Disclaimer: Beyblade is a product of Takara company/corporation/ industries/whatever. Not me.
Insert Self, Beyblade
By Ryu Himora
Chapter 3: This one's gonna be loooooong! Ryu vs the Bladebreakers!
UPDATED! 15% New Content!
Ryu was running. He had just gotten a call on his cell phone from the school bullies - they had his friends, and would beat them up if he came wouldn't beat them up if he didn't come beat them up if he didn't battle them. It was a long shot. They would most probably cheat.
Ryu had recently won a local beyblade tournament. He was the dark horse entry - no one knew that he had been training for quite a while with these toys. It was especially annoying for said bullies, who were slated to win as soon as they entered.
To be fair, Ryu hadn't expected to win. He and Darion entered the stadium, and Darion immediately wailed on him. At first, Ryu had no defense for that high-intensity attack. But he saw a weak point in the attack patter. It took perfect timing, but Ryu was able to loop around at the critical second and knocked Darion's beyblade right out of the stadium.
Now he wanted a rematch. And he'd get it, too.
Ryu rounded the corner of his school building into the usually dark back alley. This time, however, flood lights blared into Ryu's eyes. It took him a few seconds for his eyes to adjust.
Ryu heard Darion's voice. "So you're here. Let's get to it then."
"If I win, you let the others go."
Darion stepped into the light and smiled. "Of course."
The two of them stepped up to the beystadium. Ryu noticed something familiar about it. It looked like the same on they fought in in the tournament.
"You stole this stadium?" Ryu asked.
"Everything needs to be the same." Darion answered. "Now get ready!"
Ryu pulled out his Spirit Dragon. "I'm always ready for you!"
Both bladers got ready to launch.
"Three!" Darion said.
"Two!" Ryu answered.
"One! LET IT RIP!"
Launch RPMs
Ryu: 21000
Darion: 23000
Ryu entered the stadium and immediately dodged. He couldn't let Darion begin his wild attack pattern, or he was in serious trouble. Darion would have obviously fixed it by now, although Ryu couldn't let himself get attacked to find out. He made an intricate five-point circle around the stadium, then noticed that Darion's blade, Mech Hyena, wasn't moving.
"Huh?" Ryu said.
"Got you!"
Mech Hyena dashed forward, striking Spirit Dragon on the side and launching it around the stadium. Ryu could not stop his momentum before Darion circled the other way and began his attack pattern. Ryu was being thrown in every direction, trying to fight back. But he just could not form any type of defensive strategy against it.
In Ryu's extreme concentration, he suddenly found himself on a white plane. Nothing else was there. Ryu turned around, and saw a blue spec, growing larger. He eventually saw a translucent blue dragon flying toward him. It roared, and it was about to hit Ryu-
Spirit Dragon's bit chip flashed. It started glowing, and a beam of light came out, which turned into the same blue dragon. Spirit Dragon's rotation speed increased dramatically, even as it was being hit by Mech Hyena. A thought entered Ryu's mind - a way to beat Darion.
Spirit Dragon stopped fighting back. Instead of blocking each hit from doing damage, Ryu took the full force of the attack. Spirit Dragon's BitBeast cringed, but came back with a roar!
"What?" Darion shouted. Nobody had figured out his weakness this fast!
"Go Spirit Dragon!" Ryu shouted back.
Spirit Dragon began glowing with a rippling white energy. It used the momentum from Mech Hyena's hit to launch itself off the side of the stadium. The energy aura collected into a thin white blade surrounding the attack ring. Spirt Dragon made two delicate flips in the air, then fell on Mech Hyena with the force of a diving falcon. They impacted, and Mech Hyena was knocked straight out of the stadium!
Darion watched as his beyblade flew by him. He couldn't believe it. He had lost TWICE? Only one thought went through his mind, revenge.
"G- Go! Get him!"
Four other beyblades entered the stadium. The energy blade surrounding Spirit Dragon withdrew and reformed into an aura around to beyblade.
Ryu smiled. Four enemies at once? No problem!
"Go Spirit Dragon!"
Ryu's beyblade systematically attacked all four opponents, keeping each of them off balance. Eventually, they lost enough rotation speed that Spirit Dragon was able to push them into specific patterns! The four beyblades began running into each other as Spirit Dragon began running the entire show!
"SPIRIT TORNADO!"
Spirit Dragon stopped in the exact center of the stadium and spun even faster. The energy aura formed several spirals, then Ryu's four opponents were lifted and thrown right out of the stadium! Spirit Dragon remained spinning were it was, with a stunned Darion staring at it.
"Well?" Ryu asked. "Unless you've got a BitBeast of your own, I'd say this battle's over."
Darion bowed his head. "You... You won. Let them go."
As Ryu's friends were released, Spirit Dragon shone white. It disintegrated into thousands of pieces, but instead of collecting onto the bit chip, it gathered in front of Ryu and began to take the form of a customized launch assist. Ryu caught it as it fell, and Ryu noticed the picture of Spirit Dragon on the assist itself. He looked in marvel at it, then the beyblade circled the stadium once and flew back into Ryu's hand.
Darion walked over to Ryu. "This isn't over yet!" He said, pressing a finger firmly against Ryu's chest. "I'm going to find my own BitBeast, and THEN we'll see who's the victor!"
