*Boukyaku*

"The next match will be among the fifteen year olds," Father announced.

"What about the fourteen-year-olds?" I asked, turning to look at him.

"Seems none decided to participate this year, not sure why," Same said as he took a seat next to me. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "It's very rare for an entire age group to skip out like this. Though the vast size of seventeen-year-olds compared to other years makes up for it."

"Well it's my turn," Eien said. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck!" Shiro said as he returned before his mother even had a chance to go after him.

My brother snickered. "Thanks kid." He jumped into the battlefield and took a look at his various opponents. He was meet with ten rivals. "Well let's begin this thing." Flames covered his arms. "I skipped past the strongest freshman tournament in the boat as I didn't want to overshadow the foreign students but this is made up of fellow natives. Those foreigners though will also face my true power at the games. Pyro Draco." A flaming dragon emerged from his arms and decimated the enemy in a matter of seconds. He scoffed. "Seriously? You got be kidding me! I have such week classmates..."

"Well that was lovely and quick. Eien is the third member of Kyuu Seishin's team! Next up are the twenty year olds."

The twenty year old battle just like Same and Eien's battle went by fast. A masked girl from the Hebi clan won. I had never seen her prior to the games, she must've decided to barely participate in the tournament this year, her last possible tournament as she'll be past twenty one by the next games. Though her movements in battle were just like those of Mayu, she moved swiftly and decisively, not wasting any chance to take down her opponent.

"Seems we either have amazing talent this year or we have grown weaker," Father said, tilting his head at the battle field. "The fourth member will be Orochi. Now for the sixteen year olds."

"Why are we jumping back between youngest and oldest?" Ashynna asked.

"It's because the largest age group is the seventeen year olds. The closer you are to seventeen the more challengers there are. So we're actually going from least participants to the most."

"I see," she said, nodding.

A young man with brown hair stepped up. As soon as Father began the match, he clashed with Zion Rikimaru, Nobuyuki's sister. The boy was Iwao Enkaku, Yuta and Yuto's cousin, and the one who replaced Nobuyuki on the council. He had almost made it on the team last time but had lost against Zion.

"Terra Draco," he chanted, causing a dragon made up of rocks to rise from the ground to guard him. "Ventus Draco." Another dragon formed around him, this time made out of wind.

"Wind and earth, Lei and Iah," Eien said, smiling. "I wonder if either one of them is better than that guy at wind or earth magic."

"Iah's the winner of the foreigners isn't he?" Orochi asked, shifted her purple eyes toward us.

"That's correct." Eien smiled. "I didn't expect you'll be the talkative type."

She crossed her arms. "Why, because I'm of the Snake clan? The stereotype of all of us being stoics is false. So this Iah kid, where is he from?"

"Our arch enemy, Mina," he said. "However, like usual they'll only be drafting five people for these games. If so Mina might not be much of a challenge. Now Wahkan has more of a chance to push us having several powerful mages on their team. I would say four powerful ones. All acquaintances of her."

"Mine?" Ashynna asked, pointing at herself. "Ahh, I know who you mean."

"Are those all their numbers?" Same asked.

"As far as I know. Well they do have a fourth mage, their prince, Wanikiya. Don't be alarmed though, he's not an issue as he doesn't seem to be able to use his magic, whatever that may be," Eien responded. "Oh and there is a fifth, a boy called Hikaru Mikado. He has time powers so he's one of their wild cards alongside with Lei, Nyima, and Yen. Ohhh, and they also got Orion and Yuzuki. To be honest, their options are various, that they might actually host a tournament like this one to determine who participates."

"Hikaru?" Ashynna said, her voice full of curiosity. "So he's in Wahkan with Nuk and the others..."

"Do you know him?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No. However...I would like to meet him."

"You can at the games. Even if he loses he'll likely go to support his friends," Eien said.

"Hikaru

My attention shifted back to the match on hand. Zion was struggling against Iwao's attacks. She made done a good job at turning the sand to glass but the glass was starting to collapse in on her. She closed her eyes as the giant fingers of a sandy hand chipped off.

Iwao stepped forward and turned the glass by into sand by grinding it with a mix of wind and sand. "You alright?" he asked, looking back at her.

Zion held her hand to her chest. "T-thanks, but why did you do it?" she asked, giving him a perplexed look.

Iwao scratched his right cheek slightly. There was a small smile on his face. "Because you're my friend, why else?"

Zion stood up and smiled back. "I see." She turned her back to him blocked an attack from a girl who had tried to attack them from behind. Swiftly, she kicked the girl away, knocking her into an incoming boy in dog form. "Though always be on guard."

The tanuki boy chuckled. "T-thanks."

"No need, simply consider us even now. Now, how about we clean up here before we return to out battle?"

"Sure!" Iwao said as he slammed the ground with both hands. He unleashed a wave of sand at those in front of him. Meanwhile, Zion release a torrent of blue flames at those in front of her. The spaces where the sand and fire touched were reduced to mounds of strangely shaped glass. It didn't take long for the two to win over their otherwise surprised opponents, after all, who could've expected for their to be a combination attack?

