The training pitch shimmered beneath the golden glow of the holographic suns that lit Eternal Era's complex. Artificial light bent through the atmospheric field, mimicking the Helion Galaxy's twin stars a simulation prepared specifically for their upcoming match against the Solar Drakes.

The air crackled with charge as the team gathered in formation drills. Blaze stood quietly at the edge of the field, his leg wrapped in kinetic stabilizers that hummed faintly. His body felt whole, yet every muscle carried memory the sharp throb that came whenever he pushed too hard.

Jason stood at midfield, hands behind his back, eyes sweeping across his players. "Listen carefully," his voice carried firm resolve. "We've been given a chance to prove Eternal Era's name beyond our home galaxy. The Galactic Champions Tournament is not a stage for humans alone you'll be facing beings who breathe flame, channel cosmic particles, and fight through energy resonance. That's what the Solar Drakes are."

Lionel raised a hand. "They play a mirrored style to ours, Coach heavy pressing, aura speed bursts, but sharper in transitions."

"Exactly. And that's why we adapt." Jason gestured toward Blaze, who stood still under the weight of every eye. "Blaze will be starting from the bench. I want him sharp but patient. His Aura Flames still react to emotional spikes. Lose control out there, and you'll burn more than the field."

Blaze nodded silently. He didn't argue. Not this time, I will definitely be in control

"Anastasia," Jason continued, "you'll take command of the right flank. I want tighter defensive rotation, no overcommitting to counters. Work with Scarlet and Diego to stretch their energy field before we unleash the strikers." Aya control your midfield, you need to do better.

"Yes, sir," she replied crisply, then turned toward Blaze. For a moment, her expression softened a rare crack in her disciplined exterior.

Later, as the team dispersed for warm-ups, Blaze stayed behind, kneeling by the goal line, his palm pressed to the turf. The faint flicker of red-orange flame rose from his skin, dancing like a small spirit.

"I told you not to overexert," a familiar voice said.

He looked up to see Anastasia leaning against the post, water bottle in hand, her braid catching sunlight like woven copper.

"I wasn't," Blaze replied. "Just… testing my control."

"You mean testing how much pain you can take before Jason bans you again." She knelt beside him, close enough for him to catch the scent of her mint shampoo. "You hide it well, but your aura wavers whenever your leg strains. You can't lie to someone who fights with aura vision."

He gave a low laugh. "You watch me that closely, huh?"

Her cheeks tinted pink. "You're too reckless not to."

They both turned toward the field as Diego and Lionel clashed in a mock duel aura trails colliding like comets. The sight filled Blaze with an ache deeper than pain. He wanted that again the thrill of battle, the freedom of motion.

"Your flames," Anastasia said quietly, "they don't feel hostile. They're… emotional. Like they feed on what you care about."

Blaze flexed his hand, watching the flicker rise and fade. "Aura Flames respond to will. I thought I could control them, but maybe they control me."

"Then let them care for the right thing," she murmured, eyes still on the field. "Not anger. Not loss. Use what's left the reason you came back."

He met her gaze. Her sapphire eyes were steady, unflinching. He wanted to look away, but couldn't.

Jason's whistle cut through the silence, breaking the moment. "Everyone inside! Tactical briefing, now!"

The locker room buzzed with energy as holographic formations floated mid-air. Jason paced before them, tapping his wrist console to project tactical layers.

"The Solar Drakes favor a Tri-Orbit System," he began. "Three central orbs midfielders with synchronized auras that link into a shared kinetic field. It allows them to pass energy, speed, and even partial consciousness mid-match. They are faster than any team we've faced."

Galaxy football will be harder and not as straight forward, i need everyone to give their best, the fans need it too.

Grim folded his arms. "So what's the plan?"

"We use a Tri-Core Formation. Scarlet, Lionel, and Anastasia you form the defensive triad. The rest will move in orbit around your aura links. Our job isn't to outmatch their energy bursts; it's to survive them until we find openings." Aya, we will need your midfield to be in control for distribution, i trust your ability.

Blaze leaned against a wall, observing the simulation. Every move felt mechanical, precise but Jason's design always had hidden depth.

"And Blaze?" Scarlet asked, smirking. "Still warming the bench?"