Ryu awoke to the sound of a bokken swinging. He wondered how Kuno had gotten into this universe, but the he remembered crashing at Tyson's house last night. Ryu forced himself out of bed, even though he knew the attack wasn't aimed in his direction. Just as he was able to collect his beyblade gear, Ryu heard Tyson and his granddad arguing.
"Hey! What was that for?"
"You gotta keep sharp, dude! Just because you're sleeping doesn't mean you should be defenseless!"
Ryu chuckled, then the other two noticed him. "While this is amusing, it's not really what I expected from the world champion beyblader."
"Uhh, thanks?" Tyson said. "Well, we should get ready for today's match. You've got a tough road ahead of you today, Ryu."
Ryu nodded. "I'm ready for it."
"Well before you do so, bro, maybe you two oughtta eat first?"
"That would be nice." Tyson answered.
A while later, Ryu and Tyson were waiting for the other Bladebreakers to show up. Ryu was tense. Yesterday he had got his own BitBeast, and today he was auditioning to join the Bladebreakers! He wondered how much excitement would happen this week, and whether he could take it or not.
Ryu looked at Spirit Dragon. It had barely been a year since he started this sport. Most other people took several years to become as good as the company he was in. Ryu was about to take his One Shot at Glory. Even better, he had four chances! It took all of his self-control to stop an outburst of emotion.
"So Ryu, how about some practice before they get here?" Tyson asked.
Ryu broke his meditation and got up. "Sure. What do you have in mind?"
Tyson got Dragoon Storm ready for launch. "Chase me. A simple race shouldn't be too hard, right?"
"Oh, don't try to get me riled up." Ryu said. "You got a deal, though."
"Alright! Let it Rip!" Tyson launched Dragoon and started circling.
"Let it Rip!"
Spirit Dragon landed and went around Dragoon's perimeter in the opposite direction. Tyson and Ryu stared at each other for a few seconds, then Dragoon sped off to the left. Spirit Dragon was close behind. It followed Dragoon around the entire yard for several minutes, never falling more than a few feet behind.
(Ryu... I hope I know what I'm doing by inviting you to join the team. Kai realized it, too. Don't fail me, or Spirit Dragon will be in danger.)
Tyson and Ryu stared into each other's eyes for several seconds. Then, Ryu saw something - a pattern in Dragoon's movements. He didn't know if it was some subconscious urge within Tyson, or he was trying to lead him on, but that didn't matter. Ryu had Spirit Dragon speed up, and right at a critical turn, smashed straight into Dragoon!
The two beyblade landed in the area between Ryu and Tyson. They both looked at their blades in surprise, then locked eyes again. Both of them nodded at the same time, and they got into better fighting stances.
"Go! Dragoo-!"
"Hey Tyson! What's going on?"
Right as Tyson was about to call out his attack, Hillary showed up behind him, yelling. He lost balance, and face planted on the ground. Ryu laughed, and Spirit Dragon flew back into his hands. Tyson got up and did the same with Dragoon.
"Grr, Hillary!" Tyson shouted. She was taken aback. "Why'd you have to interrupt like that? We were just getting into the battle!"
"If you just started, then what was I interrupting?" Hillary asked.
Tyson was dumbstruck. He tried to get something out of his mouth, but it just came out as incoherent babbling.
Ryu laughed again. "There's more to it, Hillary. We were doing some practice laps around the place, and I provoked him a bit, I guess."
"Oh... I see."
"Uh, yeah. What he said." Tyson managed to get out.
"Hey! Anyone home?" A faint voice said.
Tyson and Ryu looked at each other. "Yeah! We're back here!" Tyson shouted back. Max, Ray, Kenny, and Kai rounded the corner of the house.
"Alright! Now we're all here!"
Kai immediately stepped up to the beystadium. "I'm your first opponent, Ryu."
"Woah, Kai!" Max said. "Overkill much?"
"If he doesn't like it, Ryu can forfeit." Kai said. He got Dranzer ready to launch.
"Hah!" Ryu said. "I'm not giving up my chance to get into the world-champion team of Bladebreakers."
Kai almost smiled. "That's the idea. I will even the odds a little, however." He took Dranzer and removed the attack ring and wight disk, then replaced the MG core with a standard spin gear. He reassembled his blade and stood at the ready.
"Oh..." Kenny started. "That's right, Ryu doesn't have an MG core. Come on, everyone take yours out."
The reast of the team looked at each other nervously, then did the same with their beyblades. It felt like they were removing a part of themselves.
Kai held his launcher out over the stadium. "You ready?"
Ryu took out his launch assist, then something else: a metal attachment. He put it on the trigger guard of the launch assist, then slipped the extended ripcord in and slapped Spirit Dragon onto the launcher.
"Three!" Ryu said.
"Two!" Kai responded.
"One! LET IT RIP!"
Launch RPMs
Dranzer: 52000
Spirit Dragon: 37000
Spirit Dragon and Dranzer entered the stadium and charged head on. At the very last second, Spirit Dragon dodged left and made a fast circle, hitting him in the worst place. Dranzer skidded to within a couple inches of leaving the stadium, then recovered and got back in the fight.
