*Nyima*

All three pairs proceed into the battlefield once it was done being made.

The girl from Tora summoned her wand and transformed it into the stylized lily yari she had used in the forest.

A short boy with goldenrod hair summoned a black wand and transformed it into a giant battle axe.

"H-how can he carry that?" I asked.

"Kid's as strong as Sir Elliot," Adela's partner said, chuckling.

The guy glared at him and me. "Who are you calling a kid?"

I gulped as I got flashbacks to a certain short knight.

"Relax, Hiro," the Toran girl said, trying not to snicker.

"You're laughing too, Kagu!" he snapped, pointing at his teammate.

"I'm not," she said, turning away.

His blue eyes narrowed. "Yeah right!"

Lei's uncle snickered as he watched from outside the barrier.

"Why are you laughing!"

Euphonium smiled. "It's just that you remind me of someone I knew in another life..."

"Ehhh?" Hiro asked, raising an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

He shook his head. "You wouldn't understand."

"What, you're doubting my intelligence?" he snapped.

"Hiro, you're embarrassing me," Kagu said, sighing.

"He has a shorter temper than Lei," Ayawamat mumbled.

"True," I whispered.

"Who is Lei?" he snapped.

"My nephew is like this?" Euphonium asked, trying not to laugh.

"Sometimes," I said, sighing.

"My brother is too. Doesn't help he has a complex about his height just like Lei and Hiro here," Adela said.

Hiro gritted his teeth together. "Why you... I don't have a complex!"

Kagu covered her face. "We're doomed..."

"Anyway, let's start the battle!" Euphonium shouted. "Begin, the final match! Xian versus Wahkan versus Tora!"

https://youtu.be/smmaxOzHto0

Hiro charged at Adela with his axe but her teammate stopped the weapon with his bare fingers alone. The handsome man grunted as he was pushed back.

"Don't underestimate them," Adela said. "Tora didn't get this far by playing games."

"We should heed those words too," I said, watching Kagu. She moved higher and higher. I couldn't leave Ayawamat, or else Hiro's space or time magic would affect him, assuming the shorty had said powers.

Ayawamat held his hand out, unleashing a host of locusts on Adela.

The High Priestess grinned. Iron spikes manifested around her and slashed through the locusts.

Aya grunted. "Dodge!" he yelled at them. Green prana radiated from his hands, surrounding the fallen locusts. Their bodies reformed.

"Amazing," I uttered, eyes wide.

He grinned a bit. The healed Locusts vanished back to wherever he had summoned them from. Where did he even keep those things? Were they wild creatures who had agreed to aid him?

"Why did you got rid of them?" Adela asked.

He scoffed. "I didn't get 'rid' of them, I returned them home. They need time to rest up."

Adela smiled. "So you respect them. If only you would respect Lei."

Ayawamat's left eye twitched.

"Insects, bug, they're deemed as weak. No different from how you see him," Adela continued. While gathering energy in her right hand, she dodged the remaining insects. The iron spikes aimed for the creatures, but this time they nibble little things swooped around them.

"Hitting something tiny isn't as easy as you might think," Ayawamat said, grinning.

"Who are you calling tiny?" Hiro yelled as he avoided an attack from Adela's teammate. "Once I'm done with this guy I'm so coming after you!"

"Bring it, short-stuff!" Ayawamat yelled back.

"Gahh!" Hiro yelled, pushing his opponent aside. "You're so dead!"

Adela's teammate appeared in a flash and kicked Hiro into the crystalline floor. "Didn't you say that you would finish me off first?"

Hiro pushed himself up. "Yeah, I did," he said, wiping away the blood dripping from the side of his mouth. "You're going to have to wait, jerk!"

"Good luck defeating Chao!" Adela said, waving at him.

"Ohhh, I will!" he yelled.

Chao rubbed his right ear. "Ughh, why did I have to get stuck dealing with the noisy one? My ears are aching."

"Hey, you were the one who blocked me! I was aiming for Adela!" Hiro screamed as he threw his axe into the air.

He was lucky that he wasn't facing Lei too... the combination of Hiro and Lei would've driven him insane.

