A/N: After so long, it's another chapter! Hehehe...I would have finished this earlier if I hadn't had to change computers; I left my old one at home, and I'm in a completely different city now - 1,940 kilometers away from home, to be exact. But it's not entirely my fault...
Mei: Yeah! You had to think up the names for the participating teams 'cause not one reviewer gave any ideas...
Me: But's its okay; I managed, right? And it didn't affect my studies! (Not used to long breaks...) Oh, and I know I got you guys losta few chapters back when I suddenly switched to Seiryuu, Suzaku, etc. Well, from here on end,whenever the chapter mentions 'Dragoon', 'Draciel', etc.,I'm referring to the Beyblade; 'Suzaku, 'Byakko', and so on, I'm referring to the bit beast. Got it?Okay, onto the fic!
Disclaimer: ...and I thought you knew by now...
Chapter 6: The Tournament
"Oh, Kumiko, I'm so excited!" Yuujin exclaimed, clinging tightly to her friend's hand. "The first Junior Championships!"
"Yeah, I know!" Kumiko replied, grinning. She hitched up her duffel bag and glanced up at the huge dome they were now facing. "And here I thought it was just a crazy dream, me actually acquiring Suzaku and – OW!" she suddenly yelped and rubbed her forearm, where Yuujin had pinched her. Hard.
"Well, now you know it's not a dream!" The auburn-haired teen replied, giggling.
"Yeah, thanks a lot…" the raven-haired teen muttered, staring daggers at her companion – who, fortunately, didn't notice. Suddenly, Yuujin grabbed Kumiko's wrist and started jumping around.
"Look! Over there! There are the others!" She practically yelled. Kumiko put a hand over her ear and grimaced, but looked off in the direction her friend had been pointing. About ten meters away were Chiaki, Taichi, and Kaito.
"No need to tell me in stereo…" she said, grinning good-naturedly at her friend. "All you had to do was point them out; I'm sure I would have spotted them myself."
Yuujin looked sheepish. "Hehe…oops?"
Presently, the three other teens who made up the Sento-Sasaki school team joined the two, who were about to enter. Chiaki smiled at Yuujin.
"Yuujin! I didn't know you would be here!" she said, apparently pleased to see more than one familiar face in the crowd.
The aqua-eyed teen grinned back. "Well, I just wanted to come to, you know, cheer you guys on. After all, what's a school team without supporters?"
"You're right there, Yuujin-san!" Kaito said.
"In fact, I think the entire year made it here…" the auburn-haired teen continued, as though she hadn't heard anything. "And a couple of teachers, too…See? There's Nanasawa-sensei!" she pointed out their sandy-haired PE instructor.
"Oh, boy…" Kumiko groaned, blowing a couple of stray strands out of her eyes. "Just what I need: the whole batch – and a couple of teachers – here to watch us battle…Great…"
All of a sudden, Yuujin started running towards the entrance, inadvertently dragging her friend along. "C'mon, let's go inside now so you guys can register!"
"Ah!"
Chiaki shook her head, chuckling, before going after the two. "Wait up!" she called. Kaito and Taichi looked at each other and shrugged before following suit, crossing the threshold into the large reception hall cum lobby, where they would no doubt register their team.
Kumiko and Yuujin reached the registration table, surprising the dozing BBA official. "Excuse me, sir, is this where we register?" Yuujin asked, finally letting go of poor Kumiko's hand.
The BBA official nodded and smiled. He handed her a pen. "Yup! Here you go!" He pushed a sheet of paper towards her and pointed towards the line near the top of the page. "Just put your team name here, and the school you represent below it. Afterwards, fill in the members' names in the boxes here and indicate their position-"
"'Position'?" Yuujin looked puzzled as she grasped the pen offered her.
The official - a jolly-looking, blue-black haired man – smiled at her. "By position, I mean the part they play on the team, meaning whether or not that particular person is going to be a regular competitor or a substitute. There may be only one substitute per team; it's competition protocol. Oh, and you should also indicate who is the team captain."
"I see…" Yuujin looked thoughtful for a moment, and then she turned to Kumiko and thrust the pen into her hand. "Kumiko, here," she said, pushing her friend forward. "I think you should be the one to fill in the registration form."
"Huh?" Kumiko looked startled, since she had only just recovered from running after her hyperactive friend. She glanced down at the paper, and then, after a moment's pause, bent over it and began to write.
Suddenly, Chiaki was beside her, reading what the raven-haired teen was writing. "So, who are the regulars, Ms. Team Captain?" she asked, startling Kumiko and causing her to drop the pen.
"Chiaki…" the amethyst-eyed blader pouted as she bent down to retrieve the pen. "I was writing! You shouldn't disturb someone while he – or she – is writing!" She straightened up and grinned mischievously at her teammate. "But it is going to be obvious after I indicate the substitute…" She began to write again.
