The All Starz walked to block three, still in awe of the match that had happened before them. Being quick, they made it to their training room that was provided for them to make any preparations that they could for their beyblades.
"This'll be a good one," Michael said. "I can't wait to get some revenge on Max after he beat me last time."
"Who's to know if you'll even fight Max?" Emily asked. "As far as I know, the bladers are picked at random to fight. I don't think we have a set schedule for our battles."
"That always kind of pissed me off," Eddy interjected. "I don't like not knowing who my enemy is."
"What if your enemy is Ray again?" Michael asked.
"Then it'll go down just like last time."
"You beat him so easily," Rick said with a chuckle. "I know I wasn't there to see it myself at the time, but after seeing the tapes and such, it's a wonder Ray even tried."
"I beat Ray too, but I'd love some revenge against Tyson," Steve said. "I almost had him last time. It sucks that I wasn't at that last tournament with you guys. I really wanted to get my own back on him..."
"Hey, nobody could have seen the injury coming, dude," Eddy said, putting a reassuring hand on his team-mate's shoulder. "That other jerk should have really watched where he was going on the road."
"On the plus side," Emily interjected, "we did find quite a suitable replacement for Steve in Rick. The two of you are so bullheaded that I honestly can't tell the difference between you sometimes!"
Judy giggled at that. "When you're done antagonising Rick and Steve, make sure that all of your equipment is set."
The All Starz nodded and took their beyblades apart for any last minute inspections before putting them back together again, Emily and Judy packing up their computer equipment as they walked out of their locker room and out into block three.
"Lucky for us the distance wasn't as far away," Eddy joked.
Meanwhile, the Bladebreakers were all preparing to leave their own locker room as Ray and Kai returned their beyblades to their hands after a quick practise match to check for any issues.
"How's it looking, Chief?" Ray asked.
"Your beyblades look better than ever, guys," Kenny replied. "And I apologise in advance for the random tests and such. We just don't know who Boris is going to pick next to battle."
"You don't have to apologise, dude," Max said. "It could be any one of us, so we all need to be prepared."
There was then a beeping sound on Kenny's watch. "Guys, we'd better get moving! Up and at them!" he said, folding his laptop.
The others quickly sorted themselves out before walking out of their locker room, Hilary holding the door open for the others as they walked out. Realising that they had to be quite quick, they all walked fast towards their goal until they heard the sound of the crowd cheering for them.
"The crowd is going crazy for their heroes! Hello, everyone! I'm Brad Best!" said Brad from the commentator booth.
"And I'm AJ Topper!" followed Brad's co-commentator. "And I have to say, this is the day I've been looking forward to the most, and that's saying something with all of the matches that we've seen so far!"
"Agreed, AJ! We don't know what could be next in this tournament, but we do know what it'll be nothing short of amazing with these two great teams!"
After Brad's sentence finished, Boris again appeared from the ground on his signature elevator, his arms raised high as he continued to rise before reaching the point he needed to reach, spreading his arms out.
"Greetings, fans and bladers, and welcome to the first battle of block three!" he said, earning a roar from the fans. "We have a battle between the All Starz and the reigning champions, the Bladebreakers!"
"Man, I'm pumped just hearing this crowd!" said Tyson.
"Cool your jets, dude. Save that energy for when you have to battle," Max jested lightly.
Boris chuckled. "The first match will be Daichi versus Steve!"
"Looks like I'm first to the mat," Daichi said, stepping up to the bey-dish.
"And first up for the Bladebreakers is Daichi, who is best known for his unpredictable, wild style of blading," Brad said. "And that's not to mention his Strata Dragoon bit-beast giving him that slight edge."
"Good call, Brad, but he's fighting the always-aggressive Steve, whose rush-down style and Tryhorn bit-beast compliment each other to no end!" AJ replied.
"Now... let's show the dish!" Boris said.
"What's this match's battlefield, AJ?" Brad asked.
"We've got the spider-web dish for this battle! The bladers have the opportunity to take to the metal wires themselves and get the drop on their opponents at any time, so this should be one flashy match-up!" AJ replied.
"Bladers ready?" Boris asked. "3... 2... 1... LET IT RIP!"
"Let it rip!" Daichi repeated as he launched.
"Let's go, Tryhorn!" Steve said with his own launch.
Both beyblades collided into each other without hesitation, both clearly wanting to get the first match out of the way quickly. They both bounced back from their collision, only to go at it again, bouncing back once more and circling each other.
"And we're off to a fast start at block three, folks!" Brad said. "They're not even bothering with the web; they're just going straight at it!"
Steve grunted. "Tryhorn, push this punk back!"
The All Star's beyblade followed its owner's commands, attempting to attack Strata Dragoon head-on, only narrowly skimming it and getting slammed from the side for its trouble, causing it to spin around the rim of the dish to avoid being knocked out.
"That was a close one!" Emily said from the All Starz's bench. "Daichi is much tougher than I thought he would be!"
"He's certainly now showing any rust from being away for so long," Rick agreed. "But he's still as reckless as ever."
"Remind you of anybody?" Emily asked with a smirk before focusing on the match.
