Chapter Eight

Kenny was sat at his desk, his laptop open in front of him, frantically tapping at the keys. Ever since the battle that was fought in the muddy valley over a month ago Kenny had been researching into the mysterious 'Opal Blades', starting with the little knowledge that Dizzi had accumulated in her memory banks and using the Internet on the laptop to build from. He wasn't surprised that they didn't appear on Wikipedia and there were very few mentions on Google. Kenny had found whole days and weeks disappearing in a blur of clicking on web links and having web pages scrolling in front of his eyes, reflected in his thick bottle lens glasses.

In his time as a "computer whiz" (or a "nerd" as Tyson called him when "The Chief" was seemed to be too polite a nickname) he had looked into hacking and cracking but hadn't really done much of it; he didn't feel like it was the right thing to do. But now it was the only thing he could do to answer his questions. As he returned home after his brief time with his four friends, he flung himself down at the computer and began typing furiously, ignoring Dizzi's words of welcome. Kenny soon began breaking into computer networks all over the world after finding an intriguing website mentioning the mystic 'blades. He managed to get onto a computer that revealed some interesting information to him. Kenny was quite glad he had as he was becoming more and more disheartened as he failed to find anything. It was only Dizzi's reassuring comments that spurred him on.

'I don't know what I'd do without you,' he'd told her, typing away. If Dizzi had been in her human form she would have blushed. Still Kenny continued until his eyes lit up behind his spectacles.

'Aha. Here we are. The file on the 'Opal 'blades'.'

Kenny studied passage after passage about the history of the 'Opal Beyblades' absorbing all the information that the Japanese government held on them. Soon he had finished reading and smiled to himself.

'So there is a fifth…'

Kenny closed his laptop up after saying a brief goodbye to Dizzi before switching off the light in his room and heading down the stairs and out of the house. He was off towards the train station in search of something he knew would help him retain the thing closest to his heart. Kenny was off to save Dizzi…

Meanwhile, whilst Kenny was busy breaking into networks all over Japan, Tyson, Kai, Max and Ray were in a stand off with the four Mystic Warriors: Kano, Mamoru, Akira and a fourth individual whom they still didn't know the name of. They were stood by the fountain grinning with their Beyblades in hand, flicking them around their palms with their fingers. They had just won a series of battles against some locals and had taken their Beyblades as prizes and so were smug. They didn't fear the approaching four individuals.

'I don't believe we know your name,' Tyson said with a cocky air to the fourth man dressed from head to toe in black. The man responded by spitting on the tarmac and choking out his name.

'I'm Hisa. And you?'

'Tyson.'

'Nice to meet you Tyson. And how can we help?'

Tyson laughed, rubbing his chin with his free hand whilst flexing his other. He studied Hisa for a moment, the newest addition to the 'Mystic Warriors', recruited by their mysterious young leader as a replacement for Yukio. Finally, after taking in the detail of the four opponents, Tyson spoke:

'We're here for that challenge.'

'Fair enough,' Hisa said, walking forward. He was closely followed by the other three. 'Then… LET IT RIP!'

Kano was the first up, running forward from a standing start and pulling his launcher from a pocket in his cloak. Quick as a flash he launched a Beyblade down to the ground with an expulsion of air from his lungs. In response Max jumped forward and launched his own 'blade which sped forward to meet it, colliding with such force that the earth moved, knocking an unexpecting Max to the ground. Not much was hurt but his pride so he lifted himself from the ground, rubbing his backside as he did so. Kano laughed.

'Let's hope you're better with your Beyblade than you are with your own body!'

The remaining Mystical Warriors all laughed. Max was now even more determined to win, standing fully up and cheering for his Beyblade, a chorus which was surpassed in volume by his friends standing behind him.

