The roar of the crowd was deafening.Tens of thousands of spectators packed the massive SkyDome Arena, a structure suspended high above City X. Its transparent walls shimmered like crystal, reflecting the luminous swirl of nebula lights projected across the dome ceiling.

Eternal Era's black-and-gold uniforms gleamed beneath the floodlights, while their opponents the Solar Blades stood on the opposite end in brilliant white and gold, their insignia pulsing with radiant energy.

Dante — Blaze — stood at the center line, his hair drifting like pale fire in the breeze. His heartbeat was steady, not from calm, but from focus sharpened to a razor's edge.

Beside him, Diego adjusted his gloves, his usual smirk replaced by concentration. "Light versus lightning," he muttered. "This'll be fun."

Blaze gave a half-grin. "Just don't blink."

Across from them, the Solar Blades' captain stepped forward — Liora, the Photon Valkyrie.Her presence alone made the field shimmer. She had long, platinum hair that glowed faintly under the lights, and her eyes radiated with pure golden energy. When she moved, her armor traced streaks of light through the air — a byproduct of her Photon Manipulation Art, a legendary martial style thought extinct.

She gave Blaze a knowing look, her voice cutting across the distance. "I heard rumors of a ghost from the past wearing Eternal colors. Let's see if the stories are true."

Blaze smirked, electricity already crawling across his arms. "You'll find out soon enough."

The referee drone floated between both captains, blinking blue. "Match Start in 3… 2… 1…"

Beep!

The ball launched into the air — glowing faintly with kinetic energy.

And just like that, chaos began.

Diego moved first. He shot forward with explosive acceleration, his Fang Wind aura slicing through the air as he intercepted the ball mid-air. He twisted, using the momentum to redirect it toward Blaze without even looking.

Blaze caught the pass on instinct, flicking the ball between his legs and sprinting forward. Sparks burst beneath his boots as his lightning trailed behind him in jagged lines.

But before he could advance, a blinding flash erupted ahead — Liora.

She appeared before him in an instant, materializing like sunlight breaking through clouds.

Her kick came faster than most could react — a Photon Step feint followed by a crescent strike that sent the ball flying backward.

Blaze barely blocked it, his arms vibrating from the impact. "She's fast," he muttered.

"Correction," Diego said through the comm, "She's light-speed fast."

Jason's voice echoed through their earpieces from the control booth:

"Blaze, Diego — don't chase her directly. Her art manipulates perception and speed. Use vertical spacing. Play the terrain, not the body."

"Understood."

Blaze and Diego fell back into formation. Anastasia sprinted along the left flank, her Aero Dancer Style activating — wings of compressed air spinning around her as she lifted off the ground briefly. She intercepted a Solar Blades midfielder mid-pass and redirected the ball back toward center.

Blaze met it with a burst of speed, his lightning crackling outward like a miniature storm. He zigzagged through two defenders and unleashed a long-range strike — a spinning thunderbolt that curved sharply toward the goal.

The crowd gasped — the ball was a streak of blue fire.

But Liora blurred again, reappearing in front of the shot. With a single motion, she sliced through it with a glowing arc of light, dispersing it mid-air. The fragments of lightning dissolved harmlessly.

She smirked. "Nice try, relic."

Blaze's eyes narrowed. "You talk too much."

Ten minutes into the game, both teams had yet to score. Solar Blades dominated possession, their tempo shifting unpredictably as Liora orchestrated their movements like a conductor of light. Each pass gleamed briefly before vanishing, the ball flickering in and out of visibility due to their Photon Mirage Technique.

Jason gritted his teeth from the bench. "Their synchronization is insane. Every player is moving off her rhythm — she's not just fast; she's syncing their nervous systems with light pulses."

Scarlet, sitting beside him, muttered, "So she's literally guiding them like puppets."

Jason nodded grimly. "Exactly. And Blaze is the only one fast enough to cut that link."

On the field, Blaze felt the same pressure. Every time he dashed, the field seemed to blur — Liora's illusions distorting distance and angle. His lightning clashed with light, and each collision caused microbursts of static that left scorch marks on the turf.

