Once upon a time, in a far away land - many, many moons ago, there lived a monster. Born under the night sky, he was more beast than anything. The people of his land hated him. All eyes that wandered towards his presence were struck with great terror; no one held the courage to dare approach him. So, he lived alone, as a monster. Not a day went by where he wasn't. He slept alone, ate alone, and walked alone down a directionless road.

After all, what else was a monster to do? He had the strength, but not the valor of a great knight. He had the bravery, but not the charm of a King who could move seas with the wave of his hand. He had the heart, but not the love of a man that every being on this planet holds a duty to give and to receive. Monsters were not allowed the leisure of peace in this world.

One night, under a full moon, did the monster meet someone who wasn't afraid of him. Oddly dressed, and from an antique land, he claimed himself to be a man of immeasurable fortune, not in material but spirit. Mesmerized by this peculiarity, the monster watched with child-like curiosity as the one with all strut through his village with high and might. Though, as posh as he was, this visitor was born with naivety.

From the shadows, bandits leaped into the air and surrounded him with blades - demanding that all his fortune be forfeited at this instant! He refused, claiming his wealth as his birthright, and no pesky goblin was going to rob him. Try as they might, his heroes fought bravely, but to no avail.

It was as the strange man was backed into a corner with nowhere to go that the monster revealed himself from the bushes! Stronger than anyone in the land, he sprung into battle and crushed his foes with a terrifying roar! They were no match and the bandits found themselves running with their tails between their legs.

"I have never seen such a display of strength." The strange man approached the monster. It was the first time anyone had. "You could very well hold the sky in its place if you cared."

"You are not afraid?" The monster asked.

"Is there a reason to be?" The visitor replied with a smile brighter than the moon. "Please, I humbly request: hold my island as high as you can, and I will grant you any desire."

For the first time in his life, the monster was offered a choice. Without hesitation, he accepted this gift and together they sailed away, parting these lands in the absence of a goodbye. That night, as the monster curled up in a new bed, he learned a simple lesson: that he too, could smile.

Respecting his deal, the monster ensured that this island would be safe from all who opposed the reign of the man of fortune. He fought off other monsters, and kept the tradition of the island's spirit alive with its people.

With each victory he obtained, the more human he became. By some miracle, the ugliness he cried many nights to curse with had shed from his body. Day by day, the monster became closer to becoming a real man. The crowds cheered his praises, and the choirs belted his name for the protection that he had bestowed upon them. Wealth, understanding, and happiness were all in his name.

Even love. A sweet, gentle woman who wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of her life by his side. The man wanted nothing more than to be next to her. Under the moonlight, they shared their admission of love.

More time passed, and the woman came to him with a grin.

"I visited the oracle." She said, "I bear your child." He had never been happier. Together they cried, hand in hand and danced until the sun set.

The day of their shared gift was on arrival. No gift is ever given without sacrifice, however. In her last moments of breath, she was able to carry out her final request and pushed out a small, red baby. "Please, my love." The woman whispered to him in confidence. "I have not long for this world, but I have cherished every moment of it spent with you. As my end draws near, I have to ask of you: love our boy, as you have loved me, and ensure that he will grow to his greatest potential."

"If I cannot?" The man shakily asked.

"Why doubt yourself now?" She coiled her weary fingers around his. "You hold the sky with these hands. One day, let him hold it with you."

The woman, whose hope in the man could light the greatest of depths, passed away with her last thought of their future.

The boy couldn't stop crying, and neither could his father.

CESTALIA COLOSSEUM - 9:30 PM

The Circallia Festival was indescribable in its beauty. It was like nothing our heroes had ever encountered before in their lives. The four of them were sunk right into the action, watching with anticipation in each moment for what could arrive next.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Emperor Kalium spoke through the microphone. "What you have just seen is still only the opening course. There will be far more to come!" The crowd, including our heroes, cheered with such earthly passion. The Emperor laughed, fastening back into his throne. "What a beautiful night, wouldn't you agree, Fiore?"

