The tournament zoomed by after the first matches, and the audience were pleased. Keenio was impressed with every single contestant who entered the tournament of champions.

After a stunning magical burst from Akida, and a brutal take down from Theseus, it was now time for the final round.

"Ladies and Gentle men!! Children of all ages!!" Elizabeth announced, "we have finally reached the last round of this tournament! And what a match this promises to be!!"

Akida and Theseus meet face to face on the center of the colosseum. Both gave a serious glare at each other.

Keenio said nothing, and chose to watch, but his mannerisms saw that he was very interested in how this match would go.

Everyone knew that Akida and Theseus were sword siblings, as well as close friends. Some even speculated they were dating because of how close they were. But to Theses Akida was his sister, and Akida always felt the same way about him. It was always obvious that they shared a powerful bond.

As they looked at each other with intensity, every single memory they shared together came rushing back in waves. They truly were close.

Today was the day they prove how powerful they really are individually. So neither of them could afford to hold back.

"Are you ready Akida? Theseus?" Keenio asked them.

They both turned to Keenio in the stands and nodded. The battle was about to begin.

Keenio gave the signal, and they readied themselves.

Theseus gripped his golden bow firmly in hand, he knew his sword would be useless, and he definitely didn't want her to use that hilt at her waist. His match with Keenio a few days ago was all the proof he needed to stay clear of that weapon.

In response to his fighting stance, Akida also gripped her staff in a lower postion, as if ready to blast him with every scrap of her magical power.

"Finally, I get to face the opponent I really wanted to face.." Akida grinned, "I hope youre ready Theseus, because I'm about to step out of your shadow.."

"My shadow?" Theseus responds, "I never thought of you like that.. you were always my equal.."

"Is that so?"

"Yes.. though I'll admit, I've always wondered what it would be like to be on the other end of your magic power.."

They smiled at each other. And the audance could feel their bond.

"Then don't you dare hold back Theseus..."

"I promise you I won't.."

Lightning began to dance around his bow, and that brilliant blue flam burned again, and his celestial armor formed around him.

Upon seeing this, Akida knew, Theseus was going to honor her with all his power.

"This aught to be fun indeed.."

Without a warning Theseus fired bolts of lighting and flame, creating a kind of wall, to avoid Akida's vision. It was a kind of smoke screen, nearly to just distract her while he changed his position. A wise strategy, but it ultimately failed.

Before Theseus had a chance to respond, Akida seemed to phase behind him, and gripped her hilt, as her magic infused with it, a kind of energy blade formed, and she cut an upwards arc, slashing at Theseus before he had a chance to think.

He staggered but didn't fall, next came another slash, and another, but this time Theseus blocked the barrage of attacks using his bow as a shield.

He pushed her back and huffed.

"Damn.. I wasn't expecting that at all.." he gnashed his teeth, "that was definitely new, even for you..."

He swung the top half of his bow forward, using it like a club, or a sword, and as he made contact with her staff, he used the momentum to launch himself up in the air. Then as he descended back to the ground, he let loose a flurry of lighting, and it crackled violently. The bolts rained down upon her like a storm.

Before they made contact, Akida quickly put up a barrier, similar to that of Zalpa's when she fought him earlier. As the lighting vanished, it was absorbed by the shield, and Akida thrusted it directly at her adversary.

Theseus couldn't dodge or roll, he only just landed, with no time to react, the shield shattered violently, releasing all the lighting it had absorbed as it's own attack.

Theseus's body twitched in response to the impact, the lighting seemed to temporarily stun him.

Akida took this opportunity to let lose another barrages if slashes and swings from her magic blade, and Theseus was unable to respond.

Once the last twice of lighting vanished, he was able to move again, and was ready to counter attack.

"Damn.. so that's what my lighting feels like" be huffed, "how did you do that?"

"Stop talking..." Kids frowned, and swung again and again, "we are battling to win, not sparing!!"

Theseus dodged each and every swing instantly, and then summoned a raging blue flame around him, breaking her blade on impact. Then he put his bow on his back, and drew his sword.

