*Zelde*

"This is a bad match up, perhaps the worst ever. I mean, a weak ice mage versus a strong fire mage? Seriously?" Ayawamat said from the seat behind me. "That weak heir of ours will surely lose to their crown prince."

Lei shook his head. "Wanikiya might have the disadvantage, but he isn't going down without a fight."

I lowered my gaze to the two future leaders.

"Begin!"

Wanikiya shivered as Boukyaku stared him down. "Are you ready?" Boukyaku said, grinning.

Wanikiya nodded. "Ice..."

Boukyaku had flipped him on his back before he knew it.

Wanikiya yelled out in pain. The heir of Kyuu Seishin let go of him. "Are you okay?"

He got up. "I'm fine," he said angrily. "Remember that this is a match, not some friendly duel!"

"Matches don't need be bitter. Many allow them to be, though. Especially for this kind event. Ultimately, I beleive that one should enjoy the games." The prince took a deep breath. "Ignis Draco!" A fire dragon slammed Wanikiya into the barrier.

"What a weakling," some members in the audience muttered. "He's nothing like those girls who came before him," others said.

"Is he even trying?" more people said. Several people began to boo.

Ayawamat covered his eyes with his hands. "Ugh, that fool. What is he doing down there?"

"Wanikiya, get up!" Lei yelled as he jumped out of his chair.

Wanikiya did as Lei said. "Damn it! Cader per Glacium!" A sheet of ice enveloped the floor. Wanikiya smiled and snapped his fingers. "Fall!" The ice beneath Boukyaku shattered, sending him falling back in an avalanche of ice and frozen stone and earth.

"Yes," Lei shouted. "Go Wanikiya!"

Wanikiya turned to look at us and smiled. His eyes for a moment seemed determined. "Ice Dragon!" An ice dragon emerged from the icy floor and head for the hole. Flames came pouring out of the hole, burning off the dragon's head.

Boukyaku grinned. "So you have some backbone after all! Ignis." Small flames sent Wanikiya falling back. The ice under his own feet began to crack.

"My spell," he yelled. He closed his eyes and stopped his 'Cader Per Glacium'.

He fell to his knees. "I lost."

"That's it? You're giving up already?" Boukyaku snapped. He crossed his arms, his face looking both upset yet calm. "You lack something Wanikiya. A man like you can never hope to be the leader of a nation, no matter what kind of political system it has. However, you still have time to grow to become a determined, and intelligent young man." He held out his hand to him.

Wanikiya kept his eyes down and slapped his hand away. "I don't need pity! Especially not from a Kyuu Seishinian!" He stood up and pushed Boukyaku away. Ice formed on Boukyaku's chest.

"Wanikiya stop!" Yen yelled.

"It's over, come here before you embarrass us any further!" Ayawamat yelled.

"Shut up! I haven't lost yet! It has yet to be officially declared!" he said furiously. Cold air leaked from his body, freezing the arena anew. "Even if it already has I will still take down this man!" He formed a lance out of ice in his right. He swung it around and slashed the air, causing hail to pour down on them.

"You've gone mad," Boukyaku said, shaking his head. He looked up at the hail. Each pelt melted away as it touched him. "Give up! It's useless at your current state."

"Stop mocking me!" He yelled before running towards him.

Boukyaku grabbed a hold of his left arm and spun him over, slamming him unto the now semi-frozen floor. He snapped the lance with ease. He held Wanikiya up and threw him outside of the arena. "You fell out, thus proving that this match has already been decided. It was foolish to announce having lost then taking it back like so."

"Wanikiya," Lei said, frowning. He jumped over the fence separating the audience and the area between the arena and us.

I jumped after him.

Lei gave Boukyaku a dirty look as he arrived before I could. "You went too far!"

"I could've pulled out what Eien did to Zelde," he said, looking back at him. "At a stronger level of power of course."

Lei gulped. "Still, you could've gone easier on him!"

"Your friend asked for it," he said, walking past him. "He wouldn't take losing as an answer. He needs to learn how to bite instead of bark." Blood rolled down Boukyaku's cheek.

Lei held his hand towards him. "Don't you dare. Don't you dare compare him to a dog!"

The Kyuu Seishinian prince closed his eyes and continue on walking away. "Control yourself or the council will arrest you. Remember your current situation, Mr. Lan."

Lei tried to calm himself down by taking in deep breaths. His right arm gave out a strange aura. The shadows were beginning to take control. He started to breathe more and more.

"Lei," I yelled. I grabbed him with one arm and picked up the unconscious Wanikiya with the other. "Your inhaler where is it?"

Lei looked up and pointed towards a green bag next to Nyima. Nyima grabbed the bag and pulled out the inhaler and threw it over. Boukyaku caught it. He spun around and held it towards Lei. "You should remember to remain calm."

Lei took a couple of breaths from his inhaler. "Sorry for the trouble," he said once his breathing had stabilized. He jumped out of my grasp and held out his hands. "Here, let me take him to the infirmary."

I smiled slightly and handed Wanikiya over.

"Lei, you've got to learn to stay put," Nyima said as she walked over to us.

"And let him insult my best friend like that? Didn't you hear him? He was comparing him to a dog!"

Nyima scowled. "You yourself are acting like a barking dog!"

Lei narrowed his turquoise eyes at her. "I'm going to the infirmary. Tell them that I'll be back in a few for my match."

"Careful," I whisper to Nyima once Lei was out of earshot. "Lei will take insults if they are directed towards him, but you should never go as far as saying something like 'you yourself'. It implies that Wanikiya is what Boukyaku said."

