Reignite the Passion

Setting

"As the stars wither, so the eve of eternal night looms... in divine fury, the resplendence wanes, yet a lambent halo still cradles the descending sun."

In a realm where a steadfast star incessantly fuels the world, an annual event known as the M Championship is held to honor this stalwart celestial body.

People rely on the Star's radiance to construct their cities, and their faith is bound to its luminance. They heed the Will of the Star when it calls to them, selecting heroes worthy of the M Championship to vie for the glory that comes with being the champion. At the moment when a new champion is crowned, their Competitive Spirit is transformed into a fuel source for the Star.

In that fleeting instant, the Star fully ignites, encircled by a glorious halo.

The halo of the Star waxes and wanes with the rise and fall of the competition. But as long as the Competitive Spirit endures, no matter how long the night may be, new heroes will answer the call and bring together the collective spirit of the people to ignite the Star.

Nimbus: A multi-tiered ring station that encircles the Star. The Star provides energy for its cities, and during the M Championship, the collective Competitive Spirit of the station's inhabitants provides substantial fuel for the Star, creating a self-sustaining symbiotic system.

The Star: The source of energy that sustains everything on Nimbus. It burns continuously, utilizing the Competitive Spirit it absorbs as fuel. The Star's brightness vacillates in correspondence with the intensity of the Competitive Spirit at any given moment, and it erupts in a scintillating pyrotechnic display each time a new champion is crowned during the M Championship.

Will of the Star: An ever-evolving consciousness that serves as a conduit for the Star's energy. During the M Championship, the Will of the Star manifests itself as the Symbols of Victory, including the coveted Champion's Glory. Competitors who attain both of these achievements will be bestowed with the honor of syncing with the God of Victory.

Inner Demons: Energy-conscious entities formed by dark energy scattered throughout the cosmos. Inner Demons feed on mental energy and deviously infiltrate the depths of their competitors' minds, causing them to feel defeated and shaken, compelling them to give in to despair and descend into darkness.

Character Bios

Yu Zhong: The Cosmic Dragon. A champion that has returned to the summit of the M5 Championship.

From a young age, Yu Zhong displayed remarkable talent in the Mecha Competition, boasting an undefeated record leading up to the M Championship. During the championship, the immense competitive pressure and psychological burden gave rise to his Inner Demon's power. This caused him to succumb to the interference of Shadowheart and subsequently resulted in his downfall.

Whilst in the throes of this inner turmoil, Yu Zhong happened to pass by a training area, where he proffered a few words of advice to a young competitor, Kimmy. To his surprise, she insisted on becoming his disciple, and it was in the process of training Kimmy that he rediscovered the true essence and meaning of competition: to enjoy the journey, rather than winning or losing.

Back at the M Championship, Yu Zhong once again crossed paths with his longtime adversary, Minotaur, and this time, he confronted his inner demon, Shadowheart, head-on. Through this pivotal encounter, he achieved profound transcendence.

Kimmy: The Rising Nova. A fearless competitor who shines as radiantly as the sun.

Kimmy, as one of the younger competitors, attempted to introduce some innovative ideas into the Mecha Competition, yet found herself facing ridicule from those who were incapable of understanding her vision.

Upon hearing the news of Beatrix's victory and witnessing Yu Zhong's performance in the competition, Kimmy was filled with newfound inspiration and determination. As fate would have it, Yu Zhong crossed paths with her and imparted a few choice words of wisdom, thereby igniting her unwavering desire to become his disciple.

Under Yu Zhong's training and her own development of a jet-propelled mecha suit, Kimmy finally acquired the courage, along with the opportunity, to stand in the arena and attempt to provide the fuel needed to ignite the Star.

Minotaur: The Dreadnought. A steadfast warrior who stands firm and never yields.

Minotaur is one of the oldest M Championship participants in Nimbus, having entered the competition numerous times before, but always falling a hair's breadth short of victory. During one M Championship, Minotaur bested Yu Zhong, but he later suffered defeat in subsequent battles due to sheer physical exhaustion.

Following the competition, Minotaur delved headlong into his training with relentless fervor, painfully conscious that he was increasingly close to being over the hill. Despite all his efforts, the specter of an aging body loomed over him. His fervent yearning for the glory that comes with being a champion eventually gave rise to the Inner Demon within.

