The morning of the finals, Aichi watched Valt train with the modified Valkyrie. He was having a hard time unlocking Valkyrie's power after it was infused with some of Aichi's power. "Valkyrie!" Valt shouted to try to unlock the power. He was battling against Cuza, but there was nothing different.
"Aichi, what did you give to Valkyrie?" Wakiya asked him since the data looked the same.
"Valt should feel a stronger connection with Valkyrie… When I gifted Spriggan some of my power and gave Shu Legend Spriggan, he had a hard time controlling it," Aichi thought. He could hear Valkyrie's voice and he was calling out to Valt. "Blaster Blade… can I do something to help him?"
"It is not wise for you to push your body any further," Blaster Blade answered.
"Valt, can you hear Valkyrie's voice right now?" Keru asked Valt. Valt looked at Valkyrie and focused. He focused until his head began fuming. Aichi looked worriedly and began to push himself forward a bit. Ken noticed him pushing himself and helped him out.
"Valt," Aichi said while reaching out to hold his hand that was holding Valkyrie. He closed his eyes and focused his Psyqualia.
"Valt-" a voice began saying before Aichi lost focus from feeling someone behind him. He turned to see Theodore standing there with his secretary.
"Aichi, I spoke to Red Eye earlier and heard about your deal. He asked me to make sure you don't run away, so please come with me," Theodore said. He was showing a cold politeness which was unsettling for everyone.
"Okay," Aichi agreed.
"Aichi, are you sure?" Daina asked him worriedly. Aichi nodded with a focused stare. Theodore's secretary pushed him over. They walked to the VIP spectating area. While they were walking, Theodore watched Aichi.
"Both of them are acting a lot different than usual. He is definitely capable of becoming one with Blaster Blade," Theodore thought to himself. "The doctors mentioned that he has some nerve damage from getting all his power drained. Luckily, we still have the original one. I can still use that one."
Soon they reached the spectating room, there were monitors with close up views of the stadium. There was a massive window where they could watch the stage as well. The main event was about to start too.
"In the red corner! He is the underdog who came out of nowhere and took the world by storm! From BC Sol, it's Valt Aoi!" The crowd began cheering loudly. "And in the blue corner, emerging from the mysterious Snake Pit and equipped with an unstoppable drive to win; give it up for Shu Kurenai, also known as Red Eye!"
"Aren't you excited to see what kind of power Shu is capable of?" Theodore asked Aichi.
"That isn't Shu down there," Aichi responded with a serious stare. Theodore smirked and leaned back on his seat.
"For those who don't know, our competitors were once best friends and teammates back home. But that was then and this is now. There is no going back and today, they meet not as childhood friends, but as fierce rivals!" They stood opposite from each other as the world watched with anticipation.
"First battle!" Aichi was glad to see that Valt was focused. He could feel the powerful aura around him. Shu also released a fearsome aura as they prepared to launch.
"If Valt works together with Valkyrie, he should be able to overpower Spriggan. After that the seed should leave Spriggan and Shu…" Aichi thought to himself.
"3! 2! 1! Let it rip!" Valkyrie was constantly getting pushed into the wall and basically bullied by Spriggan.
"Are you getting nervous?" Theodore asked amused. He looked over at Aichi and was expecting him to look nervous, but he looked confident.
"Ultimate Genesis Reboot!" Valt shouted as Valkyrie sped up into an incredible speed. They met again in the middle of the stadium and they clashed with a lot of power. When they pushed past each other both of them called on their unique move.
"Requiem Whip!" "Genesis Whip!" The contact made a tornado which carried Valkyrie in.
"Requiem Spriggan with a Burst Finish! The score is 2 to 0!" Theodore was impressed and looked confident in his seat. Valt was lucky enough that Valkyrie wasn't destroyed this time.
"That was supposed to destroy Valkyrie. It seems your trick worked, but it doesn't look like it's enough for him to win," Theodore commented smuggly. Aichi didn't respond, he was only focused on the stadium.
"I had enough Valt. Give in, you are wasting my time," Shu said coldly. His eyes were glowing red and there was an overwhelming aura around him.
