Hope ya'll enjoy this chapter, because I sure did! :D

"So, just to make sure we're all on the same page—" Toby fixed his teammates with a look "—None of us have a problem with the battle order, right?"

"I don't," Chris said, polishing off Orion. "Yuki shouldn't be too much of a problem." He glanced to his left, "I'm more concerned on Tithi and Kakeru's battle. I've heard that Kakeru keeps beating Kyoya and Gingka in battles."

"These stats on Chimera that Akira and Madoka sent me aren't any joke either," Tyler muttered, tapping away at his laptop and a pensive look on his face. "All of his stats are off the charts—the Legendary Bladers don't even compare, and frankly, that scares me. I can't give you a battle plan, Tithi. You're gonna have to judge for yourself and make your own moves."

"I can do that," Tithi nodded, uncharacteristically calm and quiet. "What kind of Bey is Kakeru's Chimera, now?"

"Defensive type with high stamina," Tyler answered. "Chimera has a ball performance tip, and a weaponized spin track. You need to be careful if you try to go for a frontal attack. Quetzalcoatl will be ripped to shreds. And then, there's the warrior wheel itself—not as strong as an armor as say, Gravity Destroyer, but it'd be like running headfirst into a brick wall if you tried to attack head on. Then, the Bey itself is significantly heavier than any other Bey we know about. Again, good for defense and stamina."

"I can work with that…" Tithi nodded, "There's not a good chance of me winning though, is there?"

"Sorry kid, 'fraid not," Tyler shrugged. "But, still, you can give the audience a show—"

"Wait," Christina sat up from her spot sprawled across the chairs. "Listen, I know we discussed this, but… let me battle Kakeru."

"Uh," Toby blinked. "No offense, Christina, but if Tithi won't stand a chance against Kakeru, what makes you think you will?"

"Tithi goes for head on attacks—that's his battle style," Christina began.

"And you go for sneak attacks to throw your opponent off balance and drain their stamina," Chris finished. "You might actually stand a good chance, compared to the rest of us. I'd turn it into a stamina battle—"

"And undoubtably lose," Tyler muttered.

"Tithi wouldn't get past by Chimera's defenses, because of the warrior wheel and the spin track—"

"I mean, if he had the time he could probably come up with a strategy," Tyler mused.

"Will you shut up?!" Chris snapped over at the older man, "We get it, we don't need you running commentary!"

"I'm just pointing out the facts!"

"No, you're being annoying is what you're doing!"

"Oi, you take that back, you wannabe mercenary!"

"Why don't you make me you—"

Christina, Toby, and Tithi all sweatdropped, watching as Tyler and Chris went head to head in a battle of scathing insults and verbal blows.

"So…" Tithi mused, and turned to Christina, "You think you can win against Kakeru?"

"I make no promises," Christina sniffed. "But I want to give it my best chance…" She reached for her belt, pulling Artemis out into the light, "Plus, I have a feeling that this battle will turn out with an unexpected ending."

"Great," Toby drawled, and pointed his finger to the duo across the room. "Now what about those two?"

Christina's expression morphed into annoyance and just a bit of vindictive glee, "Watch and learn, boys. Watch and learn."

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen!" The DJ cheered, hyping the crowd, "We're back with the second round of the Wild Card matches, for the World Championship Tournament! Our first battle is sure to be a doozy, set between two Legendary Bladers and the leaders of the Japanese and American teams—Yukie Mizuchawa and Chris Cadelle! Let's hear it for these two Bladers as we get ready for the first battle!"

"Good luck, Yuki!" Platina beamed at the Anubis Blader. "You'll do great, I'm sure!"

"T—Thank you, Miss Platina!" Yuki smiled back, nervously, "I hope so!"

Taking a deep breath, the young Legendary Blader made his way down to the dish. Chris was already waiting on his side of the stadium, arms crossed nonchalantly over his chest.

"You ready for this?" Chris grinned over at him.

Yuki nodded determinedly, "Absolutely, Mister Chris!"