"I guess I better get serious then.."

He made his flames surrounded his blade, and mimicked Keenio's attacks next, the precision was almost perfectly executed. Now he was going to show how his training with Keenio played out.

Akida dodged all but one of his strikes, and then stabbed her staff into the grind to summon a magical shell that blocked the final on.

"Don't you know?" Akida smirked, "magic always trumps raw strength.."

She pushed the shell forward, slamming it into Theseus, and he staggered.

"Damn.." he frowned, "that was unexpected..."

As the shell crumbled, Akida summoned a magical circle around her, and then 6 orbs of different magical elements formed.

"Interesting..." Theseus scratched his chin, "you're definitely going all out now.."

The orbs three themselves at Theseus one by one, creating another small barrage, and then Akida leaped into the air herself, and slammed the jade tip of her staff into the ground, a tremor shook the battlefield, and a wave of rock and stone rippeled forward like a strong earthy tidal wave, slamming into Theseus with so much force he gasped for air.

"Um . Ouch..." He spoke softly, "man, you're definitely something else aren't you Akida..."

She smiled, and spun her staff in a full circle around her, then a magic ring ensnared Theseus. He felt it squeeze and press into his wounds.

She held up her hand, and the ring took Theseus to the air. It was a strange magic, he felt like his entire body felt like led.

"Wh-what kind of magic is this.." he found it hard to breathe, "I've never felt any spell like this before .."

She brought her hand back down and Theseus was hurled back into the earth. Then the circle that trapped him broke, and dissolved.

He dragged himself back to his feet.

"What kind of magic was that?"

Akida said nothing, and then held out her staff again, Theseus felt himself pulled to something, he was unable to move. This weird magic was nothing he ever faced before. It was as if gravity itself pulls him back.

Next, he felt himself being launched forward into Akida, but right before he made contact, Akida seemed to pull a giant stone slab form the earth, it was about as thick as a brick. And it felt like a brick when his face smashed into it.

Then, before be could respond, he felt another strange pull, causing him to smash face first again into the ground, over and over again. All Akida did, was dock her wrists and smile.

"How do you like my new Gravity Magic Theseus?" She smiled, standing over him, "it's a lost art, that I read in one of our tomes we picked up from one of our missions, Zalpa helped me perfect it, and I've been saving it just for you in this tournament."

With the pull of gravity, Theseus found it nearly impossible to stand. Yet still he managed to get up again and again, as the pull form her gravity magic kept slamming him into the ground.

"Erg.." he frowned, "it figured you'd pick up a magic like that..."

He then tried to pull himself up again.

Suddenly, he felt slowed, and a strange feeling of waitlessness, he thoight he was floating. But his body seemed to be moving in slow motion.

It was another one of Akida's gravity spells. She was able to move like normal, but Theseus was barky able to move. So to him, it looked like she was moving at super speed, attacking him over and over again with a barrage of various spells.

Finally the gravity around him returned to normal, and he fell to the ground, feeling all of her attacks at once.

"Damn.."

Keenio watched, and gave an intensive glare. Gravity Magic was a very rare magic, and as rare as it is, it was rarer for someone like Akida to master it. Even Keenio never saw this magic in person before. With the company of Elizabeth, Veronica, and Selene, he and the audience continued to watch  in amazement.

"Damn.." Theseus muttered again, "how do I counter gravity magic..."

Akida used her magic again, and Theseus felt himself pulled away again, slamming into the wall of the colosseum.  He was losing. He didn't know how to counter these odd spells, especially since he couldn't see them. She had the advantage, and he didn't know how to respond.

Again he felt the pull being him towards her, and again he was at her mercy. Akida seemed to be having fun, but Theseus wasn't.

He was on the ground again, Akida's new magic really presented him with a challenge. With his Amun-Ra armor, he should be stronger than her. He laid there for a moment in the middle of the battle, thinking, long and hard he needed an answer, some way, some kind of strategy to overcome this new obstacle.

"Hey, Theseus, do you surrender?" Akida asked him, "have I surprised you?"

