Kurapika's Nen type was originally Conjuration. Upon activating his Scarlet Eyes, it would shift to Specialization, granting him stronger Nen abilities. To ensure stable use of his Specialization abilities, Kurapika engaged in extensive deliberate practice.
Activating the Scarlet Eyes required intense emotions as a trigger, which was exceptionally easy for Kurapika. Simply recalling his massacred clansmen was enough to immediately activate his Scarlet Eyes. Therefore, what he needed to practice was suppressing his emotions and shutting off the Scarlet Eyes at will, preventing overuse of the ability that would strain his body.
The mattress dipped as Merus sat back on the edge of the bed, raising her hands toward Kurapika and moving upward along his waistline. Beneath the thin shirt, Kurapika's lean waist was cinched with supple muscle. At Merus's touch, his muscles immediately tensed, becoming rigid.
"Don't panic, Kurapika, I'll help you get used to this feeling," Merus said.
"..." Kurapika tried hard to calm himself, his gaze never leaving Merus's Scarlet Eyes.
It was too quiet.
"Nen" cultivation was not just a martial cultivation, but also a spiritual one. In other words, one's "Nen" state could, more or less, reflect their current condition, such as their resolve, intentions, and emotions.
When his emotions experienced drastic fluctuations and activated the Scarlet Eyes, an experienced Nen user (the master who taught Kurapika Nen) immediately noticed the change in Kurapika's "Nen." He asked Kurapika to use the "Water Divination" method again to retest his Nen type. It was then that Kurapika learned he could transform into the Specialization type.
Nen ability information was crucial secret information that almost every Nen user had to protect, and Kurapika was no exception. After that, in addition to using black contact lenses to conceal his Scarlet Eyes, he also had to conceal the changes in his "Nen" when his Scarlet Eyes were activated, to avoid attracting unnecessary attention from other Nen users.
Kurapika's training was extremely arduous, causing him to collapse from exhaustion multiple times. His master, worried, advised him not to push himself too hard, not to try to shoulder everything alone, and to seek help from companions.
Impossible.
This was a path of no return, a path leading to darkness; he had to walk it alone.
With his exceptional talent combined with hard work, Kurapika's "Ten" was incredibly stable. Even when his Scarlet Eyes were activated, there was no difference compared to normal. Merus had clearly undergone similar training. She activated or deactivated her Scarlet Eyes with conscious control, never losing control, and her "Ten" remained incredibly still. Merus was indeed not someone who only indulged in physical pleasures; before she intentionally revealed her Scarlet Eyes, no matter what she did, she would not let them manifest.
As someone who had experienced it, Kurapika could understand how astonishing Merus's control was.
"What exactly are you thinking..." Kurapika tried to calm his emotions to close his Scarlet Eyes, but failed. He suppressed the urge to distance himself from Merus's touch and asked again, "When you activate your Scarlet Eyes, what exactly are you thinking?"
Kurapika's trigger for activating his Scarlet Eyes at any time was revenge. So, what about Merus? In Kurapika's eyes, Merus, who always acted as she pleased, what intense emotions did she use to activate her Scarlet Eyes? Kurapika couldn't imagine it, but he thought this might be related to the truth behind Merus's actions thus far.
"Hm?" Merus seemed slightly surprised by his question. Then, she tapped her lips. "If you pass the 'kissing homework' inspection, I'll tell you."
With slightly parted lips, Merus tilted her head up. Her lips were perfectly full, and the curve of her smile was utterly non-threatening. It seemed any shade of lipstick would suit her for a kiss filled with affection.
Setting aside personal feelings, Kurapika had to admit Merus's external appearance was exquisite.
However, it was a deadly poison.
That being said, in order to find the answer he sought, Kurapika lowered his head, choosing to drink the poison.
Kurapika meticulously performed each step of kissing, in an orderly fashion. Although Merus had said "inspection," Kurapika's kissing style was truly like "submitting homework," only answering within a limited scope and not knowing how to improvise.
In other words, he was a bookworm who had read himself foolish.
Believing he had completed the questions in the correct order, Kurapika was about to end the kiss with relief when Merus cupped the back of his head, forcing him to begin the second round of questions.
Things that could be done during a kiss were not limited to the interaction of lips and tongues; other parts of the body also needed interaction.
Many men liked younger women not only for their youthful vitality but more importantly because younger women were less experienced, making them easier to control and less likely to break free.
The reverse was also true.
The innocent Kurapika was like a crystal-clear stream. For him, most special stimuli were unfamiliar experiences, and his reactions would be very honest. Therefore, the experienced Merus could easily discern every pebble at the bottom of the water.
.........
........
.......
To counter and to apply what he had learned, Kurapika tried to prove himself.
He decided to speed up the process to obstruct Merus's offense.
"Don't bother anymore," Kurapika's breath was close to Merus's. "I'll do it myself. Weren't you going to inspect the homework?"
"..." Merus, who had just unbuttoned her sleeve, paused her actions upon hearing Kurapika's words of determination.
"Also, I want to tie your hands with my chains," Kurapika said. "I hope you can focus on evaluating my performance."
Really? Merus suspected Kurapika might be seeking personal revenge, as Merus had once bound Kurapika's hands to the bedposts.
"Alright." Considering Kurapika's chains had restrictions that prevented anyone outside the Phantom Troupe from entering the "Zetsu" state, Merus did not resist.
