[center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/L4JY57Ms/Leon-Banner.jpg[/img]

[hr][b]Event:[/b] Mano e Mano - [b]Mentions:[/b] Asier [@Ti] - [b]Interacts with:[/b] Kaureerah [@Force and Fury] & Ariadne [@YummyYummy]
[hr][/center]

[hider=Before Bloodshed]
Uncharacteristic to the singer, Leon did not stand out from the crowd during Zenith Upta’s speech. This was partially due to her impassioned speech which demanded attention and because Leon didn’t wish to emit a presence. He was just another student in the crowd.

The speech put into words what the performer was already thinking. War was going to be upon the world at any moment bringing tragedy and loss with it. For all the power of the Zenos and the previous generation before them, they couldn’t stop those tides.

And yet, she urged the next generation, his generation to make a brighter future. What could make them succeed where those who stood before failed? Undoubtedly the people of the past stood here before, they listened to the same speech, and the same thoughts would be considered. Why was anyone here different?

People. If the past was subject to the same environment and conditions, it falls upon the individuals to exceed further than what came before. It would take people who are truly exceptional. They are few and far between, but the world stood upon their shoulders to change it.

[hr]

Leon as a spectator to Mano e Mano he was… he wasn’t. During a fight that didn’t involve himself, he couldn’t be seen. Among some of the more observant fans of the performer, this caused a few rumors. Was he making a protest against the Trials for the bloodshed seen in Mano e Mano? Was he sick and trying his best to recover between rounds? Was there a secret fling that the singer went to see in his off time? Who was it? What was his or her name?

The truth was that Leon wasn’t trying to make a statement, that was incidental. He simply found the games distasteful and preferred not to watch. Spectating his friends and innocent students being brutally killed for a cheering audience disgusted him. 

When finished with his matches, Leon would remark that he was tired and needed rest. Being Sunblessed certainly helped with that excuse; he did need to recharge after all. But it was all to hide his blatant aversion in case that was used against him. Only Kaureerah and Laska knew his true feelings on the matter.

He could understand that the intent was to harden the students to the reality of war. But there was nothing to be gained from bloodshed for something as pointless as this. He did not want to dull his heart to the loss of life. Even if war may force it upon him, he wanted to feel it all if he had to do it. 

There was certainly nothing they could do to make him take a life here.
[/hider]


[hider=Summary]
Leon listens to Zenith Upta's speech and considers that previous generations must have heard the same speech and failed.

Leon finds Mano e Mano distasteful and decides not to spectate any games.
[/hider]


[hr]
[hider=Pain.]
The kid couldn’t be older than sixteen. That wasn’t rare for Ersand’Enise students but Leon wasn’t exactly pleased to be matched up against someone this young. His opponent was practically trembling on the other side of the Salt Flats. The amount of fear on display made Leon uncomfortable. Just what exactly had this kid scene? Was it something his team did? Did his visage summon this much terror in the child?

Leon furrowed his brow. Singers & Saints had already won their previous matches. Even if the kid had the ability to defeat him, it would mean nothing. His team had already lost.

And yet he showed up. With nothing to gain, he still stepped onto the Salt Flats looking to achieve… pentad knows what. Or maybe he was just told to go up and he was simply following directions. Leon stood there pondering in silence. The kid wouldn’t do anything he was terrified. Too scared to engage, but too indecisive to just surrender.

Then the performer smiled. His train of thought gave him a brilliant idea. He simply turned his back on the child and walked to the edge of the arena, not stopping until he was out of bounds.

Leon looked back to the child, who had gained ground while his back was turned, then grinned. [color=fff200]“I suppose you’ve won.”[/color]

The performer turned to the crowd and bowed before promptly leaving the arena.
[/hider]


[hider=Monkey Time!]
Leon writhed on the ground, gasping for breath that was just outside his grasp. He was defenceless and incapable of controlling his movements. Pain began to encompass his body. This was the closest to death the performer had ever been.

A minute earlier…

[color=fff200]“I’m sorry I’m late.”[/color] Leon rushed past the Singers & Saints on the side lines while trying to get his shirt back on. [color=fff200]“I went for a nap and completely lost track of time.”[/color] It made for a weird hopping movement as the performer tried to make pace while getting his head through the collar. [color=fff200]“So, who are we up against?”[/color]

Leon looked back in confusion. [color=fff200]“Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that.”[/color] He looked back at the entrance to the arena. [color=fff200]“Sorry, theres no time. I have to be in there.”[/color]

In a blaze of sunlight, Leon shot himself out into the centre of the arena, The Leaning Dyke. The radiance around him eventually faded to reveal his opponent. He was confronted with the image of a monkey. Was it actually a monkey or was it a person dressed as a monkey? Leon couldn’t tell, especially with such a sudden reveal.

[color=fff200][b]“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”[/b][/color] Leon dropped to the shaky ground; right on the edge of a steep drop. He clutched his stomach which was caught in the sudden contractions of laughter.

