The second day had ended off pretty much without a hitch for both boys of Class 1-D. Despite tough competition on Zion's side, both he and Leopold had managed to clear all of their fights as victorious and were now preparing for the coming final day.
Waiting in his dorm room yet again, Leopold sighed. He continued to look towards the final day of the ranking's tournament that would soon start. The second day of the event had been one hell of a rollercoaster!
From the mysteries and fun that had come on that day, Leopold could confidently say that, surprisingly, he seemed to actually for once be excited about the thought of the final battles.
However, despite the growing anticipation that Leopold held, there was something much more pressing that he was focused on. Something that had been a little more than abnormal for the young freshman of Academy Five...
Leopold gritted his teeth, sitting on his bed. "Just where in the world is Zion?!" He crossed his hands, clicking his congee in frustration.
That was exactly right. After the second day had concluded, Leopold friend had gone off for some "personal business" he needed to attend to.
However, despite it having already been a while day since he left, the black haired male had yet to come back to his dorm room. Just what the heck was he even doing?!
The boy looked up at the ceiling, frowning. "Why the hell hasn't he returned already?! Zion, are you dead or something? If you're dead, please say so!" Leopold did not need this problem right now.
Sighing in frustration, Leopold turned his head and looked over at the remaining students that would be fighting in the last rounds on the final day of the tournament. There were a couple names that caught Leopold's eyes, particularly those of his fellow classmates. It had surprised him to see so many of them still around.
"So myself as well as Nix, Zion, and Sparrow are still left from Class 1-D..." Leopold observed, looking over the names. "Looks like Cinder and Breeze are still in there as well. Thats good at least..." He looked at who he would be going up against next and sighed. "Of course, I don't know that I'll be around much longer. I knew that I'd have to fight one of them eventually, but why now?!"
As he thought to himself about the soon to come battles, the door to Leopold's dorm suddenly opened. The boy looked and watched as Zion walked in inside. He seemed to be kind of flustered for some reason, but that wasn't exactly what caught the boy's attention immediately.
Leopold smiled. "Thank heavens!" He stood up, hands on hips. "Zion, where have you been? Come on, man! You were gone like all freaking night!" He looked his friend in the eyes.
Zion smiled. He didn't say anything immediately, walking over to his own sleeping space and then laying down for a moment. "Well, where to begin..." The black haired boy looked up at Leopold, still beaming with excitement. "Let's just say... that got myself a girlfriend!"
Leopold's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "What?!" That was not at all what he had expected. "What happened, bro?! Who is it? Is she pretty? When are you guys getting married? Am I invited?!" So many questions started to swirl through his mind, a whole new revelation put on his lap
"Guess this makes for a much more interesting day, I suppose..."
Zion laughed. "Calm down, Leo." He thought back to what had happened. "So, do you how in my fight with princess Amy she was acting a bit weird?" Leopold nodded. "Well, apparently the reason was that she likes me.
"Really that was the reason?" Leopold asked.
The boy nodded. "Pretty much. She called me out to the courtyard after the battles had all ended and then asked me to be her boyfriend." Zion scratched the back of his head, still laughing. "I ended up accepting to be her new partner as she was a princess and seemed nice and was pretty and..." Words started to spill out of his mouth.
Leopold laughed as well, nodding to all of his statements. "So, you're now dating a royal of the Kushida kingdom." He walked over to Zion and put his hand on his shoulder. "That is quite the impressive feat, Zion. Happy for you."
Zion nodded. "Thanks, Leopold. This also means that now that I have a girlfriend... we need to get you one!" He sat up and smiled. "It looks like a whole new leaf is turning up for us Class D losers!"
Leopold agreed with his friend. "Yep! I even already have my sights set on Nix! Or Breeze... or both!" He shrugged. "I just need to talk to them again..."
Yeah... The boy of the Stratus household made the idea sound like a piece of cake! Even Leopold knew though that he did not have near enough of the socialization skills to get the back this quickly. He lacked both the brains and the luck to pull off such a feat so soon into his relationship with both girls.
