Although Jessica was quite quick, the Dino heavy blow finally managed to hit her and she was sent flying. Sooyoung, having enough of waiting of the sidelines (because Jessica told her to), smirked and caught Jessica mid-air.

“Told ya you’ll need my destructive power,” she said cockily as she put Jessica on the ground gently. Jessica coughed and smirked. “Let see what’cha got, shikshin!”

Sooyoung grinned and helped Jessica to her feet and then they saw Yoona was sent flying because of the fist. Yoona, having spotted them, quickly recovered and ran to their place. “What’s the plan? He’s definitely stronger than us.”

“A lot stronger than us three.” Jessica corrected in irritation. Still, she felt excited to have a powerful opponent to battle.

“The torso has the weakest barrier,” Sooyoung said calmly. “Focusing your roar, my celestial blast and Yoona’s whatever type of blast will definitely bring him down, or at least break the barrier.”

“Hm, Interesting.” Jessica muttered as the dino faced them. “Let’s take that strategy, Shikshin.”

“With pleasure.” Sooyoung said and positioned herself.

“ICE DRAGON’S ROAR!”

“CELESTIAL BLAST!”

“COPYCAT: CELESTIAL BLAST!”

The three attack fused together before their arms and together they shouted, “UNISON RAID: ICE DRAGON FREEZING CELESTIAL BLAST!”

“WHAT?” The man screamed in terror as the blast hit his dino with full force, boring a large hole on its torso. The dino fell down, but soon it was able to regain its composure almost in instant.

“Healing.” The man smirked, pressing a green button. The three’s eyes became wide as the steel dino began to repaired itself completely.

“Seemed you were wrong!” Yoona squeaked and jumped away with the two, before a blast sent from the dino blew their head off. “I was never a good thinker since the start!” Sooyoung defensively said, once again jumping to avoid a blast.

“He’s far too strong!” Jessica grunted. “We need help, and those peons think it’s just an earthquake!” Yoona and Sooyoung agreed. People were actually adapted on jumping to conclusions, these days.

“You think gits like you would stand a chance against me?!” The man scoffed. “I am Fengxian! The strongest Steel Warrior on Earthland, fools!”

“He sounds like a savage.” Jessica raised an eyebrow and barely avoided the swinging steel tail of dino.

Perhaps her comment wasn’t necessary at all.

In the end, the three were exhausted.

Fengxian sought their blood, and he wasn’t even tired on pressing the buttons to attack them relentlessly. Sooyoung did suggest on attacking the head, but they couldn’t even deliver a weak attack to Fengxian.

“Damn it!” Sooyoung and Jessica accidentally shout, causing Yoona to widen her eyes. Apparently, only Sooyoung was the only one who noticed this. “Wait! Yoong! Don’t tell mum I just-” Sooyoung kicked Yoona before the tail could pummelled through her, ultimately saving her from instant death. But Yoona, was a kid who never acquainted with ‘debt’ and thus said, “I still will!”

“Why are you-“

“Lunatic Woe: Midnight Futility.”

It was the second after the three noticed the loud but calm cry, and a whirling mix of blood red and black cyclone hollered to the dino, boring large hole to its torso once again, but with what to seem as dark coloured markings along its body. A second after, the dino vanished, leaving the man on the sky, and fell down to his death.

His body hit the ground with sickening crunch, and the three had to turn their head away from the twisted corpse. They had noticed where the attack came from, and spotted a cloaked figure at distance. Jessica wasn’t sure, but the figure was most probably a girl, despite the cloak draping loose on her shoulder.

The stranger turned her back, and disappeared.

The three grinned at each other, highfiving and raised a victory cry. The victory was probably for the stranger, but the Trio had successfully defended the crystal, nonetheless. Plus, the crystal was definitely important to Jessica.

They didn’t hurry to return to the parking lot, as Jessica insisted that they should stay a bit while longer. The two didn’t object the idea, as they knew how much dear Taeyeon and Hyoyeon meant to her. They too, frankly speaking, are childhood friends with a very strong bond.

Left with no conversation (as Jessica was still busy studying her crystal friends), Sooyoung decided to talk about their recent battle. “Phew, I think we need to train then? Steel Warriors are actually the weakest of Warriors clan… But we barely escaped death.” Sooyoung rhetorically said, emphasizing the word weakest and death. Yoona only shrugged, while Jessica grinned, though unseen by them. “But yet he’s strongest than three of us.” Jessica muttered. “We just overpowered him for what, two seconds and he nearly blew our head off the second after.”

“Speaking of strong,” Sooyoung glanced to where the stranger formerly stand. “Who is he?”

“It’s a she,” Jessica corrected, her eyes still not leaving the crystal. “Her body is quite feminine so yes.”

“True,” Yoona chided, smirking smugly to Sooyoung. “I’m sure you’re the nearest to her, am I right or I am right?”

