After distancing themselves from the others to fight without interference, the red-haired man finally spoke to Jayden.
"Former leader of the Iron Phantom… it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Titch."
Jayden scoffed. "So your name is Titch. Well, I'm not pleased to meet you. You attacked my comrade, and I'll enjoy slicing your head off."
Titch chuckled. "Calm down. No need to be so violent. You're no longer a gangster—you've gone peaceful. Working in your father's bakery now, aren't you? From gang boss to baker... how pathetic."
Jayden narrowed his eyes. "You know what? I've been in a foul mood lately, and it looks like you're the fool I get to unleash all my pent-up rage on. Let's see who the real boss is, you bastard."
Without another word, Jayden drew his weapon, electricity surging through it, and launched a fierce attack. Titch barely managed to parry the strike with his axe, infusing it with air power to soften the blow. Jayden attacked again, faster this time—Titch couldn't block it and barely dodged, using teleportation to reappear behind Jayden with his axe aimed at his neck. But Jayden wasn't easily fooled. He spun around, parried the blow with his left hand, and landed a crushing punch to Titch's stomach with his right, sending the man crashing to the ground.
Jayden moved in, lightning sparking from his weapon, trying to electrocute his downed opponent. Titch countered with compressed air, barely fending off the shock. Still, Jayden's lightning connected, but Titch vanished using teleportation once again.
Jayden followed his trail, approaching slowly with his weapon ready.
Jayden: "Learned your lesson yet? Know who the boss is now?"
Titch growled, "Screw you. Go to hell."
Jayden raised his weapon to finish him, but suddenly sensed danger from behind and leapt away just in time. The ground where he stood shattered as a large, spiked metal ball attached to a rope slammed into it. Its wielder—a new figure—stood beside Titch, clearly an ally.
"I told you not to go alone, Titch," the newcomer said. "But you never listen."
Titch groaned, "Sorry Ronald . I thought it'd be easy."
Ronald frowned. "You got yourself beaten and didn't even kill Rossi."
Jayden stepped forward, eyes cold.
"Gentlemen—Ronald and Titch—save your little chat for later. We still have a battle to finish."
Ronald smirked. "So be it, comrade Durbin."
Ronald, a water element wielder, launched a wave at Jayden, who dodged easily. He followed up with a quick swing of his spiked ball, but Jayden blocked it with his weapon, then released a burst of lightning. Ronald responded with a water shield just in time.
Jayden sliced through the watery barrier and struck again, grazing Ronald's chest as he dodged. Ronald was stunned—his shield had never been pierced before.
Ronald : "You're strong… we underestimated you, Durbin."
Jayden's voice was like ice. "Your only mistake was laying a hand on my comrade Rossi, you bastards."
"We were just carrying out a mission."
"And now I'll carry out mine—sending you both to hell."
"We'll see who goes to hell. Ready yourself."
Ronald tried freezing Jayden's legs with water power but Jayden was enveloped in lightning—it neutralized the ice instantly. Suddenly, Titch reappeared behind Jayden for a surprise attack, but Jayden ducked, then kicked Titch away. Ronald tried again with his spiked ball, but Jayden blocked it and leapt into the air just in time to dodge another treacherous strike from Titch's axe.
While airborne, Jayden unleashed lightning at both opponents. They defended themselves with their elemental powers—water and air. As Jayden landed, he raised both hands to the sky. Titch and Ronald suddenly felt a strange shift in the atmosphere, like a magnetic field had just formed.
Metal fragments scattered around the battlefield began to gather. Jayden infused them with electricity and launched them at his enemies.
Ronald defended with a water shield, while Teach teleported to safety. But before he could recover, Jayden appeared right in front of him and slashed across his chest with his weapon, dealing a deep wound.
Ronald turned to help his friend, but Jayden directed the metallic shards to block his path, forcing him back. Jayden slowly walked toward Titch.
Jayden: "Any last words?"
Titch coughed, bloodied but defiant. "The Fauvism will avenge me. They know everything that happened here."
Jayden's eyes darkened. "The one who starts the fight deserves the punishment. Even if I die fighting those bastards, I'll be happy knowing I dragged as many of them as I could down with me."
"Damn you…"
"Like I said before—go to hell."
