The sapphire skies were overlapped by the multiple white clouds. The crimson sun shone over the tranquil city of Tokyo, Japan. While the citizens there continued their natural lives, walking amongst each other on the sidewalks and several cars racing down the sleek, black roads. Below Tokyo Tower and all other enormous buildings across the city, the peace of the entire population went undisturbed…

…Gradually, the sky grew to be dark, several rays of lightning sparkling through the thick clouds. Powerful currents of wind blew through the city's streets, effortlessly ripping deep faults across the ground and piercing right through a nearby building that instantly shattered into pieces upon impact! Awesome pressure caused windows to break into thousands of shards, and nearby hydrants exploded into geysers of water. Finally, after the clouds above were blown aside, an enormous, infernal sphere of energy shot like a comet from the sky and crashed along the middle of the city! As a gigantic wave of debris blanketed the air, a certain, winged figure stood in the center of the burning crater left behind. He lifted his head with a venomous glare, looking back and forth as if he was looking for something. After the smoke began to clear, the crazed white dragon roared to the skies. "SOMEONE STRONG!" the maniacal youth roared. "COME OUT AND FIGHT ME!"

"Takao, stop!" a voice cried.

'Takao' didn't respond, but he knew well that Hiromi was riding her white unicorn, Ikkakujuu, down to him.

After Ikkakujuu landed gracefully on the ground, Hiromi leapt off and boldly stood before 'Takao' with a determined stare. 'Takao' gave her a wide and derisive grin in reply. "You again? After I went through the trouble to spare you?"

"I know you're still in there, Takao," Hiromi declared. "I'm not going to let you become a criminal by destroying the city."

"Your words are nothing to me. There's not a thing you can do to stop me."

"I have no intention of trying to reason with you, especially you."

With that, Hiromi held out her Grip Shooter with Dreamer Excalibur already locked in and aimed it at 'Takao.' The boy laughed, "A challenge, huh? Remember, I did try to spare you."

"I don't think I can win this one," Hiromi thought. "But… I have to try to reach him… through the only thing he loves most."

Hiromi tightened her grip and prepared to battle with her Ikkakujuu neighing behind her!

"Here I come… Kinomiya Takao!"

Beyblade Lunar Eclipse

Episode 8: "My Personal Battle"

A pair of eyes began to focus, a fragile voice groaning in the background. Soon, a face appeared from above, resembling that of Max. "Hey, you're finally awake," he greeted. While Max watched, a familiar young girl sat up in a comfortable, authentic bed of deep brown cotton. It was the girl that first transformed Seiryuu the Azure Dragon into Shiroryuu, Luna.

Luna held her forehead to steadily regain her bearings. "Wh… what happened?"

"A lot's happened," Max replied. "But, it's good that you're okay."

"T… Takao-san?"

"No, I'm Mizuhara Max. Nice to finally meet you, Luna."

"Oh. I feel the Black Turtle's presence from you. You must be the holder of Genbu."

"Oh," Max murmured, bowing down his head. "Well, I was Genbu's partner. But, how can I call myself that when I let Shiroryuu absorb him?"

"Oh!" Luna gasped. "It's all clear now. Something went wrong; this wasn't the power I meant to give Seiryuu-sama."

"No one's blaming you," Max reassured. "But, everyone else is waiting to talk to you."

"O, okay."

With that, Luna took Max's hand and let him lead her outside the room they were in.

Underneath the afternoon sun, the joint Infinitia Revolutions/Saint Generations group was sitting together around a small bush of fire. Alex looked over his shoulder to find Max leading Luna to them. "Oh, good. You're okay," he smiled.

"Where are we?" Luna wondered.

The confused girl looked around to find unfamiliar waterfalls behind several small, straw huts out in the midst of a forest. "We're in Rei's training grounds," Max answered. "In other words, China."

"It's… so different from that cold place from before," she said. "How did we get here?"

"It's weird, but Daichi's gold dragon Holy Beast emerged in physical form and saved us from Shiroryuu's attack."

"You mean, Kouryuu-sama?"

Nearby, Reena watched Daichi in worry as he was listlessly staring down at the ground in despair. She reluctantly turned away, her expression full of thought and a hint of guilt.

"Is everyone all right here?"

Everyone turned around to find two new youths approaching them. One was a dark-haired boy with a yellow vest and white ribbons tightly wrapped around his arms as gauntlets, and the other was a young girl wearing a light pink Gi along with a bow wrapped atop her deep magenta mane. Rei responded with a half-hearted smile, "Yeah, we're fine here, Rai."

"Well, you sure don't look like yourself," the girl pouted.

"Easy, Mao," Rai replied. "You heard their story, right? By the way, where's Kai?"

Boss suddenly appeared from another hut and walked toward the others. "He, Kitsune, and the Great Chairman are still in there. The Professor still hasn't woken up." The moment Luna laid eyes on Boss, she jumped and hid behind Max defensively. He stopped and scratched behind his head guiltily. "Heh. I guess she still remembers me. Don't worry; destroying Holy Beasts isn't my top priority right now."

"Just how does that make her feel any better?" Max shot back, clenching his teeth.

"Now, now, everyone!" Kyouju cried frantically. "Now, we all agreed to work together, remember? There's no time to argue."

"So, what do we do?" Alex asked. "Even if we managed to find your friend, with all four Holy Beasts at his disposal, he's practically unstoppable."

"Well, we better think of something soon. The Great Chairman already called Yuriy back in Russia to send an express airliner to pick us up tonight."

"Why don't we start on deciphering Takao's current situation to the last detail?" Max suggested.

Kyouju turned back to Boss as he joined the circle and sat down near him. "He's right. I don't think we all have enough information. Could you please tell us everything you know, Boss?"

"Rei had already explained it to you back in Russia," Boss replied, "but there are a few more details to make note of."

"Boss…" Alex called with concern.

"I'm fine," Boss nodded in reassurance. "Now then, listen up. You know that Shiroryuu has so much power that he has to transmit a portion of his power into his user, right? That one portion isn't exactly what corrupted Takao. It's the piece of Shiroryuu's dormant dark power that's responsible."

"Shiroryuu's dark power?" Max repeated. "I thought all our Holy Beasts were pure."

"If that's what you think, you don't understand your own Holy Beast as well as you believed. It's just like my partner, a Demon Beast. My Cerberus has natural dark powers, but there's light as well. All our partners, these Sacred Spirits, obey the concept of yin and yang."

"Shiroryuu absorbed our Holy Beasts, Max," Rei said. "He'll without any doubt use their power to turn this world to chaos. While I don't want to believe it, that's more than enough proof when it comes to what they're truly capable of."

"Even so, the dark power shouldn't have created a drastic effect like this," Boss continued. "I happen to believe that Kinomiya has a strong, righteous will. He should've been able to retain his sense of self. However, it would seem that Shiroryuu's yin was abnormally adrenalized."

"What does that mean?" Rei wondered.

"It means that we were tricked from the very beginning."

Then, Boss stood and pointed past the others toward a specific face. Boss directed all attention toward Luna!

Luna gasped in fright and backed away. "M, me? But… but I…" Max quickly came to her defense. "Are you blaming Luna for all this?" he cried. "She had no idea! She gave Takao and Seiryuu that power to save them from you!"

"Calm down," Boss replied coolly. "Luna, answer me. Do you remember where you came from?"

Max turned back toward Luna who had a reserved, uncertain look over her face. "I… don't remember. All I remember… was 'Luna.'"

"That's all right. You confirmed my suspicions," Boss hissed, clenching his fist. "Damn Voltaire… he left Luna for Takao to find her on purpose. He anticipated that he take her. That means… that means that she was carrying some sort of virus, a virus that could poison whoever she fused with!"

"What!" Max gasped.

"Takao did say she seemed sick when I first met her," Kyouju said.

"So, that was it," Rei growled. "He left her in hopes of her fixating her powers into Seiryuu to recreate the one who will destroy the world, another Cross Dragoon."

"Why on Earth would he do such a thing?" Max wondered.

