I'll be honest with you guys; this may be the closest battle in all of The Arena. Because of their equal power scale, these are effectively two people with similar power ceilings, extensive arsenals, and versatile strategies that can cancel each other out. That being said, I do think that Aphele edges out that 6 out of 10 times by a couple of factors. Aphele is physically superior to Deon in every way. Meaning such an evenly matched fight like this, it's natural for Deon to overexert himself and just genuinely mess up from fatigue before Aphele. This by no means downplays his skill though, as Deon is probably the most complete fighter out of the group with how well he covers his weaknesses.

Deon had no way to end the close fight range because of this superiority either (so the joy buzzer is out). Element wise though, Deon wins by a little bit due to lightning giving him the elemental advantage over most of Aphele's potential metal techniques, though this isn't that much of a hassle given how little he's used it in the past and the fact Deon doesn't use many long range lightning attacks. This once again leaves it all to strategy.

This is genuinely tough, though, since, as I said before, they are on completely different spectrums. Deon's specialization in long-range combat can be overwhelming to most opponents and can allow him to regain control rather easily. Despite this, I do think that Aphele is overall the better tactician of the 2. Deon's strategies largely come from experience and pre-planned paranoia.

Aphele, on the other hand, has proven on numerous occasions that he is a master planner that can utilize the abilities of himself and his team to the fullest. His ability to adapt and learn from his experiences, combined with his ambition, would naturally allow him to start adapting to the prolonged fight. He has come up with many intricate plans on the fly in the past, which would be no different here. The best example of this is in Ownership, where a possessed Deon and Aphele were fighting on equal footing in the brief encounter after just one fight prior compared to the others who struggled throughout. Thus I think in this naturally long fight, Aphele would have a far better read on Deon than what Deon has on him, given how well-rounded he is. Effectively speaking, Aphele's versatility and adaptability trump Deon's overspecialization and counters for his weaknesses.

When it comes to both characters, though I do think that overall Aphele and Deon are the characters that I relate to the most. Aphele is effectively a version of me to a certain extent. A somewhat misunderstood and silent creator seeks to make his unique mark in a world that constantly tests his resolve on a path of self-improvement. Deon represents more so my insecurities; I'm also a dramatic person that unfortunately has high expectations that can often lead to crippling fear. One seeks success, and one seeks acceptance. And while they don't often show it, I do think that they respect each other greatly. I just hope I can somehow bring answers to both mine and their questions. But with that out of the way, let's determine who's next to enter the arena!