-Temple-

The masked man perked up as two doors manifested before him. Once the door opened, rats emerged. Each glowing with desire energy. He perked up at two of his rats holding something of each. One looked like a piece of glass, and the other a yellow chalice.

"What do we have here?" He picked up the glass piece. "Hmm, something is odd about this." He noticed his reflection had pure black eyes. He scowled. "Not acceptable. Where was this?"

The rat squeaked in response.

"Giant clock? Hmm" He contemplated for a moment before handing it back to the rat. He poked its head, sending mana into it. "Give it to the man I set free. My message will do the rest."

The rat nodded before leaving through the door. The man glanced at the yellow chalice in his hand. "Hmm." He watched as the chalice glowed softly. Immediately, he turned to the door. "Will you take this?"

The door rumbled, and the chalice levitated from him as it glowed softly. Small particles floated from the object inch by inch while the rats raised their tails as they released their supply of desires to the large door.

Tina watched with worry while ignoring the illusion beside her, then looked at the feather in her hand. A sigh came out while thinking about the others, not to mention the cringe and ache at hearing the illusion speaking to her every few minutes. Her eyes narrowed while tears formed as the illusion asked her about her day. She ignored it while rubbing her eyes. "They will stop you."

"They are children. Why they got such power is wrong." He faced her. "Was that what they wanted?"

"The power came to them. They took it for different reasons. One of them was to protect those close to them."

"Hn, if they can get past the guard at the entrance, then they have to fight another guardian under my control. Even if they do make it to me." He scowled. "I'll get this wretched door open by then." He growled. "If not... you will act as a living shield."

She sniffed. "Un huh, they will find a way."

"That's no way to talk." said the illusion.

"Shut up." The girl faced the illusion yet regretted the action. She turned away with a whimper.

"Hn." The masked man scoffed. "Soon you will understand, child."

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-Outside the Temple-

After running down the slope for what seemed like a long time, the group emerged from the tunnel and into a large, open, rocky area. Standing before them was a bronze stone temple.

"The Temple of Desires." spoke Lumina. "Do you all feel it?"

"You mean a weird energy or mana or whatever?" Bolt nodded. "Yep, and I have to say this a nice place for a showdown for the Musical Menace of Malice Desires."

The group proceeded to approach the temple. While the Radiant focused on the temple, the canokian, felt something was watching them and felt no mana was being felt other than themselves or the temple. She smirked as her posture slightly changed while placing her hands in her pockets where a small kunai was placed in her left pocket while hiding her other hand where she was slowly forming the energy to summon her weapon.

"Right here is where we tried to chase after him, but his feral beast attacked first." the plant girl sighed. "Jin reacted too late and was knocked out. The force from taking the hit knocked him into us, and we were sent into a boulder."

"Idiot probably thought taking out Jin was enough." The rock boy growled. "Thought we were not worth it."

"But you are here again to defy the fiend." said the ice girl with her arms crossed. "Coming back might damage its pride."

"Hm." the wind boy nodded. "I would call it a punk; I thought it was hot stuff. It forgot to check the bodies before feeling satisfied."

"Always check the bodies." said the canokian. "Don't want someone to rise up a moment later for a sneak attack."

The group stood at the entrance of the closed door that had an emblem of a half-moon.

"Okay." the water girl spoke. "So a strong desire opens the door right?"

"Whose desire is stronger?" asked the light girl. "Maybe we should all focus on the same thing."

Geo grimaced. "A strong desire is needed. The Masked Piper had plenty of that. Whether it was from what he acquired or his own is the question."

Blaze walked forward. "Then let it take my desire." He marched toward the door with a hard glare.

"Uh," The lightning boy raised his hand. "Dude?"

Ignoring him, the Radiant of Fire stopped in front of the door and pointed his fist at the door. "Temple of Desire, recognize my desire! Show me the entrance."

Everyone stood silent while waiting for the door to open. A few moments later, it refused to open. Blaze grimaced. "So... that's not strong enough."

"Did you have to say it like that?" asked the water warrior.

