Blood Envoy Seeking Aid

The boundary of Red Leaf Forest was a clear, almost eerie dividing line.

Outside lay grayish-yellow wasteland grass.

Inside, the mountains and plains were covered in a bloodlike red.

The wind blowing out of the forest carried the scent of rust.

It was not a metaphor.

It truly smelled like rust.

The edge of every red leaf gleamed with a metallic chill.

"Stop."

Saitama, walking at the front, suddenly raised a hand.

The entire group came to a halt in unison.

Gon instinctively clenched his fists. Killua's catlike pupils narrowed slightly, while Kurapika's hand had already settled on the hilt of his blade.

A blue light flashed in Genos's eyes.

"Detected one rapidly moving life-form."

"Direction: straight ahead."

"Speed... very fast."

"Is it an enemy?"

"Doesn't seem like it. The target's vital signs are dropping sharply."

Before the words had faded.

The red leaves deep within the forest exploded apart.

A figure smashed through layer after layer of branches and stumbled out, crawling and rolling.

It was a man.

Or rather, he had once been a man.

His left arm bent at an unnatural angle, bone protruding through the skin. A huge chunk of the right side of his face had been torn away, leaving it a bloody mess. Not a single piece of cloth on his body was intact, and blood had soaked him entirely dark red.

The moment he rushed out of the forest, his knees gave way.

Thud.

He fell straight to his knees before Saitama.

"I'm Beyond's... Lord Beyond's personal guard..."

The man's throat sounded as if it had been scraped with sandpaper, every word mixed with bloody froth.

"I seek aid..."

"Requesting reinforcements..."

Leorio stepped forward and crouched down, intending to inspect his wounds.

But just as he reached out, he stopped.

The injuries were