When they reached the stadium, both of them went to their teams. "Good luck. You're going to need it!" Xander said before going to their side. Aichi nodded at Shu who did the same. They separated and walked through their respective hallways.
"So what is the plan, captain?" Shu asked Valt. The entire team looked at him.
"Well… I should-!" Valt said loudly.
"I don't think you should battle. We can't risk having you lose points and give them a big lead," Wakiya said before inserting himself into the match.
"Why you-!" Kiyama shouted looking like he was going to lunge out.
"Isn't it obvious that they will be sending out Xander and Aichi first? Those two won both the battles for their team in their last match. I will take on Xander because he has never battled Wyvern yet and Shu can take on Aichi since he knows him best," Wakiya said. Valt looked pretty defeated by his words. Shu sighed before tapping his id into the system. Daina also tapped his id.
"Representing Team Sword Flames: Aichi Sendou, Xander Shakadera and Yugo Nansui! And from Beigoma Academy: Wakiya Murasaki, Daina Kurogami and Shu Kurenai!"
"Will the first bladers please come up to the stadium?" The referee requested.
"It's probably going to be Xander first, so I will go first," Wakiya said. Shu shook his head and walked up.
"No, Aichi is going first. Just leave it to me," Shu said before walking up.
"Oh! It's the two brothers that will be battling in the first round!" The MC exclaimed. Everyone cheered as they got into position. Aichi looked incredibly focused and there was barely a hint of nervousness.
"First battle! 3! 2! 1! Let it rip!" They both launched and they ran around the stadium.
"I know how Blaster Blade tends to move. The best chance of winning is when he has not reached full spin strength," Shu thought to himself. "Spriggan, upper launch!"
Aichi nodded as Spriggan hit Blaster Blade and made him hit the wall. "Blaster Blade! Burst Blaster!" Aichi exclaimed as Spriggan entered the centre after the attack. Suddenly, Blaster Blade was moving as if it was a rush launch.
"Wow! This is already an intense battle! It looks like Aichi has the upper hand! How will Shu Kurenai respond to this?!" The MC said.
"He really has gotten better… but I won't lose!" Shu thought before holding his hand out. "Spriggan! Counter Break!" There was a major impact between the two, but in the end, Spriggan overpowered Blaster Blade and ended the battle with a burst finish.
"Winner with a burst finish, Storm Spriggan!" The referee announced and loud cheers resonated throughout the stadium. Aichi looked disappointed in himself and looked down.
Shu smiled and picked up both Spriggan and Blaster Blade. "You did good. I'm so proud of you," Shu said while putting Blaster Blade in Aichi's hands. Aichi looked up at Shu and nodded with a smile.
"What a touching moment!" The MC said, making Aichi blush.
"Let's go back to our teams," Shu said. Aichi nodded before they both walked back to their side of the stadium.
"I'm sorry," Aichi apologized to them with his head lowered.
"Would the second bladers please come up to the stadium?"
"Don't apologize. You gave Shu a run for his money and you did your best," Xander said while putting his hand on Aichi's shoulder. "I'll pull some points back for us!" He said before stepping forward. His opponent was Wakiya and Xander won with a burst finish.
"The teams are tied!" Xander smiled and lifted Aichi up since he looked at him with admiration.
"See? What did I say?" Xander said. Aichi smiled and nodded. "It's up to you now, Yugo." The entire team nodded, looking confident. Aichi stayed sitting on Xander's shoulder as the last battlers walked up. Aichi looked at Shu who responded with a smile.
"After this, we can stay by each other again. I wonder what Shu wanted to talk about though…" Aichi thought to himself. He looked over at the stadium with the new view. It ended with a ring out finish for Beigoma.
"Congratulations, Beigoma Academy Bey Club for the win!" The MC announced. Team Sword Flames walked over to congratulate them.
"You guys were awesome!" Xander said while letting Aichi down. He ran to Shu's side with a smile. He was at the back of the group, so he ran past everyone.
"Congratulations, Shu," Aichi said. While he was running, he tripped and fell forward.
"Be careful-" Shu said before he caught Aichi. When he did, he felt a sharp pain in his arm and grunted. Aichi noticed the grunt and looked up worriedly.
