Thanks to Moon and Blossoms for the catch-up reviews!
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Chapter Twenty-One: Settle the Score
"…Welcome back ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, to the semi-finals of the World Beyblade Tournament of 2016!" DJ Jazzman announced as the replays of the quarters played on the screens capturing the best moments. "If you're just joining us now let me briefly recap the action of the quarters over in Australia!"
Max turned to the big black screen to watch the highlights reel. His battle against Enrique was the first to be played. Only the most exciting parts of the battle were shown in a highly edited clip.
"In Sydney, quarter finalists of Block A battled it out. We had the tournament favourites the Avengers up against the Majestics! Max took out the first match against Enrique in a gruelling display whilst Tyson fell to Robert's mighty Griffolyon! Fortunately, for the Avengers, Rei was able to pull off a last-minute sunbeam attack to knock Johnny's blade out of the dish allowing his team to advance!"
The screen changed to show the highlights of the second day. Max watched as Michael's Trygle and Bryan's Falborg battled it out. The clash of the birds of prey. Trygle had the upper strength being more powerful up front, but Falborg's agility and superior speed gave Bryan the win in the end allowing the Demolition Boys to advance.
"On the second day we were treated to a showdown between the ice-cold Demolition Boys and the always enthusiastic PBB All-Starz! Fans were treated to another thrilling round of professional blading starting with Eddy and Steven! Round one resulted in a draw. Tala was up next, and he bladed against Rick and showed tremendous power to knock Rock Bison out of the dish to claim the second win. Bryan defeated Michael in an epic clash of avians to steal a last-minute victory and thus the Demolition Boys advanced!"
"Are you feeling all right, Max?" Tyson said.
Max nodded, drawing in a deep breath. "I'm fine. We know how the Demolition Boys blade. We've got this. We've beaten them before… and there are no type advantages against us this time," he said, drawing reference to the Dranzer vs Seaborg battle. "What about you? How are you feeling?"
"Better than ever."
He smiled. "That's great."
"In Melbourne, fans were treated to the quarter finalists of Block B! The Horsemen made short work of the Saint Shields claiming three straight wins over Ozuma, Mariam and Dunga! On the second day the other new competitors, the Bai Hu Clan, clashed with the White Tigers and engaged in tribal warfare! Fans were surprised to see former Bega blader Mystel join their ranks, and he proved to be just as competitive as always defeating Lee to take out the win!"
The screen changed once more. The Avengers vs Demolition Boys. Previous matches between the two were played serving to remind fans just how brutal their past encounters were. Max hadn't bladed in the Russian tournament. Now was his chance to step up and prove that he too could defeat the Russians.
"These two teams have a long history of battles and I just know you're all in for a treat when they clash in the stadium today! These two teams first met in the World Championships in Russia where Tyson claimed victory over Tala to claim the trophy! Tyson and his teammates then met with the Tala's team again last year with both under new names. Now, the original teams have reunited! Max will battle Spencer, Tyson will take on Bryan and then former tag-team partners, Kai and Tala will finish off the match."
One more time the screen changed to showcase the Block B semi-finalist contenders.
"Tomorrow we'll witness the two new powerhouse teams the Horsemen and the Bai Hu Clan fight in what is bound to be an equally fascinating match! So, sit back and enjoy and try not to blink often or you'll miss out on all action!"
Kai rolled his eyes and removed his earplugs. "At least, he's finished. I wonder how much they pay this goon each match?"
"Come on Kai, get into the spirit of the tournament," Tyson said cheerfully.
"I'll get into the spirit once we've won."
He retreated to the bench and sat down. Kenny and Hilary were both back in the room developing a new blade for Rei choosing to sacrifice this match to give Rei more practice time. "You'll do great, Max. Show these Demolition Boys whose boss around here." He joined Kai on the bench. Max walked up to the dish.
The new dishes were twice the size of the quarter finalist ones. They were half the size of a football field allowing bladers a fair amount of room. Two columns with handrails stood on the opposite ends overlooking the dish. The handrails were a late minute addition added as a safety precaution to prevent bladers from falling over. Somehow, Max didn't think they were going to do much.
