Onto the field, a group of six large men walk out who all have beefy dark grey bodies, and ogre-like faces, along with four muscly arms emanating from their backsides, the same size as their two giant arms in front. Through their bodies, a different coloured glow travels as if their veins are releasing light onto everyone in the area. And behind all of them, a normal-sized anathemised nightmare walks out with an iron semicircle attached to her head, similar to that of an iron maiden's face plate rim.
As they enter the field, Orb looks around in confusion and asks, "Is something wrong?"
"I don't know who those people are," Ivana says.
"Waits aren't they the Distorted sky."
Avram says, "The Distorted sky has had the same members for around the last seven years, only ever adding one or two new players at a time, and most of the time the new players were bench warmers the years before. This is a full roster switch."
The fan of the Distorted sky to the left of everyone let's out a laugh and says, "This year we brought a secret weapon to win the match!"
Ivana says, "You guys really went that far! You do realise that you had the regulars win your regionals! Do you know how disrespectful it is to not let a single one of them play!"
She shrugs her shoulders and says, "It's the job of the team to pick who the best are. IF they are the best, let them play."
Confused Abbán asks, "Wouldn't you guys know about this by just watching their matches?"
Avram says, "The queen forebode spying. The only information you're allowed to use is the information from the previous year. It is said to make the match more entertaining. Besides, if it wasn't a rule, teams could just make teams filled with curses that directly counter one another, basically turning this into a game of who has the better population."
Dumnorix says, "I can understand that. Now one's ability to strategise mid-game is being challenged, how exhilarating."
Ivana quickly taps her foot in rapid succession and says, "This may be cowardly, but boy, is this entertaining. The last time an upset like this happened was in the great death bowl of Radonitsa 23 years ago. Were each and every nightmare on both teams had the ability to use bewitchment, and all activating them in the last 5 minutes. It was a showcase of the power of nightmares at their full force, all pushing themselves to the limit and making up new tactics as they go on, something utterly incredible!"
Everyone rocks in their seats in anticipation, and sitting on top of the stadium, right underneath the minister's seats, a well-dressed man with a mirror on his face, two demonic pink wings, an impish tail, and two giant dragon claws for hands sits with a cursed object hooked up to a shattershell.
He soon yells into it, and his voice is projected through a series of cursed objects throughout the stadium, then he says, "Lookie here tonight folks. We have a great upset, it seems the entire Distorted sky team has been switched out for a series of rookies never seen before, and you're great, amazing announcer Zbur will be bringing it all to you right now!"
Grabbing a piece of paper handed to him, he says, "News just in, apparently all 7 of them are siblings, with the six giant brothers being Gynėjas Red, Gynėjas Blue, Gynėjas Green, Gynėjas Yellow, Gynėjas Pink, and Gynėjas white, all named after the respective colours their veins glow as. It seems someone's father got lazy when naming them, but what isn't lazy are those massive, hulking bods each of them have. As we all know, one's curse strength is increases proportionally to their physical capabilities, so we can only imagine the strength and power these berserkers will showcase today.
But more importantly, their elder sister, and the only girl of the family! A woman, a lady, an eye slayer! To many longing young men a possible mother, but today she is a fierce berserker! Who has been named the new captain of the Distorted Sky. It's been a while since a woman has joined the league, as many of our strongest left with Viata Nightfall when she headed off to Molstoria."
Zbur gets out of his seat and flies up to Dragoste, where he holds the modified shattershell in front of him, and says, "The last woman to participate in this league was your sister, before she nabbed all of our women and became a pirate. What do you think of the damage she has done over these last few decades to the little girls who aspire to play in this league?"
Nervous Dragoste rubs his chin and says, "My sister is definitely like my father, a woman of passion and desire. Despite her stripping this sport of their female representation, we all know in Molstoria she has accomplished far greater things than we ever could have hoped for. I don't think they would lack role models at all as long as they read the Chronicle Nimbus publications about her."
Within Zbur's face, the image of a woman and a child gets reflected, which Dragoste stares at frozen as Zbur rises and says, "What a great insightful answer from our beloved minister! Now let's move on to our great Vėja!"
As Zbur brings the shell to Vėja, she says with a proud tone, "I played quite a bit of chess in my younger days, and I can attest to the high levels of skill and stamina needed, especially for the frame of young girls who have to leverage their curses to keep up with the boys. Yet from that barrier breeds innumerable life lessons and skills to be gained to move forward, and I can all but assure you the new Distorted Sky team will, without a doubt, be able to showcase that for all to see. It seems the teams from my region have come up with surprises not even I could've imagined."
As Vėja stares at Zbur, a boy covered in darkness appears in his face, and he soon flies down. Back to his stand and says, "And there you have it, folks, a hot-blooded battle will begin to see who will face the nightmares in the final of 1705th Radonitsa!"
The goalkeeper of the Distorted Sky Žudrė, and Leonidas of the Bloody Mary's both walk forward to the middle of the stadium, and shake each other's hands.
