Leonidas/Plot

## Past

### The Defiant King

In 480 B.C., King Xerxes I, 4th king of the Achaemenid Empire, led a 300,000 army to subjugate Sparta and Athens. A meeting was held by the Spartan Gerousia to decide how to handle the incoming army. Unfortunately, the Oracle of Apollo, a message from Apollo that prevented any military action during a ceremony called the Carneia Fetsival, made the Elders decide to wait until after the ceremony to fight in order to not receive Apollo's wrath. Upon hearing this, Leonidas called out the elders and asked if they were idiots. Despite their anger, Leonidas told them that didn't care as he never encountered a god and didn't care if a god would not forgive him. Leonidas then proceeded to destroy the statue of Apollo to convey the message that he did not fear or care for divine punishment even if he was to face the threat alone. As the Elders and others berated him for thirsting for battle, Leonidas clarified that he didn't want to go to war as he didn't want to lose his life and would rather have a drink and a nap. Leonidas was going to fight because it was time to fight and by his own will: that was the way of Sparta. As he left the meeting with many silent and dumbfounded, a Spartan guard named Haggis went after him to join in the battle with him being but one of many that would soon follow.

Upon the arrival of Xerxes' army, Leonidas was ready to head off when 300 Spartan soldiers including Haggis requested they fight alongside Leonidas. Surprised, Leonidas asked them if they knew the importance of this battle. Upon hearing Haggis' honorable and truthful answer, he grabbed the shield, helm and blade his army offered him and gave them permission to do whatever they liked. After noting how Xerxes' army was a spectacle, Leonidas led his men into battle, starting the Battle of Thermopylae. During the battle, a bloodied Leonidas was seen leaping in the air to face King Xerxes on his elephant mount as Xerxes prepared to engage the King of Sparta.

## Ragnarok

More than two millennia after his death, the Gods decided to end all of Humanity, but Brunhilde pointed out a clause known as Ragnarok, which gives Humanity a fighting chance. All of the Gods rejected the idea until Brunhilde insulted their pride, making them agree. Leonidas was one of the peak Human warriors selected to participate and fight against the Gods in Ragnarok.

### Ninth Round

After the 8th Round of Ragnarok with the Human and God Sides in another tie, Brunhilde along with Göll went to Leonidas' quarters, the man reading a book on a hammock while his fellow Spartans trained vigorously. Uninterested, Leonidas continued reading and refused Brunhilde's request to fight next, telling her that he was only interested in going first or last.

As Leonidas was dismissing them, Brunhilde, acting saddened and feeding his ego, mentioned how Apollo would be the next to fight and that he is the only man in 7 million years who could defeat him. As she was about to leave, Leonidas stopped her and asked for confirmation if she was talking about the Sun God Apollo. Brunhilde confirmed it and showed Leonidas an image of Apollo, Leonidas noting how punchable the god's face is. With that, he changed his mind and agreed to participate in the next round. When Göll was shocked at how Leonidas' insults towards Apollo, he explained to her that his three favorite things in the world were a book to read on a hammock, wine with Spartan Cheese and punching arrogant gods in their smug faces. Leonidas proceeded to take off his Hawaiian wear and flexed in front of his troops as he confirmed he would be taking out Apollo in the name of Sparta.

Leonidas' introduction had his men cheer and slam their spears repeatedly to the ground as he came out from his gate. Once Leonidas was in the arena, he removed his Spartan Helm and cloak, ready for battle. He took a quick puff of smoke as he pointed the cigar at his men with them cheering him on.

As Apollo entered the arena, Leonidas remained silent with a look of dissatisfaction. Just as Heimdall started the battle, Leonidas in a quick motion managed to rise into the air, swallow his lit cigar whole and with his might, slam his shield to where Apollo was with the God managing to dodge. The attack left a powerful cloud of dust to briefly cover the arena and left audience members stunned at both the force and speed of the human fighter.

Apollo dodged, remarking that such an attack was unsightly. He further commented on it, calling it cowardly and animalistic, accusing Leonidas of disrespecting him him by being insolent and arrogant. Leonidas simply retorted that he hadn't changed at all, confusing Apollo, who had no idea who he was. He again commented on Leonidas' word choice, and told him that if he continued to refer to Apollo like that, he was courting divine punishment. Leonidas then told Apollo that he despised him, and that no one in the world hated him more than he did.

