This will be the last update for awhile - I'm going on vacation until the 6th of July so no updates until then! Thanks to DailyTea for the kind words!
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Chapter Eighteen: Now the Real Fights Begin
"Tyson!" Hilary banged her fists on the door, but no luck. Tyson had locked himself in the preparation room and it didn't seem like he was coming out. How long had he been in there for? He hadn't been there at the hotel this morning. "Please, talk to me. You have a match against Robert today." Nothing but silence. She leaned against the door and sank to the ground, bringing her knees towards her chest.
He would get over this. That's what she told herself. Tyson had overcome issues of self-confidence in the past and came back stronger. She knew he could do it again. He always did. He just needed time to cool down and let his rational mind return. He hadn't said a single word since their arrival last night. He hadn't said a single word when asked for an interview. He even turned down a few autographs and his teammates had to come up with an excuse.
She climbed to her feet and retreated, glancing once more over her shoulder. The door opened, and Tyson stepped out, looking as if he had just crawled out of bed. Perhaps he had. She wanted to talk him, but he needed some space. Holding back a sigh, Hilary headed down the hallway and towards the arena. Teams had to be present for their match thirty minutes before the first match otherwise face disqualification.
They were now at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Usually, this place was home to concerts and such, but now they were using it as a beyblade stadium. The place had been refurbished just for this event. There weren't so many seats available this time round (approximately thirteen thousand), but that only brought the fans closer to the action.
There were cameras positioned in every angle to cover every single second of the battles. The commentary box was on the upper corner left to the big LCD screen. The stadium dish was twice as big as the one used for the qualifiers and was currently covered up by a trapdoor. The entire hall had been redesigned to cater for two days of action.
"This is where the real fight begins," Max said, looking left and right, taking in the surroundings of the crowd. "The rematch of the century. The Avengers against the Majestics."
Kenny could hardly stand still. The boy was pacing back and forth and consuming plenty of cups of cheap coffee. She believed he was up to his fifth latte now. Had the boy even slept last night? Probably not. "The boys are going to be fine, Kenny," Hilary said, trying her damn hardest to calm him down. The team was already on edge, and having their mechanic and analyst freak out wasn't going to help.
"We're not ready for this!" the boy said, so shaky he spilled some coffee on the ground. "I analysed their statistics from the past couple of days and they're nowhere near their results of last year!"
"Oh, don't be so dramatic, Kenny." Still, Kenny's words were a worry. If the boys were underperforming, how on earth were they going to defeat a team as powerful as the Majestics? It was even worse because Kenny's stats on the Majestics were three years old. How much stronger had they become since then?
"Dramatic? Dramatic?! Everything is riding on this battle and if we lose two matches, then we're out of the tournament!" She wanted to slap him in the first. Maybe that would knock some sense into him. Where was Daichi when you needed him?
"Max, you're up first," Kai said.
Max nodded. "I know I can take him."
At least someone was positive.
"Does anyone know what dish we're going to be fighting in?" Rei said.
Hilary brought out the pamphlet and opened it to Round One, Block A, Quarter Finalists 1 and 2. There were three dishes listed on the page. "The Sydney Opera House, King's Canyon and the Blue Mountains. One is a big city with the Opera House, the second is a real-life replica of King's Canyon of the Watarrka National Park of the Northern Territory and the last is obviously the mountains of the same name." She put the pamphlet away. "Demolition Boys and All-Starz will be fighting in a similar environment."
"Well, at least the dishes have gone back to being creative again," Rei said. "Let's just hope the Majestics have trouble adapting."
"What's the news on Tyson?" Kai said.
No one said a word. Hilary cleared her throat. "I saw him leave the room."
Kai rounded on her. "Did you talk to him?"
She shook her head. "No."
"He needs to be here. He's supposed to battle." Kai folded his arms. "If I discover he has overslept again, I will-"
"I'm here." Tyson's voice. He had just stepped through the gates.
"About time," Kai said then gestured to the bench. "You'll be up against Robert."
"Right." Tyson sat down on the bench and didn't speak up again.
"Tyson…" Hilary murmured, looking at the boy. His shoulders were hunched, and he was toying with his beyblade, avoiding eye contact with everyone. Normally, he'd be up on his feet and soaking in the crowd atmosphere or hyping everyone up for the matches ahead. But now? Quiet. Kai-like.
"Welcome ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, to another action-packed day! Today we'll be witnessing a battle between the Majestics, the Champions of Europe against the tournament favourites, the Avengers! The last time these two teams met was four years ago during a side tournament in Robert's own personal stadium!" said DJ Jazzman. The big screen was currently replaying matches of their last encounter. "Sadly, Oliver Polanski of the Majestics has had to pull out of the tournament due to personal problems, but his teammates will fight hard in his place."
"So, we were right – Oliver has pulled out."
"Doesn't change a thing," Kai said as he readjusted his scarf. "Most likely we'd still be battling Enrique, Johnny and Robert anyway. We're behind you, Max. We know you and Draciel have the power to withstand Amphilyon."
"Thanks guys. I'll make the team proud." Digging a hand into his pocket, Max pulled out his beyblade. As Max approached the dish, the rest of the team sat down on the bench. Hilary rested her hands on her lap and tried to keep her gaze focused on the match ahead, but she couldn't help but keep looking at Tyson. He seemed so… disheartened, as if he had just lost someone close to him. But as much as she wanted to reach out to Tyson and tell him everything was going to be okay, right now Max needed her support.
