{LEXI'S POV}
"It's better this way." Reiki whispers under his breath. We're alone in the Fairy Tail tunnel, the crowd waiting for Reiki to join Enigma in the arena.

But who knows if any dragon slayer ears are nearby? We have to be cryptic.

"Only we can kill him. If he hurts them..." I'd never forgive myself. It's my magic the snake wants to eat. And, you know, the entire world. But that'll come after Reiki and I are dead.

"Just because others can't kill him doesn't mean they can't help pin him down. This might just be the best place for the last two seals to break. Either we release him here, with every member of the six strongest guilds in Fiore present, or when we're alone with no support. Which has the better odds of survival?"

Reiki makes sense. I know I'll have to face the snake again eventually. He bounces on his toes. "Besides, I'm pumped. I wanna fight! I wanna go all out!"

Reiki is totally stoked for this fight. He hasn't let loose in a while. He stretches his limbs, practically giddy, and his enthusiasm is infectious.

I can't help but laugh. "Of course you do. Now we're getting to the bottom of the argument."

I stand on my tip toes and lean my forehead against Reiki's. He leans into me and we stay like that for as long as we can. I absorb his warmth and memorize the pattern of his breathing.

"Good luck." I murmur.

A part of me wants to stop Reiki from leaving, to preserve that excitement. Something about Enigma... she might just be his worst matchup yet.

Reiki pulls back, then knocks his forehead into mine with force and grins. "No more time for negative thoughts. It'll be over before you know it!"

Reiki leaves through the tunnel. I have to hurry and make it to the Fairy Tail box before the fight starts or I'll miss something. My forehead hurts.

I run, and just make it as Chapati shouts, "Fairy Tail's red sword versus Sabertooth's red armor! Let the final battle of Day 3 begin!"

"Go Reiki!" I cheer louder than I have previously during any of the matches. My voice is only matched by Aunt Erza. She stands on my right.

Reiki summons two swords, his specialty. He leaps forward, charging at Enigma. She easily dodges. Reiki keeps up the pressure with a flurry of fast-paced attacks. He's able to push back Enigma.

Like Ricky Leigh and his sticky magic, Enigma's phantasm magic is more suited to ambushes and traps. It's hard to fade into the background when you're fighting in a flat empty arena and your opponent's focus is all on you.

Reiki's sword slices an afterimage of Enigma in half, which disappears in a puff of smoke. She jumped backwards and simultaneously summoned it right in front of herself to gain space. Enigma casts more illusions in an attempt to get Reiki off her tail, but he dices through them all with ease.

Reiki won't be fooled, and he's too nimble to let Enigma close enough for her one-shot-and-you-drop sensory overload spell.

It would appear Reiki has this one in the bag. But I have a sneaking suspicion that Enigma hasn't yet revealed her full sleeve of tricks. So when she stops moving, I'm suspicious. So is Reiki, jumping back rather than falling for the bait by getting too close. Enigma simply stands there, facing him.

Finally, she says, "I'm sorry for not explaining things properly. I promised Nero that I would reveal myself if I competed in the games, but I kept putting it off. Now I want to give my all against you, Reiki."

"What?" Reiki tenses, preparing for an attack, but Enigma reaches up and grabs her helmet. She slowly pulls it up to reveal her face.

The red feather plume on top of the helmet isn't part of the knight armor; it isn't a feather at all. It's a ponytail of scarlet hair. She drops her helmet.

The face inside the mask... looks like Aunt Erza.

That's not quite right either. Her eyes are red instead of brown, and there's a Sabertooth guild mark on the right side of her neck.

Reiki had a big sister. He has no memories of her, since she inexplicably ran away and never returned when he was four. Fairy Tail searched and searched, but couldn't find her. She'd be nineteen now. Us kids learned to avoid her name like the plague, because it always made the adults sad.

Beside me, Aunt Erza lets out a choked sob. She brings her hands to her mouth. "Rose."

Her name reverberates through the guild box. Even Chapati is too stunned to narrate. Not that he needs to. All of Fiore remembers the disappearance of Fairy Tail's—now Sabertooth's—Rose Fernandes.

"Hello, little brother." Rose smiles nervously.

Reiki drops his swords. They clatter to the ground as he takes a step forward, reaching out.

His eyes are wide, pupils constricted. "My... sister?"

"You've grown so big. And your eye color changed? They used to be vibrant blue, but now they're red like mine. A bit darker than mine, really. Is it because of that Seven Sins Seal I've heard so much about?"

Another step forward. "You're really Rose?"

"Yes." She chews her lower lip, spreading her arms placatingly. "I'm sorry, Reiki. There's a lot I need to explain. Something happened when I was six—"

"Oi." Reiki's tone flips to cold and hostile.

I knew how Reiki would react. How he feels about his sister. I clench the railing. The entirety of Domus Flau is silent, watching with bated breath.

"Reiki—" Rose pleads.

"Don't speak to me so familiarly." Reiki snaps, cutting her off. He clenches his fists so tightly that his nails cut into his palms. Blood drips onto the arena floor. "I don't know you. All I know is that you made my mom and dad cry. You caused my family so much grief. And for that, no matter how much you beg or explain, I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"

Reiki launches himself at Rose with hatred-fueled passion, raking an open hand across her face. It's not a punch. It's a scratch, Reiki's nails whipping her head to the side and drawing four lines of blood across her cheek. She's too surprised to block.

Reiki breathes heavily, all happy anticipation for this battle gone. All that's left is a burning anger, directed at the sister he hardly knew but left such a huge scar on our guild when she was gone.

Rose reaches up and touches her bloody cheek. Her eyes narrow and her expression hardens.

Reiki isn't interested in reconciliation. Rose sees this and responds in kind. She reacts with equal violence, summoning a thin silver lance using Aunt Erza's requip magic. The lance matches her armor, and I belatedly realize that she must have requiped it too.

Rose lunges and jabs at Reiki's legs, aiming to lower his speed. She manages to slice his calves. Reiki yelps and roundhouse kicks her in the face.

"Stop." To my right, Aunt Erza grips the railing so hard it breaks. Her eyes are focused on her only two children's battle. "I said stop!"

Even from all the way down in the arena, Reiki hears his mother's plea. He hesitates and looks up, locking eyes with her, then with me.

Guilt replaces loathing in Reiki's eyes as his anger dissipates. He hates his sister, but he also doesn't want to cause Aunt Erza any more pain.

Time seems to slow down. In the instant his guard lowers, Rose lands a savage punch to Reiki's gut.

Had she used her lance and not her fist, he'd be dead. That settles it. The fight is back on in full force. At this point, it's not just a fight. It's a death match. Each sibling is actively trying to kill the other.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Just for funsies, a picture of Enigma with and without her helmet (aka Rose Fernandes).