Merrick carried his aunt on his shoulder, leaping in long, powerful strides away from the warehouse they had just escaped. Salvador kept pace beside him, their movements swift and synchronized.
Salvador: "I can feel the energy of a Stone Heir pursuing us."
Merrick: "Me too. It must be those two elite professionals we encountered in the warehouse."
He glanced back with concern before continuing.
Merrick: "We need to move faster. We're carrying my aunt, and if they catch up while she's with us, it could be dangerous."
Salvador: "I fear a clash is inevitable. By the time we reach where Tristan is waiting, they'll have caught up—they're incredibly fast."
Merrick: "Yeah… I can feel it too."
As they spoke, Merrick's aunt stirred faintly. Her eyes fluttered open, groggy and disoriented. She glanced upward to see Merrick soaring through the air in massive leaps, a masked figure running beside him so she asked
"M-Merrick? What's happening? How are you moving like this? And who is that masked man with you?"
Merrick: "Auntie, I'll explain everything later. For now, just trust me and don't make a sound and...."
Before he could finish, both Merrick and Salvador felt a surge of danger. Behind them, a massive fireball and a lightning orb came soaring through the air.
They halted mid-movement and raised barriers—Salvador conjuring an electric shield, Merrick a watery one. The barriers absorbed much of the attack but not all. The energy broke through, forcing them to split and dodge the residual blasts.
Only skilled Stone Heirs who trained as a team could combine elemental powers like this—just as Warren and Shiro once had. Such synchronization was a mark of true professionals.
Suddenly, while Salvador stood poised, a metallic clink echoed—Tatsuka attacked with her weapon: a chain fused to a small sickle. The curved blade swung toward Salvador, who deflected it with her hammer.
But Tatsuka wasn't done.
She coiled the chain around Salvador's hammer and ignited it with fire. Salvador immediately activated an electric shield around her body, trying to repel the flames. Yet Tatsuka, relentless, recalled her weapon and struck again with inhuman speed—her sickle vanishing and reappearing in her hand like magic.
Salvador managed to dodge but not entirely. The blade grazed her stomach, drawing blood.
Tatsuka smirked.
Tatsuka: "Why don't you introduce yourself, masked one? Maybe I'll spare your life and ask you to join us."
Salvador: "Not interested. And if that were the plan, why didn't you invite Merrick to join politely too?"
"Because he's marked for execution. He allied with Chris, Jayden and Tristan—the ones who attacked our base and killed our people. They were chosen to fill the forty eight slots ."
"They were avenging a friend when they destroyed that base. And what do you mean by 'filling the forty eight slots'?"
"Join us man and you'll understand more."
"In your dreams."
Covered head to toe in armor, helmet and a voice-changer, Salvador revealed nothing about her identity. Tatsuka had assumed she was speaking to a man.
Their battle resumed. Salvador swung her electrified spiked hammer with force. Tatsuka countered, her weapon ablaze. Though she blocked the blow, the sheer impact forced her back. Salvador followed up with a lightning bolt—Tatsuka conjured a flame shield and withstood it.
Then Tatsuka hurled her flaming weapon again, trying to recreate her earlier trick. But this time, Salvador slammed her hammer into the ground, sending debris flying and blinding Tatsuka's view. She leapt into the air and hurled her weapon downward, lightning crackling from its head.
Tatsuka barely dodged, but before she could recover, Salvador launched herself down, fists full of stones crackling with electricity. Tatsuka summoned another fire shield, using her weapon to deflect the charged stones—only to be punched hard in the gut then kicked to the ground.
Tatsuka stared up, rage filling her eyes.
Tatsuka: "Clever... You struck the ground, hid some stones, then charged them to attack. Very smart."
Salvador: "That's exactly what I did."
"But you've angered me… and you won't live to brag about knocking me down."
She pulled a small vial from her coat, filled with a dark, viscous liquid. Upon opening it, the black substance emerged, swirling around her ominously. Without delay, she ignited her weapon and lunged at Salvador once more—shrouded in shadow and fire.
Salvador attacked, her hammer sparking with electricity—but as soon as she struck, her weapon stuck fast to the swirling black goo. She tried to pull it free, but had to abandon it entirely when Tatsuka nearly sliced her in half.
Tatsuka sneered.
Tatsuka: "Your marvelous weapon's stuck now. Let's see how long you last with just rocks."
Salvador pulled a dagger from her coat, her voice bold.
Salvador: "Then let's find out."
Meanwhile, Merrick had placed his aunt safely far from the battlefield, instructing her to stay put. He now stood alone, facing Emilio, who approached slowly.
