Thanks to guest and Moonblossoms for the reviews!

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Chapter Fifteen: Trouble on the Horizon

Despite the battle only being a friendly match, Max knew he had to give his best against Tyson. Many months had passed since he had last fought an opponent of his calibre and whom better to practice against than the world champion himself? Tyson was a little rusty – but then again, so was he. The first few minutes had been awful. Good thing they had twenty-four hours to practice before their first official match.

"Tyson, Max, what's going on?" Hilary said from the sidelines.

Draciel and Dragoon were currently chasing each other around the dish. It was almost as if the blades themselves didn't want to fight. The spirits in their blades were unsettled, troubled. A case of pre-tournament nerves or did their bitbeasts sense there was trouble within the stadium?

"Dragoon, attack now!" Tyson ordered, throwing a finger forward. It was rare for a bitbeast to disobey the commands of their blader, but Dragoon ignored Tyson. Instead, Dragoon pulled away from Draciel. Even Draciel seemed hesitant and that was troubling. If this happened in tomorrow's match, they'd be knocked out before the real part of the tournament even began. "Come on, Dragoon!"

"Tyson, do you think the bitbeasts sense there's something wrong and that's why they're not coming out?" Max questioned. Draciel was pulling back too. It was as if he was suddenly afraid of Dragoon. "King's warnings… Maybe he's right. Maybe we are in danger and our bitbeasts are reacting to it."

No longer seeing the point in continuing the battle, Max recalled his blade. Tyson's Dragoon continued circling the dish, but its movement rapidly slowed. It wasn't until Dragoon finally stopped spinning that Tyson picked his blade up. He glanced down at his blade his brows furrowed. "Dragoon… what's going on?"

"Maybe we can try again later?" Max said. He then looked over towards Kai and Rei whose battle had finished before it had even begun. "Looks like they're having the same problem we're having. Our bitbeasts wouldn't disobey an order unless if they were trying to protect us."

"Or they're unnerved by something." Tyson put his blade back in his pocket and started moving towards the exit.

"Where are you going, Tyson?"

Without glancing back, he answered, "To get some fresh air. I need to think."

Before Max could get out another word, Tyson was gone. Max looked to Hilary who looked equally as confused. "Talk to him. If anyone can get through to Tyson, it would be you, Hilary." He thought he caught a slight tinge of red in her cheeks, but it was gone within a blink. She departed, following Tyson's footsteps.

Max walked over to the opposite side of the room. "Max," Rei said, looking up from his blade.

"The bitbeasts are hesitant," Kai said slowly. "Something is amiss."

"Where's Tyson?" said Rei.

"Said he needed to get some fresh air to think," Max answered. "Dragoon didn't respond his commands. Draciel isn't listening to me either. We might not have had a training session in a long while, but our bitbeasts always summon when called. I don't understand why they would suddenly not appear?"

Perhaps they should be thankful they were only playing against an amateur team tomorrow otherwise they would be in for a humiliating defeat. "You think the other bladers are having problems too or just us?" Rei said, looking at his companions, studying their reactions.

"We keep trying," Kai said. "We don't stop pushing. Our bitbeasts performance reflects our mental and physical state. If we're confused and worried, our bitbeasts will also act that way. Clear your mind and focus on the task that needs to be done. We might be blading against an amateur team later today, but one mistake could cost us."

"Kai's right. We have to remain focused," Rei said, clasping his fingers around his Driger blade. "We've bladed in tournaments before. This is no different so we can't use nerves as an excuse." He walked over to his side of the dish and loaded his blade on his launcher again.

"There has to be more to this," Kenny stated. "Dizzi isn't picking up anything odd. Your bitbeasts are the four sacred ones… if they are feeling uneasy then there's a good reason why. I don't think it would be wise to push the bitbeasts into battling if they don't feel it is safe."

Kai shook his head. "No. We have a battle that we can't lose late this afternoon. This is the only chance we must practice before this match. I'm not going to have our team show up and play like amateurs just because we're 'afraid' of pushing the limit. Whatever words King spoke needs to be pushed behind. We only have the future to focus on." He loaded his blade on his launcher and inserted the ripcord. "Kenny, I want you to record our battles. Every single one so they can be studied. There are no excuses for failure."