"… Yuki. We're friends. Please drop the 'mister' title—it makes me feel old!"

"Well you are old!" Christina shouted from the American team's platform.

Chris growled in anger and whirled around, "We're the same age, Christine!"

"That's not my name and you know it!"

"Erm, Chris, sir?" Yuki called, nervously, "Perhaps… you should have your dispute with your sister… later?"

Grumbling under his breath, Chris turned back to his friend, launcher raised and poised. Yuki quickly readied himself for battle as well.

"Our Bladers are ready!" DJ called, "So let's begin—Three!"

"Two!"

"One! Let it rip!"

Phantom Orion BD, Yuki thought, a line of sweat rolling down his temple. Ah, man, of all the people I could have battled on the American team, it had to be Chris—I don't stand a chance against him with that bearing drive! He can turn this into a stamina battle at any point and win!

Yuki glanced up at the blonde over his glasses. Chris was frowning at the dish, looking thoughtful as he watched Anubis circle around Orion, which was spinning steadily in the center of the dish.

But I also know Orion's weaknesses, Yuki mused. And with Anubis being a Bey that's close to the ground… that makes it easy for me to deliver an uppercut attack and nullify Orion's stamina!

"Anubis!" Yuki called, sweeping his hand out to the side, "Go now—Brave Impact!"

Anubis glowed blue, before shooting forward.

"And Yuki reacts first!" DJ called out, "Anubis barrels forward in a head on attack—but it does nothing in the face of Orion's ever persistent stamina! What is Yuki thinking?!"

"I just needed to get in close—Anubis, send him into the sky!"

In the dish below, Anubis tilted to the side, and sent Orion into the air. Yuki cheered, before remembering he had to act quickly before gravity took over.

"Anubis! Special Move—Crooked Blow!"

Anubis began to glow blue, before the Egyptian god appeared for all to see. With a snarl, lips pulled back over his fangs, Anubis swept his staff upwards to collide with Orion, sending the other Bey even higher into the air.

"Nice try!" Chris grinned over at him, "You've gotten good, Yuki! But you've actually given me the boost I needed! Orion!"

"Yuki went in strong with the first attack, but it seems Chris has something up his sleeve!" The DJ called out, staring up into the sky, "What is our resident seasonal Blader planning?!"

"Orion!" Chris shouted, "Special Move, Winter's Comet!"

"Wha—" Yuki yelped in surprise, as Orion's constellation flashed faintly in the air. Orion glowed his signature magenta color, before rocketing back towards the dish, a falling comet in the middle of the day, "Ah! Anubis!"

"Sorry, Yuki! You've done good, but I'm afraid this battle goes to us, and so will this round!"

Orion slammed into Anubis, and Yuki winced as his partner cried out, and flew over his head to land on the ground behind him.

"And the first battle goes to Chris!" DJ shouted, barely heard over the crowd's cheers, "Shadowhunters are in the lead!"

"Nice battle Yuki!" Chris flashed the younger brunette a thumbs up, "You've improved!"

"Ah, thank you, Chris!" Yuki flushed red with embarrassment as he picked his fallen partner, "S—So have you!"

"Moving on, teams! We've got our next battle, set between Kakeru Tategami and Tithi Haben—Wait!" DJ leaned forward, curious, "Christina is coming down to the stage?!"

Chris and Christina shared a fist bump as they passed each other, Chris muttering, "Knock 'em dead, sis."

"I plan on it," Christina smirked, and then turned to flash a smile at the DJ. "Last minute change, DJ! Hope you don't mind, but we thought we'd change it up a little bit!"

"No problem at all!" DJ grinned, "There you have it, ladies and gentlemen! Christina Cadelle is taking Tithi's place in this battle with Kakeru Tategami! Let's see where this goes!"

Across the dish, Kakeru was giving Christina a doubtful look, "No offense, but are you sure about this? I mean…" He gestured at large.