Emilio: "Isaburo Merrick… The way you destroyed that warehouse—impressive. Sharp thinking. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to end that brilliance."
Merrick: "Like you gave me a choice? You were planning to kill me from the start. Enough talk—let's fight."
Merrick drew his sword. Emilio revealed his weapon: a star-shaped blade of serrated swords fused together. He immediately charged it with electricity and lunged.
Merrick infused his blade with ice and parried. Their weapons clashed, evenly matched in strength and skill.
Emilio leapt back, flung his weapon at Merrick—but Merrick deflected it. Suddenly, Emilio appeared with a dagger charged with lightning. Merrick blocked it with his bare hand, encasing it in ice but Emilio used the moment to kick Merrick in the leg, causing him to stagger—then punched him hard in the chest and zapped him with a surge of lightning.
Merrick collapsed.
Emilio stood over him, smirking.
Emilio: "Fool. I thought you were clever and strong—but clearly, I was wrong."
Merrick (smirking): "No... you're the real fool."
"Me? You're the one lying in the dirt."
"You won't beat me with just one arm."
"What the hell are you—"
Before he could finish, he felt his shoulder freeze. Merrick's sword burst from beneath the earth and severed Emilio's right arm clean off.
The scream was deafening.
Merrick stood, panting.
Merrick: "Like I said… you hurt me, but you won't beat me with one arm."
Emilio (furious): "So when you blocked my dagger, you secretly froze my shoulder... then planted your sword underground... and timed it perfectly."
"Exactly. Seems you're clever after all."
"I'll kill you, bastard!"
Emilio hurled smoke bombs—dark ones, ominous and toxic. Merrick quickly leapt away. Sure enough, they were poisonous. When the smoke cleared, Emilio was already fleeing, blood trailing from his stump.
From afar, Tatsuka noticed her wounded comrade. Salvador used that distraction, launching another attack that sent Tatsuka sprawling. Salvador charged her dagger with electricity and aimed to strike—but Tatsuka blocked with her flame-forged weapon. Salvador didn't press further, knowing her dagger would never withstand Tatsuka's blade.
Stone Heirs could channel their power into other objects—but their original weapons were always strongest.
Salvador rushed to retrieve her hammer, still stuck in the black fluid. She electrocuted it, breaking it free and turned just in time to see Tatsuka leap away, carrying Emilio.
Merrick launched another attack. Tatsuka blocked it and Emilio struck back with a lightning bolt—but Merrick dodged easily.
Tatsuka hoisted Emilio again and fled at high speed.
Later, she cauterized his wound with her fiery weapon.
Tatsuka: "They're stronger than we expected. We underestimated them."
Emilio: "Yeah… My arm paid the price for that mistake."
"The bleeding's bad. I'll cauterize it. Can you handle the pain?"
"Do it. We have to finish this."
She braced him and began burning the wound closed. Emilio screamed in agony.
Shortly after, the two followers arrived, rushing to their injured leader.
One of them asked
" Master Emilio ! What happened ? !"
Emilio : " Are you blind, idiot? I lost my arm !"
"Sorry—I meant, was it Isaburo who did this?"
Emilio seethed, refusing to look weak.
Emilio: "Enough with the questions. You and Kiki—go after that bastard. Bring him down."
Kiki : "Yes, Master."
Tatsuka: "No. Kiki stays with Emilio. I'll go also . Emilio—catch up with us when your strength returns."
Emilio: "Fine. Go. They've gotten too far already."
Tatsuka and the other follower began pursuit, though the gap was wide. Merrick and Salvador, with Merrick's aunt, had fled far from their enemies.
Merrick's aunt asked him "what's going on? Why are you covered in wounds?"
Merrick: "Auntie, please… save your questions."
"Alright…"
Salvador: "Merrick, why didn't we finish them off?"
Merrick: "Because our priority is reaching Tristan. I also sensed their teammates nearby. Reinforcements would've outnumbered us—and we've got a hostage to protect."
Salvador: "I sensed them too. You're right."
Soon, they reached the rendezvous point—but Tristan wasn't there.
Merrick: "Damn it. Where is he?"
Salvador: "Did he forget the meeting spot?"
"I don't know, he—"
A voice cut through the tension.
Tristan: "Would you two stop with the drama? I'm right here, in the flesh."
They turned, relieved. Without another word, Tristan extended his hand—and teleported them all out in a wide-range jump.
And just like that… the escape plan succeeded.
But is this truly the end?
And what of the rescued hostages—where will they be taken?