Welcome to the Egyptian qualifiers!
In Ryuto's humble opinion, as a Blader…
He sucked.
Oh, make no mistake, he knew how to use Dragonis' abilities to his advantage, especially when discovering old ruins and treasures lost to time. He knew how to read a situation, years of experience in figuring out who he could and couldn't trust when it came to contracts. But he hadn't entered a Bey tournament in ages! Not since…
Not since before Doji. Not since when everything went to hell.
After Doji had brainwashed his brother and turned him into the power hungry monster, Ryuto had run from Koma village and decided to pursue his own interests. Those interests included history and archeology and treasure hunting, and he had made a name for himself in the field. He'd donated thousands of dollars in lost treasures to museums across the world, only taking enough to put aside for himself.
(At his last count, Ryuto had a hefty seventy-five hundred thousand in his savings. He was beginning to debate which organizations could use a nice donation).
But now, there were a few too many things that had lead Ryuto to Africa, and to try out of the African World Championship team.
Number one: He was still unconvinced it was a coincidence that Dragonis had started glowing during the meteor shower that revealed the location of the Elemental Seven.
Number two: Kyoya had a point. It wouldn't hurt to enter anyways.
Number three: Ryuto was sick and tired of being in his brother's shadow. Ryuga wanted to look down on him for being a treasure hunter instead of a well known Blader? Well, suck it up Ryuga, Ryuto's about to prove a point.
Number four: Ryuto honestly wanted to be stronger than he was. Since the star fragment, since Nemesis, Ryuto had felt… mediocre, compared to those who had saved the world. Hell, his own brother had nearly died in the final battle!
Ryuto… Ryuto really wanted to prove himself. He had his reasons, doing what he did, and anyone who had a problem with him could take a goddamn number and get in line.
Which was how Ryuto found himself in Rock City, Egypt, standing among a few dozen Bladers that were ready to fight for their spot on the African team. Standing in the shadows as he waited for the officials to announce the rules, Ryuto surveyed his competition. A lot of these Bladers didn't look like much, a lot of them nervous as they stood in groups or by themselves. Some of them were also scanning the crowd, whispering among themselves and looking generally like shifty people. Ryuto made notes to stay away from them.
Ryuto's eyes travelled over the crowd, before they snapped back to a familiar, going wide in recognition.
Nile Storm. But… what was he doing here? He was on Africa's team last time, wasn't he? He couldn't compete again!
Ryuto watched him, and realized with a start, Nile was talking with a young woman who looked a lot like him. Dark brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, and green eyes standing out starkly against tan skin. She was nodding along to something Nile was saying, expression serious.
Nile had competed before… Perhaps he knew something that Ryuto didn't. Was he giving this woman inside information? Could that be considered cheating? No, no… it'd be expected, of those who previously competed to try and help their fellow Bladers.
Ryuto sighed, and ran a hand over his face, resisting the urge to groan out loud. He startled as a man in a uniform suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Sir? Are you here for the tournament?" He asked Ryuto, voice gruff.
"Uh, yeah," Ryuto answered, leaning away. "Why?"
"Take this," The man handed Ryuto a yellow card. "You'll be in the yellow group."
"The what now-"
"Good luck," He said, and went on to a nearby group of Bladers. Ryuto was left staring, boggled. He looked down at the yellow slip of paper in his hand, wondering how this tied in with the whole tournament.
"Well, well, well…" A voice mused, and Ryuto's head snapped up, to see Nile approaching him, "Been a while since we've seen each other, Ryuto Katashi."
"Nile," Ryuto greeted. "Uh, quick question. What's up with this?" He waved the paper for emphasis.
"That's the group you'll be in," Nile answered. "… Did you read the rules before you came here, or?"
"Honestly? No. I just got here last night," Ryuto said, sheepishly.
Nile sighed, and rolled his eyes, "Basically, they're dividing the entrants up into three groups. Each Blader gets a paper that tells them what group they'll be a part of. You'll compete in battle royal style, and the winner of each group gets a bracelet they have to protect for a total of twenty four hours. Who ever has the bracelet at the end of the time period is a member of the African team."
"You… you mean we have to fight for it more than once?!" Ryuto exclaimed, feeling a trickle of sweat run down his spine.
"Scared?" Nile smirked.
"Yes!" Ryuto panicked, "I've not competed in years! I'll be done in before the day's up!"
Nile's smirk faded as Ryuto continued to mumble anxiously to himself, replaced with concern, "Uh, dude. So why are you here? This is a completely different league!"
"I'm here for a reason!" Ryuto snapped, anxiousness turning into anger, "I don't have to explain myself to you!"
