She remembered two things in her youth, back when she was alone. Hunger... and cold. At a time when Rakia had yet to be victorious time and time again. At a time when Romulus Quirinus was only getting started, before he made his name known across the world. It was tough, in the city that wasn't called Roma at the time. Searching the streets for any rotten food she could find. To find any sort of shelter from the cold and the rain, trying to keep herself by hugging her knees and trying to keep the lumps of cloth on her body dry. Even at the young age she was, she knew she was going to die if this kept up. There was just no food. She wasn't strong enough to beat other kids up, not fast enough to steal. At the start, so to say, she was often picked on. But eventually, they ignored her existence, realizing she wasn't worth the effort. She was no danger to them, since she didn't actually steal or even kill. A part of her didn't want to do any of that, underneath the desperation, the hunger and the cold. Pride killed the poor, but she kept it anyway. If things went on, she would've died with it.
Because of that, she was amazed. One day, soldiers gathered in the slums she lived in. She thought it was yet another forced recruitment. As a young child, she didn't understand what this was all for, but she knew that often kids were taken off the streets and disappeared, only to later become soldiers themselves. Naturally these men never paid attention to her. Not only was she a girl, she was a skeleton of a girl. So at first, she ignored them and tried to find food in the trash. But then she smelled it. Her stomach growled, her mouth salivated. Bread. Fresh, wonderful bread, the smell of it invading her nose. She covered her stomach, trying to repress her desire. If she gave in to her base instincts, she would surely be punished. But then she saw it. How they just... gave it away. Laughing, even if some seemed confused and wary of their own actions. Maybe... maybe she could eat as well? Slowly, making her way forward, she moved past the eating kids like her, eating like rabid animals. Shyly she raised her hand. One soldier spotted her, wincing at her appearance before smiling awkwardly and handing her some bread. She carefully reached for it and her eyes sparkled as she held it in her hands.
Warm. So soft. She bit off from it. The sensation she almost forgot about. Tears welled up in her eyes as she swallowed, her stomach singing praise to be filled at last. It was like a dream. But then, reality returned. Charity was rare in the slums. Because of that, old habits died hard.
"Gimme that!" A child shouted, grabbing her hands. She struggled, shaking her head violently.
"Hey, we got enough for-"
She didn't know how it happened. She just didn't want to lose the warmth she was yearning for. Lose the only way to get rid of the hunger. She just screamed, in desperation... when everything became hot. She blinked, crying at the pain her skin was in as she looked around, realizing there was fire around her. Many stumbled backwards, fearfully and in pain.
"Holy... !"
"M-M-Monster!"
She choked. No, she wanted to deny their words. She wasn't a monster. But she realized she ruined everything. Frantically she looked around, hoping to escape, when suddenly a man stepped forward. He was utterly at peace as he knelt down, reaching out with his hand with a warm, fatherly smile.
"Greetings, young one."
"C-Captain Quirinus, be careful!"
"If I fear a little girl, I am not deserving of my position." He huffed, shaking his head before smiling back at her. "Come. I believe your fate lies elsewhere."
That day, she first met the Legiones, taking his hand. Things went quickly then. The first time she got cleaned. The first time she met her future brother, immediately wanting to play with her. The talks of adopting her after showing her talents. The disappointment of her lack in talent for blacksmithing. The joy they felt when she became stronger and stronger as a warrior. The tears when she decided she couldn't get stronger here any longer, when she decided she needed to step out into the world to prove her worth.
After all... She was a Crozzo. Even if not by blood, she would do anything to live up to that title they have gifted her. To the names she was granted.
/
"Why didn't she take that out before?!"
Raul shrunk down at the glare he received from Kaguya or the scoff he heard from Bete. Ryuu cleared her throat before nodding slowly when the more inexperienced to pay attention.
"The range." At the questioning looks she received, she twirled her hand to elaborate. "Nightshade was too close to take it out and use it effectively. The fact she waited so long meant it could unleash its full potential just now."
