Beyblades and Blood: The Attack of Shadow Vale Chapter 31, a beyblade fanfic

Chapter 31

Ozuma stamped a foot on the feather. "NO, WE GOTTA KEEP LOOKING! If Blake had found him in here, there would be more than feathers in the floor. This room would be splashed with red."

"Ozuma?!" Tyson shrieked in a high pitch as he burst into patient room 12, sending the door for the millionth time into a swinging crash to the wall behind it. *BANG* A lightning bolt shaped crack appeared on the frosted glass piece of the door; the beychams right hand was clammy with the heat and fret still gripped around the door handle.

With already alarmed stances, Ozuma and Dunga immediately twisted their heads in high alert. Their matching green eyes were wide with surprise at Tysons' noisy sudden entrance, their flat lips sealed tight and eyebrows furrowed with seriousness. White feathers danced and took flight around the duo, rising and falling soundlessly after the whoosh of the door opening at speed whipped them up into movement like freshly blown dandelion seeds.

Tysons' square jaw dropped as a sweat drop glistened his forehead. His feet staggered into the middle of the room beside the Saint Shields' pair. His brows drew perplexed at the extraordinary sight of loose plumage littering the room and shock Kais' murdered mattress. Some feathers stuck to the fabric of the chair, some had been sucked into the vents of the air conditioning unit in the ceiling, and piles of them gathered in the draft-less floor corners.

The bluenette stammered as he picked up a chunk of haemorrhaged memory foam, squeezing it in his fingerless gloved digits. It didn't take a genius to work out but he felt the need to ask all the same. "What...on earth happened here?!"

Before Ozuma could sarcastically reply with the obviousness of the answer, the trio was joined by Hilary as she unceremoniously crashed into the cap-wearers' back, half knocking him over and catapulting herself forwards and over his feet so as not to trip. Tyson was too solemn to complain at her as he picked off a lone feather that had landed silently on his shoulder, he twizzled the quill in his fingers and gazed at it with a sad face. The feather reminded him of stolen Dranzer.

Hilarys' bulbous auburn eyes too were wide with concern and confusion at the fluffy aired scene. She held out a hand to allow a feather to land softly on the centre of her palm and then watch it take flight again in a light draft from the nearby window. "What's with all these feathers guys? Just what happened here?" She glanced around and gasped as she found her answer. "HuHHHHHHhhhh Kai's bed and pillows. They've been slashed to ribbons! It has to be Blake right? Am I right?"

From the door frame loitered Tala with Daichi clustered tight to his bent back. The feathery scene caught him off guard too as he gasped and straightened, causing Daichi to clench tighter in order not to slip off. The red-head Russian re-hiked Daichi up his slowly aching back and internally growled whilst scanning the room. "Grrrrrr. What's going on?! First, the blader who threatened Tyson and now this. I've got some serious questions and as soon as we've found Kai, I want some answers."

Daichis' heavy head peered up from over Tala's left shoulder. "HHHHmmmmm? Why all the gaspin'? What's goin oonnn?"

Tysons' fists shook at his sides as an uncharacteristic darkness overcame the friend-to-all-beyblader. His voice became hoarse and warning. "Someone has some real bad anger management issues that's what Daichi. Blake...if he's hurt Kai again...I...I'll..."

Ozuma twisted on his heels; he had seen enough and headed towards the doorway. Time was of the essence. "There's no time to waste. We need to find Kai...as a matter of life...and death."

Dunga threw his club like hands in the air with frustration as he followed suit with his team leader. "Where are we gunna start Ozuma? I've literally searched every inch of this god dammed hospital!"

*THUD* *THUD* *THUD* *THUD* *THUD* *THUD* *THUD**THUD* *THUD* *THUD*

Tala snappily announced with Daichis' weight starting to gripe his spine. "Hey I hear something. Down the hall...what is that noise?" Memory soon served as the noise sharply reminded him of his BIOVOLT days and the stamping feet of training drills. "The army?"

The thudding got louder with each passing second. *THUD* *THUD**THUD* *THUD* *THUD*

The hammering of what sounded like a thousand feet shook the multi-storey level and any water in abandoned cups to vibrate like in Jurassic Park when a herd of dinosaurs approached.