Nile scowled, "Hey, I'm trying to help you-"
"I'm sorry," Ryuto groaned. "I just… I'm just… this is a lot for me. I guess I should have read up on the rules and regulations, since I thought it would be pretty straight forward."
"Hm…" Nile mused, "Do you want some advice?"
"Any would be welcome," Ryuto admitted, sighing.
"You're smart, and you're quick, Ryuto," Nile said, reassuringly. "Use that to your advantage. You're used to running and dodging, and there are plenty of places to do that here. Try to avoid battling big groups, if it concerns you that much, but honestly… I think you'll be fine. There's probably only a dozen or so people here, from what I've seen, that could give you any trouble."
"Y… You think so?" Ryuto asked, weakly.
"I know so. And, when you make the team, take some time and put in some extra training. Making the team is one thing. Proving you belong on it… that's a complete other ball game," Nile's voice was dead serious. "So make sure you make it clear that you belong."
Ryuto met Nile's eyes, before nodding and promising, "I will."
Even with the knowledge of how the qualifier would play out, and even with the thirty minute head start that officials gave those who made the team- consisting of Ryuto, the girl Nile had been speaking with earlier, and another girl with brown hair- Ryuto wasn't at all surprised that someone ended up finding him.
Instead of running, which had been his original game plan, Ryuto met them head on.
Just as he knew his brother would do.
Just as he knew he should do.
"Dragonis! Hammer Bolt!"
With a single move, Ryuto managed to send a good portion of his challengers flying. He grinned, feeling proud of himself, then winced as he heard an explosion behind him. He turned, curious, to see the girl who seemed to be related to Nile, knock out a group of roughly two dozen Bladers. His jaw dropped.
"Wow…" Ryuto breathed, catching her attention, "Who are you and why have I never seen you compete before?"
She smirked, calling her golden Bey back into her hand, "Name's Nefertiti Storm."
Yep. Figured you were related to Nile somehow.
"And the reason you haven't seen me compete… well, this is the first time in about seven or so years since I've picked up Wadjet to actually battle," Nefertiti shrugged. She regarded him, "What about you?"
"Uh… Ryuto. Ryuto Katashi," Ryuto rubbed the back of his head, sheepish. He waited, anticipating for Nefertiti to either recoil in fear or turn her back on him at the mention of his name, but instead, she just kept watching him, "Uh…"
"Nile's talked about you before. Said you were all gun ho about finding the star fragment," Nefertiti finally spoke. "I also know you've donated a lot of stuff to the Cairo Museum of Antiquities."
Ryuto laughed nervously, his voice flat as he said, "I thought I told the directors to not mention my name…"
"They never listen. They love to brag on their best suppliers," Nefertiti smirked, as she started off down the street. "So, what are you doing here?"
"… Same as you, I guess," Ryuto shrugged, following her. "I want to get on the team." He looked at her, "Aren't you… a little old? There's an age limit, isn't there?"
"There is, and I'm just under it. I'm twenty," Nefertiti replied with a nod. "Nile convinced me to try out. Gotta say, I didn't expect to actually be having to fight for my spot… figured I'd be one of the ones chasing down whoever got the bracelets."
"You and me both," Ryuto muttered.
Nefertiti raised an eyebrow at him in question.
"This… is my first major tournament," Ryuto sighed. "I… honestly entered just on a whim. I didn't think I'd make it this far."
"If you ask me, I think you're doing pretty damn well, if this is the first tournament you've been in," Nefertiti commented. "You're… Nile said you're a treasure hunter by trade, right?"
"Pretty much have made a career of it, at this point, yeah. Why?"
"I'm sure you've seen the world. So why are you here?"
Ryuto hesitated, stopping dead in his tracks. Surprised, Nefertiti turned to give him a questioning look.
"… I'm trying to prove myself, to someone important to me. He's… not exactly supportive of my current career," Ryuto finally answered. "And… being in the World Championships… that seemed like the best way."
Nefertiti regarded him with bright green eyes, expression thoughtful. After a moment, she laid a hand on his shoulder and bent down the few inches to look him in the eyes.
"Well, if it's any consolation… I think being here should be enough proof that you're some lowly treasure hunter," Nefertiti said.
"You… You think so?"
"I know so," Nefertiti smiled.
"Hey! There's two of them! Ryuto and Nefertiti!" A voice shouted, and the two Bladers turned to look down the street at a group of maybe two dozen teens running at them.
Nefertiti sighed, "Well, guess the peace couldn't have lasted long anyways…"
"Hey… Nef?" Ryuto grabbed her arm before she could move, "Do you mind if I take these guys?"
"By yourself?" Surprise colored Nefertiti's voice.
