1st Round: The Trial Begins

Gon leans forward with a bright smile, holding up a large striped shell. Scattered on the floor in front of him are several other shells and a small striped cone-shaped hat. Large text at the top reads "1ST ROUND : THE TRIAL BEGINS [2]".

In a stone tunnel, examinees stand and walk along the path. Gon faces a man who is bowing deeply with hands clasped. A speech bubble reads "NO...! YOU DON'T HAVE TO APOLOGIZE." Another bubble from the bowing man says "I'M SINCERELY SORRY!!" Gon points upward and explains, "I OFTEN ATE PLANTS AND BUDS IN THE MOUNTAINS. SO I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM DETECTING WEIRD TASTES." He adds, "BUT IT'S VERY LUCKY THAT I DRANK IT FIRST." Below, a round man with number 10 on his shirt grins widely, one hand behind his head, declaring "YES! ALL THE BETTER!" while thinking "DAMN! I THOUGHT I'D FOUND A NAIVE GUY, BUT I'VE FOUND A WILD CHILD." Another panel shows the same man reflecting, "I FAILED TO MAKE THEM TAKE A LAXATIVE, TOO..."

Hanzo stands with arms crossed and eyes closed, marked with floating Zzz symbols and labeled N°294: HANZO. A spiky-haired applicant stares at him in shock and shouts, 'MY GOD! WHAT'S THE MATTER THIS YEAR WITH THE NEW GUYS?!' He adds, 'DO THEY THINK THEY'RE VETERANS, OR WHAT?' In smaller panels the spiky-haired applicant recounts, 'I WENT TO SEE HIM, AND HE STARTED TO TALK TO ME NERVOUSLY,' while Hanzo replies that he wants no problems. The spiky-haired applicant continues, 'I'M GLAD YOU CAME TO TALK TO ME! I HATE BEING BORED!' and declares, 'I WANT TO BECOME A HUNTER BECAUSE I WANT TO FIND THE SHADOW'S PARCHMENT, "THE HERMIT'S BOOK"!' He explains he was told it lies in a place ordinary people cannot go. Hanzo answers, 'SORRY. IT'S A NINJA PRINCIPLE: NEVER FILL HIS THIRST WITH SOME DRINK OFFERED BY ANYBODY.' The spiky-haired applicant sweats and mutters, 'IN THE END, NO ONE IS TRUSTING ME...' while Hanzo offers, 'TO CELEBRATE OUR MEETING, CAN I OFFER YOU A DRINK?'

Tonpa, wearing a bow tie and suspenders, smiles while holding a tablet and says, 'TOMPA-SAN... YES...' A spiky-haired applicant nearby holds up a card labeled #16 and replies, 'WAIT A MOMENT...' An examiner in a suit announces, 'THERE WAS ALSO #187: NICOLAS.' The examiner continues, 'BUT YOU HAVE FIRST PLACE IN THE NUMBER OF SUCCESSIVE PARTICIPATIONS: 30 TIMES! QUITE A PERFORMANCE!' and notes, 'AH! THERE YOU ARE! IT'S YOUR 35TH PARTICIPATION, WHICH PLACES YOU SECOND IN THE PARTICIPANT'S RECORD.' Tonpa responds, 'ISN'T THAT RIGHT, TOMPA-SAN, THE BREAKER OF THE "NEW"?' while a round-faced man with a fluffy collar smiles and says, 'YOUR PERFORMANCES ARE HONORABLE FOR THE EXAM ITSELF. IT SEEMS THAT IF YOU'VE NEVER WON, IT'S BECAUSE YOUR OTHER OBJECTIVE FASCINATES YOU TOO MUCH...' The spiky-haired applicant adds, 'I'M SORRY, BUT I DON'T WANT YOUR JUICE.' Elsewhere, a man covered in pins labeled #301 stands with tongue out as text reads 'KATAKATAKATAKATAKATAKATA,' and the spiky-haired applicant sweats while thinking, 'THE PROBLEM WITH HIM IS THAT IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO SPEAK TO HIM.' Another panel shows the same applicant with a spiky plant-like figure labeled 'SAME FOR #301.'

A long-haired man walks past other applicants in the background. The spiky-haired applicant sweats and thinks, 'FINALLY, THE ONLY ONE THAT DRANK MY LAXATIVE JUICE...' while glaring. A close-up reveals Killua labeled #99: KILLUA, with spiky white hair and sharp eyes. Killua stands in full view wearing a white shirt with #99 on the chest, black shorts, and large black-and-white boots. In conversation panels Killua says, 'WE HAVE TO TEACH KIDS THAT LIFE IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT...' and 'UNFORTUNATELY, HE IS ABOUT THE SAME AGE AS #405, FEH! TOO BAD!' The spiky-haired applicant sweats and mutters, 'AND SO, I'M THIRSTY...' while others react with 'THIS CAUSES ME STRESS...' and 'EHH, YES...' Killua raises a hand and calls out, 'OI! TOMPA! WOULD YOU GIVE ME ANOTHER CAN?'

