Beyblade Ultima

Chapter 3: Game, match and set.

The audience cheered as Ray and Nobukage took places opposite each other on the dish. DJ Jazzman took the stage, "Send in the dish!" The dish rose from the floor, it was a square stone floor surrounded by miniature trees, a few clearings here and there and a medium river flowed through the area.

"Today's dish is known as 'Nature's gift', bladers will have to restrict themselves to the stone floor or battle in the rough terrain of the trees." Brad said and whistled.

"Those trees will make it extra hard for players to attack and defend. The foliage also prevents them from seeing their blade. It looks like the samurai have the advantage in this dish." AJ Topper and Brad Best continued their commentating.

"Let's look at the stats of our two players, take it away AJ!"

"Well Ray's one cool cat, he's known to keep the pace fast and take the opponent by surprise with his evasive movements. He's also got a good eye for cutting through surprise attacks. His Bit Beast Drigger is no tame cat either, he's been known to tear the dish right up!"

"That's right, while Nobukage may not have the experience of being a big player he relies on his grace and skill of his blade to win the fight. He is also a master of poetry and uses it to surprise his enemies. Better watch out for his Spear Throw."

"Players are you ready? On the count, 3… 2… 1! Let it rip!" DJ Jazzman moved his hand through the air to signify the start of the match. The audience went wild, people cheered for the two teams. Ray launched his blade as Nobukage launched his by twirling his spear around, and bringing the spearhead right down near the bowl. His blade was automatically launched by a mechanism in his spear.

This should be easy he doesn't seem that strong. His launching technique didn't really help his blade at all. Ray observed the scene, his blade had landed in the centre of the dish while Nobukage's was somewhere in the forest of trees. Ray stayed focused; it could be possible that Nobukage may be planning a surprise attack. Nobukage grinned, like his ancestors before him he had perfected the art of spear fighting in any condition. It was time for a surprise attack, "Go!" he yelled as his blade jumped and whirled in the air right above Ray. Ray smiled and called Drigger to action.

"Looks like Nobukage has made the first move, he might be trying to land on Ray."

"I doubt it will work Brad, Ray's got it all covered."
'Drigger dodge it!" Drigger moved out of the way as Nobukage's blade landed heavily in the stone floor. Drigger circled it and at Ray's call he headed straight for the other blade. Nobukage panicked and ordered his blade to initiate Spear Throw. Kenny watched to see what sort of attack it was. The Beyblade launched itself straight at Drigger; a little spear was released from side. The spear spun around as Drigger barely missed it; Ray noticed that the spear had left a gash in one side of his blade.

"Oh, Nobukage had almost got him there. Any closer and it would have been bye bye Drigger."

"Ye ouch, that's got to hurt."

Too close for comfort, I'll have to give him a little surprise of my own. Nobukage grinned, "Teeth like a tiger, the grace of a gazelle, using the power of ancient times I shall defeat you!" He said and pointed at Ray. Ray shook his head, "You think that will stop me, a true tiger won't go down that easily. Drigger!" The two blades rushed in and dodged each other's attack successfully. Kenny clicked his fingers, "I got it, and Nobukage is moving only in straight lines, he can't hit Ray except if he does a head on attack. And he has to time the attack to hit Ray!"

Max grinned, "You're brilliant Kenny!" He and Tyson gave each other high-fives. Tyson yelled to Ray, "Ray! Kenny says Nobukage can only move in straight lines." Ray waved a hand, "I've already got it covered."

Nobukage's Beyblade spun faster and faster, Drigger spun straight at it and then manoeuvred towards the trees. As expected Nobukage's blade followed him. "Just like a cat and mouse." Kai said. Drigger and the other blade whirled between the trees; Nobukage was having trouble however he was not going to give up. The two blades reached a clearing.

"I think Ray's got something up his sleeve, this tree weaving is going to end."

"You might be right there AJ."

"Spear Throw!" Nobukage yelled and his blade got faster. Ray grinned, "Now Drigger!" Drigger moved a little faster, the two Beyblades were headed towards a very big tree. Drigger dodges the tree in time however Nobukage was not so lucky. His blade got stuck in the tree.

"Looks like, Nobukage is going to be saying goodnight."

"Timber!"

"Drigger, Tiger Claw!" Ray commanded and Drigger arose from the blade and sliced the tree down. Nobukage sank to his knees, "I have become like the old tree, useless and rotten. My time to bloom is over, now all I make are faded leaves."

