The hours came and went. Soon both remaining teams were waiting for their chance to prove themselves in the finals. The Blade Breakers waited anxiously by the bey stadium as Kyouju did last minute repairs on their blades. Dranzer was already safe in her blade waiting to be released.
Kai's fingers twitched eagerly-more than ready to take his blade in his hands and let it rip-preferably towards the strange boy on the Blade Reapers.
Takao, Rei, Max, and the newly added Wyatt, were talking amongst themselves. Daichi was cheering in the crowd with Hiromi.
The line-up had already been decided.
The Blade Reapers smirked from the other side of the stadium. Rinoka made childish faces at Rei-he could have been anywhere from ten to twelve-but he wasn't very mature. Rei already took dibs on Rinoka-both for what he had done to him and what he had done to poor Kiki his former teammate on the White Tigers. Poor Kiki was still in a hospital bed. That darkness of his seemed overwhelming.
Max would be battling Kisara. It seemed that she had taken dibs on him by the time that the Blade Breakers had arrived. She had been smirking at Max ever since.
Wyatt was battling the rather large Saki. It was a mutual decision-neither seemed to care. Wyatt was nervously awaiting his first battle in the tournament. The team had taken Daichi to the match judges and Mr. Dickinson and had declared him too sick to blade-the judges immediately agreed.
Takao would be facing the leader Hikaru. They had similar personalities and had immediately challenged each other. Kai didn't think that Hikaru was quite right-he didn't seem to harness the same hidden power that the other boy had.
And the last boy-the last boy was Kai's. He still didn't know his name-but it didn't matter. He would take him on and he would win.
"Alright! We're back with what will be the most exciting match between the World Champions the Blade Breakers and the new comers that took the bey blading world by storm, the Blade Reapers! Will the Blade Breakers stay on top? Or will the Blade Reapers take them down? Let's see! First match will be The excellent blader Max and his faithful turtle bit beast Draciel!" The crowd cheered. "And the lovely yet tough Blade Reaper Kisara and her powerful Oreon!" Brad Best screamed as more cheers ran through the air.
"Bladers go!" He yelled.
Max and Kisara took their places as they prepared themselves. Kisara smirked as she pulled out her launcher. This caused Max to frown.
"Get ready Maxie." Kisara said a bit too sweetly. Soon both bladers had let go of their bey blades.
C'mon concentrate. Max's mind screamed out to him as he maneuvered his blade around Kisara's. Kisara's blading style seemed to be a bit like Rei's, balanced attack and defense, while Max's was a defense-type.
"Go Oreon!" Kisara screamed as her large seal-like bit beast went on the offense.
"Draciel!" Max yelled out as he used one of his special attacks-blowing Kisara back-if only for a moment.
"Oreon! Water Blast now!" Kisara screamed
Kisara screamed as her bit beast screeched and water seemed to rise out of nowhere. Once the stadium was cleared only Oreon was still spinning. Max had lost.
Both bladers were breathing hard and staggered as Max went to pick up his fallen Draciel. He bent down and picked it up sadly when he heard a triumphant snort from Kisara. Looking up he found her to be smirking down at him. Frowning Max returned to his team.
"I'm sorry guys…." He said quietly, not knowing quite what to make of the situation.
"Awww. It's okay Maxie! We'll get them next round, right Rei?" Takao said as he tried to cheer Max up from his sullen state. Max was usually happy, but it was terrible when he got sad.
"Right." Rei said with more than a small spark of determination in his eyes.
"Next match; Rei and Rinoka!" Brad Best shouted as he pointed to the stadium where the blonde and the ebony haired boys stood across from each other.
Rinoka smirked as he took out his bey blade Tsukeon.
"Prepare yourself for defeat." Rinoka said in a almost high and scratchy voice, though his tone made him sound very sure of himself.
Rei glared at the smaller boy from across the ring. He had to win, if not for himself then for Kiki. Rei prepared his mind for a hard battle as he let Drigger soar through the air and zip into the ring. For a moment Rinoka looked shocked-but only for a moment.
"Hey Rei?" Rinoka asked as he smirked letting his blade zip past Drigger.
"What?" Rei snarled back. The boy was trying to distract him.