"Wow! Nice opener, Ryu!" Max said.
"Humph." Kai said.
Kenny opened his laptop. "How's it look, Dizzi?"
Dizzi booted and called up current data on both Dranzer and Spirit Dragon. "Looking good, chief. Both blades are spinning strong."
"Can you calculate the win chances?"
Dizzi made several on screen calculations, but hid the results. "Uhh, who are you rooting for?"
Tyson walked over. "So chief, got any predictions yet?"
"Just hold on a sec." Kenny said. "Dizzi, just show me the stats."
"You're not going to like it." Dizzi revealed the power ratios of both beyblades, showing that Ryu had a twelve percent chance of victory. Tyson, Ray, and Max went "Awww..."
"Kai's just too good of a beyblader." Kenny said. "Ryu's only chance is to release Spirit Dragon without Kai releasing Dranzer in turn."
"Well..." Tyson started. "So what about the statistics? Go for it Ryu!"
Spirit Dragon took several bad knocks from Dranzer. Ryu grunted, then managed to get inside the barrage of attacks and push Dranzer back. It didn't take long, however, for Kai to break the hold and get right back on the offensive.
"Grr..." Ryu said. He had to prove himself to Kai. Show that he was worthy of becoming a Bladebreaker. Ryu took a deep breath and repositioned his legs. He closed his eyes for a second, listening to the two beyblades battling. Ryu heard the pattern of the hits, and then noticed something familiar about the timing. His eyes shot open, staring squarely at Kai. "Go Spirit Dragon!"
Kai was charging for another hit, and he impacted. But instead of fighting back, Ryu took the full force of the blow! Spirit Dragon flew around the stadium and circled back to the off balance Dranzer.
"Now! ESPER SLASH!"
Spirit Dragon used the momentum to launch itself off the side of the stadium. It again began to glow with the same rippling aura of energy as it ascended in the air. The aura collected to a thin blade around Spirit Dragon's attack ring, then it finished the arc and fell straight at Dranzer!
"Yeah! Go for it Ryu!" Ray shouted.
Kai's eyes widened at the side of Spirit Dragon's attack, but they narrowed again as he focused back on Dranzer. He forced his blade to do small circles in its current pattern, which stabilized Dranzer on its axis! Kai darted away milliseconds before Spirit Dragon impacted!
"What!" Tyson said.
Ryu gasped. Spirit Dragon hit the side of the stadium and barely managed to land, but made a serious scrape and was dragged along the side by its own rotation speed. Just when it looked like Spirit Dragon was about to leave the stadium, and make Ryu lose, Dranzer sped in and knocked Spirit Dragon back in!
"What?" Ryu said. He looked up at Kai who was smiling.
"Missing on your special attack doesn't get you a free trip out of the stadium." Kai said. His expression changed, and he became even more serious. "Now, attack me Ryu!"
Dranzer began another series of rapid attacks against Spirit Dragon. Ryu was forced every which way in the stadium as he couldn't put up a defense. The attack pattern had changed again, so Ryu couldn't use the same absorption trick twice. He growled as nothing Spirit Dragon did broke the hold Dranzer had on him.
Tyson stepped up to the stadium, Dragoon ready to launch. "Come one Kai! Give him a break!"
Ryu put his arm out. "No! This is MY fight! Stay back, Tyson!"
Tyson stepped back in surprise. He didn't expect Ryu to have this much fight left in him after what Kai had done! Tyson grimaced, then lowered Dragoon and returned to Kenny.
"Heads up, people!" Dizzi said. "Spirit Dragon's power is rising fast!"
"What? How could this happen so late in the match?" Kenny asked.
"Beats me, but Kai's about to have a serious problem!"
Ryu gripped his launch assist tightly. Bringing out his BitBeast would only show that he was weak. He felt Spirit Dragon feeding on the determination being generated from Kai's actions. Spirit Dragon spun faster, despite Dranzer's attacks, and actually dodged one of the blows!
"Go, Spirit Dragon!" Ryu shouted. "Final attack! ESPER BLADE BEAM!"
The energy aura around Spirit Dragon returned. This time, however, it stayed where it was. Spirit Dragon began a five point pattern around the stadium as, suddenly, Dranzer couldn't hit him!
"Come on, Ryu, man up and hit me!" Kai said.
Spirit Dragon spun even faster, and stopped in the middle of the stadium. A wind vortex was generated by the rotation speed, which started pushing Dranzer away! Just as Ryu was about to release his attack, a tiny speck of light appeared on Spirit Dragon's bit chip. Ryu paused for a second, then then vortex slowly faded. Spirit Dragon began wobbling horribly, then recovered some. It moved back and forth once, then flew back into Ryu's hand.
"Enough. You won." Ryu said.
"Huh? But you had him Ryu!" Tyson said.
Dranzer jumped back into Kai's hand. "Humph. What happened?"
"I won't let you provoke me into releasing my BitBeast, Kai."
Everyone was silent for sever seconds. Then, Kai started chuckling, which turned into full on laughter. "So you figured it out. That's right, I was trying to make you bring out Spirit Dragon. But you were the wiser in this battle, and that's earned my respect." Kai stepped down from the stadium. "I will say this for you though - that was a pretty decent workout."