[color=fff200][b]“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”[/b][/color] He kept laughing.

[color=fff200]“Hold on, hold on.”[/color]

[color=fff200][b]“HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”[/b][/color] And kept going…

[color=fff200]“That costume... Oh, it's golden.”[/color]

[color=fff200][b]“HAHAHAHAHAHA… HA HA…”[/b][/color]

[color=fff200]“Oh pentad, I surrender…”[/color] He was still giggling. [color=fff200]“You got me, oh no...”[/color] In the laughter, he fell off the edge. The performer was lucky that he could fly and the current focus to channel it. Then he laughed more, curled over in mid-air.

[i]Leon would later personally apologise to Monkey Time. He meant no disrespect.[/i]
[/hider]

[hider=Leon Solaire's Underwear]
[color=fff200]“You know, some people would be offended by a fan club like this. I, however, find it personally aspirational.”[/color] Leon joked to Kaureerah and Asier as he watched Laska and Talkan engaged in a relatively normal fight. This was one of the only fights he came to watch. He couldn’t help it, the curiosity about the fanatic team was killing him. [color=fff200]“I’ve seen you both performing and I think you’re both remarkable. Keep at it and I’m sure both of you can get a fan club named after your undergarments one day. There’s really no need for jealousy.”[/color]

By the time it was finally Leon’s turn to take the stage, he was practically brimming with excitement. But his opponent had not shown up yet. He waited a bit, then a while, before starting to get confused. Surely Leon Solaire’s underwear would shy away when the performer himself was ready for them.

After a short wait, someone finally entered the arena. Leon smiled, finally he would get to meet one of the team’s members. Hopefully, they sent out the biggest fan. It would be a shame if his opponent was apathetic to the moment. A man about his age came out from the shadows. Leon’s smile faded a bit as he saw that his opponent was wearing underwear over his pants. Poor fashion choice aside, Leon was still excited.

Then from the corner of his eye, Leon spotted another figure moving toward him. It was another competitor. She was one of the students who fought Talkan and Laska, but with one big difference. She too was wearing her underwear over her clothes.

Leon quickly surveyed his surroundings and his smile dropped as he realised the entire team of Leon Solaire’s underwear was approaching him from all sides with the same choice of dress. They all wore the normal clothes they had worn earlier, but their underwear was on the outside. Then they started sprinting at the performer and Leon’s eyes widened in fear. It was fitting that the fight took place in Zatera Teca. These fans were out for blood.

How could they get away with this? Leon was 70% sure that bringing your entire team to a 1v1 was against the rules. And yet, they weren’t being stopped. They officials of the tournament did not stop it. Had they been bribed off? Leon didn’t have the time to consider these questions because he was also 70% sure that he didn’t want these people reaching him.

Popping into a quick crouch, Leon channelled kinetic to shoot up into the sky. From the fights he saw, the team would have trouble catching him in the air. He would be safe there.

But only a few metres off the ground, he was hit by a kinetic tackle and flew to the ground with his attacker. He was certain that they didn’t have a strong grasp on kinetic. Was this the fifth member of the team or had they been hiding their power for this moment? Leon had no time to consider that question as he tumbled to the ground, only just being able to protect himself from the impact which could have caused serious harm. He didn’t have the extra time to consider the student who was currently on top of him. 

[color=fff200][i]‘Oh Ipte, what have I gotten myself into.’[/i][/color]

It wasn’t long until the other four students caught up to him. But none of them had thrown a hit. Aside from the tackle, there had been no attempt to harm the singer. Instead, they reached for his pants. A wrestle ensued as Leon, who would rather keep his pants on for the time being, tried keeping them up.

[color=fff200]“Oh no no no, not here.”[/color] Leon said with a chuckle, the comedy of the situation not lost in him compared to the dour mood of the bloodsport. [color=fff200]“Families might be watching, try to have some class here.”[/color] A continuous flare of light began to emit from the singer and engulfed the fight. This effectively censored any visual display from the audience, replacing it with a glowing dazzle of sunlight.

The miniature sun proceeds to roll around on the ground. The occasional leg or arm would emerge from it before quickly being engulfed in the light once more. A shoe flew out at one point, observant spectators would recall it as one of the performers.

[color=fff200]“How about instead I take you all out to dinner?”[/color] It was Leon’s voice with a strange mixture of playfulness and panic. [color=fff200]“Doesn’t that sound nice? You, uh, really don’t need to take those do you?”[/color]

The sun bounced about five meters to one side, leaving a few of the fanatics behind. But they quickly ran to rejoin the fray. It bounced again in another direction, similarly the students left behind rushed back into it.

This carried on for a while until, in unison, the five members of Leon Solaire’s underwear ran out with their trophy. Raised above their heads, their namesake was held high. They ran out of the arena calling in unison “we surrender!” The piece of clothing in question was white after all. It made for a good flag.

