Kael woke up before sunrise.
For a few seconds, he simply lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.
Today was different.
Today, the Regional Peonza Championship began.
Iron Blaze rested on the table.
The boy picked it up.
"Ready?" he asked with a smile.
Of course, there was no answer.
Still, he felt as if the peonza understood him.
He quickly got dressed, grabbed his gear, and headed to the meeting place.
A crowd had already gathered in the square beside the stadium.
Akira sat on a bench, examining Shadow Cyclone.
"Finally!" he shouted. "I thought you weren't coming."
"I just didn't want to wake up at dawn."
"This is a historic day!"
"Every other day is a historic day for you."
"That's not true."
"Yes, it is."
Shiro arrived with a laugh.
"Arguing again?"
"We're not arguing," Akira said.
"Kael is just trying to come to terms with the fact that he's going to lose today."
"Keep dreaming."
"Oh, I will. Dreaming about that championship trophy."
The three friends laughed as they headed toward the station.
The entire city was talking about the championship.
Posters hung everywhere.
Images of peonzas decorated the streets.
When they arrived at the train station, Kael looked around in amazement.
Hundreds of competitors were waiting.
"That's a lot of people…" he said.
"And every one of them came here to win," Shiro replied.
"Well, that's bad news for them."
"What?"
"Because I'm going to win."
"Dreaming is free," Kael grinned.
A short while later, the special train arrived.
The championship logo was painted across its side.
The competitors boarded excitedly.
The three boys found seats by a window.
The journey was long.
Everywhere in the train, people were talking about peonzas.
"Did you hear?" a nearby boy said. "Kai is competing."
"Kai, the Inferno Spines user?"
"Yeah."
"Then a lot of people are in trouble."
Akira immediately looked up.
"Kai?"
"You know him?"
"Of course."
"Last year he knocked three opponents out of the arena with a single attack."
Shiro whistled.
"He doesn't sound weak."
"He isn't."
Kael stared out the window at the passing scenery.
For some reason, he couldn't focus entirely on the tournament.
Orion's words still echoed in his mind.
"The Heirs…"
"The Star Core…"
"Hey!" Akira called.
"What?"
"You drifted off again."
"I was just thinking."
"Think about the tournament."
"I'm trying."
Two hours later, they arrived.
The stadium was enormous.
Much larger than anything they had ever seen.
Giant screens towered overhead.
Flags waved in the wind.
Thousands of people crowded the area.
"This is insane…" Shiro whispered.
"This is amazing!" Akira corrected him.
They entered the competitors' zone.
Only peonza bladers were allowed inside.
Everyone was preparing.
Some were training.
Others silently observed their potential opponents.
Kael noticed a boy practicing lightning-fast launches.
His peonza moved so quickly it almost disappeared from sight.
"Impressive."
"Everyone here is strong," Shiro said.
"That's what makes it exciting."
Suddenly, a familiar voice called out behind them.
"Kael?"
The boy turned around.
A smile instantly appeared on his face.
"Ren!"
The red-haired boy approached with a wide grin.
"It's been a while."
"What are you doing here?"
"Seriously? There's a championship going on."
Akira laughed.
"Fair point."
Ren shook hands with them.
"Good to see you guys."
"You too," said Shiro.
"How's Crimson Tornado doing?"
"Better than ever."
"Then we'd better be careful."
"You've all got strong peonzas too."
Ren looked over their equipment.
His gaze stopped for a moment on Iron Blaze.
"So this is the famous Iron Blaze."
"Famous?" Kael asked.
"More people are talking about you than you think."
"I doubt that."
"It's true."
Akira immediately started grinning.
"Hear that? You're a celebrity now."
"Shut up."
Laughter broke out among them.
Ren then guided them through the competitors' area.
"There's Kai."
In the distance stood a tall boy with his arms crossed.
A flame-patterned jacket hung from his shoulders.
"He uses Inferno Spin?"
"Yeah."
"He looks dangerous."
"He is."
Not far away, a black-haired boy sat alone.
Quietly spinning his peonza in his hand.
"And him?" asked Shiro.
Ren's expression became slightly more serious.
"I don't know him."
"He looks strong," Shiro said.
The boy slowly looked up.
For a brief moment, his eyes met Kael's.
A strange sensation ran through Kael's body.
But in the next second, the stranger stood up and walked away.
"Strange guy," Akira commented.
"Yeah…" Kael replied.
Far from them, in a shadowy corridor, the same boy stopped.
Slowly, he pulled out his peonza.
A crimson light flashed across its dark metallic surface.
"I found you…" he whispered.
Shadow Tempest glowed faintly.
Reizen Kuro's lips curled into a slight smile.
"So you really are here, Kael…"
He put the peonza away.
The time had not come yet.
For now, he only needed to watch.
At that moment, the stadium loudspeakers came to life.
"Attention, competitors! The championship opening ceremony will begin shortly! All participants are requested to proceed to the central arena!"
The crowd immediately began moving.
Akira jumped up excitedly.
"Finally!"
"Calm down," Shiro laughed.
"I can't."
Kael looked toward the massive arena.
Thousands of spectators filled the stands.
His heart began to beat faster.
Something told him that this championship would not be only about victory.
Something much bigger had begun.
And somewhere within the shadows of the stadium, forces were awakening that would soon change the fate of the entire world.
To Be Continued…