Christina allowed a mischievous smile to crawl over her lips, her accent bleeding into her words when she spoke, "Oh, darlin', you've got a big storm comin' if ya think this is gonna be an easy win!"

Kakeru blinked, and then smirked, recognizing the challenge as he pulled his launcher and Bey out, raising them to aim, "Bring it on then, Chrissie! This is a rematch I've been waiting for since Metal City!"

Christina laughed as she pulled her gear out, recalling the battle she had with Kakeru, not long after officially meeting, "Let's see whatcha got then, hon!"

"Our Bladers are ready, so let's get started—Three!"

"Two!"

"One! Let it rip!"

"Artemis—Chameleon Cloak!" Christina called, and her partner flashed out of existence right before Chimera could land a brutal hit on her partner. Christina relaxed fractionally, now that she had a little breathing room, she could focus on how she would put her strategy into motion.

The evolved Chimera is a defense and stamina type, Christina thought. Artemis is primarily an attack type with high stamina, but Chimera's defenses rival even Leone's now... I can't cut through them, not like I could last time.

"Artemis uses air to camouflage herself," Kakeru mused, raising an eyebrow. "I haven't forgotten that, and I know how to counteract it—Chimera! Special Move, Earthquake!"

"Oh, you're not using that new special move of yours, Kak?" Christina grinned playfully, even as Chimera's shaking of the dish caused Artemis' position to be revealed.

"Sorry, but I don't think I'll have to!" Kakeru returned, just as teasingly. His eyes flickered, from Christina, to Chimera, to Artemis.

… He won't use it because it must drain Chimera's stamina, Christina realized. I bet… if I can push him to that point… I bet I'll have a higher chance of winning! Hm, but how long will it take to get Kakeru to that point? Attacks would be best, wear him down to the point he has to throw me off balance, but that would drain my stamina. Gah, seems like my normal strategy won't work, but it's all I got. Time to go hard or go home.

"Artemis!" Christina shouted, "Hunter's Barrage!"

"Not gonna work against Chimera's defenses!" Kakeru called over, "I thought you were smarter than this, CeeCee!"

"Who says I'm aiming for Chimera's defenses!" Christina laughed, pointing over at Kakeru, "And you have no clue what I'm capable of, tiger!"

Artemis charged towards Chimera in large, sweeping turns, angled low towards the ground on every curve. She turned towards Chimera, stooping lower and lower towards the dish as she met Chimera. Instead of hitting the thick warrior wheel, Artemis collided with the spin track.

"Aha!" Behind her, Tyler cheered, "I see what she did—by bypassing Chimera's heavy defenses, she went for the more vulnerable spin track to knock it off balance! Smart!"

Kakeru growled, eyes skyward as Chimera arced through the air, "Lucky shot! But you just sealed your fate!"

Christina noted the change in Kakeru's tone, and felt her adrenaline spike, remembering how Kakeru had won in his battle with Taylor Wilson.

Gotcha, she thought.

"Ultimate Move—Earth Buster!"

As a golden-brown comet came rocketing towards the dish, Christina shouted out her own command, "Artemis!"

Artemis flickered from view, right as Chimera crashed into the dish. Dust and pieces of the stadium flew into the air, prompting Christina to shield her face to avoid being blinded, choked, or cut.

"Ah, damn, no way Christina survived that," Toby said.

Kakeru beamed, "Told you CeeCee—I had this win in the bag from the beginning!"

"Just wait," Christina could hear the smirk in her brother's voice. "Remember Beyster Island—Right when I thought I had the win…"

"I came in with a plot twist," Christina finished with a feral grin, as the dust cleared. The dish was broken beyond repair, and Chimera was spinning steadily in the center. Christina caught just the faintest wobble in the Bey's spin, confirming her suspicions that Chimera's Ultimate Move drained his stamina exponentially, "Special Move—Arrow of Accuracy!"

Artemis flashed back into existence, high in the air. A burst of green light surrounded Christina's partner, in the shape of sharp arrow, before rocketing towards her target.