"I won't surrender! There is no point in giving up now! Isn't that right, partner?" Valt responded while looking at Valkyrie who lit up in response. "Shu, you just keep getting stronger and stronger… I haven't forgotten, you used to enjoy this as much as me!"
"Shut up," Shu growled before getting into his launch position again. Valt stepped back with his launcher up. The space around him became muted and he was able to see Spriggan manifest behind Shu.
He looked up with shock at what he saw. "Spriggan?!" He exclaimed. He was able to see the dark red aura coming out of him which made him grit his teeth and focus even more.
"He is finally able to see it!" Aichi smiled.
"Ready! Set! 3! 2! 1! Let it rip!"
"Let's win this, Valt!" Valkyrie shouted. Valt was able to hear it clearly and launched him with his full strength. Valkyrie landed on Spriggan and instantly activated his Ultimate Genesis Reboot. The speed was even faster than before and knocked Spriggan out of the centre of the stadium.
"Strike back with Counter Break!" Valkyrie dodged the move which surprised Shu.
"Go! Genesis Whip!" Valt shouted. It knocked Spriggan up into the air and it burst.
"Strike Valkyrie with a Burst Finish! The score is 2 to 2!" The crowd roared in cheers. Aichi turned to Theodore for the first time after entering the room.
"You will never create the strongest blader like this, Mr. Glass. Shu is not harnessing Spriggan's power like Valt is with Valkyrie," Aichi explained to him with a confident smile.
"We'll see about that," Theodore responded.
Valt talked to Valkyrie for a moment before looking up. "Hey! I know what's going on now! You're Spriggan! Shu! Why are you letting it control you and pretending there is nothing left of your old self?! I know you're still in there and I'm going to bring him back out!" Valt shouted. They prepared for their next launch. "Shu! You're the only reason I am able to stand here today. I owe everything to you!" They both launched and the energy released out of them was incredible when they made contact in the air. They had multiple simultaneous bursts.
After fifteen ties, it was the 18th battle. Both of them were starting to get exhausted as Shu saw the older Aichi appear beside Valt. He had a warm smile on his face and flew over to Shu which scared him for a moment. "Shu, it's time to wake up. Everyone is waiting for you," he said before disappearing. He looked up at the VIP watch area to see the little Aichi leaning close to the window with a warm smile.
"I'm still here and I'm not giving up on you! I got your back…" Valt said between his pants. Shu opened his eyes and looked down as he began to remember the joy he had with Beyblade. After remembering anything he cried out in frustration.
"Listen Valt!" Shu shouted. Valt was surprised after identifying that it was the real Shu. "I admit that you are my best friend! That's why I can't fail! I would never forgive myself if I lost this battle! I won't ever let you defeat me, Valt!"
Both of them channeled everything into their launches. "Valt, I believe in you!" Valkyrie exclaimed.
"I believe in you too!" Valt responded before they began their launch.
"3! 2! 1! Let it rip!" When Shu launched, he felt incredible pain in his arm. Valt went into his rush launch and threw a barrage of attacks at Spriggan. Spriggan was pushed to the wall and jumped into the air. While it was air, the tip pushed out. When it touched the stadium again, the spin track flipped over and changed modes. Spriggan changed into an attack type and began pushing Valkyrie around.
"I'm giving it everything I have! Requiem Whip!" Shu shouted. Valkyrie was knocked in the air, but it landed and instantly went into Ultimate Genesis Reboot.
"Go, partner! Ultimate Rush Launch! Genesis Whip!" Valt shouted as they made contact. The blast was crazy and Aichi's power was expelled from both of them. "Shu!" Valt cried as Valkyrie finished the job. The seed was released from Requiem Spriggan as it burst. Valkyrie burst right after as both Shu and Valt fell on the ground.
"That is Strike Valkyrie with a burst finish! The score is four to two! The winner of the International Blader's Cup is Valt Aoi!" Aichi smiled happily as he saw Spriggan's core turn red again. His power was released, but none of it returned to him.
"Now that the match has been decided," Aichi said while struggling to push himself out of the room. The secretary and Theodore didn't try to stop him as he left. After everything was done with, Shu walked into the hallway to leave the stadium to find little Aichi sitting on his wheelchair with his head down and to the side.