"And Max will be the first to blade for the Avengers!" DJ Jazzman cried out, pulling Hilary out of her thoughts. "His opponent will be Enrique of the Majestics! This is the first time these two have met in a battle so you folks watching this know you're going to be in for one heck of a battle! Now, let's reveal the dish you'll be battling in!"
There was a whirring noise from beneath like the grinding gears of cogs turning. The covering over the dish opened to reveal a beydish friendly replica of Sydney Opera House and the harbour surrounding it. The dish was huge – it was the same size as the ones used during the Bega battles. They certainly weren't holding back. The detail was astonishing.
"Bladers, are you ready? Three… two… one… Let it rip!"
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Enrique considered himself to be one of the finest bladers in Europe, if not the world, but Max was also highly rated. Max also had far more experience in battling under these sorts of conditions having battled successfully in three world tournaments. It made him feel like the underdog. It didn't help the crowd was yelling for Max. He cast a quick glance over his shoulder over at his teammates. Robert was sitting on the bench whilst Johnny was on his feet. They both nodded, and Enrique turned back. His teammates had his back.
"I thought you had resigned, Max," Enrique said, pointing a finger at him. "You should've stayed out of the game to spare yourself the pain of losing. Amphilyon, rise!" He wasn't going to waste any time. The quicker he summoned Amphilyon, the faster this battle would end.
"And Enrique has just summoned his bitbeast Amphilyon as he dives in for the kill!"
"Two can play that game! Go, Draciel!" As expected, Max summoned his bitbeast. Amphilyon was at least twice the size of Draciel. It was like an elephant standing next to a mouse. Amphilyon's two heads came together and snarled at the tortoise-type creature. "Your dragon is impressive, Enrique, but Draciel isn't intimidated by his size! Draciel, use Iron Defense!"
Draciel curled up into a ball. His armour plating glowed silver for a few seconds then returned to their normal colour. So, Max hoped to strengthen his defence first? Enrique smiled. Amphilyon's jaws could break through easily and poor Draciel was going to be the first to receive Amphilyon's bone-crushing jaws.
"Amphilyon, use Magnitude!" His dragon jumped up into the air then crashed back down, applying his full body weight to cause the ground to shake. The water in the harbour rose a few metres and started spilling out onto the land around the Opera House. Max threw his hands out to the sides to steady himself.
"Enrique gets straight down to business by ordering his Amphilyon to cause the entire building to shake!" DJ exclaimed, hanging onto the railings. "Hold onto your seats, folks!"
"Draciel! Hold your ground!" Draciel planted his feet into the dirt and covered his face with his claws, tucking his head in behind. The waves crashed into him, but the bitbeast held his position. Immediately, the waves receded. "Counter-attack! Use Shell Attack!" Draciel roared at the sky then charged. His bitbeast tucked in his head before ramming his body into Amphilyon's belly.
Amphilyon roared in agitation as he was pushed back a few feet. "Amphilyon, strike now! Crunch Attack!" Amphilyon's forehead clamped down on Draciel's exposed neck, sinking his fangs into the flesh, eliciting a pained cry from his opponent's throat. Draciel struggled, trying to free himself, but Amphilyon's grip was unrelenting. Amphilyon's other head came around and snarled. "Now use Take Down!" The other head bit down on Draciel's arm. Held firmly in place, Amphilyon flapped his wings and took to the air. The force applied by his wing flaps caused the dust on the ground to rise and form a funnel.
"Wow, Amphilyon is turning up the intensity of this battle by creating a funnel! Draciel has been grabbed wrestling style and is now being taking skywards! If you're wearing a hat, you might wanna hold onto that too before it flies right out of the stadium!"
"Do you see it now, Max? There's nothing you can do to stop my dragon's power! Now use Pile Drive!" The funnel moved around in circles, thankfully staying on land. If it moved onto the water Max would surely use that to his advantage. He had to finish the battle now. Amphilyon pinned his wings back and plummeted back down to the ground, releasing his choke-like grip on Draciel to avoid injury.
The impact caused the entire stadium to shake. Cracks appeared in the dish and on the surrounding floors. The impact was so great both Enrique and Max were knocked off their feet. Max fell on his backside whilst Enrique threw his hands forward to protect his face. Once the ground stopped shaking, both bladers climbed to their feet.
"Not bad, Enrique," Max said, taking in deep breaths. "But I've endured worse. Draciel, dive!"
Draciel picked himself up off the ground and plunged into the harbour seeking refuge deep in the water. Enrique spat on the floor then wiped his mouth with the back of his left hand. So, Draciel thought he could hide? "Amphilyon, activate special ability now! I didn't plan on using this attack so early on, but you've given me little choice, Max! Earth Power!"
Amphilyon's two heads came together, their forked tongues flicking out, tasting the air. The entire ground shook again as the dragon started stomping, sending plumes of dust upwards. To limit visibility, Amphilyon flapped his wings. Dust flew in all directions creating a sandstorm effect. Those in the crowd shielded their eyes.
The funnel continued to rotate and move around the dish, destroying everything in its path. Buildings were torn apart and sucked up into the funnel. Heavier parts were thrown out in various directions. Max was forced to leap out of harm's way as a piece of roof flew towards him. DJ's platform crumbled beneath him and he fell to the ground, falling on a cushion. The man scrambled to pick up his microphone.
Max climbed to his feet. "Draciel!" he bellowed, balling his fists. "Gravity Control!"
