Chapter Summaries

Jiang Ye learned that the Shattered Iron Group and Gray Rat Squad planned to attack the Rust Bone Gang, but suspected their announced one-week deadline was false and began preparing for an earlier assault. After choosing open ground suited to fighting Toad, he stood there and summoned it.

• A Shattered Eye informant reported that the Shattered Iron Group and Gray Rat Squad were mobilizing at least seventy or eighty armed men and had announced an attack in a week.
• Jiang Ye suspected Tie Liao had announced the week-long delay to make the Rust Bone Gang lower its guard, and ordered Iron Wall to speed up weapon production, Gray Beak to find open hard ground, and Shattered Eye to monitor enemy movements.
• Jiang Ye spread shadow threads around the headquarters and sent Divine Dog: Totality and Rabbit Escape out to watch the approaches.
• The Rust Bone Gang's rescued children helped make sheet-metal shields and Molotov cocktails as preparations began.
• Gray Beak found a broad, level stretch of hard ground, and Jiang Ye ordered him to guard it and keep everyone away.
• Jiang Ye recalled his Shikigami, formed the hand shadow for Toad, and called out to summon it on the open ground.

Jiang Ye fought Toad through a prolonged battle, exploiting its weaknesses and using bombs, Rabbit Escape, and Divine Dog: Totality to weaken it. He killed Toad with Shadow Spike and successfully tamed it as his third Shikigami.

• Toad emerged from the shadow and attacked Jiang Ye with its tongue, but Jiang Ye used Rabbit Escape and Shadow Stealth to evade it.
• Jiang Ye summoned Divine Dog: Totality, which wounded Toad while Rabbit Escape clones hindered its movements.
• Toad leaped at Jiang Ye, but he used a bomb to blast it off course and continued wearing it down with bombs and attacks.
• When Toad launched its final tongue attack, Jiang Ye dropped his last bomb, vanished into his shadow, and destroyed the tongue in the explosion.
• Jiang Ye emerged behind Toad and killed it with Shadow Spike, piercing its Rito Mirror.
• Toad dissolved into the shadow, and Jiang Ye confirmed that he had tamed it as his third Shikigami.

Jiang Ye tested Toad’s ranged restraint and protective ability, then returned to the Rust Bone Gang’s headquarters and learned that ten recruits refused to submit. He headed to confront their leader, Bago, after Iron Wall said the disobedient should be killed.

• Jiang Ye summoned Toad and tested its tongue by dragging and crushing part of an abandoned truck.
• Jiang Ye considered Toad’s ability to shelter a person inside its mouth but chose not to test it.
• Iron Wall reported that twenty of the thirty recruits had pledged their support to the Rust Bone Gang.
• Iron Wall said Bago, a former Gray Rat Squad minor leader about as strong as him, led the ten holdouts and demanded that only the strong could command him.
• Jiang Ye asked how disobedient people should be treated, and Iron Wall answered, “Kill!”
• Jiang Ye ordered Iron Wall to lead him to Bago.

Jiang Ye confronted Bago and his men, using Divine Dog: Totality and Toad to force their submission. Bago and his nine subordinates knelt and swore loyalty to the Rust Bone Gang, and Jiang Ye granted Bago the chance to serve him until death.

• Jiang Ye arrived at the shacks with Iron Wall and ordered Gray Beak to step back from his confrontation with Bago.
• Jiang Ye challenged Bago for failing to know his place as a subordinate.
• Jiang Ye summoned Divine Dog: Totality and Toad, whose killing intent intimidated Bago and his men.
• Bago knelt and swore lifelong loyalty to Jiang Ye, and his nine subordinates followed.
• Jiang Ye placed his hand on Bago's head and granted him the chance to be loyal until death.

Jiang Ye’s prepared defenses helped the Rust Bone Gang devastate the Shattered Iron Group and Gray Rat Squad, prompting Tie Liao and Shu Mu to enter the battle themselves. Jiang Ye emerged to block their path with a line of liquor and threatened to kill anyone who crossed it.

• Jiang Ye ordered Iron Wall, Gray Beak, Shattered Eye, and Bago to follow their battle plan as the Shattered Iron Group and Gray Rat Squad approached with more than eighty armed fighters.
• Grey Elder dismissed the Rust Bone Gang’s preparations and left to receive his coronation as elder of District 13.
• Iron Wall led the frontal charge while Gray Beak attacked the flanks and Shattered Eye hurled Molotov cocktails, turning the battle against the enemy forces.
• Bago’s encouragement spurred the Rust Bone Gang onward, and more than half of the opposing fighters were killed or driven into retreat in under fifteen minutes.
• Tie Liao and Shu Mu decided to join the fight, but Jiang Ye appeared before them and drew a line with liquor, warning that anyone who crossed it would die.