*THUD!* *THUD!* *THUD!* *THUD!* *THUD!* *THUD!* *THUD!* *THUD!* *THUD!* *THUD!*

Hilarys,' Tysons', Ozumas' and Dungas' heads popped out of the doorframe like meerkats forcing Tala to take a cumbersome step back to avoid brown, blue, red, grey and blonde coloured head butts.

Dunga grumped. "Don't tell me. Is that who I think it is?" His mind turned to a certain Mr Cooper and his features drew as straight as a ruler, his wrists bitterly remembered the steel handcuffs of when they first met with Kai's "detain first, ask questions later" security team.

The frost prince was near shoved out of the way as Tyson and Dunga scuffled to exit the room first to meet the troop, followed by Ozuma dashing after them and Hilary closely behind. He expressed pure confusion with a growing flame of anger. "Grrrrr. What's the big idea? What is that noise?! Somebody answer me."

The Blitzkrieg Boys' question was ignored entirely as all bodies dashed back into the corridor, down the middle of the walk way, past empty neighbouring patient rooms, and through a set of glass sliding double doors on metal runners to the direction of the noisy brigade.

Hilarys' scabby blood dried heels stung as the back of her plimsolls newly rubbed with her short sprint. She re-emerged into the main foyer behind the boys and cried out. "I know that noise...that's..."

Tyson completed her sentence as the Kevlar-clad force turned a corner to come stampeding into view head. "KAIS' SECURITY!"

Daichi quipped from Talas' back as they drew in line with the quicker paced quad. "Yeah and they seem to be heading somewhere in a realllllll hurry!"

The jogging blockade of security operatives ranged in sex, age, height, build and race. All wearing the same black stab proof vests, black military boots, perfectly ironed clean uniforms and matching sunglasses, they were like a team from the matrix.

Dunga stated the obvious. "Yeah and they're heading this way!"

Tala's ice blue eyes narrowed with a hint of jealousy. "Kais' security detail huh? That's not a security team, that's an army! I guess he finally made it into the corporate high fly club."

The huffing barrage of 15 Kevlar suited security specialists closed in fast with Mr Cooper spear-heading in front. Despite his hulking weight he travelled at some speed like a navy seal trained man-rhino hybrid.

*THUD!* *THUD!* *THUD!* *THUD!* *THUD!* *THUD!* *THUD!* *THUD!* *THUD!* *THUD!*

Tyson became animated as the private military soon reached him. "Mr Cooper it's you!"

Mr Cooper had other things to worry about than acknowledge his employers loud mouth friends and whoever the new red head was, nor the Saint Shields he didn't like or particularly trust. He pulled a radio from his hip whilst running, pressed a button on the side and ordered into it like a mobile phone. His words were thick throated and rolling in a deep American accent. "I've just got word. The King has been spotted passing corridor 9 on level 3. We're heading there now! ALL UNITS HEAD TO THAT LOCATION IMMEDIATELY! His attacker has also been seen in the area...Get me a medic on stand by!"

The freight train of security personnel chugged past just as Mr Cooper finished his roll call. Tyson and Co heard every word of his transmission.

Tysons' blood flushed with adrenaline and dangerous levels of hope as he jumped out of line and itched to tag along behind the marching missionaries. "The King. He's referring to Kai! LETS' GO! I BET THEY KNOW WHERE KAI IS!"

Ozuma immediately nodded in approval as he sprung into join Tyson with the chase. "Yeah let's go! We haven't a second to lose. Dranzer and Kai's fate is in the balance."

Dunga cried as he stomped after them. "Count me in!"

Hilary skipped into action and trailed behind Dunga. "We're on level 3 right now so Kai isn't far." "Ohhh Kai! Please please please be ok!" Her mind begged and hoped for a happy outcome.

"Don't wait for us! We'll catch up!" Yelled the Russian red-head.

"Hey Daichi. I don't suppose you can walk yet? Snapped Tala. The monkey boys' weight was becoming difficult to bear as his neck and tall backbone ached like they had been encased in cement.

Daichi replied sorrowfully. "I don't...think so."