The water in the harbour started to rotate. Bits of debris that had flown into the water were slowly sucked into the vortex. Slowly, it began to rise until Max had a funnel of his own. Of course Max was still in the game. He was a top notch blader. One of the best. "Gotta hand it to you, Max. You're a tough opponent. But I can't let you win this battle. There's too much riding on this. Amphilyon, attack!" he roared.
The twin heads gave a thunderous roar then jumped up high. He beat his wings creating more sand funnels. Max threw his hands up to protect his eyes from the sand. "Iron Defence! Stand your ground, Draciel!" he called out into the howling winds.
The two funnels moved towards each other. More debris flew in various directions. Enrique had to duck to avoid a piece of the Opera House. He quickly regained his composure and faced the battle. The funnels clashed. Sand vs water. The combined howling of the freight-train sounding funnels was so loud that Enrique couldn't hear the cries of DJ Jazzman, nor his own.
A strong gust of wind threw him off his feet, knocking him off the stadium podium. He flew back several metres and landed on his back. A groan escaped his throat. Ouch. That had hurt. He was starting to regret not having brought his suit of armour along. It would've helped absorb a bit of the damage.
"It's a clash of the elements! Sand and water! Draciel and Amphilyon are neck and neck with each other with neither bitbeast holding anything back!"
Eventually, the winds receded as the funnels weakened. With the winds dying down, Enrique climbed back to his feet, taking in deep breaths. What a nice introduction to the world of professional blading when bladers too were physically put to the test. He wiped his brow and glanced down at his blade. Amphilyon was still spinning but so was Draciel. Neither blade was showing any signs of slowing down.
Max rose to his feet, his right hand clutching his left arm. His face scrunched up, an obvious sign he was in pain. It was hard to tell from his position, but Max must've sustained an injury during the windstorm.
"Max!" Rei called out.
"I'm fine, guys. Stay out of this! I have this fight! I will never surrender! Draciel! Final attack!"
Enrique's eyes widened. After all that punishment and Max was still able to carry on fighting. The boy certainly wasn't as fragile as he looked. Max was screaming at the top of his lungs mustering up all the energy he had left to spend. At the rate he was going at now he'd probably lose his voice. Such was the way of a professional blader; scream, yell, shout, roar, bellow… it was all part of the game. Even those with the calmest of natures released the beast inside.
"Amphilyon!"
It all came down to this moment. A clash of the titans. The two blades smashed into each other sending sparks flying. Enrique thought he caught a glimpse of a part of Max's blade coming off. Part of the attack ring perhaps? Despite Max's blade falling apart, he somehow found the will to keep fighting. How did he do it? Couldn't he see Amphilyon was far too powerful?
"Now! Hang on, Draciel! Use Iron Grip!"
Amphilyon had wrestled Draciel into the ground. He had managed to flip the tortoise onto its back and was now currently trying to sink both sets of fangs into the neck, Draciel's only vulnerable spot. Draciel thrust his forelimbs forth and grabbed onto Amphilyon's main neck, digging his claws deep, tearing apart the flesh. Amphilyon screamed. The other head came around to pull the arm away biting into it. Draciel screamed. Max screamed, reflecting his bitbeast's pain. When a bond was so deep both master and bitbeast experienced each other's suffering.
Enrique felt a sting of pain implode in his neck. He tightened his jaw, determined not to show any sign of weakness. The two bitbeasts continued to wrestle. Crimson blood was pouring from Amphilyon's neck, but Draciel fared no better. Max dropped to his knees. Enrique's knees buckled, and he too fell to the ground, drawing in deep rapid breaths.
"Both bladers have used expelled so much energy they're both now on the ground! The bitbeasts remained in a teeth and claw battle, but how much longer can they hold this position?"
Raucous cheers and screams filled the arena. The crowd were getting their money's worth today. That brought a smile to his face. Win or lose, he knew he had given it his best. Maybe with a few more battles under his belt, he could've ended this battle earlier, but it was how it was.
"...Draciel has pushed back Amphilyon! Draciel is now back on his feet after showing tremendous strength to survive the ferocious onslaught of Amphilyon's twin destruction! Amphilyon has stopped spinning and the battle goes to Max of the Avengers!"
Amphilyon gave one last mighty roar before collapsing and returning to his blade. "Well done, old friend," Enrique said in between deep breaths. "You did me proud." He rose to his feet, collected his blade then walked around the dish to assist Max. He held out his hand.
Max took it. Enrique hoisted him up. "I won," he said, as if surprised.
"Yeah, you did. We'll have to have another battle sometime. Next time I'll be better prepared."
He smiled. "Thanks for the battle, Enrique. Really, I mean it. That was one of the toughest battles."
"Don't think your team has won just yet. There's still two more battles to come." Enrique turned his back then returned to his team. Johnny looked disappointed, angry even, but Robert nodded. "I'm sorry, guys. Guess we're still a little underprepared for this."
Johnny stormed over, fists swinging at his sides. "You could've finished him early on, Enrique! What the hell were you thinking? You were holding back!"
"Just drop it, Johnny." He turned to Robert. "The second match is yours. Win it so we still have our chances kept alive. The pressure is all on you now." He retreated to the bench and sat down. If anyone could win when their backs were pressed against the wall, it was Robert.
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If there was one thing that she didn't like about Australia it was that it was stinking hot. Apparently, it was supposed to be winter now, yet it felt like summer. The humidity was ridiculous. She was sweating! Not to mention the sun burned like a hot iron rod pressed against flesh. Good thing beybattles weren't done outside.
