[LOCATION: Savanaclaw Dorm – Lounge]

LEONA: Ruggie, I heard that those guys from Heartslabyul were chasing you this morning.
I told you not to leave evidence, you idiot!
RUGGIE: "Y-you've got it wrong! There's a proper story behind that...
I was chased because they had no proof, so don't worry.
LEONA: Tch...I paid a lot of money for Octavinelle's creepy octopus bastard to cooperate with us. I'll fry and eat you all if you fail, got that?
RUGGIE: Dont worry. The preparation for the main dish is going smoothly~
SAVANACLAW STUDENT A: We'll definitely make those Diasomnia bastards pay!
RUGGIE: Ah~ I can't wait for the tournament already~
Malleus Draconia all beat up and kneeling in front of Leona-san~! Ah, the world will surely admire us now~
Someone might even scout a hyena like me~
SAVANACLAW STUDENT A: The pro-leagues might even fight over us!
LEONA: Hah! You're all very optimistic considering nothing's happened yet.
SAVANACLAW STUDENT B: Leona-san's popularity will skyrocket, too! Who knows maybe even that Potter girl will give him respect as well.
SAVANACLAW STUDENT A: The people from Sunset Savannah will definitely think you should be king now.
LEONA: Effort and family lineage are different.
RUGGIE: Eh?
LEONA: Nothing... (yawns) I'm going to sleep now. You all get lost, too.
RUGGIE: Roger. Good night, Leona-san.

LEONA: "Not everything will be solved even if we reach the top." He said bitterly as he thought of a certain witch.
'She's got all the praise in the world on a platter because of one thing, no, multiple feats she's done. She will learn of my true brilliance soon.'

---------------------------------------

The next day, Hazel got up early to proceed with the plan. Jack stayed in her dorm for the night due to her reasoning that he would be ambushed.

GRIM: We're gonna catch the culprit today!

"Yup. Be careful Jack, ok?" Hazel advised.

"Hmph, see you in the arena then." Jack gruffed before leaving.

----------------------

[LOCATION: Side Street – Festival]

AZUL: The number of customers this year is astounding, too. Now all we need to focus on are the sales each stall makes. Now that I am the Managing Director, it will not do anyone good to pretend that they have sold out. Fufufu.
JADE: The maintenance of the Colosseum is complete, Prefect. We will start letting people inside in another 10 minutes or so.
AZUL: Very well done, Jade and Floyd.
FLOYD: Hey, hey, Azul~
Why are the players going to parade all the way from the eastern school building to the arena this year?
Thanks to that, the customers waiting to see them are all packed like barnacles and it's so hard to walk around.
AZUL: It was a request from a certain client. Though, I have not heard in detail as to why...
JADE: Ah, I understand. They plan to use the magic amplifier you made for this purpose.
FLOYD: Eh~? What did you figure out~? The magic amplifier and the parade don't seem connected at all~
JADE: Shh... We must not be heard. Let us please keep it down.
FLOYD: Ah~ Are you planning something bad~?
AZUL: Still, that amplifier's effect lasts a mere 30 seconds. What is that person planning, I wonder...
JADE: Azul, I am pretty sure that you already know what will happen.
AZUL: My, I wonder what you're talking about. Fufufu~
FLOYD: Eh~? What is it~? Tell me, too~!
AZUL: Fufufu. I was thinking of adding new facilities to the Lounge when he came with a rather promising proposal.
AZUL: Come, that is enough small talk. Time is money, as they say. Let us go and check the drink stalls now.

[LOCATION: Side Street – Festival]

 "Ah!! Look, Hazel! There're so many stalls selling food! Churros, fried cakes... And there's smoked chicken, too!" Grim said looking at all the tasty food, ignoring the gloomy appearance of the two boys with them.
ACE: I wasn't chosen for the team in the end...
DEUCE: Same here...

"Hey, to be honest there's still next year, besides, we still have a mission, remember?" Hazel asked.

