"What are those?"

The north sky filled with red. Hundreds of flames flying closer to the city.

Everyone on the scene is using auxiliary devices to take a deep look, taking a closer look at what all the red dots really are.

"A monster? Flying flame monsters?"

Mason had a hard time identifying what kind of monster they are.

Then suddenly Rob burst on laughing. 

"They are gargoyle! And there are so many of them! Yarred must be the one summoning them all!"

"It's Jared. Pronounce with -Je in the first letter. Jared."

Rob identified that as reinforcements who come to support him. A support from Black Hunter group. 

This certainly surprised the Bounty Hunters. They had anticipated the group to appear, but had never expected that there would be such a large number and a horde of monsters.

Plus, they all didn't come for Rob, they flew towards the city. Towards the points where there are many heavy vehicles carrying weapons and are ready to fire their guns at Rob.

"I hear you want a war! Then welcome my soldiers!"

Hundreds of Gargoyles against Bounty Hunter weapons. 

The conditions are quite complicated. But Mason didn't let himself go into confusion.

"Arms 4! Fire all you've got!"

From a certain point, dozens of missiles launched towards Rob and Ars.

Rob and Ars did not dodge all the attacks and just remained silent, taking all the explosions from the missiles.

Bounty Hunter knew that those attacks would not stop them. But at least it could slow the target down until their strongest attack is ready to fire.

But the target didn't want to wait.

Rob came out of the smoke explosion, step on the gas and headed out of town.

"See ya, bitchiest!"

Rob is no longer afraid of obstructions or anything that will slow him down.

Until the jet plane's three protective swords disappeared, it became a barrier protecting the lower part, which one by one got destroyed by the three black laser shots.

Ars appeared in front, stopping the jet plane with one hand. In an instant, a black laser shot one of the three remaining Sinaga Swords, which are spinning at high speed.

[Dragonoid Wings: Six Satellites], only two left within just a few second after being attacked by the Black Sky Spine..

"I-I told you, Ars! The Black Sky Spine is dangerous!"

Ars didn't answer. His right hand made several movements which control the two remaining Sinaga Swords to become a barrier protecting the back of the jet plane.

Mason and the other eight Bounty Hunter charging with their jet motorbike. Their jet motorbikes fired bullets. However, their bullets could not penetrate Ars's red shield. So they split the formation in two directions, right and left.

To counter that, Ars fired four Sinaga Swords. That hit jet motorbikes of the four Bounty Hunters chaser. Ars didn't kill them. He just crushed their vehicle, and they fell down.

Four of the five remaining Bounty Hunter chaser went to the aid of their fallen comrades. All that was left is Mason, who had to make a decision.

"Hey, what are you waiting for?"

Ars woke Rob from the daze.

"Continue moving."

The previous battles were so fast and amazing that Rob forgot his original purpose.

"O-oh, yeah!"

He returned to step on the gas and shot forward. Ars followed at a slower pace.

Mason was put in a difficult situation to choose any option. 

The strength that Bounty Hunter has is four. Missile weapon power. The pursuers. Black Sky Spine and Green Sky Shield.

The pursuers were a unit that had a great chance of catching the target head-on. But with Ars, they can't do anything.

Missile weapon power with the Black Sky Spine has a chance to take down Ars, but they can't ignore the Gargoyles that targeting the city.

"Arlene, it's all up to you."

So they had no choice but to leave everything to the Black Sky Spine and Green Sky Shield.

["Roger that."]

Up ahead, Ars is still flying casually. 

"Country Road~ Take me home~ To the place~ I belong~ West Sumatra~ Lake Toba~ Take me home~ Country-"

His singing got interrupted by a machine gun. He looked down and found another jet motorbike darting towards him.

The jet motorbike was different from the previous nine. That one is bigger and heavier. The speed is slower. But one thing that is unique is the muzzle of the jet motorbike is in the shape of a dragon's head.

"Isn't that?"

The rider wears flying glasses. But his head was open, showing his red hair.

Ars is waiting for that person to come to him.

