"Will the Blitzkrieg Boys and Barthez Battalion report to arena B. Saint Shields and Bladebreakers report to this arena's floor." Blader Ken reads off an index card that was just given to him by a staff member.

"I repeat will the Blitzkrieg Boys and Barthez Battalion report to arena B. Saint Shields and Bladebreakers report to this arena's floor." He repeated verbatim his previous statement before he aimlessly tossed the index card from his grasp.

Max was standing before stretching his right arm against his right ear and claiming, "So its finally our turn, huh?"

Takao rubs his index finger underneath his nostrils, eyes shut and other hand rests on his hip.

"Those girls really are something…especially Romi," The bluenette proudly boasted with a slight nod of his head.

Rei could only shake his head at his teammates before he spares a brief glance back at his former team. "You'll get 'em next time tigers."

"Let's get a move on." Hiro ordered after he adjusted his glasses back on to the bridge of his nose while he privately thought, 'I got a hot date.'

0000

"Oh…we have the world champs huh?" Miriam excitingly quips once she stands to her feet.

Ozuma cuts his eyes only to catch the backs on the Bladebreakers descends down a flight of steps on the opposite side of the stands.

'Let see who has the best skills Takao.' He inwardly ruminates while he falls in behind his teammates.

At the same time…

"Good job ladies," Lanying positively asserts with a smile on her face at their team's victory after the fourth match.

"Did we grab everything?" Meifeng inquisitively posing after finding small scraps of trash near their bench.

The teens tediously comb through the bench area for any trash until they received the all-clear from Akane.

A staff member eventually appeared and signaled to them that it was time to head back toward the stands.

Forest green eyes curiously watch both her teammates and coaches since it was their first official win as a team in the tournament.

Lin still lamented about her well thought out plan flushed down the drain when Lanying silently comforted her friend with a gentle pat on the back and words of encouragement. While Akane and Meifeng seemed to discuss a serious topic since the two took time to respond to each other.

On the other hand, the girls were less vocally as Wenling was lost in a daze while Hiromi and Archimedes were quiet.

A "hey" surfaced Audrey out of her observation of the others when she noticed the members of Saint Shields traveled down the tunnel.

The dirty blonde unintentionally tenses at his presence before she watches both of their teams walk in the opposite direction.

He quietly approaches as she stammers out a "Uhm…" and reaches out until his hand connects with the crown of her head.

"Good job," was vocally emitting from him before finally removing his hand and noticing a red Audrey.

"Thanks…uhm Ozuma…" she steps forward, gently presses her lips against his cheek and nervously wishes him "Good luck" before she speedily dashes away to catch up with her team.

The Saint Shields captain was caught completely off guard as he watched the confident blonde swiftly shy away from him.

The teen was left stun and motionless until he overhears Miriam loudly shout, "Come on Ozuma!"

As Yuan ventured further down the tunnel, a feeling of unrest abruptly washed over Meifeng once again, 'Why can't I shake this off?'

"I apologize if I scared you but I wanted to meet you ladies in person." A masculine voice politely greets them before the figure emerges from behind a burly security guard.

Lanying and Wenling instantly recognized the raven-haired male with chocolate brown eyes, who was clad in traditional Chinese garb.

"My name is Xi Cheng and I wanted to show my gratitude for being one of three representatives for China." He continued with a smile presently on his face.

A sense of confusion was starting to overcome some of Yuan's members as they were inwardly wondering who this man is in front of them.

It was not until Wenling broke her silence did Meifeng's notation of increased security forces made sense to her. "You're words are far too kind, sir. To be praised by the son of the current preside of China."

"You speak rather eloquently little one." The male genuinely compliments her, which earns a blush from the teen.

A security guard quickly leaned toward Cheng whispered in his ear and resumed his stationary position.

"It seems I don't have much time but I would like to extend an invitation to dinner." The raven-haired male was offering before receiving an answer, "We would have to discuss with our sponsor Inoue Matsumoto."

The tall slender male merely nods his head and speaks, "Well she can be hard to sway but I'm sure she'll agree."

He gradually approached the team, reached for Meifeng's hand, placed a chaste kiss on the back of her hand and confidently stated, "I look forward to seeing you all soon."

"What just happened?" Audrey confusingly wondering while scratching her hair causing the ponytail to shake.

Hiromi eventually provides her perspective to her friend, "I think…he just made a move on Meifeng."

"Meifeng," one of the older women called her name since she stared absentmindedly at the back of her hand. "The other team needs to pass through."

Grey eyes peered upward only to notice a familiar face before she quickly diverted her focus back onto her team. "Let's go."

