I swung both my swords as fast at the platinum blond girl as fast as I could. However, the two attacks fazed through her as if she were a ghost.

"Tsk. F-u-l-g-u-r...D-r-a-co," I chanted. Two bolts flew out of my swords and slowly merged into a large yellow dragon. The dragon flew slowly toward the girl who simply vanished before it could hit him. My leg and arm movement might've been speed up but not my voice or my spells.

If only Nyima were here, she could just use her anti-space and anti-time ability to break the spell. Though, maybe she wouldn't have used it. It did seem as if she was reserving it as she didn't use it against the pink haired Toran in black. Then again, if she did use it, she would be neutralizing the powers of nearly half our team.

Looking back at it now, she made the right choice by not using it. Stella, Sirius, and Orion had thus far proven to be dependable mages in battle. Especially since the latter's time magic made up for his limited physical abilities and water magic.

I turned around and gasped. I stepped back as the girl swung her sword down at me. A cloud formed around me. I held my breath. I couldn't breathe the dust in or else I would risk setting off my asthma.

I held my swords overhead and blew away the dust and just in time too as the girl swung at me once again. Webbing, however, stopped her blade before it could even connect with my weapons or me.

This thread... could it be...

"Huh?" the girl asked.

I turned toward my left and saw that my suspicions were correct. Ayawamat held several strands of silk in his hands. He chuckled and walked toward us as if he owned the place.

"You owe me one, nerd," Ayawamat said as he yanked on the webbing, yanking the girl's weapon away.

Why wasn't he affected by the time spell? Had Sirius or Stella broken its effects on him? Or was it starting to weaken? Or maybe Nyima was on her way?

"Who ask...ed you... for help?" I asked, grumbling. "I... could...'ve... blocked... it... my...self."

The platinum blond Toran charged at Ayawamat but I held my foot out, causing her to trip to the ground. I grinned at my bully. "Th...ere, fa...vor re...paid."

Ayawamat squatted down next to her. "Not bad, nerd. Now, let's see if she has the jewel." He took a deep breath but the next thing he knew, the girl was gone. "Huh?"

Stella warped over to us and teleported us away from there. The pain only increased as time returned to normal for me.

"Duck you two!" Stella yelled.

We did as she said and hit the ground. But it wasn't enemy fire we were dodging. Rather it was Stella herself who threw a shuriken into the air even though there was no one in sight.

Had the girl gone invisible?

As if on cue, the platinum blond haired girl reappeared in the spot the shuriken was flying towards.

The girl gasped and held out a hand, stopping the shuriken just in time. "Not bad. How did you know I would appear there?"

"Got you!" someone yelled. She gasped as Sirius appeared out of a portal in the ground.

Sirius held the girl's legs firmly, preventing her from warping. "Lei, Ayawamat, help me out here!" he cried out as the Toran flailed around.

"Unhand me!"

I nodded. "Leiji!" I yelled. Golden chains shot out of my hands and wrapped around the girl.

The girl grunted and tried to faze through the chains, but Sirius prevented her from doing so.

Ayawamat meanwhile spat out white thread from his mouth, covering the girl in what looked like a glowing cocoon. The only part which wasn't covered were her legs.

"Unhand me!" she yelled again, this time in pain as lightning crackled through her body. I had to actively make sure that it continued to course through her and not into Sirius who continued to hold her legs.

"You've lost," Sirius said in a cold tone and he pushed himself up. He hit her in the back of the neck, causing her to collapse to the floor.

He reached into the webbing and pulled out a black jewel.

His wife high-fived him. "It turned out just like you predicted!" she yelled, grinning.

Sirius smiled back. "Yeah! It did!"

"Wait, you foresaw her appearing there?" I asked.

Sirius nodded. "Yeah, it was risky though, especially as we were up against a fellow Hoshi, but it worked!"

"Hoshi?" Ayawamat asked.

I stared at him as if he were an idiot. "Uh, Tora is ruled by the Hoshi clan... You should know that from seventh grade geography and politics."

Ayawamat's face reddened. "Hmph, well unlike you, I'm not a nerd," he said, crossing his arms.

I rolled my eyes. "If you hadn't skipped class as much as you did, you would've known."

Ayawamat chuckled and started to walk away. "You're lucky that we're on the same team."

"Ditto for you!" I yelled. "Else I would've made you cry!"

He spun around. "Me, cry? Last I remember, it was you who would cry like a little baby!"

"Guys," Nyima said, glaring back and forth at us. "Stop it now, before you start an actual fight."

Stella chuckled. "You remind me of me when I was younger. While these two knuckleheads remind me of Hota and Sirius."

Ayawamat's face reddened. He scoffed and said, "Is that so? Well, at least unlike my brother, I don't-"

"Aya, what are you doing?" Hota asked as he stood behind his little brother.

"N-nothing," Ayawamat said, smiling nervously.

Hota looked around. The Toran team was nowhere to be seen, having likely been teleported out of the competition. "Looks like you pulled through, Sirius," he said, slapping the lanky black haired man on the back.

