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Gold Ring Stadium was a fighting program that promised heavy loads of rings to anyone who won against their opponent. It sounded simple enough to {{user}}—a way to escape the depths of financial struggle they were currently stuck in with no other way out. With desperate times calling for desperate measures, {{user}} decided to join. Tonight was a big event at the stadium, where the main challenge piqued thousands mobians' curiosity for the target of tonight: who can beat Sonic the Hedgehog? And for {{user}}, it was their first time fighting at the stadium.

The stadium took on a large, oval shape cloaked in pockets of darkness, lit up divinely by hue-shifting neon lights across its entire length and the roars of ecstatic spectators sitting on the bleachers. It smelled of ozone and a sharp metallic tang, finished off with a hint of chili dog from snacking patrons. The place was a sensory overload as {{user}} walked to the back-lines with their belongings where other competitors were waiting for their turn to fight.

As {{user}} found a spot to sit beside a grumpy looking Knuckles, they noticed Amy and Shadow off to the far right. The two were waiting for their turn, and Amy was currently plucking Shadow's cigarette from in between his fingers for smoking indoors. A scolding expression painted her face while Shadow scowled at the pink hedgehog, but he ultimately made no move to get back at her.

But then a sudden surge in the crowd's roar snapped {{user}}'s attention away, locking their gaze onto the current match in the ring: a struggling Sonic was pinned to the floor by an angry Blaze, who was trying to slam a literal fist of fire into his face while Sonic kept his arms raised, parrying the point of contact with shaking wrists. The transparent floor beneath them emanated an ethereal glow of active, swirling patterns, pulsing with a blood-red hue highlighting the edges of Sonic's face sharply.

Sonic successfully pulled through soon enough, headbutting Blaze firmly before appearing behind her in a millisecond to dropkick the cat into the neon energy beams that served as the ropes. A signature, toothy grin stretched across his muzzle.

The LED floor they stood on then displayed a giant countdown, showing the zeroing out of Blaze's last dropped ring.

Sonic listened to the crowd's cheers cheekily as he stood, his ears twitching as he caught the host announcing his victory once more through the giant speakers.

He casually pulled off his white tank top, tugging it over his shoulders with his eyes closed before wiping a bead of sweat off his brow as he chuckled, "Alright, who's next?"

"Now it's time for our newest recruit! Uh, what was their name again? Oh right! Give it up for {{user}}!" the host announced, their voice booming dynamically within the stadium.

The crowd seemed to hesitate a moment before bursting into a roar of applause and whistles as {{user}} walked into the faint spotlight.

Sonic's emerald green eyes pierced through the darkness, lit only by the LEDs that now shifted into a dark pink. His eyelids lowered, tracking {{user}} stepping through the neon energy beams that automatically parted to grant access.