Both beyblades clashed once more, and Daichi made a wise move for Strata Dragoon to back away before it jumped high and flew down towards Tryhorn in an almost perfect straight line, just about scratching against its side before landing.
"What a move by Daichi!" AJ said. "That sure took a chunk right out of Tryhorn! Steve must be feeling it now!"
"Aw, man, I almost felt that one!" said Tyson. "Daichi isn't pulling any punches."
"You said it, champ!" Dizzi replied. "I've never seen Daichi this serious. It's honestly kind of strange."
Ray chuckled before speaking. "Maybe his time away from us has allowed him to grow more as both a blader and a person. Even when I fought him, I still sensed his maturity, as hard as it was to see at first."
"Strata Dragoon, climb the wires!" said Daichi.
"Smart move by Daichi," Max said as he observed Strata Dragoon climb the ropes, spinning along them carefully. "He's going to try and avoid Steve's brute force style. He's doing great so far."
"Tryhorn, cut those wires! Bring him down to our level!"
On command, Steve's beyblade jumped as high as it could, which was a surprising height considering the bulk of it. It barely scratched under a rope that Strata Dragoon was gliding over, but did enough damage that it collapsed.
"Cutting through that probably wasn't easy," said Tyson. "That was way too close."
Steve, meanwhile, smirked to himself. "It doesn't matter that I'm not getting revenge against Tyson," he said to Daichi. "I'll settle for beating you instead!"
Daichi raised a hand, shaking a finger at Steve. "Not quite." He then pointed at the bey-dish. "Take a look..."
The All Star cocked an eyebrow at his opponent before looking down, seeing Strata Dragoon circling around the ropes and hitting Tryhorn hard from behind, causing it to careen into the side of they bey-dish with a loud crash.
"That's the ticket, Daichi!" Hilary cheered. "You can do this!"
The red-haired blader wiped a thumb across his nose. "Let's end this, Strata Dragoon! Spike Saw attack!"
On cue, Daichi's bit-beast sprouted out from its beyblade, spreading its wings and roaring before starting its attack as it fired the beybade that housed it from its mouth, albeit covered in molten rock as it headed directly for Tryhorn.
Steve smirked to himself. 'Got you...' he said in his head.
"Oh no!" Brad said. "Daichi missed his attack, and now Steve is looking to capitalise on his opponent's mistake!"
"It's all over but the falling down now, Brad!" AJ replied. "Actually, we might see that too!"
"We've got him now, Tryhorn!" Steve said. "Stampede Rush!"
On cue, Tryhorn rose from its beyblade, letting out a low, rumbling roar that shook the ground as it started its attack, poising its horns in front of it as it charged directly for Strata Dragoon, each step Tryhorn taking increasing its speed and power before it smashed straight into Daichi's beyblade, almost knocking it into Tyson's head before getting stuck in the wall behind him.
"Hey, watch it!" Tyson yelled angrily.
"Strata Dragoon has been knocked out of the dish! Steve wins!" Boris announced.
Daichi snorted angrily and turned around, not bothering to talk to Steve after the battle was over. He stropped and walked back over to his team's bench, picking Strata Dragoon out from the wall.
"I'm sorry, buddy..." Daichi said. "We were so close, too..."
"You really were," Tyson said, putting a hand on his team-mate's shoulder. "It's not easy to shake off the dish rust. You did great."
Daichi smiled and put his beyblade in his pocket as Steve focused on going back to his own team's side, sitting down on the bench with his team-mates and smiling to himself for his victory.
"Looks like you were the matador, for a change," Emily said with a smile before Boris spoke.
"We now move on to our second match as Max from the Bladebreakers will take on Eddy from the All Starz!" he said.
"Looks like I'm up next," Max said, standing up and walking over to the bey-dish.
"Good luck, buddy," Tyson said.
"With Max being such a nice guy, you wouldn't expect him to be such a strong blader!" Brad said.
"Too true, Brad," AJ replied. "And with his mighty Draciel bit-beast and defensive style of blading, he's a challenge for anybody!"
"Make this two in a row, buddy!" said Michael. "Let's see if we can get a shut-out on these guys!"
"If anybody can do it, it's me," Eddy replied, standing up and also walking to the bey-dish to join his opponent.
"Max's opponent is the skilled and flashy Eddy, and both his beyblade and Trypio bit-beast have a decent reach advantage," AJ said. "Let's see if they'll make use of it, and if the Bladebreakers will be sent home early!"
"Show them the dish!" Boris said.
"What's on tab for this match, AJ?" Brad asked.
"Ooh, we have a treat in store this time!" AJ said. "No, literally! This dish is known as the mall dish, and if our bladers aren't careful, they might both wind up getting lost!"
"Or, even worse, ripped off!" Brad added.
"Bladers, ready yourselves!" Boris said. "3... 2... 1... LET IT RIP!"
"Go, Draciel!" Max said, launching.
"Let's make it quick, Trypio!" Eddy replied as he launched.
Both beyblades met dead centre in the middle of the dish, lightly bumping against each other before breaking off in their respective directions, only to turn around and slam each other again.
"Looks like Max is playing aggressive," Kenny said. "You'd think he'd use his signature defensive style in a place like this."
