**One Week Before the Field Day**
"OK, Shinkei, let's try this again," Rafaeru said, his voice carrying the patient tone of someone who had been repeating the same instruction for hours.
Shinkei stood in the center of the training circle, sweat beading on his forehead despite the cool air. "OK."
"Channel your spirit. Focus on it."
"I got it... I got it... I don't got it," Shinkei said with frustration as the flames around his hands flickered and died.
"It's OK, just try again," Rafaeru encouraged, though even his legendary patience was being tested.
"Rafaeru, a minute if you please!" Hajime's voice cut across the training area.
"What's up, Hajime?" Rafaeru asked, grateful for the brief respite.
"This field day is fairly new, so we're probably gonna need an exciting opener."
"OK, what does this have to do with me?" Rafaeru's expression shifted to wariness. "Oh no..."
"Please, I just need you to fight someone in a friendly exhibition match, that's all."
"Who would I fight?"
"The Sound Barrier," Hajime said, referring to the legendary guardian from the West school.
"Um... no," Rafaeru replied flatly.
"Please, we'll give you a bonus."
"How much are we talking?"
Hajime leaned in and whispered a figure that made Rafaeru's eyes widen considerably.
"Oh yeah, I'll do it!"
"Great!" Hajime grinned, though he made a mental note: *This man really loves his money.* "I'll set it up."
Across the training facility, Romaji was gathering his teammates for a different kind of mission.
"Anjero, come here real quick," he called out.
"OK?" Anjero approached, curiosity evident in his voice. "I wonder what he wants."
"Kamira, you also," Romaji added.
"What's up, Romaji?" Kamira asked, pausing her combat practice.
"So I already asked Mr. Aado about this, and he gave me the OK."
"And that is?"
"My necklace found a new talisman."
"Oh snap! Awesome, man! Which one is it this time?" Kamira's excitement was genuine—she'd seen what Romaji's talismans could do.
"Talisman?" Anjero asked, confused.
"Yeah, those coin-looking things he always has," Kamira explained.
"Oh, those..."
"Yeah, those. The thing is, my spirit didn't manifest naturally in my body. It's actually in this necklace, passed down from my ancestors. But it only came with two talismans, so I used S.E.I.D. to expand my necklace's frequency for finding talismans to use."
Anjero blinked in surprise. "You know, I low-key thought you were kinda..."
"Stupid?" Kamira finished with a grin. "Yeah, we all thought that at first. But he's quite smart and has a 3.0 GPA right now."
"I guess that's pretty good," Anjero admitted.
"You trying to say something, waterboy? You think you can get a better GPA than me?" Romaji's competitive nature flared.
"I didn't say anything. Calm your dog down, Kamira," Anjero replied with a smirk.
*WHACK!* Kamira's hand connected with the back of Romaji's head.
"Get to the point," she ordered.
"Ouch! Anyways, my necklace picked up a talisman signal in Darjones. I think it's the one I've been looking for. Mr. Aado said I can take two people on this mission to find it. You two in?"
"I mean, don't we have a festival/tournament to prepare for?" Anjero pointed out.
"That's true, but if it's the one I think it is, I need it for this festival. So please?"
Anjero considered this for a moment. Despite their rocky start, he'd grown to respect Romaji's determination. "Listen, man... I know we haven't had the best relationship so far, but I'm always down to help a friend in need."
"Thanks, player two," Romaji said with genuine gratitude.
"Don't push it, homie," Anjero warned, though there was no real hostility in his voice.
"Kamira?"
"I'm in. Why not?" she replied with characteristic directness.
"Alright, we leave tomorrow. Meet me at the docks with a change of clothes for three days."
"Three days?!" both Kamira and Anjero exclaimed simultaneously.
**The Next Day**
The early morning mist clung to the harbor as the three teammates prepared for their journey. Romaji was practically bouncing with excitement, his usual laid-back demeanor replaced by eager anticipation.
"OK, peeps, let's head out!" he announced.
"Romaji, it's too early to be this energetic," Kamira grumbled, clearly not a morning person.
"Not energetic—excited, Kamira. Just the thought of adventure and getting a new talisman to add to my collection."
"Whatever, man. I hope it's good." Kamira paused, noticing something in Anjero's hands. "Anjero, what is that?"
"Oh... this? It's a breakfast sandwich that I made this morning," Anjero replied, unwrapping what looked like a professionally prepared meal.
"Just for you?" Kamira asked, a note of hurt creeping into her voice.
"No, I made some for both of y'all," Anjero said, pulling out two more sandwiches from his bag.
"Thanks, man... wait, is this pork? I don't eat pork—it's bad for me," Kamira said, examining the sandwich.
"No, it's beef for you. I had S.E.I.D. search up all you guys' allergens and dislikes, so you're good."
"Thanks, dude," Kamira said, touched by the thoughtfulness.
Both she and Romaji took large bites, and their reactions were immediate.
