Akira and Volts returned to the base, keeping a deliberate distance between them — as if they were strangers, or worse, enemies.
Akira tried to apologize for what happened, but Volts only shot him a cold, disdainful glance.
Rozori let out a heavy sigh. He'd accepted there was no point forcing them to get along — not yet, at least. All he could hope for was that the next mission Sazoru assigned would make them cooperate.
He led the two to Sazoru's office. The air inside was thick with the scent of paper and ink, and Sazoru's calm but sharp presence filled the room.
"Akira. Volts." Sazoru's voice cut through the silence as they stepped in. "I heard you two fought—and that Rozori had to stop you, correct?"
Neither of them spoke. The tension between them was almost physical.
Sazoru exhaled through his nose, folding his hands behind his back. "Fine. I'll get straight to the point."
He glanced at Rozori, then back at the two men. "You're here because of Rozori's request. Think of it as… camaraderie training. I expect you to cooperate."
A pause.
"Now," he continued, his tone turning serious, "we've located one of Mikadzuki's associates. The same ones linked to the recent bank robbery. What's strange is that these criminals were ordinary—no records, no lineage, no shrine or altar connections—yet they somehow developed abilities. PSD data shows one of them wielded smoke magic."
Akira's brow furrowed. Volts finally looked up.
Sazoru tapped the table, bringing up a holographic display of faces and gang emblems. "The suspects were part of a group called Dead Skull—a notorious gang involved in smuggling, robbery, and violence. They've never worked with outside forces before. Which leads me to believe Mikadzuki is manipulating them."
Rozori's eyes narrowed. "That explains the sudden surge in ability users."
"Exactly," Sazoru said, nodding. "The Green Flower squad also sent a report—Mikadzuki's been hunting for ancient relics. Artifacts tied to an old legend… one that speaks of a god's rebirth."
The room fell silent. Even Volts seemed to take the matter seriously now.
"There's more," Sazoru added quietly. "We received word of a hidden lair beneath the sea. Nineteen warriors sent to investigate vanished without a trace."
The words hung heavy in the air. None of them spoke—each of them realizing this mission was going to be far more dangerous than they'd imagined.
"And one more thing," Sazoru said, his tone grave. "Our recent investigation into the Morians' data suggests that what we encountered were only prototypes. Even a prototype was enough to cause this much chaos… and a headache I'll never be rid of. Keep your eyes open for any trace of them."
He brought up a holographic map, red markers pulsing across the screen. "These are the gang's known territories. The strongest lead is north of Celesta — a city called Zai'mére. Reports from my assistant confirm several hideouts there. Multiple squads are already deployed. Your primary objective is reconnaissance — gather intelligence and uncover whatever they're planning."
He paused, his gaze sharpening. "Before you go… there's one more thing. The man you captured — he's dead."
"...What?" Akira's voice broke the silence. Rozori's jaw tightened. Only Volts remained still.
Sazoru nodded grimly. "We discovered why he wouldn't answer our questions. Fear. He was terrified. Turns out, they were being controlled."
He stepped closer, voice lowering. "If they fail to prove their loyalty… They explode."
The room froze.
Sazoru continued, "When the autopsy team tried questioning him, his veins turned crimson. His pulse spiked, his muscles convulsed—and then he self-destructed. No traces of an implant, no foreign device. Whatever's causing it… it's invisible."
The silence that followed was heavy.
Finally, Sazoru straightened and dismissed them. "Rozori, stay. I have other matters to discuss with you. Akira, Volts — prepare for deployment."
The two warriors exited the office. The hallway was quiet, their footsteps echoing off the steel floor.
"Volts," Akira called out. "You heard what Sazoru said. We need to cooperate. I'm… sorry about earlier." He extended a hand. "Let's start over."
Volts glanced at the offered handshake, expression unreadable. Then he turned away without a word and walked off.
Akira exhaled, lowering his hand. "…Fine. I'll focus on the mission."
He followed after, determination settling behind his eyes.
17 minutes later, they had finally arrived at their destination. After long searching, they found an abandoned building filled with guards, it was just like they were protecting something valuable.
Volts suddenly touched the ground and released his electricity from his palm. The electricity current sent signals to his senses.
"21...24...25...27...28" Volts closed his eyes while counting them.
After Volts did the counting, he then informed about how many of the guards "There are 30 armed guards around here. 12 from the very top floor, 7 from the 2nd floor, 4 on the first floor, 5 from outside, and 2 from the watchtower."
Akira didn't count them, he just believe what he said there were 30 of them. Though he had sensed the guards' presence, he didn't count them as it wasn't necessary.
Akira and Volts snuck past the guards by cutting through their electric fences and the CCTV by controlling the electricity and turning it off. They eventually entered their secured area and began surveying. Akira made an amazing discovery. A wall-mounted scripture that appeared to be an antique document dating back 1,000 years.
The complicated writings and characters of these documents perplexed Akira. Volts took a picture with his phone and saved it for further examination.
When Akira suspected that someone was approaching, he went into cover. Akira attempted to force Volts to conceal as well, but when he refused, he shocked the guy, sealing his mouth and knocking him out.
"Stop chickening out!" Volts mocked him.
"..." Akira stayed silent in frustration, gritted his teeth, and grunted, even though he wanted to yell at him. Akira did the same by strangling them until they passed out. They hid their bodies somewhere very hard to spot.
Akira and Volts continued to search and came across a secret vault in the basement that probably held something valuable, but it was blocked due to a security code. When Volts hacked into it, the vault gate opened and they saw a ton of cash and coins worth around a million gols. It would seem that Mikadzuki had a deal and plans for them.
Akira's eyes went money-shaped, but he tried to get a hold of himself about the money. Akira and Volts had finished their mission and were seeking evidence from them.
But, they must pass through the guards. Volts just started walking so casually and started causing a wreck by kicking a drawer and making a loud thud sound.
"WHA- WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!" Volts made an unexpected move that surprised Akira.
Volts ignored him and began pouring two buckets of water with salt he had just prepared before they investigated. The guards were alerted and told to examine the intruder over their headsets.
Volts just standing there with his hands in his pockets, waiting for the guards to come.
"Hey! Hide! You dumbass! Were you trying to blow our cover?" Akira yelled at Volts, but he stayed silent. Akira didn't want a commotion to happen on their mission, in thought that an investigation mission needed to be stealthy. Volts did an alternative way, intending to clear the area.
"Who are you!?" The guards pointed their guns and their magic runes.
Volts didn't flinch, then kneel with one knee. Volts's right hand touched the ground and started charging his electricity.
[ELECTRICITY MAGIC: TASER SHOCK]
His power poured into the water, and 18 guys were electrocuted as a result of his electrical magic. As they lay down, they were shocked unconscious. Eight more guards were left, and they began to pursue them.
"Stop being a coward and let's go." Volts prepared his nail spikes, throwing them at the 2 guards who were blocking the exit while running. Akira did nothing but proceed to follow Volts, this time he didn't kill as he sensed their heartbeats were still beating.
After getting electrocuted, a man aimed his gun at Volts and pulled the trigger. Volts was protected by Akira, who deflected the gunshot. Volts simply stared at him instead of thanking him. Akira threw a blood slash and
Akira and Volts finally went out from their hideouts and went straight to the HQ with every evidence they had...
[Meanwhile, at the Mikadzuki's HQ]
"Zizizizizi, they're finally ready! A-21 to A-37, follow my orders! I command you to kill two boys named Akira Keita and Kazoru Honomi Vlahadeer, and last, destroy Celesta!" A mysterious man chuckled as the metamorians were finally awakened.