Both Beyblades were locked in combat, knocking into each other and sparking. They were running rings around each other, neither making any headway until Max's 'blade began to glow and hover slightly over the ground. Suddenly with very little warning and to Max's surprise as much as anyone else's a jet of water shot out of it and soaked Kano's 'blade which, though possessed by the power of water, was stunned by the attack. Sparking of its own free will, the Beyblade quickly slowed down but didn't come to a stop as they hoped; it was too powerful for that. The 'Opal Beyblade' began to speed up again, dashing around the area and colliding with Max's Beyblade once more. Max knew he had to do something drastic to win the battle. He coughed before announcing:

'Water shield!'

A large bubble manifested itself around Max's 'blade, protecting it from the attacks of Kano's Beyblade, forcing it away with each collision and soaking it more and more. Soon the opposing 'blade could take no more of the water and began to stutter once more though annoyingly for Max still held on for victory. Max prepared for the conclusion to the battle.

'Give up Kano! You can see it's over!'

'Never. My Beyblade will come back from this!'

But it was one more collision with the water shield that sealed the Beyblade's fate. Now dripping with water, the Beyblade slipped into a recess in the soft ground and began spinning like a top, sparking all the time and setting some nearby grass alight, coming to a full stop within inches of Max's 'blade which continued spinning triumphantly. Max proudly walked over and stopped his from spinning, scooping it up from the ground with Kano's. His rival gave a growl and spoke through gritted teeth:

'Well done. You've proven yourself a reasonable player. However I think you'll find my acquaintances more of a challenge.'

Kano turned around, his battered ego showing, and returned to the safety of the fountain where he sprayed himself with water. His pale face showed his concern of what the leader would say – and do to him – when he returned to the temple. Kano tried his best not to show his anxiety but it was obvious to anyone as he sat on the edge of the fountain and watched the action through squinted eyes.

Mamou – who was palming the 'Opal Beyblade' of Earth as he walked from the fountain – was up next. No one could tell if he was feeling anxious as his face was already lined considerably from years of stress on the Japanese black market circuit. He stood with a slight hunchback and spoke in a gruff tone that masked any emotion he was feeling. All in all Mamou was a difficult character to evaluate.

'See what you make of this!' he said confidentially, pulling an old and scuffed launcher from his pocket. Despite its age it launched a Beyblade to the ground with much force. Ray, who was up next, matched the effort by whipping out his newer launcher and propelling his own 'blade down to meet it. The second battle was on.

Max had stepped back to join Tyson and Kai – who were maintaining a respectful silence by sharing nothing but the odd grunt – feeling pleased with himself that he had managed to start off the competition well and steal one of the 'Opal Beyblades'. He just hoped now that Ray would be able to put up an equal feat.

Ray was stood by the circle of ground where the action was taken place, the band around his head hiding any sign of sweating. He didn't feel that nervous; he was a confident player anyway but was boosted anyway by the thought that his friends were behind him all the way. Ray figured that the Mystical Warriors didn't have such a strong bond, as they seemed like four distinct individuals. He was right as they didn't really know each other having been plucked out of the air by the leader to serve this cause. But even if this bond wasn't strong they were still formidable opponents as Ray found out when their 'blades collided for the first time, letting off sparks of flame that shot into the air much to the awe of the other Beybladers. These flames circled in the air creating a tall spiral of burning ash that rose up into the air before extinguishing itself. For the remainder of the battle clouds of smoke would drift in between the Beybladers and ash would fall onto their clothing, charring it slightly. But neither Ray nor Mamou really cared as their eyes and senses were all fixed upon their Beyblades which continued to spin around the ground, etching grooves in the soft earth, bashing into each other every few seconds, sparks flying off as their metal casings touched. There was silence all around aside from the occasional rustle of trees, footsteps of local villagers or the gasps of the audience. It was a tense match and even the cool exterior of Ray was beginning to peel away.

'I've had enough of this now Mamou,' Ray said, picking up his name from the mutterings of the Mystic Warriors that had invaded the battle space. 'Time for you to lose this match! I call my Bit Beast: Driger!'