"Oh my gosh... this is delicious!" they said in unison.
"Anjero, you didn't tell us you can cook!" Kamira exclaimed.
"Yeah, I used to cook for my family when my mom had to work. I also took cooking classes in middle school and my old high school."
"Dude, if you want, you can become my private chef when I get rich," Kamira offered.
"No thanks. I have other ideas that have nothing to do with cooking," Anjero replied.
"Really? You never talk about it. What's that?"
Anjero's expression grew thoughtful, almost distant. "Well, ever since I got Aalto, I'm not sure."
"I love the vision, but how are you gonna do that?" Kamira asked.
"Not sure yet, but I know I'll find the answer someday."
"S.E.I.D., ETA," Romaji interrupted, consulting his navigation device.
"Estimated time of arrival: two minutes," the AI replied.
"Hey, we're approaching Darjones now. Be ready to climb."
"Guardians, be careful of high wind travel here. Wind gusts moving south at thirty-five mph," S.E.I.D. warned.
"Yay... sounds fun, haha," Anjero said nervously. "Are all your trials this dangerous?"
"I think so. It's only my second one," Romaji admitted.
"Where was the last one?"
"Underwater, but Aado helped me with that one, so it was pretty easy."
"I never really asked what his spirit was," Anjero mused.
"Gotta ask him yourself when—if—we get back. There's a whole story behind it," Kamira said mysteriously.
---
As their submarine surfaced near the towering mountain of Darjones, the full scope of their challenge became clear. The peak disappeared into the clouds, and even from their position in the water, they could feel the fierce winds battering the rocky face.
"Geez... these winds are ridiculous," Anjero said as they disembarked.
"We have to climb that giant mountain?" Kamira asked, staring up at the imposing cliff face.
"From how my spirit is reacting, I take that as a yes," Romaji replied, his necklace pulsing with increasing intensity.
"OK, let's go," Anjero said with resignation.
The three began their ascent up the steep mountain of Nomiddl, using climbing gear and their spirit-enhanced abilities to navigate the treacherous rock face. The wind grew stronger with each meter they climbed, threatening to tear them from their handholds.
"Everybody good down there?" Romaji called from above.
"Yeah, we're good so fa—" Anjero's reply was cut short as a particularly violent gust caught him off guard, sending him tumbling over the edge.
"Anjero!" Kamira screamed. "Romaji, throw me a grapple!"
"Here!" Romaji tossed down a spirit-enhanced rope.
"AHHHH! HULKEN STOMP!" Kamira's rage transformation activated as she leaped from the cliff face, her enhanced strength allowing her to run down the vertical mountain face, each step creating craters in the stone.
"Anjero, I got you!" she called out, catching him just before he would have fallen beyond rescue.
"Thanks, Kamira... wait, what are those?" Anjero pointed to a swarm of insect-like creatures emerging from the craters Kamira had created.
"Those are gust mites! You woke them up when you made those craters in the mountain!" Romaji shouted from above.
"Dude, those are gross!" Kamira exclaimed, staring at the beetle-like creatures with disgust.
"I got them. Kamira, just focus on getting us back up there. VAPOR BULLETS!"
The projectiles went wide, scattered by the fierce winds. "Dang, they missed! This wind is too much! OK, I'll try this then!"
Anjero angled his arms to the left, calculating the wind's effect on his attack. "VAPOR BULLETS!"
This time, the bullets curved through the air, their trajectory perfectly compensating for the wind, and struck the gust mites with precise accuracy.
"Nice, Anjero! Now come on up. I guess you're pretty smart. I'm surprised at my MC rival," Romaji called down.
"Huh... let's just get this done and go back home already," Anjero replied, though he was secretly pleased with the compliment.
After what felt like hours of climbing, the three finally reached the summit, all of them breathing heavily from the exertion.
"Huh... finally at the top," Romaji panted.
His necklace began glowing with a gray light, pulsing in rhythm with some unseen force.
"We're here," he announced.
That's when a figure materialized before them—tall, imposing, wearing an elaborate eagle mask that seemed to be carved from ancient wood and precious metals.
"Woah, weird," Kamira muttered.
"Show your proof of the animal spirit," the Eagle Ancestor commanded, its voice carrying the weight of centuries.
"Here is my necklace," Romaji said, holding up the artifact that had guided them here.
"Ahh, so you're here finally. Your trial starts now!"
"What do I have to do?" Romaji asked.
"Come with me. The other two stay here."
"Wait, I have to see thi—" Kamira started forward, but ancient guards materialized to block her path.
"Hold on, partner. What do you think you're doing? That's my friend there," Kamira said, her voice carrying a dangerous edge.
"Kamira, it's OK," Romaji assured her.
"OK, come back successful."
"Gotcha."
**One Day Later**
"Geez, I'm kinda bored right now," Anjero said, having spent the entire day waiting at the summit with nothing but ancient guards for company.