"That, we don't know for sure," Alex answered. "But, he wants all four of your Holy Beasts; that much is certain."

"Corrupting one and manipulate it into capturing the others sure saved a lot of time and effort," Reena added. "That coward."

"So, now that we know this much, what can we do to set this right?" Rai asked.

"Hiromi must've chased after Takao on her own," Kyouju said. "But, there's no way she can hope to beat him alone!"

"Nanami wasn't around when we regain consciousness, either," Boss replied. "Hopefully, she's with her. All we can do now is wait for the airliner to arrive. Then, when we find them, we'll do whatever it takes to stop Kinomiya… no, Shiroryuu."

All of a sudden, Daichi stood up on his feet, clenching his teeth anxiously…

Takao held his hand down below Shiroryuu and inconceivably summoned Dragoon Eclipse out from its cage and back into his palm! He proceeded to lock it into his launcher and aimed it at the dueling Black Dranzer and Ancient Dranzer. With immense, static power, the crazed youth released Dragoon Eclipse and directed it to crash into the two Beyblades. Upon impact, a great flash emitted and consumed the distracted Kitsune and Daigo, knocking them both out along with their respective blades!

Shiroryuu flew to the capsule and pulled his claws through the capsule, breaking it without any effort. The dragon hissed with a sly intention enough to shake the nerves of the white tiger. Before he could react, Byakko was ensnared in Shiroryuu's long tail by his neck. Then, after the dragon's eyes glowed upon him, Byakko suddenly disappeared and broke down into thousands of starry particles, particles that gradually flew inside his chest…

Suddenly, the three-headed demon dog leapt after Shiroryuu, clasping his three sets of fangs in his neck. But, being that the dragon didn't cry out, he didn't feel anything at all. He only stopped in his charge and stared down at the desperate Cerberus. Then, he threw one quick swipe of his claw and slashed Cerberus, sending him flying away and crashing hard into the ground…

Suzaku and Genbu responded and quickly guarded their partners from the intimidating Shiroryuu. With that, he lifted his arms and quickly grabbed each Holy Beast by their heads! And after the dragon's eyes glowed once again, they both broke down into particles and were absorbed into his body…

Suddenly, Daichi turned around and sprinted away without any word! "Daichi, where are you going!" Max cried.

"Daichi!" Reena called.

But, Daichi didn't reply and continued running through the nearby bushes until he's out of sight. Reena stood up and said to the others. "I'll bring him back."

Boss nodded, "Go ahead."

Permission granted to her, Reena quickly chased after the distraught Daichi. Alex said to Boss, "You think that's a good idea to let her see him?"

"Yeah. It's about time they settled things between them."

Still inside one of the straw huts, Daigo slept soundlessly on the bed provided to everyone while both Kai and Kitsune watched over him in silence. Kai rested his back on the straw walls while he looked over Kitsune lying on top of Daigo, fast asleep. He wore a thoughtful, solemn expression as he watched them rest. "I survived this long without them," he thought. "Why would I want to accept them now?"

1111

Hiromi and 'Takao' cried out as their respective blades dashed at one another. The two blades clashed and grinded against other. The overwhelming power from Dragoon Eclipse slightly shoved Dreamer Excalibur away, but the magenta-colored Beyblade managed to absorb the attack and circled around to strike back. While Dragoon E slid backward, Dreamer E kept on the attack with multiple blows from left and right. Then, after one strike dead center of the blade, the wave of the attack blew past 'Takao,' ever slightly pushing him back. The boy only grinned in reply and sent his Beyblade to attack again. Dreamer E stood still and let the blade clash with it to absorb its attack. Suddenly, a light green blade-like energy struck past the blade and Hiromi's shoulder, stunning them both! The girl clenched her teeth as she rose back up, her hand briefly paralyzed by that green energy. Tightening her hand into a fist to gain control, Dreamer flew past her and came after Dragoon, only for it and 'Takao' to leap right them. After they landed on top of a building fragment from the damaged part of town, 'Takao' turned around once he spotted Hiromi flying at him fast to deliver a swift right hook! Dreamer struck Dragoon hard and sent it plummeting to the ground. 'Takao' somersaulted just in time to land on his feet, but Hiromi was relentless in her assault, leaping from one building fragment to another.

In a massive, magenta-colored space of nothing but stars, Hiromi calmly waved her arms from her chest to her sides, throwing several feathers before her. They flew outward until they blanketed over her, and once they dissipated, the winged unicorn, Ikkakujuu, neighed wondrously as her golden horn glowed brilliantly with the energy it had gathered. She galloped through the pink skies in the form of the red blade, Dreamer Excalibur…

Dreamer E's attack clashed with Dragoon E, but the white blade had summoned a violet-colored aura that guarded against the attack! Then, that blade-like energy struck past Dreamer and Hiromi, stunning them once again. Dragoon E pounded away on Hiromi's blade, hitting it hard into the broken stone walls nearby. Dreamer recovered and dashed away for Dragoon to miss it completely. Hiromi grabbed 'Takao' by his shoulders and threw him hard against the ground, leaping off him by using her legs to bounce off his chest while making his whole body bounce off the floor simultaneously! But, 'Takao' quickly recovered and used his wings to fly off around an entire building. Then, he came back in the form of the roaring Shiroryuu and came at the stationary Ikkakujuu at full-force. Dragoon E clashed over the top of Hiromi's blade, the weight of its power washing over it. Several green blades of energy slashed past Dreamer and Hiromi, but the both of them stood to withstand it. Hiromi cried out to summon her power unto her blade, steadily causing it to eventually push it back. Then, after she delivered one clean smash attack, Dragoon was sent high in the air along with 'Takao.' Hiromi leapt up after him, grabbing him by his left leg. Dreamer E drilled down onto Dragoon E, sending it plummeting fast to the ground. Sure enough, 'Takao' crashed hard into the large slabs of building shards along the ground, sending up debris upon impact. Hiromi and Dreamer E landed soon after, resting from their counterattack.

Almost immediately, 'Takao' emerged from the thick, grey clouds as Dragoon E continued to spin without any sign of fatigue. His wings fluttered violently to blow the debris away as he grinned maniacally at Hiromi with vile intent. "Not bad. Now, for a different approach…" Hiromi clenched her teeth as she got ready to confront the evil youth once again.

1111

Daichi stood atop a small ledge over a small lake in solitude. With his Gaia Dragoon E in hand, he stared down at it solemnly. "I couldn't do it… Father."

"What are you doing, moping like this?"

Daichi raised his head and looked over his shoulder to find Reena behind him with her hands at her side. "I just…" he tried to say.

"No, I don't want to hear it!" Reena cried. "This isn't like you at all!"

"'Like me?' What do you mean by that?" Daichi asked, turning around to face Reena.

Reena's fists trembled while she tightly shut her eyes. "You were impulsive, so forward, never holding back your feelings. You never let anyone push you around, and that made you so strong in Beyblading… no, it made you strong in everything you do. At least, that's what I think." Daichi didn't respond, but his eyes remained focused on her. "You were Beyblading as hard as you could for your father's sake, right?"

"Y, yeah," Daichi reluctantly replied.

"Why would you want to give up on that now? Why would stop fighting just when you could confront the one responsible for your father's death?"

That alone brought life in Daichi's expression. "What?"

"We promised we would duel to settle things, didn't we?"

"…I may know exactly how your father died."

Daichi was thrown from his complacent composure and stared at Reena in complete disbelief. "Wh… what did you say?"

"That's why I joined my old team again… because I knew I would run into you. It has to be this way… so the both of us can finally settle things in the one way we know how."

"Reena…"

"Just us two… and no one else… can you promise me that?"

Daichi managed to calm down a little and stand upright with tightened fists. "It's a duel. Just us two… and no one else." Reena nodded and reluctantly marched on past the rock-steady boy without another word…

Daichi took one step toward Reena, visibly curious as to what she was getting at. "What do you mean, you're responsible? Wasn't Father… just sickly?"

