Disclaimer: The Arcan Blades don't own Beyblade.
Mike: How come, as I look at the next pages, I feel something awfully screwy around here?
Jade: (smirk) He heh… Looks like a war…
Alexia: All I know is… never underestimate girl power.
Patrick: (raises an eyebrow) Looks like someone was once a Spice Girls fan…
Arcan Bladers: Read and Review please!!!
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Sugar and Spice VS Snipes and Snails
"And now, the final match of the Quarter Finals!" DJ exclaimed. "The Bladebreakers of Japan versus The Orient Pearls of the Philippines!"
There was cheering in the stands. The Bladebreakers came to the dugout, and the Orient Pearls were right across them. Tyson glanced at his friends. "Well, guys? What do you say?"
"I'm ready," said Ray, grinning.
"So am I," said Max, nodding.
Kai said nothing as he took a seat at the bench with Kenny. He still had no intention of putting himself in this rather tension-saturated fight.
DJ walked forward at the catwalk again and began, "Bladers, select your—" He abruptly stopped as the captain of the Orient Pearls, the girl whose hair was being braided awhile ago, raised up her hand to stop him as the Orient Pearls walked forward.
Brad Best was rather surprised. "Oh, what's this? Looks like the captain of the Orient Pearls, Mutya, seems to want a word with the boys."
The arena silenced to hear. Mutya, standing in a sweeping outfit, crossed her arms over her chest as she asked, "Bladebreakers! Is it true that you've been confident and overbearing because you feel that you can easily win over us—because we're all girls?"
The was 'oohing' all over the stadium at what she said. The Bladebreakers all instantly pointed to Tyson, who went scarlet and stammered, "But—but I didn't mean it! Really!
"Then why did you say it?" another Orient Pearl, Liwayway, with a challenging gaze.
"Well…I…uh…" Tyson just shrugged. "I guess…because…you girls didn't look very intimidating then…braiding your hair and chatting…and…stuff…well… You just didn't look…too…tough…"
Every beyblader girl's eyebrows raised. Mutya smirked, "Is that so?"
The shortest Orient Pearl, Diwata, cupped her hands over her mouth. "Hey girls!! What say you?!"
Mariah suddenly materialized, and everyone gaped as she stood on top of the Orient Pearls' dugout. "Let's prove them wrong!"
Tammy of the Afterburners and Estella of the Conquistadors dropped down from the bleachers, and Alexia and Jade appeared at the side of the dugout.
"Oh, not them too…" said Mike, slapping a hand over his forehead again.
And to everyone's surprise, Rochelle of the Snow Blazers appeared and stood as well, and she grinned, saying, "Sorry, I'm late."
"No problem," said Mariah, grinning.
And then, Emily came sprinting out from the hall, panting. "Hey! I'm here! Did I make it?"
"You sure did," said Mutya.
Emily looked at them and said, 'Well…we lost our bit beasts. The Demolition Boys got them—it was useless to try and protect them to begin with in their territory. But I'm still here for you guys. Girls, I mean."
"Tyson…why did you have to go and say that?" sighed Max.
"Well…we've no choice now," said Tyson. "We'll just have to go out there…and do well."
The Majestics, the other White Tigers, and the rest of the All-Stars gathered with the Relic Bladers behind the Bladebreakers. "Don't worry, we'll back you up," said Michael rather warily. "You seem to be faced with…overwhelming opposition."
AJ Topper burst to laughter. "What do we have here? Looks like one awesome battle of the sexes here!"
"Let's see who'll be the victors, shall we?" said DJ. "Bladers! Your first players!"
"Go on, Diwata," said Mutya. "Just as we talked about." Mutya glanced at the other girls and winked. The other girls grinned and nodded.
Ray let out his breath. "So, guys—who goes first?"
"I will," said Max. "She looks pretty nice. Besides, we'll just show them that we'll play equals." He walked forward to the arena.
Diwata stood, waiting, and she studied the group. She glanced back at the girls. "So…who're clear again?"
Emily looked around and said, "Eddy's clear." And Eddy, surprised, smiled nevertheless.
"Ray is," said Jade, smiling at the Chinese blader, who reddened. "So are Robert, Enrique and Oliver. The Majestics—most of them anyway—are good."
