The city of Laloux shimmered beneath a blazing afternoon sun, its skyline alive with solar towers, mirrored walkways, and glowing transit rails that hummed softly above the streets. Every year, when the sun reached its highest point in the season, the city gathered for one event that mattered more than any other, the Solar Showdown.

  It wasn’t just a tournament. It was a rite of passage.

  High above the city floor, the arena floated like a suspended crown, its circular platform ringed with solar panels that slowly rotated to drink in the sunlight. Thousands of spectators filled the stands, their voices blending into a constant electric roar. Sitting in a high up stand guarded by his minions is the leader of the island Prometheus. This is a rare occurrence that the leader appeared. This means the fighters in these matches have high potential for the solar community. Banners of past champions rippled in the warm air, their fabric catching light and throwing it back like fire.

  Backstage, Kahan stood with his fists clenched, breathing slow and steady.

  His suit, sleek black trimmed with white, adjusted subtly with each breath. The fabric responded to his pulse, the energy lines along his arms flickering faintly as the sun fed power into the system.

  “You good?” a voice asked.

  Kahan glanced sideways at Nakatomi.

  Her pink suit glowed softly, almost warm to look at, the surface alive with shifting light patterns. Unlike Kahan’s sharp, angular design, hers flowed, rounded plates, radiant nodes along her shoulders and back, each one humming with stored solar energy. She rolled her shoulders once, loosening up.

  “Yeah,” Kahan said, forcing a grin. “Just don’t cry when I knock you out.”

  Nakatomi snorted. “Please. You don’t stand a chance, skunk boy.”

  Kahan laughed. The tension eased, just a little.

  An announcer’s voice boomed through the arena speakers.

  “Let’s begin the first match of the Solar Training Competition! Contestants, take your positions!”

  The platform doors slid open, and sunlight poured in.

  They stepped out together.

  The crowd exploded.

  Kahan felt it hit him all at once, the noise, the heat, the pressure. His visor dimmed automatically as the sun reflected off the arena floor. Across from him, Nakatomi lifted one hand and waved to the stands. A burst of pink light flared behind her like a halo, and the cheers grew even louder.

  “Show-off,” Kahan muttered.

  She smiled. “Jealous.”

  The countdown began.

  Three.

  Kahan dropped into a low stance, weight forward, muscles coiled.

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  Two.

  Nakatomi’s suit brightened, light gathering at her palms.

  One.

  The horn blared.

  Kahan moved first.

  He vanished in a blur, his suit dumping solar energy straight into his legs. The ground cracked beneath his feet as he zipped across the arena, circling fast enough to leave afterimages behind him.

  Nakatomi spun, eyes tracking the distortions in the air. “Too fast,” she muttered, then slammed her palms together.

  A blinding burst of pink light exploded outward.

  Kahan skidded to a stop, throwing an arm up as his visor flared white. “Seriously?”

  He leapt anyway, flipping over the blast as heat washed past him. Midair, he twisted and came down hard, launching himself again, faster this time. His strikes came in sharp, controlled bursts, quick jabs, sweeping kicks, each one powered by precise solar surges.

  Nakatomi danced backward, light flaring from her suit with every step. Each movement left glowing trails behind her, dazzling and disorienting. She fired a concentrated beam that carved a glowing line across the arena floor.

  “You’re not getting close!” she called.

  Kahan grinned behind his visor. “That’s the idea.”

  He feinted left, then cut right at the last second, dumping power into a sudden vertical leap. Nakatomi reacted instantly, blasting upward, but Kahan had already twisted beneath her, sliding low and striking her landing point.

  The impact sent her skidding.

  She rolled, popped back to her feet, and laughed breathlessly. “Okay. That one was good.”

  They clashed again, speed against brilliance, shadow against light. Every exchange sent waves of energy rippling across the arena. The crowd roared with every near miss, every collision of solar power.

  Sweat dripped down Kahan’s neck as his suit warned him of rising output levels.

  Nakatomi’s breathing grew heavier too. Her light bursts came faster now, less measured.

  Kahan saw it.

  He slowed, just a fraction.

  She took the bait.

  Nakatomi surged forward, unleashing a wide, blinding flare meant to overwhelm him. Instead of retreating, Kahan charged straight into it, cutting power to his visor at the last possible second.

  He felt the heat. Felt the sting.

  Then he moved.

  A rapid flurry, strike, sweep, elbow, each one perfectly timed. Nakatomi stumbled, her suit flickering wildly as it struggled to stabilize.

  “Wait—!” she gasped.

  Kahan spun, channeling everything he had left into one final blow.

  The impact echoed across the arena.

  Nakatomi hit the ground hard, sliding to a stop as her suit dimmed, the light draining away until only a soft glow remained. A clear tone rang out.

  Match over.

  The arena was silent.

  Then it erupted.

  Kahan stood there, chest heaving, sunlight glinting off his suit. Slowly, he lowered his fists.

  Nakatomi pushed herself up and laughed weakly. “Man… you’re annoying.”

  He reached out and helped her to her feet. “You almost had me.”

  She squeezed his hand once before letting go. “Almost doesn’t count.”

  The announcer’s voice thundered again.

  “Your Solar Training Champion, Kahan!”

  The crowd chanted his name as he raised one hand, squinting into the light. Somewhere in the stands, kids were already copying his stance, pretending they were fast enough, strong enough, bright enough.

  Nakatomi clapped beside him, smiling despite her loss.

  As the cheers washed over them, Kahan realized something important.

  The victory mattered, but not as much as the fight, the heat of the sun, and the knowledge that they’d both pushed each other to the edge.

  That was the real power.

  Until the next match. Taddo VS Bosatsu!