“Well, well, well. Here we are in a new season. I have to say the south gate stadium doesn’t look as excited as we are, right Mario?”

“True, true, but don’t underestimate the buzz on the ink waves, Edu. If folks aren’t here in person, they’re definitely following us from every corner of Usar and Tamandi!”

“Of course they are! This is Edward Mashwell, and with me is the one and only former Royal’s great, Mario Rosse, bringing you every beat of every game of the Southgate district qualifiers, all thanks to ‘Casters of Sound’—your top paper-spell shop In Kalimbor! Never too far, never too late! And, hey! If Frieren’s team ‘A’ wins, there are rumours of special discounts at the South Gate shop for all who came today! Not bad for an after-match treat, right?”

“Definitely!”

“Favourite?”

“Well, Edu. You know me. I always have a soft spot for the underdogs. And that place is for the Best Ham. I’ll cheer secretly for them, as do many of our listeners, but to be honest. I think Frie’s team will win. Testa’s team for this season is pretty new, and may lack experience and cohesion.”

“It’s true. Testa has always been a favourite of the slums, isn’t he? The man has charisma, but you need more than that in the Game. What will his team do this season? Probably, and as usual, get beaten up and go home early.”

“I have faith.”

“So, I got the roster of teams! Frieren’s lineup is solid, Edu. In the Castle, they’ve got Caspian, a veteran in his position. Kron, Farmin, and Indo are their main Guardians, and of course, their captain, Ikar ‘the Ruin’ of the Windblows Clan, will be in the midfield. Then there’s Carlo Isoli himself, lining up along with the Vanguards: Donato, Davide, Reddiss, and Coast. They’ve got a powerful formation for protection and disruption.”

“They’re a fearsome crew, I tell you. Known for a very physical play. Caspian’s spell, which can raise the under columns with earth bending, is also an enormous advantage, And Ruin’s hell dog? Damn, that beast is scary! But let’s see… where’s the Best Ham squad? Don’t we have their list?”

“Uh… slight problem there, Mario. Troubles of live broadcast, fellas. A retransmission with no delays, as you can witness. Straight from my mouth to your ears in a second! All thanks to ‘Casters of Sound’—your top paper-spell shop In Kalimbor! Never too far, never too late! Aaand… Here comes the whistle! Ham’s runner reaches first and tosses the ball aside. Ham’s side man runs to the side field. We really need a name list here! Wait, wait, wait! Is Ham’s squad a man down? Are my eyes betraying me or I can’t count anymore?”

“You damn right, Edu. Ham has started with one player less! That doesn’t look good at all!”

“Ham’s number eight is pretty fast, but so are the purples. They are on the chase. Carlo and Ruin closing by. Ham’s seven comes to aid, eight seems to doubt, you can’t doubt in the Game kid! What will he do?”

Hiro reached the wall with two purple shirts at his back, while Sand closed from the side. Serin, moving in a wide circle, caught the attention of Frie’s number four: the same man who faced Hiro at the pre-start, as he charged straight to her for a tackle. With his partner busy against Serin, who kept him chasing in circles, Ruin rushed for the ball by himself. Hiro extended his arm for a long pass toward Sand just as Ruin leapt up.

In one swift movement, Hiro launched himself to the side, clutching the ball tightly as he rolled over the floor. Behind him, ruin shook the sideboards with a kick, runes glowing ethereally, their energy radiating in waves around the wooden surface. Before Ruin could get back to his feet, Hiro sprang up and kicked towards Sand, who caught the ball and fired another accurate, yet more powerful kick at the other side of the field. On the other side, the ball bounced near Despair, who was waving towards the stands, amused by the attention his ridiculous dance was sparking on the crowd.

“Get the ball, you idiot!” Testa bellowed from the bench. “Stop goofi- Dance… Damn it!”

“What’s going on, Mario?”

“I’m not sure. Here we have finally the Ham’s list, Edu. Ham’s number ten, Despair seems to do a ritual of sorts. Is he cursing someone?”