Leonidas, with a bored smile on his face, says, "I was hoping for a nice warm-up, and it seems I got stuck with a bunch of kids, how boring."
Gripping his hand tightly, she pulls him closer and says, "I can assure you that we will leave you panting and sweating on the ground when this is over."
"Promise!?" Leondias says with an excited smile.
Soon, both parties turn and return to their teams, and a trumpet sounds, starting the match as screams sound throughout the stadium.
Location: Saint Ludovic stadium, toilets
Standing outside the toilets, Suzuka hears the cheers from the crowd sound in her ears, and says, "What's taking Wadim so long! The next match has already started!"
Maple says, "You can go back and watch, we can wait here until he finishes."
"No, I will wait as well. He had to hold it in until the crowds cleared in between the matches, so I wouldn't have to get assaulted by everyone's thoughts. The least I could do is wait. BUT I GET TO COMPLAIN!"
Under his breath, Willow says, "Or maybe you just like having a reason to complain."
"WHAT WAS THAT, WILLOW? DON'T BE A COWARD!"
"You're right, that was cowardly of me. YOU LIKE TO COMPLAIN!"
"NO, I, don't!" As the last word leaves her mouth, a wave of anxiety moves over her, causing her to shake in her dress.
Maple says, "Shh, Willow, look what you did. Do you know how rare it is for her to get comfortable to complain about anything other than Orb!"
"Have I really been complaining more often!"
"No, just about little things like Wadim's lack of charisma, and Iancu's forehead, or even how Willow doesn't give his wife enough hugs."
Confused, Willow says, "I don't see how the amount of hugs I give Maple is worth considering when complaining."
"If you have a wife, hug her more often. If I had a husband, I would need a minimum of 100 hugs daily, and you're just averaging 57, you need to pick up the pace and do better, or I will take over!"
Shocked Willow says, "I didn't even realise it was just 57, I am really a disappointment Maple."
Grabbing her by the waist, Willow looks down and says, "Maple, I have given you enough hugs, and will be fixing that form now on."
Embarrassed Maple pushes back against him and says, "TOO PUBLIC!"
Yet as he kisses her, she kisses back, leaving a lovely doovey mess that brings a look of disgust onto the girl watching from the sidelines. To avert her eyes from the mess in front of her, she turns her head, going down one of the hallways. She sees Cyrus and a man covered in a cloak walking in front of him.
A look of joy crosses their faces as both of their eyes meet, and Suzuka shouts, "I MISSED YOU!"
Cyrus waves in silence, and the men in front of him look at Suzuka with confusion as he points to himself. Suzuka joyfully runs forward, and the man starts to look side to side as he wonders why a little angel is rushing towards him.
Under his breath, he says, "So god, this is my blessing for the day," and then quickly opens his arms for a hug.
Though Suzuka quickly jets past him and tackles Cyrus, who withstands her force, and picks her up, saying, "Orb sent me to check on yo-ou. Are you en-njoying the match?"
The man, dejected, walks away before slapping his face cheeks and taking a left down the corridor into an area forbidden to the general populace.
Suzuka smiles and says, "Yeah, it has been fu-." Before stopping and jumping off of Cyrus, and running over towards the entrance of where the man who was previously in front of Cyrus had walked down.
Taking a deep breath, she shouts, "STOP!"
He quickly turns his head all around, looking for anyone in the area whom she could be speaking to instead and says, "Are you talking to me?"
Furious Suzuka says, "Hey! In your mind, I heard the words 'Blamator asked me,' in your head. What did that group ask you to do here during the match?"
Cyrus's head turns to the signs in the area, and he says, "Staff and players only?"
The man says, "I am staff."
"No, you're not, you lied, you're a carpenter."
Freaked out, he cocks his body back and says, "You should just mind your own business and stay out of mine, little girl."
"When you tell me what you bastards are trying to pull today."
The man twists his foot on the floor, and says, "We are doing noth-,"
Suzuka lunges forward and tries to smack him right on the face, but as her foot comes towards him, he grabs his cloak, and her entire body passes through him.
Soon, a spiral appears throughout the ground. It twists all of the area around it like it's made out of rubber, with the point of origin being his foot on the ground.
This makes Suzuka's rise difficult, and in that moment, the man jumps forward and runs with all of his might.
Cyrus throws his tail towards the man, extending it so he can grab him, but it moves through the cloak without even touching him.
Cyrus moves towards Suzuka and says, "Are you okay!"
"I am fine," She says as she tries to stand up, but soon she falls face-first into the ground.
She lets out a scream, and Cyrus looks down at her legs, which are twisted in a spiral like they are made out of rubber. Soon the spiral completely untwists and they return to normal, yet the pain on Suzuka's face on increases as they do.
Grabbing her, Cyrus says, "We nee-ed to get you to a do-octor!"
"NO! He is trying to do something to hurt the festival, and we need to stop him right now."
"But Suzuka."
Smiling, she says, "If this festival is ruined, it will cause many far more pain than this. So, let's work together, Cyrus."
Picking her up, he places her on his back and says, "Right!"