"Let's get on with it then!" He pressed a button beneath the handrails. Moments later, the floor opened to showcase the first dish. About eighty percent was water whilst the remainder of the terrain was tiny islands. "This is the Bay of Islands dish! There is limited land space for the bladers so they'll have to claim an island and defend it otherwise be knocked into the ocean for an instant knock out! Everyone, give it up for your challengers, Max and Spencer!"
Max prepared his launcher. "Here goes nothing, Draciel. I know we can win this if we work together."
"Three… two… one… Let it rip!"
The bladers released. Both blades landed on the middle island which was the biggest of them all. One forty small islands in one dish. Whoever designed this certainly did a fine job. "Draciel! Defence Curl!"
"Seaborg! Attack! Use Tidal Wave!" Spencer raised a hand into the air, curling his fingers into a fist, as he summoned his bitbeast. Seaborg emerged from the pillar of white light, immediately seeking refuge in the water.
"Stay steady, Draciel! Hold your ground!" Draciel bent his legs slightly, planting his feet firmly into the earth. He pulled in his head closer to the shell and crossed his stubby arms over his chest. Seaborg surfaced, spraying a fountain of water from his blowhole. The whale lifted his tail then slapped the water with it with enough force to create a quake.
Max grabbed onto the rails to steady himself as his column moved backwards and forwards. It was like being on a boat and rocking to the waves from side to side. Thank Draciel he wasn't prone to bouts of seasickness. A large wave of at least ten feet rose, moving towards the island at an alarming speed. Moving towards the direction Max was also standing in.
With a deafening roar, the wave crashed down over Draciel. The impact caused Max's column to collapse. Rock crumbling rapidly beneath him, Max could do nothing but fall with the rubble. He grunted as he made impact, face and chest taking the brunt of the blow. Water crashed down over him then picked him up, pulling him into the dish as it receded. His body ached. His clothes were soaked. But his spirit had not been broken. Climbing to his feet, Max looked up Spencer, and tightened his jaw. "It's going to take more than a wave than to bring me down! Draciel! Attack now!"
Draciel craned his neck back and roared at his opponent then lowered his head and charged. Seaborg, still submerged, was rammed just below the throat. He crashed back into the water taking Draciel with him. The whale smacked at the water with his tail, trying to create small waves to push Draciel off, but the tortoise dug his claws in deep into the blubber.
Spencer smiled. "You've fallen for my trap! Seaborg, activate special attack!" Max spotted a red glow coming from Seaborg's green crystal gem on the end of his nose. Something was happening. Something Max hadn't witnessed yet. The water in dish started to rotate clockwise. Slowly at first, but its power intensified with each second passing. Parts of the islands started to become undone as they were sucked into the vortex.
A whirlpool. Played right into the hands of Spencer, but there was still a chance to get out of this. Where was his power coming from? Why hadn't Spencer shown it last year when it mattered? "Max! You have to get out of there!" Rei called out. Max glanced over his shoulder. Both Kai and Rei were on their feet.
Right. But how was he was supposed to break free of the vortex? Unless… the power seemed to be coming from the gem. If he could just direct Draciel to damage it… then maybe the vortex would stop? He had to move fast. The vortex was pulling him in too. He dropped onto the ground realizing he had a better chance of slowing his movement down if he applied his full body weight. He dug his hands and feet into the sand.
"You should give up, Max! You know you're no match for Seaborg's power! He is the King of the Sea! The sea obeys me!"
"I will not give up! I will never give up!" Slowly, he felt himself dragged across the sand, as he continued to near the centre of the vortex. A few trees fell over and joined the debris being sucked in. "Draciel! Special attack!" he screamed. The gears in Max's blade triggered. He noted with satisfaction how the confident gleam in Spencer's eyes faded. Now there was doubt. Perfect. "Gravity Control!" Turn Spencer's power against him. That was the plan. It worked against Kai once. It almost worked against Tyson. Maybe he'd get a third time lucky.
The water began to rotate in the reverse direction. It didn't stop Max from being sucked in, but at least the power was now in his hands. With the rotation now working in his favour, Draciel was able to drain energy from Seaborg to replenish his own. The whale released a wounded cry as Draciel swiped at the gemstone shattering it.