Max frowned, a little taken aback by the harshness in Kai's words. He understood where Kai was coming from of course – they could not throw any match away – but he seemed stressed almost. What did Kai know they didn't? Or perhaps he was simply better at keeping his true feelings hidden. He was team captain after all. He had to remain calm and focused.

Kenny knew better than to debate. He pulled up his screen and started tapping away, most likely writing down notes as well. "Okay. I'm ready." Max walked over to stand at Kenny's side and looked over his shoulder down at the screen. Kenny was using some top market video editing and capturing software that allowed close ups of the action.

"Three… Two… One… Let it rip!" Kai and Rei released their blades at the same time as soon as the words were finished. The blades flew and collided into each other then crashed down to the dish beneath. Max watched the battle through the screen instead, keeping an eye out for extra detail.

"Dranzer!"

"Driger!"

The bitbeasts were called to summon but they did not emerge despite the bitchips glowing. That's when Max noticed it. Two black floating dots in the centre of the bitchip. Too hard to see with just the naked eye, but on screen it was as clear as day. The dots were visible for a few brief seconds before disappearing. "Did you see that?" Max said, pointing at the screen.

Kenny nodded. "Yeah, I did. That wasn't normal."

"What did you see?" Kai said, recalling his blade for another attempt.

Rei made a frustrated growl as he too recalled Driger. "They don't want to come out."

"We saw something on the screen. Look at this." He motioned for them to come over to watch the replay. "I'll slow it down for you." Kenny lowered the speed so they could watch it frame by frame. He stopped it at the second the two black dots appeared.

"What the hell…" Rei murmured. "I've never seen anything like that before. You think our bitbeasts are locked inside?"

Kai ordered Kenny to replay it again. "No… not locked inside. It's a warning. I remember grandfather telling me about it back when I was just a kid. If a powerful bitbeast had been released, lesser bitbeasts would refuse to come out of their blades. I suppose the two black dots appearing on the bitchips is a bitbeast's way of letting us know 'there's trouble'." He pulled back from the screen, glancing down at his blade. "I never believed the words before… thought it was something Voltaire had made up on the spot… But seeing it like this…"

"When we rescued Hilary in the forest, King said something about this tournament being dangerous. He was collecting parts for someone," Max said. "You don't think he's helping someone to design the strongest blades ever?"

"Not necessarily the strongest, but a blade designed specifically to handle a certain amount of power," Kai answered. "We know that there are many other bitbeasts out there that are just as powerful as our own."

"Like the rock bitbeasts. I remember Cerberus. You think another rock was found?"

Frowning, Rei spoke up. "Those new teams... the Bai Hu Clan and the Horsemen. Is there anything about them on the internet? Books even? Two new teams that show up out of the blue that don't even have profile pictures? Seems suspicious to me."

"When I type in the horsemen, I get biblical information. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse – War, Famine, Death and Pestilence," Kenny explained. "As for the Bai Hu Clan, it's listed as an extinct tribe east of China."

"So, what you are saying is that we could potentially be facing off against some religious extremists and an ancient tribe rumoured extinct but actually exists?" Rei said. He then sighed. "I thought last year's tournament was tough, but this looks like something else entirely if these new teams reflect the true meaning of their names."

"They could just be team names," Max said.

"I doubt that. Why would you choose a team name that did not somehow reflect your overall image?" Kai debated. "We chose the Avengers to carry out the justice Stanley can't take for himself. But the fact remains – we need to do some training, and it doesn't look like we're going to get anything done in this building. I say we take a trip to the surrounding areas and make use of what we can. I hear there's a public blading park down at South Bank. Maybe if we leave the building our bitbeasts will come right again."

"What about Tyson?" Rei said.

"He's with Hilary," answered Max. "I'll text him later, but I think there's more on his mind than he's letting on. Hilary will make him right again."

Pulling down the screen of his laptop, Kenny tucked the machine beneath his arm then rose to his feet. "Then let's head down to South Bank. I want to record your current stats to the last time we fought as a team."

"The best comment I've heard all day," Kai remarked, smirking slightly.

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Johnny picked up a magazine and threw it across the room. The magazine hit the wall and fell to the floor. A few loose pages fell out. "So, this is it then? It's all over for us?" Hours had passed since the ordeal with the Dark Bladers. The fiends had lived up to their promise and 'freed' his friends from the van, but the damage had already been done. Now they were inside a hospital waiting for news on Oliver's state.