My eyes shifted toward his teammate. Kagu sat at the edge of the top most panel and smiled as she watched the battles unfold. What was she thinking? Did she plan only to observe? Wait, she's trying to have us tire ourselves out...

My legs propelled me to the next panel and then the other until I got within striking range. "Lux Draco!" I yelled.

She grinned and snapped her fingers. Unlike at the forest, time didn't stop for me.

"Hmm?" she said, standing up. She leapt into the air and sliced my spell with her yari. "Interesting... You couldn't do that prior. Or did you wish to test your limits and those of your teammates in our prior encounter?"

"I trusted in Orion to get us through it."

She grinned. "Or could it be that you were saving it as part of a backup plan? Does using this nullification ability tire you out?"

My lips thinned.

Kagu snickered as she jumped down toward me. "Your silence tells me I'm right."

"I can last long enough to finish you off," I said, taking out my talisman. A beam of water hit her. Using her weapon to push herself to the side, she got out of the beam's narrow range.

"Not bad! You obviously kept your cards hidden during our past encounter, but I saw in your previous match what that talisman can do!"

"Knowing is only half the battle," I said. "Second release!" The beam intensified, the edge of it expanded, hitting her arm.

Kagu yanked it out. "Ugh..."

"You were saying?" I asked. "Now, third release!"

She zipped away from me, making her way toward the others.

I took a deep breath. I'd better save my third release for later... Ayawamat would be left fighting the others alone if I used it now.

Raising her Yari, Kagu slashed the iron spikes guardian Adela.

"Don't intervene!" Ayawamat snapped.

"Lady Adela!" Chao yelled.

"I'll be fine facing her along with Ayawamat," she said, glaring at her.

"I heard that the High Priestess had fire magic, why aren't you using it?" the Toran girl asked, smirking.

Adela moved away from her.

Kagu sighed. "Guess the rumors were true after all. You do have a phobia of fire."

My friend gulped. "Rumors?"

"Yeah. I'm not sure how they originated. Regardless, they have validity. In any case, I advise you to stay away from Hiro."

"Ignis Angelus!" Hiro screamed.

Adela's eyes widened. She didn't dare look down.

"Lady Adela!" Chao yelled, glancing up. "Calm down."

"Hya!" Hiro yelled, slamming Chao into a crystal pillar with his axe. His angel flew upward toward us. Though its target wasn't Adela, but Ayawamat.

"Tsk," Ayawamat said as he jumped higher. "Nyima, take care of it!"

"On it," I said. A female angel formed behind me. Its appearance was similar to Marina's. Then again, this spell was said to be based on her people's ancestor, Aquarina.

The angel raised the sword in its hand and slashed the fire angel in half. The intense heat of Hiro's spell evaporated the sword and then the arms until all of it was gone.

"That kid is strong. How did the twins defeat him?" Ayawamat asked.

"Tashunke and Tasunke fought him?" I asked.

"Yeah. It was a battle of the shorties."

Flames flew up in a pillar. "Don't call me short!"

Adela gripped her head. Her breath was heavy. She closed her eyes tightly as the heat touched her skin. "Stop... make it stop!"

"Poor girl, what made you fear something you can control?" Kagu asked, raising her hand. "Sorry to do this, but at least this should calm you down."

Adela gasped as the Toran's hand hit the back of her neck. The high priestess' hands twitched.

"You're refusing to give up? It would've been better to give up if fire renders you this fragile."

"I... need to get over it," the priestess said, clenching her hands into fists.

Kagu smiled. 

Why hadn't she knocked Adela out?

"You're a valiant one. I would hate to win like this, so if you think you can, try to stand."

Crystal shards rained down. Thick branches had sprung out of Adela's red qipao and slammed Kagu against one of the panels overhead. The Toran grunted as blood trickled down from her head, through her injuries quickly closed like those of the abysmals...

My thoughts were interrupted by Adela's branches as they turned their attention to me.

"I... will overcome... this fear," she said, keeping her eyes clenched shut.

I snickered. Seemed Lei was rubbing off on her.

