Hunter: I became stronger even after I died.

Chapter 236 Key Decisions

The Phantom Troupe is a criminal organization whose methods are quite unconventional.

They committed numerous evils and killed countless people, lacking even the most basic reverence for death. As a result, a near-paranoid culture of one-on-one combat prevailed within the group.

The members are often overconfident and prefer to fight alone rather than cooperate.

From Uvogin's solo battle against several Shadow Beasts to the Phantom Troupe's return to Meteor City to subdue the Chimera Ants, this almost arrogant style of doing things is vividly demonstrated.

However, within the brigade, there is a pair of partners who can unleash combat power far exceeding that of an individual in coordinated operations.

These two people were Uvogin and Nobunaga.

Uvogin, being an Enhancer-type, has a wild and unrestrained personality and has always been keen on facing enemies alone, just to enjoy the pure power of the duel.

However, even Uvogin himself did not realize that he could only fully unleash the advantages of his Enhancement-type abilities, which were both offensive and defensive, when protecting his companions.

Whenever he has teammates around, Uvogin will unconsciously adjust his fighting style, transforming from a pure attacker into a shield that combines offense and defense.

His power is no longer just for destroying enemies, but can also be the strongest support for his comrades.

Nobunaga's ability is to use "circle" to cover a radius of four meters, to control the slightest movement within the area, and then combine it with the ultimate "circle" to kill with a single iaido slash.

This tactic is very suitable for one-on-one combat, but it also has a fatal flaw.

When he draws his sword, he will be caught off guard, and if he cannot kill the enemy in one strike, he may be in danger.

Therefore, as long as Uvogin was present, Nobunaga could unleash his full power without any scruples.

For this reason, this pair is arguably the most complementary force in the Phantom Troupe, and can create a formidable chemistry when they join forces.

Their complementarity stems from a tacit understanding between teammates, but more importantly, from a natural fit in their fighting styles.

original--

After Uvogin made the decision to kill Kurapika first, if he insisted on fighting Kurapika one-on-one, he would only be killed in his first encounter with Kurapika by being bound by the middle finger chain.

After all, most enhancement-type Pokémon like to charge around recklessly, not to mention Uvogin is a prime example.

Therefore, even without knowing the binding chain's ability, Kurapika was able to easily subdue Uvogin, despite not having learned Nen for very long.

Regrettably……

Although Nobunaga is also a Enhancement-type, he has a relatively delicate mind.

So much so that when he swung his sword at Kurapika's chains in mid-air, he immediately realized something was wrong.

Although he did not concentrate all his Nen on the sword at that time, the extension of the chain also meant a decrease in its strength.

Therefore, there is no reason why it cannot be severed.

Based on this, Nobunaga abandoned his strong desire to kill Moro with his own hands, and instead, out of consideration for his comrades, chose to stay and fight alongside Uvogin.

His decision, in a sense, not only saved Uvogin, but also increased the team's margin for error in this operation.

Faced with the combined attack of Uvogin and Nobunaga, Kurapika had no chance to unleash the special attack effect of the Binding Middle Finger Chain.

Because Nobunaga completely abandoned defense and instead concentrated all his Nen on his sword, his attack power was enough to cut Kurapika's chains from any angle.

It's important to understand that the strength of psychic attack and defense is extremely fair among those of the same attribute.

The value of 100 is always higher than 99.

Therefore, if Kurapika wants to defend against Nobunaga's desperate slash, he needs to gather an equivalent amount of manifest energy at the point where the chain is struck.

With the boost from his Scarlet Eyes ability, Kurapika is indeed capable of increasing his Nen power to a level comparable to Nobunaga's. He can even use the "Binding Middle Finger Chain" to find opportunities to counter Nobunaga after successfully defending.

But the problem is—

Uvogin's existence spared Nobunaga from this risk.

In this intense battle, the two sides fought back and forth countless times.

Nobunaga could always wield his sword without hesitation to sever the threats posed by the chains of the contract and attempt to break through Kurapika's defenses.

Whenever Kurapika tries to launch a counter-attack, Uvogin always intervenes immediately, using his ferocious power to interrupt Kurapika's subsequent actions.

This tacit understanding of "division of labor in offense and defense" makes it difficult for Kurapika, even with the boost from Scarlet Eyes and the targeted abilities of his chains, to find a breakthrough when the two work together.