Reena opened her eyes. "The Sumeragi family owned a good portion of land back home. My father was jealous… so jealous that he used any means to get it. So, when your father got a simple flu that medicine could cure, my father… gave him opium."

"What!" Daichi gasped with astonishment.

"That's right. My father drugged yours. But, the villagers eventually found out about it and chased him out the village. But… it was too late to treat your father."

"That can't be! Wh, why wasn't I told about this!"

"I begged the elder not to tell you… because I was afraid that you might hate me. Even so, almost the whole village knows about it. While the elder excused me for my father's crime and let me stay in the village, many people still felt resentment toward me because of my father."

"So, that's why everyone gave you such a hard time. Even all the other kids…"

"I didn't mind it… as long as I had you as a friend… even though I don't deserve it. I feel responsible for what happened between our families; I still feel that I should've done something. That's when I decided when I followed you out the village that day you was given that Beyblade."

"You were following me that whole time?"

"After seeing your team and my old team as rival teams, I rejoined the Saint Generations A for the chance to fight you. I felt that it was the only way for me to repent for my father's crime, as well as my own. I would tell you the truth and challenge you to a Beybattle, a battle I hoped you would win. Defeating me… would allow me to finally repent."

With that, Reena wielded her enormous axe and held it toward the bewildered Daichi. "You can't break our promise! Not now! We must settle this now or we'll be slaves to the past forever! Wake up, Daichi! Don't lose sight of your dream!" Daichi stood there, momentarily paralyzed by the truth and her challenge. But, in time, he slowly tightened his right fist as he murmured to himself. "My dream…"

1111

Dranzer Eternal and Draciel Endless appeared to be restored to top condition as they rested in their respective bladers' palms. "This is the best I can do for you, Kai, Max," Kyouju said. "I don't have enough parts to restore your blades to 100."

"We'll take what you can give, Kyouju," Max nodded. "I'll always give it my best shot, whether Genbu's with me or not."

Rei quietly sighed as he stared down at his Driger Edge or rather its blank Bit Chip where Byakko's picture once appeared. Mao observed him with concern in her golden cat eyes. She was about to call him out until a duo of voices called from the background. "Everyone!" Sure enough, a small, young boy with deep green hair that resembled a mischievous, monkey-like quality to it and a tall youth whose stature rivaled that of a bear came running together to join everyone else, and they appeared quite apprehensive and overwhelmed in fright. "Kiki, Gao," Rai replied to them respectively. "Why are you both so anxious?" Rei lifted his head as if he felt a presence nearby, and as soon as he recognized it, he stood up and faced Kiki and Gao. "It, it, it's… him!" Kiki cried.

"He's… back!" Gao added.

"Who's back?" Mao wondered.

Rei silently staggered toward the direction where Kiki and Gao just came from, his arms trembling anxiously. Sure enough, a lone figure was spotted marching along a trail guarded by several trees. His sleek black hair floating along with the wind, intimidating yellow pupils glowed from the silhouetted figure. Rei's eyes quickly shrunk with fear as the man's physique was recognizable to everyone. "Hey, isn't that…!" Boss gasped.

"Sensei," Rei murmured.

Indeed, the one who approached them was Ou Shishin, otherwise known as Captain Blackleo!

All Beybladers quickly stood up and confronted Blackleo alongside the stunned Rei. Blackleo stopped shortly eight feet in front of them. "I have to say, you all look pathetic," he said. "But, that's to be expected from your previous encounter with Shiroryuu."

"What did you say!" Max shot back.

"What are you doing here anyway, traitor?" Boss exclaimed.

"'Traitor?' Why, Banken, I'm doing just as we promised we would: the destruction of all Holy Beasts. That's why I'm here. I've come to eliminate the only threat to Voltaire and Shiroryuu's ambition."

"Only threat?" Rei thought. "Does that mean there's still a chance to make things right, after all?"

Blackleo held out a deep violet Beyblade with a sleek black weight disk and ruby red markings along its twin bladed attack ring. "All threats will be eliminated," he declared. "I swear on my King Galeon Aura."

"Sensei!" Mao cried. "Stop this, please! There's no need to fight like this!"

"There are no other options. This is my way. I have no regrets."

Max, Kai, Boss, Alex, and Kitsune all took a defiant stance, as if all five of them were ready to challenge Blackleo. But, Rei clenched both fists tightly, renewing his weakened resolve. "Everyone, leave this to me," he declared.

"What?" Blackleo replied in light surprise. "You're going to fight me alone?"

Mao, Gao, and Kiki were quick to respond to Rei's request. "No, you can't do that!" Mao cried. "There's no way you can beat Sensei!"

"Especially since you don't have Byakko anymore!" Kiki added.

"Please think it over, Rei!" Gao replied.

"I've already made up my mind," Rei said, closing his eyes. "It has to be this way. This is how it's gotta be."

"Let him go," Rai suddenly said.

Mao and the others turned toward Rai in shock. "But, Rai…!"

"This is what Rei wanted for a long time: a serious battle against Sensei. I've known about this for as long as I can remember. That's why we shouldn't interfere with him."

"Rai…" Rei smiled.

"Go, Rei! Show Sensei how much you've grown!"

"We're rooting for you like always, Rei!" Max called. "Good luck!"

"This is your chance to redeem yourself," Kai added with a small smile of his own. "Don't disappoint us."

"Your Beyblade is the only one on our team that hasn't been damaged, but you don't have your Holy Beast anymore," Kyouju said. "Even so, I believe in you!"

"Thanks, guys," Rei nodded.

Boss and his teammates quietly looked on as Rei turned back toward Blackleo, holding out his Driger Edge toward him. "I challenge you, Sensei! Give it all you got!"

Blackleo replied, "Very well. Just hope you don't end up regretting those words. Let's go!"

Rei roared the sky as he dramatically pulled both his Grip Shooter and his ripcord from behind his back before an elegant body counter-spin while loading the cord in it. Then, he threw out his hand before him, his Driger Edge in his palm, and briskly locked it into his shooter, creating a brief spark of lightning. Immediately, as he pulled his black ripcord and released his Beyblade, he roared, "GO! SHOOT!"

A lion's roar echoing in the background, Blackleo clashed his fists together, creating a brief spark of violet lightning. He threw one roundhouse kick and another in which had a long golden ripcord installed along his leg. With his leg still in mid-flight, Blackleo locked his King Galeon Aura onto his unorthodox launcher. Finally, he leapt up and spun around in midair, delivering a swift roundhouse kick that threw his launcher along the ripcord and fired King Galeon with a great burst of thunder! "GO! SHOOT!"

Driger Edge and King Galeon Aura flew across the sky, colliding in a great burst of energy as both Rei and Blackleo looked on before the light engulfed them…

1111

Underneath the thick grey clouds, 'Takao' stood patiently along with Dragoon Eclipse. Hiromi and Dreamer Excalibur stood put before them, waiting for the vile demon to attack. But, in an uncharacteristic fashion, Dragoon E continued to spin in one place. Slightly irritated, Hiromi scowled, "Well? Aren't you going to make a move?"

'Takao' grinned, "Let's play a little. Come on; try moving me from this spot."

Hiromi clenched her teeth as she tightened her right fist. "He's still not taking me seriously," she thought. "But, even though Dragoon Eclipse is still right now, it's still exuding some intense power. It should be alright for me to attack offensively for once while absorbing that power in the same time. I just have to be careful of any tricks he has up his sleeve. Either way, I can't afford to lose!"

"Fine, I'll play your game!" Hiromi cried out-loud. "Attack, Dreamer Excalibur!"

Quickly, Dreamer E dashed at the still Dragoon E with great speed.