"You?" Kaito, who had suddenly joined them, exclaimed after he read what Kumiko had written. "Why are you going to be only the substitute?"
"Yeah, Kumiko-san…" Taichi added in between bites of a candy bar he had gotten from the vending machine. "We've all seen how you blade; you shouldn't confine yourself to being a sub."
"Well, I don't like being focused on," Kumiko said, putting down the pen and turning to face her companions. "Besides, I don't think I'd enjoy being a regular very much." She began to walk off in the direction of the main corridor when the BBA official stopped her.
"Hang on a second," he said, quickly scanning the form. "You haven't completed the form; I still need your team name."
Kumiko turned and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, but we haven't had time to discuss the possibilities of a team name. Is it all right if we don't put one down yet?The official shook his head. "Unfortunately, we're now requiring every team to have a name at the beginning of every tournament. It makes the process easier…"
Everyone was quiet, thinking up possible names – well, except for Taichi, who was crunching the last of his candy bar while he thought.
The official chuckled. "I can see your trainers forgot to give you that little detail." He went behind the registration desk and rummaged in a drawer for a few minutes before pulling out a rather rumpled sheet of paper. "For the Junior Championships, the BBA decided that team names would have a common theme. For this year, it's 'Mythical Animals'." He looked up from the paper and smiled at them once more. "I hope that helps…"
"It sure does!" Yuujin exclaimed, lunging for the pen and registration form, and nearly knocking Kumiko down in the process.
"Hey! Watch it!" The amethyst-eyed teen protested, nimbly stepping out of the way. Yuujin gave a sheepish grin, shrugged her shoulders as if to say 'I'm sorry', turned back to the table and began to scribble furiously on the form.
Chiaki leaned forward to read what the auburn-haired girl had written. "Nice…" she commented, grinning.
"What's it say?" Taichi asked, trying to read what was on the paper, but Yuujin had already given it back to the helpful official.
"So, let me get this straight. You are Team Phoenix, and you represent Sento-Sasaki Senior High?"
Only Yuujin and Chiaki nodded at first, then Kumiko spoke up. "Err…yes, sir." At that, the two boys nodded, indicating that the man should continue, which he did. "Your team captain is Fujiwara Kumiko, who will also be your substitute. The three members and regular competitors are Mikage Chiaki, Matsuo Kaito, and Shimamoto Taichi?" Once again he looked to the four teens for confirmation and got it.
"All right, then! Off you go!" he indicated a glass door behind him. "The competitors' entrance is that way. Go down the corridor until you see a door marked 1-A. That's your 'waiting room', since that is where you guys will be staying while waiting for your team to be called onto the competition ground."
"Domo arigato gozaimasu!" Kumiko said, bowing slightly. Her companions did the same, and the official returned the gesture in kind.
"Do itashimashita." He said, smiling.
The five teens made their way over to the glass door and were about to step through it when they – rather, Kumiko heard a familiar voice.
"Boku o matte kudasai!" a rather shrill voice rang out across the lobby, causing the amethyst-eyed teen to turn and search for the source. She spotted Shun, running towards them, his glasses balanced precariously near the end of his nose. Kumiko saw that he wouldn't be able to stop in time, and so held the door wide open for him. Sure enough, the bespectacled teen skidded to a stop inside the inner corridor that led to the different waiting rooms.
"Th-thanks…" he said, panting slightly.
"No problem," Kumiko said as she let go of the door, allowing it to swing shut behind her. "Why were you running anyway? And what are you doing here?"
"Well, I knew you guys were going to be here today – what with the tournament preliminaries and all – and I figured 'Why not go?' Besides, it would be a great opportunity to augment my blader archive."
"Oh, that…" Kumiko said. She coughed a few times in order to hide her chuckles, recalling that Shun's 'archive' contained only one profile: hers. "Anyway, glad to have you aboard. The room's this way," she said, leading the charcoal brown-haired teen down the corridor. Apparently, her friends were already in the room and were waiting for her.
What was the room number again? she thought, racking her brains for the information. Then her face brightened. Oh, yeah! Room 1-A! She quickened her pace, and poor Shun had to half-jog just to keep up with her. When they arrived outside the assigned room, the bespectacled teen was rather out of breath.
"Hey! What's he doing here?" Chiaki asked rather loudly when she spotted Shun enter the room.
"Oh, sorry." Kumiko smiled apologetically. "I forgot. Guys, this is Tadehiko Shun, our resident, um…Beyblade researcher. He's here to update his blader archives." She turned to the charcoal brown-haired teen. "Shun, these are my teammates: Mikage Chiaki, Matsuo Kaito, and Shimamoto Taichi."