As soon as those words left Ray's mouth, his 'blade began to spin much more furiously, emitting a bright light that made Kai, Tyson and Max cover their eyes with their arms, attempting to squint through the gap to try and see what was happening, but it was useless. As the light faded, Driger appeared, growling and pawing at the ground, preparing itself. It quickly established where Mamou's 'Beyblade' was and propelled itself forward, it's large and heavy paws making much work of its dash across. But Mamou didn't flinch; instead, a small smile flickered in the corner of his mouth. He coughed to clear his throat.

'You think that you're pussycat can outsmart my Opal 'blade? Then see this… feel the true power of my 'blade.'

He doesn't know what's going to hit him. The fool.

Now, as Driger approached it, bearing down on the small Beyblade, Mamou's 'blade began to emit a high pitched squeal which distracted Driger and caused some uncomfort for all concerned. The sound disappeared as quickly as it had begun but was promptly replaced by the sound of cracking earth. A dark line appeared from the tip of Mamou's 'blade which quickly spread towards Ray's Beyblade, opening up as it did so. Huge chunks of earth began falling down into a recess that was growing and growing. Ray bit his lip and began to worry that victory was slipping away. Mamou just laughed as Ray's inner thoughts began to question his tactics.

This shouldn't be happening. Driger should be winning. We're more experienced. Sure their 'blades are more powerful but that's not the be-all and end-all. Come on Ray; pull yourself together. You can win this!

But for all of Ray's self-encouragement, the battle was quickly turning away from him and into the palm of a sneering Mamou.

I will win this Ray. You know I will.

The crack in the earth was quickly becoming a chasm, spreading out in all directions and heading very near to Ray himself as well as his Beyblade. Driger, meanwhile, was dancing athletically over the cracks, trying valiantly to reach Mamou's Opal Beyblade which was still spinning at an alarming speed. Driger's paws slammed down onto the constantly weakening ground, making cracks appear wherever he landed. Soon Driger found himself trapped in a corner with nowhere to go. The ground gave way and Driger, with a yelp more associated with a harmless kitten than a dangerous Bit Beast, fell unceremoniously into the pit. Ray let out a howl and watched as his 'blade began to slow down. Mamou laughed; he knew victory was in his grasp. But then, something strange happened: Ray's Beyblade began to speed up and regain some of its lost power, once more spinning around the stadium avoiding the cracks and cutting trails through the ash that was still falling. Mamou's 'blade neared a crack and skirted along the edge and that's when it happened. A large white paw emerged from the chasm and grabbed the 'blade, pulling it into the hole and releasing it. Driger pounced from the hole and landed, exhausted, on a stable patch of ground having clambered up the inside of the cavern. Mamou shouted an extended 'No' as he realised he had been defeated. A surge of power shot the Opal Beyblade out of the hole and into the hand of Ray, who winced at its hot touch. He slipped the newly acquired Beyblade into his pocket and bent down to stroke a purring Driger on the head, who promptly returned into the 'blade which Ray picked up and also added to his pocket. The two challengers stood staring at each other through the smoke billowing up from the caverns. Through gritted teeth Mamou spoke:

'Well done. You've proven yourself worthy.'

'To you maybe!' interrupted the third Mystical Warrior, Akira. He had walked quickly up to Mamou's side, pushed him backward and waved his fist angrily at Ray. 'To me you were lucky. Saved by the sheer power of your Bit Beast and not by your skill.'

'My bit beast is me!' Ray hit back with. 'We're one and the same. We have a connection you can't possibly imagine!'

Akira laughed.

'Don't talk rubbish to me, boy! Get back to the safety of your friends and bring me someone who can be a real challenge to me.'

Ray was almost ready to do another battle straight away even though he knew he was too tired. He felt with some relief when Kai tapped him on the shoulder and, with a whisper in his ear, told him to rest. Though Ray outwardly showed annoyance at not being able to wipe the smirk from Akira's face, he was actually happy to have a break. He knew Driger needed it. Kai, however, seemed to have a different opinion on the whole matter.

'Ray isn't the one to challenge you. I am!'

'Very well my friend. I don't mind who I defeat.'

'I – am – not – your – friend,' Kai said with no hint of emotion in his voice except for a rise in volume with each word. 'LET IT RIP!'

