The talks soon died down and soon, somebody lightly tapped his wine glass to signal the beginning of the speech. It was none other than the President of France himself, Jacques Herrault.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and I am most delighted and honored to see you all here gathered tonight! As you might know by now, our country would be playing host to the World Bey Blading Championship Tournament that would start tomorrow, in the newly built stadium over by the River Seine. I am quite aware of the popularity of the sport, and yes, I do get quite a heck of an exercise practicing my Bey skills on my 7 year old daughter, Lisette. Well, not that I'm really rusty, but…my neighbors have been complaining about a 45 year old man running loose on the fields of the Presidential Palace with a Shooter clamped in my mouth and chasing a runaway Bey Blade. It's true; police were summoned more than once to drive away that lunatic running across the lawn."

At this, the audience laughed, and the French President waited until it died down again to continue.

"Well, it would be wonderful to be young again, is it not? At least the police won't be chasing a 45 year old man, and yes, I could outrun them! But this sport is definitely for those who think Beys are just tops to play with. Bey Blading is as intricate and as challenging as any sport out there, it's not just about letting berserk spinning tops on your opponent. It is about strategy. It is about sportsmanship. It is about camaraderie. And most of all, it is about trust and friendship. Tomorrow, we shall witness the dawning of a new age in Bey Blading, as 36 teams from all over the world – yes, 36 teams of them brave young men and women – would be competing for the top plum of being called the best Bey Bladers of the entire world. Being the best simply does not mean you win the championship, my esteemed combatants. It means finding the true strength that lies within you, and within your other teammates. All in all, whatever danger, whatever challenge that would find you, you would all see to it until the end, and you would have no regrets because…you fought and gave your entire heart and soul to it. That is, I believe…the truest, deepest essence of being a Bey Blader." The President smiled. "So now let us raise our glasses and toast to this wonderful event that would be happening. And together with the Bey Blade Battle Association Chairman Gogoro Daitenji – who had flown in especially from Japan to give blessings to this wonderful occasion – and Dr. Althens Leimrey, the man responsible for the wonderful Guild, who has seen through all preparations in bringing this once in a lifetime event to millions of you Bey Blade fans and players around the world – I officially declare, WE officially declare…the World Bey Blade Championship Tournament OPEN~~~!!! Thank you!"

There was a tumultuous round of applause, and loud cheers from every table in the room: 36 tables where each team sat, and surrounding 100 tables were the other guests sat. Takao was cheering very loudly, laughing; the BBA Team were seated right in the middle of the entire Ballroom. "Hear, HEAR!"

Lei clapped also as loudly then let his gaze wander around the room. He saw Shao, and his heart stopped. He was seated a few tables away from them, along with the rest of the Black Tigers Team: Mao, and 2 other guys he didn't know.

The whole tumultuous round of applause faded into the background when Lei and Mao happened to look into each others' eyes. Mao just narrowed her eyes at him and looked away, with a toss of her head. She was dressed in a deep gold colored cheongsam and her hair was in a tight chignon on top of her head, held in place with cloisonne combs; she wore pearls in her ears, and she held a fan. She leaned over to whisper something in Shao's ear, and Shao looked over at Lei, smiling coldly. He gave a little wave.

Lei looked away quickly. Max caught the gesture and sighed. It would be a long and bloody fight, but he knew Lei had to hang in there.

He has to.

The dance was the main event of the evening. Naturally, everybody wanted to take a dance with both Tsukiyo and Asaya, and Tsukiyo had a rather hard time keeping her new admirers at bay. Max gallantly offered to become her partner, seeing that Kai was just quiet, and were deaf and blind to all the looks and calls the other girls in the room gave him. Lei was just as quiet, and as "insensitive". Max was worried about Lei, so before Tsukiyo dragged him away, he smiled at him kindly.

"Why don't you go ask Asaya to dance? I'm sure her bodyguards are heartily tired of keeping all her admirers in check, and they're breaking into their defenses already. I mean…you could ask her about your Mao gripes now."

"I don't want to bether her now."

"HELLO! Lei, just try talk to her, please? Dance? You look like you need to talk to somebody."

"MAX! Let's GO!" SD Tsukiyo said frantically. "That guy is heading towards this WAY!"

"God…is that BORIS?!" SD Max blinked. "OK, Lei, see you later."

They both scooted off to the dance floor. Takao was miraculously nowhere to be found, and he was nowhere near the buffet table. He was dancing with a girl from the Iceland team, and he tried not to look too excited about it. Kai was just quietly looking through the crowds, measuring everybody's strengths and weaknesses, and Lei was in turmoil, he wasn't sure if he should go hide somewhere or run for the hotel.

"Go to her," Kai told him, without taking his eyes off the Finland team, who started talking in Finnish right in front of him. "I'm OK by myself. You need to talk to someone and let that off your chest."

"But…are you sure…"

"I'm fine. Now GO."

Lei smiled at him gratefully and started looking for Asaya. Max and Kai were right, he needed someone to talk to, and that was…Asaya.

But…why?

Lei went through the dancing couples, searching for the familiar gilded starry head. Giovanni was most helpful.

"Asaya? I think she's back there. All those guys were like so…RABID."

Lei went, his heart considerably lightening, knowing that he had someone to talk to at last. But just as he went outside the terrace, he heard something that made him stop.

"I'm really glad you came back…to me. I was really worried, and…you didn't even write or call…"

Llewelyn's voice? Lei ducked behind a topiary rosebush and peeked from behind the leaves.

"I'm sorry. Everything was just too hurried. Mr. Yamaeda had been extremely worried, and if they should trace me back to Japan…"

Lei's eyes widened. Asaya…?

"They would still try and hurt you." Llewelyn sighed, his blue eyes expressive. "Asaya, I promised."

"I know. And I'm thankful." Asaya looked up at him, smiling so tenderly and so beautifully up at him. Lei's heart gave a painful lurch for some strange reason.

"I'm really glad I saw you again." Llewelyn took her hand, then smiled as tenderly and as beautifully down at her. "I'm really glad you came back to me."

Asaya's eyes became expressive. "Llewelyn…"

Lei couldn't take this anymore. Blood was pounding in his ears, and his heart was hammering very loudly in his chest, and he became scared that she might actually hear it. Thoughts of actually talking to her melted away as Lei saw him bend over to give her a…

KISS?

Lei backed off, then he fled from that scene, mortified. He never knew his heart could hurt as bad, but why? WHY? He would be OK, he always was OK. He didn't need to talk to Asaya. He didn't need to.

But why did his threat feel so hollow?

Lei was crying and he didn't know it and he hurriedly left the terrace, the dance floor, and eventually came back to the table, his heart inexplicably torn to shreds.

As for what was happening outside…

Llewleyn did lean over and looked at the medallion he gave Asaya on her palm.

"It's time that you give him this," Llewelyn said with a nod. "It's time that 'they' should be given back to him."

"I will, Llewelyn, thanks!" SD Asaya gave him a hug, her eyes beautiful like starlight.

" 'They' should return to him again, after years of sleeping. It's a good thing he met you, or else, everything would be lost." Llewelyn smiled. "I'm very happy for you."

"Mmm-hmm!" SD Asaya smiled very happily. "What do you say we celebrate with Ceresia kicking you on your derriere?!"

SD Llewelyn gave a boyish, wicked grin. "Gestalt says you're ON! Let's go, they must be heartily tired of waiting for us by now."

Laughing, the 2 best friend –Aurans- held each others' hands and went in. Little did they know the silver-haired young man was watching them from the shadows.

And he was smiling like they did.