Machi reported on the Rust Bone Gang’s victory over the allied forces, while Chrollo refused to let the Phantom Troupe intervene so he could watch Jiang Ye develop. The battle continued as Jiang Ye stopped Tie Liao and Shu Mu, leaving Chrollo eager to see how far he would go.

• Machi watched the Rust Bone Gang use coordinated squads to scatter the allied forces, then returned to Chrollo, Shalnark, and Feitan with her report.
• Feitan asked to join the fighting, but Chrollo refused and ordered the Phantom Troupe not to help either side.
• Chrollo explained that intervening would expose the Phantom Troupe and interrupt his interest in Jiang Ye, whose Nen technique he had once helped correct.
• Shalnark reported that the allied fighters had nearly been routed and that Jiang Ye had stopped Tie Liao and Shu Mu.
• Chrollo wondered whether Jiang Ye would remain a nobody or become known throughout the world.

Jiang Ye confronted Tie Liao and Shu Mu after they threatened him, then revealed his Nen Beasts and attacked them. Divine Dog: Totality and Rabbit Escape overwhelmed the two men, leaving Tie Liao wounded and Shu Mu struggling to find his targets.

• Tie Liao and Shu Mu demanded that Jiang Ye surrender the Rust Bone Gang's territory, and Shu Mu threatened to make him serve him.
• Jiang Ye summoned Divine Dog: Totality and Rabbit Escape, shocking Tie Liao and Shu Mu with his Nen Beasts.
• Divine Dog: Totality lunged at Tie Liao and tore into his shoulder before he used Iron Body Hardening to resist.
• Shu Mu used Fine Thread Lead Powder to attack, but Rabbit Escape filled the area with clones that blocked his sight and tangled his attacks.
• Divine Dog: Totality kept striking Tie Liao's injured shoulder while Shu Mu's threads missed or hit Rabbit Escape clones.
• Tie Liao, bleeding and trapped in the rabbits' cover, roared that he would fight Jiang Ye to the death.

Jiang Ye defeated Tie Liao by using Divine Dog: Totality’s concentrated aura to break through his Iron Man defense, but the costly attack left Jiang Ye concerned about his aura reserves. Shu Mu then prepared a dangerous move and warned Jiang Ye to leave.

• Tie Liao transformed his body with Iron Man and fought Divine Dog: Totality, stopping its fangs and claws from piercing his metal skin.
• Jiang Ye used Totality to concentrate aura on Divine Dog: Totality’s claws, which tore through Tie Liao’s body and left him gravely wounded.
• Jiang Ye assessed how much aura he had spent and realized he needed to increase his reserves to sustain multiple powerful Shikigami.
• Shu Mu dismissed Tie Liao’s defeat, faced Jiang Ye, and warned that his next move would frighten even him.

Jiang Ye saw through Shu Mu’s escape and sent Divine Dog: Totality after him, then confronted the wounded Tie Liao, who offered the Shattered Iron Group and information in exchange for his life. Tie Liao revealed his ties to the Dawn Society, but Jiang Ye dismissed its threat, leaving Tie Liao to recognize a lawlessness reminiscent of Chrollo Lucilfer.

• Shu Mu used Shu Mu’s Short-Sightedness to vanish and flee north from the scrap yard, but Jiang Ye sent Divine Dog: Totality after him along the shadow-threaded route.
• Jiang Ye turned to the wounded Tie Liao and demanded to know whether he would kill himself or be killed.
• Tie Liao offered to bring the Shattered Iron Group under the Rust Bone Gang and share information about Grey Elder in exchange for his life.
• Tie Liao revealed that he belonged to the Dawn Society, a force with over a thousand members in District 5, and warned that it would investigate his death.
• Jiang Ye dismissed the Dawn Society’s threat, and Tie Liao compared his fearless attitude to Chrollo Lucilfer, leader of the Phantom Troupe.

Jiang Ye killed Tie Liao after deciding the gang leader would remain a threat, then learned that Iron Wall and Shattered Eye had subdued the combined forces. Divine Dog: Totality returned with the exhausted Shu Mu alive, leaving both enemy leaders defeated.

• Jiang Ye decided Tie Liao could not be trusted and killed him with a Shadow Spike.
• Iron Wall and Shattered Eye arrived and found Tie Liao dead, then knelt before Jiang Ye and reported that the combined forces had been subdued.
• Iron Wall and Shattered Eye recalled that Jiang Ye had ordered them to hold the main battlefield while he faced Tie Liao and Shu Mu alone.
• Divine Dog: Totality emerged from the shadows dragging Shu Mu, whose Aura had been exhausted but who was still alive.
• Jiang Ye smiled as Divine Dog: Totality brought Shu Mu back.