As soon as she spoke, icy chains immediately wrapped around her, binding her hands above her head.
Kurapika, having made up his mind, was more bold and fearless than ever.
"...? " The pace jumped too quickly, and Merus was somewhat bewildered.
But at the very beginning, Kurapika felt a sense of defeat. His previous efforts were actually in vain; the "test" had failed.
No, I need to concentrate.
Confident in his answering, but the result was zero points? Kurapika couldn't help but recall his terrible cooking during the Hunter Exam, which the examiner had evaluated as being on the same level as Leorio's, leaving him deeply discouraged.
"..." Kurapika's fist clenched and then relaxed. He didn't want to admit defeat so easily.
"Kurapika, creating the atmosphere is also very important," Merus finally spoke. "Technique is only a part of it."
The materialized chains binding Merus's hands disappeared, as Kurapika's response.
"The current result can be considered within expectations," Merus sat up. "But you really worked hard. As encouragement, I can tell you what I was thinking when I activated my Scarlet Eyes this time."
Merus had Kurapika use the "Chain Jail" to prove that what she was about to say was the truth.
"When I activated my Scarlet Eyes this time, I was thinking..." Merus met Kurapika's Scarlet Eyes calmly. "...about getting into bed with you."
Kurapika's "Chain Jail" proved she wasn't lying.
"Desire is not shameful. Even if you don't agree with this statement, this is why you failed," Merus said. "Because you dislike it, you don't want to face it. Because you evade it, you create flaws. Do you want to continue?"
"...I will be mindful of that," Kurapika replied noncommittally. He then emphasized, "This is just training."
"Yes, this is just training," Merus affirmed. "Kurapika, be careful not to lose control again."
It's terrible, the gap between him and Merus...
.........
........
.......
Everything about Merus seemed to surge into the central processing unit of Kurapika's brain, wantonly plucking his nerves and disrupting his senses.
Kurapika's reason and instinct warred fiercely. He felt dizzy, even nauseous.
I see. Looking at Kurapika's Scarlet Eyes, which had once again fallen into a state of frenzy, Merus understood why Kurapika had lost control last time.
[Resonance]
When the Kurta people activated their Scarlet Eyes and their emotions synchronized, the effects of the Scarlet Eyes would be amplified. For example, if multiple Kurta people activated their Scarlet Eyes and harbored the same anger, the combat power boost triggered by the Scarlet Eyes would increase exponentially. That's why, when the Phantom Troupe attacked the Kurta village, the Kurta people were able to unleash astonishing combat power that Uvogin could not forget for many years.
However, "Resonance" naturally had its drawbacks. Activating the Scarlet Eyes required intense emotions, which meant a loss of rationality was likely. When the combat power boost was amplified, the side effect of losing rationality would also increase.
The first time Merus activated her Scarlet Eyes in front of Kurapika, and their emotions aligned, Kurapika briefly lost his sanity. Kai Shu Ge.
Just like now, falling into a vortex, unable to extricate himself.
Merus was inevitably affected by "Resonance" as well. But unlike Kurapika, she was familiar with it and accepted it completely, while Kurapika strongly resisted and was too inexperienced.
It seemed Kurapika was unaware of the "Resonance" characteristic of the Scarlet Eyes.
The peaceful and stable atmosphere of the Kurta village, combined with the rule that only those who "can keep the secret of the Scarlet Eyes (meaning not revealing their existence)" could be considered "adults," made the "Resonance" phenomenon difficult to occur. Without someone to teach him, Kurapika wouldn't know about the "Resonance" characteristic of the Scarlet Eyes.
Oh my, that's enough theorizing. Kurapika is about to break.
Merus deactivated her Scarlet Eyes.
"...Is it bad?" When Kurapika recovered from his dazed state, he realized his memory had gaps, indicating he had lost control again.
"This time you held back from attacking me, but..." Merus gently stroked Kurapika's forehead hair, "I lied to you."
"..."
"What I gave you to eat was actually ordinary glutinous rice flour."
"...Wait a minute!" Kurapika called out to Merus, who was about to turn and leave. "You... you mean..."
"Yes," Merus put a forefinger to her lips. "It's a psychological effect."
And also, the "Resonance" of the Scarlet Eyes, which Kurapika did not know about.
Kurapika's expression became very interesting. Merus couldn't help but stop and watch for a while.
"What are you going to do next?" Kurapika spoke first.
"What do you want me to do?" Merus retorted.
After a brief inner struggle, Kurapika gritted his teeth and met Merus's blue eyes again. "Looking at me now, you find it very amusing, don't you? I know you want to get 'fun' from me."
"I will do my best to give you 'fun'."
My personal dignity is not worth mentioning.
"Please... please teach me how to control myself."
No matter what, I must move forward.
"Please."
Kurapika lowered his head, clenched his fists, squeezing them until his knuckles turned white.
"Mmm," Merus cupped his fist in her palm. "I can."
"Then..." Kurapika reversed his grip and held Merus's wrist. "Give me another chance."
"?"
"I will definitely do better this time." Kurapika straightened up and leaned close to Merus's face.
"???"
Before their lips could meet, Merus raised her hand to block Kurapika.
"I'm going back to sleep. You should too. Don't you have work tomorrow?"
"..."
"I advise you not to neglect your work, really."