Ryuto smirked, and stepped forward to face the crowd, "Hey… we all got to start somewhere, right? These punks will be just the first step of many in order to show my brother that I can be just as strong as him."
Nefertiti stared at him, before smirking in something akin to pride, "In that case… they're all yours."
By the time night fell, Nefertiti and Ryuto had made it clear they weren't going to be giving in as easily as their opponents thought they were. Likewise, the two had made it equally clear to each other just where they stood in terms of power and respect for one another. But as the hours wore on and the competitors kept coming, Nefertiti began to struggle.
"I'm… I'm used to staying up all hours of the night thanks to work or school, but…" Nefertiti panted, as the two ducked into an alleyway, "Not having to run around like a chicken with its head cut off!"
Ryuto stretched his arms out behind him, hands linked together as he cracked his neck. Honestly, he wasn't even breaking a sweat. Running through the streets was far better than running through an ancient temple and avoiding fatal traps. Or treasure thieves who wanted you dead.
"Guess you need to get back into the swing of things, huh?" Ryuto teased, smirking.
Nefertiti glared at him, and swatted him upside the back of his head, "Not all of us can be an Olympic level athlete, you little shit."
Ryuto pouted and rubbed the back of his head. He checked his bracelet, "So, we got about ten more hours to keep these things and make the teams."
"We can't keep running forever. We should take a break, try and get a little rest," Nefertiti sighed. "But the rest of the competitors will keep coming."
"Meow! Sounds like Motti's teammates need a helping paw!"
Ryuto and Nefertiti turned in surprise, looking up to see, sitting on top of the back alley wall, the third person who had managed to get the bracelet from the opening qualifiers. Light green eyes peered down at them from under brown hair. She wore a cat like smile on her lips as she crouched down.
"Been a while since we've seen you," Ryuto spoke first. "Seems like everyone's been after us."
"Meow, meow, Motti isn't strong like you! Motti is too scared to try and fight so many powerful Bladers!"
Ryuto sweatdropped, What's with the third person cat complex?
"And yet, you managed to get that bracelet," Nefertiti commented, crossing her arms to stare up at the girl.
"Meow," Motti said, miserably, and held up her hands. Both were bare, "Motti didn't manage to keep it long. Motti fell into a cat trap set by a big meanie!"
Ryuto and Nefertiti glanced at each other.
"Have you tried getting it back?" Ryuto asked.
"No," Motti's hair drooped, her eyes watering. "What good would it do? Motti is just a plain Blader without anything to fight for." Here, her voice dropped, the cat like perks of her personality fading away, "Big brother was right. I'm never going to be able to be a Blader people will look up to."
Ryuto felt his heartstrings jerk, She sounds just like me. Trying to prove a point to a non-believer.
Next to him, Nefertiti's eyes flashed in the shadows, her entire body straightening like a jolt of electricity had been delivered into her system, "Motti. Do you know the person who managed to win the bracelet off of you?"
"Meow? Yes! But she ran and hid," Motti said.
"Perfect. Because suddenly I don't feel so tired and have the strangest urge to punch a witch," Nefertiti grinned, canines flashing. "So, Motti, why don't you come down here with me and Ryuto, and we'll form a plan to get you back where you belong?"
"W… where I belong?"
"With us, of course," Ryuto grinned, crossing his arms. "After all… if anyone deserves a spot on the team, you certainly seem to be one."
Finding the girl who had robbed Motti was almost too easy. Ryuto voiced his concerns, as the trio managed to track her down into an old warehouse just on the outskirts of town.
"I wouldn't be surprised if it's another trap. Nile said a lot of people will play dirty to get on the team," Nefertiti admitted. The group were perched up on the fire escape, peeking over the windowsill of the upper windows to look down inside, "Motti? See her anywhere?"
"There," Motti pointed with a gloved hand, at a redheaded girl sitting on a stack of crates and playing with her phone.
"Out in the open like that? I don't like it," Ryuto muttered, scanning the room.
"What do you see?" Nefertiti asked.
Ryuto was silent for a moment, before he put his hands on both girls' heads, and pushed them down out of sight, following, "Yep, trap. I count maybe three to four dozen others hiding in the shadows. It's an ambush."
Nefertiti cursed, colorfully, and glanced down at her bracelet, "We got six hours before the team is formed. We need to come up with a plan to get in, get that bracelet, and get out while avoiding the mob that is sure to follow."
"Hmm…" Ryuto mused, "Should we really strain ourselves that much?"
"What do you mean, meow?" Motti blinked at him. She was practically vibrating in excitement.
