The Drums Beat: The Beginning
The cheers of thousands in the stands surged like a roaring wave as Naofumi Hanasaki stood at the center of the arena, the weight of the Ninth Division's emblem pressing down on his shoulders. Facing his opponent, Mios Kaname,
The tournament's special speaker began preparing to launch the grand event in the kingdom, saying: "Welcome to our kingdom, our guests. Here we are at the Centennial Grand Tournament, and now the fiercest battles between the participants will begin. Here's the moment of suspense! On the left is Ninth Division member Naofumi Hanasaki, and his opponent will be Mios Kaname, representing the Kingdom of Amedonia."
The cheers from the spectators erupted. The nine leaders of the Kingdom of Union sat together. Ryota Tsubaki spoke up, saying: "Yahiko, won't your new division member be participating?"
Yahiko (smiling): "He won't be participating. He's our secret weapon."
Rindo: "A weapon, huh! I remember how he could sense my division member Celia, who's a master of stealth. His name is Ivan, isn't it?" Hanamiya said, "That guy sitting over there, you seem to be in luck, Yahiko. Your team is going to improve." (He laughs.)
Yahiko: "We'll surpass you all someday."
Raiden: "Sounds interesting."
The competition's spokesperson returns: "Now, get ready to begin." Mios (smiling): "Naofumi Hanasaki... Ninth Division? I've heard so much about you guys. Nice to meet you. Let's have a good fight." Naofumi: "Nice to meet you too." The fight began in a special scene where Mios Kaname used light magic to obscure Naofumi's vision. Mios: Light Magic: Data (Yellow Nothingness). Naofumi: I can't see very well. Mios raised his hand, and suddenly, the clear sky above the arena turned yellow, studded with glowing light balls.
Without warning, Mios shouted: "Light Magic: Yellow Shooting Stars!" Light balls rained down from the sky at lightning speed. They weren't just light; they were bursts of intense energy that left a trail of debris on the hard arena floor. Naofumi (skillfully dodging): "Fast... faster than I thought!" "If I stay on the defensive, I'll be crushed before I even touch him." Naofumi recalled Ivan's words: "Strength lies not in the size of the magic, but in how you direct your will toward your opponent's weakness." Naofumi: "I won't let you down, Captain Yahiko! And I won't be a laughingstock in front of Ivan!" Naofumi's battle aura exploded, and he shot like an arrow through stardust, using the "Wind Storm Steps" technique to close in on Mios. Mios: Well done! You're truly skilled, Ninth Division member. Clash: Will against light. Naofumi: Inflation Magic (Defensive Saucers). Naofumi was defending fiercely under the cheers of the crowd. Mios: "That's good." The Magic of Light: The Orbit of Reverse Gravity!
Suddenly, Naofumi felt his body grow heavy, as if mountains were pressing down on his back. The light crystals surrounding Mios began spinning rapidly, creating an atmospheric pressure that prevented anyone from getting closer. Naofumi (shouting, blood gushing from his mouth due to the pressure): "Not... yet!" "My magic isn't for show, it's for fighting!" Naofumi focused all his energy into his right fist, turning the very pressure of gravity into fuel for his strike. "The Secret Art of Fighting: Shattering the Horizon!" Huge explosions rocked the arena, and a cloud of white dust rose, completely obscuring the view. The audience fell silent, all eyes fixed on the giant magic screens. Rin said, "Naofumi has improved a lot." Hotaru added, "That's right. He's been training day and night." Ivan was quietly observing when he suddenly felt eyes on him. He turned calmly toward the VIP platform to find someone waving at him. Yes, it was the Holy Hero, Matsuo Kageno, whose aura he had discovered during their previous encounter. Matsuo Kageno said, "Hey, you won't believe who's down there. Look!"
Ai looked down and said, "That's the boy we saw earlier in the Red Ravens Guild."
Clara van Orne said, "He looks interesting. Look at his magical aura. I understand he possesses a magical spirit, the legendary phoenix."
Matsuo said, "I understand why he's so focused. You're right, Ai. He's a remarkable boy."
Ai smiled. "I never imagined I'd see him in the uniform of the Ninth Division, and in the Kingdom of Union! If I get the chance, I want to talk to him."
The excitement grew. Naofumi was resisting his opponent's attacks with an amazing defense. What will the final result be?
The cheers continued.
Naofumi was defending fiercely and analyzing Miosu Kaname's attacks.
Naofumi said, "Light magic has truly powerful qualities. He possesses amazing magic, but (excited look) I won't lose."
Naofumi stood with his eyes closed, breathing calmly.
Ivan watched quietly and thought to himself, "Ki, huh!" The members of the Ninth Division were cheering Naofumi on enthusiastically.
Naofumi: Sensational fusion, sensing the opponent's movements, and moving ahead of them.
Naofumi began to understand how the Ki technique worked and was skillfully dodging Mios's attacks, much to Mios's amazement.
Mios: Ki technique? How did that happen?!
Hanami: It's interesting that he's using Ki at this stage. It seems he's been practicing it a lot.
Yahiko recalled how Naofumi had trained under the waterfall.
Naofumi prepared to use his final attack, as did Mios.
Speaker: It seems the decisive moment has arrived. They are both preparing to unleash their final attacks.
Naofumi: Inflation Magic (Daiyu Fists of Multiple Fists).
Mios: Light Magic (Hilbar Galaxy Ball of Light).
The two attacks collided powerfully to everyone's excitement, and what a moment it was! Naofumi was standing, and his opponent, Mios Kaname, was lying on the ground. Competition Spokesperson: The competition has concluded. The winner is Naofumi Hanasaki of Division 9.
The members of Division 9 were delighted with Naofumi and his performance in the fight.
The second match began amidst everyone's excitement.
Competition Spokesperson: The excitement is building! Let's move on to the second match. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's between the first division's rookie prodigy, Castleko, and the fourth division's Rena Desi.
Fourth Division Captain, Liria Kawasaki: Your new rookie, Yariota, is handsome and wonderful.
Yahiko: He's a really strong boy.
Hanamiya: And he possesses the magic of the stars and also the legendary spirit of the mythical mammoth.
Princes Casper Clark and Allen Clark speaking:
Casper: Allen, that boy... he's really strong.
Allen: That's right, brother. What a magical aura!
The second match began between the rookie prodigy, Castleko, and the fourth division's Rena Desi.
Rena: It was a pleasure meeting you, Castleko.
Casper: Thank you. The fight began, to everyone's astonishment at Castle Ko's skills as he used his spear to deflect Rina Desi's lightning-fast Silver Mirage Magic attacks.
Hotaru: Rinta, she's using the same technique as you, and it's even more powerful.
Rinta: That's right, she's at A level.
The fight intensified.
Castell: Star Magic (Multiple Stars).
He unleashed incredibly fast attacks, which she barely managed to dodge.
Rina: This boy is truly a genius. He hasn't been here long, but he's improved so much.
The excitement grew. What would happen between them?