The destruction of Solaris was never-ending. In a blink of an eye, and explosion would go off, engulfing an entire area where several building would be clustered. However, the energy grids protected them from harm, and absorbs into the grid's network to empower the shield.

The sounds of a thud were carried through an alleyway. There, Dan and his team of the Battle Brawlers were hurrying away from the skirmish as fast as possible. The outcries of a Subterra Scaboid unable to fit through carried out into the thickness of the alley. The Brawlers soon found just enough length between them and the enemy, they finally took the time to catch their breath.

Marucho fell to his hands and knees, completely out of breath. "Oh man…that was a close one…" he coughed.

"Yeah, no kidding. Seriously, that was closer than last time!" Radizen panicked.

Roxtor spoke gibberish.

"I don't know, Roxtor, you figure it out! Do you know a way to take down the shields?"

"Taking those down is definitely a problem at the moment." Shun said, looking down the way they came. "And what's worse, is that there's more wild Bakugan coming in from the other side."

"So they can come in, but we can't get out." Gunz shorthanded.

"It looks like it." Shun looked down. "I hate to say it, but if we don't find an option soon, I'm afraid that it'll only be a matter of time…"

Dan banged his fist into the wall so hard that it got everyone's attention. They looked at him and his glare cast into the shadow. "This bites! How are we supposed to get out of this mess then?!" He grunted. "Just gotta think…"

"Dan…" Drago muttered, but his partner's head lowered.

Marucho, finally catching his breath, stepped up. "Hey Dan, it's gonna be okay-"

"No it isn't, Marucho! Don't you get it?!" His outburst left the shorter blonde boy with a shocked look. Shun and Gunz coolly glared at Dan with his anger lashing out. "I'm sorry, really…it's just, we've been in tough situations like this before, and every time we've always gotten out of them in some way…but this guy, Riaan…he's really messing with our heads. Worse than what Mag Mel did."

"It's not just because he's a formidable foe." Jaakor said. "His calculations, his strategy, everything about his actions are all in tandem."

Shun put a hand to his chin. "First he sets up grids to keep the citizens out of the way, as well as absorb the power all the Bakugan use. Then while using foot soldiers, he uses modernized weapons to keep us running until we're worn out. And even beyond that, he brings in reinforcements to snuff us out. Jaakor's right, he's playing his cards professionally."

"Then how do we beat him?" Dan grunted.

"Gnnngh…" A low groan came their way.

Dan turned around and swiveled in shock. "Who's there-?!" His eyes widened in horror.

Using the wall as support, they recognized the familiar Neathian queen who was clutching her side. Ooze that looked like Neathian blood was coming out slowly, even through her hand. She was bruised and scraped all over. And her left side looked swollen, possibly from taking a fall.

"FABIA!" Dan and the Brawlers rushed over to their ally's aid. They surrounded her in time.

"Dan…!" Suddenly, Fabia felt a searing pain in her wound, losing the strength to stand. Shun hurried and grabbed her in time.

"Don't move. You're seriously hurt." He explained.

Dan immediately got into her face. "Fabia, what happened? Who did this to you?"

"Dan…" she paused, trying to catch her breath, But found it harder than expected. "It was…those wild Bakugan. They overwhelmed Aranaut, and those soldiers with guns, they…" She trailed off, the sentiment reaching them in full.

"This looks bad." Gunz grimaced. "She needs help, fast."

"Guys!"

"Over here!"

Further down from the alleyway, coming out towards them, the Brawlers turned around to find Rafe and Paige sauntering up as fast as possible, while holding what looked like Elright between them. However, unlike Fabia's condition, Elright's was far more severe that it puts hers to shame.

"Rafe! Paige!" Shun paused. "…Elright?!"

Fabia looked over her shoulder, her eyes widening in utter horror. "Captain Elright?!"

Rafe and Paige sat him down as gently as they could and sat him against the wall. The two were scraped up bad, but not nearly as bad as what Elright was. He had a gunshot wound right in the elbow, but the rest of his body had suffered no less than second-degree burns from the fire that swallowed him before. His skin was charred and raw, so much that it was crisp still. Primarily his right side had sustained much of the wounds.

"…" The Captain grunted as he tried speaking, but he found that hard to do.

"What happened to Elright?!" Dan freaked.

Rafe lowered his head, heavily saddened with the grievances that followed. "It was those Interacians. I think it was Zion. We found him like this barely after seeing an explosion of fire close by. We managed to pull him out, but…" He looked directly at Elright. "Captain Elright…"

He shuffled some, barely enough to catch a glimpse of his injured queen. "Your Highness…I…"

"Captain Elright…!" Fabia found the strength to shrug Shun off for a moment and limp over. She strained to get to a knee, but grunted heavily while clutching her side. "Gnnngh…Elright…hang on."

"My Queen…" He grunted. "I'm sorry…but, these guys…they're too strong."

Paige gritted her teeth, her anger rising. "Gnnngh! CRAP!" She slammed her fist against the wall, again setting off a ripple in the grid. "These Interacians! One way or another, they're gonna pay so bad!"

"We need to get medical attention as soon as we can." Rafe responded, keeping his knightly composure.

They all heard a shrilled hiss from the alleys coming from where the Battle Brawlers came from. They echoed around, reverberating through the walls and back at them. Snarls were heard loudly enough to make their skin crawl.

"If we leave, we'll be spotted. But if we stay here, they'll come to us, one way or another." Shun furrowed his brow as he closed his eyes. "We need another miracle to get out of this one."

"We have to do something!" Dan shouted. He looked skywards, seeing the magenta dome high above. "Everyone…is counting on us. We have to get out…whatever it takes."

The Solaris lab was completely shut off from the outside. Thanks to the barrier that was installed by Galilea as a security measure, anyone who would make contact with it would immediately be cindered. It was a translucent laser grid barrier.

It was inside the lab where the lights were dimly on. The monitors and machinery were working at full capacity, with helixes and modulators evenly spread in categorized manner. Even within the carnage that had happened earlier, blood still stained the ground. The bodies that Maximus had maimed were all blanketed under white sheets that stained with red.

Suddenly, four figures teleported out of a bright flash. When the flash gradually faded, it revealed Spectra, Mira, Gus, and Keegan, all accounted for.

Immediately they took in their surroundings, seeing how expansive the lab was just like Troposphere's. "So is this really it?" Keegan questioned.

"These were the coordinates." Gus stated. He glanced around, noting the equipment. "Hmph, seems we have arrived, Master Spectra."

"Yes, it looks like it." He stated. "Now, we should hurry. We need to follow the instructions left. Is what was said is true, then we can use it here."

Keegan put his hands to his hips. "Guess we better get to tinkering then…" His face scrunched as he saw a nearby blanketed corpse. Eventually, his face fell. "C'mon, let's hurry this up. Can't stand being in here with all these bodies."

"Agreed." Mira nodded. "Let's get to that vaccination wave."

"I hear you both. And I agree. Very well then…" Spectra walked over, with Mira, Keegan, and Gus heading over towards the monitors to commence with the preparations. 'This is a long shot, but if this works, it'll change the course of this fight. No margin of error is allowed. Now…let's see what Riaan's forbidden works can really do when put to another use, shall we?'

Shawn and Magnus were in their standoff, enemy Bakugan all over the place, yet avoiding them as they met each other's respective glares.

"Alright, fool, you messed with wrong crib. I'm just pissed now." Magnus scoffed.

Shawn frowned. "Please. Your jargon isn't hard to understand. I've met people like that on Earth way before you. Compared to them, you're just milking it."

Magnus grew visibly irritated. "Oh, you talking smack now…" He trailed off, nodding in understanding. "I see. I see…okay then, I'll be sure that when I step on you that I make you say that again. Bring it, little man."

Shawn brought his Gate Card. "Gate Card, set!" He shot the Gate Card between them, fading into a bright yellow shockwave through the earth. He held out Verias' ball form and threw him in. "Bakugan, brawl!" He tossed him in. "Sage Verias, stand!"

Verias' ball form exploded with a broad, bright light that swallowed the area. The ground thumped and tremored spontaneously to the explosion of light. With his shades gone, Magnus covered up using his forearm, but even that held little weight when the erupting light gradually gained shape. Something came smashing down in a striking his, his teal eyes glimmering with a bright seriousness.

When the staff twirled overhead and slammed into the ground, it created a break in the light, in which Sage Verias' full form exerted a voluminous, primal roar of battle. He stood with a power level of 900.

Magnus glared daggers back at him. "Bakugan, brawl! Bakugan, stand! Go, Subterra Glotronoid!"

In a light brown light, Magnus' customized Glotronoid exploded onto his two feet, giving Verias a hiss with a power of 700.

Magnus immediately went off on the initiative. "Ability, activate! Hyper Nail Predator!" Glotronoid's claws raked apart and revealed larger, sharper nails coated in orange-brown energy. He sped off after Verias.

Glotronoid: 700 (+300) = 1000 Sage Verias: 900 (-300) = 600

As the lizard drew closer, but Shawn didn't show any signs of swaying as he held up his Bakumeter. "Ability activate, Icarus!"

Verias waited until Glotronoid drew close enough to prepare. The lizard closed the gap and got up in his face, snarling as it drew its raking claws around, only for a translucent shield of crystalized yellow light to block him out. He sped back along the pavement, making ditches with his toe claws.

Glotronoid: 1000 (-300) = 700 Sage Verias: 600 (+300 +400) = 1300

Magnus frowned. "Damn shield."

"You sure run your mouth a lot when stressed." Shawn tantalized.

Magnus' leer hardened. "Fool, nobody makes a mess of me, alright? Ability, activate! Jag Spartan!" At the response of anger, Glotronoid crossed his forearms, with the blades suddenly protruding out and sizing up in length. With another lunge, he went flying after Verias.

Glotronoid: 700 (+400) = 1100 Sage Verias: 1300 (-400) = 900

"Verias!"

Shawn's voice reached his partner. "Yes, I know." He braced himself when Glotronoid suddenly cut the gap between them. He started low and swiped upwards, but Verias used his staff to parry. The lizard went on a violent slashing spree, pivoting and raking at every chance it could get to strike down Verias. Try as he might, Verias was reading Glotronoid's advances swiftly and carefully in split-second timing.

Glotronoid's blade finally met a strong parry with Verias' staff, strong enough to make a break in the air between them. Neither side gave in.

"What else you got, little man?"

Shawn readied an ability. "Ability, activate! Lore Halo!"

With Glotronoid on the verge of succeeding the parry, he didn't realize the bright ring around Verias' staff glowing until it was too late. Just as he turned to look, Verias raised his foot and kicked him away for room.

With the room, Verias twirled his staff up and over. He brought it down and out as the light intensified. "Time for you to see the light!" The ring expelled a large halo of light that sped after Glotronoid. Its rate was excessively fast and ferocious that it left Magnus surprised.

Glotronoid: 1100 Sage Verias: 900 (+500) = 1400

As the halo drew in closer, Magnus readied an ability. "How dumb are you to make such a move? Ability, activate! Sterilize Shield!" Glotronoid stood completely still, summoning a brown, rippling forcefield that protected him. The halo closed in on him, meeting the shield with cracking voltage surging upon impact. The force became so much that the shield itself was starting to crackle with static from front to back.

Suddenly, it became too much. The shield shattered to pieces, leaving Glotronoid vulnerable.

"What?!"

Shawn frowned. "Apparently not as dumb as you."

The halo smashed into Glotronoid, creating a burst of light that sent him spiraling through the air at alarming rates until he crashed down into front of Magnus, sending shockwaves everywhere. As the dust settled, Shawn and Verias looked on unfazed while their opponent recoiled from that attack.

'He broke through Sterilize Shield like it wasn't even there. Is his increased power also given him abilities that made this fool overwhelm mine?'

Glotronoid struggled to get up, enough that his physical body was feeling winded. From the last fight he had with Verias, he could hardly move as well.

"Ability, activate!" Magnus declared. "Hazard Earth-X!"

BA-DUMP!

The ground vibrated with a small yet steady pulse that started low, but then began growing steadily. A magenta shockwave eroded and cracked beneath Glotronoid's frame as he snarled/ His body twitched violently as his eyes gleamed with bright magenta. He expelled a powerful roar outwards, echoing through the air an caused the earth to surge beneath with beams of magenta.

"Here he comes, Verias." Shawn said. "You know what to do."

"Right." The ape nodded. He lifted his arm down to allow Shawn onboard. He lifted it up to his shoulder, allowing him at eye-level. They faced the oncoming shockwaves that were building up around Glotronoid.

Magnus reached his arm out. "DIE!" At the command, Glotronoid craned his neck around before forcing his hands forward. He directed all the power he had into a seismic blast wave that soared across the ground, traveling its gargantuan wake at Verias and Shawn, who were more than prepared for the incoming roaring wake.

"Now!" Verias shouted.

"Ability, activate! Sagacity Gem!"

All the gems on Verias' bodily armor glowed. He remained relaxed and loose while his forearms got up in front and took the shockwaves head on. Earth and crust, along with explosive forbidden energy blasted him, but he stood his ground, like nothing was there to deter him. In fact, upon impact, the gems shined and drew in the magenta energy within the crusted wake, turning it into yellow light drawn in by the gems. That only made them brighter.

Glotronoid: 1100 Sage Verias: 1400 (+800 +500) = 2700

Magnus' eyes widened in surprise. 'He absorbed that attack again? Seriously?!'

Verias let out a primal roar as he raised his glorified staff high into the air, before smashing it into the ground with explosive yellow force. The gems brightened into a flare that traveled downwards through the earth, racing in bright beams until fissures cracked open that exploded between them and their opponents. The wake traced back towards Glotronoid and Magnus, the latter backpedaled and stumbled through the wake.

The dust gradually settled down, showing that Verias was completely unharmed as he repositioned himself. Shawn remained on his shoulder, giving a serious glare of his own.

Gathering his bearings, Magnus stirred back up. "Okay, I admit it…these fools know what they're doing." He positioned his feet out from each other. "Guess I should stop giving them such slack."

"I'd be insulted if you didn't." Shawn chided.

Magnus scoffed as he picked up his Bakumeter. He started typing into it furiously.

"Ready, Vilance." The fragments of the vehicle pieced together, until they made a joined gear that was aimed at Glotronoid.

"Mobile Assault Vehicle, launch!" Magnus shot the minimized vehicle outwards, sending it onto Glotronoid. In a bright flash, the street was slammed down on by the Vilance's underside. Its enormous tri-prong lanced end had deadly harpoons aimed at Verias.

Glotronoid: 1100 (+200) = 1300 Sage Verias: 2700

"Alright fools, bring it." Magnus demanded.

Shawn narrowed his eyes. He wasn't stupid as to attack head-on. He knew the Vilance would neutralize his abilities since they were a positive delta. He and Verias glanced at each other, knowing what they had to expect at this point.

"Ability, activate! Prominence-X!" A core appeared on Glotronoid, enhancing him and causing the accents all over his body to ignite if a bright magenta energy. The atmosphere rumbled heavily as veins of magenta surged throughout his body as he screeched out in all directions.

Glotronoid: 1300 (+1100) = 2400 Sage Verias: 2700

Shawn expected something like this. "Right, should have figured something like this would come up."

Magnus didn't provide leeway before he activated his next ability. "Ability, activate! Rim Sonic!" The Vilance's prongs opened up into three separate ways, which all focused on building a magenta energy charge between it and Verias. Once the energy charged through the wake of Glotronoid's pressure. It glimmered several times before a condensed, flashy magenta beam tire across the scenery, blazing into Verias.

"Ability, activate! Siba Strider!"

Verias' gemstones on his body shined brightly again as his staff arose once more. His body's fur bristled with light energy that responded with the diamond on his staff shining just as bright. His power level increased further towards 2800. His glowing staff twirled around and met the attack, making a dense collision that Verias ultimately held off on.

The two forces created a bright dome of swirling magenta and yellow energy. The pulsation created airwaves that none of the Bakugan around were able to get close to. They all backpedaled or screeched as they were blown away by the force of their collision.

Magnus looked as the blast wave didn't let up. He needed more power. Another strong push. 'This little man…' He thought back to the caverns of Gundalia, then the Empyrean, and then to Neathia. His eyes widened. "…you don't take my streets unless I'm dead! Ability, activate! Rim Sonic!"

The beam's wake suddenly broke. The Vilance charged up another round, even as the first one kept going.

Glotronoid: 2800 (+400) = 3200 Sage Verias: 2800 (-400) = 2400

On Verias' shoulder in the wake, Shawn could see it clearly. "Gate Card, open! Freeze Enemy!"

The Gate Card shined beneath, causing a bright shine that froze Glotronoid and the Vilance in place. The charged that was happening seemed to have been frozen for a moment before diffusing some. Much to this was to Magnus' shock as he watched Glotronoid unable to make the Vilance's lock-on sequence work in time. With everything frozen even, the beam that was supposed to hit clean through Verias actually went over his shoulder, beaming into the far back of the avenue. It erupted in a wave of light that flashed madly, before exploding into a magenta eruption. Neither Shawn not Verias were harmed by this as they looked ahead like it didn't happen.

Glotronoid: 3200 (-200) = 3000 Sage Verias: 2400

As fires raged behind in a crater that stretched behind Verias, the Bakugan looked ahead knowingly. "Now it can't calibrate. It'll only face forward."

"That's right…which means we can finish this." Shawn said.

Verias straightened himself up and posed to dart after Glotronoid. However, he blitzed into nothing, leaving dust in his spot.

'So fast!' Magnus felt a shadow above. "Huh?!"

Unable to look up, time slowed down as the staff was enchanted in a bright light, coming down with Verias and Shawn onto their immobile foe. The ape roared with all his might as he drew closer with every nanosecond on the frozen Bakugan.

"What are you-?!"

"Ability, activate!" Shawn shouted. "Polaris…"

"…HAMMER!" The light intensified to that of a star on the flat diamond. He screeched madly as Glotronoid and the Vilance couldn't calibrate to adjust. "LIGHT'S OUT FOR YOU!"

It happened in a split second. The area erupted in an adhesive shockwave that blew apart everything in its wake. Magnus was swallowed in shockwaves of sheer, bright light that he couldn't hold up against. Being so close, the earth itself picked up around him and he went flying backwards, screaming madly into a tumble roll across the avenue, skipping like a rock until his back smashed into destroyed Mobile Assault vehicle debris from another soldier. The impact was so hard that he gagged and blacked out for a second.

Glotronoid: 3000 (-500) = 2500 Sage Verias: 2400 (+500) = 2900

The light pulsated as brightly as the sun. It didn't stop no matter what. Nearby Bakugan either pulled back or were reduced to ball form as the broad wave of light reduced the Vilance to shambles, along with Glotronoid shrieking in agony before reverting to ball form. The ball form went flying outwards towards Magnus' body, while the light gradually reduced itself.

Standing in the middle of a crater that steamed and sizzled from the wake of his attack, Verias had his staff still embedded into the ground. He gradually picked it up, looking ahead like nothing happened. Shawn, looked on, seeing Magnus sprawled hundreds of meters away with his dreadlocks all over the place.

Magnus: 0%

They overlooked Magnus defeated frame as he grunted painfully. He was more than roughed up that he could barely stand.

"Guess he must have busted something." Shawn grimaced.

Magnus grimaced as searing pain went through his body. "Gnngh…damnit…! This damn rat busted my crib…this is…a massive pain…"

Suddenly overhead, the large magenta forcefield above rippled once, giving a bright white ring that went down from the top and spread until it reached the bottom.

"Shawn, did you see that just now?" Verias asked.

Shawn looked up. "Yeah. I wonder if that means something?" He frowned. They didn't have the luxury of waiting around when they had to hurry and find the others. 'Let's just hope the others are having as much luck as we did. We know better than to dawdle forever on a basis.'

The sound of footsteps drew closer, grabbing Shawn and Verias' attention. Coming from behind, enemy soldiers with Bakugan caught up and saw the sights with slight shock.

"Lord Magnus!" a soldier panicked.

"Then this was the source of that explosion. Men, don't let them get away!" another shouted.

Verias turned around while Shawn jumped off and onto the ground. Immediately a soldier fired a bullet, which he easily deflected with the rapier. He repositioned it and gave them all a glare. "Guess we're still not done here yet. Get set! Verias!"

Verias stamped his staff's diamond top into the ground. He banged his chest and snarled. "I'm all warmed up now. Let's give them what they came for."

Shawn whipped his rapier, sighing. "Right, here we go again."

Maggie and Galilea stood a good distance from each other, neither fazed by the energy the other gave off. Maggie gave Galilea what could have been one of the most serious leers that a 10-year-old could give to an adult.

"Stay sharp, Jelldon. Looks like she's gonna be on the offense this time." She figured logistically.

Jelldon nodded. "Gotcha."

"Hmph, don't get your hopes up, little one. I'm well aware of how you and your friends operate around us at this point. You may have pulled a number of fast ones in the past, but right here, there's no place for you to hide."

"That's ironic considering we've been under your noses this whole time." Maggie snide. "All you people who talk big and do business really throw your weight around that it's ridiculous." She held up a Gate Card. "Gate Card, set!" She flung it out towards the battlefield, making a red shockwave fade throughout the ground. She grabbed Jelldon. "We're putting you out of business, Galilea!"

Galilea frowned heavily. "That isn't how business works, little lady. It takes a lot more than just the right attitude to be successful, something even the Battle Brawlers were unable to realize. You may have beaten Lord Riaan once…" She held up Biz Hornix. "But that luxury won't happen again."

"Bakugan, brawl!" Both women threw their Bakugan out at the same time. They rolled out in front of each other, popping open. "Bakugan, stand!" Two powerful glows erupted across the ground, summoning a pillar of plasma along with a pillar of dark green.

"Go, Pyrus Astral Jelldon!" In an explosion of plasma, Jelldon's body erupted in embers that crackled electricity. Tendrils swayed left and right until Jelldon's evolved form erupted with a scowl. The air crackled with red as he stood at his power of 900.

"Rise, Ventus Buz Hornix!" In that same instance, green energy diffused to allow Buz Hornix to surface for battle once again. the Bakugan unleashed a loud hiss as her power stood at 800.

Immediately, Galilea tapped her Bakumeter, getting her Mobile Assault Vehicle set. Maggie squinted. 'Knew she'd go with that.'

Once the vehicle materialized, Galilea made green energy tracks and aimed for Buz Hornix. "Mobile Assault Vehicle, launch!" She launched the vehicle through the air.

'Now!' Maggie reached down for the field. "Gate Card, open! Field Lock!"