DEUCE: Hazel's right. Let's be alert.
ACE: Yeah. Let's do our best on that, I guess.
"What's a takoyaki? I wanna try some!" Grim said with some drool on his mouth.
"Later! Come on, let's go!" Ace said as they got into position.

------------------------------

[LOCATION: Savanaclaw Dorm]

LEONA: It's almost time for the parade, isn't it?
RUGGIE: Everything's ready. We can go anytime.
LEONA: First in line's last year's champion, Diasomnia. Doesn't it make you excited?
RUGGIE: Shishishi!! I'm off, then~!

--------------------------------------

[LOCATION: Side Street – Festival]

ANNOUNCER: Ahem... To everyone who has been waiting for the Tournament to begin...
ANNOUNCER: You've waited long enough and now, it's time for the march of the players!
CROWD: (screams and cheers)
ANNOUNCER: First up are last year's champions! Will they take the victory again this year?!
ANNOUNCER: Our Reigning Champions, DIASOMNIA~~~~~~!!!!
CROWD: (screams and cheers)

RUGGIE: Whoa~ They've got quite the fanbase~ Not that I'm complaining... Shishishi!
First, I have to drink the magic amplifier we got from Azul-kun and then...!
RUGGIE: Blech... Wha—What's with this taste? It's so bad! It tastes just like rotten stew...!
Alright, back in the game. It's time for my unique magic to shine!
"Alright, run like your lives depend on it! Laugh with Me!!" Ruggie said as he let his magic loose.

SPECTATOR: What's that sound?
SPECTATOR: Wh-what's that!? The guys watching the parade are heading over here!?
SPECTATOR: AHHHHH!!! My body's moving on its own...! Out of the way, get out!!!
SPECTATOR: Don't push me!!
SPECTATOR: Run away! You're gonna get crushed!
SPECTATORS: (panicked screams)
ANNOUNCER: What...!? What in the world is happening!?
ANNOUNCER: The spectators who were watching are running wild!
ANNOUNCER: Everyone, please calm down! Let's be rational!
SPECTATORS: (panicked screams)

RUGGIE: (panting) Hehehe... Azul-kun's magic amplifier is amazing...! I didn't think I could control this many people at once!
RUGGIE: (panting) But it's tiring like I thought... If we succeed here, we will...!
RUGGIE: Alright, will you use your magic against spectators?
Even the Reigning King Malleus won't use it if he had to, right!?
Get crushed with the crowd, will you!? Hahahahahaha!

SILVER-HAIRED MAN: This is bad...! We'll be trampled by the crowd at this rate. Protect Lord Malleus at all costs!
TALL MAN: Lord Malleus, over here! Lord Malleus! AHHHH! We won't make it!
TALL MAN: We're going to get crushed...!!!
SILVER-HAIRED MAN: AHHHH!! Lord Malleus~~!!

RUGGIE: Finally... We did it...!

[LOCATION: Savanaclaw Dorm – Magift Stadium]

RUGGIE: (panting) I did it, Leona-san...! Did you see it on the broadcast?
LEONA: Yeah, you did great, Ruggie. Good riddance, Malleus. I'll be taking the throne this year.
RUGGIE: Hehe. Long live the King! Shishishi!
SAVANACLAW STUDENTS: Long live the King!! Whoo~!!

" I feel like we've heard enough." A voice popped up.
LEONA & RUGGIE: !?
The two of them turned around to see Hazel, Grim, Jack, and the Heartslabyul residents standing there.
LEONA: Oh? What's everyone from Heartslabyul doing here? I see you've got our 1st year with you, too. Did you transfer to Heartslabyul, or Mortishackle, huh?
JACK: No, I just don't want to stand by your side today!
"You traitor!" The lion shouted.
"An act that tarnishes tradition. As Heartslabyul's Prefect whose motto is "austerity," I cannot let this act slide." Riddle said preparing his staff.
"Hey, little master. Can you play your heroes of justice game over there?" Leona teased.

RUGGIE: Are you all drunk or something? Coming all the way here with your friends just to spy on the enemy?
SAVANACLAW STUDENT D: Should we teach them a lesson, Leona-san?
LEONA: Hmph, play with them a little.