Jiang Ye captured Shu Mu and learned that Grey Elder had orchestrated the gang conflict while securing backing from the Ten Dons. As Grey Elder prepared to become a full elder, Jiang Ye showed no fear, and Shu Mu recognized him as an ambitious chess player.

• Divine Dog: Totality dragged Shu Mu back to Jiang Ye, and Shu Mu begged for his life.
• Shu Mu admitted Grey Elder had urged him and Tie Liao to join forces against the Rust Bone Gang so Grey Elder could exploit the outcome.
• Shu Mu revealed Grey Elder was going to the Council of Elders for his coronation, alarming Iron Wall and Shattered Eye.
• Shu Mu disclosed that Grey Elder had powerful men, weapons, Nen fighters, and mafia backing from the Ten Dons.
• Jiang Ye realized Grey Elder had arranged the conflict so he could control whichever side won and leave Dodge powerless.
• Shu Mu saw Jiang Ye's ambition and recognized him as a chess player ready to rearrange the pieces.

Jiang Ye forced Shu Mu to reveal the Dawn Society’s leadership and learned that Tie Liao had been Nubia’s key ally in District 13. Knowing Nubia would come after him before Grey Elder, Jiang Ye welcomed the confrontation.

• Jiang Ye asked Shu Mu about the Dawn Society, then pierced Shu Mu’s shoulder with a Shadow Spike when he hesitated.
• Shu Mu explained that the Dawn Society was led by Nubia, Jiliu, and Yejian, with twelve flag bearers beneath them.
• Shu Mu revealed that Tie Liao had been one of Nubia’s flag bearers and was meant to rise into the Dawn Society’s core ranks.
• Shu Mu warned that Nubia would come to District 13 to kill Jiang Ye after Tie Liao’s death.
• Jiang Ye smiled and said Nubia’s arrival would save him the trouble of searching for him.

Jiang Ye rejected Shu Mu’s warning about the Elders' Guard and exposed his feigned surrender. Shu Mu unleashed hidden explosives at Jiang Ye, leaving the outcome of the blast uncertain.

• Shu Mu warned Jiang Ye that the Dawn Society’s president had served in the Elders' Guard and urged him to flee, but Jiang Ye dismissed the threat.
• Shu Mu begged to live and offered to surrender the Gray Rat Squad, while secretly planning to seek revenge.
• Jiang Ye called Shu Mu petty and cunning and revealed that he had noticed Shu Mu’s concealed killing intent.
• Shu Mu drank from his flask, triggered Nen threads that pulled more than a dozen explosives from hiding, and hurled them at Jiang Ye.
• Iron Wall tried to block the blast as Shattered Eye leapt aside, but the explosives engulfed Jiang Ye’s position and sent both men flying; Shu Mu believed he had succeeded.

Shu Mu celebrated Jiang Ye’s apparent death after his carefully planned bomb attack, but Jiang Ye survived inside Toad and the ambush failed. Iron Wall and Shattered Eye captured Shu Mu as Jiang Ye confronted him.

• Shu Mu explained that he had calculated the bomb placements and coated their shrapnel with poison, believing Jiang Ye could not have survived.
• The smoke cleared to reveal Jiang Ye unharmed beside Toad, whose mucus had shielded him from the explosions and poison.
• Jiang Ye explained that he had summoned Toad to protect against traps like Shu Mu’s, not to fight.
• Iron Wall and Shattered Eye seized Shu Mu and forced him to his knees.
• Jiang Ye told Shu Mu that he had used his intelligence badly and celebrated victory too soon.

Jiang Ye survived Shu Mu’s last attempt to kill him and returned to the battlefield after Tie Liao and Shu Mu died. He declared the fight over and offered the Combined Forces survivors a chance to stay if they showed their sincerity.

• Shu Mu bit down on a bomb disguised as a tooth, but Jiang Ye had Toad swallow him before it exploded.
• Jiang Ye confirmed Toad had survived the blast, then headed with Iron Wall and Shattered Eye toward the battle at the scrap yard.
• Jiang Ye announced Tie Liao and Shu Mu were dead and declared the fight over, while the Rust Bone Gang gathered behind him.
• Bago and the Rust Bone Gang knelt and shouted their allegiance, then stopped when Jiang Ye raised his hand.
• Jiang Ye told the Combined Forces survivors that those willing to stay had to kneel and put down their weapons to prove their sincerity.

After defeating the Combined Forces, Jiang Ye renamed the Rust Bone Gang the Rust Remains Alliance and promised its members they would not be left behind. He sent teams to collect the defeated groups’ supplies, returning with weapons, food, and other goods to stock the Alliance.

