Scrapper looked down at Saito.
A grin slowly spread across his face.
"Heh..."
"You've got nerve entering my place."
Saito finally freed himself from the broken tentacle wrapped around his leg.
"Well."
He drew his sword.
"That's kind of my thing."
The blade pointed directly at Scrapper.
"Now let's fight."
For a moment—
Scrapper simply stared.
Then laughed.
"Hah..."
"You cannot beat me."
The machine tentacles behind him suddenly moved.
WHRRRRR!
They lifted him into the air.
Metal limbs spread around him like wings.
Scrapper looked down at Saito.
"I am stronger than ever."
Then he turned toward the giant ray gun behind him.
The weapon hummed with power.
Energy flowed through its massive frame.
"And this..."
Scrapper smiled.
"...will erase all of you from existence."
Saito glanced at the weapon.
Then back at Scrapper.
"Not until I destroy it first."
Without another word—
he lunged.
BOOM!
The floor cracked beneath his feet.
His sword flashed toward Scrapper.
But before it could connect—
three machine tentacles shot forward.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
The metal limbs blocked the attack.
Sparks flew.
Scrapper smiled.
Saito pushed harder.
Neither moved.
Then Scrapper raised his hand.
The tentacles surged toward Saito.
And the battle for Gaira Town truly began.
Elsewhere inside the factory—
Kaito followed the girl through a network of metal hallways.
The sounds of battle echoed faintly through the facility.
Alarms.
Explosions.
Steel machinery rattling.
Everything was falling apart.
Then—
Kaito's instincts screamed.
"Move!"
He grabbed the girl and shoved her aside.
CRASH!
A metal claw tore through the wall where she had been standing moments earlier.
Dust exploded everywhere.
The girl stumbled backward.
Eyes wide with shock.
Kaito stepped in front of her.
His gaze settled on the attacker.
Tiger.
The massive officer slowly emerged from the broken wall.
His mechanical tail swayed behind him.
Metal claws scraped against the floor.
Tiger grinned.
"An assassin."
His mechanical eyes glowed.
"What a pleasure."
Kaito sighed.
"One of Scrapper's officers."
Tiger lowered his stance.
Then lunged.
BOOM!
The hallway shook.
Kaito sidestepped.
Tiger's claws ripped through a steel pipe instead.
Steam burst into the corridor.
Using the moment—
Kaito looked back at the girl.
"There."
He pointed toward a reinforced door at the end of the hallway.
"The control room."
The girl nodded.
"When you get inside..."
Kaito smiled.
"Shut everything down."
The girl swallowed nervously.
Then nodded again.
"I will."
Without another word—
she sprinted toward the door.
Tiger immediately noticed.
His expression darkened.
"Don't you dare—"
He tried to chase her.
But suddenly—
his tail stopped moving.
Tiger blinked.
Then looked behind him.
Kaito was holding it.
"...What?"
Kaito smiled.
"You should focus on me."
Then—
WHAM!
He spun and hurled Tiger straight into the wall.
The metal officer crashed through it.
Concrete and steel exploded everywhere.
The hallway trembled.
Meanwhile—
the girl continued running toward the control room.
And Kaito stepped forward.
Elsewhere in the factory—
Mona and Rin continued their battle.
CLANG!
CLANG!
Her metal leg struck again and again.
Rin blocked each attack with growing boredom.
Finally, he sighed.
"...Boring."
Mona's face twisted with anger.
"How dare you!"
She launched herself forward.
Faster than before.
Her metal leg aimed directly at Rin's head.
But—
SHHK!
A silver flash cut through the air.
Mona froze.
Then looked down.
Her mechanical leg slid apart.
CLANK.
The severed metal crashed to the floor.
"No..."
She lost her balance and fell.
The impact echoed through the room.
Rin slowly walked forward.
Scythe resting on his shoulder.
Mona looked up.
Fear finally appearing in her eyes.
Rin lowered the blade.
"This is your end."
SHHK!
The scythe descended.
The room fell silent.
Rin stood there for a moment.
Then turned away.
The battle was over.
Meanwhile—
Kaito and Tiger were tearing apart an entire hallway.
Tiger's claws ripped through walls.
Pipes.
Machines.
Everything.
But Kaito continued dodging.
Every attack.
Every strike.
Every lunge.
Tiger growled.
"Stand still!"
Kaito jumped backward.
Landing on a broken pipe.
"I don't have much time."
Then he reached for his knives.
And threw them.
SHHK!
SHHK!
SHHK!
Knives embedded themselves throughout the hallway.
Walls.
Floor.
Ceiling.
Everywhere.
Tiger laughed.
"You missed."
Kaito smiled.
"...Did I?"
Tiger frowned.
Then—
Kaito vanished.
WHOOSH!
Tiger's eyes widened.
A moment later—
Kaito appeared beside one of the knives.
SHHK!
A slash opened across Tiger's back.
Tiger roared.
Spinning around.
But Kaito was already gone.
Then another flash.
Another knife.
Kaito appeared again.