The Gate Card shined, immediately creating a barricade-like forcefield that blocked out everything within the outside region. The device hit the barrier, only to fly Back to Galilea's grip, much to her shock.

"My Mobile Assault Vehicle-!"

"I've locked the field, so you can't rely on it like you did before." Maggie explained.

Galilea was losing her patience. She had to change tactics, and fast. "Ability, activate! Barbarian Tornado!" Immediately going on offense, Buz Hornix created a green tornado that surrounded her and sent it swirling across the active field towards Jelldon.

Buz Hornix: 800 (+300) = 1100 Astral Jelldon: 900 (-300) = 600

The cyclone closed in, but Jelldon opened his frilled bottom and slunk out his grotesque underside. The ends shined brightly with the gel in them charging up to plasmatic bolts.

"Ability, activate!" Maggie countered. "Thunderstorm!"

Just as the tornado engulfed Jelldon, there was moment as the tempest engulfed him, before red static crackled around it, flashing repeatedly. Plasmatic lightning bolts pierced through, causing a deep surge of drafts to let loose ions skywards until an explosion of hot light engulfed the atmosphere.

Galilea covered up, but she peered up to find the plasmatic cosmos showing Jelldon and his crackling underside as he floated hundreds of feet above. The voltage intensified until he let out a violent cry, blasting hundreds of red plasma bolts at lightning speed.

Buz Hornix: 1100 (-500) = 600 Astral Jelldon: 600 (+500) = 1100

The extreme voltage came crashing down onto Buz Hornix, electrocuting her on the spot. She screeched out in agony, unable to move out of the way of the speedy assault. Explosive ed lightning made it impossible for Galilea to see clearly as to what became of her bakugan.

'So strong!' Just like last time, the attack packed just as much power as it did this time. Another visage of Zion and Cyrus came to mind. Immediately her mind grew desperate. 'I must…for my position!'

As the plasma kept conducting onto Buz Hornix, Jelldon didn't let up. He wasn't going to give her a second to recover. Not by a long shot. "Keep the pressure on!" Maggie insisted.

As if the bright lights didn't affect her at all, Galilea glared ahead, refusing to back down from such a challenge. "Ability activate, Turbine Wave!"

As Buz Hornix was being electrocuted, her eyes glowed bright green once again. The lightning and plasma gradually diffused around her as green waves of energy emitted into a small wall around her body, protecting her from the attack that would've fried her much sooner.

Buz Hornix: 600 (+500) = 1100 Astral Jelldon: 1100 (-500) = 600

"She nullified the ability." Maggie observed. Above her, Astral Jelldon's frilled skirt closed as he carefully observed Buz Hornix down below. The insectoid hissed up at him in response to the retaliation asserted.

"No more silly little child games with you." Galilea sniped. "Time to get down to business! Ability, activate! Cell Force-X!"

A purple core appeared on Buz Hornix, instantly infusing chords throughout her body. Once it diffused, the atmosphere pulsed quickly just before magenta energy gradually shined on the hexagons on her abdomen. Forbidden energy hummed vibrantly as she aimed for Jelldon and Maggie alike as her power level increased to 2700.

'No room for margin of error!' Galilea pointed directly at Maggie. "Buz Hornix, obliterate!"

The insectoid hissed in obedience before unleashing a bright flash from the abdomen. The flash turned into a monstrously bright magenta beam of concentrated energy directly into the atmosphere. It fanned into Jelldon, who looked down with his seven eyes gleaming without a worry in his gaze.

"Ability, activate!" Maggie countered. "Cosmos Body!"

Jelldon's frame became completely translucent with red sparkles to look like stars glistening inside. The beam struck his frame, but the softened body was unable to take any damage. There were bits of the beam that streamed around his body that wasn't able to be absorbed, but they dispersed just as quickly. The power Jelldon took had no effect with his body's structure softened.

Galilea grunted as Buz Hornix's power sized down again towards 1100. But the beam kept going, yet Jelldon didn't sway. 'With a concentrated blast like that, anything should be obliterated…just what did they evolve into to give them such a tolerance to this kind of power?'

As the beam kept firing away, Jelldon's gelatinous frame was rippling, showing signs of wear almost. However, he did not yield so easily.

"Ability, activate! Cell Matter!" Maggie announced. Through the beam of energy, Jelldon suddenly spread out his tentacles and gave a disgruntled hiss. He suddenly took off, gliding downwards with the skirt folded still to give him the impression of a swimming jellyfish broiling in plasma.

Galilea clutched her fists. "What is he doing?"

Once Jelldon was close enough, his huge eye glowed bright red and the orange ovular accents on the face and body shined. The core shined as well. That same radiant glow went down towards the arms' rings, which he lashed one of them at Buz Hornix's frame. A quick, rainbow spark electrocuted Buz Hornix before her attack stopped. Jelldon veered away as he looked ahead at what he just did.

Suddenly, Buz Hornix's frame gradually began changing colors. The black and magenta were all the same, but where dark green was, silver took over, and the bright green became dark brown, showing signs of Subterra now.

Galilea's eyes widened. "He changed her attribute at will?"

Maggie smirked at the scene before her. 'Before, Jelldon was able to change attributes for himself. Now that he's Astral Jelldon, he doesn't have to worry about that anymore, because now, he can change my opponent's attribute to whatever he wants. This can work!'

With Buz Hornix being Subterra now, the Bakugan hissed in confusion. Galilea stepped back in realization. "I can't use her standard Ventus abilities now?" She looked at Maggie, who had two abilities lined up.

"That's right, now for the clincher! Double ability, activate! Correlation of Subterra to Pyrus, plus Volt Inferno!"

A Pyrus aura enflamed Jelldon as he drew power from his opponent, who was now Subterra. He growled heavily as that power turned into a powerful flame-like plasma that engulfed all six of his main tendrils. His power bolted from 600 to 1500 just as the tendrils reeled back before he bolted all six in searing, burning streams into Buz Hornix's midsection. The impact caused a flaring thunder that blinded everything.

Buz Hornix didn't take it well at all as she went flying back with a burning stream following her midsection. She ached back and smashed into the ground next to Galilea. The earth rumbled upon the wake of her crash that she couldn't see straight.

Jelldon gently came down, lacing a tendril on Maggie that she held onto. Galilea looked on as Maggie ascended with Jelldon to look down on them with a serious glare. The Ventus businesswoman had to keep her composure, no matter what. She closed her eyes, gathering bearings until she was able to calm her stressing self.

'No, don't freak out just yet, Galilea. You can do this. You need to work harder.'

From the dust cloud, Buz Hornix's wings fluttered, making it get back up, though with the cindered abdomen, one more hit like that and she's done. She hissed in hostility.

"Ability activate, Judgment-X!" Another core appeared on Biz Hornix, who immediate began a charge of her own.

"Ability, activate! Plasmorphis!" Maggie shouted.

Buz Hornix charged up rapidly enough to make the magenta energy turn to dark brown. The Bakugan let loose a dark energy funnel with a concentrated beam, but her power level went up towards 1800, yet the entire attack had no effect on Jelldon. Instead, it went right through him, blasting off into the distance behind. It wasn't as full-on like Cell Force-X, but it had a big enough impact to make the airspace violently roar.

The attack was supposed to make critical impact, but even with Jelldon's body being nothing but raw plasma, it was impossible to score effectively. Jelldon ascended higher, getting out of the attack that didn't do anything to his plasma-infused frame. He and Maggie looked down, watching the wake of Buz Hornix's attack settle down.

"Ability, activate! Binary Plasma!" Jelldon's plasmatic body streamed ions made of electricity that joined into a formation that looked like him. The formation took a physical form, making a duplicate copy of him. "Jelldons, let's go!"

"Right, Maggie!" Both Jelldon, being nothing more than plasma, streamed after Buz Hornix, jettisoning around her and zipping left and right. Even with compound lenses, Buz Hornix was helpless in keeping tabs on the opponents around her.

Galilea's face showed genuine annoyance. "Buz Hornix! Keep it together!" Her tone was excessively rude and serious. 'Our abilities won't work. That means our only chance of winning…is to completely overpower them.'

With her plan in mind, Galilea kept her eyes on the prize. "Ability, activate! Cell Force-X!"

Buz Hornix had another core and chords diffused into the body, where magenta hexagonal energy charged into the abdomen. It all rapidly pulsed until her power level increased dramatically towards 3400.

Both Jelldon suddenly beelined back high into the air, where they could overlook the rapidly charging attack. Their bodies were still plasma, so they wouldn't be affected one bit. However, they didn't want to take chances with who their opponent was.

"Maggie!" The real Jelldon growled.

"I got it." Maggie focused harder. "Then I guess its time for the new trick! Ability activate, Cell Matter!"

Jelldon's clone looked over at his actual self, who was tapped with the rainbow rings of his tentacle. The small spark turned Jelldon into a new shade, being Darkus. The shade overtook everything, turning Astral Jelldon's body into a primarily black alien jellyfish with red eyes, with indigo armor frills on the "shoulder". The yellow turned to purple as well, whereas orange became pink.

"Sorry about that." The clone apologized.

"Don't worry about it." The real Jelldon glared down, seeing Buz Hornix's energy output finally at its peak. "Now…" His eyes all shrunk as plasma crackled ferociously. "We're gonna put her in her place!"

Galilea reached her arm up. "We'll never allow that!" Buz Hornix finally aimed and launched the beam skywards. The condensed, hot beam of magenta energy erupted in a pressurized cannonfire up to both Jelldon at the same time.

"Grrrr…!" The real Jelldon's body crackled with glossy purple lightning that rattled profusely. He glared down readily once he was all set.

"Double ability, activate!" Maggie shouted. "Element Storm! Plus, Fusion Ability, Element Booster!"

The dark plasma discharged from all over his body and through the core on his front. It shined brightly as ions crackled in rainbow colors that refracted light coming from all around. To the Pyrus Jelldon clone, to the Subterra Buz Hornix, and even himself. The brown, red, and dark purple ions all sucked into the core for a moment, causing it to glow rainbow brightly.

The beam closed in on Jelldon but the plasma infused with his eyes. He opened them, showing his surge for battle.

"LET IT RIP!" Maggie screamed.

Unable to contain the elements much longer, Jelldon's core erupted with large ions that generated into a cyclone of plasmatic particles. They had an inner lightning storm from the discharged that Jelldon directed into the oncoming attack heading his way. The ion cyclone roared through the atmosphere and clashed with Buz Hornix's beam straight in the middle, creating an explosive wake of forbidden energy and rainbow plasma that sparked the air to no end.

Galilea did her best to hold her ground, but the shockwaves were too destructive. Maggie used her forearm to shield her eyes, but she held onto Jelldon, tightening her grip on his power-infused body.

She could feel it. He could feel it. They both could feel it. They weren't afraid in the slightest. The memories of when Jelldon was in the beginning gradually caught up until it was nothing but a bright flashing stream that bolted right into their visions. Together at the same time, their eyes widened with a fierce, fiery passion mimicking.

"AAAAHHHHH!" Maggie's cries were as violent as Jelldon's as the evolved Bakugan used far more force, causing ions to explode their way through Buz Hornix's attack and erupt in a havoc lightning blast through into the insect. It was an explosive rainbow of lightning that neither it nor Galilea could react to.

Buz Hornix: 3400 (-300) = 3100 Astral Jelldon: 1500 (+1500 +300) = 3300/Astral Jelldon: 1500

Galilea's world flashed so fast that all she saw was white. It was quiet for a moment, but then an omnidirectional explosion of particles and plasma engulfed the street avenue and jetted skywards. The streaky rainbow pillar waved around, eating through Bakugan and soldiers above that couldn't escape in time. Lightning shot everywhere and electrocuted the energy grid in nonstop fashion that it looked like rippling green water at this point, not that anyone could see through the blinding rainbow discharge.

It took several minutes for the engulfing pillar to finally settle down. Maggie and Jelldon watched with straight faces through the entire thing. The ions became a rainbow crackling terrain that left the ground fried with smoke on it.

In a large crater deep within the avenue, at the very center, Buz Hornix's body was crackling in rainbow static, with her body steaming and smoking with all the energy it was struck with. It gradually glowed green and reverted to ball form, returning to Galilea, who was on her side, having been recoiled so hard by that attack. Her face was dirtied, and char was on parts of her vest.

Galilea: 0%

The Jelldon clone dissipated, having resolved its duties. The real Jelldon and Maggie descended lower, levitating above Galilea as she was still barely stirring.

"Gnnngh…" She groaned weakly, but that was all she could do. Everything hurt from being too close.

"Looks like we've managed to shut her down for the time being." Maggie said.

"Do you she'll stay down or very long?" Jelldon pondered. "For some reason, I feel like we shouldn't take that chance."

Maggie looked waywardly away. "I get what you mean. I'm more worried about the others and where they are."

Suddenly, another ripple echoed through the sky, causing the barrier to get noticed by them. The shade of the magenta barrier gradually grew a little weaker.

"Maggie, look." Jelldon pointed out.

Maggie stared up at the magenta hue, but she could actually see some skies above. Clouds even. "Looks like the barrier's weakening a little. Either that or whatever's making it was messed with."

Jelldon looked far ahead, hearing the cries of Bakugan that were not caught in the shockwaves getting closer.

"Maggie…"

Maggie frowned heavily. "Yeah, I know. Looks like there's still some cleaning up to do." She scoffed with a smile. "Well Jelldon, what do you say to some extra cleanup, sound good?"

"Believe me, Maggie. I have plenty of hands to spare." He slowly opened his frilled bottom, revealing his hundreds of small tentacles that wriggled and flashed with power to spare.

"Alright, then let's go!"

Enemy wild Bakugan closed in from all around crawling towards Jelldon, if not swooping from out of nowhere. As they drew in, all the tentacles crackled with numbing plasma. Jelldon's face grew defensive and serious at the numbers swarming.

Shuji and Lucia were in their momentary standoff with one another. With the skies above now showing, this got Lucia's attention for a moment.

'The barrier's losing power drastically. Could I be that members of Hades Pillars have started to crumble?' She didn't look it, but genuine concern spelled across her face. 'It couldn't have been the Brawlers. Have these six…truly gotten this much stronger?'

Shuji stood opposite of her, giving a deadest look while waiting for her.

'Still, as impressive as they are, it shouldn't be able to change a thing. I can see the future, and that alone…' She closed her eyes, enabling her psychic powers to come to her cleared essence. '…is enough to ensure our course will remain afoot.'

With her plan formulated, she swiped her arm up, making a Gate Card fly from her sleeve into her hand. "Gate Card, set!" She flicked it outwards, causing a yellow shockwave to engulf the battle domain. "I admit, you've shown admirable skill the last time. However, that shall be the last time you'll be allowed any semblance of fortune."

"That's fine with me. We were looking for your graciousness from the start." Shuji backlashed.

Immediately, Lucia initiated with her toss. "Bakugan, brawl! Bakugan, stand! Go, Haos Lumitroid!" In a broad light, once again, Lumitroid arose with a searing hiss. But Lucia was far from done when she pulled out her Bakumeter and began typing into it.

"Ready, Acceleton."

The Mobile Assault Vehicle formed in her Bakumeter, taking a physical form that she aimed at Lumitroid with grace. "Mobile Assault Vehicle, launch!" She fired the projectile at Lumitroid, which brightened immediately and created the Acceleton that the scorpion mounted on. The twin cannons were focused on Shuji and Fly Beetle as they braced themselves.

"Looks like she's not fooling around this time. Starting off from the start with her best weapon." Shuji figured. "Alright, you ready, Fly Beetle?"

"Like you'd have to ask me, Shuji. Let's go." He closed his ball form, enabling Shuji to grab him.

Shuji pulled his arm back and threw him forward. "Okay, buddy…but don't say you didn't ask for it! Bakugan, brawl!" He threw his partner in. "Bakugan, stand! Rise, Subterra Hercules Fly Beetle!"

In an orange-brown glow, the ground shook violently with fissures erupting beneath a rising formation. Dense, sharp claws stamped and depressed the earth, whereas a giant, curved horn arose and aimed for Lumitroid. Hercules Fly Beetle arose, unleashing a loud, primitive roar that caused an even bigger rupture than when he stood.

Lumitroid: 900 Hercules Fly Beetle: 900

Lucia narrowed her eyes, thinking of what her visions entailed for her. She recalled seeing her attack getting nowhere against an unstoppable carapace, followed by the use of earth making everything go dark. She closed her eyes to collect those thought.

'It's all a clear picture. Now…' Her eyes flashed open. 'Let's begin!'

The Accleton's antigravity began working and thrusted Lumitroid across the ground. The hyper-mobile vehicle began its glide across the street. Dirt and debris moved out of the debris as the cannons aimed and fired miniature projectiles at Fly Beetle and Shuji's side. Immediately, Shuji took action to dive behind debris so he wouldn't get hit by the assault.

Fly Beetle was pelted by puffshots from all around, but they did little to deter him. Nevertheless, the assault kept coming.

Wedged in the debris, watching dust fly overhead, Shuji gnashed his teeth. 'She's trying to overwhelm us from the start. She must really feel threatened.' He frowned as he readied an ability. "Ability, activate! Correlation of Haos to Subterra!"

Fly Beetle's body gave off a bright Subterra glow, showing his rise to power.

Lumitroid: 900 Hercules Fly Beetle: 900 (+300) = 1200

'He started off by using his attribute advantage over my Haos.' Lucia pondered. 'That's the first stage.'

As Acceleton kept moving around and firing projectiles, Hercules Fly Beetle looked unfazed as he clutched his fists and drove them all into the ground. Rippling shockwaves of dirt and erosion deposits expelled in all directions, sending them in seismic shockwaves into the Acceleton. The force of the impact bombarded it nonstop. Lumitroid tried to hold on, but the force of the earth was steadily overpowering it.

Lucia covered as residual shockwaves went past her, but barely. She opened one eye and activated her counter. "Ability, activate! Lens-X!"

Lumitroid's body emitted a core, in which spread chords through the body. It gradually receded, and instead a lens of pure light steadily revealed itself. Lumitroid's power exceeded towards 1400. The lens was so bright and so harsh that it was able to block out Fly Beeetle's attack for the most part until it completely dissipated.

With a cleared atmosphere, Fly Beetle stared at the Lens-X with ferocity. "She's gonna power up her abilities that way." Shuji figured. "Fly Beetle."

"I know." He tensed up. "Break it."

"Ability, activate! Gaia Armadura!" Fly Beetle's carapace suddenly got a glossy shine onto it. Light refracted off the hardened exterior as he suddenly made for swift lunge across the ground, barreling right towards Lumitroid.

'As predicted.' She scoffed. "Seems as though you're the ones becoming hasty, wouldn't you say? Ability activate, Flash Fade!"

With the lens in front about to be breached by Fly Beetle's bulk, Lumitroid's eyes expelled a bright, burning light that seared through the lens, expanding to make a blinding array that made Fly Beetle slow down and grind his heels into the ground. He used his forearms to shield his small eyes from the burning light that took away the gleam off his carapace. He and Shuji grunted.

Lumitroid: 1400 Hercules Fly Beetle: 1700 (-500 -900) = 300

"Impenetrable defenses, you say?" Lucia scoffed. "That may be true. But less you forget, I have the powers to see." She held up another ability. 'But still, I must not give him room to recover. He must be annihilated at once!'

Even with his vision impaired some by the light, Fly Beetle took notice of the opponent's ability. "Shuji!"

"I see it!" he shouted.

"Ability, activate! Gear Saber!" Lucia shouted. Lumitroid hissed wildly as the Acceleton charged up all its ling-range attacks. The atmosphere charged up with the force becoming brighter and brighter every second. Its power increased towards 3200 in an instant.

"Here it comes…" Shuji patiently waited for the slim window of opportunity at hand. "Ability, activate! Rupture Shield!"

Fly Beetle's eyes gleamed brightly and he grunted. His lower arms arose before he stamped them into the ground. Beneath Lumitroid as it charged, the earth started shaking spontaneously, until finally, an explosion of thick boulders and stones piled up and surrounded Lumitroid, encasing the Bakugan inside.

Lucia's gaze scarcely widened. "A defensive barrier?"

With it being dark inside, the thick light Lumitroid's lens produced was making sure that a path could be seen through that Lumitroid will make. The intensified beam went through the lens, beaming into the barrier. It blasted so hard in fact, that a rupture of earth and dust blasted back at it, causing the gear to backpedal out of fear of the deposits getting into the eye.

Lumitroid: 3200 (-100) = 3100 Hercules Fly Beetle: 300

Fly Beetle scoffed. "Careful where you aim."

Lucia looked ahead, mildly surprised. "What might this be?" She looked down at her Bakumeter, realizing her ability activation was blocked off. "I can't even activate abilities."

Inside the shield encompassing Lumitroid, the Bakugan fired another round of her projectiles, barreling into the thick walls of dirt and boulders. But same as before, the wall erupted in front of its face, exploding rock back at it and deterring it some. Its power reduced further towards 3000.

The quaking could've been heard from outside, something that didn't elude Shuji. 'Every time an opponent attacks head on, they take damage in return. This may slow her down. But knowing her…' He narrowed his eyes at bloody suspicion.

Lucia calmly closed her eyes. "I see. How clever of you. To incapacitate Lumitroid while turning our own firepower on us is genuinely remarkable. However, as I have said…I have seen this and prepared." She reached down towards the field. "Gate Card, open! Chain Link Force!"

"Here it comes!" Shuji warned. Fly Beetle braced himself.

The Gate Card shined below, causing a large tremor to break down between Lumitroid's incapacitated frame and Fly Beetle. The boulder dome surrounding the scorpion steadily disintegrated, whereas that same dome gradually arose to engulf Fly Beetle. The stone dome fully enveloped him, leaving ample space for Lumitroid once more.

Lumitroid: 3000 (+200) = 3200 Hercules Fly Beetle: 300

The barrier enveloped Fly Beetle now, much to Lucia's delight. And now that cleverness has turned on you. You've underestimated your chances, human. Though I commend you for getting this far. This is where it ends."

Shuji's brows furrowed. "For someone who sees so far ahead, you don't seem to pay attention to what runs out of your mouth, do ya?"

"If your plan is to antagonize me, then you're even more foolish than those Brawlers. And here I thought you'd know better." She held up an ability to finish this. "Time for your presence to be null and void. Ability, activate! Gear Saber!"

Lumitroid charged up for the final attack for the Acceleton. The Lens-X was gradually losing light as the last attack for it finally charged. It went through, causing a series of flashes that flickered before the next beaming projectile wave seared through the atmosphere and into the shield.