Brooklyn was equally as grumpy. He claimed the humidity was messing up with his hair. Thankfully, they weren't too far from an air-conditioned building. Only Garland seemed undisturbed from the weather. "Oh, look Garland! An ice-cream stall! Please can we get one?" Ming Ming said, conjuring her best 'you-love-me-don't-you' look. "I'm dying from this heat!"
Garland nodded and handed her a few coins. "Go on. Buy what you want."
She smiled. "Thanks Garland." She hurried over to the ice-cream stall and examined the flavours. Mint. Gross. Vanilla. Plain. Choc-chip. Not bad. Rainbow flavoured. Oo, that sounded appetizing. She grabbed two scoops of rainbow flavoured, paid the man, and re-joined her friends. Much better, she thought as she licked the ice cream.
"Right. Now we need to catch a taxi to reach the Melbourne Entertainment Centre. Apparently, you can take buses there, but I wouldn't have a clue which one to take. The Bai Hu Clan are battling tomorrow, so hopefully we can find Mystel and convince him drop out before the battle," Garland said, reaching for his phone to dial a cab. "You two wait under that tree. I'll just make a quick call."
Ming Ming and Brooklyn walked over to stand beneath a Jacaranda tree. The ground was littered in purple petals and now the tree looked bare. In a few more months, the tree would be blossoming once more. "These flowers are so pretty," she said, glancing upwards. One of the said flowers landed on Brooklyn's head. She laughed then reached up to remove it. "It clashes with your hair colour."
"Thought you'd say that."
While Garland talked on the phone (or tried to – it looked like he was struggling to get a response), Ming Ming and Brooklyn sat down at the base of the tree. The flight had been a long one and she had been unable to get a single moment's rest. The downfall of flying economy. Garland had naturally managed to sleep the entire way, but at least Brooklyn hadn't either. That made two grumpy bladers.
"…Brooklyn? Ming Ming?"
At the mention of her name, she jerked upwards. Narrowing her eyes, she glanced in the direction of the source and spotted Mystel standing a few feet away. Brooklyn surged to his feet. Ming Ming soon followed. "Mystel!" she said.
"What are you doing here?"
No hellos. Not even a warm greeting. He kept glancing over his shoulder, and darting his head left and right, as if expecting an ambush. Was he being watched?
"I could ask the same thing of you, Mystel," Brooklyn drawled. "We know you abandoned ship. Where are the rest of your buddies hiding?"
"You shouldn't be here. You need to leave."
"You can't tell us to bugger off, Mystel."
Mystel clenched his jaw. "Yeah? Well I'm telling you now. You're not welcome."
A woman approached. Her long black hair fell in cascading curls on her back, her dark eyes alight. "Are these people troubling you, Mystel?" she said, placing a hand on Mystel's right shoulder. "I can make them go away."
"They're my former teammates," Mystel answered. "Do what you want with them. I've got a battle to practice for." He turned his back and walked off to join some other male with black shaggy hair.
Ming Ming couldn't believe it. That was so rude! "And who are you?" Ming Ming challenged.
"The name is Dohna. You must be Ming Ming, the diva popstar I've had the pleasure of never listening to." She then fixed her dark eyes on Brooklyn. "And you're Brooklyn. I've heard a lot about you. You don't look well. Having trouble sleeping?"
"That's none of your business," he replied heatedly. "We're not here for you."
With a roll of her eyes, she twirled a lock of hair around a finger. "So, you came all this way to track down your former teammate? You must be the one who intervened back in Japan. The owner of Zeus." She then smiled. "Your trip is in vain. Mystel is one of us – his loyalty has always been with the clan that made him who he is today."
"You're wrong," Ming Ming hissed. "He's our friend."
"Mystel, dear, did you hear that? Your pitiful friends have come here to 'save' you. How adorable."
The blond stopped in his path and looked back his expression unreadable. "We're not friends. Now seriously, could you lot just leave? You're ruining my focus."
Dohna smiled sweetly. "You heard him. Leave or you'll be made to regret it."
Ming Ming spotted her blade peeking out just beneath the cloth of her shirt. The bitchip wasn't empty. It looked like some sort of rhinoceros type creature. A woolly rhino reminiscent of the Ice Age. A very old bitbeast. Probably one of the first few known in all of creation.
She tugged on Brooklyn's shirt. A battle wouldn't be wise especially with Brooklyn experiencing problems with his blade. Sometimes the smartest thing to do was to flee and fight another day. "It's not worth it. Let's just get to our hotel. We'll deal with these creeps another time."
"Yeah… you're right," Brooklyn said. Thank Venus he had agreed to drop it. Garland wouldn't be too thrilled to know they had gotten themselves into a fight just an hour short of landing. She led Brooklyn away ignoring Dohna's snarky comments. "He's pretending. He knows where we're here to help. But he can't show he cares about us."
"You think?" She hoped Brooklyn was right.
Nodding, he turned to her, his eyes narrowing. "Yeah, I do. I've got an idea."
She didn't like the gleam in his eyes but kept silent. Hopefully, it was just a conversation and not a battle. She followed Brooklyn back to Garland who had been oblivious to everything that had just happened. "Did you organize a cab because I'm not walking," Ming Ming stated.
"It'll be here shortly." Frowning, he added, "Did I miss something?"
"Just some fans," Brooklyn said. "Nothing we couldn't handle." He walked over to the curb side and waited.
Garland looked at Ming Ming as if expecting an explanation, but Ming Ming just shrugged. "Just fans. Nothing more to it."