“Well, soon find out! Isoli is now engaged with Ham’s six…who’s no other than the Serin ‘Firemane’ from the Thunderbraid’s Clan, a tough one she is. Frie’s right side is exposed, Mario. Indo rushing to cover in a sprint while Despair, seem to… is he bounding? Attention…Oh, damn! Indo has smashed Despair against the wall and taken the ball, rushing to the attack.”

“That must have hurt, Edu.”

“Indeed. Ham’s ten is the first to bite the dust. Indo closes quarters... Pitaco follows him but he doesn’t seem to put any effort into his race. What is he doing? Is he hurt? Indo feints and gets rid of him easily.”

“Pitaco doesn’t seem to be in the game at all, right?”

“Hold on Mario because we have a long shot from Frieren’s aaand... a summoned beast appears and stops Indo’s kick! Ham’s last-minute goalkeeper, Miranda, has learned some new tricks.”

“Yeah, it seems that way. Miranda, one of last season’s players, has a gaze curse, but it seems now she can summon some kind of animal too. Those types of players with uninked spells can overpass the suppressors and give us great surprises!”

“The ball is in play, a great shot from Miranda’s beast but too far from any of Ham’s players’ reach. Attention folk, because Ruin from the Frie’s summons too! Now that’s an actual beast!”

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Hiro reached Serin just as she delivered a swift downward kick, sending her opponent three times her size, crashing to the floor. “Hiro, they’re going full ‘hollow field’! Stay away from them,” she warned, her voice sharpened with urgency.

Hiro quickly scanned the area, his eyes locking on a beast, dog-like but as massive as a bear, barreling straight toward Serin with its mouth wide open, drool streaming from its fangs. Panic surged through him. “Serin, watch out!” he shouted.

She glanced back, confusion etched on her face. “I don’t understand what you said!”

Hiro pointed frantically. “The beast, the beast!” His hand shook as the creature closed in.

Serin turned just in time to see the monstrous animal leap toward her, its enormous frame casting a dark shadow across her. At the last moment, Tarth intervened, launching himself into the air and colliding with the hound mid-leap. Both of them crashed to the ground in a tangle of limbs. The beast growled, snapping its jaws wildly as it struggled to free itself from Tarth’s muscular embrace.

The animal clamped its teeth down on Tarth’s hand, but the skin was too tough to tear. Furious, the beast thrashed violently, shaking his arm in a wild attempt to break free. After a tense moment, the creature finally released its grip as it broke from Tarth’s grip, snarling as it prepared to charge Serin once more, only to vanish halfway through its attack.

Tarth slowly got to his feet, giving a quick shake of his hand while trotting back to rejoin the others. Ahead, Hiro and Serin advanced toward the ball, now held tightly by Frie’s player seven, who crouched in a stalking position, his eyes scanning the field. He didn’t get far, though. Sand and Rufus were already there, stopping him in his tracks. From the corner of the field, Ruin and two more of their players closed in, ready to confront the opposition.

“Are we going to see the first group brawl, Mario? Looks like Frie’s strategy is to wear down the Ham’s players as fast as they can, isn’t it?”

“I’m sure of it, and we might just get a good old-fashioned ‘Hot Spot’ confrontation. They’re facing the full squad of vanguards now. Joining Ruin, and soon his dog again. But will Rufus and Sand be enough to hold off Frie’s brutes? Tarth looks hurt... That bite might not have pierced the Mountain Dwarf’s tough skin, but it sure has left him with some broken bones. Vinicius and Serin may hold. How about Hiro, the number eight?”

When Hiro arrived, punches were already flying toward Rufus. The Frie’s players attacked the faun all at once, but Rufus stood firm, landing a few strikes to their faces and delivering a brutal kick to one of their knees. Sand sprang forward, grappling a Frie’s player by the wrist and pulling him to the ground. With his full weight pinning the player down, Sand started smashing his opponent’s face without an ounce of mercy.

Meanwhile, Rufus curled into a defensive ball, let his opponents kick him like a sack. But then, with a well-precise move, he caught one leg swinging around him. With a terrifying yell, he twisted his body, sending the player spinning through the air and smashing into the ground. The rest of the tavern’s team backed away, wary now.