The two quickly resumed their previous position. "Now, let's finish what we started," Zion said, flashing him a toothy grin.

Iwao narrowed his eyes at her. He stepped forward, causing her to drop her guard. "What's wrong?"

He grabbed her left arm and stared at the spot where she had been hit. A purple bruise had formed. "Always trying to play tough. You're poisoned."

Zion grimaced. "I can still fight. I won't declare defeat until it's...over." She collapsed into his arms.

"Sorry," Iwao said as he held a hand against her neck. "I can't let you continue this. That toxin gets more dangerous the longer it lasts in one's bloodstream."

"Seems that boy finally gets to join us," Eien said, grinning as he watched Iwao carry Zion in his arms.

"Nice job, Iwao," Father said once he arrived to where we were."You will be filling the fifth seat and don't worry about Zion." He turned to look at Orochi. "Mind healing her for us?"

Orochi sighed. "No, it's fine," she said, standing up and walking over to the two. I watched Iwao narrowed his eyes at her, as if he were suspicious of her. Then again, he did always have a dislike for the Itachi, Uma, Hebi, and Kitsune branches.

Father rose from his seat. "Now it's time to heat things up, the nineteen year olds match is starting now." A total of twenty stepped up into the arena.

"Who do you think will win?" Eien said.

Ashynna eyes shifted across the contestants. "The goth girl in the tight leather pants. She'll win."

"You mean Gat?" Same said. "She's been trying to score a spot in these games for years but has yet to gain entry. Out of everyone she's the most likely to lose first."

Gat took in a deep breath. She seemed nervous as the others all looked at her as if she were a rat ready for capture. "Stop looking," Gat yelled.

"Huh?" a boy said.

"What's wrong with her," a girl said.

"Get away," she said. Her voice was shaking.

"Strange girl," another boy said. "Arbol Draco."

"I said to stay away," Gat yelled. " Noctis!" A black scythe slashed the wooden dragon in half as if it were slime. The scythe belonged to a grim reaper like being had appeared behind her. "I won't lose once more you see. I will gain an entry before I'm twenty one!"

"What's that?" the thirteen year-old winner, Illiah, asked. She grasped the bench. "It looks evil."

"Yeah," Ashynna said. "She's a dark mage. However that spell is amongst the illegal spells. She's using true Dark magic, not just Darkness magic."

Gat's spell knocked out all the contestants in the blink of an eye. "She can't be allowed to join," I said. "She's vile, using such magic."

"Not necessary," Ashynna said. "Dark magic can also be used to advance the light's goals. She's just using what she can to win, she means no malice."

"I thought you said we need to destroy all darkness?"

"Eventually, but first we should focus on the darkness pouring out from the Abyss. Then we will focus on this kind of magic," she said, putting up her hood.

"Who are you anyways?" Orochi said as she returned.

"I'm Ashynna Babette, a hunter of the darkness, the Light that will light the darkness. Even the deepest abyss isn't safe from me."

Orochi scooted away from her. "Okay."

Ashynna chuckled. "How about you? A girl who shared her name with the serpent of the Hebi clan. I might be missing several memories, but I do faintly recall there being prohibition on any taking that name."

She was right, it was odd for there to have been someone with that name.

Orochi scooted away some more until she hit me.

"You okay? No need to be afraid of her," I said, chuckling.

Orochi grumbled. "I, I'm not. And can you let go of me now," she said. I swear, she sounded just like Mayu. If not for her being twenty, and the former still serving time for her attempt to hurt Lei and the others, I would say Orochi was Mayu.

"Gat's the winner and the sixth member," Father said after a long pause. He likely was trying to figure out what to do. Though surely allowing a girl with such illegal magic would only bring us problems in the future. "Up next are the sixteen year olds."

"Well I'm up," I said, standing up "Wish me luck." I felt a hand grab my arm, it was Ashynna. "Is something the matter?"

"No, I just wanted to wish you luck."

My face felt warm. Just then I felt another hand. It was Orochi. "Uh, good luck out there."

I smiled. "Thanks you two."

"Hey brother, it's not the time to move on from you last girlfriend so quickly after she barely vanished into an abyss."

"She was not my girlfriend," I said. "Not that I would mind...I wish she were here right now."

"Boukayou...I will save your friends," Ashynna said. "I promise once more that I will."

"Friends..." Orochi said, letting go of my hand. Her head slumped forward as if hearing that word brought forth sad memories. I wouldn't have surprised me to find out she had lost some of her own too.

I smile covered my face. "Thank you. Now I must go, can you please unhand me."

Ashynna slowly unhanded me. "Remember to walk the path of the light."

"I will."

When I finally stepped into the arena twenty other contestants were surrounding me. All of them focused their glances at me. "So you cowards all turn to the strongest in the field, just like a bunch of bandits mugging a lonely kid walking back from work," I said, shaking my head at them. Flames surrounded me, only for me to extinguish them in a second. "Nope, I won't use that to defeat you. Quite frankly you aren't even worth my time."