"Hey, Shun!" Yuujin waved at the newcomer from her spot near the vending machine. "Remember me?"
Shun smiled, glad to see another familiar face. "Yes, of course I do, Yuujin."
"So…your name's Shun, right?" Taichi asked, eager to break the ice.
Shun nodded; the copper-haired teen took a breath and continued.
"All right. How did you get interested in Beyblade researching?"
"Well, it's pretty hard to say…" Shun said slowly, adjusting his glasses as he sat down on a vacant seat at the table that was located roughly in the center of the room. "I guess I was simply interested in Beyblading at first, but as it turns out, I'm not exactly the athletic type. So I turned to researching, so I could help any friends of mine – who became bladers – to hone their skills and achieve their 'ideal' blade."
"I see…" Kaito said, nodding his head to show he understood.
Kumiko took a seat at the other end of the table and took out her Dranzer F from her pocket. From the left pocket, she took out a small piece of cloth and what looked like a travel-size tube of toothpaste. Very slowly, she squeezed a small amount of the tube's contents onto a corner of the cloth and began to rub it all over her Beyblade.
"Hey, Kumiko, what are you doing?" Chiaki asked, who had noticed the raven-haired teen's actions.
"I'm cleaning my blade with this special cleaning fluid." Kumiko said without looking up from what she was doing. "My blade got all scratched up when I was training yesterday."
"Yesterday?" Taichi was confused. "But…yesterday was our day off, remember?"
"I know." Kumiko said, smiling. "I just felt like training, that's all."
"Trained for five hours straight, she did." Yuujin said rather cheerfully as she popped open a can of soda. "I know 'cause I called her house at around five PM; her aunt answered and said that Kumiko was still training."
"Uh…okay…" Kaito said, looking rather taken aback at this display of determination. Who the heck trains for five hours straight? He glanced at Taichi; the olive-eyed teen shrugged. Kaito then glanced back at Kumiko, who was still busy cleaning her blade. But if she's that dedicated… the teal-eyed teen thought as he allowed a small smile to creep onto his face. It's a shame she elected herself as only a sub, though…
"Do you think they've arrived already?" Takao asked as he glanced at the huge, metallic dome that loomed directly ahead of them. "I mean, a lot of people have passed by and we haven't seen them yet…"
"Don't worry, Takao!" Max said, slapping his friend on the back. "I'm sure they're around here, somewhere!" The blonde teen looked towards the entrance, where a lot of people were milling around; no doubt most of them were participants in the Junior Championships. "Hey! I know! Let's inquire at the registration desk. If they're here, they would've signed up already."
"Good suggestion, Max." Kai said, striding quickly over to the small crowd gathered at the entrance; he seemed to just melt into the throng.
For a few moments, Takao and his companions just stood there, staring at the place where Kai was standing. Then, the steel blue-eyed teen shrugged and smiled at his friends. "C'mon, guys! If we don't move now, we'll never find Kai in that crowd!"
"Right!"
In minutes, the foursome found themselves inside the threshold and in front of the registration area. Kai was there, too, and he was talking to the registration official.
"Hmm…Fujiwara Kumiko?" the official looked thoughtful. "Hang on a minute; I think she might have registered earlier this morning…"
"'Might have'?" Kai looked dubious.
"Let me check my files…" the official disappeared under the table, apparently looking for something, and then reappeared moments later, a single sheet of paper in hand. "Here we are!" he said a little too cheerfully. He laid the paper on the desk. "Is that them?" he asked, using his finger to point out the names listed.
Kai was silent as he scanned the sheet of paper, and then he glanced back up. "Their room number, please."
"I'm sorry, Hiwatari-san, demo-"
"My companions and I need to see them immediately, sir." Kai cut in, his voice dangerously calm. "We're their trainers."
"Oh!" the official looked surprised, then calmed right down. "If that's the case…they've been assigned to room 1-A. They were, after all, the first ones to register."
"Hmm…rather prompt…" Rei observed.
"It's right through there, and then down the hallway." The official said, pointing out the glass door that Team BBA recognized immediately as the competitors' entrance.
"Domo." Kai said, bowing slightly to the BBA official as a sign of respect; the smiling, dark-haired man returned the gesture. Kai moved towards the double glass doors, and the others followed suit.
"Kai, why did you say we needed to see them?" Takao asked as he caught up with the slate-haired teen. Kai didn't reply. "Never mind…" Takao muttered.
"There! All done." Kumiko said, putting down her blade and replacing the cleaning fluid and cloth in her pocket.
"Well, Kumiko, that special fluid must really work…" Chiaki commented as she approached the teen and picked up the Dranzer blade to examine it. "There's not one shred of dirt – not even a scratch – on your blade!"