Absorbing a little of the power of Dragoon E's wide and dark aura, Dreamer E faintly glowed with energy. "Go!" Hiromi cried. Ready to deliver a firm strike, Dreamer lunged at Dragoon. But, just before it was even three inches away from the white blade, Dreamer suddenly bounced off of a light green barrier that was invisible until impact! Hiromi was surprised while 'Takao' wore a mischievous, devilish grin. Immediately, a great wall of flames emerged from underneath Dragoon and raged above Dreamer like a wave of water! The magenta-colored Beyblade quickly retreated before the flames splashed over the ground. Hiromi leapt backward before the scattered patches of fiery grass blazed under her feet. After her blade came back to her, she stared in wonder at 'Takao' standing on the other side of the flames with that same grin. "Tch! Try again!" she cried. Dreamer E flew at its adversary once more, extinguishing the flames along the ground in its path. It came at Dragoon E, but like before, it just bounced off its tough barrier. Hiromi gave a prolonged battle cry, making her Beyblade to continuously strike Dragoon at every possible angle. But, with each attack, it couldn't break through the barrier. Soon enough, more flames appeared from underneath the white blade to attack Dreamer once again. Dreamer backed away and took the fiery comet at full force, easily absorbing it. "That's it! Now, counterattack!" Hiromi ordered. Dreamer, now energized with fiery power, clashed against the barrier once again while not immediately thrown away like before. But suddenly, the barrier still wouldn't break, much to Hiromi's surprise, and the flame power Dreamer absorbed quickly left it. Furthermore, the barrier suddenly exploded into a giant whirlwind, catching Dreamer E and throwing it high into the air!

The wind soon disappeared around Dragoon E, as soon as Dreamer E landed hard on the ground in front of a bewildered Hiromi. "My attacks aren't working at all now," she thought. "My blade can't even much less touch his anymore."

"To think he's mastered the four Holy Beasts' collective power so quickly," a familiar voice replied.

Hiromi looked over her shoulder and spotted none other than Nanami! "Nanami!" she gasped. "You came after me?"

"That barrier around his Beyblade appears to draw its power from Genbu," Nanami explained. "It works as a strong defense in junction with Suzaku's flames as a long-range counterassault, as well as Shiroryuu's trademark wind power as short-range. Finally, when his blade goes on the offensive, he uses Byakko's power to add onto its normal attack. He's managed to use all four Holy Beasts in an effective style of combat."

"So, that's it," Hiromi nodded.

"Now that you know that much, what will you do next?" 'Takao' suddenly called out, surprising Hiromi. "Don't disappoint me now. Fight me. Fight me! FIGHT ME!"

After that maniacal cry, Dragoon E quickly dashed after Dreamer and struck it hard, throwing several emerald blades containing Byakko's power through it. Hiromi cried out in pain as the blades rushed through her as well. Briefly stunned, Hiromi fell to her knees. She looked up as 'Takao' came after her once again, her eyes shaking apprehensively…

1111

Daichi roared as his Gaia Dragoon Earth speedily burned through the ground at the dormant Sylph Ascension. But, Reena swung her enormous axe before her once, sending a giant burst of wind against the incoming blade. Daichi tried had to guard against it, but eventually both he and his blade were sent flying high in the air. Reena and Sylph A both ran together and leapt into the wind, instantly disappearing. Meanwhile, Daichi and Gaia Dragoon E had just recovered from the counterattack and began to fall back down to the ground. But, Sylph A suddenly reappeared next to the violet blade and struck it hard back in the air! Daichi wielded his small axe Bey Launcher and managed to guard against the back swing of Reena's axe. He was thrown higher in the air as a result, but he quickly somersaulted over Reena and swung down at her. Gaia Dragoon E flew back down as a mirror of its partner's actions and struck Sylph A hard over its Bit Chip. But, Reena's blade rode the wind back in the air and struck Gaia Dragoon once again. Daichi quickly went on the defensive, and Gaia Dragoon E responded by guarding against each of Sylph's constant attack from all angles of the sky. It dealt with three consecutive blows until it finally managed to dodge one strike after another. Reena spun around with a wide-ranged swing of her axe, but as Daichi fell back down to the ground, he flipped backward and completely ducked under it! She clenched her teeth and fell back on the ground following Daichi. Unrelentingly, Sylph A attacked while Gaia Dragoon E went back and dodging the attacks at every turn. Finally, the two blades grinded each one another as Daichi caught the blade of Reena's axe underneath his. The two forces were momentarily caught in a stalemate.

1111

Driger Edge drilled as hard as it could against King Galeon Aura, but the black blade didn't budge an inch. Rei clenched his fists anxiously as Blackleo stood there patiently with his arms crossed. Rei unleashed a great cry, and in response, Driger E attacked once again. King Galeon A flew backward as it continuously evaded each of the white blade's accurate slashes directed at it. As Rei threw a swift barrage of fists at him, Blackleo gracefully backed away while swaying to the appropriate direction to dodge every move. Then, when Rei threw one last punch, Blackleo lifted up his right leg to block it! Mirroring this display, King Galeon caught Driger's forward lunge and drilled over it hard to shove it back with ease. Rei staggered backward and knelt down to regain his bearings. However, Blackleo quickly sprinted after him and delivered a flying roundhouse kick at him! Driger E recovered just in time to dash to the right to dodge the strike, and King Galeon A quickly chased after it. Rei skidded across the ground for a quick change in direction, and he roared as he and his respective Beyblade clashed with their incoming opponents, disappearing once more in a brilliance flash of light!

As the light quickly dissipated, Rei clenched his teeth as he saw that the powerful fist he threw had connected with Blackleo's chest… yet his master hadn't flinched in the least. Respectively, Driger E's attack had once against been no use against King Galeon A's apparent defensive capabilities. Briefly stunned, Rei roared once again and pulled his fist away. Driger E momentarily flared up with power and delivered consecutive blows against King Galeon like several swift bolts of lightning, steadily and miraculously pushing it back! Blackleo's glare suddenly intensified, allowing his Beyblade to raise its power enough to deflect Driger's incoming blow. "Whoa," he said flatly. "It appears that you're capable to this level of strength without your Holy Beast." Blackleo delivered one, hard upward kick that sent both Rei and Driger E up into the air. Rei was visibly stunned from this counterattack, completely helpless for the captain's next strike. Blackleo somersaulted in midair and swung down with a swift axe kick. Thunder rumbled in the background as a spark of lightning struck past Driger E and sent both it and Rei flying straight into the ground, exploding in a large cloud of debris upon impact!

Blackleo and his Beyblade fell back down to earth with grace and confronted the deep brown smoke that spread far amongst the air. Meanwhile, at the sidelines, everyone else watched attentively at this seemingly one-sided struggle. "Rei," Mao whispered, clasping her hands anxiously.

"Blackleo isn't using his Holy Beast's power, yet Rei is having so much trouble!" Max observed.

"I noticed something else, too," Kyouju added. "Blackleo isn't using his hands, either."

"That's right," Rai nodded. "That's his style of combat. He mostly uses his legs to fight rather than using his hands. It would take a lot to force him into using them, though."

"That's for sure," Banken agreed. "And it looks like Rei might not make it that far."

Kai's terse sight was unwavering from the clouds of debris, patiently waiting for the next arch of the duel.

As the translucent dirt began to clear up, a silhouetted figure was slowly emerging from it. Blackleo kept a steady look in his eyes as Rei reappeared before him, his Beyblade still spinning. His intense golden eyes focused and determined, Rei took one step and immediately disappeared from view! Blackleo's eyes slightly widened and barely noticed a gleam of light from his left. Driger E suddenly reappeared at King Galeon A's side and delivered a firm strike against its defense, a faint shockwave bursting from impact. In comparison, Blackleo luckily guarded against Rei's punch by lifting up his left leg. "So, you're serious now," he murmured. Immediately, he disappeared from Rei's sight, but Rei quickly leapt in midair to evade his slide kick that would've knocked him off-balance. Shortly, they both disappeared simultaneously. Driger E briefly reappeared running across the ground just before King Galeon A did. Without hesitation, Driger darted after its opponent, but King Galeon quickly disappeared again before they connected. Afterwards, the white blade disappeared just before the black blade reappeared above it and hammered down into the ground, sending up more debris in the air. The two Beyblades rematerialized in front of each other and clashed hard against one another before they both vanished once again. To everyone else, neither the Beyblades nor their respective Bladers were visible. Only constant shockwaves at random spots of the battlefield reverberated past them like strong gusts of wind. "That's incredible!" Max exclaimed. "I can barely see them at all!"