"Shu-?" Aichi was about to say something before Shu grabbed his arm with his left hand and walked out of the stadium. He was getting pulled along. "Shu? Your shoulder is hurt again, isn't it?" He asked him. He was trying to stop him, but he just kept getting pulled.
"Shu!" Aichi said loudly. Shu stopped and turned to him. Aichi had tears in his eyes from frustration. Shu let go of his arm and Aichi wiped his tears with it.
"Sorry, did I hurt your arm?" Shu asked him while dropping down to one knee.
"Was this what you were going to tell me? Why didn't you tell me earlier? I thought that you said that you weren't hurt because I was there," Aichi said while crying. Shu looked at him worriedly and hugged him.
"I'll be okay. I didn't want you to worry and this was a big day for you," Shu answered while patting his head. He looked over Aichi's shoulder and saw his mother standing there waiting for them. She drove them here and she was going to take them back. After hearing Aichi's cries, she ran over.
"Let's go home first. You can come with me when I go see the doctor," Shu said gently. His mom pulled Aichi into her arms gently. He was still crying and he rested his face on their mom's shoulder. Shu watched Aichi worriedly.
"Aren't my two boys such warriors? You two had fun with your battle today, didn't you? We are going to make sure Shu doesn't push himself anymore, right?" She commented while brushing Aichi's head. Aichi nodded his head slowly.
She put down Aichi on the back seat and Shu sat on the other side. "I'm going to have to go on another business trip next week. I'm not sure when I will come home, so you'll need to take care of Shu and keep him in check, okay?" She said while buckling the seat belt.
Aichi nodded before she closed the door and moved over to the driver seat. "I'm sorry. That wasn't what I was going to tell you right after the match. It will be best if mom was here too," Shu began saying, not sure if that will only make the situation worse. Aichi turned to him. He didn't seem upset anymore.
"Mom, we never told you, but Aichi is actually not from here at all… he is from a different world and the Aichi that we know isn't really the original," Shu began explaining. Aichi looked surprised and worried that he wouldn't be accepted anymore.
"I thought there was something unique about him since we weren't able to find anything about his family. That doesn't matter now," she said with a smile.
"Well, we want to let the original Aichi go back to his world and the Aichi we know stay here, but the problem has been that they share a body. Aichi… recently, I met a man who said that he may be able to separate the two of you. I already talked it over with the other you and he agreed to help in any way he can. But it might be dangerous, so… it's your choice," Shu explained while holding onto Aichi's hand.
"I can stay here forever?" Aichi asked him. Shu nodded with a smile. "I'll do it! I want to stay here," he responded with a smile.
"Okay," Shu responded, looking relieved. They first went home to drop off their things before going to the nearby clinic. The three waited patiently for Shu to be called in.
"Aichi, are you sure you want to try?" Shu asked him again.
Aichi nodded with a smile. "I want to make sure my nightmare doesn't come true! And I want to stay with you!" He answered happily. All the other patients around were squealing from the cuteness. Aichi looked more happy than he has ever been. It was like he forgot about Shu not telling him about his injury.
"Okay," Shu said with a breath of relief. He decided he'll give the man a call and ask about the procedure after they get home.
"Shu Kurenai?" The nurse called. They stood up together and walked to a room to meet with the doctor. They waited there for a little while before the doctor came in.
"Mrs. Kurenai, it has been a while. And I see little Aichi is here too," the doctor said with a smile before offering a candy to him. Aichi took it with a smile and bow as a thank you. "How has your shoulder been, Shu?"
"It was healing fine, but it started getting sore again after I had a handshake with an old friend," Shu explained worriedly as he took off his jacket and rolled his sleeve up to show his shoulder.
"A handshake…?" The doctor felt around his shoulder a little and made Shu flinch after touching a spot. "It seems that it tore a little again… you should limit the amount of activity for this arm, but it should be fine to continue your training in moderation," the doctor informed him.
"When will he fully recover?" Shu's mom asked the doctor while putting her arm around Aichi's shoulders.
"It should recover in a month… as long as you don't put too much strain on it," the doctor said.