"I won't give up either!" I yelled, slashing the branches with blades of water. With my hands cupped, light gathered in my palms, forming two spheres of yellow light. The two merged into one which spread out to form a ring with angel wings.

"Guanghuang" The tiara-sized golden ring floated to my forehead, fixing itself upon it.

"What's that spell?" Kagu asked as she cut down one of Adela's branches.

"One I've been working on, I haven't mastered it yet, but figured now was a good time to test it out. My last opponent didn't give me the chance."

"Ciji might be insane, but she is a talented wood mage," Adela said, standing up. She was grinning. "I am looking forward to your new trick."

My legs floated off the crystal panel. Golden light bathed my entire body.

Kagu covered her eyes. "Ugh, so bright..."

Chao winced as the rays of light reached him and Hiro. His hands moved to his head.

"Chao!" Adela yelled.

The short boy smacked Chao with the side of his giant axe, sending him flying toward the barrier. The Xianian man held out his hands, radiating waves of energy to propel himself forward. Blades of energy formed around him.

"He's an aura mage," Ayawamat said, gawking.

"How intriguing," Kagu said, snickering as she threw her pole-arm down.

Jumping out of the way, I glanced at its intended target... Hiro?

Hiro reached his hand out, taking a hold of it. He threw the giant flaming axe into the air and stepped forward. His flames enveloped Kagu's yari. He reached his hand back and caught his falling axe.

"What's he up to?" I asked.

"How about we just watch?" Kagu suggested, grinning.

Adela kept averting her eyes from Hiro. "I rather not." She dashed toward Ayawamat and me. Her branches retracted, instead swords sprung out of her sleeves.

A water barrier shielded us. A few managed to puncture it, but thankfully they didn't get through it all the way. Ejecting them, I spun the water of the barrier around, sending back any additional swords.

"Seems we're in a similar situation as in the forest," Ayawmat said. His hands glowed with light green prana. "Stall her for me."

"No worries," I said, spinning the water faster.

Flames struck the barrier, evaporating it away. Adela ran in and slammed my abdomen, sending me flying out of my own barrier. Webbing pulled me back.

"Tsk," Ayawamat said, jumping out of the cloud of steam. Web shot out of his hands, but it instantly caught on fire. The flames didn't come from Adela...

All of us except for Adela herself glanced at Hiro's axe. It was flying back down but embers were being sent flying.

He was double tasking... sparing with Chao and attacking us whenever he had a chance.

"What does that brat think he's doing?" Ayawamat snapped.

"What I'm curious about is her," I said, narrowing my eyes at the laidback Kagu. Had she forgotten her loss at our hands already? Sure, I wasn't accompanied by Orion, Zelde, Wanikiya, nor the Lan triplets this time, but still.

"Same," Adela said, raising her head up and opening her eyes slightly. "She's up to something..."

"Think she wants us to eliminate one another, albeit leaving her partner to do most of the heavy lifting," I said.

The High Priestess of Xian grinned. "In that case, how about we put aside our differences and take her down? Chao, I entrust you to hold off Hiro for a bit longer!"

Chao winced as Hiro let out a battle cry. "I'll fend him off for long as you need, Lady Adela," he said, dodging a thrust of the yari.

"Thanks. I'll treat you to something special to make up for the trouble," Adela said, keeping her eyes on Kagu.

"No need. Serving you is reward enough," Chao said, spinning his sword. He aimed for Hiro's chest but the bombastic blond blocked it by bringing down his axe in front of him to act as a shield.

"That kid sure has spunk," Ayawamat said. He grinned. "You two go after Kagu. I'm going to go throw a wrench in those two's battle."

"Wait, will you be fine against Hiro's fire magic? You insects stand no chance."

He scoffed. "No worries. I prepared something special for dealing with fire mages in anticipation of my rematch with Adela." The light green aura in his hands expanded outward.

"A summon," Adela muttered, moving away.

Ayawamat flashed her a smug grin. "You'll be next after Hiro and Chao."

"First deal with them," I said, jumping up. The golden aura around me flared once more.

He blinked. "What can that spell do?"

"You'll see," I said, smirking.

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed the chapter :). Please share any thoughts, theories, or predictions you might have ^_^**