With the attacks starting once again, it was important to hold a meeting with Suzume's lifelong caretaker Arashi. The first chance they got the next day, they went to her house while skipping school. Hannah went to school to 'check up on something', but it was obvious she went to look for Layla, who had taken the day off. It was concerning, but couldn't be helped.

"At this point, I would feel guilty for not letting you guys know," Arashi explained to the group. "Hmm? Wasn't there supposed to be another one of you? That new girl."

"I'm sorry… she wasn't present at school today and I didn't think it would be nice for me to barge in her home."

"That'll be a problem. If they saw her, then she won't be left untouched either. Especially since she can't fight on her own, she'd make easy bait."

The group simply gave solemn expressions in response.

Arashi sighed. "Whatever. As soon as we're done here, the first thing you need to do is explain it to her. Tread carefully and apologize too."

"Yes ma'am."

"As I was saying… I had originally planned to keep it a secret, but that doesn't seem to be possible anymore. While it's true that Hisao tends to send stronger opponents after a long gap, he's never sent fifty men before. In fact, I don't even think he has that many men at his disposal like that."

Immediately, it clicked into Diavolo's mind. "The hired group, huh?"

"Exactly. Miss Hannah, you made sure to deal with the bodies, right?"

Hannah nodded. "Grandpa said he'd handle it."

"Good. I can only expect the Rose to be able to deal with the underworld like this."

"The underworld?!"

"That's right," Arashi said and finally sat down on her couch. "But I'll leave that bit out for now. I didn't understand why he'd be interested in helping Hisao out at first, but after thinking about it, it was easy to figure out that Hisao had already told them about this…"

"About what? Tell us already!" Shin exclaimed.

"Once I tell you this story, you'll figure out on your own why this group is interested in helping him out, and also how much we need to fear incoming attacks.

Till now, what you've learnt goes like this: a powerful ruler, Isshin Aotsuki, gave his belongings to his second son, Akihiko, because his eldest was prone to evil. But Akihiko wasn't the type to hog everything, so he divided it into five and gave them to his four younger siblings, leaving his only elder brother empty. And thus, out of sadness and rage, the eldest child, Hisao, wishes to annihilate the family, right?"

Everyone nodded.

"Alright, so far so good, but there's more. Isshin's wealth did get divided, but what pained Hisao most was the division of his power; the very essence of his father."

"His essence?"

"Isshin was not just some powerful ruler, but one of the most powerful rulers. Unlike you lots who control a specific Material, Isshin could control absolutely anything."

"A…Anything?!"

"Yes. Back then, Isshin's domain suffered many natural calamities, but using his great power, he could subdue all of it and let the people live peacefully. Without his power, the calamities would return.

As such, during his deathbed, he used his remaining life-force energy to create a crystalized version of his powers, the Blue Moon Gem, and handed it down to his second son. In essence, this crystal was basically Isshin himself. The part of him believing his first son being prone to evil stays the same.

Akihiko divided the Blue Moon Gem into five pieces; five shards, that each control some aspect of Isshin's whole, namely, the four Materials. In fact, someone capable of fully utilizing the power of just one shard would mean complete mastery of that particular Material. Unlike the other three, plasma was both the strongest and the most unstable, so it was divided into two shards. Thus these five children of Isshin came to be known as the Shard Guardians."

"So basically, Hisao wants to collect all the shards and gain the power of the Blue Moon Gem?" Yukio deduced.

"Exactly. But the shards aren't just mere pieces of rock lying in our closets. The Shard Guardians protected and utilized the shards by literally fusing them with their very beings. This way, the shards have been passed down through generations by birth. If you forcefully take the shards away, it would basically be the same as ripping our hearts out."

"Hence the killing…" Diavolo let out.

"And since Suzume is the Guardian in this generation, she's being targeted for her shard," Yukio concluded.

"Yes," Arashi confirmed and Suzume solemnly nodded.

"Wait, I don't get it," Shin intervened. "If Suzume has the shard, she's basically super strong, right? Then why can't she fight?"

"Do you remember the school rumors?"

"Yeah, the one about her going berserk, right?"