Sirius smiled and leaned against his wife's shoulders. He closed his eyes. "Yeah, though that battle sure took its toll out on me. I'm out of energy."

Hota shrugged. "Rest then, I'll take care of you folks."

Sirius chuckled. "What, does that mean that you suddenly have the energy to fight? Or were you just playing possum while Stella, the kids, and I fended Tora off?"

Hota laughed. "Maybe, but hey, I was ready to bail you out at any moment's notice."

"Well, I for sure am tired," Stella said, rubbing her neck. She looked around and gasped. "Wait, were are Yuzuki, Yen, and Kun?"

"This isn't good," Hikaru said as he ran over to us. "We need to find them as soon as possible." He came to a stop and gasped. A portal had appeared between him and us. "Tora?" He stopped running and raised his weapons.

I stared at the portal. The prana, it felt... familiar.

"Hey, Hika, lower your weapons," I said, trying not to laugh.

"Huh?" he asked.

"How sad that Lei recognized it was me but not you, Hika," a female voice called out from within the portal.

Hikaru lowered his gauntlet covered arm as soon as he saw his sister and the others. Wanikiya and Zelde were carrying the still unconscious Orion.

"Yuzu..." Hika whispered. He chuckled nervously. "I... I knew it was you."

"Hmph, yeah right!" Yuzuki said, leering at him. "Well, I am happy that at least Lei recognized it was me."

My face heated up. "I'm happy that I could tell too," I whispered, averting look at her.

"Good, seems you've won," Kun said as he looked around the place.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Yeah, Nyima here healed us. It was a good thing that Yen and I pointed the way out for Yuzu here."

Nyima turned to look at me. She shook her head. "Honestly, again? Come here, you problematic child."

I grumbled but did as she said.

She lifted my blood stained yellow shirt and placed a hand over my wound. "Hmm, thankfully it wasn't a deep wound."

I smiled. "Thanks. What now though? We're all exhausted except for a few."

"Healing you, Orion, and your siblings has certainly tired me out," Nyima said as she finished closing my wound. "Though Zelde, Yen, Kun, and I still have enough energy to continue fend off another attack like the one from Azie." She glanced at the others lying on the ground. "Though the rest of you are wounded too..."

"It's fine, I don't require any healing," Stella said. "My wounds aren't anywhere near life threatening." She laid her husband on the ground and then sat down next to him. "Right now all I need is a quick nap, then I'll be ready to go."

Nyima chuckled. "Master sure is hardy."

Stella grinned as she closed her eyes. "So are you. Now, lead the team in my absence."

"Sure thing, someone has to keep these children in check," she said as she glanced at Aya and me.

Who is she calling 'children'? I'm older than her by nearly ten months!

Wanikiya and Zelde sat Orion down next to his sister.

"We should fix things up here," Wanikiya said, glancing at the ruined campsite. He closed his eyes and raised his hand toward the heavens. Ice walls once more rose around the camp site.

Zelde walked over to the destroyed tents. "We should fix these too. Can those of you who can move with ease help me get these back up again?"

Wanikiya, Kun, Yen, Ayawamat, Hota, Hikaru, and Nyima ran over to help her.

I began to make my way over to them, but stopped. I turned around and stared at the black jewel in Sirius' hands. We had managed to gain two jewels, meaning that we only needed two more to go.

I tilted my head as I stared at him. Nyima said that he reminded her of her father and someone else. I wasn't sure who that other person was, but he did remind me of someone. Someone who helped saved my life when I was a little kid.

I smiled and ran over to assist the others.

"Uh, shouldn't you lay down?" Nyima asked.

I waved my hand. "Nah, I've slept enough already, you even yelled about me about it. Remember?" I asked, grinning.

She smiled and pointed to the fire. "Can you help us get a fire started? Most of us didn't get to eat, so if you can, catch some fish too."

"So wood and fish, got it," I said. "But first..." I reached into my coat pocket and took out our azure jewel. "Hold on to this then. It'll be dangerous to go out by myself holding that."

Nyima took the jewel. "Good luck."

"I'll accompany you too," Kun said, striding over. "I want to make myself of some use.

"Then why not reinforce Wanikiya's wall with your earth powers?" Nyima asked.

Kun chuckled. "Already did."

Nyima glanced back at the silver wall all around us. "You did?"

"Yup! It's just not noticeable. Not until you give it a good whack!"

"So, Wani's ice is the façade of the wall. Not a bad trick," I said, wrapping an arm around my big brother. "Uh, but what about Yen?"

I looked over my shoulder and saw that Yen was gathering the others who laid unconscious. The Torans really were as strong as the rumors said they were. Our Hoshi teammates truly did come through for us today. But now they were all exhausted. Another attack like that one and we might not last long enough to gather the remaining two jewels.

I shook my head. No, I need to have confidence in those of us who can still fight, even Ayawamat.

**Solar Question: Overall thoughts? Theories as to what's next? :3**