During their trip to the capital city of Fiore: Crocus, Yu and Nyancelot found themselves in a bit of a peculiar detour. Although they had planned to leave the festivities behind to continue their investigation into the origins of a True Ancestor, the young fairy soon found herself caught by a request that sparked her interest: A traveling circus had several of their exotic creatures escape into the city and were asking adventurers to return them in exchange for payment and some type of 'coupons' that were part of King Reign's festival that was being held in the city to celebrate the start of the new year.

Yu, having never seen a circus before and not really needing the money, happily accepted the request and headed off with her Exceed companion to find the escaped creatures. They were all over the city and she got to see a variety of different things in the capital that she had not seen before. There were exotic creatures from around the world, all sorts of people dressed in different kinds of clothing, and even a parade that had just finished setting up.

It wasn't until the duo came across a group of performers from the circus that the duo was able to find one of the exotic creatures that had escaped. It was a large tiger, bigger than even the average person and with thick fur that was as black as the night sky. The creature had managed to corner a small boy in one of the alleyways and was preparing to pounce when Yu intervened.

She used her magic to create a platform underneath the child and rapidly lifted it upwards, causing the beast to slam headfirst into the wall instead of attacking the poor boy! It was a timely intervention, but had turned the ire of the tiger toward the duo! Nyancelot was about to draw his blade but Yu worriedly called out to him. "We can't kill the tiger! If we do then surely the circus won't pay us..." she said, her words causing the Exceed to pause in his action. He knew that Yu wouldn't want to harm the beast and so he would have to think of another way to capture it.
The Exceed charged in to fight the tiger head-on, knowing that the only way to get this done would be to do it himself. He was a proud Exceed, and as such he had no problems taking on an enemy that was larger than him. With a flourish of his blade and a mighty roar, the Exceed struck at the tiger with a mighty blow. But the creature dodged the blow and slashed at him, its sharp claws drawing blood from the Exceed's shoulder. Nyancelot hissed in pain, but he didn't back down. He continued to attack, his movements becoming faster and more erratic as he tried to land a hit on the creature.

Meanwhile, Yu was trying to distract the tiger. conjuring several ethereal constructs that obscured Nyancelot's approach. It was about to attack her when Nyancelot intervened, blocking the attack with his sword and pushing the creature back. "Get out of the way!" he yelled to Yu, not wanting her to get hurt. Yu nodded and stepped aside, allowing the Exceed to continue his fight. He swung his blade with all his might, his swordsmanship honed by years of training. But the tiger was too quick, dodging every blow and retaliating with its own strikes.

Yu was growing worried as she watched the fight unfold. She didn't want to see her friend get hurt, but she also didn't want to kill the tiger. It was in that moment Nyancelot heaved a sigh: "Guess I got no choice but to take you on in my new form then." The feline Exceed started, a surge of light erupting from his body and causing his body to grow into the familiar humanoid knight that Yu had seen at the throne of heroes.

"Let's see how you fend off the attacks of a heroic spirit!" Nyancelot proclaimed as he raised his blade and swung it with a mighty slash, cutting the air in front of him. The tiger was momentarily stunned, its eyes widening as it saw the power behind the strike. But it quickly recovered, growling and lunging forward at the heroic spirit. Nyancelot was ready, parrying the attack with his blade and then striking back with a swift kick to the creature's side. The tiger stumbled, its breath knocked out of it. Nyancelot pressed his advantage, striking at the creature with a flurry of blows. The tiger was unable to keep up, its movements slowing as the injuries began to take their toll.

Finally, with a final flourish of his blade, Nyancelot delivered the finishing blow. The tiger slumped to the ground, defeated. Honestly it was amazing how Nyancelot had bested the tiger without any serious injuries being suffered by either! Was it the result of his transformation? Yu was left amazed at the heroic spirit's prowess, wondering just what else her friend was capable of. The boy, who had been watching the battle, was in awe as well. He thanked the duo profusely for saving him and ran off to find his parents.

Nyancelot returned to normal size and was panting, his body tired from the battle. Yu rushed over to him, concerned. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice full of worry. Nyancelot nodded, a small smile on his face. "I'm fine," he assured her. "Just a little tired. Let's go and get this tiger back to the circus." The two of them then headed off to find the circus, the tiger trailing behind them like a whipped puppy.

The two made their way through the bustling streets of Crocus, their journey slowed by the crowds of people that were in the capital for the king's festival. Yu and Nyancelot had never seen anything like it, the sheer amount of people that were packed into the city was astounding. As they walked, they passed by vendors selling all sorts of goods, from exotic foods and trinkets to magical items and weapons. There were also street performers, musicians, and magicians entertaining the masses, adding to the festive atmosphere.

Eventually, they made it to the circus, which was set up on the outskirts of the city. It was a grand affair, with brightly colored tents and banners flying overhead. Inside, there were all sorts of acts on display, from acrobats to fire-breathers, and even a man who could eat glass, or was it all just sass? The two of them watched in wonder as they walked through the circus, their eyes wide with excitement. They eventually found the circus master, who was thrilled to have the tiger back. He thanked the two profusely, offering them a reward of 500,000 Jewels and a special pass for the circus' show that night.

Yu and Nyancelot accepted the reward graciously, and the two of them headed off to explore more of the festival. As they walked through the streets, they noticed a group of people gathered around a large stage, making Yu wonder if some sort of show was about to begin. Perhaps a rehearsal for tonight's festivities? Either way, she had done her work for the time being and would relax for a bit till the big event of the circus would start!

WC: +1250