"What are you still doing up? You have a battle in less than six hours!"

"You battled him three times and you won twice- tell me anything and everything I need to know about this guy, now," Kakeru pointed at the laptop on his bed, where a playback of China's tag team tournament was on display. Specifically, the one between Kyoya and Benkei, and Aguma and Bao.

"Of all the battles-" Kyoya cursed under his breath, and shook his head. "Be on guard of his Great Ring of Destruction. Don't destroy the stadium and give him ammunition- your defense is good, but not that good."

"Thanks a lot," Kakeru rolled his eyes, but he made a note on the pad stretched over his crossed legs. He tapped the tip of his pen against his knee, "What else?"

"You've seen how he battles, why are you asking me?" Kyoya sighed, falling facefirst on to his own hotel bed.

"Because they sprung this on all of us, waiting until the last minute to tell us who is battling who!" Kakeru exclaimed, glaring at his brother's still form, "I hope you suffocate."

Kyoya rolled and propped himself up on elbow, "You need to sleep, if you want to be on top of your game tomorrow, Kakeru."

"I've battled on less sleep," Kakeru grumbled, and clicked play on the frozen video.

"I don't believe it! In an extradorinary turn of events, the Bao and Aguma team wins it! The Kyoya and Benkei team didn't even stand a chance!"

Kakeru locked eyes with his brother, and clicked a button. Clack.

"Bao and Aguma team wins it! The Kyoya and Benkei team didn't even stand a chance!"

Kyoya's eyebrow twitched. Clack.

"The Kyoya and Benkei team didn't even stand a chance!"

Kyoya's eyes narrowed. Clack.

"Didn't even stand a chance!"

Kyoya growled. Clack.

"Didn't even stand a chance!"

"Alright!" Kyoya exclaimed, "Alright, alright, alright! I'll help you, but only for an hour! Then you are going to bed, got it?"

"Really? You'll help me? Aw, thanks so much big bro!"

"Only because you're playing me, you little..."

"Me? Play my big brother? Noooo."

Kyoya groaned, "I'm so going to need coffee in the morning..."

"Let it rip!"

Gingka's eyes slid from the battle that was now underway, to his friend that sat beside him. While the redhead knew very well that Kyoya was quiet by nature, the morning had proven the Leone Blader to be far quieter than normal.

"So, what's up?" Gingka asked, poking Kyoya's shoulder.

"Don't touch me," Kyoya slapped the redhead's hand away, and then took another long gulp of coffee from his to go cup. "Nothing's wrong."

"Chimera! Special Move, Battering Ram!"

"Hah!" Kyoya fist pumped as Chimera slammed hard enough into Kronos to send the other Bey flying into the air, "Get him Kakeru!"

Nothing's wrong translates to something's wrong, Gingka had been friends with Kyoya for almost five years now, and he was pretty adept at translating Kyoya's language. Everytime Kakeru's battled, he hasn't been this supportive... well, he's supportive, but not this... vocal. Enthusiastic. Oh, and the coffee. If he can help it, Kyoya never has coffee with him in public. Soo...

"Is it Kakeru?" Gingka asked.

Kyoya's eyebrow twitched, barely there, but Gingka still caught it.

"Kronos! Reaper's Swing!"

"Cloven Defense!"

Thankfully, Kakeru's special move deflected Kronos, and the two Bladers fell silent as they sized each other up.

Kyoya sighed, and turned his head slightly to look at Gingka, "I was up early this morning, helping Kakeru come up with a plan to try and beat Aguma."

"But..." Gingka raised an eyebrow.

"He won't win," Kyoya sipped his drink. "Aguma's far stronger than him, and the only way Kakeru could win is pulling off that Ultimate Move of his. But, that'd be giving Aguma's Ring of Destruction an edge that his defenses couldn't handle, even after training for as long as he has with me."

"There's something else," Gingka said, knowingly. "Come on, Kyoya, I see the signs, you're worried about something else."

Kyoya didn't answer, instead shouting, "Come on Kakeru, do something! You're fighting a stamina type, not an attack type! You'll lose on a sleep out!"

"Chimera!" Kakeru swept his hand out, "Snake Bite Attack!"

"Useless!" Aguma laughed, "Kronos!"

In the stadium, the Saturn Bey shimmered and dodged Chimera's attack.

"What's the matter, Tategami?" Aguma taunted, voice ringing out over the arena, "Why don't you come at me with your full power?"

"Why don't you?" Kakeru shot back, wiping his temple off.

"Well, since you asked so nicely... Scythe Kronos! Special Move, Great Ring of Destruction!"

