Air date: December 2002
Aramaki suspects the Laughing Man Case to be a police hoax. In order to get evidence to back his theory, Section 9 carefully examines Nanao, who is the prime suspect of the Special Investigative Division. At the same time, Kusanagi independently reviews another Laughing Man Case that occurred 6 years earlier. She seems to be onto something, and asks Aramaki if she could guard the Police Commissioner.

Script: Junichi Fujisaku
Storyboard: Ryutaro Nakamura
Director: Ryutaro Nakamura
Animation Director: Shigeyuki Suga