Sooyoung rolled her eyes. “You do know my eyes are a pair of problems.” Yoona smiled and helped Sooyoung to get up with a grunt. “Yeah of course I know. I’m just teasing you.”

Sooyoung just snorted. “We’ve been comrades since what, three? And you still teasing me with the same topic.” Yoona grinned sheepishly. She knew she wasn’t creative, but aside her eye problem, they basically are the same. Tall, love to eat, beautiful, and prodigious on acting… nice.

Jessica’s ears perked up at the mention of ‘comrades’. She carefully placed her hand to the green crystal, caressing it softly. Slowly she began to spoke in a strange language, “I have purify your soul. I have granted your wish. Awake, children of earth. You are pure. You are needed. You are free!”

Then, the three squinted their eyes shut as rays of blinding light came from the crystal. Jessica readjusted her focus, noticing the crystal was no more and what she touched before is a normal trunk of a tree. Slowly she looked above, to the large branch. Sitting there were two figure. One with peculiar long tail and one with long blonde hair.

“That’s a long sleep,” the owner of the long tail said. The figure with blonde hair agreed with a nod. “Indeed it is, Taeng.” The two figure jumped from the branch, landing two feet from Jessica, their back still facing the dragon slayer.

“Tae... Hyo…” Jessica held back her tears.

“Long time no see, Princess.” The two grinned, turning their back, and staring warmly at their old friend.

It had been two weeks since Taeyeon and Hyoyeon de-crystallized and Jessica never leave them alone. Hyoyeon and Taeyeon never told them how it feels to be a crystal, but after a few persistent request, Hyoyeon and Taeyeon decided to tell them. Hyoyeon was the one who told them while Taeyeon only nodding here and then. “We live but not at the same time. Kind of feel like we’re sleeping… but awake? We know some people worship us like we’re God or something. And every once a year we’re cleaned by someone… I don’t know, she introduced herself as Miyoung. Strange, it’s as if she knows we could hear her.”

“What’s she like?” Jessica asked curiously. Out of the three, she was the one who has been listening most intently. Teto who was writing something wasn’t counted, but the kids were sure she was actually listening to the elves’ stories.

“She’s wearing a cloak.” Taeyeon interrupted. “Pink, red, purple, black, white, cream, then goes back to pink. It’s started recently, actually. About 10 years ago…”

“Yeah,” Hyoyeon nodded, proving her point. “The first time she came, she’s just a baby.”

“Baby could talk?” Yoona stared at them, looking them incredulously. Hyoyeon shook her head. “No. It’s when she first came here with her parents. 3 years old I think. I remember her parents said to her she should take care of us since they won’t be around much longer. The father is old and the mother is always looked pale and sickly. They’re our keeper, actually.” When Taeyeon finished explaining, all of them looked sad. “So five years later, she introduced herself and started to take care of us. Kind of like that.”

"She wears cloak since baby?"

"Yep." Taeyeon nodded. "Strange, right? Her parents too, so we've never actually seen their face."

“Aiight...” Sooyoung commented lamely, earning a quick stare from Jessica. “What?”

“Nothing.” Jessica growled her answer. “Don’t use present time’s language, imbecile! You do know we’re old!”

“But we’re in present time!” Sooyoung argued. “God you’re like my great grandma whenever I said something like ‘my bad’ or ‘talk to the hand’! Seriously, this is 90’s!”

“Actually your knowledge about slangs or something like that is rather… revolting.” Taeyeon quipped. “I heard every teenagers who visits us always use that, mind you. That’s why we’re actually… more intelligent than Princess and you all.” Taeyeon barely dodges a flying plastic teacup.

“The fact that you barely reach seven yourself but already using slangs is…” Hyoyeon stopped as Teto gave her a warning glare. It’s enough to have only one know-it-all (that is Soojin) in the house, Teto doesn’t need two or three.

“So about getting stronger…” Jessica gave them each an unreadable look. “…who’s our mentor?”

“We could train ourselves…?” Yoona suggested, but actually she knew training alone would be futile. So the idea was rejected.

A moment of silence… aside of Jessica's loud sipping of tea. Currently, she had her 24th tea right now. 

“I have a friend that excel on magic,” Teto said suddenly. All of the kids’ eyes turned to her, and gave her a knowing look. “I know she’s listening this whole time!” Yoona exclaimed, showing a playful horrid expression. Sooyoung copied her expression, as well as Jessica. “Why that’s creepy!”

Teto just ignored the three and turned to interested Hyoyeon and Taeyeon. “He’s a dragon mage. You sure?” They all nodded. Or more like Yoona and Sooyoung nodding because the other three never knew what’s a dragon mage is and only nod because the knowledgeable two nodded. It’s an acceptable excuse, actually.

Teto chuckled and got up. “Then I’ll go make a call.”

The kids grinned and Jessica stood up once again to make another glass of iced tea. The speed of the four securing those teas were nothing sort of miraculous.