From Depths We Rise

by Insane Dominator

1 year has passed since Dan and the Battle Brawlers saved the universe, and when things were serene, a new group of Bakugan players are sent to New Vestroia when a dimensional interference forces them to meet each other. Caught in the crossfire with aliens seeking resources, Luke, Abis Omega, and new friends must fight using unlikely odds if they're to save all from extinction.

63. Rogue Zero's Last Stand - Part II

"Now…does everyone else understand what needs to be done?"

The lights were barely on. They flickered dimly within the laboratory's darkness, enough to where Rogue Zero could see the silhouettes of the six generators with cases aligned on them. They were in the back of the lab, away from the smell of fresh blood that still stained Maximus' gauntlets.

Hendrix had his arms crossed and leaning against a nearby table. He was looking down sullenly. He was in no mood for a response after the manslaughter Maximus convicted, but he didn't rebut after the circumstances that brought them here. It was taking Killian just as much prominence within his being to ignore the very smell of blood meters away.

"My, my, Maximus. Quite the bold one, hm?" Cesar chimed. "So this is your plan then?"

Maximus gave no response. He kept his back away from the others with his hood down.

"So let me get this straight, you're intending to force our Bakugan to evolve?" Ariella parroted. "How will that possibly work, when they're already at their maximum potential?"

Cesar prodded his glasses and chuckled. "Dear Ariella. Allow me to explain it for you." He paused. "The Forbidden Energy that was infused into them from the beginning was to have their bodies and minds readily infuse with this energy. It may have maximized their power at the time, but there are still more ways than one for a Bakugan to undergo evolution."

"Just like those guys and how they evolved." Xander reminded scornfully.

"Yes, precisely. Of course, only according to the natural laws of Bakugan of New Vestroia. They may be weak, but the inhabitants there are able to feed off battle energy and grow more powerful. That's precisely the advantage that we have that Hades Pillars doesn't. Their Bakugan have genomes of Neathia and Gundalia. In other words, we can surpass them by forcing our Bakugan to the next level."

Ariella raised a brow. "Interesting. Then how are we going to do that?"

Xander turned around and frowned at her. "You should've been paying more attention if you weren't making up all these questions now, were you? Are you seriously doubting what's going on right now?"

"Watch it." She hissed back. "I don't see those two saying anything helpful. Well, boys?"

Hendrix denied to say anything. At this point it didn't matter what she said. He could tell she was just distraught. Killian frowned heavily, sighing.

Xander scoffed. "That's so you, putting your frustrations on others, Ariella."

She turned back with a leer. "You watch your mouth, Xander. I'm just making sure everyone's on the right page here is all."

"Gee, that's funny. When did you start caring about what others think?"

"I don't. I just find it hard to believe that there's such a-!" Suddenly two sharp, intense gauntlets reached out and stopped Ariella's prissy fits. One hand grabbed and held her by the neck, and the other was grasping Xander's face. The grips on both of them were insidiously tight. The metal claws dug into their skins, enough to feel like splinters trying to puncture their blood streams.

The room's inhabitants went silent as they watched with shock and frowns at their bickering threatened. Maximus nonchalantly came between them, still holding onto them like putty in his demonic grip. They couldn't see it beneath his hood, but the bloodlust was clear through his shrilled grip.

"Stop your bickering this instant." His voice was low, and broken with a scratchy tone. "If I hear you two talk again…I'll just have to silence you myself."

His grip loosened around Xander's face, leaving five indents on the verge of bleeding. Ariella fell to the floor, grabbling her neck after that suffocating chokehold she was under. She coughed heavily, unable to speak while their leader loomed between them like a demon.

Maximus turned his hood towards Cesar. "Cesar…how soon can you finish the infusion?"

Despite the earlier setback, Cesar straightened himself back up and cleared his throat. "Er-hem! Yes, well, Maximus. Now that we have the forbidden data within our hands, all it takes is just a few cards. Nothing more."

Hendrix finally spoke up. "Maximus…" He paused when the boss' neck craned towards him. Hendrix lowered his head. "After the infusion, what will we do then?"

Maximus snarled low." I'm glad you asked, Hendrix…once the infusion is set, we shall give whoever comes here a 'special welcome'."

"'Special welcome'?"

Killian looked down. "We can't really go anywhere else. Hades Pillars is watching over us still…we'll be lucky if this is the last place they decide to look."

Cesar raised a brow. "Eh? Maximus?"

The Rogue Zero leader turned around and walked away from his peers. He stood off to the side and thoughts of something. Killian did have a point. They don't have a lot of time o their hands, and there was also the matter in which they were brought back as well. They wanted to make their leaders pay for this gruesomely, and he intends to with killer intent. However, something was still standing in his way. Something that continued to be a hinderance, even when it wasn't there right now. It haunted over him, like a phantom that wasn't going away until it did him in.

He looked own at his newly designed gauntlet claws. They were sharp and stern, just like his movements right now. He wasn't shaking. His eyes were fixed on a special subject in mind. A certain subject that had an evolved Abis Omega that continued to oppose the power they've acquired.

Xander and Ariella looked at their leader and back towards each other. They knew better than to speak, but they couldn't help but get the idea of what he was going for.

"Maximus, what shall we be doing?" Hendrix prompted again.

"…I believe first…that we will be needing a little test drive." His voice was raspier than it was previously. "And I think I know just who the right people are for that job. Cesar…lock onto coordinates upon the infusion…I want somewhere where we can't be…disturbed."

Cesar gave his leader a smirk. "I see…and just where did you have in mind per se?"

Maximus gleefully narrowed his eyed beneath his hood. "A special place that I…revisit. It's been much too long since I've had a taste of my air."

---

Violet lightning flashed in the sky. An adhesive sum of negative energy infected the air like a disease. If any normal Bakugan were here, they wouldn't have lasted a minute under this insufferable malice Maximus alone was creating. His presence alone was enough to make negative energy flourish. And in return, it was his food. A never-ending cycle that he relished on.

As violent lightning flashed in the sky, dark purple energy claws slashed into a metal blade hundreds of meters off the ground. Luke and Maximus went sword-to-claw with each other's throats as they parried the other relentlessly. Maximus' swipes and slashes were swift, fierce, and low, leaving Luke to parry and deter until Abis and Goblinball finally overturned one another.

As they pulled out from each other, Luke and Maximus descended, pulling away from each other. Luke sneered, fastening his grip as Abis came swooping from above into a downward arch. It pushed look forward. Maximus scoffed. Goblinball barreled towards him, which he used his shoulder pauldrons like a cushion and pushed into the other.

Abis and Goblinball passed each other, sharp scales deflecting sharp claws as they arched back up into the air. Luke and Maximus held on tight to their Bakugan during the climb higher up.

Lightning flashed between the two for the umpteenth time, signaling their time to strike. "NOW!"

Abis let out a violent roar as he went speeding after Goblinball. The later groaned ferally as he shot at full speed into Abis yet again. They closed in on each other, but just before they could make contact, Abis and Luke's eyes glimmered. Luke held his sword out as Abis suddenly spiraled around the charging Goblinball. Goblinball slashed, but it all swirled through the funnel that was Abis' body.

As he followed through, Luke held on with one arm and his blade followed through. It came through an angle overhead that Maximus readied for and violently grazed to counter. Once again, for a split second, violet sparks flew between the two and their collision. The looks in their eyes showed sheer determination at their wills intertwining with hate and relish.

The sparks ended and Abis' extremely long body finally funneled through. He arched skywards overhead to the point where he was coming down upside-down into a steep dive for Goblinball. The demonic Bakugan looked up just before rammed him head-on, pushing Goblinball closer towards the ground. The demon's hands were using every ounce of strength to keep Abis' fangs from biting his fake head off.

With them interlocked yet again, Luke and Maximus swung yet again. They bashed into each other, claws and blades once again colliding with the intent to kill.

The power their collision made generated a pulse wave that shot Abis and Goblinball back through the air. They both regained their composure in midair and glared daggers at each other.

"KRROOOAAAHHH!" Abis blinked, his maw opening wide to expel a torrential cry through the sky.

"GRROOOOOOHH!" Goblinball reciprocated the battle-filled howl, wanting to continue tussling.

Abis snarled. Luke got a hand on his partner's armored head. "They've gotten more ferocious than before."

"No joking there." Abis replied.

Goblinball went for a beeline after Abis directly, but thanks to his extremely long tail and Preyas' reaction training, his tails slammed in an uppercut into the pointed chin, sending Goblinball into freefall gagging. Abis hollered before swinging them around from the side, but shockingly enough Goblinball used his forearm to deflect them and ascended above.

Goblinball peered down onto the opponent with a grotesque snarl. Abis looked up with low snarl of his own retort, his side frills shimmering from the vibrations in his throat. He and Luke looked far from deterred by their opponents' threatening glare.

"Let's see…" Maximus held up an ability. "Just how brave you are after this! Ability activate, Black Overcannon!" Goblinball's eye core started conjuring black matter with dense, dark purple swirled within it and fired an intense beam at Abis.

Luke held an ability in preparation. "Ability, activate! Hydrair Tornado!"

Abis bellowed mightily as he swayed his twin tails around like a propeller. Dense water began surging into a dense tornado that he swung into the dark matter cannonfire. The wave crashed into the ability, diffusing it and ate its way towards Goblinball. The armored demon crossed his arms in front to shield the eye just before the tornado of water swallowed it and Maximus up.

Daemon Goblinball: 800 (-500) = 300 Daedalus Abis Omega: 900

The water cyclone extended and pushed itself higher into the skies above, giving Abis and Luke the free space without worry of an attack up close.

"Hm…" Abis' eyes sharpened. He could see something at the end of the tornado above.

"He's coming!" Luke warned.

"Ability activate, Osiris Drake!" The water cyclone that was surroundings Goblinball suddenly tore away by a bright purple mass that flashed with the lightning in the sky. The water ripped apart as the draconic energy beelined with Goblinball in the center of it.

Daemon Goblinball: 300 (+500 +600) = 1400 Daedalus Abis Omega: 900 (-500) = 400

The raging energy closed in, but Abis slipped away at the last second. Goblinball slammed into the ground far below, causing hundreds of meters worth of earth to depress with dust rising.

Luke looked down at the destructive wake of the attack, but felt a shadow looming overhead. Time slowed down as he realized Maximus was above with claws bared. 'He jumped off the wake at the last second?!'

"HRAH!" Maximus slashed downwards, yet Luke bunted on Abis' head. The parry was short-lived as Maximus' downward force had more power drawn towards it.

Abis, however, had another way of dealing with him. He whipped his head up, breaking the stalemate himself. The upward force shot Maximus back into the sky into freefall. The demonic Interacian grunted as he doubled over in midair to face the flying sea dragon and Luke again.

Through the dust and smoke beneath, a black blur shot past Abis, catching Maximus on his shoulder. Goblinball turned around with a clutched fist, scoring a brutal blow across Abis' face. He recoiled away as Luke strained to hold on.

"Ability, activate!" he countered. "Terror…TORPEDO!"

All the diamonds on Abis' body shined brightly, much to Maximus' mild shock. In speeds faster than sound, Abis shot himself in a streaking blue beam directly into Goblinball's unguarded eye with a blue ripple pulsing.

Daemon Goblinball: 1400 (-500) = 900 Daedalus Abis Omega: 400 (+500) = 900

Maximus snarled as his Bakugan was doing his best to hold on. Luke was no different. The latter clutched his sword tighter. "C'mon Abis…let's go!"

Abis' eyes brightened as he pushed even harder. The air roared as his force multiplied. He finally started shoving Goblinball through the atmosphere at a pace he couldn't keep up with. The Bakugan was limply shove back as Abis kept going, until the distance carried them away from the battlefield.

Further away, close to an uneven structure the size of a mountain, supported by a very thin midsection, was in the path of the blue liquid streak. Abis roared as his long body swerved and smashed Goblinball into the side of the mountainous structure, causing a deep depression within its side. The entire structure rumbled as parts of its sides fell like rain onto the ground.

With dust surrounding them, it was hard to tell what was going on, but Abis swiveled through the air and backed away to see what happened. Luke held firm to what had to be a brutal hit.

Within the dust, a raspy groan hitched. "Not bad…but, not good enough either."

Luke and Abis' eyes narrowed in unison. They dust severed to reveal Goblinball, surrounded by a distorted gravity shield that cushioned him from the blow, as well as keep him from being embedded into the structure's side. Maximus hissed gleefully. "Ability, Gravity Shield."

Daemon Goblinball: 900 (+500 +500) = 1900 Daedalus Abis Omega: 900 (-500) = 400

"He nullified that ability, too." Luke mumbled.

Maximus snarled with his teeth forming a malicious smirk. He glided with Goblinball after their opponents with claws jutted out. As before, Abis funneled his long body around Goblinball's reach. But, unlike before, when the tails were within reach, Goblinball seized them.

Both Luke and Abis gasped as they looked back. Goblinball's fake head's eyes gleamed before he raised his arm and lashed Abis like around like a long whip, hurling him into the depressed structure with a gruesome thud.

Dust spewed everywhere, making it hard to see through. Luke was still attached to Abis' head, but it was clear that impact rattled him up too. 'These guys…they're so strong…stronger than they were last time. Is it because of the Doom Dimension energy they're feeding off of?'

Maximus sneered. The dust settled, revealing Abis embedded by the back into the structure, but still able. He pried himself out, hovering close to the mountainside with his head craning in a roar.

"Hmph, how things can turn around so easily. Where was this situation from again? Oh, that's right…every single time we've fought." Maximus' eyes narrowed. "Just…as…it should be! Now…let's see how you like being pinned against a wall, Luke!"

"Here he comes!" Luke winced.

Abis bared his fangs, feeling the momentum shift as Maximus prepared his next assault.

"Ability, activate! Void Mamba!" Goblinball's eye core shined before shrinking. It focused a shadowy portal that appeared before him and thrust his arms out, directing dozens of streaming shadow-like tendrils at Abis.

Daemon Goblinball: 1900 (+300) = 2200 Daedalus Abis Omega: 400 (-300) = 100

The streaming tendrils blitzed after Abis; Luke was prepared. "Abis! Up, now!"

Abis swerved around the attack, missing the streams that pierced the rock behind with such force. Dozens of holes burst dust while Abis swiveled through the atmosphere. Suddenly, a black stream jutted out from behind, barely missing his head. Another shadowy tendril beamed from behind, but his long body enabled mobility.

Maximus' glare sent up along with Abis. "Running…no hide…no hide, from me!"

"KROOOAAAH!" Goblinball groaned, thrusting his arms out deeper. Even more tendrils shot out of the hole, piercing into the mountain. The mountain rumbled as its insides were being torn apart. It gradually began crumbling away as its support was too thin to keep up the magnitude. Part were falling, while shadows expelled out and arched back in like diving sea animals working their way up as Abis dodged and serpentine along the rugged gauntlet.

They "swam" up against the surface at full speed, watching out for falling rocks and tendrils. When a rock was h=coming down, Luke concentrated and slashed through, making it go around them. He slashed again with a howl, dividing shadows blocking their way surprisingly. Abis kept going until he made it towards the top and shot up higher, looking down to see the crumbling mountain with dozens of shadow streams piercing out from every direction to congregate onto him.

"Ability, activate!" Luke roared. "Depth Fire!"

The five diamonds on Abis' sides glowed brightly, before he roared and fired them all as dense blue projectile streams, much like torpedoes that whistled down towards the shadow streams. They collided in a tangent of violet explosions that ignited the sky in eruptions.

Daemon Goblinball: 2200 (-400) = 1800 Daedalus Abis Omega: 100 (+400) = 500

The shadow streams continued on, but they thinned graciously. Blue projectiles continued their way down through the rock and crumbled it all the way down. The blue streams burrowed deep and exploded dust and pressurized energy that little fragments of debris and dust fell like a rainstorm down in front of Goblinball. The entire structure was destroyed, and the shadows themselves collapsed and snapped.

Goblinball flapped his wings and got far away from the destroyed mountain structure. Maximus kept his eyes skywards as the flashes generated by the stalemate diffused.

"You…will not…" His body convulsed with twitches everywhere along his shoulders, leading up to him jutting out his right arm. "Run and hide again! Ability, activate! Nebulous Destroyer!" Goblinball used only one arm to create a dark energy sphere and condensed it before firing it through the atmosphere. It tore its way through the flashes, making them dissipate through its eye as it struck something.

A dark shockwave exploded throughout the atmosphere. The sky rippled out in a dark purple blast wave that Maximus snarled at.

"Ability, activate! Pressure Shield!" Luke roared.

Abis braced a liquid, translucent shield around his body that took on the blast wave head-on. The eruptive wake did little but ripple around the barrier while the matter was filtering through via osmosis. Abis snarled as he and Luke stayed calm under pressure undertaking them.

Daemon Goblinball: 1800 (+500) = 2300 Daedalus Abis Omega: 400 (+1900) = 2300

The shockwaves ended, leaving the Doom Dimension's atmosphere to be a dark hole with a shining hemisphere around the serpent.

"Die…die already!" Maximus bellowed. "Ability, activate! Osiris Drake!" Goblinball tensed up as he formulated draconic bright purple energy around his body.

"Abis." Luke grunted. "We won't lose this, won't we?"

"No…of course not." The serpent grunted, watching Goblinball reach a critical point. "We've fought Hades Pillars and Riaan before, we won't let someone like him hold us down either."

"Yeah…" Luke tensed up his hold. 'Enough people suffered enough as it is. And you dragged us here…just so we can suffer the same way you did.' He thought about Thermosphere. 'I know about suffering…' He thought when everyone walked away. 'I know about being left alone…' He thought about all the losses he's suffered, the deaths caused by so many, including the lives he couldn't save. The last one he remembered…was Luka's. 'The lives taken away…that's why-'

His grip on his sword tightened. He flipped the switch, activating the deep blue energy blade. "We won't allow anyone to suffer while we're still alive!"

Abis opened his maw wide and roared with Luke's statement. All the gills and diamonds on his body fluxed a harsh blue light.

"No amount of light…that you give out…" Maximus wheezed. "No amount of words…will make you shut up…you…and that stupid…plain Bakugan you have…will ever be enough!"

"This game is over!" Goblinball roared, flying at Abis at Mach speeds. "BEGONE!"

"Ability, activate-!" Luke raised his sword up, just as Abis charged up a dense blue mass within his maw. "Hydrias Impact!"

Abis opened his maw wide and spread a monstrously large, blue beam with dense blue masses filtering outwards. A liquid-like searing jet blast spiraled around the mass and fanned outwards. The entire sky roared and shook so violently that the ground itself wasn't safe as ripples diced up the ground. Pulsing jet blasts of liquified energy swallowed everything, including Goblinball's energy and Maximus.

Daemon Goblinball: 2900 (-600 -600) = 1700 Daedalus Abis Omega: 400 (+1900 +600) = 2900

Dense blue energy shot through the atmosphere outwards, fading to ripples that even pulsed into the outer areas of the Doom Dimension. Nearby tall mountain pillars lost their tops in a second. It all sundered away as Abis' attack packed as much force as his echoing bellows.

Luke gritted his teeth as he narrowed his eyes. 'We have to focus…focus on now!'

In the very core of the blast wave, Goblinball had his arms in front to shield the blast, but it was still too much. Maximus was on his shoulder still, put of the brunt of the attack, but he was barely hanging on his gritting, gnarled teeth.

"If you were really that intent on becoming the feared, then you must let go. But if you intend on staring in front of a mirror all day to glare at something you want to be, then it'll never happen. Riaan enlisted you for his own reasons. You may think you have power, but only because you're holding onto his hand. He actually knows how to take power for himself and make it his own, unlike you. Know your place."

The words of Cyrus that day edged into Maximus' psyche. His hood flailed so much that it expanded, revealing his shaggy light blue hair, which was a little whiter thanks to the poor nutrition and negative energy he was taking in. He stared wide-eyed at Abis and Luke through the wake, like nothing was happening.

He could see it, the face of Cyrus beaming down on him, with that calm, serious frown and glowing eyes full of hatred and loathing. Looked down upon…just like Luke was. That alone was enough to make his eyes dilate and shrink.