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Max's victory against Enrique had everyone giving them a standing ovation for a truly fantastic match. Normally, Tyson would be with his friends celebrating, but his heart wasn't in it. All thoughts were focused on the events of the previous day involving both Alexander and Hiro.
Only one question was on his mind. 'Why?' Hiro claimed weakness was the reason he had left Tyson, but that couldn't be true. Why would Hiro purposefully hurt him like this? His own brother? Did Hiro ever actually care? Was he so ashamed of being related to him that he turned his back on him for a third time?
"You can do it, Tyson!"
"Concentrate. You have this."
"Yeah. I got this," Tyson responded. The crowd chanted his name as he approached the beydish. Once it had been inviting; now it was a cesspit of something foul.
"If you're just tuning in folks you just missed out on one heck of a match between Enrique and Max, but only one blader can emerge victorious and that was Max! The Avengers now have one point! They need to win another match if they wish to advance to the semis and who better than Tyson to see them through? Or will Robert obtain victory for his team?" DJ Jazzman motioned to the people upstairs to reveal the next dish. "The next dish our bladers will be battling in is King's Canyon!"
The floor opened revealing the new dish. The blading space was narrow in this one. There were four winding paths in between the canyons that connected with each other leaving no room for a wide-open space to blade in. He looked up. Robert seemed surprised, but not concerned. A true blader could adapt to any dish.
"To make things more challenging for our bladers, a dust devil will be automatically generated every couple of minutes, mustering up powerful winds to send down the pathways. This will push the blades towards the dish's end. If bladers can't withstand the winds, they'll be blown right off course."
An environmental hazards dish which pitted wind against wind. The tight spaces would also make it hard since the slightest of mistakes would push him into the canyon's walls. He'd have to send his blade up the side and onto the surface of the canyon if he wanted some open space. The twisting paths weren't devoid of any danger either – there were numerous trees or fallen rocks in the way.
"Bladers, are you ready?"
Tyson took in a deep breath and loaded his blade onto his launcher. He inserted the trigger and waited for the countdown. What game are you playing at, Hiro?
"Three… two… one… Let it rip!"
He yanked back on the cord. His blade shot forwards into the canyon and landed a few inches away from Griffolyon. Sand whipped up around both their blades straight away. "Attack, Dragoon!" Tyson ordered. Dragoon obeyed and sped forwards ramming into Griffolyon, pushing the bigger blade into the cliff side.
Parts of the cliff crumbled from the force of the impact. Bits of rock crashed down on both their blades. "Griffolyon, rise!" Robert ordered his bitbeast to emerge. A large chunk of the cliff fell apart as the hybrid bitbeast appeared. The griffon reared on his hind legs and swiped a claw at Dragoon sending Tyson's blade back several metres.
"Dragoon! Come out and play!" His blade lit up and a column of blue light burst from the centre. Moments later, Dragoon revealed itself as the light dimmed. The two bitbeasts looked at each other. "Attack!" Dragoon roared, lowered his head then rammed into the bigger bitbeast's stomach.
"Counterattack!" Griffolyon planted his rear legs into the ground then beat his wings to keep him steady as the bitbeast pushed back using his fore talons.
Sand entered his eyes. A sharp stinging pain followed, and his eyes welled up with tears. Wiping his eyes with the back of his hands, Tyson yelled out another command. "Dragoon, hang on!"
"Griffolyon, Call of Lightning!" Griffolyon had a lightning attack? Robert must've taught his bitbeast something new. His bitbeast slashed at Dragoon's face, prompting a pained roar to leave his mouth. Dragoon staggered back and retaliated and slashed back. "Now!"
The ceiling of the stadium opened revealing dark menacing clouds above. Flashes of lightning lit up the darkened sky, followed by a deep rumble of thunder. A non-natural storm that was somehow more intimidating than a real one. Multiple bolts of lightning crashed down to the ground. Some trees were struck. In turn, they burst into flames.
"Tyson, come on man, attack!"
"What are you doing, Tyson? Use Dragoon to counter!"
His teammates were yelling battle plans at him. They were worried. They could see he was losing. But what was the point? Dragoon was taking a beating out there. Griffolyon was using him like a punch bag. A talon to the face. A kick to the stomach. Each strike pushed him into the canyon wall. "Dragoon, use Gravity Turbo Twister!"
"I was wondering when you would start blading, Tyson. Are you scared?" Robert said.
Tyson looked at his opponent, but it wasn't Robert anymore, but Hiro. "I'm not afraid! Dragoon! Now!" Dragoon roared up at the sky, managed to pry himself free of the griffon's hold then whipped up a powerful funnel of his own. The funnel, his trademark move, sucked in the trees and fallen rocks around him.
"Two can play that game, Tyson! You're not the only master of the wind! Griffolyon, show him what we have learned since we last battled! Use Storm of Vengeance!" Griffolyon's massive bulk made it easier for the bitbeast to stay its ground. He pulled his wings back and released a high-pitched screech. Tyson could only watch in bewilderment as the stadium shook violently. The cracks from the previous fight only deepened. A gust of wind smacked him in the cut, and he toppled backwards, tripping over his feet and landed on the ground.
Robert wasn't done yet. The bolts of lightning stopped, but the thunder remained. The wind continued to strengthen, his own hair whipping around his face. Dragoon was pushed further back along the valley, moving closer to the edge. His own funnel was moving dangerously close to Tyson's position.
