Inside the factory complex—
alarms echoed through the halls.
Workers were running.
Guards were rushing toward the outer walls.
The attack from Gein's army had thrown the entire town into chaos.
Saito stopped at an intersection and looked at his crew.
"We split up here."
Everyone immediately focused on him.
Saito pointed at Bomb.
"Bomb, you're with me."
Bomb grinned.
"Gladly."
Then Saito looked at Kaito.
"Kaito."
"Find the main system and shut it down."
Kaito nodded.
"No problem."
Finally, Saito turned toward Rin.
"Can you distract Scrapper?"
Rin's smile widened.
"Now that's a job I like."
Saito nodded.
"Good."
Then he drew his sword.
"Let's move."
The group immediately split apart.
Kaito disappeared down a side corridor.
Searching for the control center.
Rin casually walked toward the upper floors.
Whistling as if he were taking a stroll.
Meanwhile—
Saito and Bomb headed deeper into the factory.
Toward the final ray gun.
Toward the heart of Scrapper's operation.
The final battle for Gaira Town had begun.
Inside the central factory—
Scrapper stood before the final ray gun.
Machines hummed around him.
Workers continued making adjustments.
Nearby, the mechanical tiger officer waited silently.
Scrapper looked at him.
"Tiger."
The massive man straightened.
"Go make sure our slaves are doing their work."
Tiger nodded.
"Understood."
Without another word, he left the chamber.
The metal door closed behind him.
A few minutes later—
another figure entered.
The moment the woman saw him, she raised her gun.
"Traitor."
Rin smiled.
"Relax, Mona."
Mona didn't lower her weapon.
Not even slightly.
Meanwhile, Scrapper turned around.
His eyes narrowed.
"...Rin."
The room grew quiet.
"Why are you here?"
Rin shrugged.
"Can't an old partner visit?"
Scrapper's expression didn't change.
"I received reports."
"That you betrayed us."
Rin laughed.
"I suppose I did."
The two stared at each other.
Years of history hanging between them.
Then Rin glanced toward the giant weapon.
"Honestly..."
"You've gone too far."
Scrapper followed his gaze.
"The ray gun?"
Rin nodded.
"Building weapons that can wipe out entire cities."
"That's not my style."
Scrapper raised an eyebrow.
"What happened to your love of killing?"
Rin smiled.
A genuine smile.
"When you destroy everything..."
His eyes settled on Scrapper.
"...there's nothing left to have fun with."
For the first time—
Scrapper looked disappointed.
As if hearing an answer he didn't want.
Meanwhile—
high above them—
inside a ventilation shaft—
Saito and Bomb watched everything.
Hidden.
Silent.
Saito glanced at the ray gun.
Then at Bomb.
"Plant the explosives."
Bomb nodded.
"On it."
Carefully—
he slipped from the vent.
Landing atop one of the maintenance walkways.
Below him—
Scrapper.
Mona.
And the final ray gun.
Bomb grinned.
Then quietly began making his way toward the weapon.
One explosive at a time.
Elsewhere in the factory—
Kaito moved through a maze of metal hallways.
Steam hissed from pipes overhead.
Machines rattled behind the walls.
The entire place felt like a giant mechanical beast.
"Control room..."
Kaito muttered.
"Where would Scrapper hide it?"
He turned a corner.
Then stopped.
A young girl was mopping the floor beside a large machine.
She looked exhausted.
Dirty clothes.
Tired eyes.
And around her ankle—
a rope connected to a metal ring in the floor.
Kaito frowned.
"...Seriously?"
The girl noticed him and immediately looked down.
Trying not to attract attention.
Kaito walked over.
Pulled out a knife.
SNAP.
The rope fell apart.
The girl's eyes widened.
She looked at her ankle.
Then at Kaito.
"...I'm free?"
Kaito shrugged.
"Looks that way."
The girl quickly stood up.
"Thank you."
Kaito nodded.
"No problem."
Then turned around.
Ready to continue his search.
But before he could leave—
the girl spoke again.
"Wait."
Kaito stopped.
The girl looked directly at him.
"You want to find the control room, right?"
Kaito blinked.
"...How did you know?"
The girl pointed toward his Blue Scarf symbol hidden beneath his cloak.
"You're not very good at disguises."
Kaito immediately looked down.
"...Fair."
The girl smiled slightly.
Then pointed deeper into the factory.
"I know where it is."
