Tyson was glad to be back in a training room in preparation for the tournament. It felt good to have the familiar walls of the building around him, let alone the tournament being held in his homeland of Japan. As he laid back on the couch, he couldn't help but wonder who he would meet.
"So, who do you think we're gonna blade against?" Tyson asked
"Who knows? All I know is that they're gonna announce the teams in twenty minutes," Max replied.
"Well, I know we're gonna see the Blitzkrieg Boys, the White Tigers, the All Starz and the Majestics," Tyson responded.
"I think maybe BEGA is gonna show up, too. They might be the strongest team we ever faced, but I wouldn't put it past them being here," Ray added.
"Good point, Ray. Kai, what do you think?" Tyson asked the blue-haired blader.
"What do I think? I think you're all just going to have to wait for the end results," Kai responded, coldly as usual.
"Okay... at least somebody has his game-face on," Max said with an awkward chuckle.
"And don't even get me started on the blue face-paint," Dizzi punned, adding to Max's chuckle.
After a few more minutes of silence, Tyson grabbed his Dragoon beyblade from his pocket and took a close look at it.
"Welcome back to the battlefield, buddy. It's been a long time, but it feels good to be back, doesn't it?" Tyson said, speaking to his beyblade. He then gripped it tight in his hands before putting it back into his pocket.
"Guys, I got a transmission from Mr. Dickenson on my laptop!" Kenny said getting everyone to gather around him. Kenny opened up the video file and everyone watched and listened as they saw the Beyblade chairman sitting down.
"Hello everybody! I know I don't need to stress how important this tournament is to you. But whatever you do, don't let your guard down. Boris has eyes and ears everywhere, except for the teams' rooms, and he will keep a close watch on you as you all progress. However, there is also this... remember to have fun. You're all finally back in the arena after so long away from it. So, stay safe, but enjoy yourselves at least. That is all."
After he finished, the transmission ended and Kenny closed the file down.
"We need to be really careful if we're going to win the tournament and save our friends," Ray said.
"It's a shame Jazzman won't be able to announce the battles for us," Tyson added.
"You know, it kind of is. I actually miss him," Max said after Tyson.
"Yeah... well, now is not the time for feeling blue. We have got to get out there. I can't wait to see how much ass I'll be kicking in this tournament!" Tyson said with a happy tone.
"Ah, there he goes again," Max said with a chuckle.
"Speaking of the battle, who's gonna blade for us? I know it's best two out of three rules again, so that leaves three of us to go out there and fight," Ray said.
"Well, I was thinking maybe Kai, Daichi and myself, but I didn't want to make a decision before we found out who else we were facing," Tyson replied.
"Smart move. Speaking of which, it's about time we got moving," Kenny said.
"Good call, chief," Dizzi said.
With that, they all stood up and headed out of the door with Tyson leading the way. He then stopped and turned around to face them, leaving them all to wonder what was going through his mind at that point.
"Uh, Tyson? Why did you stop?" Hilary asked.
"I need to bring something up with you guys..." Tyson said. "It's been a good long while since we were in this kind of atmosphere, but I don't feel alienated from it. I feel like I'm home again... and I know that we're going to win this thing and take out Boris once and for all. So I need you all to promise me something: Promise that your hearts won't stop beating for the love of the game, promise that you'll give it your all and don't quit, even if you're cut, beaten, and bruised. Promise me you'll lay your lives on the line for this, because if you do, I'll know you're all still my teammates and my friends, and I'll know that you share the same love for this sport that I do."
"We promise Tyson," Ray said.
"Yeah. We promise that we're still the same, and we promise that all still blade the same," Max added.
"We're always going to stand by you, Tyson. I've still got that fire, and it looks like the rest of these guys do, too," Daichi said. Tyson then looked to Kai.
"Well, what do you say?" Tyson asked him.
"I say you're right. We should all give it everything we have, and you know that I will do just that, because it's what YOU do in each battle," Kai said with a smile. Tyson returned it before turning back around to the door and putting his hand on the handle to open it.
"I wouldn't expect anything less..." Tyson said under his breath, smiling to himself.
The gang walked through a boatload of winding halls and corridors before they got to see the arena itself; it was easily the size of a football field, only instead of lines and grass, there were polished floors and one massive bey-dish in the middle. The only thing that they both had in common were the tons of screaming fans.
