Why did Geng Metal use this mission to seize Petrified? Because for the past three months he'd been investigating the cause of Ding Fire's death. He'd long suspected someone on the inside had tampered with things.
He'd probed for three months, suspected many, and crossed many names off the list.
Geng Metal was resolute and blunt. His methods were simple, even crude, but fundamentally righteous.
Unlike Jia Wood — who naturally commanded respect from his lofty position — Geng Metal hated corruption and tolerated no grain of sand in his eye.
If he suspected foul play, he pursued it to the end.
About Ding Fire's death, his suspicions didn't end with Ren Water; he eyed other Heavenly Stems too — Jia Wood, Ji Earth — anyone who'd been there first.
But after repeated investigations, he'd found nothing.
When questioning produced no leads, he turned to harsher measures.
For example: α—147 Petrified. People lie — objects don't.
It was a lie detector, and Ren Water and Ding Fire hadn't noticed Geng Metal covertly bringing it out.
Confronted with Geng Metal's sudden accusation, even Yi Wood was taken aback.
She hurried up to his side, tugged at him, and whispered, "What are you doing? We're about to deploy."
From a wider perspective, Yi Wood felt this was a bad time for Geng Metal to raise the issue.
Geng Metal's stubbornness and Yi Wood's softness were archetypal masculine and feminine symbols.
But in tradition men were placed above women, and over time a rather unkind proverb grew up: the Yi–Geng pairing was a humility-match.
Yi Wood stood for the delicate — flowers, plants — while Geng Metal stood for strength — swords, blades. Together they should balance strength and gentleness.
Why call it a union of the humble? Because Geng Metal often disregarded Yi Wood entirely. He was blunt; Yi Wood had to soften and yield for the greater good.
Thus the Yi–Geng combination carried an implicit hierarchy.
"Geng Metal," Yi warned, "Ren Water is already emotionally fragile after Ding Fire's death. The higher-ups are sending him on this mission to make him forget. What you're doing now will only upset him more..."
"A woman's perspective," he said.
"But if there's a worm in the organization, unless it's removed, the tragedy that took Ding Fire could happen again."
"I want an answer now, Ren Water. Tell me."
"Was Ding Fire's death your doing?!"
Faced with Geng Metal's interrogation, Ren Water first blinked, then flared with anger.
"Are you accusing me of killing Ding Fire?!"
"Ding Fire and I were teammates for half a year. She cared for me without complaint. At one point I considered her family."
"To me, Ding Fire was more than a colleague. I won't say I loved her, but I can say I liked her. From the bottom of my heart, I wanted to protect her."
"I loved her absent-minded mischief, her cleverness, her vigilance, her gentleness."
"So I swear to Heaven: if Ding Fire died because of me, may thunderbolts strike me this instant — utterly annihilated!"
Petrified did not heat up; instead, it exhaled a chilling cold.
That was proof enough — Ren Water was not lying.
Petrified's ability was absolute. Within a certain radius, the moment anyone spoke a single falsehood, it would blaze hot in the user's hand.
But from the instant Ren Water finished speaking, Petrified remained frozen, unchanging.
There was only one conclusion: every word he'd spoken was true.
Geng Metal lowered the hand he had been holding behind his back.
"I apologize for doubting you. But ever since Ding Fire's death, I've suspected everyone. It wasn't only you."
"There are others. I must uncover the truth. If there's a mole within us, I'll drag him out no matter what."
Ren Water clenched his teeth.
"Perhaps to you, Ding Fire was only a colleague. But to me, she wasn't. Don't belittle this in front of me."
With that, Ren Water turned away.
Geng Metal, though weighed with guilt, kept silent. Yi Wood let out a helpless sigh.
"I warned you. Why can't you stop acting so recklessly?"
"On this mission, the three of us must work together. We'll need to communicate. But now you've turned the air heavy with suspicion. If anything truly goes wrong, who will take responsibility?"
Geng Metal slipped Petrified into his pocket.
"I will."
"Perhaps it's unfair to Ren Water. But I had to do it. I cannot fight alongside someone I don't trust."
Yi Wood shook her head.
"Now you say you trust him. But after accusing him like that, do you think he'll trust you?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Either way, I'm enough on my own."
Leaving those words behind, Geng Metal went to change into his combat uniform.
Watching him, Yi Wood felt a crushing powerlessness. Heavenly Stem was already short one, and now inner conflict was splitting them apart.
With unrest inside, how could they possibly stand against threats outside?
Yi Wood sighed again and again. Passing by, Bing Fire noticed.
"What's wrong, Sister Yi Wood? Did Old Jin bully you again?"
"No. Geng Metal and Ren Water just had a quarrel."
Bing Fire folded his arms.
"Oh? And why's that?"
"Because Geng Metal suspects Ren Water had something to do with Ding Fire's death."
