The Palace was as beautiful as it was and ever be. Several people were gathered at front, most of them photographers for several important newspapers and magazines around the world, and the night was flashing away.
All of the guests arrived by means of limousines, and the BBA – Blade Breakers Team were no exception: Takao was very happy at the way they all arrived there in high style.
"Excuse ME! Mr. Kinogu?! Katsuhiko Haneda, Bey Blade Loaded magazine! Can I do an exclusive with YOU?!"
"Is it true that the BBA – Blade Breakers Team are going to mow over ALL the competition in the upcoming TOURNAMENT?!"
"Group shot, PLEASE! Who are those BEAUTIFUL ladies with YOU?! Girlfriends?!"
"Mr. Kinogu, is she your GIRLFRIEND?!" one reporter asked, gesturing to Asaya, who was smiling and waving at her legions of admirers by the barricaded driveway.
"Uh…n-n-NO!" SD Takao was blushing. "What made you think THAT?!"
"This way, please," a uniformed usher said, gesturing to the rolled out red carpet that led straight inside the Palace. Professor looked over at the rest of them, still dazed at the attention they were all getting, with the exception of Kai, Asaya, and Takao. "Come on, Chairman Daitenji is right inside,waiting for us! We don't want to be late!"
"Yes, of course," Kai said. "Come on you all, we'll deal with the press later."
He walks straight in, followed closely by Asaya and Professor. Several girls shrieked and promptly fainted upon seeing their crushes Kai and Lei enter the Palace wearing those hot tuxedos. Boy, they looked HOT.
They all went in, and Max's eyes widened. He grins. "Welcome to a WHOLE new WORLD! Haha, I've been wanting to say that for AGES…"
The Ball was to take place in one of the Palace Ballrooms, just beyond the Hall of Mirrors. Several guests were there already, dressed to the hilt in their expensive designer clothes and blinding, asteroid-sized jewelry, and their respective hordes of bodyguards.
"HEEEEYYY! TAKAO!"
Takao blinked, then he slowly grined. "OLIVER?! Is that YOU?!"
"The ONE and the SAME!" Oliver Polanski (Oliver) was smiling very broadly as he walked toward them. He grins. "How are you?"
"Fine, I guess. Wow, you've CHANGED!" Takao was wide-eyed. "Don't tell me you're joining…"
"Of course NOT! It's not as if I detest the very idea of facing you guys in battle, it's just that I've been doing lots of things. I've been accepted to study at Italy, and I want to become more of a famous painter than a famous Blader. Hey, I still haven't forgotten Bey Blading, don't think I've already slackened off."
"Italy…WAIT! Is Giancarlo (Enrique) with you?!"
"The whole lot of them," Oliver said with a laugh. "Johnny's (Johnny) been complaining he can't do much around here, dolled up in a tuxedo, and Ralf (Robert) went to check up on a few things back at his castle, worries too much it's becoming VERY bad for his health."
"Wow…" Takao gestured to Tsukiyo and Asaya. "Oh, I'd like you to meet my childhood best buddy and our new assistant Bey tech to Professor, Tsukiyo Shinohara and Asaya Ninomiya."
"Hello," Oliver said, smiling. "How does France find you so far?"
"Nervous," Tsukiyo replied with a gulp.
"Great!" SD Asaya smiled back at him. "How're your restaurants coming along?"
"Fine, never better! Thanks, Asaya."
"You 2 KNOW each other?!" SD Takao asked with wide circular eyes.
"The clubhouse is just a few blocks away from the restaurant," Oliver said with a grin. "They all dine there whenever Chef runs out of food to prepare."
"HEY! Aren't you going to introduce ME?!"
Giancarlo Donatore (YAY! I've finally GOTTEN IT~~~!!!) raced in front of Oliver anyway and just made his manly presence felt to the 2 wide-eyed SD girls. "Hello. My name is Giancarlo. What're your phone numbers?!"
Max grinned. "They're very much TAKEN already, Giancarlo, better find yourself another girl to flirt with."
"HEY! You here for the Tournament?!" Oliver was blinking. "Sorry, I didn't see you, Giancarlo's flashing his moves again."
"That's OK," Lei told him, smiling. "It's good to see you guys again."
"How are things back at Italy?" Kai asked Giancarlo, who by now became SD.
"Fine, never better," SD Giancarlo said with a sigh. "Now my father's literally begging me to become a sea dog. He has those captains with him anyway, why can't he just leave me ALONE?!"
"You're looking at the youngest pilot ever to fly a Concord," Oliver said with a grin. "The story goes on that he was looking for a way out of Sardinia because the saucer-eyed girl was giving him ogle glares worthy to eat a whole Nessie in one gulp.His family's Concord was there, and so he flew straight back home and never went out of his room until they served the saucer-eyed girl a 1,000 mile radius hold order around the perimeters of his family's ancestral estate."
"Really?" SD Takao was wide eyed. "God Giancarlo, I THOUGHT you only lived for WOMEN…"
"Well…she was STALKING me!" SD Giancarlo yells. "Who would want a saucer-eyed girl lapping you up everytime your horse does a jump over those 5 cylinder hurdles at ASCOT?! I was hospitalized so many times the doctors told my parents I OUGHT to pay RENT!"
They all burst out laughing. SD Giancarlo sniffled, his eyes wobbly with tears. "It's not funny. I almost got killed when she decided to visit me again the last time. Orlando got SO scared he threw me halfway across the whole equestrian field and had me landed under thundering hooves of my fellow polo players' horses' team. I was mush for almost a YEAR."
SD Asaya gave him a pat on the back, looking like a miniature Princess Garnet sans the breathtaking and awesome Alexandrian crown and gown. "Don't worry, it's alright. I've been through worse scrapes, and my horse actually dragged me the whole length of the equestrian field because 'they' thought it amusing to scare him when he's already too flighty. I was hospitalized for an entire YEAR."
The BBA – Blade Breakers Team became instantly silent, shocked to hear something like THAT done to Asaya. SD Giancarlo was very thankful.
"Thanks, you really ARE a Goddess sent down from HEAVEN! How can I repay you for your KINDNESS~~~?!"
"You could start by unlocking your evil fingers away from her hands." Ralf Nuygens (Robert) grinned. "Hello, Takao. It's BEEN a while."