Jahi: *pacing the ring and lashing her tail in agitation* Get a damn move on, pretty bo- er, I mean... How long do you intend to make me wait, Vil Schoenheit? 😠
Carla: What could have happened?
Charles: Beats me. Unless... oh, his leg must have finally given out on him. 😥
Kalim: *clutching the arena fence anxiously* We're out of time. 😥
Shriek: Let me back in there, I can still throw down! 👿
Grim: Yeah until she distracts ya with a game of patty cake- OW!!
Shriek: I don't settle for nothin' but actual cake, thank you! 😤
Mahina: *gritting her teeth* Damn it, Leona, where are you?!
Hippo Referee: As the competitor from Night Raven College is absent, I have no choice but to declare victory for the Sunset...
???: Wait!
Jahi: Wh... what the hell??
[[A "mysterious" masked man in an ornate golden lion mask strides into the arena]]
???: Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm the reserve for the Night Raven College team.
NRC:
Sunset Warriors:
Cheka and Kifaji:
The Crowd:
Everyone: WHAT?!?!
Jahi: ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?! Where's Vil!?
The Crowd: Yeah, we want Viiiiil!!! 😭😭😭
"Masked Man": I'm a substitute, just like you had before. Trust there's no objections?
Hippo Referee: Yeah, I'm afraid there are, buddy. Only competitors registered in advance can participate in the Bead Brawl.
Jahi: And you probably wouldn't make the cut anyway, "Stranger". 😒
"Masked Man": I have a name. 😒
Jahi: Yeah? Let's hear it.
"Masked Man": My name is... Bellerophon.
NRC Team: What?!
Shriek: Ha! Nice one, Leo-MMPH!!
Grim and Mahina: Shhhh!
Mahina: *glaring out at the ring* The fucking audacity of that man... 😠
Jahi: *crossing her arms* haven't heard of anyone by that name being registered! This is clearly a rule violation!
"Bellerophon": You haven't, huh? Weird. Let's ask old Kifaji up there.
Kifaji: ...A-ah, y-yes... Pleasure to see you, Bellerophon!
Hippo Referee: Do you know this person, Kifaji?
Kifaji: Yes... They're a student of Night Raven College. I received their entry form personally. I should of course have passed it on to the organizers. Forgive me this oversight.
Cheka: *tugging on Kifaji's robes* Hey, hey, Kifaji! Isn't that Unca, though?
Kifaji: N-no no, Prince Cheka! That's Bellerophon. 😥
Cheka: No way! That's definitely Unca! I can tell!
Kifaji: E-er, no! I can assure you, Bellerophon is an entirely unrelated individual. 😰
Sanaa: *wriggling out from underneath the stands* Well he looks like Prince Leona and talks like Prince Leona, so who else could it be? 🤨
Kifaji: Miss Sanaa, you're not even supposed to be up- argh, never mind! *ushering the cubs away from the other delegates* Listen well, children. Prince Leona isn't allowed in the tournament. His participation would mean an immediate disqualification.
Cheka and Sanaa: Huh? 😐😐
Kifaji: But...this is the final bout of the final! It's a very important matter. If it was known that the young prince was so flagrantly breaking the rules, it would bring shame to the entire royal family of Sunset Savanna.
Cheka and Sanaa: Huh?? 😐😐
Kifaji: There are many foreign dignitaries in attendance. We can't allow them to witness such malfeasance.
Cheka and Sanaa:
Cheka and Sanaa: What??? 🫤🫤
Kifaji: To protect our country's reputation, that masked man CANNOT be Prince Leona.
Cheka: Uhhh? I don't really get it, but good luck Unca Bellerophon! 😁
Sanaa: You can do it! 😁
Kifaji: *sighs* Prince Leona must have been counting on me making this calculation to save face. And now he's made me complicit in his scheme. Oh, how I loathe him sometimes! Still, even after all that, it's up to him to actually win his bout. *looking down at Leona in the ring* Time to see what you're really made of...
Leona: Phew... Neji actually went along with it. Course he would, that old featherbrain would do anything to protect this country's rep. Still, he did his part. I have to be a little thankful. Well then, my good referee. I trust everythin' is in order now? 😏
Hippo Referee: Very well, then. We will begin the final bout!
