Sorry for the wait! I kind of struggled with this chapter a bit. But, it's a long chapter and I hope ya'll enjoy!
"Okay, okay, it's cool, it's cool, everything's fine,"
"I would hazard a guess, considering your lack of reaction, that this is normal?" Yuki asked.
"I'm fine, everything's fine, there's nothing to worry about, it's not like the fate of the world just suddenly put it's weight on my shoulders or anything…"
Kyoya sighed and ran a hand over his face, "Yeah, this is normal. When he gets overwhelmed, he freaks out. I've found it best to just let him pace and talk it out."
Gingka nodded, watching Kakeru pace back and forth across the team room, while Akira ran scans over Chimera.
"What happens if you try and engage him in conversation?" Yuki asked, nervously.
"He shuts down," Kyoya mumbled. "And then it becomes a mess of talking him out of an anxiety attack caused by too many external triggers."
Yuki frowned, thoughtfully, but nodded in acceptance. Kyoya felt just a little more tension ease from his shoulders at the fact Yuki let it go. Still, he exchanged a quick glance with Gingka, the redhead raising a pointed eyebrow. Kyoya glared at him in response, and the Pegasus Blader shrugged and took a half step away.
"Alright, Kakeru," Akira's voice snapped the three Legendary Bladers' attention over to him. Shockingly, Kakeru stopped his muttering and pacing, but he was still fidgeting, worrying his rings over and over his fingers, "Scans are done. Want to hear the results?"
"Yes," Was the answer, not only from Kakeru, but everyone else in the room as well.
Akira looked a bit amused, and gestured them all closer. The group all crowded the table, curious.
"Okay, so, starting off with type. Before, Chimera was primarily a defense type," Akira began. "Now, Chimera is still a defensive type Bey, but from my readings, also has a high stamina reading."
"Wicked," Gingka muttered. "The type alone makes for a tough opponent to face."
Akira nodded, "Right. Second thing is, the performance tip. It's a ball performance tip, which is good for what Chimera's evolved into—a defensive and stamina type. The spin track is not one I've seen before, so I'm curious to see what it does. See the notches in it?" Akira flipped Chimera into the light, pointing at the extruding edges on the spin track. They circled the entire spin track, five total from top to bottom, "Pretty sharp. If your opponent's partner is shorter than Chimera, their warrior wheel will get some serious damage."
"Like Dragonis," Kyoya mused. "Demure said the same thing about Dragonis, except it was the warrior wheel."
"And speaking of warrior wheels…" Akira took Kakeru's wrist, stretching it out so he could drop Chimera into his palm. Kakeru's wrist flexed, a startled look on his face as he fumbled to catch his partner before he fell, "The newly evolved Chimera is a heck of a lot heavier than it was before. And the warrior wheel is thicker, too, more of a defensive wall than anything I've seen on a Bey." Akira glanced up at Kyoya, a wicked smirk crawling over his lips, "My guess is, you could beat Kyoya in battle."
Kyoya glowered at Akira, but without much heat. Truth be told, he was interested to see how Leone would hold up against this new Chimera. If everything Akira said was concrete, Kyoya knew he'd have a tough time getting around these new defenses.
"So that means, we've got three of the seven found," Hikaru said, crossing her arms. "Air and Water… And considering that Chimera was Terra Chimera before evolution, I'd lay money down that that means Kakeru is—"
"The Earth Warrior," Kakeru interrupted, voice quiet. "That's what makes sense, isn't it?"
"So what's the new Chimera's name? Still gonna keep it as Terra Chimera?" Akira asked, after a moment of silence.
Kakeru was still staring at his partner, but his voice was quiet when he answered, "I'll get back to you on that. Right now… I think I just need to process all of this. Besides…" He raised his head up to meet everyone's gaze, "We still have a round of battles to finish."
"And we're back, ladies and gentlemen! The stadium has been replaced, and we're ready for our third battle! The teams are tied with one win each, so this is anyone's game!" Blader DJ had a talent for riling up the crowd, that was for sure, "So what are we waiting for?! Let's get back into this! Coming from the Australian team, but hailing in from Germany, let's hear it for Kelsea Gunter! … And from our home team, she's competed for a few years here in Japan, but she's originally from Italy, give it up for Platina Triton!"
"Good luck, Platina!" Yuki called, as the girl skipped off towards the Bey dish.
