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In a flashback to before the Merge, Arin is practicing Spinjitzu when he is menaced by a pair of bullies. However, he is unexpectedly saved by a young Serpentine boy, who introduces himself to Arin afterwards as Frak. Frak turns out to also be a fan of the Ninja and even expresses the hope of one day gaining an Elemental Power. In the present, the two find themselves unexpectedly reunited in the City of Temples, with Frak saving Arin and Riyu from the Temple Guards by declaring them his guests. Frak further reveals that he is now the Elemental Master of Quake, having obtained his powers after the Merge.
As the two are catching up, Arin's fellow Ninja arrive on the scene and are soon introduced to Arin's old friend. However, Frak's master then sends him a message summoning him to training, and the two part ways. Lloyd then introduces Arin to Roby and Bleckt, who lead the Ninja on a tour of the city. As they proceed, Roby mocks Bleckt for his adherence to tradition, much to the older man's annoyance. Wyldfyre in particular seems to find Roby's approach enjoyable, even as Roby dismisses the tale of the Source Dragons represented by a mural of a seven-headed dragon.
Roby explains that in the Tournament of Sources, Elemental Masters compete, with the winners of matches gaining their defeated opponents' powers until the victor of the tournament possesses them all. Then, in the concluding ceremony of the tournament, all powers are returned to their rightful owners. The Ninja are somewhat skeptical of this system, fearing that an unsavory individual could potentially gain immense power, but Roby assures them that the power-transferring Tournament Cup acts as a built-in safety. As he finishes, Lloyd and Arin are greeted by another old friend: Zant-Tanz of the Mucoids, who has recently discovered that he is an Elemental Master with power over plants.
That night, the Ninja are invited to a banquet with the other competitors, including their old allies Tox and Mr. Pale. However, Sora is shocked when Jordana also appears at the banquet, asking for her help before and acting strangely before seemingly regaining her composure. Cinder and Nokt also appear, and Wyldfyre is about to attack them when Roby and the Temple Guards interrupt. Roby explains that fighting outside the tournament rounds isn't allowed and will lead to disqualification.
Lloyd, while perusing the buffet, spots a being whom he recognizes as a Devonian, but the other Elemental Master isn't communicative. The same cannot be said for Lord Ras, whom Lloyd encounters immediately after. Roby then interrupts the diners with a speech, only to be interrupted by another newcomer who appears to be none other than Empress Beatrix. However, it is actually her twin sister Zeatrix, Elemental Master of Shockwave, who has no love for the Ninja after they robbed her of the chance to take revenge upon her sister.
Zeatrix is angry because she not only has yet to be assigned quarters but wasn't invited to the welcome banquet. She claims that this is because it is believed she will triumph over the other Elemental Masters; however, none of them seem to share this view. Ras takes the opportunity to note that Zeatrix was defeated by her sister; aghast, Zeatrix questions his presence given his lack of an Elemental Power, only for Ras to explain that he has Elemental Masters in his service. Fully aware of Ras' role in the death of her father, Zeatrix warns the lord that he will meet a similar fate.
The Ninja discuss Zeatrix's presence afterwards, with Lloyd wondering if it was her, and not Beatrix, that he's been seeing in his visions. Both Zeatrix and Ras are discussed as suspects in the murder of the dragon leaders, with Wyldfyre also putting Bleckt forward as a candidate...based mostly on dislike of how he acts towards his nephew. The Ninja settle down for the night, but a mysterious assassin breaks into their room during the night and goes after Lloyd. The attempt fails when Riyu rouses the group, but the Ninja are soon following their mysterious assailant across the rooftops of the city.
Formidable though the villain proves, Lloyd is able to overcome them, though not without waking many of the city's denizens. The assassin proves to be a robot, now badly damaged by Lloyd's attack, but before Lloyd can accuse Ras of having sent it, the lord from the Wyldness tosses a second robot atop the first claiming that it attacked him. A third is then thrown onto the pile by the Devonian Lloyd tried to speak to earlier; all three are too badly damaged for their memories to be examined. However, Tox is able to identify the poisonous weapon used by Lloyd's would-be killer as a thorn from a plant found only in the Mother Garden, which throws suspicion on Zant-Tanz.
Lloyd vouches for Zant-Tanz, but Ras and others demand that he be removed from the tournament. Zant-Tanz submits to this demand in order to keep the peace but warns the others that the true culprit remains among them. Then, as the crowd drawn by the disturbances disperses, Nya thinks she spots Jay among them. However, no one answers her calls, and the stranger disappears among the various Elemental Masters and their companions.