Everyone else was stunned. Only Dizzi retained the ability to speak. "Wait, did Kai just give someone a compliment?"
"I guess so." Kenny said. Ryu took another deep breath, then stepped down from the stadium himself.
"So. Who's next?"
"Wow. I've never seen someone lose to Kai and then ask for seconds." Max said.
"Yeah, that takes buns of grade-A titanium." Kenny replied..
"I'll take you on." Ray stepped forward. He and Ryu looked at each other for a few seconds, then nodded simultaneously.
"Hey! What's all the racket out there!"
Tyson's Granddad burst out of the house. "You guys know what time it is!"
"Uhh... Twelve thirty?" Ryu said.
"Its chow time! Now you kids get in here and get some grub!"
The seven people looked at each other, then reluctantly went in the house. They were having fun out here!
Meanwhile...
"Joseph, anything new on the Bladebreakers?" Ozuma asked.
"Something. There's a new guy with them."
"A new guy?" Dunga asked. "What's he like?"
"His name is Ryu. He's got a beyblade called 'Spirit Dragon', or something. They're talking like he has a BitBeast."
Ozuma was surprised. "Ryu? Spirit Dragon? You sure you heard them right?"
Joseph nodded. "Yeah. That's what they were saying."
Ozuma jumped up and grabbed Flash Leopard. "Come on. We're grabbing their BitBeasts. Now."
The rest of the Saint Shields looked at each other a few seconds, then walked out with Ozuma. They had a mission to carry out.
Ryu walked back out to the stadium. Hew had taken some time to refocus and prepare for the next battle. It had helped - his heartbeat was down to fifty beats. He was ready for anything.
Ryu exited the house, and Ray was standing next to the stadium. As he saw Ryu, he smiled. The two of them had had a very long conversation on the helicopter ride back to the city, and they had become good friends in both beyblades and interests. This was going to be a fun battle.
"Are you ready, Ryu?" Ray asked.
Ryu stepped up to the stadium. "You bet! Kai gave me a good reference on the Bladebreaker's skill. I won't be so easy to beat this time."
Kenny got his laptop ready. "How's it looking, Dizzi?"
"Well, now I have have more accurate data on Spirit Dragon, I estimate that Ryu has a thirty-seven percent chance of victory this time around."
"Thirty-seven?" Tyson said. "That's pretty good, right?"
"Statistically speaking yes," Kenny said, "But this is the real world. The odds are two to one against Ryu."
"Oh, come on. Show a little faith, Chief." Max said. "We know Ryu has the potential to be a world-class blader. It just might take some time to bring it out of him."
"I wouldn't be talking like that if I were you, Max." Dizzi said.
Max was surprised. "Huh? What do you mean?"
"Ryu has a much better chance of defeating you than anyone else." Dizzi pulled up several pieces of data on both Draciel and Spirit Dragon. They were showing the attacks and counter moves of both blades, and clearly showed Draciel fighting a losing battle in several scenarios.
"Well, let's get this show on the road!" Ray said. He pulled out Driger V and slapped it onto his launcher.
"Right!" Ryu did the same for Spirit Dragon. "Three!" Ryu said.
"Two!" Ray answered.
"One! LET IT RIP!"
Launch RPMs
Driger: 51000
Spirit Dragon: 37500
Driger and Spirit Dragon landed in the stadium - but didn't do anything. They just slowly circled around, staring each other down. Eventually, they both charged forward and ground into each other. They pushed with all their might, but Ray was the superior. Spirit Dragon began to fall back.
"Hey! What's going on?" Tyson asked.
"Spirit Dragon's losing rotation speed fast!" Kenny said. "I don't know what's causing it!"
"Grr, come on Spirit Dragon!" Ryu shouted. He was trying with all his heart to fight Ray, but nothing was coming out. Spirit Dragon was being pushed further back to the edge of the stadium.
"Ryu! Stop playing around!" Ray said. He wasn't even trying to do this much damage - Ryu was letting it happen! Closer and closer Spirit Dragon crept to certain defeat. Ryu didn't know how much more he could handle.
"Don't let him get to you, Ryu!" Kai said. "Ray is your opponent! You have to think you'll win or this is exactly what happens!"
"This is too easy!" Ray said. "Driger! Vulcan Claw attack!"
Driger stopped pushing Spirit Dragon and began an intricate attack pattern. It hammered Spirit Dragon several times, pushing it all over the stadium! Ryu yelped in his concentration. Driger delivered a particularly good hit, and Spirit Dragon was thrown into the air.
Ryu was back on the plain. Spirit Dragon stood in front of him, its entire majesty all but gone. It looked weak. Ryu walked up to it, and put his hand on the side of its head. The scales were rough and uneven. The dragon started whimpering in pain.
"I get it." Ryu said. "You befriended Driger just like I did with Ray." He moved closer, allowing the BitBeast to rest its head on his shoulder. Ryu put his arms around it. "But we're not fighting as enemies. It's not a domination battle - We're fighting to show him our strength. Show him our power!"
The dragon's eyes widened. It stopped whimpering, then lifted its head and let out a gigantic roar!
Driger's advance on Spirit Dragon stopped. The two pushed at each other for several seconds, then Driger shot away from Spirit Dragon!