"No." She'd had her eyes averted to the stars the entire time, refusing to partake in these festivities.

"Honey," The Emperor placed his hand on her shoulder. "Please, for the sake of the island, try to have a little bit of fun. It sends a bad message otherwise."

"Why should I have to appease these people?" Fiore snapped back. "All they bring is misery, and you want me to entertain them?"

"All that I am asking of you is to drop the snide act." The Emperor replied, this time with a firmer voice. "For one night."

Fiore stared at her father. Her eyes were as cold as the Appalachian mountains. She refuted his pleads with a deep, angsty glare. The Emperor sighed, wavering and returned back to the show. Oh, how he loved his daughter, even for all her quirks. Though, lately she's been acting strange. An extra-moodiness has arisen from within her heart, and he wasn't sure what to do about it. Of course, he always had a plan, because what great ruler stands to skip with no beat? Parenting was an enigma. A blessing and at some points most certainly a curse.

The next act appeared. Quite literally, from thin air! Two sisters, dressed in violet vibrant dresses. On opposite ends their backs turned, pacing to adjacent ends of the arena. Each was equally as beautiful, and their smiles could turn a barren field to ash with how bright their smiles are.

"Ah, the Molo sisters." The Emperor said, nudging his daughter. "Excited for this one, aren't you?"

"Already seen it." Fiore said, holding her head in her hands. From each of them, a giant cloud of thick, pink fog emerged. At first, it was nothing special. A giant cotton candy cloud, who cares? Well, you might want to keep your eyes on them! Impatience was the undoing of far too many. Slowly, the one on the left morphed into an elephant. It danced around in circles, swinging its trunk and belted out a mighty, gleeful roar! The other one became a humanoid figure and ran with the elephant, leaping up and climbing onto the back of the creature!

Together, they rode around joyously, hopping over extra constructs such as rings and even scaling a make-shift tree! Then, just like that, all of the smoke dissipated and reshaped themselves into a field of fish, swimming in loops. If one paid enough attention to the show, you could make out incredible detail on the lining. A clownfish had all of its lines. Hundreds of fish swam around in their little ecosystem, all acting as a synchronous movement. Then, they transformed into dinosaurs! A huge action scene played out involving man versus the past, fighting against each other. Of course, it couldn't be too violent per restrictions, but it was gripping enough to keep you on the edge of your seat!

The Molo sisters glanced around, basking in all of the smiling faces cheering on their hard work.

No one was looking at them.

The show stopped. "Father…" The audience had their heads to the sky. Puzzled, the Emperor didn't understand the commotion. Then he raised his eyes towards the stars. He wished he hadn't.

"Oi," Haruto looked amongst the crowd. "What's the holdup?"

"Haruto!" In a terrified shriek, Koyomi motioned Haruto to beckon his gaze upwards.

"It can't be…" General Shima's heart stopped.

"It's a…!" Koyomi's voice trailed off. Wasn't it supposed to be safe here?!

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" Emperor Kalium's voice carried across the colosseum. A lone man stood above them. He was exceedingly tall, blessed with a body that only a great artist who had sacrificed his youth could sculpt. With glazed olive skin that glimmered, as solid as steel, and a great golden mane of terribly mesmerizing waves that stretched halfway down his spine. His eyes were a deep, amber colour, and pierced through the clouds with each minute diversion in his attention. The man said nothing. He too, raised his head to the sky, as if to say, "What, has the moon shown its face to those who would rather live in darkness?"

The moon was gorgeous, and so was he. "W-who is that..?" Haruto felt a sharp pain in his head, collapsing in his chair. The colosseum remained still. Not a single voice had the courage to interrupt. For if they did, would another word ever be spoken? The mysterious man walked across the air for some time. All of Celestice could be seen at this point. It hadn't lost its shine, even after all these years.