"Aichi!" Shu cried and ran over. His arm really hurt, but it didn't matter. "I'm so sorry, Aichi! I-!" He lifted Aichi's head up to find that he was all pale and unconscious. His face was scrunched up from the pain, so Shu quickly tried to think of something to make him feel better. "Spriggan! That's it!" Shu exclaimed. He quickly pulled out his Requiem Spriggan to find that the core wasn't blue anymore.
"Shu… what's wrong?" Valt asked him before seeing Aichi's state.
"Blaster Blade! Are you there?!" Shu called with panic.
"Hey man, stay calm," Valt said since Shu was shaking.
"Shu Kurenai… you need to take him to his other self… he needs some strength from him…" Aichi muttered.
"Got it!" Shu shouted before lifting Aichi up. He grunted from the pain in his arm, but he endured it and ran through the halls.
"Shu! What's going on here?" Valt asked him while chasing him. He knew that Shu's arm was hurt so he was very worried.
"There's no time to explain!" Shu answered. When they reached the exit, he saw Theodore outside talking to Kristina, owner of BS Sol. "Ashtem!" Theodore turned to see Shu running with Aichi in his arms.
"Shu Kurenai, as I expected, the power returned to his original body afterall," Theodore commented with a smug look.
"Where did you take him?!" Shu asked him in a hurry.
"I think you know the answer. I am going to keep him and see what I can do with all that wonderful power. As for this little one, there is no use for him anymore," Theodore answered coldly while looking at the dying Aichi in Shu's arms.
"I don't think so,"a voice echoed from the distance. They looked around to see the older Aichi walking beside Boa with a smile.
"Boa!" Valt called with a smile and wave.
"What are you doing here?" Theodore asked Boa while clenching his fist. The older Aichi ran over and smiled warmly.
"I am glad you're back, Shu," he said while brushing the little one's head.
"Aichi, can you help him?" Shu asked him desperately. He held out the little one and the older one took him in his arms with a nod. He rested his forehead on the little one's and a bright light engulfed the space. Shu was able to see faintly; the older Aichi disappearing. "Aichi, what are you-?" Shu asked him while covering his eyes.
"This vessel is very unstable, I will leave the greater majority of my power with him. The little one will probably need you to do a lot more for him from now on. Please stay by his side, Shu," the older Aichi pleaded.
"I will!" Shu answered confidently as the older Aichi disappeared completely.
"Thank you," the older Aichi thanked him before the light began to disappear leaving the little one leaning on Shu's right arm to support him. Theodore looked angered and left without any further word.
"Is he okay now? You should probably go to the hospital too, man," Valt said while putting his hand on Shu's shoulder.
"Right," Shu responded while brushing Aichi's bangs. The wind became really strong around them as a helicopter landed near them. Wakiya, Daina, Kiyama and Ken were there.
"Get on! We'll take you to the hospital!" Wakiya shouted.
"Right! Thank you, Wakiya…" Shu thanked him awkwardly. Wakiya got off the helicopter and helped Aichi on with Valt. Shu held his right arm and got on as well. Inside the helicopter, it was very awkward. No one said anything until they landed at the hospital.
Aichi was put on a stretcher and wheeled inside in a hurry. Everyone else followed Shu to get his arm checked out. While Shu was waiting for his x-ray, Cuza and the others arrived at the hospital to see how they were doing. The others left to give some alone time to Valt and Shu.
"Does your arm hurt a lot?" Valt asked him.
Shu smiled sadly and looked at the sling. "A little bit," he answered. They stayed quiet for a little bit. "Hey listen… I'm proud of you."
"Thanks…" Valt responded. They looked forward, outside the waiting room window.
"That was a blast," Shu commented to break the silence again.
"Yeah!" Valt cheered while jumping out of his seat. "Just remembering it makes me fired up!" Shu was a little embarrassed when everyone in the waiting room shushed them. Shu was called in for the x-ray and when he exited he saw a large group waiting for him.
"You had me worried," Wakiya said with his arms on his sides. Shu looked at them surprised that there were so many people there to see him. "Waiting for an apology, Shu!"