"It's truly amazing!" Alex agreed.

"The speed of those two is really something to behold," Kyouju observed. "That level of swiftness shouldn't be possible for any Beyblade."

All of a sudden, the two blades reappeared upon contact and shoved each other backward. They briefly staggered from the disorienting clash and stood still to recollect themselves. Behind Driger E, Rei stood firmly, quietly panting and catching his breath. Beside King Galeon A, Blackleo remained standing tall as a mountain with not one sign of fatigue over his face. However, he looked slightly bewildered from the recent clash. "Incredible," he thought. "I never thought he could muster this much power by himself." For a moment, the fists he held behind his back tightened anxiously before he restored a calm exterior. "I might have to borrow a portion of your power after all, King." Rei remained strong and true in his stance, prepared for the next phase of the duel.

1111

Standing over the tip of a slab of stone protruding from the ground, Daichi stood as he was catching his breath. Before him, as faint gusts of wind flew past her pink hair, Reena held her enormous axe over her shoulder. "Not good enough, Daichi," she said. "I want to fight you at your best." Sylph Ascension and Gaia Dragoon Earth spun in place, both patiently waiting for their next moment of attack. Daichi took his right fist into his left palm, cracking his knuckles with resolve. "I am serious," he stated. "You'll just have to come at me harder." Reena frowned in annoyance and tightened her grip over her axe. All of a sudden, she had lost sight of Daichi; he had disappeared!

Reena gasped and looked up to find Daichi flying at her, his small axe held high over his head. Gaia Dragoon E plummeted toward the ground where Sylph A stood and crashed into it, just in front of the opposing blade to throw it back. Sylph slid backward as it recovered its balance, but Gaia Dragoon had quickly caught up with it and drilled past it, barely missing it completely. Gaia Dragoon relentlessly came after Sylph with each thrust after another. Sylph had gracefully danced around each attack, but the deep violet blade had been playing its game and caught Sylph where it went every time it dodged, keeping it from countering its attacks. While Gaia Dragoon may be barely missing it, Sylph was trapped in the defensive position. Finally, reacting from Daichi's loud cry, Gaia Dragoon struck Sylph from the side, pushing it back through the ground. Reena guarded against the force of the blow with her axe. After seeing her chance, she spun her axe around to pull the energy along with her to take control. After one full circle, Sylph A had thrown Gaia Dragoon E away, breaking free from Daichi's assault. The red-haired youth was thrown back, but he flipped backward to land back on his feet after recovery. In an instant, Reena appeared right next to him and swung her sharp blade around toward his back. But, to her surprise, Daichi had somersaulted once more and landed on the flat surface of the blade. Gaia Dragoon E quickly retaliated and came at Reena at full speed. Reena pulled her head back just in time to evade the golden crescent form of Gaia Dragoon but not without having a few strands of her hair trimmed off. The young girl glided along the air and somersaulted back to the surface to recover some ground between the two Bladers.

Reena took quick breathes to herself as Daichi took a moment to swipe the sweat over his forehead off with his arm. "That was too close," Reena said to herself. "I guess he really is getting serious." At her perspective, Daichi glowed with intense golden energy raging from his whole body. The pressure from this great force spread out as far as to make Reena stagger momentarily. She stood upright against Daichi's aura and held her axe at her side, preparing for her next move.

Nearby, as Reena and Daichi opposed each other from a distance, the girl, Luna, stood by a tree and observed the battle in awe. "Incredible," she thought. "And this isn't even half of his power yet. Could he really be…?"

"Here I come!" Daichi roared.

Gaia Dragoon exploded with power and ran at Sylph in a moderate pace of speed. Reena cried and directed her Beyblade to go on the attack as well. The two blades eventually met collision, erupting in a great burst of light! Sylph A was sent flying back a decent number of inches, wobbling briefly from the impact. "Heavy!" Reena clenched her teeth. Before she had time to think, Gaia Dragoon smashed over her blade, small pieces of her blade instantly chipping off! With two following strikes, Sylph had lost even more bits of armor it had. Daichi and his Beyblade flew at the weary white blade with all their might, but just before they made contact, the other blade had disappeared. Daichi skidded across the dirt until he came to a halt and gasped as soon as he noticed several images of Sylph A right above him! Ten to twenty blades ensnared Gaia Dragoon in its restrictive circle, each of them overlapping the violet blade in incredible speed while the real one hidden amongst them slashed by it. After ever nimble and accurate strike, Sylph's Windy Field attack was sending Gaia Dragoon back and forth in random, sudden directions, wearing it down and throwing it off balance. Daichi's eyes glared ferociously as his voice echoed in the background. "You won't trap me that easily!"

With his Holy Beast, Kouryuu, behind him, Daichi roared as a large golden aura erupted around him, raising several rocks from the ground and to the sky. Then, he leapt into the air using his Gaia Dragoon as his wings while his power transferred into one spot, his right fist. "Earth Quake!" Then, he quickly landed on the ground and ran his fist into the ground the moment Gaia Dragoon Earth impacted the ground, creating a large quake oriented of pure lightning and rock energy!

As the earth shattered underneath Gaia Dragoon and protected him like a barrier, Sylph A had crashed into a large stone slab and was thrown back, canceling out its attack. After landing back on the ground, Sylph stood still as Gaia Dragoon defiantly stood atop a rock pillar from the rubble it created.

Reena had let the blade of her axe to pierce the ground below her after she loosened her grip over it. "It's amazing," she thought. "How much power can he possibly have?"

"Are you ready to give up?" Daichi declared. "If not, then this next attack is the last."

Reena relinquished her grasp over her weapon and prepared for whatever her opponent had next. "It's like you said before," Daichi continued. "I have a dream… to become the world's number one Beyblader." Suddenly, Daichi's body glowed with an awesome, shimmering aura of gold, along with the dazzling Gaia Dragoon E. He roared loudly as a massive cylinder of stone of debris erupted behind him. And to both Reena and Luna's surprise, a gigantic figure had soon emerged at his side. Its claws impulsively slashed past the stones that surrounded it. A pair of two long wings spread out with majesty. Its long, sun-colored tail lashed back and forth anxiously. His mane white like ice, a giant, golden dragon roared to the heavens with a mighty cry for battle! "Behold!" Daichi exclaimed. "My partner, Kouryuu!"

The Holy Beast, Kouryuu, stood by Daichi in a complete, physical form. Reena scaled up the awesome beast with an overwhelmed stare. Meanwhile, Luna stayed behind the tree and focused onto the intimidating dragon pensively. "That's him," she thought. "Kouryuu, the Golden Dragon of the Earth. One Holy Beast thought to have never been seen in thousands of years. This is my first time I had ever seen him." His raging aura still around his body, Daichi pointed his axe Grip Launcher at Reena with an unwavering grin over his face. "Here we come, Reena! The two of us at full power!"

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Rei roared with all his might, a thunderous bolt of lightning sparking behind him. King Galeon Aura prepared for a full-on assault as Driger Edge came after it. With amazing, lightning paced speed, the two blades struck by each other at a high level of raw power. They smashed against each other, they spun past around one another to evade some of the strikes, they briefly linked together to dig hard past their defenses, and they repeated this power struggle all over again with no signs of tiring! The waves of energy had began to spread deep in the ground to form multiple craters, and the blustery forces made it harder for the spectators to hold their ground without being blown away. Suddenly, King Galeon guarded against one of Driger's clashes until it could no longer be pushed back. King Galeon quickly gained momentum and control as it violently grinds Driger back, making an unearthed straightaway in the process. Next, it managed to buck the white Beyblade in the air like a bull, setting it up for a follow up to its counterattack. Blackleo leapt in the air and performed a flying side kick with a mighty roar. King Galeon struck Driger hard in the middle of its structure, and the force of the blow sent Rei himself flying over the ground! The boy slid across the sandy surface on his back, heavily wounded from the attack. Regardless, he quickly recovered and somersaulted from the ground and slid over his hands and feet before he eventually came to a complete stop. Without a moment to rest, Driger E bolted right back after King Galeon A in an explosion of energy. "I'll fight you even when I have nothing left to give!" Rei cried. "ROAR, DRIGER!" For a short while, the fierce image of Byakko the White Tiger appeared alongside Rei and Driger E, catching Blackleo off-guard. In a nice, clean hit, Driger struck King Galeon hard enough to finally throw it back in midair! And Rei had delivered a strong right thrust into the side of Blackleo's face!

