"Mary vs. Jake. Winner: Mary." Yukina read. "That's great. Mary actually managed to defeat Jake. That means Serenity is the only one left." She was glad to see it was all coming to an end, but defeating Serenity won't be easy. Just then, Yukina could hear someone at the door. "Someone's here?" She looked to the guild doors and saw the one who came over was Otin.
"Where is he?" Otin questioned.
"Otin!" Yukina said. Otin being here is just what she needs. She brought Otin up to the infirmary and had him take a look at Velvet. "How did you know Master Velvet needed your help?"
"I didn't, but I saw what was going on outside, so I came here." Otin said with him examining Velvet to find the problem. "Go and get Serenity."
"What? Why?" Yukina questioned.
"Just go and get her." Otin said. He sounded stern and serious. That's not good with a doctor. He won't see anymore, but Yukina had an idea on what this was and was suddenly getting scared.
...
Serenity
Serenity waked inside Pseudo Mercurio all this time as refuge, but she's well aware the Tri Flame was defeated and failed her. They're suppose to be her little entourage, they're suppose to be strong and powerful, but they failed her. As she just sat there and waited for the grand finale, she thought back to times she had with her father. During the times she was younger, she was happier.
"Why am I thinking about this sort of thing now? I'm doing what's best for the guild." Serenity said. "It's for the good of the guild. It's so that it won't happen again to anyone."
...
Flashback
Serenity thought back to a time that happened when she was only twelve. She was an upcoming member of the guild and was doing rather well. She was also a different person back then. During that day, it was raining rather hard and Serenity seemed rather concerned about something.
"Everything okay, Serenity?" Velvet asked.
"Just a little worried about Mom out there. You think she's okay in that storm?" Serenity asked.
"Of course she's fine. Your mother is one of the toughest members of our guild. A little rain isn't going to stop her." Velvet assured.
"Yeah. You're right. What am I worried about?" Serenity said. "She'll also take care of that monster." Serenity's mother was away on a task to deal with a monster. Serenity was sure her mother could handle something like that.
"Someone help! Velvet! It's your wife!" A fellow member of the guild screamed. He and one other pulled a stretcher into the guild and they saw Velvet's wife, who looked quite similar to Serenity, was on it. It didn't look good at all with Velvet and Serenity horrified at what they saw.
"Oh god! Leah!" Velvet called as he hurried to his wife. "Leah! Can you hear me?! What happened?!"
"Velvet... I... I..." Leah tried to speak, but her wounds looked quite severe.
"Otin! Get over here!" Velvet shouted.
"Out of the way! Let me see!" Otin said as he went to try and help her. He did a quick examination, but he didn't even try to help her.
"Otin, what are you doing just standing there?! Help her!" Velvet demanded.
"I'm sorry... These wounds are too severe. There's nothing I...or anyone can do to help her." Otin said.
"No..." Velvet said as he couldn't accept this.
"Velvet..." Leah muttered. "It's okay. You've got to be strong for Serenity. She'll need you."
"Mom..." Leah looked to her daughter and saw her just standing there in disbelief. Her mother was about to die and she couldn't do a thing to help her. Serenity thought her mother was strong, so she can't understand how something like this could have happened her.
"Sorry, honey... I guess Mommy wasn't as strong as the monster. Be strong...my little flame..." Leah said before she passed out...and passed away.
"Leah? Leah! Oh god! Leah, stay with us!" Velvet pleaded, but it was pointless. She was gone. Serenity couldn't believe that her mother could be killed like this when she thought she was so strong. She clearly wasn't strong enough.
End of Flashback
...
"I tried to tell you, old man. I tried to tell you the guild had to be stronger." Serenity said. "You brought this upon yourself." It would seem the reasoning behind Serenity's desire for power came from her mother. She looked around for a clock and saw that it was almost three. "Only a little more than an hour until the Caliente activates. I guess he's already become stubborn in his old age and is going to hold out until the end." Serenity only just stood there and waited for Velvet to give the order. Then, she sensed something. Someone managed to find her, and she was actually glad as to who it was. "Oh... Hey there, Frio. I was wondering when you were going to show up." Two of Phoenix Flame's strongest members now stand before each other.
