Artemis...

Next day...

Thanks to Aya's father, they were accepted in a decent Hotel for the night. And before they parted ways of her, Aya insisted and reminded them that they ought to be on their way to the stadium early in the morning. It wasn't until later that they got why.

The trains were packed, the traffic jam seemed like if it wouldn't end till the next century. And unless you've got a jet, according to Jin's words, one could never reach there in time using the public transport. If they didn't heed Aya's advise and get on the first trains that morning. They would have been obliged to forfeit Artemis.

Apparently all the other players had been warned one way or another. Because despite having four more hours until the tournament would officially start, all the players were there.

Like most of them, they all whiled the left hours touring the venue and even stopped at a cafe.

Haruka, on the other hand, didn't tag along as it was expected, having left for the airport upon getting a call from MetamoR.

Ran: " that was a close call."

Mirai: " we need to thank Aya later on."

Yuuya: " true, her advise was really crucial."

They were on their way to register themselves and the ones who will be participating stood on the line. Mirai suddenly pointed at a certain black haired woman with a grey hoodie.

Mirai: " that's Aya, Right."

Aya and a long dark brown haired girl next to her placed their LBXs on the scanner as the employee did her work.

The girl seemed to be around 16, her hair was held up in a high ponytail and she was wearing a black t-shirt underneath a greyish jean vest, with dark blue jeans and black sneakers.

She looked up at the other who were registering themselves as well.

Yosra: " to think we have past Artemis champions this year. Man, it will be tough."

She said to her older sister who merely smiled at that.

Aya: " it's what fierce me the most."

" It's confirmed, Aya and Yosra Ibrahim, right. You will be entering as a team."

They both nodded.

" Very well then. Welcome to Artemis."

The long black haired woman smiled at them as they took their LBXs back.

Aya: " thanks."

They turned around to face their younger sister. Though she seemed nearly around 10 year old, she was actually 14. Her black hair tied into a low ponytail. She was wearing white long sleeved t-shirt and Kaki jeans with white sneakers as well.

Yosra: " I still don't understand why are you here, Mai?"

Mai: " to witness you losing."

She said with a smirk.

Yosra: " why you little..."

Aya: " this is not a way of cheering us."

Mai: " I never said something about cheering."

Yosra: " wait till we get home with the prize, alright!"

Mai: " as if it will happen. Now if you excuse me I must get a seat to watch you two getting beaten up closely."

And she walked off.

Aya: " why can't she just say 'I'm here to cheer for you'."

She face palmed herself tiredly.

" Aya-san!"

Both females turned around to meet Hiro and the others.

Aya: " good morning. I see you've finished as well."

Hiro nodded.

Hiro: " I can't wait! I'm really excited for Artemis!"

Yuuya: " oh, before I forget."

He took out a handcuff and put it around Hiro's right wrist and his left one.

Hiro: " waah! What's this, Yuuya-san!"

He asked with a sweat drop. Yuuya merely held up his left hand, holding up Hiro's right one with that and offering an evil smirk.

Yuuya: " just making sure you aren't running away again like with the BC Extra."

Everyone sweat dropped at that while Hiro merely let out a nervous laugh.

Ban: " to think about it, it's only fair..."

Ran: " Yuuya... Where did you even get that?..."

Yuuya: " I borrowed it from Jessica-kun."

Jessica sweat dropped even more.

Jessica: " I was wondering what he needed the handcuffs for..."

Evangeline chuckled.

Evangeline : " I never thought you're one to seek paybacks, Yuuya."

Yuuya: " just making sure I'm not left alone again."

Touko: " isn't this exaggerating..."

Mirai: " I daresay Hiro deserves it."

Hiro: " Nee-chan !"

Mirai: " leaving a friend behind after promising to enter together. That wasn't nice of you back then."

The blunette merely sweat dropped at his sister's stern voice. Aya and Yosra exchanged confused glances as they could not understand what was happening.

Mirai: " anyway, we should assume our seats. I wish you good luck everyone."

She and the others who won't be participating walked off to the venue.

Arata: " we better go as well."

They headed towards the common room where all the players gathered before the announcement of the blocks, only to find it full of players as usual. Some discussing among each other, some doing last moment adjustments and some trying to gather informations about their opponents.

" Ban-kun! Everyone!"

Ban and the others blinked twice as they snapped their heads to the owner of the familiar voice before they met with the group of five persons posing in a strange way, the one in the yellow suit eventually mistaking the direction.

Ban: " Ota Rangers!"

Jessica merely sweat dropped at their appearance.

Jessica: " as usual..."

Touko: " those people seems funny."

Yosra: " people you know?"

