Inside the moving carriage—
The wooden wheels rolled steadily across the road while the scenery outside passed by slowly.
Saito pressed slightly against the window while looking outside with visible excitement.
"…Wow."
"The outside world is really colorful."
Fields stretched across the land while distant villages and forests passed by one after another.
Takeru sat nearby with crossed arms.
"…Enjoy it while it lasts."
"You'll eventually get dragged into more trouble out here."
Saito ignored the warning completely.
Meanwhile—
The man in the white suit calmly held the reins at the front.
Without turning around, he suddenly spoke.
"…Why are you heading there, kid?"
Saito looked toward him.
The man continued calmly.
"That place is Ash Rat territory."
Saito leaned back slightly.
"We have some business with them."
The man was silent for a second.
Then answered—
"…You can still reconsider before we arrive."
Saito tilted his head.
"So are you basically just a driver passing through?"
The man finally glanced back slightly.
"…I'm from the White Hat Gang."
Instantly—
Kaito pulled out a knife.
Bomb clenched his fists.
Takeru extended his claws sharply.
The atmosphere inside the carriage became dangerous immediately.
Saito quickly raised both hands.
"Hey hey hey—chill, guys!"
The man in white remained completely calm.
"…I'm used to this reaction."
Kaito's eyes stayed locked on him.
"…Then why are you here?"
The man adjusted one glove calmly.
"I was assigned to inspect our border."
"And happened to meet you all."
Then his eyes shifted briefly toward Kaito.
"…Also you."
"…Noctarion."
Kaito's jaw tightened slightly.
The man continued speaking casually.
"The boss would probably be delighted to meet you."
"After what you did to this city long ago."
Saito looked between them.
"…You mean the fall of the Jokun Empire?"
The man nodded once.
"Yes."
"Actually…"
His eyes returned toward the road.
"I'm more surprised all of you trust him."
Silence.
Then Saito answered naturally.
"…Well yeah."
"He's my friend."
"Of course I trust him."
The man stayed quiet briefly.
Then a small smile appeared on his face.
"…Well."
"I don't really have an argument against that."
After about an hour of travel—
The carriage slowed to a stop.
Ahead of them, the landscape changed.
The road became rougher, darker, less maintained.
A distant sign of territory boundaries stood crooked near the edge of the path.
Saito stepped out first.
Kaito, Bomb, and Takeru followed right behind him.
The White Hat driver remained seated for a moment.
Saito turned slightly, smiling politely.
"…Alright, sir."
"Thanks for the ride to he—"
BANG!
A sudden gunshot cut through the air.
The bullet tore through the space between them.
All four immediately dropped into cover.
"—Tch!"
Kaito's eyes narrowed instantly.
"…Ash Rat gang."
From the bushes ahead—
Several armed figures emerged quickly, surrounding the road and nearby trees.
They moved fast, coordinated.
Not random thugs.
Organized.
The White Hat driver slowly turned his head toward them.
"…So you're already here."
Saito looked toward the enemy line.
"Hey wait, you're going to—"
Before he could finish—
A burst of aura erupted from the White Hat driver.
The air around him shifted sharply.
His calm expression changed slightly.
Cold.
Focused.
He pressed a button on his briefcase.
CLICK.
The case unfolded instantly—
Transforming into a sleek black modern firearm.
The Ash Rat soldiers immediately opened fire.
The driver moved smoothly, dodging each bullet with precise steps while returning fire in controlled bursts.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Saito's eyes widened slightly.
"…Whoa…"
Bomb stepped forward.
"…That guy's not just a driver."
Kaito tightened his grip.
"…White Hat elite."
Takeru growled lightly, claws ready.
Saito immediately snapped into focus.
"Alright!"
"Cover him!"
Without hesitation—
All four of them charged forward toward the Ash Rat gang.
After the brief clash—
The Ash Rat members lay scattered across the road and surrounding ground, either unconscious or restrained.
