*Lei*

Kun and I gathered sticks that had fallen around the nearby forest floor to use for our camp fire. Well, while they were technically 'sticks' compared to the trees they came from, they could easily be considered logs due to their thickness.

Kun spun around without warning. "Do you feel that?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, someone is heading in the direction of the camp."

"We better hurry back," Kun said. He covered the two of us in a pillar of light and warped us back to the camp.

"Back so soon?" Yen asked.

"Seems like they didn't get any fish," Nyima said, leering at us.

"At least they got the fire wood," my big sis kindly pointed out.

Kun and I dropped the logs down over the pit we had made for last night's fire.

"We rushed back here as we felt someone coming," Kun said.

Nyima shifted her glance toward the wall. "Someone is heading over here?"

"They're coming at us like waves," Yuzuki said as she finished putting a towel over Orion's head. "Tahoma, and the others were knocked unconscious by the previous wave and we barely remained standing."

"Well, that battle with Tora must've drawn people to us. Those with strong sensors on their team will surely come to check out where all that prana was coming from," Hota said. He remained seated next to the pit like when Kun and I had left. He chuckled and rose a hand into the air. Pillars of earth rose into the air.

Yen, Kun, and I gasped. "This presence, it's..." we said in unison.

"Hold it!" a voice called out. Clumps of rock flew out of the pillars, targeting the one zipping through the air. "I come in peace!"

"Hold your fire!" Yen yelled, putting a hand in front of Hota.

Hikaru gasped as the person zipping through the air stopped on top one of the earth pillars.

"Well, that was quiet the welcome," our 'guest' said.

"Hal, what are you doing here?" Nyima asked.

"I just came back to repay a debt." He smiled at Yen. "I came to inform you that Adela's group is heading over here right now."

"Adela?" I asked, gasping.

He nodded. "Yup, and just because she has a thing for you doesn't mean that she'll go easy on you."

My face reddened. "I rather she not go easy on me because of that."

Nyima and Yuzuki stared at me in awe. "So you have been playing ignorant!" Nyima said.

I chuckled nervously.

Yuzuki sighed. "Wonder if you know how the two of us feel too," she whispered.

"Hey, speak for yourself! I am not in love with this idiot!" she said, pointing at me.

I sighed. This was why I pretended to be ignorant.

Ayawamat snickered. "I don't see what you girls see in this guy. He's an idiot and a weakling. Then again, I guess that you have a thing for attracting weaklings, huh, Yuzu?"

"Don't refer to me as that again," Yuzu said, shooting daggers at him.

Hal chuckled. "Well, perhaps it would've been best if I hadn't come." He turned around. "Welp. I better get going. They'll be here in a few."

Yen stared at the basket of fruits in her hand. "I was going to make a tea for the others using this, but it seems we'll have to use them ourselves. Everyone, gather around and take a few, but only eat one." She looked up and smiled at Hal. "Thanks for the warning."

Hal turned around. "I-it's nothing."

Nyima chuckled as soon as he left. "Was he embarrassed?"

"Never seen that guy be embarrassed before," Zelde said before popping the fruit into her mouth.

"Nor have I," Wanikiya said as soon as he finished taking the fruit. He gasped. "My energy, I feel it returning."

"These are the berries that are used for the prana restoration pills," Yen said as she put down the basket for the rest of us to grab some.

"Ohh, like the kind that Koukyuu gave us between matches on the ship?" Hikaru asked as he stared at his.

"Exactly, but these are less potent."

"What do you mean?" Zelde asked. "I feel all of my energy returning."

"She means that you'll crash," Kun said as he stared at the berry in his hand. "We got a few hours to fight before our energy boosts expire and we end up as unconscious as the others. Unless if we get some rest before that happens."

"So it's like coffee, but stronger," Nyima said as she formed a barrier of water around her.

I rubbed my forehead. "We need to come up with a plan to deal with Adela and the others. Elliot is a martial mage, but the world he attended magic school in isn't like our own."

"What do you mean?" Nyima asked, turning her attention to me.

"Adela told me it's a world in which one absorbs the magic of those with the same specialty."

The others gulped.

I snickered. "Worry not. Luckily none of us are martial mages. Right?"

Ayawamat looked away.

I snickered. "Oh right, I forgot that you learned how to use martial magic recently."

"Shut up, dweeb. I won't get my magic stolen from that guy!" he shouted.

I wagged my fingered and looked southward. "I wouldn't be too sure about that. Elliot was strong when we were kids, who knows how strong he is now, especially after absorbing the magic of others."

"You think that I'll be afraid of someone who learned magic in a backwater world?" he snapped.

I shrugged. "No, but you should."

"Tsk. Like I'll heed that advice. I'm not a coward like you who depends on his siblings to protect him."

I sighed. If only we weren't in national teams. I would like to finally shut him up. Sure I lost to him a few weeks back, but I've gotten stronger since then. Now, if only I could master my Ventus Maxima.

I chuckled. "Well, it's not like you'll be facing off against him. I will," I said, grinning.

He scoffed. "So your plan revolves around one on one fights, is that it?"

"Nah. Nyima, Zelde, you two take on Adela. Your water and fire will counter whatever she throws against you."

Nyima scratched her head. "Uh, I think that Zelde is a good enough counter on her own. She can absorb Adela's flames, should she use them."

I gasped. Wait, pairing up Zelde against Adela is cruel... it'll trigger her bad memories and perhaps her visions of the future. I can't do that to her, even if we are on opposing sides. Her wellbeing is more important than winning this.