In this year's M Championship, Minotaur once again found himself face-to-face with Yu Zhong. He felt a change in the aura of his longtime rival, prompting him to hoist his hammer with renewed vigor.

Reignite the Passion

Yu Zhong's eyes suddenly opened.

For the umpteenth time, Yu Zhong is awoken by the same recurring dream. In the dream, thunderous applause resounded as a single beam of light victoriously advanced towards his adversary on the high platform, Minotaur. Like a massive wave, the crowd surged past him, their eyes completely fixated on the winner. They left Yu Zhong standing alone in the shadows, with nary a flower or congratulation to be found.

But he wasn't alone on that platform. In the deepest, darkest recesses of his mind, Shadowheart clung to him like a ghostly specter.

It was an Inner Demon, the nemesis of the God of Victory and all competitors. Residing within the Spiritual Domain, it was said to treat the arena as a hunting ground for spirits, feeding on the spiritual energy generated by intense competition by infiltrating the hearts of competitors. It represented defeat and doubt, abandonment and fear.

In Yu Zhong's case, it swirled around him, assuming the form of a dragon that embodied his fears.

"How tantalizing your taste is. Such passion, such intensity, and all that unbridled enthusiasm... Victory or defeat is the true meaning of competition!" Shadowheart taunted mercilessly. "It's a pity, though. Despite your fear of failure, none of it will get you any closer to victory. It shall never belong to you ever again."

Yu Zhong looked up, gazing at the M Championship symbol hanging in the sky. This marked his inaugural defeat. He had never anticipated it would occur in such a public and ignominious fashion. He kept plummeting down. The glory and honor that his family had once been so proud of was now subsumed in darkness, sprouting sharp thorns that pierced his skin during his descent. At the pinnacle of the tower, Minotaur appeared to sense something and cast a fleeting glance backward. Yet, so blinding was the light which enveloped him, that Yu Zhong was unable to read his expression.

For a fleeting moment, a speck of light bent through a broken window sill and gently touched Yu Zhong's face.

Yu Zhong suddenly awoke.

"Big bro!" Kimmy's voice broke through the nocturnal silence.

It was the day of her regional competition, and before dawn had even broken, she was already outfitted in her Mecha Suit, patiently waiting outside Yu Zhong's door.

Upon Yu Zhong's emergence, she welcomed him with a beaming smile. Even in the early morning light, the determination in her eyes was both palpable and unmistakable.

Just as they had done once before, Kimmy aspired for Yu Zhong to be her mentor, and for her to be his disciple.

In the past, when the M Championship had come to a close, Yu Zhong was reluctant to return to his family after such a bitter defeat. He roamed aimlessly and, by chance, strolled past the training grounds in the Outer Ring where Kimmy was stationed. The young girl had faced a string of defeats during her sparring matches, but she remained resolute and had not even entertained the idea of giving up. Profoundly touched by this display, Yu Zhong imparted a few words of guidance, which subsequently led to her very first triumph.

"Wow, that was awesome!" Kimmy exclaimed, brimming with admiration and enthusiasm. "From this day on, please let me train with you, big bro!"

"... I don't have much to teach."

"Indeed. How could a failure like you have the gall to teach anyone?" jeered Shadowheart from within. Yu Zhong remained silent, simply observing the joyful girl who had just claimed her first victory. Kimmy's determination never wavered, and since that day, she and Yu Zhong trained together every day. With every new technique she practiced, with every utterance of "big bro", her resolve grew and grew.

As time passed, Yu Zhong found himself compelled to provide Kimmy with more guidance. However, he never officially recognized her as his disciple. Shadowheart had a point — he was not worthy of teaching others. He was destined to be a failure all his life, doomed to one day fall back into the abyss of despair.

"Bang!" With the sound of the starting gun, the entire regional competition arena erupted in a bombastic display of excitement. The electric atmosphere of the competition pulled Yu Zhong back into the whirlpool of memories he associated with the M Championship. Although it was Kimmy's regional competition, watching her on the battlefield nonetheless caused Yu Zhong to reflect on his dramatic ascent to victory before.