Nyima looked embarrassed. "I didn't mean to say that he was a dog-"

I sighed. "It's fine, I get what you mean, and luckily so did Lei, at least it seems he's trying to."

Nyima fidgetted. "I-I'm going to go talk to him."

I smiled. "I'll accompany you, just in case you make things worse for yourself."

She laughed nervously. "Thanks."

***

https://youtu.be/r5EXKDlf44M

I entered our nation's designated infirmary room while Zelde stayed outside. Lei was seated in a wooden chair positioned close to his friend's bed. His eyes were sad.

"I wonder if we will win after all," he said, not seeming to notice me. "Both Zelde and Nyima gave us wins. We just need one more." He stared at the palms of his hands. "I lost my confidence after that asthma attack. I thought that me becoming an abyssmal had cured my asthma, but it seems that wasn't the case." He clenched the arms of his chair. "I understand how you feel, it sucks doesn't it? To be treated like you're nothing." 

Dark swirls danced around his arms. He closed his eyes. 

"After what happened I now understand what you meant when you told me that as a monster one has to be careful of getting into battles."

Wanikiya had his eyes closed all the time, yet Lei still continued acting as if he were awake. 

"Lei," I said, deciding to finally speak up.

Lei slowly turned over. "What do you need?" he asked, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"I'm just reminding you that you have a battle soon," I said.

He looked away. "I see."

My face grew warmer as I tried to come up with what to say. Zelde was outside on standby, but I rather not rely on her.

"You know, I actually think it was rather cool how you defended Wanikiya like that. I can see why, you two are closer than I had thought. You're like brothers. I envy that."

My words must've grabbed his interest as he looked directly at me. "You don't have someone you're close to?"

I scoffed. "Not someone outside of my family. I... as you can probably tell by now I didn't... have many friends."

His eyes widened at hearing my words. "What's with you? We may know each other for a few months, but this seems unlike you. Why the sudden spill? Again we barely know each other, so I didn't think you would consider us in close enough terms to talk like this."

I smiled angrily and turned around. "You know, you're right. Well, it was really nice talking to you. Bye now!"

"Wait," Lei yelled, grabbing a hold of my arm. He had a large smile on his face. "It's not that I mind you telling me more about you. I'm just surprised that you're telling me. It's just that you always seem so distant, more distant than the nobles I know."

I freed my hand from his grip and continued on my way. Why... why was I unable to express myself in the way I wanted?

"Hey, what happened?" Zelde asked as I walked out.

"Nothing," I said, calming to a stop.

"Hey, Ny, don't be mad at me," Lei grumbled as he walked out.

I grumbled. "I'm not mad, okay?"

He frowned. "You sure?"

Zelde turned toward Lei. "Lei, save it for later. Your match will start shortly. Also, don't worry about Wanikiya, I'll take care of him."

Lei smiled and nodded. "Thanks!"

Lei let out a gust of wind which spread across the long corridor. His wind and this hallway, it brought back memories of the Kyuu Seishinian games from around eight years ago. In those same games, the boy who I could barely remember was in need of some medicine. I had gone as far as turning around even though the corridor was starting to collapse. Luckily, a man with an aura identical to my dad's had brought it. If he hadn't, I would've braved the possibly of death for sure. Not that I cared, I wanted to save him, my only friend.

I clenched my hands tightly. Yet... yet I couldn't even remember him now. Where was he now? Had he given up on his dream to become a mage?

I felt a hand on my shoulder. "You okay, Ny?"

"Good luck," I said, tapping his shoulder. "Try to win, but don't pull a Wanikiya on us!"

He nodded. "I will contain my rage at losing as best as I can! Not that I plan to lose to begin with!"

I smiled and nudged him away. "You better, you hear?"

Lei chuckled and ran off to the battlefield.

"Hey!" someone called out. We turned around and saw Hikaru sitting on the floor. "I saw Lei running with Wanikiya earlier. I take it that Wani lost?"

Zelde nodded. "Yeah, sadly. Anyway, I'm going to go and wait in Wanikiya's room should he wake up."

"You're going to miss Lei's match?" Hikaru asked.

"No, they got a television there," I said.

Zelde smiled. "Oh good, I was hoping they did. Well, see ya later!"

"Bye!" Hikaru and I yelled as she ran off.

"Are you feeling better now?" I asked, glancing back at Hikaru.

He pushed himself off the floor and dusted himself off. "Yeah, my eyes no longer hurt as much. Hmm, if Lei doesn't win it's up to either Yen or me to take on the final match."

I crossed my hands together as if in prayer. "Hopefully Lei wins this one."

Hikaru narrowed his eyes. "Your confidence in me is that low, eh?"

"What? No. I just want him to win is all."

He gave me a sly smile. "Say, do you like him?"

My face reddened. What was with everyone thinking that today? "I don't like him," I said, averting my gaze. "It's... more that he reminds me of a boy I knew."

Hikaru's eyes widened. "A boy? Was he your first crush?"

My face reddened. "A girl and a guy can't simply be friends?"

"Of course they can be friends. But that look in your eyes tells me that he was more than a friend."

I grumbled. "I guess one could say it was the same as you with Yen."

Hikaru stopped and coughed. "W-what? Yen and me? I... I don't like her that way," he said, chuckling while covering his face.

I giggled. "Come on, I'm not dense to believe that!" I grabbed him by the the arm. "Come on, we're going to miss Lei's match!"

"Hey! What's with you, has Lei's hyper-activeness rubbed off on you?" he screamed as he struggled to keep up pace with me.

I slowly down my pace. "Huh, what do you know? I guess it has..." I whispered. Though for some reason, I couldn't help but smile.

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed this chapter :3. Next up is Lei! Excited to see what he can now do?**