Cai vs. Leda: First Tournament Match and Event Clash Guide

Quick route through Cai's first main tournament

This is a two-stage encounter, not merely a fight with Leda. The main Match is tactical and takes place on the movement grid. Defeating Leda leads to a separate, scripted Event Clash against a demonic boss that uses smaller-party Clash mechanics. Prepare for both before triggering the ending of the grid battle.

I won the whole sequence with a deliberately trained but not fully maxed-out army. The guide below distinguishes what I personally confirmed in my save from the tactics reported by other players. I didn't record every button press from the victory and won't pretend otherwise.

Was level 25 enough? My winning squad

Here is my approximate pre-match roster. These are level estimates from my last update, not enemy-level requirements or claims about the levels after the victory.

What this result establishes: This particular group was good enough for me to win decisively. It does not prove everyone must be level 25 or that any one weapon is mandatory. Guzran was 24, and I still won.

I had previously wasted an alternate-save experiment on about 40 Turns of Inn Auto-Leveling. It raised very few character levels, so I reloaded and finished real dungeon Clashes instead. That experiment is one player's observation, not a universal EXP-rate formula.

Stage 1 — the tactical Cai-versus-Leda Match

The published Cai-route walkthrough lists defeat Leda as the victory condition and Cai falls as the defeat condition. It also describes opportunities to exploit map hazards and approach some enemies in controlled groups.

1. Study the danger zones before crossing them. Don't expose your healers or Peter to several enemy attacks at once just to push toward Leda.
2. Check for explosives with ZL. These can contribute area damage without needing to send a fragile unit into the middle of the enemy formation.
3. Let Cai lead the pushes where his defense, mobility and damage forecast are strongest. My Cai entered around level 35 with the refined Da Mina Spear.
4. Use Guzran's Flyssa where its armored-target effectiveness matters. Do not mistake the weapon's anti-armor role for automatic effectiveness against the later demon.
5. Use Tialla/Yang Jie for magical pressure, Peter's Tempest Bow for range, and Alexandra's Da Mina Spear where melee damage is needed. Protect each from enemy phases they cannot survive.
6. Approach the map's Demonic Beast deliberately. Position your attackers first instead of wandering into its range with half your team out of reach.
7. Before defeating Leda, check the active roster and healing resources. The next fight is not another grid Match.

The Cai-route walkthrough also reports Buccar appearing as an allied guest on turn 3 of the tactical portion. Do not confuse that appearance with his separate participation in the Event Clash.

Stage 2 — the demonic beast Event Clash

This boss is fought through the Clash menu rather than the grid. Link Points (LP), who is leading, shared HP, and the selected participants matter more than simply outranging the enemy.

A useful party composition

Prioritize Cai, a durable defender and at least one available magic/healing character. When the scripted encounter gives you Buccar as a guest, compare his defensive forecast as the active lead against the other options.

A player report suggests this Event Clash may inherit some of its starting units from the first five tactical deployment slots. That precise transfer rule is not independently verified. If you have a pre-transition selection screen, check what it actually shows; don't assume a full seven-person squad transfers.

Action order that players report working

1. Look at the boss's HP bars, your shared HP and LP, then inspect its counterattack or double-attack forecast. Don't start by skipping.
2. Lead with the survivor, not necessarily the biggest damage dealer. Buccar is a particularly useful defensive guest when he becomes available. Jasmine can be sturdy but may have 0 Attack Speed; if the boss doubles her, try a different leader.
3. Use Link → Attack Link for burst damage. Cai's refined spear and the best available offensive magic are reasonable starting points. Reported successes include Buccar with a Seraphim user, but only use Seraphim if someone in your actual party knows it.
4. Spend LP proactively, while the team can still survive the boss's response. Hoarding it for a perfect later turn may be worse than removing an early HP bar.
5. Protect Link or Recovery Link when needed. A player specifically reports using Peter's Protect Link to keep Cai alive through this fight. Use healing as the combat preview demands, not after a fragile caster has already gone down.
6. Use valuable Combat Arts if they secure meaningful damage or a bar break. This is the boss encounter you prepared for; preserving every point of durability is less important than winning.

This is a sourced tactical approach drawn from the Cai walkthrough and firsthand community discussions. My own report confirms that I beat the encounter; I have not logged the precise sequence of attacks I personally used.

If the Event Clash beats you

Don't immediately assume you must replay an entire Chapter 8 preparation cycle. A player in the Cai/Leda discussion reports that choosing Restart Battle allows them to select a different Event Clash lineup. Inspect that option before reloading an old world-map save.

Try a sturdier lead, more magic, earlier Attack Links or earlier Protect Links depending on what caused the failure.

Should I bring culinary items or consumables?

The short answer is do not make them the main strategy. If you're still before the match and already own them, a Linking Rock, Concoction or Elixir can be valuable depending on what the Clash's item menu allows. A Linking Rock is listed as restoring LP. A healing item can be an emergency fallback when healing actions aren't available.

However, I did not report which items I used in my victory, and I haven't confirmed that every inventory consumable can be selected during this particular scripted Event Clash. Check the actual menu rather than buying items based on a guarantee that isn't established.

What happens after you beat Leda and the beast?

In my save, defeating both returned me to Free Time with 32 Turns before the next main quest. The screen gave me a new countdown; I haven't yet recorded the next story mission's name, location or chapter heading, so I won't invent one.

The next actions I'd take are:

1. Read Journal/Foresight for the new mission destination and exact deadline.
2. Inspect available events and quests before using the calendar for training.
3. Check the team's equipment and any new recruit/class opportunities, particularly items used or damaged during the tournament.
4. Check the new mission destination's green visited checkmark if planning to spend Free Time far away. In Part I, a previously visited/checked main destination allows the game to transport the party at the deadline, but a check for Leda's old mission doesn't certify the new mission.

The 32-Turn countdown is a personal save checkpoint, not a claim that every player or every route gets the identical duration.

Answers to the questions I had before this fight

Can I win without getting my entire army to 30?

Yes in my save: I won with Cai around 35, Jasmine around 27, four members around 25 and Guzran around 24. Exact requirements vary by game settings and how the battle plays out.

Is Leda the last fight in the main match?

No. Defeating Leda leads into the distinct demonic beast Event Clash.

Does Buccar help in the Event Clash?

Player accounts report that he joins as a guest and is a very useful defensive lead. Test the actual leader and damage forecast.

Do I need Seraphim?

No confirmed requirement. Community wins report very high damage with it, but you can use whichever effective offensive magic and Links your party actually has.

Can I change the Event Clash lineup if I lose?

Player reports indicate Restart Battle lets you reselect participants, so try that before redoing an entire chapter.

What should I do once both bosses are beaten?

Start a fresh plan for the next 32 Turns, based on the new actual quest destination, not the old first-match checklist.

For more, see the detailed Chapter 8 preparation history and my first-tournament victory journal.