Rebirth Stutters

By the time they hurried back to the second floor, the door to the Fourteenth Prince's room had already been cleaved in two.

Tserriednich stood in the center of the room with two trusted aides behind him, a strand of deep purple Nen curling around his fingertips. He was in no hurry to touch the crib. He seemed to be waiting for his prey to return, a confident smile playing on his lips.

Kurapika kept moving. His chains slid from his sleeve into his palm, the Nen of his Ten coating them in a fine layer that glowed pale gold. He placed himself in front of the crib, his Thumb Chain swaying gently as he silently invoked:

—Lie-Detecting Thumb Chain, activate.

"If you want to hurt the prince, you'll have to get past me first."

Tserriednich turned, his smile deepening. Without wasting a word, he lunged forward, Specialist Nen poison gathering at his fingertips as he aimed straight for Kurapika's wrist.

Kurapika's middle-finger chain shot out in response, the cross at its tip aimed at his opponent's ankle as he silently invoked its name:

—Chain Jail.

The chain sliced through the air, about to coil around Tserriednich's ankle.

Tserriednich's eyelids snapped shut. All the Nen surrounding him instantly withdrew into his body as he entered Zetsu.

—Rebirth.

He silently invoked the ability's name.

Time rolled back five seconds, the scene replaying in his mind. He saw the chain's trajectory clearly and shifted his foot half an inch ahead of time.

The chain skimmed past his trouser leg and scored a shallow groove in the floor.

Kurapika's pupils narrowed slightly.

The instant he entered Zetsu was the point at which his ability activated.

Kurapika did not rush in. The swing of his Thumb Chain subtly widened, its lie-detecting Nen spreading through