Jahi: *hissing* Fine. I don't care who I'm up against, I'll just tear them to shreds! And then we'll finally have our guardian lessons from Prince Leona! 😠
Leona: That's exactly the spirit I'm gonna need to beat out of ya. You were warned...
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Leona: *pinching the bridge of his nose* Okay, so all of you do me a quick favor and check your schedules for when you can go see an otolaryngologist.
Kalim: A who what now?
Mahina: My ears are fine, asshole. 😒
Leona: CLEARLY they're not, because not a single one of you is actually listenin' to me today! 😠
Shriek: *flexing while Grim seemingly fiddles with the Ghost Camera* I did! I put that dude in the ground! 😈
Leona: Yeah, you did. You literally put him six feet under. What did I tell you about holding back??
Shriek: To not break anyone's bones like a rock! And I didn't!
Grim: Yeah, noses don't have any bones so they don't count.
Shriek: They count in my heart because twisting them gives me joy!
Leona: *grumbles before turning to Mahina* You know I could understand Pup not being able to retain shit from yesterday, but what the hell's your excuse for that little slap stunt?
Mahina: Did you not hear those repulsive things spewing from his big fat mouth?! 😠
Leona: Yeah, I did. You'd have been better off just shutting his mouth with his own beads. Would have saved me the trouble of havin' to double-check that the liability waivers y'all signed cover this crap.
Mahina: *crossing her arms* More to the point, that joker's whole team was bending the rules, if not outright breaking them. They had to be punished.
Leona: What are you, on the committee or somethin'? That's none of yer business.
Kalim: Hey, let's all cool our heads and relax. I mean, we made it to the next round!
Leona: No thanks to you. What were you thinkin', goin' on the offensive like that?
Kalim: *guiltily scratching the back of his head* Well, it's a festival, so I thought it would be more exciting if I won.
Leona: And look where that little train of thought got you. 😒 Get yer priorities straight, man. And you, Vil...
Vil: Me? 🤨 I didn't get taken by any flights of fancy like those three. I executed your strategy to the letter. Which resulted in a victory. What could you possibly have to complain about?
Leona: You barely handled a mediocre opponent. And got yourself hurt in the process. This tournament ain't over, ya know
Vil: You realize I was only pretending to be hurt, yes? I'm in perfect condition, you needn't worry.
Leona: *shaking his head* It's like you think the rest of this tournament'll be this easv. Luck and brute strength only get ya so far. I'll be gettin' a read on the other entrants to draw up a plan for round two. Keep close watch on the matches. You'll be facin' some of them eventually, IF you keep winnin'.
Mahina: *watching Leona leave* There's no If about it.
Shriek: I butchered If and left it stinking in the sun...
Charlie: *sniffing* Ugh, no, Shriek, I think that's just you.
Lilia: Don't worry! I have wet wipes and antiperspirant in my fangy pack.
Leona: *narrowing his eyes at the Outskirts Youth Vil's up against* That kick was definitely on purpose.
Cheka: What a meanie! 😠
Kifaji: I don't think that boy has any intention of playing fair.
Leona: Just a brawler, lookin' for a fight, huh? *glancing at Shriek who's hissing and screaming on the sides* Those are always the most annoyin' opponents.
Kifaji: There is no prize for winning this tournament. So it has always attracted only upstanding competitors, committed to fair play. And yet...
Leona: Bead Brawl ain't what it used to be, Kifaji. Maybe it's time to pack this whole anachronistic festival in.
Kifaji: It's only natural the quality of entrants should suffer, when the young prince meant to lead the winners can't even bother to show up.
This is clearly your fault, Prince Leona. I hope you will reflect on that fact.
Cheka: You're mean too, Kifaji! 😠 Leave Unca alone!
Kifaji: Does someone need to start a round of singing?
Cheka: Nononononno! 😨
Leona: *barely even hearing Cheka as he looks back to the ring* My fault?... Tch, when is it not?
Kifaji: *softens his gaze for a moment and is about to say something but sets his mouth and following Leona's gaze* Vil appears to be in some pain. He must have been badly injured.
Cheka: Is the pretty haired guy gonna be okay? 😟
Kifaji: If I'm being frank, Prince Cheka, I daresay the Night Raven College team is about to lose two in a row. One more and their time in this tournament comes to an end.