"We're on the clock; maybe we should all punch it at the same time." said the wind warrior

Lumina marched forward to the fire warrior's side. "Perhaps if we all have the same desire."

Ivy shrugged. "Couldn't hurt."

The rock warrior nodded. "Saving your sister and defeating the Masked Piper."

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

The group nodded, then approached the fire and light warriors from behind. They honed their desires at the forefront, hoping the temple would respond.

After a moment, the door reacted and opened by lowering to the floor. The group smiled as the door fully opened.

"We did it." cheered Aqua

Her instincts were active. Reinstar swiftly whirled around while taking out her kunai and forming her weapon.

"CLANG!"

The group quickly turned around at the sound of the metal clashing. Their eyes widened at the canokian with a katana in her hand, blocking a red bipedal fox-like beast equipped with a halberd.

The fox's eyes widened in shock before narrowing them. It jumped back while twirling its halberd. As it landed, the beast aimed the weapon at them. "Intruders."

"It can talk?" gasped the wind warrior.

The terra warrior growled. "Who cares? This is the thing that tried to kill us."

"It looks like a fox." softly spoke the ice warrior.

"Fennec." growled the beast. "New Master... freed me."

"New master, huh?" Reinstar smirked. "I guess you owe a debt."

"Kill... intruders if... come back."

"I respect your commitment, but you did try to kill a friend. Radiant." She readied herself. "Go on, I need to test myself."

The beast roared before blitzing toward the teens before they could react. Fortunately, the shinobi quickly blocked its path.

"Come on!" shouted Geo. "Lingering here is a waste of time."

The eight Radiant ran inside as their mentor faced the Fennec fiend in a clash of speed. Smiling at the children disappearing, the shinobi ducked under from having her head cut off. She moved away while tossing her kunai. The beast dodged, then rushed at her again to pierce her. Reinstar's eyes lowered as she leaped over the thrust, then went in for a cut. However, the beast bent backward to evade then punched her in the gut. The shinobi gagged before recovering, then grabbed the arm before kicking the fiend in the face. The fennec smacked her away in retaliation.

The shinobi landed twenty feet from the beast in a battle stance. The fox beast grunted as it eyed the canokian.

"Name."

"Heh," Reinstar smirked. "Reinstar Windfall," She raised her blade. "You?"

"Swift

"Well... Swift, you do know what is going to happen. One of us has to die, and I rather it not be me."

"You... strong, but... my speed superior."

"We'll see." She smirked, but inwardly thought differently. "As much as I want to test myself, I have to assume I will tire quicker than him." She pulled out another kunai. "Time to get started." She quickly threw it, only for the beast to block the tool before blitzing toward her. She dodged while swiping at the beast, then leaped over and quickly kicked her in the face. She grunted as she skidded back while rubbing her face. She ducked under the blade while it cut a few strands of her hair. The shinobi slammed her foot into the chest of the beast, then swiped her sword, managing to draw blood as it moved away.

The member of Guardian reached into her pouch, jumping away as it tried to cut her head. She released smoke pellets that, upon contact, covered a 20-foot radius. She quickly jumped away and hid behind one of the large rocks.

"I think it might be getting faster." She breathed out. "Then I will have to reveal the reason for my alias." A soft violet glow covered her eyes. "Speed is only one aspect of me."

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-Temple-

Stepping into the temple was met with resistance from the Piper's rats. The rock warrior slammed his fist onto the ground, unleashing his Quake Fist adroit. Once the rats lost balance, the ice warrior froze the creatures with her Frozen Wave adroit. After that, the group ran past the frozen fiends.

"We did well together." the ice girl winked at him.

"Hn," he grunted. "They weren't dexterous enough, but yes, we did well."

"Honestly, the Rat Pack reminds me of the lethal lagomorphs." said the lightning warrior. "Despite bunnies lacking defense stats and no gimmick."

"They were hungry and angry." said the light warrior. "Everything about them reminded me of animals with rabies. Glad we never saw them again."