"Whoa! This is huge!" Max exclaimed.
"Yeah. Say what you will about Boris, he really goes for the grandiose when it comes to stuff like this," Ray added, earning a chuckle from Max.
Almost as if on cue, after Ray finished his sentence, a large black square with a television screen on all four sides of it came down the center of the room. It flickered on and Boris' face showed on the screen.
"Greetings, bladers and fans from the world over. It is good to see you all again after so many years. This is the first tournament I've set up in quite a while, and I hope it is to the liking of both the fans and the teams, both new and old. Speaking of which, let us announce the teams and who will be facing who in the tournament bracket."
The screen then switched from Boris' face to a tournament bracket. It had eight blocks for all eight teams in the first four rounds which were quarterfinal rounds, with two teams taking up a block each. Then for the semifinal rounds, there were four blocks, once again with two teams taking a block each. Then there was the final round which had only two blocks, with one team taking a block each.
"For those of you wondering, the teams that will be facing each other will go as follows: Team Psykick vs White Tiger X in block one, BEGA vs Majestics in block two, Bladebreakers vs All Starz in block three, and Blitzkrieg Boys vs Dark Bladers in block four. For those of you who are unaware, Dark Bladers are a team that rarely show their faces, but I was lucky and fortunate enough to convince them to be a part of this tournament. Now, best of luck to all of you, blade hard, blade clean, and most importantly... BLADE TO WIN!"
"I wonder when the battles start," Tyson thought aloud.
"The battles start now," Boris said. "Fans, if you could, then please give a warm welcome back to White Tiger X and Team Psykick! Other teams who aren't blading just yet, make your way up to sit with the crowds or go back to your training rooms."
The entire stadium erupted in cheers as White Tiger X and Team Psykick waved to the fans and then prepared themselves for who was going to battle who. While this happened, the other teams started making their way up to the crowds to sit with them.
Then from out of nowhere, an elevated staircase rose up from nowhere to show Boris.
"What? Why is Boris calling this?" Tyson exclaimed as soon as he took a seat.
"Well, you gotta remember, he did kidnap Jazzman. Maybe he was short on resources," Max added. He soon shut his mouth when Boris started speaking, with everyone getting ready for him to announce the match.
"Greetings, fans and bladers. Are you ready for a bey-battle?" he asked, smiling as the crowd roared in return. "Then let's greet our first contestants! We have Kevin from White Tiger X and Jim from Team Psykick."
"Hello, fans and bladers! I'm Brad Best, along with my partner in crime AJ Topper, and we're taking a look at our first two combatants in this new tournament!"
"You said it, Brad! This should be a good fight between two great bladers! We have the fast and cunning Kevin from White Tiger X, and he will go against the rough and tumble blading style of Jim from Team Psykick!" AJ added.
"Now, let's take a look at our bey-dish!" Boris said.
"What dish do we have for this match-up, AJ?" Brad asked.
"We have the snowstorm dish, which can hold many obstacles for both our bladers today! The key is to use the ice as best you can without slipping up and watch out for those icebergs," AJ answered.
"Let's hope they can handle the cold conditions of the dish, AJ. I'm getting chilly just looking at it," Brad replied.
"Okay, on my count!" Boris said. "3, 2, 1, let it rip!"
Both Kevin and Jim launched their blades, trying their best to pretend it was Jazzman calling the shots on the battle.
"Go for it, Galman!" Kevin said, commanding his blade to slam hard into Jim's Cyber Draciel. Jim held his ground though, and as the blades connected, both Galman and Cyber Draciel remained at a stand still.
"Whoa! What a slam! But it looks like Jim is keeping his cool out there," Brad commented.
"You want a fight, monkey boy? You got it! Cyber Draciel, counter him!" Jim said, and his beyblade followed suit, at first backing away a bit then slamming back, making Galman wobble a little bit.
"Wow. You almost blade like Max does," Kevin said snidely.
"You should count your lucky stars you had the word 'almost' in that sentence," Jim replied in a similar tone. He then commanded his beyblade to slam and grind against Galman, and just like earlier, they were reaching a stalemate.
'Damn it! Why can't I get an edge on this guy?' Kevin thought to himself.
'Come on, Cyber Draciel. A little ice hasn't stopped us before, and it won't stop us now!' Jim thought.