He clenched his jaw and threw his arms up before him forming an 'x' shape. Bending his knees slightly, he planted his feet firmly in the ground and did his best to withstand the wind. His teammates were screaming at him, but he couldn't hear them properly thanks to the roaring storm.
Another blast of wind struck him in the stomach throwing him over the side of the edge. He landed on the stadium floor on his backside then looked up. Hot fans of wind and flames poured over him. Sweat beads glistened on his forehead as he gazed up at the roaring fire tornado. Somehow, Robert had used the environment to his advantage to counter Tyson's trademark attack. The dust devils that roamed the valleys were now on fire. Unbelievable, really.
The dish's foundations started to crumble. The tops of the canyons fell apart causing large rocks to plummet to the bottom. Every time a rock landed, and a violent tremor shook the entire arena.
"If Robert's idea is to destroy the dish, then he's doing incredibly well!" DJ exclaimed, climbing to his feet. "So far it's all been total domination by Robert and his Griffolyon bitbeast! Does Tyson have what it takes to counter, or will he be blown away?"
"You're weak, Tyson," he heard Hiro's voice.
Was Hiro right? Was he weak? Maybe he was. Maybe that's why Hiro had abandoned him as a kid – he was too weak to be considered a worthy sibling. What of the previous tournaments? Had he been right about that too? That the only reason he had claimed the top prize because he was surrounded by stronger opponents?
Hiro's second betrayal had happened at a time when Tyson needed him most. And now, Hiro had betrayed him again for similar reasons. Weakness. Maybe Hiro did hate him. Maybe that's why he kept leaving because the sight of Tyson sickened him. He dropped down to the ground and looked ahead. Dragoon was slowing rapidly unable to combat Griffolyon's brutal attacks.
He was supposed to be stronger than this! Yet he was blading like an amateur and the entire world could see it. Last year the pressure had gotten to him. This year the cold hard truth had been given to him by his own brother. A loser. A weakling. A washed up champion undeserving of the trophies in his cabinet. Hiro was right. He wasn't worthy enough to be blading in this stadium. No wonder Hiro had left his side – this performance alone was enough to even sicken himself.
"Why would you walk away from me, Hiro?" Tyson called out.
Another powerful gust struck him, and he was thrown back. Rather than help himself up, he remained on the ground, staring listlessly up at the ceiling as his blade sailed past him. The crowd had fallen quiet – stunned silence. His teammates were calling out to him, but he chose to ignore them. A loss and a well-deserved one it was.
After several moments, Tyson sat up. Robert looked disappointed, as if he had personally been let down, and his teammates, namely Kai, looked frustrated. The crowd waited for DJ to declare the winner before bursting into a round of applause. He glanced down at his blade besides him then picked it up.
"I'm sorry Dragoon. I let you down… I'm not strong enough," he whispered.
"What the hell happened out there, Tyson?" Kai demanded, sauntering over with Max and Rei flanking him.
"Take it easy, Kai," Max said, concerned. "Anyone could lose to Robert."
Kai shook his head and glared down at him. "That was pathetic, Tyson."
"Kai, relax, we haven't lost this yet," Rei said. "We still have a match to go and I can beat Johnny."
"It's Tyson's first match. He's just warming up," Max said. "He didn't do that poorly."
"It's not good enough, Max."
Tyson climbed to his feet, a burning feeling spreading through his body. "What do you want me to say, Kai? That I'm sorry that I screwed up big-time? If you want me to quit the team then I will! I'm sorry that I'm 'pathetic', and I'm sorry that I'm too weak to be a part of this team! You want all the glory for yourself? Then go ahead! It's yours!" He threw his Dragoon blade at Kai's chest. Kai caught it. "Hiro was right. I'm holding you guys back. I'm the weak link in this team, and it would be better for you all if I just left."
Turning his back, he stormed off, hands deep in his pockets, head low. As he returned to his room, he caught a glimpse of Hiro in the hallway, a smirk plastered on his face.
.
Tyson had lost a battle he should've won. That wasn't to say Robert wasn't a powerful blader, but Tyson had bested Kai, Max, and himself – the best bladers in the world. What thoughts could possibly be running through his mind? Something must've happened recently that put doubt in his mind. Thanks to Tyson's surprise loss, the team were now hanging by a thread, and it wasn't going to get any easier.
His opponent, Johnny, was already in position, a confident smirk on his face. Max clapped him on the shoulder. "You can do this, Rei." Kai didn't speak – he didn't have to. One look said it all – you better win this or else. If looks could kill… Kenny also didn't speak. The poor boy had his fingernails in his mouth. Even his teammates were on edge.
Without speaking himself, Rei made his way to the dish. He looked down at his blade. "I don't know what happened with Tyson, but victory falls upon us, Driger. I believe in you. We can win this. We have to." After witnessing what the Horsemen were capable of, he knew only his team could stop them.
"And we're down to the final round, boys and girls! This battle will determine who goes through and who will be saying goodbye to their hopes of winning the trophy for another year! If you're just tuning in, Max defeated Enrique and Tyson suffered a shock loss to Robert! All the pressure now falls on Rei and Johnny to keep their finals hopes alive!" DJ Jazzman said.
Johnny loaded his blade. "You know Rei, why don't you do us all a favour and just give up now to avoid further embarrassment?"
Let the trash talking begin. In his younger and less experienced days, he would've fired back with a comment of his own, but that's exactly what Johnny wanted. "If you're hoping to get a rise out of me then you're going to be sorely mistaken, Johnny. I'll let my blade do the talking." He loaded his Driger blade onto his launcher then inserted the ripcord. It all came down to this.