"Why you..." a girl barks. She charged at me with a tome in hand. "Aureum-" I kicked her to the edge of the arena.

"Shut up," I said. I grinned smugly at the others. "Now nineteen more left to go." Two guys jumped me only to hit each other as I ducked. "Make that seventeen." The others all summoned their wands. "Come at me now. Pyro Clypeus." A fire version of the barrier Same had used surrounded me. "Fade into Oblivion!" I let the bubble explode, sending non-lethal flames at the mob. All were down but the girl whom I had sent to the edge. "Surprised you're even up. Do you want more?"

She wiped the blood off of her face. "I'm going to wipe that pretty smile off of your face."

"So you think it's pretty? I'm quite flattered but you aren't my kind of girl. Unlike a lot of the guys here I prefer a girl to be at my level or higher, not less. However you do deserve some more credit, so here it is." I held a hand forward, creating a whip of flame.
"Pyro Draco." The whip expanded into a full sized fire dragon. The beast shaped spell hit her head on, knocking her back down, this time for good.

"The seventh member is Boukayou," Father said. "Now we move on to the eighteen-year-old match."

The match of the eighteen-year-olds, like most of the others, went by quickly despite the vast number of contestants. The winner was obviously Etsuko Inu. Though I was surprised to find out that her rival didn't participate at all. Seemed he meant what he said about giving up trying. It was sad to see. He wasn't a pushover. But, guess it went to show that hard work could only take a person so far.

"Now that Etsuko has won it's time for the last match, the second seventeen year olds' match," Father said.

"Now it's my turn," Ashynna said, raising up.

"This should be good," Eien said, grinning.

"Shut up pervert," Ashynna said.

"Did you even sign up?" I asked, blinking.

She nodded. "I actually did so before going to your room."

"Room?" all our new team members but Eien said. I could feel Orochi's eyes behind that mask bearing down on me.

"Looks like you'll end up spreading the rumors yourself, bro," Eien said, trying to not laugh.

"I meant before she came to get me to come down," I said. "Don't think wrong now. Especially you Illiah, you're only thirteen."

"What?" she said. "Is there something wrong about playing games with your friend in your room?"

"Uh no," I said.

"Unless if it's those kinds of games," Eien said, grinning.

I punched him but he blocked just like he did with Ashynna. "Watch it pervert," I said.

"Don't kill him now," Ashynna said.

"Why thanks," Eien said. "I didn't think you'll ever defend me."

She looked away. "I don't particularly care for you, I just don't want you to die before the games."

"That's cold!" Eien said, sighing.

"Like you aren't," I said, chuckling.

Ashynna stepped up to the arena. "Wish me luck." She was faced with a total of thirty rivals.

"Why are you masked?" a boy asked.

"That's none of your concern," she said. She leapt to the air and kicked the boy away. She warped in the blink of an eye behind a group and knocked them all down with a single chop to the neck. Before I knew it she had defeated the whole group faster than anyone else did. "How sad. Seems the only mildly interesting battle was the one between Iwao and Zion."

"She's amazing," I said, mouth agape.

"You're falling for her aren't you bro?" Eien snickered.

I punched him in the shoulder. "I'm going to go congratulate her." I stood up but Ashynna had already returned before I realized it. I turned around and grinned at the group. "Everyone this year Kyuu Seishin will dominate the Mahoulympics!"

"I've never heard a simpler rally speech before," Ashynna said. "How did I do?"

"You were incredible. How did you warp like that?" I asked.

"It's light magic," she said, running a hand through her golden hair. "No spell is needed though, it just comes easy to me."

"Well I can't wait to see you use some serious Light magic."

"Boukayou, do you want to learn light magic?" she asked, tilting her head at me.

"Yeah, I want to be able to do what you just did," I said.

She chuckled. "It may not require words but it's not an easy spell to learn. One's body and mind must be strong in order to use it. though I'm certain you will do well."

"You flatter me."

Eien made a disgusted face. "You two are awfully corny with each other."

I placed a hand upon his shoulder and grinned. "You want to fight me brother?"

Eien laughed and removed my hand away. "You know I don't fear you brother."

I slap him hand away. "You're a tough one little brother, nothing intimidates you."

"I know," he said. He averted his eyes.

I knew my words were wrong. Eien did have his fears. He might not have lost someone, but he did have someone important to him get hurt during all that mess. That was why she wasn't here, the only one who could remotely give him a challenge part from Ren, Miwa. My little brother has always tried to be tough, but at the end of the day he knew he had his limits. The sooner he faced up their existence them, the better.

**Solar Note: Sorry for the longer wait for this chapter. I hope to write and release Ep. 44 later this week to make up for it ^_^. So, what do you think of Team Kyuu Seishin thus far? What are your thoughts on Orochi? What about on Ashynna? What do you think the masked girls are up to?**