Luro continued cleaning his gun completely absorbed in the task a small smile on his face as he did so, he was extremely excited at getting to fight some strong people here so it was all he could do to keep himself calm enough to wait for his turn. There were fishmen all around him and he wondered if he'd be able to fight at least one of them, even if it wasn't in the tournament he'd probably approach one outside for a duel just for the experience.
He was pulled from his task when he heard his captains voice, putting aside her new outfit which caught his attention he wondered if she had joined too but after a few minutes he realized that wasn't the case which he was happy about, since he couldn't point his gun at Runali he'd feel bad afterwards, even thinking about it made him uncomfortable.
Putting the thought aside he listened to her when she gave her warning offering a smile and a nod, he admitted it was nice to have someone concerned for him but he was going to do everything he could to bust through.
Luro looked at Alicia when his captain nodded towards her, he couldn't help but grin as he looked at her, she had a different air then the people around them that drew his attention immediately and hearing she was a finalist confirmed the feeling welling up in his chest.
Excitement.
Pure excitement at the idea of standing in front of that woman as an enemy, he had to hold in a chuckle as he was pulled from his thoughts as the announcement sounded, he watched the captain leave offering a salute in return before patting his rifle.
"Let's do our best."

[center][i]"Alright! The next contestants make your way to the arena! Luro Makachi and Lillian Joanes!"[/center][/i]

Mary weaved through the crowed getting as far down as she could so she could see the match, she was still worried about Lily fighting but she couldn't talk her out of leaving it, she wondered if it was just because of the money, something about the expression on her face made her wonder if there was more to it.
She put those thoughts aside as Lily walked towards the arena, a cutlass was attached to her waist and her hand rested on it as she walked forward still dressed the same as before, her gaze was focused directly ahead on the tall red headed man who walked towards her.
Though Lily was wholly determined and it showed on her entire being Luro was walking towards the arena rubbing the side of his head his rifle resting on his shoulder, a small yawn escaped from him as he reached the center of the arena stopping a few feet from Lily.
The two of them ignored the noise of the crowed as their eyes met one another, the announcer seemed to be talking about finalist or something but neither paid any attention to his words paying attention only to one another.
"Luro you can still resign from this, I don't want to hurt you and I'll still give you the most of the prize money if I win. I have to keep my promise."
Lily was the one that spoke first and though Luro just stared at her with half drooped eyes she continued pulling out her pocket-watch and holding it out to him.
"I swore to help Mary and I will succeed at giving her a better life, Luro...you carried our scars, took our beatings, you even shared your food with the other orphans going days without eating just so we'd have a chance at surviving...I know that person is still in there. The kind Luro I trusted, the person I aspired to surpass...I became strong so I'd never be that weak again and I'm not going to stand down from this...so please Luro just resign."
Luro closed his eyes for a moment bringing his free hand to his chin tapping it with his finger, Lily lowered her arm wondering if he was considering her offer and waited even after the bell rang for them to start.
"Well are you going to resign?" Lily asked.
"Huh oh no I was just thinking what to spend the money on," Luro said lowering his hand. "Are you done talking I'm getting bored also starting to sober up a little."
Lily bit her lip and put the pocket-watch away, she drew her cutlass and brought one of her feet forward as she got into a fighting stance.
"Fine I'll go through you then, I didn't want too but I'm not going to lose this opportunity."
"I feel kind of bad for you Lily, you're going to die over something so silly."

Lily drew her cutlass and dashed at Luro who readied his rifle watching as she closed the distance between them, she stabbed her sword towards his chest causing him to jump to the side to dodge, Lily quickly changed her footing and followed after him as he recovered and swung her sword straight down towards him to what little opening she saw. However when she saw Luro grin she felt a chill run up her spine as Luro promptly swung his rifle in an arc slamming it into the side of her sword and knocking it away, her eyes widened before Luro stepped forward slammed his fist into Lily causing her to stumble back and hold her cheek. She watched as Luro playfully shook his hand off before resting his rifle back on his shoulder.
"I'm not going to underestimate you Lily, don't expect me to hold back because we know each other."
"You're the lowest kind of scum Luro,"
"Your insults will have some merit when you start hitting me cause right now you're losing."
Lily glared at Luro and dashed forward again Luro smiled and watched her sword as she got close, he swung his rifle and brought it up deflecting her stab, Lily changed her position and attacked again only to have Luro knock that attack away, she continued her relentless assault sparks flying off her sword as it continued to be knocked away by Luro swings, if not for the fact he was clearing using a rifle it wouldn't be surprising to think the two were fighting with cutlasses, eventually she stopped and jumped back seeing her attacks weren't doing any good.
"How are you stopping my attacks?" Lily said her grip tightening on her sword.
"Instead of questioning that shouldn't you stop holding back Lily, I'm only holding back because you are start getting serious."
Lily grit her teeth but closed her eyes trying to keep her composure, standing fully up she sheathed her sword and with a flex of her hands six daggers fell out of her sleeves which she held between her fingers in each hand, Luro grinned as she started tapping her right foot on the ground.
"I was trying to keep you alive but I can't lose against you so I'll stop holding back, I have to help Mary so I can't lose this match!"
Lily threw the six knives at Luro who grinned and promptly swung his gun in a horizontal arc knocking away the daggers that would have hit him, however when he looked up Lily was nowhere to be seen, his attention immediately shot to behind him and sure enough Lily was there and catching one of the daggers she had thrown promptly went to stab Luro through the eye.
Just as the dagger was inches away Lily felt something grip her wrist, and her eyes widened seeing Luro had stopped her attack a bead of sweat running down his face. He raised his foot and hit Lily in the stomach creating some distance between them as he stepped back.
"Now that was way too close," Luro said chuckling a little. "You got my heart beating fast Lily, hope your going to take responsibility for that."
"I'm surprised you noticed," Lily said tapping her foot again.
"You always enjoyed attacking from behind, and I know that trick you're using, your counting how many steps it's going to take to reach me right?"
Lily narrowed her eyes before she leaned forward her body seeming to vanish, however she was merely quietly closing the distance between them but the speed at which she moved was hard to trace without close observation, however just as she approached Luro from the right he calmly stepped to the side as she lunged at him and slammed his knee into her stomach.
Lily fell to her knees and Luro grabbed her by the back of her blouse before hurling her across the arena, she tumbled along the ground before placing her foot down regaining herself however as she stood up she realized she was near the edge of the arena. She started to move forward but when she turned her attention ahead she noticed Luro had his rifle pointed at her.