Fortunately, Robert and Enrique had only sustained minor injuries. A few scratch marks and some bumps and bruises, but nothing that warranted a few nights at the hospital. Robert hadn't spoken a single word since being picked up by the medical team. Perhaps he was still blaming himself for the event. He was sitting on the waiting chairs just outside Oliver's room deep in thought.

"It's not over, Johnny," Enrique said, running a hand over the bandage wrapped around his head. "We made it out. All of us."

"I'm not talking about us; I'm talking about the Leviathan! If what the Dark Bladers say is true, then we're in a deep pile of shit!" Johnny complained. He didn't care he was shouting at the top of his lungs in a hospital. He had every damn right to be pissed off and fuming. "They said the Leviathan was the first of the bitbeasts to be created and that he was the first to fall. What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!"

Mariam was also present. The girl had insisted she would stay with them too though he suspected it was simply to obtain more information. Why would she care about the state of his team? She flipped her ponytail behind her shoulder and spoke. "Pretty obvious what it means. The Leviathan was the first bitbeast to be created. He was supposed to be perfect, but something happened, and he fell. He's the embodiment of all that is evil in the world."

"And why should we believe a single word that the Dark Bladers have to say?" Enrique debated, stifling a groan. "They're horror show rejects that we defeated many years ago. Most likely they're just playing mind games with us. We should be more concerned about Oliver right now. He needs our support. Now is the time we should band together as a team."

Curling his fingers into fists, Johnny threw the blond a dirty glare. "Maybe because the Dark Bladers have a point. Why else would they suddenly return after years of silence to tell us this now?"

"I'm surprised, Johnny. I never thought you were that gullible."

"Shut up, Enrique. You didn't hear the entire story. You were pinned beneath the van, so you have no right to judge me for what you did not hear," Johnny retorted, feeling his temper rise. "I hate the Dark Bladers as much as the rest of you, but their appearance isn't random." Now he had even more of a reason to hate them.

"Then why warn us? We cursed them. We defeated them. Why would they want to save us, especially after almost killing us three?" Enrique argued back. "It doesn't make any sense unless they're playing mind games."

Johnny grabbed his can of coke and lobbed it at Enrique's head. "You're an idiot."

The blond dodged it and watched as the can rolled across the floor and down the hallway until it hit a wall. "What the heck, Johnny? Don't tell me that big bad wolf got under your skin? Did he damage your last few brain cells?"

Johnny wanted nothing more than to tackle the blond to the ground and teach him a lesson or two, but he wasn't in peak fighting condition himself. Drawing in a deep breath, he willed himself to calm down… at least for the time being.

"You said you cursed them…" Mariam said, making her presence known. The two boys looked at her. "They fought back in retaliation to avenge themselves. I don't believe their intention was to kill, but to injure. To make you feel the same pain they had felt when you deprived them of their humanity. You humiliated them."

"That doesn't make what they did right," Enrique replied. "We could've died! "

She shook her head. "I agree, but they saw no other choice. They can't die, Enrique. They're prisoners trapped in a life they can't ever escape from because of what you and your teammates did. Yes, you're alive, but you'll feel today's events forever. That's their intention. To make you suffer mental torture."

"When this Leviathan business is over, we will deal with the Dark Bladers and do what we should've done all those years ago – bury them six feet under," Johnny spat. "I don't know if this Leviathan crap is real or not, but I'm not going to place my bitbeast's life at risk if such a thing does exist."

"The Leviathan is real," Robert said, finally speaking for the first time in hours. Three pairs of eyes locked on him. The man rose to his feet, his expression crestfallen. The guilt weighed heavily on his shoulders. Johnny could hardly imagine what thoughts were going through his head. "There's a book in my library. A dusty old tome written by early ancestors."

Johnny couldn't believe what he was hearing, and neither could Enrique it seemed. The blond raised both his eyebrows then said, "You knew?!"

Robert sighed. "Yes. It was a page in my family's history that I did not wish to revisit."

"How could you hide something like this?" Johnny snapped.

"You have to understand Jonathon that I did not wish to relive the past errors of my ancestor's ways. There are many books written about the triumphant battles they fought in, but we all know war isn't a glorious thing. There's a darker side to our history that I did not wish to revisit and be reminded of." He rubbed his temple and sighed. "For all their faults, the Dark Bladers have every right to despise us and wish us harm."