Leonidas explained his past, and how Apollo's decree of peace was taken as words from the Oracle, and nearly led to Sparta's destruction. Apollo failed to see any wrongdoing, seeing his decree as a myth of pacifism, and told Leonidas that if he wished to talk to him in such a way, he first had to kneel. This enraged Leonidas, who proclaimed that he was the one who'd make Apollo kneel and used **Phalanx Enchos**, turning his **Aspis** shield into a saw and flinging it at the sun god. Apollo caught it, but was unable to stop it and was sent flying. He was able to mitigate the damage using the **Threads of Artemis**. He recovered midair, backflipping and landing on his feet, prompting Leonidas to use **Phalanx Enchos: Prodevo**.

Apollo sidestepped the attack, gracefully flipping out of the way and posing. He transformed his threads into gloves, forming **Phoebus' Lyre (The Shimmering Harp)**. Apollo once against posed for his supporters, asking them to watch him. His glimmering form enraged Leonidas, who used **Phalanx Asanatos**. Apollo dodged Leonidas' repetitive attacks, before getting in close and landing a powerful punch on the human. Leonidas swung his leg around the chain of his shield and tried to swing the shield back at Apollo, but the god merely ducked and remarked at how Leonidas was surprisingly tough for a human. Leonidas told him to be more humble before using **Phalanx Asanatos** again, which Apollo dodged, responding that it wouldn't be beautiful if he was. Apollo continued to use his skilled footwork and speed to weave through Leonidas' attacks, landing numerous hits on the king.

As he pummeled the human, Apollo overheard the Spartans complain about his fighting style, lamenting that Leonidas would win if he could just get Apollo to stop dodging. Apollo began to pay more attention to the audience's cries, He ceased his attack as the Spartans yelled at him to fight head on, while the other gods told him not to take the bait as Leonidas was too strong to engage up close. Apollo then created two parallel lines across the floor using his threads, creating a much smaller area for them to fight in. He gleefully told Leonidas that the arena was too big previously, to which Leonidas furiously asked him what he's planning. Apollo told him that he wasn't planning anything, and that his goal was simply to beat Leonidas in the way the human excels at, as it's the job of the sun god to meet everyone's expectations. His supporters cheers empowered Apollo as he began to glow, entering his 'battle mode': **The Sun Shall Never Set on Me (Embrace of the Eternal Midnight Sun)**. His valkyrie, Geirölul manifested next to Leonidas, expressing her distaste at being disrespected in such a way. Leonidas concurred, as Geirölul transformed his shield into a spherical mace and a smaller shield, both connected by a chain.

Both fighters approached each other, with Leonidas growing angrier after seeing Apollo's smug expression and using **Phalanx Nemesis (God of Destruction's Iron Hammer)**, slamming his weapon down and creating an enormous explosion. However, Apollo avoided it, getting in close. He leaned in closer to Leonidas' face, taunting him, before slamming his fist into the human's abdomen. Leonidas staggered back, his foot nearly touching the boundary Apollo created, and tried to swipe at him with his shield, which Apollo deflected. Before Leonidas could swing his mace, Apollo used **Artemis Elenchos (Shining Domination)** to restrain Leonidas with his threads. The human tried to retaliate, but Apollo pulled him towards himself and landed a powerful punch to Leonidas' face, drawing blood. Geirölul called out for him concernedly as Apollo then gathered all his threads onto one hand, wrapping it in numerous layers. He told Leonidas to recognize his own humanity and bow his head, before striking him with his strongest punch yet, causing a small burst of light as the threads tore apart. Just when Apollo thought Leonidas was knocked out, the human pulled Apollo towards him and slammed him with a headbutt, breaking the god's nose and causing his threads to come loose, freeing Leonidas. The king of Sparta reiterated his previous statement, that the only one who'd kneel would be the sun god, hammering the stunned Apollo with **Phalanx Nemesis (God of Destruction's Iron Hammer)** with Geirölul's help and sending him flying.

Apollo landed in a disheveled heap on the floor in front of Leonidas, resembling kneeling as Leonidas asked him how it felt to be inferior. As Apollo shakily got to his feet, a massive scar across his face, Leonidas told him not to stand against Sparta and to go back to sleep, lest he look ungraceful. Apollo told him he was wrong and the he wouldn't understand, as the current version of him that was burning his soul to beat Leonidas, was the most beautiful. He continued, saying that he would continue to burn his soul to become more beautiful. Leonidas was surprised by this, expressing his liking towards it and also proclaimed that he was going to kill the god with everything he had. Apollo told Leonidas that he didn't like the way he spoke, but his attack was beautiful. He praised Leonidas as someone who knew themselves, and said that the two would fight until their souls burned to the ground.