She rose her eyebrow at them to which they sweat dropped.

Ban: " we have an acquaintance."

The one with the red suit walked off to the brunette.

Ota Red: " it's been a while, I didn't know you were participating this year?"

Ban: " well, we had circumstances."

Ota Red: " I see. Then let's hope for a fun battle together."

Ban: " ah."

Though he sweat dropped when he saw the ones in pink and black suits glaring at Jin, their eyes could be seen emitting a red glow from behind their masks.

" If it isn't Yamano-kun."

Ban merely blinked as he turned around to face a certain brunette.

Ban: " Keita-kun!"

Keita: " it's been a while. I see you're participating this year as well."

Ban merely nodded with a wide grin.

Keita: " I see, I'm looking forward to battle you again."

" Not so fast."

They all blinked as a black haired man walked over to them.

Keita: " you're, Schneider."

Schneider smirked as he ran his hand through his hair.

Schneider: " a star should never let his fans down. Moregami Keita, Yamano Ban, this year I will beat you two and get the championship."

Asuka: " oi oi! Why all the attention is focused on Ban?! I'm the one who beat him in Artemis five years ago!"

She pointed at herself, a tick throbbing on her forehead.

Schneider : " Koujou Asuka, huh? Right, you're on my list as well. I will crush all of my opponents and climb to the top, for my fans."

Gouda: " man, is he serious? For his fans!?"

Sendou pulled out the wheel of fate and held it so everyone could see it.

Sendou: " so you know, we have reasons not to lose as well. We're the ones who will spin around the wheel of fate for our favor."

Touko kept looking back and forth between all of them with sparkling eyes.

Touko: " they're all making me more excited! I didn't know LBXs players can get so competitive !"

Jessica eyed the other participants closely.

Jessica: " even though, we have pretty tough opponents this year. Neither of them seems like a pushover."

The boy on the other end of the room smiled widely.

" To think I will be seeing them again."...

" Sorry for making you wait, Mai."

Mai snapped her head to see the group of the newcomers heading her way and taking the seats next to her that she had reserved for them.

Mai: " I started to worry something may have happened to you. What took you so long?"

Ami: " just making sure everything is alright."

The lights went off and everyone's attention was shifted to the center of the stadium.

The only spot of light was on the stream of smoke from which rose the platform of the MC.

MC: " everybody! Welcome to Artemis!"

A loud cheering could be heard from all around the stadium. Fire works were launched at the middle of the arena as the music played.

MC: " We're here again! Another year of the most firing battles to determine the world's best LBX player!"

Another roar from the crowd while the players thronged at the center were waiting impatiently for the blocks to be announced.

MC: " this year's Artemis is held here in Tunisia in North Africa thanks to both Omegadain and Dream Future! So this year we have a special event, the CEO of the newly reformed Omegadain will give us a public word!"

He dramatically flung his hand at one of the entranced where the spot light appeared, but no one was there.

MC : " huh..."

Even the MC was startled before he held tightly to his headphones as apparently someone called him.

MC: " eh? Above? Is he coming by a helicopter?"

The MC looked up and so did everyone. The dome roof split open to reveal the blue sky above.

MC: " From Space?!"

The ball holograms around the arena showed a small silver winged cockpit that was entering the atmosphere before it shifted to an internal camera capturing the one riding on it. He was wearing a black and white suit with golden and red lines and his eyes were barely visible from behind the yellow glass.

Kazu: " oi! Seriously!"

The cockpit splintered and detached itself, freeing the man inside who dived downward.

The MC who had his mouth wide open quickly shook his head and continued on.

MC : " t- the CEO had entered the Earth's atmosphere! He is going to land here!"

" Eh!"

Sendou: " oh man!"

The falling male merely smirked as the boosters on his back poised him before that he launched forward, actually entering the stadium and flying around before landing in where he was supposed to stand.

Aya: " wow!"

Arata: " he is amazing!"

The boosters stopped and the suit detached and squeezed itself back into his backpack, leaving him with merely a red shirt, black jacket and trousers with golden and white lines and black shoes.

He took off his white helmet, revealing his white hair and his purple eyes which faded into yellow at their bottom. He merely smiled as he brushed his bang up before pointing at the crowd with a wink.

" Thank you, Future!"

Everyone in there roared with cheering and applauding while he waved at them with a smiley face.

" He's handsome!"

Ban: " that's Omegadain's new CEO?!"

Gouda: " he is way younger than us!"

Kazu: " that appart! He just ruined Jin's dramatic appearance with a jet in his first day at school!"

The new members except Lilyan and Mirai all snapped their heads towards Kazu.

" Eh! He is what!?"

Ami sweat dropped.

Ami: " right..."