---

It was dark and dreary as ever on Interacia. With it being underground and all, the atmosphere was foul, and contaminated. With of residence was in the area at the time, so they paid no heed as they remained indoors and tried to watch out for death warnings and Devil Miasma.

However, there were several kids out of their homes, kicking a ball back and forth between each other. They were making the best of themselves while smiling. "Alright, try this!" One of the three kids kicked the ball as hard as he could, sending it over their heads into the alley between the houses. His eyes widened. "Uh…oops."

The two kids turned towards him, clearly angry. "Hey man, what gives?"

The boy sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Hehe, my bad."

"I'll go get it!" The girl cheered, hurrying off towards the alley.

"Hey, better hurry up! We've got warnings to watch out for those weird rift things the grown-ups are talking about!"

Within the alley, the red bouncing ball continued its way until it bounced itself into a shallow void-like area ay the far end of the alley. When it went through, it faded from sight of the girl running for it. "Wait-!" She reached out, but the ball didn't stop. It vanished just as she froze up. "Er…uh-oh. Oh man, this sucks…"

She stopped and took notice of the portal just now. It was distorted and seemed to be waving about, albeit hypnotically. She tilted her head in curiosity of the sway and contorting.

"Hm…what…is this supposed to be? It's so…creepy?" She walked closer towards the portal, stopping just a few meters shy of it. "Brr…it's so cold…and why am I getting the chills all of a sudden?"

Suddenly, something rolled back from the portal. It was the ball she lost just a few seconds ago, it came back to her, and it went right up to her feet. "…oh, my ball's back!" She picked it up, but looked back to where it came from. "Oh! Hey, is anyone there? Don't be shy…" She stepped forward just a little closer. "It's okay, really! You like kickball? We can play with an extra member. Come out!"

The portal kept distorting. But she could've sworn she heard a grotesque groan from the other side. It sounded…hazardous.

"Um…i-is anyone there…? Hello…?" She got nervous by the second. She started getting the shivers. "He…llo…?"

Something shallow shifted on the other side. A small, pale arm reached out, with dirty fingernails leading up to a dirty, tattered t-shirt. The little girl grew shocked and stepped away as a barefooted step was taken by a creature that had shaggy bangs, and a pale complexion that made him look like a ghost.

"…gguuuh…" The creature sighed heavily, breathing out a hazy, plagued breath.

"Gaaaah! A monster!" The girl dropped her ball in the panic and ran back the way she came from. "Help me! Aaaahh!"

The ball dropped in the middle of the alley's shadows. Maximus looked down at it like it was some foreign object. He tilted his head, and reached down to grab hold of it. It was so clean, and so deep red….it made him almost feel he's touching something that could possibly infect him.

In a slight jolt, he hissed and threw the ball to a nearby trash can. The ball ricocheted off it and knocked the trash can over. A number of trash fell out, including something reflective that plopped on the top of it all.

"…eh?" The shriveled boy tilted his head creepily as he sauntered over towards the object. He stopped in front of it and craned his head down to stare at what he saw.

The dull blue hair was everywhere. It wasn't blue, but it seemed bleached. It was a decrepit child's face, with numerous wrinkles and paled skin. The eyes were so dull and beady that it was like staring at a raisin. The teeth were all chipped, making them look sharp and uneven…like a carnivore's unkempt maw.

He leaned in closer towards his reflection, like he didn't recognize what it was. When he got close enough, his eyes widened and he jerked away from the reflection. He nearly fell on his bottom. He blinked several times with a gruff whine, before choosing to approach the handheld mirror in the trash again. This time, when he looked at the mirror, he just stared. Stared with wide, unadulterated eyes at the reflection of a monster.

As he shuddered and hissed violently at the reflection, unable to strike it, he wanted to know something…what was this monster he was seeing?

---

The monster that was before him now…was in no reflection. It was tangible, and unlike before, he was finally going to kill it. No more shriveling in anxiety.

"HRRRAAAAAHHHH!" his shouts were intense, so much that it barely reached Luke's ears.

"What was-?!"

"Double ability, activate! Nebulous Destroyer, plus Correlation of Aquos to Darkus!"

As the blue beam roared throughout the sky, a dark hemisphere was seen growing in the center of it. It made Luke and Abis' eyes flash with a gasp before the beam had a barreling blast of darkness break it open. It took the two split-second timing before the hemisphere zoomed past them, fading into the distance. He looked behind, watching it fade into the clear distance before exploding into a dark eruption that clouded the sky behind.

"Was that a…" Luke gasped. "Abis!"

"Huh?" Abis looked ahead of himself, but only in time to find an armored gauntlet slashing at him. The grievous slash ran across his chest, causing a searing pain that made him uproar.

Daemon Goblinball: 1700 (+500 +300) = 2500 Daedalus Abis Omega: 2900 (-500) = 2400

Goblinball's eye core shimmered again, fueled by the negative energy around him. "You…are no match for me!"

Abis snarled. He swatted his tail from the side, where Goblinball folded his wings in front and deterred the attack. However, the momentum shifted when Maximus lunged into the middle of the group, where he grunted and slashed at Luke's blade, so hard in fact that he couldn't keep up the stalemate for much longer. Luke lost his footing to where he fell off of Abis' head with Maximus.\

"Luke!" Abis was suddenly grabbed by the throat, gagging as Goblinball had him in a one-hand chokehold.

"Your eyes forward, snake." The Bakugan glared.

Abis hissed aggressively. In retaliation, he snaked his long body around Goblinball's guarded eyeball, blinding him. More coils went around the armored neck, causing a restriction of foul air and suffocation. The two Bakugan found themselves plummeting just as their partners were.

In midair, Maximus readied his claws and glided after Luke. "DIE!"

Luke retaliated with a glide after Maximus. It became a high-end descent parry, with violet sparks flaring as their world twisted and turned around. Double takes of the Doom Dimension circled around their visions, and yet, they were only focused on each other. When Maximus slashed a number of times, Luke countered each one and circled around for a full swing. Maximus somersaulted and came for a downward slash, yet Luke wormed around that and ended atop, returning the slash that Maximus found himself guarding against. They broke away and immediately went to another shift of offense and defense.

The ground drew closer, and it barely took Luke a second to realize that. He found himself beneath Maximus' insidious claws and gnarling expression. His eyes were so bloodshot and full of hate, insurmountable hate and fear that wanted him gone.

'I have to hurry and close the gap…and fast!' Luke thought. "Ability, activate! Terror Torpedo!"

As Abis and Goblinball were falling, they were still tangled. However, Abis' body gleamed dense blue that Goblinball couldn't fully escape. Abis streamed further towards the ground, faster than a jetting torpedo with a blue stream passing Luke and Maximus.

Daemon Goblinball: 2500 (-500) = 2000 Daedalus Abis Omega: 2400 (+500) = 2900

Abis screamed with all his might as he went full-speed towards the earth and undid his coils just before slamming Goblinball into the ground. The earth diced into segments and rumbled from that destructive wake.

Abis barely got his momentum and swerved up towards the descending Luke and Maximus. He came up beneath just as Maximus came down with a viscous slash. With Abis' help, the head jerked Luke back and Maximus continued falling, whereas they watched him fall.

"Luke!" Abis warned.

"Yeah, I know." Luke swiped his arm. "Gate Card, open! Aquos Reactor!"

The Gate Card beneath shined brightly, summoned the Aquos symbol's insignia on the visible Gate Card. Where Goblinball laid, water arose in geysers around him. The demon found himself on the verge of standing up, when summoned he found his body being swayed and swamped by cold water that he couldn't get away from.

Maximus howled just before the waves snatched him up as well. One strong wave carried him several yards through until it came down into the torrent swirling through the area. Meanwhile, Luke and Abis watched from above as water geysers were spraying them with a light rain that gave Abis an Aquos aura around his body.

Daemon Goblinball: 2000 Daedalus Abis Omega: 2900 (+500) = 3400

As the waves swayed around, Maximus breached for air like he was about to lose it. He washed up against a large formation that had a flat surface, allowing him a chance to crawl up and gag out the water. He heard a vile roar then, making him glare up with hostility towards Luke and Abis.

'We can't give him time to counter. If we do, he'll just come at us like before.' Luke readied another ability. "Abis, you ready?"

"Ready!"

"Ability, activate! Emperor Abyss!"

It started low, but the water began to churn into one direction. It began picking up speed and swirling to where it seemed like a whirlpool, much to Maximus' surprise. "Hm? What the-?!"

Abis careened his head towards the sky, his eyes shining bright blue and frills shimmering. The entire sea beneath them rumbled before ripples pried open, summoning several tornadoes of water that surrounded the sea dragon. His roars echoed as the water collected above his head, making another vast sea whereas the one beneath sunk to where it left Daemon Goblinball with knee length water. When he looked up, he found himself beneath a full body of water with several tornadoes surrounding him. He looked everywhere, but nowhere to run.

Daemon Goblinball: 2000 (-500) = 1500 Daedalus Abis Omega: 3400 (+500) = 3900

"Alright…now!" Luke yelled with all his might, directing his sword downward at full swing.

Abis screeched out in full agreement. The humungous sea of blue water overhead rippled before firing highly pressurized water pillars that came down in dozens. They jetted directly into Goblinball, who used his forearms and took the entire attack. Giant waves washed against the formation Maximus was on and knocked him onto his side. He gagged out dark blood.

Abis kept hammering away with the sea above, streaming into the Bakugan with no mercy. It sickened him, but they didn't have a choice. The waves beneath smashed into one another as they watched Goblinball drowning within the tidal tornadoes and water. 'Maximus…I'm sorry. But we have to! We have to end this…for both our sakes. I just wished you could understand…'

Maximus slammed his gauntlet claw on the formation, trying his damnest to support himself. He gagged again before facing the wave that spiraled around him. His body shook violently as his anger spiked further. He refused to lose. He won't accept this! One way or another, Luke will meet his end by his hand!

"Luke…you…you~!" His fists clutched. He could taste his own dark blood. It tasted foul, just the way he liked it. "I will never…ever…LOSE TO SOMEONE LIKE YOOOUUU~!"

His voice was so raspy and shrilled that it actually was heard through the tornadoes and waves. Luke's eyes widened in shock at his intensity.

"Triple ability, activate!" Maximus shouted. "Osiris Drake, plus Black Overcannon, and Fusion Ability, Lunatic Blackout!"

The blue waves churned around a bright purple blue beneath the pressure. The streams Abis was generating started losing controls, being pushed back by a growing dark mass that resembled a hemisphere. Abis gasped in horror, but not as much as Luke. They both watched the water being pushed away by a cyclone of bright purple draconic energy surrounding Goblinball as he hunched over, much like Maximus. He groggily – ne robotically – stood straight up and bolted at lightspeed off the ground in the energy. He shot through the water, blitzing with a jet-black and purple matter around him like some sort of absorption veil. He reappeared in front of Abis, his eye core dilating with blood red anger.

Daemon Goblinball: 1500 (+500 +600 +300) = 2900 Daedalus Abis Omega: 3900 (-500 -500 -300) = 2600

Luke was surprised for a lack of better word. "Where'd that speed come fro-!"

"DIIIIIE~!" Goblinball charged up the dark matter blast at point-blank, before engulfing Abis in the attack. The beam was so large and dense thanks to the black matter added that it was impossible to avoid. It jetted him and Luke into the rest of the sea cloud above, where it smashed like concrete and created a huge fall of water that encompassed the entire area. A severe downpour came down onto the Doom Dimension's ground, drenching it to no end.

And yet, as it rained, Maximus and Goblinball were motionless in the air on the ground as they watched their opponents fall with the rain.

Abis smashed into the ground, sloshed by his own water generated. The impact was so brutal the earth billowed more dust. Luke fell off his partner and went tumbling away, laying on his side as harsh sloshes of water came down momentarily.

Abis laid on the ground, roaring in pain before he completely fell over. He reverted to ball form, rolling up to Luke's side.

Luke: 40%

The rain stopped. Giving Luke a little levity as he laid on the damp ground. While his clothes were waterproof that didn't completely stop him from feeling soaked. As he came around, he heard sloshing sounds that related to footsteps. He barely opened his eyes to know a dark hood looming over him.

'Maximus…?'

"Need…more…NEED MORE!" He raised his energy claws high, something that Luke caught wind of. He rolled out of the way of the slash that pierced the ground and got to a knee. He barely had time to register when he moved his sword in front to stop Maximus' swift assault. The latter didn't allow any momentum to be let up, not while he was still standing.

Luke could barely keep up with his opponent's tenacity. 'He's not slowing down. And those eyes, it's like…like…'

In his mind, he didn't see Maximus for the gruesome Interacian he was/ He saw a feral animal with devil horns and wins. It was almost exactly like Goblinball, yet the eyes were filled with hatred and fear. 'Like facing an actual demon!'

"I won't be afraid…not by you…I will rip myself of that creature that keeps glaring back at me!"

Luke gnashed his teeth as he and Maximus ran into each other in the center, colliding in violet sparks for the umpteenth time.

---

Amongst the rest of their peers, they all glared at each other in anticipation. They were neck and neck, toe-to-toe. And no matter what the other did it just looked too even, much to even Rogue Zero's surprise.

Cesar cleared his throat, prodding his glasses once more. "Er-hem! Well now, seems we have reached an impasse, wouldn't you say? Why they have the nerve to blindside us so suddenly."

"Their strength is far greater than what we've estimated." Hendrix said bluntly, looking down at his evolved Rafflesian. "Even with our new power, they still managed to hold out. They've grown resilient since last time."

"True…but even cockroaches don't have an infinite lifespan." Cesar smirked. "One way or another, their stamina will chip off. Thanks to the negative energy the Doom Dimension possesses, we still have an upper hand."

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting bored with this waiting around." Ariella scoffed. "No more commentary. Time to finish this."

Killian stepped up. "One more shot is all we've got left."

Xander chuckled. "Then that's all we'll need." His eyes narrowed. "One way or another, they're going down."

On the other side of the flattened area, everyone was on their guards for the duration of it all. Their Bakugan all had bright attributed auras surrounding their ball forms. They were swelling with power of their own to spare.

Maggie held up a Gate Card. "Okay…here goes nothing! Gate Card, set!" He flung the card across the ground making it fade across the ground. "Okay everyone, follow our lead!"

Jase hummed. "How the energetic can get so ahead of everyone else. Very well then, let us proceed." He held up Atmos. "Atmos, can I rely on you once more?"

"You needn't worry about me, Jase. I will always be ready." He ensured.

Jase nodded at his partner and held out his Bakugan, along with everyone else. They faced Rogue Zero and brought their arms back. "Bakugan…BRAWL!" All of them threw in their Bakugan once more. "Bakugan, stand!"

Five elemental lights illuminated the ground. The land shuddered as Jelldon arose, wriggling his tendrils while Atmos and Atchibee took flight above. Verias and Fly Beetle stomped their heels on the ground, stirring up a loud shout that all of them joined in on.

Xander's eyes twitched. "We've had it up to here…with you in the way! Rogue Zero, attack!"

"Bakugan, brawl!" They all shouted, throwing in their Bakugan at the same time.

"Maggie!" Jelldon shouted.

Maggie nodded. "Right, let's hurry! Ability, activate! Wall Flame!" Jelldon reached up and slammed his tendrils down onto the ground, summoning an orb of fire that fluxed overhead. It separated into several arches of fire that came down in perfect segments like a cage and barricaded the path of the Rogue Zero Bakugan. They all went through the flames, rolling out to the field on the inside with smoke coming from their ball forms, all except Ultra Dragonoid.

When they all opened, they summoned great force throughout the field. However, while Ultra Dragonoid arose with an unfazed howl, the Bakugan behind him growled like something buffered them.

Dusk Atchibee: 700/Glow Jelldon: 700/Stag Fly Beetle: 700/Prime Verias: 700/Gale Atmos: 700 = 3500

Ultra Dragonoid: 800/Bloom Rafflesian: 700 (-200) = 500/Megalo Clawcer: 700 (-200) = 500/Swarm Moskeeto: 700 (-200) = 500/Deep Freezer: 700 (-200) = 500 = 2800

Ariella stepped back. "How did she…?"

Hendrix grunted, balling his fists tighter. "She must have set up a trap ability at the last second before our Bakugan stood. She's quick on her feet."

Maggie frowned heavily. 'We've got them down, all except Ultra Dragonoid. Can't give in so fast.' She hardened herself. "Esther! Atchibee!"

Esther coldly raised her Bakumeter. "Ability, activate! Scale Down!" Atchibee fluttered high above Rogue Zero's Bakugan and flapped once, summoning dark powdered scales that rained down to engulf them.

"You think this silly little powder…will work on us a second time?!" Ultra Dragonoid snarled.

"Ability, activate!" Hendrix initiated the constructive counterattack. "Deep Incense!" Bloom Rafflesian's rose petals undid themselves, gradually opening the inside to expel a powder-like pollen that spread across his allies, giving them an extra increase in power. However, the scales Atchibee fluttered down blocked off most of them.

Dusk Atchibee: 700/Glow Jelldon: 700/Stag Fly Beetle: 700/Prime Verias: 700/Gale Atmos: 700 = 3500

Ultra Dragonoid: 800 (+100) = 900/Bloom Rafflesian: 500 (+100) = 600/Megalo Clawcer: 500 (+100) = 600/Swarm Moskeeto: 500 (+100) = 600/Deep Freezer: 500 (+100) = 600 = 3300

"Thanks for the assist, Hendrix." Killian thanked, holding up an ability. "Now for the follow-up! Ability, activate…Swarm Cannon!" Moskeeto's eyes shimmered intensely before prolonging his gunner-like nose outwards. It aimed directly at them and began charging up dense green energy.

"Verias, let's go!" Shawn swung his fencer outwards. "Ability, activate! Territory Heart!" Immediately Verias slammed his axe blade down in front, generating a translucent light barrier that encompassed everyone.

"You guys think you're so clever. But you couldn't be anymore predictable." Xander reprimanded. He held up an ability of his own. "Watch and learn while you still can! Ability, activate! Fault Crimson!"

Ultra Dragonoid suddenly flexed his entire frame, exploding a crimson-like veil. In an instant, the powder around his body and around his fellow Bakugan dispelled from the heated embers that it gave off. As Moskeeto channeled his energy, Ultra Dragonoid drastically closed the gap and grabbed the barrier's front. His crimson body and claws started melting holes into the front, leaving openings that exposed everyone.

"He's…nullifying the barrier!" Verias worried.

Ultra Dragonoid sneered again. "You should worry more about your lives!"

At the cue, Moskeeto hissed as shot a dense, green energy cannon that tore apart the ground below. It soared behind Ultra Dragonoid as he ascended the air.

Dusk Atchibee: 700 (-500) = 200/Glow Jelldon: 700 (-500) = 200/Stag Fly Beetle: 700 (-500) = 200/Prime Verias: 700 (-500) = 200/Gale Atmos: 700 (-500) = 200 = 1000

Ultra Dragonoid: 900/Bloom Rafflesian: 600/Megalo Clawcer: 600/Swarm Moskeeto: 600 (+500) = 1100/Deep Freezer: 600 = 3800

Shawn backpedaled. "Everyone, move now!" The others did precisely as said and ducked out of the way. Atchibee and Atmos sailed away while Jelldon frolicked off, dragging Verias and Fly Beetle off just before the melted barrier gave way. The green beam blazed overhead, destroying the ground far beyond their reaches far away. A green linear explosion led up towards its destructive plumage in the distance. Moskeeto didn't stop there. He ran his nose in an arch, leaving a trail of green impulses rising up across the dimension ground.

While on the ground, Maggie opened an eye. "At this rate, we're gonna lose the ground beneath us!"

Esther furrowed her brow. She kneeled back up, with everyone else doing the same. Their Bakugan, whom were all scattered, shot looks at each other. Atchibee gave a nod towards Atmos, who reciprocated the gesture. They both faced the cannonfire and ascended at the same time to avoid the attack's trajectory. It continued towards Fly Beetle, Verias, and Jelldon, who looked steadfast and prepared. Jelldon used the remainder of his tentacles to slam into the ground, making him airborne with Fly Beetle and Verias just as the attack exploded beneath them. This caused a propulsion that left them airborne.