"What happened in the past is history, Robert," Enrique said. "We need to think about now. Why would the Dark Bladers hurt us then help us? That doesn't make any sense."

"Because Enrique, if we died, we wouldn't be suffering," Robert answered calmly. "Now, thanks to the Dark Bladers, the events of the past twenty-four hours will never be erased. We'll carry this incident to our resting places and that's exactly what they want. Much like the curse we inflicted on them."

Placing his hands behind his head, Enrique paced back and forth. "What now then? We have a tournament to participate in that we're a day late for. This… Leviathan creature is out there somewhere, and you have the tome in your possession that you're afraid to read." He then flopped down onto a chair. "This is just great."

"Don't be so overly dramatic, Enrique," Johnny said. "We can still compete in the tournament without Oliver. He can work on this Leviathan business while we focus our efforts on smashing our opponents."

"Trust you not to care about Oliver."

"I never said that."

"You're always attacking him. What? Are you scared that Oliver might just show you up one day?"

Uttering a low growl, Johnny took a step towards Enrique. "Says the one who lost control of his bitbeast and failed to play a match against the Bladebreakers."

"Enough," Robert stated, coming in to stand between the two bladers. "I will not tolerate this nonsense. We need to stick together as a team now more than ever. This Leviathan threatens us all – if we stand apart, our chances of failure are far more likely. So, I request that both of you start acting like the champions you claim to be."

Enrique pouted and turned his attention away from Johnny. If Robert hadn't been in the room, Johnny would not have hesitated to slug him across the face. He was about to defend himself to his captain when one of the doctors exited Oliver's room.

"How is Oliver?" Robert said.

The woman's expression was neutral. That can't have meant good news. "Oliver sustained major injuries to his left leg. Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do to save the injured limb. To increase his recovery time, we've made the decision to amputate his left limb. I'm sorry, but it's the best course of action to take."

Robert nodded. "I understand."

"He won't be able to have any visitors for the next week whilst we monitor his recovery. You are welcome to stay overnight if you wish." She pointed to the hallway on the left. "There are spare beds down there. Just ask the receptionist and she'll sort it out for you." The woman said her farewells and hurried down the hallway.

Amputation. Permanently losing his left leg. Crippled and all thanks to some wretched fiends who had a vendetta against them. A vendetta that never would've happened if the Majestics hadn't challenged them to a battle and claimed victory. Enrique and Robert might've recovered, but Oliver couldn't grow back a leg. It was no big secret Johnny didn't rate Oliver highly. In fact, he liked the guy less than Enrique, but Oliver didn't deserve this.

"I will leave the book with Oliver to read when he recovers," Robert said. "He'll want something to distract his mind from depression. He can join us in New Zealand when he is healthy enough to leave."

"That's it? You're just going to 'move on'?" Enrique retorted. "Didn't you hear? Oliver's going to lose a leg. His entire life will change and all you can think about is deciphering this book of yours? You say we're supposed to act like a team so why don't you take your own advice and practice what you preach?"

This was quickly unravelling into some big mess. "I don't often agree with Enrique, but he has a point, Robert," Johnny said before Robert had a chance to speak. He didn't want to pull out of the tournament, but for once, he put someone else's needs before his own. He wasn't cruel. Short-tempered and rude, yes, but not mean.

"We compete in the tournament," Robert said, his eyebrows narrowed. Curling a hand into a fist, he raised it into the air and spoke further. "We are the Majestics, and we never turn our backs to a battle even if it looks grim. We fight for our fallen and injured comrades. We are going to participate in this tournament not to prove to the world we're still champions, but for Oliver. That's what Oliver would want us to do. That's what Stanley Dickinson would want."

Robert's speech was greeted with silence. How could you respond to that? The entire blading world had suffered because of Stanley's loss. Pulling out of the tournament for Oliver's sake would just be selfish. Not only that, but they would look like cowards. Robert certainly had a knack for choosing the right words to say. No wonder he was captain of the team.

"It's going to be a tough tournament. We enter elimination mode straight away after passing the qualifying rounds," Johnny said. "We won't get a chance to rest if it's just us three blading." For spectators, many probably assumed blading wasn't a physically exhausting process, but it was. Your bitbeast drew from your strength which was why it was so important to stay in peak physical condition. Weight-lifting, cardio work and other similar activities were all part of a professional blader's workout routine.