Leona: *scoffs* Shows what you know. Just zip your beak and watch.
Vil: *grimacing* Ugh, such a dirty play... But if you think this is enough to hamper my movement, you're gravely mistaken... 😠
Outskirts Youth B: Ha! Dunno, you look pretty shaky to me. 😈 Draggin' your foot like a wounded gazelle. You're cooked. Those beads are as good as mine!
Vil: *about to be set upon by his opponent* Gah!
Leona, Kifaji, and Cheka: Look out!!
Vil: *shifting his expression from terrified to calm in an instant and sliding out of the way, snatching the beads with flourish*
Outskirts Youth B: Y-you dodged out of the way?! 😧 On that foot? How... *topples like a house of cards after Vil punches him in the face*
Vil: There. Now that's that.
Hippo Referee: Vil Schoenheit of the Night Raven College Team wins!
The Crowd: *cheering*
Jack: *tail wagging rapidly as he pumps his fist in the air* That's what I'm talkin' about! 😁
Shriek: Woooooo!!! 😄
Grim: *snapping pics* And there's the money shot!😸📷
Hali: Awesome! Vil got it! 😄
Carla: His speed's no joke. We gotta watch out for that later.
Jahi: *smirking* Nice work, Beauty Queen.
Outskirts Youth B: Wh-what gives?! A second ago you were favorin' your leg and now you're bouncin' all over the place?!
Vil: I'm a double threat. Model AND actor. Faking pain is easy for me. You should try it some time. 💅
Cheka: Ohhhh, so he was just playing pretend! Cool!
Kifaji: My, what a reversal of fortunes.
Leona: *breathes out a sigh of relief* I'd like to say I saw it coming...but no, that was too close.
I know we see Kifaji tutoring Little Leona in the flashbacks, but I do wonder when Leona and Kifaji started to grow distant. Because in the Bead Brawl event, there was a lot of times where Kifaji put down Leona and his ideas. It's sad to see Leona go from thinking so highly of Kifaji to hating how Kifaji speaks to him now.
[ More of Kifaji and little Leona here! ]
I’d wager that Leona and Kifaji really started to grow apart around the time when Cheka was born and Leona enrolled at NRC. That’s when he would be away from home for large swathes of time (since NRC is a boarding school), where Kifaji can’t really reach him aside from maybe phone calls. And really, how often would Kifaji be able to contact him when he surely has other duties to tend to, like supporting the acting king and keeping an eye on Cheka? Additionally, Leona frequently makes excuses (like telling Cheka the connection is bad if he called) or pretends he “forgot” so he won’t have to go home (as is the case in Cloudcalling). All of these factors could have contributed in some way.
Now, with that being said, I have to say that I largely disagree with the claims that “Kifaji [puts] down Leona and his ideas” and “Leona [went] from thinking so highly of Kifaji to hating how Kifaji speaks to him now.” Allow me, if you will, to explain my thoughts:
(Below the cut because I swear I always whip out the attorney briefcase for L*ona-related discussions—)
Let’s tackle the first statement: “Kifaji [puts] down Leona and his ideas”.
To put someone down is “to verbally insult or belittle them”. And let’s be clear, Kifaji does say some pretty harsh stuff that could classify as putting someone down. For example, he calls Leona “deplorable” (twice), “impudent brat”, “horribly twisted”, “[spits] such poison from his mouth”, "underhanded", having "thoughtless outbursts", etc.
BUT.
Within the context of their relationship (Leona sees Kifaji as the only person with the courage to call him out), these comments aren’t necessarily all insults or meant to disparage. If I had to liken it to something else, they’re similar to Ace voicing what his peers are too afraid to say to those with power over them.
Is Kifaji WRONG when he says Leona acts underhanded (when Leona actually does) or has thoughtless outbursts/spouts poison (when Leona is rude or speaks badly about himself or others)??? No, he’s correct. Could his wording have been softer? Sure. Does he need to call Leona a brat? No. But do you think Leona would listen to him or respect him if he was softer? Absolutely not, he’d walk all over Kifaji.
Leona also puts down Kifaji (which doesn’t make either of them in the right, but I’m saying Leona is able to dish the venom back) 😭 Cloudcalling opens with Leona calling Kifaji a “stubborn geezer”. He also goes on to use a bunch of other not-so-flattering phrases like “twisted chamberlain”, "meddling", "brazen", "old man", "dodderin' fool", "a stuffed shirt", etc. He tells Kifaji to "shut it", to "get lost", etc.
