'Shit...'

Leon silently cursed in his mind. But despite the cursing, he didn't feel mad at all. In fact, he felt rather happy.

...And this was the problem.

He shouldn't be happy in this situation.

"Why did he stop?"

"What's going on? Attack him! He's there!"

"Stop laughing and attack him! Did his advantage get to his head?"

Leon could hear the faint whispers and murmurs from the crowd as all eyes fell in his general direction. The voices grew louder with each second that dragged as Leon tensed his arms and prepared to attack again.

However, as he tensed his arm, he realized that he couldn't fully utilize his strength.

He was just too...

Relaxed.

'Oh, no.'

Leon looked at Julien who pinched the middle of his brows and gathered himself back. Julien's mind was a little dizzy, but he was unable to contain his own joy.

'It worked.'

Julien understood that his greatest strength was his Emotive Magic.

His curse magic was lagging behind due to him having to focus directly on his Emotive Magic and Concept.

For that reason, instead of practicing his curse magic lately, he only focused on his Concept and Emotive abilities.

But his Emotive Abilities were far from perfect.

He lacked control over them, which was something that he struggled with for quite a while, but only recently did he truly understand just how important control was.

Had his control been better his 'voice transmission' wouldn't have been so weak due to the energy loss in the air.

It was something that bothered him quite a lot.

...And it was all he focused his attention on recently.

Though he didn't get to the point where his 'voice transmission' was better, he was able to improve in a different aspect.

If before he had to touch someone with the intent of transmitting his Emotive Abilities to someone, he could now do so with any touch, meaning that each punch of his now carried faint traces of Emotive Magic.

This was why Leon started to lose his mind with each of their strikes.

... It was because Julien was slowly bleeding his Emotive Magic into Leon who was unaware.

Though the intensity was nowhere near Julien's normal intensity, it worked better this way, slowly influencing Leon's mind before he knew it.

By the time he realized, the damage was done.

Julien didn't waste the chance presented before him. Bang!

The ground shattered as he pressed forward, arriving right before the half-dazed Leon.

His eyes immediately grew red as his body popped and squirmed. At the same time, his chest started to boil as his anger surged.

".....!"

Leon finally snapped out of his dazed state.

But it was too late. Julien was already upon him, his back stretched and spine tensed as a tremendous power accumulated within his muscles.

All Leon could do was cross his arms and take a defensive stance.

Bang-

But even that was useless.

The moment Julien's fist came into contact with him, he was sent flying back. His spine tingled as he flew back and he just barely managed to twist his body mid-air, avoiding an incoming purple hand.

He almost sighed in relief until he felt something grasp his ankle.

Looking down, his eyes shook as he noticed a long chain tangled across his ankle. Julien stood not so far, his hand outstretched, grasping the other end of the chain.

Leon tried to free himself from the chain, but it was no use.

Julien hurriedly brought the chain down and Leon felt his body get thrust down alongside it.

Bang!

"Uekh!"

Leon screamed in pain as he felt his back pop in pain.

But things weren't over yet. Opening his eyes wide, he rolled to the side, barely avoiding an incoming purple hand as he pressed his hands down and pushed himself back up.

"Ukh...!"

Leon's movements were slow and sluggish.

...And this mainly had to do with the chain tangled across his ankle.

Somehow, someway, it was starting to sap away at his energy. This couldn't last any longer.

Leon bit his lips, turning around to see Julien.

The moment his eyes fell on Julien, Leon's heart sank.

'Oh, no...'

He knew exactly what Julien was about to do.

Still, Leon didn't appear panicked at all. He had been waiting for this. He... knew it was bound

to come.

As the Colosseum turned quiet, Leon's eyes closed, the stars draining from them. Everyone expected his body to suddenly burst with power, but none of that happened.

Instead, he suddenly started to blend with the world around him.

Almost as though he was the air itself.

"Hoo."

Julien stared at his changes with even breathing as he slowly brought his hand toward his chest. A green scenery reflected his eyes as he silently mumbled in his mind; 'Joy'.

His claves tensed and the world around him started to slow down.

The ground shattered under his step as he rushed toward Leon who stood dazed on his spot.

With each step Julien took the ground would crack and shatter as he soon arrived before Leon.

He reached his hand toward Leon's exposed abdomen.

Another image formed in his mind. It was that of a little girl, standing in the middle of a small room, overlooking the large windows that displayed the horrifying scene of the people

beneath.

The world dyed in red and Julien's chest exploded.

Julien's hand came reaching for Leon's exposed chest. He was so fast that Leon's body

remained still, and soon...

His hand reached out for Leon.

He didn't hold back.

'Fear'

The world regained its usual calm.

Julien stood before Leon, his hand pressed against his chest.

Holding his breath, Julien waited to see Leon react. He half expected him to crawl onto the

floor like he did back when they first fought, but...

It didn't happen.

'Uh...?'

Julien stood stunned, unable to comprehend the situation.

Lifting his gaze up to meet Leon's, all he saw was two black eyes. They stared back at him as

though they were trying to suck him in.

Six locks hastily appeared in Julien's mind, sealing all of his emotions as he tried to move

back.

Leon, however, had other plans.

Extending his hand forward, twisting through the air like a snake, his fingers reached for

Julien's shoulder, where a familiar sword was embedded.

ײן

Julien's eyes constricted as he realized what Leon's intentions were.

But it was too late.

Spurt-!

Blood splurted all over the platform as he retrieved the sword back. Julien's shoulder jerked as

he kept his mouth shut, his eyes unflinching.

Though he was feeling the pain, he didn't allow it to cloud his mind as his mind raced with all

sorts of thoughts before his eyes turned red and he threw a fist in Leon's direction.

Leon crossed his arms at the incoming attack.

