The long-awaited day had finally come—the day when the members of Team Kaos were to make their decision and respond to the invitation from the National Division of the Fauvism.
Sam stood in the designated meeting spot, flanked by two beginner-level subordinates. Soon, Merrick and Chris arrived, walking with purpose.
"Welcome, Isaburo and Hiday," Sam greeted them with a smirk.
"Cut it out," Chris snapped. "Let's get straight to the point."
"Alright, alright, no need to rush," Sam replied, raising his hands. "So, what have you decided about joining us?"
"We will join you," Chris said.
"What? Really?" Sam's eyes lit up.
"Yes," Merrick added, "but we have conditions."
Sam's expression grew more serious. "And what conditions might those be?"
"We want the forty-eight slots to be filled with the right people,"
"The right people? What do you mean?"
"We want to fill those slots by sacrificing those who deserve to die—murderers, criminals, people like that."
"You mean those sentenced to death… That's an interesting idea. But I'm afraid it won't work. There are a lot of people like that, sure but I doubt we could find 192 suitable Stone Heirs of that kind."
Chris : "We can use criminals from the fighter division to fill the forty-eight slots."
Sam exhaled then leaned in slightly. "Let me tell you something you clearly don't know."
He began explaining.
Direct combat or even interaction between the National and Fighter Divisions is strictly forbidden, save for very rare exceptions. Conflict between them risks unleashing chaos, for each side possesses the Golden Cube—a device of immense responsibility. The survival of the Stone Heirs as a race depends entirely on these cubes.
The forty-eight slots in the Golden Cube can only be filled through a special ( silver connector ) , unlike the standard one. The normal connector allows power to be transferred from one Heir to another but it results in the donor's death and can be used multiple times with intervals.
The silver connector, however, channels power from a Stone Heir directly into the Golden Cube. The donor dies immediately and the device can only be used four times before it shatters. Most critically, it cannot absorb power from a Stone Heir who had already absorbed another's powers using a normal connector.
Sam looked between them. "So, do you understand now?"
Merrick nodded. "Yes but we stand by our conditions. We'll find those among the Stone Heirs who deserve execution and we'll use them to fill the forty-eight."
"You're a strict bunch,"
"If we weren't, we wouldn't survive."
"Fair enough. I'll report your proposal to the leader. I'll return to this spot in three days with his answer."
"Fine," Chris replied.
With that, Sam and his men left. Merrick and Chris soon made their way back as well.
Clara, Jayden and Sony were waiting for them, anxious to hear what had transpired. Once Merrick and Chris returned, they relayed everything Sam had told them.
"Do you think he was telling the truth?" Clara asked.
"Yes," Merrick replied. "What he said makes sense. It explains why both the National and Fighter Divisions rely on absorbing powers using connectors ."
"I don't get it," Sony admitted.
Chris clarified, "He means they deliberately use the connectors to drain the powers of Stone Heirs. That way, neither side thinks of sacrificing the other's followers."
"That's… logical," Clara muttered.
"But I still think something's missing," Jayden said.
"What do you mean?"
"If they have all these advantages, why haven't they completed the process and filled the cubes by now?"
"Exactly," Sony agreed. "They have the numbers, the power and the influence. What's stopping them?"
"By the way, did Lucian say anything useful during interrogation?" Chris asked.
"No," Jayden replied bitterly. "That bastard hasn't said a word. No matter what we do, he remains silent and unbreakable."
"Damn it… That's not good."
The Kaos team remained perplexed. If Jayden's theory was true, then what was the crucial element the Fauvism still lacked to complete their sinister mission?
Elsewhere...
Maria was bound to a chair. She slowly opened her eyes, only to see William and Salvador standing before her.
"Let me go, you bastards!" she screamed.
"Shut up, you nuisance," William snapped. "You're the only bastard here. You tried to kill our teammates but one of them defeated you "
"So that slut brought me here…"
"Don't you dare say anything bad about Yuna!" William shouted, slapping Maria hard across the face.
Salvador stepped forward. "I don't get people like you… You attack others and then hate it when they fight back."
"I don't owe you or him any explanations," Maria spat.
"Oh but I'll make you talk."
Salvador pulled out her serrated hammer. "You'd better say something useful, or I'll crush that cursed head of yours."
Maria smirked. Gathering her power in her mouth, she launched an air attack at them but both William and Salvador blocked it with energy barriers. As the smoke cleared, Maria had vanished.
"Where is she?" William barked.
" She's a heir of Air stone , remember ? " Salvador said. "Yuna told us she can teleport."
"She couldn't have gone far. She's still tied to that chair—and has no arms or legs."
"Let's search for her."