"Urghhhhhhhh." Tala loudly sighed under his breath as he summoned all the strength he could to carry on piggybacking the fellow scarlet haired blader; cursing having ever left Russia.

Tysons' chest felt tight and a tickle of nausea set in as he fought to keep going suffering with the worst beybladers fatigue in years. His legs felt heavy and his energy reserves critically low but he drove on, trailing close behind Kai's highly paid babysitters. "Were coming Kai! Just hang in there! I won't let you down again. I promise!"

"Hmmmmm ahhhhhhh. " Kai groaned as quietly as he could, clutching his aching wound under his left hand. His voice still sore and raspy from the breathing tube he endured whilst sedated days before.

"Not much farther now." He promised himself as he leaned slightly bent forward at his waist with his free right hand against the windowless wall on the right side of an empty hospital walkway. Linear florescent tube lighting provided the only light - superficial and dull. The flooring was a cold grey tile much like throughout most of the hospital corridors and the phoenix blader was sick of seeing it. The walls were painted white with a blue plastic horizontal bar, a support hand rail fixed in place all along its length. The support rails were intended for the elderly and infirm...Kai fit into the latter category as he shuffled his dark grey slippers with haste and winced with each drag of his left leg. The body mechanics needed to walk interfered with his stomach muscles, ripping and tugging at the skin surrounding his pulsating and highly sensitive stab wound. Despite keeping to his timetable of heavy tablet doses of Morphine, he was in still a considerable amount of discomfort and the slight sedative side effects of the drugs plagued his sharpness of mind.

Still, he was determined to identify the person with the purple garment ahead who walked far too rapid for him to keep pace. The phoenix calls continued to ring in his ears, begging him to find their source.

Finally he reached the corner after what felt like a marathon of feet dragging, wincing with each step and quiet panting. Stray sweat drops cascaded down his handsome paint-less cheeks. He straightened as much as he could whilst using the wall pillar to brace his spine to spy around the corners' edge stealthily. Half his face poked from the concealed corner and one lilac eye peered down the walkway...just enough time to see...the tip of purple fabric whip in the breeze as the figure tightly turned down a far away right hand corridor.

*Wince* "Grrrrrnnnn.. I'm too slow." He growled, bitter at his body for its lack of usual vigour.

Seeing all was clear, Kai emerged from the corner with more shuffling of slippers and stood for a moment in the quiet open. His hand still guarded his wound as it begged him to stop and find somewhere to sit and not move for a month.

Kai panted as another dew of sweat trickled down his forehead. The lack of air conditioning and tiredness were starting to overwhelm him. "I may not have seen your face yet." *Pant* "But... I know it's you, *Pant* you're the one who did this to me. *Pant* I can hear my Dranzer calling. I know it's you...Blake...and I want my bitbeast back."

A war was raging. Kais' wound and body begged for the rest of a bed but his heart and quest for the truth had more fire power. A grey slipper took a scraping slide forward until a voice echoed out from a dull lit corner behind him.

The voice of Voltaire Hiwatari. "Kai... my Grandson. Look at what you have allowed to happen to you. Look at what you've been reduced to. Pathetic . Didn't I teach you better?"

Kai's head shot round to where the noise honed. "Grrrrannndddffaathhherrr?" Kai stammered as his pupils drew tiny at the sight of a phantom...his grandfather – Voltaire Hiwatari. The tyrant dressed in the same clothes he wore at the World Championships in Russia...and despite the 15 or so years that had passed, he hadn't aged a day.

The coloured ghost took a noiseless step forward out of the dimness of the corner and into the light to judge over his progeny.

Kai clutched his wound harder protectively and his paralysed body froze to the spot with disbelief. With petrified lilac eyes he held his breath as the figure spoke.

The elder Hiwatari spectre gestured and pointed at the younger with a cruel and cocky face. "My traitor of a grandson. Look at how weak you have become."

Kai stammered. "You can't be here...You're not here. You are still incarcerated at Fuchu maximum security. How... are... you here?!"