In contrast, Kurapika can also use the automatic defense mechanism of "Soul Chain" to defend against every counterattack from Uvogin and Nobunaga at crucial moments.

Uvogin and Nobunaga were also extremely troubled by Kurapika's tenacity.

This was the first time they had encountered an opponent like Kurapika who could bring the entire Nen system to its fullest potential.

The battle between the two sides thus reached a stalemate.

But Kurapika knew very well what was going on.

In this battle where he was outnumbered, he could only turn the advantage back to Moro by breaking through the combined offensive of Uvogin and Nobunaga as soon as possible.

Even so, Kurapika's fighting spirit was not affected by his so-called anxiety...

They can even remain calm and composed during battle, making decisions and thinking strategically in both offense and defense.

He has done well enough.

However, the complementary partnership between Uvogin and Nobunaga truly pushed their potential to the limit.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this stalemate will likely continue.

Until new variables emerge to influence the course of this match.

then--

After both sides have passed the probing phase, they enter the process of fighting with all their might.

The first "variable" has appeared.

Kurapika noticed that when Uvogin and Nobunaga made certain movements, their movements would pause briefly, and there was always an unnatural stiffness between offense and defense.

This discovery made him realize that Uvogin and Nobunaga seemed to be wounded.

That's right...

The wounds Hisoka inflicted on Uvogin and Nobunaga before his death played a subtle role at this moment.

Even if Uvogin and Nobunaga were Enhancement-type users, they would have difficulty recovering from such injuries in just over ten days.

However, under normal circumstances, after more than ten days of recuperation, it would not significantly affect Uvogin and Nobunaga's performance in battle.

The main reason is that Kurapika's overwhelming power inadvertently amplified the impact of his injuries.

Upon discovering this variable, Kurapika seemed to see an opportunity and decisively shifted his offensive focus to Nobunaga's injured left side.

"I've really been underestimated."

In the midst of the fierce battle, Nobunaga was naturally able to discern Kurapika's intentions.

They wanted to exploit his and Uvogin's injuries to find a breakthrough...

Just dream.

Even if the wound reopens, even if a lot of blood flows out.

He and Uvogin would fight to the very last moment, even if it meant death, they would drag their opponent down to hell together.

This is the resolve of the special forces.

Nobunaga and Uvogin didn't need to communicate at all; they were perfectly in sync and responded to Kurapika's changes.

Especially Uvogin... When fighting alongside others, he was able to suppress his strong urge to attack, just so he could help Nobunaga exploit the vulnerability that was exposed at that moment.

This approach, ironically, also makes it less likely for him to make mistakes.

Even though Uvogin and Nobunaga consciously tried to adjust their approach, they were unable to completely resolve the impact of the injuries.

So, in the high-frequency exchanges, Kurapika's attacks finally began to bear fruit.

Although he still couldn't deliver the binding chain to Uvogin or Nobunaga, the Soul Chain's defensive effect, along with the increased strength from the Scarlet Eyes, began to damage Uvogin and Nobunaga.

"As long as I don't make any mistakes... I can beat them!"

Kurapika maintains his Scarlet Eyes state consistently thanks to his amazing willpower.

Although the price was burning his life force, it was precisely this burst of power that allowed him to slightly suppress the combined attack of Uvogin and Nobunaga.

If nothing unexpected happens, once the damage accumulates to a certain extent, he can use the properties of the binding middle finger chain to find an opportunity to strangle one of them.

However, just after Kurapika gained the upper hand, a second "variable" emerged.

That is--

Kuroro's intervention.

In this operation to annihilate Moro, the Brigade actually made two wrong moves.

This gave Moro the opportunity to fight back despite being at a disadvantage.

If time could be reversed, perhaps Kuroro wouldn't have pursued the approach of gathering all the necessary conditions just to securely eliminate the enemy.

After all, Moro isn't Hisoka...

But it is precisely because of Kuroro's actions that he was able to keep an eye on Uvogin and Nobunaga's situation even while he was focused on the intense battle.

In contrast——

Moro was under immense pressure from the enemy, leaving him with no energy to focus on anything else. He could only wholeheartedly trust that Kurapika could handle Uvogin and Nobunaga alone.

This difference led Chrollo to make the decision to help Uvogin and Nobunaga break the deadlock after being blasted away by the shockwave of the Yagura.