"Are you afraid of the dark?" Rinoka asked as he looked Rei in the eyes, he was confused.
Am I afraid of the dark? Rei thought as he watched Rinoka. The ring seemed to be getting darker by the second.
Oh… He thought as he remembered Rinoka's special attack.
"Your Drigger can't see in the dark; but Tsukeon can!" He yelled as the entire ring was swallowed in pitch black darkness. For a moment Rei could hear Brad Best telling everyone that Rinoka was using his special attack again, but then it all went black.
Rei stood in the darkness-he was surrounded. Everything was black, blacker than black. Darker than any night he had ever seen. It was terrifying. Rei sweated as he looked around. He could hear Rinoka laughing and calling an attack.
"Tsukeon! Dark attack now!" The boy who was shrouded from vision screamed. Rei listened as he heard the attack come and Drigger roar in pain.
"Drigger! No!" Rei yelled as he struggled to see. He was scaredd. He was never afraid of the dark-except when he was a child. Back in his village he always hid under his blankets when night came. Then he had always envisioned it as black as it was now. He had overcome it though. But this was almost unbearable.
"Drigger defend!" he shouted, but heard Rinoka laugh.
"Sorry Rei, but your Drigger doesn't know where I'm coming from. He's defenseless, scared, and alone. Just like you." He laughed with an obvious smirk.
Kai watched from the outside of the seeming bubble that had enveloped the stadium.
"Rei!" He finally yelled as he looked into it, he could barely make out Rei's form.
Rei stood for a moment. He swore he heard something. His name. Someone was yelling his name!
"Rei!" Rei listened. It was Kai's voice, Kai was yelling to him. He listened for more as he heard Drigger scream again in pain-his attention split.
"You're not alone!" He heard the voice yell-only he couldn't quite place who's it was that time. He could hear his friends. He wasn't alone. He was never alone. He had Drigger the whole time!
"C'mon Drigger! Let's go!" Rei shouted as he seemed to have overcome his fear. He might not be able to see Drigger, but that didn't mean that he couldn't fight with him. They always had each other.
Concentrate. He told himself as he closed his eyes. He didn't need his eyes. Just his skill, just Drigger.
Listening he heard a rustling sound. "Drigger! Attack left!" He screamed as he heard a gasp.
Rinoka breathed in sharply. How had Rei known? It was no matter. He couldn't see through the shroud of darkness anyways, Rinoka told himself.
"You're hiding yourself in the dark Rinoka! You're hiding from what you don't want to see!" Rei yelled as he continued his attacks.
Suddenly Rinoka's bubble was gone, though Rei's eyes were still closed.
Rinoka watched for a moment longer. No one had ever been able to overcome his shroud of darkness-ever. Then his blade shot out of the ring. Slowly he went to get it.
Rei opened his eyes when he felt all of Rinoka's strength leave him. The darkness was gone. He could see his team again. He had won. Rei smiled and jumped down from the stadium.
"Yes Rei!" Takao shouted as he and Max rushed to bounce along his sides.
"You won!" Max smiled as he latched on to Rei's other side.
"Yes, but I couldn't have done it without you guys, or Kai." He said as he looked over to the Blade Breakers leader and smiled. He really couldn't have done it if it weren't for them all.
Hiromi congratulated them as she ran up to them-as did the chief and Wyatt.
"Wow what an amazing match!" Brad Best yelled as he watched the fallen Blade Reaper return to his team.
Wyatt unintentionally held his breath. Were all the Blade Reapers that good? He was starting to think he didn't have a chance. He probably couldn't hold a candle to Rei. He wasn't that good. He should have declined Kai's offer. Well, technically it wasn't an 'offer', more of a 'Hey, pack your things cause we're going to Russia.' sort of thing, but still.
Wyatt gulped as he headed to the arena. The Blade Breakers were counting on him for a win. They needed him to win. But could he?
Saki, the Blade Reaper that he was up against, smirked as he looked at Wyatt.
"So you're the Blade Breakers replacement." He said sharply. Wyatt ignored the remark. He had to win. For Kai, for Dranzer, for everyone. He had to win. He steadied himself as he prepared to launch. Perspiration already coming off his face.
Here goes nothing. His mind spoke as he let his blade rip from his custom launcher. Saki did likewise.