Voltaire continued with a harsh condescending tone and with eyes as black as coal. "You are not worthy of the Dranzer Bitbeast. I should have removed it from your charge years ago when I had the chance when you were just a child and awarded it to a stronger beyblader worthy of its strength. You are such a disappointment Grandson. ...you are a disgrace to the Hiwatari name. I sent you to BIOVOLT to become strong, a true soldier and worthy of the Bitbeast you possessed. But now you've lost your Bitbeast, your pride, and almost your life to this unknown? What do you intend to do now Grandson? Follow him around and beg for your Bitbeast back. Beg like a dog. You can't fight him for your Bitbeast back. Haaahha you can barely stand. You have no weapons. You have none of your petulant Bladebreaker friends around to protect you. You're on your own Kai. You are maimed and you are completely defenceless."

Kai cried out shaking his head in defiance. "No, you're not here! You...you can't be."

He frantically pulled out the morphine pill bottle from his right pocket with a shaking hand. "I must be hallucinating. That's it...these... meds have messed with my head."

His amethyst eyed gaze dashed back to the corner where the ghost of his Grandfather haunted. In the blink of an eye and without a trace, he was gone. Just a quiet empty corner existed once more.

"He's... gone."Kai muttered with relief and scanned the area nearby for a moment to be sure. His heart soon settled from its racing and his stance straightened as his body relaxed. "What if I am on a drug fuelled wild goose chase? I haven't heard Dranzers' cry in a while. I'm probably tripping." He murmured as he replaced the morphine pills back to his pocket.

Then as if to counteract his doubts; a sharp phoenix call battered his hearing right through to his bones. "KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

The sensual assault instantly bore deep into Kais' mind, rocked his brain and zapped his soul. He scuffled cries of agony as he held two hands over his ears and waited for the heart rendering screeching to cease.

8 seconds pass of piercing phoenix scream until...

Silence.

The stab victim instantly felt faint and awash with dizziness, his sight blurred and then cleared to then blur again. He felt sick and staggered to the right wall rail for support, cursing the lack of seats as his body felt heavy with exhaustion. Kai was suffering severe anaemia from the days past trauma and was far from recovery. He held his shaking beybladers hands in front of his face and trembled as he began to re-think his plan.

He clamped his left hand back over his injured area, padded with gauze and bandaging under his baggy t-shirt and curled his right into a fist and pressed his knuckles against the wall in melancholy. His thick grey eyebrows and lips distorted with the mental and physical discomfort.

His pale face was wide eyed with a dewy complexion.*Pant* "If I'm right and this guy I'm tailing is Blake, I'm hardly in the best condition to face him. *Pant* I'm so sorry Dranzer; I'm no good to you like this.*pant* I have to turn back... *pant* my friend."

"I thought I could hear the whining of a wounded animal. The sacrificial lamb lives I see." Came a familiar, calm and dangerous voice from the other side of the hallway. "I can't tell you how annoying that is."

Kais' anaemic body shivered cold as adrenaline hit his nerves like a freight train. All fogginess of the ex Blitzkreig boys' mind cleared instantly as a fight or flight response took the mast. He lifted his head and staggered away as strong legged as he could muster from his wall support... to face his vicious past opponent.

Kais tired, dehydrated eyes scowled as they focused on the real figure in the distance. His right hand balled into a tight ball as his left hand clamped over the dagger wound that wailed and throbbed red at the very sight of its surgeon.

Blake smirked as he slowly stalked towards the wavering stanced CEO. Each black open toed boot gently trod deliberately forward; his dark velvet purple cape gently tussled behind. His white teeth glinted in the low light of the artificial light lining the ceiling and his long silver bangs swayed as he stalked. Despite his evil and mad intentions, he was menacingly calm and his voice was flat and emotionless.

Blake, clad in royal blue and black clothing called out clear and precise. "Oh Kai, you have no idea how glad I am to have found you..." His face dropped and his next words were laced with sarcasm. "...alive."

Kai instantly knew he was in trouble; after all this man had tried to kill him the last time they were face to face and almost succeeded. To fight or to fly, neither was a possible choice. Kai could not run, he could barely walk; and fighting to stand without blacking out was the only conquest he could uphold. The hallucination of his Grandfather was right in that he was completely defenceless.