"I thought you gave up on him? You even said that he wasn't coming back," Kit teased with a smirk.
Wakiya became fired up. "Details! Snitch!" He responded. Everyone laughed except Shu who looked down.
Shu took a breath before looking up cautiously with his head down. "You guys…" Everyone quieted down for him. "I'm sorry…" he apologized with a soft voice and bowed his head. He waited a little while for a response and soon he got one.
"That's not good enough!" Wakiya responded. Everyone looked shocked as Wakiya walked over to Shu and put his arm on his left shoulder. Shu turned to Wakiya as he continued. "That said… your pasta might change my mind…"
"What?" Shu exclaimed in surprise.
"I want some too!" Valt exclaimed. Everyone else was in agreement and there was still a lot of time before Shu met with the doctor, so they went to eat lunch together. They had a good time having lunch together and soon, Shu went in for his consultation.
"It is just a fracture. Rest it for a month and it should be as good as new," the doctor said after looking at Shu's x-rays.
"Thank you, doctor. Can I go see the person that I came here with?" Shu asked him in a hurry. He was very worried.
"Of course. A nurse will take you to him," the doctor answered with a smile before opening the door for him. Shu followed a nurse to a premium hospital room to see everyone gathered in Aichi's room after lunch and were chatting quietly amongst themselves.
"Shu, you're here," Valt said. Everyone made way for him to reach the bed. Shu slowly walked up to the bed and the others watched him. Aichi was unconscious laying on the bed.
"Aichi…" Shu muttered while holding Aichi's hand with his left hand.
"The doctor said that he's in a coma right now. There also seems to be some nerve damage too, but we'll only be able to find out how serious it is when he wakes up," Daina explained to him. He put a hand on Shu's left shoulder to give him some comfort.
"You should get changed, Shu. Aichi can wake up any second and you might scare him in that getup," Keru suggested while Besu held a bag in his mouth.
"You're right…" Shu responded while remembering he was still in his Red Eye clothes. He smiled and took the bag. "I'll be right back."
He soon returned to the room and found Aichi getting washed up by a nurse with a cloth. Some people left, but the old Beigoma Bey Club stuck around with Ken. "What are your plans now, Shu?" Besu asked him after he sat down beside Aichi.
"I think I'll go back home for now," Shu responded.
"Maybe I should go back too!" Valt exclaimed enthusiastically.
"Hey! You're still on the team, you know?" Rantaro scolded him. Everyone laughed a bit.
"I just want to get comfortable for a little while," Shu responded. "Thank you," he thanked the nurse after she finished up. The nurse nodded with a smile before leaving.
"I think Aichi would like going back too. Ryota's hospital is really good and always has space for new patients," Daina said.
"I'll call my private jet to drop you guys off," Wakiya added.
"Thanks, guys…" Shu thanked them. The six stayed there and chatted until late.
"Are you going to stay here and watch over him, Shu?" Keru asked him. Shu smiled and nodded.
"Make sure to get some rest," Daina added as they left the room. Shu brushed Aichi's hair away from his eyes and held his hand.
"I'm sorry…" Shu muttered while holding his hand tightly.
Soon the door opened and a doctor and nurse walked inside. Shu stood up to greet them. It was the same doctor that looked at his arm. "Hello Shu, we are here to assess Aichi," the doctor said.
"Thank you so much," Shu responded before stepping to the side.
The doctor stood at the side of the bed and said, "hello, I am doctor _ and I'm just going to ask you to do some small things for me. If you can hear me, please try to open your eyes," the doctor said. There was no response. "Okay, thank you. I am going to put a little pressure on your finger," he said before pinching his finger a bit. There was no response again.
"Can you tell me your name?" He asked Aichi. There was no response. "Thank you, that is all we need. Rest easily."
The doctor went to Shu who was watching anxiously. "He isn't showing signs of consciousness yet. There is still a possibility that he will regain consciousness after some time. I know it must be hard, but we can only wait to see if he will," the doctor explained to Shu.
"Okay, thank you…" Shu thanked him before they left. He walked back to Aichi's bedside. "Take as much time as you need…" he whispered while brushing Aichi's forehead. He stayed at his bedside, sleeping while leaning forward onto Aichi's bed.
