The Poison Sea of Ikebukuro.The black dots raining down on Duomo lead to everyone fleeing, including Atlas security and military. After the attacks stop, Kuniko and the other Metal Age members perform a search-and-rescue operation of Duomo's residents. Lady Ryoko is furious about the attack, believing it to be a foreign army's doing. One of Ryoko's men, Leon, volunteers to lead a team to investigate the source. Meanwhile, Kuniko, Momoko and Takehiko decide to investigate as well, at the place the attacks supposedly originated from: Ikebukuro, now a toxic swamp. Their team wears protective gear to protect from the dense oxygen and poisonous swamp gas. Karin works with several of her peers to control investments and economy of other countries. However, she goes into a bad mood when one of her peers posts a presumably sarcastic remark. Mikuni punishes one of her retainers for lying by killing her with her psychic powers. Kuniko's team encounter a military squad sent into the Ikebukuro jungle to investigate. They are discovered by Kunihito and flee. Kuniko ambushes Kunihito and interrogates him on the military's presence, and the resonance of their sacred blades. Kunihito claims not to know anything, and Kuniko escapes. Ryoko's men find that the artillery attack emitted no carbon dioxide, leading them to wonder if it is nature's punishment on them. Atlas begins the regular lottery to allow Duomo residents to live in the city and Mīko is one of the chosen. Ryoko gets an audience with the lord of Atlas, telling him that the seals have resonated.