With them in freefall, Jelldon's eyes flashed plasma. "Everyone!"

They all nodded.

Hendrix grunted as he instigated an ability. "Here they come! Ability, activate! Sprout Bombardment!" Rafflesian's eyes all shined bright orange-brown before the petals fired off volleys of seed-like projectiles that fanned off towards everyone!

Dusk Atchibee: 200 (-300) = 0/Glow Jelldon: 200 (-300) = 0/Stag Fly Beetle: 200 (-300) = 0/Prime Verias: 200 (-300) = 0/Gale Atmos: 200 (-300) = 0

Ultra Dragonoid: 900/ Bloom Rafflesian: 600/Megalo Clawcer: 600/Swarm Moskeeto: 1100/Deep Freezer: 600 = 3800

"Ability, activate! Soft Conductor!" Maggie shouted. Jelldon whipped his arms and hurled Verias and Fly Beetle across the ground, while his gel sacs grew and conducted the attacking shell bombs that continued their way. They went straight ahead, instead of expanding towards the ground to impede their passage. Jelldon's power went up to 400, while everyone else's power returned to 200.

"Ability, activate! Correlation of Haos to Subterra!" Fly Beetle charged after Freezer, unfolding his wing shields and shot across the ground after him while power arose to 500.

Cesar smirked. "Ability activate, Chrome Stasis!" Freezer hissed as his body solidified underneath a layer of growing icy chrome, like he was freezing himself frozen solid.

Fly Beetle closed the gap and rammed his horn into Freezer, and yet upon impact, the shockwaves of his ram went around the squid. They leveled the ground behind, but the opponent didn't budge. He wasn't even sure if he even felt it. Shuji grunted.

Cesar maniacally laughed again. "Surprised so soon? Chrome Stasis is a unique ability to Deep Freezer. It encases him within a super refined layer of chrome. While under its effects, it may stop Freezer from attacking, but while inside, he'll be healing, while other abilities are ineffective of breaking through."

Ariella came in with an ability. "Ability, activate! Tsunami World!"

Clawcer adjusted himself on his legs and opened the braces over his mouth. His hideous, fanged mouth opened wide as ripples of pressurized water built up to a critical point. Once it was compressed, he fired the intense beam perpendicular to Fly Beetle.

"Ability, activate…" Esther coldly stated. "Wormhole!"

From above, Atchibee came between Fly Beetle and the oncoming blast wave. She generated a void-like portal in front that absorbed the attack heading right for her. All the water got sucked in, giving her power that pushed her towards 600.

"Thanks for that." Fly Beetle said, before looking up. "Above you!"

Atchibee heed the warning, looking up only for a red draconic blur to come crashing down onto her. With a shrilled cry, Ultra Dragonoid came down onto Atchibee, stamping her into the ground with brutal force. When the dust cleared, she was on her back with Ultra Dragonoid's heel on her.

"Heh, oh come on, can you honestly do better than this?" the dragon taunted.

"Better look up while you still can." Xander warned. Ultra Dragonoid did as told as saw Atmos flap overhead and circle around.

"Ability, activate!" Jase roared. "Boreas Arrow!" Atmos sailed across with the red beads on his body slowly generating green energy. It brightened, until the energy turned into a green beam that blasted Ultra Dragonoid square in the chest. The dragon shrieked as he was pushed off Atchibee and faltered backwards, while Atmos kept the pressure going.

"Thanks for that, Jase." Esther humbly said.

Jase prodded his glasses. "No troubles are warranted."

Ultra Dragonoid had his arms shielding him from that attack, but he wasn't going down. "That's…what you think!"

"You're not the only ones who can absorb power. Too, you know." Xander held up an ability high overhead. "Ability, activate! Molten Valkyrie!"

As the green beam kept firing away at Ultra Dragonoid, his body emitteed another deep red aura. He flexed and roared as he began drawing Atmos' blast wave, until it drew entirely towards him.

'He can absorb abilities as well?' Maggie gasped.

The energy eventually filtered into his body, increasing his power level to 1300. "Thanks for that." He clutched his fists. "Now, allow me to return the favor!"

Xander smirked wider than before. "Make that two if you don't mind. Ability, activate…" He held up another ability, one with a bright purple core on it. "Incinerate-X!"

A purple core faded into Ultra Dragonoid as his eyes gleamed red for an instant. The chords faded inwards, giving him magenta flares that surrounded his body and gathered into the maw for a supercharged laserbeam of incinerating matter.

"Here he comes!" Shawn warned. On cue, Verias began moving in swift motions, blitzing across the battlefield.

Xander reached out before him. "You can't dodge this one!" Ultra Dragonoid reared his head back and exerted a venomous snarl, before unleashing a rippling beam of searing crimson-magenta flames highly compressed to a thin laserbeam. It melted the ground as it traveled after everyone.

All the gathered Bakugan watched the beam draw closer, but Verias finally made it in front at the last second, glaring down the oncoming wake.

"Oh yeah? Well you talk big, but that toothpick you carry seems to be rather dull, don't you think? So go on, just prove that you're as tough as anyone else here!"

Paige's words echoed in Shawn's head as he and Verias balled their fists. 'Yeah, we gotcha.' He held up an ability with a fixed glare. "Let's go! Verias! Ability, activate! Brass Sheria!"

Verias clutched both fists and held out the brass knuckles that shined bright gold. He got one heel back to support himself as the laserbeam made full impact. However, the supernova stream that was supposed to erase them all was being sucked into the brass knuckles at an alarming.

"WHAT?!" Xander gasped. Even Ultra Dragonoid's eyes widened.

Verias gnashed his teeth together and grunted heavily at the power he drew inwards. His white fur was gradually flaring that char was slowly eroding up the arms. The heat and impulse of the attack was so hot that his knuckles were borderline numbed from the nerves stung. However, he didn't go down. He held firm before everyone, without any need of support.

Dusk Atchibee: 600/Glow Jelldon: 400/Stag Fly Beetle: 500/Prime Verias: 200 (+2000 +200) = 2400/Gale Atmos: 200 = 4100

Ultra Dragonoid: 3300 (-2000 -200) = 1100/Bloom Rafflesian: 600/Megalo Clawcer: 600/Swarm Moskeeto: 1100/Deep Freezer: 600 = 4000

The ground beneath Verias started melting away, but he dug his heels and claws deep to hold firm while the unstable air roared and shook violently.

Ariella stared in sheer disbelief. "Not possible! How is he absorbing a forbidden ability's power of that magnitude?!"

Shawn grunted. "Wouldn't be our first time."

Verias snarled until all of the magenta blaze had officially been dissipated into the brass knuckles. They were so hot that they streamed and glowed red, but despite the numbness and the searing pain, it gave Verias a fury with a bright Haos aura. He leaned forward and suddenly blitzed across the ground with knuckles leaving trails of magenta flames.

"Ability, activate!" Jase shouted. "Tailwind!" Atmos flapped his wings, sending a green tempest that expanded behind Verias like a wall. While Atmos' power increased towards 500, Verias was borderline flying after Ultra Dragonoid with fists clutched.

"You're about to feel our wrath now!"

"Ha! Like that'll be the day!" Ariella sniped. "Ability, activate! Shell Brace!" Clawcer moved in front of his peers and brought his star-like shield up front. He braced himself as Verias drew closer. "Let's see your flimsy fists break through this shell now!"

"Whatever the lady wants." Shawn showed another ability. "Fusion Ability, activate!" He thrusted his fencer forward, at the same time Verias' fist manifested a harsh, burning light around his fist. It sizzled and flared with the power he absorbed. "Vibrant Kingdom Fist!"

Atmos gave one more flap that sent another wave of green air, picking up Verias' speed until he was mere inches away from the claw. Time slowed down as he pulled back, his eyes fixed on the slim chances of winning. 'We won't…' He thought about everyone who was behind him, and Abis. His eyes brightened at the last second as his fist reeled forward. "…LOSE TO YOU GUYS!"

Clawcer's eyes lost their shade when Verias reeled forward with all his might. His power level jettisoned towards 3000 and smashed the star-like shield like it was nothing. Rogue Zero was left dumbfounded as Verias' punch cracked the outer spiky carapace and dented in Clawcer's mouth brace. He followed through, sending Clawcer in a spiraling havoc into his fellow Bakugan and sundered into the ground. The shockwaves created by Verias' force was so strong that plumes of dust fanned into Rogue Zero, causing Cesar to barely keep hold, while the others staggered backwards.

From the dust cloud, Verias doubled back and gripped the ground to reduce traction until he came to a halt. He and the others glared at the dissipating dust, revealing the Bakugan all sprawled and barely standing. Clawcer especially was a mess. The only one who didn't seem too damaged was Freezer, thanks to Chrome Stasis.

Rogue Zero was at a loss for words. They didn't know what to say, let alone retort.

'But how can this be? We've studied up on their strategies and everything!' Ariella flustered. 'This is impossible, how did one ability stop such defense?!'

Hendrix's grumbles turned to low growls.

"Let's try this now." Shuji followed up. "Ability, activate! Thorax Defense! Fly Beetle!"

Fly Beetle opened his wing shields as a low Subterra glow enveloped his carapace, increasing his power towards 900. He darted across the battleground. He buzzed past the shaken Rogue Zero Bakugan and used all his appendages to seize Freezer. He dug his horn deep into the icy stasis that surrounded him, so much that there was a brief stalemate.

However, the deeper Fly Beetle dug in, the more the ice thawed. He growled low, whereas Shuji balled his fists.

"HARDER ALREADY!"

Fly Beetle's eyes widened before plunging deeper into the ice. The ice shattered, much to Cesar's shock. The ability had worn off, and while Freezer had completely healed, he found himself within Fly Beetle's grasps.

"W-what are they…?" Cesar gasped.

Fly Beetle got his horn underneath and used it as a catapult to fire Freezer high into sky, heading right for Atmos.

"Ability, activate!" Shuji shouted. "Pincer Phalanx!"

"Double ability, activate!" Jase shouted. "Diagonal Relation of Ventus and Haos, plus Draft Cannon!"

Fly Beetle dug his claws into the ground as he charged up a powerful brown mass between his mandibles. They crackled and intensified with a gravitational force until it was unleashed in a bolstering beam skywards. Atmos on the other hand shrieked as a Ventus aura enveloped his body, giving him extra power that pulsed into the air surrounding his body. He careened his neck back and opened wide to fire off a torrential blast wave of dense green energy.

Dusk Atchibee: 600/Glow Jelldon: 400/Stag Fly Beetle: 900 (+500 +100) = 1500/Prime Verias: 3000/Gale Atmos: 500 (+300 +100 +600 +100) = 1600 = 7100

Ultra Dragonoid: 1100/Bloom Rafflesian: 600/Megalo Clawcer: 600/Swarm Moskeeto: 1100/Deep Freezer: 600 (-500 -100) = 0 = 3400

The two attacks closed in on one another, but Freezer was in the middle and in freefall. He can't escape! Suddenly in a green blur, Moskeeto jettisoned across the atmosphere, dragging Freezer out of the attacks as they instead struck each other. The results were a mixture of green and brown rampaging heavily, causing air and earth within a certain area to implode and spread outwards. Atmos and Fly Beetle withstood their ground and stayed strong despite their attacks deluding one another.

In the flashes, Moskeeto hissed as he dragged Freezer around back towards their side.

"Hmph, good job Killian." Cesar chimed. "…I suppose."

Killian accepted the compliment and readied action. "Hendrix, you mind with a hand?"

"As you wish." He held up his arm again. "Ability, activate! Deep Incense!" Rafflesian enveloped himself and his fellow Bakugan in pollen that expelled from his closed bud yet again. It pushed outwards, filling the nostrils of everyone there to serve as more power.

Dusk Atchibee: 600/Glow Jelldon: 400/Stag Fly Beetle: 1500/Prime Verias: 3000/Gale Atmos: 1600 = 7100

Ultra Dragonoid: 1100 (+300) = 1400/Bloom Rafflesian: 600 (+300) = 900/Megalo Clawcer: 600 (+300) = 900/Swarm Moskeeto: 1100 (+300) = 1400/Deep Freezer: 0 (+300) = 300 = 4900

"Maggie!" Jelldon shouted.

Maggie nodded. "Double ability, activate! Element Kraken, plus Bolting Sun!" Jelldon began spiraling in place, his rainbow tentacles funnel to make an energy ring around him as momentum gathered. He started gathering matter in which flames surrounded his entire flames. He finally slung an arm upward, using the sheer strength and pitch to send a plasmatic fireball at Moskeeto. His power bolted all the way up towards 1700.

Thanks to the tailwind, the fireball was getting too close for comfort. Killian had to act fast. "Double ability, activate! Lock Luster…" Moskeeto's eyes glowed bright green as he channeled energy into the proboscis once more. It condensed to where it was about to fire. "…plus Fusion Ability, Hum Pulse!" Moskeeto finally fired away, shooting a large green beam through the air with ultrasonic green ripples expanding its mass to counter the attack coming his way.

The fireball and the green beam met in the middle, but the force by the tailwind made it far from diffuse. Instead, it became a spontaneous blast of fire and green that swallowed everything, causing a moment's worth of blindness toward everyone.

Dusk Atchibee: 600 (-400) = 200/Glow Jelldon: 1700 (-400 -300) = 1000/Stag Fly Beetle: 1500 (-400) = 1100/Prime Verias: 3000 (-400) = 2600/Gale Atmos: 1600 (-400) = 1200 = 6100

Ultra Dragonoid: 1400/Bloom Rafflesian: 900/Megalo Clawcer: 900/Swarm Moskeeto: 1400 (+400 +300) = 2100 /Deep Freezer: 300 = 5600

The plumage didn't recede. With it still being fairly bright, Ariella growled. "Ability, activate! Abyss Blow!"

Barely having recovered from that earlier attack, Clawcer aimed his open, gnashed-up claw at Atchibee. The moth prepared as the crab fired a condensed, blue stream of water that streamed for her alone.

"Ability, activate!" Jase shouted, getting everyone's attention. "Storm Valkyrie!"

Atmos' eyes gleamed within the flare before he unleashed a boisterous shriek that raged through the atmosphere. Suddenly the stream of water and the shockwaves generated by Moskeeto and Jelldon's earlier collision were all blown away when a tempest-like cyclone expelled out of nowhere. It expanded outwards, shielding the allies as well as tearing into the enemy Bakugan, deterring them, and even making them grunt and back off.

Dusk Atchibee: 0 (+200 +400) = 600/Glow Jelldon: 1000 (+400 +300) = 1700/Stag Fly Beetle: 1100 (+400) = 1500/Prime Verias: 2600 (+400) = 3000/Gale Atmos: 1200 (+400 +300 +100) = 2000 = 8800

Ultra Dragonoid: 1400 (-300 -100) = 1000/Bloom Rafflesian: 900 (-300 -100) = 500/Megalo Clawcer: 1200 (-300 -300 -100) = 500 Swarm Moskeeto: 2100 (-400 -300 -300 -100) = 1000/Deep Freezer: 300 (-300 -100) = 0 = 3000

The typhoon rampaged around the atmosphere, enough to completely deter away the advances of Rogue Zero. They all covered up as the windstorm was becoming too much to hold against. Hendrix was the only one using his broad strength to hold, whereas Cesar was pressing buttons relentlessly to calibrate the antigravity beneath his chair to keep him from falling over.

Xander crossed his arms in front and sneered. 'Where is this strength coming from?! I knew they've been fighting our bosses, but this…this isn't anything like before!' He gnashed his teeth with rising anger. "Hey! Ariella! Cesar!"

"Hmph, fine."

"Yes! Let's!"

All three pulled up the same ability with haste. "Ability, activate! Pyrus, Aquos, Haos Triple Node!"

Ultra Dragonoid, Clawcer, and Freezer all glowed bright auras that represented their respective attributes. They glared at the raging tempest, but as the whirlwinds brewed about, the winds became too much and dispersed the energy around them, much to their horror.

"What the-?!" Ariella gasped.

"Our abilities won't work?!" Xander gasped.

Atmos flapped his wings and ascended higher. As he did. He started spinning like a drill, dragging along whirlwinds. Meanwhile, Verias braced himself with his staff as light started emanating from accents across his frame.

"Ability, activate!" Shawn paused. "Kingdom Gladiator!"

"Fusion Ability, activate!" Jase added. "Gale Meteor!"

All the gems on Verias' body brightened to where he fully enveloped himself in the harsh adrenaline swelling inside. Moments later, a hole in the tornado wall tore open, revealing Verias streaming across the ground at lightning speed with his axe back behind his head.

Atmos ascended as high as possible, going into freefall for a moment before green flames exploded around his body. The tornado that swelled around him bloomed with the momentum and expanded into a large radius that enveloped him and Verias. Together, they sailed in towards Rogue Zero, shrilling with all their might.

As they drew closer, however, the shocked look on Ariella's face…gradually shifted into a dark smirk.

Jase immediately noticed. "Look out!"

Atmos and Verias joined together to strike at the Bakugan altogether, unleashing a broad blat wave everywhere. Light and wind fused to create an intense celestial whirlwind, oushing everything outwards until it all faded away.

As the dust settled, everyone gradually uncovered to see what happened. However, as one would expect, they were met with shock of their own. Shuji's eyes widened with a gasp.

Shawn and Jase, however, narrowed at what happened.

Despite the winds still flowing around, Verias and Atmos were halt completely by Clawcer, who was still heavily disheveled after Verias' earlier impact. However, a magenta outlining enveloped his body, making an impenetrable casing that Verias' blade actually chipped against.

Verias gritted his teeth as he fought to overcome Clawcer's suddenly hard exterior. But the more he pushed, the more his one axe blade end chipped. 'His shell just got a lot harder all of a sudden.'

Ariella held up an ability, a Forbidden one. She smirked with a serious glare in mind. "Ability, activate…Shell Drive-X!"

Clawcer pulled back his hardened front, but the carapace began glowing a brighter shade of magenta until it became cracks in his body. Pressure built up until it became too much for Verias and Atmos to get away from.

Ariella smirked and reached forward. "Now, Clawcer!"

Clawcer hissed, before the cracks around his exterior multiplied and shattered. Fragments of an energy-like carapace shot in all directions, scraping through the whirlwinds and dispelling them. Verias and Atmos went sailing backwards with loud cries. Everyone behind covered up as the winds broke away. Energy shrapnel scattered across everyone's head.

"I gotcha!" Flying in to bunker his buffered teammates, Fly Beetle seized Atmos and Verias and turned his back around, allowing the shrapnel to graze his wing shields. The thorax suffered scrapes, but thanks to Thorax Defense, he wasn't feeling as brutally mangled as he should.

Dusk Atchibee: 600/Glow Jelldon: 1700/Stag Fly Beetle: 1500/Prime Verias: 3600 (-500 -100) = 3000/Gale Atmos: 2400 (-300 -100 -300 -100) = 1600 = 8400

Ultra Dragonoid: 1000 (+300 +100) = 1400/Bloom Rafflesian: 500 (+300 +100) = 900/Megalo Clawcer: 0 (+900 +500 +500 +500) = 2400/Swarm Moskeeto: 1400/Deep Freezer: 300 = 6400

The winds diminished, leaving only the small tailwind that was provided from earlier as the only assist. Maggie uncovered to find the gale had completely faltered. "She disrupted Atmos' ability…"

Ariella chuckled. "I hope that you enjoyed that. You see, Shell Drive-X not only nullifies any and all abilities that make contact with Megalo Clawcer, but, for every time he's hit, his shell's cells condense to make an energy casket that builds up. With the winds of Storm Valkyrie, and your double attacks, you've given us quite a defense to play with. Hehehe…"

"Ariella…you talk too much." Hendrix reprimanded.

Ariella scoffed. "Hmph, well I say this battle is as good as done. Let's finish them off and be on our way."

"You should try and hear what others say, drama queen." Shuji scoffed. "It just might backfire on you if you don't." On cue, Fly Beetle turned around and faced forward expectedly. He spread his heels and lowered his horn.

"Oh really? Then perhaps you'd care enough to show me how that'll help you?"