In his view, as long as he, as a variable, intervenes, Kurapika can be dealt with in one fell swoop, thereby freeing Uvogin and Nobunaga to fight Moro together.

Furthermore, his actions regarding Kurapika can also influence Moro to some extent.

Unless Moro doesn't care about Kurapika's life or death at all.

It can be said that Kuroro's decision was like a scalpel, precisely and coldly cutting into the key point of the entire battle.

If we don't take into account the "unknown information" and Kurapika's identity as the last survivor of the Kurta clan, which is tainted by extreme hatred...

This decision did indeed guarantee the brigade's ultimate victory.

Chrollo, wielding a poisoned dagger, used his superb martial arts skills to dart behind Kurapika.

Without any unnecessary movements, simply following the equally exquisite flow, he thrust the dagger imbued with Nen power into Kurapika's back.

At this moment, Kurapika's binding middle finger chain was severed by Nobunaga's full-force attack, and the Soul-Chasing Chain, which should have been used for offense instead of defense, was blocked by Uvogin's fist.

Simultaneously manipulating two chains and finding opportunities to inflict damage is already the limit of what Kurapika can achieve in battles where he is outnumbered.

But Kuroro's timing for the sneak attack...

That's incredibly shrewd.

It came at a time when Kurapika was in a slump.

The poisoned dagger pierced Kurapika's back skin without any resistance.

Kurapika's usual rigorous training played a crucial role at this moment.

With astonishing speed, the binding chain on Kurapika's middle finger, which had just been severed by Nobunaga, suddenly appeared in his hand.

But the re-manifested chain, like a bent seedling, lashed at Kurapika's waist and abdomen.

laugh!
As Chrollo's poisoned dagger pierced Kurapika's back, drawing a spray of blood, the force of the chains sent Kurapika flying.

As a result, the dagger could not penetrate Kurapika's heart smoothly, but only made a gash on Kurapika's back.

But Kuroro's offensive was not over yet.

He glanced sideways, then decisively raised his hand and tossed it away.

The dagger he held in his hand suddenly flew out, chasing after Kurapika like a bolt of lightning.

Clang!
Kurapika's Soul Chain automatically locked onto the dagger, knocking it precisely to the ground.

But at that moment, Nobunaga caught up with Kurapika, who had not yet landed, with a light, quick movement, and then suddenly threw his long sword.

A chain was attached to the end of the long sword, which Nobunaga held in his hand.

This chain not only extended the attack range of Nobunaga's longsword, but also continuously transmitted Nobunaga's psychic power, thus ensuring the strength of the psychic power attached to the longsword at all times.

Faced with Nobunaga's insidious killing move, Kurapika's Soul Chains once again proved effective, deflecting the flying longsword.

However, the Soul-Chasing Chains' effectiveness in defending against enemies also has its limits.

After blocking two attacks at high speed, a slight gap inevitably appeared.

Uvogin seized this fleeting opportunity, using astonishing explosive power to land ahead of Kurapika's flying path.

Taking advantage of the clash between the Soul-Chasing Chains and the longsword, his enormous fist, glowing red, slammed into Kurapika's body.

Click!
A crisp sound of bone breaking was heard.

Kurapika's body was sent flying by the punch, crashing and rolling violently along the ground.

When his body came to a stop, his mouth and chest were stained red with blood.

Uvogin's punch severely injured him.

If it weren't for "Absolute Time" granting him 100% enhanced offensive and defensive capabilities, this punch would have been enough to kill him.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Kurapika struggled to get up, only to find his back beginning to go numb.

"Toxins..."

Kurapika remained calm, enduring the excruciating pain, and swiftly materialized the Healing Chains.

When he first developed this healing ability, which also required sacrificing lifespan, he meticulously considered the "cleansing of toxins."

The healing chains emitted a faint green glow, healing Kurapika's injuries at a visible speed.

the other side.

When Moro noticed Chrollo turning to deal with Kurapika, he couldn't just ignore it.

By having Kurapika fight Uvogin Nobunaga alone, it can be said that Kurapika's potential was pushed to the limit.

If Kuroro were to intervene now, Kurapika, with his current strength, would have no chance of stopping him.

Moro wanted to go and help, but Machi blocked him without hesitation.

Two battle zones,

All of them have reached a crucial moment.

(End of this chapter)