"You're kind enough to wait for my arrival."

The red-haired woman had come to Ars and gave the impression of 'long time no see'.

"You're also kind enough to remember an ordinary guy like me."

Arlene smirked and laugh a little. "How could I forget? I thought you were that great man who had disappeared for a long time. But when I think about it, that guy can't be as young as you. So I can assure, that you are the successor of that great man."

Arlene's statement made Ars think. "That man. But who?" 

Ars didn't want to ask the questioner about the answer and started looking for the answer himself.

When he first met Arlene, it was in Gate Village. From there, Ars already had a feeling that Arlene had suspected him as someone she was looking for. But Ars could not guess who it was.

But he already has a clue now, which is 'that great man'. In Abyssal Terra, there are only a few men who deserve the nickname of 'great man'. 

"I'm so stupid."

Finally, Ars found the answer.

"You mean Satria, huh? Well, I don't want to admit that I am is his successor. But, because I wielded his sword passed down to me, yes, you can say I am his successor."

Ars responded to all of these things casually. In contrast to him, Arlene felt anger make her chest burn.

"To think the successor of that great man is a bastard like you."

"Hey, don't blame me. I just want to make a lot of money. And, you can't be mad at me, well yes, you can, but, all things good and bad are relative."

At Ars's statement, Arlene's anger exploded into a rage.

"Then is making a little girl tormented by an experiment is a good thing in your eyes?!"

Arlene's wrath was nothing like ordinary wrath. Unlike the wrath of a hero, who has a sense of justice. But it felt more like the wrath of a parent, whose her child is being tormented by the world.

How did Ars know? Because he had witnessed the same thing in the past.

"O-oh. In that case-"

_________

- Before Ars's meeting with Arlene.

Rob is still on the gas, no need to look back because his back is protected safely.

He continued to accelerate until he was out of the city and was about to reach the bend of the mountain pass.

"Yeaaaaaaaahhhh! This is my win, baby!"

He had reached the corner, and the path remained straight ahead, past the Ruin of Ancient Cognity, out of the northeast region. After that no one would be able to stop him, because outside the northeast region he can use stealth mode on the jet.

However, his expectation got shattered by the sight of something enormous blocking the path.

"What, in the Thomas Edison, is that?"

Rob looked up, looking across the body of a giant tree that covered the path of the region. The height of the tree was able to compensate for half the height of the giant mountains of the northeast region.

Rob was in front of the giant tree. He had to stop because the tree was blocking the way.

Taking the microphone, Rob spoke: "Hey, who put that tree in the way?!"

The jet plane identified that there are about 30 humans who were in the tree.

Rob speaking with the microphone again. "Hey, who the fuck in that tree, come down and speak to me!"

Finally, someone responded to his call.

Five people, Abyssal Hunters. All of them are Vanguards who use swords and shields. They descended in a magical way, that is, by riding a branch from the giant tree that grew elongated.

Their leader stood at the very front, a woman with green hair, grasping a sword that was stuck in to the branch.

"Rob Yu-zen, long time no see."

She is – 

"Who are you?!"

"You."

Rob couldn't remember who that woman is.

Jade's veins throbbed at Rob's arrogant attitude.

"It must be nice to be a genius. You can easily forget people who are not important to you."

"I don't care!"

Jade is getting more pissed off at the mad scientist.

"Get rid of that tree and don't get in my way!"

"Ahh, sorry about that. But I can't get rid of Green Boy right away. But you can pass upstairs if you want."

"I would have done it if I could!!"

"Why you can't?"

"Because the luggage box behind me is very heavy and this jet plane can't go any higher than this!"

"Then you can drop the package box and you can go. We're not chasing you."

"How kind of you. Of course I can't do that!"

Jade could have just attacked the man and grabbed their target box. But their job is only to block the target's way. Until someone picks the target up.

"Yu-zen!"

Someone suddenly shouted Rob's name from behind. It was Arlene, who streaked away with a certain man following her from behind.

"Wait, who is that man?"