"Keep an even head, darling," Jack drawled. In response, Kelsea grinned at him and flashed a peace sign, "That does not make me feel any better, just so you know."
"Deal with it, birdy," Kelsea winked, and made her way down to the dish. "Hope you're ready to lose, Tina!"
"Let's see if you're still saying that when I win," Platina grinned across the dish.
Kelsea's eyes glittered, as she shifted into battle stance. Across the way, Platina also readied herself for battle.
"Our Bladers are ready… So here we go! Three!" Blader DJ began the countdown.
"Two!"
"One! Let it rip!"
"Blitz Morrigan!" Kelsea called, swiping her hand out, "Special Move, Combative Blows!"
"So soon?!" Hikaru exclaimed, "They've only just launched!"
"Blitz Morrigan… Blitz Morrigan…" Akira muttered, typing away at his laptop, "Aha! A stamina and attack type Bey with an extreme sharp performance tip and free spinning spin track! You wouldn't be able to get a good attack in on the spin track. And considering the height of the Bey, taller than Platina's, Forturna is going to just be pushed aside!" With a frown, Akira typed a few more keys, "But the performance tip is angular, which means, even for Beys shorter than Morrigan, it can still deliver high powered attacks with it's razor like warrior wheel! Platina, be careful!"
In the dish, Diamante Fortuna was being hammered by a series of barrage attacks. Thankfully, as a balance type, Fortuna regained her footing easily. Even so, Fortuna's defenses were slowly being worn down from the high powered attacks of Morrigan.
Platina growled, "Alright then. I need an opening to deliver an attack of my own… So, with that thought in mind…" Platina widened her stance, "Diamante Fortuna, Armonia D'Oro!"
Kelsea stepped back in surprise, throwing her arms up as the wind picked up speed in the stadium, the origin of the whirlwind coming from Fortuna herself. Morrigan was pushed back, further and further towards the edge of the dish.
"Wicked," Kakeru breathed. "It's not like Leone's ability to create tornados, but Platina's using Fortuna's abilities to her best ability!" Grinning, Kakeru shouted, "You got this, Platina! Send her flying!"
"Look at that folks!" DJ called out, "Platina is making her movie, and driving Kelsea back! Is the end for the warrior queen of the Australian team?!"
"Auf keinen Fall," Kelsea growled to herself, and dug her heels into the ground. "Morrigan! Ride the wind!"
"Yowza!" DJ exclaimed, "Morrigan's getting swept up into the wind and taking on some serious air time!"
The windstorm faded, and Kelsea's eyes flicked back and forth between where her partner was hovering in the air, and back down to the dish. Her brown eyes flashed in realization, and the corner of her eyes twitched. She quickly schooled her expression, bringing her gaze back down to Platina, "This is the end of the line for you, mein freund! Blitz Morrigan, let's finish this!"
In the air, Morrigan glowed purple, before the spirit of a crow appeared. With the appearance of the spirit, a sense of doom filled the air.
"Good luck getting through Fortuna's defenses! Fortuna! Special Move, Caos D'Argento!" Platina shouted.
"There's no way Kelsea can beat that!" Hikaru cheered, "If Fortuna's defenses go up, it's like trying to get through a brick wall!"
Kelsea smirked, "Special Move, Prophetic Demise!"
With a loud cry, the crow folded it's wings and dove towards the dish, quickly becoming only a blur of purple and black light. The ground shook as the two Beys collided, a bright white light filling the air, and causing people to shield their eyes. Once the dust and light faded, there was a moment of silent shock.
"W… What? I… I lost?" Platina choked out, eyes wide in shock. She fell to her knees, reaching out towards her fallen partner, "But… Come è successo?
On the Australian team, Taylor and Ariana had erupted into cheers and whistles, the two jumping up and down in excitement. Hunter looked disinterested and Jack let out a breath of relief.
"So with Kelsea's win, this puts Coastal Riders ahead of the game!" Blader DJ announced, as Kelsea caught her Bey back into the palm of her hand, "Vigilante Justice needs to step up their game if they want a chance at moving on to the next round! So, let's finish this round and see what will happen! Our final match of the day is between Ariana Klarice and Hikaru Hisama! Ladies, make your way down, and let's this finish this!"
