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Using my momentum, I roll backward over my shoulder, pop to my feet, and flash a quick smile at the stands just to reassure them I’m more than okay. It’s going to take a much harder hit to bring me down. Jax made it only a few strides with the flare tucked neatly underneath his arm. I cast a whip of sunfyre at his feet. He stumbles but maintains balance enough to keep running toward our flaming hoop. Our goal.

Not on my watch.

“NUT SACK,” is all the warning my teammates get—one of our agreed upon call words—before I slam my hands together, casting a huge blayze flash. My Source rings release a massive amount of sun energy in a flash of blinding light. Luckily, no one hears the moan that escapes at the release of so much harnessed power. Professor Gregorio kept warning me—and all of the other Solarball players in earshot—during Elementation class not to attempt to store more power than my body can withstand.

Fuck that. I let out a whoop as all of the opposing team bend over, stunned, rubbing their eyes from the flash. The flare is tucked under my arm, cool to the touch from the reset of players. Soren and I sprint in parallel lines toward the flaming hoop marked by green and white banners.

I pass the flare to Soren the moment Pollom shakes away the effects of the blayze. He stares me down, eyes flashing with unfettered rage.

“Bring it on, big guy,” I taunt and catch the flare from Soren.

Pollom charges, head down like a bull.

Just what I anticipated.

We crash into each other, and I toss the flare to Soren.

“SCORE FOR THE MIGHTY PURPLE TEAM!” Pictor Lang roars.

Fireworks shoot out from the side of the field where the Goad Squad cheers. I take a victory lap slightly closer to them than I usually would. Ramona and Akemi are working together to shoot flames into the sky in arching patterns, celebrating the first goal of the season.

“Don’t go snorin’ on Leaf and Soren! Don’t go snorin’ on Leaf and Soren!” Akemi’s voice rings loudest of all from the Goad Squad.

The game continues on. Harley, the second-stone Moon’cher from Pollom’s team, scores a goal on us. Sweat beads on my forehead as the afternoon sun beats high from above. Birds chirp over the giant pines, and the snowcapped mountains in the distance reach toward the wispy clouds. Despite the aches already forming in my legs and energy rapidly releasing with each use of source magic, I grin. There is nothing better than this feeling.

The crowd picks up a chant after the whistle blows. There is one last round before halftime. The flare shoots up from the center flap in the field, and Soren snatches it up by just her fingertips so fast that even the Elves with elongated fingers would be jealous.

We take our time while the hoops aren’t alight, passing between Kauri, Soren, and me, slowly edging our way closer to the green and white flags that mark the hoop on the other side of the arena.

“AND THE HOOPS ARE LIT!” Pictor yells. “Hang on, because it’s about to get brutal.”

And brutal it gets.

What comes next is akin to carnage. Within minutes, all bets are off. Every player is bleeding from some part of their body—and probably internally too—because… fuck. Jax slammed into me with so much force that the popping sound I heard was most likely a rib or two breaking.

“AXE JAX! AXE JAX!”

“BEEF WITH LEAF! BEEF WITH LEAF!”

The stadium echoes with the audience’s chants.

Finally, the end is in sight. Ahead, the hoop near green and white flags is almost out of flames. Like clockwork, the flames slowly simmer out until the hoop is flameless. A null. A draw. A wasted play.

I won’t be caught dead going into halftime with a null play.

Kauri passes me the flare before getting tackled by Jax. They roll on the ground and start punching in a Wildcard brawl, forgetting the game around them.

The flare warms under my arm, and I pivot to evade the two Fronts. Just as I pull back my arm to throw a goal, my ass is pelted by a small icicle.

“Leaf takes one right in the ass!” Pictor explains unhelpfully.

I ignore the stabbing pain and keep running. At this point, the flare is practically burning a hole in my heat resistant Solarball suit, which is… slightly concerning.

The crowd roars with excitement.

Pollom charges at me, ramming his head forward, and I’m beginning to think he needs to do that in order to stay in character or something. Ignoring the twinge in my knee and the pain in my ribs, I pivot and evade him.

I didn’t think the crowd could get any louder, but they do. Cheering and screaming.