His' mind raced. Kai Hiwatari was an outstanding beybattle strategist and incredibly clever in all aspects of his life but right now with the dull headache, intensifying nausea and dizzying rushes of adrenaline it was proving difficult to think of viable escape options. He quickly deduced that he couldn't run, Blake would catch him in seconds and he'd only look like a coward; so he sought to do the only thing he could, keep him talking and maybe... just maybe Mr Cooper and the rest of Team Halo would find him in time.

Kai fought his wounded posture to stand straight with his fatigued head held high. He was brimming with questions despite his waning energy and pained abdomen.

Blake neared closer and closer into clear view.

Kai's nausea was suddenly shoved aside by fiery burst of anger at the sight of the features that nearly cost him everything, and without a second thought for his safety, he slammed a slippered foot forward as his balled right fist trembled at his side. He dropped his head lower and death glared through his grey hair bangs. "It is you...Blake. You're the coward who attacked me with your dagger at the beystadium for the whole world to see. Tell me, were your actions a political statement or just for sick kicks?...You mutilated me on live television and left me for dead... all to steal my Bitbeast. WHY? I have to know."

Blake stopped in his tracks and smarmily replied, his arms gestured in a carefree way. "You don't remember? I explained my whole plan to you at the side of the beydish." He huffed nonchalantly "You are nothing more than a sacrifice; a stepping stone in my journey to becoming ruler to a New World Order. There was nothing personal about it Kai."

Kai took a deep breath to calm as Blakes' figure drew to a stop and recited the plan to keep his assassin talking in a bid to buy time. His tone was punchy and assertive. "No I don't remember. I was too busy bleeding to death at the side of the beydish. Maybe you would like to enlighten me? Why not defeat and absorb your opponents Bitbeasts like all the other Bitbeast stealing maniacs out there?... Attacking the blader like you did was a bit extreme wouldn't you say?"

Blake taunted. "Oh I wasn't expecting this level of spunk from you, given how close to death you were mere days ago Kai and at my hand no less. Okay I'll refresh you, you weren't really in a listening mood I guess with my dagger buried deep into your side... or maybe the blood loss has fogged your memory."

Blakes' tone turned less playful as a gritty seriousness laced his next words. His hands gestured as he explained the ins and out of his clans scheme to a man he knew would not be alive for much longer to share it. "You were using Dranzer as nothing more than a toy, a play thing for when you were bored, our plans for him are far more consequential for mankind.

Your Dranzer is an almighty elemental weapon, one of four powerful tools my clan and I will use to cure the sickness of this World by destroying it and rebuilding a new. Shadow Vales' New World Order has already begun with the weak stepping aside for the strong. As destiny dictated, your strength was tested and you lost our battle. As a guardian of a sacred spirit, your life needed to be snuffed out so that I, the victor shall rise in your place with Dranzer at my side.

Your treatment was nothing more than the severing of your spiritual bond with Dranzer. Once I've severed Dranzers' bond with you...*smirk* again... and completed the bonding ritual... my guardianship with the Great Red Phoenix spirit will finally be complete.

Taking your Bitbeasts is not enough; it's not as simple as just switching owners like your run of the mill world domination enthusiast. My brothers and sister intend on completely spiritually bonding with the sacred spirits, and so fuse as one, using dark magic to amplify their powers. We will be an unstoppable force when all four of us have completed our missions. Driger, Draciel and Dragoons' guardians are too being tested and undoubtedly the other three sacred spirits are being claimed as we speak.

Like I said there was nothing personal and certainly nothing political with our agenda, we're far beyond caring for the politics of todays' corrupt society."

Kai listened intently and without a word as the sinking feeling in his belly dragged his mind into the depths of a black and white film flashback. He remembered watching Blakes' lips up close mouth cruel words as the Shadow Vale blader scruffed his clothes tight and held him in place as he entered hypovolemia that day at the Charity Beyblade tournament. He remembered the moment Blake revealed that Max, Tyson and Ray were next on Shadow Vales agenda and how he called out for them to run, choking on his own blood at the same time. His desperate gargled calls fell on deaf ears as his cries of warning were silenced by the wall of the glassy dome that entrapped him that fateful day. Kai suddenly felt awash with guilt at having forgotten and not passed on the message to the rest of the Bladebreaker team when he had the chance. His face dropped and drew paler as he thought of his old team and instantly worried for their lives too.