Jayden executed Teach without hesitation. Ronald was still busy fending off the shards. Exhausted, he made a run for it, whispering to himself:
"This guy's on another level… he defeated both of us, even when we worked together. I need to warn the others at the Fauvism."
He heard footsteps behind him—Jayden was in pursuit, hurling lightning. Ronald blocked it with his water shield but realized escape was impossible. He turned and launched another attack with his metal ball. Jayden blocked it and grabbed the rope, yanking Ronald toward him and punching him hard in the face. Ronald tried to retaliate with a barehanded strike to Jayden's gut, but Jayden blocked with ease and slammed his head into Ronald's, sending him to the ground.
Jayden slowly approached again, repeating the same words:
"Any last words, you—"
But before he could finish, a trio of teenagers appeared, heading home. Ronald spotted them and a wicked idea formed. He raised his hand and launched a wave attack toward the unsuspecting teens.
The three children froze in terror.
Jayden rushed in, forming an electric barrier to shield them. But Ronald struck again with his spiked ball, landing a brutal blow to Jayden's chest and knocking him to the ground, bleeding.
The teenagers fled in panic. Ronald approached, raising his weapon to deliver the final blow—he was going to crush Jayden's skull. But even wounded, Jayden blocked the attack. Ronald responded by freezing Jayden's legs in place, pinning him down for a death strike.
Just as the ball was about to strike—
Ronald's head was severed in a clean strike by a double-bladed axe.
It was Chris.
The ice melted from Jayden's feet. Chris approached and offered his hand.
Jayden: "Thanks."
Chris: "Don't mention it."
Jayden grinned faintly. "I could've handled it. I was about to discharge my lightning and melt the ice myself."
Chris raised a brow. "And risk him countering with water again? He might not be smart enough for that, but it was a possibility."
Jayden chuckled. "True enough. By the way… were you following me this whole time?"
Chris nodded. "Yeah. Yuna said we're a team. I followed you and that guy from the hospital. When I saw his partner show up, I figured I'd stay out of it—until you were in trouble."
"You really get me," Jayden smiled. "Thanks for letting me enjoy the fight before stepping in."
"Anytime."
—
Meanwhile, the twins Luna and Yuna sat with Rossi in the hospital courtyard, explaining everything. He had promised to keep their secret.
Rossi: "So that's why the boss is so powerful…"
Yuna : "He's an heir of a wonder stone, after all."
"Thanks for healing me, by the way."
"You're welcome. Our powers should serve good, not evil."
Soon after, Chris arrived, carrying the injured Jayden on his back. Luna, Yuna and Rossi rushed to his side as Chris gently laid him down.
Rossi: "Boss, are you okay?"
Jayden: "More or less."
Luna crossed her arms. "I figured you'd do something reckless."
Yuna: "The wound isn't too deep. I'll heal you."
"Not here," Luna suddenly added. "Let's get out of this place before we raise suspicion. Everyone, grab onto me—I'll teleport us home."
Jayden took Luna's arm, followed by Yuna and Chris. Rossi stared at them in confusion.
Luna: "You too, Rossi. Grab on."
Rossi: "Why?"
"Just trust me. And don't let go."
"…Alright."
Luna teleported them repeatedly until they arrived home. Rossi, not used to teleportation, sat down, dizzy.
Yuna: "Are you okay, Mr. Rossi?"
Rossi: "Yeah… just dizzy. Feels like sea sickness."
Luna grinned. "But we weren't at sea. We were flying."
"One wild ride," Rossi muttered.
Yuna: "Rest now. I'll treat Jayden."
She healed him, and he thanked her.
Jayden: "Thanks."
Yuna: "Always."
—
Elsewhere, Clara, a member of Team Kaos, was deleting surveillance footage from the shop where the twins had stolen sweets. Bored, she scrolled through the footage of their wild antics.
Clara: "I don't get those two. What's with all the crazy stunts?"
She deleted the footage as ordered by Merrick—to avoid trouble and keep the twins' identities as stone heirs a secret.
At the Kaos headquarters garden, Tristan was lying in the grass, bored out of his mind, when he suddenly heard familiar voices—Jayden, the twins and someone new.
He sat up.
Tristan: "Hey guys! I see we've got a new face."
Jayden: "Yeah, this is Chris."
Chris extended a hand. "I'm a new member. You must be Tristan."
Tristan: "Sure am."
The two shook hands, then everyone headed inside to discuss the latest developments.