"Here's my proposition, and feel free to tell me I'm an idiot," Ryuto shifted to crouch down on one knee. "We wait until the last hour of the qualifier. They'll be restless, and probably itching to get out and track us down. A few of them will, and that makes less people for us to fight our way in and out. Not to mention, they'll probably be turning on her, and she may have to fight to keep her spot, or to keep her minions in check."
"Minions?" Nefertiti raised an eyebrow.
"Take a look in that room and tell me that she's not the type to have minions, I dare you," Ryuto deadpanned.
Nefertiti held her hands up and leaned away, "Okay, so? Your plan is just to wait them out?"
Ryuto grinned, and nodded, "Sometimes, the best plan is the plan that doesn't require a lot of thinking."
Nefertiti could see the sense behind that, "Alright then Ryuto. We're following your lead here."
.
.
.
As the hours ticked by, Ryuto's predictions became true. The trio occasionally heard a battle erupt within the warehouse. Those that lost were sent running for their mommies. There were also the ones that began to get impatient and stormed out on their own. By the time the sun was in the sky, and the last hour of the qualifier was approaching, Ryuto's head count went from three dozen, to about eighteen.
"Surely three of us can handle eighteen others," Ryuto said. This entire qualifier had been a booster to his self confidence. "If Team Wild Fang can handle a whole horde, why can't we?"
Nefertiti snorted in amusement.
At the exact one hour mark, Dragonis broke down the doors to the warehouse, and on Ryuto's command, began making a mess of the inside. Crates and metal poles went flying into the air. Directly behind him, Nefertiti launched her own Bey, Guardian Wadjet, and Ryuto and Motti both watched in awe as a winged woman with the lower half of a snake in place of legs flashed into view. With ruthless power, she helped to send the other Bladers flying.
"Motti, it's on you now!" Ryuto called, "Nefertiti and I will deal with her crew! You've got to fight for your place!"
"Meow?! Me?!" Motti yelped.
"Come back for more, little kitten?" The redhead smirked, blue eyes glittering in mischievous intent, "Good luck. You couldn't handle me once, what makes you think do it twice?!"
Motti frowned, "I'm not just a little kitten! I'm more than that!"
"Then prove it! Aphrodite!" The redhead launched her Bey, a streak of pink that flew for Motti.
Motti was just quick enough to launch her own Bey and meet the attack, "Cancer!"
The two Beys clashed in mid air, and then hit the concrete floor. The redhead called out first, "Send her flying, Aphrodite! Special Move: Dove's Call!"
Motti yelped in surprise as Aphrodite released a series of air blasts, tearing up the concrete floor and making it uneven. A few connected solidly with Cancer, much to Motti's displeasure. She hissed like a feral cat, "Mrow! Motti will make you pay for that!"
"I'll believe it when I see it!"
Motti growled, "Cancer! Claw Snap!"
Ryuto and Nefertiti turned away from their battles long enough to see a giant, orange colored crab flash into existence. It scuttled forward, and then struck out with a claw, closing around Aphrodite and then throwing her into a wall.
"Aphrodite!" The redhead cried, "You little rat! I'll make you pay for that!"
"Take notes," Motti hissed back. "Cornered cats lash out! Cancer! Again!"
"Way to go, Motti!" Nefertiti cheered.
"Pay attention, why don't you!" One of the other Bladers shouted at Nefertiti, "Gasher!"
"Oh, please, you're not worth my time. Ryuto, are you getting bored here or what?"
"You read my mind, Neffy," Ryuto smirked. "Let's get rid of these suckers! Dragonis! Special Move, Hammer Bolt!"
"Wadjet! Special Move, Poison Strike!"
"Cancer! Special Move, Crustacean Crash!"
"… Do you think we went overboard?"
Nefertiti erupted into laughter, draping her arms over both Motti and Ryuto's shoulders as the trio walked away from what used to be the warehouse. Multiple Bladers lay unconscious, and Motti's bracelet was locked firmly around her wrist, as she walked with a skip in her step. Ryuto still seemed a little in shock over the events in the last few hours.
At that exact second, all three bracelets began to beep, and the trio looked down to see the countdown of the last twenty-four hours come to an end. There was a beat of silence.
Motti cheered. Ryuto face split into a wide grin, and Nefertiti exhaled in relief.
"Well, now that that's done… what do you say we go find somewhere that serves some good food and then crash? I don't know about you two, but I'm beat,"
"I could eat," Ryuto agreed. "You think Nile would want to join us?"
"He'd be offended otherwise," Nefertiti laughed. "Come on, you three. Let's go celebrate the formation of Africa's newest team."
So for Africa's team, we have: Dynamis, Nefertiti, Ryuto, and Motti. Mechanic has yet to be added.
Next chapter! China and Japan, and then on to the World Championships!