"This match is over, the winner is Ray from the Blade Breakers!" DJ Jazzman pointed to Ray. The audience cheered, in his private booth Mr Valentino smiled. Turning to a person seated next to him he asked, "They are very good, no?" The person looked carefully, "He was clever, there are still two players to go."

Ray went back to his team Tyson waved his arms around. "That was so cool!" Max agreed, "Nice moves Ray, you showed him who was boss." Meanwhile Nobukage bowed to his leader, "I am sorry I have failed. I will resign from the team." Nobunori laid a hand on his team mate's shoulder, "That will be unnecessary, he used your disadvantage against you. We will train you harder for next time."

Tyson's Grandpa called out from the grandstands, "That's it my homies! Only 2 more rounds to go." He sat back down and turned to the All-Starz and White Tigers, "You know, I taught them everything they know. I'm so proud of them. Go little dude!" Dr Judy, who was cheering Max on very loudly, the All-Starz sighed and watched the fight, soon it would be their turn to take someone on.

"The next session is Nobutaka versus Max!"

"Let's see, unlike the rest of the team, Max is known for his defensive style of playing. Don't be fooled, he can strike back too. With his Bit Beast Draciel to help, nothing can stand in his way."

"Nobutaka is quite the opposite this boy doesn't fool around. He goes straight in for the kill using his sharp sword skills in his Beyblading style. Keep your eyes peeled for his Sweep Attack."

"3… 2… 1… Let it rip!" The two bladers launched their Beyblades into the dish; Nobutaka didn't say a thing as he concentrated on the battle. Max smiled, "I hope you do your best." Nobutaka ignored him, "Beyblade, Sweep Attack!"

"Oh, it looks like Nobutaka's going in for the kill!"

"Can Max make it out of this?" Max paled a little and counted with defensive manoeuvres. Nobutaka's Beyblade zoomed ahead straight at Max and pushed him towards the edge of the mini forest. Tyson tightened his fists, "Kenny, we've got to help him!" He steeped forward when Kai stopped him, "Max can deal with it himself, if we are going to prove we are the best then we have to stop relying on Kenny." Tyson grimaced; I hope you can get out this Maxie.

Oh man, how am I going to get out of this? Hmm… I got it! "Draciel!"

"Here we go the Purple Turtle of Defence is here!"

"Calm down AJ, it seems that Max has called upon Draciel to pull him out of this one."

"Draciel, push him back!" Draciel moved backwards and pushed hard as it could against Nobutaka's blade. Nobutaka frowned, "Sweep Attack!"

His Beyblade moved in it, it moved to the right and started a sweeping motion towards Draciel. Max stayed focused, "Draciel now!" At his command, Draciel made it's own sweeping motion to it's right and hit Nobutaka's blade head on.

"Check it out B-man! That was sweet!"

"Sure was, turning the battle around Max used his own opponents attack against him!"

"Way to go Max!" Kenny cheered, "Dizzi did you get that?"

Dizzi sighed, "Yes Chief, I got it all down."

Ray grinned, "Max has improved hasn't he?" In response Tyson pumped his fist, "He's turning up the heat, Max's a good kid. Pity he isn't as great as I am." Ray and Kenny sighed. Max jumped up, "Yes, finish it Draciel!" Draciel rushed forward, Nobutaka grew angry. "The battle is not finished yet! Sword Tech!"

"Looks like the tables are turning, as a surprise to everyone Nobutaka has launched another attack!" Nobutaka's blade whirled faster as it headed straight on towards Draciel and leaped into the air, hitting the top of Draciel before landing back in the dish and swerving, it was ready to strike again. Dr Judy narrowed her eyes, "Come on, Max! It isn't over yet!" Max looked up at the stands, Mom's right. It isn't over as long as I have Draciel. He gripped his launcher, "Draciel!" As Nobutaka leapt again to hit Draciel, the Beyblade retaliated by 'jumping' upwards and upsetting Nobutaka's blade. Caught of balance the Beyblade toppled and spun out of control, sensing a moment of weakness Max attacked sending the opposing blade into the air and back into the dish.

DJ Jazzman peered into the dish, grinning he waved a hand towards Max. "Round two goes to Max!" The crowd went wild as Max waved to them. With only one fight left, it looked like the Blade Breakers had it in the bag.