However, as they fought, Riddle and Hazel made them look like child's play. They weren't expecting her to have such ferocity.

SAVANACLAW STUDENT D: T-their strong...!
SAVANACLAW STUDENT E: These Prefects are no joke...
RIDDLE: "Hmph, all bark and no bite. Ace, Deuce, can you still do more?"
"We're in perfect condition."
 "Of course!" The two answered respectively.
 "Tch, these guys don't stand a chance against Riddle." Leona rolled his eyes.
 "Shishishi! Even if you do this, it's already too late to help Diasomnia!" Ruggie bragged.

But then they were interrupted with certain individuals that stepped from the shadows.

"Pray tell, I am quite interested in that story." Lilia spoke up.
TALL MAN: Who said they were too late?
SILVER-HAIRED MAN: As you can see, us Diasomnia players are safe and sound. And it's all thanks to them.
 "Eh, what!? You guys should've been swallowed by the crowd a while ago...!" Ruggie said in shock.
"Too bad~! It wasn't really them." Cater said, catching them off guard.
"Its true. Those were all Cater's clones that we dressed up to look like them. I gave them a special potion to make them look like the Diasomnia students to trick you further. It was a joint effort though." Hazel revealed.
 "What did you say?" Leona said in frustration.

LILIA: Well, it was a request Miss Potter made, and she did warn us that we were in danger, Malleus most of all. So we complied easily. Malleus is somewhere safe too.

SEBEK: And all the spectators were safely released using magic. You better be grateful!
"I-is that even possible!?" the hyena said in protest.

It was silent for a while but then Leona's eyes shadowed over.

 "........ Ah, I'm done."
RUGGIE: Eh?
LEONA: I give up.
RUGGIE: Wai—Leona-san... What do you mean...?
LEONA: Idiot. If Malleus is gonna play in perfect condition, we have no chance of winning.
There's no point in playing now. I'm gonna sit this one out.

Ruggie couldn't believe his prefect was saying this after all their efforts...! "N-no way...!
Malleus aside, I did what you said and injured all those players...
And yet... You said you won't play. I doubt we'd even place at all now...
What's going to happen to our dreams now...?"

Leona replied bitterly;
"No matter how much of the world watches, in the end it's just a students' game.
You guys just got delusional about that dream and I just played along.
 "Why...? Weren't we going to overturn the world...?" Ruggie quietly asked when Leona bitterly laughed.
"Ah, stop nagging... Then, let me tell you the truth.
You are a hyena raised in the trashy slums and I'm the loathed second prince who will never be king!
No matter what we do, the world won't be overturned!"
RUGGIE: Wh-what the hell!? Don't mess with me! We did all this and now you're giving up!?
SAVANACLAW STUDENT D: That's going too far, Leona-san!
SAVANACLAW STUDENT E: We're gonna have you play even if we have to drag you there!
LEONA: Ah, you're so irritating... Shut up, you imbeciles!

Suddenly, the stadium was filled with sand and it felt like there was a searing heat, like a desert.

Not only that, things around them were turning to sand. 
RUGGIE: Ah...!
SAVANACLAW STUDENTS: (panicked screams)
GRIM: Wh-what's going on? My nose feels dry... and my eyes hurt!
JACK: Everything that Leona-senpai touched is turning into sand...!?
LEONA: This is my unique magic, King's Roar.
How ironic, isn't it? The magic that the loathed Prince of the Savannah was born with...
 It turns everything I touch back into sand!
RUGGIE: "Leona... sa... It... hurts...!" Ruggie struggled.
DEUCE: There are fissures in Ruggie's arm!
ACE: Wait... His magic works on humans, too!?
RIDDLE: Leona, that is enough! Off with your head!!

But Leona dodged it and moved to everyone's shock.
"He avoided Riddle's magic!?" Grim exclaimed.
 "I don't care if you're a genius or whatever, but don't underestimate your seniors. Unfortunately for you, I score high with offensive magic." The lion smirked.
RIDDLE: Damn...!

