-London, Beneath the City-

  Count Edgar was silent for the past minute after hearing the illusion speak. Whatever the man wanted had nothing to do with him.

  "We are not allies."

  "No, but soon I will attain power." The 'man' raised his hand and opened his hand to reveal a piece of gss. "My gift to you."

  "Gss?" The man picked up the gss and held it up. His eyes widened slightly at seeing his reflection. "What is this? How am I seeing myself?"

  "It's a mystery to me. Maybe you can figure it out." The 'man' smirked. "You don't have to join me, but you can challenge me. I have found what I have sought, and soon the world will be rewarded with their desires."

  "You are a fool if you believe granting everyone's desires is their right, and what about those fools chasing you?"

  "They will soon be dealt with, Count. As for the other elf and brat chasing you... maybe that can help?"

  Eyes narrowed, the count gred at the illusion, then at the gss. Something about the gss was mesmerizing and eerie. The Count growled, then dropped it on the ground while walking away.

  "I don't care. But I do have a question. Does the rat vanish when you die?"

  "Perhaps?"

  "Then." smirking the pale figure. "I will keep this rat. If it does not die by the end of the day, then I will know you have succeeded."

  "Fine, the future is sig-."

  The Count tossed the illusion on the ground, where it reverted to the rat. It picked itself and looked, annoyed, at the pale man. The Count faced the rat with a sneer.

  "If your master dies, he is not chosen by fate."

  -Temple-

  Immediately, Geo used Quake Fist on the ground, causing the room to shake. Unfortunately, the rats leaped into the air to avoid the rumble.

  Ivy pressed her hands together, creating a blooming tulip, and gathered green mana. She unleashed her adroit, Blooming Cannon. She fired a ball of green mana that exploded upon contact, knocking the rats to the ground.

  "So they no longer perish after one hit." pouted the pnt warrior as she watched rats get it.

  "Might be a little challenging." growled the rock warrior.

  Enraged, the rats pounced at them. Bze held out his hand, forming his sword. Following his action, Geo manifested his war hammer, a five-foot-tall weapon with a brown handle and silver head, while Ivy manifested a green composite bow. One of the creatures swiped at Bze, who blocked with the bde, but was pushed back a few feet and nearly tripped on his feet. He jumped to the side from getting cwed, then retaliated with a spinning back fist to the face of the rat. As the beast stumbled back, the Radiant's sword ignited on fire. The fire warrior lunged forward, sword bzing above him, then swiftly swung it down. The rat tried to block, but the burning sword cut through the arms and chest. The rat squeaked out before evaporating into dust.

  Geo broke the floor by burying his hammer in the ground. Then lifted it up, revealing the weapon coated in blue stone. He rolled to the side from a cw strike, then jumped back from being bit. He leaped in the air, then came down with the stone hammer on the rat's head. After receiving a crushed head, the beast evaporated into dust. Ivy hummed as she swiftly maneuvered away from the fiend. She ducked under a cw strike, then performed a backflip kick to the face of the creature. She pulled back the string, manifesting a green mana arrow. The arrow grew thicker as she poured her mana into it and fired. The glowing arrow shattered into small energy projectiles before bombarding the rat. As it fell, it dissolved into dust.

  Once the rats were destroyed, the group turned their attention to Meister Jack.

  "Useless infected rodents." Disappointed at the weakness of his rats, he brought up his flute staff to py, then ducked under a mana arrow. He quickly pyed a high-pitched note that sent a high-pitched screech through the room, making them cover their ears and drop to their knees. Then, he pyed a tune that manifested three spheres of energy that swiftly shot toward the group upon creation. The spheres popped like bubbles upon impact, making low pitch flute tone, as well as releasing a strong force that caused them pain and hurled them across the room. The jackal sped across the room where the terra warrior nded and smmed a fist onto him, causing him to grunt in pain. The jackal swung his staff at the teen, knocking him a few feet away. The jackal turned around, then pivoted to the left from a vine nearly hitting him. The beast grabbed the vine and yanked the pnt warrior to him. The wolf grabbed her by the face, then leaped toward the downed terra warrior, where he smmed the pnt warrior next to him. He grabbed the other boy's neck, enraged at the two of them.

  "You two were always chasing me, getting my way. Even with the other brat and freak distracted, you kept trailing me." He hissed angrily while his grip tightened, making the two squirm. "You ruined my chance at crossing to that world, even if it wasn't the right one. It may have given me answ-augh!"

  A fireball to the face interrupted him, making him move away from the downed duo. The jackal hissed at the pain while rubbing his face. Looking up, his eyes widened at the fire warrior diving at him with a kick. He moved away before he was hit, but the fire warrior unched another fireball the jackal's way, prompting the beast to evade.

  "Are you reted to the girl? Jake, right?" questioned the beast

  "How is that information going to help you?" retorted the angry warrior in red.

  "Does your desire align wi-."

  Fire erupted around the teen's fist. "Shut up!" Quickly, the fire teen jumped at the jackal

  The jackal gathered yellow energy in his fist before jumping forward. The two adroits collided, causing them to try to overpower the other.