"What about the Leviathan then? What do we do about that?" Enrique said.

Good question. If the threat was so bad, then why even risk entering in a tournament where their skills could be used elsewhere? "Oliver will recover. He'll want to fly down to see us. I would take the book with us to the tournament, but as I said earlier, the book will keep Oliver's mind distracted. Consider it part of the mental recovery process. Also, it's in French." He then looked at Mariam. "You must be Mariam from the Saint Shields. I saw your profile on the registration page. Thank you for assistance, but your aid is no longer required. You may leave and we will meet again in the tournament."

Mariam raised her eyebrows. Even Johnny was surprised. Only Robert could make a 'thank you and goodbye' moment sound so polite and cold at the same time. What a unique talent. "Fine."

Without speaking further, Mariam turned around and sauntered down the hallway. Johnny watched her retreat. He had gotten quite used to her company after the previous days and now she was gone. Or had she truly left? She wanted that tome.

"I don't trust her," Johnny said.

Robert arched a brow. "Why is that?"

"She wants that tome, Robert. That's why she's been following me everywhere. You can't just leave it here." She was going to steal it when she had the chance. Why else would she not bother trying to put up a fight? She stayed around just long enough to know Robert was leaving the book behind. "She's a thief." Did the girl think he was gullible enough to fall for her mind games?

"A hot thief," Enrique added. "How did you pick up a girl like that?"

No one answered Enrique.

"I do not think she will, Jonathan."

"What? Did the crash mess up your head?"

Robert frowned. "Calm yourself, Jonathon. Oliver is in one of the finest hospitals, and in a private ward. His room will be watched closely. Besides, that book is in French. They could steal the book, but what would they gain? Nothing."

Right. Oliver was fluent in French, Italian and German. Having a restaurant business that was in each of their home nations made learning the other languages quite beneficial. "They could be fluent in French."

"And if she really wanted the book, she could've just taken it from the vehicle, but that's enough time for chatter. We have a private plane jet to board. We will send Oliver a 'get well soon' card upon our arrival."

Typical Robert. Suffered a minor injury and already was acting like his usual self. Johnny wondered how he was able to move on so quickly, but perhaps it was all just an act? As team captain and a person hailing from a respectable famous family, he was expected to behave in a certain manner. Still, how much longer could he keep this act up?

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The event at the mines had gone well. Better than expected. Sure, a few people had sustained a few minor injuries from the blast, but the beast's powers had been captured and inserted into four specially designed blades. It was thanks to the infamous pair, King and Queen, that four durable blades had been built. Combined with the technological abilities provided by the PBB facility, Douglas now had blades that were indestructible.

He was now in the debriefing room with Hiro standing before the team known as the Horsemen. Alan, Carlos, Alexander, and Bruno. Four amateur bladers picked up off the streets. Now they were going to be the most powerful bladers to ever play the game. But first, he had to make sure they could handle it.

The boys were positioned on the eastern wall, each blader standing before their own practice dish. Standing opposite to his boys were a few amateur PBB bladers. Hiro had spent the first half of the week taking the boys through the basics, but this was the first time they would use the bitbeasts in a battle situation.

Douglas and Hiro were both standing on the higher platform. It gave them a better angle to study the battle. There were multiple computer screens before them, each one focused on a different blader's blade. "All right! Step up to the platforms and prepare to battle," Hiro called out through the intercom. The bladers did as asked. Turning to Douglas, Hiro said, "Here comes the big moment. Let's see what bitbeasts emerge from the Leviathan blades."

"Leviathan blades?" Douglas said. "I like the name."

"Leviathan is the name of the serpent creature of immense power in the bible, the embodiment of destruction and chaos."

Douglas rubbed his palms together. "Well then, let's get this show started. This is the moment I've been waiting for." As excited as he was to witness the battle, he couldn't help but grip onto the edges of the chair he was standing behind. He had been there at the opening of the gates and experienced just a small fraction of the power this beast had. "Let the battle commence."

"Bladers, are you ready? Three… two… one… Let it rip!"

The bladers released their blades. As the blades landed in the dish, he felt the ground reverberate beneath his feet. Thankfully, the room was designed to withstand earthquakes, but it didn't stop the room from shaking. "Their power levels are increasing rapidly," Douglas noted, glancing down at the screens. Zero… One thousand… Three thousand… Seven thousand… Incredible.

