Recap:
It was the wolf and Lock. The wolf ran at Lock, then stopped in front of him, sitting there. Lock took a swipe at it, but it ducked, then continued to sit there, smiling smugly.
Lock attempted to bite the wolf, but at the last second, the wolf twisted its head around and down, then spun in circle after circle, finally letting go. Lock flung from its mouth, crashing into the wall. Rocks tumbled and fell. Lock could not be seen.
"Lock!" Chase yelled.
End Recap
Everyone was silent. Even the wind seemed to had stopped. Maria and the wolf laughed. She and the wolf looked at their four opponents. The cloth blew showing the wolves smirking mouth.
"Is that all you got?" The wolf's mouth moved, so did Maria's. The two voices had blended into one.
"Lock! Come on Lock!" Chase yelled. The rock pile moved. Maria and the wolf both looked at it as Lock stumbled out.
Chase...
Chase gritted his teeth. He couldn't win. Not like this. If he used his special attack he could win, but this Monsuno was different than others. It didn't have a life force like theirs. To win, he'd have to kill the Monsuno. And if Bayal was correct...
Than he'd basically kill Maria also.
"Lock. Return." He said. Lock turned into a flash of blue light and returned to his core. Chase and the others looked at Maria. She looked confused.
"The winner, Maria Stalt!" The announcer said, returning to the middle of the arena. Maria hopped down from her place as well as the four others. They all walked to the center.
"You did well," Maria said. "I admire your skills. I haven't seen anyone fight as well as you for a while now."
"You did good too," Chase replied. "But please explain to me what is with your Monsuno." Maria grinned.
"I understand now." Bayal said. Everyone looked at him. "That Monsuno... It's merely a shell. It's spirit and your spirit are one and the same." Maria's grin disappeared. "That explains that flash of light at the beginning of the battle. And why your core seemed empty."
"You're only half correct there." Maria said. She had an emotionless face on. The face she had before the battle. "You're correct on it's spirit and my spirit being connected, but they aren't the same. How do I put it... My Monsuno was created from a part of my soul, and so my body acts like a..." She held up her core. "Core for it. But in order to bring it out I have to transfer it to an empty core. Then from there it's basically the same."
"But your fighting... How did it know what was happening behind it? And how come it fought without you having to say anything?" Bren asked.
"Our minds are connected as well as our souls." The wolf bent it's head down. Maria petted it and it licked her. "When I saw an attack coming, it sent signals to Crystal Wing's brain and she knew something was behind her. Plus, we've been training a lot, so I know her strengths and limits. Most of the fighting she does on her own."
"Amazing... And her name's Crystal Wing, huh?" Chase said. Jinja and Bren nodded.
"Here. Come with me." Maria turned and held her core out. Crystal Wing flashed into the core. Maria mumbled something and the light returned back into her. She started walking to closed doors on her side of the arena. Bren, Bayal, Jinja, and Chase followed.