Kenny turned to Tyson, "You're up. Show them what you're made of!"

"Sure thing Chief, this is in the bag." Kai looked up, "Don't be too cocky, I don't think these guys are too thrilled with the match so far." Tyson poked his tongue out at Kai, "What would you know, Mr Big Shot!"

"Take it easy little dude, don't make your head swell too big!" Grandpa yelled brandishing his kendo stick. "Argh, that grandson of mine! He's got an ego the length of America to Japan!" Michael snorted while Emily remarked, "It seems his Grandfather is now better!" Mariah placed her hand over Emily's mouth, "Careful, our Elder always taught us respect before our elders, even if they are a little eccentric…"

"Elder! Who are you calling old!"

DJ Jazzman put a hand up to his headset, "I have a special message from the Presidential Box, will the old man in the Hawaiian shirt with the kendo stick please keep it down?"

Tyson sunk to the ground, "Oh man, why is Grandpa such an embarrassment?" None of the Blade Breakers replied they were still looking annoyed and embarrassed with Tyson's grandfather. "Round three, ladies and gentlemen give a big hand for Tyson and Nobunori!"

"Well AJ, let's check what these titans are standing up against."

"Okay Brad, Tyson's one tough cookie. He's known to go straight in and attack his opponent without looking. With his Bit Beast Dragoon, he's a formidable attacker."

"Hard to believe he's the current World Champ, anyways Nobunori combines strength and offence in his style. Better be careful though, he can be very unpredictable at times when he hits you with Honour Code."

"Ready, 3… 2… 1… Let it rip!" Nobunori swung his axe around in a style simular to Johnny's with the exception that he was standing several meters away from the dish. Letting go of his axe, he ran up to the dish as the axe spun and landed heavily in the ground. A Beyblade zoomed out before it reached the ground and landed in the dish. Red-faced Nobunori looked triumphant. Tyson ignored him, as he called Dragoon to battle. "Dragoon attack!"

The two Beyblades headed straight at each other, Nobunori picked up his axe and yelled, "Honour Code!"

Kenny looked worried, "Dizzi can you tell me anything about this attack?"

Dizzi said nothing before replying, "All I've managed to find out is that it is a mantra that allows Nobunori to release some of his own energy into his Beyblade increasing it's strength and defence while lowering its speed."

Max looked on, "So are you saying Tyson has to be faster than him to win?"

Ray shook his head, "It doesn't sound that simple, I think Tyson may just have to beat him head on."

"We have a winner!" Dizzi chimed as Kai groaned. This competition was useless; he could be making himself stronger instead of playing around with these amateurs.

Tyson looked grim, Nobunori's Beyblade wasn't giving up it seemed to be getting stronger. Gripping his launcher, he remembered his battle with Tala. He and his Bit Beast were one; they had won using their inner strength. Nobunori must be too, well if he can so can I. "Dragoon!"

The two Beyblades smashed into each other and a pale blue light filled the stadium.

"Wow, check that out!"

"I don't like this, why didn't anyone tell me to bring my sunglasses?"

As the light faded, everyone blinked and uncovered their eyes. Tyson looked for his Beyblade, "Dragoon?" He looked down at the dish and smiled. Dragoon was still spinning; he wasn't sure where the other blade was. It was hard to tell, the stone floor of the dish was cracked and the trees were all bending to the left. Nobunori sighed as he picked up his fallen blade. "On behalf of my team, I thank you for showing us our weakness. We are honoured to have battled such a team, thank you. We will go back and train harder, good luck with the rest of the BUC." Turning around to his team, Nobunori walked back. Before they left, the Inoki Samurai bowed and then walked away.

DJ Jazzman jumped up in the air, "Tyson has won the third match, the Blade Breakers are the winners!" Tyson turned to his team mates; "I didn't expect them to be so calm after defeat."

Kenny stood up, "It's because of the samurai code of honour they follow. Traditionally they would have given Beyblading up but it seems their code allows them to overcome adversity and become stronger."

"Well, at least we got in." Max added, "Good, let's go watch the rest of the matches." Tyson turned around to where Kai was, "Say Kai, do you want to join? Kai?" Kai was walking away, "I'll see you later." Tyson grew mad, "Hey don't walk away when I'm talking to you."