Alan was the first blader to watch. His blade sped towards his rival's one and slammed into it with such force, it knocked the blade right out of the dish. It sailed through the air and into a wall, bounced off and landed on the ground. Hiro ordered him to relaunch. The blader, known as Jeremy, picked it up and tried again.

"Summon your bitbeast," Hiro ordered.

Alan raised his hands in the air and called out his beast. The beast didn't have a name yet but as soon as it appeared, it would be given one. A light appeared on the bitchip. Alan's heart rate and blood pressure increased. It was amazing how a summoning could take such a physical toll on a blader.

Moments later the first of the beasts appeared. The creature had the shape of a humanoid in that it had two legs and two arms and a single head, but its flesh was made of sickly green scales. The beast also had a snake-like muscular tail and had claws for its hands and feet. In addition, the creature had brown leathery wings that looked much like a bat. But what captured his attention was the creature's head. It had the head of an octopus with multiple tentacles sticking out. A truly hideous creature.

"Looks like a combination of a dragon, man and octopus," Douglas said. "Have you a name for it?"

"Cthulhu," Hiro said.

"Looks nasty. Excellent. And its attacks?"

"When Alan first took it for a spin, we discovered the creature can create water out of nothing. From that, it can make whirlpools and tidal waves with astonishing force. Not only that, but the creature can fly and pick up its opponents with its bone-crushing claws. It can also use its tail as a weapon. Of course, we only tested it against an inanimate object," Hiro explained, his arms folded across his chest.

Douglas glanced down at the screen. The Cthulhu charged at its opponent and swiped at the blade with its claw. It picked it up and threw it out of the dish. "Tell him to use a special attack."

"Alan, activate special attack number one."

Alan lowered his left hand, but kept his right hand raised into a fist. The beast brought its two hands together and folded its wings. Water spewed out of its tentacles, and within seconds, the dish was filled with water. There was an invisible barrier around the blade itself that kept the water away and allowed it to continue spinning. Alan activated his special attack. The water started to spin in a clockwise direction. Slowly, it began to rise until a funnel formed. But it didn't end there. Lightning flashed, and some bolts struck the walls.

Douglas clapped his hands. "Excellent!" An incredible display of power, and to think this was just a fraction of it. When the bladers met some real professionals in the dish, then their true power would be revealed. The Bladebreakers had no chance. They'd easily be crushed, and he'd have his satisfaction of dethroning the bladers who made his work seem like a big joke. "Tell him he can stop now. I want the doctors to give him a final look over."

Hiro gave the order and Alan deactivated the attack then recalled his blade. The blader exited the room. Once he had left, Douglas focused his attention on the second screen where Bruno was battling against Kyle. Bruno's blade appeared to rely more on agility than brute force as could be seen with his movements. The blade dashed across the dish, landed one or two quick hits then pulled back to attack from a different angle.

"Summon your bitbeast," Douglas said, speaking into the intercom.

Bruno nodded to show that he had heard the command. He threw a fist into the air. The blade started to emit a faint white glow. Seconds later, a feline-type creature emerged. The two front limbs belonged to that of a lion, but the hind legs had the hooves of a goat. The head of a horned goat sat atop its back, positioned just an inch behind the great mane of the lion head. As for its tail, it was neither goat nor lion, but that of a snake's head. The creature even had red wings that resembled a dragon.

"A chimera," Hiro concluded. "And one with wings."

So far, they had a creature that seemed designed to endure strong attacks and one bitbeast that favoured agility and evasiveness. The perfect opponents for Draciel and Driger. "This chimera – it's attacks are?"

"We observed that each of the heads has a move of its own. The snake can defend the hind quarters and inflict a damaging bite. The goat's hooves pack a punch and help the creature gain height when it jumps, and the lion has jaws that can rip flesh apart with ease. The goat head also breathes fire."

"Can it fly?"

Hiro shook his head. "No, it's too heavy to actually stay afloat though it can glide for a short time."

"I'm impressed. Tell Bruno to head to the doctors."

"You don't want to see its special moves?"

Douglas shook his head. "I would love to, but we are running out of time. I trust we'll be able to see these moves in action during the tournament anyway."