The vortex ended abruptly. Taking in deep heavy breaths, Max picked himself up, one hand resting on his right leg for support. Every breath stung. Though he had endured the physical assault of the waves, it had taken most of his energy. His knees buckled, unable to support his weight longer, giving way to the ground. The previous battle against Enrique only three days ago and the fatigue associated with it had finally caught up.
"Max!"
"…You did well, Draciel," Max managed to force out. "We almost had it too." He shut his eyes just as Draciel stopped spinning. There was a few seconds pause then the crowd exploded into raucous applause.
"…And Spencer's Seaborg has claimed the first-round victory! It almost looked like Seaborg was going to end up being as a beached whale, but the physical toll was too much for Max and Draciel!"
He felt a presence besides him. "You did great, Max. You almost had him too," said Tyson. Max felt himself lifted from the ground. Tyson flung his arm around his neck. "Come on, I'll lead you back to the bench. The doctors are on their way to assess you."
Max was too tired to talk back. Once he reached the bench, he flopped down, exhausted. Moments later, a team of two doctors approached with a stretcher. "We'll take it from here, Tyson." Together, the two males lifted Max onto the stretcher before carrying him way for further checks. As he was carried off, Max curled his fingers around his Draciel blade, a smile spreading across his face.
They might have lost the battle, but Draciel had made him proud.
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Max had lost. All the pressure to win now fell on his shoulders once again. A draw wouldn't help. That would just end in a sudden death match if Kai won his match. He had to win, and he knew he had to win big. "You can do this, Tyson. Just focus on the match and nothing else. You can beat Bryan."
"I know, Kai. Don't worry."
Kai retreated to the bench.
"Current reigning world champion Tyson will now face off against Bryan of the Demolition Boys! Tyson will be desperate to keep his final hopes alive by winning this match so you can expect this one to be intense! These bladers will be tested in the Christchurch dish!" He pressed a button. Once again, the floor opened revealing the next dish. A replica of the city stood before him. The cathedral was there amongst other tall buildings and structures. He could even see the town hall.
To make things even more difficult there were moving motor vehicles on the streets moving. The ones on the left lane headed towards him, whilst the cars in the right lane moved in Bryan's direction. The crowd gave their approval with a Mexican wave. "Well Dragoon, we've been in a similar dish before," he noted, recalling the dish he had bladed in against Steven. "Let's show the world why we're number one."
As if to give his approval, Dragoon glowed. Smiling, Tyson placed his blade on his launcher then inserted the ripcord. Rei had beaten Bryan once before but had suffered terribly as a result. Would Bryan resort back to his old tricks that made him one of the most feared names in history of the game? He'd soon find out.
"Oh, and one last thing. Every couple of minutes you will experience a violent tremor! Are you able to use that to your advantage or will you slip through the cracks? With that in mind, let's get started! Three… two… one… Let it rip!"
A dish that had its own man-made earthquake. How lifelike. Now he had two things to worry about. Avoiding the cars and withstanding the earthquake damage. He released his Dragoon a second later after Bryan. The blades both landed on the same lane and the chase began immediately. Dragoon weaved in and out of the cars, knowing one direct collision could throw him out of the dish. Bryan did the same.
"I was hoping to face Rei again since he and I have a score to settle, but you'll do just fine, Tyson. How kind of you to step in his place and take the beating I'm about to unleash upon you! Falborg! Razor Wind!" His falcon emerged moments later, hovering in the sky. The bird flapped his wings creating a vicious biting wind within seconds. Tyson could feel the wind lashing against his skin, biting at the flesh as if he were being on the receiving end of a hooked whip.
"I can understand what you had to endure now, Rei…" Tyson murmured as he formed an 'X' with his arms to provide some barrier from the wind. His eyes stung. His skin felt like it was on fire. His clothing was slowly being ripped apart. There was even blood on his bare arms. "So, you wanna play dirty, do you Bryan? Some things never change. Dragoon!"
His dragon gave a triumphant roar as he emerged from the blade. Like Tyson, Dragoon held his claws before his face to protect himself from the full fury of the wind. Planting his feet into the ground, Tyson leaned into the wind, his jaw clenched. "No hard feelings or anything, but I came here to win, and I'll do that my way! Falborg!"
