal bar fills the top of the page. Below it, two close-up panels show a pair of eyes slowly blinking. The next wide panel reveals Morena Prudo seated in a high-backed chair, her long hair framing a face marked by a stitched headband and a vertical scar running down her left cheek. To her left stands a person in a sleeveless vest over a turtleneck, arms crossed. To her right, another figure in a loose shirt clasps their hands. In the bottom panel, Borksen sits alone on a couch, short hair framing a neutral expression, while two standing figures in casual jackets flank the seat on either side.

Borksen faces Morena Prudo across a table in a dimly lit room. Morena, backlit by dramatic rays, welcomes her: "Welcome." Borksen asks, "What is it you want?" and identifies her: "You must be Morena Prudo, then." Morena replies, "This is the Heil-Ly hideout." Multiple close-up panels show eyes and small figures as Morena explains the situation, warning that more explanation reduces the chance of change. Borksen questions the intent. Morena states they intend to convince Borksen to join, comparing her to a "matching organ donor" and noting her weapon has been confiscated. Borksen admits she cannot give an immediate answer. Background figures stand around a table in a small inset panel while speech bubbles convey threats, conditions, and the danger of prolonged negotiation.

A hand holds up a card labeled SHIP against a burst of speed lines as a voice declares, "THIS IS MY FIRST AND LAST CONCESSION." Another speaker continues, "AND SO I DECIDED ON THE QUICKEST WAY POSSIBLE, ONE THAT CAN ALSO GIVE YOU SOME AGENCY." The scene shifts to a close-up of a woman with long hair, a stitched forehead, and numerous facial scars. She fans out a hand of black-and-white geometric cards, her eyes steady. "A GAME OF NEGOTIATIONS," she states. "WE WILL SETTLE THIS WITH..." In a wider view of the meeting room, she sits at a long table and extends the fan of cards toward a bald man seated opposite her. Several onlookers stand around the table: a short-haired woman in a vest, a young woman with a bob cut, a man in a white sweater, and others. The bald man listens as the woman explains, "FOR NOW, I'LL LISTEN TO THE EXPLANATION OF THE GAME." She adds, "YOU WILL LOSE ALL FREEDOM EXCEPT THE ABILITY TO SAY 'YES' OR 'NO'..." A standing man warns, "IF YOU RETIRE FROM THIS GAME..."

Cards are laid out on a grid surface. Seven cards face up represent the parent's hand while five cards face down represent the child's hand. The woman with the stitched forehead sits at a desk and continues the rules: "AND IT CONTINUES UNTIL THE CHILD IS LEFT WITH AN ANSWER." "IT'S A GAME WHERE A PARENT MAKES A REQUEST TO THEIR CHILD..." The process repeats with the parent selecting from the child's remaining cards and turning one face up from the graveyard. The child then selects from the parent's cards and the parent responds. Close-ups show hands placing a "NO" card and a "YES" card. A young woman with short light hair and a headpiece examines four "YES" cards and one "NO" card, noting, "SO THE CHILD HAS..." In the final panel a hand holds an ornate card while another hand reaches for a card labeled R, with visible "YES" and "NO" cards on the table. A voice wonders, "THIS IS...?"

A tablet displays the Joker card marked with N, O, and S symbols. The short-haired person stares at it in silence. Across the table the woman in the black dress and ornate headband explains the rules: "You can exchange it for the card that will give you the answer you want." She continues, "In other words, if the R card stays in your hand until the end..." The short-haired person asks, "...Why do you say that?" The woman replies, "It's only for show... I guess." She points at a ceiling fixture and adds, "If it's your last card, you can use it to express your intentions as well. The Joker can transform into either 'yes' or 'no'." The short-haired person, now shown in profile with headband visible, murmurs, "...Turn over the next card." The woman responds, "So what's the point of me playing the game? That means you're starting with the prerequisite of 'I won't let you leave until you say "yes", right?" In close-up the short-haired person continues, "You said earlier that if I refuse to play the game, I would only be allowed to say 'yes' or 'no', and all other freedoms would be taken away." A hand reaches down to draw a card from the tablet. The short-haired person leans forward to watch the table where several face-down cards are already laid out in a row.