Blakes' spiteful voice snapped Kais' attention back from his dark daydream. His lips were twisted into a sneer and gestured passionately with his clawed fingers. "All you had to do was die that day Kai. You have no idea how much trouble you've caused me since. But no more. I'll amend my mistake today and show my elders that I am worthy of their teachings. Dranzer will do as I bid."

Kai retorted with a barely visible smirk and raised his fist to waist level. His eyes glinted under the florescent light; hearing that he's given Blake trouble pleased him. "Oh yeah? I'm glad I've inconvenienced you. Being tied to a hospital bed has disrupted my schedule too."

Kais' sarcasm was on point as he cocked his fist onto his hip. "I'm sure your elders were proud to see what a class A murderer you are. You failed to finish me that day and what's more you will fail to control my Dranzer whether my heart is beating or not. And how is that going by the way?"

Blake was clearly riled by Kais' taunt and raised his voice with slanted bitter eyes. "Dranzer is a stubborn creature but when I remedy the issue by doing what I failed to do sooner, Dranzer will finally do I command. I guarantee it."

The dual haired beyblader found a truck load of calm confidence hearing about Dranzers' defiance and forgetting how dangerous the man opposite. "So you've tried... and failed to control my Dranzer?! It seems that Dranzer has deemed YOU unworthy."

Kais' last remark had burned a tender spot causing Blakes' demeanour to take the darkest turn. The purple draped mans' face sneered and his red irises glinted as he shoved a tattooed hand and forearm under the darkness of his cloak to grasp a hard cold deadly item from its concealed sheath inside. "Kai, I think it's time we end our little chat." He said as he pulled his golden dagger at least 12 inches in full length including the hilt from under his caped garment. Its polished length glimmered in the artificial light. It had been cleaned since it last met with Kais' body and Blakes' intention was to christen it once again with the phoenix guardians' blood.

All cockiness and sarcasm was exhaled as Kai drew in a sharp cold lung full of fear. His tired atrophied legs involuntarily shuffled backwards, slowly, inch by inch was all they could muster despite the panic in his arteries. His orbs hawked at the pointed object and in them reflected a dread the master of stoicism couldn't hide. Patient 12s'jaw slightly hung as he choked on flashbacks of the last time he met the stabbing implement wrapped in inked dark skin fingers.

Flashback – The discovery of the dagger in his abdomen.

*Kai tried to bend to look down at his thighs to investigate, only to be halted sharply by something preventing the bend in his posture. That wet...is blood. He gingerly lifted his hands to touch the foreign object afflicting him. He investigated the handle with his left hand, touched it lightly whilst using his right hand to press against his shirt on the right side of his form. Then the pain hit him like a double decker freight train.*

Flashback – When Blake pulled out the blade from Kai's body.

*"Kai, we need to hurry this up I'm afraid. You aren't bleeding quick enough and I want my dagger back." As Blake said the word "back" he withdrew his long golden weapon slowly with his right hand from Kais' pain ridden aching body. Kai screamed at the torture of the blade sliding out. His breathing went from quick and shallow to heavily laboured as blood choked out of his mouth.*

Kai could barely breathe as he remembered the trauma of Blakes' actions with his golden stabbing weaponry. The hot searing pain, the terror of blood pouring from a wound he couldn't stop and the taste of iron in his mouth that never faded until he blacked out on the floor. His wound ached and throbbed as if it was its own person and crying, screaming, begging at the rest of the body to run, if only the weak legs, shrunken muscles and anaemic system would allow.

Kais' meek shuffling in reverse did little to remedy the closing gap between him and his assailant. The blade wielding villain was less than 10ft away and taking much delight in Kais' silence and feeble retreating.

Blake held and flipped his dagger like a juggler, re-catching it at the hilt every time without flaw. "I can see it in your eyes Kai. You know this is the end for you. The real end I mean. I'll do the job properly this time. Kai I'll have you know my attack wasn't meant to make you suffer. None of this was personal." He flipped the dagger in the air again and caught it. His face and voice were flat and despondent like a great white shark with his eyes rolled white. He was going in for the kill.