Kimmy was giving it her all in the competition. She had absorbed all the knowledge and skills that Yu Zhong had imparted upon her, from handling a relentless bullet barrage to mastering agile positioning and seizing opportunities with pinpoint precision. However, her opponent proved to be exceptionally formidable. He deftly blocked most of her bullets and anticipated her every move, effectively countering a majority of them and quickly gaining the upper hand.

"No, not like this!" Yu Zhong clenched his fists tightly, his eyes locked on Kimmy's struggles in the arena. Despite himself, the memories of his own defeat to Minotaur resurfaced in his mind.

"What do we have here? A loser's disciple treading the same path, falling on her face even harder than her predecessor?" Shadowheart mocked, but soon it sensed the surge of Competitive Spirit that Yu Zhong was channeling. This energy transformed itself into binding fetters that suppressed the demon and forced it into silence.

Yu Zhong paid no further attention to Shadowheart. He kept his focus on the escalating situation in the arena, feeling deep concern for Kimmy. It felt as if she was about to follow in his footsteps and suffer a similar defeat.

But Kimmy was different. After the match, he saw her, champagne bottle in tow, celebrating along with her opponent who had bested her. She wasn't disturbed by the defeat at all, and was radiating her usual effervescent bubbliness.

Her laughter was as ebullient as ever, like a ray of sunshine piercing through the darkness.

"Aren't you scared of losing, Kimmy?"

"Losing?" Kimmy blinked, her expression showing bafflement. "It's not that big a deal, big bro. What matters is savoring the experience and just enjoying the ride!"

"Sure, winning would be great, but in every battle, there's going to be two sides."

"What I remember isn't who won or lost, but the joy that each match brings."

...

Kimmy's response echoed through Yu Zhong's mind, creating ripples like a stone dropped into a deep, reflective pool.

Indeed, he recalled his initial introduction to competition, a time when he remained a novice, still fumbling with the rules and the very essence of the competition. It struck him that, similar to Kimmy's current enthusiasm, it was the sheer joy that emanated from the competition itself that had initially set him off on this journey. The sensation of being driven, of persevering and pushing forward, was never about the applause, glory, or titles. It was the pure, unadulterated happiness it brought.

"But you are afraid," Shadowheart sneered. "And you will never escape your fear!"

"I don't plan to," Yu Zhong replied, extending his hand. "For there to be light, there must also be shadow."

Radiant specks of light flowed between his splayed fingers, twinkling like a constellation of stars. In a sudden, unexpected twist, Yu Zhong managed to break the shackles he had placed on Shadowheart. He opened his arms and embraced it for the first time, accepting it with a sense of calm. He understood that light and darkness, calmness and fear, were all integral to his being, and he couldn't run from them.

"Perhaps I am afraid," Yu Zhong admitted. "But that's alright. Victory is my goal, but I will never allow that desire to hold me back." Light and shadow were both undeniable parts of his existence. In a fraction of a second, radiant beams showered from above, and light and darkness intertwined amongst each other in a harmonious dance. A melodious, resonant dragon's roar filled the air, and the golden Mecha Suit, embodying the spirit of a dragon, surged forth from the Spiritual Domain...

"Are you leaving, big bro?" Kimmy noticed Yu Zhong packing his belongings.

The television had broadcast the exciting news about the upcoming M Championship, and the chants of "Ignite the Star" echoed throughout every corner of Nimbus.

Yu Zhong responded, "Not leaving... returning."

Under the brilliant sunlight, a series of space stations, arranged like rings around a white dwarf's pale blue halo, illuminated the surroundings. The fervent Competitive Spirit had transformed into a blazing wildfire, surging through the resounding and deafening cheers. Yu Zhong had once again embraced the grand festival dedicated to the Star. This time, he could clearly see the expression on the face of his longstanding rival, Minotaur, who stood on the opposite side, as if it was always meant to be.

"I never expected to see you again," Minotaur remarked, raising his battle axe ominously. "Returning to the arena requires courage, a trait which you lacked the last time we met."

Yu Zhong stood not in fear, but in respect. It was a sense of camaraderie, a mutual understanding. "Someone helped me rediscover the true essence of competition. It's not just the winners who can ignite the Star. As long as you find joy in the competition, that feeling can ignite something extraordinary."

Yu Zhong's gaze swept across the spectators in the stands. He knew that she was out there.

"And the person who taught me all this, is my one and only disciple."