Soul | Kurapika Kurta

16

16: Gunshots

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Warning/s: Blood, a fight

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They didn't even get to the counter before Shalnark confirmed that he knew Kurapika was there, (Name), at first, wanted to pretend like she did not hear. But she knew better.

She couldn't pretend, not when Shalnark's fresh green eyes suddenly bore holes into hers. Something about his stare was awfully different, it wasn't warm and friendly like before. It looked more threatening.

"I'm sure you heard me," he said, giving them an impatient look.

The two girls remained firm and silent, if a fight was to occur, they didn't want to be part of it. They were no match for these two, they didn't possess powers like they did so the fight would not only be unfair. It would be one-sided.

Rin, without hesitation, pulled out something from her bag. Before (Name) could see what it was, the gun was already pointed to her forehead and she froze. What the fuck just happened?

"Sorry, (Name)," said Rin. "But you're gonna have to die."

"Ojou-chan, calm down," Shalnark said, his eyes widened in alarm upon seeing Rin's finger slowly pulling at the trigger. "You can't kill her, the chain user's-"

Rin pulled the trigger.

But the bullet did not shoot through (Name)'s skull, instead it was pointed towards one of the other customers. He fell to his knees, clutching his wounded arm and hissing in pain.

Blood poured from the cut on his arm, his body shook as he tied to stop the bleeding by pressing his hand on the wound but it was fatal. A gunshot couldn't hurt this bad, could it?

"Leorio!" (Friend's name) gasps. Shalnark pulls the two girls back by the collars of their shirts, both his pins in hand and merely an inch away from their necks.

"Don't move," he said, smiling at them. The threatening glint in his eyes did not go unnoticed by the two.

"It'll be useless to try chain jail on us," said Rin, facing Leorio and Kurapika who had emerged from the shadows, her gun ready. "You'd die, I'm not part of the Troupe."

Kurapika lowered his hand, brows furrowed in anticipation and eyes red from rage. Not only did he manage to let Leorio get hurt but his soulmate and her friend were captured by his enemies as well.

Damn it, he cursed in his head. I let my guard down!

"Kurapika," (Name) said, shoulders tense. "Please don't upset them any more, unless you want me to lose my head."

His fists clenched, she was right he couldn't irk Rin Hiroshi or Shalnark Ryusei no more. He couldn't risk (Name) anymore, he dragged her into the world of nen and he should be responsible for her safety.

"KURAPIKA, LOOK OUT!"

(Name) broke free of Shalnark's hold just as Rin fired at Kurapika, he didn't make a move to stop her when she grabbed Rin's hand, surprisingly the gun fell from her hands and (Name) caught it in hers.

She gave a relieved sigh and pointed the gun at Rin, still unfazed with her hand held out. She turned to where the ravenette was looking and saw that Leorio had pushed Kurapika aside and took the bullet for his friend.

"Predictable." Rin said with haught, giving Kurapika a look of disgust. "What? Hiding behind the people you love again?"

She then turned to (Name). "My gun stays with me."

(Name) jerked when the gun melted off her fingers, the black substance crawled towards Rin and flew up to her hand, returning to it's original form.

"It's my own nen, not the heirloom," she continued. "Now, let's go according to plan. See you, (Name)."

Just as she said it, (Name)'s senses turned numb and she felt like she was floating as everything faded into black. Did she die?

That can't be right, Rin didn't shoot her or was it the pin? Was there poison on that pin? She didn't even feel it poke her.

"(Name)!" Kurapika's voice yelled. "(Name), no! Ow! (Name), wake up!"

"It won't work," Shalnark's voice hummed. "Right now, she's pushed back in the deepest corners of her mind and she won't leave unless the pin is removed."

"Before you even think of removing the pin," said Rin. "I can easily shoot (friend's name), now (Name) wouldn't like that, would she?"

No! She was being controlled!

She couldn't tell what she was doing, she could only hear their voices.

"You have only one choice left," Rin's voice echoed in (Name)'s head. "Fight 🐦."

"Or you could surrender, of course," said Shalnark.

There was silence, (Name) grew frustrated. She didn't know what was happening, she couldn't see what danger her friends could be in. She could only rely at the sound of their voices but they'd gone silent.

"And what?"

She sighed in relief upon hearing Kurapika's voice.

"Well, it's for Danchou to decide," Shalnark replied. "He can simply take your powers, you'd give those chains up for (Name), won't you?"

A moment of silence passed, (Name) thought of hesitation welling inside Kurapika. She understood, they had just me recently and that could not compare to the years he lost in his life for his clan.

"Won't you?"

"Yes."

What?! She exclaimed.

"Release (friend's name), Shal," said Rin.

Silence again.

"Yori-san! Pairo -"

Kurapika's sentence was cut off but (Name) could not make out what happened, there were no sounds of gunshots. It was like the haos outside was silence in her head and only the voices of her friends and their two acquaintances were heard.

"Ojou-chan!" Shalnark yelled, his voice full of alarm.

"Get back here, Hiyori!" Kurapika yelled.

"Shalnark! Go!" Rin exclaimed.

In a few seconds, (Name)'s senses returned to normal and she fell on the floor, head spinning. She saw vague images of chaos but she couldn't make out what was happening or who was who.

She could hear Kurapika's voice, she could glimpse his blond hair but just as soon as it returned, her vision went black again.

×××××
A/N:
I only have one thing to say about this chapter:

TATAKAE! TATAKAE!