Kais' mind ran haywire as he battled to screw back on his strategic head. "He's seriously going to do it. Again! No! ...II can't let him. I can't give up! Dranzer is counting on me! I have to let my fear go and clear my mind. I need ...to stall him and hope... that I'm found before it's too late."

The flame masters' fiery pride stopped his slow slippered and futile retreat and took a resolute and deep breath of bravery. He stopped firm as he dropped his head to scowl once again under the shade of his bangs. If he was going to die we can going to do so with a mouth full of venom and he hadn't given up his previous plan to stall his slaughter further just yet. He burst with whatever kindle of energy his exhausted body had left, all the while still guarding his wound and with his free hand, rose and shook it to fit each statement. "None of this was personal?! It was personal to me! Oh and I wasn't done talking. Now tell me...where is MY Dranzer?!"

Blake almost laughed as he ceased his hunters' advance. "Pahhh! Your Dranzer? Last time I checked I have guardianship of Dranzer now. You lost your battle against me remember and I rightly removed him from your possession. Destiny had deemed you unworthy and too weak to wield him any longer.

Kai spat back. "I'd say destiny was on my side. I survived your attack. Now stop playing games and tell me...WHERE IS MY DRANZER?!

Blakes' lips pulled to a smarm, his ruby eyes remained cold and his voice matter of fact. "I am the rightful guardian of Dranzer now; he is not YOUR anything. However if you would like to say goodbye...here take a quick peek just for you before you meet your end."

Blakes' free hand dove into a pocket hidden under his cloak just above his right breast and drew a brown object into the light. His black inked fingers gripped around the edges of a plain brown beyblade with red flashes of colour on the attack ring. He raised his arm out straight so that the bitchip was clear for Dranzers' ex-owner to view.

Dranzers' red bird image stickered the bitchip centre. Silent and imprisoned.

Blake stated as he gave Kai a few final seconds to gaze upon the spirit in the blade. "Don't worry Kai. I'll take good care of Dranzer. Your Phoenix spirit and I will scorch a new path for humanity onto the earth together and the world will be a better place for it."

"KAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!" Another mythical bird cry echoed in Kai's agonising heart and ears.

Kais face was scrunched with fury as he tried desperately to reason. "Give him back to me! You claim destiny determines your path and actions? Well destiny obviously wanted me alive for some reason. Dranzer was handed down to me. I am the rightful guardian and have been since I was very young. Dranzer will not be controlled by you. A Bitbeast is no good to your cause if you cannot wield its power. So give him back! You want to change the world, why don't you join amnesty international or green peace. Can't you see? Your plot is insane?" Kai tried any diplomacy and reason he could.

Blake tucked Dranzer away into the black recesses of his cloak once more but not without one last melancholy cry to his master. "Kawwwwwwwrrrr."

Kais face momentarily scrunched with emotions of pity and grief. "Dranzer..."

The Shadow Vale blader had had enough of delays. "This is getting desperate now Kai. Your stalling was futile and I'm afraid you have run out of time. Face it Kai...you are too weak to be worthy of a sacred spirit. Just look at yourself. You were weak before and you are even weaker now. A small breeze could blow you over...you can barely stand. I can see your legs shaking. You're a mess. You're as white a sheet. You're sweating with exhaustion. YOU ARE DONE; and the sooner you accept that the easier this will be. Just accept your fate. I'll put an end to all of your suffering right now and you are indeed suffering. I can see you're in pain. This doesn't have to be an ugly transaction. I'll make sure your end clean and swift this time. You won't feel much for long. I promise."

Blake took last dominant strides forward whilst catching a final juggler's toss of his dagger. He stopped directly in front of the young Hiwatari no more than a step away. Despite Blakes' frame being a fraction taller they mirrored each other in stance. "So what will it be Kai. You gunna try to run, scream? Cry? Beg? Or do you want to die with dignity, more dignity than last time? At least you won't have an audience here. It's just you and me."