"I see…"
Bing Fire smirked faintly.
"Well, if it were me, I'd probably suspect Ren Water too."
"Why?"
"Because I can't stand the guy. As a Heavenly Stem, both his ability and his character are just too ordinary. Honestly, plenty of others could do his job."
It wasn't an exaggeration. Bing Fire had always looked down on Ren Water.
"Back in training, he was nothing but a bootlicker. And ever since we started real missions, he gets hurt at the slightest thing. I've never understood why someone like him was made a Heavenly Stem."
"There are clearly far more capable people in the organization than him."
This way of thinking wasn't unique to Bing Fire. Tension already existed among the Heavenly Stems. In fact, the reason they were stationed apart was precisely to avoid internal conflict.
For within the Heavenly Stems, alongside the five harmonies, there were also four clashes.
Jia and Geng clash. Yi and Xin clash.
Bing and Ren clash. Ding and Gui clash.
Bing stands for Yang Fire, Ren for Yang Water. When two Yang elements meet, fire and water repel each other. This was a Yang clash.
They were born to dislike one another. It couldn't be helped.
But why only four clashes, not five?
Because if East, West, South, and North correspond to Metal, Wood, Water, and Fire, then Earth is the center. It doesn't fight for dominance, and so it has no clash.
In modern terms, Earth could be likened to a good-natured person.
Soon after, Ren Water, Geng Metal, and Yi Wood set out.
Their helicopter pilot was a white man, fitting given that the United Nations headquarters was in North America — New York.
When the GPA was later established, the UN's international public land expanded, but its headquarters remained fixed in New York.
Even after Zero took control, renamed the organization, and consolidated its power, the headquarters stayed there, continuing to recruit locals.
Among them, North Americans formed the majority, with Europeans second.
But to avoid repeating the GPA's downfall, Kitsune deliberately abandoned the old system of national and continental representatives.
...
Two days later.
Europe, on a farm.
Upon arrival, Geng Metal's team didn't alert the host government. They simply contacted the local police station and began their mission.
Why? Because of Computer.
That Object had forced every nation to pass communication repeal laws, reverting to verbal relay only.
Otherwise, the moment an Object was detected and an operation launched, Computer would know instantly — and Chaos would follow right after.
Thus, in the campaign to wipe out Chaos, there were two most difficult targets.
First: 009.
Second: 020 Computer, the absolute sovereign of the information age.
Unless both were destroyed, Chaos could never be truly erased.
...
At the farm, the team headed straight to the source.
The site hadn't been cleaned. Bodies remained intact, preserved by Europe's winter cold. Even after a week, there was no decay.
Yi Wood, with her forensic training, inspected them first.
"The cuts are clean. Cause of death: decapitation. No signs of struggle. Each died in a single strike."
"Their expressions show no fear or pain, as if they didn't even realize they were dying."
"Two possibilities: the killer had mental hypnosis, or some paralytic ability that left the victims unaware of their deaths."
"Or some kind of rule-based ability that forcefully decapitates within certain constraints."
Geng Metal went to speak with the local farmers, but his foreign language was poor, enough only for the most basic exchanges.
Still, with Petrified in hand, he didn't need much conversation. The villagers only had to nod or shake their heads.
After some questioning, it was clear: none of the farmers knew when the victims had died. All they knew was that by dawn, everyone at the farm was already dead.
There was no surveillance here. No direct clues.
Kitsune's investigators began combing the scene.
"We found multiple sets of footprints of varying size."
"Most match the deceased, but there's one larger set that matches no one."
"The soil here is hard. The human prints pressed only into the snow, not the earth beneath. But this larger print has sunk into the ground itself. Whoever left it must have been carrying great weight."
"And the shape—honestly, it resembles neither man nor beast."
"This creature walks with forelimbs gripping the ground and hind legs raised. It has three sharp, talon-like toes."
"Judging by the size, the creature isn't large. Roughly human-sized."
"Can the tracks be followed?"
"They're intermittent. At times, they appear far apart. It can be done, but it will take time."
"Then to save time, we'll split up." Geng Metal proposed.
Yi Wood immediately objected.
"No. We don't even know what ability the opponent has. Splitting up is far too dangerous."
"If we stick together, the trail will already be cold." Geng Metal countered, and without hesitation, rushed off toward one set of tracks.
Ren Water, wordless, broke off to follow another.
Yi Wood stood frozen, exasperation plain in her sigh.
"I knew it would turn out like this…"
Night fell.
Following the trail, Geng Metal arrived at a remote farm surrounded by cattle sheds.
But the sheds weren't normal. Inside, dismembered cattle lay strewn in heaps.
Chunks of flesh and hide littered the ground, jagged and irregular.
Geng Metal stepped into the farmhouse. The room was dim, without light.
