Resh grinned. "I think we have just the spell!"

"You read my mind. Mirudo!"

Resh raised a larger mirror from the ground. It caught the shards of tile and reflected them back at Lulubell with prime speed. With narrowed eyes, Lulubell dodged two of them but she couldn't evade the third. It sliced through the petal shoulder guard, which regenerated in the next second.

"Unless she's immediately left useless when that spell wears off, I have no idea what to do." Amera mused, bitter.

After a moment, Resh's mirror exploded, spraying sparkling shards and the ringing sound of whiplash. Phil covered one ear against the splash. The explosion of glass had slashed through her petal armor, revealing skin in gashes. This time, however, it didn't regenerate.

Amera launched forward, re-energized, and flung a roundhouse kick into Lulubell, which she caught and deflected. Lulubell sent an elbow into Amera's throat, momentarily stunning her, but managed to intercept the knee she tried to throw between her ribs. A bone-breaker move. Amera retaliated by using Lulubell's own move against her and flung a knee into her face. Lulubell took the brunt of it and withdrew, a hand cupped over her right eye.

"Got me good there, girl." she said, withdrawing her hand, slow. Her eye was starting to swell. The skin was drooping. The sight was gruesome. Amera's kick broke the socket. "Believe me, one kick alone is nothing to take me down."

Amera offered a nod of caution. "I know that for sure."

"Luna!"

"Llmol!"

The rest of Lulubell's petal armor dissolved as vines exploded through the tile, snapping and ready to ensnare the next person in their path. As they slithered toward Amera, she glanced back at Kyo for a spell.

"Gadyuu Sorusen!"

Amera's flaming sword rose to her hand in that same second. She swung it like a baseball bat and sliced through the vines extended toward her easily. One squirmed free, catching Amera around the ankle and knocking her to the floor.

"Amera!" Resh screamed, racing forward.

"Gigano Mirar!"

Resh summoned a larger mirror, which fired a stunning beam. The kick to the eye left Lulubell lethargic and her evasion was clumsy. The laser appeared to have burned her arm. She analyzed the burn and swore.

"Kuroguru!"

Itosagi's clawed fists whirled past them with unimaginable speed. Lulubell bent backwards and the claws dissipated, re-materializing as Itosagi's paws, before they could impact on anything solid.

"Now, we've got her right where we want her," Amera observed. "A deer in a trap."

"It kinda feels like a pity battle now," Resh muttered, glancing around the dome, trying to hold off the inevitable.

"Believe me, it couldn't be far from that." Amera said with a scoff.

One of Itosagi's ears twitched. Almost in warning.

Lulubell's eye was already starting to swell into a multitude of green and yellow and purple, the veins spidery and open. Half her eye was closed. If she could still physically work with it, miracle was not enough of a word. "Luna, you need to give me my final spell. It's time to obliterate these freaks!"

"Himodozai!"

The whole dome shook. Lulubell's smirk was sinister. And for a brief moment, emotion colored the faces of her accomplices. They backed against the wall and waited. What appeared next was a gorgeous dragon made entirely of black rose petals. It rolled its neck, releasing a vicarious roar, which rattled the room further and pumped dread into their veins.

Resh covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes wide behind them. "Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God."

"Poyu, poyu..."

Amera lifted her hands. "It's okay. It's going to be okay. This is nothing we can't handle. We need to work together."

Phil nodded. The fear on his face was unmistakable. "She's right...if we combine our spells, we maybe– we just might be able to cancel it out."

"Well, here goes everything."

"Gigano Mirar!"

"Ganreizu Soruruga!"

"Go Kuroguru!"

The dragon fired a dark spiraling beam. Resh summoned a gigantic mirror, which fired a spiraling reflective beam, Amera jabbed her sword forward, shooting multiple grazes of light, and Itosagi's claws shot off like rockets, leaving crackling streams of electricity in their wake. As all three combined, Amera and Resh's meshed together to become a giant geological phenomenon and Itosagi's electricity circled the spectacular show of light. Blinding.

They clashed. The air flooded with smoke. Everyone begun to cough. Amera half-anticipated Lulubell to intercept them through the haze but she didn't. After a majority of the smoke cleared, allowing them a clearer view, they saw Lulubell still standing. There was dust on her face and in her hair. A few of her teeth were cracked. Her smile remained. Then, she started laughing and clapping.

"What the hell's so funny?" Amera sneered.

"Oh, nothing. The fact you think I could easily be taken out by my own spell." she said, still giggling. With a single swipe, she cleared the dust from her face, cleaning it off on her dress. "But it looks like you can."

They blinked collectively. Amera froze in realization.

The corner of her book was aflame.

"No!" Kyo screamed, looking stricken. "What...what do I do?"

Resh's eyes filled with tears. "No, no, no. This just can't be happening."

Amera observed the state of her book. It wasn't even halfway burned through yet. Bright orange fire devouring an entire corner. "My sacrifice will not be in vain." she said, valiant. When she returned her gaze to a triumphant Lulubell. Then, Kyo. "Kyo, are you okay? Do you still have energy for spells?"

"Amera..."

"Stop that, I'm fine. Just answer my question. Can you or can you not?"

Kyo nodded. His resolution was stone-set. "Yeah, of course."

Amera's smile was golden. "Great to hear."