"Keep in mind that I said if someone is able to utilize the power. Suzume can't use it properly and there're also some issues. Hence, if she tries to exert herself, the power of the shard overwhelms her and she loses control."

"So that was the secret behind the rumors…"

"Poor Suzume…"

"Hold on," Hannah intervened. "If the shards are passed down by birth, then why—"

Ding dong! Ding dong ding dong!

The doorbell repeatedly rang.

"I'll get it." Suzume volunteered and left the living room.

"Yes, so where were w—"

"KYAAA!" Suzume's scream echoed into the room.

"What happened?!" Arashi shouted concerned as all of them rushed to the entrance. There, they saw Suzume standing shocked at the two people before the door. Layla, helping a tattered man drenched in blood.

"U-u-um, I'm sorry for causing a ruckus, but…" Layla panicked. "It was an emergency and this man was—"

"Randolf!" Arashi exclaimed.

"Ara…shi…run…" the man squeezed out with his last breaths and fainted.

"Quickly! Help me bring him in!" Arashi ordered the bunch.

…

..

.

About an hour had passed since then. The man named Randolf was treated and given time to rest. Arashi and Suzume took short turns to look after him and in the meantime, Yukio explained the situation to Layla.

"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't know anything! I was just overwhelmed back then and…" she apologized, flustered and teary. "I even said such horrible things to you!"

"It's okay. We guessed as much. And besides, we didn't even understand what you said, so we took no offense, hehe!"

"Uh-um-erm-mm…" Layla fell silent in embarrassment.

"So then… Who is he?" Shin asked.

"A Shard Guardian like us. He's the other Plasma Guardian."

"Other as in…?"

"The two of us are descendants of Akihiko, one of the two Plasma Guardians. He's the other one."

The moment of the mention of a 'Shard Guardian', the entire group had already guessed what deep trouble they were in and what might have transpired.

"But this isn't right. Unlike Suzume, Randolf has a good deal of control over his shard. Just how many men did Hisao send against him?"

Randolf's hand twitched, alerting Arashi.

"Randolf, stay with me!" she said as she held his hand. "Who did this to you? No, just what force are we dealing with here?"

"Just…one…" he squeezed out from the sliver of consciousness he had.

"What?"

"Ugh," he grunted as he tried to sit upright.

"Careful." Arashi helped him up. "Start slowly. What do you mean just one? As expected, was it really—"

"No," he interrupted. "His attire was different. He was definitely one of Hisao's men. Ugh, where do I start?" He massaged his forehead.

"Easy. Take your time."

"It's that 'time' that we don't have, Arashi. We need to act fast. I received a letter from Abby that said Arnold was attacked. That letter was sent to all of us, so my guess is that the rest have been taken out too. Since you were the farthest from us, the mailing route would've taken longer, so I rushed here as fast as I could.

Luckily, because of that, I was safe for the time being, but they probably guessed my destination based on that letter they found in my house. I was so close into the border, but then they found me last night and I got attacked."

"Last night?!" Shin gasped.

"You mean you've been like this for almost a full day?!" Hannah said, shocked

"You mean the same time we got attacked? That's reckless!" Yukio inquired.

"You guys got attacked too?! Is Suzume alright?!" he asked, shocked. "Was I too late?!"

"Relax, Randolf. Suzu's fine. Her friends protected her."

Randolf looked at the youths before him and saw the bandages that covered them. "That's good. But that also can't be right. If they had sent someone like that man then they would've been a goner. It was most likely just a distraction."

"Sending fifty men just for a distraction?!"

"It's just a hunch, but the entire fleet was probably to take me out. But once they realized I got too close to you, they needed a way to make sure we didn't meet. They tried to keep you busy while the boss decided he could deal with me on his own."

"And this boss is???"

"He was incredibly talkative and had a foul mouth. He called himself Splinter and he kept boasting about how his devotion to Hisao gave him new heights of power. I thought it was just self-gratification, but when he used it – that Black Lightning, it was all too easy for him."

"Black Lightning?"

"Listen carefully, Arashi. These subordinates of Hisao, they're too powerful to take on carelessly. They've apparently fused Hisao's powers with theirs and have climbed a step higher. It's a prize they attained for their devotion."