Apollo pulled his threads back into his gloves, putting his fists together. He kissed his gauntlets, before asking Artemis to come out. His gloves emitted a blinding light before disappearing, and a large shadow formed behind him. From it rose a giant automaton which resembled the goddess Artemis. The technique, named **Moonlight of Artemis**, now equipped with his divine weapon, used the threads to create a large bow. Apollo grabbed the massive weapon, before nocking an arrow of light and firing it at Leonidas. The attack pierced through Leonidas and through a wall on the other side of the arena at blazing speed. Leonidas remarked about how much it hurt, insulting Apollo as Geirölul manifested next to him, telling the fighter that the arrows were too dangerous and that she'd turn back into her shield form. Leonidas managed to block one of the arrows. Apollo then attacked with **Apollo Epicurious (Golden Arrows of the Shining Meteor)**, firing a barrage of light arrows at Leonidas and piercing him numerous times, riddling the human with holes. After the barrage, Leonidas doubled over, remarking that he almost fell asleep. A worried Geirölul expressed contentment that he was alive, worried that he'd died, before telling him that he had no idea how to deal with those arrows. Leonidas assured her that it didn't matter, and that they were just arrows at the end of the day.

Apollo commended him for having done so well, and stated that he'll put an end to his suffering, which enraged the human. Leonidas angrily deflected Apollo's shot back at him, destroying his right hand and rendering him unable to use the bow. Leonidas angrily chastised Apollo for pitying him, telling him that he wasn't thankful for a god taking mercy on him, before asking him who he thought he was dealing with. Apollo smiled, responding to Leonidas by telling him that he was perverse and that he too hated him, earning a grin from the king. Apollo remarked that it made him slightly more beautiful, and Leonidas remarked that Apollo had gotten more manly. Apollo asked the man why he was fighting, to which Leonidas lit a cigar and explained that humans couldn't choose how or where they were born, but could choose how they lived and died. He said that now was the time for fighting, and so he had to fight. He stated that he followed his own soul, his own selfish desires and wished for Sparta to do the same.

Leonidas yelled for Geirölul, the valkyrie responding in kind and transforming his shield into **Aletheia Sparta (Shield of Truth)**. Apollo smiled, saying that he'd burnt his soul fighting Leonidas and had become even more beautiful in the process. The Artemis statue formed a slingshot out of the the threads, and Apollo backed into it, ready to fire himself at Leonidas. The two leapt at each other, Apollo using the slingshot to launch himself at Leonidas, turning his injured arm into an arrowhead in an attack known as **Argyrotoxos (Soul-Piercing Silver Arrow)**. Leonidas responded with his own strongest attack: **Phalanx Lambda**, his shield catching on fire. The two clashed, and while Leonidas' shield was able to destroy the arrowhead encasing Apollo's arm, the god managed to punch through Leonidas' shield, the sheer force of the attack blowing a hole in the human's right side. The attack killed both Leonidas and Geirölul. Geirölul called for Leonidas to hit him one last time, and Leonidas' punch landed, but was too weak to do any meaningful damage to the sun god. Apollo watched as Leonidas died, remarking at how annoying he was. He asked the Spartans if they were watching, to which Haggis tearfully yelled that he was and that he was the greatest Spartan ever. Leonidas grinned, content to know that Sparta was the strongest, disintegrating and dying in Apollo's arms.

### Legacy

After witnessing Leonidas' death, the Spartan soldiers who supported him were reduced to tears over the loss of their king. But Hagis instructed them all not to bend their backs. Though he was crying too, Hagis stood tall and recounted how he could still see the sight of Leonidas' back, as well as expressing his desire towards striving to have a back like his. Hagis' words roused the Spartan soldiers to all straighten their backs and salute their fallen king as Hagis echoed Leonidas' last words about how the Spartans are the strongest.

Apollo, after greeting the audencie, decided not to have his scar healead, as it will remind him he'd burnt his soul to fight Leonidas

In Soji Okita's room, having witnessed his demise, both Kojiro Sasaki and Isami Kondo commended Leonidas for a spectacular match. But Soji voiced a different sentiment: he said he was jealous since he also wanted to die in a spectacular battle, having died from tuberculosis instead. This encouraged Soji to go to Brunhilde's room (where she was having difficulty choosing the next fighter) and volunteer himself for the tenth round, having waited for his turn long enough.