"I know what you're thinking," Zelde whispered. "Wanikiya, Nyima, you two team up against Adela."

"I would like to face her too," Yuzuki said, taking a step toward the southern portion of the ice wall. "I've been wanting to face her since we met in Mahpiya High."

I snickered. "I wonder why?" I said with a teasing smile.

Yuzuki and Nyima shot me daggers.

I backed away, bumping into Ayawamat. "Hey, watch where you're going," he said, glaring at me. "We aren't even in a crowded hallway and you still bump into me."

"Lei bumps into me a lot too," Nyima said, sighing.

"You should really watch where you're going, Lei," Kun said, snickering.

I scoffed. "Like you're one to talk. I've seen you bump into Sarah several times."

Kun's face reddened. "Touche," my brother said, turning away.

I chuckled.

Kun looked back at the wall and summoned his wand and transformed it into its broad sword form. "They're here."

I held my already summoned butterfly knives in front of me and got into battle stance.

"Well, this is lame. Looks like you anticipated our arrival," a familiar voice called out. A black haired young man with red highlights jumped over the wall and landed by the gate.

"Hey, Elliot!" I said, waving.

"Hey, Lei! Ready for a fun match?" he asked with a toothy grin.

I nodded. "Yeah!"

"Lei, stop that. You're acting as if this is a friendly spar. While it might not be war, the stakes aren't low. Where are the others?" Nyima asked, pointing her spear in his direction.

Suddenly the ice wall shattered. Metal strings punctured through it.

"Looks like that's our answer," Kun said as he raised stones that were embedded within the ice.

"Kun, together now," Hota yelled as he raised more stones.

Adela and her teammates stopped in midflight. They turned around and saw rocks gravitate toward them.

The High Priestess closed her eyes and unleashed sweltering heat, melting the stones into lava.

"The heck?" Hota yelled.

She opened her eyes and grinned as lava rained down on the ground.

"She focused the heat," Zelde said, smiling.

I chuckled and flashed behind her. I gasped as she caught my punch.

"Nice try," Adela said, gripping my fist. Heat overwhelmed me. If this were a war, she probably would've burned me into ashes by now.

"H-how did you become this strong?"

Her ruby eyes seemed to glow. "Though the ancient arts of our clan," she answered as he lifted me up and slammed me toward the ground.

"Uh, you sure she loves you?" Yen asked as she caught me.

I blinked and Adela formed a sword out of leaves. "She's just a different person when it comes to battle. Remember her match against Hika."

"Right," Yen said as she raised one hand.

Kun flew over to us as a sonic wave roared. He grunted as his sword was struck by Adela's leaf sword.

I gulped. She wasn't going easy at all.

I looked down and watched as Hota blocked a punch of Elliot from hitting Hikaru.

"Guys!" Yuzuki yelled. I felt a great quantity of prana around her.

Adela turned her attention to her. She raced after her but a metallic angel stood in her way. She sliced through its head.

Hikaru moved in front of his sister and took in a deep breath. Time slowed but Adela's speed even with time slowed was like that of someone speed walking, except through air.

Yuzuki extended her hands out and warped her brother and herself away.

Ayawamat rushed out of a portal on the ground and struck Adela with webs but the webs exploded into flames.

Adela gasped and closed her eyes.

My bully grinned and unleashed more webbing on her, covering her in flames.

"Stop that!" I yelled, rushing over to him. I grabbed him by the wrist and moved the webbing away. "I said enough!"

"Let go of me, weakling!" he snapped. Trying to shake off my grip but I wasn't going to unhand him so easily.

"What's wrong with you? Don't you see that she's suffering? I know that she's our opponent but that's too much!"

"Tsk. You've always been a goody-two-shoes," he said.

"Thank you, Lei. But Ayawamat is right," Adela said as she looked up. The flames were now gone. "We are opponents right now."

"Aren't you the priestess of Xian?" Yuzuki asked as she, Hika, Kun, and Yen made their way over to us.

Hota, Zelde, and Wanikiya meanwhile continued to fend off Elliot.

Adela smiled as she stood up. "That I am. But even I must confess that I struggle walking the straight path." She covered her face with a hand and chuckled. "Especially in the midst of battle. I seem to lose sight of who I am."

"I sorta do too," I said with a faint smile. "I think it has to do with what happened all those years ago..."

"What did happen?" Nyima yelled as she rushed over.

"Hmph, excuses," Ayawamat said before launching a fist toward Adela's gut.

Adela blocked it with both her hands but the momentum from the fist still sent her light-weight body flying toward the now cooling lava.

Adela stopped herself in midair before she could collide against the steaming rocks. She grinned and launched a green sword at us, well more like Ayawamat.

The rest of us stepped aside.

"So this will be a one on one, eh?" Ayawamat said as he caught her sword.

"Sure. I've been meaning to cut you down a peg for awhile now!" Adela yelled as she crafted more verdant swords. They spun around her rapidly as she took to the air again.

It was pretty neat how she could fly without needing to use elemental magic to do so.

"Adela!" Elliot yelled as he took to the air as well. "You're going to fight that guy in a one on one? Is he that strong?"

"No, but considering his pride, I might as well grant him this privilege. I'll put him in his place," she said before sending her swords at Ayawamat.

**Solar Note: It's been awhile since I've updated this story. I have been focused on 'The Shadow of Justice' which I aim to finish by or prior to April 15th, 2019. After I've wrapped it up, expect more chapters of Descent of Darkness as my next goal is to wrap up this novel! Hope that you enjoyed the chapter, if so then please click on that star to show your love <3! Thoughts? Theories? Predictions?**