Hissing thunder grazed his eyebrows and left a serious regret in the boy for having tried his cards. However, if this was how she'd play, backing out was already clear off his deck of options.

Right as he turned forward, the staff spun ahead and whizzed back toward him, forcing the boy into the air. That was the end of her initial assault.

"Who knew you had that kind of an arm!" This time, Kyoya took a long jump straight, somersaulting forward with his palms facing the ground. Geysers of flame erupted from behind him and straight for the Seraph, forcing her into a series of breakneck dodges. She spun around one, hugging the curve of another and powered straight through yet another with a super-charged swing of her weapon, leaving shimmering streaks of sky-hued ash in her wake.

"Cut the crap, Blue! You and I both know range isn't your game, so lemme get in there, already!" A gale of wind enveloped her in an instant, roaring determination as a hallmark of the miniature hurricane. What little of a lead he had was lost just as quickly; the pair was tied up yet again.

"I'll pass! See you at the entrance, Seraphim!" Kyoya took a delay in his next step, planting firmly and springing off hard into an even quicker sprint to the Colosseum's grand entrance. Their distance was only in the hundreds of feet now, with that number falling fast.

Twin Dragon horns of even greater glory than Altaire's entrance stood towering over the Kingdom's guests, bidding them safe entry to one of the world's single greatest attractions. Any moment now, he'd be bursting through that gate and knocking down Lyric's twenty-point delusion.

Tunnel vision soon set in. Three hundred feet. Two hundred. One hundred. He'd gained no more than a step on Lyric, but it was a lead. With how little he had left to run, maintaining it would be a cinch. This race was his.

An obstruction worked its way into that tunnel.

"Don't get comfy, Kyo! Nothing'll stop me from takin' this, so don't you dare slow down!"

Time slowed to a crawl as the last 50-foot stretch presented itself.

Though, dead ahead of him, someone was running out into the street. Dodging wouldn't be possible. The street got too narrow near the entrance.

That thought took ten feet.

Jumping wasn't an option, unless he'd settle for his first meal of the day being solid brick.

Another ten.

He definitely wouldn't just bowl them over. He couldn't.

In the moment before they reached the end, Lyric sped by without another thought.

The Miscreant, however, had come to a complete stop, mere steps away from the gate.

For a time, they both stood, neither party finding words. It was another child: she was no older than ten, skin hued a sun-baked brown, with black hair tied into twin ponytails that fell to her shoulders. All she had to wear was a kid's dress and simple leather shoes. He might have knocked her clean over if he tried to dodge, and knowing that, any regret for throwing the race vanished in an instant.

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

She was the first to break their newly introduced ice.

"You guys are so fast! I didn't even see you!"

Kyoya laughed, squatting down to her height.

"Hey, c'mon, hasn't someone told you to look both ways before you cross the street?"

"Yeah, but I wanted to see the race! Did you win?"

Before he could answer, Lyric came back from past the gateway, looking at him with a raised brow.

"What was that about!? I said not to—!" After noticing his occupation, she cut herself off, laughing almost immediately. "Ugh, right, of course something like this would happen."

Looking back to the little girl, Kyoya nodded.

"Yeah, yeah. I won."

A storm of cheers rang up from the surrounding audience. Kyoya soon stood as Lyric walked to his front.

"See what I mean? You're always on the hunt for a way to make me look like the bad guy."

"...It's peachy."

They both saw the girl looking up starry-eyed at Lyric, who squirmed a bit under her watch.

"W-what's up?" The Seraph asked, shifting a bit towards Kyoya.

"Your girlfriend's really pretty!"

The Legends separated before she could even finish. Lyric, in particular, didn't seem to handle the accusation all that well.

"Me? No, it's like, He's a little too far out there, and everything—"

The Miscreant clarified for her.

"Nah, nah. We're just partners, that's all. But hey, at least somebody can see the good in her."

"Laura! What have I told you about running out into the street like that? And to make it worse, you interrupted their... race?" A younger woman, appearing to be the girl's mother hurried out to them, taking the girl's hand. "I'm so sorry for any issues she caused; please, forgive us—"

Kyoya waved his hand as to dismiss it, Lyric offering a counter-apology.

"No, it wasn't any trouble, really. If anything, we should be sorry—gunning through a busy street like that is hardly a good look. We're just glad nobody's hurt."

"My goodness..." The mother began, giving her daughter a stern glance. "Well, if she really didn't cause any ruckus, I suppose all is well... Thank you two. She's always been fascinated with Reclaimers, so, hopefully this will do something to sate her curiosity." With that, the woman gave them a nod, turning and walking with the child back off the street.

The girl gave a wave before they disappeared into the crowd, leaving the Reclaimers to stand before the entrance to their grand debut.

"Four-four. Your point," Lyric huffed.

The Miscreant cocked a brow.

"So we're calling that race voided?"

"Of freakin' course we are. Not only did you throw the race, but you did it to pull one of those 'be the bigger man' stunts. I can't contend with that... Jerk." That last bit was muttered far beneath her breath, but he caught it nonetheless.

"No complaints. It'll make the duel carry more weight, anyway," he shrugged.

"Truthful for sure. Wanna get this thing going?"

"Losers—I mean, ladies, first."

"Oh, I am SO gonna make a fool out of you when we get in there..." With no attempt to hide the fact that she did so begrudgingly, Lyric walked in ahead of him.

Once they'd passed the gate, the pair were swiftly met with an uproar of applause. Even with the sight of thousands of spectators all around them, she looked weirdly surprised to have seen him walking beside her instead. "What is it now, Captain Chivalry?"

"You know you'd rather walk in with it looking like we're on even terms. It'd make things more dramatic."

"So that 'ladies first thing' was all for fun?"

"Duh. You'd probably be offended if I called you ladylike, anyway."

"I-... Y'know what? Can't say I've seen anybody learn quite like you—kudos part-two, Blue."