That night, Yiernoshi headed for school. It felt kind of weird, really, walking to school at night.

Waiting for her at the gates were Christine, Victoria, Jeanine, and Se Ern.

"Hey guys! Sorry for being late!"

"It's okay! Besides, some people have yet to show up. Take the mist person, for example."

Victoria frowned thoughtfully.

"It's really quiet...is the school really the right place?"

"Yeah, are they even here yet?"

"They're already standing by."

The six of them (Sam included) looked up at the cold voice.

"Hey! It's those judges!"

"Upon a strict conference, the battle cards for the scramble battle have been decided for tonight. The first match is..."

Below, Yiernoshi and the others waited nervously, wondering who would have to fight first.

"The battle between the Guardians of the Sun."
-----
"The Guardians of the Sun...that means..."

"VOOOOI! I'll beat you to a pulp, trash!"

That's right. Chip was fighting Se Ern today.

The judges indicated a ring set up in the courtyard.

"Today's battle will take place within this ring. Your job is to retrieve the other half of the ring, and join the two halves together to make a whole. There is no time limit."

"The two competitors will step forward and enter the ring. All others should proceed to the special viewing area we have set up."

The judges indicated two glass box-like areas on opposite ends of the courtyard.

Se Ern stretched.

"Well, I guess I'll get going! Seeya!"

"Good luck!"

"Beat her up!"

"The battle for the Ring of Sun: Se Ern vs Chip. Let the battle begin!"
-----
Chip stepped into the ring, tapping her bat against her leg.

"HEEEY! You listen good! I'll beat you up! It's a promise!" She shrugged off her jacket, leaving her in her black tee and shorts.

Se Ern smiled.

"You're gonna beat me up? Well, we never know till we try, right? Let's go, Meeko."

She lunged at Chip, striking out with the knife. Chip parried it easily, tripping Se Ern as she went along.

"Ha! That's pathetic!"

Se Ern raised an eyebrow.

"I'd be careful if I were you. You're too open."

"EH?"

Suddenly, something whizzed through the air, cutting Chip's side in the process. Immediately, the glowing seal appeared.

"I have other kinds of knives, you know."

"So?"

"Let's go! Meeko, hyper mode!"

Meeko meowed.

The flame burning in Meeko's ears suddenly started burning very violently. The yellow flames grew in size, until...

"They're coating Meeko's entire body!"

"Yup. This is Se Ern's new technique, HyperMeeko."

Yiernoshi turned her head.

"Rachel?!"

She nodded.

"I thought I'd come and watch my student's match."

Back in the ring, Chip stared at HyperMeeko for a moment, then started chortling.

"It doesn't matter if you increase the size of your aura! I'll slice you up no matter what!"

HyperMeeko leapt at Chip, hissing, claws bared. Chip tried to knock her away with her bat, but ended up getting a deep laceration on her side.

"YES! We did it, Meeko!"

"You did what? It's not over yet, scum!"

Chip lifted her bat-now-turned-sword and lunged at Se Ern.

"Ow!"

Se Ern lifted her arms to ward off the blow, but failed. Chip flourished her katana, delivering a frenzy of slashes to Se Ern.

Finally, she stopped after Meeko bit her on the hand.

Se Ern knelt, panting, at the edge of the ring. She was bleeding rather heavily from a deep cut on her cheek, and on her arm.

"Guess I have no choice but to use that, then."

Chip blinked.

"That?"

Se Ern removed a pencilcase seemingly out of nowhere.

In the viewing area, Rachel gasped.

"She's going to use that? I haven't even taught her how to!"

Se Ern lifted the pencilcase, and pulled the zipper.

Boom.

A cloud of thick yellow smoke appeared, obsuring Se Ern and Meeko. When it finally cleared, what they saw was totally unexpected.

It was still Se Ern in the ring, that was for sure, but she was so much taller. With her now-long hair tied at the base of her neck in a long ponytail, she looked almost...grown up?

Rachel confirmed Yiernoshi's guess.

"That is Se Ern ten years from now."

If that was not surprising enough, Meeko's transformation was more drastic.

From a cute little kitten, Meeko had transformed into a puma-like big cat, lean and graceful.

Se Ern from the future smiled.

"How nostalgic. This is the scramble battle for the Carbonara rings, yes?"

Chip snarled.

"OOOI! I don't care how big you become, I'll defeat you!"

Se Ern from the future smirked.

"Seems like there's a violent-looking ruffian yelling at me. Such a nuisance. Meeko, finish her off."

Meeko growled once, probably in agreement. She began flaming all over once again, as she charged at Chip.

"HyperMeeko!"

Chip had barely enough time to react, before Meeko had pinned her down, ripping viciously at her body, creating a pool of blood around them both.

Finally, Chip's hand released its tight grip on the sword, and her blood-covered face lolled to one side. Chip was out cold, though thankfully not dead.

With another puff of yellow smoke, future Se Ern and Meeko had disappeared, to be replaced by the present Se Ern and Meeko.

Rachel smiled.

"Perfect."

Yiernoshi looked at Rachel.

"How come the real Se Ern's back?"

"The effects of the ten-year pencilcase only lasts for five minutes. After five minutes, the present version will return."

In the ring, Se Ern bent down over Chip's unconscious body, and slid the ring off her finger. She pulled her own half off, and joined them together.

She looked at the judges.

"Is this enough?"

They nodded.

"At this moment, Chip is unable to fight. Therefore, Se Ern is the victor in the scramble battle for the Ring of Sun."

"This is the end of tonight's match. But from now on, we shall announce the next battle's participants. Tomorrow evening's battle will be..."

"...The match between the Guardians of Storm."