The wastelands stretched on, an endless expanse of desolation, but the air between the group was charged with a rare mix of hope and tension. They all knew what was coming.
Sheila, her twin-sabers strapped to her back, finally broke the silence.
"Listen..." she said, her voice steady but soft. "I need you all to understand something."
The group slowed, eyes turning to her - especially Aron, who seemed both worried and curious.
"Back in Dales," Sheila continued, "when I fought Blooma... yes, I was weakened from battle. I gave it everything I had, but..." she swallowed hard, "even if I had been at my full strength, I know I wouldn't have won."
The words hung heavy in the air.
Jim furrowed his brow. "But you endured her tortures believing you were stronger... doesn't that mean you still have something over her?"
Sheila shook her head. "I endured because I told myself I was stronger - but believing it didn't make it true. Blooma's on a different level. I can act tough all I want, but I'm not blind to reality."
There was a raw honesty in her words - not of weakness, but of growth.
"I realized something during those endless days of torment," Sheila admitted. "I have to stop pretending I'm the strongest in the room. There are others... people who are stronger than me, and I need to accept that. More importantly, I need to encourage their strength."
Her gaze landed on Tim and Rei.
"That's why this fight..." she paused, "I'm entrusting it to you two."
Tim blinked. "Us?"
Rei clenched her fists. "Why?"
Sheila offered a faint smile. "Because if anyone can stand a chance against Blooma... it's the Celestic Warriors. You've both already done the impossible by breaking free from her illusions - something I couldn't do. That means you're her biggest threat."
Jim crossed his arms. "And what about me?"
Sheila chuckled. "I didn't say the rest of you couldn't fight - but right now, my job isn't to lead the battle."
Her eyes softened as she looked at Aron.
"My job is to protect Aron."
Aron's jaw tightened, surprised by the shift in her thinking. Sheila, the fearless warrior who always charged headfirst into danger, was stepping back - not out of fear, but out of responsibility.
"I was reckless before," Sheila confessed. "Always trying to fight alone, thinking if I didn't, I was weak. But I see now that sometimes, stepping back isn't weakness - it's wisdom. If I die, Aron... the kids... they'll lose me again."
Tim scratched his head. "So... you're finally learning to trust others?"
Sheila smirked. "Looks like it."
Jeromy nodded, impressed. "It's a wise choice. Sometimes the strongest move is knowing when to let others carry the load."
Jim sighed. "Guess I'm helping too - don't think you two are taking all the glory."
Tim grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it."
Gravik, surprisingly, stepped forward. "I'll keep everyone's energy up. Even if I can't fight Blooma directly... I can support you all."
The group, once fractured and uncertain, now stood united - with each person understanding their role in the battle ahead.
And as the wastelands loomed before them...
Blooma was coming.
The sky over the Yamark wastelands seemed darker - heavier - as if the very air was thickening with sinister intent.
Everyone could feel it. A creeping, suffocating presence slithered into the atmosphere, sending a chill down their spines.
Then, without warning - a swirling vortex of black mist appeared before them.
"She's here," Sheila muttered, gripping her twin-sabers, though her stance was more defensive than aggressive.
The mist coiled and twisted, gradually forming into a familiar figure - Blooma.
Her sharp, sinister smile cut across her pale face as her long, flowing dark robes rippled unnaturally. The very ground beneath her seemed to darken, as if her presence was corrupting the wasteland itself.
"You just don't die, do you?" Blooma's voice slithered out like a hiss, her crimson eyes flickering from Sheila to Aron, and then to the rest of the group. "Even after all that, you're still breathing... pathetic."
Sheila didn't flinch. "Takes more than your twisted mind games to kill me."
Blooma's smile faltered for a second, a flash of irritation crossing her face - but she quickly masked it.
Then, her gaze drifted to Tim and Rei.
"And you two..." she sneered. "The Celestic brats who ruined my fun twice now."
Tim stepped forward, unsheathing his weapon - the Solar Saber.
"You bet we did," Tim said, his voice steady but burning with resolve. "And we'll ruin it again."
Rei followed, her Lunar Crescent Hatchets materializing in her hands.
"You can try your illusions or your mind games," Rei added coldly, "but we'll cut through them - just like before."
Blooma chuckled softly - a slow, menacing laugh.
"Oh... but I'm done playing games."