Blackleo staggered backward from the force of Rei's effective attack while King Galeon bounced twice over the ground before it regained its balance. Rei firmly let his fist down to his side, a confident smile forming on his face. Kyouju laughed with glee, "Wow! Rei's putting up more of a fight than I had imagined!"

"Maybe there's hope after all," Max grinned. "Even without his Holy Beast, he's one tough customer."

"Yeah. Maybe," Rai murmured, clenching his fists.

Kai and the remaining members of the Saint Generations A quietly watched, waiting for either side to make the next move.

Captain Blackleo took one step forward with a piercing gleam in his golden pupils. "Well, you certainly surprise me, Rei," he stated. "You've grown so much from our training, haven't you?" Rei continued standing firmly as Blackleo quietly chuckled to himself. "But, I have a debt to pay to Voltaire. To destroy the only thing that can stop Shiroryuu, I must use any means necessary." In an instant, an aura of violet-colored lightning burst around King Galeon A's structure, its constant sparks shooting out towards Driger E as it spun still in stationary. Blackleo's black mane fluttered with the winds as a similar aura raged along his legs. Rai, Mao, Gao, and Kiki all gasped as soon as they recognized what was happening. "That's Sensei's…!" Rei clenched his teeth once he also recognized this incoming attack, inadvertently taking one step back. Then, all of a sudden, he had bumped into Blackleo who was standing right behind him! Without as much as a warning, King Galeon had appeared behind Driger, soundlessly and motionlessly. Rei stood still, his eyes shaken with shock, and the wrap around his hair suddenly broke open to release his massive, jet black mane. Blackleo shut his eyes and calmly whispered, "Hissatsu-Ougi, Aura Indignation." A stream of lightning roared straight through Rei's chest while several hundreds of thunder bolts rained down over him and his Beyblade at one spot! Amongst the thunderous explosions around him, light in Rei's eyes vanished as he fell to his knees and collapsed onto the ground, unconscious and his body shredded with blood red scars.

Kai, Max, and Kyouju were visibly stolen of their voices, as they stared silently at the aftermath of Blackleo's final move. Kitsune shut her eyes and sighed despairingly. "He used that attack," she said. "And this happened only using a fourth of its potential damage. He wasn't the strongest Beyblader on our team for nothing."

"Speed and power at its finest," Banken added, his right eye twitching. "I've seen him use this attack plenty of times and it still catches me by surprise."

"Rei," Max quietly murmured, unable to completely register what had just happened.

Amongst the debris, Rei continued lying over the ground as Rai and the others watched in horror for their fallen friend. "REI!"

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Dreamer Excalibur desperately dashed at Dragoon Eclipse with all its might. Dragoon reacted to its charge and leapt into the air. Dreamer slid to a complete stop and flew after it. It easily caught up, but its attack was no use against Dragoon's barrier as it was unable to penetrate it. Hiromi gasped as a strong gust of wind ensnared Dreamer and trapped it in the fast rotation of a whirlwind. Unable to escape, Dreamer E was defenseless against Dragoon E as it rammed into it in the form of a crimson fireball. Blades of fire blew against Hiromi's body as she staggered backward, unable to balance herself. 'Takao' grinned sadistically and flew after her in great speed. As soon as he got close enough, Dragoon E pierced through Dreamer E as several emerald crescent blades slashed over its weakened structure. Severely wounded with several cuts along her body, Hiromi was thrown completely off her feet and fell hard on the ground. Her blade was still spinning, but it was steadily losing its balance and its spin rotation.

Hiromi weakly willed herself to sit up, wearily panting to herself. 'Takao' was standing behind her with a rather unmotivated grimace over his face. "Is this as far as you go? How boring. Don't you have any other tricks beside that absorption ability of yours?" Nanami watched the battle with a grave, anxious visage, tightening the grip over her Beyblade. "He has already figured out how her absorption ability works," she thought. "Its weakness is defense. By using Genbu's barrier to throw Dreamer Excalibur off its momentum, Hiromi is momentarily wide open for any attack she won't be able to absorb before she recovers. She won't be able to attack effectively like this."

"Hiromi, back away!" Nanami cried out-loud. "You can't win like this! Let me fight in your place!"

Hiromi finally got back on her feet and faced 'Takao,' her head hanging down in exhaustion. She focused her eyes onto her opponent with unwavering determination. "No way," she protested. "I'm… not giving up."

"Hmph. And what else can you do?" 'Takao' taunted.

After he said that, 'Takao' quickly flew like a bullet past a bewildered Hiromi. The aftershock of his swift attack internally struck her, her sclera briefly blanking out with no pupils. Once again, she fell back on the ground as 'Takao' hovered back down on the ground. He looked over his shoulder and scoffed arrogantly at his fallen, former teammate. "You're far too weak."

"Hiromi, don't continue!" Nanami cried from the sidelines. "Let me fight in your place; there's nothing left you can do now!"

Miraculously, Hiromi turned over from her back and tried hard to rise back on her feet with her hands and knees. Ignoring her shivering legs with tenacious willpower, she stood up once again. "I… can't…" she managed to say through her hastened breathing. "I swore… I would… get him back…" All of a sudden, Dragoon E committed to a wild dash after Dreamer E, grinding hard to shove it back into the base of a nearby building. Hiromi was also thrown against the wall, briefly stunned. She looked back up and gasped once she had noticed the enormous white dragon himself flying right at her! His bloodthirsty fangs bored, Shiroryuu lunged at her with the intention of eating her! Literally fighting for her life, Hiromi desperately pushed against his gigantic jaws her hands and feet, but with her against the wall, she was completely trapped and gradually overpowered. In comparison, her Dreamer Excalibur was pinned against the wall by Dragoon Eclipse, its spin rate slowly dying along with what was left of Hiromi's own life.

Hiromi shut her eyes and desperately tried to shove Shiroryuu back, but with her own strength at the limit, she couldn't get free. Panicked, Nanami cried, "He's trying to kill you! Hold on; I'll save you!"

"Stay back!" Hiromi cried back.

"Now's not to time to act so rashly! You'll die, don't you understand! You'll DIE!"

"I said, stay back!"

Hiromi opened her eyes to look past Shiroryuu to find 'Takao' patiently standing put by him, smiling voraciously. Her eyes focused long and hard onto him, searching past his villainous exterior to find something more. "Takao…"

Takao's eyes widened as his soul suddenly ignited. "Well, forget it!"

"Hm?" Banken wondered.

"Seiryuu has always been there for me ever since I accidentally broke his seal on my family's sword! Together, we became World Champions for three years straight! The least I could do was to put him back in his seal so he could finally have a well-deserved rest after my retirement! There's no way I'm gonna let you take his life!"

"People like that man will eventually find out that you have a Holy Beast once they research the BBA files of every Beyblader who participated in the championships," Banken protested. "It's better to destroy them now before they ruin any more lives."

"What about your Holy Beast? Will you destroy him as well? He's your partner!"

"That's not even a question. Once I rid the world of all Holy Beasts, I will destroy my Absolute Kerberous without any regret."

Hiromi and Kyouju gasped in disbelief. "I can't believe you just said that!" Kyouju exclaimed.

"You would really throw away your own Holy Beast's life so needlessly like that!" Hiromi added.

"That's the plan," Boss nodded.

"Then, I've clearly overestimated you," Takao said. "If you would discard something as precious as your partner, then you're not the great Beyblader I thought you were. I would NEVER give up my title as World Champ to someone as heartless as you!"