"AHHH!" Romaji's scream echoed from somewhere beyond the sacred grounds.
"Was that Romaji? What's going on?" Anjero demanded, starting toward the sound.
"Nothing. Stay back, or else," one of the ancient guards warned.
"Or else what? I can beat you lames without even using my spirit," Kamira snarled, her patience finally snapping.
"Stay back!"
"Woah, Kamira, you might wanna retract that statement. Out of the way—I won't ask again. OK, VAPOR BULLETS..." Anjero paused, confusion replacing determination. "Wait, nothing's coming out."
"Really, Anjero? That's embarrassing. HULKEN RAGE..." Kamira tried to activate her transformation, but nothing happened. "Mhmm."
"What's going on? Why can't I use my spirit energy?" Kamira asked.
"It's an anti-zone, meaning no spirits," one of the guards explained.
"Well, Anjero, hope you haven't gotten rusty at fighting," Kamira said, cracking her knuckles.
"You wish," Anjero replied, smiling nervously.
**Meanwhile, at the Sacred Trial**
"What do I have to do?" Romaji had asked when the Eagle Ancestor first led him to the sacred circle.
"Sit! Meditate! You must remain focused for a day straight," the ancestor had commanded.
Romaji had settled into the meditation position within a circle of ancient stones, outside a cave that seemed to pulse with spiritual energy. Almost immediately, the wind began to assault him—not the random gusts they'd experienced climbing the mountain, but a focused, relentless force that seemed designed to break his concentration.
"The wind... it's too strong," Romaji had protested.
"Focus," was the only response.
For twenty-four hours, Romaji had sat in that circle, buffeted by winds that would have knocked a normal person unconscious. His animal spirits—the gorilla and cheetah—had wanted to manifest, to fight against the assault, but he'd forced himself to remain still, to find the calm center within the storm.
When the Eagle Ancestor finally told him to stand, Romaji's legs were numb, his body aching from maintaining the same position for so long.
"Good. Now stand up... jump off the cliff."
"Wait... huh?"
"Jump. Prove to me that you deserve the eagle talisman. Now jump!"
Romaji looked over the edge of the cliff—a sheer drop of several thousand feet into nothing but mist and rocks.
"Alright, alright, just give me a second... one... two... three... GO! AHHHH!"
He leaped without hesitation, his faith in the trial process overriding his survival instincts. For a terrifying moment, he plummeted through empty air, the ground rushing up to meet him.
Then the eagle talisman activated.
---
"Romaji!" Anjero's voice carried across the sacred grounds as he and Kamira finally broke through the guards' defenses.
"How did you get past my guards?" the Eagle Ancestor demanded.
"They weren't that tough to beat," Kamira replied, nursing a few bruises but looking satisfied with herself.
"You shouldn't be here. It's a sacred ritual."
"Skip that! Romaji!" Anjero called out, scanning the area for their friend.
"Yo, what's up, waterboy?" came Romaji's voice from above.
"Are you floating?" Anjero asked in amazement.
"Flying, really. I got the eagle talisman," Romaji replied, soaring through the air with magnificent eagle wings of pure spirit energy extending from his back.
"Huh... man, you scared us. Can we go now?" Anjero asked.
"Yeah, you and Kamira head on back. I'll be there in a minute."
"OK, don't be long," Kamira said, though she kept looking back at her flying teammate with obvious pride.
As his friends headed down the mountain, Romaji landed gracefully before the Eagle Ancestor.
"Thank you for the talisman," he said with genuine gratitude.
"Romaji, there's something I have to tell you," the Eagle Ancestor said, its voice carrying an ominous weight.
"What is it?"
---
By the time Romaji rejoined them at the submarine, his mood had shifted dramatically. Whatever the Eagle Ancestor had told him, it had left him both exhilarated and troubled.
"Geez, it was a lot easier getting down than going up," Anjero observed as they settled into the submarine.
"That's usually how it happens," Kamira replied.
Romaji swooped in through the submarine's hatch, his new wings folding against his back as he landed.
"Well, guys, let's head on back. I'm ready to win it all," he announced, though there was something forced about his enthusiasm.
"You seem to be in a good mood," Anjero observed.
"Yeah, player two, I finally got what I've been looking for." He paused, his expression growing serious. "Can I count on you guys again if I find another one?"
"Sure, but stop calling me that, though," Anjero replied.
"Alright, waterboy, you got it!"
As the submarine began its journey back to Seishin South, Romaji stared out at the passing ocean, his mind replaying the Eagle Ancestor's final words. The talisman had given him the power of flight, but it had also revealed a truth about his family's legacy that would change everything.
"I can't wait to show everyone my new ability," he said, though his teammates noticed he didn't mention what else he might have learned during the trial.
The field day competition was only days away, and now they had a flying teammate. But somehow, Anjero suspected that Romaji's new power would be the least surprising thing about the upcoming inter-school gathering.
Something bigger was coming, and they all could feel it in the air.