"But Shu still needs to prepare for the individual tournament and the team tournament too," Aichi explained worriedly.
"I will practice launching with my left hand. With my right arm just holding onto the launcher, it wouldn't put too much strain on my shoulder and maybe my launch would be even better than before," Shu said while ruffling Aichi's hair with his left hand.
"Yes, that should be okay," the doctor said. "Make sure to come back for a checkup before your second tournament." They were guided to the door.
"Thank you," they said before walking out.
Later that day, Aichi and Shu went to the park to do some training. They stayed for a long time with Aichi stepping in as his practice partner when he asked him to. "Are you tired?" Shu asked him after seeing the drowsy look on his face.
"Not really… I still need to practice with you…" Aichi responded while scratching his eyes.
"Get some sleep, I will just be practicing my aim for a little while," Shu said while shooting again. Aichi continued to doze off until he was completely asleep. He leaned his body on a supporting pole for the roof.
Shu smiled and continued. His launch was getting more and more stable. "Shu!" A voice shouted. Shu turned to see Valt running to him from the sidewalk. He saw Shu launching with his left hand and looked worriedly. He held a finger in front of his mouth to tell him to be quieter since Aichi was sleeping.
"Does your arm hurt a lot? Why are you launching with your left hand?" Valt asked him before Shu got down for another launch.
"It isn't that. I have been practicing my left handed launch a lot recently because it may be stronger than my right hand. With my dominant arm stabilizing the launcher, I can get more accuracy from my launch," Shu explained before demonstrating it to him.
"Wow! It really is stronger!" Valt exclaimed. Aichi shuffled a little as if he was going to wake up. Shu made him lower his voice a little. "I want to try it too," he said before running over to the other side.
They battled each other for fun. It was a while since they did that and they laughed. Aichi woke up in the middle of it and saw how much fun Shu was having. He smiled and continued watching while looking like he was still sleeping. "Shu really is amazing," Aichi thought to himself with a smile.
"My Vanguard, are you sure about staying here? The other you and myself won't be there for you anymore," Blaster Blade asked him.
"Yes… I will be fine as long as I am with him…" Aichi said with a warm smile.
"That vision that you saw before. That is quite possibly a vision of the future. I feel it is my obligation to remind you of that fact," Blaster Blade reminded him. Aichi nodded.
"We will make it through it," Aichi responded while looking at the sunset. When it got dark, they went home. While Aichi and his mom were sleeping, Shu gave Theodore Glass a call.
"Hello, this is Theodore Glass, Manager of the Raging Bulls," the man on the other side informed him.
"Yes, this is Shu Kurenai. I have changed my mind about your offer," Shu said. There was a small pause before Theodore said anything.
"I am glad to hear that. We will have everything ready for you. I can make arrangements for you and your brother's flight over to America," Theodore said.
"I do have a few questions I would like to ask you."
"Go on."
"How did you even know about Aichi having another soul in him?" Shu asked him.
"I believe I have met both of them in person before. I have had an eye on your brother for quite a while now," Theodore answered honestly.
"How are you going to split them apart?"
"The answer is quite simple. You see, that boy's soul is quite unique. With the assistance of the older soul, he can pull the soul out of his body and insert it into a different body. We have created an artificial body that functions the same as a normal one and we are happy to allow him to inhabit it. There may be some complications, but we will take care of them in our facilities. And if needed, we can just ask the older soul to take him back for his safety," Theodore explained to him.
"What is in it for you?" Shu asked him.
"Yes… Well, I have had my eye on you as well, Shu Kurenai. I have been interested in recruiting you onto the Raging Bulls team ever since I've heard about you and your talents. This is my only request," Theodore answered. Shu couldn't help but feel like there was more to it. "I believe we have a deal?"
Days passed and the Beigoma Academy Bey Club made it to the final round of the tournament. A day before the match, the entire Bey Club went to the Beyblade training stadium for some extra training. Aichi went with them since he wanted to be there for Shu. There was a filming crew from the school with them to document their progress. While they were outside, they saw Rideout walk into the building.
"Why are they here?" Wakiya wondered.
"I heard that this is where they practice," one of the film crew commented.
