This actually came out to be a lot shorter than I thought it would so I'm sorry I didn't update sooner. Anyway, I know on the last chapter I said I'd try to update within like a month but unfortunately, with my insane class schedule for the fall semester that quickly proved impossible...

Anyway, here is the 42nd Chapter! Two more 'til it ends, guys! I want to thank Kiuku, Brillerai, and akin-'to38 for the last reviews I received. I continue to encourage all my readers to leave me any feedback, comments or critique you might have! Happy reading!

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

~ Resolve ~

Kai stands at the edge of the villa's grounds overlooking the moonlit Mediterranean Sea. Every few seconds, the sound of the water crashing onto the rocky shore would reach his ears in a steady rhythm.

In his mind, he recalls the night he had found Lux injured at the park. That night, he had carried her back to his home and nursed her wounds but more importantly, he had made her a promise:

"…I won't let him hurt you again."

'That's right…' Kai stares down into the sea. 'I promised her that night…that I'd protect her.'

He then remembers her trust in him – her hopeful expression, her relieved and happy smile in reaction to his promise and how she had allowed him to hold onto her hand until she slept.

His thoughts then shifts to just a few hours ago, when they had returned to the villa together. She had kissed him, expressed to him how she felt for him and then he had sent her off, without any suspicion whatsoever, to Ventus even though just the night before, his dream had warned him of the danger. Racked with guilt for what had happened and regretting deeply his judgment of that dream, his clenched fist shakes with his anger for himself.

'I let her down…' He admits in his mind.

He did not even want to think about her current state; he feared the worst for her right now and at the same time, he wanted to run away from it. Recalling Ventus's test for him the night he found Lux injured, he tells himself mentally, 'I couldn't protect her…maybe I was never fit for it to begin with…'

"Kai," a voice addresses him, interrupting his thoughts.

Without turning, Kai already knew who it was. It was Tala. He stands still for a while, waiting for Tala to say more.

Tala, noticing his friend's clenched fist stays quiet for a moment. Having been told what happened at the villa while he was under control, he can only imagine what Kai must be feeling. He himself had similar regrets before, after all. He takes a few steps towards him and stands by him.

For a while, they stand together in silence.

After some time, Tala tells him, "While we were still at the estate in Sweden, I told Lux what I knew of her past…and how I had been involved in how she ended up the way she is now."

Kai remains silent, but listens.

"That night, Lux told me she doesn't blame me for what I did…even though it could have completely been avoided." He goes on.

This part however, just made Kai feel even worse. If anything and especially if something did happen to her now…to the very least, he wants her to blame him. Even if she might not know that he could have prevented her from being taken away, he wants to be blamed for it to satisfy his guilt.

Not wanting to hear more for fear that Tala would say something about how she'd probably forgive him, Kai turns to go elsewhere.

As he does Tala's goes on to say more.

"If I could go back in time," Tala says, making sure Kai can hear him clearly.

Kai stops.

"I'd definitely have done something to correct my actions – whether it be choosing a different course of action to begin with or chasing after her to save her." Tala finishes.

Kai continues to walk away.

...

In the villa's drawing room, Tyson, Kenny and Daichi sit, watching over a recovering Ray and an also recovering Max. Hilary enters the room with some glasses of water for Max and Ray and sets them down before the two of them.

"Thanks," Ray thanks her, taking the drink. The back of his head still hurts from being knocked out earlier and his body aches from being thrown down into the cellar with Max.

"You're welcome," Hilary answers.

"So are you guys feeling any better?" Tyson asks. He had been the one to discover them tied up in the cellar after the group noticed the two of them were missing.

"Yeah," Ray answers.

"We never expected the maids would do that to us though…" Max adds. "They've even disappeared off somewhere."

"I just can't believe Ventus would turn on us like that…' Tyson angrily says.

Daichi adds, "Yeah!"

"He might not have turned on us at all, Tyson." Kenny counters.

"What do you call it then?" Tyson turns to him. "You heard it from Kai. He called Lux up to the study and then handed her over to that Lok guy on the helicopter before joining them himself. All those plans he told us about was bogus!"

"Tyson," Ray addresses him. "Kenny might be right."

"Huh?" Tyson turns to his teammate.

"Ray and I realized something just after you guys left for your boat trip." Max tells him. "Ray saw a glow in Ventus' eyes."

"It was just like the one that Lux, Wyvynn and Kull has in their eyes." Ray details.

"But didn't Wyvynn say that the Magnanimae can't be controlled by Lok?" Hilary asks, confused.

"He also said that one of the Magnanimae, the Knight, to be specific, can be under long term control." Kenny corrects her.

Piecing it all together and realizing what had actually happened, Tyson stands still to think.

"What should we do now?" Daichi asks.

"I don't know…" Tyson answers irritated.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Hilary scolds him. "We're going to go find Lux and Wyvynn obviously!"

Outside the room, Kai walks by but stops upon hearing his friends' voices from the drawing room.

Tyson turns to her angrily. "And where do you suggest we begin? They flew away in a helicopter, remember? They can be anywhere by now."

"Actually, we might be able to find them easily." Kenny says, opening up something on his laptop.

"Really?" Tyson takes a closer peak.