  "Death does not have to be absolute, child!"

  "And what about those that died from getting their desires taken?"

  The jackal frowned deeply. "There has to be sacrifices, boy. Getting the power to grant everyone's desires will be a benefit from my quest."

  Anger fring, the fire warrior punched with his other fist, making the jackal block with his forearm. Leaping from behind, Geo emerged with his hand in the air. A basketball-sized glowing rock, materialized in his hand. The Terra Radiant thrust his arm forward with his adroit, 'Stone Impact'. Seeing as he was about to be hit, the jackal kicked the fire warrior in the stomach to push him away. The beast ducked under the rock teen, barely avoiding being hit. The warrior in brown nded, then turned around, only to get hit by a glowing fist to the face. The jackal punched him in the face again, then delivered a front kick to the chest, pushing the teen back.

  The jackal grinned, but his joy melted when he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. He whirled around, seeing the pnt teen aiming another arrow at him with her bow. He conjured up his power in his fist while avoiding another arrow. He thrust his arm forward, releasing a glowing ball of energy at the green warrior. She rolled away from the attack and fired another arrow. The beast evaded by jumping in the air while pying his musical staff. This time, six energy spheres manifested around him before they shot toward them.

  Manifesting a blooming tulip, the Flora Radiant shot at the spheres, only managing to destroy three while the rest quickly evaded her shots while flying at her. Bze unched three fireballs at the remaining spheres, destroying them. Before the two could do anything, Meister Jack unleashed the high-pitched sound again, causing them to drop to their knees. The jackal smirked as he pyed, then was shocked at only seeing two of them. Quickly turning to his left to face Geo. The warrior in brown gritted his teeth against the ear-pitching sound and thrust the glowing stone into the enemy's face. An explosion erupted once it made an impact, sending the jackal across the room while losing his staff in the process. The jackal smmed into the wall with a yell. He grunted as he fell to the floor.

  The musical fiend shook his head before standing up. He grunted at the pain as he gripped his staff... wait. There was nothing in his hand. He looked around to search for it, then he heard a cough. Looking up, shock etched his features at seeing the girl holding his staff and the two boys standing on each side of her.

  "Wait!" shouted the fearful jackal.

  "No." the girl responded zily.

  She gripped the staff with both hands and raised it up in the air.

  "STOP!"

  Then she broke it in two on her knee.

  "NO!" The beast immediately ran at them, fangs baring. "NO!"

  Then he felt pain in his head, causing him to trip on his feet and fall to the floor. "What? No!" He gripped his head in pain. "What?" He screamed out in pain as his body started glowing. After a few seconds, he reverted to his human form. Once realization kicked in, he gnced at his hands, then touched his face. "I..." grasping his mouth, not feeling a snout. "Why? I was close." He gred at the three. "YOU FOOLS!"

  "I don't see that from where I am standing." Geo coldly responded.

  Ivy shook her head, feeling a little bit of sympathy. "You wanted to give the whole world their desires with camitous repercussions."

  The man gnced at the Fire Radiant, then at the girl across the room, then at the boy again. "Your father could've been brought back."

  "Sorry." Bze said with a sad tone. "I..don't think that would be right... at least not with your ideas of granting everyone's desires."

  "Shut up." He sat up. "You! Where are you? I thought you would give me the power to defeat them?"

  "Then you should have phrased it correctly."

  Everyone froze when the mysterious cloaked figure appeared instantly before them. It was like the figure stepped out of a curtain of air.

  Meanwhile, in the back of the room, Tina watched the scene before them with interest. Cheering in silence at their victory, but worry gripped her form when the robed figure appeared from nothing.

  "Tina!"

  She smiled at the familiar voices. She turned around, gleefully seeing the other Radiant and Reinstar approaching them. Lumina ran forward and hugged the girl.

  "Tina!" cheered the orange-haired girl. "You're alright! Are you hurt? Did that meanie do anything to you?"

  "She's not 8." chuckled Frost. "But are you well, Tina?"

  Aero grinned at her. "You good little sis?"

  "Yes." She frowned, then gnced at the room. "They won, but then that... person appeared."

  Reinstar narrowed her eyes at the robed figure. "Who is that?"

  "Looks like a weird cult thing going on." hummed Bolt. "Or a wise guardian of the room that gives confusing riddles."

  "Shush." Aqua stepped forward curiously. "It might hear you."

  Back in the room, the masked piper stood up, ignoring he was half naked. "What do you mean?"

  "You asked for power to fight them, not power to defeat them."

  "That's the same thing idiot!"

  "False." It replied calmly, with a little hint of amusement. "You wanted power to fight them; how you used the power was up to you. You failed."

  "Shut up!" The man reeled back his fist to punch. "GIVE ME THE POWER TO DEFEAT YO-!"

  The man was frozen in pce by the robed figure. Everyone watching tensed up as the robed figure approached the frozen man.

  "One desire per lifetime. You failed. Return as." Then the entity thrust its palm on the man, shattering him into dust, much like the rats from before. "Dust in the earth."