He was startled awake when he felt something over his shoulders and looked up to see their mom putting a jacket over him. "Mom…" Shu said.
"I came as soon as I got a call about you two," she whispered while wrapping the jacket over him.
"Sorry, mom…" Shu apologized. This was really the first time, he really disappointed her so he didn't know what else to say.
She smiled and took a breath of relief. "It isn't my answer that matters. We'll have to wait to see if Aichi forgives you," she said while brushing Aichi's forehead gently.
"You're right…" Shu responded. He was anxious about if Aichi was going to forgive him or not, but that wasn't as important as him waking up.
After a few days, they were preparing to move Aichi back to their hometown. They all went together by helicopter with some paramedics monitoring Aichi's condition.
A month passed until one morning, Aichi opened his eyes. He drowsily looked around and saw a fresh bouquet of sunflowers in a pot. Other than that, he recognized the room as similar to Ryota's hospital room. He was startled when he heard a thud. He turned to the door to see his mom standing there in tears. "Aichi… you're awake!" She cried before running over and holding his hand.
"Mom…" Aichi muttered.
"I'll call a doctor to come," she said with a smile before running out and talking to a nurse for a moment.
"Shu…" he muttered when she returned and held his hand again.
"I'll call Shu now. He's on his run," she said while pulling out her phone. Aichi looked up at the ceiling. His hand was getting squeezed by his mom's hand while she made a call.
"Shu, come to the hospital right now," she said urgently, since she noticed Aichi looked like he was about to fall asleep again.
"Did something happen? I'm coming," Shu responded.
"Aichi, stay awake until Shu gets here, okay? Let's surprise him," she said quietly so that the phone wouldn't pick up her voice. Aichi nodded slowly, keeping himself awake. The doctor came in before Shu returned and checked on Aichi's condition.
"Since you are awake, it's a good sign. We'll check on your nerves when you are full of energy," the doctor said with a smile while looking at the vital monitoring machines. Aichi made a small nod as the doctor left the room.
Soon, the door opened and Shu stood there panting. "Mom, what happened?" Shu asked her between his pants.
"You are really fast," she teased before moving aside. Shu looked so relieved once he saw that Aichi's eyes were open.
"Aichi… you finally woke up…" Shu cried while running over. He held Aichi's hand and brought it close to him. "I'm sorry for what I did. I shouldn't have done that to you…" he apologized.
"It's okay… Shu… Spriggan…" Aichi responded with a weak smile. Shu looked up surprised, he saw the Psyqualia that burned in his eyes for a moment. "I'm sleepy…" he muttered.
"Sleep a bit more. Mom and I will be here," Shu said before Aichi fell asleep again. Shu brushed Aichi's forehead and was relieved to see Aichi smile in his sleep.
"You surprised me, Shu. I was disappointed in you. You are lucky to have a friend like Valt," she said while putting a hand on Shu's shoulder.
"Yeah," Shu responded. He still had a bandage around his arm, but it was basically fully healed. They both stayed behind to watch over Aichi, it wasn't long until Aichi began to cry out.
"Shu…" he cried in his sleep. Shu leaned over and held onto his hand.
"I'm here… I won't leave you anymore," Shu assured him. Aichi calmed down a bit and lightly held onto Shu's hand. He sat there all day until the afternoon when Aichi woke up again. "How are you feeling?" Shu asked him while wiping some sweat from his forehead. He had constant nightmares which made him sweat a lot.
"Good…" Aichi answered with a smile. He lightly pulled on Shu's hand and held it close to him.
"I'll go call a nurse in to check on you," Shu said while patting Aichi's head. The nurse checked his vitals and concluded that nothing was wrong.
When Aichi was fully awake, doctors came in to check on his nerves. Shu and his mom watched Aichi lift up his arms weakly and move his fingers. But when they got to his legs, he said his legs were numb.
"Do you feel anything?" The doctors asked him while touching Aichi's legs.
"I feel tingling," Aichi answered honestly. The doctors took Shu and their mom outside to talk to them.