Lumitroid: 3200 (+1800) = 5000 Hercules Fly Beetle: 300

The beam got brighter, and brighter, until it became a searing jetstream that bolted into the barrier. Rock exploded everywhere, creating a mountain of stones and boulders that exploded haphazardly across the terrain. Dust blew everywhere, obscuring all eyes and anything from getting too close.

Shuji used his forearms and covered himself from rocks that blew past him. Some struck hi arms, but he toughened through it. He kept a straight face through the entire thing.

The dust crumbled and fell around Lucia like rain. She glared coolly into it without a soul to spare. "You've brought this onto yourself. Because none of you fail to realize the true vision, it leads to one's self-destruction. Merely carving your own path is nothing more than a waste of breath. You choose this path, it will lead to death, and death alone."

She turned away thoroughly finished with her business with Shuji. "I believe that I have made my point certain…" She started walking away, when she heard a thud. "Hm?"

Another thud was heard, and then another. As the raining loose gravel finished falling, the dust dispersed around something that had shape where Fly Beetle was supposed to be annihilated. Her lips grew slightly apart as her brows furrowed.

"Maybe no one told you…" a deep voice threatened, eyes brightening. "That making our own path from scratch, makes us that much stronger."

A facial expression frowned in seriousness. "You think you can see our ends, well let us tell you something, Lucia…you better seeing what's in front of you."

Lucia's eyes widened in disbelief. Her breath hitched when she saw Hercules Fly Beetle, his carapace all across his body becoming finely edged, and shimmered light off every corner. Each side and around his hardened body looked monstrous and highly defined. With his frame being so disastrous, one thing was clear – not a single dent, scratch, or anything that he attack she launched did, happened at all.

"Impossible…" she quipped.

Shuji grunted. "At the last second before Rupture Shield came back onto us, I activated an ability. It's called…Armored Ultima!"

Fly Beetle ferociously stomped on the ground, raising his head and expelling a violent, colossus roar that made the ground shake upon his bodily armor snapping with sparks for each movement he made. He sounded like a rugged iron mountain.

Lumitroid: 5000 Hercules Fly Beetle: 300 (+600) = 900

With the ironclad beetle monster staring them down, Lucia was left at a slight loss for words. 'He knew that I would predict he'd use an ability like that, and made his Bakugan impervious to any attack…including his own.'

Hercules Fly Beetle lowered his head, hot steam coming from his mandibles.

Lucia frowned. 'No matter. It won't work for very long. It's defenses may have increased, but it can only hold for so long against one of us.' She held up an ability to compensate. "Ability, activate! Solar-X!"

A purple core appeared on Lumitroid. With the Lens-X fully dispersed, a new, magenta light overtook the eye. The sclera dilated and shrunk, before exploding said radiant light against Fly Beetle. Shuji was hidden within his shadow, safe from the radiation.

As the gleams went on, Fly Beetle didn't seem in the least bit bothered. He stood there, glaring at the bright light and radiation waves that sizzled against his skin. But ultimately did nothing.

Lucia squinted. 'No effect?'

Shuji lurched his left arm, readying his ability. "Ability, activate! Seismic Grandum!"

Fly Beetle's hardened frame tensed up further, crossing all his arms and gathering pressure from around the atmosphere. He violently shook until he flexed out, sending a primal roar that echoed as his wing shields opened wide, making the silver wings inside erupt in violent shockwaves that tore through the earth. It diced up the ground and Gate Card, making airwaves send them all around. They crashed into Lumitroid, burying its radiant glare like nothing and sending it into an unstable ruckus. Lucia wasn't safe at all as the diced earth and orange pulse waves fanned out too far.

Lumitroid: 5000 (-600) = 4400 Hercules Fly Beetle: 900 (+600) = 1500

'So…strong!' Lucia used her forearms as cover, but to many shockwaves ultimately blew her over.

Lumitroid was unable to maintain balance through the blast waves. Fly Beetle got the opportunity to lower his horn and sped into the Mobile Assault vehicle at full speeds. He barreled into the base, completely smashing it to oblivion. Scrap metal and Lumitroid went falling to the ground, skidding until it flimsily fell on its side. Its power depleted towards 4200.

Fly Beetle careened his head around, unleashing another earsplitting roar of battle.

Lucia struggled to get up. She was badly bruised from the debris that bombarded her. Her body was searing but her mind was racing at lightning speed. The only thing that made her regain focus was Fly Beetle's thudding frame as he had Shuji perched on his shoulder. They glared her down like she was a piece of spoiled meat ready to be thrown out.

Gradually, meeting Shuji's gaze, she gave him one of challenge back. "You haven't won this yet! Ability, activate! Scorpion Needle!"

Lumitroid staggered back up and aimed that glowing yellow tail stinger. A stinging yellow beam fired into Fly Beetle, but upon impact, it did nothing but bounce off his armored frame.

'Its defenses last even longer now?'

"Ability, activate!" Shuji countered. "Rupture Shield!" Fly Beetle slammed his lower arms into the ground, creating a seismic quake beneath Lumitroid that exploded eroding boulders and loose stones that made a concealing dome, trapping the Bakugan inside.

Once again, Lucia found herself dumbfounded. She looked at Shuji with her gaze showing shrunken pupils and a paling expression.

"What was that you said? Carving my own path is a waste of breath or something?" Shuji parroted. "And something about not seeing your vision leads to one's self-destruction. You wanna shut up now?" He held up his Bakumeter. "Because if not…we'll make you."

Lucia stepped back, genuinely horrified of what's to come. She looked at Lumitroid's hemisphere of stone and rock. If it attacked, it'll only take damage.

"Shuji, time to send them asunder." Hercules Fly Beetle growled.

"You read my mind. Here we go…" Shuji raised his Bakumeter. "Triple ability, activate-"

'No! I can't counter anymore!' Lucia panicked.

"Tectonic Edge, plus Horn Gaia, plus Fusion Ability, Terra Phalanx!"

Fly Beetle let out a primal roar as the earth shook beneath his gargantuan wake. "Here we go…!" He raised his horn, which had a glowing hemisphere of compressed matter gathering at its base. "This time…STAY BURIED!" He plunged the horn into the ground, causing the quaking to exponentially increase. Bright orange beams creaked out from beneath the beetle that went through a fissure down below the stone dome enveloping Lumitroid.

Inside, Lumitroid felt a heated magnitude before cracks began opening up beneath. Its huge iris widened before everything went blank. Several flashed happened before jagged stoned stuck out and pierced the stone dome, along with an erupting pillar of the Horn Gaia's energy mass with deep orange glossy highlights rising skywards. The earth raged madly as shockwaves fanned out all across the avenue. Those too close, be it man or Bakugan, were instantly shot down and blown away by the quakes that leveled across the streets. Mobile Assault Vehicles collapsed on each other and exploded, creating destructive fires that were engulfed by bright orange beams and eruptions happening below.

Lumitroid: 4200 (-500 -600 -400) = 2700 Hercules Fly Beetle: 1500 (+500 +600 +400) = 3000

The pillar of broad energy and stones flying everywhere became too much for Lucia. She covered herself as she was blown away by the attack, screaming madly through it. Lumitroid was no different as it reverted to ball form and joined her in getting a sendoff.

As the explosive wake settled, the dust brewed madly that Shuji and Fly Beetle looked over, unfazed even in the slightest. They watched as Lucia's falling frame hit the street pavement. She laid there, sprawled along with her eloquent grown tarnished.

Lucia: 0%

The two looked down at Lucia's defeated frame, seeing as how she wouldn't be getting up anytime soon. She strained to stand, but ultimately couldn't. "Mi…Milord…I'm sorry…I have…failed out."

Suddenly, another bright ripple came down on the dome. It reached the ends of the perimeter around Solaris, making the barrier's translucent hue a little brighter.

Shuji looked up towards the sky, seemingly aware of what's going on. "Looks like we cleared most of the area while we were at it. You think any of the others were around?"

"It's possible." Fly Beetle said. "But…"

"Yeah, figures. If they were smart, they would've been able to act." He looked forward, seeing the aerial Bakugan gliding around coming right for them. "But we've got a hassle to still clean up. Let's focus on that."

"Right!" Fly Beetle opened his wing shields, taking off for the skies with an airwave quaking the earth below. His primal roars ran so far and deep that anything that was within range shook from its wake.

The empty street was met with sparks colliding with each other. Flashes of metal collided with one another relentlessly. Anyone who got too close would have been struck by cold, shrilling blades.

Jase and Zion dropped on their feet, both evenly spaced in their footing. They looked at each other deadest in the eyes.

"En guarde!" Jase shouted.

Zion growled and went into a merciless lunge with his gauntlet dagger. He slashed at Jase, but pulled back when Jase activated the taser on his lance. The warrior pivoted and came around with his axe blade, cleaving into the ground instead of Jase when he backpedaled.

With footing, Jase up a Gate Card. "I see you learn metal and electricity don't flow with one another." He threw the card out, making a green shockwave fade through the ground. "Let's test our metals again, shall we?"

"I have a much better proposition." Zion protested, pulling up his machine gun on his side. "How's about we test how much lead it takes to kill you."

"A rather biased wager. Very well then." Jase held up Atmos. "Bakugan, brawl!" He swiped across, sending his Bakugan in. "Ventus Apex Atmos, stand!"

In a green light, winds blew haphazardly, causing Zion's bullet to lose course. It punctured debris behind Jase instead. The Pyrus bloody warrior gathered his bearings and watched on as Atmos suddenly shot skywards in a green glossy comet. The comet spiraled until it finally burst, revealing Atmos with a shrilled cry echoing through the translucent hemisphere.

On his back high up away from Zion's range, Jase stood on Atmos' back, both glaring down at their opponent.

"Hmph, so you choose to fight that way, aye?" He held up Snapzoid. "So be it. Bakugan, brawl!" He threw his Bakugan outwards. "Bakugan stand! Pyrus Snapzoid, arise for battle!"

In a dark fire vortex, heated flames dispersed around magenta static. It diffused to reveal Snapzoid once again, who roared mightily upon entering battle once again. His bellows caused his entire body to crackle with static.

Snapzoid: 700 Apex Atmos: 900

"I shall bring you down in flames, and run my bullets through!" Zion roared. "Ability activate, Verity Fire!" Snapzoid opened his maw wide, unleashing a swirling fire helix that roared across the skies. It closed in on Atmos, while his power increased towards 1100.

The hazardous blaze seared through the skies, yet it did little when reaching Atmos as he zipped about. He was an unclear target, one that Zion regrettably couldn't aim at. Snapzoid careened his head to try and follow the avian, but he was too fast and outmaneuvered with ease.

"Atmos." Jase told.

The falcon nodded. "Yes, let's."

Atmos suddenly broke into a dense climb skywards, overlooking Snapzoid one again. The Bakugan released another broiling fire spiral up at Atmos. Jase frowned and prodded his glasses with finger. "Ability, activate! Apex Speed!" The green gems on Atmos' abdomen shined brightly as he opened his mouth. He screeched before firing a swirling, dark green whirlwind tornado that streamed clean through Snapzoid's fire, diffusing the attack and continuing its path.

Snapzoid: 1100 (-400 -400) = 300 Apex Atmos: 900 (+400) = 1300

The pressurized tornado blast continued into Snapzoid while Zion's eyes widened. He covered up as the tornado beam struck his Bakugan, sending him barreling past his brawler and spiraling through the air into a nearby energy grid. The winds diffused in midair until Snapzoid crashed into the grid, slamming so hard that his maw and tongue were wide open. Ripples of energy went along the grid that were sustained from the hit.

Seeing how hard that attack hit his Bakugan, Zion snarled as he looked up at Jase and Atmos, who circled around and dominated the skies.

'He'll be on the attack as soon as possible. It's best to slow them down as soon as possible.' Jase held up another ability. "Ability activate, Anemoi Wings!"

Atmos' eyes glinted bright yellow before he spread his four wings. Atmos screeched loudly as his gilded deep green wings glowed a glossy Ventus energy. He spun around like a drill, making the green wings expand into a glossy green cyclone that enveloped him and quickly spread throughout the area. It fanned out, making a shockwave that buffered Zion and Snapzoid as they came around.

A green outline enveloped Atmos as his wings and gemstones on his body shimmered with the same energy. Jase remained on his back, unfazed by what happened. Snapzoid was outlined in the energy as well, making him feel weaker all of a sudden.

Zion glared. He knew something was up. He'll just have to force it out of Jase. "Ability, activate! Double Fang Buster!" Snapzoid opened his maws wide, both his and the tongue's. Bright energy manifested until they expelled a dense red beam engulfing a deeper dense red beam that went right down the middle.

Atmos glided across the skies, seemingly not minding the attack that barreled his way. As he made a turn, his wings cut through the attack, making it borderline ineffective.

Zion looked shocked. "What's this?"

"Anemoi Wings is the evolution of Tailwind." Jase explained clearly. He stood on Atmos' back as the falcon swooped around once more. "It takes away power from the opponent's attack, while at the same time increases our own.

Snapzoid: 300 (+200) = 500 Apex Atmos: 1300 (-200) = 1100

Zion looked at his Bakumeter, seeing as show Jase was right. The ability had his attack 200 Gs less than what it was supposed to be. He grunted angrily.

"Hmph, so be it." He smirked. "But the flames that I carry, can never be snuffed out so easily. I…shall show you!" He readied another ability on the mark. "Snapzoid! Burn them to ash! Ability, activate! Spartan-X!"

Snapzoid hissed a purple core emulated on his body. The chords raped around the Bakugan. It was low, but it was gradually growing as heated pulses raced across the surroundings, making the air temperature drastically rise all of a sudden. Bodily, flaming armor engulfed Snapzoid as the Bakugan cried outwards, making a greater rise in heat pressure around them.

The heated waves reached up to Atmos, making him grunt some. He and Jase looked down, realizing the ability had fully enveloped Snapzoid. 'I see. He used an ability that is immune to ability effects. That's a rather underhanded move to have to counter an ability like that.'

Snapzoid: 500 (+900) = 1400 Apex Atmos: 1100

Zion pointed his gauntlet dagger skywards. "Now, Snapzoid! Reduce them to ash! NOW!" At his outcry, Snapzoid expelled a violent shriek as he stretched his flaming tendrils up towards Atmos. The Bakugan looked at the oncoming molten appendages that would surely smolder him to nothing.

Jase's glasses refracted light to shield his eyes. "There it is. Double ability, activate!" He shouted. "Correlation of Pyrus to Ventus, plus Skyliner!"

Just as the flaming tendrils were about to make contact with the falcon, the gems and wings shined glossy green. The falcon was suddenly swarmed in a green tornado that appeared out of nowhere, repelling the attack. The whirlwinds gradually made a draft that made Zion grunt in shock.

"Hngh…?!"

Snapzoid's flaming tendrils returned to him, unable to penetrate the tornado that bolted skywards endlessly. The tornado stretched towards skies, exploding an airwave as Atmos went beelining upwards at sonic speeds. Jase was sure to hang on with both hands as he bolted up out of range.

Snapzoid: 1400 Apex Atmos: 1100 (+300 +200 +500 +200) = 2300

The helm of the tornado kept raging, leaving nowhere for Zion to turn to. He used a forearm to block, but the winds were still too strong to hold off against. Meanwhile, Atmos arched across the sky with a tornado tail that pushed him along.

'Hmph, so he think that he can stay out of my range…fine. He shall know not to avoid the reality.' He tapped his Bakumeter, making sequences erupt in conjunction.

"Ready, Torracrawler."

The Mobile Assault Vehicle appeared, making red tracks race from the Bakumeter towards Snapzoid. "Bakugan Mobile Assault Vehicle, launch!"

The Mobile Assault Vehicle attached onto Snapzoid, engulfing him in the Torracrawler. The enormous UFO-like vehicle levitated off the ground with the eight claws tucked in. Snapzoid hissed inside as his power level increased towards 1600.

Jase observed from high up, seeing the trouble brewing down below. "His Mobile Assault Vehicle…"

Atmos continued sailing about, but he was most definite to keep an eye on the figment down below. Its size alone was enough to bring about his attention.

"We…" Zion slammed his axe into the ground on his side. "Will make you come down! Ability, activate! Siphon Lock!"

Snapzoid hissed as his tendrils gradually induced heated static through them into the attached claws. The heat turned into plasma that engulfed the tips. The Torracrawler steadily detached its claws from the ends to make it loose for the appendages to rise above the machine and plunge downwards. The moment all eight claws crushed the ground, a heated plasmatic shockwave erupted everywhere, blasting everything away that was too close. Debris sped past Zion as he held his ground. The shockwaves continued skywards towards Atmos, who was knowingly ready and crossed all four of his wings together to weaken the impact. The vehicle buffered him enough that he was pushed a little higher, but used the momentum and somersaulted into a loop and zipped around in the dispersed altitude.

'Thanks to Anemoi Wings, his attacks other than that Spartan-X will be far less affective.' Jase thought.

Snapzoid: 1600 Apex Atmos: 2300 (-300) = 2000

The falcon glided across the atmosphere, where his wings kept glistening. The Torracrawler let out some form of mechanical screech as the eight legs arose once more and slung after Atmos. The falcon's superior speed made it too easy, but he wasn't taking chances with so many on his tail.

"Looks like he's becoming more persistent." Atmos stated.

"Yes, so it would appear." Acknowledging his partner's behest, Jase activated an ability. "Ability, activate! Apex Speed!"

Atmos turned around and whistled outwards. The gemstones on his body shined brightly as he beak opened wide to project the dark green cyclone beam that blasted off after the eight appendages closing in. With the affects of Tailwind, the attack had a glossy shine onto it. He turned his head and directed the swirling green maelstrom into the Torracrawler, blasting it hard to buffer the rims of the vehicle.

Snapzoid: 1600 (-600) = 1000 Apex Atmos: 2000 (+300 +600) = 2900

The whirlwind beam pulsated relentlessly. The drafts picked up by it caused the Torracrawler to buffer closer towards the ground.

Atmos kept the pressure of his attack going to keep the enemy at bay. Meanwhile, Jase used this time perfectly to enact a trap. "Gate Card, open! Transducer!"

Zion looked down as the Gate Card shined brightly. Immediately the power drained from Snapzoid, shown when the heat from his tendrils going to the chords steadily decreased in flux. The Gate Card's light gradually siphoned at the opponent's energy on the opponent's side of the field. However, Zion wasn't going to have it.

"Hmph!" His Bakumeter showed an ability. "Ability activate, Snap Trap!"

A compartment opened up beneath the chamber to Snapzoid's location. His long tongue slunk down and opened its teeth wide to bite into the Gate Card rapidly taking its power. The Gate Card shattered, with the shards dispersing to leave a short wave to erode around the field.

With Atmos' wings, some of the shrapnel was going to hit him, but he took it well enough that it didn't even faze him. He and Jase looked down as Zion gathered his bearings.

"We…will burn you!" He snapped. "Ability, activate! Siphon Lock!" The Torracrawler's chords gradually arose once more. Engulfed in burning plasma, the eight chords smashed into the ground, causing an electrified shockwave to push outwards. The shockwaves reached up towards Atmos, but he rode them to get higher.

Snapzoid: 1000 (+600) = 1600 Apex Atmos: 2900 (-300) = 2600

Zion didn't give in. "You shall not hide from me! Ability, activate! Spartan-X!"

A core appeared on Snapzoid as he snarled maliciously. The chords engulfed his body, bringing it to smoldering flames that enveloped him like armor. Said armor was attached to the tendrils that laced to the claws, causing a conduction that enflamed the tips in incinerating flares.

Snapzoid: 1600 (+900) = 2500 Apex Atmos: 2600

"Here he comes." Jase warned.

Zion glared up as the Torracrawler's enflamed claws shot skywards after him. With the tips engulfed in fire, they had fire streams that beamed around them and blasted like rockets up at Atmos. The Ventus Bakugan's eyes gleamed for a moment before he had to take evasive actions at hand. With the tornado tail he still had going to propel him, he arched higher into the sky, making the tornado tail end the barricade to many of the claws. Even more raced after him, but he zipped in and out of range, the green wind whisking behind like a Jetstream to indicated his wake. When the claws all decided to go at hi m all at once, Atmos broke through at sonic speeds, making an airwave that kept them from getting within range.

Zion sneered. "There is still much left to do. I will bring you down myself, if I must." He showed an ability. "Now…incinerate at once! ABILITY, ACTIVTE! SUPERNOVA-X!"

The air violently shuddered around Snapzoid as the Bakugan gradually gained momentum. A core and appeared and chords went around, snaring through and dispersing around him. As he growled, the entire Torracrawler was gradually turning to a heated brightened color. Accents gradually brightened as the machine was enflamed. The Bakugan let out a violent shriek that bloomed into his bodily heat projecting a radiant heat wave so strong that the ground beneath was smoking.

Snapzoid: 2500 (+1200) = 3700 Apex Atmos: 2600

The air temperature gradually arose. The heat index wasn't lowering as Atmos glided right over with Jase. They looked down steadily as Snapzoid' attack was growing more and more by the second. He snarled menacingly until the buildup became too much.

"Snapzoid! Reduce them to ash!"

At the command, Snapzoid let out one more violent shriek that scattered throughout the avenue. Unbale to hold it in, a smoldering shockwave of raw fire of immeasurable temperatures exploded in all directions. A pillar of blistering flames exploded skywards. They closed in on Atmos and Jase, who did nothing when a spontaneous explosion of flames burnt its way into the atmosphere. Rippling heat waves disrupted the air flow that kept it all going, but it just didn't stop.

As the attack pressed on, pulsating roars made Zion's glare seem ignited in some way. As the flamed kept going, he seemed far from appeased. His glare squinted.

"Burn…"

The flamed and pressurized inferno waved tremendously throughout the atmosphere, but suddenly it disrupted, gradually breaking its epicenter where yellow eyes glowed bright green. The air trembled within the atmosphere enveloping the growing tornado that gradually ate away at the fire. Wings that glistened like emeralds shined brightly with someone on its back, his attire swaying in the winds if the attack. His glasses were keeping his eyes from being seen.

Zion glared. "What?"

When the individual prodded his glasses, it revealed his brown eyes. AT that instant, the wind barrier around them exploded, pushing out all the fire and sending the hot flares in all directions. Zion covered up using his bodily armor, but the force was too powerful. He skidded back and gradually lost his footing enough to use his gauntlet dagger to keep traction.