"Darkness mixed with their own element, huh…"

"Yes, but it gets worse. Normally, one would have to kill us and perform a ritual to steal the shard from us, but this Hisao has been able to create a tool that can extract it out without going through the hassle of killing us. If caught off-guard, it immediately immobilizes us while it extracts the shard from our bodies!"

"Then… I take it that you've lost your shard, huh?" Arashi solemnly asked, even if it was pretty obvious.

"Yes, and most likely, the others have, too. Suzume is the only one left. I tried coming here as fast as I could, but my body was reaching its limit. Luckily, I ran into this young miss in the end. She helped me make it to you guys, or I might've ended up dead in the streets."

"Eh?!" Layla got flustered. "N-no, it was simply a coincidence! I was on my way here to apologize to everyone after I heard they weren't resting in Hannah's house!"

Randolf smiled at her modesty but then he remembered something. "I almost forgot. I think I recall the Splinter guy putting something into my pocket before he left."

"Your pocket?" Arashi reached in and took out a piece of paper.

「Yo yo, shitheads! We heard that capturing the female Plasma Guardian has become a real pain in the ass, so we'd like to see these new 'bodyguards' ourselves! Bring them and the Plasma Guardian to the place marked on the map and make things easier for us! And don't even think about bringing in a bunch of fucking reinforcements if you wanna avoid trouble! I'm sure it's not hard for you to imagine what'll happen if the whole world gets to know about the Blue Moon Gem, right?

This is an order from the Generals of Hisao! Be there at 10:00 am sharp! If not, say 'bye-bye' to Derdalf!!! AHAHAHAHA!!!」

"Nonsense!" Hannah shot up from her place. "Farewell to Derdalf?! Who does he think he is?! Do they really think the Rose Family will let this pass?! Once my father returns, he won't stop until he's captured or killed!"

"Maybe…once he gets the Blue Moon Gem, he won't have to worry about being captured or killed…" Arashi solemnly said and the entire atmosphere turned heavy.

"We can't attack by ourselves because the major powers of the city are outside. We can't call for help from Dimelia's head because they'll want the Blue Moon Stone for themselves. And we can't simply ignore it because they'll come destroy the city and take the shard anyway. What do we do?" Yukio asked.

"They wanted to see our strength, right? Then the answer is clear," Diavolo replied.

"As expected of my rival! Looks like we think the same!"

"Hold it! Are you guys out of your minds?!" said Hannah. "Did you not listen to what he said? Darkness has the power of absorption! Not only will your attacks simply feed them, but they have the power to destroy the city!"

"Then what else are we supposed to do?!" Diavolo erupted. "If you wanna sit tight and think of a safe way to handle this, then be my guest! I'm going even if it's me alone!" And he left the room.

"I'm sorry… I… said something irresponsible…"

"No. What you said was right. You were simply thinking of a way where the benefits outweigh the risks," Arashi consoled. "He's being reckless…"

"Rather than reckless," Suzume said, "I think Diavolo-kun is taking a chance," and looked at Shin and Yukio.

"You mean…that power he mentioned?" Shin asked.

"He wants to face a life or death situation again to trigger it… It definitely is reckless, but if it really is as powerful as he says, then it might work," Yukio confirmed.

"E-eh? What is this about?" asked a confused Layla.

"It's nothing!" Yukio replied, "Come, now. We should head home. Tomorrow's a big day after all!" and started heading towards the door.

"Let's just hope things work out… even though I have a bad feeling about this…" Arashi followed suit.

"Brother Randolf, get plenty of rest, okay!" And Suzume left the bedroom too.

"Give me a copy of the map, okay? I'll have to talk about the preparations with Grandpa too," Hannah said and approached the door.

But as soon as Shin was about to leave too, the man named Randolf stopped him. "Wait, young man." And looking at Hannah, "Could you give us a minute? He'll join you later."

Hannah nodded, "Come quickly, okay?" and left.

"What's the matter?" Shin asked as he sat on the chair next to him.

"That's my line actually. You seem troubled. More than the rest. What's on your mind?"

"Eh? How'd you…"

"I'm a doctor. Knowing my patients' state of mind is part of my work. Now… tell me. You're our last line of defense at the moment after all. It wouldn't fare well, if there was something distracting you mid-battle."