"I'm glad to hear that, Chiaki," Kumiko replied, leaning back and stretching. "I wasn't sure at first if what they advertised was true or not; I guess it's the former." The amethyst-eyed teen reached back into her pocket. "Want to try it out?" she asked, holding the cleaning materials in her outstretched palm.
Chiaki took the tube of cleaning fluid and the cloth from her team captain. "Thanks. I guess…my blade could use some cleaning."
"No problem. We do have to show our opponents that they're not facing amateurs." Kumiko said, grinning. "Of course, if our blades our squeaky clean, then they might think that we've never bladed a day in our lives…"
"Hold on…" Taichi interrupted suddenly. "You want them to underestimate us?"
Kumiko nodded. "Yup!"
"I don't get it…" Yuujin muttered from her seat near the vending machine. She sipped a little of her soda; she'd already drunk half of it.
"Why would you want our opponents to think we don't blade well?" Kaito asked. "I thought you want our opponents to see us as formidable!"
"Don't worry, Matsuo; Fujiwara knows what she's saying." A familiar voice joined in the conversation. Everyone turned to find Team BBA standing in the doorway; it was Kai who had spoken.
"In fact, underestimating the enemy is the worst mistake you can make," Max said, a huge grin on his face. "That is, if you're the one who makes the mistake. If you're opponent makes that mistake, then so much the better for you."
Chiaki nodded. "I think I see what you're saying. If our opponents underestimate us, then they won't put much power behind they're attacks, since they think it'll be an easy win-"
"And in doing so, we finish them off that more easily." Kaito finished; he, too, had understood. "Okay, why not try it, then?"
"Let me at that cleaner!" Taichi said jokingly, making a wild grab for the tiny tube.
"Hang on! I wasn't finished with that!" Chiaki said, snatching it up and placing it on the table further away from the overeager teen.
Max grinned, pleased to find the new team so at ease with one another after only a few weeks. Kind of reminds me of us…the sapphire-eyed teen thought. They even have a laptop-toting kid with them, and a girl tags along for the heck of it…he added, noting the presence of Yuujin and Shun. Aloud he said, "So, you guys ready for the tournament?"
Taichi nodded vigorously. "Yup! Ready and raring to go, Max!"
The blonde chuckled lightly. "Glad to see some enthusiasm, Taichi!"
On the other side of the table, Kumiko pushed back her chair and stood up. She uttered a simple "Excuse me." before she made her way out into the corridor.
There was silence for several minutes before Yuujin spoke up. "Oookay…what was that all about?"
Kumiko dropped her small backpack – she'd dropped her duffel bag off in the room assigned to her (tournament participants were provided with a room of their own, since the event could go on for days at a time) and glanced around, taking in her surroundings. It was a clean, grassy field, and a single, dying tree stood in the distance. There was no wind to rustle the leaves and caress her cheek and tease her hair, but that was just fine with her; she wasn't in the mood for any of those.
The amethyst-eyed teen sighed before settling down among the grass, drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She became as still as the rock beside her, only she was breathing.
Presently, she reached into her bag and brought out the red armguards Kai had given her. Slowly, she strapped them on; they did nothing to impede her movement, for whether she liked it or not, she had grown used to wearing them whenever she was training. She then reached into her cargo pocket – she had worn her favorite cargoes and a black tank top with a flame design on the left side – and brought out her blade. Solemnly she stared at the image depicted in the bit.
Suzaku…
She sighed again. She and her teammates and newfound friends had learned to control their bit beasts just last week. Now she wondered if other teams would have their own bit beasts as well; also, was their training enough that they would emerge as champions? Their whole school was counting on them, after all.
She frowned at herself for thinking such negative thoughts. She stood up, the Dranzer F clutched tightly in her fist. Of course it's enough, she thought furiously. In fact, it's more than enough! Angrily she reached into the red belt pouch she'd worn at her back and extracted her launcher and ripcord.
Turning to face the lone, withering tree, she attached the blade to the launching apparatus. She counted silently in her head before releasing it with a loud cry.
Kumiko's Dranzer was hardly visible as it sped towards the gnarled trunk, but there was a grinding and crunching sound upon impact. Moments later, a blue blur sped back towards the raven-haired teen; Kumiko stepped slightly to the side and held a hand up to stop the object, which turned out to be her blade. Shortly afterwards, groaning in protest, the old tree keeled over sideways and fell, with a muffled thud, on the grass. Kumiko smiled a rather dangerous smile as she pocketed her equipment and bent down to retrieve her backpack.
Definitely more than enough…
As she turned and walked away from the field, she failed to notice the metallic glint of a camera lens concealed amongst the leaves of a nearby bush.
THUD! The old, twisted, dying tree fell to the ground. With a whine, the film stopped rolling, and the screen automatically switched itself off.