The man descended into the arena. All eyes were chained to his presence whilst his feet grazed against the sand. The grains dug between his battered toes, nourishing them with tiny kisses. It was smooth, and comforting. Part of him wished he could bury himself here and breathe easy as the days went by. Oh, how simple it would be… He knelt down, scooping a handful in his curled fist. Turning it upside down, he watched closely as each individual piece fell back into the ground, becoming one with the Earth again. As it is written on the exteriors of our souls: We are one.

All of them were watching. "Am I late?" Though a whisper, not a pair of ears were able to evade his words. He spoke in a low, amused voice that was incredibly parched. Yet, in spite of its cutting roughness, there was a fragrance of pure elegance present in his timbre.

"You… why are you…" The Emperor was speechless. Oh, how the sounds of their lord chipped beneath his bones with each waking, droning syllable he dare utter to speak. The man found himself disappointed. Surely, he had more to say after all this time, but perhaps he had expected too much out of a coward with a crown too large for his head to produce something coherent, and thoughtful.

"Have you gone senile, old man?" The man replied, approaching the Emperor. Each step he made felt as though the entire island was quaking, an impending onslaught of tectonic crashing to ring the bells for an age of everlasting chaos about to bestow upon every last person in the colosseum. No, all of Celestice itself. "Or, have you simply forgotten manners?" He let out a sickening, disheartful laugh, tilting his head to reveal a gaping, curved grin.

"Is my name lost on that vile tongue, your highness?"

"... Genichiro!" General Shima shouted, whether out of instinct, or fear of what would happen if he didn't answer his pleas is up to you.

"Hello, Father." Genichiro Shima said softly. "You appear surprised. Is it because I stand on this ground once more, or because I am standing at all?" No one had the heart to move unless he instructed it. Thousands of people, still due to the figure before them. "Speak."

"MONSTER! ARE THE LANDS BEYOND THESE WALLS NOTHING MORE THAN PILES OF ASH AS OF THIS MOMENT?!"

"Are you more concerned with the walls themselves, or the people within them?!" Genichiro retorted, continuing to make a joke out of the high ruler's fear. "Worry not, I assure you that this precious village remains intact."

"WHY ARE YOU HERE, GENICHIRO?!"

"LET ME SPEAK, OLD MAN!" With the raise of his palm, a daunting gust of wind screeched in his direction. That crown he so desperately clings to went flying off of his head. His daughter snatched it before it went any further, holding it close to her heart. Up in the cavea, nestled to his guards like a runt to its mother was Kalium, ruler of Celestice. He was shaking in his boots, showing all those who forsook their right to stand and kissed at his feet, that he too, had something to fear. Something greater than him, and it grew exhausted from waiting for the right time to strike.

"Celestice, hear me now: Will your dog remain silent, or shall I put this pitiful runt down?"

"Genichiro!" General Shima pleaded. "Leave us be, and turn back now!"

Genichiro sneered. "Or what, Father?" He was disgusted with this groveling. "The loyalties of a slave are of no value to me." With a wave of a hand, he beckoned upwards towards the three of them. Stepping out of the shadows, Fiore approached the microphone.

"People of Celestice, you are lower than scum." Fiore spoke in a clear, astute voice that had never sounded more passionate, and as bold of anyone who exercised their right to speak in the history of this island. Before either the General nor her father could do anything, the woman leaped up onto the stone podium and teetered over the edge, standing inches away from falling several feet towards the ground. Yet, there was not an inkling of fear in her unwavering voice.

"Every year since the conception of this island we have held this ceremony. Circallia Festivale, enacted under the summer solstice. Months, if not past the moment the previous one ends we plan for the next. Thousands of you, bowing blindly to these labours to uphold an arbitrary celebration. Your blood and sweat are no longer your own, but belong to my Father, and his bastards of forefathers before him. You work without rest. You eat, sleep and even breathe without consideration of choice. For what? To praise ourselves as 'true' worshippers of magic? How ludicrous, the names you people dub yourselves with – how can you claim to love and understand magic more than any other being blessed with this gift and be OK with the subjugation of this man?!"