 "Haha! How do you like this, Ruggie? Does it hurt? Your mouth must be so dry that you can't laugh like you used to, huh!" Leona laughed like a sadistic lunatic.
RUGGIE: I... Ack...
JACK: This is bad! If we don't do something, Ruggie-senpai will...!

"It may be worse if he goes crazy!" Hazel said as they started attacking.

"You're so powerful, so why resort to something like this!?" Riddle asked as they countered Leona and rescued Ruggie. 
LEONA: Why...? Does the reason even matter to you? Or what, are you saying you're going to comfort me?
There are a lot of things in this world that we can never have no matter what effort we put into it.
Look. Ruggie can't even struggle against me anymore. How pitiful, isn't he...?
RUGGIE: (pained breathing)
"STOP ALREADY!! Unleashed Beast!" Jack shouted as he became a large white wolf to everyone's surprise.

RIDDLE: That's...!?
WOLF JACK: (growls)

"He can become a giant wolf? Is that Jack's unique magic?" Hazel asked.

LEONA: What in the–!? Ah!!
RIDDLE: Leona's distracted! Off with your head!
LEONA: Gah!!

RUGGIE: (coughing)
CATER: Nice one, Riddle-kun~! Leona-kun's magic stopped, too!
DEUCE: He's let go of Ruggie! Hurry, over here!
SILVER: Sebek, let's go bring the others to safety.
SEBEK: Don't order me around, Silver! 

But he still complied getting other students out of harms way.
LEONA: Damn you...! A collar on a lion like me!?
Jack! Where did you obtain that kind of magic!?
JACK: Unleashed Beast...
JACK: Transforming myself into a giant wolf is my unique magic!
LEONA: Hah... You turn into an actual dog using magic? That's really unique!
"Leona-senpai... I... I aimed to join this school because I looked up to you!
Where did the guy I looked up to go!?" Jack shouted at his prefect. 
 "Who gave you the right to do that? Shut up..."
"I'm not one to talk, but I can't bear to look at you right now.
Go into solitary for a while and cool off." Riddle said with a frown.
 "What do you know...? Don't order me around like my older brother does..." Leona growled.
'Wait. This is getting bad. If he gets provoked...!' Hazel thought as she saw...ink blots leaking faintly.
LILIA: A man like you suits a collar more than a crown.
I am tired of hearing that the king of the Savannah is the lion.
LEONA: Hah!?
"Given your talents, I had always lamented the fact that you could never become king, however...
You now live a life full of sloth and every time you betray someone's expectations, it is the other party that you find fault in.
And you think you can become king with that attitude? Compared to our dignified king, Malleus, that is truly laughable.
Even if you have defeated Lord Malleus, if you do not rid yourself of your rotten heart...
You can never become a true king!" Lilia said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"...Hahaha... Yeah, you're right. It's exactly as you say... Hahahaha!
I will never be king no matter how hard I work...!" Leona said as ink blots got bigger around him and everyone got goosebumps from the sight.

GRIM: What's going on...!? I'm getting goosebumps...!
RIDDLE: Leona's magical energy is skyrocketing... I—I can't keep casting my magic on him like this...!!!
LILIA: No, this is not magical energy. This ominous negative energy is... No, it can't be...!

"He's gonna go into Overblot!" Hazel shouted.

In the process, the collar Riddle put on him was sent flying due to power of the blot.

CATER: He sent Riddle-kun's collar flying...!?
LEONA: "I've always been loathed ever since I was born. I had no place to call home nor did I have a future.
No matter how hard I worked, I will never be acknowledged.
This pain, this despair...
THERE'S NO WAY YOU'LL UNDERSTAND!!!!!!!" As Leona roared out, and came out into his 'corrupted' form, and behind him was the blot manifestation which seemed similar to Scar.

JACK: Wh-what is that!? There's a giant shadow behind Leona-senpai!
DEUCE: That's... The Blot's manifestation!
GRIM: Did he go into evil villain berserker mode like Riddle did!?
RIDDLE: Anyone who can stand, go and find shelter! Ace, Deuce, take the injured someplace safe! Lilia-senpai, please call the teachers for help!
DEUCE & ACE: Yes!
"Understood. I shall pray for your safety." Lilia nodded took off.

