Half Chapter

AN: It's getting to finals so I wanted to get you guys at least a half chapter alongside a regular release. I am trying to wrap up yorknew as well, with a few more chapters hopefully before we move on to a short intermission before getting to Greed Island.

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Marching across the street toward Melody, Kurapika made his way toward his next fight.

With a flourish of his hand, numerous other chains were manifested alongside the heavily aura-infused length of Chain Jail that was floating just behind him. Radiating a deadly atmosphere, it looked all the more gruesome with the blood flowing down the silvery links and bits of viscera stuck in them.

"....... ... ...…." Turning his attention to Melody and her situation, he saw her fighting an odd character. Though it seemed most of the troupe members were, with off-color skin wrapped loosely with canvas wrappings and large buggy eyes he looked like a mummified corpse. Not to mention the numerous holes running through his hands, an off-putting sight for sure. Looking at Melody for another second he noticed she was trying to convey something to him but he was relatively inept with lip reading.

*swoosh* Launching the cascade of aura-forged steel at his target, Kurapika moved to reinforce Melody. Positioning himself beside her as their opponent was distracted with the onslaught of new attacks.

"I have disabled my hearing, I won't be able to hear anything you say or do." Talking in a flat measured tone, that may have been a whisper given the ruckus going on, Kurapika briefed Melody on his status. All the while, paying attention to the enemy that was dodging and weaving through the numerous tendrils of chains. What was most concerning though was not the act of avoiding these attacks, that was to be expected from an opponent of this caliber, it was the vibrations he could feel resonating through the chains.

After the first few attacks came close to connecting, the troupe member removed the shiny red boxing gloves he had been wearing and began connecting several blows and punches as he parried the chains. And with each hit, the strength and integrity of the chains were being reduced dramatically. An issue considering how long it took to create new chains to conjure, with any surviving having many micro-fractures making them sub-optimal for combat.

Deciding to quickly move on and recollect himself and with his friends, he simultaneously used his temporary mastery over Enhancement and Manipulation to increase the speed of the chains multiple times over. What was once moving at a speed comparable to a sprint was now accelerating at the speed of a bullet. Instead of the jangling and rustle of chains, it was a loud crack similar to lightning. And using the newly gained second wind, the chains began to push back the enemy again, whose once graceful combinations of dodging and parrying had turned into a frantic scurrying across the streets.

*Crack* While he couldn't hear it, the overwhelming power in the chain and the resulting wound gave him enough visualization. The chain tore through the weak cloth covering and into his torso, not tearing through the skin as it had with his last opponent but crushing most of his body's internal parts whilst the tough discolored skin bent around the chain. It was like cartoon violence, with his body folding like a lawn chair.