"I would advise them not to show their full power until the final round against Tyson's team," Hiro said. "We don't actually know how mentally and physically taxing the Leviathan's powers are on the bladers yet. It would be wise to conserve as much of their energy as possible."

Smart advice. He knew hiring Hiro had been an excellent idea. "This is why you are on the team, Hiro. You have brains which is something a lot of other coaches lack. I knew choosing you had been the right action to take." He then leaned in towards the intercom and gave Bruno the order to pull back and depart. The man obeyed.

"We have Carlos next. He used to be part of Kai's gang so naturally he'll face off against his former captain. I think you'll be quite pleased with this one. Carlos, show us what you can do," said Hiro, turning his attention to the third screen. Carlos's blade was already in the dish and giving his opponent a vicious beating. His blade must've been burning hot because there were black scorch marks in the ground. "Reveal your bitbeast."

It only took less than a second for the bitchip to glow. A monstrous reptilian creature soon appeared as the light dimmed down. It was obvious straight away by the creature's shape the third bitbeast was a dragon except it had no scales. Apart from its ragged wings, the dragon was made entirely of bone. It gave the overgrown reptile a rather fragile look, but the glowing blood red sockets told him this dragon was a force to be reckoned with.

"An undead dragon?"

Hiro nodded. "It might look frail and brittle, but I assure you, this creature is far more powerful than any bitbeast I've encountered. Unlike your typical dragon, this one doesn't breathe fire. He emits an acidic breath that burns flesh. He can also create a toxic gas of cloud that makes those within range quite sick. Carlos wants to call him Vix'thra which was the name that belonged to a dracolich in a game he played as a kid."

"He will be a suitable battle for Kai."

Hiro smiled. "Yes, Kai is a champion blader, but he'll find Vix'thra far tougher than Zeus and Dragoon." Carlos made short work of his opponent by ordering his bitbeast to spew acid over it. The blade came to a halt and melted. "Now, I suppose you'd like to witness the power of our strongest blader, Alexander. He was the one who trained under Boris."

"Ah, one of the Abbey boys then."

"Yes. Thank you, Carlos, for your display. Please pay the doctors a visit before you depart the building for a final check-up." Carlos nodded, retrieved his blade then left. Douglas turned to the final screen with eager anticipation. The final blader and a former abbey boy too. "Alexander, you may begin."

Alexander didn't waste any time summoning his bitbeast. As the light appeared, Douglas was suddenly filled with a great sense of dread. His skin turned cold, as if he were suffering a bout of the flu and getting chills. A wave of despair poured through him. Sadness filled his heart, but he wasn't sure why he was even sad.

The despair remained even as the bitchip light faded. The light in the room also switched off as did all the screens in the room. He was left standing in complete darkness. A chill raced down his spine. "What is happening?" Douglas said.

"I don't… actually know," Hiro confessed. "It must be his bitbeast's power. It didn't happen before, but Alexander hadn't summoned his bitbeast. We must keep our eyes peeled and not let these thoughts of despair consume our thoughts. The moment will pass. Keep yourself together, Douglas."

Douglas nodded and did his best to pull his act together though it was quite hard to know just exactly what was going on in the total darkness. He couldn't even see his own hands, let alone his nose. He looked straight ahead, waiting for a glimpse of the final bitbeast. Minutes passed by. He could hear battle, but still no bitbeast. Taking in a deep breath, he exhaled to calm his nerves. Much to his surprise, a mist breath exited his mouth.

Through the mist of his own breath, he caught a glimpse of the bitbeast, and what a beast it was. There was a knight in heavily plated armour sitting atop a black armoured steed with glowing red eyes. The knight wore a red cape, and he wielded a sickle in his right hand. In his left hand he carried his own head. Disturbing indeed.

"The Dullahan," Hiro said slowly.

"The what?"

"Dullahan. The headless horseman of Irish folklore who rides upon a black steed. Folklore states the rider would throw a basin of blood over someone's head as a sign that person was going to die next. It's said only gold drives them away."

The team name 'The Horsemen' was starting to sound like the perfect fit. Cthulhu to represent War. Chimera to represent Famine. Vix'thra for Pestilence, and the Dullahan for Death itself. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. This was the end of the Bladebreakers and Tyson's reign. A smile crossed his face.

"The end is nigh," he said.

"Indeed, it is," Hiro finished. "The apocalypse of the Bladebreakers."