*DAY 2*

  Majin's team was slowly getting closer to the border and getting through the gigantic desert filled with various poisonous, huge, and armored creatures all intent on attacking their truck. They rarely saw any signs of other Champions in this vast desert and spent most of their time killing any monsters who attempted to eat them, chatting and joking around, or sitting in silence. It wouldn't be long until they reached the Great Sphinx and went to the second part of this fun race.

  Pliff was currently driving with her feet on the wheels and hands behind her head.

"What kind of lives did you guys have before meeting your sponsors?" Pliff asked in a bored manner.

"Shut up already…" Clara complained.

"I was a cheerleader!" Pliff continued.

"I was an average nerd." Majin added from atop the roof.

"No way you were just some ordinary nerd!" Pliff shouted.

"Yep. Yep. I was just on my way to school before I met my sponsor. Not very popular but not ignored either. I got good grades and didn't do much else but watch anime, read mangas, and read comic books." Majin revealed.

"Were you skilled at anything?" Buddy asked.

"Playing games!" Majin said before bursting into laughter along with Pliff and getting a slight chuckle from Clara.

'My life before meeting my sponsor was a living hell… I was bullied. Ostracized by my classmates and family.. The only comfort I could find in my old world was through books and cartoons. I'm glad I left behind such a terrible life…' Ren thought to himself.

"I used to be on the Student Disciplinary Committee and was in the archery club." Buddy shared.

"No wonder you're an elf! Elves are all about rules and archery." Pliff exclaimed as if a lightbulb just appeared above her head.

"I don't agree with that reasoning but.. whatever."

"I used to be part of a gang during school. We went around jacking money from kids at our school, fighting with other gangs, and other stuff." Sasha said, also getting in the mood to share about her past.

"I'm not surprised." Clara said in a deadpan voice.

"Yeah fuck you too princess."

"Speaking of princesses…. Didn't you say you used to be an Ojou-sama Clara?" Pliff said as if reminded of a previous conversation.

  Clara's face slightly reddens as she looks at Pliff angrily. Everyone begins waiting on her to tell them about it. She sighs heavily before speaking.

"Yeah I used to be part of the high-class society.. My family was very wealthy and yes I was treated like a frail princess who needed her every whim and need accomplished by a servant."

"Wow. Looking at you now, I could never tell. You look more like a troublemaker than a princess." Melvin innocently remarks before being whipped on the backside by a wind spell.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"AH! WHAT DID I DO WRONG!?"

"Haha Melvin. Gotta be careful around the princess. She has a temper ya know." Pliff joked before being hit upside the head with a spell as well.

  This attack caused Pliff to lose concentration and the truck began swerving before almost nearly flipping over and crashing into the sandy desert but Melvin managed to control the toy truck and had it stabilize itself as they came to a stop.

"Hahahaha whoa that was close." Pliff laughed.

"Clara… Let's try to hide our embarrassment in more peaceful ways during the drive." Majin suggested.

  Clara's face blushed and she nodded.

"Sorry.."

The team continued on their way through the desert and eventually saw the gigantic beast they've been waiting for.

"We're almost out of the desert now." Majin said.

"What should we do…?" Ren asked.

"Only Ren and Buddy stand a chance of winning. Sasha could take it on with some help from Melvin, but that's only if he's taking in my mana."

  Majin's team eventually made it in front of the Great Sphinx and it stared at them with the gaze of a superior being. Majin stared back at the creature with a lazy look in her eyes before suddenly hardening her gaze.

*WHOOSH*

  Its tail smashed the sandy ground and caused a large explosion of sand to erupt. It looked at Majin with the look of scared prey trying to intimidate a larger predator.

*LOW GROWL*

  Majin smirked as her mana continually flowed out of her and frightened the large monster even more before it suddenly smacked its paw down at the truck in fear to get rid of the scary human. Majin fired a pink energy blast in the shape of a sphere upward in response.

*KABOOOOOOOM*

  The innocently glowing pink ball exploded with the force of a hundred spells and knocked the Great Sphinx onto its back.

"Take that ya dumb kitty. Trying to get in the way of our team is only begging for a beating!" Pliff exclaimed.

  Majin flew over to the injured creature and floated above its head with a smile.

"The woman face is kind of ugly but it's the type of ugly that's also kind of cute when added with a lion's body.. You can become one of my pets." Majin said as she forced her signature branding atop the creature's forehead and forced it submit under her will as her humble minion.

  Soon after the Majin was riding on top of the giant Sphinx whose prideful face was now marked with a pink M across its forehead as the rest of her team also hopped on board and abandoned the toy truck.

"Hehehe. Now this will get us going. Full speed ahead Tina!" Majin ordered her new pet Sphinx.

"Yes Master." Tina, the sphinx, responded back before breaking off into a full sprint.

  The gang however wasn't quite ready for the intense burst of speed and power released by Tina at the moment were all nearly blown off of her back instantly. Thankfully Majin stretched her arm out and attached everyone onto Tina's back with a type of sticky goo.

"Please give us a warning next time." Buddy asked.

"Please kill me now…." Sasha said while looking like she just got put through a roller coaster.

"Ahahahaahahah! That was fun!" Pliff said with her hair a mess and clothes all over the place.

"That was the scariest experience I've ever had in my life…." Melvin said while shivering.

'How fucking annoying….' Ren spat internally while shaking slightly.

"Haha sorry guys!" Majin said while rubbing her head embarrassed.

  The group passed over into the snowy wonderland in no time at all and witnessed the change in environment. The snow that would normally be falling down gently and beautifully was now waging war against Majin's group by pelting them with snow. Because of Tina's incredibly fast running, some members of the team were about to be frozen into ice cubes and couldn't even enjoy the beautiful scenery. The furry cute snow bunnies hopping about. The families of snow monsters playing around. The mother polar bear feeding her cubs.

  All of this was missed as Majin protected her teammates with a mana shield that protected them from mother nature.

"We'll be finished with this race in no time with little Tina here! Hehe this is so easy." Pliff stated just as a mound of snow began piling up to heights that matched evenly with Tina.

"Sphinx! You should know better than to intrude on another's territory!" The giant mound of snow bellowed before creating an evil looking snowman face, fitted with jagged teeth and downward slanted eyes.

"Hmph. I'm no longer bound by such rules. With my new master, I've reached heights I never knew was possible at my age. I'm sure I can even take Him on and defeat him now.." Tina replied.

"The gods won't forgive such betrayal nor will He!"

"The gods will no longer rule over me! Now die you fool." Tina said as she extended her claws and swiped forward towards the snowman guardian.