Shin felt ashamed. His problems were his alone. It was embarrassing to be exposed so easily. To think that he couldn't even hide his inner thoughts properly, he cursed himself. But now that it was revealed, there was nothing he could do but explain his problems.

"It's my weapon…"

"…You're going to have to be more elaborate than that…"

"Ah, right, sorry! Uh… The weapon I bought, it's supposed to be the best out there, but I can't control it. I've been trying numerous methods, but none work."

Randolf knitted his eyebrows. "Did you try checking the syn—"

"Synchro-rate? Yes. Everything's fine with compatibility. The only time it works is if I don't even think about anything. How is that supposed to work?! How can I attack without thinking of anything?!"

"Without thinking…?" he mumbled and said. "Is your weapon by any chance one of the latest builds of the third generation?"

"Yes, why?"

Randolf sighed. "It's true that the latest builds are the best made so far. After all, they'll be used by top notch military units as well. They're efficient, powerful and basically check all the boxes that are not considered luxury in a weapon. However…" He waited until he saw the curiosity in Shin's eyes. "That is exactly that. Military use. It is not fit for general purpose use. To properly use it, one needs to have military level senses; or more precise, a mindset. These were made with military powers in mind, people who are capable of tucking aside their emotions can properly use it. It's not that it works when you don't think of anything, but it will only work when you don't think of anything but your target being cut."

"A pro level weapon only meant for pros…"

"Exactly. It's not your fault, but it simply wasn't meant for people other than trained professionals. My suggestion is you switch to an older build. The overall efficiency of it would be worse, but the tradeoff for actually being able to use the weapon is worth it in my eyes."

"In the end it's that again, huh…" Shin closed his eyes and took a breath. "I won't do it."

"That's not a smart decision, though…"

"I don't care. I've been trying to deal with this weapon for so long, and if I simply give up right now… my pride won't let it. My friends, both of them, have a first generation weapon. Their weapons chose them rightfully. And here, I have the best third generation weapon the market can provide. If I can't even muster the right guts to utilize this hunk of metal, then what rival will I be?!"

"You don't even have a full day. Subtracting out your sleep time, it's not twelve hours either. Just what are you expecting?"

"Fear not, Mister Randolf!" Shin rose from his seat. "Hannah's been surprised by our group many times already! It's your turn now!" He placed his fist on his chest. "All I need to do is suppress my emotions, right? Leave it to me!"

"Shin! Hurry up!" Diavolo's voice came from downstairs.

"I'm coming!" he yelled in reply, "Prepare to be surprised, Mister Randolf! See ya!" and left the room.

In the quiet room left only for this one patient, the doctor's lips curled up into a smile. "Regardless of tomorrow's outcome, I've somewhat taken an interest in you, young man…"

Helping Layla back home, the four of them returned to the Rose household, and the trio immediately got into the dojo in preparation for the next day. They were warming up with their weapons as usual and were just about to move on to the higher level practices.

In the meantime, Hannah was feeling left out. The only one without a weapon, who could only train with their Material alone. Just what future would befall upon her? Also, somewhere in her heart, she felt like the boys wouldn't let her fight because of her shortcomings. Right now, they were basically, all three of them, much stronger than her. They were after all, her prize students. But she wouldn't let that slide. If the time came that they tried to hold her back, she wouldn't let them. She even prepared her heart to go all out against them if they refused. This was not simply because it determined the fate of her friend Suzume, but also involved Derdalf! As a Rose, and as the next heir, it was her responsibility!

"Please excuse me," an aged voice let out as the door opened.

"Grandpa, is something the matter?"

"I've heard about your picnic tomorrow, so I've come to give you my blessings. Come." He gestured.

"Grandpa…" Hannah let out as she was moved, almost to tears, at her grandfather's love and care. She smiled, approached him and bowed before in simple elegance.

William gently placed his right hand just above her head. "May Lord Nissil look after you throughout your journey. Let the force and will of our forefathers course through your being, granting you strength to face all obstacles that hinder your path. Let them know, the destination you seek is your birthright and nothing less! All those who stand in your way shall heed your name. And if disaster befalls upon you, do not waver. One fighting for the right cause is just! Justice is always rewarded, here and after!"