He tried to move, but the pull of the gravity made it almost impossible. He looked at Akida, and then thought of an idea.

"I'm not finished Akida, I still have to rsce Balthazar.."

He closed his Eyes, and Breathed in, and then breathed out. He was calm now, he knew this plan would work.

He opened his eyes, and focused his magical power. His blue aura burned again. He still wasn't able to move. But he wasn't trying to.

His flames began to phase into Electricity, the blue bolts trickled over his whole body, crackling, dancing all around him. As he breathed slowly, his focus deepened, as he did, his magic free stronger and more precise, the bolts grew larger and began swelling in size.

With one final exhale, the crackling lighting stampeded around him, stabbing into the ground shaking the area around him.

His lighting created a shockwave, and Akida felt her spell break. She was surprised, unsure what just happened.

As soon as her spell broke, Theseus moved swiftly, drawing his bow, taking advantage of the situation. In her shock, he pelted her with his flaming blue bolts. Letting loose a barrage. As he got closer to her, he ducked and swept his feet, kicking her staff to the ground. Then he kept back. Making sure he landed in front of her weapon.

"Damn it... How did you do that?"

"I read a book.." Theseus mocked, "try it some time.."

"You're such an ass!!"

Theseus took the time to laugh light heatedly, a mannerism he found himself lacking for some time.

"Akida.." he laughed, then calmed himself, ".thank you.. seriously..."

",are you already claiming your victory? I'm not done yet.."

She reached for her hilt, and activated it, her magic creating a blade of elements.

She swung, but Theseus backflipped and dodged, and smirked. For a moment he forgot All about his challenge to Balthazar, he started enjoying himself again. He felt back to normal.

"You know what.." he jested, "..forget it.. I'll tell you when I'm done kicking your ass..."

His sapphire aura returned, and he gripped his bow with a grin on his face.

As she swung again, he blocked, and as he did, his aura blazed even more radiantly.

He turned his wrist, and the bottom part of his bow pushed her away, while in the same motion, he then gripped the bow with biyh hands, and batted it once, crossing her face, in an effort to win.

But she blocked too, he could see her magic shell shatter in the distance.

He swung again and again, his bow was now his bat, pushing her back to a stalemate.

"Don't tell me you're getting tired Akida.." Theseus teased, "this round is just begining..."

"You idiot..." Akida frowned, "I was just taking it easy on you.."

She used her magic, and her staff levitated, and threw itself into her hand.

She tried to use her gravity magic, but as soon as she did, Theseus summoned a bolt of lighting, and it landed on her spell, shattering it.

"You can't use that lost magic on me anymore.." Theseus smiled, "I figured it out.."

She launched a ball of fire at him, trying to get him to stop talking.

Theseus the. Held up his hand, and a wall of flames summoned itself, catching the blast as they collapse into nothingness.

He then held up his bow, and pulled the string back, a sphere of blue flames began to rapidly form, then, be added his lighting, as it encased the flame. The sphere spun rapidly, and the crackle of lighting began to build up to a hum, and then to roar.

"I think this will be the last move," he taunted, "give up yet?"

Akida frowned, she was determined to win. She stabbed her staff into the ground, and a large shell domed over her, then she placed the rest of her magic into her hilt, making the blade triple in size, surging with the elements of fire, earth, water, wind, light, and dark. The blade's edge was jagged and running like a chainsaw.

As soon as he launched the ball of flames and lighting, he heard the humming over her magic blade, and she gave a mighty horizontal swing. The blade made contact with the sphere, and it erupted in a whirlwind of vibrations across the colosseum.

The audience was in awe. And Theseus was stumped.

"How?"

"I told you I'm not a weakling anymore.."

Her blade still sawed through its edge.

"You really are something else aren't you.." he smiled, "but I can't let you win..."

He overcame the intimidation of her blade, and readied his bow again.

"Don't you dare hold back.." Theseus smiled, "I know you can take it.."

She took a stance with her blade, a strong stance.

Theseus began sprinting at her, firing bolts left and right.

She shifted her stances, and cut through every one of his magical attacks.