"Why don't we show you!" Fly Beetle growled. He dug his heels into the ground, his eyes glowing bright orange. "Let's go!"

"Let's crack their shell right in two." Shuji raised his Bakumeter. Showing three abilities layering over one another. "Triple ability, activate! Diagonal Relation of Subterra and Aquos, Carapace Riot, and Fusion Ability, Grand Booster!"

Fly Beetle's entire body hardened to a point where the hinges in his frame became sharper-edged. Every aspect of him condensed to a monstrous frame that he held up while flares of bright orange energy seeped from the edging. He let out a distinctive roar that sook the earth beneath, as well as the airwaves that traveled.

Dusk Atchibee: 600/Glow Jelldon: 1700/Stag Fly Beetle: 1500 (+300 +100 +500 +100 +400 +100) = 2900/Prime Verias: 3000/Gale Atmos: 1600 = 9800

Ultra Dragonoid: 1400/Bloom Rafflesian: 900/Megalo Clawcer: 2400/Swarm Moskeeto: 1400/Deep Freezer: 300 = 6400

Fly Beetle opened his wing shields and went barreling right into Clawcer with all his might. He screamed with all his might as Clawcer braced himself for the horn that met him head-on. The air trembled from the brutal backlash of that attack, but neither combatants broke away.

Clawcer's power enhanced further towards 2900, rivaling Fly Beetle, and yet Ariella scoffed. "Hah, that won't last. Did he forget that Shell Drive-X nullifies all abilities that touch him, or is he that stupid?"

Shuji glared forward without a hint of remorse for his actions.

Fly Beetle was driving himself forward as hard as he could. He growled low, before he dug his heels in and started shoving away. It was little by little, but eventually his power made him shove back his cast-iron opponent. He pushed harder, so much that Clawcer couldn't keep hold of any traction.

"But how-?!" Ariella paused, her eyes widening from something she realized.

"Let's try this now." Shuji followed up. "Ability, activate! Thorax Defense! Fly Beetle!"

'That ability he used before…it must be preventing his abilities from being nullified.' Her eyes started twitching out of frustration. 'How did I not see this?'

"Compared to Armagedoid…" Shuji started.

"…you're a lightweight!" Fly Beetle ultimately broke through, unleashing a powerful horn thrust underneath Megalo Clawcer. The giant crab was catapulted through the air, screeching violently until he went down in the center of his comrades on his back. The sundering motion stirred everyone up.

They all uncovered, but the horrific shock on Ariella was all too real. "Why won't you guys just stay down?!"

"Over our dead bodies." Shuji enforced.

Xander scoffed angrily. "Then perhaps we'll just have to accommodate that then, won't we? Ultra Dragonoid!"

Ultra Dragonoid flexed his wings and balled his fists. He let out a terrifying, shrilled cry that embodied their side's need to dominate.

"We won't lose this! Not after getting this far! We'll be on top, whatever it takes!"

"We've had a long road to walk down because of you all…now that road shall end here." Esther declared.

"Oh, it'll end alright…with you six feet under!"

All their Bakugan unleashed shrilled cries of their own. The other Bakugan cried out as well in exclamation for the fight to go on. Suitably, dark lightning crackled high the skies above.

---

Maximus and Luke were in another stand-off with each other. It was only brief, before Maximus reeled his claws back and slashed again. Luke instinctively veered out of the way as his maniac opponent kept slashing away. He kept parrying and dodging, but Maximus pivoted, swerved, and kept him contained in the one area.

He gave one more powerful slash, one so mighty that it sliced into the ground. Time slowed down as Luke slid back…yet he could see the irrational, crude look in his eyes dilating out of strenuous thoughts deteriorating.

Luke skid to a stop and finally saw Maximus out a gate card.

"Gate…Gate Car-Card…set!" He stuttered as he threw the card into the ground. If faded inwards, generating a dark shockwave across the ground. He held up Goblinball, who still had a venomous aura around his body. "You…shall…know…fear-NO! Know…nothing even…know…GRAAAH!"

"Look at yourself, you're not even yourself anymore! Is this really what you are willing to give up just so you can get rid of me?!" Luke shouted. "Can you even hear me?!"

"Luke, we have to finish this." Abis insisted.

Maximus gave another hiss as he reeled back his Bakugan. Luke realized his partner was right. "Okay then, this is our last shot. Let's make it count!"

Both combatants pulled back their arms enough before throwing their Bakugan directly at each other. "Bakugan, brawl!"

The two spheres went flying into the dead middle, but rather than open on the ground, they smashed into each other through midair. Violet sparks ignited and caused a tempest as Goblinball and Abis exploded skywards, spiraling upwards until they pulled away from each other to unleash violent roars.

Daemon Goblinball: 800 Daedalus Abis Omega: 900

"E-end them…end them, now! GOBLINBALL!" Maximus bellowed.

"As you wish!" Daemon Goblinball groaned, before his eye core shimmered with the will to fight. He bolted after Abis with fury.

"Not gonna happen! Abis!" Luke countered.

Abis unleashed a violent roar as he went to meet his opponent in the middle as before. Both Bakugan's armored heads connected in a heinous headbutt bash, sending an airwave between them. They were yet again at a standstill while glaring the other ferally through the eyes.

Luke and Maximus were no different. They had resolute glares of their own before charging at one another head-on. Like their Bakugan, they met in the middle, claws and blade creating sparks that dispersed.

The interlocked confrontations didn't stop there. They saw the opposition in their eyes that fueled their resolves. "LET'S GO!"

---

Rafflesian raised all his thorny briars and shot them ahead. Verias grabbed his battle axe and went racing alongside Atchibee into the briar barrage. The ape acrobatically flipped and cleaved into the vines. Atchibee added herself, sweeping around the side to slash at even more briars. With them distracted with the briar wave, Moskeeto found a clear shot overhead, diving for his target.

"Ability, activate!" Killian shouted. "Close Virus!"

Moskeeto's pistol-like end shined bright green and tailed into Verias, who was too distracted by the briars to realize Moskeeto incoming. When he slashed, he heard a buzz for looking up, seeing the bug at the last second before his nose thrusted into the gut, sending him doubling back behind all his friend.

"Verias!" Jelldon panicked.

Verias' power dropped from 3000 to 2500, yet he sat up and clutched his gut. He looked down at his hand, seeing a green filament on it that seemed a lot of infectious goop. "What's these…? Toxins?"

"Now you can't activate abilities." Killian noted.

Maggie frowned heavily and decided to help. "Ability, activate! Hot Flash!" Jelldon turned towards Moskeeto and exerted a bright, hot flare from his entire body. The heat waves deterred the bug before his skin could completely sizzle, bringing his power down to 1000.

The added heat seared into Verias' sound as well. The infectious bacteria gradually burnt away and steamed off of his stomach, leaving him healthy and well. "Thanks for that." Verias commented.

"Anytime." Maggie chimed. "Now, for the follow up! Ability activate, Lake Dragoon!"

Jelldon snarled before he started rotating his body. His still glowing tentacles swirled around until a large whirlpool started spreading out around him and the surrounding area. The waves gradually swamped over towards Rogue Zero's Bakugan, enveloping them in the wake and holding them firm. They all felt the water drag away their power, in which streams of multiple colors went down the current until the reached Jelldon, enveloping him in their power.

Dusk Atchibee: 600/Glow Jelldon: 1700 (+3250 +100) = 5050/Stag Fly Beetle: 2900/Prime Verias: 3000/Gale Atmos: 1600 = 13,050

Ultra Dragonoid: 1400 (-700) = 700/Bloom Rafflesian: 900 (-450) = 450/Megalo Clawcer: 2900 (-1450) = 1450/Swarm Moskeeto: 1000 (-500) = 500/Deep Freezer: 300 (-150) = 150 = 3250

"Our power levels are being drawn away!" Ariella panicked.

"Double ability, activate!" Cesar announced. "Spear Light, plus Fusion Ability, Absolute Zero Reactor!" Freezer let out a cry as he aimed all ten of his noccles and fired then icy yellow beams with searing cold exteriors at Jelldon. The beams brought his power down drastically towards 4750, yet Freezer's only went up towards 950.

Jelldon kept spinning, but his tendrils brushed the attack away like it was nothing. The water around them all faded away, instead, replaced with a harsh glare by Jelldon as plasmatic flames broiled around him.

"Keep them distracted!" Esther shouted. "We need to keep the gap long enough for us to finish this!"

"Fly Beetle!" Shuji shouted. "Ability, activate! Sunder Sonic!"

"You got it!" Fly Beetle's wing shields blossomed before the wings beat drastically. He grunted violently before flexing an omnidirectional shockwave that flattened the ground towards Rogue Zero.

Hendrix growled annoyingly. "Rafflesian, bury him where he stands." He held up his Bakumeter. "Ability, activate! Yggdrasilium!"

Rafflesian summoned even more briars from underneath at the very last second. Just before Fly Beetle's sonic shockwaves could tear right through and finish them, the vines and briars surrounded the Rogue Zero Bakugan in a cage, with Rafflesian at the center of it all.

Fly Beetle gasped. "Not good."

Everyone gasped in surprise, however, Rogue Zero – especially Xander, smirked at the comeback made. Their Bakugan were laced in briars that sent energy currents up to their Bakugan, enveloping them in their respective attributed lights.

Dusk Atchibee: 600/Glow Jelldon: 4750/Stag Fly Beetle: 3400/Prime Verias: 3000/Gale Atmos: 1600 = 13,350

Ultra Dragonoid: 200 (+600 +2800 +500) = 4100/Bloom Rafflesian: 0 (+700 +400 +500) = 1600/Megalo Clawcer: 950 (+2850 +500) = 4300/Swarm Moskeeto: 0 (+700 +1600 +500) = 2800/Deep Freezer: 0 (+700 +1200 +500) = 2400 = 15,200

Shawn grunted. "Damnit, this is looking bad."

"You're telling me." Verias grunted, getting into a defensive position.

All of Rogue Zero's Bakugan fluxed with incredible power. The ground visible shook as the briars surroundings them all wriggled and churned relentlessly, but even that couldn't contain their fluctuating energy masses. Loud, piercing shrieks sent shockwaves that tore the briars away, fanning out the mass of the attack into the others and their Bakugan. The pulsating shockwaves each of them produced were enough to completely break through Fly Beetle's sonic waves. Everyone covered up as they tried to hold on, but even they felt considerably overwhelmed by the blast waves above.

"HAHAHA! Now this is power!" Ultra Dragonoid chimed mightily through the rumbling air. He continued laughing, cackling menacingly at that. Every breath he made was what made the air around him hot. "Time and time again we keep running into each other. Do you have any idea how thankful we are because of you? Heh, well, I'd say very little, but it's because of your ignorant persistence that we Bakugan have been pushed beyond our capabilities! If it wasn't for you guys, who knows how long it'd take before we realized how weak we were before."

Nobody could rebuff what Ultra Dragonoid was spewing out of his mouth. They just glared angrily at him.

"Aw, don't be like that now. I was giving you a pat on your shoulder." He craned his head smug-like. "But I guess that's as good as I'm gonna get from you lot. Would you prefer buried or burnt alive?"

"Neither!" Esther declared. "Double ability, activate, Silent Plexus, plus Fusion Ability, Vermilion Raid!" Dusk Atchibee hollered as she was in front of everyone and gathered dark matter. Indigo, black, and purple energy swelled around her as her scythes shined brightly. She crossed them, while the energy she gained from Rafflesian's increase swelled around her.

Dusk Atchibee: 600 (+1600 +400 +100 +400 +100) = 3200/Glow Jelldon: 4750/Stag Fly Beetle: 3400/Prime Verias: 3000/Gale Atmos: 1600 = 15,950

Ultra Dragonoid: 4100/Bloom Rafflesian: 1600/Megalo Clawcer: 4300/Swarm Moskeeto: 2800/Deep Freezer: 2400 = 15,200

"You're mine!" Atchibee crossed her scythes, sending a black flaring cross at Rafflesian and the other Bakugan. She unleashed a bright vermilion flare from her mouth, making the X traveling at a staggering rate with a bright shine towards it.

"Ability, activate…" Hendrix created an ability. "Terra Form!" Rafflesian growled low as he raised his briars up and lashed them into the ground. His power arose towards 2100. When Atchibee's blazing X was about to come through, it instead struck the clumps of boulders that came between her and the opponents. The vermilion cross diced up rocks before dissipating to thin air. The rocks, however, were still coming and didn't slow down.

Atchibee stammered.

"Fly Beetle!" Shuji shouted. "Go!"

Fly Beetle unfolded his wing shields and buzzed off towards the incoming rocks. "Hraaaah!" His horn stuck inwards, and thanks to his tough hide, he was standing ground and allowing the rocks to strike.

"GRRROOOOAAAHH!" Rafflesian's cries shook the land, causing even more of his briars to lash out large boulders. -

The barrage kept going, and Fly Beetle kept buzzing ahead into every rock that came his way. He managed to save his teammates, but too many were being thrown for him to advance. "Hrah! GYAH! GAH!" The insectoid found himself on the receiving end of being buried under the rocks, whereas everyone else looked on with horror.

"Shoot! Fly Beetle!" Shawn shouted.

"Don't worry. It looks like he'll be alright." Jase paused. "Look out! There's a follow-up!"

Hendrix showed another ability. "Rafflesian, end them! Ability, activate! Scarp Thorn Mine!" Rafflesian plunged his thorns into the ground again, this time summoning bristling large spikes that petered their way towards the other Bakugan.

Esther held up an ability. "Ability, activate! Chrysalis Shield!" Atchibee moved in front of the clump of boulders burying Fly Beetle and summoned a thick barricade of crystal that stopped the thorn wall. The thorns weren't strong enough this time to permeate the crystal from below.

Dusk Atchibee: 3200 (+300 +100) = 3600/Glow Jelldon: 4750 (+300 +100) = 5150/Stag Fly Beetle: 3400 (+300 +100) = 3800/Prime Verias: 3000 (+300 +100) = 3400/Gale Atmos: 1600 (+300 +100) = 2000 = 17,950

Ultra Dragonoid: 4100/Bloom Rafflesian: 2100/Megalo Clawcer: 4300/Swarm Moskeeto: 2800/Deep Freezer: 2400 = 15,700

With Atchibee holding up the barrier, the Darkus aura around her and her teammates was blooming. The air was violently shaking at their power level they've all taken in. Jelldon especially as he rushed over and used tendril after tendril to pry boulders off Fly Beetle. Once the last one was off, the beetle stood back up.

"Are you okay?" Atmos inquired.

"Yeah…I think so." Fly Beetle grunted. "Thanks, guys…"

"Some people just never know when to quit, do they?" Everyone turned to the rude tone that was Xander. "You honestly think you can keep up with us? Why? What are you guys seriously trying to accomplish here, because as far as I see, you're just going to push yourselves until we finally run you through."

"That's a lot of fire coming out of your mouth." Maggie mocked. "Oh wait, that's just your bad breath."

"I'm with Xander on this one. This is draggon on way too long." Killian frowned. "No offense to you guys, like Ultra Dragonoid said, but what about your limits? Surely you're near them by now."

"That's a theory to be biased by all accounts." Jase chimed crudely. "As you were on your hiatus, our own time away has been rather tedious."

"You mean how you barely went toe-to-toe with Hades Pillars?" Ariella snorted. "Don't make me laugh. We…" She swiped her arm with anger in her eyes. "Are nothing like them!"

Jase prodded his glasses. "You're absolutely right…you're nothing like them."

Rogue Zero's eyes widened. They all looked at Jase with sincere shock at his testimony.

"What was that?!" Cesar stammered. "Do my ears deceive me? You all try believe in such false tales?"

Maggie had hands to her hips. "Look here, Cesar, you talk a lot, but unlike you, even that primidone Ariella knew how to put up a better fight than you." At her gesture, Glow Jelldon straightened up and snarled.

"Say what?!" Cesar leaned forward, fists clutched at the offense. "You saying that fashion-clad freakshow is superb to my genius?!"

"It's no secret that you're stronger. But…so are we, more than you can ever imagine through that expanse of a head." Shawn backfired with crossed arms. Verias clutched his broken battle axe and cleaved the ground with it, responding to the gesture.

"Yes, that we can see." Hendrix stated bluntly. "Your Bakugan show evidence of sustaining themselves well."

"You of all people would know about endurance, wouldn't you?" Jase chimed comely. At his gesture, it was Atmos who floated atop of him, using his propeller joints to stay afloat. "Everyone gets stronger their own way. Perhaps in a world where morals are shifted on its axis, your achievement to power can be seen as righteous."

"Are you implying we're not stronger than we were before?" Ariella growled. "All of you have such short wind coming out of your mouths that you must be forgetting, we are Rogue Zero. We don't quit so easily just because we were yanked back by our leashes."

Shawn shook his head. "Hounding away, aren't you, Ariella."

Shuji boasted with his arms crossed. "He's right. If that Zion were here, he'd be swinging a blade rather than mouth off like are. And I went toe-to-toe with him, so I would know. He's a lot tougher than you'll ever be, that's for sure." Fly Beetle shrugged off the damage he took and straightened up. He glared daggers as deep as the earth itself. "You guys wanted us dead, then why come over here already and beat us to a pulp yourselves?"

Hendrix balled his fists tighter. "This young one is terribly gruesome."

"I'm not falling for such taunts. Really now, You? Zion in a fair fight? Please." Ariella chimed.

"Then isn't what you're saying contradicting your vindication?" Esther asked. A shadow flew overhead, revealing Atchibee with her glowing frame. "If your power truly is above Hades Pillars, then what risks have you taken to show it?"

"Shut up!" Xander furiously shouted. "We've had it up to here with your smartmouths! You have no idea what we had to risk to make it to here! What makes you think you know us better than we know ourselves?!"

Shawn lowered his head. "The answer is simple." He opened his eyes. "It's because, it's just like Ultra Dragonoid said, we got stronger because of you from the beginning. You've put us through our paces multiple times. You guys sure don't know when to quit, that's for sure. So thanks for that."

"Stop sounding like you've won this! It's not over until we say it's over!" Xander yelled.

"Look at you, whining like a kid. Now I'm questioning if you really evolved yourself." Maggie frowned. She looked dead serious ahead with Jelldon. "Jelldon and I…are not the same wimps you can look down on. I think you guys are forgetting that."

"I said SHUT UP~!" Xander bellowed. "That's it! I'm done with you! You want power?! Then fine! Here! Why don't you try this on for size!" He held up two abilities. "Double ability, activate! Hellfire-X, plus Incinerate-X!"

Two layers of bright purple cores engulfed Ultra Dragonoid. His body twitched before a pulse ran through him. His entire being stirred around until he gave up too much matter and unleashed a shrilled below into the sky. A pillar of blistering magenta-crimson inferno erupted like wildfire in the middle of Rogue Zero's side. Shockwaves of the attack blew everywhere, destroying a large chunk of the crystal barrier Atchibee made earlier.

However, thanks to the barrier, and what everyone said before, no one looked at all fazed by the sight. If anything it just seemed like a typical run-of-the-mill maelstrom of energy that they had to face. Up in the sky, they saw the dark lightning turn crimson as a cyclone of raging fire took over the atmosphere. It was so hot the ground was near impossible to stand on in bare feet.

Dusk Atchibee: 3600/Glow Jelldon: 5150/Stag Fly Beetle: 3800/Prime Verias: 3400/Gale Atmos: 2000 = 17,950

Ultra Dragonoid: 4100 (+900 +2000) = 7000/Bloom Rafflesian: 2100/Megalo Clawcer: 4300/Swarm Moskeeto: 2800/Deep Freezer: 2400 = 18,600

Crimson lightning crackled profusely above. It became near impossible to stand still, yet they stood calmly and readily for it.

"You wanna feel the heat that bad, then bring it! We're not afraid of power anymore! Thanks to Maximus driving us, now we have a goal to work towards!" He reached out towards them, smiling maliciously. "And you're not part of the picture."

At that, Jelldon's six eyes glared at their opponents. "Let's show them Maggie."

"That's right, big guy. We'll show them what we've learned from Hades Pillars." She said. "Guys?"

"Right." Shawn braced himself.

