Announcer: And the winner is Hiro! Last up, we have Cari from Elune vs. Leo from Academy.

--- chapter 125 ---

Cari looks at Leo timidly, while he just stands there. Despite Cari having never seen him before, she heard rumors from some of the knocked-out participants, instilling fear in her body. Intimidated by his opposing presence.

Announcer: Ok, begin!

Cari puts her guard up but Leo stands there.

Leo: Look, I’m not going to go easy on you. I know you must have some strength to get this far, but I would still recommend dropping out. As I stated, I will not hold back.

Cari stays silent for a few moments.

Cari: Thank you, but like the others, I have something I need to prove. Not to myself, or even to the judges. I will fight.

Leo: I respect that, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

The green ooze flows from his body, forming into his scythe. He runs in and swings, she jumps back, his attack goes wide. He steps closer bringing the scythe back, she dashes in and out of the blades way. She reaches in to touch his chest, but noticing this, he creates a massive skeleton hand and arms shoot out of his stomach and punching her away. She lands and arranges herself back into a combat stance. The arm retracts into his stomach, the scythe into his arm.

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Leo: Your arcana has to do with touch. Good to know.

Ooze begins to pour out of Leo’s body forming a mass connected but resting behind him. The mass grows long tendrils with pointed tips. The tendrils jab forward, extending to attack her. She begins to run in, dodging left and right. As she approaches eight tendrils aim, and fire out toward her. As soon as they are about to hit her, Leo gets a confident smile, but she bursts forward faster than before. Leos’s eyes snap wide.

Leo: She’s fast-

She gets in close, placing her hand on his chest. Nothing happens at first, causing Leo to smile. The tendrils wrap around, pointing at her from every direction. Suddenly, a single tear falls down Leo’s eye. He is surprised by this and wipes the tear, before seeing images of his childhood flash in his sight. He takes a few steps back, the ooze turns a dark blue and begins to drip and become almost fluid-like while still keeping its form. Leo covers his face with his left hand and raises the right. The tendrils, now more of a whip than piercing weapons, begin to lash at her. She puts her guard up as she is repeatedly whipped. She jumps back out of the circle. Leo begins to lower his left hand, eyes closed, and wipes the remainder of the single tear from his face. He raises his chin and opens his eyes slowly. His eyes are seething with hatred. The tendrils shift to a violent red. Changing from their dripping appearance to a flowing, almost dancing flame on the surface.

Cari: So your arcana is affected by your emotion. Good to know.

She says playfully. But he does not seem amused. He raises both hands and juts them forward, causing the tendrils to all attack in unison.

Cari: Oh boy, I hope this works!

She focuses her arcana around her body, an aura emanates from her. She begins to run in, and backhands any tendril, causing it to turn blue and be pushed away easily. He pulls his right hand back and punches forward. The skeleton arm rockets from his stomach. She pulls back her own fist, it glows brightly. She punches it incredibly hard, the whole arm turns blue and loses from, splashing on the ground. She looks at him with a smile. He rotates his raised arm and opens his hand. He moves his wrist to raise his hand. And as he does, all the blue ooze on the ground quickly swirls around her like a watery rope, binding her. The red tendril retreat, curling around one another making a single drill-like tendril. It begins to rotate at high speeds, and he aims it at her. She tries to free herself, putting multiple emotions into the ooze, causing its color to shift rapidly, but none give her the freedom she is seeking. The drill speeds toward her, and inches before it hits her, the announcer calls the match.

Announcer: Stop! Cari has been immobilized, meaning Leo wins! Which concludes round three, come back tomorrow for both the semi-finals and finals!