"You did fine, Platina. Just a bit of bad luck," Akira assured the pink haired teen, as she rejoined her team. "We still have a chance."
"Yes, if Miss Hikaru wins, it ties the team with two wins each!" Yuki nodded, "And then we move on to a tie breaker battle!"
"And we can send Kakeru down and just wipe the floor with them," Akira finished.
Kakeru blinked, "Wait… me?"
"Uh, who else? More than likely, they'll send Taylor down if it comes to a tie breaker, and Anubius is in no shape for battle," Akira frowned. "Plus, you just got a major upgrade, so it makes sense for you to go down."
"But… But I don't know about Chimera's new capabilities!" Kakeru shot back, "I could lose just as easily as I could win!"
"Three!"
"You don't know that for sure. Besides. We aren't at that stage yet, Hikaru still has a chance," Platina sighed, sounding put out.
"Two!"
"Okay, yes, all of this makes sense, but—"
"One! Let it rip!"
The battle was over before it could begin.
"Go now, Aphrodite!" Ariana shouted, "Special Move, Dove's Call!"
Aphrodite released a series of shockwaves, the sound of a bird's call filling the air, and then colliding with Aquario. Before DJ could say a word, or Hikaru could call move, Aquario was sent flying through the air and over Hikaru's head. The blue Bey landed on the ground behind the blue haired girl, in the silence of the crowd.
"A… And Ariana wins the match!" Blader DJ finally found his voice, sounding just as awed as everyone felt, "Team Coastal Riders, moves on to the next round!"
"Well ladies and gentlemen, the first round of the Beyblade World Championships are over, and we've had some ups and downs with it! In the first match, we had the American and EU teams clashing, and people were sure it was going to be a repeat of the last time these two teams met, but instead it ended up being settled over a tie breaking, tag team battle! Team Shadowhunters gave it their all, but in the end, Team Rinascinta claimed their victory and are moving on to the next round of the World Championships!
"The second match was between the African and Chinese team! Both teams gave it their all, but ultimately Breaking Dawn pulled off the win needed to move on!
"In the third match, Japan and Australia met and there were surprises around every corner! Hunter Hart delivered in his promise and managed to defeat Yuki in just a matter of minutes! Kakeru pulled of the second win, but the girls of Vigilante Justice unfortunately didn't have it in them to push their team to the next round. Better luck next time!
"And in the final match, the Russian team met the South American team of Rio Grande on their home turf and stole the win! All I can say is after reviewing that match, watch out for the ladies of Team Night Risers, because they have some serious power!
"So, with all the excitement of the first four weeks of the World Championships, we start next week off with a Wild Card match between Team Shockwave and Rio Grande in Cairo! We've got two of the hottest teams coming head to head, and I can only imagine just how hot those battles will be! Next, we'll be travelling back here to Japan, where the American team will face our own home team, Vigilante Justice! To round out the week, whichever teams wins those two matches will battle each other in one final match, for the spot in the second round of the Wild Card matches. Stayed tuned folks, because as your number one DJ, I'll be sure to have all the deets on the ins and outs of this tournament! Until next time, remember to let it rip, and keep it wild!"
"And… cut!"
Kazuo let out a sigh, and as the cameras stopped recording, reached up to take his bandana off and run a hand through his hair. As much as he loved his job, sometimes it could be a bit… much. Trying to keep up the hype of a sport that was receiving some serious drop in participation left him feeling drained, in recent years. He'd been excited when he heard news of the WBBA putting together another World Championship tournament, because for the first time in two years, he had hope of Bladers coming together to show the world their skills.
He hadn't been disappointed. Still, though, as he had watched the first round's battles, he couldn't help but feel like there was something he was missing…
"Kazuo!" His manager's voice caught the brunette's attention, and he turned to the woman striding towards him, "Ryo's waiting in your office. He said he had something important to talk to you about."
Kazuo nodded and grinned, "Thanks Cheza! I'll go see what he wants!"
The pink haired woman waved him off, "And take the weekend off while you're at it. The last week has been rough on all of us."
"You too! You work too hard!"
Cheza rolled her eyes at him, lips quirking a little as she turned away. Kazuo used the moment to rush out of the studio before anyone else could stop him.
Yes, he was the nationwide figure known as Blader DJ, but even he had his limits on how long he could keep the energetic persona up.
