And among them, Phinks and Feitan, that notorious pair of biker gang members, had initially stolen some from within the area.
But those who steal are eventually stolen from; it seemed they were later robbed themselves by Uvogin and Machi. Clearly, that was where the seeds of their ongoing feud had been sown.
"No wonder Uvogin is so energetic today."
Chrollo, observing from a distance, immediately displayed an expression of realization:
"It seems Uvogin got something delicious again today, which is why he has the energy to chase us!"
"What?!"
Unquestionably, Chrollo's words immediately caught Phinks' attention, igniting his temper into a roaring flame: "That bastard, where did he steal something delicious from this time?!"
Phinks ground his teeth in bitter hatred: "Stealing ours wasn't enough, so now he's taking from others too?!"
"Why should that big idiot get to enjoy all the good stuff?!"
The angrier Phinks became, the harder he stomped on the accelerator: "I'm going to find that fool and settle the score!"
Phinks shouted with the reckless confidence only an amateur thief could possess, feeling empowered by the battered motorcycle beneath him and the towering baseball bat that Feitan held on his back.
It made him forget entirely the bitter humiliation of having his mochi stolen by Uvogin earlier. Now, he was overflowing with certainty, ready to deliver payback.
Two against one, combined with a motorcycle and a baseball bat—advantage clearly mine!
"But settling the score with Uvogin is one thing…"
Phinks then immediately handed something to Chrollo:
"You still need to hand over the good thing you found first, Little Chrollo~!!"
A properly disciplined bandit like him could never miss prey when it was lying right in front of him.
Chrollo: "~~~~~~"
Seeing Phinks' increasingly "friendly" expression, Chrollo silently retrieved the item he was holding. It was a video cassette tape, one he had scavenged from the garbage heap with careful inspection.
"That's right~"
Phinks accepted it without even looking and shoved it into his pocket: "Next time, try to find something good like this again, hahaha!!"
He grinned widely, and the accelerator beneath his foot roared into life. With a loud bang, the motorcycle lunged forward toward Uvogin.
Chrollo, seeing this, did not glance back. He simply led the silent Shanark away from the area.
Although the stolen item had been given away, Chrollo still held tightly to the truly valuable object he had found in his arms. He always preferred multiple layers of preparation.
For example, he had long anticipated that someone might attempt a robbery, like an oriole targeting a mantis, and had preemptively hidden a piece of trash among his finds.
When others approached to steal from him, he could hand over the trash item without revealing the real treasure. After all, in Meteor City, which was filled with piles of garbage, discovering trash was entirely normal.
For someone like him—thin, fragile, and intent on survival in a city crawling with villains—he could not afford to act without using his brain.
Deceiving those whose only tools were brute strength and physical intimidation—the muscle-bound idiots like Phinks and Uvogin—was the easiest trick in the book.
"Uvogin!!"
Just as Chrollo and Shanark hurried away, Phinks' booming shout resounded behind them:
"Give me back the mochi you stole from me before!!"
Hearing this, Chrollo and Shanark naturally quickened their pace.
Of course, Chrollo did not forget to glance back briefly. He saw Franklin wisely withdrawing from the fray, running away immediately despite the bruises on his face.
Since someone had come to distract Uvogin and effectively delay him, Franklin's task had been completed. There was no need for him to insist on fighting; proving strength at the wrong time would have been pure foolishness.
In Meteor City, the most important things were preserving one's stamina and maintaining a healthy body.
"Who else is there?!"
Uvogin wiped the blood from his face, remnants of his earlier skirmish with Franklin.
Ignoring Franklin as he ran away, he turned his fiery gaze toward the newly arrived duo, who had parked their motorcycle and now approached him, radiating a fierce aura.
"Oh, so it's you two guys~~~"
Uvogin twitched his mouth and grinned, baring his teeth: "Are you saying you forgot about us?!"
Veins immediately bulged on Phinks' forehead.
"Let me tell you, Uvogin..."
Phinks raised his arm, the ragged sleeve of his patched clothing barely containing the corded muscles, and pointed directly at Uvogin's face:
"We are going to take back the mochi you stole from us before, doubly so!!"
"Mochi, huh~~~"
The mere mention of the food caused Uvogin to subconsciously smack his lips. The fragrant taste of the mochi he had eaten just moments ago at Moge's house still lingered vividly on his tongue.
"You bastard!!"
Phinks was infuriated: "You're savoring the memory, aren't you?! You're enjoying the memory!!"
It had been long since Uvogin had stolen that mochi from them; logically, he should have eaten it ages ago. Yet Uvogin's expression betrayed a clear enjoyment of the flavor.
What is this?!
In Phinks' eyes, this was a deliberate provocation—an act of sheer arrogance!
Completely intolerable!!
Phinks clenched his fists with growing determination, the muscles of his young arms taut: "Don't think that just because you enjoyed eating our mochi—Huh?!"
Suddenly, Phinks' nose twitched, and he froze.
A faint scent lingered on Uvogin, unmistakably similar to the sticky rice fragrance of the mochi they had stolen from other children long ago.
That scent had left an indelible impression on Phinks the first time he smelled it, and even now, he could not forget.
And he was not the only one who remembered.
"That's right, this is the smell of mochi."
Feitan, perched on the rear of the motorcycle with the oversized baseball bat resting on his shoulder, murmured quietly.
They had stolen the mochi together back then, and of course, both remembered the smell and taste vividly.
Feitan's nose twitched as his sharp eyes focused on Uvogin, narrowing slowly.
A faint aura of killing intent began to gather around him.
"Mochi, huh, the taste is really good~~~"
Uvogin grinned widely, fully enjoying the act of provoking them, the mischief filling the void of frustration left by Moge's rebuff.
Sure enough, one of the quickest ways to find happiness is to redirect anger and dissatisfaction onto others.
"I made sure to taste it thoroughly for you!!"
Boom!!
Uvogin's provocative words detonated in the air, triggering Phinks and Feitan's anger to erupt like a wildfire.
"I'm going to make you die right here today!!"
Phinks, flames of fury dancing in his eyes, howled as he charged forward, swinging his rotating arms and fists in perfect rhythm.
He did not care why Uvogin still smelled of mochi; all that mattered was vengeance.
Feitan followed closely, step for step, gripping the bat with both hands, poised to strike.
"Come on!!"
Uvogin, seeing this, was not angry but exhilarated. His battle spirit roared as loudly as his fists:
"Did you think I was afraid of you?! I haven't had enough fighting yet! One of you comes, I'll beat one; if both come, I'll take on both!!!"
And with that, he charged straight at the two, his aura as fierce and unrelenting as ever.