Johnny turned purple. "Hey! What about—"
"Lee is!" interrupted Mariah and Kevin elbowed Lee, who just turned away to hide his face. "And…do we pardon Gary? He's just always hungry."
"Yeah, sure," said Alexia. She looked at Kai and said, "So Kai's clear too."
"Oooh…" said Kenny, nudging him and Kai bristled at him. Estella nodded, "Yeah, he's clear—I already made him submit." Kai grimaced at her and she just grinned as most of the girls tittered.
"Clear on what, anyway?" Patrick demanded.
"The guys we named are the guys we're not going to bother with—they've proven themselves properly," said Liwayway.
"Proven what?!" asked Steve.
Emily made a face at him. "If you don't know then you're not as smart as you think."
Johnny was visibly trying to control himself. "Grr…this is what I hate about girls…always talking in code."
Enrique, who'd was already long since been used to girls—being that he was such a playboy—, grinned and shrugged demurely, "Hey, it's easy to understand if you know them."
"Easy for you to say—you're clear," said Michael although he muttered as an afterthought, "Although I have to admit, I could use a little check on my ego when it comes to talking to Emily."
Johnny looked at the guys. "Come on, are we just going to let them push us around? Let's go already!"
Patrick said, "Max, you're our first champion. Go and win it for us, brother."
Robert slapped a hand over his forehead. "Oh this is just…wonderful." The last word was said in a clearly sarcastic tone. He couldn't understand why everyone couldn't just get along. Hopefully this match corrects it.
"You go, sister," said Tammy to Diwata.
DJ, getting a sweatflood, said, "Well, now that the rebuttal is over… Let's begin the match!! First up—Max of the Bladebre—"
"Boys Union!!" the boys chorused anxious to put a one-up.
"Right…Max of the Boys Union—and the Bladebreakers. And his opponent, Diwata from the—"
"Girls Side Team!!" the girls exclaimed, not to be outdone.
DJ got a bigger sweatflood. "Okay… Diwata of the Girls Side Team—and the Orient Pearls." He took a breath. "Man, this is going to be big. And today's bowl—"
The bowl slowly rose up from where it was hidden, and everyone looked in interest as a beautiful Russian location was revealed. "Aha! It's the Red Square Bowl!" said AJ Topper. "A perfect replica of Moscow's Red Square. Looks like both our bladers will have lots of space to run around in, but as usual, watch out for the obstacles…"
"All right, then! On the count, bladers!" DJ called.
Max held out his shooter, keeping his eyes on Diwata, who held a branch-shaped shooter which she was going to whip. It was her shooter—and Max wondered what kind of a beyblade and bit beast she had.
"Three!! Two!! One!!" And DJ held his microphone for the two groups and they all yelled, "Let it rip!!"
"Go Draciel!" Max fired.
"Go Tarwar!!" Diwata flung the beyblade off.
Draciel hit the bowl, and Brad Best said, "Here it begins—the battle of the sexes between the Bladebreakers and the Orient Pearls!"
Max watched as Draciel zipped about the arena. "Hey…where's her beyblade?"
"Right here!" said Diwata as a white beyblade leapt up from behind a model of St. Basil's Cathedral. It bounced in front of Max, who blinked. "Huh?"
Ray blinked as he stared at the white beyblade Tarwar. "That has got to be the smallest beyblade I've ever seen."
"The thing's only half Draciel's size," remarked Johnny.
"Of course," said Diwata, smiling.
"You've got to be kidding!" said Michael. "If Draciel hits that thing it's going to go flying! What's up with that?"
"Perhaps Diwata's blade isn't all it seems to be," said Kenny, typing away furiously in his laptop. "There's got to be a reason why Tarwar is so small…"
Max looked at the beyblade, then at Diwata, and he smiled, saying, "You must have something up your sleeve, huh? Well, let's see if it works, then! Go, Draciel!"
Draciel went right at the tiny Tarwar beyblade, and it held course for a moment, and Draciel came within contact. Suddenly, Tarwar zipped away like a little white lightning bolt and Draciel crashed into St. Basil's Cathedral. It bounced back and kept spinning, however.
"What…how did that happen?" Max breathed.
And before anyone knew what happened, Tarwar had impacted Draciel from behind five times before zipping off again, blazing about the Red Square.
"It moves so fast," Oliver murmured. "It's really skipping about there."