"Last night, while you and Daichi were having that watermelon eating contest, Max, Ray and I were talking to Wyvynn and we asked him a few questions about the lab and the Magnanimae." Kenny tells him.

Kai continues to listen to this from outside the room.

Kenny goes on, "According to Wyvynn, there's a small island off the coast here in the middle of the Mediterranean where the altar that Lok needs to use is located. It's the place Ventus called the Temple of Ouroboros. I noted down the coordinates on the map for this place somewhere…hold on."

The group waits for him to find the coordinates.

"Here it is!" Kenny successfully locates his file. He then tells the bitbeast stuck in his computer, "Dizzy, open up a map with the coordinates 38° N 7° E marked, please,"

"But how would this let us find Lok right now?" Tyson asks. "Does he already have everything he needs to perform the ritual?"

"Probably not…" Kenny answers her. "Wyvynn mentioned that Kull's corpse was missing by the time he took Sparky's corpse there which might mean that the Magnanimae aren't all assembled there right now."

"So doesn't that mean that he isn't necessarily there right now?" Tyson questions, confused.

"Maybe so, but the ones we want are Lux, Wyvynn and possibly Ventus." Kenny answers. "Lok flew off with them in a helicopter. I couldn't tell which model it was specifically, but most helicopters tend to last at best a few hours with fuel usage proportional to the amount of weight it has to lift. This means that it might be in his best interest to drop off some passengers somewhere – especially if he has to go around looking for a corpse that got stolen."

"And the best place for dropping them off would be that altar…" Ray finishes the thought.

"But what if he already found the corpse before he took Lux and Wyvynn there?" Hilary asks.

"I don't think so." Kenny says. "Remember the note we got from Ventus that included the airline tickets?"

"Yeah?" Tyson nods.

"He mentioned that Lok wants to obtain control of every bitbeast in the world through Psyche to destroy the world in a detailed explanation enclosed with it." Kenny goes on, "If he has already performed the ritual, I think we would know about it by now from any effects it might have on Dragoon and the others."

Tyson, Max and Daichi each check the bitchip on their blades.

"You're right…" Max mutters, noting his beyblade's normality.

Kai leaves, turning for the door. As he does, he breaks into a run just as he passes by Bryan who is on his way to the drawing room.

...

Elsewhere, Lok , Zane and Ventus step off the stolen helicopter onto a circular stone platform with stone pillars. Zane carries Wyvynn by his abdomen and Ventus carries Lux in his arms. The two of them then proceed to place down the two by a pillar.

Eyeing the stone temple around him, Lok quickly notices something. "Sparky's not here…"

Zane and Ventus stand back up straight to face him.

Lok turns to Ventus, "Where is Sparky's body?"

"I had someone who goes by the name Traumgeber take him away from here some time ago." He answers obediently. "However, I had instructed him not to allow me to know the places to which he had taken Sparky and Kull."

"And where may I find this Traumgeber?" Lok asks dryly.

"I do not know." Ventus answers again. "Prior to meeting with you on the rooftop at the hotel in Berlin, I had instructed him to go into hiding by text. I had also deleted his contact information immediately after."

Lok did not look happy to hear that. "I see…"

Lok then looks around for a moment, first to Wyvynn and then to Lux. He then turns back to Ventus. "Do either of you have any advice as to where to look for Kull and Sparky then?"

"I do," Ventus replies again. "Traumgeber is not able to travel far so both of them should be somewhere in Europe still. The most likely places are around the Mediterranean or central Europe."

Lok grins. "Good."

He then turns back to the helicopter.

"The two of you shall refuel this thing with the auxiliary fuel tank then." Lok commands as he climbs back into the pilot's seat. He then turns to Ventus again. "Also, I want you to come with me."

Ventus nods in compliance.

...

Back at the villa, Tyson, Daichi, Hilary, Max and Ray crowd around Kenny as he plans their trip to the coordinates given to him by Wyvynn. Tala, Bryan, Spencer and Ian are present as well, watching from a fair distance in the drawing room.

"Okay, the boat we were on should have enough gas to go for about 5 more hours with extra gas on board for a total of 10 hours of sailing…I've also had Dizzy map out the route just now to ease up navigation. There will be two taxis here to come pick us up soon to take us to the harbor." Kenny announces while double checking things. "I think we're all set."

"Alright! Let's go!" Tyson begins rushing out to the door.

"Wait for me!" Daichi chases after him.

The others begin to follow, albeit at a calmer pace for some.

While walking out into the hall, Ray looks around.

"Hey guys, did anyone notify Kai?" he asks.

"Huh?" Max looks around.

Spencer glances around, "He's not here…"

They pause for a moment as Tyson calls for them to hurry up from the outside.

"Wait, I'll go look for him," Hilary darts off.

Bryan watches her go. A few moments later, he recalls something. "Hm…I do remember seeing him rush off just a little earlier…from outside the drawing room while you guys were talking too…"

Ray turns to him, "Where do you suppose he's gone to?"

Tala stands frozen. He then mutters, "I think I might know where…"

Ray, having heard, him turns to him for a moment.

Soon, Hilary returns to the drawing room entrance. "Uhm…guys?"

They turn to her.

She continues, "I can't find Kai anywhere!"