Mai: " Mirai ?..."

Everyone turned around to the woman whose blood rushed up her face.

Mirai: " why did he have to say that!"

She covered her face with her hands and then it downed on them.

Elie: " right... He said ' thank you, Mirai~'..."

She said with a sweat drop.

Lilyan: " you know he didn't mean you, right. It's just that Mirai means future."

Mirai: " I know, I know! But for someone like him to say it, and point in our direction! You can't blame me!"

Ran: " well... Maybe you have a point..."

Ruri blinked twice.

Ruri: " he is quite handsome to be fair. You have to give him that."

Ken: " Ruri..."

Ruri: " don't get the wrong idea, he is arrogant as well. That much is written all over his face."

MC : " well... Let me introduce the High School CEO! Though he had already graduated university in A Nation! Unryuji Knight! CEO of Omegadain! "

Jin narrowed his eyes.

Jin: " Unryuji Knight..."

Ban: " eh? Jin do you know him?"

Jin: " I've head about him back in the university. He as well managed to skip years and was known as genius when it came to AI. "

Hiro: " eh! He is really that awesome!"

MC: "Ne, Knight-san, how comes you're the first one to appear from space to give us a word for Artemis!?"

The male merely smiled as he brushed up his bang again. Flashes of cameras surrounded him, seemingly it was his first public appearance.

Knight: " this is the new world that spreads out before us! This is the possibilities of the future!"

Mirai: " stop using that word please!"

Mirai shouted from her seat. Not that anyone aside from those nearby her could hear her.

Knight: " you may not know but Dream Future and Omegadain have plans to conquer space even more. I was merely testing it myself. A CEO should take responsibility for his ambitions. That aside, this is not what I came for today."

His eyes sparkled with confidence as he threw up both his hand dramatically.

Knight: " I'm here to announce the start of this magnificent tournament. With a stage as bright as Artemis, we will have no troubles in maintaining the promising future of LBXs."

This time he pointed at the hologram ball that started showing a very famous video.

Knight: " it all started with the invention of the fortified cardboard in 2046. And now we're living the future of that moment, where no one had expected it to be the playground of the LBXs that were banned before. Artemis is already in its 9th year. Everyone, you should not disappoint those looking for a raging battle, show your burning passion to everyone present here, and of course, to the future."

He winked again as the holograms of LBXs filled the area and the crowed roared once more with cheering, yet, mostly the females were squealing at the boy.

MC : " thank you for the encouraging words, Omegadain's CEO! Now to the main event that all of you were waiting for! The prize!"

He pointed at another entrance where one of the staff stood, holding a small showcase. Ban and the other narrowed their eyes at the small thing appearing on the screens, it was non other than the Driver they're looking for.

MC: " this year's prize is this special Core Memory made by Crystar Ingram! This core memory is capable of storing the same amount of data as a data center!"

Lilyan: " how did he... You know, forget about it."

MC: " now, who will be the world's champion and win this core memory! It's finally the time to announce the tournament's lineups!"

He said holding up both hands and lists of the blocks appeared with blank spaces.

MC : " and the first entries will be..."

The music started as an empty spot was replaced by a name in the list of the block B.

MC: " hold on! Hold on hold on! Is this true! We have the champion of the first Artemis ever! Krutz Baratier! To think he entered again after eight years of absence! From country A, Krutz Baratier, B Block!"

The light was casted on the green haired male who merely smirked and flicked his earring.

Ken: " Krutz-san!"

Ruri: " he did join Artemis!"

MC: " from Japan! Minamo Naoki! D Block!"

The spot of light fell on a boy with light blue hair, brown eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses and he was wearing a LAB coat.

The male pushed up his glasses.

Naoki: " D Block huh. What a fortunate choice. I will have enough time to analyse my opponents for the finals."

MC: " from Malaysia! Lillia and Yu Zhang team! E Block!"

The light was directed towards a young man and woman. The girl was looking blankly at the line ups.

Yu Zhang placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and she answered with a nod and a small smile.

MC : " Also from Japan! Ma team! A Block!"

Ban: " Ma!"

Sendou and Gouda: " that kid from Akihabara!"

Ota Ranger: " the former Master King!"

All attention went back to the 10 years old boy who held his hands up, waving at the crowd before his eyes fell on Ban and then smirked.

MC: " otto! From Europe, we have Schneider! B Block!"

" Schneider~!"

Most of the females squealed.

MC : " from North Africa! From this same country! We have the Ibrahim Sisters! C Block!"

Aya and Yosra merely smiled at each other.

Mai: " don't you dare lose!"

Yosra: " who was saying I want to see you losing!"

