The whistle shrieked, and the game exploded into motion.

The Black Meteors surged forward first. Their aura flared—dark streaks of violet energy that pulsed like smoke. Each player wove martial steps into their movement, bodies twisting with combat discipline that blurred the line between football and battlefield. Their captain, Needle, moved like a shadow, his spear-like kicks jabbing the ball forward with terrifying precision.

Jason's words before kickoff echoed in the Rising Stars' heads: "Never underestimate the bottom dwellers. They fight like cornered wolves."

And indeed, the first ten minutes were chaos.

Aya dropped into a defensive stance, her water aura rippling outward. She spun into a flowing kata, sliding into two perfect tackles, redirecting the ball as if bending a current. Grim anchored the backline, fists clenched, slamming his earth energy into the ground—every clearance rattled like stone smashing through wood. Anastasia's movements were sharp, every interception a dance of blades.

Blaze hovered near the Meteors' defenders. His crimson aura flickered at his feet, fire licking faintly like a candle not yet unleashed. He pressed forward, chest tight, waiting. Every Titan name carried weight. And tonight, he had to prove his.

Aya's water whip pass curved toward him. Blaze pivoted, igniting a burst step—but too early. The flag rose. Offside.

Minutes later, Scarlet darted inward, striking with her phoenix flame, her shot bursting into sparks. The rebound fell to Blaze. He spun with a martial sweep, flames coiling into his strike—but the contact was clumsy, sending the ball spinning wide.

Groans rippled from the stands.

Blaze cursed under his breath, fists trembling. His aura flickered, unstable, like fire in the wind. I can do better. I have to.

Lionel jogged past, calm as iron. He placed a heavy hand on Blaze's shoulder. "Don't let the flame consume you. Control it. Make them fear the burn, not the smoke."

The advice pierced him. He remembered the hours of solitary training—the late nights channeling his fire into a technique untested before. Not Jörmungandr, not Serpent Fang. Something new, raw, but his.

Twenty-fourth minute. Needle sliced past Anastasia with a serpent-like twist, body coiled, then unleashed a martial spear-kick at the ball. It tore through the air, black aura trailing.

Grim stamped his foot, summoning earth pillars beneath his leap. He stretched high, palms glowing, and with a thunderous slap redirected the shot wide. The crowd erupted.

"WAKE UP!" Scarlet roared, flames spiraling around her fists. "We're not losing to shadows!"

Aya tightened her stance, pressing her palms together. Water aura flowed outward, linking with Kenji's lightning steps. In a single motion, she sent a stream-pass spiraling to him, who darted forward with blurring speed, his body flickering like static.

Kenji's cross cut low—but deflected. Corner kick.

Scarlet jogged over, flames rippling around her feet. She glanced back at Dante with a sly grin. "You better be ready, rookie."

She whipped the corner high, phoenix fire spinning in its arc.

Blaze leapt with martial grace, legs coiled like a dragon, but two Meteors rose beside him, colliding mid-air. The ball spun free. The chance was gone.

Jason folded his arms on the sideline. He's holding back. Ignite yourself, Dante.

Thirty-first minute. Aya drew two players to her, then stamped her foot, sending a ripple of water aura across the pitch. The ripple split—an illusion—masking the real through-pass streaking toward Blaze.

"NOW, BLAZE!" Aya cried.

This time, Dante exploded. His Elemental Speed activated, crimson lightning streaking around his limbs. He sprinted with martial precision, each step a fiery kata, weaving between defenders as if he were cutting through paper.

The ball rolled into his path.

The keeper charged, black smoke aura swirling around him like armor. Behind, the defenders lunged with shadowy grapples.

Blaze had only a heartbeat.

This is it. The move. The Meteors Threaten

He shifted into a martial stance—left foot planted like an anchor, body twisting sideways. His crimson aura spiraled, condensing around his leg. With a sharp exhale, he struck, channeling every hour of hidden training into the kick.

The ball ignited. A flaming spiral erupted, its trajectory unstable—half serpent, half comet. It swerved violently outward, dipped, then snapped back at the last second.

The keeper dove the wrong way, fooled by the double-curve.

The net bulged.

GOAL!!!

For a breathless moment, silence. Then the stadium erupted into thunder.

"BLAAAAZE! BLAAAAZE!"

Dante dropped to one knee, fists blazing, crimson lightning bursting outward in arcs. His teammates swarmed him. Scarlet wrapped an arm around his neck, laughing. "What the hell was that shot?!"

"Something I've been working on," Blaze gasped, grin wide.

Aya's calm eyes sparkled. "A flame that twists."

Jason, on the sideline, allowed himself the ghost of a smile. "Not just fire. Not just a serpent. He's forging a new Fang."

The Meteors grew desperate, fury darkening their aura. Needle unleashed rapid martial strikes, legs blurring in stabbing jabs. Their wingers launched shadow-kicks from impossible angles.

But the Rising Stars held.

Lionel rooted himself like iron, intercepting crosses with martial elbow blocks. Grim slammed the ground, raising shockwaves that destabilized Meteors rushing the box. Anastasia danced like a blade master, cutting through passing lanes. Aya flowed, redirecting pressure with water kata, cooling the pace.

Still, Eternal Era hunted for the second. Kenji crackled forward, lightning fists sparking, and his thunder-shot rattled the bar. Scarlet unleashed a blazing roundhouse, her ball curling just wide. Aya tested the keeper with a flowing strike that spun like a whirlpool, forcing a fingertip save.

But the half ended with Blaze's debut goal as the difference.

The players sat, sweat and aura fumes heavy in the air. Their Titan energies still pulsed faintly, a reminder of the battlefield they had just endured.

Jason's voice cut through. "Good first half. But one flame won't burn down the forest. Stay sharp. One mistake, and they rise from the ashes." He glanced at Blaze. "That strike—use it wisely. The crowd loves fireworks, but control wins wars."

Blaze nodded, still tingling from the lightning in his veins.

Grim crossed his arms, his earth aura heavy. "We finish this. One more goal, and we bury them."

The team hummed in agreement.

Blaze sat quietly, fire flickering around his knuckles. He thought of the old video of his father, of the Serpent Fang Jason had shown him. His move wasn't the Fang—it was something different, raw, unrefined. But it was his.

The fans outside were chanting his Titan name. Blaze. A spark turned flame.

But the second half awaited—and flames always drew shadows.

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