"If you stop what you're doing, we might be able to convince everyone it was all part of the festival." Frio claimed.
"Is that really what you're here for? You don't fool me." Serenity claimed. "You want to know who the strongest in Phoenix Flame really is."
"Don't be so quick to judge. There are others that you clearly overlooked or underestimate." Frio said.
"Are you talking about Aster perhaps? Sure, he's got some skill, but I think it's obvious you and I are Phoenix Flame's best." Serenity claimed. "The question is, which one of us is the strongest?"
"If that's how you see things, you're more blind or ignorant than I thought, Serenity." Frio claimed.
"This coming from the guy that's going off doing who-knows-what." Serenity said. "Well, I think it's time you showed your hand!" Serenity didn't wait around any longer with her unleashing a great blast of fire that caused an explosion. An explosion that did not go unnoticed by Maru and Aster. "Well? What do you say?"
"You're going to regret that Serenity. I have other matters to attend to, but at the moment, you must be dealt with." Frio said.
"Oh yeah?! Well, let's go! I love to see how much stronger I am than you!" Serenity dared. Frio took that challenge. With a bit of sleight of hand, Frio was holding cards between his fingers. He energized them with magic and attacked with them by throwing them, but Serenity used her fire magic and burned. "You're fighting me with cards? I never knew you were such a dork."
"You haven't seen anything yet." Frio said. He threw a series of other cards and they surrounded Serenity in a circle. "Card magic! Emperor, Empress, Reverse Tower! Heaven's Downpour!" Suddenly, Serenity found herself in a pillar of light.
"What is this?!" Serenity said. She could feel some sort of pressure coming down on her. Knowing she had to move, she ignited her body and burned through the spell so that she could slip away before an intense force could come down on her.
"She slipped out!" Frio said as he didn't think she could do that. Serenity managed to get behind Frio, but he disappeared.
"Where'd he go?" Serenity said. Frio appeared behind her and threw more magic cards at her that detonated when they made contact with her. Serenity was pushed back, but she was hardly harmed. "Not bad when using a bunch of cards, but I wonder what else you can do." Frio readied herself for whatever she might try. This fight between Phoenix Flame's two best was just starting.
"I found you!" That was when Maru and Aster showed up and got their attention.
"Aster!" Maru said.
"Hey. You heard what was going on here, too?" Aster said.
"Yeah, and look who else is here." Maru said with them noticing Frio. "Frio's here, too."
"Good. With his help, we can stop her." Aster said.
"Aster... Maru... Now that you two are here, I can leave the rest to you." Frio said as he turned away and just jumped right out through the door.
"Did he just ditch us?" Maru said. They weren't expecting Frio to do something like that now of all times.
"I guess he just realized he can't beat me." Serenity claimed. "Too bad for the two of you!" Serenity unleashed more fire at the two of them, but they were both able to jump out of the way.
"Serenity, cut it out! Don't you think the fun and games is over?!" Maru said. "This has gone on long enough, so quit playing around! People are getting hurt because of this, especially our fellow guild members!"
"Are you still on that? You really think I'm playing around with what I unleashed out there?" Serenity said. "you're a bigger idiot than I thought!" Serenity attacked Maru once again with him unleashing more of her flames at him, but Aster jumped in the way and formed his shield to block her attack.
"Maru might not be willing to fight you, but I am!" Aster said. He fought back with him throwing his shield at her, but she ducked down and avoided it. When that happened, Aster charged right at her.
"Aster, wait!" Maru called, but Aster kept going. Serenity unleashed more of her fire at him, but Aster jumped right over it.