After hearing those words, Hiromi smiled at Takao in relief…

…Hiromi continued to struggle against Shiroryuu's savage onslaught, the ferocious light of her resolve steadily returning to her eyes. "He had just returned to his old self again," she said. "I don't want to lose him again. Especially after…" Hiromi's Holy Beast, Ikkakujuu, suddenly appeared at her side, pressing her horn against Shiroryuu's snout...

Underneath the quiet moonlight, Hiromi was sitting silently on the boardwalk, watching her Dreamer Excalibur spinning around the red Beystadium. "So close…" she murmured. As the red blade continued spinning, a familiar silver blade was thrown in and playfully hit its side. Hiromi was briefly startled and looked up to find Takao walking to her. "I really think you earned a place in the Infinitia Revolutions E."

"Are you serious?" Hiromi gasped.

"You wanted to get my attention, right?" Takao winked. "You always had it, ya know."

As the two blades tailed each other around and around the stadium, the white dragon and the white unicorn both soared into the magnificent stars of the night sky. As the two shooting stars crossed over the dojo deep in romantic space, Takao and Hiromi both stared up to the sky in quiet solitude…

…Nanami was amazed to find that Dreamer Excalibur was steadily beginning to push Dragoon Eclipse back. Hiromi and Ikkakujuu pushed hard against Shiroryuu together, effectively shoving Shiroryuu away from them. "I'm not gonna lose him to evil. No matter what I have to do, I'm gonna bring Takao back to us… to me." 'Takao' was visibly stunned at his opponent's growing adrenaline. Again and again, Dreamer pushed hard against Dragoon with nothing but its own, newfound power. "No matter what… I'll get him back!" she cried. "TAKAO!" Finally, Dreamer landed a clean smash attack over Dragoon, throwing it backward. And Ikkakujuu took over for Hiromi and rammed Shiroryuu's snout away from her! "Impossible!" 'Takao' gasped.

Nanami was at a loss for words, thinking, "Hiromi… actually did it!"

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A pair of golden eyes reopened and pierced through the darkness around them.

I… can't afford to lose!

Captain Blackleo stood with wide eyes as he beheld Rei slowly rising back on his feet. The clothing along his upper body ripped apart to expose his bare chest, the long-haired Beyblader stood tall while his Driger Edge continued to spin. "Rei!" Mao happily exclaimed.

"Unbelievable!" Kiki laughed. "He's still in this!"

"Rei… there's still hope," Rai thought, nodding affirmatively.

Blackleo's fists tightened and began to shiver with impatience. "That boy… actually withstood my killer attack at half strength?" Rei clenched his teeth and dug his feet deep in the ground, roaring high to the skies. Driger E's velocity hastened dramatically, and a hint of lightning-like energy began to spark from it. All of a sudden, it had disappeared, catching Blackleo off-guard. Before he knew it, a great burst of power clashed against the stationary King Galeon A, sending it off its tip and bouncing backward over the ground. But, Driger E had materialized right behind it, spiking hard into the air! "Driger Edge's speed… is growing!" Kyouju observed.

"And power is returning to the blade with each hit!" Max added.

"Keep it up," Kai nodded.

Rei roared once again as he shot a straight fist after the stunned Blackleo. The soldier cried out in pain as a claw-like image slashed over his person. King Galeon had been struck hard in midair once Driger appeared behind it once again. Emerald blades pierced through its shattered guard once the fourth blow connected. And Driger E reformed at the side and swung by the staggered dark Beyblade to send it flying in the air yet again. Banken and Kitsune were both in awe of Rei's adrenalized counterassault. "He managed to link five attacks!" Banken exclaimed.

"This strength I'm feeling from him…" Kitsune murmured.

Rei had finally took a moment to rest from his five-hit combo as Blackleo recovered and fell back to the ground feet first, nearly collapsing over one knee. "How can this…!" he growled. Quickly pulled away from his thoughts, he looked up to find Rei charging at him once more!

Thunder struck down behind the thoughtful Rei as he revealed a shade of calmness and innocence in his eyes. He flew back in a dark space and the golden aura that surrounded him burst into a mandala of nine ferocious beams of light! "Nine Life Edge!" The nine beams were directed by one great right punch and Rei's awesome cry. The eight afterimages all struck King Galeon A at one spot while its corresponding eight beams struck Blackleo in eight different spots of his body. The White Tiger of Gold, Byakko, quickly flew at him in the form of the ninth beam and struck him hard on his forehead! The power of the attack sent Blackleo's body flying back into the trees behind him, instantly felling the trees in an explosive swoop!

Rei knelt down over his right knee, panting wearily while his Driger Edge faintly wobbled underneath him. Alex took one deep gulp and said in his English tongue, "UNBELIEVABLE."

"He managed to use that attack… without his Holy Beast," Max murmured before shaking his head. "No. I could swear that I felt it…"

"Yes," Kai nodded. "With each attack, Byakko's presence grew stronger. Even when they're apart, Rei and his Holy Beast still battle together."

"Even when they're apart…" Banken repeated with a thoughtful expression.

Rei regained his bearings and stood up once more while he dug his feet deep in the ground for secure leverage. He watched as a silhouetted figure slowly emerged from the fallen trees. It turned out to be the large, growling of a lion. He had a dark violet pelt and a thick white mane that grew back along his back. Heavy grey gauntlets were attached to each of his four legs, and a golden mantle sat on the crown of his head. Blackleo reappeared standing by this mystical beast, their respective pair of eyes both shining in an intense shade of gold. "You should be honored, Rei," Blackleo growled. "With this last attack, King and I will go all-out." With that, Blackleo took his arms out from his back and held them to his sides with anxious fists. Rai, Mao, Gao, and Kiki collectively gasped once they had ascertained their master's last resort.

"Sensei… is gonna use his hands!"

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Ikkakujuu neighed high to the dark skies as bright, starry energy exuded from Dreamer Excalibur. Nanami beheld Hiromi's restored stance, visibly impressed. "Power… is flowing from Dreamer Excalibur. Power… all its own." The growing, forceful gusts of wind blew by 'Takao' as he stood in disbelief. "This can't be!" he thought. "I thought she had to absorb her opponent's powers before an attack! So, where is this coming from!" Rings of power dazzled around Hiromi's figure as she held one fist to her heart. Ikkakujuu rose her enormous wings and flapped them, disappearing right at that moment! Before 'Takao' noticed, Dreamer E flew by in incredulous speed, breaking the structure of the ground it flew over. Miraculously, it finally pierced through Dragoon Eclipse's barrier and landed a clean, hard hit at its base! The shockwave of Dreamer's charge caught up and enveloped the two blades in a great cloud of debris. Nanami had just reacted to the attack after one blink of the eye and quickly looked up to find 'Takao' thrown high in the air from the blow. "Its speed increased as well, as much that it could break past Genbu's defense!" Riding over Ikkakujuu's back, Hiromi soared high in the sky after the stunned 'Takao' with swift grace. "I'll wake you up, Takao," she whispered, "…through what you love the most." Before Dragoon could recover, Dreamer swiped past it and sent it flying back down to the ground. Once it had bounced off the earth once, Dreamer suddenly appeared right by it and rammed it hard to its right. The silver blade tried hard to come to a stop to regain its bearings, but once it nearly grasped control, Hiromi's Beyblade reappeared by it and attacked once again! In an unrelenting assault, Dreamer E pounded Dragoon E back and forth, left to right, and over and over like a raging, stormy rain! 'Takao' spun around, wailing in pain as hundreds of shooting stars landed at all sides of his body. Nanami watched this awesome display and made a clearer observation. "Hiromi's attacks get stronger with each blow she makes. That's because now her absorption ability is working again but in a different way. She's actually made her attack absorb his power instead of absorbing the direct attack of her opponent. Then, once junctioned with her own attack power, the damage Dragoon Eclipse is receiving is greater. Hiromi… how far have you've grown since I trained you?"

As the assault kept going, small bits of Dragoon E's armor began to break off from impact. "She's…" 'Takao' gasped, "…shattering the Beyblade."