"Chimera!" Kakeru cried out, as Artemis struck on the edge of his partner's warrior wheel. With so much leverage on one side…

Chimera went flying.

"No way—I'm not going to be losing so easily!" Kakeru shouted, "Chimera!"

Christina growled as Chimera landed on outcrop of concrete. She'd been so close…! How could she pull of a win…?

Then, she realized, that Kakeru wasn't commanding Chimera to move. In fact, he looked… worried. Scared.

Backed into a corner.

Of course! Christina realized, and she could have smacked herself, Ball performance tip! It's made for stamina, not for attacking or defending! On rocky terrain like this…! But for me—Artemis was the goddess of the hunt, in Greek mythology. And while this terrain is no forest… It still provides a lot of cover and places to be able to hit and run—

"—And that's Christina's specialty!" Tyler exclaimed, unintentionally finishing Christina's thought out loud.

"Hah! You got this CeeCee!" Tithi cheered, "Send him flying!"

"Working on it—Go now, Artemis!" Christina yelled, and her Bey disappeared in a shimmer of green, before reappearing on the same concrete block Chimera was perched on and knocking Chimera off and deeper into the dish, "Good! Keep it up!"

Much to Kakeru's annoyance and despair, Christina's new hit and run tactic was working in her favor, "No way! I'm not about to let you win, no matter who you are! Chimera! Ultimate Move, Earth Buster!"

Digging your own grave, kit kat, Christina clicked her tongue. Draining your stamina—Wait…

Chimera was releasing heavy vibrations—heavier than Earthquake generated, and with the way the dish was already broken up…

It was turning the dish into sand.

"Fuck!" Christina swore, colorfully, as the sand got under Artemis, and throwing her off balance. However, it only seemed to be the reprieve Chimera needed, even if his spin speed was visibly altered now, "Oh, hell no! I'm not comin' this far just to be beat by goddamn sand!"

"You're a former Blader for Hire!" Kakeru jeered, smirking wickedly, "I thought you trained for every type of environment! Sand should be a walk in the park for you!"

"Oh, put a sock in it!" Christina barked back, "I didn't say I was even close to done, did I?! Artemis!"

Artemis regained some of her balance, before charging forward, "Hunter's Barrage!"

"No good, when we're both on the ground—even as much stamina as Chimera's lost, you can't get past his defenses!"

"I have to try! Keep going, Artemis! Don't give up!"

"Hm…" Tyler frowned as his tablet began to beep, bringing his gaze the screen, "Huh. Weird."

"What is?" Chris asked, eyes fixed on the battle below. Artemis kept flickering in and out of view, attacking Chimera but without much success in affecting said Bey's defenses.

Tyler didn't answer—not immediately. He was currently weighing his chances of bodily harm if he told Chris that Artemis' stats—which had been nearly depleted—were now rising. The exact sign all the Beys that, so far, had evolved to reveal the Elemental Seven.

"Um…" Tyler put an extra foot of distance between himself and the Orion Blader, "I'm pretty sure that Artemis is about to evolve."

"Oh really?" Chris mused distractedly, even as Toby choked in surprise and Tithi squeaked in anticipation. Then, the glazed over look in his eyes faded, and he whipped around to stare at Tyler, "WHAT?!"

"Artemis!" Christina's shout drew the four boys' attention back to the battle, "Ultimate Move, Nature's Fury!"

The ground shook, before the earth exploded. The last coherent thought Tyler had before the backlash of the shockwaves literally knocked him out was:

I'm not paid enough for this shit.

I'm sorry Yuki, but plot reasons said you needed to lose. Also, cliffhanger! Who do you guys think won?!

It'll probably be next week before I can post the next chapter, due to the holiday weekend.

And, of course, Christina is a member of the Elemental Seven! So, we got Lucas, Kakeru, Ryuto, and now Christina!

... yeah, their brothers are all about to form a club of some sort.

Leave a review and tell me if you liked it! Until next time, ciao!