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In the moment before the blows strike, Luka acts.[break][break]

It's quick and instinctual, with to time to worry if she's playing her hand too early. If Luka's learned anything by watching Helios battle it's to trust her instincts and trust herself. When doubt creeps in, everything else falls apart.[break][break]

And so she grabs hold of her key stone and plants a fleeting kiss on it's gleaming surface, triggering a Mega Evolution for the first time in her life.[break][break]

[break][break]

The stone around Helios' wrist reacts, glowing orange before the bird is engulfed in a flash of searing light. He roars as power surges through him, flames glowing ever brighter as he channels this newfound energy into his attacks.[break][break]

At this close a range a counter is near impossible, so all he can do is throw his opponent's strength back at him. Helios attempts a blazing parry, a burst of power and searing flame utilized to throw every blow back at his opponent the same way he'd been struck. [break][break]

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The two combatants are a blur as they collide in the center of the ring. Helios parries the kick aimed at his head with a clenched fist, but doesn't go back in for an easy hit.[break][break]

Instead the fire type leaps backwards, talons digging into the dirt as he launches himself into the air. A wreath of flames and heightened energy surrounds him as he pivots midair and descends, intending to pummel his opponent into the ground with no mercy.[break][break]

[break][break]

In the meantime the crowd roars, invigorated by this heightened display of raw power. It's impossible to tell who's cheering for who, but the excitement is palpable and tensions are high. As the two behemoths clash, it's clear that this is still anyone's game.[break][break]

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They meet mid-air in a clash of fiery orange and steel-cold blue.[break][break]

The sound of their collision reverberates around the area as a hush falls over the crowd, hundreds of onlookers stunned into silence by the display of sheer might unfolding before them. And then, a moment later, they explode into cheers once again.[break][break]

But the uproar of the crowd is not enough to mask the sounds of battle that clang and clash at the center of the ring. Blazing punches and kicks meet solid steel, and sparks fly as the two engage in deadly close combat. Their movements are too fast for the eye to see; the combatants are simply blurs of color, smudged limbs entangled in a deadly dance. It's impossible for the onlookers to discern which punches land, who might be gaining the upper hand in this display of raw power.[break][break]

Helios hits the ground first, crouching low but rising just as quickly to meet his opponent. He is scuffed and battered but far from broken, and his eyes gleam as they narrow in on his opponent once again. If his beak could curl into a grin, it might do so.[break][break]

"Let's go, Helios!" Luka shouts from the sidelines, her trilling voice barely heard above the crowd, "Finish this!"[break][break]

And he intends to. Helios shifts into a careful stance, steam hissing from his mouth. Once again he leaps into the air, this time readying a powerful kick boosted by spurts of flame.[break][break]

[break][break]

Once again he moves with a brutal elegance, his double kick aiming for Lucario's chest, then his head. The force of his blows blast throughout the arena as the two fighters come together in what may be their final strike.[break][break]

Luka peers through the dust as it settles, heart pounding as she waits to see who might be left standing.[break][break]

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