The examinees watch in shock as the spiky-haired boy numbered 99 gulps down the contents of a large can. "IT'S NOT NORMAL," one muscular man in a striped shirt exclaims, sweat flying. "WITH ONLY ONE CAN, HE SHOULD BE OVER..." Another voice cries, "IT'S TOO GOOD!" as the boy continues drinking with loud "GLUGS." Nearby candidates mutter, "WHAT? YOU'RE WORRIED?" A close-up shows a bald man with a mustache looking alarmed: "SO WITH FIVE, HE SHOULD BE EMPTYING AND DYING OF DEHYDRATION, BUT...!" The boy lowers the can, smiling confidently. "BECAUSE I'VE TRAINED MYSELF... ME, I HAVE NO PROBLEM." The bald man sweats heavily, thinking, "NO MATTER WHAT! THE NEWS OF THIS YEAR..." Another candidate wonders, "A POISON...?" The boy turns away, back to the group. "IT'S NOT A POISON THAT WILL KILL ME. HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT KIND OF PRODUCTS I PUT IN... BUT HE DRINKS IT WITH NO PROBLEMS?!" The bald man clenches his teeth in frustration. "WILL END BY FAILING. WITH THE OTHERS... HE HE..."

A bizarre creature with a long tongue and bulging eyes stretches across the top of the panel, emitting a continuous high-pitched cry: "LILILILILILILILILILILILI." Below, a crowd of examinees stands in a stone hall, many looking upward in surprise or discomfort. Among them are a man in a black suit and glasses, a blond boy, a small spiky-haired child, and a large dark-skinned man with beads. The creature's tongue curls as the sound continues. In a lower panel, a tall man with slicked-back hair and a mustache holds two small skull-shaped bells, smiling as he rings one with a "CLAC." Beside him stands a composed man in a black tuxedo and bow tie, also holding a bell. A voice from off-panel states, "THE TIME FOR THE RECEPTION IS OVER. HERE I AM." The tuxedoed man stands tall in the center of the hall as the examinees watch.

A massive sound effect erupts across the dark background: "DING" with bold stylized letters and motion lines. The examinees, seen from behind, stand at the edge of a vast stone tunnel entrance, looking toward a lone suited figure illuminated by a bright light. The man in the tuxedo announces, "NOW, THE EXAM CAN BEGIN." The crowd includes several familiar faces with their backs turned, including the spiky-haired boy and others in casual or numbered attire. In the next panel, the suited man gestures politely into the long arched tunnel. "THIS WAY, PLEASE." A small inset shows him hopping lightly with a "HOP," one leg raised, maintaining his formal posture as he leads the way forward into the depths.

The examiner's polished shoes step forward as he addresses the gathered applicants. "It's an extremely difficult exam, sometimes you can miss a chance and can end up hurting yourself, or can simply die... Well, we'll begin with a short verification..." Small "QUIK" sounds mark his steps. "There are things that can't be avoided. There are moments, like you little while ago, where we get irreparably hurt in an accident with companions. Now, please follow me." The scene shifts to a vast stone tunnel stretching into darkness. Hundreds of examinees surge forward in a dense crowd, their footsteps echoing with repeated "ZAT" sounds. The examiner walks calmly ahead of the massive group.

Leorio adjusts his glasses and mutters, "Never-the-less, I hoped that..." Nearby, Killua and Gon watch the scene. "It seems obvious, but nobody abandoned yet." Satotsu smiles and announces, "404 participants for the first round of the exam. Count is OK." Leorio reacts with surprise, "Eh oh!?" as small "ZAT" and "QUIK" sounds continue around them. Suddenly Satotsu breaks into a run, his body leaning forward with dramatic motion lines and large "CLAC" and "SHUU" sound effects exploding across the panel as he dashes ahead of the crowd.

The front of the pack begins sprinting, "ZAT ZAT" sounds mixing with question marks as confusion spreads. "They're all so rushed to get out of here?" Leorio wonders. Gon points ahead and shouts, "The ones in the front have all started running!" Kurapika, sweating, exclaims, "I was sure! The rhythm is getting faster progressively!" A massive "DON DON" impact sound fills the tunnel as the crowd charges. Satotsu glances back and says, "So I must lead you to the place of the second round. I forgot one detail; I'm Satotsu, and I'm in charge of the first round."

The applicants react in shock as a voice announces that the first test has already begun. A bald man in uniform stares ahead with a question mark hovering above him. In a large panel the mustached examiner leans forward with a confident smile, a bright flash beside him. He declares, "If you're able to follow me to the place where the second round stands... You'll have passed the first." The crowd of examinees stands behind him as a massive rumbling sound effect "DODORORORORO" shakes the tunnel. The examiner continues, "You must be content with following me. I can't tell you where or when we'll arrive."

