Neb: Now that Domori had faced loss, even with his newly designed Beyblade. It's time for him to start growing again. Good for Sin taking the win home with Battle Spriggan, after all she had been training that blade against Shu Kurenai, and like Domori she built it based off of past experiences. Still it's time to push for a closing on Clash of Dragons. Meaning Domori has to face off against Delta, Dante, Gwen, and Arthur. It would also be good if he got some battles in against Valt and Aiger, so I'm going to dedicate this chapter to that. I hope you all enjoy the fanfic, I do not own Beyblade Burst Rise, or any other forms of Beyblade that go with it.
Domori stared at Draconids confused. He could hear the roar inside the blade again, so he was connected to Draconids through resonance, but... He remembered his Leader self losing to Sin. No, the strongest version of himself. Leader Domori was the ideal version of Domori, able to talk to others and make the hard calls. Domori took pride in his ability to design Beyblades, so Draconids should have been at it's strongest in Leader Domori's hands. Especially since it was a combination of his previous works. He shook his head trying to get out of his thoughts. "I can't think like that anymore," Domori stated aloud. "There is no room complaining about failure, I can only push myself to improve."
"That's right Domori," Valt spoke up as he and Aiger showed up next to Sin. They were all in the Venger household's living room.
"Valt," Domori spoke up. "Aiger, I heard about Arthur defeating you."
"Yeah, he went and made a mockery of the both of us," Aiger admitted. "I know Dante and Delta hadn't given up trying to face him though."
"They are the next generation of bladers," Domori remembered. "Should we just leave this to them."
"I can," Aiger nodded. "But can you? You didn't just lose to Arthur, you were shattered by him." Aiger remembered the last time he faced Domori. Domori was talking about challenging Free and Xander after defeating him. He was considering future battles rather than the one he was about to have, because that was the type of person he was, one who plans ahead. "I guess that means your back to your old self."
"That's right," Domori nodded. "I broke through the majority of my barriers containing my true self, and Sin took care of the last one. I wasn't strong enough to defeat the final persona. I was never strong, I hid behind these personas in hopes that they would give me strength. But my shadow only wanted control, as did the rest of my personas. I failed as a blader and as a person."
"Don't say that Domori," Valt shook his head.
"Geez, you're really laying into yourself huh," Aiger admitted.
"This is where I left off with him," Sin sighed. "He was a bit of a downer growing up. Always complaining about the lack of challenges, always wanting me to be his rival. But I found more fun in running track than I did Beyblade. It was the clear difference in strength between his Quality Drake and my Arrow Stag. That blade was interesting, but I didn't have any love for it like I do Spriggan."
"And I fell out of love with my Drake when I came up with the Spring Loaded System," Domori remembered. "Through that I built Draconids."
"Yeah we know," Aiger sighed. "You didn't answer my question, are you really leaving this to Delta and Dante, or are you going to face Arthur."
"They have vendettas against him as well," Domori explained. "I wasn't the only one who's blade shattered when Apocalypse attacked. Delta and Dante fell victim to his burst prevention system as well. I'll let them get revenge out of their system, and then I'll avenge my Meteor Draconids."
"Are you satisfied with Shinning Draconids then?", Valt wondered.
"I think this is the best this generation will have to offer for my Draconids," Domori figured. "I'll wait until a new way to build blades come about before I try my next iteration. I think that's why I haven't seen Free or Lui around, they are simply just waiting for the next generation."
"Yeah, I agree," Valt nodded.
"I've never met Free," Sin nodded. "Hopefully you're right and he comes back. Then I'll face the former champion, the current champion, and any new champions."
Free's words, don't you want to win, ran through Domori's mind. He sighed before getting up. "This has been more conversation than I can handle. I'm going out."
"No your not," Valt shook his head. "I'm getting my rematch."
Domori looked at him surprised.
"Same," Aiger nodded. "We don't just want to wait for the next generation, we want to cap off this one with an epic battle."
"Domori you were suffering," Sin nodded. "Now that your other Personas aren't fighting for control, can you control them?"
Domori thought for a moment and then shrugged. "I doubt Leader will listen to me, or any of them for that matter. But my Beast side won't say no to a fight."
"That'll have to do," Valt sighed. "I wanted to face every side of you, and it looks like I lost my chance."
"They are all me Valt," Domori explained. "I feel what they feel, and think what they think. It was like they were different people, but now. I remember it being like someone else was piloting my body. Anyways, I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you all because of it. I will be in control of the wheel from now on."
