He barely dodged, hissing thunder grazing his eyebrows and leaving a serious regret in the boy for having tried his cards. Though, if this was how it was going to be, 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 around 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 now tied up yet again.

"I'll pass! See ya 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 only in the hundreds of meters now, 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 meters. 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 fifty meters presented itself.

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

That thought took ten meters.

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

Another ten.

There wasn't any technique using Magic he knew to even try to avoid her.

Yet another.

He definitely wouldn't just bowl her 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, ten meters from the gate.

For a time, they both stood, neither party finding words. She was no older than ten, skin hued a sun-baked tan, 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 blown that away if he tried to dodge. Knowing that, any regret for throwing the race vanished in an instant.

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 slow down-" After noticing his occupation, she cut herself off, laughing almost immediately. "I guess I should've expected something like that to happen."

Looking back to the little girl, Kyoya nodded.

"Yeah, yeah. I won."

A storm of cheer rang up from the surrounding audience, Kyoya standing as Lyric walked to his front.

"See what I meant about that whole 'character' bit, now?"

"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, is all. But hey, at least somebody can see the good in her."

"Sarah! 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 a curtsy, 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 being met with an uproar of applause and 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're the furthest thing from ladylike, Seraphim. I'd be insulting you."

"I-... Y'know what? I'm not even gonna be mad at that. Can't say I've seen anybody learn quite like you; kudos part-two, Blue."