The avian flew in circles whipping up the wind speed to another level. Tyson was helpless as the wind lifted him up off the ground and flung him across the arena right into a wall. With a pained grunt, Tyson smacked the wall then flopped down, his body aching. He planted both his hands on the ground then pushed himself up. Dusting his clothes of dirt, he looked at Bryan and said, "You're going to have to do better than that to bring me down."
Bryan flexed his muscles. "I'm just getting warmed up, Tyson."
Tyson growled. "Dragoon! Galaxy Turbo Twister!" he screamed. His infamous twister move erupted from the centre of the bitchip. Cars nearby were flung aside into nearby buildings. Windows shattered. Foundations crumbled. "Bring him down, Dragoon!"
As strong as Falborg was, the avian was unable to escape from the rampaging funnel. Bryan's blade was pulled into the funnel. Round in round his blade went until Dragoon threw him aside right into the cathedral. The building imploded. Rocks crashed down Falborg trapping the blade beneath the rubble.
"Bryan's Falborg is trapped beneath the rock! Will he able to escape or is it game over for Bryan?"
Bryan snickered. "Not a bad move, Tyson, but don't you get sick of using the same old attack repeatedly? In my time off, I learned some new moves. You get to be the first person to experience my Falborg's wrath! Falborg, Wings of Razors!" Within a split second, the rocks pinning his blade down were sliced in half. The remaining pieces were flung aside as Falborg spread his wings and took to the air once more. The falcon gained altitude then hovered in place. "Now use Dive Bomb!"
His avian pinned his wings back then dropped, hurtling towards the ground at a speed so fast, Tyson could only see a blur of grey. Dragoon, unable to escape in time, was hit directly on top, the impact powerful enough to push him deep into the ground. Any thought of escaping faded from his mind as the ground began to vibrate. The randomly generated earthquake. The falcon released his talons and pulled back.
Rocks piled on Dragoon, his bitbeast roaring as the dragon was burrowed beneath. The quake caused Tyson to lose his balance and he stumbled over his own feet. Falling to his knees, he gritted his teeth as the buildings around him swayed from side to side. Several of them collapsed creating several shockwaves. Each one knocked the wind out of Tyson.
When the ground settled, Tyson climbed to his feet once more. Bryan was still standing behind the safety of his handrail and wearing a confident smirk. Drawing in a deep breath, Tyson observed his surroundings, searching for a new strategy. Dragoon was still burrowed beneath, but the dragon was still clearly in the fight as the growls could still be heard.
Bryan's right, Tyson thought. I only really have one attack that everyone knows. Falborg is a wind spirit too so I have no real advantage, but there must be something else I can do… More power. That was the answer. Wind is the strongest force on earth, and with more power I can take my attacks to the next level. Falborg might be strong, but there's only one true master of the wind. It would take a lot of power to sustain a tornado of that level, but he could see no other option.
"Okay Dragoon let's kick it up a notch! Full power now!" As if on command, Dragoon activated his twister again, using it to blow the rocks holding him down in the same fashion as Bryan. A funnel emerged for a second time. This time it was twice the size of his usual one. Slowly, all the cars in the arena rose in the air, sucked into the swirling mass of air within the funnel. Buildings that had been weakened already easily fell apart.
"Falborg!"
"Only one of us can progress to the finals and it's going to be me! This isn't just about defending my title! There's far more at stake here than you could possibly ever imagine! And that is why I must win! Dragoon! Final attack!" he screamed. The howling wind destroyed everything in its path. Cars went flying. Buildings cracked under the pressure. "Now!"
The louder Tyson screamed, the stronger the wind became. His yells and shouts were drowned out by the wind and the collapsing of buildings. He continued yelling at the top of his lungs, mustering up all the power he could to sustain the twister. The stronger the tornado became, the larger it grew. There was nothing now that could withstand this destructive force.
He felt some sympathy for Falborg. The tornado consumed it and gave the poor avian a pummelling he'd never forget. He dropped down to one knee, feeling his strength rapidly wane. Never had he had to sustain such a ferocious windstorm before. Only through sheer determination was he able to hold himself together and keep going.
"…Oh shit."
