Chapter 25

Blake was walking in the hallways.

Reaper popped on her shoulder.

"You are calm."

Reaper said, surprised.

"Why should I not be calm?"

Blake asked him.

"I don't know. Usually, when one remembers about the past, starting to act strange isn't unusual."

Reaper said low-key referring to when Blake has unusual outbursts, because of her improper way of displaying her emotions.

"Have you been reading my psychology books?"

Blake asked, looking at Reaper's direction.

"It's inevitable. You had those books opened everywhere when we were back on New Vestroia, and when you slept, I read them out of boredom."

Blake chuckled.

"What?"

"Nothing, just surprised."

Blake chuckled, not looking where she was walking and bumped into Ace.

"Watch it next time."

Ace said.

"Sorry."

Blake chuckled, going away.

Ace continued walking until an idea popped in his mind.

"Percival, what do you say about a little battle?"

Ace whispered to Percival.

"I'm for it."

Percival replied quietly.

Blake pretended not to hear them, making her snicker in her mind.

"Let's brawl."

Blake stopped in her tracks, chuckling and faced Ace.

"I did promise you we would brawl when I was Hades, but that doesn't depend entirely on me. What do you say, Reaper?"

"All the yes."

Reaper replied, itching for a fight.

"Good, in fifteen minutes, come to Interspace."

Ace said, walking away.

Fifteen minutes later, everyone was in Interspace.

"What's going on?"

Baron asked.

"Ace challenged Blake."

Mira said.

"Wow."

Baron said.

"I've never seen Blake brawl."

Runo said.

"Me neither."

Julie added.

Keith looked at the upcoming battle.

"Time to improvise."

"I will fight with no mercy."

Ace declared, putting on his gauntlet.

"I do not expect anything else."

Blake replied with the blankest face and voice devoid of any emotion.

"Gauntlet Power Strike."

Both Darkus brawlers said at the same time.

"Gate Card Set."

Ace threw his gate card.

"Bakugan Brawl. Bakugan Stand. Go Darkus Knight Percival."

Percival crossed his arms.

"Bakugan Brawl. Bakugan Stand. Go Darkus Reaper."

Reaper made an epic entrance with his scythe.

"Ability Activate Darkus Double Slicer."

300gs were added to Reaper. From 700gs, he went to 1000gs.

Percival dodged the attack.

"You missed."

Ace said.

Blake was quiet.

The brawlers were weirded out.

"What is she doing?"

Runo asked.

"I don't know."

Julie said.

Then it happened.

The second hit from Darkus Double Slicer appeared out of nowhere and started following Percival like a deadly boomerang trying to hit its target.

"Look."

Shun pointed out.

Runo and Julie were shocked.

Reaper's second attack was following Percival everywhere until it hit when he wasn't paying attention.

"Ability Activate Black Out."

Percival stopped Reaper's attack before it continued further.

200gs were subtracted from Reaper.

Those 200gs were then given to Percival making things even.

"Ability Activate Stray Thunder."

300gs were added to Percival. From 800gs, he went to 1100gs, making Reaper fall behind.

Reaper dodged the lightning.

Blake had an idea. It was going to be repetitive and banal, but that's the first thing that popped into her mind.

"Ability Activate Shadow Dance."

Looking at the upcoming scene, this brought memories to Keith when he decided to test Helios's new upgrades, which cost him even more hours to repair it. But today was going to be the first time he would see it on a biological bakugan with no mechanical improvements.

200gs were subtracted from Percival. From 1100gs, he went to 900gs.

Reaper's shadow body attacked Percival in all directions. It was so fast Percival couldn't pinpoint which direction on time.

Percival slowly got dizzier.

"Possess Reaper."

Reaper used the opportunity and possessed Percival's body.

Percival screamed.

The brawlers minus Keith and Shun looked shocked.

Keith knew what was coming the moment Blake used Shadow Dance, while Shun was more curious and disturbed.

Percival was fighting for control over his body.

Ace was irritated because he couldn't use Black Out again. After all, it was apparent and not knowing whether or not it would kill Reaper or simply repel him out of Percival's body.

Seconds later, Reaper left Percival's body.

Percival was barely standing. Before Ace even called out an ability, Reaper used the moment and kicked him, sending him to the other end of the arena, making his return to his ball form.

Ace lost half of his life gauge.

Blake caught Reaper's ball form.

There was silence.

Mira, Runo, and Julie were speechless. Reaper barely made a sweat during the brawl.

"Wow."

Baron said.

"That was quick."

Runo stared in shock.

"The match hasn't ended."

Keith reminded everyone.

"Not bad., not bad."

Ace attempted to taunt Blake, but she could see right through it.

"If you want to taunt someone, at least learn how to do it properly."

Blake was unfazed and bored by his memorized cliché line from somewhere.

"Like you are any interesting."

Ace retorted.

Blake ignored him and threw a gate card.

"You'll see why. Bakugan Brawl. Bakugan Stand. Go Darkus Reaper."

Reaper stood.

"Bakugan Brawl. Bakugan Stand. Go Darkus Knight Percival."

Percival stood to wait for Reaper.

The two bakugan started to wrestle with each other, not showing signs of either dominance or submissiveness.

"Not going to let you do what you did last time. Ability Activate Thunder Sword."

