Melody

Melody (センリツ, Senritsu) is one of the bodyguards of Neon Nostrade whom is also a Music Hunter and who later befriends Kurapika.

Appearance
Melody is short and stocky. She is balding and has straight hair that falls to her shoulders. Her front teeth are pronounced and protrude much like a rodent's. In public, Melody typically wears hats. Her clothes are simple and usually of earthy colors, though occasionally with pale pink accents. She always wears long sleeves and leggings, as the Sonata of Darkness has changed her appearance dramatically; her exposed flesh is warped and lurid enough to make Kurapika flinch. Her appearance before the Sonata changed her is unknown.

Personality
Melody is a very kind person. She is typically of a calm disposition. Due to her extraordinary hearing as well as natural astuteness, she is very perceptive and caring when it comes to the feelings of others. Her mission is to find and destroy the Sonata, so that no one else will have to suffer the fate that she has. She has a special affection for Kurapika and watches out for him.

Background
Melody is a Professional Music Hunter. Her life changed as the result of one night of drinking with a friend. Having listened to a single movement of the flute solo part of the Sonata of Darkness — (a piece supposedly composed by Satan himself) she was deformed. Her friend, who had played the piece, had his entire body severely mutated and died as a result. Subsequently, Melody gained supernatural hearing; she can hear things as quiet as heartbeats. Her goal is to find the sheet music for the Sonata and obliterate it, so that none suffer the same fate.

Yorknew City arc


Melody is first introduced in a room located in a large mansion with five other applicants wanting to become a bodyguard for a body part collector. The butler in the room then plays a video introducing the supposed boss accompanied by two ladies and when the video is done playing, Melody and the other applicants are then handed a data card listing what body parts are wanted and getting one of the body parts listed is required to pass the test to become a bodyguard. When one of the applicants, tries to leave he notices that the door's locked. The supposed boss then reappears on screen again telling the applicants that he forgot to mention one detail that being, you have to be strong is one of the requirements for the job and to leave the mansion alive. At that moment 11 hooded assailants carrying guns and swords charge through the door.

When two of the armed gunmen assailants shoot at the applicants, Melody and the other applicants are surprised that Kurapika charges in against the assailants and uses his chains to deflect the bullets they shoot at him. Melody for the most part of the assault by the 11 assailants stays near a couch with Tocino. However after Kurapika scopes the area out from above a chandelier realizes what's wrong with the picture, Kurapika leaps down and restrains Tocino with a pin shaped knife and gives him 3 seconds to stop the assailants. Tocino understanding Kurapika's demand does so and the assailants then deflate to the ground.

When Tocino asks how Kurapika knew it was him, Kurapika explains that while he was hiding it well, from above it was obvious since he wasn't the one being attacked. Relieved that he was found out unharmed, Tocino hints that there's another plant (infiltrator) in the room. This makes Kurapika use his dowsing chain to find out whom the plant might be and accuses the applicant Squala of being it. Squala on the defensive denies he's a plant, but Melody confirms he's lying due to the sounds of his heart. Squala continues to deny he's a plant, so Basho steps in and uses his Hatsu Great Haiku, to interrogate everyone to figure out whom the plant is and Squala finally admits he's a plant as well.



Melody along with Basho, Baise, and Kurapika return to the mansion each carrying a body part from the data card and Melody choose to get the "Infected Dragon Skin" and brought it to Dalzollene, whom officially recognizes and accepts the four as bodyguards. Dalzollene then explains in great detail about their first job escorting their boss to the Hotel Beitacle located in Yorknew City. Later when walking down a hallway with various paintings hung on the walls, Baise notices a certain one that seems to stick out from the rest and asks Dalzollene the meaning behind that certain one. Dalzollene the explains that he was once a bodyguard too and that he was dealt with, due to his negligence to listen to orders and that the four of them are to replace him. Dalzollene then knocks on a door at the end of the hallway and reveals that their boss is a young girl.



On the night of the Underground Auction in the Hotel Beitacle, Dalzollene gives out his instructions to the bodyguards on what items they will have to buy no matter what the cost. He leaves the responsibility of keeping an eye on the main entrance with Kurapika. Later that night near where the Underground Auction was being held. Melody and Kurapika keep a close eye on the surrounding area of where the auction is being held. While Melody and Kurapika first talk about the security of the place, Melody then inquires what is with Kurapika's interest with the Scarlet Eyes. When Kurapika questions why she asks that, Melody replies that his heart played the "Melody of Wrath" when he saw a slide that showed a set of Scarlet Eyes.

Kurapika seeing that lying to Melody is useless, admits that he's the last surviving member of the Kurta Clan and his intentions are to find the eyes of his comrades and will take them back no matter what it takes. Kurapika then asks Melody if she'll report what he told her to the boss, to which she gives her word that she won't, since she doesn't wish to die. Kurapika then states that she can figure that much out, while Melody then details that a heartbeat never lies and that Kurapika's heart told her, his emotions were calm and cold at the same time and that his heart also said, "I'll talk, but I don't care what happens." Kurapika then inquires why Melody took her job, to which she says she can say, but there's a chance that she'll lie. Kurapika then details that he'll tell if she's lying by her eyes.

Melody then admits that she's a Music Hunter and that she's hunting a particular music score. Kurapika then states that while she's not lying she's omitting important details. Melody laughs and confesses that she's specifically after the Sonata or Darkness. While Kurapika believes it's just a myth, Melody then shows her arm to Kurapika that makes him cringe. Melody then admits that she and friend once got really drunk and she listened to the first verse of the flute version of the Sonata and her body transformed into what it is that very day while her friend whom played the verse died a horrible death.