"If I destroy your Beyblade, the link between you and your Holy Beast…" Hiromi thought.

Again, Hiromi's adrenaline empowered Dreamer E until it completely burst into a giant ball of mystical flame. "…You'll come back to your senses!" Hiromi and Ikkakujuu flew after the weakened 'Takao' and Shiroryuu encased in an aura of shimmering fire, their eyes calm, concentrated, and fiery as the execution of their final attack. "Hissatsu-Ougi, Comet Excalibur." Suddenly, a sly chuckle escaped Shiroryuu's breath. "If you do destroy the Beyblade…" Hiromi's eyes widened in shock. But, at that moment, Dreamer E's ultimate attack struck hard into Dragoon E, the two of them disappearing in the light that flashed bright at the moment of impact…

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Rei and Blackleo tersely faced each other, their sights locked and their fists hard and tight. Together, they roared and sent their respective blades at one another for one last clash. Driger Edge had split in nine images of itself, resembling its Nine Life Edge attack. Blackleo's eyes sparked with anticipation. "Weak!" King Galeon Aura clashed head-on with Driger's attack, taking the full force of the nine strikes without budging! Everyone at the sidelines were in awe that Blackleo was actually withstanding Rei's best attack. Blackleo clenched his fangs, standing firm against the nine beams piercing through his body. Rei's fist violently shook as he tried hard to force his attack more onto him. But, the strong BeySoldier waved his arms out with a great roar, allowing King Galeon to repel Driger's attack completely, leaving Driger wide open! "No way!" Max gasped. "He defeated Rei's attack just by letting it hit him!"

"Now's my chance!" Blackleo thought decisively.

Blackleo held his right fist above his head as he summoned a white, sparkling aura to surround his whole body. King Galeon roared with awesome, lightning energy, heading toward Driger in what appeared to be a finishing blow. Banken observed the move carefully and stated, "That's… Sensei's King Lightning attack at full power!"

"It's over," Kitsune replied gravely.

Time had slowed down at this critical moment, the moment where Blackleo and King Galeon who strike Rei and Driger down for good.

Suddenly, Blackleo had lost balance in his right foot, surprising him. It was then that he noticed a peculiar force in between King Galeon and Driger, a force that was pulling his Beyblade's power as well as the Beyblade itself inside. Furthermore, Rei had continued to charge after him, even though his attack was deflected. "What?" Blackleo thought. "Am I being pulled in?" After a more careful observation, he noticed that while all nine images of Driger had been deflected that they instead somersaulted right over King Galeon. Once he found something else, he instantly reached a conclusion. "Yes. This force between us is sucking me in like a vacuum. It must've been created by displacing the air around us when I deflected Rei's attack. Those nine beams is spreading over me to expand the air and trap me in this space. And then…!" To Blackleo's surprise, while his King Galeon A was sucked in the distorted air, a tenth beam of light was charging right at it! "I see now!" Kyouju explained. "Rei increased the speed of his attack at the last second! Then, when Blackleo deflected it and by using the air around them, he'll be able to land a much more powerful, hidden rebound faster than his counterattack! It's the element of surprise a tiger's known for!" Just as Kyouju said, the tenth beam, the real Driger Edge, struck King Galeon with all its might. And Rei had completely spun his body around to deliver a swift high kick that connected underneath Blackleo's chin! The tremendous force sent Blackleo flying high in the air, his eyes vanishing from his sclera. Rei slowly fell back on his laurels after the final move. He murmured quietly, "Hissatsu-OugiSecond Edge." After time had sped back up, Blackleo's unconscious body fell hard in the ground! While he had vanished in the thick clouds of debris, his King Galeon A was halfway buried in the surface before him, still and motionless. Rei had won.

Rei fell on his knees after Driger E finally stopped spinning, completely exhausted from his Beybattle. Then, he heard a voice call after him. "You have truly grown strong, stronger than I had anticipated." He looked up to discover Blackleo emerging from the clouds of dust and holding his numb right arm as he approached him. After a few steps, he collapsed over his left knee, wincing in sharp pain. But, he ignored it and smiled with satisfaction towards Rei. "But, I had hoped… that you would be the one to defeat me one day."

"What does that mean?" a voice called behind him.

Blackleo looked over his shoulder to find his team, along with Max, Rai, and the others. Banken crossed his arms and looked down at him with a forced grin. "Don't tell me you did all this… to train Rei?"

"Well, if neither one of you could beat me, how could you hope to defeat Shiroryuu?" Blackleo bluntly answered.

Immediately, Banken punched him hard over the head, leaving a huge bump at the back of it! "You idiot! That excuse won't work this time!"

"You fool. Honestly," Kitsune sighed in exasperation.

"Hey, stop that! He's hurt!" Rai scowled.

"What's done is done, right?" Mao shrugged optimistically.

Mao walked over to Rei and helped him rise to his feet. He smiled toward her and gratefully said, "Thanks, Mao."

"That was a great Beybattle, Rei," Mao blushed.

"It's true, buddy!" Max nodded. "You were so awesome!"

"Even though he was stolen from you, Byakko was still with you the whole time!" Kyouju added.

"It's all the same for Max and me," Kai replied. "I'd say it's a learning experience for all of us."

Blackleo rose to his feet and rubbed over his bruised head with crocodile tears in his eyes. "It's as they say," he grinned down at Banken.

Banken scoffed, "Yeah, sure. Anyway, Blackleo…"

"Captain Blackleo had vanished the moment Rei defeated him. It's Ou Shishin; remember that name."

"Right," Alex nodded cheerfully. "So, Shishin-sensei, how about you tell us why you came after us?"

"Yeah!" Banken agreed forcefully. "You said that we had something that can defeat Shiroryuu even as he is now. What are you talking about?"

Shishin sternly replied, "Do you feel something in the air right now?"

Everyone was silent for a brief moment. Then, after a few seconds, all but Shishin gasped once they had felt a powerful force in the air! "This power I'm feeling…!" Max gulped.

"Is that…?" Kai murmured.

"Yes…" Shishin nodded affirmatively.

1111

Daichi raised his small axe over his head, the tip of its blade gleaming with power. "Hissatsu-Ougi! Earth Cleaver!" As he took his small axe and chopped down in the ground, a sparking, wave of lava gushed from the ground and along the massive fault that spread long and far at Sylph A. Kouryuu's roar echoed in the background as Gaia Dragoon Earth led the shattering fault line at the opposing Beyblade. Reena watched in still shock of the incoming attack, losing her grip over her axe. Sylph disappeared in the rising stone pillars, and Gaia Dragoon left behind a giant canyon-like scar in the earth.

At the climax of the battle, Luna was speechless as she beheld that last attack. "Amazing," she murmured quietly. As Sylph Ascension rested motionlessly along the stone spears that protruded from the ground, Reena lied on her back in defeat with a satisfied grin over her face. "Didn't even get to use my best move," she giggled.

"Next time then," a voice called to her.

Reena looked up and found Daichi at her side, holding out his hand to her with a wide, spirited smile. "And for the record, I would never blame you." Reena's eyes dreamily glowed exuberantly, and she grasped Daichi's hand without hesitation.

The fifth Holy Beast, Kouryuu, is the only one who can defeat Shiroryuu…

1111

Hiromi stood unmoving from her position, all her spirit draining away by the second. She stared down at Dragoon Eclipse that was still spinning, the bottom of her lips trembling. "If I destroy that Beyblade…" Dragoon E rushed after Dreamer E, blustery energy swirling around it. 'Takao' roared, "Now… DIE!" 'Takao's' cry overlapping with his own, Shiroryuu released a loud, monstrous shriek as he swung the sharp blades of his right claw down at the frozen Hiromi…!

1111

NEXT TIME

Daichi: Me? I'm supposed to be the one to defeat Takao? Well, I'm not sure if what everyone says is true. I know that I have a dream to become to World's Greatest Beyblader. To do that, I must defeat the best! Here I come, Takao! It's time to finish our Beybattle once and for all!

Dragoon Succession