"Looks like a little white rat to me," muttered Johnny who was still clearly stinging about being the only Majestic left out and Kevin, the only White Tiger left out, seemed to agree.
"Shows what you know," Diwata stuck her tongue out at him.
"Keep going, Draciel!" said Max, and the green beyblade rushed after the smaller white one. There was a chase around the Red Square, and Draciel crashed into Tarwar. Tarwar flew into the air, and everybody thought that it was either destroyed or it was going to be flung out.
"Come on, Tarwar!" said Diwata.
And to everybody's surprise, Tarwar, spinning around in the air, actually bounced on the edge—the Kremlin's wall—and bounced off all the way to the cathedral top and bounced back on the ground, still spinning, and it zipped away.
"How…what was…" Patrick was speechless.
Mike tilted his head at the white beyblade. "Look at it go…it's like…a little white monkey…"
Diwata burst into laughter. "Well then, you've figured things out, eh?"
Kenny tapped a key in his laptop and instantly brightened. "I know what it is! I know it! Diwata's beyblade—it's moving just like a tarsier!"
"What in the world is a tarsier?" asked Tyson, looking back at him.
"It's said to be the smallest monkey in the world," explained Kenny. "Because of their small size, they're pretty hard to catch and they move fast. Like any monkey, they leap about in the air, jumping from branch to branch. I think that it was what Diwata put her blade after!"
"A…monkey?" said Max, blinking at it as it zipped about like a restless ball. He grinned. "That's pretty cool!"
"Come on, Max—you can take her!" said Tyson.
"Oh yeah?" Diwata said, and giving them a challenging gaze. "Then take this! Tarwar—White Bombardment!"
Tarwar glowed in a bright white light, and a yellow tarsier bit beast appeared over the beyblade. "Whoa boy…" said Max, seeing the telltale signs of a major attack. "Draciel, Fortress Defense!"
Draciel was just about to do just than when Tarwar, moving like nothing they've seen before, was bombarding Draciel with crashes, like there were about a hundred piling on Draciel at the same time. As Draciel wobbled dangerously with all the attacks pouring on him, Diwata grinned and said, "Ever had an entire family of monkeys jump of you, screeching, clinging and squealing at the same time?"
"No…but it's a horrible thought," Max replied.
Diwata grinned. "I thought so too."
Draciel was starting to weaken with the ceaseless bombardment of Tarwar. Max clenched his fist. "I can't give up…" he muttered. "I have to win… Draciel, you can do it!"
Draciel kept spinning, its endurance lasting, and Tarwar was beginning to slow on the attacks. Max took his chance, "Get them off, Draciel—and take Tarwar down!"
The bit beast Draciel came to life from out of the beyblade, and Draciel's metal-ball defense kicked into action, and Draciel kept spinning rapidly. Tarwar was pushed off by the force of Draciel's spin, and Draciel charged at Tarwar. There was a powerful impact, and Tarwar flew up again, and this time really fell out of the bowl and landed at Diwata's feet.
There was cheering from the audience, most especially from the boys' side. The girls merely raised their eyebrows at them, and the boys' fervor died down.
Max smiled as he got back Draciel, and he said to Diwata. "Hey. Good fight. You really had me worried awhile there. But you guys still have a shot, right?"
Diwata blinked at him for a moment, and then smiled at him. She then looked at the girls and said, "Max is clear!"
The girls all applauded happily as a rather puzzled Max blinked and stared at them. Johnny's jaw dropped. "What?! How come he—"
"Don't ask," Mike elbowed him. "I'm just wondering why Patrick and I aren't clear. What did we do?"
"You treat us like guys, Fearless Leader," Alexia smirked. She paused and added, "And so much like guys do you treat us, that you two practically walked in on us in the locker room."
"What?!" Robert thundered, turning to the two Relic Bladers, and both boys fled to the back of the dugout.
Alexia and Jade high-fived each other and grinned. Ray just shrugged. "We've no complaint, right Max?"
"You guys are clear," Tyson grimaced.
"Pipe down," said Kai irritably from where he sat. "Ray, you're next, aren't you?"
"Right," said Ray, standing up and heading for the arena. Tyson said, "Make it two straight wins for us, Ray—and it'll all be over!"