He grinned. "But this does put a bit of a bright spot on my future." At the very least, if Zion was able to pull off someone like Princess Amy then surely it was only a matter of time for Leopold, right?!
"Hopefully we can find for you to, at least the very least, speak with one of them. Maybe after the tournament or something...." Zion encouraged. "And hey! If you're somehow able to place a bit higher than them in our school's rankings, then maybe that will be the push needed to win one of them over!"
Leopold sighed. "As much as I appreciate what you've said, that isn't very likely." The boy walked over to his window and looked outside of the room. "I'm not really that powerful compared to that of royalty and most likely will crumble sometime early tomorrow. I've just been lucky that I've been getting easier opponents..."
Zion raised an eyebrow. "Leopold, do you really believe that you're 'not that strong?!' Do you even know what those words mean?" Zion asked, rhetorically. He shook his head and gave Leopold an exasperated sigh.
Stratus blushed. "Of course I do!" He was about to say something back, but was cut short when a sudden announcement sounded off so as to inform the students of the tournament's final day starting.
"Hello! Remaining students in the Ranking's Tournament please head down to the arena floor! If you are going to watch the matches please go to the stands! Thank you and let the final day of the tournament begin!"
Narrowing his eyes, Leopold thought to himself. "Damn... Looks like I won't have much time to defend myself right now." He looked at his friend.
"We'll talk about this later. For now, let's get going!"
=================
Some time into the final day of the tournament, a young girl could be seen watching the fighting from some distance away. Her silver hair flowed in the wind, a beautiful face hiding behind those locks.
The girl sighed as she waited for her match Up to this point, like all of the others fighting today, she had been victorious in every one of her match.
Yet, like always, it was her brother who was the idol of everyone's affection. It seemed that she still had yet to catch up to him, despite all of her talents and hark work over these last couple of years...
She narrowed her yes."Why is he still so far ahead of me?! Every time I try to catch up to him I just can't..." The girl was glad he was so strong now, but it was at the very least a little upsetting for her.
Sighing, she looked at the matches scheduled for today. Her next battle would be against someone named Leopold Stratus from Class 1-D. The boy had been known for how he had dazzled the crowds in the last couple of matches.
"Same name as my brother, huh." She crossed her arms, thinking about the upcoming fight. "I wonder just how tough of a fight this guy will make it for me..."
The battle was set to be scheduled for the last one of the fifth round. However, as she waited, the young girl couldn't help but think about the fight over and over. It did worry her some, if she was being completely honest.
All of her friends had won their respective matches, minus Amy who was already defeated. That meant that she had to, right?! She was supposed to be some sort of prodigy after all!
The girl smiled. "That way, I can finally fight against my older brother and prove I'm good enough to be called if equal!" The idea did seem very appealing.
"You doing alright, Ceil?" As she thought about the many thoughts swirling through her mind, the girl found herself stopped by the sound a familiar voice.
Coming over to the girl's side was none other than her boyfriend, Jack Overshine. They had been childhood friends when they were younger and started dating only a few months ago after he had confessed to her. He was usually very supportive of her and the one who, other than her older brother, was always by her side.
Ceil looked at the boy and nodded in a confused manner. "I'm fine, but thanks." They hugged for a moment, then let go and kept speaking to one another.
Jack nodded to her answer. "Alright... Just tell me if something happens." He put his hand on his heart, grinning, "I can be of some help to you if need be." As he talked, Ceil felt a feeling of warmth in her heart. He would always do stuff like this for her and it always made her feel at peace.
"It's nice. Im glad that he's my boyfriend."
"By the way..." he continued, standing beside her to watch the current fights. "I meant to tell you, but your brother said that he can't make it to watch your battle. He did say that he's wishing you the best of luck though."
Ceil nodded. She clutched her fists in a determined manner. "I'll make sure I win for him." Her eyes were filled with a passionate fire as she spoke.
Jack laughed at her statement. "I'm know you'll win." He dropped his smile and thought for a moment. "By the way, who are you going up against again? Wasn't it some guy from Class D or something?"