"Go for it, Spirit Dragon!" Ryu shouted.
Driger took some serious knocks as Spirit Dragon increased its rotation speed and swung around the stadium in a rapid pattern. Ray felt the heat turn up as his blade was being pushed around like a piece of paper! He tried to counter and make a dodge, but the pattern left Driger off-balance, and it was much slower than normal. There was only one way for him to get out of this.
"Alright Ryu, you asked for it!" Ray said. "GO DRIGER!"
The bit chip on Driger began glowing, then emitted a beam of light which expanded and morphed into a feline form - Driger growled and pushed one of Spirit Dragon attacks away! Spirit Dragon had to halt its attack pattern as Driger became too powerful!
"All right!" Ryu said. "Let's go, Spirit Dragon!"
Ryu's beyblade went to the middle of the stadium and paused. Spirit Dragon burst from the bit chip with a spectacular display of lights. The two BitBeasts stared each other down for a second - then charged headfirst again! This time, as they ground against each other, neither side was relenting!
"Driger! VULCAN CLAW!"
"Spirit Dragon! ESPER SLASH!"
Both Beyblades started glowing with energy - Spirit Dragon white, Driger gold. Theis attacks clashed, and a blinding flash of light filled the area. Everyone shielded their eyes and looked away. When the light faded, both Driger and Spirit Dragon were still spinning - outside the stadium. The two had been knocked out at the same time. Spirit Dragon and Driger turned white and retreated back into the Beyblades, which promptly failed to continue spinning.
"It's... a tie." Kenny sputtered.
"Both blades exited the stadium within a second of each other," Dizzi said. "According to BBA rules, that is, in fact, a tie."
Ray picked up Driger. "Good match, Ryu". The two of them walked over and slapped their hands together. "This isn't over yet. We'll fight again someday."
Ryu nodded. "I'll be waiting for you."
The two released each other, and Ray walked back over to Kenny. "So how'd I do?" He asked, then sat down with them.
"Well, you did good, considering the power of Ryu's BitBeast." Dizzi said. "Spirit Dragon was temporarily a little more powerful than Dragoon."
"I'm just glad neither of your Beyblades took any serious damage." Kenny said. "Though Spirit Dragon is taking a beating." Dizzi showed several areas of damage on Ryu's blade.
"No sweat." Ryu said. "I've got some spare parts. This isn't a custom Beyblade, you know."
"Really? What's it made out of?"
"Take a look." Ryu tossed Spirit Dragon over to Kenny. He and the Bladebreakers looked it over carefully. They all recognized different parts.
"Dragoon Fighter's attack ring..." Tyson said.
"Driger's blade base..." Ray continued.
"And Draciel's weight ring." Max finished.
"Not only that," Kenny said, "Each part has been expertly hand crafted. Who did this, Ryu?"
Ryu chuckled. "Who do you think? I don't have the money to hire someone for this. I made Spirit Dragon myself."
"Wow! Does that mean you can help patch up our blades?" Tyson asked. He, Ray, and Max all took theirs out - they weren't too pretty. Functional, but they could be better.
"Yeah, I could do it. But don't we have some more battling to do?" Ryu said, then got Spirit Dragon back and readied his launcher.
"Yeah! Let's do this." Max stepped up to the stadium and readied Draciel.
"Alright! It's now or never Spirit Dragon!"
Ryu and Max looked in each others eyes for several seconds. They peered into their souls, evaluating each other as an opponent.
Ryu closed his eyes in concentration. After what felt like several minutes, he heard the flapping of monstrous wings, and felt a familiar presence. As he opened his eyes, Ryu saw Spirit Dragon circling him. None of the Bladebreakers seemed aware of his BitBeast. Spirit Dragon broke off from his orbit and made an approach at Ryu, coming straight for his front. The dragon impacted, but transferred no kinetic energy - instead, his entire mass was absorbed into Ryu's body, who began glowing with a faint white aura. It seemed to be the same energy his beyblade used.
"Three!" Ryu said.
"Two!" Max responded.
"One!" They shouted together. "LET IT RIP!"
Launch RPMs
Draciel: 51000
Spirit Dragon: 51000?
"Go Spirit Dragon!" Ryu shouted. His Beyblade landed in the stadium and the bit chip immediately started glowing. A beam of light once again projected out of it, and morphed into the translucent blue form of Spirit Dragon!
Max was stunned - Ryu wasn't going to play around here. He summoned up the brunt of his courage and prepared to face Ryu head on!
"Go Draciel!"
Max's bit chip also started glowing, then produced it's own light, which morphed into the black turtle of Draciel. The two BitBeasts stared at each other for just a few seconds, then they both roared and charged forward! Draciel and Spirit Dragon locked arms and braced against each other. They both roared, trying to push the other back.
Ryu and Max's beyblades were grinding against each other in the exact middle of the stadium. Tiny pieces of their attack rings were flying of as neither could gain ground. Ryu gripped his launcher tighter and brought the last of his strength to bear. "Attack, Spirit Dragon!"
Max was stunned as Draciel began to be pushed back! He pushed back, but the force Spirit Dragon was exerting was too great. About halfway from the edge of the stadium, Spirit Dragon darted away. Max ws caught off-guard, and barely maaged to stop Draciel from flying out of the stadium. As his beyblade stopped its momentum, however, Spirit Dragon sped in as though it had been sot from a cannon! Draciel was hit and thrown twice around the stadium before Max could recover!
