D.H: How come?! Getting this much praise from the current god of mages, you are not interested in obtaining the most prominent title that a mage could ever achieve?! Sora: I never was intrigued by it. I don't desire to be the strongest and carry that weight of that title. My family started to stare at one another with hysteria. D.H: Then what is your dream? Sora: My dream is quite a simple one. Sophia touched my forearm, and I turned to her; she started to shake her head no and signal to keep quiet. Sora: I guess I won't say it as of the time being.

D.H: When you decide to tell it, you make sure I'm the first media member to know. Sora: I can't give you any guarantees. It looks terrible on everyone that's associated with me. D.H: I like this one; he tells it how it is! Ryder, I'm still waiting on that two-hour sit-down interview! Ryder laughs in embarrassment while not making eye contact with D.H. Ryder: Tell you what, when it hits midnight, we can do a live two-hour interview at CLMC main building lounge. Maina: I told you, D.H. D.H: That you did. Oh, no! We're running out of time! I think everyone knows the drill; I'm about to go rapid-fire with questions. Do you think you can win your one-on-one against Ji Nagasaki? Sora: Absolutely!

D.H: Sophia, with the new additions of Peyton and Zoey, will that affect your playtime? Sophia: Yes, with two talented upperclassmen mages, you just can't let them sit on the bench. D.H: Here's another Sophia. What do you think of Deshon and Justin? Are they liabilities? Twilight Tiger fans will be sad if they don't get any playtime this season. Sophia: The Deshon and Justin fans just have to be sad; we're trying to make a run for the playoffs. We need to change things up because they haven't been producing. I wouldn't call them liabilities because they can be helpful outside the matches or giving encouraging support to the starters.

D.H: Sora or Sophia, one of you can answer this. This is on the rumor mill. Is Andre Benson the new head coach of the Twilight Tigers, who used to fight alongside Maina? Sophia: Yes, we just found out over an hour ago. D.H: Since all of Maina's children are here, there's something I always wanted to see in person. All of you use your crimson lion eyes. It just looks so spectacular. I'm sorry, Sora, I know you can't use yours yet. Sora: I actually can. Sophia: Since when can you use crimson lion eyes? I heard it was a slow process to activate them.

D.H: What!? You can!? Okay, all of you, do it then. Maina, Sapphire, Ryder, Ruby, and I got up from their chairs, and all of them did different poses while activating their crimson lion eyes. Maina had her arms folded; Sapphire had her arm around Ruby while Ruby is palming Sapphire's head; Ryder rested his elbow on my shoulder and used his index finger to point at his eye; I just simply pointed with both of my index fingers to my eyes three inches away from the corners of my eyes.

Sora: Tell you what we can do a sit-down interview on February ninth; twelve-thirty a.m. D.H: I will hold you to it! It's eleven-fifty-six; we will see you later. Sophia got up from her chair; we took off the mics and gave it to the cameramen. As we walked down the stairs, you can see the skybox with an extended walkway that's forty-three feet off the ground. On the edge of the walkway has a four-foot white patio railing. Valdis, Zoey, Peyton just walked out the skybox and started waving down to us. Sophia used wind magic to glide up to the others; I jog back to the tunnel.

The backstage crew told me the announcers will begin in a couple seconds. They basically rehashed what Valdis told me in the locker room. The announcer greeted the crowd and stated his name, Oliver Toretto, joined by special guest Maina Hestia. Oliver Toretto has this over-the-top American Esport commentator voice.

https://youtu.be/oSXrZWtBjcw?list=PLW8u2prmd9kudKGJ6Eo7eQsjer-RdN1-I

Toretto: Ladies and Gentlemen! Today's match is between The Golden Divine Eagles versus The Twilight Tigers!!! The first round of today's match, it will be one on one! Introducing first from the visiting Twilight Tigers! He's a first year and it's his debut match! He is the son of our own very god of mages! Sora Hestia!!! I jogged out of the tunnel. I saw the Twilight Tiger fans on my right; go absolutely go insane with the cheers. I turned to face the Twilight Tigers fans, started waving at the crowd, and jogged onto the STP.

Fog filled for the other tunnel. And my opponent walked out of the fog.

https://youtu.be/qupswFhMCxI?list=PLW8u2prmd9kudKGJ6Eo7eQsjer-RdN1-I&t=51

Toretto: Now for the Golden Divine Eagles! Introducing one of the greatest royal mages in school and club history! The fifth-year Ji Nagasaki!!!