"As if!" came a voice from across the arena, and they saw that Liwayway was already there. She was scantily dressed, but it seemed like a traditional outfit of a native. She held out a crude slingshot, that had to be whirled around and around—it was her launched and ripcord, and said, "Two wins straight is much to ask for."
Ray blinked and then said with a grin, "Let's see about that, then."
DJ, who was getting quite into the proceedings, said, "All right! It's one win to nothing—Boy's Union a.k.a. Bladebreakers over Girls Side Team a.k.a. Orient Pearls. And it's time for the next round! For the boys—Ray! And from the girls—Liwayway!"
There was cheering again, and DJ magnificently revealed their next location. A blast of hot steam was met by the beybladers as the next arena rose. The two took a s light step back as they were met by a sudden flash of heat, and when the steam cleared they saw several active volcanoes in the arena.
"Aha!" said Brad Best. "Looks like a tough one for our beybladers."
"Yep, that's right, Brad 'cause that's Russia's Geyser Valley!" said AJ Topper. "Let's see our beybladers navigate through this perilous terrain with active volcanoes and random geyser bursts!"
"Bladers—are you ready?" DJ inquired.
"As I'll ever be," said Ray, grinning.
"Me too," said Liwayway, getting her slingshot ready.
"Three—two—one—let it rip!!" DJ hollered.
Ray fired the beyblade with all his might and Liwayway swung around the slingshot in intense speed before flinging it right into the arena. Both beyblades flew in amidst general cheering, and the second bout began.
Driger immediately skirted about the ground, Ray wary of the sudden blasts of steam and water on the ground, the treacherous geysers. Meanwhile, Liwayway's Tamawar was skirting up through the mud with amazing ease. Volcanoes here and there were rumbling, threatening to explode.
Ray spotted one active volcano, and saw his chance. "Driger! Force Tamawar up the volcano!"
Driger rushed up at Tamawar and began knocking the beyblade upwards, as the two of them continued a scale above a craggy mountain face. It wasn't so much slanted, so it was rather easy to climb, but naturally got harder as they continued ascent.
"Looks like Ray's got an idea, Brad," said AJ Topper and his partner said, "Yeah, and it looks like he's forcing Tamawar up to that volcano!"
"That's so but it also looks like Ray is having a hard time with the mountain—don't blame him, it's a terribly rocky and pebbly mount."
As they reached a pinnacle, Driger slipped on a pebble and dropped down slightly. Ray stifled a gasp, because if Driger fell, he was facing a slide to a nearby hot spring.
Liwayway, however, laughed. "Having trouble with the mountain?"
"Liwayway doesn't seem to be slipping," said Kenny, typing. "Look's like the tip of her beyblade is made of latex or rubber, or something. It makes a good grip on the climb. But it should easily wear down eventually and slow down."
"Let's go—Tamawar! Let's show them how the Ifugao people dealt with mountains," said Liwayway, grinning.
Tamawar suddenly glowed in blue light, and began to go all around the mountain, looking like it was carving it down. Everyone stared as Tamawar made its way down the mountain, carving down the mountain into steps.
Kenny was aghast. "Whoa—it's just like the Rice Terraces in the Philippines!"
"Rice Terraces?" asked Max.
"You see, the Ifugao people needed to plant rice, they found nowhere to do it but the mountains," said Kenny. "So they carved down the mountains with their own hands to make a terrace so they could plant rice. The terraces are said to one of the Wonders of the World."
"That's right," said Liwayway. "I'm proud of my Ifugao heritage, and I'll show you how I maneuver around this mountain ground!"
Tamawar leapt from volcano to volcano, carving a path for her to go through with ease. It leapt at Driger and knocked the gray beyblade down the mountain. But Driger regained grip again and sped upwards, just barely missed by a geyser that suddenly burst out behind it.
Ray saw the steps. Aha. "You left tracks for me to follow, then!"
Driger leapt to the steps and began chasing Tamawar around like a cat stalking prey. It leapt and bounced on Tamawar, who back slightly and rammed Driger with one of its spinning 'horns'.
"Keep going, Tamawar!" Liwayway cried. A blazing red bit beast of a tamaraw came bursting out of the beyblade and galloped towards Driger in a raging force.
"Go, Driger!!" said Ray, and Driger burst out of the beyblade in a blaze of green.