300gs were added to Percival

Percival prepared his sword, but Ace wasn't done yet.

"Fusion Ability Activate Vermilion."

Percival's sword transformed and quickly attacked Reaper.

Reaper used his scythe to defend himself.

"Your scythe won't save you."

Percival retorted

"We'll see about that."

Blake quietly chuckled.

"Ability Activate Shadow ground."

Reaper hid his scythe, punched Percival, transformed his body into shadow mass, and hid in the ground.

"Not again."

Ace groaned.

"Since when did Reaper become a Subterra bakugan?"

Runo commented from afar.

Julie shrugged.

Keith watched curiously, knowing that Blake wasn't precisely on the defensive strategy. Not only that, but something was weird.

Blake was calculating the possible moves. She used her strong abilities. If she repeats more, it will be obvious, but if she used her last strong ability, she didn't know what Ace would reveal from his sleeves, to say the least, she would be screwed.

Blake stretched her neck slightly.

"What's taking so long?"

Ace yawned.

Percival was looking around cautiously.

Reaper appeared behind Percival with a scythe using a regular Darkus Slicer at Percival.

Percival barely dodged it.

Reaper started flying around, pissing Ace and Percival off.

"Ability Activate Giol Gunner."

"Let's see you dodge that."

"Cornered."

Dan said.

"I don't think that's the case, Master Dan."

Baron said, pointing at Blake and Reaper, who was disturbingly calmer.

"Ability Activate Night Shield."

Reaper's wings started to move and form a shield around him.

"Do you seriously have to have abilities for everything?

Ace was annoyed.

Blake quietly chuckled.

"Perhaps, but that's simply not restricting to the abilities that Reaper originally has."

Blake cryptically answered.

"Wait. What?!"

Ace was confused.

"Time to see if this will work on another Darkus."

"Double Ability Activate Darkus Infection plus Sting."

Blake ignored Ace summoning another ability card.

Everything quickly became an unseeable void.

The darkness scared a bit Runo and Julie as they were hugging each other for dear life.

Keith and Shun were calm as rocks in the darkness, while Ace was like a puppy inside a fog.

It was relatively normal inside the darkness until the Sting ability started to take off.

Percival's gs were dropping at such speed, that nobody would expect such thing to happen.

Once the darkness was lifted, Percival barely stood.

"Ace, I can't."

With that, Percival returned to his ball form, resulting in Ace losing the rest of his life gauge.

"I did not expect that."

Blake was shocked. She expected that another Darkus bakugan wouldn't have a problem with this ability, but she was wrong.

All kinds of reactions were in the air.

"She barely lifted a finger."

Baron said.

"You could say that again."

Marucho said.

Shun was silent.

"This brawl was weird. Something was off. It's like something trying to emerge on the surface."

Keith thought.

Blake quickly composed herself. She was thankful that this battle ended because parts of her forgotten Faceless persona was starting to emerge. If everything emerged, she would have been engulfed in questionable insanity levels and, later, a lot of questions.

"Without Hades's mask, Blake is much colder in her brawling style."

Mira thought.

Unknown to Mira, that was what Blake wanted to present to people. In reality, she was an average brawler who relied a lot on repeating strategies and twisting it to either make it seem like offense or defense. The abilities alone could easily be nullified. Even if that happens, the damage has been done. In most cases, it results in an automatic loss, giving the illusion of a powerful brawler. And the fact that she was masking away her emotions and insecurities made it seem even more believable.

"Nice brawl."

Ace said in a sportsmanlike way. He wasn't going to ask what was that earlier, she said.

"You weren't bad, either."

Blake replied, retaining her calm composure.

Ace chuckled.

The rest of the brawlers came, and everyone left Interspace.

Blake was calm until a slight pain entered her head, resulting in her touching the area around her forehead to ease it. Her Faceless persona was trying to get a hold of things even after the brawl ended.

Keith secretly looked at Blake, asking her with his eyes if she's okay.

She made a small nod signaling him she's okay.

Keith knew she wasn't, but he was going to let it slide today.

Shun noticed the two's interaction. His theory is getting confirmed.

"Guys, let's go and eat."

Dan said, followed by agreement from everyone, except Blake.

"I will catch you up later."

With that, Blake quickly left, leaving everyone puzzled, but they couldn't do much and left to eat.

Keith was tempted to follow Blake, but he decided that she needed space to deal with whatever that haunted her mind. Shun noticed the uncertainty in Keith but pretended not to see it.

Meanwhile, Blake was in her room trying to get rid of her Faceless's persona reappearance.

"Honestly, I could feel you were becoming unstable the moment you used Shadow Dance."

Reaper floated around her.

Blake would give him a lecture, but this time she was silent.

"I was close to starting using the same tactics as before."

Blake said.

"You can't kill old habits completely. Sometimes they make a reappearance."

Reaper said.

"I know, but that's not the point. I feel like I am at battle with myself now. I shouldn't have viewed the photos, but most importantly, the note."

Blake was annoyed with herself.

"What's done is done."

Reaper went near Blake's shoulder.

"Unfortunately, yes. I can't do much, but all I can think is to calm down."

Blake blankly looked at the ceiling.

"Yeah."

"Thank you, Reaper."

Blake still stared at the ceiling.

"No need to mention it."