Another thing is?? Leona doesn’t seem to be bothered by what Kifaji says about him. Yeah, you could argue that Leona’s hiding that he’s hurt, but I don’t get those vibes at all. A lot of the time, Leona’s casually rebutting what Kifaji says, claiming innocence, or even relishing in the fact he’s using his wits to outdo the grand chamberlain.
We’re focusing on Kifaji insulting Leona, but Kifaji actually uplifts Leona a lot as well, especially by praising his wit (even if Leona often uses it to avoid responsibilities and/or to do morally questionable things, like cheat).
"You've always had a way with words…”, “I must say, that was rather clever”, “If you were truly a weakling, how would you have ever been victorious in so many Bead Brawl matches?”, etc.
Countless times, Kifaji remarks that Leona doesn’t use his intelligence to help Falena govern, or to just support their country in general. It might be interpreted as back-handed compliments due to some of the phrasing, but to me the intent has always been Kifaji lamenting Leona’s wasted potential. He recognizes Leona’s skills and wishes that he would utilize it for meaningful change. Cloudcalling even ends with Kifaji being baffled at his loss, despite gunning to take Leona down—yet Kifaji is happy anyway and congratulates Leona and his “overwhelming strength”. He concedes that Leona had been surprising him ever since the boy was little, and Sunset Savanna’s future will be “entertaining”.
Kifaji does push back against Leona’s complaint that their country is “sittin’ on a mountain of resources” without bothering to excavate them. However, Kifaji does NOT use harsh language here. Rather, he objectively states why such a plan wouldn’t be popular with the public (a public which cherishes nature and wishes to preserve it). Then Kifaji shares his opinion that it would be “foolish” to destroy their land for economic gain.
It is Leona who sarcastically calls himself a fool after Kifaji’s comments. Kifaji did not attack Leona’s character or insult his specific plan. He’s relatively cordial in rejecting the plan and is cognizant of how the public may react poorly to it. (Notably, NPC!Kifaji remarks that Leona’s development plan is “revolutionary” but bemoans that it has stripped the land of resources; so it’s possible that Kifaji, or at least Leona’s understanding of him, realizes his plans are strong, but isn’t willing to risk going through with them out of a concern for tradition + the environment.)
Side note: I have very strong opinions about Leona and Falena's different approaches to governing, but I don't want to get into that here since the focus is in Kifaji and Leona's relationship. However, I do have an extensive write-up comparing and contrasting the two brothers and their ruling styles. You can read that here if you're interested!
Kifaji often criticizes Leona's behavior too, usually because Leona is acting in a manner that is not particularly princely or does not adhere to traditions. Whether you think Kifaji is in the right for doing this or not is up to the individual fan.
From an in-universe perspective, it completely makes sense why Kifaji would nag Leona about decorum. He's the grand chamberlain, so part of his job is ensuring the royal family's public image is good. Kifaji is an older man and one who serves a particular lineage of nobles, so he’d want to respect traditions. He is also the one who raised Leona, so of course he wants to see the fruits of his labor. And, quite honestly, some of the behaviors Kifaji calls Leona out for IS warranted (like when Leona threatens his peers).
Now let’s look at the second statement: “Leona [went] from thinking so highly of Kifaji to hating how Kifaji speaks to him now”.
Lilia implies that Leona and Kifaji’s relationship has always been one of bickering back-and forth. “They’ve been acting like this the whole time. They’re probably always like this.”
I’d also argue that just because Kifaji and Leona butt heads and throw biting words at each other… it doesn’t necessarily mean they hate each other??? This just seems to be how they communicate.
Again, Kifaji has praised Leona a lot and acknowledges his competence—and his wasted potential. Leona himself also acknowledges Kifaji’s shrewdness. You can see them going back and forth when Leona returns home and Kifaji is immediately suspicious of Leona’s team. You can see them having their battle of wits during each round of the Bead Brawl, how they keep trying to one-up each other and become gleeful at the idea of defeating the other. It’s like they’re constantly locked in a game of mental chess—which makes a TON of sense when you remember that Kifaji kicked his ass in several matches.
