The Colosseum in New Port was packed at capacity, and the roaring cheers from the thralls of many spectators up in the stands exploded with the force of an avalanche. In the arena below, the Kindler known as Steeleheart—a tall, muscular man with sun-kissed skin and long black dreadlocks—threw punch after punch with his fists made of an invulnerable metal alloy as he possessed the power to transform him body into solid steel, but his opponent skillfully dodged each one. Their brawl has been in progress for the past several minutes, and the one who seemed to have the upper hand through it all was the famous Hexblader who wielded a bo staff and always bore a smile on his face while fighting in the Colosseums.
From up in the owner's box on the left end of the Colosseum, Steeleheart's Spur clenched his teeth in frustration and uttered an angry groan. He sat in his comfy red leather chair, held a lit cigar in between his fingers, and was given the highest amount of personal patronage service the Colosseums could offer their Spurs. But these creature comforts did nothing to quell his growing rage and hatred, for if he didn't turn the tables on this fight soon, he'd be out a lot of money. The man's hatred was growing towards the legendary Kindler Hexblader and his equally famous Spur Linus Clifford, and it was a feeling that only Linus's rivals in the business could experience. Through the glass barrier that gave a perfect view of the arena and the stands, he glanced up from the brawling Kindlers below to the owner's box on the opposite side of the Colosseum.
In that owner's box was Linus Clifford, a few servant staff there to satisfy the audience's and Spurs' needs, and Linus's seven-year-old granddaughter Lyna. She and her grandfather sat next to each other in fancy red leather chairs directly facing the glass, while the staff stood behind them, catering to their whims. It was Lyna's first time visiting the Colosseums and watching a fight from the owner's box. She had ordered an apple juice box as a refreshment, but she only took a few sips until leaving t on the side table to her left and forgetting about it for she was in sheer awe of the Kindlers' duking it out in the arena. On the edge of her seat, the little girl's eyes were wide and unblinking, not wanting to miss a single moment of the spectacle in front of her.
Hexblader beamed with a grin even when he missed his target as Steeleheart ducked from a kick to the face and the entire crowd booed. That was when Steeleheart finally found an angle he could land a blow and seized the opportunity. He pivoted right and threw an uppercut straight into Hexblader's jaw. This sent him flying upward until he fell backward and would've fallen down. Lyna covered her mouth with her hands and everyone in the audience gasped in unison, for had the legendary Kindler really been defeated? Just then, a lime green glow surrounded Hexblader's silhouette as his back never made it to the ground. He used his power to catch himself in midair and laughed as though someone had just told the funniest joke ever.
Enjoying the adrenaline, his power spread throughout the arena and soon every large rock and boulder that served as the terrain began to glow in the same green color that was engulfing his own body. The rocks wiggle and then lift up off the ground. They floated higher and higher along with Hexblader whose body was now upright, his arms crossed in front of his chest, and he was staring down at Steeleheart who was thirty feet below him.
"How…how could this be happening?!" Steeleheart shouted in disbelief and out of breath.
"Come on, I think you know exactly why," Hexblader calmly replied. He paused dramatically while lifting one of his hands ready to snap his fingers. Several drops of sweat rolled down Steeleheart's face. As soon as one of them fell off his chin and splashed on the ground, Hexblader finally snapped his fingers and it guided the boulders down as gravity pulled them back down to earth and they piled on top of Steeleheart.
The crowd was in an uproar of applause and cheering once all of the huge rocks crashed down and definitely broke every bone in Steeleheart's body. The Hexblader slowly descended and the blue glow enveloping his body faded away.
Lyna looked up at her grandfather and said, "Looks like we won, Grandpa."
But that's when he said, "No, not yet."
When Lyna looked back down at the arena, her eyes widened as she saw that Hexblader was approaching the boulders, and then he shoved his fist into the cracks, digging something out. He soon pulled out Steeleheart, grabbing him by his long black dreadlocks and lifted him up to his eye level. His whole body had transformed into metal to prevent himself from being crushed, but it did little as his limbs and torso were dented all over. When he tried to move, a sound of squeaking metal grinding against itself was heard. He reached out as if to brush his fingers against Hexblader's face, but he never touched him, for he became paralyzed as his hand was just a few centimeters away from Hexblader's nose.
Hexblader then dropped Steeleheart and he fell with a thud that could be heard from a mile away due to how silent the crowd was in the suspense of it all. This silence lasted mere seconds until Lyna could have sworn she heard a pin drop, and it was the audience's cue to cheer for the winner. Hexblader stood fair and firm over Steeleheart's incapacitated body, staring up at the crowds of people chanting his name over and over again.
Lyna couldn't deny the overwhelming sensation she got. Goosebumps formed on her arms making the innumerable tiny hairs stand. Before she even knew it, she was standing up, her face and palms plastered to the glass giving her a clear view of the arena below. She was on pins and needles as she bounced back and forth on her heels and tippy toes. She couldn't take her eyes off of Hexblader's smile, thinking he was proud yet at the same time humble of his victory and his lifestyle as a whole. It made little Lyna mimic his grin with an open mouth showing her pearly white teeth. Her eyes lit up with excitement and joy for she realized she had found her first ever hero and role model.
She then turned to her grandfather and said, "Amazing! That was amazing, Grandpa. I never thought that would happen."
Linus chuckled, "Hahaha. Indeed, it was amazing. Hexblader certainly never disappoints, right?" He then patted his legs, beckoning his granddaughter to come sit on his lap. Lyna complied, and she jumped into his lap, still smiling so big that it made her cheeks hurt, but she was in too much happiness to care.
"Hey, Grandpa. Someday, I'm going to have a Kindler just like Hexblader." Lyna said staring up into Linus's eyes.
Linus smiled back, "Well, no two Kindlers are alike. But I'm sure when the time comes, whichever Kindler you choose will be just the right fit for you. You'll make them a star."
"A star…yeah." Lyna repeated, looking back down at the arena, with sparkling wonder in her eyes.