Tears were streaming down Fiore's face by this point, but she continued in unbridled vitriol.

"Is a man not entitled to his gift, his flesh and blood?! Or, do you decide as an unspoken collective what constitutes as man, and what constitutes as monster?! Face me, cowards! Speak up, I want to hear you, all of you defend this way of life?!" No one bothered to answer her. "Spout these lies of peace, love, and acceptance. Whatever helps to carefully craft this web of cruel hypocrisies you people suffocate yourselves in."

Fiore scoffed. "Perhaps all of you are too stupid to understand my words, or even when you can't hide anymore it remains easier to pretend as though no sins have been committed. Regardless, you people don't deserve freedom if you choose to strip others of their own."

The ugly crown was tossed into the arena, splashing against the sand. "The people of Celestice have hidden well in the dark, but from this moment on: there is no shadow to seep into."

Genichiro Shima picked up the crown. It fit perfectly. "Hm, a little hollow on the inside, but… That can be rearranged."

Before another word could leave her mouth, Fiore was snagged by General Shima and held back. The Emperor leaped to his feet, taking control once more - or, at the very least, trying to.

"GUARDS – E-EVERYONE, PUT HIM DOWN!" The gates of the arena slid open, crashing against the peak of their hangers. Several groups of great knights surrounded Genichiro on each end. Their apprehensiveness would become their undoing. After all, hesitation is the hero's end.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?" Genichiro asked, staring up at the stars. Just like that, a sea of bright glowing spheres the size of cars smashed into the groups around them! Blasting the greatest warriors into mere submission with the flick of his fingers, the young man fell into disappointment. Were his expectations of sloppiness disproven, or has this island become so pathetic?

He watched these men struggle to stand, leaning ever so steadily on their comrades. Together they get to their feet, but alone they can't stand – or fight for that matter. What, was he going to waste time shedding blood on some fodder? "Give the people a show!" Genichiro freely threw his arms into the air, waving them around for some excitement. "The first decree of your new Emperor, as he demands it so!"

"HOW DARE YOU CALL YOURSELF THAT!" The Emperor shouted. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! THE ISLAND DEPENDS ON YOUR COURAGE!"

"It's about time someone shut you up!" A familiar, tall woman stood bravely amongst the silent onlookers who could neither fathom the thought of fighting for their freedom, or what would happen if they didn't. Removing her jacket, she revealed something that enticed even the most bored of brats. Her entire body was curving around itself in a spiral, like a vacuum cord that was wrapped around a sturdy base. She uncoiled herself, now standing at around 10 feet tall. Wait a moment, we know exactly who she is!

Francesca Tilheim: The Rubber Woman! "Threat not, I'll dispatch this child. But not alone, right?!" She called back, and sitting between her were the other sorcerers that Haruto had met the night before. Speaking of Haruto, shouldn't he be doing something?!

"Haruto?" Rinko called out, urging him to action. Unfortunately, he'd collapsed over his seat, grasping his head in great pain. "Haruto, come on you have to stand up!"

"Leave him to us." Without fear, the sorcerers sprung into the arena. Francesca Tilheim, Tutilitator Model S.532 V.3, Archamedes the all-seeing, and Potalia, the girl of nature were going to ensure Celestice's safety and put this tantrum throwing toddler back into his cage! All the while, Haruto tried desperately to recover. He wasn't sure what it was, but the presence of this… monster, it was like a beast was shredding through his heart to awaken something deep inside of his soul. The same primal sensation of the Sabbath.

"Please, I urge you." Genichiro planted his legs apart, throwing one arm back over his head and the other facing his opponents with a clawed palm. "Prove to be more than a disappointment." The fight was on! Though things were looking to turn for the better, Haruto only ever felt the worse as he desperately tried to catch his breath. Tell the people, surely, they would be saved from an evolving tyranny?!