Kai quickly removed his launcher from his back pocket and let his Beyblade fly, the gust from it blowing his hair backwards, exposing the lines of determination on his forehead. His Beyblade flew through the air and landed with a thud on the ground, losing a little energy as steam. Akira laughed cockily and jumped nearer to the stadium, stamping on the ground and launching his Beyblade which began to glow red, landing on the ground. The cracks in the ground began to seal as the Beyblades battled, the power of the Opal 'Blades restoring it to stable ground within ten seconds, but not quick enough for Akira's Beyblade to hit one of the cracks and spin off in an unplanned direction. Akira cursed under his breath but continued on.

'Give it up now, Kai! You will not beat my Beyblade of fire!'

As Akira said that, a black substance – later to be identified as oil – began to spill out of the Beyblade as it spun in a circle. Then, the Beyblade began to glow red, a shot of red flame burst from the Beyblade and set the oil alight, creating a large ring of fire as the boundary for the stadium. Kai frowned as he tried to look through the flames to see the battle but found it difficult with the six foot flames that danced around, casting their shadows over much of the action. He quickly realised that this battle would be taking place behind the wall of flames and that he would be blind to the action. Kai didn't let any of his worry show though; he was as calm as ever even when Tyson, Max and Ray were stood behind him talking noisily about what Kai would do next. Kai just raised his arm to silence them and then said with determination:

'Dranzer. Do your stuff!'

With the visibility poor with clouds of black acrid smoke rising from the stadium Kai could only hope that that had been an appropriate time to launch his Bit Beast. But whatever the outcome would be, there was no going back now. In the stadium, Dranzer burst out of the Beyblade and flew into the air, rising above the flames and making his presence known to a cool and confident Kai who only had one thing in mind: victory. Akira just laughed and spoke, though wasn't heard over the sound of crackling flames and spinning Beyblades.

'You think your pathetic bird will stop my Beyblade? Your Phoenix won't be rising from the ashes but will become them. This is the end Kai!'

You think you're so good, Akira. You don't know the power of Dranzer.

Behind the cloak of fire, a fierce Beyblade battle was taking place. Both Kai's and Akira's Beyblade were smashing into each other every few seconds, energy dissipating left, right and centre. Dranzer was flying around above the action, breathing fire in the direction of the Opal Beyblade which was, in turn, sending bolts of fire in the phoenix's direction. Dranzer knew – and it was these thoughts that Kai was picking up on as he stared into the flames – that it was very much a stalemate and it would be whoever made the first mistake that would lose. The flames were reflected in Kai's pupils as he entered a hypnotic state, feeling everything his Bit Beast was: emotion, worry and heat. He gritted his teeth and ordered Dranzer with the power of his mind. Kai knew it was useless to shout the command because of the noise all around. Instead, he transmitted his thoughts to Dranzer.

Dranzer. If you can hear me, then move away. It's fire bolts can only reach so far whereas yours are more powerful. You CAN beat it. I know you can.

Dranzer mentally heard what Kai was saying and began to ascend, moving up away from the 'blades range and just below the cloud of acrid smoke that was collecting, making the stadium increasingly dark and menacing. But Dranzer had no fear and continued to send streams of fire down at the Beyblade which was powerless to respond, though it was making headway down on the ground with actual physical contact with Kai's 'blade. It was still very much a stalemate.

Both Akira and Kai were tiring of the battle; there needed to be a resolution. Neither wanted a draw and neither would be happy with one… there had to be a winner; there was too much at stake. Whilst they stood on the sidelines thinking, the heat from the flames warming their clothes, their Beyblades were fighting fiercely in the enclosed stadium, stuttering slightly with the increasing heat and the attacks from Akira's 'blade and, of course, Dranzer. Both Beyblades were beginning to slow and it seemed that one of them was going to fail shortly. Kai smiled; he knew it wouldn't be his Beyblade that would stumble first even when he couldn't see the 'blades. The others weren't too sure. Max decided to intervene.

'Draciel. Water attack!'

