'Compared to close-combat-focused Enhancers, this type of opponent… can be a bit more troublesome in certain situations.'
Hisoka mused to himself.
Acknowledging the opponent's strength, the sensation it evoked in him was-
The long-lost excitement!
Hisoka's lips suddenly stretched into an exaggerated grin, and the pupils in his eyes began trembling with excitement.
After all, he had been holding back for far too long-
During the time he was parasitized by the Calamity, he had been forced to hide in desolate places.
After waiting for months, all he wanted was a thrilling, unrestrained battle with Moses-
But instead, he had been completely crushed.
This development is like a pervert who has been in prison for who knows how long and finally waits for the day he is released. Just as he wants to release his desires, he ends up being caught by a burly man.
Instead of venting his desire, Hisoka had only grown more frustrated.
Those who couldn't even be called 'combat units' were utterly incapable of satisfying him now.
But this sudden appearance of a knife-throwing Enhancer was, without a doubt, the perfect prey to fulfill his current needs.
Whoosh-
Unable to suppress the pure, battle-hungry desire in his heart any longer, Hisoka suddenly charged straight toward the unidentified figure ahead.
Perhaps he should feel fortunate.
The top floor of this building seemed to belong entirely to the Fourth Prince of the Kakin Empire.
As a result, there was no skimping on space.
Take the corridor for example. In a city where every inch of land is valuable, developers usually try to squeeze every square meter for maximum utility.
But the corridors of this place-
No, calling it a corridor isn't quite right. It was more like a spacious lobby.
The open area provided an advantage in terms of maneuverability, so in terms of terrain, Hisoka and Kurapika had a slight advantage.
It was precisely because the space was so vast that Hisoka dared to charge head-on at the figure wielding throwing knives.
The one who had attacked Hisoka and Kurapika was none other than Code Four, who was responsible for protecting Tserriednich.
'A Transmuter and a Conjurer…'
Code Four was clad in black combat gear, and his face was covered by a sealed mask with only his eyes exposed.
His cold, emotionless gaze briefly swept over Kurapika in the distance before shifting to Hisoka, who was charging straight at him.
The two throwing knives he had launched earlier were meant to kill the intruders instantly.
While they failed to do their job, they still provided Code Four with some information.
Compared to Hisoka's ability to transmute his Aura into a sticky, elastic substance, Code Four was more wary of Kurapika's conjured chains.
Because conjured objects often possessed special abilities, making them something to be wary of.
Moreover, when he saw the chains shatter into fragments of Aura, Code Four keenly realized that Kurapika was the tactical type.
The evidence supporting this conclusion was Kurapika's habit of disguising his conjured chains as ordinary ones before entering combat.
'If there's an opportunity…'
Code Four's thoughts raced as he marked Kurapika as the priority target.
But before that, he had to deal with the threat posed by Hisoka.
Facing the twisted, bloodthirsty Aura radiating from Hisoka, Code Four remained completely unfazed. With a flick of his wrist, a silver streak shot straight toward Hisoka's face.
The throwing knife was incredibly fast.
At this distance, it was nearly impossible to react in time.
But Hisoka, who is mentally prepared, observed Code Four's movements and predicted the knife's trajectory in advance.
[Bungee Gum]
Before the flying knife could reach him, Hisoka spread a pink, elastic veil of Aura in front of his upper body.
The flying knife stabbed into the pink veil like an iron ball dropping onto a suspended rubber sheet, instantly forming a long, conical indentation.
But just as the iron ball couldn't pierce the rubber, neither could Code Four's knife penetrate the Bungee Gum.
This was the nature of Bungee Gum: elastic, durable, and capable of absorbing impact.
The knife, hindered by the sticky Aura, naturally lost some of its speed.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Hisoka tilted his body slightly, allowing the knife to push forward against the elastic film.
When Code Four saw this, he immediately realized Hisoka intended to use the rubber-like Aura to rebound the knife back at him.
But Hisoka had clearly underestimated the force behind the flying knife, so that the 'rebound' process would inevitably take at least two or three seconds.
This period of time, which is considered a long time in a battle, is more than enough for Code Four to take Hisoka's life in one go.
'It seems you don't trust your 'ally's' judgment.'
Code Four muttered to himself, with a fierce light flashing in his eyes.
If Hisoka had assumed he was an Enhancer, he would never have attempted such a foolish counter.
Code Four's hands reached into the inner folds of his waist, and two flying knives appeared in his hands.
But just as he was about to raise his hand to throw the flying knives at Hisoka, gleaming, thorn-like object shot through the air.
The object resembled a bramble, with its end linked to a chain.
It was Kurapika's Chain of Thorns.
The reason why Hisoka had chosen such a high-risk counter was naturally because he knew Kurapika would intervene at the right moment.
From a personal standpoint, Hisoka would have preferred a one-on-one fight with Code Four.
But he was well aware of how Kurapika would act.
So, since a fair duel was impossible, he might as well factor Kurapika's 'role' into the battle.
The Chain of Thorns snaked toward Code Four's flank, then abruptly split into multiple barbed chains mid-air, forming a cage-like structure meant to ensnare him.
'Predictable.'
Seeing the ability of the Chain of Thorns, Code Four quickly gave an evaluation and at the same time, he suppressed the idea of attacking Hisoka and instead swung the throwing knives in his hand.
In an instant, two streaks of light weaved an impenetrable barrier in front of Code Four.
The Chain of Thorns shattered the moment it touched the barrier, its fragments scattering like starlight.
The advantage of an Enhancer was on full display here.
Moreover, this single move also showcased Code Four's mastery in 'swordsmanship'.
However, Kurapika's intervention had bought Hisoka enough time.
The flying knife that was deeply embedded in the pink Aura was finally rebounded.
Swish-!
The flying knife flew towards Code Four at a faster and fiercer speed than before.
Faced with this counter, Code Four remained unfazed and threw the two flying knives in his hand.
One of the flying knife streaked through the fading glow of the shattered Chain of Thorns, intercepting the rebounded knife mid-air and destroying it.
The other flying knife continued straight toward Hisoka.
But by now, Hisoka had somewhat adapted to the speed of the knives. With a sidestep, he dodged the incoming knife.
But just as he and the flying knife crossed each other, the flying knife suddenly exploded without warning.
Accompanied by a sharp sound, the blade fragments sprayed toward Hisoka, peppering his body with tiny blossoms of blood.
Hisoka was caught off guard, and his forward momentum immediately crumbled.
'Explosives in the knives…?'
Having been tricked, Hisoka narrowed his eyes as he looked at Code Four.
'This guy...'
'Is not a typical Enhancer.'