It took no more than two minutes to wash the hope of Celestice into the lone ocean. The battle raged on, try as one might, and to their fairness did better than the 'great' knights of this island.

Archamedes the all-seeing could anticipate his moves. One by one, he was issuing commands telepathically to the rest of his team of where his telegraphed strikes would be placed. It made quite the trouble, for a fighter as careful as Genichiro, but one could never be too careful. Before he could enact his plan, however, Francesca managed to wrap herself around him, strangling what air he had in his body and slowly crushing his ribs.

"Weren't you supposed to be talking all high and mighty?" Francesca whispered.

The same timbre of those who dared to look down on him. He refused to lose here! What, did you believe it was going to be that easy? The sand beneath him began to take a light of its own.

"I can barely keep my balance!" Potalia squealed, collapsing to the sudden shift of the floor beneath them. The colosseum itself began to shake. Was he causing an earthquake? No, that wasn't the case! As it turns out, it wasn't the ground that was becoming imbedded with magic. It was the man's own feet!

HEAVY THUNDER - STRIKE!

Genichiro screamed and stomped his feet against the ground, causing massive ripples of shockwaves to run past the sand. He continued his rampage until the woman around him was becoming loose, and with one fell swoop, he tore her off and kicked her into the air, releasing a glowing white blast of energy! No, not just one. Oh, the horror! Not two, three, four, but five miniature comets!

Archamedes held out his hands, signaling for the next barrage of attacks on who he would target next, but it was too late before he realized who he was aiming for! Shining as bright as the sun itself, a heavier ball of star-like energy incinerated the sight from Archamedes' eyes. Potalia tried to crawl away, escape this monster, but to no avail.

He grabbed her by the leg and dangled her upside down in the air. "Are you aware of what happens to deserters?" There were several lashings on his chest from her vines. They cut at him wildly, the fear in her desperate voice being matched by no sound in the world.

Something had taken hold of Genichiro. As it turns out, it was that incessant machine.

"You will hurt no one anymore." The machine cried out. What was this feeling? It was as though blood was being drained from Genichiro, but his veins remained full. No, it wasn't blood, it was his energy. That machine was sampling him!

The machine let go and backed away, imitating his previous battle stance. "Optimal solution detected: your own power will be your undoing." Could it be that this bucket of bolts had the ability to copy his own magic? Well, so be it. There was no need for this coward hanging from his arms.

Genichiro crossed his arms. Take your best shot.

Upon activation of this magic, the Tutilitator short-circuited and collapsed. It seems there was magic not even a robot designed to mimic could handle. The crowd watched in disbelief. What were they ever to do now? "Is there truly no one on this land that can satisfy me?" Genichiro muttered, circling around in discontent.

"ANYONE?!" He cried out. "Hmph, without further ado… The real show can begin."

"Funny, I was thinking the same." Haruto said, his feet softly stamping against the sand. This primal feeling was as strong as ever, but he didn't care. Fight through it, and fight for these people. He's about just had enough of this bad excuse for a showman. "Your jokes are a drag, and so is this act."

"Ah, I see." Galaxies shimmered in Genichiro's eyes. His heart was set on fire, elated to several hundred leagues above the clouds. The man he had waited all his life to meet. The figure in his deepest dreams. "The Inheritor of the Dragon, Haruto Soma."

"Pretty perceptive," Haruto said. "You want to be the first person to enlighten me on what that means?"

"It means you and I are the stars of the show." Genichiro backed into his fighting stance. There was a twitch of anxiousness present just below the man's brows, tingling in his eyes. After all these years, the man of the hour has arrived right in front of him. This was the final test, the true testament to his yearning, undying will that he would rather perish with than sacrifice for the sake of someone else. "Unfortunately for you, only one of us is going to walk out of here."

"Take it you're not a fan then." Haruto smirked, reaching into his pocket for a ring. It was golden. He slipped it onto his finger. "I'll give you a show to remember."

CONNECT, PLEASE!

