Leona and Vil

Vil insults Leona maybe more than any other character and tells Jamil in Book 6 that Leona is always in a foul mood. 

During Fairy Gala alone Vil asks if Leona is not a prince at all but an egg in a kanji-based joke, tells him he swaggers “like some kind of ruffian,” says he has none of Kalim’s class and calls him a clumsy oaf. 

Other highlights from Vil include:

・Is Leona under some sort of curse that obliges him to be snide every time he opens his mouth?
・Shows of arrogance from you are nothing new
・You might at least shut your mouth and not spoil the sights for the rest of us.
・A shame it’s just for show, like everything with you.
・Don’t let him bother you. You’ll find the rest of the student body aside from him quite gracious and well-mannered
・Your handler is utterly incompetent. (To Savanaclaw students)

Vil tells Jack, “I see that unlike a certain housewarden who shall remain nameless, you’ve got the spirit of a fighter” and mocks Leona about being loath to lose in a bid to goad him into playing a game during New Year’s, and asks if, as a prince, he has “been taught that an inability to attend to (himself) is somehow acceptable.”

Vil continues with, “You are little more than a fine prop to decorate my stage,” you are repugnant,” and “this is why I hate spoiled princelings.”

Upon realizing that Leona has failed to water plants in the botanical gardens as he has been assigned Vil physically chases down Ruggie in an attempt to get him to admit where Leona is (Deuce: “How can they weave through a garden with all these trees in it so fast? Magic?”)

Vil insulting Leona is a theme of the Cloudcalling event, with Vil repeating that the tournament being all about Leona takes the wind out of his sails.

He also calls Leona lazy multiple times and when Lilia comments on Leona being unromantic Vil responds, “That’s Leona for you.”

When deciding who will sit in the passenger seat alongside Leona Vil volunteers the information, “I wouldn’t sit up front if you paid me. I just want to enjoy the savanna scenery out the window. Having you next to me would spoil the view.” Leona responds, “I didn’t even ask you.”

While Vil will also compliment Leona, these compliments are often joined by insults, including:

・As loath as I am to admit it, Leona could make an eye-catching main model if we leverage that air of smug superiority he gives off.
・One of Leona’s precious few fortes is the sheer power of his presence.
・The only thing you have going for you is a handsome face.
・While Leona is little more than a good-looking layabout, he is quite troublesome when angered.

While admitting that Leona looks “fabulous” in his lion garb outfit, when Leona responds with “They get their motif from the lion known as the King of Beasts, so they’re known as ‘liongarb.’ Heck, how could it not suit me?,” Vil responds, “It’s as undeniable as it is vexing.”

When complimenting Leona’s driving skills Vil adds, “I guess you’re good for something after all.”

After Leona sends the rest of the Playfulland group on ahead to neutralize a hoard of puppets on his own Vil tells the other students,

“Leona wouldn’t do anything so pointless. He’s more indolent, snide, and pragmatic than anyone else I know. If he decided to stay behind and have the rest of us go on, then that was the best option we had. As loath as I am to admit it, he wasn’t wrong when he said he was smarter than the rest of us.”

Leona and Vil seem to rarely have pleasant conversations, with their first interaction in the main story being Vil teasing Leona about hunting down Grim and Leona telling him to do it himself.

An early vignette consists of Vil scolding Leona for wearing a vest with a loose button (“The way it dangles makes you look no better than a common pauper”) and Leona goading Vil into fixing it himself if it bothers him so much. 

When Ruggie mentions that Vil will harshly nag Leona about his fashion choices Vil responds, “I simply cannot stand individuals who rest on their laurels and refuse to put in any effort,” which is also a theme in Fairy Gala where Leona says he complied after getting sick of Vil getting on his case nonstop. (“So you CAN give an earnest effort, but only when it makes your life easier. Your indolence never ceases to amaze me.”)

Even when they have been kidnapped to STYX the two bicker together, with Ortho telling Idia, “There’s over an 87% chance these people will start fighting if you lock them in a room together for three hours.”

When Malleus asks Leona where he would go if he were to transfer to another dorm Leona rules out Ignihyde and Diasomnia immediately (“You all would sour my mood like no one’s business”), selecting Poemfiore based on which dorm he could relax in, with the least amount of hassle.

Leona explains, “Vil runs a tight ship there, and an orderly herd is easy to manage. Those guys follow whoever’s strongest, so as long as I snag the housewarden’s seat, I’m all set.”

Malleus asks if Leona would strive to be housewarden even if he were to transfer dorms and Leona responds, “Absolutely. Vil’s a total nag. If I ended up below him in the pecking order, he’d pester me even more.”

For all his frustration with Leona, Vil is not pleased by Rook’s pursuit of him, telling Rook to not let his provocations get out of hand.

Rook asks, “Is that an order?,” and Vil responds, “You’re welcome to take it that way. I would prefer to avoid any senseless quarreling with the other dorms. Because I would replace you immediately if you got our dorm into trouble.”

While often bickering, there are also times when Vil and Leona are in agreement with one another: both dismiss Crowley’s idea of retiring Malleus in Book 2 (Vil: “For once, Leona is making perfect sense”), and both are unimpressed by the Star Sending event.

When Leona says he wishes to turn Idia’s hair to sand in Book 6 Vil says, “For once we agree on something,” and when Leona suggests they save a STYX staff member from a Charon suit attack “then make him show us the way as repayment” Vil replies, “That’s not a very princely suggestion. That said—I’m in agreement.”

Vil also agrees with Leona’s “inspired incentive” of “The first person to reach the Underworld gate gets to beat up Radish Sprout without anyone there to stop ’em.”