Shuji smirked. "This will be fun."

Jase coolly frowned. "So be it. Just this once more…we will surpass our limits."

"I agree, Jase. Let's do it." Esther declared. "From here on, none of us shall hold back any sense of remorse. Rogue Zero, Xander, you wish to see what true strength looks like, then I suppose you were blind back in the Empyrean and on Earth. If this doesn't open your eyes, then I pity you."

"GET THEM ALREADY!" He bellowed.

Ultra Dragonoid let out a voluminous shriek high in the skies. The crimson-magenta blaze circling around overhead like a hurricane started gathering in his mouth, setting up for a blistering inferno to end them all.

Altogether, the five humans' eyes opened at the same time. "Gate Card, open! Hate Gate!"

The ground beneath the Bakugan glowed white with the Gate Card. With its shine, the air shook violently, so much that the attributed auras around their Bakugan blossomed into five dense pillars of colorful energy into the atmosphere.

The energy complete outdid Ultra Dragonoid's eclipse. The pillars expelled numerous ripples across the sky that dispersed the flames gathering in Ultra Dragonoid's maw. "WHAT?!"

Xander gasped in awe. "What the-?!"

"Are they serious?" Hendrix murmured.

"Hate Gate is a Gate Card that increases all Bakugan's power level on your sode of the field 100 Gs times the number of abilities used in the round. Then…" Killian's realization made him stiff. "Don't tell me…"

Ariella looked down at her Bakumeter, and what she saw made her skin completely pale and eyes shrink in sheer horror.

Dusk Atchibee: 3600 (+5100) = 8700/Glow Jelldon: 5150 (+5100) = 10,250/Stag Fly Beetle: 3800 (+5100) = 8900/Prime Verias: 3400 (+5100) = 8500/Gale Atmos: 2000 (+5100) = 7100 = 43,450

Ultra Dragonoid: 7000/Bloom Rafflesian: 2100/Megalo Clawcer: 4300/Swarm Moskeeto: 2800/Deep Freezer: 2400 = 18,600

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Ariella shrieked in honest horror.

"That power level…they're going to kill themselves for breaching just lengths." Hendrix muttered.

Cesar looked at his gauntlet, looking at the results with disbelief. "But…how?! With such bodies, they can't possibly-!"

"Don't underestimate us."

The dark tone of voice came from none other than Esther. Rogue Zero looked at her as the air trembled in elemental flashes of lightning above, yet she looked so calmly.

"It's as you've said, we once feared such power that we couldn't have taken it nearly as far as we should have. It's you, Hades Pillars, and Riaan who have made us open our eyes to what evolution is truly all about."

"KRREEAAAHHH!" Atchibee's bloodcurdling cries shrilled through her pillar.

"We've seen power like this before, but only because of your superiors." Shawn said. "Your guys' energy is something we're long used to."

"GRRROOOOAHHH!" Verias' roars were heard loud and clear as his light pillar shined like a star.

"Achieving heights…is the name of Ventus. It'd be sullying if we were beneath such rubbish now, wouldn't it?" Jase rhetorically noted.

"KKREEAAHHHH!" Atmos' loud cries were consumed by the green light pillar ascertaining whirlwinds.

"Jelldon and I learned a lot from a lot of people." She thought about Linus and Rubanoid. "The people who helped this young girl become a young woman…this is for them!" She reached out to Jelldon's pillar.

"HRRAAAAAHHH!" Jelldon's roars were bloodcurdling at best, red-crimson plasma swirling around him like a typhoon.

"Standing your ground, getting back up when you're pushed around all the time…" Shuji paused, thinking about Coredem. "We are…unbreakable!"

"HRROOOOOAAAHHH!" Fly Beetle's primal cries bellowed outwards, his pillar of brown energy causing a deep shift in gravity.

Rogue Zero was unable to fight back. They tried to hold on, but found it impossible. Their Bakugan, even Ultra Dragonoid, were at the mercy of a large explosion of light that rattled the earth. Fissures opened up, expelling magma in some areas, and lightning bolts coming down drastically. The ground fried as this explosion of energy became overwhelming for anyone to look through.

When Xander tried looking back ahead, the light of the explosion was starting to disappear, but his shock was clear on his face.

All of their Bakugan were left speechless as five shining stars illuminated various elements of red plasma, lightning gravity, wind, and darkness, all fuming from silhouettes that took shape in front of their confident and serious battlers.

"No way…not possible…"

In front of Shuji, it was a Bakugan who had a ferocious look of a war beast. Fly Beetle's body had become larger, thicker, and much harder than it had before. His entire head had taken an entirely different shape with the horn now looking like a Hercules Beetle's horn, with a smooth dark brown coating with yellow edging on the inner curves. Yellow lines went around the smaller, sharper red eyes to divide the horn from the rest of the head, which was light brown. He had four monstrous tusks that were curbed around the head, with the top having orange support organs. His mandibles were no longer stubs or tint pinchers, but instead retractable sharp jaws with pink gum fillings. Ridged armor smoothly curbed into the chest, which was light brown. On the lower pectorals were two orange diamonds to keep the midsection and top aligned. Small silver fillings surrounded his orange abdominal core, which hung above dark brown abdominal plating. His bottom-half had a sharp-ended pelvis with yellow edging along the ridging. It was extremely bulky and stern to support his legs. His legs have evolved so they were no longer stick0like, but instead armored, thick, and very muscular with orange ridging undersides. The knees had dark brown armored accents. The feet were jagged yellow claws, two in the front, and one in the back. His arms have evolved to rival such muscle and armor, making four broad arms with orange ridging on the underside. The four shoulders were dark brown with orange diamonds on them. Dense yellow claws stuck out. His wing shield had evolved to become armored and bulkier as well, being all dark brown with a light brown thorax to keep it together. Instead of four yellow wings, two very large, silver wings were tucked inside with light brown appendages.

The plasma storm around Maggie dissipated, revealing Pyrus Jelldon. However, unlike before, Jelldon had taken up an entirely different shape. He had a jellyfish-like frame where four large, green eyes were, but deep red mantles engulfed them, leading the sharp ends on the inside, and the inside where they lead to a red core. On each "shoulder" were two yellow ovular accents. A red "head" had a large green, cyclopean eye with three orange ovals above. Two green eyes were along the side like antennae sticking out with orange rings segmenting them. The main jellyfish body had the red core surrounded by six orange ovular dots, and had two extremely long red arms with orange rings neatly segmented. Below that part was the second-half, which had a dark red mantle with five ovular, bright yellow accents on the front. Four tentacles similar to the top were along the sides. His entire body downwards was a folded yellow, frilly skirt that had a few translucent red tentacles with bulbous yellow ends sticking out. He was notably as tall as Fly Beetle's new frame, rivaling everyone else now.

The winds around Jase receded, revealing Atmos. However, he also had a new look. The silver horn had become a v-shaped headpiece with a bright green diamond on it. A dark green headpiece went back behind the head, where similar dark green ridging and plating lined up the back of the neck towards the back. Silver spikes sharply angled at the cheeks. The red marks around the eyes became three red spokes. Bright yellow, jagged accents aligned the neck towards the collar, which were yellow diamond patterns connected to the thick green armored chest, which was sharply edged. A red diamond was in the base with silver edging. Four bright green diamonds met at the points where the segmented armor met. The exposed bright green feathers were smooth and went towards dark green leg guards with yellow accents. His talons were sharper, longer, and silver like blades. Instead of a flimsy feathered tail, it came three long, sharp, dark green feathers with silver ends meeting to make a long bladed tailfeather. His long, feathered wings had evolve to become silver appendages with multiple huge, thick, dark green jagged wing protrusions that were smooth. The propeller joints were gone and replaced by bright green spikes.

The dense light around Shawn faded, showing a serious glare from both him and Verias. The light lifted to show the ape with his body having straightened up and gotten taller to match everyone else. His massive prickly mane was gone, leaving very short white hair on his new humanoid gorilla contour. His majestic crown had become a golden crown with curbed golden spikes around the purple ornament on the front. The ears had become embedded into the golden crown to spike upwards with red ornaments. He had a thin but finely aged sideburns and chin hair leading to a small tuft of hair for a beard. Silver lining went from his bright blue, serious eyes down the cheeks. He had a broad, muscular upper body with thick hairy white arms with golden armor instead of gladiator-themed apparel. His shoulders had golden pauldrons with silver intends, with large bulbous blue jewels jutting out. They had red gems with deep golden hinges laced to the silver pendant with the bright yellow diamond in the center of it. The sides of the shoulder armor had orange loose ends. He had on a thick silver drape around his neck with orange-yellow edging. Dense, majestic gray gauntlets shielded his thick, broad arms. They were finely segmented with yellow edging, with blue jewel ornaments to sustain power. The knuckles were protected by dense gray braces. Golden pectoral and abdominal armor coated his muscles. A yellow ring with black lacing – similar to how the gauntlets were strapped around the arms – acted as a belt to hold up bright yellow skirt with orange long lines towards rhombus-like patterns with blue squares. A silver cloth with yellow edging hung between his legs. A bright Haos symbol was on it. The thick knees had golden armor with indents leading to thin red gems. Golden braces were at the ankles with small blue gems embroidering it. The toes had white nails, with the big and index tow having long, sharper, white nails. He had a huge, white coat made of fur behind him that swayed in the winds. He had an entirely new staff, which was no longer a battle axe, but a white staff segmented by orange lines to a golden ring surrounding a flat diamond in the center. Darker golden rings with blue accents in pairs of two aligned each side. The end of the staff ended in a blue diamond with golden support.

The pillar behind Esther gradually faded, revealing Atchibee gracefully fluttering overhead, showering down bright purple scales and light onto her partner. Atchibee let out a whistle as her new frame hung above all else. Dark purple scales covered her face as her red eyes had black lids surrounding them. The head now had a dark pink iris on the forehead with black filling. She had dark pink, blade-like antennae that curbed backwards. Her mouth that six brighter pink mandibles making a mask or brace. Two silver spikes jutted out the sides curving backwards. Her white mane had turned silver, but only covered the neck and thorax around the wings. Four long, thick, dark purple legs led to black long claws. Her dark purple underside was smooth unlike before. Her giant scythes had evolved into two, thin, jagged blood red sickles that could split anything in half. Her cocoon-like bottom had finally broken out of its shell, revealing woven underside of dark purple with flowing pink arches on the undersides going down towards a blood red stinger. The backside was completely black, with thin, bright red accents. It was shielded by small plated of park purple with pink edging. The circle patterns aligned the top sides, where the bottom had woven pink marks. However, above all, her wings had fully expanded and blossomed to nearly rival Atmos' monstrously large wingspan. Dark purple was on the outside, with dark pink accents that curbed inwards and around each other like veins. They had a number of circles that varied in sizes and patterns depending on the lights breaching through. However, they had a yin-yang symbol on the lower wings, with a blue sphere beneath it at the end of the "veins". The top had dark tips with swirling dark pink accents. The wings also had veins of different symbols, encompassing around "eyes" that were inverse with each other. Two distinct patterns showed a yellow background with a red dot overlapping black dot, and the other being a dark dot with a shaded background to show stages of the eclipse. The veins on the end made into the Darkus symbols.

Rogue Zero was left completely stupefied as they marveled at the larger, bulkier, if not slender frames that their opponents had taken up. They were so taken that they didn't realize the goosebumps on their skins multiplying as their skins lost texture.

"This can't be…that's impossible…" Ariella stammered, her pupils dilating from fear.

"How can this happen…again?" Hendrix grunted.

"Did their Bakugan seriously just…evolve?" Killian baffled.

Cesar was freaking out right now. "I-I don't count for this! M0my data! No! My genius! How?!"

Xander didn't even now what to say. He was staring at them completely at their mercy.

Shuji cracked his knuckles as he glared forward. "Meet…Subterra Hercules Fly Beetle." The newly evolved insectoid stomped on the ground, making the entire earth shake violently. Shuji stood coolly underneath as Fly Beetle unleashed a very deep, primal roar that flashed atoms around him into oblivion.

"And us, too." Maggie smirked. "Right? Pyrus Astral Jelldon!" Above, plasmatic flashes burst around Jelldon as all the rings and ovals on him shined brightly. The red core on him shined the brightest.

Jase calmly adjusted his glasses. "Well then, shall I introduce you then? Meet Ventus Apex Atmos, if you would be so kind." Atmos careened his head up, releasing a vile cry that pierced ears.

"Haos…Sage Verias!" Shawn declared. Overhead, Verias slammed the ground with the diamond end of his staff, causing the ground to shimmer a bright Hao aura before he took in a deep breath. He opened wide to expel a roar of primal dominance.

"Well then, I suppose we'll have to show them what it means to grow. Right…Darkus Eclipse Atchibee." Esther noted subtly, and so bluntly at that. Atchibee released a sinister howl as her fangs shifted along her mouth. More purple sparks rained down as she flapped alongside her comrades.

Cesar looked at the new threat opposing them before seeing his gauntlet measuring their power.

Eclipse Atchibee: 8900/Astral Jelldon: 10,450/Hercules Fly Beetle: 9100/Sage Verias: 8700/Apex Atmos: 7300 = 44,450

Ultra Dragonoid: 7000/Bloom Rafflesian: 2100/Megalo Clawcer: 4300/Swarm Moskeeto: 2800/Deep Freezer: 2400 = 18,600

"Such power…" Hendrix grunted.

Ariella gasped, realizing something. "Quick! Clawcer! Bring down their power levels! Ability, activate! Crab Gong!"

Clawcer, barely getting over the evolution he was stammering on, raised his claw into the air, before slamming it back down as hard s he could. The claw dug into the Gate Card, shattering it beneath them before exploding blue shockwaves that slammed into the enemy Bakugan, engulfing them in a smoke as the ripple effect dissipated outwards.

Eclipse Atchibee: 8900 (-5100 -300) = 3500/Astral Jelldon: 10,450 (-5100 -300) = 5050/Hercules Fly Beetle: 9100 (-5100 -300) = 3700/Sage Verias: 8700 (-5100 -300) = 3300/Apex Atmos: 7300 (-5100 -300) = 1900 = 17,450

Ultra Dragonoid: 7000/Bloom Rafflesian: 2100/Megalo Clawcer: 4300 (+300) = 4600/Swarm Moskeeto: 2800/Deep Freezer: 2400 = 18,900

"Good thinking, Ariella. Now they don't have that excess power." Killian commented. He was actually surprised he complimented Ariella on something.

Ariella chuckled as the seismic shockwaves diminished. "So much for that. For moment they had me worried there. But I guess it was for show after all."

"Are you sure about that?"

Ariella's eyes shot wide open. Rogue Zero collectively looked over to watch the dust wave dissipate, revealing all five Bakugan standing completely unhinged, like nothing happened to begin with. In fact, they looked like they didn't even feel that. What's more, they saw all their battle partners mounted on their shoulders or backs.

"Was that a buffer just now?" Shawn taunted.

"C'mon, that was more of a breeze." Shuji chimed. He leaned into Fly Beetle, holding on tight. "Okay, time to rock."

At that cue, Hercules Fly Beetle balled his fists and started trudging his way across the ground. With his gargantuan bulk and heftiness, each step left the ground trembling as he leaned forward, intending to completely bulldoze through them.

Hendrix grunted. "Ability, activate! Terra Form!" Rafflesian roared as he lashed his briars into the earth yet again. The earth shook before he threw large boulders at the incoming insectoid. His power level arose towards 2600.

The large boulders went at him like an asteroid field, but Hercules Fly Beetle went through like nothing was there. The boulders crumbled to dust as his dense horn and tusks tore open a path for him to break through. Unlike his previous form as Stag Fly Beetle, Hercules Fly Beetle had no trouble maiming his way through the wake.

"GRRRRR! GRAAAHH!" The insectoid let out a distinguish cry as he used his four armored arms to tear a path through. The air shook violently as he closed the gap further.

Hendrix backpedaled from surprise. "He's…gotten that much stronger?"

"Not on my watch, you don't!" Xander declared. "Ability, activate! Stroke Blaze!" Ultra Dragonoid's power excessively climbed towards 7500 as he breathed out a horrendous blast of crimson fire.

"Ability, activate! Sea Stalker!" Ariella chimed. Clawcer raised his legs and plunged them into the ground, sending an aquatic linear path towards Hercules Fly Beetle. His power climbed higher towards 5000.

"Ability, activate! Spear Light!" Cesar shouted, while Freezer fired more spears of light into Fly Beetle. His power climbed towards 2700, whereas Fly Beetle dropped towards 3400.

The water, fire, and light-based attacks all traveled in unison, gradually gaining momentum until it became one large crevice attack of the three elements. They jettisoned across the ground, tearing up earth until Shuji and Fly Beetle met it head-on, resulting an ongoing pulse wave that the three Bakugan kept firing on. They dared not to give in in fear of what might happen.

"Let's see you move forward now!" Xander taunted maniacally. "You think you're so tough?! Let's see you deal with that!"

The positive energy attack blitzed into Fly Beetle's sturdy bulk, but he looked far from detained. It seemed like he stopped moving, but a glint from his eyes showed another meaning.

"Ability, activate-!" Shuji started.

There was a brief pause before the colors of the attacks began distorting into a melting brown mass. The air around condensed before a pressure built up. It was so fast that Xander nor anyone for that matter could react in time.

"What the-?!"

"HORN GAIA!" A deep, intimidating tone proceeded to a pulse exploding outwards, tearing the attack open with an atomic blast of bright orange-brown energy. It swallowed everything in its path like a bomb's shockwave. All of Rogue Zero's Bakugan cried out in earnest pain as they were blown away by the attack from seemingly out of nowhere.

Eclipse Atchibee: 3500/Astral Jelldon: 5050/Hercules Fly Beetle: 3400 (+600) = 4000/Sage Verias: 3300/Apex Atmos: 1900 = 17,750

Ultra Dragonoid: 7500 (-600) = 6900/Bloom Rafflesian: 2600 (-600) = 2000/Megalo Clawcer: 5000 (-600) = 4400/Swarm Moskeeto: 2800 (-600) = 2200/Deep Freezer: 2700 (-600) =2100 = 17,650

The ground leveled into a deep depression as the atomic wave fanned outwards. Rogue Zero was all blown off their feet and hurdled around like rag dolls. They all cried out as they could feel the intensity of the Subterra mass exploding like a dome. They all were helpless. The roaring ground made it too much for them to reach their Bakumeters for abilities.

Through that mass, a green blur sped and tore a path clean through, like a blade in the sky. Jase held on as the falcon closed the gap at ultrasonic speeds.

"Ability, activate! Hurriblade!"

Atmos' yellow eyes gleamed before he flapped just one wing outwards, unleashing a shredding maelstrom of power that ate its way through the enemy Bakugan like nothing. They all screamed and whirled in agony as the orange-brown energy and the shrapnel winds fused to create a large green seismic tornado that erupted skywards. The jettison of the combined force was enough to completely separate any clouds to reveal a void-like sky. Airwaves fanned for miles on end, severing everything in its wake.

"This power…where is it coming from?!" Hendrix grunted.

Killian gnashed his teeth. He held up a set of abilities to help them. "Double Ability, activate! Swarm Cannon, plus Fusion Ability, Hum Pulse!"

Moskeeto managed to adjust himself through the whirlwinds and readied a charge. His huge nose cannon readied for a piercing blow for Atmos. He hurriedly gathered energy until an ultrasonic green cannon with sonic waves around it tore through the cyclone, only for Jelldon – who floated in front – prepared for.

'It can float now?!'

"Ability, activate!" Maggie shouted high on his shoulder. "Flash Atom!"

All the accents on Jelldon shine brightly. Before he expelled a voluminous burst of crimson atoms that exploded into flares around him. They fanned out, dispersing Killian's green beam and nullifying the ability.

With the opening, Atmos released a blistering cry before he outsped Moskeeto. The bug looked wide-eyed as his speed was nowhere nearly as fast. Before he realized it, Atmos sped right past him, enveloping him in a green blur before falling down in a smoke cloud. Like a plane shot out of the sky.

Ariella's anger spiked. "Ability, activate! Shell Drive-X!" Clawecr hissed as he got in front and made a magenta energy shell around his body. He snarled low as he awaited for the attacks to come. "There, that'll limit them! Now, Hendrix!"