He kept firing, and she kept blocking. Everytime she cut through a bolt, she proceeded to counter attack, and Theseus dodged, and dodged, each and every counter attack, flawlessly. He was trying to close the gap between them. Waiting for an opening, a moment to land the decisive blow.

Finally, he got it, he dodged and weaved, and now he was closing in. He let his lighting and fire flow through his body, and into he bow, and he swing it in the perfect angle. And he smacked her with his flaming bow, right across the side of her face. And she got burned.

She fell to the ground, and was finally done it seemed.

He looked her over. She was alive, but knocked out it seemed.

"You are without a doibt the best sword sibling I could ever ask for" he huffed, "but you really need to learn when to quit.."

He opened one or his pockets, and picked up one of his potions. He opened it and poured the whole bottle over her face. And her marks were removed, not even a hint of damage seemed to be visible.

"Ough.." she ribbed her eyes, "damn it... I lost didn't I?"

Theseus helped her up, and they stood together in the colosseum, looking up at e everyone.

"I Believe, that makes, Theseus the victor..." Keenio spoke, "congratulations.."

"Thanks.." he smiled, as his blue aura vanished, "so when do I fight Balthazar?"

Keenio laughed with a true smile on his face.

"You'll fight in 2 hours.."

The audience was in uproar, the noise in the colosseum was so loud, it could be heard from every gate in Xenthos.

Keenio, Veronica, Elizabeth, and Selene went inside, and Theseus and Akida were now on their way back to the waiting room. Both with honest smiles and joyous spirits in their hearts.

Theseus and Akida arrived to see all the contestants waiting to congratulate Theseus. Akida watched as they praised them both for a good battle.

While they were praising Theseus, Akida had a different guest come up to her.

"You did amazing out there Akida.." Zalpa spoke, greeting her with his hand, "you've come a really long way.."

"Yeah I did.." she smiled, "all thinks to your training Zalpa."

"I told you you could do it." He grinned, "you're a really talented human.. even I can't use gravity magic.."

"I still have much to learn about it.."

"I see, you don't think you have perfected it.. that's a wise call.."

"But who can teach me how to master gravity magic, it's a lost art you know.."

"Hmm, perhaps with some research we could find out.. until then keep practicing okay.. and remember, it's you're power, master it at your own pace.."

"Thank you Zalpa, I appreciate it.."

After the contestants finished congratulating Theseus, they ate a quick lunch, and joined the audience, or left to enjoy the other festivities of the Festival of Victory. And Theseus sat there in the waiting room, preparing himself for the final battle of the Tournament of Champions.

As he sat there in the waiting room, he grew excited to face his opponent. Ever since he came to the Xentidos, he always wanted to prove he could be as powerful as Balthazar. And he was finally about to get his chance to prove himself.

Meanwhile, in the study, Balthazar was sitting with Keenio and Veronica.

"Veronica.. it's good to see you again.."

Veronica frowned. She didn't want to sit there with Balthazar. She didn't like Balthazar. After all, she always blamed him for her sister's death.

"..still not talking to me.. are you,?"

Keenio looked at Veronica, then looked at Balthazar. He knew she didn't like Balthazar, but she never told him why. He wasn't sure how to break the tension between them.

"..You both seem to not get along.." Keenio finally broke the silence, "..why do you hate each other so much?"

"Because, he's responsible for Rebecca's death.." she spoke first, "he killed my sister.."

Keenio nodded his head in understanding. Then turned his attention to Balthazar.

"Why does she say that? I thought it was Critias Roxwall who killed her.."

"Critias did kill her. But it is my fault in a way.."

"How so?"

He went silent for a moment. Than began to explain.

Back almost 16, years ago, shortly after Theseus left Thebes, and began training under the Xentidos. Balthazar was still the king of Thebes. And he was just married to Rebecca Dawnstar, Veronica's older sister. She was beautiful with scarlet hair, and violet eyes. She was considered the most attractive woman in Thebes. As a result, many men form that barbarian kingdom would try to get her to leave Balthazar. She's refused every time.