Leona learned from this guy, both in terms of games like chess and in terms of academics. They’ve spend so much time around one another. Of course they would have similar tricks and get on each other’s nerves when the outcome of their “games” don’t go in their favor.
I can’t claim to know exactly how Leona and Kifaji feel or felt about each other, but I get the sense that though they act a little bitter, it all comes from a place of begrudging respect for their opponent. They may insult each other and Kifaji might harp on him, but they know the other is intelligent and is capable of fighting back. They each have to actively plan to outwit the other. They are one and the same.
Kifaji has a fondness for Leona. He reminisces about how Leona was a cute little boy, and how he used to throw tantrums when he lost at chess. He laments that Leona has strayed from his path, despite his good upbringing. He’s happy for Leona when he learns he has actually made friends and manages to cinch a victory in this year’s Bead Brawl. It’s like a grandpa recalling “the good old days” and being sad about where time has taken them—and yet he manages to be proud of his charge anyway.
It’s true that Leona dislikes others telling him what to do or how to be. He also dislikes it when others try to instill hope in him (in the light novel, he states he fears his dorm members giving him hope again) or encourage him about the future (as we witness him reacting negatively when Falena does the same in his post-OB flashback). So when Kifaji appears to both nag him and tell him he has a future helping Sunset Savanna, it does annoy Leona. It’s not Kifaji in particular saying these things that pisses him off, it’s the content itself.
Leona has probably always thought highly of Kifaji. He’s the closest thing Leona has to a mentor and a guardian figure. He’s someone who is able to match him in wits—and frustratingly so, given how hard Leona has to work to overcome him sometimes, like in Cloudcalling. And, most impotently, Kifaji manifests in Leona’s own dreamscape as “the guy who’s never afraid to call Leona out when he’s wrong”. He’s the first NPC to ever assist us and expresses happiness when Leona finally wakes.
So… some part of Leona, no matter how annoyed he is with Kifaji in the moment, is aware that the old guy can be right, while Leona is in the wrong. He’s aware that Kifaji acts as a moral compass. If all Leona saw Kifaji as was a geezer with nothing worthwhile to say or do, then why would NPC!Kifaji criticize Leona’s rule with accurate, informed, and pointed remarks? Why would NPC!Kifaji be reminding Leona to have empathy for his people? Why would NPC!Kifaji be content seeing Leona leave the dream instead of trying to trap him in it forever?
The dream arguably reflects how Leona perceives Kifaji in real life—someone who may get on his nerves, but ultimately has his best interests at heart.
Looking back on it, I think Kifaji being blunt with Leona is actually a good thing when you look at how the other servants talk about the second prince. In Leona's post-OB flashback, it's implied the attendants whisper and gossip about him behind his back. In other words, the majority of palace staff appear to hide their true opinions of Leona.
Maybe it's to spare his feelings, maybe it's to save their jobs, but the end result is the same: they're not being truthful to him. But you know who WAS truthful with him? Who has seemingly always been truthful with him, even if the truth hurts? Kifaji, that's who.
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Hey, sorry if this makes you uncomfortable but I heard that the VA for Kifaji died. I don’t really see anyone saying anything about it other than one post on Facebook.
Yes, I did hear the news that Kifaji’s VA, Takaya Hashi-san, passed away a few days ago on August 27th.
I don’t have an interest in VAs or the VA scene, so I often do not speak about them due to a lack of knowledge and personal investment. In fact, I only learned about what happened from a post on the Twst subreddit.
Thank you, Hashi-san, for all the amazing performances you delivered—both as Kifaji and in your many other iconic roles. May you rest in peace 🙏
So I had Zazu x Scar brain worms… which resulted in this commissioned work (character artwork by cozymochi; the background is ripped from the game).
The concept for this piece is sbdviqnskw “a few years later”, in which Leona has graduated and is now dutifully serving as a nonspecific government official in Sunset Savanna and Raven is on her fourth year internship as a royal scribe. She’s trying to deliver the daily morning report, but I don’t think Leona’s in the mood for it right now 😅 The usual bickering ensues… I guess some things never change?
I wrote a thing to go with this but the longer it got, the more embarrassed I am to share it in full 🙂↕️ so I’ll leave you with my favorite excerpts (starring Kifaji, who acts as Raven’s supervisor):