The vociferous Golden Divine Eagles fans made sure that they were heard. The STP was rumbling because of them. Ji Nagasaki walked up onto the STP and started blowing kisses to the crowd. An average height Latino male with messy black hair, dressed in black and white stripes and a microphone in hand, climbed up the STP on the side. The ref signaled both of us to come to the middle.

Ji Nagasaki didn't expect him to be blonde with messy hair with green eyes. I thought he would be taller than me, but he ain't taller than five foot ten at most. So these are the Golden Divine Eagles uniforms. If I didn't know better, Ji is just wearing the Rowan Academy student blazer uniform, but this is a golden pearl colored with the Golden Divine Eagles logo on it.

As both of us came in the middle, the ref cleared his throat and brought the mic near his mouth, and he introduced himself, Roberto Kelli, and he's going to be our referee for today's match.

Roberto: Mages, let's have a candid fight. Remember to protect yourself at all times, so you can avoid any fatal injuries. If you desire to kill your opponent, say it to your opponent or to me. So you won't get penalized after the match and trialed with murder. If you don't consent to being killed by your opponent or killing your opponent, then say something immediately; if you're unable to speak, then signal for a timeout. If you are missing arms to signal a timeout, then get on your knees. If you're missing legs as well bang your head on the stone tablet platform. Gentlemen, do you understand what I just stated?

Ji and Sora: Yes. Roberto: But don't worry, Sora Hestia, I will stop this fight if it goes that far and also don't worry about holding back so you won't hit the crowd; there's an ethereal magic barrier protecting the crowd. Let me review the things that result in an automatic forfeit. If you touch the grass with any part of your foot, then your opponent will be declared the victor. If you use any forbidden spells that have been ruled out of competition, then the match will stop, and then the review committee will take a look at it and decide the course of action. If you believe that they made a bad call, then ask for the review committee chief Maina Hestia to review it; if she's not able to review immediately, then this fight will be under review in the court of the review committee and in the courts will always have the final say about the decision.

But luckily, Maina Hestia is presdent; she might issue a warning of the use of a forbidden spell. Sora, since this is your debut, Maina and I will be lenient about some of the rules. One more thing, If I stop the fight, it doesn't mean the fight is over; I will dish out some orders then you will resume fighting. Also, be careful what you say on the STP records audio, the other refs in the tent and the folks at home will hear it; this is a new rule being enforced today. Other than that, any questions before we start. Ji and Sora: No. Roberto: Then, gentlemen, shake hands and go back to your sides. So we can initiate the countdown; I will be over on the sidelines in the big blue tent.

Roberto sprinted to the blue tent fifty yards away from the STP. Ji and I went back to our sides. And waited for the countdown.

https://youtu.be/OGIN8GPNBpE

Toretto: Now, our referee Roberto Kelli has explained everything to our mages. Now, let's initiate the ten-second countdown. A colossal display monitor on the other side of the stadium was showing both of us there. Then it changes into the countdown cycle.

I am nervous and excited about this. It's hard to keep calm. That game plan that we reviewed is about to go out the window. I don't have to hold back against a royal without worry anymore. I can go all out without nobody bugging me about it. As I knew it, the announcer and the crowd were at three on the countdown. Roberto: Three, two, one, go!!! Let the match begin!!!

Ji and I walked up towards each other to the middle. Ji: Before we start, let me say this to you. Don't take this loss too hard. I have nothing against you; hell, I even love some of your music. But your siblings have been a thorn to my side for so long. I will be damned if I lose to their little brother! Now, show me what you got! Sora: I will!

Ji: Now come to me, Light Magic: Spear!!! Ji raised up his hand and manifested a spear made entirely of light. He charged at me and started to relentlessly attack with the spear while using one-handed. I bobbed and weaved. I tried to back up to get some space, but Ji kept charging and speeding up his attack. The more he attacks with his spear, the faster he goes. I started to see a pattern in how he attacks; since he's using one hand for his spear, I can just speed right through him, or I can grab his left arm right before he strikes me with his spear.

I decided to go for his left arm, so I waited until he struck my head. When he went for my head, I sidestepped the spear slightly early. I attempted to grab him, but he used light magic to enhance his speed to the middle of the STP. Sora: Ice Magic: Six Ice Clones! I slapped my hands together; six ice clones are two feet right behind me. All my ice clones rushed at Ji. Ji changed up his grip on his spear, he finally put two hands on it. My ice clones tried to grab onto him, but he proceeded to slice the clones in half one by one with his spear. Ji: Light Magic: Spear Explosion!!! Ji boosted himself twelve feet in the air and threw down his spear at the clones on the ground, and it created this shiny golden ball explosion.