Leorio wonders aloud where the examiner is going while declaring he is enjoying the test. Kurapika notes that this appears to be an endurance test and finds it strange. Gon and Killua run alongside them. Leorio explains that the test is meant to measure everyone's mentality without revealing how far or how long the run will be. A man on a skateboard speeds past the group. Several applicants shout that using a skateboard is cheating and not allowed. Leorio yells at the rider to get off, while Gon and Killua watch in surprise. The skateboarder retorts that the others are noisy and should conserve energy, insisting there are no principles involved.

Gon asks Killua how old he is. Killua replies that he is almost twelve. Gon smiles and says Killua reminds him of himself. Killua introduces himself as Killua. Gon excitedly responds that he is Gon and declares he is also going to run. The two boys dash forward together with motion lines trailing behind them. Leorio calls out that he is not that old and is from the same generation. Killua glances back and asks Gon who the "mister" is, while Gon looks ahead with a grin.

The examinees press onward beneath a looming mountain as the ground rumbles with DODODODO. A furious voice yells, "ARCH!! GON, IT'S FINISHED! I'M NEVER TALKING TO YOU AGAIN!" while another retorts, "ARE YOU SURE?!" and a smaller bubble adds, "I SHOULD LEAVE." Gon, Killua, and the spiky-haired boy continue running. Leorio, sweat on his brow, faces a bald examinee and gestures toward the dense pack of runners behind them. Killua glances back and thinks, "I WONDER HOW MANY HAVE QUIT RUNNING AT THE BACK...?" while tapping his fingers. Gon answers, "SO WE'VE RUN FOR ABOUT 40 KM. ALMOST 3 HOURS..." A massive panel explodes with the desperate question: "BUT ABOVE ALL, HOW MUCH LONGER DO WE STILL HAVE TO RUN?!"

Leorio's face is drenched in sweat as he gasps MPF repeatedly, shouting, "WE'VE RUN FOR 4 OR 5 HOURS!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!" Gon looks up and asks, "YOU OK?" A massive foot slams down with DODODODO while someone yells, "WHY HASN'T ANYBODY QUIT YET?!" Narration declares: "NO, WITH ALL THESE GUYS, THE REAL THING HAS BEGUN... NO MATTER WHAT! A HUNTER'S EXAM..." The crowd of examinees fills the background. Leorio wipes his face and growls, "THEY'RE MOCKING US! THAT'S THE TRAINING OF THE HUNTER'S RESERVE ARMY! NO DOUBT IT'S AN ASSEMBLING OF SPECIALISTS!"

Narration explains the brutal odds: "FOR AN ORDINARY GUY LIKE ME, THAT'S A UTOPIA... A DREAM? THERE'S NOTHING ELSE TO SAY: ON AVERAGE, A NEW GUY SUCCEEDS THE EXAM EVERY THREE YEARS... ONE PERSON OUT OF EVERY 10,000 HAS ARRIVED HERE..." Leorio slaps his own face hard—SLAP—with a pained "SHIT...!" MPF effects still dot his skin. The scene shifts to a long stone tunnel where Gon (number 405) peers ahead at Leorio's distant figure beside a suitcase. In the next panels Gon wipes sweat while Leorio calls out, "COME ON!" Killua and the spiky-haired boy urge, "HERE, WE'RE NOT HAVING FUN, GON." Gon answers, "THAT'S ENOUGH...!"

Applicant 403 bursts through the frame with a massive close-up, fist thrust forward and tongue out, eyes blazing. "YES!!!" he roars in one huge speech bubble while another declares "I'M READY TO DO ANYTHING TO BECOME A HUNTER!!" Below, Leorio stands among other examinees and calls out "LEORIO?" in surprise. Gon watches with a small smile. Applicant 403 then charges forward in a dramatic full-body shot, arms pumping, face contorted as he screams "AAAAAARGH!" Motion lines and impact effects fill the panel. In smaller insets, a hand grips a rod labeled "TAC," and Gon is shown from behind holding a small object while watching the runner disappear into the distance.

Gon leaps into the air on a skateboard-like device attached to a long cord, the checkered bag swinging wildly with a loud "SLAP." Sound effects "GATCH" and "FLUT" mark the motion as he swings past. In the next row, Gon faces a white-haired boy and says, "ONLY IF YOU LEND ME YOUR SKATE-BOARD!" The boy replies, "WOULD YOU LET ME TRY AFTER?" Gon answers, "THAT'S COOL, YOUR TRICK!" while the boy reacts with "OH!" Below, applicant 403 continues running desperately, sweat flying, as a sign reads "DESERTED : 0" and another states "MORE THAN 60 KM RAN." Gon and the white-haired boy watch from the background.