Max had removed his Beyblade from his pocket and pointed it at the action. Draciel burst out from it and sent a jet of water that hit the stadium immediately extinguishing all the flames but also filling the air up with lots of smoke and steam. The stadium soon cleared and the battle between the two Beyblades became visible once more. Draciel returned to the Beyblade, its work done, and Max stood back. Kai turned around to face him, his neck bulging and his eyes distant.

'What the hell do you think you're doing? THIS IS MY BATTLE. Keep out of it. Now you've ruined it. You want me to win? Well you've just lost me this battle!'

Kai looked back at the action seeing both his and Akira's Beyblade coming to a stop. For the first time in many weeks his cool exterior was about to crack.

I will win this. But look at what Max has done.

Akira was also thinking to himself.

This is it. I have proved that power beats teamwork.

Kai cursed as Akira shouted a similar statement across the stadium now that the hissing had subsided and they could hear each other. Kai shouted:

'Dranzer. Attack!'

Kai and Akira watched as Dranzer swooped down and attacked the Opal Beyblade with a series of powerful blasts of flame, toasting Akira's 'blade and forcing it to come to a gentle stop just ahead of Kai's which stopped a mere few seconds after. Dranzer flew up and back down into Kai's Beyblade as it came to its stop. Akira swore loudly and watched through narrow eyes as Kai walked casually forward and picked up both Beyblades. He said nothing as he turned and returned to his team mates, but he did give Max a very sharp expression that communicated all his anger without a syllable leaving his lips. The group remained silent as they watched Akira limp back to the other warriors, though this silence was broken when a figure approached Max, Ray, Kai and Tyson. It was Kenny.

'Alright Kenny. In a hurry somewhere?' Max asked, avoiding the gaze of Kai, noticing Kenny seemed out of breath. Kenny nodded and stopped by the group to gain his breath.

'I need to go and get something important,' he said, looking over at Tyson, blinking and quickly looking down to the ground. 'I need to head to the woods. I won't be long.'

'But you'll stay for Tyson's match, won't you Kenny?'

Kenny looked hesitant.

'I suppose so, only if it won't take long.'

'It won't!' Tyson piped up confidentially, tossing his Beyblade up in the air with an air of conceitedness. Kenny was about to respond when there were footsteps behind him. The group all turned to see the Mystical Warriors standing there; three of them were clearly bitter, one confident but still nervous.

'Are we going to finish these battles or what?' the fourth warrior asked, his fingers itching to play. He looked down at Kenny.

'Hey. A new one. Here to challenge?'

'No. Just to watch.'

The corner of his lips twinged as his brain picked up on something.

'Don't I know you from somewhere?'

'Who? Kenny? He's been with us before,' Ray explained.

'Well Kevin…'

'It's Kenny.'

'Whatever. You're about to see your friend beaten. Are you ready, Tyson?'

'I am.'

'Well let the battle commence…'

The fourth Beyblader of the Mystical Warriors walked around to the other side of the stadium.

'And don't forget 'cos you only met me today. My name is Hisa. Remember that name. It's the name of the one who will beat you!'

Tyson laughed.

'I don't think so. You should remember three words. Three words that will start off your defeat.'

'And those are?' Hisa asked with a cock of his head.

'LET IT RIP! of course', bellowed Tyson as he launched his Beyblade onto the charred earth.

'Of course!' laughed Hisa. 'Let it rip!'

He too released his Beyblade and it flew onto the ground and collided with Tyson's before they both rebounded off and away. The fourth and final Beyblade battle had begun and everyone around the stadium knew that it would be the closest and most harshly fought yet…

Tyson stepped forward and his eyes narrowed, watching his Beyblade spinning quickly around the ground, successfully avoiding the 'blade of Hisa. Hisa wasn't looking too worried; in fact, he was the other way, smiling and looking confident with his hand perched on his hips. Hisa thrust out his arm.

'Prepare to lose Tyson!' he cackled, his voice echoing around the nearby trees. Tyson scoffed at his remarks.

'Why should I be scared of you?' he replied, waving his arms about but all the time still watching the Beyblades. 'You may have a more powerful Beyblade but you don't have a Bit Beast and you don't have the connection I have with Dragoon. You will lose!'