Takao caught sight of their contact with each other until Meifeng broke it off first.

His gaze shifts to his brother, whose face remains placid as a thought of "good grief" passed through his thoughts.

0000

Inoue furiously scribbles across a sheet of notebook paper when she hears her cell phone starts to loudly ring on her desk.

Without checking the callerID, she was simply answering with her, "Matsumoto".

"Well, who do I owe the unfortunate pleasure of this phone call?" She was questioning the individual on the other end while removing her glasses from in front of her face.

"And why should I be like bamboo that bends to the wind's will?" The orange haired woman teasingly quipped before she plopped down on her stool.

A scowl suddenly surfaces to her face when she ultimately concedes to the request, "If it turns sour I won't bail you out but I'll play along then."

After she ended the call, she grabbed her coat and head out of her study.

[Arena B]

A "whew" escapes Michael's lips once they found empty seats in the crowd to observe the next battle between the Blitzkrieg Boys vs. Barthez Battalion.

"Those twins tried to give us a run for our money." He added while he twisted the bill of his cap forward to block the sun's rays from his face.

Emily pushes her glasses back on to her nose when she mentions, "We barely made it within our margin of error."

"I guess the program didn't account for human growth." Judy chimed in once she combed down a stray strand of her blonde hair.

"Looks like your boy toy's team is up." Raul jokingly prods at his twin, who occupies the seat between her twin and coach.

She merely retorts, "Your girlfriend's up first."

Romero innately sensing an argument brewing was swiftly interjecting, "Now, now, you two, love is not a joke."

His statement seemed to earn their immediate attention when they simultaneously jab, "Not until you tell us who this maiden is?"

The blonde merely laughed it off and ignored their stares as the woman with snow-white hair and red eyes surfaced to his thoughts.

A few minutes later…

"Hiromi," a voice to her right breaks her focus on the match.

"Do you always feel anxious when you watch Takao battle?" Audrey curiously posed as she chewed on her fingernails.

The brunette cracks a smile, reaches out to grab her arm and says, "First, you need to breathe, okay?"

The teen nodded her head and proceeded to heed her friend's suggestion.

"You have to believe that no matter how strong the opponent is, you can overcome them with willpower/" Hiromi recites verbatim with a smile on her face.

"Spoken like a seasoned champion." Wenling compliments which earn a blush from embarrassment at the comment.

Archimedes made a motion toward the restroom as she stood and shuffled toward the steps.

Akane stood to follow as a means of precaution from potentially crazy fans.

Lin's focus was shifting from the woman and onto the other woman, who was staring at her hand, "Meifeng…are you alright?"

"I've been wondering where my red string of fate is tying itself to." She came out with as a thoughtful expression materialized on her face.

"A red string of fate? How romantic…" Lanying softly mutters to herself as she stares at her pinkie finger.

'My nose itches,' Boris privately thought as he watched Spencer battled against Claude.

0000

The crowd screamed at the top of their lungs once they spotted the champions emerged from the tunnel.

Max naturally indulges himself in their fans' adoration of their team as he excitingly engages with the crowd.

"Look at him go," Rei says after he closes his eyes in order to gather his thoughts for the battle ahead of them.

Hiro advanced forward, adjusted his sunglasses over his eyes and proclaimed, "Let's go,"

The raven-haired teen instinctively senses a shift in emotion from his other two teammates.

'Probably has something to do with Hiro's plan.' He ultimately chalks their change in temperament from their earlier conversation.

Golden eyes divert his focus on to their coach's back when he recalls, "I've made a few adjustments to the order since our opponents are Saint Shields."

Hiro was disclosing his plan before hearing Takao solemnly grilling, "As long as we win right?"

Rei eventually opens his eyes, falls in behind his teammates before he settles on the metallic bench.

0000

"Its time for part two of the day to begin!" Blader Ken announces once he receives the cue from the staff to start.

"We had a riveting first half in arena A where Yuan managed to eke out a victory from the sharp claws of White Tiger X." He was recalling before adding, "PPB Allstarz won the face-off in arena B against a passionate F Dynasty squad."

Ozuma felt a nudge from Miriam followed by "Maybe your girlfriend's kiss will rub some luck on you."

He ignores his teammates before the other two joins in behind the bluenette, "He even gave her a head rub."

Joesph teasingly squeals, "He has a weakness to cute things."

Their captain physically rotated his back as he fought down a blush as he murmured something underneath his breath.

"We have Max Tate and his blade Draciel from the Bladebreakers against Joesph and his Vanishing Moot from Saint Sheilds." Blade Ken was calling out the names of the bladers currently heading toward the dish.

