Desperate to find enough people willing to go to Harveston over the weekend to form a sled team, Epel invites Sebek at Grim’s encouragement to ask the first person he sees: it is Grim who calls out to Sebek.
Sebel refuses on the grounds that he has no interest in a race that serves as a mere festival sideshow. Epel employs a variety of techniques to change his mind, first describing it as “a brutal race,” then saying that friends and loved ones will tell him he did well, and finally longing for a skilled athlete “who was the very definition of brawny” while surrounded by sparkles and flower petals.
Sebek declares that he will join the race and make it an easy win (Epel: “Yesss! It worked!”)
While preparing for the race Jade and Idia begin discussing ways to utilize loopholes in the rules, such as making other races crash and setting up pitfalls. Epel declares that the should instead beat their opponents fair and square and Sebek agrees, saying that victory would ring hollow if won through “cheap tricks.”
Jade comments on how dull the pair are while Idia follows with, “Ugh, such arbitrary ‘morals.’”
Sebek’s dislike of using tricks to win a competition comes up again during New Year’s, when Ruggie takes advantage of Kalim by greatly over-exaggerating the cost of items available for sale. Sebek declares, “I could never overlook such a flagrant display of dishonesty.”
Later, Vil considers letting customers win as his and Sebek’s team is so strong that they are discouraging customers from both competing and shopping, running the risk of them losing the promised bonus to Ruggie and Cater. Sebek is scandalized by the idea of deliberately holding back in a contest of skill and strength, saying, “deliberately going easy on an opponent goes against everything I believe!”
During the Harveston race Sebek rams intentionally into Epel’s sled, saving him from being crushed by a tree that collapses under the weight of snow soon after.
Once again Jade and Idia unite against Epel, with both suggesting that they leave Sebek to recover on his own in order to not lose the race. Epel vetoes them, saying that he has an idea.
After Sebek is rescued Epel thanks him for saving him from the tree but Sebek insists that it was merely repayment for Epel repairing his squirrel plushie, and now they are even.
Epel’s idea is revealed to be jumping a ravine at the end of the woods. While Sebek’s sled is beyond repair Epel points out that they will technically not be breaking the rules by sharing a sled, as they need only get the entire team and their plushies over the finish line. (Idia: “I see you’re all about exploiting the loopholes now!”)
Sebek contributes his own magic into Epel’s rabbit, and they successfully jump the ravine.
Twisted Wonderland Reference Note 