"Are you serious?" Wakiya responded.
"Word is, even Lui Shirosagi comes by here to train." When Shu heard that his hand scrunched up and his eyes changed to a scary glare. Aichi looked up worriedly again.
"It is like last time…" Aichi thought to himself before reaching out his hand to touch Shu's. Shu felt his hand and turned to him with a warm smile. His grip loosened and he held his hand as they walked inside of the training facility.
When they got inside, they saw Rideout training using the equipment. When they walked inside, Gabe felt a powerful presence again and turned. He looked straight at Aichi again which made him very uncomfortable. "This feeling again. Why is it coming from this kid?" Gabe asked himself. Aichi bowed his head a little nervously which made his attention go away.
"They must be here to spy on us," one of the rideout members said.
"Like we'll need to! How do we know you're not here to spy on us?" Wakiya responded aggressively.
"Quit it. Save it for the match," Shu and Gabe said. The team began training with the machines after getting so fired up. Shu was the only one on the team that stayed behind and watched them.
"Shu, aren't you going to train too?" Nika asked him.
"No, I don't use machines too much," Shu answered with a smile. Aichi looked up at him curiously. "I'm going to look for the stadiums, I want to practice my launches," he informed them.
"Okay!" Shu walked out of the room and Aichi followed behind.
"I'll train with you," Aichi said with a smile.
"Aichi, we're going to fly to America after the National Tournament. We'll be staying there for a while since I am joining a team there. Is that okay?" Shu asked him.
"Will I still get to be with you?" Aichi responded while looking down.
"Of course! You will have people making sure you are healthy and everything there. The person that will be helping you separate into a new body is the same person that manages the team I will be on," Shu answered.
"Okay then!" Aichi said happily. They soon found the stadiums and began training. "Shu… why are you practicing with your eyes closed?" He asked timidly.
"You never know what will happen, so it is best to be prepared for anything," Shu answered before launching. Aichi nodded. "Hey, actually… I wanted to remember how it felt like when I borrowed your power. Do you think you can let me use it again?" Shu asked him.
"Okay!" Aichi nodded happily. They were the only ones in the room, so it should be okay. They didn't notice Lui who was standing behind the wall watching them through the window. Aichi smiled and held Shu's hands before seeming like he passed out. Shu gently put Aichi down on the ground and walked to the stadium. Spriggan had the blue details on its wheel again.
He had to admit that having Aichi's power made him feel really powerful. "Let it rip!" He shot Spriggan and it was moving incredibly fast and stable.
"Shu, how is it?" Aichi asked him shyly.
"Your power really is amazing," Shu answered with a smile. "Do you mind if I continue? Are you getting tired?"
"No," Aichi responded. Lui saw the entire thing and walked inside.
"So he really is a new source of power," Lui commented while walking inside. He looked down and saw Spriggan with the blue details.
"Lui…" Shu said with a glare. His scar burned when he saw him. Lui felt an overwhelming presence and smirked.
"Looks like you will only stand a chance against me with this," Lui commented with a laugh before turning to the door. "Bring this out when we battle."
"Shu… is it okay for him to know?" Aichi asked him worriedly. He didn't want Shu to be accused of cheating in all of his battles.
"It will be okay. I think he is more excited to battle us together than anything. I am not going to battle him like this though, I will beat him with my own strength," Shu answered before beginning the training again.
After a few more launches, Aichi was released. While he was bonded with Shu, Shu felt like he wasn't even injured at all. "Are you tired?" Shu asked him while brushing his head as he began to wake up.
"A little…" Aichi answered with a smile.
"Let's go eat lunch now," Shu said before guiding the drowsy looking Aichi out of the room and up to the rooftop relaxation area.
After eating something, Aichi fell asleep. He leaned his head on the table using his arms as a pillow. "Is he feeling sick?" Daina asked Shu after noticing Aichi was sleeping.
"No, he's just tired," Shu answered with a warm smile.
The next day was a holiday, so Aichi watched everyone train using machines that were brought in by Wakiya. Shu was the only one not using them and stretching instead. "Shu, aren't you going to use the machines?" Nika asked him.