The tablet now shows an X card with swirling patterns instead of the Joker. The short-haired person exclaims, "X...?" The woman asks, "Does that mean I can render the whole game invalid?" The short-haired person answers, "So if it's my last card... It means you don't have to give an answer... The X card is neither 'yes' nor 'no'." In a wider view the short-haired person, now standing with arms crossed, promises, "I promise you that. And we won't force negotiations upon you again after that, even if we have the opportunity to do so." The woman in the black dress, seated and looking tense, is told, "If you have the X card, you can leave here without answering 'yes' or 'no'...!" She replies, "Exactly right." Close-ups show the short-haired person's eyes and the woman's eyes side by side. The short-haired person asks, "Are you okay with this?" The woman answers, "Then you will need to be completely resolved and take full responsibility for that answer."

The light-haired girl stares at the five cards laid out before her: a circled S, a bold X, a stylized B, a J, and another X. "THAT'S THE FIRST TRAP!" she realizes. The narration explains that at first glance only one of the five cards is a "YES" that forces you to follow the parent's request, while more ways exist to say "NO" and leave the game, making it seem the child's side holds the advantage. She thinks, "THIS IS BASICALLY THE SAME AS BEING FORCED TO OBEY ALL THE RULES THAT FOLLOW, WHICH WOULD BE A TOTAL DEFEAT." The curly-haired man stands behind her, saying, "JUST FROM THE EXPLANATION I'VE HEARD SO FAR..." and "IN THAT CASE, I CAN'T GIVE A DEFINITIVE ANSWER." She replies, "...YOU'RE NOT EVEN HALFWAY THROUGH THE EXPLANATION YET?" and internally notes, "SHOULD I CONSIDER THE 'YES' CARD FIRST... IF IT'S WHAT I HAVE AT THE END, IT WILL MEAN 'BECOMING HER ALLY'..." and "IT'S OBVIOUS THAT THIS SYSTEM DOESN'T WORK IN MY FAVOR AT ALL...!" A close-up shows her wide eyes as she considers, "THE 'NO' CARD WILL SEEM ADVANTAGEOUS AT FIRST, BUT ONCE THE GAME STARTS, IT WILL BARE ITS CLAWS AND REVEAL ITS TRUE NATURE!! DEPENDING ON THE 'EXPLANATION' OF THE PARENT'S CARDS..." and "WHAT IF I HAVE THE 'NO' THEN...? IF IT ACTUALLY HAS THE SAME AMOUNT OF POWER AS THE 'YES' CARD..." The view shifts to the table where cards labeled B Q, Yes, No, and D lie face up with the text "AND 'NO?' ...!!!" and "THE 'YES?'".

A black panel declares "THAT'S THE SECOND TRAP!!" The narration continues that based on the No card becoming pointless, the Joker and X cards are the only valid options, with two out of five at 40 percent not being bad. The light-haired girl thinks, "IT WILL CONTINUE UNTIL I THINK, 'I'M BETTER OFF JUST SAYING YES!'" and "THE 'EXPLANATION' WILL REVEAL ALL THE UNFORTUNATE THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN TO ME IF I SAY 'NO'!!!" Three cards appear on the table: a circled S, an X, and a B, with text noting "HONESTLY, IT DOESN'T EVEN MATTER." and "HOW MANY OF THESE CARDS ARE IN MY FAVOR..." A new scene shows a short-haired woman holding a tray, a seated man, the light-haired girl, and the curly-haired man around a large ornate table. The short-haired woman says, "YOU CAN CHEAT AS MUCH AS YOU WANT." The seated man replies, "IN A SYSTEM WHERE YOU, AS THE PARENT, SELECT MY CARDS..." The light-haired girl thinks, "THIS IS THE WORST OF THEM ALL...!!!" and "AND THE THIRD TRAP..." while someone off-panel says, "I'LL EXPLAIN THE CARDS ON THE PARENT'S SIDE." and "WELL, THEN..."

A woman with long hair and stitched facial scars sits at a table covered in face-down cards. She gestures toward them and says, "EXPLAIN MY PURPOSE TO YOU." Another bubble continues, "IF YOU SELECT THIS CARD, I WILL..." A close-up shows a finger tapping a card labeled the "PURPOSE" card. In a wider view of the room, the woman stands and addresses a group, stating she will be concise but will answer questions about her purpose. She explains, "THE PURPOSE OF BRINGING YOU HERE AND RECRUITING YOU AS AN ALLY." A hand lifts another card as she announces, "NEXT, THE 'POWER' CARD." Close-ups show a short-haired young woman listening intently. The scarred woman concludes the panel sequence with, "I WILL EXPLAIN MY ABILITY TO YOU."