"He may be able to walk with some extensive therapy. For now, he needs someone to always be by his side, so I suggest having him stay in the hospital for the time being. It may be financially straining, so this is only an option," the doctor explained to them while looking at the papers.
"Money is not a problem, doctor. We'll talk to him about it," she responded with a smile.
"I suggest he stay in the hospital for monitoring for at least a month. At that time, we will schedule physiotherapy sessions for him. We want to make sure he can be somewhat independent before he leaves the hospital," the doctor explained to them.
"Thank you, doctor," they thanked him before he left.
"Visiting hours are almost over. You should say good night to him," the nurse informed them with a smile.
"Okay, thank you," they responded before walking back inside. "Aichi, we have to leave for tonight. The doctor said that you are healing very well, so listen to the nurses while we're gone," their mom explained to him.
Aichi looked scared and twittled his fingers. "You're leaving?" He asked them with sad eyes.
"The hospital has visiting hours and we have to follow them. We'll be back first thing in the morning," Shu promised him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out something. He handed it to Aichi with a smile. "I'll be back to get him tomorrow morning," he said. Aichi looked in his hand and saw Requiem Spriggan. It looked a lot different than before. The core was red and the details that used to be white were now black.
"We have to go now," their mom said while putting her arm around Shu. Aichi weakly waved at them before they left.
"Aichi, I'll help you clean up," the nurse said while holding a tub of water with a cloth inside. Aichi placed Requiem Spriggan on his bed sheet so that it won't be in the way. She used the cloth to wipe Aichi's body gently.
"Thank you," Aichi thanked her after she was done. He looked around for Spriggan and saw that it was on the other side of the bed. The nurse smiled and brought it back to his hand.
"If you need anything just ring the bell," she said while pointing at a button on the side of the bed. Aichi nodded before she helped him down on the bed. "Good night."
"Good night," Aichi responded. He looked at Requiem Spriggan and brushed his hand over the details on the Energy Layer. "Before Blaster Blade left, he told me not to use my power anymore. I know that you still want to evolve to become stronger and I want to help," he whispered to Spriggan.
Spriggan lit up. He did have a lot of physics knowledge from his other self so it would be cool if he could make a special mechanism to stop Spriggan from bursting. When Shu went to visit early the next morning, a nurse walked out of the room looking nervous. "Hi, did something happen to Aichi?" Shu asked her.
"Well…" she responded.
"What if we design grooves to prevent the last pin from unclicking," he heard Aichi's voice. When he walked inside, he saw Aichi with an untouched meal in front of him. He was on the phone with someone and had his tablet on his lap. He was drawing with his finger.
"For that to work, the blades must come out during the launch. You will need a powerful launch for that," the person on the call responded.
"It is doable… I think Shu's launch is almost there…" Aichi commented with some math on the side.
"They have been at it since dawn. He called some nurses asking to make a call and for a tablet. He hasn't touched his food yet either," the nurse said nervously.
"I'll talk to him and get him to eat," Shu responded. He walked up and stood at Aichi's bedside. Aichi was so focused that he didn't even notice Shu standing there. Shu saw a drawing of an Energy Layer on the screen.
"We can make a thick layer to cover the blades so that it cannot be deactivated, but the thicker the layer, the lower the attack potential." Shu was able to identify the voice as Raul, the BeyTrainer of BC Sol. He met him during the party after the cup.
"When the blades activate, it will lower it even more-" Aichi said while continuing to draw before Shu took the tablet away. Aichi turned and was surprised to see Shu there since he didn't notice him walk in.
"Mr. Raul, thank you for the help," Shu said while looking down at Aichi with disbelief. Aichi looked down since he wanted to get all of his ideas down.
"Oh! Shu Kurenai, how long have you been listening? Your brother has some revolutionary ideas," Raul responded.
"Thank you, I think you two should call it a day. It should be late for you over there," Shu said. "Say hi to Valt for me."
Raul chuckled over the phone. "I was having so much fun that I didn't notice how much time passed. Let's continue this some other time, Aichi. Next time, let's have Shu here too since he will be the one using it," Raul responded.
"Okay, thank you, Mr. Raul. Good night," Aichi thanked before the call ended.
