Chapter 4

Triple and quadruple rainbows arched in the clouds. The sun blazed in all its warmth and brilliance, while flowers wafted their sweet perfume to all passers-by. The birds chorused as her teammates-warriors of the Beyblade smoothly re-entered the tournament, laser-focused on obliterating all that barred the way to domination.

Ha. Her future in comedy shone brighter than ever.

Behind her, the two chuckleheads hadn't stopped ignoring each other, so she decided to admire the scenery. Tiny shrubs dotted the ground, while bushes flaunted ajisai, kakitsubata and, when she squinted, himawari buds. Berries poked shyly from under deep green leaves, and slithering vines wound around trees that towered skyward, their canopy reluctantly surrendering a few rays of sunshine. Visually appealing, with everything working in perfect harmony. What she would give to be in the home garden with her mom, rather than failing at a tournament with two people that couldn't even-

Brakes whining, plus a crunching sound let her know Tyreese had frozen. Turning around, she saw the girl raise her left hand, palm open. She'd heard something. Rustling of leaves overhead, the occasional bird call, a few lizards…Everything seemed fine. Hm…was it…that this was…too perfect? The clearing was wide, and provided more than enough shade for an-

"AMBUSH!" The platinum blonde roared, launching with the full length of her arm to counter a bey aimed at her wheels. Her ripcord lashed out- whip-like, glinting in what light it could catch as it undulated.

"Low blow, kiddos!" Dai planted her feet wide with a stomp, and ripped Vesuvius out to join the fray. From the trees, six-seven-eight bladers leapt, shrieking and kicking up dust clouds as they landed. A blessing in disguise. She'd wanted to assess the pair's styles. Stepping back as Tyreese wheeled up, she fixed her gaze on the beys now viciously attacking each other.

"Let's try this on for size! Lupa!"

An otherworldly howl echoed through the forest. The bey darted in and out of the trees, emerging from time to time to strike the opposition. Retaliation was swift. Lupa was rammed again and again, crashing into trees and causing branches and splinters to fly left and right. The cracking of timber made Ayaka wince.

"Dai! High chance of showers?"

"I think I'm pickin' up what you're dropping!"

The branches now littering the ground were lifted by a pretty powerful wind. Vesuvius spun and spun and then froze- blasting a shockwave outward. They sliced through the air, forcing their opponents to duck and knocking a few beys out completely as they plunged into the earth.

"Ugh! Let's show 'em what we got, people!"

Coordinating, the remining beys dived for the centre, spinning to create a powerful combined tornado.

"HOW YA LIKE THAT, HUH?"

Cheers from the crowd. Dai crouched, leaning on Tyreese's chair to anchor it more. Ayaka could make out two beys wobbling in the air column. She supposed that that would be it for them.

"You had your fun." Tyreese growled.

A slate-grey flash spiralled up the wind column, and vanished. Then flashes-back-and forth-bouncing from tree to tree to tree- grey lightning- the clang of metal against metal. Silhouettes were repelled by the silver streak. The tornado immediately subsided, leaving a very disoriented crew.

One of them growled at the two. "Time to end this, guys!"

They closed in around both beys in an all-sides barrage. Blast Vesuvius slowed, while Lupa went on the defensive, encircling it tightly. And it seemed almost effortless- the way the opponents were deflected. Standing up, Dai stretched her limbs out, grinning, but not making a move until...

"GO FOR IT!" Tyreese yelled, pupils narrowing to manic slits.

In response, the dark-skinned girl laughed aloud. Flashing an almost infernal orange, Vesuvius picked up the pace, wildly dancing here, almost hitting there in crazed zig-zags. A one-at-a-time takedown using momentum? That bey was too heavy. Ayaka peeled off her cardigan, and realized it was soaked in sweat. Huh? All her clothes were cotton. The scent of rubber burning-heatwaves shimmered off the ground, rendering it soft…almost…melting?

"Sickle Claw!"

With lethal slashes, Lupa sent the beys skyward, before brutally smashing them downwards to a waiting-

"VESUVIUS!"

There was only an orange disc- hellfire spreading out almost to the very edges of the clearing- she'd looked too long- her eyes reflexively closing- horrified screams- lighting forked down-her head- Jesus, her head – Kai-Rah-eyes searing into her as the shards of Mercury rained down and stabbing into her tear-streaked eyes and blood running down-

"HEY! You ok?"

Ayaka flinched back from the hand on her shoulder, eyes flying open. Dust clouds ballooned out from the site of impact, slowly clearing. The beys were half-sunk into the soil, smoke tendrils drifting into the air. A cheerful grin from Dai, and a smirk from Tyreese.

"Might wanna wait a while to get those."

Shaking her head, Ayaka returned herself to reality. Kai-Rah was not here. It was more likely she'd be eliminated than meet-

Absolutely not. If I meet her, I'll put her in her place. Until then, snap out of it.

"H-how were you able to do all that?"

Tyreese shrugged. "Just happens. Dai's with me, and we roll with it."

"All of that…is just improv?"

"Yep." Dai popped the final "p" of the word so casually. Like one of the most difficult things for a blader to do was just commonplace for Tyreese.

Ayaka blinked. These two…their power was outmatched by their synergy. They seemed more than used to tag-teaming. She needed to study their beys. How could Vesuvius generate so much heat? Was Lupa a Stamina or Balance Type? Were there gimmicks involved? She'd have to keep her eyes on them. Not only would they be useful shields on the way to the finals, they might actually threaten her victory. After all, there could only be one victor of Brawlers' Bliss.