Kai watched intently. He knew Wyatt was good, but was he that good? "Go Mukareon!" Saki yelled as his giant bit beast stormed out. It was a giant monkey-like creature.
Wyatt sucked in his breath-he had a lot of power.
"Darion!" He yelled as his own bit beast emerged. His Darion was a large dragon bit beast with red feather-like wings.
"Whoa…" Takao breathed out as he watched Wyatt's battle.
You can do this. You can do this. You. Can. Do. This!" He screamed in his mind as he sent Darion out for a final attack, winning the match in a spectacular flame and flap of the wings.
Wyatt felt himself almost collapse as Saki's blade quit spinning. That truly was amazing.
"Wyatt!" Wyatt turned his head. It was Kai.
"Nice!" Hiromi yelled as she ran up with the others.
Wyatt went off of the stage but felt himself tackled by the rest of the team.
"Great win!" Takao yelled as he proceeded to give him a small noogie.
"Wish me luck!" Takao yelled as he jumped up to the bey blade stadium to face his opponent, team leader Hikaru.
"Sorry Kai, but once I'm through you won't have to blade!" Takao shouted loudly, making sure that Hikaru heard him.
Hikaru glared at the boy opposite of him. When he felt something tug at his pants. It was Kisara.
"You have to win this!" She snarled as she glared up to him. Then she left and returned to her leaning pose against a wall next to Kida. He had the strangest feeling about Kida, but he couldn't place it…
Hikaru shook his head to clear the thought. It was probably nothing.
Takao smirked a bit as he prepared to launch Dragoon. Hikaru was going down.
Hikaru was the first to launch.
"Go Teradeon!" He screamed as his blade flew swiftly from his launcher.
"Dragoon!" Takao yelled in return as his blade ripped through the air.
The two blades winded against one another for a moment before each called their bit beasts out.
"Dragoon! Full attack now!" Takao screamed as Dragoon attacked Teradeon head on.
"Evasive defense!" Hikaru screamed in a Takao-like manner. Though his bit beast still took at least half of the blow.
"Dragoon!" Takao screamed as the stadium clouded with dust from the intense battle. When the dust cleared only one blade was still going-or 'wobbling' really- Hikaru's.
Takao's eyes were larger than saucers. He lost? It couldn't be true-but it was.
Hikaru himself seemed stunned too. He had just beaten-"The World Champion Takao Kinomiya has just been defeated!" Brad Best screamed, piercing through Hikaru's thoughts.
Takao left the stadium with his mouth agape. When he felt a strong hand on his shoulder-Kai.
"Kai… I-" He couldn't think of how to word it. It had all happened so fast. He was so sure that he would win.
"It's alright. Good match." Kai said coldly as he walked to take his place. He was sorry for Takao's loss and normally he would have been angered. But not now. Now he could face off between the fifth Blade Reaper.
Kai took his place on one side of the ring as Kida took the other. One thing that Kai noticed was different was the fact that he had an earpiece over his right ear. One very similar to the one Tala had once worn. There was no doubt now-it was all Voltaire's doing, all his grandfathers doing. Kai frowned as he took his position.
"Now for the deciding match! Kai of the Blade Breakers and Kida of the Blade Reapers!" He screamed as Kai picked out the name.
" 'Kida' huh? So that's your name." Kai stated with a smirk almost as big as Russia itself.
Kida simply smirked as he fingered the ear piece. He then pulled out a blade that was not Xoreon.
Kai looked. That wasn't his usual blade. That was..
"Black Dranzer go!" Kida screamed as he let his blade rip through the air.
"Dranzer!" Kai screamed in reply. How was it he had Black Dranzer? It was impossible. There was no way he could control it. No way.
"Whoa!" Brad Best screeched as he consulted the judges. Was it legal to substitute blades in the middle of a match?
"No Kida! Not yet! Don't attack yet!" The voice of Voltaire Hiwatari boomed out of the ear piece that Kida was wearing. Kida shook his head and went on the defense.
"The plan! Stick to the plan!" Voltaire finished as he screamed in Kida's ear.
Kai maneuvered Dranzer around Black Draner for a while. Kida was good. But not unbeatable.