Aichi worriedly looked up at Shu as he put away the tablet. "Aichi, what are you doing? You need more rest and you need to eat too," Shu scolded while pulling the bedside table closer.
"I had a few ideas… I wanted you to look at it once I'm done," Aichi responded while reaching out for the tablet.
"Finish eating and get some rest first," Shu said while holding out a spoon of food. Aichi took the bite with a pout. After finishing the food, he put Aichi to sleep and opened the tablet. He saw the design that Aichi was working on.
"You really are amazing, Aichi," Shu commented with a smile.
After hearing Aichi was awake, visitors came in. The first ones were Daina, Ken and Ryota. "How are you feeling, Aichi?" Besu asked him.
"Good," Aichi answered.
"The hospital can get a little lonely, but the nurses are really nice!" Ryota said cheerfully. Aichi nodded and looked over to Spriggan who was sitting on the table.
"I'm not lonely. Shu left Spriggan with me," Aichi responded with a smile. Ryota turned and looked at it with amazement.
"Wow! So cool! It's really Requiem Spriggan!" Ryota cheered.
"Valt called me earlier saying that you were talking to Raul about upgrading Spriggan. Is that true?" Daina asked him. Aichi nodded with a blush.
"I think both Shu and Spriggan need a new start, and I had a lot of ideas," Aichi explained to them, sounding very passionate. The three looked at each other with a relieved expression.
"Shu is really lucky," they said. Aichi shook his head with a blush.
"No, it's just some ideas. Some of them wouldn't work practically and that's why I'm asking Mr. Raul about it," Aichi responded while brushing his cheek sheepishly. After chatting for a while, Aichi took a nap and they left the hospital.
Throughout the month, he got visits from everyone he knew. Shu, Aichi and Raul also had countless meetings over the phone together talking about Spriggan's new evolution and features that they'll put on it. Aichi was also getting better, but his legs were still far too weak to stand on his own. One day, Valt and Raul visited in person. "Aichi sure has a lot of visitors. I'm glad he is able to leave the hospital tomorrow," the nurses whispered with a smile.
"You must be busy, Valt. I didn't expect you'll come here too," Shu commented.
"What? I'm not that busy! When old man Raul said that he was going to see you guys, of course I had to come!" Valt responded.
"Mr. Raul, do you think this will work?" Aichi asked while scrolling through his drawings. Shu was talking to Valt on the side.
"I think it will, now we just need to forge it," Raul answered while looking closely.
"Can you do it?" Aichi asked him excitedly.
"Oh, I'm not going to build it for you," Raul answered with a grin. Aichi looked up in surprise. "I think Shu should forge it on his own. Of course, I will provide the equipment, but I can vouch that forging your own Beyblade strengthens the bond between Blader and Beyblade," he explained to him. Aichi turned to Shu who smiled and nodded.
"Thank you, Raul. If I could have your guidance in forging this, I will be very grateful," Shu agreed while taking the tablet. Aichi's face lit up. "Since Aichi is leaving the hospital tomorrow, can we schedule a time when I can bring him with me?" Aichi turned to Raul with bright eyes.
"I can't say no to my pupil," Raul answered with a chuckle.
"Let's go back to Spain together then!" Valt exclaimed. "I'm not going to fall behind either! I will evolve Valkyrie too one day!"
Everyone laughed. "Of course, Valt," Shu responded. They were all having a great time until visiting hours were coming to an end. "Aichi, get some rest okay? We'll be back tomorrow morning." Aichi nodded and waved at them.
"That kid can be a great designer one day. He has some great potential," Raul said while putting a hand on Shu's shoulder.
"If it comes from Raul, then it must be for real," Valt responded while elbowing Shu.
"I'll talk to him about it," Shu said with a smile. "If he does want to become a designer, I hope that you can continue to guide him, Raul." Raul laughed, sounding proud.
"Do you want to stay over at my place, Shu? We can have some beybread together!" Valt suggested.
Shu put on his helmet and unlocked his bike from the bike rack. "No, I'll go home today. I need to do some cleaning before Aichi comes home tomorrow," he answered while getting on his bike. "I'll see you tomorrow, Valt, Raul."
"See ya!" Valt responded before Shu rode off.