Kai...left with no other option, resigned himself to death. Like a samurai about to commit Seppuku he was calm and trying to make peace with it despite the rage in his belly and chest. He could not run... would not scream or cry and certainly wasn't going to beg. He straightened his spine to stand as tall as he could, his soft slippered feet flat and as firm as his shivering leg muscles would allow. He dropped his guard on his wounded left flank and his fisted right to hang them loosely at his thighs like a soldier. He took a deep breath through his nostrils and with a sneering face he glowered down upon the weapon held at waist height in Blakes' gripped palm. With his slaughterers' tattooed forearm on display, Kai eagled a large red and wilted mark distorting the perfect lines of his ink.

"A burn... Dranzers' or a cooking accident?" Kai smugly jabbed whilst trying to hide his glee that his Bitbeast has maimed his quarry forever. He knew a phoenix flame burn a mile off.

Kai knew the backlash of bitterness he would receive for his remark but said it anyway. He was past caring.

Blake snapped as he twisted the burnt area of arm out of Kais' sight. His scarlet lusting irises grew large as his pupils shrunk with malice. "Show respect to those stronger than you and get on your knees!"

Kai stood straight like a defiant and proud prisoner of war in a firing line. His amethyst eyes were dulling with the fatigue and cold with stubbornness. His breath however was rapid and heaving as he struggled to calm the survival instinct to try to flee.

Blakes' palms grew sweaty as his desire to complete his mission was overbearing. Murderous lust coursed through him like lightning. His ability to go home and show his face to his elders depended on it. He growled. "On your knees Kai! This will be so much easier for you on your knees. Your body will have less distance to fall. You want to go with some dignity don't you?"

The ex-G-Revolution blader remained statuesque. He icily glared back into Blakes' scarlet orbs. Each word was said with a steel conviction. "No I will not kneel. I choose to die on my feet with my head held proud."

Kai panted heavily with his mouth closed, his heart beating mad, and his pulse thick with fear, head dizzy but still stoic and brave. He closed his eyes to the world whilst he said his silent goodbyes.

"Grandfather Masa, Grammy, I love you. Sayonara guys, thanks for everything...again. Dranzer... don't ever let him control you. Don't break to his will you hear me."

Blake loses his temper further as his voice turned demonic and harpy-like as his patience snapped. His heartbeat banged through his chest like a tribal drum. "Fine if you won't get on your knees... that's your choice."

A shock hit Kais' senses as his neck prickled under the cold edge of Blakes dagger pressing against the side front of his throat ready to slice. The sensation made the blader flinch but quickly regained his stony and plucky resolution.

Blake sneered and evilly twisted his wrist ready to exact an action to sever his victims' carotid artery. He hissed. "Any last words?!"

Kai slowly opened his crystal amethyst eyes, his breath calmed as he made peace with it all. He leaned ever so slightly forward to near his butchers face without moving his feet. His intimate gaze was as burning as the sun. His voice was low toned and almost whispering. "You... will never... rule... MY Dranzer."

Blake and Kai locked eyes in wordless moments so tense the air was stifling. Kai arched his body back straight as the power in his eyes flickered like a raging bonfire.

The Shadow Vale assassins' face recoiled in disgust and fury, his thin lips twisted and his nose scrunched as his eyes glowered vampiric. His wrists received the message from his spine to slash as his arm muscles flexed and his tendons pulled in unison. Kais' time was up and his blood was a mere second away from being spilt and sprayed up the walls, to exsanguinate for the second time. His murder part.2 would be just as messy and far from peaceful if the correct vein around the jugular wasn't guillotined right.

Blake watched Kais' face, savouring the last twitches of his sacrifices' face. His lilac eyes burned alive despite how dire his situation which irked Blakes' satisfaction ten fold. Kais' assumedly final action however would enrage him more. His preys' line of sight broke and eye rolled away to behind his back.

Kais' voice was rattled from the blade pressing against his neck. "I have one more thing to say."

Blakes' attacking arm twitched as it was halted before delivering the blow. His bark echoed through the corridor. "GET ON WITH IT PHOENIX GUARDIAN. MAKE THESE YOUR FINAL WORDS!"

Kai blinked as he drew in a sharp breath of relief. His voice was sassy as he whispered with a wide jawed grin. "Turn around."

*CLICK**CLICK* *CLICK**CLICK*

The sound of guns cocked in unison. Hiwatari Enterprises security team had arrived and despite Japanese gun laws...they were packing.