"Well, sir?" a thirty-something man, dressed in a suit and lab coat, turned towards the far wall of the small room. Apparently, it was another man he was speaking to, only hidden in the shadows.
From the corner came the answer, in the form of a cold, clear, and dangerously quiet voice. "Hmm…interesting…"
"Ladies and gentlemen!" DJ Jazzman's voice echoed throughout the stadium. "Today is a very special day for the blading world. For the first time, we will be holding the JUNIOR BEYBLADE CHAMPIONSHIPS!"
As usual, the crowd went wild, cheering and calling raucously.
"Yes, folks," Jazzman continued, disregarding the crowd's reaction. "For five months now, several world-class championships teams have been training the best four students from schools around the country. The time has come to identify Japan's up-and-coming championship team! Let's give it up for them, people!"
With a flourish, the announcer produced a sheet of paper, no doubt a copy of the list containing the names of the teams and the schools they represented.
"And now, boys and girls, give it up for these up-and-coming teams!" Almost all the lights in the dome went dark, except for the huge, glaring spotlights. "Representing Shiritsu Daitou Fuji High, we have…Team Griffin!"
A passionate burst of applause rang out from the section almost directly behind the announcer's platform – apparently from Shiritsu Daitou – as a spotlight shone on the participants' entrance opposite the platform.
"From Saikyoku View, let's welcome Team Sphinx!" Once more, vigorous clapping burst out, this time from the section above the participants' entrance.
"From Jonan Senior High, give it up for…Team Leviathan!"
While waiting for their turn to go up the platform, Kumiko was lost in her own thoughts – her teammates were clapping for those already introduced; the ebony-haired teen didn't hear the names of the other teams as they were called and she also didn't hear when it her own team's turn.
A tug on her arm brought her back to reality; she glanced up, confused. "Huh?"
It was Chiaki. "Kumiko, c'mon! The announcer's called our school now!"
"Ah! Gomen!" Kumiko quickly got up from the chair she'd been sitting on and made her way to the entrance, stopping only to wait for her companions. She was immediately blinded by the spotlight when she stepped out, and winced as the announcer's voice came blaring over the PA system.
"Once more, folks, representing Sento-Sasaki Senior High, here's…Team Phoenix!"
After a few minutes, the introductory phase was over; all the teams had been announced and the rules explained. Chiaki, Kaito, Kumiko, and Taichi made their way to their waiting room to await the tournament announcements – who they would be battling and when.
"Well? When's your first match?" Yuujin asked excitedly, practically jumping up off her chair the moment they came in.
Kumiko chuckled. "Uh…unfortunately, we don't know yet."
"But don't worry," Taichi added, grinning. "They'll announce it soon enough."
"I can't wait to see you guys in action!" Yuujin squealed, launching herself onto both Chiaki and Kumiko.
"Ack!" The wielders of Seiryuu and Suzaku exclaimed in unison as they fell to the floor, their friend on top of them.
Max chuckled. "Well, that certainly reminds me of something…" he said, tilting his head towards Takao, who stood beside him.
The stormy-eyed teen grinned. "Yeah! Who'd have thought that someone out there could get as hyper as you?" In one of the tournaments Team BBA had participated in, Max had once knocked his teammates down due to excitement – well, he only knocked down Takao and Kai, actually; Rei had managed to get out of the way in time.
"Um, Yuujin? Do you mind?" Kumiko asked, gesturing for her friend to get off. "You're about to cut off the circulation in my arm…"
"Huh? Oh, sorry, guys…" Yuujin said, getting up abruptly and then helping the other two girls to their feet.
"Yuujin, do you know how heavy you are?" Chiaki asked, wincing as she rubbed her side.
"Nope!" came the reply, and the ash blonde-haired teen sighed.
"Oh, brother…"
"Only difference is, Kai practically shoved you off, didn't he?" Takao asked. The blonde nodded, still grinning at the memory.
"Yeah, but at least he didn't punch me off!"
"Good point."
"Hey, guys, I think they're about to announce the tournament schedule," Shun piped up from behind the group. The five teens turned to look, as did the members of Team BBA. On the wall opposite them, a television set had been mounted, so that teams could watch the various matches going on; it also had a DVD/VCD/CD/Mp3 player attached to it, as well as a cable hook-up – in case the occupants of a room weren't interested in the tournament while not participating yet.
Sure enough, DJ Jazzman's face appeared on-screen. "The committee has finished arranging our sixteen Junior Championship teams into two blocks: Block A and Block B." The camera zoomed back to include the giant announcement screen – and scoreboard – built into the wall behind the announcer's platform. On it were thirty or so little boxes with white lines attaching each one. Apparently, this was to be 'tournament schedule' – a term for the list of which teams would fight each other.