"That boy seems like he changed quite a bit," Raul commented.
"No, this is the real Shu," Valt responded before they began walking. In the middle of the night, Aichi heard a voice.
"My Vanguard," a voice whispered. Aichi opened his eyes in his mindspace to see Blaster Blade in front of him.
"Blaster Blade!" Aichi called with a smile.
"I'm glad to see you in high spirits, My Vanguard," Blaster Blade commented with a warm smile. Aichi nodded happily.
"How is the other me doing?" Aichi asked him.
"He has been feeling under-the-weather recently, but otherwise, he is well. He will recover at ease once he hears you are happy," Blaster Blade answered. "How is Shu Kurenai?"
"Shu is back to his normal self. I do feel like what he did as Red Eye weighs on him, so I've been designing a new Spriggan with him and Mr. Raul!" Aichi explained with a lot of passion.
"I am glad to hear that, My Vanguard. Please live a joyous life and call me if you need anything," Blaster Blade said before the space was engulfed in a bright light. When Aichi woke up, it was the morning. He turned to the side to see Shu packing up his things into a backpack.
"Good morning, Shu…" Aichi greeted drowsily.
"Good morning," Shu responded while brushing his head. "I'm just packing up your things, so you can sleep some more." Aichi nodded and closed his eyes.
"Shu, thank you for coming so early in the morning. Aichi was so excited to go home that he wasn't able to sleep until four in the morning. Aichi has been so enthusiastic despite his condition, I'm so happy that he could finally go home," the nurse whispered.
After an hour and a half, Aichi woke up. Shu was talking to the nurse learning how to care for Aichi. He was taught everything throughout the week, so he was ready to go. He pulled himself up and scratched his eyes.
"Oh Aichi, you're awake. I'll bring you your breakfast," the nurse said once she noticed he was awake. Aichi nodded as a thank you before she left. Shu returned to Aichi's side and sat on a chair beside him.
"Aichi, I talked to Raul yesterday and he said that you are really talented in designing Beyblades. Have you ever been interested in being a designer?" Shu asked him while holding his hand.
Aichi looked surprised as if he was being pushed away. "If I have to leave your side, Shu… I do think designing Beyblades is fun, but it means that I have to leave you to learn more, then I don't want to," he answered while shaking his head and trembling.
"No, you don't have to go anywhere. I just wanted to know if you have any plans for the future and if you don't, this can be a good path for you," Shu explained to him quickly since Aichi looked hurt. He brushed Aichi's head with a smile. "I'll be with you every step of the way. There's actually someone that I want you to design a Beyblade for."
Aichi looked like he calmed down completely and looked curious. "I was thinking of us going to Spain next week so that we could go back with Valt. I'll take you to meet this person when we get back," Shu said with a warm smile.
"Okay," Aichi answered. Seeing Aichi's reaction meant that he did have interest in designing more Beyblades, which made Shu relieved. In the afternoon, Aichi left the hospital with Shu pushing him on a wheelchair. He held his backpack as they walked through the streets. They walked past the park and he saw kids playing there enthusiastically.
"A lot has changed," Aichi said. Shu looked down at him. He looked at the stadium and remembered the BeyClub watching the sunset. It didn't feel long since that day. "Everyone has grown so much and you did too."
"You're right," Shu responded while looking at the stadium too. "Aichi, I was thinking of what I should do in the future. Whenever I go on my runs, I find myself on the rooftop of school. At first, I felt lonely since I expected everyone to be there, but then I realized that everyone has moved on," he explained to him. Aichi turned to Shu worriedly. "Let's go home."
Aichi nodded with a smile before they continued walking. When Shu opened the door, the lights opened and confetti flew into the air. Aichi was surprised to see a lot of people there including their mom and dad. "Congratulations on being released from the hospital, Aichi!" Aichi was so shocked that he didn't know what to say. The BeyClub was there with Team Sword Flames too. Everyone from BC Sol was there too and many more.
Shu patted Aichi's head which snapped him out of his trance. His parents also put their hands on Aichi's shoulder to calm him. "Thank you…" he responded with a blush. Everyone cheered as Shu pushed him to the living room. They had a great time and partied until the evening.