'We'll see about that!' Hisa laughed. Tyson didn't reply. He just adjusted his hat and stepped closer to the stadium area. Behind him Max, Ray, Kai and Kenny were watching intently. Kai occasionally glanced over to Max, still annoyed that he had interfered in his battle though knowing deep down Max probably won it for him, though he did not want to admit this, even to himself.

Tyson moved to his left and began cheering for his Beyblade. Neither of the 'blades in the battle were touching the other as they seemed to be keeping a healthy distance from each other; sadly this didn't make for an exciting battle and soon both Tyson and Hisa were frustrated with the lack of action. Tyson decided to be the first to try and remedy the situation.

'Evolution storm!' he screamed, his voice bouncing off every wall and tree in the local area. A cry of admiration came from behind him as the rest of the group awaited the attack. In the stadium, Tyson's 'blade began to spin much more furiously, whipping up a tornado that gradually got bigger and bigger, sucking up more and more of the dust from the ground and making the wind funnel dirtier and dirtier, and thus making it more difficult to see the Beyblade at the source of it. After only a few seconds, before Hisa could react, his Beyblade had been sucked into the wind and was spinning uncontrollably around. Tyson's 'blade began to lift up from the ground to battle, both Beyblades moving furiously around, hitting each other and sending sparks into the air. They began getting higher and higher into the air and everyone watching the battle found themselves having to crane their necks more and more to be able to see the unfolding action. Max and Ray thrust their arms in front of their eyes to shield themselves from the bright sun above, the Beyblades disappearing in the white-out caused by the glowing orb in the sky. Tyson pulled his cap further over his head to try and get a better look at the events but found it was still impossible to see. All that could be ascertained was the sound of Beyblade hitting Beyblade. Hisa shouted and prepared for a counterattack, trying to concentrate over the mutterings of the other 'Mystical Warriors' behind him who appeared to be plotting something, looking across the stadium at the other Beybladers with a wry smile drifting over the face of one of them. Hisa ignored them, shouting out:

'You call that an attack? Have you not seen this?'

Suddenly, there was an object in the sky brighter than the sun: Hisa's Beyblade. It began glowing a brilliant white, the heat from it affecting the performance of Tyson's 'blade. Then, without warning, the 'blade emitted a howl and an amazing storm whipped up, blowing all the trees around, messing everyone's hair and blowing Tyson's cap off his head and across the ground. Kenny, though his eyes were half closed with the force of the wind, managed to grab the cap as he passed by. He gripped it tightly in his hand and thought about something as he stared at the red cap.

The wind was getting stronger and Tyson's 'evolution storm' attack was losing its power, the funnel reducing in height and forcing both Beyblades back down to the ground. Within sixty seconds both Beyblades were back on terra firma, spinning around and colliding with each other but both had lost a lot of energy and were not spinning with anything like the power they had before. Hisa's 'blade had ceased glowing and returning to its earlier grey colour. Tyson realised that the match was as close as ever and he needed to do something to once more tip the odds into his favour. He knew it was time to call on his Bit Beast.

'Dragoon! It's time for us to show this amateur what it means to lose!'

Hisa just laughed off his cocky comment.

'Amateur? I don't think so. I've won more battles in the last week than you have in your lifetime!'

'But I haven't been playing for evil means. I play for the love of the game; for the love of Beyblading. That's why I will win. Dragoon – attack!'

Dragoon emerged from Tyson's Beyblade and immediately launched an attack on his opponents 'blade, ramming it to the ground. Hisa tried to fight back with a wind attack but, aside from messing up Tyson's uncapped hair, it had little effect against the power of Dragoon who laughed it off with a growl, pawing at the Beyblade and removing another large chunk of its energy.

'Enough of this!' screamed Hisa, his mouth flapping in the powerful wind. 'This ends now! Wind attack!'