In the end, Solaris was playing a dangerous game. Too dangerous in the eyes of some veterans. Making Lulope retreat out of her own effective range on her own volition. A single mistake would've meant losing this fight or even her life. The Astraea Familia looked at Alise. While the girl smiled with pride at her efforts, there was something else that scared them a bit. A certain glint that promised pain after this whole deal was over.
Still, even with this second ace being revealed, some were wary about calling this the change in the tides now.
"Still, will she be able to handle it?" Tione muttered, narrowing her eyes at the sight. "Those kinds of weapons are tough to use."
Long range weapons that went beyond a spear's reach were usually a rare sight in the dungeon, unless one went to the Deep Floors as an army. After all, the first floors were narrow in space, making it hard for anything too big to be wielded. Not to mention, what Solaris was using right now wasn't a bow nor something like that. A chain whip, with a weight and a scythe on each end. It lacked the sort of stability other weapons had. It was a tool purely meant for offense by all accounts. With a chain as long as that, it would be difficult to utilize it properly, as the weight and the scythe were the only points of doing proper damage and that was only if enough force was created via spinning and moving her hands. Yet Alise laughed lightly, waving her hand dismissively.
"No worries~!"
Lulope got to her feet, taking deep breaths as she tried to numb and ignore the pain that burned in her face, due to the hole it had now. At the sight, Solaris picked up speed, essentially creating two large wheels of steel and links cutting through the air. Lulope's good eye moved frantically, trying to keep track of both ends. But Solaris flicked her wrist and the Nightshade's eye widened when she raised her arm, covering her head. The next instance she flew to the side, groaning in pain as she was hit with the weight of what felt like a Goliath. Yet even as her arm shook, stunned with pain, she screamed when a gash appeared across her left calf. She took out two other daggers and immediately dashed away, trying to make it harder to hit her. Yet she barely swayed back, sliding over the ground as the scythe was about to take her head off.
"Look at that storm!"
"Nightshade's speed is impressive, but that missing eye is showing its effects!"
She tried her best. Parry what she could, avoid what she could, but it was like the weight and the scythe were drawn to her vitals, trying to smash and cut them into pieces. Like hunting snake they seemed to suddenly switch and twist in their directions, making cover seemingly useless. After the first weight crashed into her side, Lulope decided that she needed all the space she could get to move. Yet with her more narrow vision and the first few hits, even brushes, of which there were many, caused immense pain, as if they tore off more flesh than they actually did. She shuddered at the thought of flames being added to the two ends of the chains.
"How can she hit so accurately with it?!" FIlvis asked in shock, eyes wide at the laughing, drooling captain who used her weapons as if they weighted nothing.
"So that's her 'perfect' weapon, huh?" Finn muttered, glancing at Alise who was openly celebrating, dancing on the spot while she raised her hands repeatedly. Solaris' eyes were wide, almost manic with focus as she masterfully maneuvered both ends of her chains as if it was child's play. Bell, who covered his mouth in shock, remembered how she played with her valis bag attached to a rope, realizing this might as well actually be child's play to her. Still, despite the death trap she made the arena into, she was getting paler and paler as well. With both parties riddled in wounds, Lulope receiving more and more as her head snapped to the side due to the weight, at the same time as her stomach wound was opened up once more with the scythe, this fight could go to anyone. After all, despite the damage she received, despite the loss of perception and agility, the Nightshade was closing in. And the closer she got, the less effective Solaris' weapon became, as she couldn't move from her spot, her single leg long exhausted. Anticipation grew in the ranks of the audience. Suddenly, the god Hachiman scratched his beard with a cold expression before he glanced at Hestia Familia.
"Haruhime will learn a lot from this."
Some of the audience, especially Tsukoyomi sent a questioning look at him. But the deity remained silent, looking at the worried expression of Haruhime, as she had her hands folded as if in prayer.