Ceil shrugged, scratching her cheek. "He is from Class D, but I've heard that he's quite powerful. He did made it all the way, after all. I'm sure that his magic has to be fairy strong if that's the case." Still, it was odd that he was from Class D. Was he just lacking in intelligence or something? How did he manage such a feat as that?. "I still think that putting people in certain classes based on brainpower was a bit... odd."
Jack crossed his arms. "I don't disagree with you." He yawned and then hugged his girlfriend one last time. "Alright... I'll be watching your fight from the stands!" He ran off, waving to her as Ceil sighed.
Great. Now all that she had to worry about was her coming fight. She needed to win this and prove to both Jack and Leopold that she was someone they could count on."Should be easy enough... Even if he is strong, I can win!"
As she thought about her coming match, the battle in front of her own finally came to an end. Some other student from Class 1-D named Zion White had won in a landslide victory. At last, it was finally Ceils turn to fight! She took a deep breath and prepared for what was to come for her soon.
The announcer started to speak to the gathered students and crowds watching. "With the conclusion of that fight, we have made it to the final match of the fifth round." He waited for a moment, then continued speaking. "Ceil Kushida of Class 1-A will be taking on Leopold Stratus of Class 1-D!"
Ceil slowly stepped out onto the arena grounds, feeling as the sun hit her exposed skin. She shielded her vision from the bright ball of light.
"Here we go..."
Cheers erupted around the stadium as Ceil, who was a fan favorite of the competition, came into view for everyone in the crowds to see. She looked at them all, relaxing as she prepared for her coming battle. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the battlefield, stood Ceil's opponent...
The boy known Leopold Stratus...
If Ceil was being totally honest, He did have a relatively good physique and was also quite handsome, if she did say so... The boy wore a white coat on his person, representing his affiliation with that of Class D. He also had a short sword and small knife both sheathed on a belt surrounding his waist.
"Two weapons..." the girl observed. "But which weapon will he choose to fight me with? Is he planning on using both?" There was no real telling.
Ceil herself had chosen to wear her hair tied in a ponytail. She, different from Stratus, wore her red coat to indicate her being from Class A. She also had her sword sheathed at her side, it waiting to once again be used by her
"This should be easy, right? I should have this in the bag..." she breathed, aloud.
The referee for the match looked at both fighters for a minute. He nodded and then waved his hand down. "Begin!"
As the round started, Ceil immediately unsheathed her sword and used her light magic to form a full set of armor that surrounded her as a form of a protection. Even if this guy was from a lower ranked class, she was not about to get careless and leave herself open to an attack of any sort!
"I can't take this match at face value." she observed. "Even if this feminine looking male is just from that of Class D, he could still be dangerous..."
Now that she had finished her first move, Ceil had expected for him to make the next step. However, to her surprise, he was just... standing there?! No moment came from the male, only that of his hand being placed on the hilt of his still sheathed sword.
Ceil blinked for a couple moments. The guy didn't do so much as make one move on her, and he was even smiling at her! There wasn't so much as a faint feel of magical energy resonating from this guy! Just what was he doing over there? This was supposed to be a fight against a princess of Kushida!
The girl took one step back, gritting her teeth again. "Is he mocking me?!" There was no way that he had the nerve for such a thing! And yet... What else could be used as an explanation for this?
And that wasn't even the end of it. The idiot suddenly opened his mouth and started to speak to Ceil. "So, I had thought there were only four children of the current king of Kushida..." He tilted his head just slightly. "Just who are you and your brother, Miss Ceil? I didn't even know that you existed until recently."
She blinked in confusion. She was surprised that he was bringing up something so trivial in the middle of a battle. Still, she decided to answer him cautiously. "Me and my brother were adopted by the king and queen after an accident when we were kids... Why?" What reason did he have for needing to know such a thing?
The boy shrugged, scratching the back of his head in a very "laid back" sort of manner. "No reason really... I was just curious." The boy kept smiling, looked directly into her eyes. "That must have made you a lot though stronger, right?" He then started to laugh. "I actually went through something similar when I was a child. Only difference is that I was adopted by knights..." He nodded, listening to his own statements. "Still, it is quite a story."
