She had kept her promise with Law and had tried to stop it.
When the team faced indecision, they would resort to flipping a coin.
Three chances.
Hers, Uvogin's, and Nobunaga's.
Chrollo gave them three chances to flip the coin.
However, fate might have abandoned the Kurta Clan from the very beginning. Three coin flips, without any cheating involved, all landed in Chrollo's favor.
After failing to stop it, she became a bystander, watching as the Kurta Clan was slaughtered overnight.
But she felt no guilt or pity.
To her, the Kurta Clan were irrelevant outsiders. Since they were outsiders, their lives or deaths had nothing to do with her.
So, as long as she hadn't broken the promise, there was no reason for her to feel guilty or nervous.
"Was it you?"
Law's voice seemed to drift from afar, the earlier trace of coldness gone, replaced by an unreadable tone.
"Not me," Machi replied calmly.
Law fell silent for a moment before saying, "Good. But I'm not happy."
"So you called me just to blame me?" Machi bit her lip, anger flashing in her beautiful eyes. She emphasized the word 'just'.
Law could tell Machi was angry, but he was also in a foul mood. He said coldly, "Yes."
It was like a couple both boiling with anger, neither willing to yield.
Even if they knew that a small step back would resolve everything, they wouldn't take it.
People are like that… it's a normal, emotional response.
His calm reply only made Machi angrier.
He had vanished without a trace for so many years. No matter how hard she tried to find him, there wasn't a single clue or trace, as if he had evaporated from the world.
Although she firmly believed nothing had happened to him, she still worried from time to time.
A while ago, she had received his message and was overjoyed. She called him repeatedly, but it was like throwing stones into the sea… no response.
Tonight, Law finally decided to call her. Even a simple 'How are you?' would have been enough. But instead, he called to blame her.
Machi's chest heaved slightly as she said coldly, "So, should I apologize to you?"
"That's not necessary. I'm just really not happy." Law sighed, "That feeling… maybe you'll never understand."
"What do you mean? Are you saying we're not the same kind of people?" Machi's tone suddenly turned calm.
"How you interpret it is up to you. I…" Law said calmly, but before he could finish, a sharp noise came from the other end, followed by a dial tone.
Law pulled the phone away from his ear and calmly dialed Machi's number again, only to hear a mechanical female voice informing him that the phone was turned off.
Clearly, Machi had lost control of her emotions and smashed her phone.
For someone of Machi's temperament to react like this, she must have been truly furious.
Law took a deep breath of the cool night air, reflecting on his earlier attitude. He quickly realized his mistake.
Unintentionally, he had directed his anger at Machi without considering her feelings. If he had been gentler with his words and tone, things wouldn't have escalated like this.
"So… annoying."
Law looked up at the night sky, a restless irritation lingering in his chest.
He stood in silence for a long time before giving up on calling Uvogin or Nobunaga.
…
On the other end of the disconnected call, far away on another continent.
In a dimly lit alley at night, Machi looked down at the shattered remains of her phone and did the same as Law… took a deep breath to barely calm herself.
Then, she regretted it.
Even if she was going to smash her phone, she should have waited for Law to finish speaking. She should have explained to him that she had tried to stop it, that after losing the coin toss, she had almost fought Feitan.
'Why had I lost control?'
Machi's eyes flickered as she quickly found the reason.
It was Law's words, which implied they weren't the same kind of people, that had completely ignited her emotions.
She resented that because she had long noticed the differences between Law and herself.
She didn't like it. She really didn't. It was like placing two dolls in separate places.
Machi remained silent for a long time before bending down to pick up the SIM card from the phone's wreckage.
Suddenly, a gust of wind came from behind her, accompanied by undisguised lust and greed.
It was the sound of a thick club swinging through the air, full of force… clearly, the attacker held nothing back. Considering the obvious desire, it was clear the attacker didn't care whether the target lived or died, warm or cold, when carrying out their intentions.
Machi shifted her feet slightly, easily dodging the blow aimed at the back of her head. Under the attacker's stunned gaze, she coldly swung her arm and tore off the attacker's head.
With a violent crack of neck bones, a gorgeous spray of blood erupted from the attacker's severed neck.
Machi ignored the headless body spraying blood behind her and took a few steps forward, tossing the head in her hand toward a trash can in the corner as if throwing away garbage.
In the shadows, pairs of wolf-like eyes instantly retreated in fear, vanishing into the darkness.
The attacker was a shabbily dressed man, motivated by greed and lust.
From the moment he struck, he hadn't planned to leave Machi alive.
"See, this isn't strange at all."
Machi murmured to herself and walked deeper into the alley.
Those words might have been for herself, or perhaps she wanted to say them to Law.
…
Hunter Association's Headquarters, the rooftop.
Law didn't go downstairs, not because he was captivated by the night wind and scenery, but because Netero, dressed in athletic wear and holding a volleyball, walked up from the stairwell.
"Have you eaten dinner?"
Netero looked at Law with a smile.
Law nodded.
"Full?" Netero asked again.
Law thought for a moment and nodded once more.
Seeing this, Netero tossed the volleyball in his hand and grinned, "Perfect. Exercise after a meal aids digestion."
Without a word, Law took off his robe and stored it in Kuro's space. He looked at Netero and said, "Can it also vent anger?"
"Of course." Netero narrowed his eyes.
"You're deliberately picking a fight. If you accidentally break your old bones, don't blame me." Law slowly lowered his right hand.
Netero laughed heartily, gripping the volleyball as Aura seeped from his body. He said seriously, "The wind is strong here. Be careful not to slip up."
Law didn't respond this time. He opened his Aura Nodes, allowing his Aura to surge out freely, forming a vigorous Aura that billowed upward like smoke, impossible to ignore.
It was an Aura that no Nen User could overlook.
"Youth truly is something."
Watching Law releasing his Aura, Netero couldn't help but sigh in admiration.