The tension slowly faded from the air.
From the nearby village, doors creaked open.
Villagers cautiously stepped outside, checking the scene.
Once they saw the aftermath, their expressions shifted from fear to relief.
"Sir Herion…"
One of the villagers bowed slightly.
"…Thank you."
The White Hat driver—Herion—stood calmly near the fallen enemies, brushing dust off his gloves.
"…No need."
His eyes moved across the bodies with a slight sigh.
"…We'll need to move this village closer to HQ."
The villagers nodded immediately.
"Yes, sir!"
They began organizing themselves quickly, as if this was already a familiar procedure.
Herion turned slightly toward Saito.
"…Well, kid."
"You've already arrived at your destination."
Saito blinked.
"…Huh?"
Herion nodded toward the area ahead.
"Border of Ash Rat territory."
"I'll take care of things from here."
Saito paused for a moment, then nodded slowly.
"…Right."
He raised a hand slightly.
"Thanks for the ride."
Herion gave a small, almost unreadable nod in return.
"…Don't die out there."
Saito turned away.
Kaito followed first.
Bomb and Takeru came right after him.
The group walked forward together, leaving the village border behind as Herion stayed where he was, watching the aftermath quietly while the wind moved across the battlefield.
Inside the abandoned Ash Rat headquarters—
The air was heavy and stale, filled with dim light and the faint smell of rusted metal and old wood.
A subordinate rushed into the room, slightly out of breath.
"Sir!"
He bowed quickly.
"We've spotted intruders at our border!"
Joshua sat comfortably in a worn-out chair at the center of the room, legs crossed.
Without even looking up, he spoke calmly.
"…Who?"
The subordinate hesitated for a moment.
"…It looks like Blue Scarf Saito."
For a brief second—
Silence.
Then Joshua let out a low laugh.
"…Heh."
"So that rookie finally came all the way here."
He leaned back slightly, amused.
"…Looks like someone got impatient."
His fingers tapped lightly on the armrest.
"Deploy our men."
The subordinate immediately nodded.
"Yes, sir!"
But before he could leave—
A woman wearing glasses stepped forward from the side.
Joshua's secretary.
"Boss."
"The leader of Hollow is scheduled to meet you today."
Joshua waved his hand lazily without even looking at her.
"…I don't care about that jerk."
The secretary paused slightly but said nothing more.
Joshua stood slowly, stretching his shoulders.
His smile widened faintly.
"…Tell everyone."
"Let's greet them warmly."
A dark grin formed as he walked toward the exit.
"…Very warmly."
Behind him, several Ash Rat members immediately moved into action as the building began to fill with tension once again.
Kaito scanned the surroundings as they stepped deeper into the territory.
"…Welcome to Yein Ash Rat HQ."
His tone was flat, but his eyes stayed alert.
Saito looked around at the broken roads, scattered trash, and half-collapsed structures.
"…It's messy."
Kaito shrugged slightly.
"The civilians here can do whatever they want."
"Break laws, fight, steal… doesn't matter."
"The police think twice before even entering this area."
Saito frowned a little.
"…So that's how they operate."
Bomb walked slightly ahead, quietly observing rooftops and blind corners.
"…Too many hiding spots."
Takeru suddenly stopped walking.
His ears twitched slightly.
"…Footsteps."
He closed his eyes briefly, focusing.
"…Not far."
Everyone slowed down immediately.
Takeru pointed forward subtly.
"There's a village ahead… but behind it…"
His gaze sharpened.
"…A large abandoned building."
Saito looked forward carefully.
After a moment of silence—
"…That must be it."
He tightened his grip on his sword.
"Get ready, guys."
"We're about to meet him."
Kaito slowly pulled out his knife.
"…Finally."
Bomb clenched his fists.
Takeru lowered his stance slightly.
All four gave a silent nod—
Then continued forward toward the abandoned building behind the village, where Ash Rat's main force was waiting.