In less than a second, Amera tackled Lulubell. The scuffle was messy. Amera flung the heel of her foot straight into Lulubell's nose–emitting a terrible sound and a spray of blood–and took her into a headlock when she attempted to escape.

"Resh, go!"

But Resh hesitated. Not seeing the opportunity, at first.

"Resh, go!"

While Amera was fueled on adrenaline, Resh was particularly slower, still winded. She ran toward Lulubell's partner, Luna, extending her hands and screaming for a spell.

Lulubell gasped. She forced half an arm through Amera's hold, but was unsuccessful in breaking it. "No...no!"

"Mir–"

"Bergzak."

Before Resh could reach Luna in time, a bullet-like blast sent her flying.

"Resh!" Phil shouted, the book in his hand aglow.

Besides an ugly gash on her leg, Resh appeared fine. She climbed to her feet to identify her attacker. And from the shadows, Lulubell's accomplices reappeared, uninjured and expressionless.

"Well, I'm not really in the mood for a fight," the bookkeeper said, exchanging a bored stare with his partner. "Since the girl couldn't handle it, I guess we have to intervene. What a pain. Think you're ready, Barrett?"

"Without a doubt, Tyson. Let's be sure to end this one quick."

By their sound, Lulubell didn't look exactly flattered by their word either. But at Amera's reluctance, she squeezed her whole arm through Amera's hold and sunk a hard fist into her chin, deterring her enough to break the lock. In a bout of adrenaline, Lulubell ducked under Resh's incoming swing and resumed place in front of her partner. This time, she had no snarky comment to give.

Amera clenched her teeth, facing Kyo again. "Kyo, we need to–"

But she froze. Her book was nearly consumed by fire at this point. Kyo could barely contain it. As she glanced at her hand, she saw it was translucent. Sparkling. She tried flexing her fingers, hoping it was a meager hallucination and she still had a chance at the competition, but she continued fading. It was hopeless.

Resh ran over, clawing for her hands, desperate. She was crying. "Amera, no! We...we were supposed to do this together!" she insisted. "What am I going to do without you?"

"Resh, don't fret. You're light." Amera said, extending both hands toward Resh. "Not only will you be able to conquer these two but I know you'll go far in this battle. Believe in yourself and your mountainous strength will guide you."

"I swear I will. For you...for us."

There were tears in Kyo's eyes as well, ones that would remain unshed. He had so much more to say. After her oath to Resh, Amera offered him a two-finger salute, a smile, and was gone.

Kyo collapsed to his knees and stared at the remaining ashes of Amera's book. Speechless.

"Well, it's about time," Lulubell said, offering a single clap. "Enough with all the whiny drama. Can we get back to the battle? I don't have all day."

Resh dried her eyes and stepped forward, willingly taking Amera's place. Her gaze was cold. "With pleasure."

"You...asshole!"

Before turning around, Caleb rolled his eyes. "Believe me, I could recognize that voice anywhere." He turned, exaggeratedly slow, to face the sound. Eve and Sundance had caught them in the nick of time. Eve was breathless, hand on her chest, clinging to the bridge post. Sundance, on the other hand, hadn't broken a sweat. "Hello, Eve. Sundance, was it? Sorry, can't remember. Don't exactly care to. Oh, Eve, you're looking fine."

"Save it, you–"

Sundance spared her a tired glance. "Eve."

"Seems she didn't appreciate your sweet word, Caleb." Ophelia said with a sharp-toothed smile.

"Seems not." he answered. "So what's going on, my darling? Back for more?"

For not first time today–or probably ever–Eve felt like banging her head into a wall. She wished she had a sharp rock to throw. Or a hammer. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Eve, please." Sundance said, reaching frugal hands toward his partner, but Eve was purposely avoiding his gaze. "We don't have to fight. Really, we don't. Can't we all just–"

Eve rolled her eyes. "Sadly, Sundance, we're past getting along."

"Wait, who says I'm even in the mood for a fight? Didn't you see us leaving?" Caleb retorted, snide, using an arm to direct backward.

"Sorry, you're well out of time, children!" Ophelia announced, hopping between feet like a giddy child.

"You know what? Do not even try me. I'm beyond caring about either of your opinions at this point. Not that I ever really did, so let's be real for once and have an actual battle." Eve shouted, tearing open Sundance's book. The responding glow was weak. It barely reached her eyes.

"Well...okay, then. I guess, we can always use a little humor before we go." Caleb said, removing Ophelia's spell book from the satchel on his shoulder, which he tossed aside. Ophelia took defensive place in front of him.

"Please. Stop making it sound like you actually have somewhere to go."

Caleb gave Ophelia a smile and a shrug. "Let's make this quick, too, yeah?"

"In your wildest dreams," Eve muttered.

But Sundance was worried. Given the stunning light from Caleb's book and the minuscule amount radiating from his, this was shaping to be a repeat of their last battle and Eve was too preoccupied to heed his advice, he was hoping this premonition wouldn't turn true.

Another update so soon? How can that be? I kid, I kid. I'm hoping to have another update out by or/before 2016, so here's hoping.

One battle is closer to be finished and another has just begun. A comrade is lost and per usual, Eve is disregarding everyone around her. Will that come back to haunt her? Tune into the next chapter to find out! R&R!