"As you wish." He held up an ability. "Ability, activate! Cavernous-X!"

A bright gleam gathered around Rafflesian. He growled low as he channeled his energy into eth briars. The ground beneath grew fissures of magenta, which fumed their way towards the others. A seismic wave of energy drew closer while Clawcer led the charge. The fissure wave went around his magenta claw as he lunged for the opponent Bakugan.

"DISAPPEAR!" Ariella cried out. Clawcer jutted out further as a response to her vengeance.

Shawn and Verias glanced at each other before the latter held up his Bakumeter. "Ability, activate…Rune Warlock!"

Megalo Clawcer and the seismic shockwave drew closer, specifically towards Verias with fury. The attack struck as hard as it could, sending a colossal mountain of dirt and shell fragments everywhere, especially skywards. The entire wave fanned around, but quickly dispersed to show what happened.

Ariella had a smug look of pleasure, but she noticed something horribly wrong once the dust settled. "What the-?!"

The fissures and earth went up towards Verias, who was surrounded by a magenta outline as he stood completely still. Clawcer's pincer was frozen in place, and the quakes left vein-like cracks beneath him. They gradually traveled upwards, encompassing him in full, but that only made their worries intensify.

"What happened to the Shell Drive-X?!" Ariella gasped.

"That's Rune Warlock's effect in the works." Shawn said. "It swaps ability effects with any other Bakugan on the battlefield. In this case, your Shell Drive-X…is on you now!"

Verias' eyes gleamed bright before his entire afterimage shined bright white. The carapace around him shattered, sending fragments of a shell-like exterior flying everywhere haphazardly. His power bolted towards 4300, and the shell fragments blew the magenta energy in the cracks and Clawcer away in agony, completely neutralizing them in full.

"You can't be serious!" Ariella panicked. She was staring at Shawn and everyone else. They all looked deathly serious that it spooked her. 'Their power…how did they get ahead of everything we do? It's not right! I don't understand…!'

Xander vocalized his insults. "That power isn't yours! It's ours! Give it back! Ability, activate! Molten Valkyrie!" Ultra Dragonoid's body swelled in a crimson array of colors as he dove for Verias/ He reached out for him, ready to absorb that power.

"Atchibee…" Esther mumbled.

The moth hissed in understanding. She flew down with her partner to intercept Ultra Dragonoid.

As Ultra Dragonoid unleashed a bolstering cry, Xander was angry. "I'm sick and tired of you all! You have no right taking what we've worked so hard for! You all need to give it back! NOW!"

"Ability, activate!" Esther declared. "Solaris Moondance!"

Atchibee brought her wings back and scattered purple, glistening powder scales. They fanned everywhere like a plume, twinkling with white dots like a cosmos cloud. The plume enveloped the Bakugan, while the array of cosmic particles blocked off Ultra Dragonoid, diffusing his ability.

"Our absorption power! No!"

Ultra Dragonoid recoiled backwards and looked through the powder scales swirling around the opponents. The scales gave them all a powerful increase, which they all allowed to seep in and make them glare harder.

Eclipse Atchibee: 3500 (+500) = 4000/Astral Jelldon: 5050 (+500) = 5550/Hercules Fly Beetle: 4000 (+500) = 4500/Sage Verias: 4300 (+500) = 4800/Apex Atmos: 2500 (+500) = 3000 = 21,850

Ultra Dragonoid: 6900/Bloom Rafflesian: 2000/Megalo Clawcer: 4400/Swarm Moskeeto: 2200/Deep Freezer: 2100 = 17,650

The blanket of powder continued swelling around everyone, but Cesar banged his fist against his armrest. "We will not be defeated! Not like this! You shall not have your way! Do you hear me?! Ability activate! Atomic…FREEZE~!"

Freezer's eyes flashed brightly before every part of his entire body cooled down. The air gradually crystalized until enough mass was mass for him to expel a shockwave of ice and frost that froze up the ground. It traveled towards them.

As the ice wave traveled, Fly Beetle extended his humungous wing shields and fluttered his beastly insectoid wings, lifting him off the ground. He went to freefall as Shuji readied an ability. "Ability, activate! Precipice Slate!"

One of his four fists balled before he went down into the ground, punching it with full force. Sharp, slanted stones protruded in various angle much like a barricade before him as the subzero blizzard raced right into it, only for the cold, hard ice and air to angle back at Rogue Zero.

"He reflected the ability back?!" Hendrix gasped.

The ice wave repelled itself across the ground towards Rogue Zero's Bakugan. They all looked horrified just as the wake of ice reached them.

"Ability activate, Tiberius Flame!" Xander shouted. Ultra Dragonoid's power arose towards 7400 as he unleashed a bolstering, huge fireball that exploded upon impact with the blizzard. The result was a steam explosion that fanned outwards, rippling chunks of ice everywhere around Rogue Zero's Bakugan.

"Ability, activate!" Shawn declared. "Haos Savior!"

Sage Verias twirled his new staff around until he slammed the diamond end in front of him. The jewel in the center ring shined brightly, engulfing everyone in a Haos glow that radiated them supportive power. Once more, the air started trembling as their wake was becoming overbearing.

Eclipse Atchibee: 4000(x2) = 8000/Astral Jelldon: 5550 (x2) = 11,100/Hercules Fly Beetle: 4500 (x2) = 9000/Sage Verias: 4800 (x2) = 9600/Apex Atmos: 3000 (x2) = 6000 = 43,700

Ultra Dragonoid: 7400/Bloom Rafflesian: 2000/Megalo Clawcer: 4400/Swarm Moskeeto: 2200/Deep Freezer: 2100 = 18,150

"They doubled all their power at once?!" Cesar blinked.

Killian looked at Xander. "Xander, this is bad. What do we do now?"

"Xander…Rogue Zero…"

The flames and ice dispersed, replaced by powdered scales. Eclipse Atchibee loomed overhead with the void-like sky having a pressure so mighty that it made all of them feel weak in the knees. Darkus energy amassed around Eclipse Atchibee as she growled at them.

"If you and your Bakugan chose this way, then we shall end this for both yours and our sake." Esther stated. "This is…the result of having not just ourselves, but from others who have suffered, and chose to move forward together." She swung her spear forward, directing her Bakugan. "Ability, activate! Violet Pulsar!"

Atchibee's long, sickle-like blades arose and spread outwards. They faced dead ahead before they split into two on each side. Four huge blood sickles unfolded and curbed into each other's ends, meeting to make a full moon shape around Atchibee.

Eclipse Atchibee: 8000 (+600) = 8600/Astral Jelldon: 11,100/Hercules Fly Beetle: 9000/Sage Verias: 9600/Apex Atmos: 6000 = 44,300

Ultra Dragonoid: 7400 (-600) = 6800/Bloom Rafflesian: 2000/Megalo Clawcer: 4400/Swarm Moskeeto: 2200/Deep Freezer: 2100 = 17,750

Atchibee gathered enough momentum before she finally unleashed a bloodthirsty cry. She flapped one last time, before firing a dense, violet energy beam that shattered the sound barrier towards the stupefied Rogue Zero.

Xander let out a shrilled cry of shock that echoed into oblivion. It faded, along with everyone's hopes as they and their Bakugan were unable to escape the gruesome dark energy beam. The moment of impact resulted in a pillar of exploding Darkus mass that projected all over the place, tearing up earth, obliterating the negative energy ions, making a crackling energy field that dispersed itself through the area.

The pulsating blast gradually settled down, until finally, it all receded, leaving the five newly evolved Bakugan to settle themselves in front of the leveled wasteland created. Shawn and everyone glared ahead as they watched the dust settle, showing all of Rogue Zero sprawled along the ground. Even Cesar was knocked out of his seat, laying on the ground completely sullied.

All their Bakugan couldn't take it anymore. They had cracks, bruises, and parts of their bodies steamed and smoked. They all reverted to ball form, falling to Rogue Zero's sides as they laid there, borderline unconscious. Even their ball forms were smoking.

Xander: 0%

Hendrix: 0%

Ariella: 0%

Killian: 0%

Cesar: 0%

"We…finally did it." Jelldon wheezed, before he felt a sharp pain. "GNGH! Oh…my body…"

"We've done it, and we've survived such drastic power climbs, too." Maggie sighed in relief. "It's over now, thank goodness."

"I believe you might be right." Jase agreed. "This victory was won fairly."

"Truer words never spoken so nonchalantly." Atmos replied.

Jase smirked, prodding his glasses with his fingertip. "Yes, well, let's save the celebration after all of us come to our senses."

"…" Esther watched in silence with Atchibee and the others as Rogue Zero barely stirred in the dirt. They were all crippled, if not terribly trying to stand. But they were so exhausted, and battered to the bridled bone.

Looked up at his Bakugan in ball form, Xander weakly reached out to him. "Ultra Dragonoid…no…" He lost the strength to move, leaving him grunting. "Gnggh…"

Cesar twitched. "We've lost…miserably at that…but how was this even possible? My genius…soiled…I'm soiled…"

Hendrix grunted as he tried standing, but only got to his knees. He looked down at the ground, closing his eyes before his anger finally spiked. "HRAH!" He punched the ground hard, enough to hear the bones crack in the knuckles. He breathed heavily out of exhaustion and frustration.

Ariella groaned. "This…this is…"

Shawn stepped forward. "You guys are wounded. It's not worth pushing yourselves anymore. It's over."

Killian, whose shades have flown off in the ruckus, gave Shawn a glare. "You would know when to quit…wouldn't you?" he sniped.

Maggie frowned. "I almost feel sorry for them…"

"Don't be." Shuji crossed his arms, but his tone was empathetic with Maggie's sentiment. "We gave them what they wanted. They wanted a fight, and this is what happened."

"Talk about brutal consequences." Fly Beetle vocalized.

"Yes, but I think we're forgetting someone." Verias reminded them, bringing everyone back to reality.

"Yeah, Luke." Shawn frowned, feeling the seriousness of the tone overtake his senses. "…I wonder where he and Maximus are right now?"

"Wherever he is, he better come back. We won't wait long without him if he does." Maggie protested matter-of-factly.

"Indeed, time is of the essence." Jase declared. "But we've exhausted even ourselves. It's up to Luke to solve this problem himself."

Esther turned towards the far distance within the everlasting wasteland. Their battle had completely torn away any traces of a sound landscape to even travel on. Not to mention they were winded themselves. Nevertheless, she glared expectantly. "…yes. Let Luke finish his part. We've done ours. It's only that fair."

"Esther…" Atchibee hissed, before looking out in the beyond. "Abis, be well…"

Xander struggled to cope with this, but he wasn't going to let their defeat be in vain. "Max…it's up to you…show them…our desperation."

---

The pulsation of their battle was so immense that across the Doom Dimension, the sky was still spotless with darkness instead of a gloomy, cloudy scenery. It was clear as day, ironically. Their battle's energy had created an invisible shockwave that fanned out and leveled the wasteland to shrapnel. Formations notably shuddered and cracked midway through. By the time the shockwaves fanned through the earth miles away, it was nothing more than a tailwind to make Abis lunge after Goblinball.

His voracious, dense jaws were grabbed by Goblinball's gauntlets, reeling him in and trying to contain his far longer foe. He eventually found the strength to lift Abis in midair and slam him into the ground beneath. Abis recovered in time to swerve around Goblinball's downward stomp, causing a deep depression with rocks defying gravity. Abis was still much too fast and long to outmaneuver as he used the momentum from evasion to snake his long frame and coil around Goblinball. With his opponent bind on the ground on his cast-iron scales, Abis loomed over his opponent as he squeezed the life out of him. And yet, that only fueled Goblinball with even more rage. Abis came down with jaws ready to bite his head off, but Goblinball pushed out his wings to break free of the coils and shot up milliseconds before the jaws snapped down onto thin air. Abis narrowed his eyes and noticed Goblinball's fist coming down, which he parried with his tail. The collision was so forceful that the depression expanded from their stalemate. They found themselves in a voracious parry of fists and tailfins that lashed into each other without stopping. They had to be faster, stronger than the other in order to overwhelm them. Eventually, however, the two backed away for a moment before Goblinball lunged with a slash, right into Abis' jaws. He clamped down hard, grabbing the gauntlet and dragged Goblinball through the air behind. He slung him back as far as possible and whipped forward, sending him skidding and skipping across the ground hundreds of meters apart. He barreled head-first into a rock formation, crumbling it and kept going into he smashed into a gummy hill. In the time it took for a person to blink, a dark glint seared through that hill, blowing it to smithereens as a jet-black spritz that was Goblinball sped across the earth, lapping and gliding his way into driving his clasped hands into the earth again, which Abis swerved above to watch over another cloud of earth erupt.

Beyond the destructive plumage these two Bakugan were creating, Maximus and Luke were in their own high-speed clash of destruction. When Maximus jabbed, it took Luke every reaction possible to deflect the claws. Each one slashed and countered the other wit ducks, swipes, leaps, and dodging from side-to-side. And yet, no matter what the other did, the opposite was able to react out of experience and primal instinct.

Luke eventually skid back, able to get some ground away from Maximus. 'He's getting faster than before. Is he able to read my tricky movements?'

Maximus' gaze turned ferally excited. "Slippery, aren't…you?" He held up his Bakumeter, showing two abilities overlapping one another. "Double ability, activate! Void Mamba, plus Nebulous Destroyer!"

From the dust cloud below, thick, shadowy tendrils shot out and managed to reach around Abis, snaring him in place. The rest of the dust dispersed as Goblinball aimed skywards and fired an empowered dark matter plasma sphere through the air at Abis.

"Ability, activate! Stealth Dweller!" Luke shouted.

Abis' diamonds and gills glowed, allowing his body to camouflage and become vapor. The tendrils loosely dispelled as the dark energy sphere continued its descent before exploding in the high skies, yet hot nothing. Goblinball snarled, even though his power bolted towards 1600.

Maximus craned his neck over, stuttering yet again. "Y-you…still hiding, from me?! HRRAAAHH!" Maximus let out a grotesque bellow into the atmosphere, one that actually shuddered the air around him.

Luke prepared his next stance.

"Ability activate, Osiris Drake!" Daemon Goblinball's eye core shimmered a bright gleam, before an eruption bright purple energy exploded around the body. He roared violently into the hollow atmosphere with a fury.

Daemon Goblinball: 1600 (+600) = 2200 Daedalus Abis Omega: 900

The negative dragoon was stationary as the eye couldn't trace Abis. Due to Stealth Dweller, he could be anywhere. That's when he looked down at the ground to find Luke squaring off with Maximus. He got an idea. "GRROOOAAH!" The energy swirled into a draconic head and barreled into a steep dive down towards the ground. He was just about to hit the ground when he right angled and swerved across the earth into Luke's direction.

Luke broke off from another parry and noticed the large dragon head beaming right towards him. 'He's changing his course onto me all of a sudden?!'

Goblinball bellowed as he closed the gap remarkably fast. And with a head-on force like that, Luke wouldn't live through it. He was going to roll over and cover up with his blade as a guard, but a swift arch of vapor grabbed hold of Luke and carried him away at the last second, sparing him a brutal demise in the form of a dusty plume. The invisible Abis swerved in the air, with Luke grasping onto the head.

"Thanks, Abis!" he shouted. Luke looked back down at the dust cloud with a frown.

The cloud stirred briefly, before Goblinball went streaming out in the same draconic energy; this time with Maximus perched on his shoulder once more. The stream blitzed around, tracing the invisible Abis thanks to following Luke with his sharp eyeball. The speed was so uncanny that the gap and reaction time was closing in on them.

"You aren't…aren't…getting faster?" Maximus groaned. "Slowing down…?"

Luke looked over his shoulder with narrowed eyes. "Not good! They're catching up!"

Abis' vapor form swerved around, leaving Goblinball to barrel straight ahead into nothing. But he was a persistent Bakugan no less, just like his master. He arched back into the sky, spiraling towards the higher altitude into a beeline for Luke's frame.

"Destroy them!"

"Abis, now!"

Goblinball shot diagonally downwards at them. He was going for a complete sundering crash, yet Luke jumped off on the left, while the invisible Abis swerved right. With both of them divided, Goblinball went past them.

Once he went through, his draconic stream dissipated. He used his wings to cease his crash course into the ground to get airborne. Luke had a miniature descent before Abis' tails coiled around his waist. He hung their suspended, hundreds of meters off the ground in the face of Maximus and Goblinball.

"You…irritating reflection!" Maximus slurred. "Ability, activate! Nebulous Destroyer!" Goblinball gathered dark energy between his hands and created a dark matter hemisphere that he charged up.

"Ability, activate-!"

Goblinball roared as he surged enough matter at the right amount of time to fire at the invisible Abis. However, Stealth Dweller kept him immune, leaving Goblinball's power to rocket into 2700.

"-Flood Quasar!" Abis' invisible frame opened his maw, reeled back the head before unleashing a dense, blue beam that met Goblinball's attack head-on. The two attacks met centerfield, creating a violet airwave that exploded everywhere.

Daemon Goblinball: 2700 (-1900) = 800 Daedalus Abis Omega: 900 (+500) = 1400

The hemisphere and pressurized beam continued their stalemate in the high sky, with neither giving in. Maximus and Luke shot intense glares at each other, unyielding towards the other; the former's eyes shrunk further with hate.

Gradually, Abis' attack started pushing back Maximus' attack. It drastically closed in on Goblinball, who grunted at his strongest move being on the verge of defeat.

"Fusion Ability, activate! Lunatic Blackout!" Goblinball's body expelled swirling Darkus energy that engulfed his own attack. The mass turned into a multitude of streams that swerved around and draped themselves into the weakening dark orb. This gave it a stronger energy mass inside, and a much darker hue within its core that pulsed. The pulse Abis kept projecting hiccupped thanks to the excess mass that pushed the sphere back at him.

Daemon Goblinball: 800 (+300) = 1100 Daedalus Abis Omega: 1400 (-300) = 1100

"We…SHALL NOT YIELD…TO YOU!" Maximus roared.

"Neither will we!" Luke held up his Bakumeter, showing another ability. "Now! Fusion Ability, activate! Poseidon Surge!"

Abis' frame became fully visible as his diamonds and gills all over his body had a luminescent bright aura within them. They shined brighter, just like the diamond Luke was on top of. Abis let out a loud, disastrous roar before he lurched, unleashing glistening, spiraling jets of deep blue seawater through his attack, giving it a rotation and a greater mass that instantly blew away Goblinball's excess stream.

"WHAT?!" Maximus looked shocked, just as much as Goblinball was.

Daemon Goblinball: 1100 (-300) = 800 Daedalus Abis Omega: 1100 (+300 +500) = 1900

The glistening deep blue beam with a liquid spiral kept growing, and pushing as hard it could into Goblinball's attack. "HRRAAAAAH!" Luke and Abis cried out with all their might as they gave it everything they had, increasing the mass until it completely engulfed the hemisphere and continued towards Goblinball. He was swallowed on a roaring blue light that made his and Maximus' screams inaudible. They were shot down into the ground hard, smashing into the battlefield with a blue plume erupting brashly everywhere.

The ground gradually leveled beneath them, with cracks dicing with gushes of water protruding from below. They spread out in a large radius until they diffused into small wakes. Their roaring sways diminished through the cracks just as fast as they burst out.

Abis and Luke looked down, both making sure to stay as high up for their vantage point. They knew their opponent was a terribly brutal one, but everything should have a limit somewhere, right? They watched a mixture of dust and mist diffused into the earth, but they were certain to stay on guard.

"You…you won't get away with this, you hear me?! I will make you learn your place, you meddlesome good-for-nothing! I'll show you why you need fear!"

Thinking to what he said on Gundalia, Luke furrowed his brow at the mist cloud. 'We do need fear. Maximus…but you're letting it swallow you up.'

The dust finally dissipated, revealing a pair of wings that flapped once, bringing Goblinball's staggering frame back up to standing. He grunted though from the brutal wake he endured. He groaned as he looked up towards Abis. "Not…enough…"

"Is that…all you've got…you weakling…?" Maximus hissed. He reached up, his glare blood red with exhaustion and anguish. "Gate Card, open! Pyrus!"