Morena Prudo continues speaking from her seat at the table, assuring that she will explain her ability truthfully with no deception. She warns that it may be beyond comprehension. A close-up shows her finger pointing to a card marked with a stylized "A" and "Q". She apologizes for speaking quickly and reiterates that prolonging the talk increases danger for both sides. Morena holds up the "QUESTION A" card and states she will answer as many questions as needed. She clarifies that the three answer cards are "YES", "NO", and "YES AND NO", and that she can only give three answers total. She refuses to answer questions about her purpose or ability and reaches toward the row of cards on the table.

A woman with a thorny headband holds up a card marked B and explains the rules. Only the last question from Question A can be asked, but with Question B the asker can select the B card on their next turn if they want to know more about a prior Question A. The short-haired girl replies that she understands. The headband woman continues that as long as the question fits the scope she will explain until doubts are resolved. In profile the headband woman states she can roughly tell the answer from gestures, expressions and tone, then asks to hear it. The short-haired girl says she does not need yes/no question cards. In close-up the short-haired girl demands a yes or no answer and warns that no one will cheat at all in this game. The final panel shows three portraits: the short-haired girl looking serious, the headband woman with a neutral expression, and a wide-eyed man with dark hair.

The headband woman continues the cultural discussion, noting a unique ethnic group that answers yes when asked if they did something they did not do. She explains that in their culture the questioner is viewed as the subject, so the proper reply is no, I did not. The short-haired girl stands with arms crossed, suggesting Morena is using the conversation to evaluate a candidate's personality and suitability as an ally. Two background figures react with surprise, one apologizing for not realizing the custom and another calling it completely crazy. The headband woman declares she is her own subject and will not cheat at all. The short-haired girl stares intently, thinking this woman is the key, while a small voice confirms they got it.

Borksen sits with her back to the viewer, facing Morena Prudo across the table. Morena, wearing a headband and black dress, speaks calmly while surrounded by floating narration boxes that analyze her demeanor. "IS SHE SO ANGRY ABOUT..." "WHAT IN THE WORLD..." someone wonders. Morena says, "OKAY, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE 'YES?' AND 'NO?' CARDS." Narration explains that although she exudes confidence, her respectful tone indicates her group denies organized cheating. "IF YOU WANT TO KNOW SOMETHING IN ADVANCE, PLEASE SELECT THESE CARDS." "BASED ON HER OWN BEHAVIOR AND THAT OF HER SUBORDINATES, IT'S CLEAR THAT SHE IS THE ABSOLUTE MASTER HERE...!" "ONCE YOU'RE DOWN TO YOUR LAST 'YES' OR 'NO' CARD, I WILL EXPLAIN IN DETAIL WHAT HAPPENS NEXT." "SHE WON'T CHEAT...!!!" Borksen, shown in profile, replies that she will draw a card next and the "deal" card will go to the graveyard. Narration warns that after hearing the "small request" details, one may decline if it is too much. A hand points to a "D" card: "IF THERE'S A CARD YOU DESPERATELY WANT TO BRING BACK FROM THE GRAVEYARD, YOU CAN SELECT THIS ONE..." "LASTLY, D... THE 'DEAL' CARD." Borksen raises a hand: "...WELL, THAT SHOULD BE THE COMPLETE EXPLANATION FOR THE CARDS' RULES." The final narration states the game ends when down to the final card, and the last chance to select the "D" card is when two cards remain. "AND IN RETURN FOR FULFILLING MY 'SMALL REQUEST', I'LL REVIVE IT FOR YOU."

Morena Prudo sits across the table from Borksen. Borksen asks, "CONDITION...?" Morena replies, "IF YOU ACCEPT MY ONE CONDITION... I WILL PLAY." In a close-up, Morena asks, "IF YOU WANT TO PLAY THE GAME?" and "COULD YOU PLEASE DECIDE..." Borksen, shown in profile with a serious expression, says, "IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU." She continues, "I'M THE ONE WHO GETS TO DECIDE WHAT TO PICK FROM THE FACE-DOWN CARDS ON THE CHILD'S SIDE." Morena responds, "IT'S OKAY IF MY SIDE TAKES CARE OF THE SHUFFLING OF THE CARDS, RIGHT?" Borksen answers, "I'VE ALLOWED IT A COUPLE TIMES ALREADY." "THAT'S FINE." In the wide final panel, Borksen and Morena face each other at the long table covered in cards. Borksen asks, "SHALL WE BEGIN?" Morena replies, "NOW THEN..." Large text states: "BORKSEN AND MORENA START THEIR 'GAME OF NEGOTIATIONS'" The page ends with the Hunter × Hunter logo and "Chapter 407 / End".