When he looked up, he saw an immense cyclone of glossy green whirlwinds overtaking the skies. Like the fire, it howled and roared with it own wake. Debris that was charred and still together was crushed and whipped around by his whirlwinds. The debris climbed up and reduced to dust when it got too close to Atmos, who was in the center of it. The falcon was completely unfazed by the flamed from before. In fact, he looked stronger than ever.

Zion's eyes shrunk with disbelief. "Inconceivable."

Jase's glare was searing with a shadow around his face. "This ends now…Atmos."

Atmos had a bright green glare surrounding his eyes. "It would be my sincerest pleasures."

Zion snarled as he directed his axe skywards. The bolstering flames around Snapzoid were still flaring, making small ember streaks as the Torracrawler's eight claws streamlined up into the winds.

Jase readied his move. "Double ability, activate! Hurriblade, plus Fusion Ability, Mach Maelstrom!"

The eight searing claws drew closer, burning through the winds. But Atmos brought his wings back and then forward. With the boost of the Anemoi Wings, a sonic boom of emerald green cyclones of pressurized sonic blades exploded outwards. It broke through the claws, tearing them the shrapnel.

"No!" Zion shouted.

Snapzoid: 3700 Apex Atmos: 2600 (+800 +700) = 4100

The Torracrawler was gradually sliced up by maelstrom blades that didn't let up. The hurricane of glossy green roared as it went barreling into the Mobile Assault Vehicle, reversion the shrapnel on it as well. The enemy Bakugan held very little weight when the pressure of the winds and the debris crashed and crushed it in its spiraling drafts.

An explosion of fire and air engulfed the skies, making Zion scream in anger and shock as he was forced to cover up one more time to avoid shrapnel piercing his flesh. The winds streamlined all throughout the vicinity, tearing through the streets like a tsunami. It flooded everything, blowing away soldiers, and wild Bakugan. Streamlined tornadoes haphazardly maneuvered around to distort and smash Bakugan and cut up Mobile Assault Vehicles. Hurrix and Koptorix were gravely torn to shreds as the airwaves refused to stop.

Snapzoid didn't stand a chance through the slicing pressure and reverted to ball form and rolled at Zion's feet.

Zion: 0%

The blast waves gradually simmered down, but the pulses still strained Zion. "Gnnngh…!"

'An opening.' Jase realized this. Atmos followed his train of thought and glided downwards at remarkable speeds.

Zion kept his forearms up to shield his face, but he heard a shrilled caw followed by a shadow speeding right over him. When he looked up, time slowed down when he saw a silhouette of a human with a taser lance coming down gradually. His reflexes kicked in when he instinctively reached for his giant axe blade and swung it, making a stalemate with the descending Jase.

"Fool…you have yet realized…that I am far from through."

"Yes….so that's why we intended this!"

Just as he said that, the shockwaves of Atmos' sonic glide finally caught on. The street had another harsh gust that got Zion's feet to slip beneath him. He grunted harshly at the momentum Jase had put against him and found himself buffering away. There was a stalemate that shattered when the winds pushed once more, making Zion seem like he was suspended him place.

"HRAH!" Jase didn't waste a second when he thrusted his taser lance at Zion's face.

Zion was too winded to react when he turned in Jase's direction. The lance's prongs pierced his left eye, causing blood and electrocution to filter throughout his body. "HRRRAAHAAAAH~!" The piercing blow left his body convulsing and twitching violently. His mouth gaped wide open as the electrocution did more lethal harm than intended.

As Zion screamed violently, Jase kept his taser lance out forward with a straight face. He neither showed care nor reluctance for his action against the enemy at the end of his blade.

Finally having enough, Jase pulled back the weapon. Zion fell onto his back and dropped his weapons to cover his gushing eye. His body ached like it was on fire and it hurt to move, but he couldn't process that until it was too late. The shock left him paralyzed with his hands covering his left eye in a stiff posture.

"AAAAAAH~!" Zion bellowed in riling agony. "Y-you...you did…! GAH!"

"Consider that a lesson in your experience." Jase remarked. "And also, as selfish as this is proclaimed…that was for someone whom you hurt just as much."

"Please…make them pay." Ren begged, his tears boiling into anger. "Please…"

Jase thought about the pitiful face Ren had on Gundalia when he was crushed brutally in combat for underestimating Zion. 'Ren, I hope this begins to heal the pain you have endured.'

High above, another ripple went through the dome. It traveled down towards the edges of the dome.

Jase looked up, observing the barrier getting even less visible. "Looks like that's the cause. Then it would seem we are in the right track if this indicates our escape."

Zion shuddered violently like a frail but cornered animal. He gradually got up, using his left arm to cover his bleeding face. "You…you shall pay…the predator…is far from being over with his hunt!" He clutched his axe blade, but his grip was excessively unsteady. "Your wounds that you inflict…add fuel to my burning rage!"

Jase gave him a blank stare. "Is that so? Perhaps we should snuff it out before it gets too out of hand then?" Above Jase, Atmos descended. "You speak so highly of reality, which I can reciprocate. But even a cornered animal must know when it is time to flee."

Zion's grip hardened. "Never! As long as I can hold my blade…Milord's will shall make me fight, until the last drop of blood is melted away."

"I see…" Jase held his taser lance. "Then as a soldier's courtesy, let's see you carry out this conviction. I'd hate to see anymore irony fall on another poor fool's blindness."

"Esther, look." Atchibee noted.

Esther looked up at the sky, seeing what her partner referred to. "The shield surrounding Solaris, it's becoming less visible…there must be some connection around that everyone must be tampering with." She looked back down at Amina, who looked pissed for numerous reasons.

"Tch, what are those ugly, foul fools doing?" she scoffed. "Are they really this pathetic? I'm starting to believe they really can't do their job."

"I see. So it must involve Hades Pillars." She could think what could be responsible for the pillars collapsing. 'That must confirm it then. Luke and the others are facing off against Hades Pillars. It makes sense. Nobody else but them are experienced enough to be conscious of how to handle their capabilities.' She furrowed her brow. 'We must do the same.'

A Gate Card was held up. "Atchibee, shall we?"

"Evermore, Esther. This battle shall be ours." The moth Bakugan stated.

"Gate Card, set!" Esther swiped to the side, sending the card out in a dark purple shockwave that fanned into the ground. She calmed herself as she looked serious with a deep, icy blue stare at Amina. "Be ready."

"Hmph, you little bitch. You think that you can stop someone as defined as me? What is your life worth that I should even care?" Amina scoffed.

"Suppose we'll find out. Bakugan…brawl!" She threw Atchibee in, making her roll to a stop. "Bakugan, stand!"

In a dark purple glow, sparkling scale powder gleamed from the battlefield's center. Atchibee arose, her beautiful moth wings flapping to make her scales flutter around Amina and Esther. She ascended into the air with her shrieks rippling through the atmosphere.

Amina didn't look impressed. "How many times do I have to put up with such ugly creatures like you?"

Esther ignored her and raised her Bakumeter. "Ability activate, Velvet Chain!"

Atchibee's wings flapped while her blood red sickle spread out. Red energy in the form of connected rhombuses linked like chains fanned from both sides and connected on both sides of the battlefield. She fluttered overhead as the huge chain of red rhombuses floated in midair and shined bright red before fading into thin air.

"What's that supposed to do? A battlefield accessory?" She tossed another lock. "Well it was a complimentary color, so I'll give you that."

Esther spoke of nothing. She instead walked up and allowed Atchibee to descend and pick her up as before. She got into the air, while the moth fluttered readily.

"Hmph, I'll make an earthworm like yourself know your place! Bakugan, brawl!" Amina threw Nastix in. "Bakugan, stand! Go, Aquos Nastix!" Once again in a blue light, Nastix arose with a grotesque gurgle. "And now…" With a malicious smirk, Amina pulled up her Bakumeter and began typing into it.

"Ready, Prozar." The Battlegear was set and she clutched it.

"Battlegear, boost!" She tossed the device at Nastic, who immediately got the vehicle mounted on his back. The radioactive cannon aimed at Atchibee, but Amina was far from done.

"Ready, Phastrix." Following the usage of Prozar, the Mobile Assault Vehicle formulated and blue energy tracks appeared.

"Mobile Assault Vehicle, launch!" Amina fired the Phastrix next, making the huge device appear on Nastix yet again. The creatures mechanics were all pooled onto him and he growled at Atchibee.

Nastix: 1000 Eclipse Atchibee: 900

Esther held up her Bakumeter, instigating an ability. "Ability activate, Correlation of Aquos to Darkus!" A Darkus aura enveloped Atchibee, making her wingbeat pulsate. She ascended a little higher to gain momentum as the aura from battling Nastic gave her strength.

Nastix: 1000 Eclipse Atchibee: 900 (+300) = 1200

Amina scoffed lightly. "Like it matters." She held up an ability. "Let's get this out of the way already. Ability, activate! Neo Glowcer-X!"

A purple core emulated on Nastic, gathering matter and momentum along his body that made the pool he was on gurgle and bubble. The glow in his eyes began to steadily rise as an ectoplasmic surge of ions and blue radiation steadily fluxed around him. The Mobile Assault Vehicle conducted this energy into its telecoils.

Atchibee whistled as she arched through the sky. Esther remained steadfast as her opponent drew in more power. She made sure to keep all her focus in check as they drew in closer. Nastic gradually gained mass in his power until it finally came to a peak.

"Now…get rid of her!" Amina shouted.

Nastix gurgled madly as his mouth brightened with ectoplasmic pulses. The pulses were amplified by the telecoils, which expelled voluminous energy everywhere. The earth trembled as the pulse waves raved upwards towards Atchibee.

"Ability, activate!" Esther countered. "Black Hole!"

Atchibee hissed as she spread her wings out. A distortion tore open to create a vortex of dark energy that sucked in everything. The blue lightning and crackling plasma that threatened to blow her away was all taken in like nothing. The air violently shook as the Bakugan took in all that negative energy and forbidden power like it was nothing.

Esther kept her glare fixed while focusing on the matter at hand.

Nastix: 1000 Eclipse Atchibee: 900 (+950) = 1850

The energy fully drew itself in and came to a sop. The hole dispersed, leaving Atchibee fueled with a Darkus aura with her scales bursting with a flap of her wings.

Amina scoffed aggressively. "Hmph! How annoying."

Esther showed one more ability. "Ability, activate! Gleam Disruptor!"

Atchibee's forehead oval shined brightly, making a purple ring expand out and fade throughout the battle area. The moth didn't seem to do much else before she flew into Nastix.

"That all?" Amina sighed. "I almost feel sorry for you…" She looked up, her glare turning darker. "Very well then. We'll blow you away ourselves. Ability activate, Quash Photon!"

Nastic gurgled as he poured a little of his power into the acidic ectoplasm he sat in. It began bubbling, causing static to rise up the telecoils to their bulbous points. They shined brightly, getting a large charge going.

Suddenly, the red chain that disappeared before reappeared once again, shining brightly in reacting to Nastix's attack. The bulbous end suddenly dialed down, unable to complete its charge.

"W-What the-?!" Amina gasped.

Atchibee swooped in, piercing Nastic with her stinger head-on. The Bakugan let out a pained gurgle as he swayed about in his acidic pool. The Prozar on his back had so much weight that it couldn't move around freely. Atchibee hissed as she went back into the air, glaring down Nastix.

Amina furrowed her brow. "Let's try this again…" She held up the same ability as before. "Quash Photon!" The telecoils shined, but as soon as it did, the red chains shined around them again, making it turn off. "What is the meaning of this? My ability won't work…"

"It won't be effective." Esther explained. "Because of Velvet Chain, all opponent Bakugan who enter battle after its activation cannot use defensive abilities. Only offense abilities are allowed."

Amina's eyes widened. "Then…my Quash Photon…"

"Won't mean anything." Esther swiped her arm. "Gate Card, open. Wrecker Freeze."

The Gate Card shined beneath Nastix, making him momentarily freeze up. The Bakugan gurgled as he looked down at the field, feeling something hold him back.

"Now what?!" Amina exasperated.

"Now you can't use abilities that you have previously used. Your Alien-X and Neo-Glowcer-X for example. And your Slime Shutter and Toxic Blind are defensive abilities that won't be effective." Esther glared. "Do you intend on looking down on others so much that you don't see before you anymore?"

Amina's patience was at its breaking point. She looked at Esther with a stunned glare. She couldn't fathom what was happened, let alone process it. Then again, she didn't have the care when her precious material possessions were touched by someone else. And even now, the dress she currently wore was tantalized. One could say that she was as stupefied as she was startled by this upbringing.

Slowly gathering her thoughts, she smirked and began chuckling to herself. They started low, then grew voluminous. "You, you honestly believe that a little, ugly, low-brow peasant such as yourself can upstage me? Me?!" She started laughing, though it seemed it was more of a lack of sanity. "Listen here, in this world, you don't have what I like, you better be ready to die horribly! Hahahaha!"

"…" Esther glared at Amina, before closing her eyes. "I pity you, truly."

"Hm?!"

"For someone who has all that power, you have been using it to support others. But instead that falls on your shoulders that you refuse to let anyone else touch. You say I'm as low as a peasant, but no one other than yourself can be as low as you are."

Amina reared her head back and laughed once again. "Filthy words from such a filthy girl. Somebody needs to wash that mouth and show you how to respect your superiors. You'll rot my ears if you do."

Esther grimaced. "So be it. Just know this, after everything you've done, don't say nobody warned you."

Atchibee flapped her wings, her fangs chattering as she empathized with her dear friend and partner's words. Her eyes gleamed brightly with Darkus power flowing.

Amina smirked evilly. "Looks like nobody has ever told you that you're supposed to respect based on stature. Because of that, you shouldn't even be talking to me! In fact, you shouldn't be anywhere near me! Let's fix that…by melting your skin and bones away! Filthy, diseased-mouth flesh!" She held up her Bakumeter. "Ability activate, Hyper Gush!"

Nastix gurgled as it raised its head and opened its mouth a little wider. He aimed and fired a glossy, intense blast wave of ectoplasm-like liquid that raged like a torrent skywards towards Atchibee. The moth Bakugan, however, made no attempt at dodging.

Amina smirked. 'This is all mine.'

The glossy gush drew closer, but just as it seemingly struck Atchibee, engulfing her in a bright blue splash wave that erupted across the sky. Amina and Nastix looked up as the waves up energy gradually dissipated, waiting to see what kinds of damage was done.

As the gush gradually cleared, the toxic mist it created had two red lenses. A menacing hiss could be heard from the clearing, following by the glow of an iris on the forehead.

Amina frowned. "What the-?!"

With one mighty flap of her wings, Atchibee blew away the misty plasma and flexed out. Her scales spread everywhere as she careened skywards, raising her sickly scythes in dominance.

Amina's mouth gaped open, shock apparent. 'How is this possible? Did her Bakugan even take damage? How is this possible?' She looked down at her Bakumeter to see what happened. Her shock was mounted with confusion. "What?!"

Nastix: 1000 (-400) = 600 Eclipse Atchibee: 1850 (+400) = 2250

Atchibee and Esther looked down, completely undeterred by that attack. As a matter of fact, Nastix was the one who look exhausted. He gurgled low and hunched over in the pool of ectoplasm.

Amina narrowed her eyes. She had to try something else. "Fine! Then how about this?! Ability activate, Acid Whirl!"

Nastix gurgled as he fired an acidic funnel at Atchibee. The moth did nothing again, whereas her forehead iris kept shining. The acidic whirlpool closed in, but the moth remained still as the acid make contact, only to give her a Darkus aura instead of damage.

Nastix: 600 Eclipse Atchibee: 2250 (+200) = 2450

"How is this possible…?" Amina's eyes widened. A realization dawned upon her. 'Wait…was it that one ability that she used? Is it reversing all the effects of my attacks?!'

Atchibee still did nothing. She hissed as she glared down at Nastix. Esther's mimicked the feature, and it was pissing Amina off.

"Stop…LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT! THAT STUPID, UGLY FACE IS REPULSIVE! WHY I'M NOT PUKING BECAUSE OF THAT IS BECAUSE YOU DISGUST ME SO MUCH THAT NOTHING COMES OUT! STOP IT!"

Esther didn't say a word. She knew it would be a waste of breath on her haughty adversary.

Amina's eyes twitched. She was snapping mentally to where she was getting angrier and annoyed by the second. "Fine! I'll nullify that then! Ability activate, Quash Photon!" She activated the ability, but the red ring around them glowed, turning the ability off. "Work! Work!" She gritted her teeth. "Then ability, activate! Slime Shutter!" She activated the ability, but again, the red chains glowed brighter, making the ability ineffective. "This…this is…"

"Pitiful." Atchibee hissed. "Esther, shall we finish this?"

"Yes, Atchibee. We can't afford to dawdle. We have no more time to waste." She held up two abilities. "This…is for what you did to Alice and myself."

Amina stepped back, visibly shaking her fists. "Y-you can't…you wouldn't dare! A weak peasant like you?! Never!"

Esther closed her eyes, breathing in and out slowly. She shut down her opponent completely, ability related, and mentally. She had no reason to pity her enemy any further that she had to show mercy. "Double ability, activate!" She shouted. "Violet Pulsar, plus Fusion Ability, Jet Black Buster!"

Atchibee gradually split her scythes apart, making a dark matter flux into a condensed beam. The energy brightened until it flickered spontaneously. Esther raised her spear in hand and held it high. When she brought it down, Atchibee knew the signal.

"YOU'RE MINE!" The moth's bloody sickles brightened as a black and purple flare flashed one last time. The entire street was lit ablaze as a dark beam fired in a compressed state and exploded across the avenue. It barreled through enemy lines, destroying the cement and pavement down to its fine layers. The shockwaves of the dark beam blew so fast that Amina could barely keep track.

Nastix: 600 (-600) = 0 Eclipse Atchibee: 2450 (+600 +600) = 3650

The pulsating blast steadily raced into Amina, but she was in no position to counter. She looked left and right, and forward to see that it was going to eviscerate her entirely along with Nastix. From the way Esther looked, she didn't give a damn.

The air roared violent, as much as Amina's unadulterated rage. "F-FORGET THIS! I'M OUT OF HERE!" She tapped her Bakumeter rapidly and teleported away. Nastix reverted to ball form and disappeared with her just as the beam barreled through their path.

Amina: 0%

The attack tore through, erupting into the streets ahead, into the soldiers, Mobile Assault Vehicles, and the Bakugan that were unaware or unfortunate to be within the wake. Dark purple linear eruptions blew into a wave-like pillar of darkness that engulfed everything, leaving Atchibee and Esther to loom over in the violent airspace's blackened wake. The latter kept a straight face as she watched the destruction caused gradually simmer away.

When it all settled, the entire avenues had been cleared down to the very grid of Bakugan and soldiers. The street steamed and smoked with a flattened asphalt as indication of their victory.

Atchibee let out banshee-like screeches as she flapped to the ground, allowing Esther off. She jumped off and walked over the crusted ground, feeling the loose gravel picked up by their wake. She stopped a short ways and came to the realization.

"…looks like she got way, but we've managed to deter her for now." She looked up seeing what would happen.

True to what she would have speculated, another bright ripple went through the barrier and down the edges. The barrier became almost nonexistent save for a small shade of magenta distorting the atmosphere.

"The barrier's almost gone. There's only a few left at most."

A shadow, followed by a screech, shrilled overhead and got their attention. Atchibee and Esther turned around, finding Apex Atmos along with Jase coming down to meet them.

"Jase!" Esther exclaimed.

Jase hopped off of Atmos, walking up to meet his younger friend. The ex-Colonel looked as stoic as ever. "It appears that you've had just as much fortune as I have."

Esther nodded. "That's right. Amina unfortunately withdrew for the time being, but it seems like the effects still linger with her absence."

Jase prodded his glasses with his finger. "I see. Zion was a strong and callous fighter, but fortunately we've managed to disarm him properly. He's currently lying down on the pavement stunned." He looked up whimsically. "But knowing him, he'll probably pop a blood vessel and be hunting us down soon. You know how warriors like him are. As stubborn as snakes never giving up the pursuit of prey."

"And you didn't stick around?"

Jase turned towards her. "No. We have our own objectives. We have to rendezvous at the front under any circumstances. There's still many enemies that are still pouring in, so we can't dawdle in one spot for very long. I would wager the others are currently in the same predicament as we are."

"Then we should find them together. We'll only be divided and conquered if we separate again."

"Yes, a logical solution. We should hurry. Odds are with the positive energy we've produced, it's only a few minutes until this street is swarmed from the outside inhabitance."

Atmos fanned his wings out. "Then we'll have to search for everyone else while we are still able."

"You're right, Atmos. We must hurry at once." Atchibee agreed.

Both Bakugan lowered themselves to allow Esther and Jase onto their backs. They hurried up and ascended back into the air, making an airwave pulse across the ground their shrieks shrilled outwards.

Dan's little group was making steady progress maneuvering throughout the alleys, but it was slow going. With Fabia and Elright's injuries, they were only being slowed down.

"C'mon, hang in there guys. You have to…" Dan pleaded.

Fabia grunted. "Dan, listen…you need to leave us behind."

Dan glared at her. "What are you saying?! You don't just leave a friend behind! Look, we've suffered enough as we did, we don't wanna end up suffering more because of you!"

Fabia lowered her head. "That's why I'm saying you have to. I'm only holding you guys back. And soldiers on foot will onto us soon…"

"Your Highness! We can't allow that! You know it!" Rafe shouted.

Wolfurio floated right beside him. "He's right. If you're left behind, then so will we. Neathia needs to be saved, but we can't risk losing our queen."

"You guys…we can't dawdle like this. You know it…" Fabia coughed, alerting her peers. "Look…we can't just sit around and wish for miracles anymore…that won't happen. We need to take action, and that won't *cough* happen if we sit around and argue!"

Shun crossed his arms, frowning. "As much as I hate to say it, she's right."

"Shun?!" Marucho panicked.

"She's right. We'll only be slowed down that much further. We need to remember the stakes we came at. Luke and the others have been through this before, remember on Gundalia?"

"That's totally different!" Dan snapped. "Luke kept going on his own!"

"Dan, please…just stop." Fabia grimaced, her tone getting weaker. She lowered her head. "I'm sorry…but I can't move any further anyway."

"Fabia…"

A loud shriek came from the front, where the alleyway opened up to the streets. They all heard a oud rumble and looked at the Pyrus Snapzoid that hissed at them, impeding their way out.

"Oh no!" Marucho shouted.

