"Hey, are you planning to go here?"
Takao blinked. "Well, yes, the chairman of the Championship Committee invited us for the tournament. And besides, I'm afraid I'm getting a LITTLE rusty, heh heh heh. It's good for keeping my 'Bey' form, if you know what I mean."
"But…France is TOO far away!" Tsukiyo protested. "Can't you guys just pass it UP?"
"We would LOVE to, but the challenge is stronger than our own selfish desires." Professor sweatdropped. "Wait, what was THAT I just SAID…?"
"I've been hearing rumors that the European teams are a LOT tougher than all the other teams we faced combined," Lei said, looking up from his calculus book.
"Eh? Wow, THAT'S interesting to note." Takao grinned happily. "I've been itching for a good fight these past 4 years…"
"Ne, have you been slacking off on your training?" Max asked. Although he wasn't a student, he managed to get in, anyway. His father's best friends with the senior high school principal.
"Nah. I've been practicing like mad ever since we parted ways," Takao told him. "Professor helped me a lot, and I've been honing my skills ever since. Grandfather doesn't know anything about my Blading practices, he just thinks I'm practicing my kendo somewhere on the face of this planet."
"But whatever Takao says, he's still whacked sore just to do the extra kendo overload. It keeps his mind and energy focused. That's very crucial in a Bey Blading game," Professor put in.
"Really?" Max was wide-eyed. "WOW."
"Hey, would Kai be joining us?" Lei asked suddenly, blinking.
SD Tsukiyo turned into an angry chibi puppy. SD Takao gave off a goofy laugh. "Heh, heh, I'm not sure. But you know Kai, he DOESN'T let any opportunity pass his way, in search for -Holy Beasts-."
The 5 of them became quiet. Then Lei frowned slightly, his amber-yellow eyes serious. "Hey…Driger started spinning on ITS own last night."
Max and Takao whipped their heads around sharply to look at the Chinese. Tsukiyo had several question marks on top of her head. "Huh?!?"
"Draciel started spinning, too," Max confessed after a few moments of silence. "I thought I was imagining things, but, yeah, Draciel was spinning on top of my bedside table last night."
"Dragoon did, as well." Takao was quiet. "Gee, it looked as if somebody was controlling my Bey Blade via super remote last night…"
"Errh…your Beys won't move or spin or do tumbling acts in the air if you guys don't touch it, yes?" Tsukiyo asked them in a small voice. The 3 of them nodded slowly.
SD Tsukiyo turned pale. "What's THIS?! The EXORCIST?!"
"Starring Linda 'BEY'?!" Professor started typing on his laptop. "Most unlikely. According to my calculations…oh, by the way, Dizzi was also going haywire last night…there was an enormous amount of lunar energy present that caused the Bey Blades to spin. The lunar energy was focused to 1 source then spread the energy far and wide to all the Beys everywhere."
"ALL Beys?!" Takao was incredulous. "WHA~~~?!"
"Yes, Takao, ALL of them." Professor typed in some more. "But these energy readings are SO unusual. I've never seen anything like these before. I wonder what it is?"
"Have you ever heard of –Aurans-?"
All of them looked up to see Kai standing there with a serious expression on his face. SD Takao's eyes turned into beads. "What…?"
"I've been hearing rumors that a top secret agency is studying –Aurans-." Kai nodded. "-Aurans- are people born with a rare gift that make them extremely sensitive to anything spiritual. In other words…the Beys that started spinning last night was the –Auran's- reaction to them so in turn they also reacted. Especially more so if the Bey happens to have a -Holy Beast- in it."
"-Aurans-…" Lei whispered.
"One was extremely agitated last night to cause all Bey Blades to spin," Kai went on. "That –Auran- must be extremely powerful to even make non -Holy Beast- Bey Blades spin."
"You mean we have an –Auran- here in JAPAN?!" Max asked, his bright blue eyes wide and blinking.
"Most likely." Kai's deep red brown eyes narrowed. "-Aurans- make extremely efficient assassins, don't you know that? They kill with a precision of a lynx-eyed sniper from up to 200 feet."
"No WAY!"
"I've also heard rumors that they would make an appearance at the upcoming World Championship Tournament. I don't care if you join me as long as I could get to them. They are said to control VERY powerful –Holy Beasts-. –Holy Beasts- from beyond anything on this mortal plane." Kai nodded. "I'm going after them. If you guys hinder me…"
"Yeah, yeah, you'll KILL us." Takao sighed. "Look, Kai, I don't give a DAMN if you are to kill those –Aurans-, we're there to join the Championship. It's for meeting new friends and foes alike from all over the world to further hone our skills as Bladers. It's the true calling of a true Bey Blader. And as your former teammate…"
"Who said I'm NOT joining?" Kai deftly tossed each of them a glossy black envelope. "I've signed on first thing in the morning, YESTERDAY. I got your registration forms, knowing full well you'll never pass an opportunity like this to truly know more about yourself."
"Now this is ODD." SD Max blinked. "Kai, are you really KAI?!"
"Of course he is, he's still giving us death glares," Takao replied. He smiled at him ruefully. "Thanks, Kai. You have changed a WHOLE lot, haven't you."
"Just stay far away from me and don't get too close," Kai told him slowly. "If you step beyond what is appropriate…"
"You'll kill us with your –Whatchamacallit- attack. OK, OK, we GET it!" Takao grinned again. "Heh heh, this is ONE reunion we'll NEVER ever FORGET!"
"Of COURSE." Tsukiyo was fuming. "You forgot you still have me in here with you, you DOLT!"
"OUCH!"