He did not act rashly, instead observing from the shadows.
Only after the battle between the Troupe, the Shadow Beasts, and the assassins concluded did he have a rough understanding of their Nen Abilities.
The woman holding the vacuum cleaner was a Conjurer. Relevant intelligence had been provided by Law, and it could suck in any non-living object.
Fighting one against two required caution to avoid lacerations. Otherwise, blood could be sucked away, leading to death from excessive blood loss.
The other woman, dressed conservatively, was also not someone to be trifled with. As expected, she likely used poison, so she could be a Manipulator or a Transmuter.
If she were a Manipulator, the threat level would be relatively lower. If she were a Transmuter, the threat level would be much higher.
Substances like poison, similar to water, fire, or electricity, are difficult to replicate by altering the properties of Aura.
If a Transmuter Nen User could successfully change their Aura to such properties, their strength would instantly increase several times over.
Kurapika stood before Mohana and Shizuku, his Aura slowly circulating around his body, his killing intent palpable.
He would not hold back just because they were women.
"Young man, judging by your attire, you don't seem to be with the Mafia, right? And you're quite handsome, very different from these two ugly Shadow Beasts, so you can't possibly be one of them, can you?"
Mohana lightly propped her chin with her hand, revealing a seductive smile.
Just as she was about to continue, she saw Kurapika suddenly make his move, whipping a chain towards her like a snake.
"A chain... A Manipulator?"
Mohana's eyes narrowed slightly as she stepped back, watching the chain, as thick as a finger joint, smash into the ground where she had been standing.
Boom!
The cement pavement was instantly cratered by the chain.
Looking at the crater, a trace of apprehension flashed deep in Mohana's eyes.
The power behind that strike was no small matter.
"Shizuku, be careful. Getting hit by that chain is no joke," Mohana said, creating more distance as a reminder.
Shizuku didn't speak, just nodded, then focused entirely on Kurapika.
Mohana had initially intended to use words to distract him while setting up a scent trap, but this young man was clearly not the type for lengthy conversation, and the chain's power was not to be underestimated.
'I'm not skilled in close combat. I need to wait for the right moment. Until then...' Mohana glanced at Shizuku, who noticed and nodded in understanding.
Before tonight, the two weren't familiar, only roughly knowing each other's Nen Types. But the battles along the way had given them a basic understanding of each other.
Shizuku knew Mohana's scent poison was dangerous, but it worked best with the right conditions, like the night breeze blowing.
Only then could the presence of the scent be minimized.
So, what she needed to do now was create the timing and conditions for Mohana.
"Blinky, let's go."
Shizuku murmured to herself, stepped forward, and charged straight at Kurapika.
Kurapika's gaze quickly shifted from Mohana to the charging Shizuku. His eyes turned cold as he whipped the chain towards Shizuku, aiming for her chest.
Shizuku raised Blinky, blocking the chain.
Swish!
The chain wrapped around Blinky's handle like a snake.
Seeing this, Kurapika pulled back, but Shizuku didn't resist… instead, she used the momentum to charge closer.
When the distance closed to within ten meters, Shizuku suddenly dismissed Blinky, freeing herself from the chain's entanglement. Immediately after, she pushed off with her feet, leaped over the chain, and accelerated her charge towards Kurapika.
Simultaneously, Nen surged in her hand as she swiftly conjured Blinky again.
The advantage of Conjurers being able to materialize and dismiss their creations at will was fully displayed at this moment.
Once close, Shizuku swung Blinky, aiming to smash Kurapika's head.
Kurapika calmly retreated, avoiding the overhead strike. Using the retracting chain, he sent a surprise attack towards Shizuku's back.
Shizuku was prepared. After her strike missed, she lowered her body, dodging the chain that swept over her head.
After the brief exchange, Shizuku pressed on relentlessly, continuing to close in on Kurapika.
Her weapon had limited reach and could only be effective in close combat. Her enemy, however, had excellent control over the chain, holding a clear advantage at medium to long range.
Weighing the options, she could only maintain her close-range advantage.
Shizuku was petite. She might lack in raw strength, but her agility was quite remarkable.
She swung the toothed Blinky with great force, forcing Kurapika back three or four meters.
After several consecutive attacks missed, and seeing Kurapika dodging with ease without making any counterattacks, Shizuku sensed something was wrong.
Her sharp danger perception made her decisively abandon the offensive and create distance.
Her evasion indeed saved her from a potential trap.
Kurapika was slightly taken aback. The prey had slipped away before the net was fully cast.
After his intent was discerned, Kurapika didn't seem bothered. Seeing Shizuku actively creating distance, he utilized his medium-to-long range advantage, driving the chain to continuously attack Shizuku.
Now, Shizuku found it difficult to close the distance again, thoroughly suppressed by Kurapika's chain.
Outside the combat circle, Mohana was slowly circling.
When she reached a certain spot, the corner of her mouth lifted slightly, and she stopped there.
Nen surged from her body, transforming into countless particles invisible to the naked eye. Under a microscope, they would appear as [♀] symbols, emitting a pleasant fragrance.
Just then, a night wind suddenly turned from the other end of the street, carrying this fragrance towards Shizuku and Kurapika.
Kurapika delivered a fierce chain strike, forcing Shizuku to retreat hastily.
Abruptly, both of them caught a whiff of the fragrance.
Shizuku's expression remained unchanged, but Kurapika's eyes shifted. He immediately chose to hold his breath.
But the next second, symptoms of poisoning rapidly set in.
His lower limbs grew weak and limp. Kurapika involuntarily dropped to one knee, supporting his upper body with his left hand on the ground.
Mohana's seductive laughter drifted over. She said seriously, "Young man, let me tell you a secret. I'm a chimera, you know."
Shizuku turned her head to look at Mohana, who was walking over gracefully, and asked curiously, "What's a chimera?"
"Simply put, I absorbed the cells and genes of my dear twin brother..." Mohana answered Shizuku's question while walking towards Kurapika, who was affected by the scent poison.
In her view, Kurapika was already a dead man.
…
North Route.
Chrollo and his group of three stopped over a hundred meters away from the Cemetery Building, watching two men emerge from the shadows of the grassy area.
One was tall with long silver hair and wolf-like pupils.
The other was relatively short, with pale hair and beard, an old man.
These two men were Silva and Zeno.
The moment they appeared, before their full forms were revealed under the lights, their presence arrived first.
Both Pakunoda and Bonolenov felt an intangible pressure, telling them these two men were not to be taken lightly.
Chrollo looked at Zeno and Silva, thinking to himself, 'Troublesome opponents.'
"Three of them."
Zeno placed his hands behind his back, considering which one to deal with first.
'Among these three, the most troublesome was probably the man standing at the back.'