"No, there is no need," Shu answered while continuing to stretch. Aichi sat beside him and tested out how far he could stretch. After trying, he was very mesmerized at how flexible Shu was.
"Everyone's working extra hard today," Aichi commented.
"Maybe a little too hard," Shu said while continuing to stretch. After a little while longer with the machines, the team tried launching their beyblades. Everyone seemed to have gotten worse at launching after the training.
"What can be causing it?" Valt asked himself after seeing how they got worse.
"It's exhaustion," Shu answered while joining the group.
"But I'm still feeling great! Still have tons of fuel left in me!" Valt responded, full of energy.
Shu looked unimpressed. "You're starting to push yourself too hard. How does your left hand feel when you are holding your launcher. You might not realize it, but your bodies are tired," he explained.
"That's probably why our launches have been out of control," Daina commented.
"So how do we cure it?" Kiyama asked Shu.
"That's easy. Take a full day off," Shu answered. He was hit with protest from Kiyama, Wakiya and Daina.
"How can we do that?"
"Rideout is getting stronger and stronger every moment. We can't take a break now."
But Valt stepped in as the leader and said, "I agree with Shu! All work and no breaks creates lousy bladers, right Shu?"
"Yeah," Shu responded with a smile. He looked at Aichi. "Let's go home." Aichi nodded and held his hand. "What do you want to do tomorrow? We should do something fun."
Aichi looked up with bright eyes. "I just want to watch the sunset with you," he answered happily.
Shu giggled at the answer. "I know the perfect place for that," he said.
"Shu!" Daina called. They turned to see Daina running after them. "My brother is being released from the hospital tomorrow. I was wondering if you can come by to congratulate him. It would mean a lot to him," he explained to them.
"Sure, we'll come by. Is that okay with you?" Shu asked Aichi, who nodded in response.
"Thank you," Daina thanked them.
When Shu and Aichi got home, they found their mom cooking in the kitchen. "Welcome home! How was school and your club?" She asked them when they walked through the door.
"It was fun!" Aichi answered happily. She noticed that he was more outgoing and free spirited since he was told it was possible he could stay.
"I am making dinner so wash up and do your homework. Shu, how about you help me with dinner?" she said.
"Okay, mom," Shu answered.
"But… Shu has homework to do too…" Aichi said while putting his backpack down on a chair at the kitchen table.
"Don't worry. Go wash up, okay?" Shu responded while ruffling his hair. Aichi nodded and ran to the washroom. "Mom, what did you want to talk about?" He asked her while putting on his apron and washing his hands.
"I will be going on another business trip tonight. I'm not sure if I will be back by the time you go to America. I don't really understand what you mean about Aichi having two souls, but I know that from what you said, people might want to use him. I'm worried that something will happen to you two while you are in America," she explained.
"It isn't all for Aichi. The team that they manage recruited me, so it is also an opportunity for me to be on a professional team," Shu responded while helping to chop some vegetables.
"That is great, but be careful," she said with a sigh.
"I will, mom. We'll call you often and I'll make sure Aichi is safe," Shu assured her. They continued prepping the ingredients until Aichi was finishing up in the washroom.
"I would like to meet the other boy. I must thank him for protecting the two of you," she said with wonder. Aichi came out of the washroom with wet hair.
"He is a very nice person," Shu commented before walking to Aichi to help dry his hair with a towel. "Aichi, mom wants to meet the other you. Do you think you can change places just for dinner?"
Aichi looked a little surprised and thought a little. "Okay," he agreed.
"Such an obedient boy. You should do some of your homework before dinner," she said with a smile. Aichi nodded and ran to the kitchen table and pulled out his things.
When dinner was ready, the Aichis switched places and the little boy soon changed into a much older one. "Hello, Ms. Kurenai. I am very happy to meet you," Aichi said politely while holding out his hand with a smile.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for making sure these two are safe," she responded while accepting his handshake. She still couldn't believe that this was the original Aichi.
"No, I should be the one to thank you and your son. Shu has been taking care of the other me for quite some time. I hope I'm not causing too much work for him," Aichi explained to her.