The blaze of luminescence central to the arena slowly faded to show the performer in a pose of having rushed to get his pants back on. He succeeded in that endeavour luckily; no nudity was shown to the audience.

The dumbfounded expression on Leon’s face was brought to a smile of elation. If pulling off a heist like that was what they desired, he was happy to oblige. Perhaps he should have expected such a thing to happen. He just wished they would have asked nicely first.

[color=fff200]“I won!”[/color] He announced to the crowd practically beaming while he took a bow. No temporal anchors were used, no blood was spilt, and Leon Solaire’s Underwear got what they wanted. If everything worked out like this, perhaps Mano e Mano wouldn’t be so bad. He walked to collect his missing shoe and left the arena back toward the Singers & Saints.

[/hider]

[hider=Summary]
Leon's first three Mano e Mano matches go well. He takes little effort and all three resolve without excessive violence.
[/hider]
[hr]
[hider=Leon & Kaureerah vs Ash & Flint]

Brother Ash comes out, no nonsense, ready to obliterate his opponents. He seizes on the more inviting of the two targets, Kaureerah.

Kaureerah immediately flees.

[color=9e0b0f]"Run, fishy fishy fishy!!!!"[/color] He began laughing. [color=9e0b0f]"Heee heee heee. Hoo hoo hoo. Hah hah hah."[/color] Ash turned his gaze to Leon. [color=9e0b0f]"You're next, loverboy!"[/color]

Leon frowned back at the pale combatant. His energy wasn’t too far from the singer himself, but there was something off about it all. He had the distinct feeling he didn’t want to show Ash it bothered him though. 

Leon forced a grin back. [color=fff200]"I didn't know ghouls could string sentences together. Makes you a little smarter than you look."[/color]

[color=9e0b0f]"Oh, and he's a joker too!"[/color] The laughing knight wheezed and laughed. [color=9e0b0f]"Only took him three minutes to come up with that gem of a comeback, folks!"[/color] His face became cold and stony. [color=9e0b0f]"You're gonna die here, sparkly boy, [i]painfully[/i]."[/color]

There it was. The supposed ‘holy fighter’ was seeking to murder him and Kaureerah in the ring. Leon fought back the urge to spit.

[color=fff200]"You look sick. Eat something."[/color]

Ash licked his lips.

But it was Flint, in truth, who was next. He immediately targeted the fleeing Kaureerah. 

She appeared defenceless, having only her lute and a net slung over one shoulder. But Flint's colossal kinetic slam met, instead, with flower petals. Then the petals danced. Hundreds of them. Thousands. Tens of thousands. And they became razor-sharp. [color=DEB887]"Dence, my loovelies."[/color] The arena itself opened up and turned on Brother Flint. He struggled and thrashed and batted thousands of petals away. But still, they cut and sliced him. It was death by a thousand papercuts.

During the distracting spectacle, Leon closed the gap to Brother Ash with a smile. Sunfire in hand.

Ash's eyes widened. [color=9e0b0f]"Straight for the jugular, sunshine boy, eh?"[/color] Then, Brother Ash simply... disappeared. 

Across the arena, from seven different directions, at least, echoed laughter. [color=9e0b0f]"You are so fucked, kiddo! Here comes the BOOM! Hehe. Or not."[/color] Then, there were five.... or maybe it was seven Brother Ashes everywhere. [color=9e0b0f]"Ta-daaaa!"[/color] they all shouted at once, spreading their arms, [i]fabulous[/i].

Leon didn’t waste the chance to breathe. [color=fff200]"I dedicate this song to an embarrassment of the human form."[/color] He took out the Lyre and strummed a cheerful song which caused the mana to surge in himself and Kaureerah. 

[color=9e0b0f]"Ooooh, you look [i]strong[/i] now, Mister Sun!"[/color]

The crowd cheers. [b]"HERE COMES THE SUN!"[/b]

[color=9e0b0f]"You still suck as a musician, though."[/color]

[b]"DUDUDUDUUDUUU!"[/b] The interrupting crowd continued.

Seven identical light beams leapt out from seven different directions.

Leon directly looks at Ash and smiles. 

Did the performer have some secret technique to deduce the correct copy? No. In truth, he just guessed which one was correct and carried confidence in his expression. Even now, he had no idea if he guessed correctly. But he wasn’t about to show that.

Ash's face falls, almost comically so. [color=9e0b0f]"Oh by Shune! I am ruined!"[/color] he wails. [color=9e0b0f][i][b]"RUINED"[/b][/i][/color]

Leon jumped up and over the correct beam and stayed there, floating mid air. [color=fff200]"You missed."[/color] He winks at Ash. 

[color=9e0b0f]"Happens from time to time,"[/color] Ash yawned.