But he wasn't retreating. He was learning.

Each flicker, each afterimage — he started to read the pattern behind her movements.

"She's moving in eight directions," he murmured. "Each photon echo hides her real step."

Diego caught up beside him, panting slightly. "You can read that?"

"I can feel it," Blaze replied.

Their comms buzzed — Jason again:

"Blaze, Diego — switch tactics. Use Phase Spiral. Blaze goes forward; Diego shadows right. Let her focus on one target."

Blaze cracked his neck. "Got it."

The moment the next pass came, Blaze exploded forward — electricity ripping through the turf in a blue-white flash. Liora moved to intercept, her golden aura flaring as she met his sprint head-on.

Their collision sent a shockwave through the air.

The audience rose to their feet as thunder and light fused in a blinding explosion.

When the glow faded, both stood still — locked in a contest of will.

"Your lightning burns," Liora said, her voice strained slightly. "But it's still trapped by gravity."

She vanished, reappearing behind him. "Light doesn't need permission to move."

Her strike came from behind — but before it could land, a gust of wind burst between them.

Diego — spinning into her path, intercepting the hit with his Fang Wind Counter. The two forces clashed — air versus light — sending ripples through the stadium.

"Sorry, lady," Diego said with a grin. "You'll have to ask me first."

Blaze seized the moment. He leapt, summoning his lightning into a compressed sphere. It expanded around him — Blaze Sphere: Level Two. He hurled it downward, sending a bolt straight toward the goal.

The Solar Blades' goalkeeper activated his Photon Shield, catching the blast mid-air, but the force drove him back several meters. The barrier cracked.

Gasps echoed through the crowd.

"Almost," Blaze muttered, landing and exhaling. "I'm getting closer."

Liora didn't waste time. "Photon Cross Formation!" she commanded.

Immediately, her teammates spread out, light beams connecting them in crisscrossing patterns. The field transformed into a luminous grid — every intersection a trap.

Jason cursed under his breath. "That's their signature play. If they catch Blaze inside one of those nodes—"

A sudden flash erupted — Blaze was caught.

Energy wrapped around him, locking his movement. The ball ricocheted through the glowing web like a laser, bouncing between Solar players at impossible speed before slamming toward Eternal's goal.

Anastasia dove, twisting mid-air, barely deflecting it with an Aero Pulse Kick. The ball flew high — only for Liora to teleport above it, charging her finishing move: Solar Divide.

She swung her leg down — a blazing arc descending toward the goal.

But lightning struck first.

A blur of blue cut across the field — Blaze had broken free, his body radiating with pure voltage. He collided with the arc mid-air, his kick meeting hers.

CRACK!

A massive explosion erupted, energy rippling outward in waves.

The audience shielded their eyes as thunder and light merged, forming a spiraling storm that consumed half the field.

When the smoke cleared, both Blaze and Liora were on opposite ends of the pitch, breathing heavily.

The scoreboard remained unchanged — 0–0.

Halftime Approaches

As the timer ticked toward the end of the first half, both teams began to slow. Sweat glistened on foreheads, breaths came heavy, but no one dared ease their stance.

Diego moved up beside Blaze. "You okay?"

Blaze nodded. "Yeah. But she's holding back. That last attack wasn't full power."

"Neither was yours," Diego replied with a grin.

Blaze smirked faintly. "Fair point."

Jason's voice cut in again:

"We're holding our own, but you two need synchronization. Liora's creating photon lag — minor time distortions. You'll need to anticipate, not react. Connect your energy flows before the second half."

Blaze glanced at Diego. "You heard him."

Diego extended his fist. "Let's sync lightning and wind then, old man."

Blaze grinned and bumped his fist. "Try to keep up, kid."

The referee drone sounded the whistle — end of first half.

Both teams withdrew to their sides. The audience erupted in applause, the air electric with excitement.

For the first time in a century, Blaze felt it again the thrill of a real fight. Not for fame, not for revenge… but for the fire that once defined him.

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