The five of us proceeded to the pods and closed our eyes as the glass closed on us.

"Good luck," Kohri said. His voice had a hint of concern. Was the risk high enough to warrant it? Koh rarely worried, so hearing it seep out in his tone scared me a little. And I wasn't one to get easily scared either, which made me even more uneasy.

"We don't need it," Hyosetsu said, scoffing.

"H-hey, don't say that! Those are often the words said before trouble ensues!" Hideo said. "Besides, given everything that's happened, we could use some luck."

"Uh, pretty sure you've said that at least once," Tetsu said, laughing.

"Actually, he has a point," I said. "I'll take all of the luck we can get."

Hyosetsu sighed. "Alright."

Kohri chuckled. "Take care, big bro. I'll make sure you're safe."

Wait, wasn't he going to the meeting with Dad and the others? Who would take over if we didn't finish before? Tabiki? Ugh, I sure hoped not. That man gave me a bad vibe. Although, he also felt familiar. As if I'd met him when I was little. Which shouldn't have been the case, as he got dethroned before I was even born. Come to think of it, how did he get back on the throne? He had to have had help. Else, it was easier to seize the government of Kasai no Ki than Grandfather and Father had expected.

"If you don't, I'll haunt you."

Kohri laughed awkwardly. "I definitely will. I don't want to lose my big bro."

Part of me wished that Rosa was here too, but at the same time, I didn't. Especially if things went downhill. Seeing her sister, cousin, and fiance in distress would've made caused her unnecessarily pain.

Hyosetsu sighed. "Don't worry. Your big brother won't lose."

Kohri probably grinned. "Then, link start!"

"Hey! We're virtual diving?" Hideo yelled, excited.

"No, I just always wanted to say that!"

He sighed.

Seconds later, the five of us appeared in the middle of a room reminiscent of my family's throne room. Except, the place was circular and had five thrones.

"Where are we?" Hideo asked, looking around.

"Looks like the throne room," Tetsuya said. "Reminds me of my angelic trial."

"It makes me think a little of mine too," I whispered.

"The eerie aura certainly reminds me of when I was at my house alone during mine," Hideo said.

"The setting of mine was also similar. Well, the floor pattern was of my mom's palace," Eiichi said.

Hyosetsu crossed his arms. "Mine was a maze, but it had some familiar settings such as the library and Mom's throne in some of its rooms."

"So, apart from Tetsu, all of you got a piece of home in your trials. Seems it's my turn now," I whispered.

Tetsu smiled. "You are the leader of the group, so it's only fitting."

"So, where's the thing we're supposed to face?" Hideo asked.

Eiichi stared at the ground. "I don't sense any electricity. The vajra must still not be set into the weapon."

Hyosetsu winced. "S-seems it's begun."

I grimaced as electricity coursed through my body. "Indeed."

Hideo yelped, and Tetsu gritted his teeth. Small sparks could be seen coursing through their bodies.

"How exactly are our angels supposed to help us?" Hyosetsu asked.

"We're not. It's actually the opposite," a voice called out. A pretty, white haired looking man or woman approached us. They fell to one knee as energy crackled all around them.

"Baldo!"

Hideo looked around. "Dan? Where are you?"

An angel resembling Hideo's missing brother appeared behind him. "We've been here all along."

Were they in their invisible forms?

My angel manifested and hugged herself. As did Zinnia who appeared beside her.

"Isn't that Aventine's husband?" Tetsuya asked. "Why is he here?"

"He's tied to Alma," I said, staring at my ankle. My bracelet had vanished, likely as my angel was right in front of me.

"How are we supposed to win this?" Hideo asked before yelping as electricity arched from Daniel to him.

"Mana control," Eiichi said as he stood beside Carlos who looked to be having the easist time out of the five. Well, six if I were to count Zinnia. "We're to take the highly concentrated amounts of mana flowing into them and channel them either into ourselves or our environment."

"Wouldn't the best option be to help our angels absorb it?" Hyosetsu asked.

"The best in terms of making our weapon's stronger, but also the riskiest for them."

Hideo reached his hands out and put them on Daniel. "D-don't worry, Dan. I'll help you. You aren't alone this time."

Daniel smiled a little. "Hide, how many times must I say-" He grimaced. "I'm not Dante."

He closed his eyes. "I know, but your face is the same. I can't take seeing my brother in anymore agony than I already have."

"Hide, be careful!" Eiichi said as an influx of energy passed from Dan to Hideo.

Hideo let out a loud scream.

"Hide!" Eiichi yelled, kneeling beside him. He held his hands out and moved some of his mana to his hands. But instead of absorbing it himself, he kept it suspended in the air.

Tetsuya frowned as he watched Agnes shake her head in pain. He was trying to channel some of the mana to himself. "Stay strong. I'll save you like I saved Yuko!"

Hyosetsu continued to wince with each arch of concentrated mana he took from Baldo. Out of the five pairs, he and Baldo looked to be in the worst shape. The mana taking on the form of electricity didn't mesh well with his water inclined affiliation.

I took a deep breath. "Everyone, remember what Kaliq taught us!"

Hideo took a deep breath and nodded. "I-I remember." He moved some of the energy from Daniel into the air as Eiichi had done a moment ago.

Alma smirked even as she was being electrocuted. "I-it's a good thing I have Zini to share the pain with at least."

Zinnia tried to laugh but the pain proved too much.

"I'll help you," I said, channeling some of it to myself.

"Hold on, you two," Carlos said as he rushed toward Hyosetsu and Baldo.