Indeed, Maria had used instant teleportation several times to escape. Though still tied to the chair, she hadn't tried to free herself yet—she just wanted to get away first.
But as she fled, someone suddenly grabbed her from behind—by the collar of her shirt.
It was Tristan. He'd spotted her trying to escape and acted fast.
Maria didn't surrender. She gathered wind energy in her mouth again and launched it at him.
Tristan countered with a sonic waves
But something unexpected happened.
Maria died.
Tristan froze. He hadn't meant to kill her.
He laid her body on the ground. Moments later, William and Salvador approached.
"What happened? Is she dead?" William asked.
"Yes," Tristan replied, his voice low.
"But we needed her alive for questioning," Salvador said.
"I swear I didn't mean to kill her. I only countered her attack and my strike wasn't even that strong…"
"She must have been too weak to survive it. Her wounds were serious," William sighed.
Salvador : "This is a problem. We lost a valuable hostage."
"I'm sorry," Tristan whispered.
Maria was dead. One less enemy to interrogate—one less clue to guide them.
Meanwhile…
Luna and Yuna had just left the restaurant where they'd eaten lunch—the same one near the battlefield where they last fought Lucian and his allies.
As they walked down the road, Yuna spoke.
"Don't you think it's really stupid to return to the place we fought those guys?"
"I honestly don't care anymore," Luna replied. "What really annoyed me was that those pests didn't even let me finish my beloved Italian spaghetti."
"You're so weird… But Luna, what about Kuro and David?"
"What about them?"
"Can we really fight them? Kuro was like a brother to me."
"David was like a brother to me too. I don't want to fight him either. But if they attack our team, we have no choice. We have to fight."
"You're right… They know our powers, that we're the heirs of Tominako Reed."
"But they don't know we can use each other's powers and weapons. And we know their abilities too."
"True. We should tell the others."
As they walked, both girls suddenly sensed the presence of a Stone Heir approaching.
They turned toward the source—and were stunned.
Dalia stood before them
Elsewhere, in the shadows of power…
Murphy sat on his throne, chin resting on his hand as if waiting for something.
Before long, a subordinate entered the chamber.
"My lord, the scouts have returned."
"Did they find the stolen items or not?" Murphy asked.
"Unfortunately… no, my lord."
Murphy stood and hurled a nearby table across the room in rage.
"Tell them to prepare for execution!"
"Yes, my lord."
Before the subordinate could leave, another voice interrupted.
"Stop, don't do it."
Murphy and the subordinate turned. It was Betty—she had just entered.
"Betty? What are you doing here?" Murphy asked.
"Please, sir… This would be the fifth scouting team you're about to execute."
"They failed. We don't need failures."
Betty turned to the subordinate.
" leave but don't carry out the order of the execution "
"Yes, my lady."
Once he had gone, she returned her gaze to Murphy.
"We're not the only ones who got robbed. Even the National Division suffered losses and haven't recovered what was stolen."
"Exactly. That's why we need to act faster."
"Yes but that doesn't mean we should kill everyone who fails."
Murphy rubbed his face and sighed. "You're right… I overreacted."
"You've killed four scouting teams already, Uncle. That's not a little."
"I'll try to control myself. Thank you, Betty."
"You're welcome… Uncle."
No one else knew that Betty was Murphy's niece. She used a false surname, hiding her connection. But she was the only one who could calm him down and prevent him from doing something reckless.
What had been stolen from them? And why was it so important that Murphy would kill his own followers over it?
Elsewhere, in a cold, stone-lit chamber, Yossan sat upon his throne—calm, poised, and unreadable. Sam approached and bowed respectfully before speaking.
"They've given their answer, my lord," Sam said. "Merrick and Chris have agreed to join us… but under certain conditions."
Yossan arched a brow. "Did you explain to them the difference between the silver connector and the regular one?"
"I did but they rejected our method. Instead, they insisted that we find criminals—murderers, rogue Heirs—to sacrifice and fill the slots."
Yossan leaned forward, his voice low and resolute. "That would take far too long. We need to accelerate the process, not slow it down. Their condition is denied. Return to them and give them my answer."
"As you wish, my lord."
In a serene public garden not far from the chaos, Kuro and David strolled side by side. David licked at a melting ice cream cone, a small comfort in these unsettling times.
"Do you think we'll be able to fight Luna or Yuna if they reject our offer?" Kuro asked quietly.
David sighed. "To be honest, I really don't want to. I didn't spend much time with Luna but she feels like a sister to me. It would be hard to lift a hand against her."
"Same here," Kuro muttered. "Yuna is like a sister to me too. But if they turn against us… we'll have no choice."
"By the way," David added, "any news on the stolen items?"
"No luck. Still missing. And Lord Yossan is starting to lose his patience."