"Crystal-Make: Amethyst Mace!" Aster shot a spiked ball and chain right at Serenity, but she avoided that. When Aster landed down, Serenity took her coat and threw it right at him. Aster had to push it aside, but Serenity took the chance to get in close and tried to deal a devastating blow, but Aster grabbed her arm and was able to deflect it and tried to hold her back. "Talk, Serenity! What have you done now?!"
"You mean no one told you yet?" Serenity taunted.
"Aster, she unleashed a spell called the Caliente!" Maru informed.
"You did what?! You want to be Master so badly that you're willing to destroy the town that the guild was founded on?!" Aster said.
"Unless that foolish old man of mine comes to his senses and steps down." Serenity claimed.
"Damn you!" Aster called. He tossed her arm aside and got another spell ready. "Crystal-Make: Amber Daggers!" He formed a set of daggers right in his hands and tried to attack Serenity, but Serenity was able to stay a step ahead. "Maru, go! I'll hold Serenity back while you destroy the charges for her spell!"
"I can't!" Maru called. "We don't know how many she made! We also don't know how many there are, and their set to go off at three! That's in little less than an hour now!" Maru called.
"Damn!" Aster complained.
"That's the least of your worries!" Serenity called with her managing to drive her knee right into Aster's gut. "You're going to need more than your little knives against me!" She caused fire to combust against Maru and caused him to slide against the ground.
"Aster!" Maru called. He jumped in the way and was able to catch him.
"I'm fine, but we've got to do something quickly." Aster said with him getting back up. "We have to figure out how to bring her down. We have to stop the Caliente from going off."
"Aster, she's still a member of our guild. We shouldn't be fighting her." Maru said.
"Look at all that she's done so far, Maru." Aster said.
"But she's still a member of our guild." Maru repeated as that was the fact that matters. Maru is trying hard to believe in Serenity. Aster could see that. Maru isn't willing to give up on Serenity just yet, but Aster isn't so sure he is.
"In that case, I'll have to leave her to you." Aster said. He might not believe in Serenity, but he does believe in Maru. That's why he thinks that if anyone can truly knock some sense into Serenity, it's Maru. That's why he turned away and hurried off.
"Where are you going?!" Maru called.
"I'll let you take care of Serenity! I'll try and deal with the Caliente!" Aster called.
"You can't be serious?!" Serenity laughed. "You don't even know where all the charges are! You'll never find them in time!"
"That sounds like a challenge." Aster said with him looking at her. "You know a Phoenix Flame wizard is always up for a challenge." The look in his eyes did get to Serenity. It says that Aster might actually pull it off. The odds of Aster actually pulling it off would make the accomplishment impossible. Serenity knows that, but something in Aster's eyes told her otherwise. That's why he kept going.
"If anyone can stop that spell, I'm sure it's you, Aster!" Maru called.
'Just as I'm sure you're the one who can make Serenity open her eyes.' Aster thought. The two of them trust and believe in each other. That's why they know that despite the odds, they can pull this off.
"No!" Serenity said. She hurried after Aster to try and stop her, but Maru got in the way and shined a bright light to stop her in the tracks.
"You're not going anywhere. We need to talk." Maru said.
"Get the hell out of my way!" Serenity shouted as she attempted to smash a flaming fist against Maru, but Maru jumped out of the way.
"I don't want to fight you, Serenity! We're in the same guild! There's no reason for us to fight each other!" Maru said. "I know you don't think highly of the rest of us, but I know this isn't how you really feel. Otherwise, why would you care so much about the guild? Why not just leave?"
"I'm getting sick of that know-it-all attitude you've got going, so I'm going to shut that mouth of your for good!" Serenity shouted. Maru wants to believe in his fellow guild member, but if he's not careful, it's going to get him killed. Aster is also going to try and stop the Caliente, but is he even going to make it in time on his own? Time is running out and they're both testing a form of patience. Will they burn Serenity's plans down or will it be Serenity that burns everything down?