Dai rejoined his friends, who congratulated him enormously.
"When you just moved and tripped her, that was crazy!!!" Luke was shaking him excitedly, "You were great!!"
Dai blushed, flattered, "L-Look, it wasn't that big a deal, you guys-"
"When you saved Max by distracting the other girl like that," Kai pointed out, "Badass."
"Very!" Aria agreed.
While Dai was getting swarmed with praise, Flora Lawson continued on with announcing the next battle.
"The second battle will be..." she paused impressively, "Raina Fray and Melany Topal versus Ezekiel Nunez and Mari Azeri!"
Raina stood up and stretched, "My time has come, I guess."
"Good luck, girl!" Aria encouraged.
Raina just gave a slight nod and made her way out onto the sand. She didn't meet up with Melany until they both got to the center.
"Hey," Raina huffed, trying to avoid awkward confrontation.
"Hello," Melany said curtly.
The two girls stood side by side silently as their opponents came up and faced them.
Lena and the others watched with anticipation.
"Melany's good... right?" Kai asked.
"She was the one who showed Hunter everything he knows," Aria explained, "At least, that's what Lena says."
Lena just sighed, and remembered the apology Melany gave her two days ago.
She sat on the bench, her hands cupped together, contemplating it.
"Begin!" Lawson's voice boomed through the mic.
Immediately, Raina jumped forward and threw multiple fireballs.
Ezekiel teleported out of the way with his lightning, while Mari just used air currents to knock the fireballs directed at her out of the way.
Melany grunted in annoyance at Raina's abrasiveness, but didn't have long to think about it, for Ezekiel had teleported behind her and launched a barrage of lightning towards her.
She stomped on the ground and a massive leaf shield grew up and blocked the attack enough for Melany to move out from behind it. She formed two vine whips in her hands and swung them towards the lightning Gifted. They coiled around his wrists, forcing him to stop his attack as they were restrained.
Before Melany could do anything, however, he grabbed the whips and yanked her over to him.
She landed on the ground, grunting in surprise and slight pain.
The vines wilted away and Ezekiel stepped forward, zapping short attacks of lightning down at her.
Melany rolled on the sand out of the way of each, jumping and running to avoid the rest.
While she was dealing with him, Raina and Mari were having a difficult time. Both were flying in the air now, and no matter what fire attack Raina threw, or how close she got, the attacks (and herself) were continuously blown back by a push of air.
Raina leaned forward and blew fire out of her mouth, a massive barrage of pink flame barreling toward the air Gifted.
Mari simply raised out one arm and thrusted air forward, making the fire spread in all directions except towards her.
Raina stopped after a brief moment, incredibly irritated.
"I hate fighting air," she muttered to herself, and she flew forward once again. Mari thrusted both arms forward now, and the sudden rush of air knocked Raina back, making her twirl in the air over and over before finally catching herself midair.
She grunted in annoyance and looked up at the air Gifted, who just winked at her.
Gritting her teeth fiercely, she charged at her again, only to be blown away yet again, this time, Raina was pushed into the sand, making a small crater where she lie.
Melany ran over to her and raised two massive leaf shields to protect them from both Ezekiel's lightning attacks and Mari's pushes of air.
"This isn't working," Melany said, as she strained to keep her arms up, feeding energy to the leaves so they would stay up no matter what.
"Well, then what do you suggest?" Raina asked sarcastically.
Melany paused, "What if we switched? Rushed at each other's opponents? They'd practically be ambushed and confused."
"Fine," Raina said quickly, "Drop these things on the count of three."
"One..."
"Two..."
"Three!"
The leaf shields wilted away, and Raina and Melany ran very quickly in opposite directions, the blonde towards Ezekiel, and the brunette towards Mari.
Ezekiel was most surprised by this, and fired multiple short lightning attacks.
