Robert was not in the habit of following anyone, but the hobbledehoy he had beaten aboard the ship did not give him peace. He was surprisingly stubborn and disgustingly crude. He believed that arrogance would add to the shortcomings of training and strategic talent. His colleagues did not seem better. The only one that showed a shadow of intellect was the eyeglass stuck to the laptop, only he was aware of the inevitable failure. Young Jurgens was browsing information about the boy and his team. They made a very interesting definition of the word "hybrid." Nothing connected them except blades. He received the news that they had already been to Italy and France. The defeated led them to him, the champion of Germany and all of Europe. He wondered how this could have happened when he received word from Enrique that they were not far from his hill. He was not going to accept the guaranteed challenge to the duel. He was of the opinion that once had beaten someone, there was no chance of changing the result. Man did not exist. There was still Johnny with his explosive temper. He hoped it would be enough to drown them.
As he had expected, it was not without a duel. The young gladiator challenged the captain of the Bladebreakers team, Kai, and the young man from the ship, Tyson, accused him of cowardice in his own house! It was too much, but the emotions quickly cooled down. Johnny won with bravado, completely sinking the opponent. He stated that if the captain was so weak, there was no reason to get into rematch. It was dark before they finished. Since they had trouble, he had to host them, as befits a member of an illustrious family. But he did not intend to extend the visit any longer than necessary. He led them down the corridor towards the living room, wondering if had forgotten something important through all the commotion. Fortunately, such cases had his major domus, who had arisen before him when he began digging up the missing information.
- Master Robert, your guest has arrived. - officially announced pointing to the door he was about to open. - Waiting in the lounge.
Okay, it's that day. He remembered. In this situation, the visit was not very convenient for him, but he could not refuse.
- Thank you, Gustav. - he replied, pressing the handle.
At first he didn't see anyone. Later, however, he noticed a tiny person comfortably slumped in an armchair, a porcelain cup in hand. It crossed his mind that she had good taste. Was wearing a black asymmetric sweater, high waisted woolen bottle green shorts, black opaque tights, and black sneakers. She put down the pot and looked at him with calm, honey-colored eyes, brushing blonde locks away from her face. A silver chain flashed around neck with a droplet sparkling with a few shades of blue weighting it. She got up slowly, curtsied slightly at the sight.
- Hello, Robert. - she greeted him in a low, feminine voice.
- Hello. - he replied calmly, walking towards her slowly.
- Robert, why don't you introduce your lovely guest? - Enrique asked enthusiastically, adjusting short jacket and combing golden hair.
- There is something to it... - she whispered to him, smiling gently.
- Since, by a strange coincidence, we are all here together, please meet Nadia Koroliov, the figure skating champion... - he said in one breath, then added - ...and my future wife.
- Whaaaat? - moaned the desperate blonde, making a sad, not very credible face. - So I have no chance?
- You didn't have one from the beginning, you're too young for me. - the girl laughed heartily.
- How did it come about? - green-haired Oliver was surprised. - Somehow...I didn't notice you meeting anyone.
- We met when I came back from the championship.
- Let's say our parents have a very lucrative business plan and they want the cooperation to be... hard to sever.
However words they put it, it sounded weird to say the least. They were both aware of it, so the topic was not very comfortable. An ordinary marriage of convenience, a classic movement in their social layer, even business in business. He wanted to cut as soon as possible, help came from an unexpected direction. He caught the exploratory gaze of the boy with glasses directed directly at her.
- Don't we know each other by any chance? - he finally asked her.
- I do not think so. I would remember. - she replied quite seriously.
- It seems to me that I saw you somewhere...
She didn't worry too much about it. He hoped they would not come back to the topic of the matchmaking relationship. They were rescued by Gustav informing about the prepared dinner. He breathed a sigh of relief.
They were sitting at the dining room table, only waiting for a little glasses man. He and Nadia continued to hold back patiently, watching as Enrique, Johnny, and Oliver sharply refuse to begin, while the rest rushed to eat without pardon. Finally, the missing participant showed up, opening the door with unlike him energy.