Flint, unhappy about being ignored, decided to cut in. He went to drop the hammer on the other team's weak link: Kaureerah. His massive hammer swing missed decapitating her by millimetres. Instead, it caught her on the shoulder and she flinched and cried out, stumbling backwards. [color=DEB887]"Wee heve too end thees soon, Leaun!"[/color]

Leon’s heart skipped a beat and his smile dropped. Although he tried repelling the idea, his mind couldn't help but picture the horror if that hammer had been closer. He didn’t want to have to see Kaureerah die.

He glanced at Ash. [color=fff200]"Check this out, cretin. It will be the most sun you see in decades."[/color]

[color=9e0b0f]"Oh?"[/color] replied Ash. [color=9e0b0f]"Hit me, big boy!"[/color]

Leon looked away, took out his spear, and bathed himself in sunlight. Then with his airborne position, dropped on Flint who immediately fled away. But Kaureerah was not about to let him go that easily.

[color=DEB887]"Marhazannet!"[/color] she called. [color=DEB887]"Boorn een holy fire!"[/color] There was a bit of a smirk at appropriating their language against them. A tremendous amount of power was being channelled with the eeaiko at its epicentre. 

[color=9e0b0f]"Holy words from a fish,"[/color] said the seven Ashes. [color=9e0b0f]"Blub blub."[/color] He went straight after her. [color=9e0b0f]"Boorn een holy fire!"[/color] he mocked then sent a powerful light beam her way.

Leon turned on a heel then flipped between Kaureerah and the arcane lance. For a moment, it looked as though the singer's cape batted away light itself. [color=fff200]“I’m not going to just let you do that.”[/color] Leon retaliated with an arcane lance of his own.

Ash laughed at it. [color=9e0b0f]"Weak,"[/color] he taunted, [color=9e0b0f]"very weak."[/color] He batted the attack away as if it were nothing. [color=9e0b0f]"You don't understand the [i]powah[/i] of the dahk side!"[/color]

This was bad. Leon couldn’t help himself but be on the defensive. Time wasn’t on the singers’ side. He could only hope that, whatever Kaureerah was doing, she had what they needed to win it.

Flint went after Kaureerah, hoping to break her charging attack. Kaureerah swiftly dodged, continuing to charge her attack.

[color=9e0b0f]"Looking kind of glowy there, fishsticks!"[/color] Brother Ash teased. [color=9e0b0f]"Lemme help you with that!"[/color] Another arcane lance was sent the eeaiko’s way.

Leon looked to defend Kaureerah, only to see that she had withstood the attack on her own. [color=DEB887]"Eye cen hendle eet aun my oown."[/color] She replied to Ash. Leon also took note and a cocky smile returned to his face.

Taking advantage of Leon being distracted, Flint rushed him with another powerful hammer swing. On short notice, there was no way to stop or defend from the attack so he flew upward to avoid the attack.

[color=DEB887]"Die,"[/color] the eeaiko said simply. A gargantuan pillar of fire descended from the heavens and struck Brother Ash. And all the other Brother Ashes. The sky itself ignited in tremendous flame.

Ash tried to flee, he wasn’t so lucky. The sanguinaire was incinerated and plummeted to the ground on the verge of death.

Leon was in awe of the display. He turned to Kaureerah surprised at her power. It was a moment of relief in a nail-biting fight; the tide had finally turned. [color=fff200]"That's hot..."[/color] He remarked simply. The pun was not lost on him and he let out a sigh of relief. Was it the most appropriate thing to say? No. But he was swept up in the moment. Kaureerah’s eyes were wide in a mixture of rapt wonder and horror. She nodded.

Ash writhed on the ground trying to heal himself back up. His efforts were meagre at best. Flint rushed to heal his teammate, leaning over the gravely wounded Ash.

Kaureerah’s eyes widened further. She looked shell-shocked. To hit him with that much power and still have it not quite kill him.

Leon’s heart sank a little as he realised their efforts so far would be erased if Flint was successful. The RAS the performer had was depleted and it was only going to deplete further. If this heal went through, it would spell certain loss for the Singers & Saints. And more importantly, death for himself and Kaureerah. Ash was strong and he wouldn’t be kind after this.

Leon shook Kaureerah out of her stupor. As much as he wanted to linger on the moment of peace, now wasn't the time. [color=fff200]"Throw the net!"[/color]

She nodded, snapping out of it, and tossed the imbued net. It sailed through the air. Flint tried to defend but it was… not enough. The net landed atop him and constricted almost immediately. Flint's eyes glazed over. He stood, listless.

It was no time for Leon to linger on victory. Ash was still there and it was only a matter of time before he could get back up. 

[color=fff200][i]‘It would be easier to finish him here’[/i][/color] Leon thought. [color=fff200][i]‘Killing him would be easier than taking him out of the arena at this point.’[/i][/color] It was the safer option and the price of failure would be a slow death for himself and Kaureerah. He couldn’t bear to watch that. Perhaps he should just…

No. He shook his head. Why did such a thought come into his mind? He was Leon Solaire, he was the Sun King. He was the one who differed from generations past to bring peace. To take a life here would only make him more of the same. No matter the risk, he would not fail here.