Chaos reigned inside, as if raiders had ransacked the place.
Several spots on the floor had collapsed in, each depression perfectly matching the strange footprints he had been tracking.
"Looks like I've found the right place."
Geng Metal climbed to the second floor and found two headless bodies.
They were a man and a woman — both likely in their sixties. Beyond them, nothing else remained on that level.
The second-floor window had been smashed. Geng Metal moved to the opening and looked down. The familiar footprints reappeared there, leading away toward a distant warehouse.
He sent a terse notification to Yi Wood and the others:
"Concealment and gathering."
...
Yi Wood, directing the pursuit, stiffened when she received the message. "Code C. Target located."
There was always the risk of Computer intercepting transmissions, but some risks were necessary. Communication warfare in the information age meant every nation had interception capabilities — but that didn't forbid all transmissions. The strategic value still outweighed the danger.
So agents relied on covert channels and layered encryption. Kitsune devised a flexible codebook to outmaneuver Computer: any ordinary phrase could hide tactical intent.
Phrases like "concealment and gathering," "eat well and drink well," or "success or failure here" signaled Code C — target found.
"Proceed with caution," "false rumors," or "no action needed" meant Code B — begin operation.
"World Amnesty" meant Code D — acquisition complete.
The system was simple and disposable: if Computer cracked one pattern, the sequence could be rotated, inverted, or rekeyed.
Soon Yi Wood and her team reached Geng Metal's position. They regrouped at the warehouse entrance. The footprints stopped here. The building showed no external breach, but blood seeped from the seams of the door.
After a shared glance, they sealed their gear — night-vision, gas masks — shouldered weapons, then kicked the warehouse door wide open.
Bang!
The door slammed open. Inside, the warehouse reeked of blood. Countless mutilated cattle and sheep carcasses lay scattered across the floor.
Beyond that, there was no sign of life.
"No target detected."
Geng Metal advanced, a golden phantom manifesting at his back. The warehouse seemed empty — except for a single statue.
"A statue?"
Deep within stood a gargoyle figure. It was carved entirely from black stone, with leathery batlike wings and clawed hands and feet.
Geng Metal approached. Dark stains smeared the surface — blood, as if some ritual had been performed here.
"Any record of rituals like this?"
"No."
"I've never heard of anyone sacrificing to gargoyles. The gargoyle is a sculptural form from ancient Greece and Rome. Originally, they were like gate guardians, meant to ward homes from demonic intrusion."
"Normally gargoyles perch on rafters or are carved into columns. You almost never see one placed like this, standing alone."
"So you're saying this might not be a gargoyle at all — but a demon?"
"That can't be ruled out. The earliest gargoyle forms were nearly indistinguishable from demons."
"In any case, this thing doesn't belong here. It could be our target. Check if it can be taken back."
Yi Wood swept the floor with her scanner. The footprints led from outside into the warehouse, stopped at the base of the gargoyle—then vanished.
Her eyes dropped to the statue's feet. She froze.
The gargoyle stood on its toes. Its forelimbs had three fingers each.
Could it be—?
"Don't touch that statue!"
No sooner had Yi Wood spoken than everyone turned toward her—at that exact moment, the gargoyle's eyes flared blood-red.
Puff! Puff!
Several investigators' heads were severed in an instant.
The survivors spun around, only to see the gargoyle had somehow materialized behind two of them. Their headless bodies collapsed to the ground as the statue's position shifted.
Geng Metal reacted instantly. His phantom surged forward, wielding four massive steel blades, and struck the gargoyle with a thunderous slash.
Clang!
The blow ricocheted harmlessly off its surface. Not even a scratch.
The others opened fire, unleashing a storm of bullets. Magazines emptied, shells clattered, but the black stone figure remained unscathed.
Yi Wood's mind raced. Gargoyle. Decapitation…
What kind of ability was this?
A stone statue—yet it could sever heads at light speed?
When did it strike? How did it strike?
Was it alive, or not?
If alive, why wasn't it pressing the attack, despite its invulnerable body?
If dead, then what force was it acting upon?
Why did it move only then?
Only when she had shouted don't touch the gargoyle—and everyone's eyes turned toward her—had the statue suddenly acted.
A spark ignited in Yi Wood's mind. She remembered an Object from the records. One that had already been destroyed.
Man in the Painting.
It was only a painting, lifeless on its own. Yet if someone stepped into its domain, the painted figure would turn its head—and twist the victim's neck.
But if someone kept their gaze fixed on the painting, Man in the Painting would remain frozen, its head turned away.
The same principle could apply here!
Yi Wood's realization came too late. The gargoyle shifted again—yet no one saw it move.
In a blur, it appeared behind an investigator. A head toppled to the floor.
The survivors whipped around, only to find the statue gone. A heartbeat later, another head was severed.