Afterwards, adding a few personal touches to the chant, William concluded his blessings by injecting a small clump of his Raze. Having a part of his essence, Hannah could feel his emotions flowing into her.

"Serajin," he said.

"Serajin," Hannah repeated and rose up to look at his grandfather tearing up. "Grandpa, don't cry…"

William sniffed with his runny nose and wiped his tears with his sleeves. "This is nothing… Also, I have another gift for you."

And then, as if it was his cue, Stanley walked in with a beautifully decorated wooden box. It was long, over a meter, about 20 cm thick and 30 cm tall, including the lid. Standing just behind William, slightly to the side, he opened the box, revealing, resting within cushions, a long and thin object, completely wrapped in a ribbon like cloth. Its shape gave away the fact that it was a bare blade, without a handle.

"This is…" Hannah let out as her assumptions made her get goose bumps.

"Although you haven't reached adulthood yet, this is for you," William took it out and held it on his palms, presenting it in front of her. "Take it."

Overwhelmed with honor, Hannah couldn't help but bow once again, and in that position, "I will forever cherish this, Grandfather. Thank you very much," held up her hands to let the blade rest on hers from William's.

"Whoa, Hannah got her weapon!" Shin beamed.

"Congratulations, Hannah!" Yukio cheered.

"About time." Diavolo smirked.

Hannah rose her head and beheld the blade in her hands. "At last, I can fight. I can finally fight alongside my friends!" She smiled with reddened cheeks.

Badump!

Shin felt it in his chest after witnessing the portrait-like scene before him. The freshness and beauty of that smile momentarily made him forget all his troubles. As if time had frozen, Shin's brain took in as much information as it could to muster up a permanent still image of the display. He engraved this angelic expression into his memories.

"By the way, Mister Stanley, what generation is this?" Yukio asked curiously.

"Well, according to today's standards, it would be considered a third generation, but…"

"Oh, so it's the same as Shin's! That's great!"

"This is not just a mere third generation, Yukio," Hannah proudly began to explain with her eyes still locked onto the object in her hands. "This weapon was created before the third generations were even considered a generation! A weapon passed down through the ages, it is one of the first few all-crystal weapons ever to be crafted in this world! A legendary weapon! Calling this a third generation weapon, as if it is like the rest, is an insult! A proud heirloom to the Rose Family, the Heratune!"

"It is exactly Mistress Hannah says," Stanley continued. "In the past, there was a legendary craftsman. He actually had a small group together with whom he crafted his works, but he was the prime anchor. Along with the Heratune, he made several other top tier weapons that are still in existence today; some lost, others treated with great pride and joy. His crafts were so near to the idealistic weapon that people in power sought after that they wished to take his methods; buy, borrow or steal. In the end, some unfortunate incident happened and his methods are lost forever."

The boys' expressions clearly showed that they were impressed. Not a reply was required.

"Before your father moved on to his current weapon, he too used this. Seeing you holding the blade before you reach twenty, really reminds me of him. You really are your father's daughter. You make me proud," William said, making Hannah blush.

"Hannah's father? So he too was a Gas user?" Yukio asked.

Stanley giggled. "That is not the case. Legendary weapons aren't called legendary for simply one reason alone. All of them… have some form of special characteristic that separates them from all other weapons. In the case of the Heratune, it doesn't have any Material preferences. Absolutely anyone can wield it and it will work according to the user's will."

"Whoa, that is so cool!"

"Wait a minute." Diavolo jumped in. "Wouldn't that be a problem if it fell into the wrong hands?"

"It's not that simple, Diavolo." Hannah finally faced the trio. "It is said that the legendary craftsman only detached himself from his beloved creations once he found someone worthy. Similarly, one can only use Heratune if the previous master is willing to pass it on."

"But then… what if the person dies?"

"Then… the ownership is sent back to the previous master," she guessed.

"But what if he or she isn't alive either?"

"Then…" Hannah started to get annoyed. "That's right! The heart! As long as the owner deemed someone worthy in her heart, then the next owner can take it!" she proudly guessed again.

"But… what if that person never realizes that he or she is the next owner and simply moves on?"

"Then… Urgh! I don't know! Stop ruining my mood!"