Kaito raised an eyebrow.
"You do?"
She nodded.
"I clean near it every day."
For a moment, Kaito considered it.
Then smiled.
"Well."
He gestured forward.
"Lead the way, miss."
The girl nodded.
And together—
they disappeared deeper into the factory.
Toward the control room.
Toward the heart of Scrapper's operation.
Inside the ventilation shaft—
Saito remained perfectly still.
Watching.
Waiting.
Below him, the situation was unfolding exactly as planned.
Scrapper folded his arms.
His eyes never left Rin.
"Did you bring anyone with you?"
Rin stretched his shoulders.
"Nah."
A grin spread across his face.
"I can take you down myself."
Scrapper chuckled.
"Heh."
"Still overconfident."
Then he glanced at the woman beside him.
"Mona."
"Take care of him."
Mona immediately nodded.
Without hesitation—
she lunged.
BANG!
Her metal leg propelled her forward like a cannon.
Rin barely had time to react.
CLANG!
His scythe blocked her strike.
The impact shook the floor.
Rin winced.
"Easy there, lady."
Mona's jaw tightened.
She spun.
Her metal leg slicing through the air.
WHOOSH!
Rin ducked.
The kick shattered a nearby railing instead.
Metal fragments scattered across the room.
Rin whistled.
"That's expensive."
Mona answered with another attack.
Rin laughed.
Then charged forward himself.
The battle quickly moved away from Scrapper.
Exactly as intended.
Meanwhile—
on top of the massive ray gun—
Bomb carefully crawled across a narrow support beam.
The weapon stretched beneath him like a steel mountain.
Pipes.
Cables.
Power cells.
Everything hummed with energy.
Bomb planted another explosive.
Then looked down.
Immediately regretted it.
"...Whoa."
The ground looked very far away.
He slowly looked around.
Then blinked.
"Wait."
Bomb scratched his head.
"How did I even get up here?"
A few seconds passed.
He genuinely couldn't remember.
The climb had apparently been too complicated.
Bomb shrugged.
"Future Bomb problem."
He planted another explosive.
Then continued crawling toward the weapon's core.
One misplaced step away from becoming a very flat explosives expert.
Inside the ventilation shaft—
Saito remained flat against the metal floor.
Watching everything below.
Rin and Mona continued fighting.
Scrapper stood near the ray gun.
Waiting.
Meanwhile—
Bomb was somewhere on top of the weapon planting explosives.
Everything was going according to plan.
Then—
Saito felt something touch his leg.
A small tap.
He frowned.
"...Bomb."
No answer.
The feeling came again.
Light.
Annoying.
Almost like someone was tickling him.
Saito rolled his eyes.
"Bomb, it's tickling."
The sensation continued.
This time stronger.
Saito sighed.
"I'm serious."
Still no answer.
Finally—
he looked down.
Then immediately regretted it.
"...Oh."
A metallic tentacle was wrapped around his ankle.
The tentacle slowly waved at him.
Almost mockingly.
Saito blinked.
The tentacle tightened.
"...Uh oh."
Before he could react—
WHOOOSH!
The machine limb yanked him out of the vent.
"WAIT WAIT WAIT—!"
CRASH!
The vent exploded apart.
Metal scattered everywhere.
Workers screamed.
Mona and Rin both looked up.
Bomb nearly slipped off the ray gun.
And Saito was dragged through the air like a hooked fish.
Then—
THUD!
He landed directly in front of Scrapper.
The entire room became silent.
Saito slowly looked up.
Scrapper was standing there.
Calm.
Watching him.
Behind Scrapper—
mechanical tentacles moved like living creatures.
Some curled around machinery.
Others tapped against the floor.
All of them connected directly to his back.
Unlike Steel.
Unlike the other officers.
This wasn't metal manipulation.
This looked like something else entirely.
Saito slowly stood.
Dusting off his coat.
"...Hi."
Scrapper stared at him.
Then smiled.
Not warmly.
Not kindly.
The smile of someone finally meeting the person who had ruined months of plans.
"...Blue Scarf."
The tentacles behind him shifted.
The metal limbs moving like a nest of steel serpents.
"We finally meet."
For the first time—
Saito saw Scrapper clearly.
No mechanical arm.
No visible weapons.
Just an ordinary-looking man.
Except for the dozens of machine tentacles moving behind him.
Watching.
Waiting.
Ready to strike.
And somehow—
that made him even more unsettling.