LEONA: (roars)

CATER: Why do we always have to face something scary? I'm not fit for this, you know!?
RIDDLE: If you're scared, I wouldn't mind even if you run away.
CATER: If I left you to save myself, Trey-kun will never let me hear the end of it~
I'll stay with you, Prefect.
JACK: I dunno what's going on, but Leona-senpai will come back to his senses if we beat him up, right?
RUGGIE: I... I'll help you... (coughs) I won't let him get away with what he said...
LEONA: A hyena like you is disobeying me?
Hahahaha... That's not a funny joke! All of you will never see the light of day again!

GRIM: Let's do this!

"Guys, like last time! We'll need my patronus!"

"Got it. We'll help you get as close as possible." Riddle said

LEONA: If I can't overturn this world, I'll just turn it into sand...! All of the things I did... They were meaningless!
RUGGIE: Is that really what you've been thinking...? All this time... Always...?
JACK: Ruggie-senpai. Keep it together and let's make Leona-senpai come back to his senses!

JACK: H-he's strong! You're this strong and yet... Why did you give up on everything...!?
LEONA: Shut up, all of you! I'll turn you into sand!!! I... will... be... king!

As the others got Hazel close enough, she summoned Prongs and to counter the sand, she used a powerful Aguamenti to catch Leona off-guard, giving her the time to have Prongs throw off the blot manifestation before impaling it with it's antlers, causing it to shriek in pain and 'dying'.

----------------------------------------------------

Hazel found herself looking at Leona's memories and seeing how things were always against him, even when he actually tried to do his best, and how he was always overshadowed by his older brother who became king of their homeland.

 'Why did I have to go through all of that just because I was born a few years younger?
No matter how hard I studied, no matter how much I perfected my magic...
From the day I was born until the day I die, my brother will always be looked up to, and I can never be king.
Why was I born second? Why can I never become number one...?
Why? Why? Why?!
—Life is unfair.'

"I know how you feel." Hazel spoke to him as Prongs helped her.
"True I was an only child, and I got  everything a person could desire. But I was never happy for a reason. I also lost a lot in the process. I went through my first 11 years in pain by those that lied about my parents. They were never drunk or useless like they told me. They even died to protect me from the very man I eventually killed." She said earning a surprised look from Leona. "As I grew, I was never allowed to show weakness. Even when I was afraid, I had to be strong because it was 'my destiny'. One that neither my parents nor I asked for. So life wasn't fair to me either."
"I'm still broken myself, and all the praise never filled the emptiness in me." Hazel said as she extended her hand.
"But, I think I could try to fill yours. If you would let me."
Silently, Leona took her hand.
-----------------

GRIM: Hey, wake up!
LEONA: Huh?

----------------------------------------

[LOCATION: Savanaclaw Dorm – Magift Stadium]

"Finally, he's awake!
We didn't know what to do if you stayed unconscious, yanno?" The flaming cat said.

LEONA: "Huh...? What'd you say?" Leona said as he got his bearings.
CROWLEY: Kingscholar. You went into Overblot after all those negative feelings consumed you.
Do you not remember?
LEONA: I went berserk... Overblot? You've gotta be kidding me...

"Yeah, but Miss Potter was able to rescue you before anything else could happen." Crowley explained.

Though Leona was reprehanded for his actions, Crowley let him off because of Hazel.

So, Hazel and Grim had to leave to their seats with the refs.

"Oh, almost forgot!" Hazel thought as she went over to Riddle and Leona and gave each of them a kiss on the cheek for luck. 

Riddle quickly left, red in the face. Leona had a slight frown, and an embarrassed look on his face, as he left. 

But then before Hazel left Cater sauntered up to her.

"Ah, What about me~" As he tapped his cheek. But Ace and Deuce dragged him off saying "NO WAY."

-----------------------------------

Here's the next chapter for the day!

Now, I must get my rest.

Plz comment and stay safe!