He briefly stopped in the breakroom to grab a soda before continuing down the hallway towards his office. Despite his job as an announcer, he still was an employee of the WBBA, and therefore, he sometimes had actual work to do.
"Kazuo!" Ryo's voice was loud and a welcome sound. It always was, since the two men had known each other since their college days. And especially since Ryo had pulled the stunt of faking his death.
Kazou had given him hell for a week, after giving his friend a well deserved punch to the face.
"Hey, Ryo!" Kazuo grinned at the redhead, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be busy with work or something?"
"Actually, you could say I'm here because of work," Ryo's voice changed, becoming serious. Kazuo paused, and turned to narrow his eyes at him, "… Listen, last time we didn't even know what was going on, but this time we do, I swear!"
"That does not make me feel better, Ryo," Kazuo sighed. "Am I going to need a drink for this?"
"… Maybe?"
An hour later, Kazuo had broken into his hidden stash of vodka and was angrier than a stirred-up hornet's nest.
"Why can't the world just let these kids rest?!" He exclaimed, slouching in his desk chair, "I mean, haven't they been through enough in the last six years?!"
"Enough for a single lifetime," Ryo agreed, dryly. He took a sip of his own drink, sighing, "This wasn't what we originally planned this Championships for, but now I'm glad we decided to move it up. It's drawing Bladers out, and it's making it easier to find who we need to find."
"As opposed to travelling the world and trying to talk our saviors into saving our world," Kazuo snorted. "I still remember Beyster Island very well."
"Well, at least we don't have to worry about any of the Legendary Bladers turning on us," Ryo chuckled.
"And these… Elemental Seven? Any idea who they are?"
"Actually, three have already been found," Ryo straightened. "Lucas Reynolds, Ryuto Katashi, and Kakeru Tategami."
Kazuo choked on his drink. Once he regained himself, he exclaimed, "Ryuga and Kyoya's brothers?!"
"Yes," Ryo nodded. "Kakeru's happened the other day during battle. The Beys evolve."
"And… how is Kyoya taking it? Actually, wait, no, how's Kakeru taking it? Is he going to lone wolf it like Kyoya did there for a while?"
"Last I heard, Kakeru had destroyed two practice dishes and Kyoya hasn't won a single battle yet. Kakeru's beaten him every time. Kyoya is… I think he's proud, but annoyed by it, too," Ryo chuckled. "If it was anyone else, he'd probably be cagey and upset about it."
"But since it's his brother, he can't really be upset about it," Kazuo nodded. "Well, good on the kid then. Maybe this will show Kakeru he's not in Kyoya's shadow and is his own person."
"Hopefully," Ryo agreed.
"Anything else you want to dump on me?"
"…"
"… Ryo, if you keep something from me and it's important, I will hunt you down and make you regret it,"
Ryo sighed, "It's… a developing case, right now."
"Tell it to me anyways,"
Another hour passed, and Kazuo felt a strange mix of horrified and furious.
"How the fuck—" Kazuo wasn't one to curse often, but the situation called for it, "—Isn't this guy in jail yet?! How has he not had his position taken away from him?!"
"Money and politics," Ryo shrugged. "Caspian McKandless is a smart man, and Julian Konzern's lawyers are still building a case against him. They want it to be rock solid before they take him to court. Any hole at all, and the whole thing could fall apart."
"… I want you to know, if I ever meet the man, I can not be held responsible for what I do,"
"That's fair,"
"Good to know we're on the same page," Kazuo sighed. "Damn these kids… we're too young to be going gray, Ryo."
Ryo laughed, any worry washed away at his friend's comment, "I don't disagree, Kazuo, but think of it this way… Our parents probably thought the same thing when we were the kids' age."
So, in the discord server I'm in, we've all kinda agreed that Kazuo (Blader DJ) and Ryo were college buddies. And honestly, that's a friendship I can see being canon, if it's not already.
So Kazuo's in the secret (as opposed to him not being in on it during Masters). Vigilante Justice lost to Coastal Riders (there's a method to my madness, I promise), and the next few chapters will be a mix of fillers and focus on the first round of the Wild Card matches.
Also, I didn't show the Russian and South American match for a reason, and you'll see a bit as to why in the upcoming chapters ;)
Platina belongs to my good friend Warrior!
Anyways, I hope ya'll enjoyed and will drop a review! Until next time, ciao!