Kyoya's eyes narrowed, as he muttered, "Tread carefully, little brother."

Kakeru was watching the stadium closely, worrying his bottom lip between his fang like teeth.

"Brute force it is," Kakeru's voice was barely heard over the howling winds. "Chimera! Special Move, Battering Ram!"

Kyoya tsk'd as an explosion shook the foundations. He hardly looked surprised when a blur of purple shot over Kakeru's head and landed behind the younger Tategami.

"And Aguma wins it!" The Chinese DJ exclaimed, "Both Bladers gave it their all, but in the end, Kronos sends Chimera flying! Keep in mind, with only two Bladers battling on the Chinese team, Kuro needs to win and Team Breaking Dawn will be rocketing their way into the finals!"

"Gingka," Kyoya stood up. "Come on."

"Uh, Hikaru's battle is about to-"

"Now!"

Gingka scrambled up to his feet and up the stadium stairs after his friend. Once they got into the slightly quieter hallways, Kyoya's entire body slumped in a rare display of near weakness.

"You have a strong connection with Pegasus," Kyoya stated. "Have you felt anything... off, recently?"

Gingka's eyes widened, and he bit his fingernails, "Well... now that you mention it... yeah. Pegasus has seemed... unsettled."

"So has Leone," Kyoya stated, pulling his Bey out and regarding it. He sighed, dropping his hand by his side, "It feels like Nemesis all over again, after they evolved."

"That's what I thought. I just... I didn't say anything, though," Gingka grimaced. "I didn't want to think about the implications, mainly because-"

"None of us wants to deal with the end of the world again?" A voice asked dryly, startling the other two Bladers.

Gingka turned to see Ryuga striding down the hall, jacket flapping around his shoulders. He looked a combination of bored and unimpressed.

"Shouldn't you be watching the team?" Kyoya asked.

"Shouldn't you?" Ryuga shot back, "You disappeared after your brother's loss."

Kyoya sighed, "And so you decided to follow us?"

"Hm," Ryuga shrugged. "You two are talking about another end of the world ploy... Do you think it'll involve any of us again?"

"Maybe?"

"I hope not,"

"I don't,"

Both brothers looked over at Ryuga, who had a distant look in his eyes.

"... why not?" Kyoya asked, warily.

"Platina," Ryuga frowned. "She's got a strong connection with her Bey. Hikaru has been telling me that the girl has been having nightmares, has even told her that they're more like visions, and one name she-" Ryuga cut himself off, and looked over at Kyoya, "She keeps talking about Kakeru, in particular."

Kyoya's expression darkened, grip tightening on his cup, "Anything else?"

"Not that I know of, and not that I've heard. I haven't asked, either," Ryuga said, firmly. "So, no, I don't know what she's seeing."

The TV above them suddenly caught their attention.

"She gave it her all, but unfortunately, Hikaru Hisama just didn't have it in her! Team Breaking Dawn moves on to the finals!"

"And Team Wild Justice is sent into the Wild Cards," Gingka said. "Three teams, two of which Japan could go against. Russia and America are both strong teams."

Ryuga clicked his tongue, "Either way, we should be able to handle either one of them."

"Keep in mind what happened with the Russian team, when they battled China last," Gingka nudged his brother. "Thorn roughed Bao up pretty good. That's why he didn't battle today. Madoka said Xue is still repairing Hades Crown."

"I wonder if it's a ploy," Kyoya muttered, as people began to filter into the hallways. "Testing their powers, for some reason?"

"Who would use the World Championships for their own gain?" Ryuga asked.

"Ziggurat ring any bells?" Kyoya raised an eyebrow.

"Zigga- rot, more like," Gingka muttered.

"Savage," Kyoya commented, eyebrows going up. "Where the hell did that come from?"

"I lived with Ryuga for almost my entire life, thank you very much," Gingka sighed and turned to his brother. "What's next, Ryuga?"

"We rest the team," Ryuga said. "The next battle isn't until next week... I'll let the team rest up from the jetlag and time differences from a few days, before we get back to training. Depending on who we go against will depend on how hard I train them or if I need you two to help out."

"Kyoya!" Kakeru weaved through the crowds, coming up to his brother. He almost looked ashamed, "I... Guess I could have done better?"

"You did fine," Kyoya reached out and ruffled his brother's hair. "Just win next time, right?"

Kakeru brightened, a wide grin on his face.

Watching the scene, Gingka couldn't help but think that the present good mood would soon disappear.

And the next chapter... well. Prepare for extreme angst. *evil laughter*

Until next time...

Ciao!