LAND, PLEASE! DODO DODODON, DON DODODON!

A golden sigil enveloped Haruto Soma's body, transforming him into "Kamen Rider: Wizard - Land Style!"

"Now, it's showtime!"

Not another moment passed before Haruto fired his first attack, mimicking his adversary's previous move by stomping his feet into the ground! Emerging at top speed from beneath the sand were several elevated platforms capable of shattering through the toughest of steel! Carving a path towards Genichiro's way, he wasted no time taking the offensive.

Leaping several feet into the air, his opponent narrowly dodged the attack. Just as Haruto went for plan B, his life flashed before his eyes. A glimmer of white shined across his adversary. It was all but for a moment, but it told him everything! Quickly, Haruto leaped out of the way as not a second later, Genichiro spun forward with a silver heel, smashing straight into the stone, splitting it down the middle!

Piles of smaller debris flew everywhere, smashing against the arena walls. "That was close…" Haruto muttered, but he hadn't even a second of relief as Genichiro came crashing down right next to him! Throwing a strike with the power of a giant, it barely missed colliding with our hero's face.

DEFEND, PLEASE! DEFEND, PLEASE! DEFEND, PLEASE!

One by one, stone walls were being torn off like a door off its hinges while Haruto backed up to gain some distance. Just how long could he go for?!

"That all you got?!" Genichiro laughed, it couldn't be this easy, right?! The gap between them closed, and now they were one on one - inches away from each other. His strikes were strong, but also swift. Keeping up on the defense here wasn't going to do Haruto any sort of favors.

Time to take these legs for a spin! As he dodged the last strike, Haruto raised his leg and threw it high above his head in a circular motion. It was a sluggish kick, one that Genichiro could effortlessly move around. Landing in the sand, he appeared to ready his other leg for a follow-up roundhouse. Anticipated with sloppy movements, Genichiro readied to take him by the heel and toss him flat on his back.

What he didn't anticipate was Haruto going back around with the previous leg! Missing by just a hair off of his chin, Genichiro missed a jawbreaker. "Ah, I get it." He smiled, growing more excited as time went on. In only a few moves, Genichiro was able to cross judgment through his kicks. One by one, over and over their legs clashed together with great force.

Left, right, left, right!

"Let's turn up the heat a little, shall we?!" Genichiro asked as their knees collided, keeping both of them in a crane stance propped up on one foot.

"Exactly what I was thinking!" Haruto displayed a red ring.

FLAME, PLEASE! HI-HI-HI-HI!

Haruto stepped back, readying to fire a full-frontal assault of furious flame straight into the man. Right where he could see him! Before he could, however, a flying strike of the knee came barreling towards him!

"Augh!" Haruto yelped as it dug itself straight into his gut. That wasn't the end, however. Before he could have any sort of time to recover, Genichiro tugged on his shoulders and smashed his head into his rising, opposite leg - shattering part of his mask's lens completely! As if they were now in a roped ring, he laid into our hero with a barrage of shock-bearing, sparkling, coordinated strikes towards his face, switching from violent elbows to open palmed strikes - each increasing in voltage with every direct hit.

Haruto barely regained his composure, holding out his arms to shield his face. Try as he might, this monster was relentless! Thunderous, roaring kicks buried themselves into the bones of his arms. To finish off this pathetic excuse of a dragon, Genichiro readied an attack that mirrored Haruto's signature spinning kick. Fortunately, and thank whatever powers granted it, there was an opening! With the arena as nothing more than a blurry haze, Haruto could still manage to make out the sharpening figure and managed to step to the side - just in time!

Haruto flew a roundhouse into Genichiro's gut, knocking him off balance if only for a quick second. Now he was in a bit of danger, but danger spat opportunity back into his face. One of the pieces of debris from earlier, a rock no larger than the size of his hand propelled straight towards Haruto's chest, enhanced by the glowing light of a brightly lit star bursting from behind!

Haruto hit the ground. Continuing his assault, Genichiro readied to smash into him from above.