She was just a couple months younger than Balthazar. And she loved him ever since he met her during a meeting between both the Royal families of Thebes, and the Dawnstars who ruled over Athens.

They met first when they were 12, then grew deeply attached to each other when they were 16. From there, they built their relationship.

Once they were married, they were the happiest couple in all of Pangea. But their time was short.

Balthazar cought word of a plot to assassinate him. Seeing that the information was reliable, because it was one of his Honor Guard members who passed the information to him, he created a masterful plan At the time he thought, isolating himself from Thebes would bring the assassin to him, so he could avoid putting Rebecca at risk of being a casualty. He took every step to ensure that all the citizens of Thebes knew that he was staying in a cabin to the East, where the desert stands faded into grassland.

However, whisk waiting for his assassin to claim him, he received startling news from a note that was delivered to him.

He found out that he wasn't the target at all. With this new information, he found out, Rebecca was the target.

With this new information released to him, he raced back to Thebes. His plan wasn't going to work anymore.

He had hoped he would get to Rebecca in time. But when he got to his castle, it was already to late.

He was the one who found her body first. He found her body in a pool of blood, so thick that it was black. Her clothes were ripped and torn, and her belly had been cut from her naval to her chest. He noticed symbols in the throne room she looked as if she was sacrificed almost. There were even chained cuffs that still had her arms and legs bound.

Upon seeing her lifeless body, he cried out in pain. And held her face to his chest. He blamed himself for her death. He felt brainless, if he would have just stayed in the castle instead of trying to lure the murderer out, he may have been able to save her. He completely understood why Veronica hated him. He still even to this day hated himself for it.

He then took his focus form his past, and friend to Veronics across the table. And as tough as he was, his eyes became glassy, as if fighting back his tears.

"I understand why you hate me Veronica..." Balthazar looked at her, "I don't blame you... It wasn't till 6 years ago, that I found out who killed Rebecca.."

"Six years ago huh.." Keenio scratched his chin, "oh, when we were in Eleon.. that's when I first met you.."

"Yes, the very same."

"So that's what Theseus handed you.. and have you found him yet?"

"No.. but I hear he is headed to Avalon.."

At those words, Veronica gave Keenio and Balthazar a serious look, there was a deep pain in her eyes, as well as a righteous anger.

"..Avalon? Are you serious? Is your information right this time?"

"I trust my resources princess.." he nodded, "so please, Keenio, will you grant my request?"

"No.. let me kill Critias instead.." Veronica frowned, "it's my duty as her younger sister..."

Keenio looked at both of them.

"I understand revenge... Better than anyone.." Keenio spoke, "both of you are well in your rights. I felt the same way about Lemos.."

He continued to shift his eyes between their glares.

"But, who will stay in Xenthos? I need someone I can trust to keep order while I'm in Avalon.."

Veronica looked at Keenio. She knew he didn't want to deny either of them their revenge. But he couldn't leave Xenthos alone either. He needed someone he could trust.

"Keenio.." Veronica spoke, "please? I need to go with you to right this wrong.."

"I get that, but Balthazar needs this just as much as you do.. you both have a right to see this through..."

"So?"

Keejio thought for another moment, and he heard the bell ring, signalling the 2 hours were up, the final tournament battle was ready to begin. He felt at ease for a second.

"We can discuss this after the ball okay?" Keenio looked at his beloved, "until then, try to enjoy the festival okay?"

He turned to Baktahzar, and turned back to Veronica.

"Put it out of your mind, just for now.." he stood up, "both of you.."

Veronica nodded, and looked at Keenio.

"..Okay.." she spoke softly, "I'll try.."

Balthazar stood up last, and made his way to the door that lead down stairs.

"I will try as well.." he nodded, "thank you, for listening to me atleast Keenio.."

"We will discuss all of this further later on the evening okay? I promise.."

"Sounds good.." Balthazar nodded, and disappeared into the hallway.

Keenjo and Veronica rejoined Elizabeth and Selene up in their viewing stand.

The finally round of the tournament was about to begin.