Cassie screamed, forcing Rigal to cancel the attack, completely irate.

"You're all working together!?"

"That wasn't us," Rigal claimed as Wali peered his eyes deeper to see Paleun, striking where his short body was, forcing him to expand his size to avoid capture, but Cassie had enough, firing her follicles omnidirectionally.

Ruben shielded Kayla from the attack while getting shredded at close range, leading to Delphine and Nyla using their spells to cover him, distracting everyone long enough for a portal to open up, and a tentacle to smack Cassie towards it.

"Wait!"

"Akilah, Rigal, you have one month to expose your crimes to all of Terra or I'll tear down everything you hold so dear! My brother's death won't be in vain!"

Wali and Sehki's faces were filled with regret upon seeing her vanish, wondering what to do as Mechion refused a treaty, ordering the Terra Safety members on duty to find whoever smacked her, interrogating everyone there through the night, watching everyone's move.

Hours later, everyone was split into different rooms:

The Rising Twelve stood around Ruben.

"Why did you get in the way?"

"Why didn't you warn me," with his wounds being patched up. "We just came back from the fight."

"Your performance was on display not stopping the Seahorse criminal."

"I'd," coughing, "argue helping out the less fortunate while they dealt with the threat put us in a better light."

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Arian admitted, showing them Ruben's posts of Tenshia and Arian helping them out and him fighting Kayla. "They're giving us credit for saving Favela!"

"It's sad," Dango admitted, seeing the differences in damages between both sides of the city. "Wouldn't it be a good thing to get the other leaders to offer aid?"

"Saiban's safety and status comes before all else. They struggled because of their weaknesses. Compassion for the weak will make you end up like him. I hope it was worth it."

Kayla found herself surrounded by her Heralds, Taylor, and Queen Austrina, apologizing for making them worry.

"I knew it was worth training you all. Excellent job ladies," leaving Taylor surprised.

"I knew you had some skills, but that was almost as good as me," with a confident boast.

"Said the guy who had to turn himself into a monster," said Lorena side-eyeing him.

"Quiet," upon recalling from his headache and fatigue he needed her help for control, gripping his quivering fingers.

"But thanks, and sorry. For everything. Including harming your dad."

The silence and processing of her words left Lorena's pupils in awe, never expecting to hear those words come out from his mouth

"Yeah, welcome."

"Mom, if you speak to dad, tell him to stop it," looking at his mangled trident. "Right now, I'm no hero to anyone."

"Son," trying to physically console him. "Lorena, if you here Yessenia, tell her I understand the weight of her words now."

Delphine recalled Yessenia telling her a message to send to her sister.

"You won't grow or surpass me until your act makes the world understand justice? What did she mean," looking at her phone with multiple calls.

Why won't you answer me?

Taylor remembered she was the only one there protecting everyone else. "Maybe she got fed up with no one else there originally?"

Austrina pulled up a phone, letting the other members of the Orbit to balance relief efforts into both of Coastrosity's central's cities.

Capel, Mandrew, and Mace burst into the room with the former praising Nyla, showing them a video of the three of them fighting in Favela, posted by Ruben with a little caption.

With a little support from these girls, before focusing exclusively on Tenshia and Arian.

"He barely focused on us!"

Kayla snickered. "That's his way of being nice, I guess."

Rigal, Ainsley, and Sehki waited outside.

"It feels like every victory we get, we're always a step behind," with Lorena, Cassie, and whoever attacked her pushing his scowl. "Well at least the four heirs are finally back in action," earning no reaction from either of them. "Hey, we saved Xia...before you got arrested."

"Hey, at least you weren't working for a terrorist. If Lumin and Proxim are working together, this time we'll be there to help you punch his lights out."

"That'll be fun. Why hasn't Xia come out? Her dad tried to replace her! Is she mad at me, Calypsa, or is she scared?"

Ainsley looked to Rigal, also unsure since they left.

"She said she's waiting to talk to her dad and then she'll make her answer. So I'll fight for her until she's ready."

"Yeah I can tell, I thought Ains leveled up but you feel like a force of nature now!"

"Cuz of you. After I lost the tournament, I asked Delta what you had that I didn't."

—

"So I went to visit those kids who went to you earlier, talk to some people in the military and veterans about the Herdsmen and Ursa Protocols," gripping his hands.

"I want to end it, and then save Amarilis. Magic lightning can't work against him, but I want to keep mastering my skills until I'm ready to manipulate real lightning myself. Sehki, help me improve Shugoda. Promise."

He turned to Cree and Candy, listening.

"Let me make it up to both of you," bowing to them. "I'm sorry."

Candy looked away. "I still wish you helped me that night," but, facing him directly with a crouch. "I'll do my part."

Cree nodded. "Finally found a proper storm in your heart."

"Once we save our world, we'll finally have a proper battle."

Over the next month, rumors of incidents in Shugoda were rising. Researchers were getting kidnapped, Mechion and Akilah were getting reports of Switch users with different powers based on the StellArts of the two countries with the battles with Proxim.

And a new message carved into the head research tower of Shugoda.

"Confess or the murderers die."