"Woah! Where did that come from!" Tyson asked.
"Ryu's done something with Spirit Dragon." Kenny answered. "There seems to be a direct energy link between them, and it's making Ryu much more powerful!"
"Wait, Spirit Dragon is giving energy to Ryu?" Ray said. "Shouldn't it be the other way around?"
"Yeah, it should. But somehow, this one is different."
Max grimaced as Draciel was pummeled by Spirit Dragon - but didn't back down. In fact, as Spirit Dragon ended an attack pattern, Max started smiling!
"What are you so happy about?" Ryu asked.
"You asked for it, Ryu!" Max reset his stance and stared at Ryu. "Draciel! ATTACK!"
Spirit Dragon started another series of attacks, but Draciel suddenly regained its balance, and stopped Spirit Dragon in his tracks! Draciel pushed, and began hitting Spirit Dragon back!
"Hmmph! Let's get this over with then!" Ryu said.
Spirit Dragon again emanated a white aura. Max, having seen this action several times, immediately knew what to do. He relaxed his grip on his launcher and then squeezed it in a more comfortable position, then shouted "Draciel! FORTRESS DEFENSE!"
As Spirit Dragon began its attack pattern, Draciel dodged right. It rode up on the stadium wall and made a 180, then slammed into Spirit Dragon from behind. Max expected Ryu to dodge it, and corrected beforehand - but Ryu continued on-course! Draciel shot Spirit Dragon off at an odd angle, and instead of flying around the stadium, it launched off the side!
"ESPER SLASH!"
Spirit Dragon came down on Draciel like an anvil. The energy blade cut into Draciel's material, ripping pieces of it off - but when the body impacted, Max's beyblade was smashed up into the air! It seemed to hang at the apex of the arc forever, then it fell. It looked like it might hit the side of the stadium and bounce in, and at the last second Draciel hit the exact edge and ricocheted off, then fell - out of the stadium.
Ryu and the Bladebreakers were silent. Spirit Dragon was moving in a lazy pattern around the stadium. Draciel was still spinning, but outside of it. Max slowly looked over to his blade. Draciel turned white and withdrew back into the beyblade, which promptly stopped spinning. Max went over and picked it up as Spirit Dragon withdrew as well.
"That's..." Kenny started. "That's it."
"Ryu... won." Ray finished.
Spirit Dragon made a victory lap of the stadium and jumped into Ryu's hand. Ryu walked over to Max, who looked up. At the exact same time, they put out their right hands, grabbed, and clenched tightly. Mutual respect flowed between them.
Ryu was a Bladebreaker now.
"And the victory goes to Ryu," Dizzi said, "But did you have to rip Draciel up that much?" She showed Draciel's damage rating, and a few big pieces of it were missing.
"THAT was a good battle." Kai said. "But don't let it go to your head, Ryu. You blade by our rules, and your train with us. You proved you can beat one of our kind, so I won't treat you any different."
"Oh, lighten up Kai." Tyson said. "But, no offense to you Max, I am actually glad he won."
"Hey!" Max said. "What do you mean?"
"Do you think team Psykick will just look the other way now that they know Ryu has a BitBeast?" Kai asked. Max and Ray were stunned. "Ryu needed to be with us so we could protect him. Spirit Dragon is obviously a powerful BitBeast, and there might be more people after it."
"Like us!" They heard a voice say. Everyone looked over, and saw the SaintShields in the arch leading into the yard. The sun glinted in the now late-afternoon hours. "Don't think you're safe from us, Ryu! the SaintShields will capture ALL the Bladebreaker's BitBeasts!" Ozuma said. He pulled out Flash Leopard and got ready to launch. "I challenge you to a match, Ryu!"
Ryu reset his own launcher and got Spirit Dragon ready. "I accept."
"No, Ryu!" Tyson said. "It's a trap! They don't play by the rules!"
"I know." Ryu said, knocking Tyson off guard. "I know about their dirty tricks. And I've faced four people before, as well."
Tyson began to walk over. "Ryu-!"
Kai stopped him. "Let him go. If Spirit Dragon is taken, then it's his own fault. Besides..." Kai curiously stopped. Tyson looked at his eyes, and they were filed with confidence. Kai knew something else about Ryu.
"Ahhh All right!" Tyson shouted. "Go for it Ryu!"
Ryu and Ozuma faced each other. "It's been a while." Ryu said.
"Yes. But don't think time has lightened my grip on you." Ozuma said. "I KNOW you have a BitBeast now! I will not back down until it's sealed in the rock!"
"Then you'll have to fight for it!" Ryu reset his launcher and set Spirit Dragon up.
The Bladebreakers finally noticed the aura around Ryu.
"Huh? What's up with Ryu's body?" Tyson asked.
"It must be the energy link!" Kenny said. "Somehow, Ryu's managed to keep it active even without spinning Spirit Dragon!"
"Gladly!" Ozuma got Flash Leopard ready. "Three!" He challenged.
"Two!" Ryu answered.
"One! LET IT RIP!"
