Kingdom Hearts: Consumed by Darkness

Helios appeared before Sephiroth in the competitor's lounge, a slow, deliberate clap echoing in the otherwise quiet room. His smirk widened as Sephiroth turned to look at him, his expression unreadable.

"Well, well," Helios drawled, his tone thick with mockery. "The great and mighty swordsman Sephiroth wins the advanced tournament, but let's not forget—by a technicality. For all your flashy moves, you dealt no damage to that warrior Achilles. None. Nada. Zip. If that had been a fight to the death, the winner could have been either one of you."

Sephiroth didn't respond, his piercing gaze locked on Helios. Helios didn't falter, taking Sephiroth's silence as an invitation to continue.

"In fact," Helios added with exaggerated flair, "it was almost poetic. You managed to weaken his divine protection for a bit, but by the end of the match, it was ramping back up again. Quite the conundrum, wouldn't you say?"

Still, Sephiroth said nothing. He simply stared, his presence as imposing as ever. "Did you enjoy it?" Helios tilted his head, pretending to scrutinize him. "Oh, don't bother answering," Helios said with a grin. "That smile on your face tells me everything I need to know. We both know you enjoyed that battle, didn't you?"

For the briefest moment, the corner of Sephiroth's mouth twitched. Helios leaned in slightly, his grin turning sly. "Looks like I didn't lie after all. You found an interesting fight, even if it was a bit lackluster in the end."

Finally, Sephiroth spoke, his voice low and steady. "Are you finished?"

Helios chuckled, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. You should have let me enjoy this moment a little longer. But we've got business to attend to." He motioned toward the door. "Let's pick up our winnings and head to the place with the real challenge."

Sephiroth turned and began walking toward the door, but Helios stopped him with a casual gesture. "Oh, and what about the trophy?" he asked, nodding toward the gleaming cup displayed near where Sephiroth had been standing. "Not planning to take it along?"

Sephiroth glanced at the trophy, then turned back toward the door without a word. Helios shook his head, smirking. "Too cool for trophies, I see."

After leaving the lounge, Helios and Sephiroth made their way to the prize collection booth. The area was quieter now, with only a few stragglers lingering after the tournament. Helios approached the clerk, a portly man with a bored expression who perked up slightly at the sight of them.

"Name?" the clerk asked, flipping through a large ledger.

"Sephiroth," Helios answered smoothly, gesturing toward his companion. The man scribbled something in the book before rummaging beneath the counter.

"Ah, the winner of the advanced tournament," the clerk said with a faint grin. "Impressive performance out there. Please hand over your care to collect your prize." He took the munny card from Helios taped it against an out-of-place looking device and handed the card back to Helios.

Helios took the card, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. "And the payout?"

The clerk raised an eyebrow. "Your wager was 1,000 munny of Skuld and Sephiroth to win. Your returns come out to 105,000 with 100,000 for Sephiroth and 5,000 for Skuld plus the original 2,000 making your total 107,000 munny. Quite the haul, if I may say so."

Helios chuckled and glanced at Sephiroth. "Not bad for killing time, huh?"

Sephiroth said nothing, his gaze fixed ahead, as though the exchange didn't concern him in the slightest. Helios pocketed the card, deciding not to press the swordsman for any more reactions.

The clerk cleared his throat, nodding toward a colorful belt across the counter. "Oh, and there's this. Comes with the title of champion."

Helios smirked and turned to Sephiroth. "You gonna take it? Something to remember this little adventure by?"

Sephiroth cast the belt a brief glance before turning on his heel and walking away without a word. Helios shook his head, amused. "Didn't think so," he muttered, scooping up the belt and handing it back to the clerk. "What's up with the belt?"

"Stories say Ares had it made for him by Hephaestus. Although no one really believes it, so we just hand it over to the current champion. If you lose we get it back," explained the clerk

"Okay, I'll keep it safe until then," said Helios with a smile

With their winnings secured, the two left the booth and headed out into the streets of Thebes. Helios glanced at Sephiroth, his grin widening. "Well, that's 107,000 munny in the bag. Not bad for a day's work."

Sephiroth remained silent, his demeanor as aloof as ever, but Helios could see the faintest glimmer of satisfaction in his companion's eyes. It was enough to tell him that, for Sephiroth, the thrill of the battle had been worth it and that he looked forward to battling against Achilles once more.

They emerged at the base of Mount Olympus, where the towering cliffs loomed overhead. The air here was heavy with an otherworldly energy, and the faint glow of the Underworld's entrance could be seen in the distance.

Helios turned to Sephiroth, his expression more serious now. "This is where things get interesting," he said. "Remember what I told you before? The real challenge I've been preparing for you? It starts here."

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued despite himself. "You're still not explaining what it is."

Helios shrugged, a faint grin tugging at his lips. "Where's the fun in ruining the surprise? Wouldn't you like to see with your own eyes what the Underworld has to offer rather than me just telling you?"

Sephiroth glared coldly. "You're being awfully vague, Helios. Are you sure this will be what you promised?"

Helios turned to him, his gaze steady. "Rather than asking me that you're the one who has to prepare himself," he said simply, then glanced back at the Underworld entrance. "if you don't you may die in there."

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't respond. Helios gestured toward the distant glow. "Let's not waste any more time. The Underworld awaits."