"But I don't cause trouble for Shu…" a small voice inside him cried pitifully. Aichi smiled awkwardly knowing that the others could not hear him. "I discussed some details with the person that will be separating us so I'll know what to do and expect when I get there. This is the least I can do to thank your son for all that he has done for me and the little one."
"Thank you so much, Aichi. Won't you eat with us tonight?" She asked him while guiding him to the table. At that point he didn't really have a choice, so he just sat down.
"I will be leaving the little one with half of my power so that he could sustain his new artificial body. I just hope that he can withstand the separation… Otherwise, I will need to take the soul back into my body. Supposedly, it is a very safe procedure, so there is no chance of harm," Aichi explained to them thoroughly.
"That is a relief to hear. I have been wondering who you were as a person, so I am glad you are such a kind young man," she said with a smile.
Aichi looked shy from that compliment and waved his hands. "It's nothing like that. This is the least I can do," he responded. While he was still the one with the control, he also talked about himself and the experiences he had. By the end of the dinner, their mom felt glad that this boy would always be there if anything was needed.
"Thank you for inviting me to dinner. I should swap back, the little one seems to can't wait any longer," Aichi said awkwardly.
"Thank you again," they both thanked him with a bow.
"There's no need to thank me," Aichi responded with a smile before swapping back. Soon his body returned back to being little.
"Aichi, mom will be leaving tonight. Let's see her off at the airport since she might not be back when we leave for America," Shu informed him. Aichi looked a little sad.
"We won't be able to see mom anymore?" Aichi asked him. Their mom walked over to Aichi and hugged him.
"While you're in America, I'll make sure to visit when I have time," she said. They helped her pack her things and went to the airport with her. She felt at ease letting them come since there was the older Aichi if anything happened.
"Bye mom," they said in front of the security check.
"Take care of each other," she said while hugging the both of them. They nodded before she left.
"Let's go home," Shu said while holding his hand out to him. Aichi looked at the security terminal with a dazed expression.
"You must have felt very sad seeing your parents off so much," Aichi commented sadly as their mom got out of sight.
"It's not that bad. They've actually been coming back more since you came into our family," Shu said with a smile while patting Aichi's head. "Let's go. We have a party to go to tomorrow," he reminded him. Aichi nodded before leaving with Shu together.
"What if you needed an adult in the past? What did you do?" Aichi wondered as they called for a taxi.
"I used to have a nanny, but now if it is something important I'd go to Valt's," Shu answered. The taxi driver was pretty surprised that it was just two little kids getting inside.
"Where are your parents, kids? It's not safe to be wandering alone," the taxi driver asked them with an adult tone.
"We were just seeing our mom off. We have the money for the ride," Aichi answered nervously. He pulled out the money that their mother gave them.
"I'll put in the address," Shu said while helping Aichi into the back seat. Shu got into the front to give directions when needed. Aichi fell asleep on the way back. "Aichi, we're here," Shu said to Aichi while shaking him. He guessed that Aichi was very tired today so he ended up piggybacking him back into the apartment after paying the taxi driver.
"Aichi, we're home… usually you're such a light sleeper, who knew that you would be able to sleep this heavily," Shu said while putting his keys down on the kitchen table. He carried Aichi into their room and put him on the bed. He looked at how deep in sleep he was and decided not to wake him up after all.
"Good thing he already showered earlier," he said to himself before helping him change his clothes. After he washed up as well, he went right to sleep beside Aichi.
Meanwhile, in a secret lair in Mexico, there were masked people in an observation room. They watched bladers training to their limit. "We only need that kid with the power. Is there a point to taking in the other one?" Silver Eye asked the leader who was sitting on the throne.
"The relationship between the two is quite unique: you can't have one without the other. Also, I have taken an interest in the other. He may be a pawn in the future especially since he can harness the power effortlessly," the leader said as two images appeared on the screen. One was of Shu and the other was of Aichi.
"How about the boy's other soul? Won't he intervene?" Gold Eye asked him.
"No, I've spoken to the other soul before. He will not intervene in our matters," the leader answered before getting up from his seat and leaving the room. He went to a scientist room where there was a floating artificial body in a liquid container. He could not wait to finally put his plan into action.