- I KNEW! I KNEW IT! - he screamed.
- Chief, sit down at last! - Ray, a black-haired boy in a white Chinese straitjacket, said to him.
- I will not sit down until I tell you! - He replied excitedly, then turned to the blonde. - I already know how I know you!
- So I'm listening. - she replied calmly, placing hands under chin.
- I saw you on TV!
- Gosh, you probably aren't the only one watching skating... - muttered blonde Max.
- It was not skating, but the individual Beyblade championship in Moscow!
- Kenny, are you crazy? - the blue-haired Tyson laughed ironically. - What would a girl like that do at the Bey championship? She could only sit in the stands!
- LET ME END! - growled the eyeglass, more and more nervous. - This girl is a Russian champion, probably the strongest female player in the world!
- Nonsense! I would know. - Robert grunted, looking questioningly at the blonde.
- Oh my...exposure... - she laughed heartily, covering her mouth with her hand shyly.
Everyone looked at her with great surprise. They did not expect such an inconspicuous girl to be a champion. Robert glared at her. She didn't stutter about it from the beginning. She looked at him completely innocently. It boiled in, though he wasn't sure of the reason.
- Why haven't I seen you at the European Championships? - he asked irritably.
- I wasn't there. The Olympics in PiongChang was held on the same date, I would not be doubled. - she replied truthfully. - The runner-up went to my place and, as far as I know, you turned him into ground.
- Right, I fought him. - Oliver said from next to the girl. - It was a hurdle.
- If it wasn't for this inconvenience, we would have met in the final fight, Robert. - she replied, sweetly looking at him.
- Hola hola! - Johnny asked. - To do that, you'd have to win with me! I am the runner-up!
- Oh, yes, I know. The flame-haired Gladiator from Glasgow, owner of the fire salamander... - she summed up dispassionately. - No offense, you're not a threat to me.
- Excuse me?!
She amazed him with the strength of her composure. In a way, she began to remind him of himself. Confident and proud, but in a slightly different style. This one piece of information made the person completely indifferent to him become a few steps closer. She probably created the first topic for joint discussions.
- She might be right. - Kenny put in softly, tapping something rhythmically on the computer keyboard. - From what I can see, she finished each duel very quickly, and comparing your statistics...
- So what?! - the redhead growled, jumping up from the chair. - I challenge you to a duel! Hear that?! I challenge you immediately!
- But you're stubborn... - she muttered, then sighed heavily. - If you want, go ahead. However, I suggest that you finish eating first.
- What for?!
- Even out of respect for Robert, who in all his kindness welcomed you with a warm dinner. - she replied, looking at him with such icy eyes as Jurgens could not expect from the warmingly honey shade of her irises.
Young McGregor flopped back into his chair, eating his portion. After the meal was over, Johnny rushed into the room to change as quickly as possible. The others marched after him, led by Robert, dignified, striding before them. He frowned, wondering what the fight would bring. He hoped to get lots of answers about it. Involuntarily, he found that she began to intrigue him. Champion...Champion of Russia. He decided to take some steps as soon as the conflict between her and Johnny was resolved. He had to learn as much as possible, to decipher it, because she was obviously not as simple as he expected. The redhead waited, ready for anything, in his maroon armor that looked like the scales of a reptile. He twisted the heavy halberd in his hand as if measuring to cut off someone's neck.
- Pulls the inevitable ... - he grumbled under his breath.
Robert ran his fingers through the purple fringe that was pulled back. He was impatient. He hadn't expected that he would want to see it so much. Not often watching fights excited him, let alone waiting for them. They heard a metallic clink. He saw her silhouette in the shadow of the opposite corridor. He froze, unable to take his eyes off her. The first thing he saw were shiny, short steel shoes with uppers turned outwards, soon followed by long, black, tight-fitting trousers, on the sides covered with a blue tunic tied at the waist with a tight, beige corset. Above it shone a short, silver breastplate with a single epaulette, to which a short cape made of slightly sparkling blue material was adorned with a sapphire stone. The counterweight to this, even grandiose outfit, was a tasteful, ebony staff decorated with delicate, silver-plated grooves. At the last moment, he noticed a braided ornament on one of her forearms that looked like a snaking snake. He thought that it was only without high heels that you could see how filigree she was.