The force of the wind started getting much stronger, whipping up an even bigger tornado than Tyson's 'evolution storm' special attack. Even Tyson had to admit that he was in awe of such an attack as dust was picked up from the ground and spun around with a great amount of centrifugal force. He would have counteracted, though, with a bravado comment but the dust that was being picked up was choking him and he could do nothing but cough. In fact, everyone in that area was choking, using any clothing they could to shield their mouth and nose. Ray had removed his headband and was using it to cover his face. Kai had turned his back and frowned.

Hisa could be heard behind the sandstorm attempting to laugh but making himself choke in the process. Tyson would have laughed at his stupidity if he could have got a word out. The storm was now engulfing everyone and the Beyblade battle couldn't even be seen. There was a shout and a thud and the sound of footsteps. Tyson looked around but couldn't figure out what it was; besides, he had enough trouble seeing his hand in front of him, which he had thrust out in a vain attempt to blow away some of the debris. He, of course, failed.

Tyson began trying to make some progress through the sandstorm, heading in the direction that he imagined the battle was taking place though he could hear nothing of the attacks over the sound of the whooshing wind, the swirling sand and the thud of clods of earth being lifted into the air, but still he progressed, his arm thrust in front of his face as protection, slowly walking through the storm. Tyson was relieved when he finally made it into the eye of the storm, his hair choked with dust and debris and his clothes dirty beyond belief.

In the centre of the tornado were the two Beyblades, the wind having had a serious effect on them as they were both slowing down and, as Tyson reached them, were almost at a stop. He watched with satisfaction as Hisa's was the first to slow down and stop. Tyson scooped it up with a smile on his sand-covered face before picking his own up and pocketing both of them. As the battle was now over, the sandstorm began to retreat into itself and, after about two minutes, disappeared into nothing on the floor, the only clue of it ever being there were the swirls of sand on the ground and the large pieces of earth deposited at random places. Tyson looked over to his challenger but found he had disappeared with the other Mystical Warriors.

'Pah!' Tyson snorted, a large amount of sand pouring from his nose. 'The cowards. Didn't want to face the fact that we beat every last one of them!'

Tyson laughed heartily before he turned round to face his team mates, but what he saw removed any victory happiness from his soul. Tyson dashed over to the team, where Kenny was lying on the floor dazed and confused.

'What's happened?' Tyson asked, looking at Max, Ray and Kai for some sort of answer. They all shook their heads.

'We didn't see because of all the sand,' Max revealed. Tyson dropped into a crouching position to talk to Kenny, who was sitting on the ground with his head supported by his left hand.

'What happened?'

Kenny shook his head and spoke slowly.

'One of them hit me and – they've taken Dizzi.'

'Dizzi…' Tyson said, his pupils narrowing and a sick feeling developing in his stomach. 'Where've they taken her?'

'I don't know,' Kenny said, struggling to get up onto his feet and stumbling a couple of times. 'But I know how to get her back. I must go and go to where I was supposed to. The fifth can help me. The fifth can help me.'

Kenny began to walk awkwardly off in the direction of the trees, still having trouble with his movement, but this would pass. Tyson lifted himself back into a standing position trying to make sense of Kenny's words but failing.

'Kenny won't be able to get Dizzi back. It'll have to be down to us. We MUST get her back.'

Tyson turned, standing in front of Max, Ray and Kai. Though he was tired after the battle Tyson knew he had to do something. He had only agreed to the battles to win back the Opal Beyblades so he could free Dizzi from the laptop and be with her once more, for longer than the thirty seconds he had spent with her physical presence so far. He could picture her pretty face and her curves; her smiling face seemed magical to him. Tyson had to do something. He began walking, following by his three team mates, slotting his cap back on as he did so. The 'Mystical Warriors' had left too many footprints in the sand to get away for long. Tyson was after them and he would get Dizzi back if it killed him. Little did he realise as the four young adults walked through the trees that that statement could be more than a figure of speech…

Apologies for the delay in the appearance of this. As you can see it's a long chapter, the longest so far infact, plus I've been up to other things. Chapter nine will be appearing much sooner... Hope you're enjoying the story so far. Please review whether you like it or not!