The two beyblades instantly crashed into each other, the bit beasts in the frays, and in blast of steam, both beyblades were knocked to the ground below. Before anyone could react, however, a powerful geyser shot the beyblades off the ground with such force that they flew out of the arena and landed in front of their owners.
The stadium was in uproar. Everyone was on their feet, somehow disappointed that the match ended in such a way.
"For the second bout—it's a draw!!" exclaimed DJ and the cheering continued.
"Sorry, guys," said Ray as he returned to the rest of the boys. "I had no idea there was a geyser under there…"
Liwayway was shaking her head, and Mutya said, "It's all right, Liwayway—we'll win the next one."
"Are you sure?" asked Jade. "Tyson is up next. He's…rather adaptive, you understand."
"I can take it," said Mutya, smiling mysteriously as she walked up to the arena. Tyson walked forward to the arena as well and grinned warily at Mutya. "You're my opponent, then?" he asked.
"I was so looking forward to this," said Mutya getting out her shooter, which was a large wooden wand. Her flowing outfit trailed back behind her.
Ray leaned to Kenny and asked, "Exactly what is Mutya supposed to be?"
"In Filipino—a babaylan," replied Kenny. "It's a female priestess…with powers…you know?" They stared blankly at him and said, "Kind of like a witch doctor, in short."
"Uh-oh…" said Max. "Tyson might be in trouble…"
DJ looked down and said, "Both beybladers are at position—let's see what kind of an arena they'll have!"
The arena hissed open and began to rise, and everyone watched in amazement as another mountain range was revealed, but this time, the mountains were capped in ice, and there was a path winding all around it lined with trees.
"The Caucasus Mountain Bowl!" said AJ Topper. "Ice capped mounts and battling on mountain paths—so be careful you don't slip up when an avalanche crashes!"
"All right!" said DJ. "Our beybladers are Tyson from the Bladebreakers—Boys Union—and his opponent, Mutya from the Orient Pearls—Girls Side Team! Prepare to launch, beybladers!"
"You can do it, Mutya! Get 'im!" the girls chorused.
"Come on, Tyson—win it for the guys!" the boys called.
"Bladers! Three—two—one—let it rip!!"
"Dragoon!!" Tyson yelled, ripping with all his might.
"Agiwar!!" Mutya cried, spinning around in a rapid dance and the beyblade went off with her rip.
Both beyblades hit the path and soon went running around the mountain paths. Mutya wasted no time. She spun around, waving her hands, chanting in Philippine tongue. With a final chant, Agiwar suddenly appeared behind Dragoon powerful blaze of wind impacted Dragoon and nearly blew the beyblade off.
Dragoon hit a mountain and was knocked back out to the path, steering away.
"I'm not going to waste my time in defeating you!" said Mutya. Chanting yet again and making motions with her hands, immediately a cold wind blew around the arena as a dark mist of thunderclouds began to form over the bowl. Instantly, a swirl of clouds later a thunderstorm pelted down on Dragoon.
"Where's Agiwar?" Tyson gasped. "I can barely see through all the clouds!"
"Tyson, keep your eyes on the bowl!" Kai said, leaping to his feet.
Tyson looked and gasped as through the clouds, Agiwar came from a high peak and crashed down on one side of Dragoon, sending it flipping about, over the cloud patch, but the beyblade still landed on the mountain path and kept spinning.
"Nice magic trick, but you're not going to win over me today!" Tyson exclaimed. "You want a storm? Here's one for you!! Dragoon—Phantom Hurricane!!"
The great blue dragon bit beast came roaring out of the beyblade, and a powerful spin of air began to form by Dragoon's power. The hurricane swept up all the clouds and instantly sucked up Agiwar as well, and the two beyblades vanished into the tornado created by Dragoon's spin.
"He's going to win…" said Patrick hopefully.
Mutya suddenly smirked. "You call that wind? Have a taste of beating wings. Agiwar!"
To everyone's shocked amazement, the Phantom Hurricane was torn apart by a sudden royal blue light from inside it, and a deafening screech was heard and there was a massive flapping of wings. The wind blew about even the ice on the tops of the mountains, and a massive blue eagle was revealed.
"Look at that eagle!" Max gasped.
"It's as large as Griffolyon!" Robert exclaimed.
"It's even bigger than my Trygle!" Michael gasped.