"If you didn't hesitate in your attacks it would have been harder to dodge them," Luro said smiling at her. "I can't see you move but that brief second where you hesitate is all I need to respond. Oh and you'll need exactly six steps to reach me from where you are, if you tap your foot once I'll pull the trigger."
Lily glanced behind her at the water before her gaze started moving around her, she was positive Luro wasn't going to give her an opportunity to move.
"Did you think you were going to win because you were doing the 'right' thing," Luro said smirking at her. 
Luro noticed Lily's whole body flinch at that and he chuckled a little watching her close her shaking hands as she glared at him.
"If doing the 'right' thing worked people like me wouldn't exist, there'd be no thievery, murder, or well even pirates. It's because it doesn't work that scum like me exists right? Noble reasons don't change anything, the world is cruel and doesn't care why you're trying to succeed it'll take it all away anyway. Tell me though how it feels Lily to have something you want so close yet one person is stopping you from acquiring it. Are you sad, angry, filled with resentment towards that one obstacle, do you want to kill me to get what you want you so badly?"
"...why are you doing this?" Lily said trying to disguise the crack in her voice from Luro's stinging words. "It can't just be about the money...not for this."
Luro's smile faded his mouth forming a thin line and he offered a small nod before he spoke a small edge to his voice as his eyes narrowed slightly at her.
"When you spoke of creating a new life with Mary, that smile you put on...it was a fake, there wasn't an ounce of emotion behind it. That irritated me, after everything we've endured, after all the hatred and pain we survived. Standing on our own two feet and rising from the depths of despair, pushing through even when we were filled with sorrow and almost endless anger at a world that offered nothing but misery for us. We've earned the right to smile Lily from the bottom of our hearts."
Lily gripped her chest as her eyes widened, her gaze met Luro's and for a brief moment she saw a look of pity in his eyes but only for a brief second.
"You forgot that, you smiled not because those words meant anything to you...but just because you felt you were doing a good thing. You know better than that, putting on fake smiles like that makes you just like them. A smile didn't put food in our stomachs, didn't help us stave off death but those people offered such kind smiles to us as if it would brighten our worlds and make everything better, to see you put on a smile like that...is disgusting."
"Luro...I...I didn't mean-"
"I don't need to hear it, Mary's watching right? Maybe she'll learn from this, I'll take something precious away from her and she'll suffer for it. Then she'll become stronger and stand on her own without you, a person who forgot how to truly smile in the face of despair is not good enough to save someone."
Lily felt her whole body shiver and the daggers fell from her hands clattering on the ground before she hugged herself, tears streaming down her face as she tried to hold in her sobs.
"Hey...why don't you try one more time. Try smiling in your final moments Lily...you can...you can do that right?"
Luro grinned a toothy grin at her putting as much of his heart into it as he could but Lily just stared at him her lip quivering and the tears continuing to fall.
"I see," Luro said his smile fading. "You're going to die with an expression like that on your face, how unfortunate."
The shot rang out across the entire area and Lily's eyes widened as she felt the bullet hit her, she fell off the side of the arena and plummeted towards the water eyes still wide in shock.
"LILY!"
Lily's eyes slowly shut as she heard Mary's scream right before hitting the water then complete silence, Luro stood near the edge and turning around put his rifle on his back before leaning down picking up a small object and walking away. Shortly after the announcer mentioned Luro's victory but he paid no attention to it and walked back towards the waiting area a small smile on his face.
"I wonder if there's a place to get a drink near here."