Raina dodged these with ease, and before long, she was upon the lightning Gifted. She held her fist back, lit it on fire, and punched him square in the stomach. The fire added a small explosion, and Ezekiel went flying through the air, before finally landing on the sand, the wind absolutely knocked out of him.
While this was happening, Melany had planted her feet to the ground by using the vine trap trick, using vines to clamp her feet down.
She then made a longer vine whip in her hands and whipped it upwards, it managing to coil around one of Mari's ankles.
Mari desperately pushed wind down towards her, causing Melany's hair and clothes to ripple and flow in the fast wind. She wasn't pushed, however, thanks to the vines holding her feet down.
She then yanked the whip downward, this effectively pulling her down to the ground. Mari crashed into the sand, sand flying up in the air on impact. The whip wilted away, and Melany ran over to Mari, who lied in the small crater, dazed. Melany then turned her over and pinned one arm behind her back, as the countdown began.
She looked behind her to see Raina standing over an absolutely worn out Ezekiel, and the two girls made eye contact. Raina had a triumphant grin and held a thumbs up. Melany just smiled back at her.
Once the countdown had reached seven, the crowd erupted in cheers, as Melany and Raina were declared the winners.
The two girls reunited in the center of the arena, and high-fived. As they did, Raina noticed the boy from yesterday underneath the tower Danford and the teachers sat in, watching them. He was gone a moment later, having teleported away.
Her gaze narrowed, as all four began to make their way back to the dugouts.
"Good job," Melany smiled.
"Huh? Oh, uh, thanks," Raina replied simply.
Melany was partly surprised by her lack of attention, but said nothing more as the two parted ways.
Raina reunited with her friends, who gave her plenty praise.
"Why'd you struggle with that air Gifted?" Aria asked innocently.
"Air Gifted have always been a problem for us in these things," Kai explained, "They just blow us and our attacks away."
"And it's stupid," Raina grunted in annoyance.
She hastily sat down, and began to think about the boy again, not paying attention to what the others were saying about her battle.
It wasn't long before Lawson announced again, "Since we're on a roll, we're gonna move right along to the next battle! We have Lena Prasylova and Jace Verrater versus Daniel Peixegato and Hunter McAlister!!"
Lena and Jace both felt wrenches in their stomaches at this announcement. They looked to their friends, who had worried looks.
It wasn't long before Kai spoke.
"Look, forget him," Kai said, "This is a chance to show him what you two can really do. Just try not to let him get to you."
Jace smiled, appreciating the advice, while Lena wasn't so sure. Even still, they didn't want to forfeit, so the pair stepped out onto the arena anyway.
Lena was looking at the sand, anxiously, when she felt Jace's hand slip into hers.
"We'll be okay," he whispered, and gave her a nervous, but determined smile.
Lena looked up at him, blushing slightly.
The two had reached the center of the arena, where Hunter and Daniel were already waiting. Daniel had a cocky smirk on his face, while Hunter looked more grim.
"Hey, man," Daniel whispered to him, "Can you take the redhead? After yesterday, she uh... she scares me a little."
Hunter looked at him with an annoyed expression, before changing his face into something more of a smile.
"Fine by me," he whispered back.
"Begin!" Lawson declared.
Daniel immediately made boulders in his hands and threw both of them toward Jace.
Jace panicked and teleported out of the way, the boulders landing where he once stood.
He had teleported a few feet away, and Daniel stomped on the ground in his direction, spikes coming up from him to the lightning Gifted.
Jace jumped to the side before firing a barrage of lightning with one hand.
Daniel formed a slab of rock over his forearm to act as a shield, which blocked the lightning, and he began to slowly move forward as the spikes crumbled away.
Lena was watching, worried, but didn't have long to think about it, before Hunter came at her, swinging a leaf sword.
She barrel-rolled out of the way and landed on one knee. She hurriedly stood up and formed two ice katanas.
Hunter just faced her, scowling.
"It's all your fault," he said.
"My fault?!" Lena exclaimed, exasperated, "Try your fault!"