"It should!" said Kenny. "Agiwar is the rare Philippine eagle, or the Monkey-Eating Eagle. It's the biggest eagle specie in the world with a wingspan that can reach over six feet!"
Agiwar gave a powerful screech and soared into the air, the wind beating down at everyone with pelts of rain, and, like a deadly weapon of death came shooting to the ground, talons all out.
"Agiwar—Typhoon Wings!!" Mutya commanded.
The eagle stormed down in a flurry of wind and rain, and a pair of blazing blue talons grabbed Dragoon, threatening to tear him apart. Below, the Agiwar beyblade's sharp tip was piercing right through the Dragoon beyblade's attack ring. With Dragoon caught, Agiwar beat its wings, screeching at the catch, creating a sensational gale of wind that hoisted Dragoon off.
And with a powerful crash, Agiwar swooped down and crashed Dragoon right into the icy mountains.
Everyone gasped and leapt to their feet as the clouds and dust dispersed, and they saw a great hole in the mountain. Agiwar was spinning triumphantly, but Dragoon skittered to a stop and went still.
"The battle is over—Mutya wins!!" DJ cried. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to sudden-death!!
There was an explosion of cheers from all the girls, and they were leaping up and down in euphoria. The din that followed was deafening, and everyone was on their feet, remarkably impressed by the goings on. This was certainly starting to be one severe match.
Tyson was completely appalled as he stood stunned. "I…I lost. I can't…believe I lost…"
Mutya smiled at him though not unkindly. She went to the bowl, picked up his Dragoon and walked over to him. She held it out to him and asked, "Is your opinion changed yet?"
Tyson looked up at her and to his Dragoon, and then he laughed as he took it from her. "Yeah. It is. Wow, that was a sweet move back there! I really didn't see it coming." He scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly. "Hey, I'm really sorry for making fun of you guys. I really didn't mean any of it. Goes to show me that appearances aren't all that important…and that girls are pretty much on equal footing with us…"
"Pretty much?" Mutya asked, raising an eyebrow, and Tyson groaned, "Oh, all right, all right. You guys are good. We're on even ground…"
Mutya smiled. "Good." She turned around to the girls. "Everyone! Tyson is cleared!!"
There was a cheer from the girls. "We did it!" said Mariah.
"Yeah!" said Diwata, jumping up and down. "We haven't won the match just yet, but we've already won!"
"So true," Rochelle giggled. All the girls were hugging and shaking hands with each other.
"But we haven't been cleared yet," Johnny said irritably. Suddenly, there was the shrill ring of a phone. He looked around. "Hey, that's my cell phone." He hunted around his pockets and found it. "Hello? Yeah." He looked stunned. "Sis?!"
Everyone looked to his direction at this. "Johnny has a sister?" Ray asked, and Enrique nodded, "An older one."
"Yeah," said Johnny to the phone. "Yeah, I know you're watching—so? What?! Oh man, come on! No way! Oh yeah? Or else what?" He listened and then blanched. "Oh man, sis—don't tell mom and dad that! Please? Right! Okay, I will! I will! Just don't tell! I promise I'll be better, then! Oh…all right." He hung up and groaned.
The girls were giggling. "Johnny is clear!"
"Clear Michael and Steve too, Emily," said Eddy. "They made me put you in my place, after all."
"Okay," grinned Emily. "In fact, it's all over, so all the boys are clear! Everything back to normal!" She stopped and smirked. "Well…not all normal…"
"Oh, finally," Robert groaned. "It's over."
"Yeah…" said
DJ put his hands to his hips and said, "Hey, hey! This isn't over just yet, you guys! We've still got the sudden-death match. Teams, pick your players! Remember—this is for the Semi-Finals!"
Mutya ran back to the Orient Pearls, and all the girls were in a huddle, talking. Tyson went back to the boys, and they also came together in a clump, talking.
"All right," said Max. "Who's going? This is important."
"Yeah," said Ray. "This time, we have to make sure that we win…we have to make it to the Semi-Finals."
"Well then, who plays?" said Tyson. "Who's the one of us who can go out there and we'd know that he'd land a victory for sure against opponents like that?"
There was silence, and all the boys turned to look at the lone figure sitting at the bench. Kai looked up and asked, "What?"
"Kai, you have to play!" Tyson begged. "Come on, you're our last shot!"
"Not happening," was the reply.