The Gate Card beneath shined brightly, giving Abis a look of surprise. "A trap field?" He looked down at Maximus, who snarled with a sickly happy smile.

"I've been hearing a lot about your power…mind if I steal it back?"

A rainbow fission appeared between Goblinball and Abis. Their power levels gradually swapped, transferring the power between the two.

Daemon Goblinball: 800 (+1100) = 1900 Daedalus Abis Omega: 1900 (-1100) = 800

"He swapped our power levels when he knew we would counter." Luke realized, before gasping. "Below you!"

Goblinball shot up like a black jet, his claw outstretched so he could slash through Abis. Thanks to his long body, he funneled around and dodged the claw, but Goblinball anticipated this and cried out. His wings expanded, causing Abis to break into freefall around him. Time slowed down as they processed it for moment, before Goblinball roundhoused Abis across his face, sending the serpent careening back through the skies.

He pulled himself together and came to a halt several meters away from Goblinball. The two Bakugan were neck and neck at this point. Something had to give, but no one was admitting to it yet.

"You…will not ever be…good enough!" Maximus snarled. He held up his Bakumeter, showing an ability with a purple core labeled on it.

Luke and Abis immediately recognized it. They knew what was coming.

BA-DUMP!

The air began trembling around them like an earthquake. Its force gradually increased to an even larger magnitude that even Abis was having a hard time holding his balance. Dark purple flashes made everything inverse around them. Colors of black and white deluded all other meanings to the color system.

Maximus' eyes dilated for a moment, before they ultimately shrunk. "Know the pain…of fear. Ability, activate! Pain-X!"

A dark purple core was on Goblinball's eye core, which gradually diffused chords all around the body. They swerved and strangled him, making him twitch in extreme discomfort. Abis and Luke watched with their own worries as their opponent was wriggling in pain, his huge pupil pulsating until it finally shrunk. The eye had completely dilled and turned blood red.

"KKKRRRRAAAAHHH!" An earsplitting, hazardous cry tore through the sky with magenta ripples distorting air pressure. It caused a change so great that they made Luke's ears pop, much to his annoyance. As he winced, Goblinball's entire body was encompassed in magenta, black, and indigo shadows. His eyeball glowed bright magenta with the feral slit being nothing more than a tony white dot. The veil around his body distorted the air, making it hazy and dark purple.

Daemon Goblinball: 1900 (+4000) = 5900 Daedalus Abis Omega: 800

'Their power levels went up higher than before!' Luke realized.

Maximus' smirked jovially, showing his gaudy teeth. "Is that startling I sense…don't worry." Suddenly Goblinball and Maximus vanished.

A dread went down their spines as they picked up on something overhead. They both barely caught the sight of a magenta and black fist embodied with dense purple strings around it. Time slowed down as the fist reeled forward with no time to dodge.

"That…WILL BE A START AND AN END!" Maximus finished. "FEEL OUR PAIN!"

Goblinball drove his fist into Abis with everything he had to give. At the moment of impact, a bright magenta flare gradually illuminated their shocked expressions before a huge wave of destructive negative energy exploded. It covered a large range, fanning out for miles into a prolong beam that raced across the sky. Anything that stood in its way was all but annihilated.

Abis was in the dead center of it all, engulfed by all the pain, the hate, and the anguish that Daemon Goblinball had, and expelled it into a radius he was unable to evade. He screeched through the wake as he was blown back with Luke on his head, who hung on for dear life. Both contenders screamed mightily, but everything for them turned hazy and white.

…

The beam continued for miles away until it diffused into hundreds of distorted frames. They exploded across the sky. Everyone took the time to look up and see magenta shockwaves flow over their heads.

Maggie gasped. "What's that?"

Rogue Zero looked up, feeling the intense hatred in the air. The atmosphere roared nonstop. "Maximus'…rage is…even felt from here." Xander mumbled.

Shawn, Jase, and Shuji furrowed their brows. Maggie stared up in shock and disbelief at the scene. Esther had a look of earnest surprise. The rest of Rogue Zero was just as shocked as them.

Xander's shock on his face gradually turned over. It was barely seen, but the looks of a smirk could be seen crossing his lips.

Esther looked up with her face hiding her worries. 'Luke. Abis Omega.'

…

The fist drove convulsing energy that swallowed everything in its path. The air and earth were violently shaking as the valleys and mountaintops in the distance crumbled away. Nothing could get through, and nothing could be heard, and yet Maximus smirked wide and maliciously.

"No matter what…do you…I will always…loom over you, Luke…that shadow…I cast…I will sever it. I will cast no shadow that will look up at me again." He thought about the small mirror again, the first time he flinched upon seeing his own reflection. "No reflection of mine…will look at me again! Those reflection – no, you! Shall be shrouded in black, and I shall be your reflection that will be your life's end!"

The sound of ringing was all Luke could hear through the undying pain he was feeling. If it wasn't for Abis' head fin, he would've been blown off already. The flying sea serpent let out an inaudible cry that faded into the darkness surrounding them.

"AB…IS…!" Luke was feeling much pressure push him and Abis away. They couldn't feel anything, let alone see or feel. It was near impossible at this point to even tell what's feelings anymore. 'It's no good…at this rate…we're gonna -!' In his mind, he thought about everyone. His eyes widened. 'No! We can't…let things end here between us!'

Abis could feel his scales chip as his armor was suffering some cracks. His extremely high pain threshold at this point was holding out, but he couldn't move through the wake. It was too much. And yet, he wasn't gonna back down so frivolously. No after everything they've been through.

'Abis…'

The serpent's eyes glared up at Luke. "Luke…we…won't lose…"

Luke's eyes widened. Another memory came back to him in that short instance.

"Don't ever forget. It's still a long road yet. There's a big bump in your way, are you just going to lose speed and roll back down?"

Luke paused for a moment. He had to realize this was all going inside his head. This had to be their final remnants of energy that Luka passed over by the blade. No wonder it was so bright. "…no, I wasn't forgetting. My light just got dim for a moment there."

Luka scoffed. "I'll believe it when I see it." He smirked nonchalantly. "Better make whatever life you got count…Luke."

Once again, Luke realized his mistake and vowed to correct it. 'No, we won't…' The grip on his blade tightened. 'Let our road be cut off by someone's selfishness. Maximus, I swear…'

The diamonds on Abis' body started shining brightly, expelling a soft blue energy that bloomed around him and Luke as the latter fixed his eyes on the cause.

The eruptive wake of the attack eventually settled, thinking out enough to show nothing in front of Maximus and Goblinball. The atmosphere continued roaring out until it dispersed, leaving a silent airspace.

Maximus widely smirked. "Told you…you…you…" His shoulders slouched forward, his composure gradually breaking down until it was laughing fits. "You…would NEVER BE ENOUGH! HAHAHAHA!" His laughter echoed outwards into the void. "I WAS YOUR FEAR! FEAR ALWAYS CONQUER YOU IN THE END! I HAVE ERASED MY OWN DEMISE! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Goblinball's eye core adjusted, zeroing in on something it picked up on. The iris and sclera thinned out, becoming feral at something it saw.

"What is it now?" Maximus snarled. He looked ahead in the distance, seeing a blue star jettisoning towards them. Gradually his eyes widened in disbelief.

The blue star drew closer, revealing Daedalus Abis Omega still in one piece. Pressure Shield surrounded his entire front as Luke held up his Bakumeter, glaring ahead as Abis kept swimming through the air at full speed.

Daemon Goblinball: 5900 Daedalus Abis Omega: 800 (+5100) = 5900

"Huh?!" Goblinball growled.

Maximus' eyes dilated with just as much rage. "How many…many times does it take to…to kill the same…human?" He snarled.

The shield dispersed around Abis, allowing him to dart ahead with ambition as deep as the ocean depths. His body had an Aquos aura as the diamonds around his body projected deep blue light and visible vapor, making it look like he was swimming at Mach speed through the skies.

"You can…can be…so persistent?" Maximus groaned.

'You have no idea. We can only go forward at this point!' Luke drew his sword forward, pulling it back to ready as they picked up speed.

"Ability activate, Void Mamba!" Goblinball moved his arm forward, summoning a void-like portal that fired streaming shadowy tendrils into his prey.

Daemon Goblinball: 5900 (+300) = 6200 Daedalus Abis Omega: 5900 (-300) = 5600

The shadows stretched towards Abis Omega and Luke, the two charging in head-on. Luke used his sword and cleaved through several tendrils in their way. With each swing of his energy sword, he grunted. 'We won't stop moving forward…not as long as we're still alive to do so!'

More tendrils kept coming after them, so many in tangents that it seemed like a wall that'll strangle them on the spot. "Ability activate, Terror Torpedo!" Abis' diamonds and gills over his body shined bright blue, just as the tendrils all swarmed on him. They seemed to have overwhelmed him for a moment, but the ball of darkness glowed bright blue and expanded unevenly before a blue stream soared at sonic speeds through it. Abis' deep blue aura got denser as his eyes trailed deep blue energy.

Daemon Goblinball: 6200 (-500) = 5700 Daedalus Abis Omega: 5600 (+500) = 6100

With the extra speed, they swiftly streamed through the skies, dodging the shadow tendrils impeding their path. The look on both their faces showed nothing less than a one-sided goal to drive forward. 'We won't let things end here. We have to keep our eyes open on every window we can get. That's how we got here today.' If one looked closely, their eyes lines up with that ferocity. They looked exactly the same. 'We've had the current drag us this far. Flow! Let it keep going!'

As they drew closer, Luke can see right into Maximus' deluded glare. 'Maximus, you were afraid. Afraid of what might happen if you looked into the void, right? I know what it's like. I've been there before…' "And we won't-!" Abis swerved into Goblinball, who parried him and soared away, but Abis was right on his tail. "Let up for a second! We'll go beyond that void! Because beyond there, is a light that will guide you onwards!"

It was high-sky showdown; dark purple and bright blue streams twisted and turned in and away from each other so fast that if one blinked, they'd end up elsewhere. They helix around themselves until Goblinball sped off. Abis was right on his tail, and he was closing the gap fast.

"Ability activate, Black Overcannon!" Maximus roared. Goblinball turned around and created a mass of dark plasma in front of his eye core and fired a beam, dropping Abis' power from 6100 to 5600. The serpent used his ability's maneuverability and speed boost to jettison out of the wake and around. The attack followed him, arching as Goblinball turned in the direction of their opponent.

As they swerved around in the skies, everything was lost to them for an instant. Luke and Maximus kept their eyes locked on each other the whole time. 'I get it, I really do…you may think that I'm in this because I want to overshadow you, but you're wrong. I've…been pushed into the darkness, and kept there because I was unwanted. But even so…I wasn't alone. Maximus, nobody was there for you for so long, so maybe you think you shouldn't be reached out to, that's why…someone is here now! And he's fighting to save you at his own life!'

The destructive beam pulsed as it drew in after Abis, who chose to do a U-turn and fly right into the beam.

"Fusion Ability, activate! Poseidon Surge!"

A liquid-like surge erupted around Abis' frame, giving him an excessive boost that gave his torpedo-like speed a greater speed increase to drive right through the attack, bisecting it down the middle like an arrow.

Daemon Goblinball: 5700 Daedalus Abis Omega: 5600 (+500 +500) = 6600

They blitzed closer towards Maximus, who gazed at Luke menacingly as time slowed between them. The darkness around them was illuminated by a blue serpent peering down at them, closing the gap between with kinetic energy drawn towards its maximum peak.

"MAXIMUS!" Luke thrust his sword forward, crying out with all his might. "HRRAAAAAHHHH~!"

They met in the high altitude, Abis' head connecting with Goblinball's core at the exact moment Luke's blade met Maximus. Their enemies seemed to had feral, wide mouths as they could see them, and allowed instincts to take over.

CLUTCH!

At the very point of impact, Luke's blade met Maximus' claws, using both to keep it from slashing into his face. Goblinball's entire body blossomed with a bright purple mass at the point of impact, immediately neutralizing the blue energy surrounding Abis.

Daemon Goblinball: 5700 (+500 +600) = 6800 Daedalus Abis Omega: 6600 (-500 -500 -500) = 5100

Luke's teeth gnashed at the stalemate brought between them. 'He used Osiris Drake at the last second, without saying it! It's like he's some kind of wild animal now!'

Maximus snarled as low and angrily as he could while holding onto Luke's blade. Goblinball grabbed Abis and embraced him in the Osiris Drake's fuming energy. They shot themselves across the sky at Mach speeds, pushing back the opponent for miles on end without giving them a chance to recuperate themselves.

Luke found himself on the defensive yet again. 'Even though we've outspeed them, they were able to keep up?!'

A violet shockwave pulsed through the air as a bright purple dragon head had Abis in its maw. Its speed accelerated at twice the rate, making it sear across the skies far off from its course.

…

"Huh?" Verias looked out.

"What's that?" Jelldon inquired.

Fly Beetle and Atchibee fluttered in the air, seeing a violet star heading right in their direct. It was at such a high altitude already that the sound barrier roared heavily.

Atmos' falcon vision immediately recognized the figment at the front of the dragon-shaped blitz. "Abis!"

Jase and everyone below had their attention up towards the skies. They saw what their Bakugan meant and recognized the faint yet very long serpent wriggling and pushed through the skies. They could feel their skins crawl with all the negative energy that was being unleashed in one go.

"It looks like they're in trouble. Not good." Shawn grimaced.

"That punk better get his act together or else…!" Shuji grunted.

Xander scoffed in defiance. "Don't be ridiculous, Maximus will win! Whatever it takes! You have no idea what hell awaits your friend!"

"So we've been told." Jase said nonchalantly, before looking up at the roaring atmosphere. 'Still, that is a lot of mass for two Bakugan with immense thresholds of pain. At this point, it's uncertain if both will make it out in one piece, let alone alive.'

Esther glared at the sky. "Luke…"

…

In spite of feeling a lot of strain on his muscles, Luke refused to let up on his hold. He gagged a sharp breath as he tried looking his enemy in the eye. "Maximus…you sick…"

Abis snarled as he fought the propulsion. He laced coils onto Goblinball's frame and held on deliberately so he wouldn't be pushed back further without taking his opponent with him.

"You…who were all lone, and didn't reach out for help…someone who thought about preserving himself for his sake…"

Maximus growled out an ability. "Pain-X!"

"Pressure Shield!" Luke fired back.

Both Bakugan's eyes widened before a soft violet light bloomed between them. Immediately their auras grew far more dense when Goblinball clutched Abis tighter, whereas the latter created a hemisphere of liquid blue to contain the blast wave. It engulfed them both, but the force of the Pain-X's unleash caused dozens of shockwave rings to expel in all directions. Loose gravel far below got crushed as the ground caved in. The shield kept the blast wave in check, but the shockwaves broke through the pressure, causing everything below to nearly collapse.

"GNAGH!" Maggie nearly fell over had it not been for Shuji's support.

"So much power! The air is shaking!" Shuji grunted. He looked up at the hemisphere that was containing the blast. "Are they trying to save us by doing that?"

Jase looked down at his Bakumeter briefly to check the gauge.

Daemon Goblinball: 6800 (+7500) = 14,300 Daedalus Abis Omega: 5100 (+9200) = 14,300

"This power level…with a force like that, everything should be out of balance." Jase deduced. "Having a blast wave ranged that close could be fatal."

"Luke's seriously fighting that?" Shawn grimaced, covering up as loose rocks flew past him. "Gngh! Damnit, we can't get close! Luke is…really pushing himself this time! That idiot!"

In the very core of the Pressure Shield's barrier, the air was a violent mess that kept pulsing from the bubble. Explosive magenta and black swirled inside as Goblinball and Abis were locked on with each other. Both their bodies had Darkus and Aquos energies that were so immense that the armor and scales on both were cracking, seeping beaming power like they were about to implode.

"KRRROOOOAAHHH!"

"GRROOOOAAAAH!"

Goblinball and Abis bellowed respectively at each other, whereas they were interlocked, so were Luke and Maximus, forehead to forehead, claw to blade as they felt themselves getting torn up by the energy surrounding them.

"KRRAAAAH!" The energy was so wild that it made Maximus' huge tattered hood to flail off his head, rolling back to reveal his shaggy, much paler hair with bloodlust.

'This power…it's beyond what we've done to ourselves before…' Luke thought. 'But…we must keep going! NO MATTER WHAT!'

Hundreds of violet flashes pushed between them. Maximus shoved a little more. "Die…fear…"

Luke gnashed his teeth. 'This is it. It's time we bring him to his senses. This will decide it all.' Another violet flash appeared. "ABIS!"

Abis let out one more violent roar, causing another shift in momentum towards Goblinball. Their armors and scales cracked even more to where they chipped away, vaporizing into the forbidden energy's wake.

"Ability…activate…" Maximus groaned. "Osiris…siris…D-DRAKE~!"

"ABIS! HIGHER! AS HIGH AS WE CAN GO!"

A bright purple light exploded from Goblinball as he let out another bloodcurdling bellow. The volume alone was enough to tear apart the shield hemisphere. The bubble popped, but in its place was a dark violet dragoon that exploded an omnidirectional shockwave. The dragon-like blaze soared skywards, leaving a tail end.

Everyone below covered up when the shockwave came down onto them. Nearby mountainous landscapes that weren't demolished before were flattened. Fly Beetle and Jelldon used their contrary physiology to repel and absorb the shockwaves so no one below them would get hurt. Though the magnitude and earth roared exponentially.

They all watched a violet comet jettison up in the sky, away from them. Yet even from here, they could all feel an enormous pressure.

"Just how high are thy going to go you think?" Maggie wondered.

"Enough that they wouldn't have to hold back, I presume." Jase noted.

Still holding on by Goblinball's ability, Luke and Abis held their stalemates to the best of their abilities. It was a long-shot, and yet even with broken bodies, they refused to give up. Anyone would be feeling agony, and slight dizziness. Yet what they felt was a calming acceptance for what's to come.

"Maximus…" Luke muttered. "I see it…we're…the same, aren't we?" His response was a shallow snarl in their stalemate. "We were…afraid of each other. Yet one of us chose self-preservation, and the other…accepted." He closed his eyes, allowing his body to feel an odd adrenaline swell. "If I am what you fear…then let this be where it rests."

At the same time, Luke and Abis' eyes widened at the same time. Luke thrust with all his might while Abis' shining diamonds exploded with a dense blue light that overtook Goblinball's energy fume. The violet gradually ate away as Goblinball roared back with Maximus at the growing blue light.

"HAAAAAAAAA~!" Luke and Abis yelled out as everything around them faded into the violet maelstrom.

'This is where it ends…and begins!'

The violet light was overtaken by deep blue that exploded in a ripple effect across the high sky. The void-like air was lit up in a sea blue that everyone looked up to as a monstrous pillar of deep blue, black, and blue energy exploded from the core of the star. The pillar expelled skywards, seemingly endless with pressure and force so intense, that it would annihilate any meteor crashing down, no matter how huge it'd be. "ABILITY, ACTIVATE~! HYDRIAS IMPAAAACT~!" Luke and Abis screeched out with all their might, the deep blue becoming whiter with the pressure pulsating. Their point-blank sword and beam into their flailing foes caused the latter to show a look of genuine horror just as the wake and blade overpowered them. Everything faded in the midst of it all through a blue light.

Everyone below didn't say anything. They could only stare blankly as a blanket of blue engulfed the dreary skies to an endless level. The atmospheric pillar of blue gradually wavered, becoming a meteor with water and darkness coming down with it. The size of it alone was enough to put a stadium to shame.

The earth kept trembling, but Jase was effective enough to realize the fault. "Everyone, get back now!"

"Fly Beetle!" Shuji shouted.

Hercules Fly Beetle got in front of them and braced himself. Though it was hundreds of meters away, the deep blue meteor diffused to reveal two bodies falling limply and smashing inti the ground. A plume of violet shot up, whereas the excess water falling erupted into a large omnidirectional tidal wave. The now blue sky was falling rain everywhere, making a drizzle as the wake of the tides carried towards Fly Beetle. He used his body alone and took the gargantuan wake of it all. The tides ripped right past him while everyone else hid behind his legs. The rainfall blistered on whereas the waves gradually receded.

