"It can't be." It took a while for the deep meaning of the question to sink into Asher's mind, "The center of every spiral galaxy is an overpowered evil beyblade that absorbs everything surrounding it!"

"You just got that!?" Lucien had an uncannily fast thought-processing speed.

"I never liked the connotation of the word 'overpowered'." Sorath began to explain, "You have no idea how many tournaments I've been banned from. Is it any wonder that I decided to create my own tournament with no rules?"

"So, I guess I have to fight Apophis now." Asher trembled with fear. "You know, before this tournament began, I didn't even believe in Jesus, but now, I'm beginning to wonder if I really am his reincarnation or however it goes."

"You are a gifted man indeed." Sorath smiled mysteriously.

"What about me!?" Lucien wanted everyone's attention on him.

"You too, Serpent Lord." Sorath nodded.

"Serpent Lord!?" Lucien showed his confusion through his usual headstrong attitude, "Is it possible for you to say anything without being such a fucking enigma!?"

"A warrior priest of ancient Mayan prophecy destined to destroy the world." Sorath knew that would make Lucien happy.

"Well, then!" Lucien didn't expect to hear that, "Damn right I'm the Serpent Lord!" he boasted, "You heard the man!"

"Both of you, Asher and Lucien, are wonderful bladers." Sorath began.

"Why am I listed second!?" Lucien interrupted.

"It's probably just alphabetical order." Asher consoled Lucien, "If you haven't noticed, the War Master is into that."

"I can't afford to just feed either one of you to Apophis yet." Sorath explained, "So, I've decided to make a change in the structure of the tournament. You will be fighting each other. But first, Apophis will be fighting Szandryx."

"Really!?" Szandryx growled, "I just fought! Why do I always get stuck with the freaks?"

"Ironic." Sorath mumbled under his breath.

Without fair warning, Apophis launched Caldera Draconis at Szandryx.

"Damn it!" Szandryx yelled reflexively before firing his Demise Sagittario.

Both beys had long sharp blades like shurikens. If they were to hit, one of them would definitely stop spinning from the sheer friction, but Szandryx knew he couldn't just wait the match out since his Sagittario had low stamina. Fortunately, it also had projectile blades.

"Demise Sagittario!" Szandryx smiled insanely, "Special move: Beleth's Battalion!"

The demonic knight spirit of Sagittario appeared, raising his sword in the air, and summoning an undead army. Sagittario's blades shot out of its sides.

"Just kill." Apophis growled at his bey Draconis.

The vermillion dragon spirit rose from the Draconis bey and breathed fire upon the entire legion of Sagittario's sub-spirits, destroying them all and causing the flying blades to stop in mid-air and fall to the ground.

"No!" Szandryx didn't know much about physics, but he knew this was impossible.

Without blades, Sagittario was defenseless.

"Okay." Szandyx attempted an optimistic joke, "Is there any chance that you belong the same religion as that other fucked-up weirdo and you also believe that I'm the god of death and want to sacrifice yourself to me?"

"Not a chance in the darkest burning abyss of Hell." Apophis's fangs gleamed as he smiled evilly, "I am the true god of death. I've already sacrificed my life for a Sagittario blader, and I don't plan to do it again."

Draconis spun towards Sagittario, breaking it apart.

"What are you!?" Szandryx had only seen creatures like Apophis in his dark imagination.

"It's a question I've been pondering for quite a while now." Apophis explained, "I'd say an appropriate term would be Dragon Lich. As for my bey spirit, that's an actual dragon that I summon, and that isn't my only magical power."

Szandryx dropped dead. Fire seeped out of a hole in his chest where his heart once was.

"How ironic." Apophis laughed evilly, "You have this whole undead theme, and you don't even know how it feels to be undead. I would devour your corpse, but I think it'll make a fine addition to my army. You certainly seem interested enough. Oh wait, you can't hear me... yet."