"David? What are you doing here?" asked Matt.
Instead of answering, Matt was knocked back by a single elemental strike.
"Bro! What was that for?"
"Everything you've done."
Darius emerged from a black portal with his sword unsheathed.
"Darius, what have you done?"
"Oh nothing. If anything, you should ask your brother about what he's done."
Matt and his group looked at his younger brother who now held a sword in his right hand and several dark balls of energy in the other.
"David, what happened?"
"You're weak. I saw your challenge and overcame it in less than a minute," responded David.
"My challenge?" asked Matt.
"Your trial actually," corrected Darius. "He went ahead and found out about your trial and decided to take it on himself. He succeeded and proved himself to be worthy of your position."
Matt put away his sword and tried to talk to his brother only for him to be knocked back by a ball of energy.
"You're pathetic. The fact that I can beat something that would usually take you hours in minutes just shows who should really be calling the shots."
Matt narrowly dodged an attack and readied Heaven's Gates. His brother swung his sword and Matt managed to block it but his brother had put enough force to slide him across the makeshift arena. To Matt's surprise, he collided with an invisible barrier after being knocked back far enough.
"You can't even beat me! So why are you always in charge?" yelled David.
Matt didn't respond and had Heaven's Gate disappear and split into multiple white glowing blades of light. He then had all the blades attack his brother in several directions and watched as his brother deflected the attacks of all but one blade which struck him in the right leg. As Matt reformed Heaven's Gate in his hands, he watched as blood appeared in the area where he had struck him.
"Can't kill your own brother can you?"
Matt looked at Darius who pulled out Matt's NES console from one of his black holes.
"Just like every battle, two will enter, one will leave! Now which one will it be, the weak older brother, or the ambitious younger one?"
Before Matt could say anything, Darius had already opened a portal and fled with the NES console.
"Andres! Seth! Give me some support!"
Both of Matt's friends unleashed a barrage of attacks that were deflected by the barrier.
"I get it now!" exclaimed Ms. Santana.
Everyone looked at the teacher who was holding some food out to heal the injured.
"David took Matt's trial and since each trial is designed for a specific person, David was able to beat it faster as it wasn't meant to test him. However, since Matt still needs to be tested, the trial had to find a way to preserve itself until it reached the proper tester and since Matt's brother was the one who beat it, it took him to be its host."
"So in other words, the trial took his brother's physical body," commented Natz.
Mrs. Santana nodded and joined everyone else in watching Matt fight.
"David, wake up! I'm your older brother!"
"Again with the older brother thing! I'm sick of being disregarded by you!"
David unleashed a barrage of energy attacks while Matt deflected each one of them with Heaven's Gate.
"I never disregarded you!" protested Matt.
"Liar!" shouted his brother.
"You never talked with me before making decisions. You always kept things to yourself and never bothered to let me use them. Anytime you went out on a mission, you left me behind at home while you went out to fight with your friends! I'm always left out. You have never once thought of me!"
With that, David slammed his sword on his brother's blade and caused it to fall out of Matt's hands. He then kicked him aside and threw several balls of energy at him. Matt attempted to pick up his sword but his brother took Heaven's Gate from him and threw it outside the barrier.
"And now you try to kill me. You're the worst brother that anyone could ever have!"
David swung his sword at Matt but to his surprise, the blade never made any contact with his brother. Instead it hit crystal wooden staff and caused an explosion that threw him backwards and knocked out both Matt and David.
When Matt awoke, he was no longer at school but inside a wooden house on a harbor that looked like it was still in its early settlement stage.
"Where am I?"
Matt walked around the harbor in hopes of finding someone he could talk to but he couldn't find anyone.
"Is this place abandoned?"
"Meow"
Matt turned around and saw his cat and friend Nolegs right behind him.
"NoLegs? You're here too? What's going on?"
The cat simply gestured Matt to follow as he was then led into a school.
"Where are you going?"
"Matt is that you?"
Matt turned around and saw Natz standing at the entrance of the school. He then watched as NoLegs jumped into her arms.
"Natz?"
The red head nodded while NoLegs got off and went inside the school.
"What happened? Where am I?" asked Matt.
"You're at my university. I'm studying here," answered Natz. "Or will be at some point."
"Are we dead?"
Natz shook her head. "No. Your brother broke my staff which caused all of its powers to explode and knock all of us out. It is also showing you my future."
"A new school. Huh, I wonder if EBF5 will start in a school."
"Who knows?" replied Natz.
Just then, NoLegs returned with a silver cross necklace.
"Hey, that's the cross necklace I used back in our fourth adventure," said Matt as he picked up and examined the flair.
"It's really useful and beautiful," commented Natz. "How did you get it?"
"I took a trial that challenged me and my capabilities as an older brother," answered Matt. "I didn't pass at first because I wasn't able to meet the trial's requirements but in the end, I managed to after I admitted my faults."
Suddenly, everything began to glow and fade.
"What's going on?" asked Matt.
"We are waking up and my staff's power is leaving," answered Natz.
"Of all things, why did your staff show me this?" asked Matt.
"Because it's supposed to help you with your trial."
The dream ended and Matt saw that his brother was struggling to pick up his sword. Matt instinctively summoned Heaven's Gates into his hands again and got ready to strike. However, as the sword materialized in his hands, so did his silver cross flair. He stopped and looked at his flair while pondering the meaning of this item's appearance.
"Matt hurry! He's getting ready to attack you!" warned Andres.
However, instead readying his sword to respond, Matt lowered his blade and held out the silver cross necklace. His brother's blade slammed into the flair and shattered.
Upon seeing that his sword was completely destroyed, David stopped his attacks.
"David, you're right. I am weak. I could never match your strengths and overcome my challenge as fast as you did," admitted Matt. "Still, you have to remember that different people struggle and accomplish things at a different pace. Even the most simple tasks can be a challenge to some people."
Matt handed his brother the necklace.
"I'm probably the worst brother out there. I was always trying to satisfy my own desires over your needs. Still, I never stopped caring and was always trying to ensure your safety."
David took the cross and released the handle of his sword.
"Brother," started David.
Just then, the cross began glowing while the dark aura began to leave his body and gather up in a ball. After all the dark energy was gathered, the ball exploded and the energy disappeared.
"I forgive you."
David then returned the cross to his brother.
"I'm sorry about the console. The laptop is still here though."
"It's all right. My team and I will get it back. In the meantime, I want you to head home and get all the Genshin Impact characters ready," ordered Matt.
"Why? Do you not need another member?" asked David.
"No, we don't need another member," answered Matt. "We do need someone that can keep the G.I. characters in line and bring them here without trouble."
David smiled.
"I'll do that brother."
Matt watched his brother leave before he put the cross on.
"Mrs. Santana. Mind if we borrow your classroom one last time?" asked Matt.
The teacher smiled and gestured to everyone to come inside.
"I don't mind. What do you need it for?"
Matt and his team used the slime bucket before putting their weapons away and responding.
"Planning our final battle."