- You see, Johnny, you are not the only one from an old and illustrious lineage. In the Middle Ages, a man called a prince ruled in what was then Russia. His name was Oleg. He was my great-grandfather. - she began calmly, looking at him piercingly. - Do you know what made him famous?
- He conquered Constantinople... - interjected Kenny.
- Exactly. The Byzantines, despite being defeated, made a great feast for him, served their best wine, welcoming the new ruler. He declined, saying he had a dream about poisoned alcohol the night before. - she continued the story, slowly taking the bracelet off her hand. - His two commanders ignored the warning and lost their lives. On that day, Oleg earned the nickname "The Prophet".
- I am to believe you have a sixth sense? - The redhead snorted.
- Let's check it. I predicted your defeat. - She smiled, tossing the bracelet to fold into a silver-blue cone. - You'll have the opportunity to meet my friend.
She clipped the device to the staff, tightened the mechanism, braced herself for battle. Enrique counted to take off, and after a while both disks flew into the arena. The Scotsman apparently wanted to cut it short quickly and brutally. He saw veins puncture on his forehead. Robert wondered what Nadia would do to stop him.
- Salamalion! Burn this toy! - he roared.
The surroundings shone with golden light, and after a while a huge salamander appeared among them. It roared ominously, heading towards her.
- But you bathed in hot water. - the girl replied, innocently winking at Robert. - Cool it, my basilisk!
This little gesture struck him surprisingly. As soon as she made a wish, the glow of Johnny's beast was dissipated by a silver-blue glow, from which a long, ruby-eyed serpent emerged. The temperature dropped rapidly, and so did the salamander's resonance. She amazed him every minute. The reptile was bigger than McGregor's already large beast. He wondered how many more aces were hidden in those invisible sleeves.
- Huge! - Tyson said in shock.
- Johnny, back off, you have no chance! - Kenny shouted. - It's a basilisk! He...
- Don't interfere! - the redhead threw to him. - Salamalion...!
- Look into the eyes of my Vasilisk, king of all serpents! - the girl said loudly.
The salamander could not resist the blood-red eyes. After a while, they watched it solidify, fading more and more until finally lost all color. It hid in the disk medallion, which after a few seconds stopped and fell. The redhead looked confused at his beyblade, next at her. Somehow, she sat nobly on the scaly body of the beast, letting it approach them. The majestic head moved to her hand, demanding a caress. She scratched under his massive jaw and snake closed his eyes and purred like a kitten. The scene was more than unusual. He had never seen the bit-beast become familiar with its owner. He also recorded something he hadn't noticed before - on her forehead she wore a very delicate, shimmering silver tiara with a red stone surprisingly incompatible with the rest of the outfit that looked like one of the creature's eyes. She saw his speechless gaze, but quickly turned her eyes to the redhead.
- Useless... - he growled angrily under his breath, almost crushing the disc in a nervous grip.
He did not expect any reaction from her, but she jumped silently from the back of the snake, walked briskly to her opponent, then slapped him so violently that he staggered on his feet and fell. She looked cold and firm.
- Your beast is INNOCENT. - she hissed. - You lost.
- And what, you will probably say now that you are invincible?! - he grunted, rubbing his face. - Come on!
- Nobody is invincible. There will always be a stronger one, that's the law of nature. I was just strong enough to beat you easily. - she replied in a tone that did not bear any objection. - Salamalion has paid a high price for your incompetence, immaturity and hot head.
- What did you do to him? - he finally became interested.
- Relax, his colors will return as soon as dawn breaks. - she replied calmly. - There is a lot to learn, Gladiator from Glasgow.
Chief -Bladebreakers call their coach Kenny that way.
Vasilisk - Russian "basilisk" :)
Hope you enjoy that! This fanfiction is probably the biggest one in my "career", so stay tuned 3
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