Ceil narrowed her eyes as he talked. Now he was acting as if they were best friends! Just what the hell did he think this was?! "Are you mocking me?!" She narrowed his eyes.
Hearing those words from his opponent, Leopold's friendly expression changed to a confused one. "Am I mocking you? Heavens no! I was simply applauding you on coming up from such a harsh past! It's not easy having to go from loosing everything like that to becoming so much more... powerful!"
"Not that!" Ceil growled. "You're just standing there, you damned bastard! All you're doing is talking with me!" She was starting to become more flustered. "This is a tournament match and you're acting as if it means nothing to you! It's like you see me as nothing more than that of a weakling!" She stepped back at him. "Fight me if you think so strong!" She could feel herself start to loose composure.
Leopold scratched his head once again. "But... I never actually said that I was strong, right." He let his hand fall back to his side. "Both of us are students at this school, so I just thought I'd strike some friendly conversation..."
Friendly conversation?! "Shut up! Just fight me already!" She wasted no more of her time and quickly charged at Leopold, imbuing her sword with that of light magic. "You will either fight me now or lose this match now!" She swung her sword towards his head with all her might in hopes to catch him off guard. In a matter of seconds, she was flying past him his and the sight of bright red blood was visible. She looked behind herself and saw that his leg had been cut clean off, the limb flying far away. "You see what kind of position you're in now, buddy?!"
The boy just yawned. "It sure was an impressive attack, Miss Ceil. I can confidently say that I've never met someone who could scratch me let alone slice off my leg..." He smiled. "Alright then. If you really don't want to talk, then we can fight." He looked at his leg, and as if it had never happened, a new leg regenerated!
Ceil's jaw dropped, along with the jaws of everyone watching. "B-But... how?!" There was no way... DID THIS BASTARD JUST FREAKING REGROW HIS OWN LIMB! WHAT ACTUAL PLOT ARMOR EVEN WAS THIS?!
He shrugged, popping his neck. "I don't remember if I told you, but I'm actually half Spirit. As a half spirit, I can regenerate limbs whenever need be. That is, unless it's a fatal wound or I don't have enough power to do so." Gasps filled the stadium as the people around Ceil and Leopold gossiped amongst themselves about what this young boy was saying to Ceil.
"He's beating Ceil like it's nothing!"
"Half Spirt... I didn't know that he was a hybrid!"
"No wonder he's one of Princess Ivory's only two bodyguards and attendants..."
Listening to these comments, Ceil couldn't help but grit her teeth in frustration. "Well that's annoying! No matter... Little does this guy know that I also have some Spirt blood in me as well!" That was right! Even if this guy did have a few cool tricks, she was not close to finished yet! She again drew her sword and prepared to fight. "I'll just have to knock him unconscious is all. Keep aiming for the head!" Ceil smiled at her genius plan.
"Light Magic: A Million Swords!"
As she cast her magic, Ceil's blade flew out of her hands and right at Leopold with speeds nothing like seen from her before. The idea of this magic was actually more that of an illusion. Because of its rapid speeds and how much it moved through the air, she could make it look like tons of swords were attacking the boy when, in reality, there was only one!
"And if I'm lucky, that means he'll have to guess which one-"
Ceil's eyes widened. Yet again, with little effort, Leopold took his own sword and knocked Ceil's blade into the air, stopping its momentum. She watched it fall to the ground, utterly hopeless now.
"There's no way... He knew which one was the real one instantly!" She looked at him, wanting to cry in defeat. "But how?! Not even Cinder had been able to defeat that skill!" She fell to the ground with a thud, unable to attack now that her only weapon was out of her reach.
The battle was over.
"Winner, Leopold Stratus!"
Ceil looked at the ground, hearing those couple of words the referee said as the crowds started to cheers. Now, a few tears did start to fall from both of her eyes. She had really lost. In a battle where all of the odds had been stacked in her favor, she had lost. Ceil felt as though she just wanted to hide away forever.