BIG, PLEASE!

A gigantic figment of Haruto's arm came out of a sigil resting above his stomach. Guess he still had a trick up his sleeve, after all. To Genichiro's surprise, there was no way around this. In an instant, it slapped Genichiro and sent him flying across the arena, hurdling straight into the stone walls. The crowd watched in terror: was it finally over?

"He did it…" Shunpei muttered.

"No!" Koyomi cried. "Not at all, look!" A great cloud of smoke covered the surrounding area, and as it dissipated, revealed Haruto's worst nightmare. Genichiro was somehow still standing, even after an attack as great as that.

"How is he… still…?" He coughed, having a hard time focusing when his head felt like it had just been split wide open. What terrified him the most was not that this man had a skull thicker than a mountain of bricks, but that he was smiling in spite of it. Either he was beyond insanity, or he held no regard for his life at all. What's more, is that his shining aura - which was now apparent to him as a mix of gold and silver lights that encompassed the outer regions of his body during this battle, was - as if by denying nature around him in direct disobedience, refusing to waver. No, if anything it was growing in power.

Genichiro Shima wasn't using all of his power, only a fraction. His spells were cheaply shaped, lacking a complex direction at this point in time, but powerful enough to part the sea by command. With every step inching closer to Haruto, his heart flickered to the image of a great flame being doused in oil. This battle, he had not the strength to put his head to it, but it was becoming more than just a desire to do the right thing and save people. No, it was becoming an innate compulsion to continue!

Two men and their hearts being played at opposite ends of the pit by a composer working a synchronous, violent melody that sung a hymn of chaos.

His mana was draining by the minute. "No more… playing around…" Haruto huffed, holding up another ring. Inheritor of the dragon, huh? Let's see how much of a dragon he can handle.

LAND DRAGON, PLEASE!

DAN DEN DON ZU DOGON, DAN DEN DOGON!

He burrowed deep underground. Genichiro stood still, listening for rumbling. It circled around in asymmetrical movement. Bolts of lightning centered around him while he remained patient.

"Over here!"

ZAP!

Genichiro zipped to where Haruto had emerged, but he wasn't fast enough.

"Can't catch a mole?" Haruto re-appeared.

ZAP!

This time, much faster, and with greater force.

"Oi!"

ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! ZAP!

"Catch me if you – Urk!" Finally, he caught the weasel.

GRAVITY, PLEASE!

Plastered to the ground and humiliated, Genichiro's face wiped against the floor. The weight of a thousand elephants was felt being crushed against his back, refusing to let him stand. "D-damn… you…!" Genichiro gritted his teeth, trying his best to get up. Just a little longer and he might go down.

"It's over!" He proclaimed loudly, finding it difficult to stand. "I'm giving you…" Haruto started, out of breath. "The chance… to… stand down…" He didn't even believe his own words. "This is… your final warning…"

Genichiro screamed at the top of his lungs, releasing a deadly power so great it could withstand the shift in gravity and make it appear effortless to skip around on his two feet! The colosseum shook once more, and everyone in the surrounding crowd clung on tightly. His power was so terrifying, that the outburst was tearing apart the building. If he remained here for any longer, thousands would die at the weight of his blind rage. This had to end now!

He reached for that ring.

ERROR.

"What?!" He tried again, but to no avail. Halfway through the transformation it stopped, as though he was a battery at half capacity needing to power a generator with full power. This wasn't good, not at all! Quick, there had to be a solution - something else he could use with enough power! Then, in the knick of time, Haruto remembered.

ALL DRAGON, PLEASE!

Once again, back in red and now with wings, Haruto flapped into the air. With what strength he had left, Haruto was going to drive this monster away from here. "If it's a dragon you're looking to fight…" He said, gasping for air. "Then it's a dragon… You're going to get." This was his last straw. Anything beyond this form was out of his grasp with the energy he currently had stored.