• Jiang Ye announced that the Rust Bone Gang would become the Rust Remains Alliance and declared its members one family.
• Iron Wall, Gray Beak, Shattered Eye, Bago, and the kneeling survivors shouted the Alliance’s name together.
• Jiang Ye ordered Iron Wall and Gray Beak to gather supplies from the Shattered Iron Group and Gray Rat Squad while Shattered Eye guarded the survivors.
• Jiang Ye and Iron Wall’s team searched the Shattered Iron Group’s empty fortress and collected weapons, food, clothes, jenny banknotes, watches, and electronic parts.
• Iron Wall reported that the Gray Rat Squad had hoarded a large supply of long blades and semiautomatic submachine guns, and Jiang Ye led the teams back with their haul.

Jiang Ye learned that rumors about his unification of District 13 had reached the Dawn Society, whose leaders confronted Nubia over Tie Liao’s death and loss of influence. Nubia ordered his men to set out before dawn and demanded that Jiang Ye come to the Fifth District to beg forgiveness.

• Shattered Eye told Jiang Ye that rumors of the Rust Bone Gang’s rise and the changes in District 13 were spreading, while Iron Wall reported that people believed an elder backed him.
• Shattered Eye said the Fifth District had linked Tie Liao’s death to the new power in District 13 and expected the Dawn Society to retaliate; Jiang Ye said they would discuss it the next day.
• At the Dawn Society headquarters, Jiliu and Yejian questioned Nubia about Tie Liao’s death and the loss of his influence in District 13.
• Nubia said his men would leave before dawn and demanded that Jiang Ye come to the Fifth District to confess and beg for forgiveness.
• After Nubia left, Jiliu and Yejian agreed that Jiang Ye would die whether he came or stayed away, noting Nubia’s reputation for settling every score.

Jiang Ye’s forces finished combining supplies from the Rust Bone Gang, the Shattered Iron Group, and the Gray Rat Squad, while he discovered a preserved Scarlet Eye in Shu Mu’s vault. He tasked Iron Wall, Gray Beak, and Shattered Eye with managing the growing Rust Remains Alliance and warned Iron Wall that others could replace them if they failed.

• Iron Wall reported that the Gray Rat Squad’s stores included cash, weapons, ammunition, and enough food for the Rust Remains Alliance to last three months.
• Iron Wall showed Jiang Ye a preserved Scarlet Eye found in Shu Mu’s underground vault, and Jiang Ye ordered it sealed away separately.
• Jiang Ye considered the Alliance’s growing numbers and supplies, but recognized that its members lacked unity and had not yet become a reliable fighting force.
• Iron Wall voiced fears that the larger group might become divided or suffer internal trouble.
• Jiang Ye told Iron Wall that he, Gray Beak, and Shattered Eye held the highest authority after him and were responsible for managing supplies, men, and newcomers.
• Jiang Ye warned Iron Wall that others would take their places if they could not prove themselves.

Jiang Ye assessed the Rust Remains Alliance’s lack of people and fighting strength, then ordered that its newly seized businesses be distributed according to combat merit. Shattered Eye reported that Grey Elder had returned as a full elder and wanted to meet Jiang Ye, who agreed to receive him.

• Jiang Ye reviewed the Alliance’s numbers and recognized that it had fewer than 150 members and too few strong fighters to confront Nubia’s elites.
• Gray Beak described the Shattered Iron Group’s and Gray Rat Squad’s profitable metal-recycling businesses, and Jiang Ye ordered their profits distributed according to combat merit.
• Jiang Ye promised the Alliance’s fighters and newcomers tangible shares and extra rations, earning Gray Beak’s and Iron Wall’s agreement.
• Shattered Eye arrived and told Jiang Ye that Grey Elder had returned as a full elder of District 13 and wanted to see him.
• Jiang Ye stored the list in Shadow Space and ordered Grey Elder’s messenger to let him in.

Jiang Ye accepted Grey Elder’s invitation and met him at a guarded villa. He asserted his authority over District 13, leaving Grey Elder to respond to his claim.

• A messenger told Jiang Ye that Grey Elder wished to see him, and Jiang Ye agreed to go.
• Iron Wall and Gray Beak tried to accompany Jiang Ye to the villa, but he went inside alone after stopping them.
• Jiang Ye noticed Grey Elder’s concealed guards as the messenger led him across the scavenging yard.
• Grey Elder asked whether Jiang Ye was the scavenger who had unified the Rust Bone Gang.
• Jiang Ye said Tie Liao and Shu Mu were dead and that he had united all of District 13 as the leader of the Rust Remains Alliance.