"This looks bad!" Paige grunted. "Quick! Everyone, turn back!" She whipped around with everyone, but they only got a few feet when soldiers with energy lances pointed in their direction. "Gah!"

"Too late, they're surrounding us!" Gunz remorse. "Crud!"

One of the soldiers glared through his metal visors. "Enemies are within sight! Men, remember the order, take no prisoners!"

Dan stepped back. He wanted to throw in Drago, but it was too narrow to brawl. They could barely fit as they are. It'd only crush them if they brawled here. But they had nowhere to run, and pinned down by a Snapzoid whose maw swirled with fire, and soldiers readying to pierce them. His teeth gritted in frustration.

"Ability, activate! Minion Deluder!"

Suddenly, plasmatic lightning crackled around the wild Interacian Snapzoid. It grunted and hissed as the static made its nerves unable to respond properly. Hisses and broiling fire were imploding on the inside of its mouth in unstable fashion.

"Wha-what the?!" Dan shouted.

"Quick everyone, get down now!" Drago shouted.

The electrocuted Snapzoid opened its mouth forcibly and expelled a blast of fire that seared into the alley. The Brawlers and their friends got down as the flamed directed into the soldiers behind. They all screamed in terror as the fire engulfed them. Their screams went hoarse that they were burnt alive in a sea of fire that flickered behind the shocked Brawlers.

Shun looked back with a horrified expression. "Huh?! It missed?!" He looked back at the Snapzoid, seeing it wriggle around.

High above, a loud shriek was heard before an enormous shadow loomed over them. The Brawlers looked up to find a large underside of an alien jellyfish hundreds of tentacles wriggling around. One of the many tentacles dropped down, revealing a familiar little girl as she hopped onto the ground.

"Maggie?!" Rafe gasped.

"You guys okay?" she asked.

Dan smiled. "Thanks a lot. You just saved our bacon?"

Maggie put her hands to her hips and furrowed her brow. "No problem, but enough talk! You guys look hurt, what happened?"

Paige looked down, frustrated. "It was those stupid soldiers, that's what!" She sniped. "They got the queen, and Captain Elright's a mess."

Maggie looked over at the wounded Neathians, seeing as how they and the Brawlers were in poor shape to get going. "Okay, stay still. Jelldon can carry you all out."

"Jelldon?" Marucho looked up, seeing the jellyfish skywards with his tendrils wriggling. "Wait…what happened?!"

"But I thought Jelldon couldn't fly!" Radizen fret.

"No time!" she snapped. "We need to get you guys out of here, and hurry. The others are holding off the reinforcements, and there's still plenty of soldiers crawling around." She looked up. "Jelldon, gently now!"

"Understood, Maggie!" Very carefully, several tentacles went down and slunk around all the Brawlers. With Fabia and Elright, he had to be extra careful to not move too hastily. He needed an extra tentacle for them to keep them upright. Once all of them were hoisted out of the alley, Maggie was lifted up by one of Jeldon's main tendrils.

The Snapzoid still unable to move on its own violently grunted, making the energy crackle around him.

"Take this!" Jelldon jabbed the Snapzoid, his tendril enveloped in Volt Inferno. The burning jab alone seared clean into the head, causing a burning, plasmatic eruption below that faded quickly, revealing the wild Snapzoid being reduced to nothing.

"Nice job, big guy. Now, let's hurry and find the others! They could be hurt, too!" Maggie exclaimed.

Jelldon drifted across the skies, keeping everyone hidden and tucked within his tentacles.

The hue in the street was foul. A dull, intolerable sensation crept up anyone's skin, especially the kid that stayed behind Luke and Alice as they glared down their adversary. Cyrus looked far from appeased. The last remark made by Luke left him with a chord struck. It wasn't that he cared for the strongheart, but it wasn't him to be this worked up. Thankfully he wasn't Amina, who makes a fuss and talks back whenever she wants.

Cyrus scoffed. "Hmph, it appears that we have taken you rather lightly. How very shameful."

Alice looked up at the barrier, seeing it being almost nonexistent. "Luke, look! The barrier's almost gone!"

Luke looked up as well, his fortitude showing. "Guess that means Shawn the rest managed somehow. That's good." He looked back down at Cyrus. "But still…"

She nodded. "I know, we still have him left."

Cyrus gave them a bemused yet serious glare. "So it would seem that'd be the case. You make it sound so easy, but perhaps this is a little crude even for me, but are you knowing who you're talking about?"

Luke clutched his blade. "We won't know for certain unless we try. That's what we know enough about."

The kid that stood behind them held onto Luke's waist tight. He was completely frightened by all of this. His skin was cold and he had goosebumps all over his body. Looking at Cyrus was like staring death in the face. The people he clung to promised to keep him safe by any means, that was something else – the only other thing – he could cling onto.

"Alice, can you keep him close to you? He'll be safer probably that way." Luke advised.

Alice nodded. "Right." She looked at the little boy and confidently smiled. "Listen, why don't you stay behind me? I promise I won't go anywhere, okay?"

The little boy meekly nodded. "O-okay…" He shuffled behind Alice, where he clung to her dress and looked over her side to see what would happen.

"Commendable…" Cyrus held up a Gate Card. "But I grow weary of your false promises. I'll have to make it my responsibility to see just what a false tuition you lean on." He threw the Gate Card outwards, sending a dark purple ripple outwards beneath everyone.

Grabbing Raptorix, Cyrus held up his Bakugan. "So then, shall we get this underway? Bakugan, brawl!" He threw his Bakugan in. "Bakugan, stand! Come forth…Darkus Raptorix!" In a dark purple haze, a silhouette of a Raptorix gradually arose, emitting a shrieking bellow when he arose far too high and loomed over his opposing adversaries.

"Here we go, ready guys?" Luke asked.

"Right, we're ready." Alice responded. "Hydranoid, let's go."

"Say no more, Alice. I'm in all the way." The hydra responded, closing his ball form for her to seize.

At the same time, Luke and Alice threw in their Bakugan once more. "Bakugan, brawl!"

"Daedalus Abis Omega, stand!"

"Alpha Hydranoid, stand!"

A deep blue and dark purple light fused in the ground, rising beside each other. Sharp-scales and razor-sharp tails arose, revealing razor-sharp teeth coming from a roaring leviathan serpent and three-headed hydra as they were summoned to battle. Abis and Hydranoid sat on the battlefield, glaring at Raptorix as the Bakugan lowered itself gently towards the ground.

Raptorix: 800 Daedalus Abis Omega: 900

Alpha Hydranoid: 900

Raptorix's feet finally touched the ground. The creature exerted a loud, earsplitting shriek at his two opponents battling against him, who reciprocated the gesture with defiant roar of their own.

'Knowing Cyrus' style, he's going to blindside us and attack as fast as he can.' Luke figured. 'There's also his forbidden abilities that can make his power level gain off ours. And there's his Mobile Assault., too…we've gotta be careful, now more than ever.' He braced himself for battle. "Abis!"

The serpent's fins on the side of his head shimmered with glowing diamonds. "I got you, Luke." He bared his fangs, making a low, gurgling hiss that vibrated the gills on his underbelly.

There was a moment's tension as they all awaited what the other would do. The avenue was borderline abandoned with everyone having been evacuated into their homes, and the soldiers steered clear of Cyrus due to the foul energy he gave off. Luke, Cyrus, and Alice stared blankly to wait for the right moment…then, in a sudden rush, Cyrus squinted.

"Go."

At the command, Raptorix blitzed across the ground, scowling as he made way for Hydranoid's path.

"Here he comes, Alice!" Hydranoid warned.

Alice started off with an ability to counter the sudden leap into danger. "We'll slow him down! Ability activate, Death Trident!" Hydranoid opened his three maws wide, charging up white, dark purple, and dark pink energy orbs with static crackling round them. He expelled them all into Raptorix, whose power dropped towards 500.

"Ability, activate!" Cyrus countered, whipping up his Bakumeter to showcase an ability. "Vengeful Ripper!" As Raptorix closed the gap, his claws crossed in front with purple energy nails glistening.

In speeds faster than light, the two forces crossed each other. When the three spheres met Raptorix, he posed right behind them, his claws stretched out. The spheres were motionless until they sliced into diced fragments and exploded behind Raptorix.

Raptorix: 500 (+300) = 800 Daedalus Abis Omega: 900

Alpha Hydranoid: 900 (-300) = 600

Raptorix was suspended before blitzing at lightning speeds through the atmosphere. He suddenly zipped and reappeared behind Hydranoid's three heads, his left claw reared back for a swipe.

"Hydranoid, behind you!" Alice warned.

"Huh?" Time slowed down as Hydranoid's two side heads glanced over, the irises catching the sharp nails ready to slice him up.

Raptorix slashed fiercely, but at the instant, a thick twin tail slammed into the Bakugan, sending him barreling away from Hydranoid's back. Abis' last-second save left Hydranoid room to turn and face the swift monster that recovered in midflight.

"Impressive timing." Cyrus commended.

"That was too close." Abis warned, before careening his head up. "Here he comes!" He braced himself along with Hydranoid as Raptorix blitzed after them again in a steep dive.

'We need to keep our distance from it. It's a close-range fighter type.' Alice analyzed, making an ability. "Ability activate, Extreme Chaos Leap Sting!"

Hydranoid howled for battle as his wings opened up, the undersides slithering out metal chords with demonic heads with sharp teeth. They all hissed and charged up thick projectile beams that shot into Raptorix.

Raptorix: 800 (-400) = 400 Daedalus Abis Omega: 900

Alpha Hydranoid: 600 (+300) = 900

Cyrus wasted no time smirking as he held up his Bakumeter and ability. "Ability activate, Vernier Macro!"

Raptorix rushed in and slashed at a projectile, but quickly found its room blindsided by more incoming beams. It blitzed left and right, forced to evade the numerous beams until an opening could be managed. He made sharp turns at lightning speed, almost too fast to be tracked by the human eye. Beams closed in, but then a hole was breached clean through by Raptorix funneling through with furious claws outstretched.

Yet Cyrus didn't give them levity. "Ability activate, Accel Tornado!" Raptorix suddenly picked up his rotation speed as air pressure compressed around the wings and blades to make a small cyclone rage around him. The Bakugan beelined like a Mach speed meteor towards his opponents.

Raptorix: 800 (+400) = 1200 Daedalus Abis Omega: 900 (-400) = 500

Alpha Hydranoid: 600

The cyclone drew closer, tearing about matter as it closed in on Hydranoid and Abis. But the serpent was more than ready as he hissed.

Luke reached out his right arm, showing his blue Bakumeter. "Ability, activate! Hydrair Tornado!"

His twin tails whipped out, turning like twin propellers until a generated cyclone of water surged around it and outstretched. When Raptorix's drilling frame beamed in, Abis whipped the wave-like tail and swatted Raptorix with the spiraling cyclone. The rotation of the water held much more depth and weight that it slowed down Raptorix to where it couldn't keep up. His screeches were hollowed out by the roaring water as the vortex stretched and sent him flying away.

Raptorix: 1200 (-400 -500) = 300 Daedalus Abis Omega: 500 (+400) = 900

Alpha Hydranoid: 600

As small droplets of water raged about, Luke's waterproof attire kept him fairly dry, not that he minded at this point. Alice shielded the kid from the small waves, but even he was looking over, watching Abis and Hydranoid hold back the menace. He was at a loss for words. "Woah…"

The water cyclone barreled into the pavement, sloshing violent torrent and drilling deep seawater that made the ground rumble. Cyrus used his forearms to shield from the wake smashing and suppressing his Bakugan. 'They're playing off of each other very well. Much like when we fought on Gundalia.' He thought about their skirmish back on said planet. That battle left a tingling sensation, much more so than it did before. 'These humans…they certainly know how to push boundaries, don't they?'

However, the aquatic cyclone still raged. It was a hassle, and pretty soon he wouldn't survive this. He had to block it off. "Ability, activate! Barbaric Claw!"

The sloshing cyclone kept spiraling, but a swift rake of dark purple tore through. It was a small opening, but enough to get Raptorix out and disappear. He reappeared in front of Hydranoid, time once again seemingly freezing at the speed both Bakugan found themselves locked in.

Raptorix: 300 (+300) = 600 Daedalus Abis Omega: 900

Alpha Hydranoid: 600

"You don't scare me." Hydranoid seethed.

"We'll see about that." Cyrus scoffed.

Raptorix slashed at Hydranoid, but his targeted head moved out of the way as another lunged and bit into Raptorix's neck. The Bakugan struggled, but slashed again into the saw stomach, leaving only a small graze. Hydranoid snarled and retaliated by clamping his other side head into that same arm, causing Raptorix to shriek in pain. With his body stuck in an awkward position, the Bakugan was unable to make a prompt escape.

"Now we've got you. Hold him right there." Alice sad, readying an ability. "Ability activate, Destroy Vanish!"

The saw blade began churning, creating a generated saw mass that buzzed loudly. The spikes began grinding against Raptorix, grazing and cutting into the skin to cause agony. His power level began steadily dropping, from 600, to 550, 525, 500…it kept dropping, and with the awkward position he was in, the Bakugan couldn't even make a proper counterattack.

"Say goodbye, Interacian scum!" Hydranoid bellowed.

Cyrus frowned. "Not quite…" He held up an ability, readying the activation. "It's the opposite really. Rather…farewell to you. Ability, activate…Diablo-X!"

As Hydranoid kept slicing into the Bakugan, an odd, dark pulse ran through it. Raptorix's frame ceased its resistance as veins started convulsing. The hydra's middle head took notice as the iris began shrinking. Before anyone had the time to react, another dark pulse stretched out, creating a violent shockwave that blew air everywhere, enough to deter Alice. Luke immediately got in front and used his sword to bunt the debris and shockwaves coming for them, while a gruesome dark pillar engulfed the spot where Raptorix and Hydranoid were. The pillar roared violently to make the air tremble.

Raptorix: 005 (+1500) = 1500 Daedalus Abis Omega: 900

Alpha Hydranoid: 600

"Hydranoid!" Luke shouted.

Abis looked just as shocked as his partner. He looked back at Cyrus, seeing the malicious, crude facial expression he had. He looked livid seeing the turmoil being made. The hue around them blackened just a little more to give his bright eyes a more demonic hue. The serpent, however, was far from deterred.

With his eyes narrowed, he raised his tailfins and swatted them at Cyrus. The Hades Pillars leader gave the tail a crude sneer. As if on mental command, the pillar of darkness expelled a pulse wave that threw Abis' tailfins off course, smashing into the ground besides Cyrus. The earth depressed beneath his mighty wake. The serpent wasn't too deterred, but he looked back, seeing the pillar still roaring with Raptorix's frame inside, looming with a dark visage.

Luke grunted.

"You play tricky…just as how Aquos usually is. But you seem to be forgetting, desperation brings out the worse in everyone. You may soon find yourself slipping on your senses. You may find whom you are fighting not appear who they are."

The roaring pillar continued shrieking wildly, along with Raptorix bellowing mightily. Suddenly, a buzzing sound was heard, followed by crackling dark static.

"Hm?" Cyrus raised a brow.

Luke's lips parted. Abis' frills shuddered when he picked up on what was going on.

The dark pillar began dispersing into shrapnel energy. It pushed about everywhere, making the pillar distorted and contort about until the foul magenta was gradually tearing away by buzzing saws with crackling lightning. In the bitter core of it all, six red eyes glistened from three head.

The kid hiding behind Alice noticed that her Bakumeter was shining brightly, showing an active ability. "Ability, activate…Saw Demolition!" Alice declared, her eyes narrowing. "Don't think for a second we'll let up so easily, Cyrus."

The rest of the negative, forbidden energy fully dispersed, leaving Hydranoid's three heads to careen around with bloodcurdling cries. His power arose to 800, while Raptorix's depleted towards 400.

Cyrus frowned grimly. "Your talking is demeaning!" Hydranoid sniped. "Somebody needs to teach to-" He brought his three tails around.

"-to shut up!" Abis whipped his tailfins around at the exact same moment.

Together, their five tails bashed into Raptorix;s front, sending a bone crushing shock through his system that left him paralyzed. The impact went clean through the body, making airwaves and debris fly behind the Bakugan before it finally caught on. He went flailing across the ground, which depressed in a trail. He tumbled into uncomfortable positions until he barrel-flipped onto his back besides Cyrus, right where Abis smashed his tail before. The impact sent dust waves everywhere, causing even the likes of Cyrus to stumble away.

Luke squinted. 'An opening!' He suddenly took off into a run, his sword out as he raced after Cyrus.

The Darkus man took notice of his oncoming attacker. He instantly scowled as his eyes thickened with foul energy rising. "You foolish pest!" His cape flailed as his glare tightened, supposedly to intimidate Luke.

The dark, negative energy that he produced thickened that anyone who was too close would have paralyzed in fear. They would've lost oxygen even! However, Luke raced through it, though only having slight goosebumps as he raised his blade high.

"DIE!" Luke brought his blade down, much to Cyrus' disbelief. The confident look the shrewd menace had before faded away he had no choice but to reel back and use his forearm as the deep blue energy sword came down. With how fast Luke was, Cyrus barely dodged it. However, his arm had suffered a graze, leaving him to look even more horrified then before.

Once he backpedaled, even Luke jumped away. He held up his blade, poised to strike hard as needed. 'That was close. He just veered at the last second.' He looked at his adversary's condition, his eyes widening upon seeing something closely. 'Wait a minute, what's that…?'

Cyrus looked at Luke with a look of contempt as his arm wasn't bleeding. Instead, it looked like…purple mist? It was slow and wispy, yet it wasn't red, nor did it seem entirely like gas. It was hard to understand.

Luke's eyes widened. "What…is that?" His eyes narrowed. "That looks like…"

Cyrus hastily covered his arm. "Seems you know too much, boy." He tapped his Bakumeter, bringing up his next trick.

"Ready, Hellix."

The Mobile Assault Vehicle's automation alarmed Luke. He jumped away as the dark purple tracks ranged towards Raptorix. "Mobile Assault Vehicle, launch!" He fired the vehicle up towards Raptorix, making a bright flare in the dust.

Abis and Hydranoid braced themselves as they watched the flare expand, becoming the Mobile Assault Vehicle's true form: Hellix. Raptorix let out a loud shriek that distorted the atmosphere above it, dark ripples spreading across the atmosphere.

Raptorix: 400 (+200) = 600 Daedalus Abis Omega: 900

Alpha Hydranoid: 800

"His Mobile Assault Vehicle now…" Alice murmured. "…Luke, look out!"

Luke looked upwards and saw the huge right claw raised to crush him. With what little momentum he had, he backflipped to his free right hand and pushed himself out of the way. The claw smashed into the ground, sending rock flyting his way that he immediately parried. He managed to cut through all of them, but the shockwaves were quick to follow, sending him flying back until he slid along his feet back in front of Alice.

Standing on the opposite side, Cyrus gave a crude, chilling glare. "Seems you have yet to know your place…within Hell!" His eyes brightened as he raised his Bakumeter, showing an ability. "Ability activate, Bedlam End!"

Raptorix raised the two giant claws and put them together, creating a large mass of dark matter that compressed into a single point. The Bakugan aimed skywards and pushed it high up, projecting its wake high over Abis and Hydranoid. In a dark flash, a hypersonic, large, black and magenta pillar shot down, roaring as it closed in on them.

Raptorix: 600 (+1000) = 1600 Daedalus Abis Omega: 900 (-500) = 400

Alpha Hydranoid: 800 (-500) = 300

The incoming beam was barreling much too close for comfort. It was going to swallow up everything at this rate, something that they couldn't stand. The kid hiding behind Alice looked up in fear at the impending doomsday attack that blocked out the bright sky.

"Alice!" Luke shouted.

"Right, let's block it!" She held up her next ability. "Ability, activate! Merge Shield!"

"Ability, activate! Pressure Shield!"

The dark pillar raced down, but at the last second, Hydranoid and Abis bellowed as their bodies expelled various energies into shield domes. A deep blue, translucent shield and a shrouded indigo, black, and purple haze engulfed the respective Bakugan and the others from the attack. The dark pillar made impact, but instead it was stopped cold, making airwaves that diced up the earth within half a mile away in full radius.

Raptorix: 1600 Daedalus Abis Omega: 400 (+1200) = 1600

Alpha Hydranoid: 300 (+3500) = 3800

The two shields made a violet swirl that circulated in one spot. The pillar shooting down kept pulsing, making the air all around rumble/

Even inside, Abis and Hydranoid were on their highest guard as they kept up their defense. They growled as their opponent's attack, while holding a lot of pressure, was starting to get tedious.

Luke grunted. "He's not letting up on us."

The kid clutched Alice's dress, the look in his eyes showing he was scared.

Alice looked down, giving the kid a soft smile. "Hey, it's going to be okay. We promise that we won't let anything bad happen to you, right?"

The kid swallowed. "Y-yeah…"

"You need to be brave. I know it may seem hard right now, but you want to see your mother, right? Make sure you keep looking forward then to that goal. We'll be there to see it happen."

The kid fell silent. His heart rate was through the roof, but it was steadily coming back down with Alice's soft voice and sincere tone. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to be flustered or feel secure around her. He swallowed a nervous lump and stared.

"That's enough, time to turn this around!" Luke roared.

Abis hunched over. "Ready." Beside him, Hydranoid nodded in agreement.

Alice looked over at Luke confidently. "So you have a plan then?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah…"

In the ripples and shockwaves outside the barrier, Cyrus didn't look anywhere nearly as satisfied as he should be. He glared heavily as his attack gradually simmered away until every ounce of it was disposed of. The shields protecting everyone gradually went down, revealing Abis and Hydranoid leering like nothing happened.

"So you've endured. Impressive…" He reached his arm out, while Raptorix readied another mass of darkness. "But that shall not work a second time!"

Luke spread his footing. "Abis, now!" The giant serpent let a voluminous roar as he went slithering from the ground into the air after Raptorix and Hellix. His wavy body moved like ocean waves even. As he drew closer, the beam reached a pinnacle. "Ability activate, Flood Quasar!"

Raptorix charged to full strength and fired a straightforward dark plight at Abis, who kept his advances and opened his maw for dense, deep blue energy. Just as it was about to swallow him, blue energy tire clean through the middle, separating beam and engulfing the Hellix. A dense blue explosion swallowed up everything in its wake, with Abis close enough that even he was enveloped in the wake of the misty dense flares.

"Alice, now it's our turn!" Hydranoid shouted.