"I hate rats." scowled the water girl. "Punching them makes me feel better."

"Glad they are not spiders." snorted the wind warrior. "That's a nightmare."

"Just tiny little arachnids." the Scottish flower spoke. "Nothing to worry about unless poisonous."

"Stop."

"Tell me." Blaze growled. "Is there anything else about this temple?"

"Only what's in the texts." said Geo. "Talks about the chamber at the end of with a door that leads to a place of desire... or something."

"Something?"

"Maybe it's me, but I feel he is accessing something too foreign for him. What if there is something more dangerous behind that door than a place that gives or desires."

"Then we stop it."

The group left the corridor and ended up in a large room with eight stone pillars leading to the ceiling. The group began to walk cautiously through the large room.

"I think we're being watched." said Aero.

"So a midboss." smirked Bolt. "What are we facing?"

"Or maybe there is no midboss and we can reach the end with no problem?" said Lumina.

"Maybe not." Ivy pointed to a nearby pillar. "Perhaps that can tell us."

Lying nearby was a skeleton with a broken, rusted sword.

"I swear if it comes alive, I'm screaming as I freeze it." shivered the ice girl. "And break it."

"Not before I purify it with a kick." frowned the light girl

"Who cares." Blaze walked away. "We don't have time to gawk or make ridiculous puns, no Ryu."

"Ah." the yellow spiky covered his mouth. "Alright."

"You are right." said Aqua. "No distractions, let's go."

Before they could take another step, a large hand burst through the floor, making the group jump away in response. Emerging from the floor was an 18-foot-tall scarab beetle beast armed with two maces. It roared out once it fully emerged. It slammed the weapons on the ground, then looked at the group with interest. It fluttered its wings for a second before roaring again.

"Ohhh!" The plant girl was awed by the monster. "A scarab, fascinating."

"It is, but this thing is in the way." shouted the water girl.

"Should we tackle it all together?" asked the wind boy.

"Wait, do you all feel a rising presence?" shouted the light girl.

The group instantly turned their attention to the exit at the end of the hallway.

"Damn, it feels like something is coming." growled Geo. "We need to split up."

"Then we split up." said Frost as she stared at Blaze. "Geo and Ivy are obvious to fight the Piper, but you have to join them, Blaze."

The fire warrior grimaced. "Are you sure?"

"Come on dude," Bolt grinned at the beetle. "Trust us, we can take down the big battle beetle in no time and join the showdown."

"Go beat up that jerk and save Tina." Lumina smiled at him.

"This thing is not slowing us down." Aqua nodded.

"Get going." Aero made the wind flow around his hands.

The Radiant of fire nodded, then turned to Radiant of terra and flora. After exchanging nods, they raced to the end of the room. The beetle hissed while spreading its wings to charge after them. It then received a hit to the face by the light warrior's Bright Shot. The beetle roared out as it fell to the ground. It got up while hissing at the five Radiant.

Blaze stopped when he entered through the doorway. He looked at the others about to engage the beast. He was worried, but he had to trust them. There are going to be times when they would split up to deal with obstacles.

"Come on!" shouted the terra warrior

Blaze turned to the duo who stood before him. He nodded.

"Right.

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The young girl watched in horror as the door slowly began to open. The Masked Piper chuckled lightly as a smile marred his face. He gazed at her with a satisfied look.

"Finally." He marched over to the girl. "Join me."

"No." She backed away, but the man grabbed her wrist and forcefully dragged her to the room. "Let go."

"As I said before, I may need a living shield. Come."

She kicked him in the shin, causing him to cry in pain. She ran away, but the rats blocked her path. The illusion of her father grabbed her and turned her around to face the frowning Piper. He slowly raised his hand to indicate he was about to strike her. The girl flinched while closing her eyes. He kept his arm raised for a few seconds before lowering his arm. "Tsk, stay here with this illusion. I have no need for you."

Tina relaxed slightly, happy not to be hit. However, her happiness fell while watching the man walk toward the rising door. She whispered, hoping they would get here in time.

"Hurry, Radiant."