"The final dish is a replica of the Blue Mountains, one of the many tourist hotspots here New South Wales!" He waited a few seconds as the floors opened to reveal the final dish. "This dish is designed to test the endurance of our bladers as they battle on the cliff tops and weave in and out of the Three Sisters."
A smile spread across his lips. Perfect. It was like being back in his hometown village. All those long hours of blading on the hills were finally going to pay off. Driger was born for this environment. He looked at Johnny. His confident smirk had wavered slightly. Even better. How would a bulky overgrown lizard like Salamalyon adapt to an environment like this?
"Three… two… one… Let it rip!"
"Go Driger!"
"Salamalyon!"
The blades flew towards the centre of the dish and collided, the impact creating a powerful shockwave. Cracks made from the previous two battles deepened. How it was all managing to hold was surprising. Smart engineering. "Driger, use Gattling Claw!" Rei ordered, as his blade circled around the First Sister in hot pursuit of Johnny's blade.
"Fire Rod!" Johnny wasted no time summoning his bitbeast. As with the other Majestic bitbeasts, Johnny's one towered over his Driger. The lizard opened its mouth and spewed forth abhorrent purple flames. Fortunately, Driger was agile enough to avoid each one, but his rival had done its job. The trees in the dish were set alight and the smoke from the flames restricted his visibility.
If he couldn't see well then Driger couldn't either. He squeezed his eyes shut to protect them from the smoke. One of the first skills taught to a blader of the White Tiger Hills was to use your ears as much as your eyes as relying on just one sense was for the foolish and naive. He remembered blading against Lee with a blindfold once.
Squeezing his eyes shut, he focused on the battle ahead, listening for a cry from his opponent's bitbeast. Where are you, Salamalyon? Driger had fallen silent. The tiger was in stealth mode now, most likely lying flat on the ground waiting for the order to strike. Nothing. No footsteps. Just the crackling of leaves burning.
Then… a low hissing sound to his left. Only a trained ear could pick up on it. "Driger, to your left! Use Gattling Claw!" Although he couldn't see it through the haze of the smoke, he knew his bitbeast had landed his target thanks to a hiss of pain and a crumbling of rock hitting the ground. When a tiger latched onto its prey, it was hard to throw off. Johnny was going to learn this the hard way.
"So, you think you've got the best of me, Rei? Let me show something new. Most people wrongly assume my bitbeast is a lizard because of his appearance, but Salamalyon is part of the amphibian family meaning my bitbeast can secrete toxins from his skin. Don't tigers normally latch onto their prey with their teeth as their primary weapon?"
Not scientifically a lizard then, but it certainly looked like one. Amphibians usually stayed near water to prevent their skin from drying out. Bitbeasts didn't normally follow the exact same rules as their animal counterparts, but Salamalyon had to have a similar weakness. Maybe Johnny finished his battles as quickly as possible because Salamaylon didn't have the endurance? That would explain why he went after Kai with such force in their first battle, and why his style was so aggressive. Salamaylon couldn't stay out of his blade for too long. That was his weakness.
"Driger, release!" Driger released his grip on his opponent's neck. His tiger uttered a deep growl. Toxins had entered his bloodstream. Rei tightened his jaw. He hadn't planned on the toxins moving that quickly, but it mattered not. "You're tough, Johnny. I'll give you that much, but I can't let you win today. There's too much at stake."
"Funny you mention that Rei. I was just about to say the same thing. Salamalyon, attack!"
His bitbeast swatted a claw, catching Driger in the side of the face. He saw his tiger sail through the haze right into the mountain side. Bits of rock loosened and crashed down. One rock struck Driger in the left ribcage. A pained growled filled the air.
"We learned the merits of teamwork, Rei. We have you to thank for that and it's for that reason why we are here today battling for our friends. We could've pulled out – but we're not cowards. We never turn away from a battle regardless of our chances of victory."
Driger was struck again. Rei could just make out his bitbeast's form through the haze. He could also just make out the hulking outline of Salamalyon. He shut his eyes and focused his thoughts on Driger. Nothing else mattered right now. The cries of the crowd could no longer be heard. The words of encouragement from his friends were forced aside. Only Driger mattered.
"Driger, I need you to climb skywards!"
"What do you think you're playing at, Rei? You think just running away is going to help you win? I didn't come here to play runaway – I came here to blade like a champion, not an amateur. Salamalyon!" His creature released a thunderous roar spewing out some abhorrent purple cloud of gas. The cloud doused out the fire and the haze itself returning the visibility to normal once again. "Attack, Salamalyon!"
"Driger, climb!" Driger jumped up the side of the mountain and started making his way to the top. Salamalyon, unable to climb, settled for circling the base of the first Sister and threw purple orbs of fire at him. Years of climbing hills and avoiding tumbling rocks made Salamalyon's attacks that much easier to avoid. If hit, it was a long way down to the bottom and it would surely be the end of the match.
"So, you think you can keep on running?" Johnny jeered. "You think you can hide up on the mountains? Think again, Rei. Salamalyon! Bring those mountains down!" The salamander roared again then slammed his tail into the mountain's base. Immediately, cracks appeared as the ground shook. Driger dug his claws deep into the ground to keep himself steady then continued to climb to the peak.
The mountains continued to shake. Every time Salamalyon's tail connected with the mountainside, a little more of the terrain would crumble. A few more strikes like that and there would be no mountain and Rei would lose any advantage he had. "Hold on, Driger! You're almost there!" Just a few more metres then Driger would be in the right position to counterattack.
