Seath's voice echoed across the coliseum, again.
"Leonardo and Medusa. Step forward."
Leonardo rolled his shoulders, still looking a little tired but with a spark of interest in his eyes. He gave Lavinia a nod as he passed her.
"Try not to trip," Lavinia teased under her breath with a grin.
"No promises," he shot back, sliding his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
Across the arena, Medusa walked with quiet steps, her expression unreadable. She wore a blank look, as always, Her long lavender hair shifted slightly with each step, and a soft glow pulsed beneath the blindfold that covered them.
Leonardo stopped at his mark and let out a breath. He glanced at her with mild amusement.
"So… do you even talk?" Leonardo asked, half-teasing as he adjusted his glasses.
Medusa tilted her head slightly, confusion flickering across her otherwise blank expression. "I did earlier—when you insulted me."
Leonardo blinked. "When did I do that?" he asked, sounding genuinely puzzled.
Medusa opened her mouth to reply, then closed it again, clearly struggling to form a response.
A grin tugged at Leonardo's lips when he noticed the tiniest twitch at the corner of her mouth. Even if her face stayed blank, he could tell—he was getting to her. Annoying people, especially the stuck-up ones, was one of his favorite pastimes.
Across the arena, Seath raised his hand.
"Same rules apply," he announced. "Begin when ready."
The barrier shimmered to life once more, enclosing the two within the glowing circle.
Silence settled between them—heavy, expectant.
And then, the duel began.
Leonardo hadn't moved from his spot—nor had Medusa. Both stood still, silently sizing each other up like two statues waiting for the other to blink first.
Then, without warning, Medusa vanished.
Leonardo's eyes widened. She's gone—
Instinct screamed in his head. He turned sharply to his right—just in time to see a chained dagger flying toward him.
He twisted his body, narrowly avoiding it. The blade whizzed past, slicing a few strands of his hair in the process.
A bead of sweat rolled down his temple.
"Fuck, she's fast. Faster than both Lavinia and Lucas," Leonardo thought, his heart quickening.
He scanned the arena warily, his body tense. Medusa was already on the move again, circling him from a distance like a predator stalking prey—silent, controlled, and completely unreadable.
"Are you trying to kill me?" he called out, his voice dry as he rotated slowly, trying to keep her in sight.
"I thought this was supposed to be a friendly little duel, not a deathmatch."
Even though he said that there was still a smile tugging at Leonardo's lips.
He was glad he had upgraded his glasses before the fight. He'd realized earlier that his eyes couldn't keep up with Lavinia and Lucas's speed—so he made adjustments.
Leonardo knew he was the weakest of the group. He didn't have Lucas's strength, Lavinia's magic, or Medusa's speed. That was fine.
That's why I have to play smart—until I'm strong enough to brute-force my way through.
His eyes, hidden behind his glasses, tracked Medusa carefully as she circled him like a shark in the water. Fast. Precise. Unreadable.
She's toying with me, he thought. Good. Let her.
He wasn't angry. In fact, he welcomed it. Let her underestimate him. That was when he was at his best.
In the blink of an eye, Medusa darted forward, her feet barely making a sound against the stone floor.
Leonardo's smile didn't fade. His eyes narrowed behind the lenses.
Got you.
Just as Medusa appeared in front of him, Leonardo slipped a small object from within his robe and tossed it at her feet.
Medusa's senses flared—danger.
Before she could react, the sphere burst into a flash of blinding light.
A surge of white filled her vision. Her instincts screamed, but her body froze—stunned, even if only for a moment.
When the light faded and her vision cleared, her eyes widened behind the blindfold.
The arena platform was now swarming with dozens of black and red butterflies, all of them eerily silent as they fluttered in a slow, menacing dance around her.
One butterfly hovered directly in front of her face. It blinked—once, twice—then—
Boom!
A small but sharp explosion rocked her backwards, dust and energy flaring as she hit the ground, sliding a few feet before rolling back into a crouch.
She didn't look hurt—just surprised.
And for the first time, Medusa frowned.
Leonardo stood where he was, one hand in his pocket, the other pushing his glasses up his nose.
"Like I said," he said casually, "this isn't a deathmatch."
A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"But that doesn't mean it won't hurt."
Medusa didn't respond.
Her expression returned to its usual blankness, but there was a shift—subtle, sharp.
She stood slowly, brushing bits of dust off her clothes as her chains slithered back to her side like obedient serpents.
Around her, the butterflies hovered in a loose formation, flapping silently in the air like waiting traps.
Leonardo observed carefully, already reaching into his robe for more tricks. She's not going to fall for the same thing twice.
Without a word, Medusa took a step forward.
Then vanished.
Leonardo's eyes widened. Again—?!
But this time, he was ready.
"Too predictable!" he shouted, twisting around and tossing another device behind him.
Except—nothing.
There was no sound. No impact.
Leonardo barely had time to blink before a chain whipped out from behind him, coiling around his body and yanking him toward Medusa.
She was right where she had started—he'd been tricked. She'd only made it seem like she was approaching from another angle.
Then it hit him—she was trying to use him as a shield, placing him between her and the explosion from his own butterflies.
But Leonardo wasn't caught off guard. He'd prepared for something like this.
The gauntlet on his arm—created alongside the butterfly trap—flared to life, forming a force field just in time. The explosion erupted behind him, harmlessly absorbed by the barrier and sparing both him and Medusa from the blast.