"Wow, Brad! It looks like the cool temperatures are getting to our competitors," AJ said.
"It would seem so. Can someone turn on the thermostat?" Brad added.
"Kevin! You've got to use the ice against him!" Lee said from the White Tigers bench.
"I'm working on it!" Kevin yelled back without turning around. "Galman, be careful not to slip. Charge him!"
Kevin's beyblade did as it was told and slammed at full speed against Cyber Draciel, knocking it back a bit into an iceberg.
"Nice move!" Mariah shouted appreciatively from the bench.
"Not good enough," Jim snickered, catching Kevin by surprise as his Cyber Draciel sped out from the iceberg. But instead of going straight for Galman, it started hitting the other icebergs.
"It looks like the ice has gotten the better of Jim and his Cyber Draciel," Brad said.
"Look again, Brad; he's trying to make Galman weaker by hitting the icebergs with enough force to make it hail on the bey-dish. A smart strategy indeed, but very risky," AJ replied.
"It might be risky, but sometimes risks have to be taken," Jim said.
"Jim, stop! You're gonna hurt yourself out there!" Goki yelled from the Psykick's bench.
"He knows what he's doing, Goki," Salima said to Goki.
"Yes, he does. But he needs to watch his head out there," Kane added.
"Ah, damn it!" Kevin yelled, making both the benches of the White Tigers and Psykick's look up.
"It's working! Keep pressuring him, Cyber Draciel!" Jim exclaimed as his bit-beast rose from the beyblade. It then start pushing Galman around the arena as if it were a toy.
"No! Galman, don't quit. We can and will end this!" Kevin yelled, and his own bit-beast rose up and started to howl like a monkey. The beyblade itself then started pressing back and Jim's Cyber Draciel was grinding hard to keep still.
As the blades ground against one another, their bit-beasts wrestled for dominance, neither one giving an inch. Then, out of nowhere, a stray piece of hail fell down and split both beyblades apart, forcing the bit-beasts to back away from each other in the process.
"Galman, let's end this. Illusion Dance!"
At Kevin's command, Galman started creating multiple copies of himself that spread around Jim's Cyber Draciel.
"Don't lose focus, Cyber Draciel. Just keep your eyes on the right one!" Jim commanded. Cyber Draciel swung for what it thought was the original, but was wrong and as a result, got hit from literally all sides as all the Galman's slammed into Cyber Draciel at once, causing it to retreat back into it's beyblade.
"Finish it!" Kevin commanded, and his blade slammed at full force against Cyber Draciel, knocking it out of the bey-dish and next to Jim's feet. Soon after, Kevin's bit-beast dissipated back into it's own beyblade.
"And the winner is Kevin!" announced Boris as Kevin's beyblade flew back into his hand. "Next up, it's Goki from Team Psykick vs Gary from White Tiger X!"
Gary stepped up from his bench as Kevin walked over. Gary then rested his hand on Kevin's shoulder. "Good job, cousin. Let's see if I can't add on to your victory," he said with a confident smile.
"Go for it, Gary," Lee said. Gary replied with a thumbs up and a smile. He then walked up to the bey-dish as Goki did the same on his side.
"From Team Psykick, we have Goki. He and his Cyber Dranzer bit-beast can pack quite a punch!" AJ said.
"And from White Tiger X, we have Gary. His bit-beast Galzzly is as strong as a bear and almost twice as large as one, but he has amazing defensive capabilities as well as his already lethal offence," Brad added.
"Okay Brad, what dish is in store for these two?" asked AJ.
"For this battle, we have the jungle dish. The bladers need to be sure to use the trees and oddly flexible vines to out-maneuver your opponent and land a swift attack!" Brad replied.
"Looks like Gary has the advantage," Kenny said.
"True, but Goki shouldn't be underestimated, either," Kai added, remembering the battle he and Goki had so many years ago. It took so much for Kai to defeat him, but back then, Goki was insane.
"Good point," Kenny said with a smile.
"Bladers, are you ready?" Boris asked. "3, 2, 1, let it rip!"
They both launched their beyblades at the same time, and instantly their blades slammed for each other, struggling for dominance in a grinding battle.
"Whoa! These guys aren't wasting any time in this fight, Brad. They're going to try to take each other's heads off!" AJ said.
"Well, AJ, when you get two bladers like this in the bey-dish, you're practically guaranteed a full-on war!" Brad replied.