Mr Valentino looked from his box, "Ah, such marvellous boys." He winked at his companion, "Don't you think so?" The dark figure in the corner shook its head, "I told you they've worked hard but they still have a long way to go." Mr Valentino chuckled, "Now Stanley don't be so modest. I will share a secret with you." Mr Dickinson laughed, "And what would that be, Diego?" A finger waggled itself in front of his nose, "Since we are such good friends, I will tell only you. You are not the only BBA member to have a team in this competition." Mr Dickinson looked surprised, "Really, you must tell me who!" The president of the BBA smiled, you will know soon enough. However," he raised an eyebrow, "I bet my team will beat yours in a match!" Shocked Mr Dickinson shook his head, "I think not."
Back in the arena, the White Tigers and All-Starz crushed their opponents easily in fast knockouts. The Blade Breakers clapped, "Great that means we can get a chance to battle them." Tyson said.

"Wow, those last two teams were a knockout!"

"Now AJ and everyone, let's get ready for this morning's last match."

DJ Jazzman was in his element, "Ladies and gentlemen, I promise that the last match for this morning will be the best by far. I present the two teams Hawaii's favourite team the Savage Slammers and Hitori…Err… Umm…"

The Beybladers glanced at the arena; they remembered Savage Slammers from the American Tournament. Puzzled Kenny looked at the source of Jazzman's confusion, he soon found himself speechless. "Err… Tyson, you better look at this!"

The rest looked over and saw a lone person standing opposite the Savage Slammers. Not only were this person's clothes strange but also it appeared they were the only person on the team! "What kind of weirdo dresses like that?" Michael asked as his team watched from the lockers. The whole stadium went quiet as they looked at the new arrival, a strange figure wearing an outfit simular to Tyson's grandfather's kendo clothes. Only the neckline of the outfit was attached to a large piece of fabric that had shared the same function as a veil of a traditional Arab outfit. The fabric looked like it was an extra long neck of a turtle necked jumper, the whole outfit was dyed a deep red. The figure wore sandals and two swords by their side. A shock of dark brown hair sprung from the top of the head, the rest was tied up in a ponytail. The figure held a hand up, the audience could see that a pair of fingerless gloves was being worn.

Everyone stared and stared. DJ Jazzman coughed uncomfortably; AJ and Brad were the first to speak.

"This is a surprise, a one person team… Is the BBA making fun of us?"

"Some joke, a weirdly dressed blader going to take on the best in Hawaii?"

DJ Jazzman listened as a message was relayed to him via his headset, looking around nervously before speaking. "I have word directly from the BBA and Mr Valentino that this player has been authorised to battle as a one person team. We will begin the battle in 10 minutes, until then please refresh yourselves with a cool glass of coconut milk straight from Hawaii's finest coconuts."

Ray frowned, "Who do they think they are, taking on a whole team." Max shrugged, "Who knows, but I don't want to miss this match." Kenny adjusted his glasses, "Well if the BBA has approved them, then they must be a good blader to get in as a one person team."

Tyson looked at Hitori, "I wonder… if they have what it takes?"

"Humph, I doubt they will get very far. We won't have to worry about them." The Blade Breakers looked behind them as Lee and the White Tigers sat down. "This is just a joke, the Savage Slammers will beat him and we can just get on with the competition."

Dr Judy frowned at the image on the screen, "Emily please start a new file on this Hitori…" If the BBA authorised this team, then we can expect that this is not as it seems… I wonder what is going on, is there something we don't know about?

"There are only 5 minutes til the start of the match." Kenny stated.

Author's Notes: Beyblade belongs to TV Tokyo and other respected people; any original characters belong to me. Keep in mind that the 'Nature's Gift' dish was used for the whole of the session of the Blade Breakers versus the Inoki Samurai. I'll write some more battles involving other teams. For ease sakes, the BUC schedule has matches in the morning until 11:30 am and then resumes later at 2:30 pm. This makes it easier for me to allow the Blade Breakers room for practise or any plot developments when they don't battle. It is also a practical for all the BBA staff and audience people have to eat. Hitori's outfit is based on Auron (Final Fantasy X), Himura Kenshin (Rurouni Kenshin) and Sheik (Zelda: Ocarina of Time) outfits. Hitori in Japanese is used as to signify "one person". Eg. 1 person, 2 people, hitori, futari. Or it can mean "Firebird". Hi = fire, tori = bird.