"I-I'm fine," Hyosetsu said, even as electricity converged around the too. He grimaced and lowered his head. My pinguin of a cousin pushed himself up. "I-I can do this."

"Now's not the time to be proud!" I yelled as my angels' energy shook my entire body. How had Nori managed to survive retrieving these things? And how had Nao survived the integration process?

He grunted as he pushed electricity away. "A-alright."

I sighed. While he often was the most mature one, there were times when he nearly rivaled the other boys in terms of immaturity.

Carlos put a hand on Hyosetsu's back and pulled the dense mana out from him.

"Thanks," Baldo said, smiling slightly.

Hyosetsu clicked his tongue and turned away. Why was he being so immature? Was it because of who Carlos's protectee was? I hated owing that guy anything too, but in life and death situations, we couldn't let bad feelings get in the way.

"Everyone, get ready. Another pulse should come soon," Eiichi said.

Hide gawked. "Seriously? That wasn't the last of it?"

He shook his head as he moved the energy around. "Far from it. Each Vajra is made up of the equivalent of a hundred-thousand mana crystals.

Tetsuya laughed nervously. "That intense, huh?"

I hurried up and moved the energy back and forth between us, letting our bodies absorb some of it. Why was Eiichi having an easier time than us? His mana control wasn't bad, but it wasn't the greatest out of us either. I had the best mana control of the group, yet I struggled. 

Was it because of his lightning powers? Or because he had experience with similar situations like this? He had studied under a Xelerian teacher as a kid, according to him. And he managed to make cultivation pills that could restore energy and power up others, such as the one he had originally made for Hideo. My guess was both.

Hyosetsu and Baldo let out another pair of piercing screams as the eleven of us were hit by another energy wave.

"Argh," Hyosetsu said.

"T-told you not to refuse Kohri's good luck!" Hideo grumbled.

Hyosetsu panted. He stabbed the floor with his sword and used it as a cane to push himself up. "I don't depend on such trivial things. If we're to survive this, we have to use our skills."

He had a point there.

"Eiichi, draw as much energy toward the center of the room above you!" I yelled.

He smirked and raised his hand up high. "On it, Princess!"

I narrowed my eyes. How dare he talk so informally to me? Hmph, not that it was the first time, but by the heavens, it irritated me!

Carlos transformed into a spear and flew over to him.

"Let's do this, Carlos!" Eiichi yelled, catching Carlos. Mana flew toward his spear, now it its new, spade-shape trident form. A swirling mass of energy formed over head.

Hideo gulped. "T-that's all of the excess energy?"

Eiichi grimaced as Carlos sparked. Was that too much for even the two of them to handle?

"Think you might've over done things," I said.

Bolts dropped from the air, frying the ground like a laser. A deep crack that went on for as far as the eye could see had formed. A pale red glow came from within. If the geology of this place was akin to that of our world's, that thing had pummeled though approximately thirty miles of rock.

Hideo's eyes widened. "We were holding that much energy in us?"

"Well, not entirely as that's the excess," Daniel said he stood up. He wobbled.

"Here," Hideo said, helping him.

"Eiichi, evenly disperse the energy between us!" I yelled.

Eiichi nodded. Golden mana flew from the swirling clouds into each of us.

Tetsu captured it with his now transformed Agnes.

"That's odd, why can't we use our weapons and have you out at the same time?" I asked, staring at Alma. "During my angel trial, I could still use my meteor hammer as I fought you."

Alma's purple eyes gazed into the vortex as she received some of the mana. "Because, that'll be too much of a strain on us. We'll have to divide ourselves into two. In our current situation, that would be tantamount to malpractice."

I sighed. "That serious, huh?"

She nodded.

Eiichi gasped. "Everyone, get back and ready yourselves!"

"Another wave? Already?" Tetsuya asked.

"Sorry," Daniel said, pushing Hideo away with a gust of wind.

"Dan!" Hide yelled as our angels glowed deep gold.

I yelped as energy from both Zini and Alma arched toward me.

Bolts dropped form the lingering clouds overhead, drilling holes throughout the floor. Minor arched appeared as well, shattering the floor like a tsunami pummeling through a building.

Barriers formed around us as we were pushed back by all of the wave of mana.

"Seems that man was right," Hyosetsu said. One of his eyes was shut and he leaned against the barrier Tetsu had formed for support.

Tetsuya himself dropped to one knee. His right sleeve had been blown off by the energy and his skin had turned darker.

Eiichi fell to both his knees and lowered his head. The rush of energy from Carlos and the vortex must've overwhelmed him.

I gulped and watched as Zini and Alma struggled to get up.

"Indeed, he was," I said as the color drained from my face. My hands curled into fists. But we couldn't give up. "Alma, to me!"

Alma and Zini both vanished, transforming into my meteor hammer. So, Zini was indeed part of the weapon. Had hoped I would've had an extra person to work with, but seemed that wasn't meant to be.

I stared at the vortex and flew toward it, spinning my meteor hammer while drawing the energy toward me.

"Setsuko, don't do it! If it was too much for me, it'll be too much for you!" Eiichi yelled, glancing at me.

"I can't let all of our hard work go to waste!" I yelled as the energy gathered around my spinning weapon. "As the leader, it's my job to ensure we all get back safe and sound while also completing the mission!"

I gritted my teeth as the energy flowed into my body. It was intense, but we couldn't flee from this. That moment passed when Kohri yelled, 'link start'. Wait... Link start! We could all link up to absorb the storm. But would that work? Well, it was worth a shot.

"Get up, boys! I have a plan!" I said, grinning as more beams of mana raced toward me.

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed the chapter! Thoughts? Theories? Predictions?**