Suddenly, the deadlock was broken. For a single instance, the whirling sound of metal ceased, the storm disappearing. Solaris was stumbling a bit on one leg, her eyes blinking rapidly as she seemed to hyperventilate. As exhausted as Lulope was herself, as much as she was bleeding all over her body, she didn't miss the chance. She screamed, past her own pain, past her own dizziness and leapt at Solaris. Yet the captain grinned, suddenly opening her eyes wide before moving her chain. Before Lulope knew it, she crashed down on the ground, the chain around her mouth with Solaris on her shoulders, her legs tied around Lulope's upper body. The dark elf couldn't help but blink in confusion. Why not her throat? Covering her mouth, and only her mouth, wouldn't do anything to defeat her. She still got plenty of hair. But then she felt a shiver down her spine. She didn't see her face. She didn't spot her emotions. But she could imagine it when she heard the singing, whispering voice, filled with raw malice.
"Can't have you surrender, can we now~?"
Her eyes widened. Outrage. Disgust. But the most prevalent one... fear. She shot up to her legs, rushing backwards to crash Solaris against the rocks. Yet the girl was still on her back, like a curse that couldn't be lifted. Even if she gasped in pain, Solaris merely tightened her grip on her chains before licking her lips with a malicious grin.
"Burn."
Blue fire emerged once more. What followed was the most agonizing rodeo ride anyone had ever witnessed.
"By the heavens!"
"Flamma is riding Nightshade with flames like a spawn from hell! This... this is hard to watch!"
Rolling on the ground. Furiously shaking her body. Muffled screams as her skin boiled. Trashing and twisting, the Nightshade revealed her speed as she crashed Solaris over and over again into various things, desperately hoping to make her stop. Yet even as Solaris was spitting out blood, even as Solaris was burning herself, she grinned and held on.
"She is already so burned, why would she do something so foolish?!" Haruhime shouted, horrified at what she was witnessing. Kojiro had to hold Bell back from jumping in and stop his captain, stopping her from going too far like that. Unbeknownst to them, Hachiman gave his answer to a similar question in the spectator seats.
"It's a matter of pride. Her pride against the pride of her enemy. Simple as that. With pride comes conviction... and conviction gives one immense strength."
Lulope stumbled over, twitching on the ground as her screaming became weaker and weaker. One could have seen her tears run down from her pleading eyes if they weren't turned into steam immediately the moment they were formed. Yet when she met eyes with Solaris, who screamed, she realized one simple thing.
Solaris was not going to let her live. She was determined to do this from the start, to prevent her from surrendering. She shook her head, muffled in her voice as she repeatedly said the same word, hoping someone, anyone would intervene.
Stop. Stop. Stop.
And in the end, her prayers were heard. It was only by coincidence that Solaris was facing the right way or else she would've died right then and there. Instead she barely managed to let go of her chains, causing them to become loose enough to sway back. The spear almost cut her forehead before it smashed into the wall, causing some spectators to shout in panic at the crack and damage it created. The next instance, someone grabbed her by the head and flung her away. She didn't smash against the wall as she expected, instead strong arms catching her. Solaris blinked furiously, unable to process what just happened. It was then however, that hse heard it.
"What a twist! The Eris Familia intervened in the fight!"
"If it weren't for the Legiones, the Flamma would've broken her neck at the wall!"
The captain blushed a bit. Being carried by a living legend like that was a tad embarrassing. She cleared her throat, before the pain and exhaustion hit her after she managed to ignore it enough with pure adrenaline. Romulus quickly handed her off to Hestia Familia, who immediately doused health potions on her. She moaned in bliss, as the cool fluids covered her body. She raised her body a bit, glaring at the opposition.
The captain of the Eris Familia picked up his spear, his casual smile absent. The tiger man held the burned elf in his arms, whispering something down to her.
"With the intervention, Lulope Wuzil has been disqualified!"
Hearing that, Solaris felt anger build up, before she let out a deep breath. Whatever, she still won in the end. With a smirk, she forced herself to stand up, ignoring the pain she felt by her still healing wounds. She waved Bell and Haruhime off, who tried to make her stand down. Hobbling forwards, she stood in the arena. She glanced up, looking at Penthesilea with a tired smile. The amazon nodded back, a small smile on her face as well.
"The winner of the first bout is Solaris Crozzo!"
The crowd exploded in noise as the captain of the Hestia Familia screamed, her right fist raised into the air.