Zerzens shot out of the arena and landed sqaurely into Llewelyn's right hand, who caught it deftly with one swipe. He looks over at Lei. "That was pretty impressive of you, kid. Usually, Beys who undergo the Breaker are literally torn apart by the rate at which they are spinning. The faster it spins, the faster it gets decimated. You get what I mean?"

"…" Lei just picked up the Driger from the ground, blood pounding in his ears. Kid? He was 19 years old, for crying out LOUD! He can't…he SIMPLY can't call him that. He's a young man now. A far cry from that immature youth who simply didn't want others to push him around back then. He didn't take crap from anybody.

And Driger…

"…" Asaya watched him, feeling the surge of emotions bubble up inside the young man's heart as he contemplated Driger's loss. She bit her lip.

***Do not let the emotions take control of you…it would be then that you are truly defeated even before you start Blading…!***

"Alright, shooting places, gentlemen!" Pierre calls out. Llewelyn sets Zerzens on his Shooter while Lei did the same with Driger. Professor gulped. "Lei…don't PUSH it! If you keep going on like this…"

"I HAVE to, Professor. It would be dishonorable to bow out of a fight right now," Lei said quietly. "Driger wouldn't forgive me if I did."

"B-but you'll destroy Driger in the process!" Takao yells.

"That's enough Takao," Max said quietly, biting his lip.

"But Max~~~!!!" Takao shook his head. "Is he bent on a suicide mission?! Max, what are you trying to do?!"

"It seems 4 years weren't still ENOUGH for Lei to find himself. He wants to know how much he could handle before snapping out of it. Takao…don't you believe in the saying that the only foe we ever have is OURSELVES?" Max nodded. "I guess Lei wants to prove to himself that he could get out of this fight unscathed. Even if Llewelyn manages to defeat him…he wants to know how much he has improved as a man. He's not fighting Llewelyn, Takao. He's fighting HIMSELF."

"OK! Here we go! 3…2…1…GO…SHOOOOOTTTTTT~~~!!!"

Driger and Zerzens entered the arena the same as always. Llewelyn was impressed.

***Ha, Lei totally reminds me of somebody I used to know. If that bastard were here right now, he'd give Lei a good flying kick to his derriere and tell him to go eat some grass. His determination never faltered, even if we used to Bey around a lot and he used to lose to me. Lei…you have that quality and so much more. I hope you'll find it before it becomes too late and Shao would have defeated you even before you reach the Finals. I believe in you. As Asaya believes in you. But then again, this is where the curtain falls.***

Lei was just quiet, his amber yellow eyes becoming glassier still. Llewelyn blinked.

***GOD! Lei…are you 'listening'?! Damn, you're even more powerful than I first thought! Alright, I have to finish it!***

Llewelyn swipes his arm, his ice blue eyes narrowed.

"Zerzens, Final Death Attack! -Darkness- comes to take away whatever –Light- is left in the land!" Close-up view of Llewelyn's narrowed ice blue eyes (oh, didn't I mention Llewelyn's a dead ringer for Darkness of Shadow Skill fame?! 8]).

"REQUIEM~~~!!!"

There was an ominous sound, and the dark clouds gathered in the heavens to cover the moon. A 6-pointed star appeared on where Zerzens was, along with some strange, archaic symbols in weird muted changing colors (orange, red, yellow). A flash of black light shot way up from Zerzens' center bit, and Professor was very frightened.

Takao and Max could only gape, while Tsukiyo was gazing at it, mesmerized.

A very frightening beast that looked as though it were made from the very same black fires of Hell itself sprung from within, breathing the same black fires, and mewling like so many Demons squeezed into one creature. It had 3 pairs of huge wings on its back, 6 wings, which unfurled and framed the full moon, which now became blood-red.

"A lich," Professor could only whisper.

At that precise instant, the creature, which looked like a cross between a dragon and a wolf, turned its baleful red gaze upon Driger. Lei was just quiet.

It shot right towards the spinning Bey, taking with it the same black light and very frightening aura. Lei's amber yellow eyes narrowed.

"I'm not finished yet! GRANFEIST GALE~~~!!!"

A deep green light surrounded Driger, and out came Driger the –Holy Beast-. Only this time, for some strange reason…it…evolved (^^;;). It became larger, its front fangs becoming longer, its many armor guards becoming huger and more ornate. It even had a pair of trailing peacock feathers on either side of its face armor, and the Driger's eyes became glassy like that of Lei's. Mist-like projections were on its 4 huge paws, and mist was surrounding it, enshrouding Lei with fog.

It roared, one earsplitting roar, then shot towards Zerzens like an arrow. There was a blinding flash of light and darkness, and all of them could only shield their arms from the onslaught.

Two pillars of light shot way up into the heavens, and revealed the moon, which became brighter and fuller still. Asaya blinked, her fine lightest brown eyebrows drawn together in a worried gesture.

At last the light and darkness fell away, and two Beys shot out from the furious battle field. Zerzens managed to spin around haphazardly, while Driger wobbled dangerously, took a dip, then fell completely still.

Pierre blinked, looking from one Bey to the other. He swipes his arm.

"Zerzens still up and about, spinning! Driger out cold and still! This match belongs to LLEWELYN FALSTAFF of the GUILD TEAM~~~!!!"

"Wow…" Takao said, awestruck. "Did you SEE that? Lei…"

"…" Lei could only stand there, his eyes half-closed. The world was spinning around him, and his friends' voices were very far away.

"Lei…?"

It was then that the blackness drew him in and he knew no more. Everything came to a complete halt.

Everything.

Everything…