"Hannah," William spoke, resting his hand on her shoulder. "Know this. No matter what happens in the future, my dear granddaughter, you are nothing shy from your father. You are a proud member of the Rose. An elite by birth!"

"I know, Grandpa." She smiled. "And I hereby promise never to disappoint you." She placed her hand on her chest in pledge.

"Now, then. Try it out. Unleash the cries of Heratune once more! Remember than even if it is a bare blade, it never faces its fangs against its master. As soon as the energies mix, the two of you will become one and work as if you are extensions of each other's being!"

Hannah nodded and turned to face an empty wall several meters away. She took a slow, deep breath and injected her Natura into the blade. As if it was the most natural response, the ribbon covering Heratune opened up, up till the area where she gripped the blade, and fastened itself around Hannah's arm. Emitting a bright, yet gentle white light, Hannah's composed figure was enveloped by several layers of breezes.

It was as if there was nothing in the room but her target and her. She gracefully raised her dominant arm and focused a point on the wall. Gripping tight and holding her breath, she slashed, and followed by it, the layers of wind were all gathered at the tip and launched forward altogether.

Katakat!

Three very distinct slashes appeared on the wall, all intersecting each other at a fixed point. Just near the point were numerous other smaller slashes.

"Whoa!" Yukio gasped.

"Impressive," Diavolo thought.

Hannah felt satisfied. Incredibly satisfied. Elated, in fact. But she did not show it. She wished to remain composed. Till now, she had been working with training weapons, designed to work only to reach lower than the gate to a 2-star. Although a 2-star was a long way, it was still meaningful, in that she was still not worthy of a new and personal weapon.

She wished for one. A lot. But she had never thought her first weapon would be the legendary Heratune. It was beyond just an honor! Adding to that, the weapon truly had accepted her, and she was also able to execute a pin point projectile attack from several meters away. She commenced internally celebrating. But of course, again, she didn't let any of it show.

William nodded. "Splendid. Now, I'm sure you want to practice with it, now that you've gotten a new weapon, but make sure to not go overboard. Remember, it will automatically feel like an extension of your own body. Although I'm pretty sure you've experienced it already."

"It's okay, Grandpa. That one slash alone has given me a good grasp of Heratune. It is getting late. We must rest and eat up."

"Hahaha! That's more like my granddaughter! But before that." He faced the trio. "You three. One at a time. Come here."

"Eh? Us?"

"What, just because you're not a Rose doesn't mean I can't give you my blessings, right?"

"Yes!" Yukio beamed and bowed before him.

"May Lord Nissil look after you throughout your journey," he said after he placed his hand over his head. "Serajin."

"Serajin."

And then, Diavolo approached. "May Lord Nissil look after you throughout your journey. Serajin."

"Serajin."

And then, Shin's turn, but he wasn't responding. "What's the matter Shin boy? Come!"

"Eh? Ah! Right! My bad!" He snapped out of his daydreaming and bowed down.

"May Lord Nissil look after you throughout your journey. Serajin."

"Serajin."

Although neither of the boys were believers of Nissil, it was common courtesy to respond respectfully when being blessed.

"And um, about dinner, could I come a little later?"

"Hmm?" William raised an eyebrow.

"There's just something I really have to take of before doing anything else. I won't be able to rest if I don't complete it!"

"Don't be late, then. The rest, come with me."

"Don't overdo it," Diavolo said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"You don't get to say that!" he rebuked as the entire dojo emptied except for him.

Shin took a deep breath. "Now then… ways to remove emotions…"

Almost two hours had passed before Shin entered the dining hall.

"You're late! We were just about to leave!" Hannah pouted.

"Ehhh~? You guys waited for me? That's so nice of you! I love you guys so~ much!"

The entire table was confused and surprised at his response.

"I thought Hannah was the one who got a new weapon. Why are you so happy?" Diavolo asked, creeped out.

"Am I now? Who knows~. Hehe!" And he cheerfully munched on his food.

In the meantime, a dark figure approached the dojo and opened the door. It witnessed numerous burn-slashes on the floor, and on straw dummies.

"Well done. But you are still quite lacking. If only you could stop chasing after the wrong people…"