"Dranzer! Fire arrow attack!" He screamed as he released Dranzer from her bey blade in a blinding fury.
"Black Dranzer! Spiral Survivor now!" Kida screeched as he called out his bit beast.
Oh great! He can control it! Kai's mind ran rampant.
Dranzer and Black Dranzer met in the ring. The two fire birds circled each other. Black and Crimson met Gold and Red.
Dranzer was ecstatic to herself. It was her! Her clone at least, battling against her in the ring. Black Dranzer… How could she possibly defeat herself? Dranzer had no idea, but she knew she had to do it, for Kai.
"Dranzer Come one Dranzer!" Kai screamed as he attacked Kida and Black Dranzer again. It was getting harder. Black Dranzer practically was Dranzer, how could he deal with that?
Kida listened as an annoying buzzing sound came into his ear again. Voltaire's voice hummed out more instructions.
"Stop going out on a limb Kida you imbecile! You can't do this on your own! The plan, Kida, the plan!" Kida screamed in annoyance. That was the last straw. He could do it. He was better than Voltaire, he was better than Kai, he was better than anyone! His mind raged on as his arm reached up to the ear piece.
"NO! Damn it no! I don't need you or anyone!" He yelled out loud as he ripped the piece from his ear and threw it to the side.
"You idiot! Stop!" Voltaire screamed from his place near the judges station. But his words weren't heard as Kida had blocked out the world.
"Black Dranzer! Fire arrow attack now!" He yelled in a rage of unknown fury.
Black Dranzer let the mighty flame attack go as it unleashed at her counterpart Dranzer.
"Dranzer!" Kai yelled as hate blazed in his eyes.
"Kida!" A voice from the crowd yelled, but Kida's attention would not be taken away from the ferocity of the match. The other Blade Breakers looked back to find the voice belonging to Voltaire Hiwatari.
"What are you doing here?" Takao screamed at the man who was, for once, not directing his hateful glance at Kai, but at his opponent Kida. The presence of his grandfather seemed lost to Kai as well as he pursued Kida through and through. Even the sky seemed to darken to fit the frightful match
Dranzer flew over her counterpart as she whipped her long feather flamed tail around to hit her sister blade. They were equal in power. This wouldn't be ended easily.
"Black Dranzer!" Kida screamed as he went on a continuous attack on Kai, thrashing with every part of himself, using every ounce of his strength.
"Dranzer! Spiral survivor!" Kai screamed as Dranzer blew a final attack against the black and red bit beast ferociously throwing her back.
Black Dranzer flew back into the hands of her master, Kida. Kida stopped, his breath was ragged and he looked tired. Everything he had worked for, it was all gone. Everything he had…. Gone…
Brad Best took the stage once again. "The judges have made a ruling!" He yelled to the crowd. "The match according to the rule book was in fact legal due to a clause. I am pleased to announce Kai Hiwatari the winner!" He screamed as the crowd cheered.
Kai smirked as he returned to his team. It was over. He and Dranzer had won. It was then that he noticed his sorry excuse for a grandfather glowering down at him. Kai manged a glare back as he limped off completely exhausted to find his hotel.
Kai entered his hotel room and very ungracefully threw himself o the bed. At the moment didn't care who saw-not that anyone did. The entire way back to the hotel his team had congratulated him and fawned over their victory. All he wanted was sleep.
He took out his blade. Dranzer shimmered out in her usual fashion-if a bit worse for wear.
"That. Was incredible." She breathed, seeming to be as exhausted as he himself was.
Dranzer let her human form fall next to Kai on the bed he shared with Wyatt, also very much unlike herself.
"That was wonderful…" Kai whispered with his eyes closed. The match really was wonderful. He and Dranzer were an invincible team as long as they were together. Nothing could stop them. Kai smiled one of his small yet happy smiles, which in turn made Dranzer give one of her own.
"You were wonderful." Dranzer spoke with an unnatural amount of emotion in her deeper voice. Leaning over she gave Kai a small, chaste kiss on his cheek, which was very close to his lips. Kai smiled a bit more. Everything would work out as long as they were together.
No, this is not the end! There will be one last chapter. An epilogue if you will focusing on Kai and Dranzer just like in the very beginning. Stay tuned! Please read and review!