He looked squarely on the fallen Ash. Bathing his arm in sunfire and dashing to grab the sanguinare. In a golden blaze of glory, Leon sparked across the arena. Burning him, dragging him, and taking Ash just outside of the arena where his head splashed face-up in the water.

Leon sniffed and looked at Ash, adrenaline pumping through his veins. [color=fff200]"Smells like loser."[/color] Then a shit-eating grin stretched along the performer's face. [color=fff200]"I hope you enjoy the rest of the trials."[/color]

Then, it was Kaureerah's turn. [color=DEB887]"Yoo knoow whaut? Yoo're smellee too. Teke e waulk aut end cool auff!"[/color]

With that, Flint stumbled and nearly tripped. He marched right into the water and, the moment that he touched, he snapped out of his stupor. Thrashing, spitting, and splashing, he treaded water.

Leon looked back to Kaureerah with a fond smile. Despite his fears and doubts imagining the worst, she was safe. He was really glad she hadn’t been harmed. 

Meanwhile, outside of his view, Ash sunk beneath the waves. Ash did not reappear, temporally anchored back. He could be seen standing there at the edge of the arena, moments later, perfectly healed. He bowed his head in a solemn salute and marched off.

Without delay, Leon ran up to Kaureerah and hugged her with enough strength to lift her from the ground [color=fff200]"Hahaha, we won!"[/color] His voice was almost breathless.

[color=DEB887]"We.... deed!"[/color] She wrapped herself around him and kissed him. [color=DEB887]"We aur sooo good. Lyke... reelly good. We shoould doo thes maur auften."[/color]

Leon kissed back with equal energy. He saw the beauty in the two pairing up and would love to do it again. But he didn’t want to see her die, to see anyone he cared about die pointlessly for a cheering crowd. He despised the thought. [color=fff200]"I couldn't agree more,”[/color] he lied.

Leon was a practiced performer with a practised smile and his face did not betray his bothered state of mind. [color=fff200]"But for now, face the crowd. You are the star of this show after all."[/color]

[color=DEB887]"We Aur,"[/color] she exclaimed, [color=DEB887]"end aulso soo cheesy,"[/color] she added in a whisper.

[color=fff200]"We are? Well, then you won't mind me doing this."[/color]

Leon lifted Kaureerah onto his shoulders using Kinetic and paraded around the lush arena in a quickened pace. He was fully celebrating the victory.

[b]"HERE COMES THE SUN!" [/b]The crowd cheers. [b]"DUDUDUDUUDUUU!"[/b]
[/hider]

[hider=Summary]
Leon & Kaureerah fight Covenant's Ash and Flint. Leon initially takes a confident offensive, but quickly turns to defense as he fears seeing the death of someone he cares about. With the extra protection, Kaureerah unleashed a charged attack which almost decides the fight on its own. 

For a moment, Leon considers killing Ash in fear of what the sanguinaire will do if he's able to recover. He shakes it off in the confidence he is strong enough to take the more difficult but non-lethal way of winning.
[/hider]
[hr]
[hider=Leon vs Ariadne]
Leon was counting on spectacle for this fight. Singers & Saints had already lost to Teatro 4-0. To truly win the hearts of the audience, he couldn't let his opponent just walk out and surrender. Not yet at least.

He took the stage with pride and confidence in his step, saluting the audience, and tossing his cape to soar into the cheering crowd. The singer had the lyre on his back and a bouquet of red roses in one hand.

Where the Sun King was a radiant ray of joy and hype, Ariadne appeared plain and unremarkable barring the massive sword-spear she carried over her right shoulder. The facade of normalcy had long since been lifted after the first few fights of the tournament - they knew this girl was an appropriate match for the unstoppable force of the sun itself.

And continuing with the trend of complete contrasts, such an agitated and gay audience had the near-elder sanguinaire feel a tad out of place - maybe even a bit stage shy? She had been a reclusive researcher for a large portion of her bloated life, after all. An awkward wave with a half-risen arm signalled her entrance into the game. 

Then, a mild sonic bubble to serve as filter - one that simply lowered the vacarm surrounding them to manageable levels - in the arena took form with Ariadne in the epicenter. 

[color=98A4B1]"How do you deal with all the cheers and eyes on you? It must be an astronomical amount of pressure to perform! And distracting. Actually, when I think about it-"[/color] she scratched her cheek, eyes peering toward the stands where previous teams sat. [color=98A4B1]"It's impressive most of these young adults could even fight properly. I'm a little jealous, I must say, of you and your ease!"[/color]

Leon took a bow of respect to his opponent. Although he hadn't seen her fight yet, others in his team had let him in on the danger she posed. Considering the two could be seen in equal standing, it put the performer in an awkward position. If he were to simply surrender as planned, it would look like a decision made from cowardice, not protest. 