"So I won't get to face your other sides?", Valt whined.
"Valt," Aiger spoke up. "You don't understand what it's like having another side, a darker side take control of you. I let that darkness control me before, and I thought my bond with Achilles had deepened. But it didn't, I was the one causing harm to my bey the whole time, not the other way around."
"I experienced that as well," Sin admitted. "I was always a bit of a hot head, but it was different when I was working towards making Spriggan stronger. I let some darkness control me that was neither I nor Spriggan."
"Sin," Domori spoke up.
"The point is, Domori should battle because he wants to. Not because some other side of him is making him."
"That's right," Aiger agreed.
"You guys haven't been listening," Valt shook his head. "It's all been Domori the whole time. The others sides of him might see themselves as different people, but that's been his strategy. He doesn't just change parts and change stances to throw his opponents off. He becomes a completely different person between battles, because that's what he's been researching. A way to get stronger during a fight."
Sin and Aiger looked at him surprised.
Domori looked down and grunted. "Valt I."
"I remember our battle during that tournament that Wakiya threw together," Valt reminisced. "Not just the one you had against me, but the one against Lui."
"I still feel it you know," a flashback of Domori spoke to Lui, just before their match. "The shivers from being locked in that fridge, the pain in my knuckles from banging on the door. That moment killed the old Domori and replaced him with me."
"You were talking, but you refused to come out of your head. It wasn't Shadow Domori speaking for you, it was the real you using Shadow Domori as a tool."
"Yeah I remember what I told you," Domori sighed. "Shadow Domori came out during our second round of the match against each other right. You had just knocked my Mighty Draconids out of the ring, so I swapped to him to change up my rhythm."
"And it worked, Shadow Domori knocked me out of the arena right afterwards. That's why I want to face all of you, the Leader, the Beast, the Shadow, and the Calm you. But I want to face the real you also, not just all these different Personas you created to keep that side of you locked away."
"The real me hasn't been strong enough to come out in a while," Domori admitted. "I'm keeping calm right now, drawing from Calm Domori, the earliest form of myself I can remember. But... but the real me was betrayed by his best friend and locked in a refrigerated walk in over a game. Wasuke was mad I wouldn't concede to Lui for him, so he sabotaged my match and almost got me killed. As I stated before, the real me died in that refrigerator. I might be able to put on a strong face and act like my old self. But I'll never be the same Domori again. You can fight as many personas as you want and beat them, but this is all your getting."
Aiger, Valt, and Sin looked at each other and then nodded. They held up their beyblades towards Domori.
"Prove it," Sin demanded. "Fight us with every single persona, with every beyblade combination you want, with every design you want, with every stance you want. We'll keep fighting until you feel like you again. My brother was mad he lost his chance at an important battle, well let's have a ton of important battles."
Valt and Aiger grinned and nodded.
Domori stared at them touched, but tried to hide that. "I... whatever. Fine, let's just get this over with."
The group headed out to the back yard and Valt was the first one up.
"I've been waiting for this," Valt grinned as he held up Sword Valkyrie.
"I really don't think I'll ever be the same again Valt," Domori sighed. "I refuse to become vulnerable again, and I won't let losing a beyblade match change that."
The words of Free echoed in Domori's mind. "That's good and all but... Don't you want to win?"
Domori shook his head trying to clear his thoughts and then sighed before smiling. "I misspoke, I'm not going to lose, so why change?" That wasn't even the real Domori Free was talking to, it was Leader Domori, so why did it bother him?
Valt grinned at him as he backed away from the arena and loaded his blade into his launcher.
Domori loaded his blade in the launcher and readied himself to do a left handed launch. "Since you wanted to face all of the personas that was holding Domori back, I'll face you as all of us at once." The golden light and the black fog begun to swarm around Domori. His eyes flickered between blackness and bright gold.
"His personas has given him an advantage when it comes to controlling resonance," Aiger admitted. "Valt might be in trouble."
"Is the champion getting nervous?", Sin joked.
"Sh-shut up Sin!"
3 Domori now jumped back as Valt took his first step towards the arena.
2 Domori jumped forwards as Valt hopped again.
1 Domori performed a combination of Sin's high jump kick launch with Crystal's Spin Launch.
"Let it Rip," they both yelled along with Aiger and Sin.
Both blades performed as expected, both channeling lightning speed as they darted around the arena crashing into each other.