Aya: " come on guys! It's not the best time to argue!"

MC: " again with the C Block! We have the Alexander Sisters from France!"

Both sisters waved at the crowd while tagging on eachother's hands.

Aya: " that's how real sisters act!"

She pointed out at them while Yosra merely puffed her jaws and pretended not to listen.

MC : " ho! The southern hemisphere champion, Hannibal Han! E Block! Followed by the Asia champions!"

The light was casted upon their figure. Hannibal and Keita waved at their fans.

Lillia: " seems we have a tough opponent at the end."

She said checking the lineups.

MC : " back to C Block! Jessica and Touko team!"

Touko looked at Aya and Yosra.

Touko: " since we're in the same block, let the strongest win."

Yosra: " of course!"

MC: " Woho! We have Kamui Daimon's representatives! Kamui Team! Shirokouji Otohime and Kurosawa Jason Jr! A Block !"

Ran: " ha! That girl!"

Jessica: " I can't believe she is here."

Otohime was staring at Jin with a wide grin, hearts can be literally seen surrounding her.

Ban sweat dropped while Jin merely frowned at that as he turned around so not to face her.

Elie : " I'm not pissed off! Definitely not pissed off!"

Everyone around her were trying to keep distance from her as she was surrounded by a raging fire.

Evangeline: " it doesn't seem like the case..."

Kazu: " both the name and the face are familiar for me..."

He said pointing at the blond boy next to Otohime.

Ami: " he is Kurosawa Jason's son. The one we fought 6 years ago in Akihabara."

Kazu: " that big mouth! I knew he was full of himself and all but naming his son after himself! There are no more people doing this these days!"

Jason: " finally, a stage worth standing on. "

He said brushing off his bang.

Ami: " he is no different from his father."

Her eyebrow twitched.

MC : " from Japan! The Reizetsu siblings team! Ken and Ruri! A Block! Their first opponent is Ma team!"

In Japan, both Fumi and Akio could be seen with their eyes glued to the TV.

Fumie&Akio: " you can do it! Ken-nii! Ruri-nee!"

Mikotoba smiled proudly as she saw them on her screen as well.

Mikotoba: " god, they're really taking after their parents."

MC : " ho! We have the 2051 Artemis champion, Koujou Asuka, along with Sendou Daiki, the magician in the box, and Gouda Hanzo, the Destructive God of Hell! D Block! What a strong team!"

Asuka: " Yo!"

She waved at the crowd with a wide grin.

Asuka: " Takeru are you watching this! Your sister will win!"

In Japan, Takeru could be seen trying to hide behind Suzune and Kagetora as everyone in the hall looked back at him.

Takeru: " Nee-chan, you're embarrassing me!"

MC : " Otto! We have another Kamui Daimon duo! Though they had entered on their own! Arata and Muraku team! B Block! Same Block, Hiro and Yuuya team!"

Yuuya: " eh!"

Hiro: " at this rate, we may have to battle them."

MC : " their first opponent is set to be Krutz Baratier!"

Ken: " against Krutz-san!"

MC : " Ota Rangers team! A Block!"

Ota Red, Black and pink posed at that.

Ota Red: " LBX battlers of peace and love!"

Ota pink&Ota Black: " Ota Rangers!"

Mc: " and...My! Am I reading it right! We have one hell of a team here! The one walking down the path of the legendary LBX player, Yamano Ban! And the Split Second Killer Emperor, Kaidou Jin! They're the Ota Rangers first opponent in A Block!"

Otohime&Ota Pink: " we're in the same block! Is this destiny!"

Both snapped and looked at each other.

Ota Pink&Otohime: " you!"

Ban can swear he saw sparks flying from their eyes and colliding together. Jin was hardly resisting the urge the facepalm himself.

Jin: " whoever set this up is a devil."

Elie: " definitely not angry! Definitely! Not! Angry!"

People got away from her quickly as she seemed ready to rip whoever dares to approach her.

Evangeline sweat dropped even more.

Evangeline : " definitely not."

Ruri: " if things go well we will fight Ban-san and Jin-san at the end!"

She stated and Ken nodded with a wide smirk.

MC : " From Japan! Kanzaki shou! E Block!"

The spot light focused on the black haired boy who waved proudly at everyone.

Ban: " I have the feeling that I know him..."

Jin: " he was masked J... Your father's opponent 6 years ago."

Ban: " oh, I remember him now!"

After the MC finished announcing all the participants, more fireworks were launched.

MC : " the LBX world tournament, Artemis, is now officially open!"...

Desclaimer:

I dont own:

Lillia and Yu Zhang, they both belong to LyrissaArtemick

Unryuji Knight

Minamo Naoki