But what Medusa didn't expect… was that the gauntlet could store impact.
Leonardo twisted his body just enough within the chains and slammed a punch into her stomach, using the absorbed energy to amplify the strike. The force sent her stumbling back, chains unraveling to regain balance.
Wasting no time, Leonardo clapped his hands together. Two small octopus-like creatures formed beside him, each lobbing jets of black, inky slime at her feet.
The substance clung instantly, anchoring her in place.
Medusa's chains coiled around her in a blur, striking down the incoming attacks. She dodged and deflected many—but a few slipped through, sparking against her limbs and bursting into small flashes across her arms, back, and legs.
Smoke curled from where they hit, and for the first time, her calm demeanor flickered.
She was trapped—and Leonardo was pressing the advantage.
Leonardo didn't waste time.
As the flashes went off and Medusa staggered slightly, he held out both hands—more black-and-red butterflies materializing mid-air, darting like sparks of magic with erratic, unpredictable flight paths.
Medusa narrowed her eyes behind the blindfold, chains tightening defensively. She tried to leap away, but the inky adhesive still stuck her feet down.
She sliced through the octopus-like creatures with fluid precision, but their job was done—they'd bought him the time he needed.
Leonardo grinned, raising one finger.
"Boom."
Half the butterflies exploded in succession, a ripple of small blasts surrounding Medusa in a chaotic flurry. They weren't powerful enough to seriously injure—but they disoriented her, chipped at her defense, and forced her on the back foot.
Finally, the ink gave way, and Medusa lunged out, escaping the swarm—but Leonardo was already repositioned.
Because one butterfly had landed behind her.
It blinked once.
Twice.
Boom.
The blast didn't knock her out—but it was enough to throw her off balance just as her chains lashed toward him.
Leonardo stepped aside with a small hop.
And gently pressed a capsule to her back.
She froze.
Leonardo gave a little wave.
"Boom."
Pfffft—! The capsule didn't explode. Instead, it released a puff of shiny pink glitter paint, marking her like a target.
The match barrier flickered.
Seath's voice echoed.
"Winner—Leonardo."
The barrier around the arena flickered one last time before fading completely.
Leonardo stepped back, casually dusting off his robe like he hadn't just fought for his life. His breathing was heavier, sweat clinging to his brow, but the grin on his face said it all.
Across from him, Medusa stood still, a few stray sparkles of glitter clinging stubbornly to her clothes. Her chains had withdrawn, curling loosely behind her like obedient, sulking serpents. She stared at him—expression unreadable—but the faintest twitch at the corner of her mouth might've been… amusement?
Maybe.
Leonardo raised a hand in a mock salute. "You're crazy fast. Kinda terrifying."
Medusa blinked, then replied in a flat voice, "You're annoying."
"Well, I'm not even that special."
She turned away.
"Hey! Medusa," he called after her. "Thank you. I learned a lot from this fight."
She paused, clearly taken aback by the sincerity in his voice. After a second of silence, she simply nodded in acknowledgment—and walked off without another word. She didn't even bother wiping off the glitter.
Leonardo watched her go, his grin faltering slightly. He might have won, technically—but it didn't feel like a win. She hadn't gone all out. No true abilities, no magic—just speed and physical strength. She was holding back.
And that meant he still had a long way to go.
Lavinia jogged up to him, eyes wide. "You actually won!"
He gasped in mock offense. "Excuse me—'actually'?"
She laughed and poked his side. "I'm just saying, that was really impressive. The butterflies, the traps, that sneaky glitter bomb—genius."
Leonardo puffed up slightly. "Gotta compensate for my tragic lack of raw power somehow."
From the sidelines, Lucas chuckled. "You're like a walking prank that somehow works in combat."
Then Seath approached, arms folded behind his back, sharp eyes scanning Leonardo with a new kind of focus.
"That was… unorthodox," he said.
Leonardo gave a lazy thumbs-up. "I aim to confuse."
Seath didn't smile, but a faint gleam flickered in his eye. "You're not the strongest. Not the fastest. And yet you won. That kind of thinking will keep you alive longer than brute force ever will. Well done."
Leonardo blinked. "Was… was that a compliment?"
Seath turned away. "Don't get used to it."
Lavinia laughed as Leonardo grinned behind Seath's back.
Seath addressed the group now. "Leonardo. Lucas. Both of your performances were solid today." Then his eyes flicked to Lavinia. "Lavinia… I have nothing to say to you."
She blinked. "Wait, is that good or bad—?"
Finally, he turned to Medusa, his tone sharpening. "Medusa. Your performance today was lackluster. I don't know what's holding you back, and I don't care. Next time, use everything you have. Because if you don't—there won't be a next time."
She stiffened slightly but didn't speak.
Seath's voice rang with finality. "Remember—power is power. It's not good or bad. It's a tool. And tools are meant to be used."
He turned, cloak swaying behind him. "That's enough for today. Rest. Reflect. Next time… we go further."
The group began to disperse—Lucas chatting with Lavinia, Medusa trailing quietly behind.
Leonardo lingered, watching the last of his butterflies fade into shimmering sparks on the wind.
"…One step closer," he muttered, pushing up his glasses with a quiet smile.
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Just a little question from your humble little author:
What do you guys think of the fight? It was my first time writing a fight scene.
and character and their interaction so far; do they feel alive, or does the interaction between them feel emotionless?
Ciao, Bitches!