"Right! Double ability, activate!" She shouted. "Terminal Barrage, plus Fusion Ability, Final Destruction!"

Hydranoid's three maws charged up rapidly, with a Darkus aura enflaming his entire body. The airspace around him crackled as gravity seemed to have magnified around the Darkus Bakugan. The hemispheres all fired away, with thicker, darker shines in them. More fired off one another, and another, until it became a bombastic barrage that never ended, turning the smoke surge into a violet flare that erupted into the sky. The metal on the Hellix was heard taken damage as more eruptions zoomed behind, causing Cyrus to cover up from the few that passed overhead.

Raptorix: 1600 (-600 -500) = 500 Daedalus Abis Omega: 1600 (+500) = 2100

Alpha Hydranoid: 3800 (+500 +600) = 4900

The wake of the assault didn't stop pushing. Hydranoid kept up the barrage to the point where it was nothing but crackling explosions one after another. It was endless, and because of that, the earth and air wouldn't stop shaking. The hydra roared out as a thick Darkus aura embodied him, making his assault that much powerful.

"Keep it steady…" Alice grunted.

The barrage was getting out of hand, especially in the case of Cyrus. As he grunted, he could feel the exponential energy surfacing from Hydranoid. With his experience, that should be no problem. "Ability, activate! Alpha-X!"

BA-DUMP!

A dreadful pulse ran through the area, crawling around through the atmosphere. Another chill went up everyone's spine once the area began shaking, but at an even greater level of pressure than before. The explosive cloud collecting around the opponent was distorting with bloody growls and a swirling mass of magenta and black energy. It bubbled even.

Hydranoid's six eyes widened as he, Alice, and Luke saw and felt this familiar power. The kid hid behind Alice as the cloud of energy expanded into a growling, snarling pillar of bolstering energy that engulfed the Hellix. Raptorix' eyes grew duller as his veins throbbed with greater muscle mass.

Raptorix: 500 (+7000) = 7500 Daedalus Abis Omega: 2100

Alpha Hydranoid: 4900

The eruptive wake of the attack made an extremely dense layer of negative energy around Raptorix. The Bakugan dully glared at Hydranoid with eyes widening. At the instant, the look alone sent out a dark shockwave that kicked up violent waves. Dirt and rock went past them as Luke stepped in front, using his blade to bunt and cut against rock that would impale them.

As Luke cut and defended away, time momentarily slowed down as he sliced a rock, revealing Cyrus on the opposite end, looking at them with a sicky, bloody smirk. Twisted, but much more controlled than against Maximus. He was calculative, yet he had a feeling of what he might do.

Gradually, Cyrus reached down to the field. "Gate Card, open! Silent Land!"

The card shined below, causing Hydranoid to stiffen up and grunt heavily. He found himself immobilized by the card's force, leaving him open.

Alice gasped. "Hydranoid!"

"Now you can't defend…just as how it is pointless to defend from the darkness that plagues all hearts…" His glare brightened. "Just like how it did yours. You believe that you will recover, but in the end, it's all the same…not one creature can be considered pure." He held up another ability. "Ability, activate! Bedlam End!"

The giant claws to the Mobile Assault Vehicle gradually arose, gathering another broad mass of darkness that compressed to a single point. The mass was sentenced high above them, where it glimmered for several seconds before a flash exploded into a roaring pillar that soared straight downwards onto all of them once more.

Hydranoid could only look up, as did Alice and the kid as the attack drew in. Suddenly, before impact, the beam swirled around something, making its eruptive wake spiral into a tornado that turned its crashing force upon itself.

"Hm?" Cyrus frowned. He looked to the source of the wake, which just so happened to be a certain someone standing in the way with an ability activated while bunting. His eyes narrowed. "I should've known…"

Luke kept parrying debris while maintaining focus. "Ability, activate! Crash Coil!"

A bloody growl was heard, followed by the swirling of the dark matter tornado that suddenly changed course and arched down onto Raptorix. The Bakugan looked up, only for its vehicle's attack to come down, swallowing upon it instead. A black eruption created a large dome that sent ghastly waves in all directions. Even more layers of the ground were thrown around, though this time in Cyrus' direction. Much of the gusts in turn buffered Luke and Alice, but the former kept them anchored when plunging his sword down.

As the explosion settled, the Hellix was levitating with steam coming off of the metal. The ground was so depressed that it left everything within a dented crater.

"What might this trickery be?" Cyrus questioned.

Above Hydranoid, something gradually faded into view. With his extremely long body, Abis let out a low snarl as he eyed the opponent with his tail flicking off the remnants of the negative energy like it was nothing.

"Ability…Stealth Dweller!" Luke announced.

Cyrus' eyelids lowered. "Now I see…" He thought back to the explosion that Hydranoid was creating using his double ability. The smoke and the static was a perfect distraction for Luke and Abis to use that ability. "That would explain why he vanished so suddenly. I must say that even 'I'm vaguely surprised by this."

Abis lowered himself besides Hydranoid and snarled. The three-headed ally glared ahead while still addressing his ally. "Thanks for the assist." A head sniped. "Now let's return the favor." Another head growled. "And reduce this punk to scrap metal!"

"Right." Abis arched up and hunched over, making his huge frill-like wings stick out.

"Alice, we'll take care of the field." Luke proclaimed, holding up an ability. "Ability, activate! Tidal Divide!"

Abis slowly raised his body and head up and let out a loud, earsplitting screech that echoed though the atmosphere. All the diamonds on his body shined brightly as the atmosphere grew increasingly humid overhead. Dark stormclouds gathered and circled over the terrain, the sound of thunder as loud and crushing like the tremors beneath.

"Rainclouds?" Cyrus questioned.

It gradually began raining, pouring down dense bullets of water that scattered specifically on Raptorix. All the rain went down on the one side of the battlefield, drenching Raptorix enough to where the dense hue around his body was deteriorating into the rainwater. It soaked the ground, gradually making the Gate Card turn off.

As rain kept pouring down harshly, it washed the power into a current that ran from the groundwater collected and rose up beneath Abis. They became multiple helixes and infused with his body, giving his gills an even greater neon shine. He let out a violent screech as a blue aura enveloped his frame.

Raptorix: 7000 (-3500) = 3500 Daedalus Abis Omega: 2600 (+3500) = 6100

Alpha Hydranoid: 4900

"Alice, you ready?" Luke asked.

Alice nodded. "Yeah, we need to finish this."

Abis and Hydranoid glared at Raptorix, who didn't seem thoroughly enlightened by his power halved like that.

Cyrus reached upwards with a moment's hesitation. "Ability activate, Bedlam End!" Raptorix gathered even more matter into a compressed point and threw it skywards again. A rippled went through the sky, thoroughly dispersing every stormcloud in the area. At the core of the ripple, a black flare came down onto the opponents.

"Double ability, activate!" Luke countered. "Dry Dirge, plus Fusion Ability, Poseidon Surge!"

Abis' power level increased to 6600 as the aura around his body enhanced further. A dense light came from the diamonds as a deep blue liquid surrounded his mouth before a glossy jet of water fired into the oncoming beam. Its pressure completely dispersed it through the pressurized waves that surrounded the glossy water until it hit its target, dousing Hellix and Raptorix in the liquid.

Gradually, the water drenched the body so much that it gradually ate away at the metal coating. It turned from black to blue, and the magenta all over turned to silver. Raptorix's Darkus colors, aside from pitch-black, had turned to Aquos.

"You forcibly changed our attribute?" Cyrus inquired.

"Now it's our turn! Double Ability, activate!" Alice shouted. "Correlation of Aquos to Darkus, plus Hellion Pulse!"

Hydranoid opened his three maws wide as thicker Darkus aura engulfed his body. Purple energy masses gathered in front and glistened with bright cores. Once he was all charged up, the hydra let loose three glossy purple beams with white sparkles and pink streams that seared through the atmosphere after Raptorix.

Raptorix: 3500 (-500) = 3000 Daedalus Abis Omega: 6600

Alpha Hydranoid: 4900 (+300 +500) = 5700

As the dark beam closed in, it became paramount that with the explosive wake that there wouldn't be any guarantees that the Bakugan would come out of this unscathed. Cyrus refused to let such a thing happened.

"You all…shall pay dearly…by drowning in darkness!" He held up another forbidden ability. "Ability, activate! Alpha-X!"

Raptorix's eyes gleamed brightly in magenta. The pulsating pressure around him erupted into a bright core's sudden explosion of skywards pressure. The crater that was there suddenly expanded beneath everyone's feet, dicing up towards everyone's feet. Hydranoid's attack that was about to hit dispersed into thin air, blocked out by the eruptive wake that washed after them.

Raptorix: 3000 (+12,300) = 15,300 Daedalus Abis Omega: 6600

Alpha Hydranoid: 5700

The air intensified as magenta and pitch black engulfed the Bakugan, making its hollers as monstrous as anything else. The ground was unable to keep up as the pulsation beamed pitch-black from below, piercing through the diced earth heading their way. Hydranoid and Abis had to act fast! Hydranoid had Alice and the kid on one head, while Abis had Luke solo. Together, they shot skywards, getting off the ground the beamed into oblivion. Explosions of darkness corroded the earth as ash, debris, and flames created from wiring from below blew up. The avenue – no, even beyond that – erupted into diced shambles. The earthquake of pure darkness created a hyper-generated lightning surge of explosive energy that jettisoned out of control.

The two Bakugan flew as fast as they could, but even then the sheer energy they were being blown with was erupting like wildfire. The roaring shockwaves created an atomic mass that expanded skywards, beaming so high that it could touch the barrier. Sheer, dark ripples of distorted magenta and black energy flow through the air, unable to be swamped or turned around by anything else. The two Bakugan and the humans and Interacian on it looked ahead, seeing nothing but a thick pillar of bolstering energy that left a shallow abyss raging beneath filled with gushing energy.

"That power…" Alice hitched. "He's gone mad…"

…

All across Solaris, a terrifying earthquake ran through the ground. Frightening chills went through every Interacian that was hiding underground as lights went out. Power shortages became known.

The magnitude spread into cracks that ran throughout the city's ground, spreading through every crack and avenue. Small dark beams seared through, nearly getting beneath everyone.

"What the-?!" Shawn looked down, visibly shocked. "All this negative energy!"

"Shawn!" Verias warned.

He turned his head towards the eruption's wake. His gaze followed skywards as the ripples of pure evil pulsated over his head. "All that power…don't tell me…"

Even in the skies, Fly Beetle, Jelldon, Atmos, and Atchibee looked over from afar, chilling winds searing past them as the avenues below were coated in cracks with magenta. Beams were coming out every so often, piercing through Bakugan that were too close to them. Numerous wild Bakugan were helpless as the energy beneath was becoming far too unstable. Many of them fed off it, making them all shriek and fan out into numerous areas to destroy.

"What's…what's all this?!" Dan exclaimed. Goosebumps filled his spine as he saw the ground all across Solaris rumbling in raw terror.

"All this pressure…is this power?!" Marucho felt this before. He thought back to the earth-trembling might Armagedoid possessed.

On a high point, the eruption was seen in Julie's camera. The entire building, while still stable, didn't mean Julie nor the cameraman were steady. As she cringed, Julie tried to broadcast the expulsion of overflowing dark matter surfacing all across Solaris. "What is that?! Ladies and gentlemen, i-it looks like the entirety of Solaris is crumbling under this pressure! What could be causing all of this?!"

On top of the Empyrean, the traces of energy produced was making bright magenta flare beneath Riaan as he patiently sat in the middle of the white top. Networks were screaming and flashing from the immense energy generated by Hades Pillars' leader. "…it appears that Cyrus feels threatened. How unbecoming." He lifted his head calmly. "It's an extremely rare case, for him to be aggressive like this. I fear he may very well retrogress…"

An earthquake of beaming darkness exploded within Solaris, and at the center, the Hellix and Raptorix were in the very core, the Bakugan pulsating veins as Cyrus stood held on, seemingly unaffected by the sheer pressure that drew attention. Deep magenta veins coursed throughout the Bakugan and partner, the pressure being of an extremely high content that it looked like they were going to explode.

Hydranoid and Abis made to keep their distance, but the overwhelming surge was making them aware that Cyrus was pushing to extremes. Their auras of energy paled in comparison.

"This is bad. At this rate…" Alice paused. "Everything and everyone…will be consumed by this pressure."

"M-MOM!" the kid clung onto Alice tightly, daring not open his eyes.

Facing off against this monstrous mass, the air spouted out violent shockwaves of energy that pushed outwards. Luke and Abis looked dead ahead, seeing that their adversary was pushing himself with a bloodthirsty ambition to dominate. To destroy. To make succumb. This force wasn't like Riaan's, nor Maximus. This was Cyrus, and unlike the rest of Hades Pillars, he knew how to make one suppress – by force! This wasn't just any Interacian they were facing. Something about what Cyrus was doing, was completely unlike what they've fought before. He was defiant. And worse…genuinely deadly.

'This power…if we don't stop it, it could actually kill everyone here! Everyone!' Luke tensed up, before he felt a nudge.

"Luke…"

Luke looked down, seeing Abis' orange eye glancing up at him. "Abis…"

The two were interlocked with each other for a moment. They didn't have a lot of time, but this short moment was helping them think back to knowing what they've accomplished so far. The Bakugan nodded and gave a nod at what had to be done.

As if knowing, Luke closed his eyes. "…yeah, you're right. No sense in being afraid of this power." He faced ahead, and while his heart rate was at an all-time high, he didn't waver. "If we don't stop pushing like we've done…" his grip on his blade tightened. "Then we won't stop Riaan. If we're gonna make sure as many of us get out of this…we can't fall!"

He thought about the people whom he had moved passed up to this point. His parents keeping him inside all his life from Bakugan. Riaan looking down on him. Maximus. Luka. Everyone who was there to stop him, and he couldn't stop now.

He opened his eyes, knowing what he had to do. "…Alice, listen. You and Hydranoid take the kid and get as far up as you can."

Alice's eyes widened. "But what about you guys?"

"Don't worry, we'll be fine. I promise." Luke glared ahead. "Abis…time to push forward."

Cyrus' demonic hue blackened as he glared at Luke. "No…you…SHALL FALL INTO BLACK!" At the howl, Raptorix and Hellix didn't hold back the wake. It gradually eroded and beamed into Luke and Abis, who glared ahead, readying their counter.

"ABIS!"

"LUKE!"

At the same time, their eyes widened. "Ability, activate…PRESSURE SHIELD!"

Everything went white in a moment's notice. The dark hurricane that engulfed the entirety of Solaris suddenly dispersed when something large, bright blue, and roaring brightened so intensely that it was like a blue supernova trapped within a hemisphere. Alpha-X was stopped cold, contained within the mass that was inside the bubble.

The shockwaves from the bubble, however, were so powerful that the force caused Hydranoid to be buffered back. Alice held onto the kid as tightly as she could until the hydra was able to balance himself out.

High over Solaris, there was gargantuan blue hemisphere, a deep blue bubble that was large enough to make the size of a stadium. The bone-chilling pressure, however, made all of Solaris rumble. Pitch-black and magenta glistened inside to contain all that negative energy from engulfing everything and everyone.

"WOAH! Are you guys seeing this?!" Julie looked up at the giant bubble above Solaris. "Now, it looks like there's something controlling this dark wave that was about to engulf us! What could it be?!"

"Unreal…" Dan muttered.

"I wonder what that is?" Marucho looked down at his Bakumeter, only for his eyes to nearly bulge of their sockets. "Wha-?!"

Gunz looked down at his to measure the power. "You've gotta be kidding me!"

Raptorix: 15,300 Daedalus Abis Omega: 15,300

Alpha Hydranoid: 5700

"Are these guys serious?!" Dan shouted. "I knew that Luke and Abis were crazy, but this ridiculous!"

"That's way too much for one Bakugan! They're gonna get themselves killed like that!" Shun testified.

"We need to get over there and stop them before things get any worse." Jaakor advised.

"I'm with you, sensei. All the way." Orbeum said.

"Yeah, me too!" Skytruss shouted.

"No."

Everyone turned towards the voice. Atop on Jelldon's shoulder was Maggie, who looked forward without a moment's worth of hesitation.

"Huh? What's wrong, Maggie?" Dan asked.

"Don't go underestimating Luke and Abis like that. And don't also forget what we're supposed to be doing right now." She paused for a wild Buz Hornix to come at them, only for Jelldon to use a tendril and blasted it in the face, sending it downwards. "Besides, we have to focus on Fabia and Elright. They need help right now."

Dan and the Brawlers frowned. They looked over at their friends to see them being contained by Jelldon's soft, slender holds on their bodies, especially around Fabia's wound. They wanted to go and help them, but they were in no position when their comrades' lives were on the line. As much as Dan hated and worried about it, they couldn't argue about it.

The leader of the Brawlers frowned heavily as he glared forward. "Yeah…you're right." He frowned. "As much as I hate it, those guys are our best bet."

"But…I'm still worried." Marucho said. "With that kind of power, no Bakugan should be able to survive."

"Well then I guess they'll have to prove us wrong as always!" Jelldon jabbed an incoming wild Ziperator, befalling it in an instant. "Maggie!"

Maggie nodded. "You got it! Ability, activate! Minion Deluder!"

As Buz Hornix, Ziperator, and Longfly drew closer with mixed armies of wild and tamed, Jelldon's multiple tendrils wriggled beneath and opened beneath the frilled bottom. He brought out dozens to match the number of Bakugan coming his way and fired electrical impulses attached to the bulbous ends. They all struck their mark on the Bakugan, where he immediately turned them onto the ground forces and aerial Bakugan still flying through the sky.

"How's about a taste of your own medicine!" Jelldon's eyes gleamed, causing the Bakugan army he created to fire back down onto the fray. Zukanator and Twin Destructor fired onto the ground forces, gunning down the soldiers that the Bakugan belonged to. Those with fire seared the streets and the Bakugan crawling around them. The mechanical weapons and Mobile Assault Vehicles attached to the controlled Bakugan acted accordingly and fired beams and blasters on the ones out of reach.

As Maggie and Jelldon took on and used the wildfire, the Brawlers watched on as the enemies were being gunned down mercilessly. Dan looked out at Maggie, who didn't shed any means of remorse.

"You guys are the Battle Brawlers…but we're not like you. We've had our own hell of an experience that we've dealt with. I've been trying to find out how to say this, but…maybe the reason, is because we actually try to understand the other side."

They all recalled what Abis said back on the Trailer. This was what he was talking about. The Brawlers weren't used to fighting like this. It was just Bakugan. But they were getting used to this. This wasn't something even Marucho was willing to look away from anymore.

This was war.

Inside the giant blue bubble, darkness swelled around, yet two opposing forces collided. The air pressure was so violent that no one could move properly. Raptorix scowled aggressively, and painfully while Abis let out an earsplitting roar of his own.

Both Bakugan had varied flares coming from their bodies. Bright blue light beamed from Abis' diamonds and accents that made him see the throbbing magenta cracks and veins all over Raptorix. The light glistening around the serpent was enough to make him crack along his scales, but he was hanging in the best he could.

"Just a little more!" Luke proclaimed.

Cyrus remained at a standstill, but dared not falter on his spite-filled glare. "I see…so you've used a defensive ability to contain the Alpha-X's influence. Very clever. But, I'm afraid that's futile. No matter how much you try and contain it, darkness always spreads. Whether it's me or anyone else for that matter, you can't keep it all under lock and key. Hogging all that darkness will only taint your heart further until you're a living shell."

Luke held onto Abis tight, pressing himself further against his partner's head. They looked at their opponents, their glares unwavering while the light coming from the latter intensified.

"Perhaps then…if you choose not to talk, I'll make you see my point! Ability, activate!" Cyrus held up his Bakumeter. "Diablo-X!"

The cracks of overwhelming dark power didn't stop for Raptorix. The Bakugan scowled as even more of its body had become overloaded that it was violently convulsing and growled weakly that it was almost unsufferable. The Bakugan's power level went even higher, reaching all the way up towards 16,800.

The airspace couldn't hold up. It was getting too violent even for the bubble to hold down. The ends were quivering and violently shaking about, looking like darkness wanted to breach out and destroy all of Solaris.

The kid held close to Alice while still watching. "It's gonna be okay. Luke and Abis will stop him…I know it."

The hollow void that was Raptorix was projecting the erupting wake at Abis, who didn't falter. "PERISH~!" Cyrus yelled.

The never-ending void heading their way was much too close, but the serpent's neon diamonds on his underbelly shined brightly. His entire body mimicked that bright flare.

"LET'S GO!" Luke declared. "Ability, activate! Emperor Abyss!"

Abis' orange eyes turned bright blue as he expelled one roar battle cry outwards. His body unleashed a maelstrom that swelled throughout the bubble. The titanic waves of deep blue water spiraled and swayed, drowning out the darkness that was getting too close. The pressurized waves and the darkness mixed for several churning moments, until it mixed and came to a single point and exploded. Deep, violet water swelled everywhere, contained in the bubble Abis had made. Swirling all around were several whirlpools that made it impossible for the Hellix to escape. Raptorix was engulfed, causing him and Cyrus to lose whatever momentum they had and get caught up in the waves.

Raptorix: 16,800 (-500) = 16,300 Daedalus Abis Omega: 15,300 (+500) = 15,800

The dark water inside the bubble carried the Aquos Bakugan and the leader of Hades Pillars throughout its swirling mess. The currents were too strong, and Cyrus wasn't able to see where he was going.

"Aquos Bakugan can't use their abilities in the Emperor Abyss." Abis explained, his diamonds getting brighter. "Now…"

Cyrus opened an eye, the water pressure making it ache instantly. His cranium was starting to feel compressed. 'These fools! They can't possibly take on all this darkness! They cannot!'

Underwater, holding onto Abis through an air bubble, Luke glared at their swirling opponents that were thrown around in the waves and gushing geysers. It was chaos in the water, and he toughed it out with a glare that was like his Bakugan: Fearless, yet empathetic.

Cyrus' pupils shrank with his growing fury. 'His fear…it's not there. Yet he's still-!'

"Ability, activate~!" Luke cried out.

The diamonds on either side of Abis shined brightly, creating a powerful, glossy force that compressed all the cracks in the same manner that he finished off Maximus. Cyrus went completely still as both man and Bakugan glared him down.

"DEPTH FIRE!" Abis' five diamonds flashed bright flares that became beaming, bright blue, glossy energy projectiles that streamed endlessly like torpedoes. With all the power that he had in him, Abis screeched out and used his contained might to beam as many projectile fires through the dark water. Each one moved so fast that water resistance didn't even matter. Holes were punched through that closed the gap onto Raptorix and Cyrus.