Launch RPMs
Spirit Dragon: 51000 RPM
Flash Leopard: 52000 RPM
Flash Leopard wasted no time in charging Spirit Dragon. The two beyblades collided and briefly ground together, but Spirit Dragon was shot away! Flash Leopard mercilessly hammered Ryu's blade and chased it all over the area.
"Hey! Get in game, Ryu!" Max said.
"What happened to that spectacular ability?" Ray asked. "He was just fighting us a lot better than this."
"It's not his technique," Dizzi said, "The battle with Max took a lot out of Spirit Dragon." She put a schematic of Spirit Dragon on the screen, showing about 20% of it missing.
"Well then, we have to push it!" Tyson said. "Give it your all, Ryu!"
Spirit Dragon took a couple more hard knocks, then managed to dodge one of Flash Leopard's attacks. Ryu got inside Ozuma's attack pattern and began hitting him hard. This went on for a good half minute before Ozuma sized up.
"You're not getting away from me! Attack, Flash Leopard!"
The two beyblades ground against each other for several seconds. Eventually, though, Flash Leopard began to push Sprit Dragon back! Ryu grimaced and tried to fight back, but Ozuma was just too experienced. Spirit Dragon was shot away from Flash Leopard as the power was too great.
"All right, Ozuma! You asked for it! GO SPIRIT DRAGON!"
The bit chip on Ryu's beyblade shone white, then Spirit Dragon burst from it! It let out a massive roar as the beyblade fought back at Flash Leopard!
Ozuma smiled. "Now you're mine. Attack, Flash Leopard!"
Flash Leopard burst from Ozuma's beyblade. They again bashed mercilessly at each other, gouging scars in the earth and anything else they touched.
"Man, they're really going at it." Max said.
"You're telling me, Ryu has somehow matched Flash Leopard's power!" Dizzi showed the respective data from the battle.
"Wha...?" Tyson said. He thought Ryu was only an amateur beyblader - where was all this power coming from? "Doesn't it bother you guys that Ryu seems to be more powerful than he's showing?"
Before any of the Bladebreakers could answer, they heard an unfamiliar voice. "There's a lot more to Ryu than meets the eye."
Kai, Tyson, Max, and Ray turned to look. There was someone leaning against the wooden wall. He had on a brown t-shirt and jeans, and had short black hair. He was nondescript in every way except one - his eyes were red.
"Who are you?" Ray asked.
The person chuckled. "I am Honjo. Ryu is of special interest to me and my team."
"What for?" Tyson stepped forward slightly.
"I will explain later. This battle is about to get a lot more interesting."
"Huh?"
As the five of them turned back to the battle, they gasped. Spirit Dragon had again been enveloped by it's white aura, but what shocked them was that Ryu had the same aura!
"Ozuma!" Ryu shouted. "You have plagued the Bladebreakers long enough! I WILL defeat you!" Ryu took a deep breath, focusing the power that flowed between him and Spirit Dragon. He willed it to collect, and gather strength - and his ripcord turned red. Ryu looked at it for a second in confusion, then knew what to do.
"Charge!" Ryu shouted. He slammed his ripcord back into the launcher. The launch assist changed color - the plastic parts turned red as well, leaving the ribber bits white. "Spirit Dragon..." Ryu got back into his launch stance, and shouted "ATTACK MODE!" as he ripped it out of the launcher again!
As Flash Leopard lined up for another attack, it was suddenly repelled from Spirit Dragon. Ryu's beyblade began moving around eratically, then changed shape. The attack ring and base became more attack oriented, and the white parts of it turned red! Spirit Dragon himself let out roar as he grew more viscious spikes and turned red as well!
Ozuma looked up, and was a little scared at Ryu's condition. He held it together, though, and brought up the bulk of his strength. "Flash Leopard! CROSS FIRE!"
Flash Leopard began burning with a dark flame and charged at Spirit Dragon. Ryu was ready for him though, and called out his own attack!
"GRAND ESPER SLASH!"
The two beyblades collided. They instantly bounced off each other and flew away - but the damage had been done. Spirit Dragon landed gracefully on the ground in front of Ryu, and Flash Leopard made two skips on the ground before wobbling to an undignified halt in front of Ozuma.
"Grr! Everyone! Attack him now!" Ozuma shouted.
"Sharkrash!"
"Vortex Ape!"
"Vanishing Moot!"
Three other beyblades began racing toward Spirit Dragon. At first, Ryu panicked, but his instincts made him calm down. He focused, channeling the aura around him to his beyblade.
"Now it gets interesting." Honjo said.
"Woah! Are you seeing this, Chief!" Dizzi asked.
"I sure am! Whatever Ryu just did increased Spirit Dragon's power tenfold!"
"What kind of power is this?" Tyson asked. He had never seen anything like this before. Ryu seemed capable of taking on the world!
"Attack Mode." Honjo said.
The Bladebreakers turned back to him. "What's Attack Mode?"
"Spirit Dragon is capable of feats you've never seen. He's a special BitBeast. The SaintShields don't have a chance."
Ryu closed his eyes, concentrating with his full will. He located the SaintShields' beyblades with his mind, letting his senses fade out. This was important - another four-to-one battle. He'd had enough of these to know what to do.