"You're facing my Beast Mode right now," Domori grinned as his teeth sharpened. "I hope this is everything you hoped for!"
"So cool," Valt grinned. "It's about time I got to fight you, it took Delta and Lui to bring you out!"
"I am Mighty! Draconic Sword Slash!"
"Go Valkyrie, Wing Wip!"
The two blades crashed into each other causing static and wind to swarm the arena.
"Your turn Shadow!" The electricity turned purple as darkness begun to fog the arena.
"About time," Shadow Domori grinned. "Time to drag you into the abyss! Draconids release your crescent blades!" The blades of Draconids released sending Valkyrie flying back. "Shinning Repulse!"
Valt grunted, but he wasn't out yet. His blade managed to land at the edge of the arena and used the slope to pick up speed as it made it's way back towards the center. Valkyrie begun to glow gold as it's speed increased. "Perfect, now Hyper-Flux go!"
Shadow Domori watched his blade get knocked in the air, but it wasn't over, it never was.
"How boring," Calm Domori yawned as he watched his blade move back down towards the arena. "Time to end this, Draconic Spring Dive!" Wind swarmed around Draconids as it slammed against the top of Sword Valkyrie.
"It's not over," Valt assured. "Keep pushing Valkyrie."
"You don't get it Valt," Calm Domori stated. "We designed this blade to be able to take hits and grow stronger from it. A blade that can grow stronger during battle. The center of our philosophy." The scythes reclined back into Draconids causing it to heal.
"He's back at phase one," Aiger facepalmed.
"He still has a chance," Sin assured. "Domori did the same thing to me."
"Now go," Leader Domori commanded. "Shinning Uproar!" Draconids now begun to glow gold as it used the slope of the arena to pick up speed. "Hyper-Flux!"
Both blades crashed into each other again, and both bladers grunted.
"Valkyrie!"
"Draconids!"
The darkness had completely vanished as Domori only shined the golden light off of himself.
Valt was glowing blue as well as his own resonance flared up. The images of Valkyrie fighting Draconids sword to sword played in both of their minds. But only one could come out the victor. Domori was surprised to see it wasn't him. Shining Draconids burst right in front of him and with it the other personas shattered around him.
"It's over?", Aiger questioned.
Domori fell to his hands and knees as he started panting. Tears fell from his eyes as his breath became cold.
"D-Domori," Sin yelled as she ran next to her brother and grabbed onto him.
"I.. how could I lose? I went through everything, I evolved my blade, changed my stance, and drew from every strong persona I had."
Sin didn't recognize this voice, the lack of confidence, the sadness, and the fear. This wasn't her older brother, or was it? "Domori, where have you been hiding this whole time?"
"I... I never left the refrigerator," Domori admitted. "I kept myself locked in there while my other selves roamed free. I.. I'm sorry Sin, I didn't mean to abandon you and go to Spain. I just wanted to get stronger. I wanted to be a different person, not this pathetic excuse for an older brother you see here."
His hands were shaking and his skin felt cold to Sin's touch. "Domori you're freezing!"
"I... I, my Draconids."
Valt handed Domori his Draconids. "But they were all you, weren't they?"
"Yeah," Domori sighed. "You were right Valt, those other mes were me. Their strengths and their flaws. I was the one acting like a menace, and crying because there was no one to challenge me. I got so wound up in my own head, I lost my manners."
"This is all so confusing," Aiger rubbed his head. "Whatever, battle me next!"
"B-but I lost."
"Do you think I care about that?", Aiger yelled. "We said we were all going to blade against you, so we are all going to blade against you. The whole reason for those personas was to keep the real you from interacting right? Well now you have no choice!"
"I," Domori tried to speak back, but he saw Aiger wasn't going to take no for an answer. He sighed before putting his Draconids back together. "Fine."
Domori couldn't beat Aiger either, or Sin, or Valt. He kept battling again and again, but there was a clear difference in strength. Still, it was nice to finally interact with people as the real him, after so long of pretending to be someone else.
Eventually Draconids Burst Spriggan due to it's rubber tip melting into the concrete arena. Then it beat Valt as the crescent blades pushed out at the right time causing Valkyrie to burst. Finally it managed to beat Achilles as the Hyper-Flux state and the shift of weight due to it's sword shaped designed combined together to Domori's new move the North Star Slash.
Domori was happy, not just because he was becoming stronger, but he could see the resonance of his friends. Whether they won or loss, they all became stronger during battle.