The air cracked around her, shadows expanding from her feet like inky tendrils.
"No more illusions. No more tricks." Her voice was calm but filled with unrelenting malice. "I'm going to kill you all - starting with the weakest link."
She suddenly turned to Aron.
"After all..." Blooma grinned wickedly, "he's the easy prey."
Before anyone could react - a black whip of dark energy lashed out towards Aron!
Sheila darted in front of him.
CLASH!
Her twin-sabers met Blooma's dark energy whip, the impact creating a shockwave that blasted dust and debris into the air.
"You'll have to go through me first," Sheila growled.
Aron clenched his fists, stepping back but not cowering.
Tim's eyes burned brighter. "No one's dying today."
He raised his Solar Saber high, its glow intensifying, casting a warm golden hue over the group as he transformed.
Rei's hatchets shimmered, the crescent glow interlocking with Tim's light as she transformed- a subtle spark of Celestic Resonance beginning to form between them.
"Tim..." Rei whispered.
"I know."
They stood side by side - the Sun and Moon - ready to face Blooma head-on.
Jeromy, Jim, and Gravik took their positions behind, prepared to strike or support at a moment's notice.
Blooma's smile curled even wider.
"Good..." she whispered. "Let's see if your light can outshine the darkness."
The battle started as a Solar Saber Slash and Lunar Crescent Storm was blocked by Blooma's tendrils.
After a few moments...
The sky darkened as Blooma's aura expanded - like a living shadow - warping the very air around them. The ground quaked beneath their feet, but none of them backed down.
Tim charged, his Solar Saber burning like a streak of fire as he slashed downward - but Blooma sidestepped with fluid ease, a ripple of dark mist following her motion.
Before Tim could recover, Rei appeared from the side, spinning like a storm with her Lunar Crescent Hatchets slicing through the air. One of her blades grazed Blooma's arm, a faint spark of blue light erupting from the contact.
"Not fast enough." Blooma's voice was a whisper - then a lash of dark tendrils whipped out, striking both Tim and Rei and sending them crashing backward into the dusty ground.
"Damn it!" Tim gritted his teeth, rolling to his feet. "She's faster than before."
Rei dusted off her Lunar armour. "And she's just getting started."
Without hesitation, Jim lunged forward transforming into Grey Warrior- his Solun Lance crackling with a silver glow - hurling himself at Blooma.
"SOLAR-LUNAR EXPLOSION!" he roared, thrusting the lance forward with a beam of combined energy.
Blooma narrowly dodged the full force of the attack, but the blast grazed her shoulder - a rare flicker of pain crossing her face.
"Annoying..." Blooma hissed.
As Tim and Rei struggled to recover, Jeromy leaped between them - his plasma whip crackling to life.
"I've got you both."
Blooma's tendrils shot toward them again - but Jeromy's whip snapped through the air, crackling with blue plasma - intercepting each tendril and disintegrating them before they could land a hit.
"She's trying to pick us off when we're down," Jeromy said, his muscles tensing. "Stay on your feet!"
Tim and Rei nodded, getting back into position as Jim circled around, preparing for his next strike.
The battle was relentless.
Each time Tim's Solar Saber clashed with Blooma's dark mist, a flash of white and black illuminated the wasteland.
Rei's hatchets danced through the air - slicing at Blooma's form, landing occasional hits that left brief trails of black against the dark.
Jim attacked whenever they faltered - using his Solun Lance to keep Blooma from exploiting their moments of weakness.
Jeromy stayed close - his plasma whip snapping at incoming attacks, his body acting as a shield when Tim or Rei were forced back.
Gravik, though clearly outmatched in power, continued to transfer his energy - helping them recover from exhaustion whenever the battle dragged on.
But Blooma... she wasn't going down.
Her speed. Her precision. The relentless power of her dark magic.
She was like a shadow - untouchable, always striking from the weakest angle, always one step ahead.
Tim panted, his Solar Saber's glow flickering slightly as he caught his breath.
"We've landed hits..." Rei muttered, "but why does it feel like we're not making progress?"
Jim gritted his teeth. "She's... too strong."
Blooma simply stood there, her dark aura rippling like a black flame - untouched, unyielding, unbothered.
"You really thought you stood a chance?" she sneered.
Her crimson eyes glowed brighter - and the ground beneath their feet cracked open, a surge of dark energy erupting.
The battle was far from over.