"I think it's quite obvious how many teams there are in a block. As you can see, the winning team from Block A will battle the winning team from Block B, and whoever wins that match will be declared champion!" DJ Jazzman continued, stretching an arm out to indicate to screen. "So, without further ado, I will now announce the teams in each block!"
The announcer whipped a sheet of paper from out of nowhere, took a deep breath, and began to read out loud. "Teams Basilisk, Centaur, Cyclops, Griffin, Hydra, Kraken, Medusa, and Pegasus, you will all be in Block A! Now, please make your way to the stadiums. Your preliminary matches will begin in a few minutes' time." There was a short pause as he scanned the list again, and then continued, "Teams Anubis, Chimera, Dragon, Fury, Leviathan, Minotaur, Phoenix, and Sphinx, you will make up Block B! Please settle down and be patient; your preliminaries will take place after those in Block A have finished theirs."
Shun reached for the remote and switched off the TV. "Well, I guess that settles it," he said, turning to the members of Team Phoenix. "You have around four hours, counting lunch-break or something, before your preliminary matches."
"Four hours can be a long time when you're in a tournament," Rei added, smiling kindly at their protégées. "So…what will you be doing?" he asked.
Taichi grinned. "Easy. I'm gonna take a nap." He pocketed his blade and stretched. "See you guys at lunchtime," he muttered before heading into the inner room, where they knew comfortable couches had been set up.
Takao chuckled. "Man, he sounds more like me than he does Max!"
Kyouju laughed, too, then turned to the three remaining members. "Well, Taichi's answered the question. What about you three?"
Kaito looked thoughtful. "I don't know yet…but Shun, do you mind if I take over the TV for a while? I'd like to see if there are any good movies on.
Shun smiled and shook his head. "Nah, it's all right, Kaito. Go ahead."
"I think I'll go for a walk," Chiaki was saying. "I don't want to stay here all day!"
"I'll go with you!" Yuujin replied. "I'm bound to get bored soon if I stay behind."
"All right," the ash-blonde agreed, smiling. She turned to her silent captain, as she liked to refer to Kumiko, if only in her mind. "How about you, Kumiko?"
The raven-haired girl looked up. "Eh?"
"Yuujin and I are going for a walk while waiting for our block preliminaries to start. Do you want to come?"
Kumiko smiled. "Ah, no thanks, guys. I think I'll stay here and…train, probably."
"What?" Chiaki exclaimed, shocked. "You're going to train for four whole hours?"
Purple orbs twinkled merrily as the holder of the phoenix laughed. "I'm not going to train for four hours, Chiaki! I'm not that insane!" At the look of disapproval forming on the emerald-eyed, Kumiko waved away the comment she knew was coming. "Go on, take your walk already. I'll be fine! I just don't really feel like going out today…"
"Um…if you say so, Kumi…" Yuujin said, pouting slightly. "Just don't overdo yourself in training, okay?"
"Yeah, sure, Yuujin, I won't…"
In a few minutes, the two girls were gone, leaving Kumiko in the company of Team BBA.
Takao sat down on the seat that Yuujin had vacated. "Are you sure you won't go with them, Kumiko. You can still catch up with them…"
"Nah, it's okay, Kinomiya-sensei," Kumiko replied. "Like I said, I'd much rather put the extra four hours to good use and train, even if I'm only the substitute-"
"-Though we really would like to have her change her mind and become a regular competitor…" Kaito spoke up, not taking his eyes off the movie he was watching.
"Hang on a sec," Max held up a hand for emphasis as he glanced at the team captain. "Kumiko, am I hearing right? You registered as a sub?"
The amethyst-eyed teen nodded. "Yup! I don't like being in the spotlight very much, Mizuhara-sensei…"
"But…" Takao started, eyes wide. "With your skills, you guarantee an almost easy win for your team. Why be a sub?"
Kumiko shrugged, walked over to the chair where she'd left her backpack, and picked it up. She didn't glance at anyone as she spoke. "Well…I'm sure they'll do fine, with or without my help. They're just as capable as I am. Besides, where's the victory for the team if I'm always the one who fishes them out of sticky spots?" Then she turned around, a small smile on her face, and glanced at Kai. "Also, wasn't Hiwatari-sensei, who was your captain, the team substitute, too?"
Kai smirked when she said this. "She has a point…"
"Yeah, but just because she holds Suzaku now doesn't mean she has to follow in your footsteps, right?" Takao returned.
"I'm not doing this merely to imitate Hiwatari-sensei," Kumiko cut in, stepping forward as she did so. "But also for the good of the team. Don't you think it's better if the other teams don't see everything that Team Phoenix is capable of?"