SHHK!
A second wound crossed Tiger's shoulder.
"What—?!"
Tiger swung wildly.
Hitting nothing.
Then another flash.
Kaito appeared directly in front of him.
For the first time—
Tiger saw the assassin clearly.
Calm.
Focused.
Deadly.
Kaito's blade flashed.
SHHK!
A deep cut opened across Tiger's chest.
The officer staggered backward.
His strength vanished.
His legs gave out.
THUD.
Tiger crashed onto the floor.
The hallway became quiet.
Kaito exhaled.
Then looked toward the control room.
"...Good."
Now all that remained—
was shutting the factory down.
The battle inside the factory raged on.
Saito kept his sword raised.
Watching Scrapper carefully.
The machine tentacles continued circling around their master like steel snakes.
Then suddenly—
they stopped.
A few tentacles moved closer to Scrapper.
Their tips flickered with mechanical light.
Almost like they were whispering.
Receiving information.
Scrapper listened.
Then clicked his tongue.
"Tch."
Saito frowned.
"What?"
Scrapper looked annoyed.
"Robot Four and Robot Six are down."
For a moment—
Saito blinked.
Then remembered.
Mona.
Tiger.
His eyes widened.
"So she was a robot?"
Scrapper smiled.
Then—
he vanished.
Saito's instincts screamed.
Too late.
A shadow appeared behind him.
"Correct."
WHOOOSH!
Multiple tentacles shot forward.
They wrapped around Saito's arms.
His legs.
His chest.
Locking him in place.
Saito struggled.
But the metal only tightened.
Scrapper stood behind him.
Calmly.
"As was Steel."
The tentacles squeezed harder.
Saito gritted his teeth.
"What are you talking about?"
Scrapper's eyes remained cold.
"They're all machines."
His voice was almost proud.
"I simply transferred human minds into them."
The room fell silent.
Even Rin stopped moving.
Saito stared at him.
Disbelief written across his face.
"...You're a psycho."
Scrapper laughed.
A genuine laugh.
"You just noticed?"
Then the tentacles tightened again.
CRACK!
Saito felt the pressure crushing his ribs.
Blood filled his mouth.
He coughed.
"GAH!"
The sword nearly slipped from his hand.
Nearby—
Rin's eyes narrowed.
"Saito!"
Without hesitation—
he charged.
Scythe raised.
Aiming directly for Scrapper.
But another tentacle shot out.
WHAM!
It wrapped around Rin's waist.
Then hurled him away.
BOOOOM!
Rin smashed into a wall.
The wall connected directly to the control room.
Concrete shattered.
Metal bent inward.
Rin slid down the wreckage.
Groaning.
Scrapper didn't even look at him.
His full attention remained on Saito.
The tentacles continued squeezing.
The pressure becoming unbearable.
Then Scrapper stepped closer.
Face to face.
For the first time.
"No more games, Blue Scarf."
His mechanical limbs tightened around Saito.
The giant ray gun hummed behind them.
The factory shook.
And Scrapper smiled.
"This is your end."
The tentacles tightened around Saito.
Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
Rin was pinned beneath the broken wall.
The giant ray gun behind Scrapper continued humming louder and louder.
Everything seemed to be going exactly as Scrapper planned.
Then—
"STOP IT, SCRAPPER!"
The voice echoed through the factory.
Everyone froze.
Even Scrapper.
Slowly—
he looked up.
Saito did too.
Standing on an upper platform overlooking the chamber—
was Shiro.
The White Hat leader stood there breathing heavily.
As if he had run all the way here.
His eyes were fixed entirely on Scrapper.
The room became silent.
Then Scrapper smiled.
A small sad smile.
"So."
"You showed up."
His gaze drifted toward Saito.
"Helping your new friend?"
Shiro shook his head.
"This has to stop, Scrapper."
For a brief moment—
the years between them seemed to disappear.
The treehouse.
The friendship.
The promises.
Everything.
But Scrapper only laughed.
"No."
He slowly turned back toward the ray gun.
"It's too late."
Then he raised his hand.
WHRRRRRRR!
The entire factory shook.
The giant weapon suddenly roared to life.
Energy surged through massive cables.
Lights flashed across its frame.
The tip of the ray gun began glowing bright red.
Smoke rose from the barrel.
Power gathered.
More.
And more.
And more.
The entire chamber trembled.
Even Bomb nearly lost his footing.
"WOAH!"
He grabbed a railing just in time.
"That thing is actually turning on?!"
Workers panicked.
Machines overloaded.
The air itself felt heavy.
Scrapper spread his arms.
Almost proudly.
As if presenting his masterpiece.
"There."
The glow intensified.
The weapon was almost ready to fire.
Shiro's eyes widened.
"Scrapper, stop!"
But Scrapper only looked at him.
The bitterness in his eyes finally visible.
Years of resentment.
Years of anger.
Years of feeling overlooked.
"There is nothing you can do, White Hat."
The ray gun continued charging.
And for the first time—
even Saito felt the danger radiating from the weapon.