Leona seems aware of Vil’s strength, comparing him equally to himself when he tells Jamil, “Obviously you couldn’t hold a candle to me or Vil.”

Leona and Vil have an extended back-and-forth at the end of Book 6 after Leona and Jamil have had their battle with an overblotted Idia and phantom-Ortho but not yet finished them off, with Leona telling Vil, “If I didn’t give a certain prima donna some time in the spotlight, he’d never let me hear the end of it. Are you done touchin’ up your makeup?,” and Vil responding, “I’d have been happy managing to reapply my lip gloss, but l even had time to perfect my hair, thanks to you two.”

Vil earns a passing grade from Vil with his Fairy Gala performance (Vil: “You see how you managed to bring out your best and then some? Be grateful you had me for a coach”), and when Kalim and Lilia invite Vil and Leona to dance during the Cloudcalling event both characters refuse, sitting back to watch the dancers together, instead.

When Leona sends Lilia and Kalim to their rooms Lilia is displeased, but Vil responds in support of Leona.

During the drama of Playfulland it is Vil and Leona who confirm the situation on the other side of the theme park wall together and they share an interaction with sniping and insults on both sides that conceals Vil expressing concern (“Do you actually think you can win?”) and Leona entrusting the safety of the younger students to Vil (“I was gettin’ sick and tired of babysitting these herbivores anyway. You can take care of them from here on out”).

Both Leona and Vil refuse to go to Idia’s aid at the start of the Phantom Bride event, and when Sebek boasts of how Eliza would choose Malleus over anyone else “as a matter of course” they come together to declare that “Operation Proposal is as good as done.”

Vil adopts a different persona in preparation for his proposal (Leona: “Who are you and what have you done with Vil?”), with Leona saying, “I’d take the regular you over this slimeball.”

When Eliza says that she is flattered but the group cannot compare to Idia Leona and Vil come to together to declare that they are “obviously superior!” (Jade: “Looks like they’ve lost sight of our objective.”)

Towards the end of the event Idia begs them to get him out of the situation and Vil and Leona respond, “It sounds like you’ve found someone who loves you in spite of your bad attitude” and “Good on you for finding your soulmate.”

When Epel fails to recognize hazel and hen bane Leona tells him, “Last thing I need is Vil gettin’ on my case about club meets distracting you from your education. At least get the basics under your belt.”

At the end of the Nightmare Before Christmas event Vil is first through the grave that will take them back to their own world as though to lead the way for the others, while Leona is last through the grave as though to make sure that no one has been left behind.

For all his annoyance with Vil, we still have multiple examples of Leona doing as Vil says: he balances vases on his head and shoulders for Fairy Gala on Vil’s orders despite how they soak him every time they fall (“If you spill any water, your penalty will be an hour-long air chair exercise”) and he does not argue with the commands Vil issues in Book 6.

Leona spends all of Halloween ignoring his ringing phone, saying that he knows exactly who it is and refusing to answer until Vil tells him to.

On the subject of Lilia’s life force, Leona refers unflatteringly to Vil’s experience in Book 6 by saying, “Back on the Island of Woe, Vil temporarily turned into some wrinkled up old man, and…….” but then self corrects as Vil stares at him, saying “excuse me” and rephrasing to, “His magic reserves were drained dry, resulting in physical deterioration,” without Vil needing to reprimand him.

The Cloudcalling event begins with Leona inviting Vil to participate in a tournament in his hometown because, “when it comes to good sense and moderation, Vil’s the best housewarden we’ve got. Moreover, we’ve been spending time on the same campus ever since Vil enrolled–we’re friends who know each other well.” (Vil: “How my skin crawls… There’s not a trace of emotion behind your words.”)

Vil refuses outright until Leona offers him exclusive access to hot spring inside a famous locale that is open only to the royal family. Vil agrees, though he later says he wishes he had not been so easily played by Leona.

Vil confers in whispers twice with Leona during the event, both on the topic of Kalim’s participation with the group.

Prior to the tournament Vil has Leona act as his personal guide around his hometown for a tour based on beauty, with Leona recommending the spa of their hotel and then escorting him to cosmetics store that is popular with the royal family.

Vil observes, “For all your grumbling, you’re being a fantastic tour guide. Hehe, I should make you show me around all the time.”

While escorting Vil through a local marketplace Vil is recognized by vendors who try to gift him with their wares (“If he used my products, my sales’d go through the roof!”), but when Vil tries to get Leona to say something Leona responds, “You don’t need me when these fine folk’ll bend over backwards to show ya around,” returning to their hotel alone.

Vil says, “Always running away at the first minor inconvenience… And here I was beginning to think he might not be totally useless!”

At the beginning of the tournament Leona explains that, as the leader of the Sunset Warriors, he is forbidden from participating and any team he joined would be disqualified. Vil is kicked by his opponent in round one and Kifaji blames Leona.

Leona responds, “Guess you look at Vil and think he’s delicate or somethin’. Just watch,” and Vil wins his bout, saying that he had been faking the pain in his leg.

Leona is the only person who realizes that Vil had not actually been faking (Vil: “…If you were able to see through me, then I dare say I need to improve my acting skills”) and refuses to let Vil participate in the final round.

Vil insists on participating anyway, saying he would rather fight on a broken leg than give in, and Leona chooses a third option: entering the tournament himself.

Kifaji explains that Leona being discovered would “bring shame to the entire royal family” in front of the gathered foreign dignitaries, meaning “Prince Leona must have been counting on me making this calculation to save face.”

Afterwards Vil comments, “Can’t help but notice you stole the spotlight from me. Hardly seems fair,” and Leona responds, “Couldn’t pass up a chance to put you herbivores in your place, c