"We have to win this next one, Kai—you have to go play!" said Kenny. "You've so far got the best record. Right Dizzi?"
"Sorry, Chief, but I'm with the girls," Dizzi replied casually. "Can't help you—sorry!"
"Traitor," but Kenny laughed anyway. He looked up at Kai. "Well, Kai?"
"No."
Tyson fell to his knees and clasped his hands. "All right, I'm begging here. Please? I know you already said that you wouldn't, but you have to now!"
"You learned your lesson the hard way and got trounced by a girl—and I have to clean up your mess?" Kai groaned.
But before any of the boys can say anything else, a call came from across the arena. It was Diwata, standing with all the girls looking on, and she called, "Hey!! You guys!! We request the captain of the Bladebreakers and two members to have a discussion with our captain in regards to the next match! Oh yeah—and DJ here already said he'll allow."
DJ looked at the boys. "Well, Bladebreakers?"
Kai looked up and saw Mutya standing already, waiting. Then he stood up and nodded. "Ray, Max, you guys come with me, then."
"Why can't I go?" asked Tyson.
"You've gotten into enough trouble today," said Kai as he walked off with Max and Ray following him.
As the two groups met at one side and both captains discussed in private, Patrick asked, "What do you guys think?"
"I don't know," said Oliver. "But it looks like some sort of negotiation."
"Negotiation of what?" asked Kevin.
"Well, we'll find out once it's over," shrugged Tyson.
After about five minutes discussion, both captains nodded and they walked over to the arena. Everyone looked rather satisfied and were smiling. Mutya looked up at DJ and said, "Hey referee guy! The Orient Pearls officially retract from the next match! The Bladebreakers win."
"What?" DJ was stunned. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yes," said Mutya, nodding. "It's been discussed."
"All right then!" said DJ. "The winners for the last match of the Quarter Finals are the Bladebreakers!! They are officially going to the Semi-Final round!"
"Yeah!!" Tyson leapt up in delight. "We're going! This is so cool!"
"Congratulations," said Lee, smiling. "You guys are going to do it."
"Yeah," said Michael. "You guys do well, you hear?"
"Sure!" said Max. "We'll do real well tomorrow."
And then Kenny said, "Hey you guys…the Relic Bladers are gone."
Everyone, both boys and girls as both groups were together now, looked around at this, and saw that Kenny was right. There was no Relic Blader among them. And then Lee said, "Not gone. Over there."
They all looked across the arena from the Bladebreakers' dugout and saw that near the other, now unoccupied, dugout stood the Relic Bladers. "What're they doing all the way over there?" Tyson asked to no one in particular.
And just then, the Relic Bladers looked at them. There was a very odd look on their faces. It was not a look necessarily of malice, but all looked extremely grave and somber. The others were all frankly surprised, others somewhat nervous, as the effect of their stare was heightened by the face that they held all their weapons. And then, after a moment, all the Relic Bladers turned around, weapons all drawn, and they walked out into the other doorway near the dugout.
"What's with them?" Johnny murmured.
Kai, after a discomforting pause, answered, "Well… to refresh your memory… The Relic Bladers are our opponents tomorrow. And now I think…that for the rest of this day and tomorrow, they're not going to be our friends."
"They looked really serious back there…" murmured Kenny. "Almost…scary."
"Yeah…" Ray agreed.
Robert shook his head. "Tradition. They're taking this very seriously. I suggest we all prepare." He turned to his group. "Come on. Let's practice. Remember—we're dealing with the Demolition Boys tomorrow."
"Hey you guys," said Tyson, glancing at the Majestics, "You guys break a leg, okay? Beat those guys."
"We'll do our best, Tyson, we promise you and the Bladebreakers that," nodded Enrique.
Kai glanced back to where the Relic Bladers had gone, leaving an air of tension in their wake. "We had better prepare for it too. Tomorrow, the first storm is really going to touch down."
Mike: Talk about air of intimidation…
Patrick: Heh. If Tyson hasn't learned anything for our match… (rolls his eyes)
Jade: I know that they may be friends… but this is serious now.
Alexia: Yeah… We need to beat them so we'll go against the Demolition Boys. Otherwise… We'll never get Tala back.
Jade: (nodding) Right. Time to get ready. (looks to the readers) While we do that, review and tell us what you think!