Infinity was a no-go, here. That was an all or nothing, and right now his kindness had led him closer to nothing.

What initially presented itself as an escalation in power to de-escalate a threat had turned into a grave mistake. All things considered, he overestimated himself here, and not going all out here, as a chance for mercy, had locked him out of access to his ace in the hole.

Flying into the air, Haruto retreated from the colosseum. His opponent followed, saying nothing. Although lasting for no more than a mere moment, Haruto received the coldest glare he had ever seen in his life. It was a determined, deadly glare that said 'No matter the cost, I will kill you and prevail.'

Running through the air, Haruto led him astray from the general populace and into the forests. "Great… now if I can just…"

BOOM!

Like a plane shot out of the sky, he crashed into the forest, splitting the densely packed sea of trees. Travelling at exceptional speeds, there was a large dead bed of green blanketing the wizard. Unbeknownst to him, Haruto had just been kicked out of the clouds. "Hng.." He could barely move his limbs. Turning his neck, he noticed there were several large, gaping holes in his wings. Torn sheets of metal scattered amongst the ground. There was no way he was flying out of this situation.

"I… have to… keep moving…" He whispered to himself in a delirious fit of desperation. "Can't… let…" It was no use. Everything was going black. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was the fading outline of a figure approaching him.

CESTALIA COLOSSEUM - 10 PM

Not ten minutes went by before Genichiro returned. Tens of warriors lie next to one another, felled by the hands of the man who cannot remember what the sun looks like. Here to join them with the rest of his enemies was Haruto Soma, the Ringed Magician, Inheritor of the Dragon.

The wings of the dragon had been plucked from his body, and left on display for everyone to bear witness towards the impossible. Their hero was still breathing. Killing him would be easy, but Genichiro Shima sought no such mercy. Those who gather here in this colosseum, no, this island, shall be subject to the same torment as he was - forced to live in the depths of Celestice, stripped bare of their birthright: magic, as he was. To understand one's pain is to feel one's pain, and no adversary wishes for anything greater than those who have wronged them to be met with the same fate.

After all, why should they be spared in the face of death? Why not suffer a little, just so that their despairing hearts could live in a never-ending nightmare of silence? To be hollowed out was worse than to be dead.

It took Genichiro Shima, new Emperor of Celestice, no more than a singular hour for his army to extract all those who opposed him to the land below, and into the spiral prison, where they shall spend the rest of their lowly days in isolation.

Death is easy. Living, and knowing that you could be so much greater, but your little world you once loved refuses to let you reach those heights was a fair punishment for all that Genichiro Shima has endured.

Tonight was a celebration of magic. Not for those who strike the hammer and proclaim damnation, but for those who have been damned since birth.

For the ones just like him, and only him.

AN 03/22/23: OK, wow. That was a big one. It took a while to write, and I bet you can see why I chose to write a Beast chapter before this. Anyways, this is Genichiro Shima! After ten chapters he has emerged onto the scene, and I hope that you loved his introduction. He and Haruto are going to find themselves in a battle for the ages.

So, just to clarify - one might ask: Why didn't Haruto use infinity from the get-go? The thing is, infinity being a final form drains a lot of his power. It's something that you would have to be certain of to pull out, and when trying to subdue a villain - not blow them to smithereens with Infinity (but would that have even worked on Genichiro?) You don't want to pull out the big guns as soon as possible. I hope I made that clear in writing, because I was struggling to come up with a good reason to save the form for later.

Nonetheless, I hope everyone has been doing great. This semester of school has been tough for me, but I'm getting back on track just in time for the finale. After April I'll have so much more time to push out content. Don't worry, you're still going to get updates until then. Regardless, I'm thinking that this story ends around the end of May if I stay consistent.

It's kind of sad, knowing I'm nearing the final end stages of this story. Well, I wouldn't call it the "end" stages. There's at least 5 more chapters to go, plus an extra chapter or two if I'm feeling like putting out little bonus snippets. Anyways, that was that. Until next time!