"You've thought this over, haven't you?" Rei asked. Kumiko nodded, and Rei smiled. "Well, then, it's settled. Kumiko-san, I think you'd better get started with your training, if that's what you really want to do, so that you can take an early lunch and you'll be better rested, whether you partake in any matches or not."
"Hai!" The raven-haired girl shrugged on her backpack, bowed, and made her way towards the door,
Kai's crimson gaze followed her all the way.
Crash!
A cloud of dust blew up around the fallen tree, and a small, blue blur sped out towards the silent figure a few meters away.
Kumiko held up a hand and caught her blade before it could spin out of her reach. That's Tree Number Three… she thought, satisfied with her performance so far.
"Impressive, to say the least."
Kumiko whipped around at the sound of the familiar voice. "Hiwatari-sensei!"
Kai came out from his hiding place – a rather foreboding-looking oak – and came closer to the girl. "I see you've improved somewhat. You've managed to fell three trees – and rather hardy ones, I may add."
"A-arigatou, sensei…" Kumiko looked away, embarrassed even though she and Kai were the only two people there.
"Take off your armbands."
The ebony-haired girl looked up quickly. "Nani?"
The crimson-eyed teen was smirking now. "I said take off your armbands, Kumiko; I want to see just how much you've improved…"
"So…she's been training with Kai," the hidden voice commented as its owner watched the video playing out on the screen. "That would explain her prowess…"
"What do you suggest be done, sir?" The attendant asked, turning towards the spot where the voice came from.
"We wait…"
"Gambatte, minna!" Yuujin called as Team Phoenix made its way towards the participants' entrance.
"We'll be watching you from here!" Shun added, referring to the television set in the team room.
The four teens, plus their trainers, stepped out into the competition area, and without a word, Kai led his team towards the trainers' box while Kumiko led her team up onto the platform.
"Team 7 from Block B, ladies and gentlemen!" DJ Jazzman began the minute they stepped on the platform. "They are made up of Team Captain Fujiwara Kumiko, and members Mikage Chiaki, Matsuo Kaito, and Shimamoto Taichi!" Another rousing burst of applause came from the audience, and Team Phoenix stepped back to join the line of teams who'd already been introduced.
As the announcer introduced the other teams, Kumiko stayed silent while her friends chatted away, discussing tactics, competition line-up and such. Then…
"Okay, folks! Let's get started! First up, we have Team Anubis against Team Chimera!"
The audience burst out clapping, and the teams mentioned stepped closer to the center of the platform while the others went to their respective team benches.
And so the matches began. Kumiko didn't stay with her team but went around, searching for the other teams from her block; she wanted to gather as much information as she could about them without actually battling anyone yet. Kai had told her before, during one of their private training sessions, that he used to do this during a tournament, helping to give Team BBA an edge in the competition because of even a small amount of information about the rival teams.
She had managed to find the other four teams from Block B – they were all in the different indoor training rooms provided – and, satisfied with what she'd observed from them, had just started down the stairs back to the competition area to rejoin her companions when she heard a familiar voice.
"Kumiko!"
The raven-haired girl looked up, broke into a huge grin, and waved. "Miyuri! Hey!"
A rather short, lively looking charcoal-haired girl with smoky blue eyes ran up to her, coming to a stop mere inches before bumping into Kumiko. "I thought I saw someone familiar!" she said. The two of them had been classmates and best friends in junior high, and had lost touch when each attended different senior high schools.
"I know you don't like to blade, Miyuri…" Kumiko said, cocking her head to the side. "So what are doing here?"
"I know you won't believe me, but I am here to blade!" the hazy blue-eyed girl replied, grinning widely.
"Is that so?" The raven-haired teen asked, clearly amused. "Wait…you're from Shiritsu Daitou Fuji High, right? So you're on Team Griffin?"
Miyuri nodded. "Yup!"
"So what happened? You guys are in Block A, aren't you?"
The charcoal-haired teen grinned wider, if that was even possible. "We made it to the Quarter Finals, Kumiko! Our next match will take place tomorrow, and we'll be going against those from Sengakuji – that would be Team Medusa."
"Oh, my…" for a moment, the wielder of the phoenix looked shocked, then she recovered her wits and hugged her friend. "Congratulations! Oh, Miyuri, I'm so happy for you!"
The shorter teen laughed. "Arigatou. But enough about me; what about you? You're here to blade, too, aren't you?"
Kumiko broke the embrace, still smiling, and nodded. "Yeah, I am. I don't think my team's preliminary match is until much later, and I've still no idea whom we're up against, though I've managed to devise a strategy for half the teams who haven't had their preliminary matches yet."
Miyuri looked her quickly. "Is that what you've been doing all this time? Spying on other teams?"
"Well, it's not like I've broken any rules and sabotaged their blades, you know…" Kumiko said, holding up her hands as though in defense. "Besides, it isn't against the rules to observe; in fact, any seasoned blader would tell you the same: know as much about your competitors as possible."