Serin and Vini engaged Ruin, circling each other in a tense dance, waiting for the first opening. Across the field, Frie’s player with the ball, who thought himself clever for sneaking away, was now on his knees, sobbing under Mira’s stony gaze. As the ball rolled from his grasp, Hiro rushed in to claim it.

But just as he bent down to grab the ball, a low growl made the hairs on his neck stand up. Ruin had summoned his beast again, and though drained, the creature was still formidable. Vini, mid-combat, was overwhelming Ruin with well-placed strikes to his face, but the beast—well-trained and obedient—turned its gaze from its master to Hiro. It charged.

Hiro scrambled backward, but before the beast could reach him, Mira stepped in, her gaze locking onto the creature. The beast froze in place, squealing under Mira’s power. “Take the ball, Hiro!” she said.

Hiro turned to grab it, but his breath caught in his throat. The tavern’s number seven, who had been freed from Mira’s spell, was already sprinting toward the castle. Panic shot through Hiro as he bolted after him. The opponent crossed the inner goal circle, but Hiro lunged just in time, grabbing the player’s foot. His hand connected with the man’s ankle, and the Frie’s player stumbled. The ball slipped from his hands as he crashed to the ground, right next to the goal line.

Hiro watched in disbelief as the ball rolled past the line before the tavern’s player could reclaim it. The referees blew their whistles, marking the goal as a legal inner kick. Flags waved, and the shrill whistles signalled the players to halt their engagements.

“Frieren’s team players are protesting the decision of the referees, but it’s clear Donato recovered the ball after it crossed the goal line.”

“Indeed Edu. The ball bounced in unhandled, so it doesn’t matter if he later grabs it and aims for hands down. It’s a clear five not a ten. They can protest all they want. They are just giving Ham’s players more time to rest.”

There was no time to rest, though. Serin, standing near the ball, kicked it toward Hiro, signalling him to follow. “Let’s go! They’re down one player!”

Hiro glanced at the sidelines, where Despair lay unmoving by the wall. “So are we... Two, actually,” he muttered.

“I can’t understand you,” Serin called back, already receiving the ball again before tossing it to Vini. Sand rushed up the side of the field, and Vini picked up speed. The two players exchanged rapid passes, weaving through Frie’s defenders. One, then two guards fell behind as they pressed forward.

Vini took a shot from too far out. A column of rock raised up near the goal, and the ball ricocheted off one of its hexagonal corners, bouncing into the hands of a Frie’s guard. Then, with a loud scratch, the column of earth retracted into the ground.

Three of the tavern’s players dashed in the opposite direction, moving with the same quick pacing as Vini and Sand had. Tarth and Rufus rushed to intercept them, while Hiro and the rest closed in. As Hiro neared, his mind raced, calculating how to sneak in and snatch the ball without taking a fist to the face.

Suddenly, an icy chill ran down his spine. He realised he couldn’t see Ruin or his hound. He turned just in time to spot Ruin sprinting down the centre of the field. The player with the ball prepared to make a pass, and Hiro instinctively launched himself into the air. As the ball soared across the field, Hiro intercepted it with a well-timed jump.

He stood tall for a moment, proud of his catch. But Ruin was already bearing down on him. Hiro tried to dodge, but Ruin’s hand caught his shirt, throwing him off balance. As he staggered, Ruin lunged again, closing the distance. Hiro barely had time to react, and as he spotted Serin, tossed the ball to her. A sacrifice of his own safety for possession.

The next moment, Ruin’s head slammed into Hiro’s chest, knocking the wind out of him. Hiro hit the ground, gasping for air. His vision swam as he saw Serin sprinting ahead on a solo run. Desperate to get up, Hiro rolled over, but before he could fully rise, a leg came out of nowhere, slamming into his ribs.

The sharp pain ripped through his body, sending him sprawling back onto the field. Pain pushed to be released in a scream, but breathless, he struggled to let out even a choppy, pitiful gasp. His muscles spasmed uncontrollably, and his fingers clawed at the sand beneath him. Just as he tried to push up again, a punch landed on his lower back—a vicious blow that felt like his kidney had exploded. And with a pain he had never experienced before, and unable to move his legs, he collapsed.