Tyson dropped and pressed his belly flat on the ground, narrowly avoiding a flying piece of the cathedral roof. He hardly had the energy to stand up, let alone kneel on his knees. Dragoon gave one final roar then returned to his blade just as the windstorm died down. The stadium was a sight of catastrophe. It was almost as if a bomb had hit the place. Buildings all destroyed. Pieces of car scattered all around the stadium. There was also a massive tear in the ceiling.
DJ Jazzman helped himself to his feet. He was on the opposite side of the dish, having been blown across. The man raced over to what little remained of the dish then brought the microphone to his mouth. "Unbelievable! Tyson's twister attack has totally destroyed the dish and blown Bryan and his blade back to his team bench!"
Indeed, he had. The burly Russian blader was lying unconscious on the floor before a shaken Tala and Spencer. As for his blade, it lay in hundreds of little pieces across the stadium floor, destroyed. The bitchip was the only part that had survived. "…We did it Dragoon. We won," Tyson weakly said, drawing in deep breaths. His blade returned to his hand.
"…Tyson." A hand extended towards him. Kai. Tyson grabbed it and allowed Kai to pull him up to his feet. "Well played. Welcome back." Kai then gestured at the surrounding damage. Only then did Tyson realize one of the stands had to be evacuated. The fans didn't seem to care. They all thought it was part of the show and loved being so close to the action. "Nice job on taking out half the stadium too."
Tyson cracked a grin. "Finish it with a bang, Kai."
"You know it."
Tyson drew in a few more deep breaths then spoke again. "You're up against Tala. I've fought him before, but you know him on a deeper level. Don't let him play mind games with you." The same advice his friends had given him over the years. Keep a cool head and play the game. Words could always come later.
"Tala's going down. I won't let him get the best of me."
Kai didn't say another word as he wandered over to the dish. Tyson walked back to the bench and sat down, relieved at a chance to rest for a little. Every muscle ached. The price of victory. So that's how Rei had felt when he had battled Bryan all those years ago. Some of the doctors came rushing over to check on him, but Tyson shooed them away. "Honest, I'm fine."
Just a little tired and a bit sore. Some of the gashes on his arms were still bleeding, but they'd clot soon. In a few days they'd be gone, and he'd be as good as new.
"…And now we have the final match of Block A semi-finalists, Kai and Tala! Whoever wins this match will go on to compete in the finals! Will Kai prove too strong for his former tag-team partner? Or will Tala pull off a last-minute victory? Don't blink or you'll miss out on all the action!"
Tyson gripped his knees with both hands. "You can do it, Kai. I know you can. Show them what Dranzer can do."
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Although he had been part of the Demolition Boys team twice, he had never actually bladed against Tala before. Bryan and Spencer were the punching bags and Tala would look on from the sidelines. Every decision had to be accurate. Tala knew his moves just as well as Kai knew Tala's. They were evenly matched in terms of experience and skill. Raw power might be a different story, but Tala was no weakling. Kai knew his former partner had been withholding his true power during last year's tournament. Besides, in the end, it all came down to determination and willpower. Power could only take you so far.
"The final dish is called the Sky Tower! Bladers can use the tower to launch aerial attacks from above or to escape the traffic below!" DJ explained as the final dish was revealed. It was like the previous dish only with the addition of the tower. Also, the roads were currently empty but the timer on the tower suggested there was a countdown. Bladers, are you ready?"
"Kai, I've been waiting for this," Tala said.
"And so, have I, Tala," Kai replied calmly. "Maybe when you lose, you'll finally understand that I'm a better blader than you."
Tala growled. "You think you're tough, Kai. But I know you better than anyone else here does. I know you better than you know yourself." He raised his launcher and prepared to pull the trigger. Tala's original gun launcher. The lazy blader's way of getting maximum power in the launch. "You've always thought yourself superior to me, but it's always been the other way around. I'm a better man than you Kai. I'm going to prove it."
Holding back a hiss, Kai prepared his blade. So, it was a grudge match. Anyone unfamiliar with their history would think otherwise. There were people in the crowd holding 'Kai and Tala 4ever' signs. What on earth were these people thinking? He and Tala weren't friends. "You've always resented me ever since I arrived at the abbey. You couldn't stand no longer being the golden child."