Sitting afar, inside a large crater, there was a violet plume that overtook it all. The rain coming down was steadily diffusing it to let others know who it was that was still standing. Their eyes were wide in deep anticipation for who it was.

Once the violet wave eroded over, bruised fingers held up a metal sword with bright blue energy blade high in the air.

Everyone had varied reactions, but nonetheless shock overtook them yet again.

The rain poured down on Luke, who stood clumsily with his body tattered and his attire being no different. Abis was on the ground with his posture shaken up much like Luke. His scales had blue cracks with much of his head armor chipped with tattered fins. However, that last attack he unleashed from his maw took everything and obliterated the dark atmosphere above. They both stood in front of the fallen Maximus and Daemon Goblinball. The Rogue Zero's almighty leader laid on his stomach with one horn missing, and both of his energy claws shattered, leaving broken mechanical nails and a fractured core on each gauntlet. Goblinball laid with his body still miraculously in one piece. He had cracks and shattered armor laying everywhere while his eyeball was wide and smoking.

Daemon Goblinball: 14,200 Daedalus Abis Omega: 14,400

Both were sprawled on the ground, unable to move. The battle was over, and the winners stood with their bodies still standing in the cool rain.

Maximus: 0%

Gradually, a look of shock overtook everyone, but it soon turned to relief and then realization for Luke's friends. "LUKE!" Esther and everyone hurried over to help their friend,

"…" Rogue Zero looked on in complete shock at what they just witnessed. Xander dropped to his knees into the wet ground. Everyone else behind him was just as taken back after that display.

Luke labored in breath heavily, enough that he started to lose traction. Before he could completely fall over he stabbed the ground, using his sword like a cane to support him. Everyone else over to help him.

"Luke!" Shawn went over with Shuji, helping support him on either side. "Easy, don't push yourself right now."

"Shawn…" Luke grunted. He looked over at Shuji, his expression saying the same thing. He took a short breath and sighed. "Thanks, guys…I mean it."

Abis hunched over, when Verias came up with the other Bakugan to keep their friend up. "Abis, are you okay?"

Abis' body had a weak Aquos glow, but he was thankfully in a little control of it thanks to that last attack letting every bit of it out, though. His body felt like it was on fire, however. "I…think I'll manage. Thanks, guys…" He lifted his head, but caught onto something. "Wait…hold on, did you all…?"

"Yes, Abis. It's us, don't worry." Atchibee chimed.

"It was thanks to our past experience that we've been able to sustain ourselves with high quantities of power." Atmos investigated. "However, it looks like you've went beyond your limit again."

Abis lowered his head. "Sorry…gngh!" He winced weakly.

Maggie had hands to her hips as she raised a brow. "Geez, don't you guys ever learn? What did we tell you about making us worry like that? Seriously, you're the worst."

"Morons." Shuji scowled, but he did so with a small – yet barely notable – smile.

"Sorry. We had to…do what we could." Luke labored.

Esther closed her eyes sagely. "It's fine. What mattered was that you managed to hold on to the very end." She turned around. "You are so reckless that we can't even fathom anymore. At least you're lucky enough you both didn't die right then…because if you did, I'd never forgive you."

Despite the insult, Luke genuinely smiled. "Esther, thanks…"

"Don't be." She turned around, giving him a genuine smile. "But you know, worrying us is what you're good at. I shouldn't expect less from you."

Jase turned away stoically. "Leave it to the problem child to always cause such a ruckus." He looked out at the Doom Dimension, realizing the rain had stopped. "And look what you have done now. Oh how your troubles of destruction never cease to amaze me."

Everyone looked around to realize what Jase meant. All around, the dead earth was damp, which ponds scattered everywhere. The fissures and uneven earth had opening filled with water. And where there were cliffs, there were waterfalls running down them. From what they could tell, it was all flowing from higher grounds.

Luke's breath hitched. Everyone looked back at Luke. "You mean…we did all that?"

Maggie raised a brow. "Talk about a washout." She giggled. "Well, at least that takes care of if the horrible smell for a little while. Now it feels like I can breathe again." She sighed outwards, getting the fresh scent of rain into her nostrils. "Okay, guess I'll give you both half a gold star."

Shawn frowned. "But still…" He looked at Maximus; everyone followed his gaze. They all frowned. "I'm surprised they managed to live through that. That last attack should've destroyed them. How did they hold up with those bodies?"

Luke stared at his defeated nemesis with heavy judgement. He thought hard and deep about what their battle had done. 'Hold on, I think Shawn's right? I thought Hydrias Impact nullified all the opponent's abilities…unless…'

In the swallowing blue wake, the eruption was gradually overpowering Maximus. He could see the blue blade drawing closer to his face, but he wasn't going to accept it. At the last second, he ducked just as Luke's blade finally carved its way through the energy claws, shattering their bases and cleaved through one of Maximus' horns.

But at that cost, the gauntlet had one ability just at the point of slip-up. Goblinball created a dark matter hemisphere and launched it into the point-blank maw shot. Both man and Bakugan were still overwhelmed, resulting in their last-second saves being reduced to dense blue waves.

'He must have tried reducing the blow's momentum with a Nebulous Destroyer. I thought it was off they'd survive that.' He paused. 'But at least either way, it's over.'

Rogue Zero sloshed their way towards Maximus, getting towards him. "Maximus…" Xander grimaced.

On the wet ground, Maximus groaned, showing signs that he was still alive. The other members of Rogue Zero backed away and he tried moving, but his body was too numb to move. He laid there, sprawled and defeated.

"I can't believe it. Not even Maximus was able to pull this off?" Ariella was completely stupefied. "These guys…just what have they become?"

"…" Maximus twitched, trying to stir. "…ear…kill…"

Everyone frowned at him. His voice was cracked, if not shattered completely. "I don't…fear…no fear…none…must…end it…"

"Look at him, he's completely devolved." Shawn grimaced. "He must have been so influenced with the power he's obtained that it completely one-tracked his mind."

"Power like that is an incredible feat." Jase spoke sagely. "It can destroy, as it does change a person. There's no telling which way it will turn the individual."

"So what's that mean for him?" Shuji questioned.

"It means you reap what you sow." Esther clarified, in a pitiful tone. "Rogue Zero made sacrifices to gain power for themselves. They got it…but the results were below them."

Maximus groveled and stirred. He sounded like a sloshed behemoth trying to speak.

Out of sympathy, Luke stepped forward on his own. "Luke?" Shawn fret.

"It's okay, guys. It's over…we're done with them. They know it."

The others looked at each other in question, but knew that he was right. Still, they weren't going to let their guards down so easily. They watched Rogue Zero's strife with blank stares.

"L-Luke…must kill…" Maximus wheezed, seeing him stan several meters away, but couldn't reach him. "Must end…this monster before me…I won't…be overtaken by him…"

"Maximus." Luke softly spoke. "…it's time to let go. There's no need for you to suffer like this."

He wheezed dryly, giving Luke a cold, reluctant glare. "Just die…just die…please…just die…"

Luke frowned heavily. "Maximus…" He paused, getting the tone of what he was about to say. "I get it. I honestly do. I know what it's like to be afraid of someone, especially yourself. But, just ending that monster isn't the only answer. If you stop and take a step back, you realize that you're your own monster."

Everyone frowned at him. Esther sympathized. "Luke…"

"I've hurt so many people because I was afraid of reality. I couldn't accept that I was the monster in so many eyes, that it wasn't until I had to look at myself to see who I have become." He thought about his lessons from Preyas and Amazon. "And sometimes, you have to let others in and tell them what they think for you to see yourself differently…"

"But…you people killed my friend's dad! Why should we believe anything you have to say?!"

The words of that kid Luke met in the alley was still fresh in his mind. "Maximus…I understand that you don't want to die truthfully. I don't want to either. But living a life of fear without knowing what you can achieve is something I don't want."

Maximus sneered. "Shut up. You…don't know me."

Luke continued. "…you're right. I don't know what it would be like to live alone your whole life. You didn't deserve to be here for so long, and now everyone thinks you're not like them. The truth is…we're all victims to someone or something. But if I'm going to die someday, or by someone…I want to at least try and know what it feels like to live."

"What…?"

"Everything ends at some point. Even if it wasn't by you, or Riaan, one day…I won't be here anymore. And over time, everything will go, too. All of us will." He looked towards his friends, and their Bakugan. "But even if that happens, I want to embrace what I can and learn from everyone, that way, at least when that time comes, it would feel like I've known so much that that will live on." He turned towards Maximus. "And so, I chose to forgive and accept myself. I was the monster that I saw, what everyone saw. But instead of casting it out…I learned that it was better to be thankful for him, because he's why I'm here today, and who I am now."

Maximus' eyes widened ever so slowly. Rather than make a remark back, his teeth remained gritting in anger.

"While I'm alive, I want to feel like I can accomplish something, so that others can do the same." He looked down at his sword, staring softly at the energy blade. 'Like he did in the end…how he lived out his life.'

Maximus turned his head away sheepishly, refusing to look Luke in the eye. "…"

"Maximus…I accept you. That won't change. You've tried to live enough to get rid of your fear of me. But maybe, you should look into yourself just a little more. Maybe…just a little at a time…"

Gradually, a Subterra aura enveloped Fly Beetle and Shuji. They looked down at their arms in shock. "What the-?!"

Maggie looked down, her and Jelldon's bodies enveloped in a Pyrus aura. "What's going on?"

"Cesar, what's happening?!" Ariella panicked.

Cesar was furiously typing at his huge gauntlet. "It's the signal to the transporter we've used. It's reacting to their signals!" He gnashed his teeth in frustration. "Gngh! Shoot! No! I can't override it!"

Shawn and Verias were enveloped in a Haos aura next. "Guess this is it then, huh?"

"Yes, it would seem so." Jase said, him and Atmos enveloped in a Ventus aura.

Esther and Atchibee had thick Darkus auras around their bodies next. "It can't be helped. We're needed elsewhere right now. If we stay here and sympathize any longer, there will be no point in our experience. Rogue Zero…you have all been very valuable adversaries. It's because of you that every step of the way, we had to get strong because of you. That's all the condone that I can say."

"She's right. It's time for us to move on." Shawn said. "If you guys won't move forward, then it's high time we put this behind us ourselves. You all deserve to rest."

Cesar jumped in his seat. "Now, wait! Let's talk this out!"

Killian's fists were balled in frustration. "This can't be…how it ends…"

"And you thought we were going to accept that?" Shuji frowned. "Sorry, but we had a reason to win too, you know." He turned around, glaring with a righteous readiness. "And we're going back to finish living on for that reason."

"You can't…!" Xander snarled. "Not after…we won't accept this! Do you hear me?!" But the others just ignored him.

Luke gazed down at Maximus sympathetically as a deep Aquos aura enveloped him and Abis. "Maximus…what they're saying, I hope that you could live your life in some way, too. I'll keep doing the same, so that way, I'll end up bringing as many people as I can to a better place to live their lives, too. See ya."

All the elemental lights shined brightly with them and their Bakugan. Maximus' breath hitched as he reached out at last, but the lights went up into the sky, leaving nothing but twinkles to scatter in their places.

"Come back!" Cesar scowled. Looking up, he aimlessly trotted ahead, only to fall to his knees, banging his fists into the ground. "Graaaah! No! No! Get back here! This can't be! This can't be!"

Ariella's shuddering eyes were fixed on the wet ground as she lost the strength in her legs as well. "…no…everything we did for this moment…it's all…"

"…" Hendrix closed his eyes, visibly shaking his fists.

"What now?" Killian worried. "What…did we do all this for anyway…?"

"My genius is wasted! That can't be true!" Cesar panicked. He grabbed his head and reeled forward. "Interacia…my will…what will become of it without me…?"

While everyone was visible scorned or processing, Maximus laid on the ground, staring blankly forward with hate-filled eyes fixed on the spot where Luke stood. "…" He was stone silent, as became the rest of the Doom Dimension.

"Max…" Xander grimaced. "…I'm sorry."

Maximus twitched, before his body started wriggling around like a newborn learning how to crawl. His self-realization finally built up, releasing a loud, violent cry of anger and despair that echoed endlessly throughout the Doom Dimension. "KRRAAAAAHHH~!"

The echoed reached high into the sky, without a single dark cloud to loom over them. It was void looking down on them, a sight worse than when they first came here.

---

Solaris was still a warzone. Energy grids rippled as misfired Bakugan attacks constantly hit them. It rained down everywhere, enough to make it look like the city was flashier than the Bakugan battling all over the city.

"Keep it going!" Dan shouted. He and Gunz were hanging onto Aeroblitz as he dodged magenta cannonfire from behind. They somersaulted overhead and went downwards with the shoulder cannon ready to fire.

"Flame Harvey Cannon!" Drago's half roared. He fired a barrage of red-yellow projectiles down onto the enemy Bakugan, igniting them and shooting them out of the sky. They got a Farakspin and a Longfly with a Twin Destructor on its back, reverting them to ball form.

"Nice shots!" Gunz praised.

"Don't get too excited, there's still a lot more coming." Dan looked out, seeing the number of Bakugan below. They looked like ants at their heights, but it was whole lot of them to make it look like they were crawling over the other.

"Woah, that's a lot of them alright." Drago said. "Guess we better hurry it up then."

"You're right about that!" Dan embraced it. "Let's go!"

Aeroblitz roared as he sailed through the skies, roaring as he fired off relentless volleys of flaming light down onto the enemy Bakugan. It all came raining down, but many of them put up some form of shield or a barrier to nullify the ability, whereas more of the armed ones with Mobile Assault Vehicles blasted magenta energy back at them, blazing right through the nullified ability. Aeroblitz's excessive speed allowed him to make tight turns and whirl around for a counterattack.

As he roared in the skies, a soldier atop of his Scaboid with a Zukanator and an Impalaton combo threw a Gate Card out towards the ground. "Gate Card, open! Diffuse!"

The large card shined below Aeroblitz as he flew right over it. Immediately he felt a pull from below that was splitting him apart. "What's happening?!" Drago's half grunted, but try as he might, he found himself unable to completely resist the effects of the Gate Card.

With a loud scream, a red and yellow light separated from Aeroblitz, dividing them back onto Reptak and Fusion Dragonoid. Their Brawlers were on their shoulders completely separated.

"Our combination!" Dan fret.

"They separated it!" Gunz realized.

The soldier on the ground reached his arm up, allowing for the Zukanator and numerous other projectiles to launch at them. The Pyrus Interacian Scaboid released spiraling fire in conjunction with many more using standard abilities to throw them off. Soldiers fired machine guns and arrows included to deter their partners. With so much fire coming right for them, Drago and Reptak were struck hard, causing an explosion that sent them sundering off into the distance, with Dan and Gunz screaming their lungs off.

"After them!" One of the soldiers shouted. Their Bakugan took off in their Mobile Assault Vehicles, following the smoke trails that went over the roofs of the homes.

"Huh? Oh no!" Marucho fret.

"This is bad. We need to hurry and regroup." Shun realized.

"Yeah, but the problem is we're surrounded!" Marucho gestured all around them. Radizen, Roxtor, Skytruss, Orbeum, and Jaakor were all pinned and cornered by enemy Bakugan, their earlier rounds getting them in serious trouble, especially with Hurrix flying overhead.

Shun's teeth gritted as his frustrations grew. "Snap!"

Turning the corner, Aranaut leaped out into the open, firing yellow projectiles from his Battlegear to distract the large Cannonfury vehicles. Although, it only scraped the backside, and the Interacian assault ride turned to face Aranaut.

"Keep fighting, Aranaut!" Fabia shouted. "Ability, activate! Aurora Impact!"

"Copy that!" Aranaut enveloped his boy in a rainbow-like atmosphere. He let out a loud cry as he bolted after the enemy.

The soldier sat a Gate Card down, making it disperse in a dark purple shockwave. "Gate Card, open! Positive Delta!" The card shined, unleashing a powerful light that enveloped Aranaut. While the aurora was strong, it faded around his body as Aranaut kept going. He lost his momentum gradually.

"Aranaut, pull back!" Fabia shouted.

"HRAH!" From behind, Phosphos came slashing down with blue claws that ripped into Cannonfury's back. The toxins immediately spread, eroding onto it and then the Bakugan. The machine was at a standstill as it was unable to activate any abilities/

Lena sneered. "That was Phosphos' Poison Rip you can thank." She sneered. "Now then, shall we?"

Fabia nodded. "Right."

Together, they held up their abilities. "Ability, activate!"

"Tri Viper!" Phosphos' three heads fired blue-black venom.

"Mirage Jet!" Aranaut opened his hands, firing two hemispheres of glowing golden orbs from the opposite side.

The venom and orbs connected with the Cannonfury on both ends, stirring in an explosion that reverted it to ball form. The soldier that was holding was unfortunately taken down, falling from the heights into the explosion, diffusing into the flames.

Standing over the small sea of fire, Aranaut stared solemnly, as did Fabia. She was completely crestfallen by such a sight, but she had to persevere.

Taking a moment, she turned back around, glaring at the enemies afoot. "C'mon guys, there's more coming!"

"Copy that, my Queen!" Aranaut braced himself, as did Phosphos. On cue, Hurrix, Koptorix, and many other vehicles were riding in with Bakugan and soldiers.

In another area, a soldier swung at Nurzak with an energy blade, but missed when the old soldier stepped back. He passed the man and slashed through his armored chest, befalling him. "Quickly, group up and find others! Do not take these guys alone!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Mason shouted, hiding on Avior's armored backside.

Percival used Blind Shield, but even that was doing nothing as Twin Destructor were quickly deterring him. "H-Hurry! Get going!"

"You heard him! Hurry and run!" Ace shouted. "Find the others and regroup!"

---

Watching from a high point, Cyrus was looming down onto the scenery far beneath them. He could see smoke and fire everywhere, a very crude sight that he was indifferent towards. He smirked maliciously as he could visibly see Bakugan on the run or the enemy afoot trying to run.

He nonchalantly turned around, choosing to focus on the task. "I believe this should be the most adequate time. Is everyone ready?"

"Of course, Lord Cyrus." Lucia spoke through the Bakumeter. "The districts are blocked off. We are set."

"This stupid debris better not leave any stains this time…" Amina huffed.

"All set over here." Magnus declared.

"Good." Cyrus paused. "Zion, are you ready?"

"Always, Sire. Always." He sneered. Bloodlust was clearly evident in his tone. He was aching to get some blood stained on the ground.

"I am ready as well." Galilea said. "I've managed to override enough coding to get the power for the shields to work. On your mark."

"Excellent." He paused once more. "And Milord…"

---

The winds howled high in the Interacian skies. The sun was angled right in front of a large, white structure that seemed enchanted. It was an enormous white tower, which went up for what felt like miles on end. With how big it was, there was no telling where the bottom was, and yet on it was a large range of magenta runes segments in between the accents, flowing like water. In fact, through the accents, visible magenta energy circulated through. Its radius was unlike any other. It was so grand that it had the composition that was three times as big as the one on Vestal. The fact that it looked a lot like it was uncanny.

A sea of clouds kept the top separated from the bottom. On the smooth white top, Riaan sat on his knees with his one arm on his thigh. He had eyes closed as he sensed what was happening. The runes on the enormous structure's sides flashed briefly, meaning his core on the ground resonated with his proxy body.

"I trust that you will have a fine seat to view, yes?" Cyrus chimed through Riaan's Bakumeter.

The wind howled briefly before Riaan gave his response. "Yes, Cyrus. I most certainly do. Now…" His eyes opened, flashing magenta. "Begin Operation Beacon!"

In full form behind, Armagedoid let out a loud roar towards the blue skies above, echoing out far and wide to make all the clouds fade away to nothing.

---

That took WAY longer than what I had originally wanted, but that was part 2 of the epic Doom Dimension battle! Hope you guys enjoyed! So finally, all of their Bakugan have evolved! It was a long time coming, but I felt this was appropriate enough. And at last, Luke and Maximus had their epic battle's finale.

Alright, now that they're leaving the Doom Dimension, let's see where they end up! Reviews are appreciated and I'll do my best to keep you guys wanting more!