Melody confesses that she wishes to return to her original form, even if it means giving up her ability of immense hearing and that she wants to find all of the sonatas and destroy them. Also the reason why she joined the mafia community is to get a hold of some key information on the Sonatas. After the auction started and a bunch of armed men enter the building where it's being held, Melody contacts Dalzollene and informs him for the situation. Dalzollene then tells them both to head into the building to find out what's going on. When Dalzollene is informed of the situation in the building, he then orders everyone to follow and try and capture the thieves.

When Melody accompanied by the other Nostrade Family Bodyguards arrive at the place where the thieves are in the Gordeau Desert they witness Uvogin of the Phantom Troupe massacre the mafia community that dare try and challenge him. As everyone discusses what the should do, Melody hears a faint heartbeat coming from the ground and at that moment, Worm from the Shadow Beasts tunnels up from the ground and is soon accompanied by Porcupine, Leech, and Rabid Dog. The four challenge Uvogin, but get beaten by him. When Kurapika looses his temper and Melody once again hears the "Melody of Wrath" coming from Kurapika. Melody then uses her Hatsu A Field in Spring with her flute and calms Kurapika and everyone else down.

With everyone all calmed down, Melody suggests they think of a plan before they attack. While Kurapika thanks Melody for what she did, he still insists on capturing Uvogin, to which he does with his Chain Jail Hatsu. Melody now sitting in the front seat of a car with Kurapika at the wheel and Squala in the back with Uvogin chained up drive back to Yorknew City. Though during the drive back to the city, Dalzollene calls Melody and warns them they're being followed, so after Kurapika uses Gyo and finds a Nen wired attached to Uvogin Melody tells Squala about and he immediately removes it.

With the danger of being being followed any further thanks to the remaining Shadow Beasts Dalzollene informs Melody that the direction is being changed to the place of Plan C. Later Melody accompanied by the other Bodyguards all gather in a undisclosed room where, Uvogin is restrained to a table. Dalzollene tries to interrogate Uvogin, but to no avail. Uvogin then tells the bodyguards that if they let him go he'll let them all live and also that he and his fellow comrades didn't steal anything, since the vault was empty when they got there, Melody confirms that he's telling the truth. After Dalzollene contacts the mafia community to come pick up Uvogin he tells Squala and Melody they and everyone else can go and rest and that he'll take care of the rest.

However after Dalzollene is killed by Phinks and he and some of the other Phantom Troupe members rescue Uvogin, Melody becomes distraught after hearing Uvogin scream.

When Kurapika, Gon, Killua and Leorio are hunting the Phantom Troupe, Kurapika enlists Melody's help. Melody helps Killua track down the Phantom Troupe and follow them into the city. After Kurapika captures Chrollo, she hears both of their heartbeats and becomes agitated, as the sounds of both heartbeats are horrible to her—Kurapika's a violent sound and Chrollo's one of calm acceptance of Death as a companion. She is also acutely aware of the inconsistency in Kurapika's heartbeat as he struggles internally during the hostage exchange, recognizing instantly that the Phantom Troupe are not all that inhuman, as Kurapika would like to believe.

Greed Island arc
At the tail end of the arc, Kurapika and Melody leave to return to Neon. Leorio pulls Melody aside, asking her to look after Kurapika, because he "opens up to her." Melody willingly agrees and describes Leorio's own heartbeat as comforting and one of the nicest in the city. She then says that he would make a good doctor, teacher, or even professor. Leorio thanks her for the compliment and then Melody leaves with Kurapika, while waving goodbye to Leorio. Melody briefly appears again telling Kurapika that the boss wants to speak with him again.

13th Hunter Chairman Election arc


She voted during the 13th generation Chairman Election of the Hunter Association and was also one of Gon's visitors in the hospital he was confined in. Being near to Gon, Melody along the others assists from the outside at Gon recover thanks to Alluka's powers feeling a strange and powerful aura. She then accompanies Gon when he goes to meet Leorio in the room where all the hunters were voting for the new chairman of the Hunters Association.

Abilities & Powers
Melody has all the benefits granted by her status as a Hunter. She has considerable prowess as proven by the fact that she successfully retrieved an item as part of a test required in order to be hired as Nostrade's bodyguard. Contrary to her petite appearance, she is agile enough to fend off attacks from Tocino's Nen puppets.



Immense Hearing: Melody, after listening to the Sonata of Darkness, acquired extra-sensitive hearing and uses this ability in many useful ways. She is able to track targets or hear conversations from hundreds of meters away. Melody can even differentiate one's footsteps from another, enabling her to determine the number of people in a crowd whilst picking out the sound of her target's footsteps, for example, in a city. She can hear the other's heartbeats and tell their emotional states as a result; or fluctuations to tell whether they are lying or not. Her hearing also enables her to ascertain the skills of others from the sounds they make, such as knowing Killua is a former assassin from his steps.

Skilled Musician: Melody is masterful at playing her flute. In the Nippon Animation anime adaption it is shown she can play the piano.

Nen
Melody is an Emitter, and projects her aura when her instruments produce sound.

Trivia

 * Melody was inspired by the character Nausicaä from Hayao Miyazaki's manga Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Ashitaka from the film Princess Mononoke.
 * In the manga, one of Melody's casual outfits is the same as the uniform typically worn by Japanese kindergarten students.

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