"Come on, Cyber Dranzer. Let's show this oaf what we're made of!" Goki yelled as his beyblade pushed harder against Gary's Galzzly.
"Galzzly, keep cool. Hold your ground just a little bit longer!" Gary yelled to his beyblade, which followed Gary's orders.
"Wow, Goki is a lot stronger than I thought," Mariah said from the White Tigers' bench.
"Yes, that may be so, but Gary has been in tougher scrapes than this. He can win if he puts his mind to it," Lee replied.
"Come on Galzzly, stand your ground!" Gary said. Then suddenly, both his and Goki's beyblades broke away from each other. "What was that about?"
"We're pretty evenly matches, Gary. Let's try something new, now. Cyber Dranzer, go for the trees!" Goki replied.
Cyber Dranzer instantly ascended into the trees, trying to goad Gary and his Galzzly into joining them.
"What does Goki think he's up to?" Kenny asked.
"God knows. One would think he's smart enough to know that Gary is used to jungle conditions," Hilary answered.
"Maybe, but then again... maybe not," Ray added.
"What are you talking about, Ray?" Kenny asked him.
"Out of all of the White Tigers, Gary was always the slowest. His best weapon is strength, not speed. Goki may have pulled a risky move, but at the same time, it's a smart one as well," Ray answered.
"Galzzly, cut those trees down!" Gary yelled to his beyblade, who start crashing and grinding against the trees, trying to cut them down.
"Cyber Dranzer, jump back down to the ground, now!" Goki commanded, with his blade descending from the tree it was hiding in and crashing directly on top of Gary's Galzzly.
"Whoa! What a move!" Brad Best said.
"I couldn't agree more, Brad. Goki used the environment that Gary is familiar with against him, and it paid off big time!" AJ added.
"That was a good move, Goki," Gary said with a smile.
"Thanks. But if you liked that, you should see what else I have up my sleeve. Cyber Dranzer, slam Galzzly, now!" Goki commanded, and sure enough, his Cyber Dranzer started charging at Gary's Galzzly.
"Galzzly, counter him!" Gary said to is own beyblade, which wasn't responding well. "What's this?"
"It's his Galzzly!" Kenny exclaimed.
"What? What are you talking about, chief?" Tyson asked.
"Goki's aerial attack from earlier, it must have landed on a specific part of Gary's beyblade to cause it to slow down, making Galzzly's defensive capabilities useless, as well as slowing his offense, too!" Kenny answered.
"Come on Gary, you've gotta pick up the pace!" Mariah yelled.
"Yeah, don't let his moves fool you! You can still win this!" Kevin added.
"You're right. Galzzly, pick up the pace!" Gary yelled, causing his bit-beast to spawn from the beyblade and let out a mighty roar.
"And there's Galzzly! Let's see if Gary can change things up now!" AJ said.
"Let's hope so, AJ. Gary needs this in order to survive!" Brad replied.
"You're not the only one with a trick up his sleeve, big fella!" Goki said, causing his own bit-beast to rise up from it's blade. Soon after, Goki's beyblade slammed hard into Gary's beyblade, accompanied by Goki's Cyber Dranzer charging straight at Gary's Galzzly, knocking it back.
"Come on Galzzly, fight back! Use Bear Ax now!" Gary commanded, and his beyblade shook off the hits it took from Goki's Cyber Dranzer and took to the air, turning sideways in the hopes to come crashing down on Goki's beyblade.
"End it!" Gary yelled as his beyblade came down from the air. Then, at the last second, Goki's beyblade moved out of the way and dodged the attack, leaving Gary's Galzzly stuck sideways in the ground as his bit-beast vanished back into the beyblade.
"Gary's beyblade stopped moving in the arena. As such, Goki wins!" Boris announced. Goki called his beyblade back to him after his own bit-beast returned back inside it's own beyblade.
"It is now one win each for both teams. Next and last up, please welcome Kane from Team Psykick and Lee from White Tiger X!" Boris said as both bladers stepped up to the dish.
"Kane and Lee, huh? This should be a good one," Tyson said with a smile.
I know this is kind of a long chapter, but I wanted to make it worth it. The battle between Kane and Lee will appear on the next chapter, and I hope you're enjoying it all so far! Stay tuned, dudes and dudettes.