Jason turned to him. "He'll enter second half if needed. Until then, he watches. Reads them. Learns them. Your telepathy will be our hidden weapon, Blaze. Even if you're not on the pitch, your mind can map their aura flows."

Blaze gave a single nod. "Understood."

Anastasia caught his eye from across the room. Her lips curved in a faint smile reassurance, or warning, he couldn't tell.

Matchday

The stadium was a living organism billions of holographic viewers pulsing like stars across the arena's edge. The Galactic Champions symbol shimmered above, casting prismatic light over the pitch.

As the players lined up, the Solar Drakes made their entrance tall, radiant beings with metallic tattoos pulsing gold along their veins. Their captain, Solari Kaen, smiled with cosmic arrogance, his aura flaring like a miniature sun.

"Humans? Interesting," Kaen said, stepping forward. "Don't burn too easily."

Grim met his gaze. "We'll see who melts first."

The whistle pierced the air.

Immediately, the Solar Drakes exploded into motion three midfielders linking their aura orbs into a luminous spiral, the ball spinning between them faster than light.

Scarlet darted forward, her martial technique Crimson Mirage creating afterimages as she tried to intercept, but the Drakes' movement folded space briefly, bypassing her entirely.

Jason clenched his jaw on the sideline. "Their resonance frequency is higher than expected Anastasia, pull back the line!"

"Copy!" she shouted, leaping backward as her right-arm shield forged from her Autumn Guard technique deflected a solar-imbued strike. The force sent shockwaves across the pitch.

Inside the locker tunnel, Blaze felt every vibration echo through his core. His mind extended Cosmic Telepathy linking faintly with Lionel's field. Through their connection, he saw the patterns forming: triangular motion, pulsing nodes of golden energy.

"They're looping," he whispered to himself. "Their aura circuits form a timed pattern every eighth pass weakens their field."

Jason caught the signal through his earpiece. "Copy that. Lionel, strike the eighth!"

Lionel grinned, eyes flashing gold as his martial art Titan Guard Fist erupted. His aura condensed around his body like molten iron. As the eighth pass formed, he intercepted, shattering the Drakes' rotation with a seismic tackle.

The crowd roared.

Anastasia snatched the rebound, pivoting gracefully before sending a long pass across the field to Diego. The forward leapt, using Burst Step to vanish mid-air, reappearing behind two defenders. With a twist of his ankle, he curved the ball into the top corner.

1–0, Eternal Era.

Blaze slammed his fist against the bench rail, half in joy, half in yearning.

But the Solar Drakes were far from done. Kaen smirked, eyes blazing. "Let's turn up the heat."

He stomped the ground, igniting his aura field golden flames cascading like solar wind. Two teammates mirrored him, forming a blazing triangle.

"Solar Pulse Formation!"

The next five minutes were chaos. Every attack carried the weight of a star. Scarlet was forced back. Lionel's defenses began to waver. Anastasia absorbed blow after blow, her Autumn Guard glowing crimson from the heat.

When the second goal came, it was inevitable a blinding beam shot from midfield that split the air like a comet. 2–1, Solar Drakes.

Jason called for formation retreat, and the whistle signaled halftime.

Back in the locker room, the air was heavy sweat, steam, silence.

Anastasia sat beside Blaze, still breathing hard. "You saw everything, didn't you?"

He nodded. "Their pattern shifted mid-game. They use emotional resonance every time they score, their aura amplifies through shared pride."

"And you?" she asked softly.

He stared at his gloved hand, faint Aura Flames flickering between his fingers. "Mine grows from pain. That's the difference."

Anastasia hesitated, then reached out and placed her hand over his. "Then maybe… it's time to learn how to burn for something better."

He met her gaze, surprised. For the first time in weeks, the tension in his chest eased.

Jason's voice cut through the moment. "Blaze. You're in second half."

The locker fell silent.

Jason's eyes were firm but warm. "Your mind read them better than anyone else could. I'll trust your instincts. But remember control the flame, don't let it control you."

Blaze rose, fire coiling faintly around his leg like a living spirit. He looked at Anastasia, a quiet promise in his voice.

"I won't burn out," he said. "Not this time."

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