"It's been two months since that incident. I can't believe we've come up empty. Whoever stole them must be incredibly clever."
"You're right," Kuro nodded. "But we can't give up. We keep searching until we find them."
"Agreed."
Elsewhere, in the dim corner of a tavern heavy with the stench of ale and despair, Emilio sat hunched in a chair, cradling a bottle of liquor. His left sleeve was empty—his arm gone, lost to the blade of Merrick Isaburo.
Hatred festered in his eyes.
If Emilio could get his hands on Merrick again, he wouldn't simply kill him—he'd make him suffer, slowly, methodically with sadistic precision. That was the storm swirling in his mind as he took another drink.
Suddenly, a hand touched his shoulder from behind.
Emilio turned, tense. It was Caesar.
"What's wrong, Emilio?" Caesar asked gently.
"Leave me alone. I'm not in the mood."
"I know you're not. That's obvious from the way you're trying to drink yourself into a coma. But tell me—what's really eating you?"
"It's him—Isaburo," Emilio growled. "That bastard took my arm. I want revenge. I want it now. But I can't do anything about it."
With a yell, Emilio hurled his glass at the wall, shattering it into shards.
The waiters, guards and other patrons of the tavern said nothing. They all knew who he was—Emilio, one of the elite. He'd broken things here before: billiard tables, wine bottles, chairs. And the owner never dared complain. To do so would mean death.
Caesar placed a calming hand on his friend's shoulder.
"You should focus on a plan to catch him," he advised. "Smashing things won't help."
Emilio : "I've made plans but none will work. We don't know where he or his team are. And we haven't recovered any of the hostages either."
"Come. Let's talk outside."
The two men exited into the alley behind the tavern.
"So," Emilio said, lighting a cigarette. "What's this secret you wanted to tell me?"
Caesar : "The National Division has found the location of Team Kaos," Caesar revealed.
"Team Mayos?"
"No, idiot. Kaos. It turns out Isaburo, Durbin, Danson, Hiday and Ribwan are all part of that team."
"So… they figured out who helped them escape last time?"
"Exactly."
"Damn, those National bastards are sharp. They're good at gathering intel."
"I have to admit it, yes."
"But wait. How do you know this? We're not supposed to be dealing with the National Division. You have spies over there or something?"
"It wasn't me. Someone I work with gathered the intel. A guy named Joey. He's obsessed with Durbin—wants his head more than anything."
"Then let's tell the others and launch an ambush. Maybe we can finally crush Team Kaos!"
"Don't be a fool," Caesar hissed. "If we inform the others, the National Division might suspect we're spying on them. That would bring us more trouble than it's worth."
"You're right. I'm not thinking straight. But then tell me, what's the point of knowing this if we're not going to use it?"
"Oh, we'll use it," Caesar smirked. "Don't worry. I have a plan."
Back on the city streets, Dalia stood before Yuna and Luna.
"Are you here to avenge your friends?" Luna asked coolly.
"No," Dalia said. "I'm here to help you."
"What?" both girls echoed.
"You heard me."
"Stop lying," Yuna snapped. "We know you're planning to trick us."
"I'm telling the truth."
"As if I'd believe you wouldn't want revenge for your fallen allies."
"She's telling the truth," Luna said softly.
Yuna glanced at her twin in surprise. But the look in Luna's eyes told her everything—Trust me.
With a sigh, Yuna stepped back.
Dalia continued, "I know it sounds strange, but… you were right, Miss Luna."
"About what?" Luna asked.
"You once told me… that when someone loses someone dear, they suffer. And that deep down, we're all the same—just people."
"Oh… yeah. I think I did say something like that."
Yuna blinked. "Wait, you said something that wise, Luna?"
"I guess? I don't remember exactly…"
"Typical."
Luna chuckled. "But Dalia, did you come all this way just to tell me I was right?"
"No. I've come to join you."
"What?!" the twins shouted in unison.
Storm on All Fronts
Chaos reigned—among both heroes and villains.
The Fighter Division had refused to cooperate with the National Division . They knew such a partnership was doomed; their goals were too different and their rivalry too deep. Each side sought the same treasures—but for themselves alone.
Murphy led with violence and threats. His style was brutal and impatient.
Yossan, by contrast, was a tactician—measured, persuasive, always attempting to win people over with reason rather than fear.
Team Kaos, meanwhile, remained in the dark. As Jayden had suggested, their enemies were missing something vital—something necessary to complete their plan.
And until Kaos uncovered that missing piece, they stood little chance of defeating the monstrous syndicate that was the Fauvism.
And what of Dalia ?
Was she truly sincere about joining Kaos ?
Or was she simply setting a trap ?
Only time would tell.