The troops were divided into three groups: the main gate, the banquet hall, and the museum.
Targeting the three treasures to be displayed at the banquet, as well as Clover's collection, was indeed in line with the Phantom Troupe's style.
Law quickly scanned his surroundings. Clover, surrounded by bodyguards, was being escorted away… likely safe for now.
However, the number of guards rushing to the scene had noticeably decreased, possibly due to adjustments in their deployment.
Yet no matter how many there were, they were no match for Franklin's machine gun.
On the battlefield, Kirlo and Pakunoda had been incapacitated, which would certainly give the Troupe pause. But it wasn't enough to make Chrollo immediately call for a retreat.
This wasn't a matter of persuasion… Chrollo had never been the type to be swayed in the first place.
Law sheathed his sword and turned his gaze to Nobunaga, whose brows were furrowed tightly.
If the conflict escalated further, not only Nobunaga but even Machi and Uvogin would find themselves caught in an impossible situation. That would undoubtedly be painful for them.
But Law had already decided not to consider Machi's feelings anymore. He had given Chrollo two chances, and as the saying goes, 'third time's the charm'.
"Salin, keep an eye on this guy. If he dares to move, kill him." Law said coolly.
Upon hearing this, Kirlo's body stiffened slightly.
Come to think of it, he had rushed here to rescue the hostages, only to end up becoming a hostage himself. The thought was almost laughable.
Salin nodded and said, "Be careful."
"Yeah."
Law raised his hand, and then, right in front of Chrollo and Nobunaga, he stored Shin back into the flame tattoo.
The reason for putting Shin away was simple: to maximize the advantage of its instant appearance. Just like when he had severed Kirlo's limbs… summoning Shin at the critical moment to catch his opponent off guard.
A surge of Aura enveloped his body.
Chrollo watched closely, understanding that Law's concessions for Machi and the others' sake had reached their limit. If he continued to press forward, a direct confrontation would be unavoidable.
'Should we retreat now…?'
'But the timing was too tight. We needed just a little more time… enough for Machi and the others to finish looting.'
Chrollo glanced at Nobunaga. With Pakunoda needing protection, he wouldn't involve Nobunaga in the fight. For now, all he had to do was stall until Shalnark could rally the assault team.
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Chrollo's expression shifted imperceptibly… because Law had moved.
In that instant, Chrollo didn't hesitate to retreat, intending to draw the battle far enough away from Nobunaga and Pakunoda to eliminate the risk of Law suddenly targeting Pakunoda.
Without warning, Law activated [Instant]. In the span of a single movement, Chrollo reacted just as swiftly, using an Emission-type ability to expend Aura and put distance between himself and Nobunaga's group.
If the person guarding Pakunoda had been Feitan or Franklin instead of Nobunaga, Law would have immediately shifted targets and severed Pakunoda's limbs the moment Chrollo tried to create distance.
Chrollo must have realized this, which was why he dared to pull away without hesitation, widening the battlefield.
'Before the others arrive, I'll either sever Chrollo's limbs or take his heart directly.'
The thought flashed through Law's mind as he pursued Chrollo.
After putting about 300 meters between them, Chrollo suddenly halted, raised the submachine gun he'd picked up from a corpse, and emptied the remaining bullets in the magazine toward Law.
Law weaved left and right, effortlessly dodging the fewer than ten bullets without slowing his momentum.
Seeing this, Chrollo closed Bandit's Secret, dismissing the book. With a sharp flick of his wrist, he shattered the submachine gun into fragments, then flung them toward Law like scattered sand.
The shards of the gun scattered like petals in the wind, flying straight at Law.
After this move, Chrollo lunged forward, chasing the fragments as he closed in.
Law dodged the debris, only for Chrollo to seize the opening and thrust a palm toward his eyes. As the hand blocked part of his vision, Chrollo's other hand gripped a poisoned dagger, poised to strike.
Whoosh!
The palm cut through the air.
Law raised his hand and struck Chrollo's wrist, deflecting the attack. At the same time, Chrollo slashed the dagger toward Law's abdomen.
"Hm?"
