In the first exchange, Phinks clearly fell into a disadvantage—but he wasn't the only one to strike. Feitan joined the fray as well.
"You traitors!" Feitan's eyes gleamed with a shadowy malice as his body flickered and vanished. Among the Phantom Troupe, Uvogin held the title for raw strength, but Feitan was unmatched in speed. In the blink of an eye, he was behind Uvogin, blade stabbing forward without hesitation, showing no mercy even for a comrade.
A metallic clang rang out.
"If you want to kill Uvogin, you'll have to go through me first." Nobunaga's figure appeared behind Uvogin, his blade clashing with Feitan's in a sharp grind of steel. Feitan's eyes narrowed even more, and in an instant, the clash between the two groups intensified.
In one-on-one combat, Uvogin held the advantage over Phinks, while Feitan surpassed Nobunaga. With the pairs now locked in combat, neither side could gain a decisive edge.
Pakunoda glanced outside, her expression slightly uneasy. Shalnark stepped up beside Chrollo.
Chrollo didn't lift his head.
"Let them vent a little."
Pakunoda turned back to him, frowning slightly.
"Boss, could it be that Hisoka said something to her? Could that have swayed her decision?"
"Machi isn't someone who's easily influenced," Chrollo replied, shaking his head. "This was a choice she made after long and careful thought. I could sense it—she had grown tired of the Troupe's operations and way of life.
"Back then, Sheila chose her own path. Machi's doing the same thing now. The only difference is that she's doing it more than a decade later."
"But Machi leaving won't affect the Phantom Troupe. Our plans and our actions will continue as always."
Machi had developed doubts about the Troupe's actions and chose to leave. Her connection to Meteor City no longer held the same weight, while Chrollo remained steadfast in his convictions. He had already thought through these matters and ultimately decided to follow his own heart, seeking no reward—only peace of mind.
Whether or not the people of Meteor City recognized or respected his actions, it didn't matter. He would continue forward according to his own will.
As for Machi's decision, Chrollo didn't judge it as right or wrong. In essence, both he and Machi were doing what made them feel right—what brought them peace. Their paths simply diverged.
"Shalnark, how's the intel gathering?"
"Good. Notify the others—we need to start preparing for the operation."
Outside, the clash still raged on.
An old building collapsed under Uvogin's powerful blow, reduced to rubble in an instant.
Phinks rotated his arm, roaring out, "Ripper Cyclotron!" and sent a punch hurtling forward with a shockwave even louder than Uvogin's previous one. Even Uvogin, with his immense durability, was forced to retreat under the impact. That was the power of limitations and vows—Phinks had boosted his own strength by fulfilling certain conditions.
A flash of white light cut through the air as Feitan was pushed back by Nobunaga's blade, though the latter didn't pursue. He stood calmly in place, waiting for Feitan to strike again. The tension between the four escalated, with Feitan grumbling curses in his native tongue, incomprehensible to anyone else.
Chrollo's footsteps echoed through the broken space as he walked between the four fighters, snapping his book shut.
"Machi's departure is already settled."
"Our next priority is the auction in Yorknew. That takes precedence over everything."
Phinks glanced at Chrollo.
"Boss, aren't we flipping a coin this time?"
Normally, disagreements within the Phantom Troupe were resolved with a coin toss—but this situation was clearly different. Uvogin and Nobunaga would never accept such a method here.
Chrollo shook his head.
"Machi is no longer a member of the Phantom Troupe. The coin toss rule no longer applies."
Then he turned to Uvogin and Nobunaga.
"Uvogin, Nobunaga—I won't ask about Machi anymore. I just have one question for you both: do you still believe in the Troupe?"
The two looked at each other, then both nodded solemnly.
"Good. That's all I needed."
"This matter ends here."
As Chrollo's voice fell, Nobunaga withdrew his blade. Phinks and Uvogin exchanged one last look, but neither moved to fight again. Feitan let out a cold snort, and the group slowly dispersed.
Chrollo stood alone beneath the moonlight, gazing upward as the pale light bathed his figure. He reached out a hand as if trying to grasp it.
"...Am I being too selfish?"
Machi's departure weighed heavily on several members of the Troupe. Pakunoda, Shalnark, Franklin, Kortopi—all of them were affected. Some felt abandoned, as though they'd been discarded or betrayed.
Pakunoda, more than anyone, worried about Chrollo. Machi's choice to leave implied she no longer shared Chrollo's ideals, and that unsettled her deeply.
"Shalnark, do you think the boss is really okay?"
"Of course," Shalnark replied. "He's mentally stronger than all of us. If he wasn't, we wouldn't have chosen him as our leader, right? I'm sure he's already thought through all of this."
Pakunoda's resentment toward Hisoka only grew deeper.
"I still think Hisoka must've had something to do with this."
Elsewhere, Hisoka sneezed suddenly.
"Someone talking bad about me behind my back?"
"But it's not even cold today..."
He quickly dismissed the thought, mind buzzing with excitement and anticipation. In his plans, this would be the time—his opportunity to fight Chrollo one-on-one at last. Something he'd been waiting for far too long.
"I hope time passes quickly..."
Meanwhile, having left the Phantom Troupe behind, Machi now stood alone on a city street. Yet, as she looked out at the dazzling nightlife and neon lights, a deep unfamiliarity weighed on her chest. For a moment, her gaze turned blank.
"Did I... make the wrong choice?"