"I lost... I couldn't win." She wiped the water from her eyes. "I guess that's really that. I'll never be as good as big brother... I was weak. I fell for all of his traps." She knew that if she couldn't beat someone like this, then surely she would never be as good as her older brother.
"Damn it..."
However, as she cried on that spot of dirt, the girl was sent something that she never would have expected. From out of nowhere, Ceil could hear footsteps coming toward her. She looked up to see just who it was coming up behind her.
"Is it Leopold Stratus?" she wondered, fearing the very idea of the victor coming to see her. "Is he coming over here to rub salt in the wound? To see just how weak I am?"
Ceil couldn't really blame him if that was the case. After all, she did in fact loose to him despite being that of a princess. If Ceil were in his shoes, she would surely mock just how weak and pathetic she looked right now. All of that power that she had with her... Nothing more than a dream now.
As the girl looked behind her, still crying, she could sure enough see the sight of Leopold. He was slowly walking toward her. Strangely though, he wore a smile filled with am odd warmth. It was definitely not what she had expected.
Leopold looked at Ceil, holding his hand out to the girl. "That was a great fight, Miss Ceil. Truly I am honored to have fought someone as strong as you." She laughed.
Ceil blinked. Just what in the world was this idiot saying to her? "W-What? Y-Your just saying that... but you really think that I'm weak and useless?" She chocked a few times on her own tears as she spoke.
Leopold shook his head when he heard her statement. "Just why would I think that? It was a good battle and you were fighting your hardest, so it wouldn't be right to say you're weak." He nodded. "You had the courage and determination to win. Anyone who tries will succeed." He bent down and looked at her. "Even if you lost today, you just have to rise to the occasion and try again. It would be wrong of me to put someone down who could easily some back and do that, right?" He looked at her, shining as brightly as that of the sun.
Ceil growled, looking at him in frustration. "Why don't you just say what you really think, huh?! Just say I'm weak and you can go on as the victor!" Why wouldn't he just accept his victory? What was he trying to pull here?!
Leopold put his hand on Ceil's shoulder. "But I really don't think you're weak. Heck, you had a whole lot more courage to come out here and fight than I did. I was shaking with nerves the whole time!" He nodded. "And if I don't believe you to be weak then there would be no point in saying that I do. Tell me, just who told you that losing one battle made you weak and useless?" He waited for an answer.
Ceil looked into his eyes. "I-It's was my older brother. M-My brother did." She looked back down at the ground. "He told me that anyone who losses a battle is weak and needs to train much harder. He believes that weakness is a disease that needs to be snuffed out so that we can all live our best lives." She sniffed. "So, I tried to get stronger to match his strength, but I just..." Before Ceil could say anymore, Leopold suddenly wrapped her in his arms.
He patted her on the head, comforting the crying girl. "Well, from where I'm standing, you don't have to worrying about any of that. None of that is true..." He looked her back in the face and smiled. "To prove it, I'll defeat your brother and show him what's what. If he thinks that weakness is a disease, then I just have to show him that a good dose of humility can be the cure!"
Ceil looked at the determination in his eyes. She blinked for a few seconds. "But... why would you do that for me? You only met me like a couple of moments ago!" What was this doofus even saying to her?!
Leopold grinned, holding a thumb up. "Because I don't like to see anyone who is as determined as you cry for things that aren't in your own control, Miss Ceil. No one deserves to feel weak... We all have our own strengths and weaknesses, our own strong points and our own weaknesses." He put his hand on his heart. "I'm sure that you can see much more of you past your power, right? After all, behind that power hungry exterior is that of a precious young woman."
Ceil felt the caring presence of this boy start to overtake her, like that of a great flood. It spread all around her, making her to smile in glee... She wiped the tears from her eyes one last time and then stood up.
"Thanks." she said to Leopold.
He nodded. "Anytime, Miss Ceil."
The girl looked up at the girl, walking with Leopold as the fifth round of the tournament finally came to an end."I will always love and support big brother, but what would life be like if this guy was my big brother..." She looked at Leopold and tilted her head. "He truly is a man like none I've ever met."