Chrollo suddenly sensed danger. He noticed the flow of Law's aura shifting rapidly toward his feet. Without knowing Law's intentions, he immediately withdrew his attack and took a step back.
At that very moment, the ground where he had been standing abruptly jutted upward. Had he not retreated, the sudden upheaval would have disrupted his balance… a fatal flaw in close combat.
This showed just how cautious Chrollo was. He always left room to maneuver during an attack. Given his style, he would only commit fully if the chance of success was absolute, aiming for a single, lethal strike.
'He judged my move based on Aura Flow? Impressive reflexes.' Law mused.
Earlier, Law had channeled aura to his feet, manipulating the ground within a one-meter radius to create a small-scale rock spike, intending to destabilize Chrollo.
But Chrollo had been decisive, willing to abandon a prime opportunity to attack just to evade an unknown threat. As a result, Law's hidden strike had missed.
Unfazed, Law pressed forward, continuing to advance on Chrollo.
Chrollo hopped back lightly, maintaining distance, then suddenly flicked his wrist and hurled the dagger at Law from just two meters away.
Despite the close range, Law had already begun dodging the moment Chrollo's motion became clear. A slight shift of his upper body was enough to evade the flying blade.
Then, Law noticed Chrollo's hand, which is still in the throwing posture, subtly twitch backward, as if pulling on something.
"Hmm?"
Law noticed it, but he didn't hesitate. Closing the distance, he swung his palm like a blade, aiming for Chrollo's face.
Chrollo leaned back, narrowly avoiding the strike, then countered by kicking at Law's extended arm with his right foot.
Bang!
A dull impact echoed as flesh met flesh.
But Law's reflexes were faster. His free hand shot out and seized Chrollo's ankle mid-kick.
"Got you."
Despite having his leg caught, Chrollo showed no panic. Instead, his eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
He had tied an invisible thread to the dagger he'd thrown earlier. Even though Law had dodged it, the dagger was now being pulled back… and with Law seemingly unaware, it had a clear shot at his back.
Just as Chrollo thought the dagger would strike true, Law diverted a portion of his Aura, forming a small barrier that intercepted the dagger mid-flight.
Chrollo sensed the shift immediately. Realizing his attack had failed, he twisted his torso, driving both hands into the ground like a steering wheel. Using the torque from his spin, he wrenched his leg free from Law's grip.
In the next instant, Chrollo flipped backward, putting over a meter between them. As he landed, he materialized Bandit's Secret in his hand… but Law was faster.
Shin flashed into existence, its edge slicing toward Chrollo's right hand.
One of the key activation conditions for Bandit's Secret was holding the book in the right hand and opening its pages.
Law aimed straight for that weakness.
'Too late…'
Assessing the situation, Chrollo dismissed the book without hesitation, narrowly evading the slash. Instead of retreating, he lunged forward, slipping past Law and snatching the dagger still hovering in the air behind him.
Clang!
Chrollo parried Law's lethal counterstrike, sparks flying as the two blades collided. The opposing forces clashed at the point of impact.
Suddenly, Shin vanished again.
The sudden disappearance of the sword left Chrollo's dagger meeting empty air, his momentum carrying him half a step forward.
Law seized the opening, driving his palm toward Chrollo's chest.
In that split second, Chrollo adjusted his grip, angling the dagger to intercept Law's strike… only to realize it was a feint.
The real attack came from Law's other hand.
Chrollo reacted instantly, raising his free arm to block the incoming strike.
Their exchange pushed the limits of Ryu, their Auras shifting with precision between offense and defense.
Bang!
Law's right palm never reached the dagger. Instead, his left hand slammed into Chrollo's forearm.
The moment their limbs connected, time seemed to freeze… then Chrollo's face paled slightly, a thin trail of blood escaping the corner of his lips.
'I should have blocked it…'
Confusion flickered in Chrollo's eyes as he forced Law back with a burst of strength, retreating to create distance.
But Law wasn't about to let him recover. He pursued without pause.
From the sidelines, Nobunaga watched the battle unfold. Seeing Chrollo cough up blood for no apparent reason, his expression changed slightly.