Lyric was blown into the dirt, rolling for a moment and only just able to pry herself up fast enough to evade a shoulder-tackle. He followed the miss with a fireball aimed dead at the ground, kicking up dust and debris as a smokescreen to set up and maintain his advantage.

"Don't think that'll work!" Lyric was completely unfazed from the technique, breaking through the smoke and meeting his intended chase head on. She shattered a last-second block and continued with another mighty overhead, this one nailing the crook of his neck, an accompanying blast of wind and water blowing away some of the burning aura he'd built up as he flew into the southern wall.

Kyoya's resolve saw no change.

He smashed free of the rubble and made contact before she could gain any meaningful advantage, another Power Clash bringing the both of them to their absolute limits; Miscreant and Seraph, either in a state of champion's desperation to see this battle to it's end.

It seemed that they both knew well that they'd drawn this on far too long. "Forget the after-party, I'll make this the big one!"

Lyric disengaged and killed his mobility with tethers of water, gaining enough distance to comfortably begin spinning her staff. By the time he was able to break free of the aquatic shackles, she'd conjured an entire miniature storm to surround herself. "THIS IS IT! CLOUDBURST HURRICANE!"

The Seraph jumped and threw her staff as if it were a boomerang, then landing on that howling veil and morphing into an enormous tornado that brought with it monsoon rains, completely eating away at the rest of his fire. As she drew nearer, the strength of the winds pulled him closer and closer to defeat, leaving him no option but to either beat it head-on, or lose trying.

"DAMN STRAIGHT! WE'RE THROUGH, HERE!"

The Outburst Dragon's image appeared instantly, its roar sending Kyoya's fire back into a cyan frenzy. He dash-stepped back, focusing every last bit of the blistering aura into his being. As moments passed, the flame began to amplify its growth, testifying defiance to the sun and blocking that distant star's gaze with sheer size alone. The rains Lyric had conjured began to brawl against his embers, even some of the sand on the arena's floor forced to melt into shimmering glass. "OVERKILL OUTBURST!"

The Miscreant rocketed forward with total, savage abandon, enveloped entirely by a meteoric cloak of flame, and blasted into his opponent's hurricane. On contact, a steam eruption threatened to annihilate even the barrier around them, a deafening screech signifying the ongoing clash between the blaze and the storm.

A second explosion brought about the end of the screaming elements, leaving a shower of steam and dust clouding any view into the arena.

Once visibility was restored, gasps quickly made up for the sudden lack of noise.

"I... I don't believe it!" Stammered a slack-jawed Rory, flipping up his helmet's visor.

Ryder slammed her hands on the desk and stood, practically screaming into her makeshift microphone.

"THEY'RE STILL STANDING, EVEN AFTER TAKING EACH OTHER'S FINISHERS HEAD ON!"

As she'd observed, the Legends stood bloodied and battered, some ten feet apart.

Steam and falling water remained where the clash had conceded, no movement persisting within the arena save for pitter-pattering rain brought about by two attacks of nigh unmatched power.

Neither Reclaimer moved, not even so much as blinking.

Kyoya hadn't even taken the time to really see what they'd done to each other until that point.

Her clothes and armor were torn, tattered, and dented, with bits melted off of the metal and burnmarks on several pieces of cloth. Even he still sported burns from the multiple Galvanic Surges, the skin around his stomach practically charred.

Around the Seraph's cheeks were cuts, bruises, smudges of dirt, all keeping her cinnamon freckles company. Although the bruises on his end were likely worse, they were definitely clearer to see on his opponent.

All the while, the pair's eyes remained locked just as before their battle. An unmatched intensity gleamed in her gaze's softened autumn, the boy never having imagined that such a contradicting combination of tender ruthlessness could offer such closure, even when they gave him nothing but pure contempt.

He didn't even notice Lyric fall to her knees.

As if on cue, his legs gave out in suit.

Solitaire's raised hand brought with it the mightiest surge of cheer he'd ever heard.

"That's the match!" She announced, a pink-ish line of energy flowing from her open palm to the middle of the arena, between the two combatants. "By definition of Double-Elimination, the opening duel between Kyoya Miskrit and Lyric Seraphim concludes in a Draw!"

That energy seemed to mingle with something at the battlefield's center, morphing into a green mist identical to that of what Guran had done following the Miscreant's battle with Reika. The relief came by inches, but it was definitely better than laying there with a wicked full-body headache.

Kyoya soon found his feet, an immediate stretch putting away the rest of any pains. Lyric had similar plans, up and dusting herself off just as quickly.

She sighed and shook her head, looking back up at him with that cozy smirk.

"I guess fifty points didn't do much for me."

"C'mon, you fought great. It's not like I beat you."

"You may as well have. Never had one go that far and lose it since my training started... so we'll call that one a partial victory."

"Is that right? Somebody told me not too long ago that if it doesn't get the job done, it's a miss."

Lyric's mouth opened, but slowly closed as whatever she'd planned to say was bitten back. The journey of a few tears down her cheeks immediately threw the boy around, but an ever-attentive Seraph just laughed it off.

"Easy, Blue, this is just part of the deal; you squashed a three-year winning streak, you bully." She sniffled, using some of the cloth from her vest's collar to wipe her eyes. "Either way, we're tied for the top, now. Dumb as it might sound, I never really figured I'd have to share my throne..."

The last of Lyric's waterworks had come and gone, that signature amber glint now shining bolder and prouder than ever before. "...but I don't think there's anybody I'd rather be wrestling for the title."