In short, he needed to take the upper hand first and create a spectacle in the process. Once he got Ariadne in a defenceless position, it would be easy enough to toss his hands aside and surrender. This was the final event of the Trials after all. A grand closing act of mercy in this bloodsport was exactly what he needed to carry his message to its conclusion.

[color=fff200]"I wouldn't count yourself out so early, I hear you are quite impressive.[/color]" He smiled and waved to the crowd, inviting their calls. [color=fff200]“You get quite used to the crowds really, but it takes a little time I must admit. There is a time to shut them out and a time I rely on them to bring me up."[/color]

[color=fff200]"If only I could be a fan of [i]this[/i] audience."[/color] He remarked in a quieter, disappointed tone.

[color=98A4B1]"Hmmm."[/color] Ariadne paused and cooked a response in her mind - a mind usually vivid and scholarly-oriented but now bogged down by social pressure. [color=98A4B1]"I don't see an audience like [i]this[/i] too often. Getting enough of them to practice would be difficult, I'd reckon."[/color] she answered in a manner that almost sounded like an excuse. [color=98A4B1]"Are you feeling anxious too? To face someone who is supposedly [i]quite impressive[/i]."[/color] she canted her head whilst awaiting an answer.

She looked to the audience to find what her opponent had meant. Whether it was through her own experiences or social ineptitude, she just couldn't quite grasp the implication. [color=98A4B1]"I think this audience is about as good as that concert the other day. They want to be entertained, and I'm sure they have been so far!"[/color] The spear over her shoulder was lifted, spun and planted onto the hard gravel before her. [color=98A4B1]"I think this is the part where we agree to a grace period, yes?"[/color]

[color=fff200]"You misunderstand me. The crowds, the cheers, these are things that bring me life. Like any concert crowd, this should fill my heart all the same."[/color] He remarked while wistfully gazing over the crowd. Then he turned his attention back to Ariadne, searching for eye contact. [color=fff200]"It's what they are here for that unsettles me."[/color]

[color=fff200]"Yes, let's have a grace period."[/color] Leon agreed and then continued. [color=fff200]"If circumstances were different, I would rather dance with you under the moonlight. A radiant night would suit your paler skin after all. But instead, we are here to spill each other's blood meaninglessly for entertainment. It is a perversion of what I love."[/color]

Ariande furrowed her eyebrows at the Sun's envoy's response. It appeared to genuinely confuse her. Their eyes met, and her's were wide with barely anything readable in them. [color=98A4B1]"It unsettles you that blood is the spectacle over music, dancing and sex?"[/color] and then she thought about it for a moment as she began to draw from somewhere, even smiling at the charms of her opponent and the carefully chosen adjectives. [color=98A4B1]"I suppose the tenets of Eshiran fit you less than the crowd I'm from. But it is not impossible to marry the values of Ipté and Eshiran in a battle with stakes."[/color] These emotionally veiled eyes began to narrow, just a little, as she recalled a pleasant memory. The growing joy in her eyes and expression was palpable. [color=98A4B1]"A friend of mine did it quite well. Maybe we should strive to do the same?"[/color]

That somewhere was the VOID, and the quantities she drew matched what Ciro could siphon. [color=98A4B1]"You do know why they're making us do this, right?"[/color] She asked as the sonic bubble hardened even more to conceal their voices from eavesdroppers. [color=98A4B1]"In the very near future, many friends and peers will be doing this for real. Total keepsies. What better way to initiate them than a white exam like this one?"[/color] A cynical chuckle escaped her. [color=98A4B1]"Tell me, why did you surrender this match? You had a chance, even if slight."[/color]

Leon narrowed his eyes. [i]It unsettles you that blood is the spectacle over music, dancing and sex?[/i] Did she not see a problem with that? It was a certainty that those three were worthy of spectacle. Bloodshed was to be feared and only [i]quietly[/i] respected. He charged, getting the final grasp of manifestation magic he needed to go back to max.

[color=fff200]"Eshiran is something we will all have to embrace in the coming weeks. I'm not blind to that fact."[/color] Leon replied sharply, his emotions shot through his considered façade. [color=fff200]"But when we do it for real, I will feel the weight of those actions as they need to be felt. I wish not for my heart to be dulled in the crucible of this mockery." [/color]

[color=fff200]"But as you can see I have yet to surrender."[/color] Leon tossed the bouquet into the sky, littering the air above with roses. [color=fff200]"Shall we begin?"[/color]

[color=98A4B1]"Yes, we shall."[/color] As the bouquet launched into the air, Ariadne ascended from her meditative position with the shaft of her massive weapon seized and lifted from the ground. The air became literally tense with some of her hair, and even Leon's, rising in response to the sheer power she emanated and her focus oozed out.

What befell the Sun King, however, was nothing electric but a massive gust of air aiming to blow him out of the arena from the get-go, coming from a single rapid swing of her spear. 

