Chapter Ten
by Shadou-sama

Kai walked beside the creek, looking at the sword rather then where he was going. He could just feel that Shadra needed it, and he should give it to her… but why should he? She had gone off with Ray, not staying with him.

He flung the sword into the lake and watched it sink. Watching it made him feel better, much better. Then punishment came. He doubled over with the pain in his stomach.

"You really shouldn't have done that," a voice said behind him.

Kai slowly turned his head to see Yuki. "What do you want?"

Yuki looked amused. "Feeling a bit of hell?"

Kai growled.

"Just retrieve the sword." Kai gave him a confused look. "It's just punishment for disabling Shadra that way. As soon as you have the sword back, the pain will stop."

Kai looked at him, figuring out whether Yuki was lying. He grimaced as a spasm of new pain inflicted his body.

Yuki rolled his eyes. "I guess I'll have to do it, or I will start to feel it."

Yuki waded into the water, then started swimming when the water got deep enough. He stopped momentarily when he had reached the spot where the sword had fallen, and dove done.

Kai waited, his face screwed up in pain. It seemed forever before Yuki's head popped back up and swam back to shore.

"Touch it." Yuki held the sword out before Kai. He slapped a hand onto the scabbard. The pain immediately conceded.

Yuki sat down on a nearby small boulder, dropping the sword between the two. Kai knelt on the sand trying to catch his breath. Neither talked for a while.

"So Shadra left you like the vixen that she is…" Yuki stated.

Kai grunted his response.

"With that other akki?"

Kai looked at him. What was he talking about?

"I think his name is Ray…"

"What are you talking about?"

"So she didn't go out with him?"

"She did…" Kai admitted grudgingly. "But what do you mean, other demon?"

"Akki's the correct term for it." Kai gave him a questioning look. "You don't know?"

Kai shook his head.

Yuki shook with mirth. He managed to calm down enough before saying, "She never told you what you were? Or that cat of hers?"

Kai shook his head again.

Yuki definitely looked amused. "You are an akki. So is that boy, Ray, and so am I. Akkae, which is the plural form of akki, are beings that sprung from the great Masters themselves."

"The Masters?"

"They are four souls that Universe, the Creator of All Beings, made to keep the world from collapsing into chaos."

"Do they have something to do with that team?"

"Yes. Three of the Masters make up that stupid beyblade team. The other one is Shadra."

Kai was a bit surprised, to say the least.

"Us three, you, me and Ray, come from Shadra. We can not help but love her. But she doesn't return the feeling. She plays with us, then when she's bored, she tosses us aside."

Kai glared down at the ground. The two akkae sat there in silence.

"You owe me for saving you. I already know what I want in return."

Kai looked up at him.

"I'm sure you'll like it. It's a very good way to get revenge."

"What would I have to do?" Kai asked.

"Agree and I'll tell you."

Kai debated this. On the one hand, it would feel great. But on the other, what if it was too bad? What if Shadra didn't deserve it… The image flashed through his mind, of watching Shadra leaving the cabin, and him, for her little date with Ray. "I'll do it."

Yuki grinned.


Holly sat back on her bed, a smirk on her face. Everything had gone well, even if it hadn't gone according to plan. Soon her little problem would be gone, and Holly would leave with the tournament with her immortality and a souvenir, Shadra's mind.

Holly already knew what she would do with it. She would use the Master of Time's power to turn back time, or at least turn back time on one person.

She looked down at her bit-beast. "Soon, Ryu, soon." She placed a gentle kiss on the bit.

There was a knock, no a pounding at the door. She briskly walked over to open it.

The dark-haired form of Yuki stood on the porch in front of a blue-ish gray-haired boy. Holly recognized him as Kai, from Shadra's team. What was he doing here? And why did he have a sword? She wondered as she stepped back from the door, allowing the two to enter.

Inside, the sword was revealed to be Milaenay-di, the Master of Time's sword of the seasons. It clicked in her mind. This Kai must be another of Shadra's akkae, and another one she must have ticked off.

Yuki sat casually on the window seat, while Kai stood stiffly by the door. Holly drew up a chair and sat before them.

"So you too want to get revenge?" She turned towards Kai.

"Getting her kicked out of the tournament? Yeah."

"What about—"

"That's our deal, remember?" Yuki interrupted. He gave her a meaningful look.

So he hadn't clued Kai in to Yuki's reward… Holly guessed that Shadra hadn't done anything too bad to him, or Kai would be asking for more then simply kicking her out of a little tournament. But this was better for her, less magic and effort involved.

"Oh yes." She winked at Yuki. He smiled slightly. "So how are you going to do that?"

Kai smirked. With his free hand, the other one holding the sword, he drew a black beyblade out of his pocket. "You need a bit-beast to participate in the tournament, right?"

Holly looked closer at the beyblade. It was black, with a few red dashes. Shadra's colors. The bit was black too with thin red lines depicting a large panther. "And she just leaves her beyblade around?"

"No. But I took it away last week before she lost it."

Holly grabbed the beyblade from Kai's hand. "I'll hold onto this," she declared. Kai just shrugged.

"What should be do with that?" Yuki asked, pointing to Milaenay-di in Kai's other hand.

"You should keep it," she answered. "Shadra might find it if Kai keeps it." Yuki nodded.

"Why can't she?" Kai asked.

"Because it'll make everything harder for us."