Audrey overhears Hiromi utters, "That's strange." This piqued her curiosity as the crowd shouted, "3…2…1…Let it Rip!"

"What's strange?" The dirty blonde curiously posing while slightly facing her teammate who was exchanging glances between Max and the Bladebreakers' bench.

"Their line-up has changed. Rei usually starts first not Max." She was answering before glancing over at the Bladebreakers bench until seeing Hiro casually standing a few inches out from it.

"So who do you think Ozuma will battle against?" Audrey inquisitively wonders as she adjusts her lower half until she finds a comfortable position.

Hiromi briefly pondered over the question until she answered, "Either Takao or Kai,"

"No offense if its Takao, 'kay?" The American teen was making known before watching her teammate laughing and joking, "Your inner fangirl is showing."

"I can't help it." She honestly admits before they focus on the match.

Meanwhile…

Archimedes briefly paused in front of the restroom that displayed "Closed for cleaning".

The sudden sound of a loud crowd seemed to echo from the opposite end of the caught her attention and focus.

'That must be arena B where Tala's team is.' She surmises when she feels her cheeks start to burn at the image of the redhead.

"Are you feeling alright? Your face is red." Obisidan met scarlet red once she recognizes the voice that belongs to her teacher.

This time her cheeks were flushing a deep red after hearing that her blush was visible on her face.

"No…I…" Archimedes desperately attempt to find her words yet her frantic nerves try to read the electric signals from her brain.

An "I see," was slipping from the older one as the shock was materializing on her face after hearing, "You like a boy. Was it the redhead boy you talked with during the Meet n' Greet?"

Her expectation of her teacher's reaction would mimic her father's, "These silly boys know you're a celebrity and want their fifteen minutes of fame and leave you with a broken heart."

"It's normal for girls your age to like someone." Akane suddenly found herself in a tight embrace from the teen so she returned the sentiment.

The loud noise from the other end prompted the white-haired woman to comment, "Let's get a move on so we can get a seat."

0000

"Mr. Dickerson…" His Executive Assistant swiftly approaches with a tablet in their possession as they hand it over to show pictures of China's President son in front of White Tiger X and Yuan.

"Apparently, he has extended an invitation for dinner to the Chinese representatives." They were relaying information after listening to the conversations in the video.

The elderly man contemplated his next moves for both the company and bladers. "I will make a phone call before I confirm any team to make an appearance at a political function."

A "Yes, sir," emits from their lips before they politely excuse themselves from in front of their employer,

'This is indeed strange…'

0000

"The Bladebreakers are now two against Saint Shields zero, will the champs earn a clean sweep or will Saints Shields weather the raging storm of power being brought?" Blader Ken cheerfully reports as he points to the respective team when he mentions their name over the microphone.

Meifeng felt a cosmic shift in the atmosphere around the Bladebreakers when she watched Takao approached the stadium.

Silver eyes then briefly peer over at Hiro, who seems completely relax with a hint of anxiousness around him.

'Somethings not right,' She immediately surmised since the ominous sensation had yet to pass.

"Looks like Takao is facing off against Dunga..." Audrey unintentionally stumbled over the foreign pronunciation of Takao's opponent name.

Hiromi suddenly narrows her sights on to the two who stand pose and ready to battle each other in the center of the arena.

The dirty blonde then peers over at her friend only to notice a visible expression of discomfort on her face.

"Hiromi," She slowly reaches out to touch her friend's arm and anxiously poses, "Are you alright?"

Her bushy bang fully shields her eyes from others while she glances down and verbally utters, "No,"

A smile naturally stretches across Meifeng's face at the jubilant aura that intensely radiates from Saint Shields.

However, there was an ominous feeling that strongly emits from the Bladebreakers' bench.

She gently cradles her head with her left hand once she feels a painful throb emits from her temple.

'What is this feeling?' The silver-haired woman was wondering to herself while deliberately staring at the bench hoping to figure out the answer to her inquiry.

0000

Romero casually glances around at the faces in the crowd until his eyes catch a unique hair color in the distance.

'There she is...my muse.' He zealously thought, which surprisingly goes unnoticed by the usually attentive twins.

'It doesn't look like she's by herself either.' The blonde male inwardly assumed since he saw a black bob directly in front of her.

The twins were still teasing each other about their potential boyfriend/girlfriend as he was watching the pair searching for a seat.

His eyes then peer down two rows when he notices that a few fans migrate to the other stadium to watch the world champions battle it out against Saint Shields.

An idea quickly popped to the forefront of his mind when he leisurely stretched his arms in the air and made himself comfortable in his seat.

There was movement again when he observes the older of the pair points toward the empty spaces on the row.