It came out quickly. Even with Leon expecting an attack, it still caught him off guard. He jumped above the gust in a flip, barely escaping the attack, then stayed floating in the air. He channelled a spark of darkness to empower an arcane lance heading Ariadne's way. Leon would be cautious against others, but she could take it, he could see that.

Ariadne used the earth itself to block the attack, raising a reinforced set of walls between herself and the beam. They completely shattered spitting out a cloud of dust and out emerged ... Nothing! Where did she go?

Leon searched for her, eyes widening. Panic was beginning to emerge in the singer's heart. Slowly but surely he was starting to fear that he was outmatched. Speed, power, grace, in a combat scenario he had seen nothing like this before. Ash from the match before would be the closest, and Leon and Kaureerah’s victory was a matter of luck there.

Balls of light appeared around the arena, shining beams all around as if they were searching for her. And then, at the very top of the upper limit of the arena, the beams converged to reveal the Sanguinaire. [color=98A4B1]"I can put on a show too."[/color] She grinned with half-lidded and foxy eyes. The tension in the air rose. Her spear heated up until orange. She pointed her spear right at the Sun King. [color=98A4B1]"Here comes the sun!"[/color]

Leon's heart skipped a beat. The scene before him was beautiful. It sent mixed messages when he had the knowledge she was trying to kill him. Then the shock caught up.

A gargantuan bolt of lightning befell the Sun King. Leon fled away, just out of the attack’s reach. Below the roses hit the ground, four of the buds exploding into prismatic flames. It missed both of the contenders but it sure put on a show. The straightforward approach wouldn’t work, she outmatched him. He needed to be more clever about this.

[color=fff200]"Fantasia!"[/color] Leon called and then froze in space.

Ariadne squints at the 'frozen' Leon, and like she did with her opener, attempts to shove him out of the arena after appearing back down onto the arena.

It went right through. [color=98A4B1]"Huh."[/color] She looked around, and so did the decorative lighting she had created.

From the crowd, the cape he had previously thrown fluttered in a fan’s hands then flew back toward the arena. Once it got a few meters into the boundary. It also froze in time.

Then a few seconds later, an additional cape appeared in front of Adriande. A bright light cracked through the seamed collar, revealing the location of the fifth and final marble.

Flashed! Ariadne was blinded! [color=98A4B1]"Ack!"[/color] she stumbled back, her idle arm made to cover her eyes.

To further the audience's confusion. A third cape emerged from the second, moving back toward the frozen first with unnatural sluggishness. The image of Leon also began moving toward the frozen cape. When he touched it, the cape began moving at a flying pace until it met with the sluggish one and both disappeared.

Then, Ariadne swung her weapon. A swing laced with the dark energies of the VOID right where she believed Leon to be. She missed.

Dispelling the illusion with a flash of light, Leon appeared directly in front of Ariande with a smile. Then went for an empowered kick to try and knock her down.

Ariadne is pushed back back, taking a hit on her flank. Her spear is jabbed into the gravel under her feet to slow her ejection until she stops near the border. Using some mix of chemical and arcane, the sanguiare wiped her eyes and was brought back to clear vision

Leon's smile dropped. What kind of monster was he dealing with? That should have been enough to knock her out and looked as though it had barely scratched her. That was his ace in the hole, that was his avenue to win, and she simply endured it. With every second his power was fading, he wouldn’t get an advantage like that again.

She pressed her hand on her shoulder and rotates her neck while eyeing her opponent. [color=98A4B1]]"Robbing me of this spectacle's sights. Most unkind."[/color]

Leon pulled out the Lyre of Ipte-Zept and played a desperate song to protect himself.

Ariadne smirked - a rare show of nuanced emotion. [color=98A4B1]"I see. Alright."[/color]

[color=fff200]"I think perhaps we could take a breather."[/color] The amount of energy Leon used so far left him panting.

She spins and twirls her massive spear as she lowers herself to one knee and made the surface of the weapon rest upon her lap. A heavily electrified palm then brushed over the sleek metal as she began to empower the manas within.

She was growing more powerful while Leon faded. By the end of her charging, she looked as though she was stronger than when she entered the arena. In short, despite Leon’s efforts, he had achieved nothing. It was only a matter of time before Ariadne could pressed her advantage. He had no choice but to surrender. He could just exit the arena and throw the match as he had planned. It would be the smarter thing to do…

[b]No![/b] 

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. Leon didn’t accept it. He was Leon Solaire, he was the Sun King. He learnt from Ash that for every obstacle he couldn’t break through, there was a dagger to be pointed at the neck of someone he loved. It was not a matter of whether he was capable of defeating her, it was simply that he must. No matter the risk, he would not fail here.

This woman was a killer, he could see it in her eyes, feel it in the power she wielded against him, sense it in the power she channeled. In this woman, he saw someone who could take everything he loved with ease. He needed to know that he could win this fight. 

Leon slowly took to the air, playing a cheerful song which surged to increase his power. The uplifting tune was contradictory to his emotions. He was desperate, he needed to end this now and he wouldn’t have the power to do so if he wasted another second. Now was the time for a gambit, he needed to channel everything and put it all into one attack. 