"Point taken. You know, you're starting to sound like your favorite blader, Hiwatari Kai…"
"He's the one who told me that, in fact."
Smoky blue orbs widened with shock. "WHAT?" Miyuri exclaimed, doing a double take – she'd began to walk down the stairs with Kumiko. "You're saying you actually talked to him? When'd that happen, during a press conference a few months before this tournament?"
"You're right about one thing, it did happen a couple of months – five, actually – before the Junior Championships. But no, I didn't just talk to him; I trained with him."
"Your lifelong dream." Miyuri commented, rolling her eyes good-naturedly.
"But I think all the schools here had the same program," Kumiko added, her eyes on the on-going match in the stadium. "You know, getting a world-class team who had volunteered to train the blading team the school had put together. Didn't you have that, too?"
Miyuri nodded. "Yeah, we did. Haruko and I – you remember her, right? Anyway, we and two of our schoolmates were trained by Team Bai Fu Zu X. Apparently, your team was trained by Team BBA."
Kumiko nodded, and then took a step back when Miyuri nearly pounced on her. "Aah! Miyuri, watch it!" she exclaimed, breathing hard. "What's the big idea?"
"Are those…what I think they are?" The charcoal-haired teen asked, gesturing to the armbands Kumiko wore. Team Phoenix's captain glanced down at her arms, and then back at her friend.
"Err, yeah…they are."
"Kai's armguards…" Miyuri glided her hand over the smooth fabric. "Wonder how Shizuka would react if she heard Kai gave you these…"
Kumiko's face seemed to harden. "Takenori Shizuka…" she muttered. She, Miyuri, and Shizuka had been friends in the first year of junior high. Miyuri's friendship was genuine where Shizuka's was not, and before they went into their second year, the brunette had made it clear that she detested Kumiko. So when Shizuka had learned that Kumiko had gotten into blading, just as she had barely two weeks earlier, she had challenged the raven-haired teen to a one-round match. Kumiko had won, which upset her 'rival' even more. Also, both Kumiko and Miyuri knew that Shizuka's favorite blader was Kai, just like Kumiko's.
Kumiko cracked a smile. She'd probably have a fit, she thought, laughing to herself, and challenge me to a match right here and now, with the armbands as the prize!
"Oh, speaking of matches," Miyuri added, gesturing towards the announcement screen. "Team Leviathan is about to have their match against Team Minotaur."
"'Team Leviathan'?" Kumiko asked. "Isn't that the team that represents Jonan Senior High?"
Miyuri nodded. "Uh-huh. And you remember who chose to attend that school, don't you…?"
Kumiko understood. There was a remote possibility that she'd have to face another of her rivals – who she didn't even see as one! She wondered what made people want to compete with her, and often against her will.
"Ah, well, I'd better get down there, then," she said, indicating the competition ground. "If Team Leviathan and Team Minotaur are going to have at it soon, that means, my team won't have to wait for their turn for long; I have to be there with them."
"Wait…" Miyuri looked puzzled. "Aren't you going to be battling for them?"
Kumiko shook her head. "Not this time, Miyuri. I registered myself as a sub."
"Oh, for-!" the smoky blue-eyed teen smacked her forehead with her palm. "You are definitely following Kai's footsteps! Didn't you tell me he'd register as team captain and sub in every tournament Team BBA participated in?"
Kumiko nodded. "Yup! Besides, our trainers agree with me; it's better to have a few tricks up your sleeve, and I just happen to be the trump card, or so Mizuhara-sensei says…Anyway, I have to go! See you tomorrow!"
"Yeah, sure. Instead of waiting for tomorrow, let's meet up for dinner. I know we'll be served dinner here, but how about we share a table?"
"Sounds great! See you in a few hours, then." Kumiko turned away and continued on her way back to the main stadium, while Miyuri turned and went back up the stairs.
If Team Leviathan is going against Team Minotaur, Team Anubis battled Team Chimera, and Team Dragon and Team Fury butted heads earlier…Kumiko thought, then that leaves us to battle against Team Sphinx…
The raven-haired teen smirked. She'd watched the members of Team Sphinx train earlier…and it was one of the two teams she'd been able to formulate a strategy for.
Perfect.
A/N: Well, that's it for Chapter 6! On to Chapter 7! If everything goes well - no long papers or super-long exams - I might have Chapter 8 up bynext week!
Aki: (sarcastically) Woopee for you...
Me: Don't be like that! It's hard to be college freshman and writer! So much typing, so little time... Anyway, whom do you guys think the disembodied voice belongs to? I'd like to know if I made it mysterious enough, or something like that...
Well, ciao! Dewa matta! Peace out and God bless!