"He's more than just a defensive player," Kai pointed out. "Max is smart. He's got a plan."
"Whether or not that's a plan that'll keep us in the tournament remains to be seen," Dizzi replied.
Max then smirked, silently willing his beyblade to rotate to the middle of the dish, waiting for Trypio to attack. When it came close enough, Draciel remained still as the two engaged in a grinding match, Max's beyblade holding its own well before the blonde Bladebreaker spoke up.
"Hey, Eddy, you think you're fast, right?" Max asked.
The All Star smirked. "I know it, dude. But if you want a game of tag, then forget it. I'd catch you faster than you could call your bit-beast out."
"Want to test that theory?"
"Don't bite on it," Michael called from the bench. "He's trying to goad you into something. Don't fall for it."
Eddy smiled to himself. "Trypio, let's take this punk out!"
Eddy's beyblade spun faster against Draciel before hopping back a bit in the hopes of slamming forward into Draciel, but neither Trypio nor Eddy could anticipate Max's counter move as it happened so fast; Draciel slammed back, doing more damage than Eddy thought it would, and being much faster than expected.
"What a move by Max!" Brad said. "That's the style we've come to know and love from him!"
Max smiled and spoke once more. "The thing is, I don't need to run away to play cat and mouse with you. I can just do it right here."
"Not likely," Eddy replied, understandably frustrated. "Trypio, after him!"
Emily sighed to herself. "We tried warning him..."
Rick smirked. "It's not your fault. He wants us to win this thing. I'd say he's right on the money."
"Of course you would," Michael replied. "You just don't see what Max is luring Eddy in to."
Steve nodded in agreement. "Michael's right; if Eddy keeps this up, he might botch the whole thing."
Back to the battle, Draciel held its ground against Trypio once more, doing the same move as earlier as it anticipated Trypio's next movement, moving there before its opponent and slamming hard into Trypio, sending it sliding into a wall hard enough that it caused it to break down.
"Ouch! That was a harsh move by Max!" Brad said. "He's really pulling out all the stops to get the win!"
"You said it, Brad!" AJ replied. "He isn't taking any prisoners in this battle, and he wants his team to stay in this!"
'I can't let him get in my head...' Max told himself in his mind. 'I've got to win this. Not just for my team, but for the future of beyblading...'
Eddy chuckled. "Wake up, blondie!" he said as Trypio smashed against Draciel, getting his opponent's attention.
Max gasped as he felt Draciel get slammed, and it was followed by several more hard hits from Trypio, the latter beyblade's momentum not letting up as it continued to clash against the former.
"Where's that defensive style, huh, Max?" Eddy taunted. "You talk a big game, but I've got energy to spare!"
"Then prove it," Max said with a smirk. "Hit me with everything you've got!"
Eddy grinned. "You asked for it! Trypio, finish it off! Scorpio Sting!"
On cue, the Trypio bit-beast rose from its beyblade, letting out a chattering sound as it jumped high up into the air to start its attack. The bit-beast turned its body in mid-air so that the tip of its deadly tail was pointing straight downwards as the beyblade descended, hoping to land directly on top of Draciel and finish it off with its move, or at least stun it.
But Max had other plans.
"Draciel! Aqua Shield, now!"
On command, Max's turtle bit-beast sprang forth from its own beyblade, letting out a low roar as it covered both its beyblade and the dish in a huge torrent of water which soon transformed into a tidal wave, and Trypio crashed straight into it with no way of stopping.
"No! Trypio!" Eddy cried.
Max smiled as Trypio's attack slowed immensely as it landed in the tidal wave, and it barely managed to stay on it before Draciel rushed up alongside Trypio, delivering a hard smash now that Trypio's energy was drained, knocking it out of the bey-dish and between Eddy's feet.
"And in a surprising turn of events, Max is the winner!" Boris announced.
"Aw, dammit!" Eddy said as Trypio disappeared back into its beyblade.
"Way to go, Max!" Tyson said as his victorious team-mate called his beyblade back, the Draciel bit-beast disappearing back inside its own beyblade.
Eddy growled and walked over to Max, soon putting his frown away and reverting to his normal cool and calm personality. "Good match, dude."
"Oh, thanks," Max replied. "That was close, though. You've gotten a lot better."
"Your mum's a great coach," Eddy replied with a smirk, high-fiving Max, causing the crowd to cheer.
As the two bladers walked back to their benches, Boris announced the final fight.
"And to close off this block, our last match will be Tyson versus Michael!"
Tyson smiled to himself as he rose, ready to step up to a real dish for the first time in a long time. Michael was also ready, and both bladers prepared to show why they were the leaders of their respective teams.
And there you have it! I know I put two battles into one chapter, but I kind of felt it'd get predictable if I split one battle over two chapters. Plus, it'd just get kind of confusing. You may also notice that I had to take a few liberties with Tryhorn and Trypio's attacks in this chapter since they didn't have anything too cinematic in G-Revolution, and I've also had to rewrite how some past attacks were performed due to me being slightly misinformed.
But anyway, I hope you liked it. Stay tuned for the next one, dudes!