Leon grabbed the Sun King mask from around his waist and put it on. He stashed the Lyre back onto his back and took out the prop spear instead. 

Ariadne hummed and waited while she regenerated her wounds. Patiently. Her untouchable opponent was cooking something up. And she was [i]dying[/i] to see it.

Taking to the top of the arena, the sun itself made an appearance. Leon exploded into a boundless sphere of light from which some of the spectators needed to shield their eyes. Miniature beams of sun gradually rain down upon the arena. Harmless but breathtaking.

Ariadne tried to flee but it was too late. The sun descended.

Leon with spear in hand, dropped onto Ariadne bathed in enough sunfire to make Shune blush. It was a beautiful and terrifying display of sheer power.

Ariadne readied her spear, charged with copious amounts of electricity and the wielder swollen with energy. [color=98A4B1]"Here comes the sun."[/color] she hummed while bracing herself. The tension in the air she had been causing had become visible sparks to the naked eye, dancing about as the rays of light befell the arena and the audience. If Leon's goal was a light show, his partner most certainly obliged, even if accidental.

She thrusted her spear as the Sun King's impact was imminent, causing a gargantuan explosion of energy and lights. The two fighters were swallowed by it, leaving the outcome a total mystery as smoke took the place of light and flames seconds after.

They first saw Ariadne, her attire burnt and legendary spear cracked. Her hair looked absolutely atrocious and partially burned too. The near-elder sanguinaire was panting from the sheer exertion with her weight put entirely on the damaged spear she had planted into the ground.

When the afterglow faded, they could then see Leon some distance away. His clothes were a little singed and the tip of his prop spear had crumbled. But the performer himself looked unharmed. Ariadne had not taken the opportunity to hurt him.

Leon had done some serious, visible harm to the sanguinaire but she was still standing. That was everything. Leon had used everything. He was equally exhausted as his opponent but she would come back from this. This was the best position he had, he needed to take it while he could...

[color=fff200]"I wish we could have danced instead."[/color] Leon let out in a shortened breath. He threw his spear aside, turned, and began walking toward the arena's edge.

Ariadne tilted her head to the side as her body progressively healed once she had caught her breath. [color=98A4B1]"At the very least,"[/color] she called out as he turned his back on her. [color=98A4B1]"Go through with your strategy, and salute our wonderful audience."[/color] There was still the sonic bubble, and the smoke hadn't entirely cleared, leaving what they were doing to be at least somewhat blurred to the crowd. She offered her hand with a cheeky, almost complicit, grin on her pale and bloodied visage.

Leon turned back to Ariadne, thought for a second. This woman was powerful, terrifyingly so. But did she ever even mean him harm? He smiled sheepishly, then went to take her hand. [color=fff200]"I suppose we should do it together. For someone who is uneasy with crowds, I must admit you are showing more grace than I."[/color]

Both of them held hands, and they faced their crowd - or at least the side that was the loudest. The sonic bubble went down. [color=98A4B1]"I must confess as well, I sort of forgot they existed. I'm still not comfortable.[/color]" she chuckled. [color=98A4B1]"Good game, Sun King."[/color] and with that, they bowed to the cheers of many, many fans.

[color=fff200]"It is only a matter of time. You'll come to love them because they love you."[/color] Leon remarked. [color=fff200]"Good game, Ariadne."[/color] 

[color=fff200]"I surrender."[/color] Leon announced to the crowd. But undoubtedly, Ariadne had done well to take the wind out of his sails. Leon's plan hinged on the fact that he would be able to show mercy.  But at no point was he able to realize that. In the end, she had shown more mercy than him. She was displaying mercy even now. That wouldn't escape the notice of a few spectators.

Regardless of his intentions, whether or not the crowds could notice over the spectacle, there was lethal force behind his attack and it was only a matter of luck that Ariadne was strong enough to defend it. In that moment, he had forsaken any sense of pacifism and embraced Eshiran for a cheering audience, all without her laying a finger on him. 

The young man who left the arena wasn't Leon Solaire, wasn't the Sun King. Wasn't the one who differed from generations past. Neither his fears nor his conscience was clear. He was the boy simply known as Leon, who finally failed to become the things he wished himself to be.
[/hider]

[hider=Summary]
With the confidence built from the previous round, Leon takes to his fight with Ariadne.

Leon proceeds to lose on a basis of pure strength. Then he fails to make an impact when he uses trickery. Both have little effect against the sanguinaire.

Leon considers surrendering and throwing the match as Singers & Saints planned. But then he decides against it. Instead, fueled by a mixture of ego and fear from the previous match, he uses his ultimate attack. Something that could quite easily kill any normal person.

Leon fails to defeat Ariadne. Losing both the match and the moral position he had taken during the trials in the process (even if the majority of spectators hadn't taken note of the latter)
[/hider]
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