"One more time Salamalyon! Give it everything you have!"
The impact was enough to knock Rei off his feet. He quickly regained his composure and glanced up looking for Driger. He found his tiger hanging off the side, his powerful jaw clamping on the ledge. "Driger!" Seeming reenergized from hearing his name, Driger somehow managed to clamber back onto the ledge. The tiger gazed down and roared at his opponent who was still circling the base.
"You've battled well Rei, but now play time is over! Salamalyon, use Final Attack!" A circle of fire appeared around the bitbeast burning everything it encountered that was flammable. Embers floated in the air as the flames danced from tree to tree, leaf to leaf. The ground shook again, a big chunk of rock loosened and tumbled down the mountain, splintering into pieces upon impact.
Rei threw his arms up to shield himself from the dirt. "Driger, we need to end this now! Use Sunbeam!"
His new special attack reserved for moments like this. The move could only be used once, and timing was everything since his bitbeast would be left vulnerable afterwards. Opening his jaws wide, the tiger roared up at the now open ceiling. Sunlight poured on the dish below. Driger drew in the sunlight into his jaws as if charging an attack. Once fully charged, he released it, sending the blast forward towards his rival.
"You might have fire on your side, but nothing burns brighter than the sun itself." There was no escape. Not even hiding behind one of the three remaining Sisters would help. There was no hiding from the sun.
"…and Rei's Driger makes a startling comeback by using the power of the sun! I've been watching battles for years, but I've never seen anything like this before!"
The look on Johnny's face said it all. He had not been expecting this. He couldn't do anything but stand in place and watch as his bitbeast was blasted by the beam. The force of the blast was so powerful that his Salamalyon was pushed several feet into the ground. Unable to withstand the fury of the sun, the stadium dish splintered. The Three Sisters collapsed, and both bladers were engulfed with a dust cloud.
When the dust settled, Rei glanced down at the remains of the dish. There was a giant hole, almost as big as the dish itself, in the middle. Burnt trees and fallen rocks littered the ground around the hole. But where were the blades? He searched the dish, straining his ears, listening for the sounds of the mechanical whir of his blade.
Then he heard it. A growling noise. He immediately turned his head towards the source of the noise and found his Driger lying on his side. Alive, and exhausted, but at least his blade was still spinning. Just. As for Salamalyon, the blade had been thrown out of the dish. It was still spinning, but rules stated once the blade was out of the dish, it was game over. A lucky escape.
"…wow!" DJ exclaimed into the microphone. "Johnny's blade has been knocked right out of the dish following that powerful beam from Rei's Driger! Both blades are still spinning, but they both must be in the dish! Unfortunately for Johnny, Salamalyon was knocked out." DJ extended an arm outwards towards Rei. "Victory goes to Rei of the Avengers! With Rei's win, that allows the Avengers to pass into the semi-finals where they will battle the victor between the Demolition Boys and the All-Starz!"
Rei hadn't even left the dish when Max came up from behind to congratulate him. Kenny and Kai were close behind. "You did it, Rei!"
"Yeah, we did." Turning back around, he held out a hand to retrieve his blade. Glancing down, he examined his blade for any signs of damage. "But it came at a cost," he added, noticing his attack ring had been destroyed. Salamalyon's flames had melted it. There was probably some internal damage too.
"Kenny can fix it."
"I'm not going to be able to blade in the next match." Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but with Tyson's recent display, it was concerning. "What do you think, Kenny?" He handed his blade to the expert.
Kenny took it and looked it over. "The attack ring can't be repaired. The metal has melted, and I'd say the internal parts are ruined too. We'll have to build a new blade entirely," he replied, running a hand around the melted attack ring. "I can do it, but it won't be ready in time for the semis."
"I'm out guys," Rei said.
"Which means we have no choice but to have Tyson blade," Kai concluded grimly. "I don't know if he's capable of blading at this level at this time."
"He'll pull through," Max said. "This is Tyson we're talking about. If anyone can overcome an internal problem, it's Tyson. He might've lost the battle today, but that's no reason to lose faith in him. Come on guys. He's not just a teammate – he's our friend and he needs our support."
Kenny nodded. "Max is right. We shouldn't be judging Tyson for one battle. He didn't blade poorly. He just lost concentration near the end and it threw him off course."
Kai didn't look too convinced, but then again, did Kai ever look satisfied? He drew in a deep breath and spoke, expressing his inner thoughts. The adrenaline of the battle had faded and now it was time to focus on what truly mattered – friendship.
"They're right, Kai. I know you want us to succeed and perform at the highest of standards, but health comes first. Whatever problem Tyson is facing – we can't just abandon him. You guys were there for me when I had problems with Lee. We were there for Max during the whole All-Starz saga. We were also there for you, Kai when you needed it. We are the Bladebreakers with a new name, but that doesn't mean we forget who we are."
"…I'll talk to him later then. Give him a bit of space to cool down and clear his mind," Kai said.
"He'll come through it. I know he will," Max said. "And he'll be stronger because of it. The other teams better watch out because they're not going to know what's hit them. Now come on, let's head back to the room and watch over our battles. Last one there has to buy pizza." Before anyone could stop him, Max sprinted off back to the dressing room.
With a roll of his eyes, Kai said, "…Didn't we have pizza yesterday?"
"It's either that or those weird mushrooms again," Rei pointed out.
"…Good point."