She then swung one blade forward, and a small wave came crashing towards him.
Hunter raised a leaf shield, which shielded him from the water. He then looked up and caught sight of Lena jumping over the shield with her katanas behind her, swinging down on him.
He jumped back just as her blades struck the sand where he stood.
He then raised an arm up and vines came up and clasped around Lena's feet.
Before she could cut herself loose, however, Hunter charged at her, only for Lena to fire an ice beam from her palm, freezing his feet together.
Hunter was disoriented and he fell face first onto the sand, grunting irritatedly.
Lena managed to cut herself free, while Hunter turned over and started stabbing at the ice with the tip of his blade.
Lena calmly walked over to him, katanas in hand, while Hunter miserably chipped at the ice.
"Hey, partner!" he shouted, "I could use some help!?"
Daniel was blocking and dodging a multitude of attacks from Jace on the other end of the arena, meanwhile.
He heard and looked to see Hunter with his feet frozen, forming a boulder in his hand and tossing it over to him. While this distracted him, though, Jace used the opportunity to electrocute him.
Daniel wailed as the electricity coursed all over him.
Before long, Jace stopped, and Daniel fell to the ground, a steaming mess.
Hunter had seen him throw the boulder, as well as grunted in annoyance when he saw Jace dispatch him.
He grabbed the boulder and slammed it on the ice, effectively shattering it.
He quickly stood back up and turned to face Lena, the latter having begun to swing her blades at him.
Both her blades clashed onto his one, and the two struggled for a moment. Hunter then kneed her in the stomach, causing her to buckle, which gave him the chance to swiftly side kick her to the ground. Lena let go of one of her blades and threw a water bubble at him, which hit his face, effectively drenching it.
He wiped some of the water off of his face, before approaching her, sword outstretched.
"If you think I got scared of you 'cause of your performance yesterday, think again," he snarled, "We both know you're not anything special, and I was dumb enough to think you were, back in the day. You're nothing."
Lena didn't reply as she got up, holding her katana in a defensive stance.
"You think your new 'friends' will stick around?" he scoffed, "They won't. You took my friend away from me, and yet you brood and mope about how sad your life is? With that kind of attitude, and that kind of selfish action, they won't be around for long."
Lena felt the wrench in her stomach again. She knew he was wrong, but she couldn't help but fear that he'll prove to be right.
It was at that moment that Jace stepped in front of her, lightning in his hands.
"It's like she once said, Hunter," he said, a determined glint in his eyes, "You have no power over us anymore. Her friends won't leave her, and if they do, then I will be here for her."
Lena blinked, touched.
Hunter growled, "I still can't believe it. After everything we've been through, Jace, and you still do me like this."
"Between you and me," Jace answered, "I was weaker back then. Now, I don't need you for any kind of validation anymore. Lena, Kai, and the others actually showed they care, something you never did."
Hunter spluttered, insulted.
Jace then thrusted his arms forward and launched a barrage of lightning.
Hunter quickly raised a leaf shield, dropping his sword so he could feed it energy to stay up.
While he was distracted like this, Lena quickly ran around the shield, a big water hand over her own hand.
Hunter didn't see her until the last minute, when she thrusted it forward into a fist, and it punched him right in the side.
He was hit back onto the sand, tumbling across it briefly, before stopping on his stomach.
He groaned, his side in pain, as he looked up to see Lena walk over to him.
"Let it go, Hunter," she said, "Move on. Get over it."
Hunter said nothing as he heard the countdown begin, and he just dropped his head in the sand when it finished.
"Lena Prasylova and Jace Verrater win!!" Lawson announced, and the crowd cheered. Their friends in the dugout were celebrating loudly as well.
Jace ran over to Lena and hugged her so tightly, he picked her up and twirled her around.
Once setting her down, both realized what just happened, and chuckled nervously, blushing.
"We did it," Jace said a moment later.
Lena couldn't help but smile her biggest smile yet.
"Yeah... we did."