Only Second Best

PG

Beyblade Shogun Steel

Shinobu thinks over all his defeats and becomes obsessed with them.

I had always thought my position was secure, that I was a strong blader, after all I had defeated everyone who challenged me and managed to make my way to the top, to become the top blader of Metal City. I worked hard, my skills were flawless and with Salamander as my partner there was no one we couldn't beat.

Which included Zero Kurogane, who I defeated after a bit of difficulty. I am not above admitting that his special move was discerning, and I had for a moment thought that I would lose the battle, but Salamander moved out of the way and avoided it.

I defeated him, on that day. I had heard rumors that he wanted to challenge me, he was a newbie, had never used a stadium like this one; but I never battled a blader I had already defeated.

I did notice his strange ways, like when he pulled a rubber tyer up the hill, but at the time I thought nothing of it, dismissing it easily.

The the one day tournament came and I defeated everyone with ease, only to face him once again.

This time, I lost.

I should have hated him, he took my place as the number one blader of Metal City and yet I didn't. His way of blading, his skills were admirable and in the end I join him with training.

I am also not above admitting that I was jealous of him, he had a special move while I didn't. I don't know why I had never come up with a move of my own, until I finally battled an over confident blader by the name of Takanosake. It took me a bit of time, his attack pattern was similar to my own and he had a special move; but Salamander and I won it and gained our own special move.

I was proud of us, that we finally special move and I made sure to practice more on it, to perfect it.

Yet when I battled again, against a powerful blader, with a left rotating bey no less, I lost. My only consolation in this was everyone lost to him including Zero.

Battling Kira was an... Overwhelming experience, I had felt a challenge with Sakyo Kuroyami and his Ronin Dragoon bey, but again Kira Hayama and his bey Behemoth I felt outclassed; like I wasn't even a challenge, just like I had felt about the blader who challenged me before I battled Zero.

Fear.

That was what came to mind when the battle against Kira was coming to the end, seeing the sheer power he had in his bey and knowing that nothing I did could stop him.

Hopeless.

That's what I felt, completely hopelessness. I had nothing more to give when I lost that battle and Kira was aware of it.

I lost twice, in a row and the last one caused me to injure my arm so I couldn't train with the other's, making me fall behind even more.

That didn't mean I stopped making strategies though, I looked at Maru's data of the battle and came up with other attack patterns to hit Kira with the next time we battled.

When the Neo Battle Bladers came to life, after Kira revealed who he was working for and essentially demanded it from Tsubasa, who agreed to it, although he had faith in us that we would stop DNA no matter what.

I got to battle Yoshio, who is Kira's right hand man, he hadn't changed his battle strategy though, while I had, and I made sure he was aware of that fact as I defeated him. He was a challenge, but I wanted the battle to be over quickly, not wanting to waste any extra time that I could be preparing for my next battle.

I trained hard, I trained with the purpose of defeating Kira and his bey, I had everyone helping me win this, I had planned for every outcome that Kira could try and yet when the show down came, my plans went out the window.

Kira had a new bey, Bahamoote which was a lot stronger than his former bey. It wasn't against the rules and I had figured that I would be able to defeat him, thinking that Kira was scared that he had to change his bey.

I tried, I faltered I am ashamed to admit it, but I did, seeing my bey being smashed before my eyes hurt, but my pride as a blader won through and I put everything I had into a finally assault, though it did nothing, Kira easily defeating me and making a point to everyone of how powerful he was.

Now I am trying to figure out where I have gone wrong, I have been told by Maru that I am obsessing over my loses and I understand what she means, but I have to look at my failing and see where I went wrong if I want to become stronger.

Everything that I am has become less since that fateful battle against Zero...

"Are you still obsessing over your defeats?" A familiar voice said and turning around I saw him, Tsubasa Ootori the blader I respected and idolized above all others.

"I am just..." I should have known that Maru would tell them, she is worried and would inform them of my behaviour, but no one can change my mind about this.

"I understand why you are doing this, you want to make sure there is no flaws," He told me and I nodded; "But there will always be flaws, you will always have something that you will over look. You have a calm head in battle Shinobu, that is the best thing a blader can have, you are quick at thinking which you need in this sport,"

"Against Kira it didn't work," I argued, trying to make him see my side of it.

"I get it, Ryuuga, the Dragon Emperor was the same, even though he rarely lost," A smile tugged at his lips, I knew he was talking about his defeat against Ginga; "And he obsessed over it, making sure he was stronger, that there was little to no flaws in his technique, but in the end it was his downfall, because he was so sure he would defeat his enemy, that he would crush Nemesis,"

"He was there?"

"Yes, he fought alone against him, it would have been impressive to see, but back to the point, he lost even after he put his bladers spirit into the battle much like you did with Kira,"

"But..."

"He lost badly, but his defeat gave one of us a spark, to battle against Nemesis and gave us all hope that we could win,"

"I never knew about that battle,"

"Ginga didn't want anyone to know about Ryuuga's fall, he knew that he would want to be remembered as the Dragon Emperor,"

"So, I should just focus on becoming stronger in my own way,"

"Exactly, you are a good blader Shinobu, you can easily become just as powerful as the Legend Bladers,"

"I guess I have obstacles to overcome," I said with a slight smile.

"Exactly, which only helps to make you stronger, but the most important part is to remember that your friends are there for you,"

"You mean about Maru,"

"Her being the tech for you and Zero means she keeps a close eye on you both, when she is worried about either of you she'll speak to Madoka, so she doesn't come straight to us,"

"So it was from Madoka,"

"Yes, Maru answers to Madoka alone, she had no reason to communicate with me unless it's urgent,"

"I see,"

"Just relax all right Shinobu, don't put so much pressure on yourself,"

I just nodded, thinking over everything he told me as he walked away, and I knew he was right.

I would become stronger in my own way, with every defeat I would just train harder and make Salamander stronger in the process, I can't afford to become obsessed with individual bladers when there are other's out there who are just as strong or even stronger than me and I would need to face them on my own wits and skill.

I might only be second best to Zero, but I will face down anyone who challenges me with 100 per cent of my own power and skills.