"...?"
Uvogin, leaning forward, nearly fell to the ground at that moment.
But the question marks filling his forehead and his wide, slightly bewildered eyes betrayed his current state of mind.
But as he looked at Luke, who had his hands placed in his pockets, he slowly bared his teeth again.
"You, you must know, right?!"
Uvogin's expression twisted. "You just don't want to tell us?"
"Hmm... that's fine, I guess."
Luke said calmly. "Besides, I don't think I need to tell you."
Uvogin: "..."
That... did sound logical, but in Meteor City, logic didn't matter!
Uvogin subconsciously clenched his hand, but then he looked at Luke, whose expression was calm before him.
He thought for a moment, then pressed his hands firmly against his thighs instead.
Just earlier, Luke had pinned him to the ground with a single hand, which alone made Uvogin too cautious to act rashly.
Besides, Luke had just treated them to a delicious meal.
And now, just because he coveted the unique powers and means he possessed, he turned his back on him and ruthlessly attacked him...
Uvogin felt that this behavior was truly a bit too cruel.
Although values like morality were largely absent in this Meteor City,
But right now, Uvogin wasn't yet the person he would become later, scarred by Sarasa's incident and shaped into a villain.
He was still just a thirteen-year-old boy.
He was more impulsive, but also more pure.
"So what do you want in exchange for telling us?"
As Uvogin bared his teeth, Machi suddenly asked. "Since you've already explained it to us, then strictly speaking, it's not something you can't tell us, right?"
Although Machi is younger now, only ten years old,
But when it comes to seeing through things, she far surpasses Uvogin. "If we rule out the idea that this power must not be told to outsiders, then your real reason for not telling us should be personal."
"If you didn't want to tell us from the beginning, you would have hidden it from our sight when you first created the sticky rice cakes, or used other means to conceal it."
"But you didn't do that. Instead, you let us know about the existence of this power."
"Yet when we ask, you just say no comment..."
Machi looked up and stared at Luke. "So, is it that we haven't paid enough of a price, or offered proper conditions?"
"Hmm..."
Luke also paused for two seconds, then looked at Uvogin.
"I think I understand why you've been able to survive in Meteor City for so long."
"It seems it's not just because of this muscular build."
Luke's gaze returned to Machi, and he sighed meaningfully.
Uvogin: "...?!"
What? What was that?!
It feels like he's saying that his survival is all thanks to Machi?!
Just as Uvogin's face began to darken, Luke nodded at Machi.
"That's right. In this world, everything you want comes with a price."
"Even power itself is the same."
Machi might not know everything about Nen, but she only knew that in this city, anything you want comes with a price.
Fighting, robbing, fighting...
They were already accustomed to it, so Machi wasn't surprised by Luke's request.
This was their daily routine.
In Meteor City, nothing good comes without a reason.
So, Machi was the first to realize it.
And as for Uvogin…
"Didn't you just treat us with sticky rice cakes before..."
Uvogin muttered: "Then just tell us directly, just like with the sticky rice cakes..."
"Didn't you work for me before eating the sticky rice cakes?"
Luke glanced at the guy who hadn't figured it out.
"That seems to be the case... Okay, then, tell me what you want us to do this time."
Uvogin thought for a moment, then, too lazy to think, simply said it casually.
"It's actually very simple..."
Luke looked at the two people's gazes, and the corners of his mouth slowly curled up.
"Just beg me."
"...?"
Uvogin's head tilted, and question marks appeared above his head.
Machi stared at Luke, not like looking at a joke, but rather thoughtfully.
"Do you have a strange habit of getting others to beg you?"
"Or, do you want to satisfy your own need for control by having others beg you?"
"That's a perverted thing... sure enough, there are people like that in Meteor City..."
Machi's mind raced, while Uvogin stared directly at Luke.
"Are you kidding me?!"