Elation instantly develops within him once they were able to settle down in the seats a few rows in front of them.

0000

The crowd was dead silent at the end result of the match.

Even the opponent was left in complete awe at the sheer magnitude of the victory that they were able to secure.

No one dared utter a word, even the outspoken and talkative Blader Ken was rendered momentarily speechless for once in his life.

Takao merely scooped up Dragoon from the outside platform and returned it inside of his pouch.

He roughly tugs downward at the bill of his hat in order to cover his eyes once he descends down the steps.

The young man deliberately ignores the stare he receives from his brother, who now has the palm of his hand against his forehead.

"Let's regroup and pull it together." Hiro positively encourages once Takao sits and Kai stands to approach the beydish.

Max was about to go and comfort his friend until he felt a hand stopped him dead in his tracks.

His blue eyes glance over at his other teammate who closes his eyes then physically shakes his head a "no".

In the stands...

Meifeng finally felt some relief from the intense wave of emotional energy from earlier.

"I wonder why the little one lost? He clearly had the upper hand in the battle. " Lin blatantly spoke with her arms crossed, eyes closed and head slightly down toward her chest.

Lanying directs her sights over to the goldenrod blonde with green tips and suggests, "The opponent is far greater in strength than Takao. He doesn't seem like he was into it from the start."

Hiromi was secretly eavesdropping on the older women's conversation at the mention of Takao's battle against Dunga.

'First, it's the lineup change and now he gave up a match...'

'He even wore his cap forward during the entire battle.' She points out the most obvious sign that some may overlook as a means to block the sunlight from his eyes.

'Hiro-san...what did you do?'

0000

Tala was simply minding his business after deeming that their opponents, Barthez Battalion, were fighting with every weapon in their arsenal.

He was personally fond of teams that did not shrink in fear at the mere mention of a name, legacy or blader that stand before them.

The redhead secretly prayed that one of his three teammates royally flubbed just so he could get a turn to battle.

Miguel appeared to be a worthy foe for him and Wolberg to take down with all of their might.

There was movement in his peripheral that did not come from his teammates but rather from the stands.

He instantly caught sight of the blonde coach from F Dynasty, who stretched his hands over his head in the first couple of rows.

Yet it was the bob of black along with obsidian eyes did his attention instantly honed in on the figure.

His prior feelings to showcase his strength against a worthy enemy were steadily amplifying just at the mere presence of this individual.

'I need for Ian to lose.' Tala promptly deemed as he repeatedly attempted to project his thought on to the purple haired teen.

"His carefree antics will cause us to lose." Boris ultimately predicts and a few revolutions later did it come true.

Ian easily lost his focus, which prompted a stadium out from a rather determined Malthida and her bit beast, Pierce Hedgehog.

The redhead abruptly buried his chin lower in his high collar to shield the wide toothy smirk that cracked against his lips.

His overt excitement trumps his patience as he eagerly stands up the moment Ian passes by Boris and tosses himself on the bench while he grumbles at his own failure.

The teen constantly fought the urge to run up to the dish since it was the procedure to receive orders from Boris before any match.

Tala realized that instead of words, he was spared a glance in the direction of the dish in the center of the floor.

"Now we have the much-anticipated captain's battle between Miguel from Barthez Battalion," The announcer broadcasts as the video camera pans toward the blonde, who wears a confident smirk across his face.

Raul instantly teases his twin about her "boyfriend" who lately wears hopeful smiles rather than a timid expression.

When the camera pans towards Tala there was an intense expression on his face that catches most of the crowd off guard while it prompts others to interpret it as,

'That's the look of desire, a desire to win at all cost.' Romeo inwardly considers as if he feels the teen emits his energy through the jumbo screen.

Archimedes unexpectedly blushes at the stare as she reads it loud and clear while Akane bluntly notes aloud, "He sure is a bold one but then again you're only young and reckless once."

A "hm" verbally emits from the Blitzkrieg Boys coach at the sight before him.

An hour later...

The first round of the China leg ended with a victory for the Bladebreakers despite the loss from one of their aces while the Blitzkrieg Boys secured victory with a blow to Barthez Battalion that they could not make a solid recovery.

Akane occasionally glances down at her pupil only to note that her bangs cover her eyes and the blush that visibly dusts her cheeks.

She vividly recalled at the end of the battle between the two captains how Tala slightly faced toward the crowd and briefly locked eyes with Archimedes.

"It seems as if I don't have to worry too much about you two." The white-haired woman stoically declares, which earns the teen's attention.

Akane nods her head once, faces forward and dully proclaims, "Let's hurry back before we start to worry the others."