Yi Wood's eyes snapped to it first, locking onto the figure. She shouted, "Everyone—don't blink at the same time!"
"Blinking?"
"As long as we're watching, it won't move! Blink alternately! If we all blink at once—even for 0.01 seconds—it can take a head!"
"A rule-based ability?"
"Everyone, activate your light shields!"
"Will light shields even work against rules like this?"
"Better than nothing—do it!"
"Shouldn't we pull out?"
"No retreat!" Yi Wood barked. "If one person stays to watch, they'll die. None of us can leave. We all stay. We wait until the acquisition team arrives!"
One by one, the others fixed their eyes on the gargoyle, forcing themselves not to look away. Yi Wood began calling for backup.
But before reinforcements could come, disaster struck.
A flashbang suddenly clattered inside—
"What the—?!"
Oh no—!
Before anyone could react, a blinding flash detonated inside the warehouse!
The searing light forced everyone's eyes shut in the same instant.
Puff! Puff!!
Several heads flew, blood misting the air.
When Yi Wood forced her eyes back open, only three people were left standing.
Who threw that flashbang?!
In that split second, she had seen the model clearly—one manufactured exclusively by their own organization.
Her heart sank.
"An inside agent!"
Geng Metal clenched his jaw, fury twisting his face. Then—another flashbang rolled across the floor.
"Keep your eyes on the gargoyle!" he barked.
His phantom surged forward, snatching the grenade mid-flash and hurling it back out.
"I'll hunt down that mole!"
He bolted out the door.
The moment he hit open air, another burst of white seared his vision. Geng Metal squeezed his eyes shut and pushed through—
Only to be met by a wall of choking fog. The acrid haze clung to the ground, blurring everything. His eyes burned red.
"Tear gas…"
He hadn't brought a mask. The stinging cloud forced tears to stream down, but he refused to close his eyes. He pried them wide, teeth grinding.
"Who?!"
Something blurred past him—his communicator was snatched clean out of his hand!
Geng Metal spun, phantom blades lashing out in a storm.
Whoosh!
A sharp sound cut from behind. He whipped the phantom around, steel arcs tearing through the fog—just in time to meet a lashing vine!
Wood element?!
Snap!
The vine split in half. But from its severed core, a thorn sprayed out like a dart.
Pfft!
The wooden spike pierced his side. A sickly numbness spread instantly through his body.
Poison…
His mind swam. Only two Heavenly Stems wielded wood: Yi Wood and Jia Wood.
Yi Wood was inside the warehouse. She had been the first to warn about the gargoyle—she couldn't have set up her own death trap.
That left only one answer.
"Jia Wood…" His teeth ground together. "So the mole was you!"
Thump!
Two massive vines erupted from the ground, coiling tight around his arms. From the shadows, a serpentine construct slithered forward—its scales hardened like stone. The wooden snake lunged, fangs sinking for his throat.
"Ding Fire… Ren Water… you were first on the scene both times." Geng Metal's voice was a growl. "I should have questioned you first!"
The golden phantom shuddered, blades flashing. In an instant the binding vines were severed, and a colossal golden hand clamped down, crushing the snake mid-lunge.
"Not daring to show your face is—"
Puff! Puff!!
Without warning, several jagged vines shot clean through Geng Metal's chest and abdomen from behind—silent, merciless. Each thorned length was barbed with poison.
A figure had appeared at his back without him realizing. He reached to call his shield—only to realize with a sick jolt that it was gone.
When my communicator was stolen… my shield was taken too!
His body locked up. He tried to twist around, to glimpse the traitor.
But two vines struck faster—driving straight into his eyes.
Puff! Puff!
"AAAHHH!!"
"JIA WOOD!!"
His bellow tore through the farm as his golden phantom erupted, flaring in raw fury. Blind, bleeding, he swung wildly in every direction, blades carving arcs of golden light into the night.
"Where are you?! Come out and face me!!"
Steel roared through the fog, tearing earth and air alike, until a voice carried faintly from the warehouse.
"Geng Metal! What's wrong? What happened?!"
Yi Wood.
He tried to answer—tried to warn her—but at that instant a thorn rammed through his throat.
Pfft!
Blood sprayed. Geng Metal, the fiercest warrior among the Heavenly Stems, second to none in battle—struggled and staggered, still slashing as his knees finally buckled.
Thud.
Inside the warehouse, Yi Wood knew nothing. She and the last survivor kept their eyes locked on the gargoyle, not daring to blink.
"Geng Metal, what's happening? Geng Metal!!"
But from behind her came the sound of footsteps.
She stiffened. Her eyes stayed fixed on the statue. "Is that you, Geng Metal?"
No reply.
"Why aren't you speaking?"
"…You—"
Her words broke in a scream.
"ARGH!!"