To get closer to the sky, humans relentlessly pursue building height.
In cities across the Six Continents, skyscrapers are everywhere. Here, however, pressured by survival, humans don't foolishly build higher but instead dig downward, extending their homes underground.
This large ruin site is the standard of standards, extending unimaginably large-scale constructions underground.
Thus, the buildings exposed above ground appear relatively sparse… the tallest among them doesn't even reach two meters high.
The scarecrow that chased the Hunter Association stands atop the highest building. For months, it hasn't moved a step, hasn't made a sound, doesn't eat or drink...
In this dull, tedious wait, its gaze never looks up, never left or right, but remains fixed downward, staring at the ruin's ground.
But when that figure arrives at the ruin's edge, the scarecrow's gaze, fixed on the ground for months, finally shifts.
It looks up toward that figure.
Surrounding it are dense, ant-like swarms of bronze mechanical lifeforms. Their structural design lacks eyes, but one can sense their line of sight.
When the scarecrow looks toward the figure, they also turn their bodies, gazing at the figure at the ruin's edge.
The figure's arrival draws the attention of almost all bronze mechanical lifeforms and the scarecrow.
That figure has a build like a utility pole, over three meters tall.
Its arms are long, reaching to its knees.
Brown, leaf-like garments hang loosely open, revealing a lime-like color.
Its face wears a smooth white mask with no openings, covering every corner of its face.
At the back of its head, black hair seems slicked with strong styling gel, shaped into spikes.
Three white swallowtail butterflies circle the figure as it flies.
This being, whose body structure resembles a human's, steps forward toward the ruin site under the gazes of the bronze mechanical lifeforms and the scarecrow.
"Gah, gah."
A slightly strange sound comes from under the smooth white mask.
While walking, it raises its slender, bamboo-like right arm, fingers spread, knuckles slightly bent, covering the mask.
Then, its palm pulls downward slowly and forcefully.
The slightly long nails scrape against the mask, producing a teeth-grating sound.
But as the nails slide to the mask's bottom, the mask remains smooth, without a single mark.
When its right hand lowers, its left hand takes over, also scraping the mask with its nails.
Both hands alternate this way, continuously scraping the mask with the slightly long nails, frequently producing teeth-grating sounds.
With this bizarre behavior, the masked figure gradually enters the ruin.
The bronze mechanical lifeforms, extremely sensitive to intruders, immediately attack the masked figure.
However, without any visible action, the nearest bronze mechanical lifeform pouncing forward silently shatters into pieces, scattering on the ground.
The astonishing number of bronze mechanical lifeforms, like moths to a flame, successively turn into fragments, falling on the path ahead of the masked figure.
"Gah, gah."
The masked figure tilts its head slightly, stopping to look at the small hill of wreckage piled before it in no time.
As if pondering what to do.
After about a few seconds, it thinks of a solution.
That is, to detour around the small hill of wreckage.
The masked figure moves horizontally to the right for a distance, then continues toward the ruin's interior.
It changes its straight path, and the bronze mechanical lifeforms adjust accordingly.
Bodies composed of bronze gears shatter in mid-air without any sound; only upon hitting the ground do they produce brief noises.
They rush toward the masked figure one after another, only to silently turn into fragments. In a short time, a slanted wall of wreckage forms.
The scarecrow sitting atop the building calmly watches the masked figure, also an outsider. Suddenly, it crouches, then changes to a sitting posture.
It sits there quietly, watching the bronze mechanical lifeforms become piles of endless wreckage by the masked figure's unknown means.
Thus, the masked figure practically steps over the wreckage of bronze mechanical lifeforms, heading toward the entrance to the underground ruins.
After a while, the masked figure finally reaches a nearby entrance.
Before entering, it suddenly glances at the scarecrow sitting on the building's roof, somewhat puzzled why it's here.
However, it doesn't waste time thinking.
Because pondering this might require it to stop here for over ten minutes.
After pausing briefly, it follows the stairs into the underground ruins.
Bronze mechanical lifeforms attacking from behind instantly turn into wreckage, blocking the ruin entrance and the oncoming mechanical lifeforms.
Soon, the masked figure reaches the dimly lit underground first level. The three white swallowtail butterflies circling it emit bright light.
A string of light dots, like powder, scatter from the butterflies' bodies.
"Gah, gah."
Strange sounds quietly spread outward.
At this moment, the Hunter Association and Beyond's team, deep in the underground ruins, finally engage in direct combat.
During these months of maneuvering, both sides maintained considerable patience, not rushing to clash, instead gathering important intelligence about their current environment.
Thus, each step carefully planned, until today, they finally collide head-on.
The Hunter Association's numbers are double Beyond's team's. Normally, with more people, the margin for error increases accordingly.
But here, bronze mechanical lifeforms with [Rusting] abilities are everywhere, so more people actually increase target visibility.
The Hunter Association's first setback cost them several members, including two Zodiacs members.
Though they haven't found Gel's body, everyone understands that perhaps the rusted powder scattered somewhere in the passages could be evidence left after her death.
Though the Association outnumbers Beyond's team, who will prevail remains unknown.
In the room embedded with numerous energy stones, Netero and Beyond engage first. Elsewhere in the underground ruins, Association members and Beyond's people gradually encounter each other.
But over months, both sides have treated the environment as a condition for victory. So even when meeting face-to-face, they aren't necessarily eager to decide the outcome immediately.
Slowly operate, then win.
This is almost everyone's thinking.
Only a few individuals differ, like Netero and Beyond.
They don't utilize the environment or the underground ruins' bronze mechanical lifeforms.
Inside the room, golden light suddenly appears in streaks.
A solemn, majestic golden Guanyin bathes in the light emitted by the energy stones.