"So what do you expect us to do with this tiny piece of Mithril?" a voice crackled over the line, thick with frustration. "Even if we cut it into fragments, there's not enough to arm everyone."

Zero smirked, lifting the sliver of Mithril in his hand as though it were a mere trinket. "Do you really think I have a talent for charity?"

Moments passed before another voice broke the silence, sharper this time. "This is for the sake of humanity. You should be assisting us unconditionally."

Zero laughed, the sound dark and hollow. "Humanity? Who isn't for humanity? You, me, everyone here claims to be doing it for humanity." He paused, lighting a cigarette, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "But why should I give away something my soldiers bled for? Yall chose North America, after all. When my men were fighting monsters on the front lines, you were holding conferences. And now, you want me to assist you?" His voice grew colder. "Tell me, what makes you worthy of my help?"

There was a heavy pause on the other end. Finally, the inevitable question came: "What do you want?"

Zero exhaled a cloud of smoke, his lips curling into a smile. "I want 008. Once this is over, 008 will belong to our jurisdiction."

A furious response followed. "You mean to say you expect us to risk our lives, and then you'll sweep in and claim the prize?!"

Zero's voice remained calm, almost amused. "Mind your words. First, we don't interfere in the affairs of other nations, so this isn't our issue to solve. Second, without the Mithril I'm offering, your efforts are worthless. Third, 008 is outside my borders. Whatever destruction it causes, it's none of my concern. And fourth, if you're so eager to resolve this, you always have nuclear weapons at your disposal. Not my country. You're free to fling them around as you please."

On the other end, someone gritted their teeth audibly. "Are you negotiating with us?"

"Negotiate?" Zero leaned back in his chair. "Understand this: you aren't the only ones I can partner with. There are other factions, other forces—and not all of them are human. Take the Chaos Insurgency, for example."

"Are you insane?!" came the outraged response. "You'd cooperate with monsters?!"

Zero took another drag from his cigarette, the ember glowing in the dim light. "Insane? No. When disaster looms, the lines between humans and monsters blur. The Insurgency believes in fighting chaos with chaos, and I find that philosophy... practical. In times of extraordinary need, one must use extraordinary means. There are no taboos." His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "The moment a true catastrophe strikes, the game is already over."

Silence hung over the line. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the GPA officials responded, unified and resolute.

"We refuse."

Zero let out a slow breath, his expression unreadable. "Very well."

He ended the call, muttering to himself, "Indeed, beneath the arrogance of mankind, there's always a layer of stupidity."

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Zero stood and strode towards the door. Two Kitsune operatives awaited him outside—one of them was Gluttony, a tall figure whose eyes were always half-lidded as though forever contemplating something beyond this world.

"Chief," Gluttony greeted, his tone as casual as always.

Zero glanced out the window, his thoughts drifting. "Did you know, I once wanted to be a painter?" he said suddenly. "My teacher said I had no talent. My father? He sent me to the military instead, and step by step, here I am."

Gluttony blinked in surprise at the personal revelation. "Chief, I came to report on the mysterious deaths of the five elders—"

Zero turned, cutting him off with a sharp look. "It's because of the objects. That much is obvious, isn't it?"

Gluttony nodded reluctantly. "Yes, you're right... But there's also the matter of recruiting new elders."

"Kitsune doesn't need that many," Zero replied, his voice decisive. "A council of many ensures fairness, but it dilutes power. When the time comes to make hard decisions, if one person hesitates, everything falls apart."

Gluttony fell silent as Zero's gaze grew more intense.

"If there's a plan with a fifty-percent chance of killing a monster," Zero continued, his voice firm, "and even if it meant losing those I care about, I wouldn't hesitate to carry it out." His eyes flashed with cold determination. "That's the price of survival."

...

Naira Sorkin raised his head, his voice steady but laced with determination. "We need a visionary leader, someone who can unify the Chaos Insurgency."

As if summoned by fate, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He answered, and a raspy voice emerged from the other end of the line.

"It's beneath you, Naira Sorkin, to stoop to something as petty as telecom fraud."

The calm arrogance in the voice made Naira's pupils narrow. "Who is this?"

"The current supreme leader of Kitsune," the voice replied, cool as ice. "Interested in cooperation?"

The question echoed in his mind. 'Cooperate? With Kitsune?' Naira's thoughts raced. "Cooperate with you?" he asked, his tone cautious. "Or with Kitsune?"

"With me," the voice on the phone responded, leaving no room for misunderstanding.

Naira chuckled darkly. "Give me a reason, a reason strong enough to make me believe you aren't here to capture us."

A brief pause. Then, the answer came, cryptic yet powerful: "The god have opened her eyes to me."

Naira's breath caught in his throat. His expression hardened as realization dawned. Turning to the four figures standing behind him, his voice was low and steady, though tinged with something more. "Everyone… I believe we may have found our leader."

...

In the months that followed, Kitsune underwent a profound transformation. The Chaos Insurgency and Kitsune merged, though only Zero knew the full extent of their pact. He had found the subordinates he needed, and Naira Sorkin's group, in turn, had found the leader they longed for.

A demon.

For a month, Kitsune's activities were veiled in silence. Then, like embers rekindled in the wind, they sparked once more. The dawn of a new era had arrived. On the second day of the following month, Zero addressed his forces.

"From today," he declared, his voice carrying across the hall, "Kitsune will have one leader. Should I fail, no one will need to demand my resignation—I will step down willingly."

He paused, eyes gleaming with ferocity. "But I assure you, that day will never come. The battle against the objects will have only two outcomes!"

The room crackled with tension as Zero's words reverberated through the air.

"Our struggle will continue until one side is utterly obliterated. Either they die—or we do."

...

Far away, at GPA headquarters, a decision was being made in the shadows. Six votes in favor, one vote against.

"Kitsune looks down on us," one of the directors sneered. "Then we'll show them. We're not just reliant on brute force."

"Release the Angel!"

The focus shifted to Asia's director, the only one capable of communicating with the Angel. "You must agree to this," one of his colleagues pressed. "Your connection with the Angel is vital. We need your consent."

The middle-aged man clenched his jaw, his face a mask of conflict. "If anything happens to my daughter," he growled, "I swear, no matter what, I'll make every last one of you pay."

"Rest assured," another voice soothed, "the Angel is our final weapon. We value her just as much as you do."