Raptorix: 16,300 (-400) = 15,900 Daedalus Abis Omega: 15,800 (+400) = 16,200

Alpha Hydranoid: 5700

The bolting torpedo streams flew in at speeds that Cyrus' Raptorix couldn't escape from. Contained and unable to move, the Bakugan was helpless as all that happened was a bright blue flash that engulfed everything.

Outside, bombastic blue explosions of light erupted in the hemisphere that governed over the Solaris atmosphere. The bubbling sphere violently flashed to where all the black became blue. It happened so fast that no one could keep up. The hemisphere compressed to a single area, expelling a blue horizontal ripple that went across Solaris. The sphere exploded into a roaring gush of glossy blue arrows of water that showered everywhere. Luke's friends that were close by looked on and remained within careful boundaries as the multiple blue jets of searing arrow water went past them.

When those on Mobile Assault Vehicles closed in, the jets of blue water moved far too fast to keep up with. They were pierced, causing them to explode. Wild Bakugan and enemies alike were all punctured and destroyed, saved for the allies and their Bakugan.

Lena looked up, seeing the array of multiple colors disappearing when the energy blasted them. "All those projectiles…they're targeted for the enemies?!" She whipped around, gasping as a Venoclaw closed in. But just as it was about to attack her, a blue beam struck it, piercing clean through its head and all. It was engulfed in an explosion, one that Lena covered up from.

The air drastically roared and shook like an earthquake. Hydranoid watched with a stunned Alice and the Interacian as they watched blue fireworks go everywhere. "Woah…"

"Such power…and it's all being spread out with such precision…" Alice watched as the arrows ended every single enemy Bakugan within the dome. "Amazing…"

The wave gradually reduced, the light gradually calming down until the roar was the only thing that spread for miles throughout the dome encompassing the city. The deep blue sky made all the darkness that Cyrus made vanish and fade away. It took several minutes for it all to calm down, but eventually, it did.

Gradually, Abis levitated himself down to the ground, where he lurched upon touching the ground with his sensitive scales. The blue aura around his body was intense, as were the cracks all over his scales. But he didn't waver. He stood tall while Hydranoid descended to his side. They watched with their partners as Cyrus laid on the ground, his body having several bruises, with the skin being grazed. By his side was Raptorix, whose ball form dropped from above with several chips and cracks on it.

Cyrus: 0%

"That…did it…" Luke panted.

"Yeah…!" Abis grunted as he lurched over, his body unable to hold up any longer.

"Abis!" Luke was caught unprepared when Abis reverted to ball form. With him in midair as he was, he was going for a quick and painful fall, until one of Hydranoid's hands reached out and grabbed him. "Ow!" He gagged.

"Luke! Are you guys okay?!" Alice shouted down.

Luke took a moment to collect himself while sprawled on Hydranoid's palm. "…yeah…I think we are." He grunted. "Thanks."

Alice put a hand over her chest, sighing out her beating heart. "As always, you go so overboard. The others are right, you really are selfish." She said it in an endearing way, but the notion was all the same. It wasn't that she was upset or anything, but the wake of that force generated was overbearing. But then again, it was because of that they were able to push back Cyrus.

"I-is it over…?" The kid mumbled. He looked down, seeing Luke was stirring in Hydranoid's grip. "M-Mister?!"

Luke turned his head up at the kid. "You alright up there?" The kid slowly nodded. "That's good…sorry for the scare there. But it's fine now."

One last ripple went through the dome, this one dissipating the dome from the top downwards completely. The last ripple touched the walls of Solaris, making everyone see light yet again in full. The large humming generator-like sphere on top of the palace turned off, having no more power to feed from.

Shawn turned towards the generator going down. "The generator to the shield! It looks like it's finally breaking down!"

"Which means Hades Pillars is down, that's good." Verias said.

Shawn kept his rapier drawn. "That's true, but…"

Verias turned his head and saw the walls of Solaris. Beyond them, scowls were heard, and shrieks of the other wild Bakugan out of Solaris' radius at the time were still drawing themselves in.

Zenet turned towards the gates. "What?! You serious?! Just how many Bakugan are there?!"

Baron and Linus were barely supporting each other when they were at the entrance, where soldier corpses were scattered with Mobile Assault Vehicle metal. "What do we do? We can't keep going like this, guys." Baron said.

"He's right." Linus rasped. "But…the enemy forces have been eradicated. If we hurry, maybe we can at least make it out of hear and regroup-"

"KRRREEAAAAH!"

The outer walls of Solaris roared as wild Bakugan kept coming through. Even at the front gates, Fangoid, Luxtor, Merlix, and Jetro were coming in. Gundalian and Neathain Bakugan with Interacian black and magenta themes were filing through. Some crawled over walls, and even more capable of flight were buzzing on in.

Ren stepped back. "This is bad! Linehalt, hurry! Linehalt?!"

Linehalt heard his partner, but he was drastically worn out. He sank to a knee with an exhausted breath. He looked worn out. "Linehalt!"

"S-sorry, Ren. But…I can barely move anymore. These guys…they just won't stop coming!"

An Aquos Damakor came crawling after Linehalt, followed by a Gren and Scaboid of the same attributes. As they closed in, Ren and Nurzak looked at each other and back. They were running low on options and patience, and even Sabator was exhausted.

Suddenly a grunt was heard, followed by earth rumbling to where a seismic fissure blew past Ren and Nurzak. It blasted its way beneath the oncoming Bakugan before erupting waves of dust and earth into a pillar, crushing them from force down under in grueling fashion.

The earth kept shaking, but the Bakugan all screeched and disappeared. Linehalt was taken back, but he could barely process that attack. "W-what the-?!"

Suddenly, a dense buzzing came from behind, dropping down a huge beetle monster before him. On him was his partner, looking back down to the wounded Gundalians.

"Shuji!" Ren shouted. "Your timing couldn't have been any better! Thanks!"

"Yeah, don't mention it." He rebuffed. "You guys alright?"

"For the moment, now that we have some breathing room. We need to get out of Solaris, and away from this deathtrap." Nurzak prompted.

Shuji glared at the Bakugan army before him. They were crawling like mindless animals. "Then we'll clear a path for you. Fly Beetle."

"Evermore, Shuji." He clutched all four of his fists and let out a violent roar. Its bellows were harsh and shook the ground, enough to make Nurzak stumble and have to support himself. Without a moment's hesitation, he took off into a storming run across the avenue, his horn down as numerous Bakugan howled at him. Without even so much as flinching, he bulldozed straight through them. Fangoid were stepped on, Jetro were mowed down. The wild Bakugan that were in dozens were flattened, even reverting to particles, as Fly Beetle trampled his way like a dynamic bulldozer.

Ren's eyes were wide with shock and fear. "U-Unreal…" Even from so far away, the earth kept trembling. 'Is that seriously the same guy and Bakugan as before?'

"C'mon." Nurzak stepped forward. "We should make do while we have strength in our legs."

Ren nodded. "Right, Prime Minister."

Luke was atop one of Hydranoid's heads at this point, but even he looked down, aggressively annoyed. 'We've managed to take out the shield and Hades Pillars, but these Bakugan just keep coming. That palace must be creating some kind of signal. We just got lucky that time, so how…?'

BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP!

Hearing his Bakumeter go off, Luke looked down at it. "Huh?"

The beeping went on towards Alice, whose signal was of a similar wavelength. "Me too?" She tapped her Bakumeter first. "Yes? Who is this?"

"Is everyone able to hear this loud and clear?"

The familiar voice didn't go unnoticed by Luke. "That voice. Is that…?"

Inside the lab, Spectra was with his team as layers of holographic projections showed DNAs lining up. The team was currently having everything within the lab operated. Spectra was on the computer speaking through a microphone implanted into the keyboard.

"Listen up, everyone! We're sorry that it took so long, but just bear a little longer!"

"Spectra?! Boy, am I ever glad to hear from you again!" Dan shouted.

"It's about time, we're getting buried alive out here!" Ace shouted. "Gngh!"

"Ace, just hang on! One more minute is all we need!" Mira insisted.

"By the sounds of it, you must be nearing your little project." Jase said. "You sure took your sweet time."

Spectra smirked. "All good things comes to those who wait. So sorry for the wait, but you'll be happy to know that it's complete. It'll take a minute. Everyone, be on standby, it'll just be a little bit longer." He turned towards Keegan. "Keegan, is it ready?"

Keegan stood in front of a slot machine, arms crossed as he watched the outlet slide out what looked like an ability card. But unlike the other forbidden ability cards from the past, this one had a green core instead of purple. It had white accents and chords as well. Keegan was the one to pick it up and look at it strangely. But he didn't have the luxury of waiting for questions to be answered.

"It's ready. It's all on this card, right?"

"That should be it." Spectra answered, smirking. "Now, let's give Interacia a little…" His blue eye expanded, and then contracted. "…overhaul, shall we?"

Luke heard the signal get turned off and turned towards Alice. "Looks like Spectra's side is doing their job. Let's hurry!"

Alice nodded again. "Right! Hydranoid!" The hydra's wings boomed as he shot across the sky, rushing through the waves of Bakugan heading their way.

On the ground, gathering his bearings, Cyrus was still clutching his arm and containing his sleeve when he felt Hydranoid's shadow fly overhead. He looked up, watching their adversaries get away scot free. He wanted to get back at them, and make them suffer, but unfortunately, the predicament became too much.

"Well now, this has most certainly become most…bitter." He would have relished in the word, but he was in no mood. He tapped his Bakumeter to activate his own signal. "Hades Pillars, if you can hear the sound of my voice, hear my call. Operation Beacon has failed. I repeat, Operation Beacon…has failed. Solaris is no more. Retreat to the Empyrean Alpha at once. This is a direct order. Go to the Empyrean Alpha."

With that command, he stood completely still as another light gradually overtook him. "Hmph, Luke…" Gradually, he started vanishing from the ground up. "Now I'm stating to see my Maximus was so transfixed because of you. You truly are…spiteful." On those words, he vanished.

Across Solaris, Lucia bit her lip in regret as she tapped her Bakumeter, vanishing. Next was Magnus, who teleported. Then Lucia, and finally Zion, who kept holding the left side of his face and barely able to move.

Bakugan kept pouring in regardless, and even those like Megarus who were waterbound were skimming through the air, heading for Fly Beetle, but as one would expect, they were skewered and bashed away. Jelldon was using his ability to control the other Bakugan and turned them onto each other. Verias, Atmos, and Atchibee were all around, seeing Bakugan that were hesitant to get into their personal space.

"This project they've been on, the effects should be coming on soon." Esther said, turning her head towards the direction of the palace. 'For everyone's sake, they should know what they're doing.'

A screen lit up in front of Gus. He turned towards the others. "Master Spectra…it's time."

"Very well then…now." He looked down at the forbidden card in his hands. He gave it a scrutinizing stare that made him retrogress. He thought to when he was driven to create the Ultimate Bakugan, and the risks he took to achieve such a goal. 'This all started because of my dark path. Riaan saw the potential within the cards that I have created that he transmutated into his own abominations. Even farther than whatever I could have done…' He looked up at the screen, seeing the many Bakugan inside the city walls and clawing their way from the mountains. 'But now, at least this way, I can right where this all went wrong. It's time…to bring this forbidden abomination to its end! Riaan's afflictions, shall all end here!'

"Keith, now!" Mira shouted.

"Right! Ability card, activate!" Keith inserted the ability onto a scanner, which made a green network expel from the card onto the screen. Said screen shined brightly as the network increased its length, spreading towards the holographic modules and panels that had DNA strands. They all started showing syncing processes, and began to show signs of dissipation.

"Well, here's the start." Keegan noted.

As the green was shimmering bright green, Spectra kept a watchful eye on it, smirking to himself humbly.

The frequency waves that were being distributed from the palace's top kept playing, bringing in the swarm of Bakugan from the outside. Hundreds more kept crawling out of seemingly nowhere, and it wouldn't stop.

Suddenly, the bright energy core in the center of the module began changing color, from its bright light to a bright green. The frequency was still the same, but for a moment the distorted waves stopped to allow a charge.

"Huh?!" Jelldon's two antennae eyes looked back. "What's that?"

Maggie looked back, just as confused. "Huh?"

The core got brighter and brighter…until it all went silent.

BOOM!

In one fell go, the earth shuddered as the tower's beacon generator expelled a bright explosion of an omnidirectional shockwave of green energy. It was so powerful that it caused those unprepared to get buffered by it.

Jelldon did his best to hold on, while still holding board to the patients within his tendrils. Fly Beetle turned around and held his ground within the streets. Verias was the same, using a forearm to block the flare. Atmos and Atchibee were similar cases. They all did their best to stand their ground as the shockwave encompassed Solaris, yet spread further.

Through the canyons, over the seas, through the water, into the underground. It all spread evenly in a spontaneous eruption. A green supernova that traveled at lightspeed that covered all of Interacia. It layered everything, dissolving into the air and eventually losing its momentum. It only lasted for a brief second, but that bright flare could have been seen from space.

The green light gradually faded, reducing to nothing. Luke uncovered and blinked several times. "H-huh…?" He looked at the palace once more. "That light, was that…!"

Alice turned around, looking at the streets down below. "Luke! Look!"

Luke turned around, his eyes widening when he saw all the Interacian Bakugan around frozen in place. It was like time froze as a green light enveloped them all.

A Longfly in midair hissed weakly, but it couldn't bring itself to holler back. It only managed a retort of a hiss before the green aura shined brightly, gradually making its form dissipate into bright green particles.

'The enemy Bakugan! They're all…!'

Across the avenues, Mason was surrounded by Glotronoid and Spidaro that were unable to move. He watched as they all slowly faded away into particles. He eased up as the elbow room needed had gradually gotten wider.

"What just…wait, what that Spectra guy just said…" He looked down the avenue, seeing a familiar fate coming to the other Bakugan.

The Gundalians, Neathians, Earthlings, everyone watched all the Interacian Bakugan were influenced by the green shockwave and vanished into green sparkles. It happened everywhere, the thousands of wild Bakugan still out in the wilds being called over were unable to get anywhere as they all flaked to their ends. Green stardust scattered through Interacia that didn't stop. Nowhere was this energy going anywhere but thin air.

"What's going on…?" Dan mumbled. "They're all…"

"…disappearing…" Drago trailed off, seeing the Bakugan Jelldon control disappearing.

Julie was looking around, frantically scoping out the Bakugan disappearing. "You all seeing this?! All the Interacian Bakugan, that have suddenly flooded in, began disappearing!"

The last cries of the wild and tamed Bakugan were all vanishing. Even the scraps of Mobile Assault Vehicles were converted into energy and drifted to green particles. Soldiers that were barely alive witnessed as their Bakugan that were in ball form or barely standing were all coated in a soft green glow before dissipating. Their chances of winning hopelessly gone.

The green particles all across Interacia's beautiful lands gradually reduced. Pretty soon, the particles were gone, leaving only a few twinkles that gleamed. After so long, a howling wind went through the atmosphere, drifting it all away.

"Guys, did you all se that?" Luke questioned.

"Yeah, I did." Alice looked down. "Hydranoid, are you okay?"

The red eyes glanced upwards. "Don't worry, Alice. I'm just fine."

She sighed. "That's a relief…" She put a finger to her chin. "But that shockwave just now…was it what Spectra and the others did? From the looks of it, it only affected the Interacian Bakugan…"

"Luke! Alice! Is that you up there?!" A voice shouted below.

Their attention grabbed, they all looked down and recognized a familiar face and a familiar Haos Bakugan. In the empty streets below, Luke could make out his friend. "Shawn! Verias!"

Hydranoid decided to descend and carefully planted himself on the ground. He allowed Luke, Alice, and the small kid off him gently back on the ground. They went up towards Verias, who let Shawn down halfway before he jumped off and landed in front of them.

"It looks like you've all survived. That's a relief." Shawn spoke.

"Yeah, it was a tough one, but it looked like we've managed to get into the clear somehow." Luke responded. "You both okay?"

Shawn nodded. "Don't worry, we're just fine. Magnus came up along the way, but we were able to deter him for the time being." He crossed his arms. "Judging from what happened with that big commotion you've made in the sky a few minutes also, the same happened with you and Cyrus, am I right?"

"Yeah, right. Sorry about that."

Shawn shook his head and sighed. "Honestly, Luke. You really do have a nasty habit of overdoing things." He looked over and locked eyes with Alice. "And I see you've roped Alice along as well. Wonder how you got here?"

"I used my Dimensional Transporter card. We saw that you were in trouble, so Spectra asked me to give you guys a hand." She explained.

Shawn glanced down. "If course. Julie's broadcasting. That figures." He put his hands to his hips. "But still, Luke, could you be anymore reckless. Dragging us of our own free will is one thing, but you have to give even Alice such a scare. Man, and here I thought Jase was terrible with trolling us."

Luke gave a flattened look. "Oh, excuse me. Sorry if desperate times call for desperate measures."

Shawn shook his head. "At this point it doesn't matter what we say. I'm just worried what Esther would say to you right now if she were me."

Luke raised a brow. "I think I have an idea…" A short silence fell between them before Luke picked up again. "We should contact the others and see if they're okay. If they're not in trouble, they'll still meet us at the entrance of Solaris' passage."

"Yeah, we better do that. After what happened, I can't imagine standing around in the open for too long."

It took several minutes for everyone to regroup and get themselves together in front of Solaris' gates. All the Bakugan, save for Luke and his special group's new evolutions, were all in ball form and resting. Their brawlers were just as banged up, if not more. Julie came around, too, along with her cameraman.

Walking up to them was the Vestal team, along with Keegan as the came around. Everyone gathered their bearings and turned towards them.

"It would appear that the forbidden purification is a success after all." Spectra chimed.

"Spectra?" Marucho questioned.

Shun crossed his arms. "I knew you had something to do with that shockwave we've felt."

"Calm yourselves, everyone. I understand your confusion. There was a very deep process that had to be followed with all of this. Please, allow us to explain what just happened."

"Oh, this should be good." Zenet chimed.

Nurzak stepped forward. "By all means, elaborate for us. That wave that dispelled all the Bakugan, that was the anti-forbidden data, was it not?"

Spectra lowered his chin, chuckling. "You can say that." He lifted his head. "Listen carefully. What we were able to implement was the usage through the transmission Riaan was using in the lab."

Jase was next to step up. "That explains the sudden flocking of the wild Bakugan populace. It makes sense now. It must have been a power sensitivity regulator amplified to draw them in onto us and our positive energy."

"So you used that, huh? That's clever." Shawn chimed.

"I'm afraid that I'll have to ask you to hold your applause." Spectra frowned. "Listen, I was able to neutralize the effects of Riaan's powers, however. That's only about it. Furthermore, it only affected the DNA strands seemingly related to Bakugan."

Luke's eyes slightly widened. "Wait, so then all those Bakugan disappearing after that energy explosion-!"

Spectra spared a glance at him. "Was the DNA separation, yes. The Bakugan that were on Interacia were mostly ones that were replicated from Neathia and Gundalia, primarily the latter. It was their individual DNA fixed with a mutated genome that Riaan's powers of replication made. I had to exploit that."

Keegan crossed his arms, beaming pridefully. "And of course I was the accursed guinea pig in this scheme, thank you very much."

"Yes, you most certainly were." Spectra chimed. "Because of your Interacian DNA, we were able to work on that genome mutation's reversion. That was the basis, and what better way than you?"

Keegan could feel the kissup chime Spectra had and scoffed, turning away.

"So then you had to fix that DNA structure solemnly on the Interacian Bakugan." Shun pointed out.

Mira stepped forward. "That's right. But the problem was that the data we had on Keegan at the time, and Riaan's data and DNA structure was still growing. We were outdated, and we didn't have a lot of forbidden data to work with." She smiled. "But thankfully, the lab's data was just what we needed. That data was updated, and in turn we were able to make an ability to completely neutralize the DNA replicated Bakugan."

Luke frowned. "Now I get it. So in other words, that vaccination…"

"Killed them all off." Shawn said, his tone as heavy as a lead weight. "Yeah, looks like it."

Maggie put a fist to her tiny chest. "I know I shouldn't feel this way, but I'm actually feeling really bad about doing this. I mean, they were Bakugan after all."

"Yes, they were." Jase said. "But don't forget, they were synthetic replicas, fixed from the originals. They were nothing more than drones to take the place of the other Bakugan who would perish after Riaan's plan succeeded. This would have been the only way to preserve whatever remnants of the past that he tried to eradicate."

Shuji looked down. "The past that Code Eve left him in. That guy seriously can't move on, can he?"

"…I think that's what Riaan is." Luke paused. "He always brings the past to the present. It was Luka who said something similar to that." He held onto his blade. "He could have brought and used modern day weapons such as guns or became a specialist in drones or robots…but in the end he chose to wield a sword. He wants to preserve the past, in his own way…"

A short silence fell within the grip. In one way, they understood what they did felt kind of wrong. They destroyed Bakugan to help them with their plan, but at what cost? It still felt wrong, yet knowing how Riaan operated, to some twisted sense, it did feel less justified than it had to be.

Breaking away from the sentiment, Shawn got back on topic. "By the way, we thought you guys were left in Troposphere. How did you get here so quick?"

Gus smirked. "As it just so happens, the two labs were connected. That transporter in the lower levels of the Thermosphere lab was able to do us some good after you fiddle with it for a while."

Ace harrumphed. "Well that would have been helpful from the start. It would have saved us a whole lot of trouble if we messed with it sooner."

"What's done is done, Ace. Don't go making a big deal out of it." Percival groaned.

Dan sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well, all's well that ends well. Glad we all got out of this alive."

A cough came from behind, bringing them to Jelldon's tentacles. Layered within them were the wounded resting, mainly Fabia and Elright, who took the most damage. They were both conscious, but barely.

"Snap, we're not out of this! They need help still, fast!" Gunz exclaimed.

Maggie stepped forward. "Hurry! Anyone who can't feel anything, hop aboard, we'll take you back to the Trailer!" She turned towards Jase. "Jase, you know where the first-aid kit is?"

Jase spared a look at her. "I'm afraid we'll need more than just that kind of treatment for those injuries. Shawn, can you accompany Maggie to help those in need of medical relief? We'll fill you in on the details a little bit more later."

Shawn nodded. "Okay." He turned as Verias extended his palm down onto him, allowing him on his shoulder once again.

The sage ape turned towards Jelldon. "The Trailer was close by, right? Let's hurry."