Bang!

But still, his defense broke apart as he was sent stumbling back several steps.

Julien followed up rather quickly, not giving Leon a chance to rest.

Bang, bang, bang-

Elbows, kicks, fists, he threw everything that he could at Leon, not sparing a single breath as

he even injected several emotions into Leon.

And yet...

As though he was the abyss itself, he absorbed everything that came his way.

He was like a soft and endless fabric that took everything in.

The more the fight continued the more Julien felt that something was amiss. How was this

possible? How could he be absorbing all of his attacks and Emotive Magic...?

This...

'Ah.'

And then he realized.

Raising his head back up, he looked towards Leon's eyes.

They were pitch black.

'Could it be...?'

Realization soon dawned on him.

'Stars give powers while void takes power.'

Julien finally came to an understanding as he stopped.

"Hooo."

He stood before Leon while taking a deep breath. Leon stood opposite him without moving at

all.

'As expected...'

Juliens' thoughts were proven true.

It was no wonder he was completely unaffected. It was because he had absorbed everything.

However, there was a drawback to the 'void' aspect of his 'concept'.

It was that he couldn't attack back.

At least... Not unless he returned to his usual form, which would allow the pain to register in

his mind.

The only thing he could do was fight using his 'Concept'. ...The moment he got rid of his 'Concept' the fight was as good as over.

Julien didn't know this much, but he could more or less figure out the situation. He was also

not doing that much better. His time was also limited, his shoulder still leaking blood.

He couldn't drag the fight further, but he also couldn't touch Leon...

The situation turned into a weird stalemate where neither side budged an inch.

"Haa... Haa.."

"Haa.."

The sound of their heavy breaths quietly resounded throughout as both sides stared at each

other. By the time Leon blinked, stars appeared in his eyes.

His body burst with power once more and his foot shifted. Holding the sword forward, he got into a stance. A familiar stance that the audience had

witnessed once in the past. Immediately, all noise ceased from the Colosseum as all eyes fell

on the graceful figure that was Leon as his eyes shut closed.

Julien stared at Leon without much emotion.

His eyes darted around, looking at the opening that was soon going to show up.

He pressed his hand against his chest, imagining the same green scenery he used whenever

thinking about 'Joy'.

His calves tensed as power accumulated.

Leaning forward, his eyes flashed green. And just as the world was starting to slow down,

Leon's lips curled into a smile as his sword turned golden in color.

A blinding light enveloped the entire Colosseum as several people closed their eyes at the

same time.

"This..."

Johanna's expression turned a little bit more serious. Her actions, though subtle, were

enough to catch Karl's attention.

"Is something the matter?"

11 "....

Johanna didn't answer.

It wasn't that she didn't want to answer, but her eyes were transfixed on Leon's glowing

sword.

Though others couldn't tell, she could.

Leon...

He had reached the realm of 'One Heart One Sword.'

A state when one's sword would become a part of their body.

Although she had previously had her suspicions, she wasn't certain. After all, reaching a state

such as that was as hard as developing a Concept.

There were five states to sword mastery just like spell levels for a mage; 'Foundation', 'Sword Resonance', 'One Heart One Sword', 'Sword Assimilation', and 'Sword Soverignity'. Leon reaching such a state was incredibly impressive, and it was here that Johanna and several

other figures understood.

This right here...

This was Leon's true strength.

'He's been hiding quite well.' "Hoo."

Leon's eyes were fixed on Julien.

His world similarly slowed down. Not to the same extent as Julien's, but it didn't quite

matter. In his state, he could perceive and feel all the little changes in his surroundings. From

the wind direction to the thin breaths of the audience watching.

Right now, he felt like the center of the universe.

He alone was standing within the void filled with stars, sword in hand.

Opposite him was a figure he knew all too well.

Clench! Leon's grip on his sword tightened.

He hadn't actually reached the 'One Heart One Sword' mastery. The only reason he was able to

get to this point was because of his 'Concept'. Draining everything from within the stars, he

was able to temporarily reach this state.

But...

"Kh!"

It took a heavy toll on his body.

Not that it mattered.

He had to do this.

He had to..

Win.

'Die...!'

A voice echoed in his head.

It was Julien's voice. However, the tone and mannerisms were different.

'You're my fucking servant. If I tell you to fucking die you will die!"

They belonged to a distant Julien.

A Julien he once called 'Young Master' and served.

'Fuck, you cheap bastard.'

A tyrant.

'... Of all people why did it have to be you? Why were you the one who was born talented with

the sword?'

A jealous person.

'Fucking die...!!

And a killer.

'Why did it have to be you?'

But above all...

'Asshole.'

He was the one who he served.

Clench.

Leon's grip over his sword tightened. In less than a second, Julien's body was already before

him. He could see and trace every one of his movements. That was when Leon tightened his

posture and took a deep breath.

He never forgot the past.

Never forgot what had happened.

....And he never forgot his killer.

He trained so he could kill him. Free himself from him.

And yet...

11

"1

Leon stared at Julien, his expression easing slightly.

That person was no longer here.

What replaced it was someone else entirely. He wasn't perfect. He had his flaws, but he never

showed them.

He was also not Julien.

....This meant that he wasn't his master.

And yet...

"Hoo."

Taking a deep breath, Leon's void-like eyes clashed with Julien's hazel eyes.

The two stood face to face, and the audience held their breath, perched on the edge of their

seats, eyes fixed on the platform as their bodies tensed with anxiety.

In that final moment, everyone understood something.

This was the final clash.

Whoever won this would win the fight.

And as Julien's body arrived before him, Leon thrust his sword forward.

'You may not be the Julien that I serve, but...'

With Julien's face reflecting through the gleam of his sword, Leon's mind came to peace.

'...you're worth following.'