Spirit Dragon began systematically attacking the SaintShields' beyblades. It was a slow process, but Ryu managed to get one, then two, then three, and finally all four of his opponents off-balance at the same time! Spirit Dragon began herding their beyblades together and hitting each other!
"Yeah!" Tyson said. "Keep 'em on the ropes, Ryu!"
The SaintShields didn't know what to do. Every time their respective beyblades began to regain balance, Spirit Dragon knocked them right back down! Ryu kept his eyes shut, seemingly guiding his beyblade effortlessly! Spirit Dragon began to line up the SaintShields' beyblades, pushing them into a specific pattern.
Ryu's eyes shot open. "Spirit Dragon! DRAGON SMASH ATTACK!"
Spirit Dragon began glowing with a red aura. The edges of it churned and boiled, as if on fire. It struck each SaintShields beyblade in order, causing them all to fly back into their owner's hands as they were hit. Spirit Dragon flashed - returning to its' white color, then withdrew back into Ryu's beyblade. It jumped back into Ryu's hand.
"What the..." Ozuma started. He looked at Flash Leopard with concern, then back to Ryu. "This isn't over yet. We'll be back for your BitBeasts." He and his team walked off.
Ryu sighed. He lost his grip on his launch assist, and it fell to the ground. His legs gave out and he fell to his knees.
"Ryu!" Ray and Max ran over to him. "Are you okay?"
"Woah! Check out his arms!" Max said.
Ryu looked down. Both of his arms were covered in angry red cuts, and he suspected they didn't end there. He looked at Spirit Dragon, and indeed, tiny chips of the attack ring and base were missing.
"That was one intense battle!" Tyson said. "You sure gave the SaintShields something to worry about!"
"Don't be so sure." Ryu said. He accepted some help from Max and Ray to get up, then walked over and showed Tyson his injuries. Tyson gasped in surprise. "This kind of power is NOT something I can play around with. I need to be very careful when, and IF, I use this again."
"That's the right idea." Honjo said. "Attack Mode is the most dangerous mode change. You cannot afford to underestimate its power."
"Hey, how do you know about this, anyway?" Ray asked.
"Who is this guy?" Ryu asked. He had been so focused on the battle, nothing else had really registered.
Honjo chuckled again. "Like I said to your new teammates, I am Honjo. You, Ryu, are an interest to my team. There's a reason we know about you."
"And... would you care to tell us?" Tyson asked.
Honjo shook his head. "I'm not up to it. I was going to fight you, Ryu, but you look like you've had enough fun for today. I'm not a dishonorable person." He walked over and put his hand over Spirit Dragon. The beyblade began to faintly glow, and all the damage vanished. The cuts on Ryu's body strangely healed with it.
Honjo began turned away and began to walk off. "Beware, Ryu. You've just unlocked a type of power not many people ever even see. My team and I aren't out for your BitBeast, but we will be testing you. Expect us at any time."
Honjo left, walking out of the gate to Tyson's house. The Bladebreakers watched him, and he turned a corner, gone. They turned to Ryu after several seconds.
"So how are you feeling?" Tyson asked.
"Tired." Ryu said. "It's about the same sensation as being awake for three days."
"Well then, you earned a rest. That was an amazing battle! You might even be able to beat me someday."
Ryu looked at Tyson. "I just beat the entire team that you all lost to by myself. Except for Kai. Don't let the fame of being world champion go to your head, Tyson."
"Yeah, I think Ryu deserves a little more credit." Ray said.
Tyson looked at the accusing glares from his team, and exhaled. "Okay, I guess you're right. Anyone want to go out for dinner?"
"That would be excellent." Ryu said.
"I'm kinda hungry, too." Max added.
"Yeah, let's go." Ray said. The team slowly oriented and walked out the front gate.
Later that night...
Ryu, Max, and Ray were sitting on the fence that overlooked one of the many river crossings. The moon shone at last quarter, giving the area a cool illumination that Ryu found soothing after the days' battles. Though he was tired, Ryu was not sleepy, and Max and Ray had felt the same.
"I picked up this sport just as a passing hobby." Ryu said. "That was just a year ago. I never expected to be this involved in it."
Ray sighed. "Well, Spirit Dragon chose you for whatever reason. My advice is to just embrace it and move forward."
"Yeah. I just feel like I started something that can't be stopped."
Max tossed a rock into the river. "You'll be okay. You seem to be good enough on your own. And now you have the Bladebreakers to back you up."
"But you saw how powerful Spirit Dragon is in Attack Mode." Ryu said. "What if Honjo has the same capability? I don't think any of you could take him on."
"And he says he's on a team." Ray added. "There could be more of them."
The trio was silent for a few minutes. Max looked up to the night sky. A few clouds drifted overhead, but otherwise the stars were unblocked.
"Do you think Ozuma will keep coming after our BitBeasts?" Ray asked. "Ryu's display of power might have made him bit weary."
"He'll keep after you guys," Ryu said, "But I don't think he'll be stupid enough to keep losing to me, or Honjo's team. I still wonder why he wants them, though."
"Beats me." Max said. "Let's just be glad we have a fallback plan to defeat them." He patted Ryu on the shoulder.
Ryu smiled. "Yeah. This is going to be interesting."