"You betcha!" Jelldon glided across Solaris' huge walls, whereas Verias thumped across the ground in a run. The two Bakugan and humans hurried to get all of the wounded to the Trailer for their injuries.

Everyone watched them go until the attention was brought back onto the subject at hand. Esther spoke up. "There's also one more matter we need to assess. I'm sure you all heard the news at this point."

Luke frowned. "About Riaan and this ploy, yeah." He clutched his fists tight. "He tricked us into this trap and let us here to be slaughtered by the wild Bakugan and soldiers."

"Well that would've been helpful to know." Mason sneered. "Talk about a waste of time and effort."

Jesse shrugged. "A performance without the lead there, leaving the side characters to take the stage to a plot that was left unfulfilled. Truly a stage left to collapse itself around the cast."

"But this doesn't make sense. If Riaan's moved his location, then where could he be? Surely he couldn't have gotten very far."

Luke turned towards them. "Knowing him, he'd go somewhere like another Empyrean. It'd make sense. He always gathers energy there, that's where battle energy and all life connects to, right?"

"Interacia with its own Empyrean?" Marucho questioned. "But if that's the case, why there? I thought that the Empyrean was designed to amplify the energy he extracts at an alarming rate?"

Jase crossed his arms. "Yes, it most certainly does. But if one feeds on their own energy, it replenishes and recycles itself. And if you account the energy that Solaris has accumulated, that recycled feedback will make the recipient that much stronger for the next cycle."

Dan balled his fists tight. "Darnit! So he used Solaris this whole time, just so he could feed?"

"And the Empyrean gets faster at accumulating such energy from the planet it's on. This must be the case that his absorption rate would have grown exponentially. Time will most definitely be a problem then."

"Then our best course will be to find Riaan's whereabouts, and s fast as we can." Nurzak advised. "Were you able to procure anything from the lab regarding such a cause?"

Esther shook her head. "No. We were too focused on the forbidden data at the time. Plus, I'm sure he would have shrouded his data so we wouldn't track him."

Spectra crossed his arms. "Well…I suppose that this will have to do then." He tapped onto his Bakumeter, getting everyone's attention. They all turned towards him and saw him project a 3D holographic board. It showed a map of Interacia on a globe-like grid. It showed several points that were all bookmarked, but what caught their attention was a dense red magenta dot that was glowing on one part of the globe.

"Heh, what's that?" Zenet quipped. "Looks like a globe with a giant blotch on it."

"Zenet, I think that's a map." Contestir prompted.

"You are correct. You see, this map is what's detecting Riaan's energy signature specifically. He may be the world, yes, but this is able to track his synthetic frame. At least, the general area of where it is."

"My, my, seems that someone else is giving me a run for my money." Jase shrugged. "And here I thought I'd like to keep tabs on things. People can be truly nitpicky."

"You're one to talk." Shuji grunted.

Esther frowned. "But wait, you would have to have some matter of Riaan's DNA or an attachment to him in order to get a precise reading on Interacia, right? How were you able to do that?"

Gus slyly smirked. "Well…" he chuckled. "You can say that a little birdie sang a song once it flew out of its cage."

Luke blinked in confusion. "I'm not sure if that's what they all say…but, if this is what will help up find Riaan in time, then I say it's worth it." He turned towards Jase. "Jase, do you think you can wire this map signature up with the Trailer?"

Jase prodded his glasses with two fingers. "That should be no problem. Of course regarding the Trailer, we'll have to make accommodations for the rest. I'll leave that up to the rest of you while Spectra lends me his services."

Shuji turned towards the others behind them. "Geez, you really think that we're gonna have enough room on the Trailer for this many?"

"We don't have a choice. We're all gathered in one place now, and no more soldiers with Bakugan are present. It'll be safer this way." Esther stated.

Shuji placed his hands on his hips. "Yeah, guess you have a point. Better find whatever blankets and extra sheets then somewhere."

"Oooh~! Calling dibs on the in-wall bunks guys!" Julie chimed.

"Um, Julie, I don't think it works that way…" Alice answered nervously. "Besides, there's so many people, too."

"And it's getting late. We need to make do with what we have. We'll have to find fresh water and whatever edibles we can out by the forests." Esther said.

"Abis and I can cover the water." Luke insisted. "You and Shuji can work on the food, alright?"

Shuji pumped a fist. "Works for me. We need to get moving, and fast." He got onto Fly Beetle, who lifted his arm down and enabled Shuji onto his shoulder. With his four arms, he was able to carry the other Battle Brawlers and others that were too tired to walk the few miles.

Luke turned towards Spectra. "Oh, Spectra."

"Yes, what is it?"

"The grids were shut off, right? That means the people can come out of their homes."

Mira raised a brow. "We have it set so it'll shut off once we all leave the city."

"That's probably the best course to take. Given where we stand and the soldiers we've fought, they'll most likely misunderstand the intentions." He humbly frowned. "Not that I don't blame them."

Luke nodded. "Got. You guys all go on ahead, I'll catch up. I need to do something first." Luke said.

Jase raised a brow. "And what might that be?" He noticed a shuffling behind Luke. He looked down, noticing the kid that clung to his waist. "…oh. I see. Understandable." He sighed. "But really, Luke, I could never see you as a babysitter. Let's be real, you're not exactly the most gifted with children now, are you?"

"Hey." Luke grunted.

Esther walked up towards him. "Luke, why don't you let me go with you?"

Luke turned to her with a serious look. "It's fine, really. And besides, this is a promise that I've made, right? If we're going to save everyone, I'd rather not look like someone who runs away from his responsibilities like before. Esther, you trust me, right?"

Esther put a hand to her chest, her expression softening. "Luke…of course I trust you." She paused. "Okay, but please, be careful. And don't take too long. Hurry back."

"I know, we will." Luke turned towards the kid, looking down with a soft smile. "Alright kid, ready to go home?"

The Interacian nodded slowly. "Uh, y-yeah."

Luke stepped back. "Okay. Just lead the way."

The kid pivoted and looked hesitant, but he soon started his way. Luke chose to walk beside him as they tailed their way away from the group at hand. They gradually got out of sight, leaving Jase and Esther with themselves, along with the rest of the group choosing to get back to the Trailer.

"We better get going then." Spectra said, walking the other way. "We'll be sure to hardwire the data onto the Trailer at once. Come, everyone."

They walked the other way, leaving Jase, Esther, Atmos, and Atchibee all by themselves. There was a brief silence that fell between them.

"…it didn't feel that long ago that we were all divided." Esther chimed. "Now look, slowly, everyone's coming together, in their own way."

"Yes, I suppose one could look at it that way." Jase replied.

"Atchibee, myself…no, not just us. All of us. We've grown so much, in such a short little time. What we've accomplished so far, being able to bring all of us to this moment, this must be living."

Jase chuckled. "I'd reiterate my statement if I could." He frowned. "But one can also look at it as forcing yourself through the gauntlet. Luka was more worried about everyone surviving, but in the end, he chose to live what life he was able to. When living by such a code, it's hard to not look back and seeing what you were before." For a moment, he looked up at Apex Atmos, who gazed down at him. It only felt such a short while ago that it was another emotionless soldier with another plain Bakugan.

"I know what you mean." Esther kept her head down as she smirked. Atchibee lowered her head to be as close to hers as she could. "It feels almost nostalgic, yet it happened so fast that it feels like yesterday."

"When pressed with time, you tend to have so much pressure on you that realizations make you feel that way. I can't necessarily say that I much would have been more or less peachy since meeting you lot." He paused. "But, for…what it's worth, I appreciate your company, Esther. You have done admirably, even despite the hiccups along the way."

"Thanks, you as well, Colonel Jase Mercury."

Jase sourly chuckled. "Ah, such good times indeed." He frowned as he hopped onto Atmos. "Now then, speaking of pressed of time, we need to get a move on."

"You're right." Esther mounted Atchibee, who fluttered skywards. "I'm sure Luke will catch up. We better hurry."

Atmos and Atchibee ascended and flew out of the city. They chimed heavily as scales and wind blew about over Solaris.

Luke and the kid made sure to keep the pace going for their sake as well as their own. After the experience they shared, they could safely bet there might be some soldiers about still. It's an unlikely bet, but no way were they going to let their guard down.

Luke looked left and right as they made way down the avenue, until the kid humbly turned to one of the apartments that sat amongst the other thin households. It wasn't a very tall one, but not the smallest either. "T-there it is!"

Luke watched the kid hastily get to the edge of the grid barricading him from his home. "This is your home?"

"Yeah, it is." The kid looked up at the place. It was still standing thankfully, much to even his own surprise. On the other side awaited his mother, and safety. He looked back at Luke, seeing him turn around. "Mister…"

"That barrier surrounding your house should go away once I'm gone. Sorry, I'll take my leave now." He started walking away slowly. "Don't want to keep your family worrying about you."

The kid shuffled his heels in the pavement. He hesitated at first, but eventually he came around and mustered up the courage. "M-mister!"

Luke turned around. "Yeah? What is it?"

The kid suddenly hurried towards Luke and tackled him at the waist. He wrapped his arms around him, surprising the red-haired young man. "H-huh?"

"I just…want to say…thank you." He whimpered. "You know…for protecting me and getting me home, like you promised."

Luke didn't know what to say at first, but he truly felt for this boy. It wasn't very often that someone was genuinely thankful to him, mainly because he wasn't that humble of a person before. He isn't the most righteous human being either. But having someone thank you after saving their skin, it oddly felt…liberating? It's not the best term that came to mind, but to an extent, it made him feel at ease.

Very gingerly, Luke patted the kid's head. "Yeah. You're welcome."

The kid frowned. "So does this mean…that Lord Riaan is the bad guy?"

Luke paused to word it as carefully as he knew how. "No. He's just doing what he can to make sure that you guys get to live a free life here. But what he's doing to do that, is also hurting us as well."

"Was he stealing from you?"

"Yeah, that's one way of putting it…look, it's not easy to understand. Heck, even I'm not quite sure what to say about it." He frowned heavily. "But, my friends and I, we're gonna do everything we can so that as many people can live…even you."

The kid looked up to look, morbidly frowning. "Papa was killed because of you guys, but you saved me from that scary man. I…I don't know what to do."

"Hey kid, I got you back home, didn't I?"

"Y-yeah…?"

Luke nodded. "Then start with what you do know. If you're unsure of yourself, you can watch others. You might see things in a different way." He put a hand to his shoulder. "But what's important to you right now, is living what you can of your life. What you can do to live your best life. If you don't know how to do that, then it's okay. Take your time."

The kid blinked. "Living…my life?" For as long as he could remember, he was surrounded in constant fear, fear of the outer lands of Interacia crumbling down upon him. Now it was rain and sunshine. But at the same time, what was he able to do?

Luke stepped back. "Yeah, you'll figure it out. I won't tell you how to live your best life, only you can decide that." He turned around. "As for me and my friends, we're gonna do the same thing. If we're going down fighting…then at least in the end, we tried."

"Mister…"

Luke paused, before looking back. "Alright, kid. See you around. I don't want to stall you from your mother now, would I?" He held up Abis. "Abis, you okay?"

Abis' ball form opened slowly. "Yeah, I think I can manage to the Trailer."

"Then let's hurry." Luke clutched Abis tightly and threw him. "Bakugan, brawl!" In a deep blue light, a tangent of coils slithered around with wavy spines leading up to forked tailfins. Abis' enormous serpentine stature loomed over the area, leaving even the kid at a loss for words.

'So…so cool…'

Luke walked up as Abis lowered his head. He hopped over the guard and sat atop. He gave the kid one last look. "Take care of yourself. Abis, let's go."

The serpent complied with the tone whole-heartedly. He lifted himself off the ground and screeched as he and his partner sailed high into the skies, getting away from Solaris as quick as possible.

The kid continued watching the young man and his Bakugan take off with such an envy in his eyes. He had this strange beating in his chest that wouldn't slow down. He couldn't take his eyes of them, not even for a second.

With Luke's departure, there a brief shine across the ground and along the buildings that gradually faded away for the last time.

"O-oh! The forcefields lifted?" The kid hastily hurriedly towards his front doorsteps and went up to the porch, where he knocked on the door. "Mommy! It's me! I'm home!"

After several seconds, the doorknob turned as someone stood on the opposite side. She was a woman who he definitely looked alike to. She had the same colored hair tied in a bun. Including the eyes and nose. The mother's eyes widened in sheer shock over who stood in front of her porch. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"C-Cole…?" She started quivering from sheer shock. "Cole…my baby…!"

Cole smiled. "Mommy, I'm home. Safe and sound."

The mother sank to her knees and clutched Cole tight. The sudden jerk was deep and surprising, her grip was extremely tight, as though she feared that he could float away from her if she'd ever let go. Tears welled up in her eyes that the kid reciprocated.

"Do you have any idea on how worried sick I was?! What did I tell you?! I thought I'd lost my baby boy!"

"I'm so sorry, Mommy! Really!" he whimpered, embracing her back. "I didn't know! Really! It was so scary!"

The mother sniffled. "Please…don't ever make me worried again!"

"I won't…I promise." As he held onto her, he looked over his shoulder towards the skies. 'Mister…thank you for everything. I'll do my best…like you did.'

Luke and Abis flew through the air, heading over to where the Trailer and everyone were. As they went along, Luke couldn't help but feel something warm inside his chest. He blinked before it settled down.

"Abis…"

"Yeah, Luke…?"

"I know we always push ourselves…but I think we did good, right?"

The serpent's eyes fixed forward, but his fangs curved into a small grin. "…yeah. I think we did good."

"Yeah. Me too."

The two drifted through the skies, going to meet up with everyone, leaving Solaris behind.

The winds howled in the extremely high altitudes of the entailed tower that was the Empyrean Alpha. The runes and networks on the outside kept flowing skywards to boundless ends.

On the inside, it was extremely spacious that it almost didn't look like a tower. On one particular floor, there were six podiums to resemble pillars, each one a pure white with the attributed symbols with the respective colors. There was a wide enough berth between each pillar so that they were within a few arm's reaches of one another. On these pillars was none other than Hades Pillars.

All six of them looked wounded in some way, some worse than others. Others got off scot-free. But each and every one of them looked like they had more than just their prides wounded. Amina had her arms crossed as she adorned a new dress to match her eyeliner and lipstick, which highlighted the anger in her eyes. Galilea, Lucia, and Magnus were all the same, if not slightly nudged by the impacts they all endured. However, the ones who seemed physically deterred were the two leaders themselves.

Cyrus had a distilled frown of sheer displeasure as bandages were on the arm that Luke had cut. He was fortunate enough besides the dense scrapes and bruises he's coated with. Zion, on the other hand, had suffered more serious injuries. Bandages were wrapped around the entire left side of his head because of what Jase did to his left eye.

The tension in the chamber was extremely bitter. It could have been the regulated temperature tampered with, but that was extremely unlikely. They all stayed completely silent, and for good reasons, too. After what happened in Solaris, they'd rather not speak about it.

After what felt like a long period of silence, Amina tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Hmph, well, you all most certainly have seen better days, haven't you?"

"Be quiet, Lucia…you have no right to speak." Lucia reprimanded.

"Hm? What's that? I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you? I don't understand trash talk coming from the rubbish you are."

Lucia shot her a glare. "You didn't hear me. Perhaps I wasn't clear. At least we didn't abandon our positions like you did. Your vanity has cost us graciously. I hope you let that sink into your systems."

Amina gave her the stink eye before turning away. "Oh please~, what did you want me to do? She had me pinned, there, is that what you wanted me to say? You always ask for so much, geez."

Lucia sighed. "There's just no hope for you."

Magnus looked down at his feet. "I'd hate to be the one to say this…but we got our asses whooped bad."

"…" Zion grumbled low, unwilling to break his angered composure. He looked so frustrated that he could cut open anyone at any given moment.

"How's your eye? Will it heal?" Galilea sternly asked.

Zion's head turned to glare at her. "This fault is mine and mine alone. It seems that earth soldier dog was more bite than what I thought."

"I'll say. That look suits you." Amina scoffed. Zion shot her a glare. "Relax, alright? It's a compliment. I try to be nice and this is the reaction I get. You're all so worked up."

"We got our assess whooped. And our home turf was taken over. All d'em soldiers and Bakugan we had were wiped clean like the wallets I took." Magnus explained, before turning to Galilea. "So the hell was that green energy wave? You figure that out?"

Galilea frowned. "Yes. According to what the Empyrean readings detailed, it was a neutralization wave that completely spliced the Bakugan DNA. Specifically, Interacian DNA."

"I see…" Cyrus trailed off before continuing. "So entail me, what does that leave us in terms of our forces?"

Galilea frowned heavily. She feared that no one would like the answer. "After getting a scan of the populace of Bakugan across Interacia, the estimated number left of Interacian Bakugan within our arsenal would be…6." She looked ashamed. "In other words, us."

Another silence fell amongst them. It took them all a short time before the realization kicked in.

"How was this all possible?" Lucia grimaced.

"I'm not sure myself. We were fortunate at least. The Empyrean's biometric defenses were active at the time, so everything on the Empyrean was spared…they must have used a strong enough anti-ability to completely alter and dissolve Interacian Bakugan genomes."

"But I thought you said that it was all taken from the lab, so where the hell it come from?" Magnus inquired.

Lucia frowned heavily. "I can surmise one possible answer…"

Once again, a short silence fell amongst them.

"Rogue Zero…" Cyrus hissed. "I see…"

SHING!

In a moment's notice, an axe blade was held out to Galilea's neck. She stiffened on the spot as her breath left her entire body. Her eyes were shrunken to the size of pupils from her fears growing.

"You. Rogue Zero was kept under your monitors. That makes them your responsibility. What the hell were you thinking overlooking such a petty detail?!"

Galilea quivered. She was so flustered that she couldn't get her words right. "I-I didn't know!" she defended. "And you have no right to press this on me! You're every bit as guilty as I-!" She was cut off when the blade drew an inch closer to her neck.

"What were you about to say?" He threatened. "Say one more word…and this goes through your throat. You better be careful where you tread your words, Galilea."

Galilea bit her lower lip. She was so frustrated that she could say something against them, but she was already on pins and needles against Zion. She doesn't have a prayer against him.

Magnus turned towards him. "Yo, take it easy man." Zion turned his one-eyed stare onto him. "Look, let's not go expending what we got, alright?"

"For once in a blue moon, I have to agree with Magnus." Lucia replied. "While it would have been better if Galilea consulted us about this sooner, it doesn't change what's been done. Solaris and our forces have been subjugated, and our enemies have found ways to disrupt Lord Riaan's replication and life transferring powers. If we don't act promptly, this could very well mean misfortune upon us as well."

Amina huffed. "Hmph, and here you all call me irresponsible."

"That's quite enough, Hades Pillars." A voice echoed through the domain. In the center of the pillars was the magenta circular podium that bound them all. The podium flashed brightly, before projecting a holographic image of Riaan before them. "Stand down, everyone."

"Milord." Cyrus scorned.

Immediately, Zion lowered his axe blade and kneeled before his divine one. Galilea and everyone else bowed their heads, saved for Amina, who looked down – as close as one can get for her to submit.

"My apologies, your greatness." Zion apologized. "I am in no position right now to face you. I have shamed myself for this failure."

"I am at fault as well, your eminence." Lucia grimaced. "I was unsuccessful in eradicating the enemies that you have sworn against. I couldn't avenge your arm. Please, do as you wish with me."

Riaan's hologram frowned. "No. It's fine, Lucia. Zion. Don't hold yourselves in such low regards. You've done what you could. However, this doesn't overlook that what you all have said is indeed true. Operation Beacon had failed. And yes, I am very much displeased."

Once again, Lucia and Zion lowered their heads, biting their lips. They were so discouraged that they couldn't bear to look up.

"But…this is one of the many lessons needed to move forward. Incidentally, it wasn't entirely in your control either. Our enemy's Bakugan have all evolved. Even I was caught surprised by this. But please, by all means, stay alert. This battle is far from over, understood. I need you Hades Pillars in your best shape possible. To stall, and so the world that we create shall be one that everyone can relish in."

Lucia nodded. "We'll…do our best." She paused. "No. If this is what you desire, then we shall not fail. No matter what. We shall stand if you'll allow us."

Riaan closed his eyes. "If you can. I won't force you. But please, be careful. I am still at the top. Armagedoid and I are currently assessing and processing the energy. It will still be within a few days' time. Keep standing until the end."

With that, the holographic projection ended, leaving Hades Pillars to themselves.

Cyrus turned around, his gaze deep and grizzly. "…rest up. That is an order." With that, he teleported away next.

"Cyrus?" Galilea gasped.

"Well, he certainly wasn't in the mood." Magnus grimaced. "D'at last fight must've roughed him up good."

"I will be retiring as well. Inform me of the next plan of action." Galilea disappeared next.

With a scoff, Amina turned her head away as she started teleporting next. "I need a long soak after this." She vanished.

Lucia stood back up, giving Zion and Magnus a serious glare. "I'll report to you all when I have rest and a proper vision. So, farewell." She vanished next.

Zion had his head down as he looked solemn. Magnus looked over towards him. "You okay, man?"

He thought back to when he fought Jase, how he was played. They all were. His grip on his polearm visibly tightened. So much that the gauntlet's clutch had gotten far too stiff and made it crack.

"Those fools…those fools…"

Magnus furrowed his brow.

"Those fools…" His grip tightened so bad that the polearm snapped completely. The two halves fell to either side as he seethed with unadulterated anger in his eyes. "…shall pay for this humiliation!"

Shrouded in darkness, invisible to anyone, Cyrus was frowning. His eyes were glowing with a dense red as he was thinking briefly of what Luke had done. And he hated it. Even in the darkest hue of the unknown where he was, his eyes swore to make them drown in fear.

"…the next time we meet, you shall all know the gratification of fear."

A day late, but I've made much better progress than I did the last update. Instead of 2 weeks, it only took me a week…well okay, 8 days. But close enough! I was feeling in good shape with this update. I had some time to think of how I can imagine the settings and the dialogue, and this chapter I felt went smoothly. I rewatched some Tales of the Abyss walkthroughs so I could get a different feel instead of looking at Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Explorers walkthroughs. Just for a different feel on the scenarios. And I just focused on that and I felt good as new!

Alright, now everyone is together again, and now they're leaving Solaris behind. Their next stop is the Empyrean Alpha and Riaan! Let's see how this all goes! Thanks for hanging in there guys! Your reviews are very much appreciated, and thanks for the support! XD