"I had good reason! I knew you weren't to be trusted the moment you set foot in the training dish!"
"Three…two…one… Let it rip!"
Tala fired his launcher as Kai jerked back his ripcord, sending his blade forwards into the fray. Wolborg charged immediately for Dranzer. Dranzer evaded the blow then moved to the opposite base of the tower. "All you wanted was Black Dranzer. You didn't care about the rest of us."
"I had no reason to care about the lot of you," Kai snarled back. Tala's bitbeast lunged for Dranzer's tail but the phoenix kicked her legs out to force the wolf back. "I wasn't there to make friends! I was there to learn and become the best blader I could be!"
"Is that that drives you, Kai? Wanting to attain perfection you'll never reach?"
He uttered a deep growl. "You're such a hypocrite, Tala. You wanted to be the best just as much as I did. That's why you despised me. Because I was stronger, and I will show you why! Dranzer!" His phoenix gained height then swooped down, raking her talons forwards to claw at the wolf's eyes. Wolborg ducked then jumped up, gnashing his jaws at Dranzer's tail hoping to grab hold. Dranzer twisted out of the way just missing the canine's teeth by a mere inch.
Tala gave a dry laugh. "You're so full of yourself, Kai. Everything always must be about you in the end, but you're wrong. When we were first inducted into the Abbey, we made a promise we'd always be there for each other. Always and forever. Do you remember those words?" Wolborg lunged at Dranzer and managed to tackle the avian to the ground. The canine lunged with his jaws and clamped them around the phoenix's neck. Dranzer raked her talons, digging her claws deep, forcing Wolborg to release his grip.
Kai remembered. He had only been five years old at the time. Tala had been placed in his training group. He was the only one who had even bothered to talk to him. Everyone else just saw Kai as competition. "That was a long time ago, Tala. We were just children back then without any understanding of the world around us. Do you really believe a promise a child made would stand the length of time?"
Wolborg bared his teeth and lunged again. Dranzer fought back with her talons, doing her best to strike the canine in the eyes to blind him temporarily. "We both swore an oath, Kai. You chose not to respect that by running away. Guess who suffered the most when you fled? We did. Spencer. Bryan. Ian. Myself."
"And how was that my fault?" Kai countered. Dranzer pulled free of Wolborg and flew to the top of the tower. Tala's blade chased Dranzer up the side determined not to let Dranzer pull away too far ahead. "Dranzer, counter-attack!" The blades slammed into each other. A fierce battle for domination began as each blade tried to push the other back.
"You abandoned us, Kai!" Tala seethed, throwing an accusatory glare at him. "You left us behind in the abbey to suffer while you escaped! We were supposed to be brothers, but in the end, you only serve yourself! You have no understanding of what it means to be loyal!" Wolborg howled. Razor sharp snowflakes whipped around him as the windstorm intensified. One of the snowflakes brushed up against his arm immediately cutting into the skin. Flesh parted, and crimson red blood poured out. "I've said it before, but you're just like Voltaire. You're even worse than Voltaire. At least Voltaire remained loyal to his people."
Hot anger poured through his body. Like Voltaire? "I am nothing like him!" he hissed.
"You're every bit the same monster as your grandfather and you know that I am right!" The two bitbeasts tackled each other and rolled across the stadium dish's floor. "Wolborg, use Ice Storm!" Wolborg pulled back, sat down on his haunches, and howled. His eyes glowed white. A mysterious spirit of a woman reflected in the canine's eyes as vicious blizzard whipped up around them.
Within seconds, the entire dish was encased in ice. Wolborg's power wasn't just limited to the dish – the entire stadium floor was covered in ice too. "If you have jumpers here, you might want to put them on now because this battle just got cold!" DJ Jazzman announced.
Fortunately, Kai was adapted to fighting in these conditions. Joining the Blitzkrieg Boys last year had paid off after all. Those long months training in the wildest of environments had been useful. Still, his blade wasn't quite as good as skirting across the ice as Wolborg was. "Dranzer, use Blazing Gig Tempest!" Dranzer raced up the tower a second time determined to get to the peak. Once she reached the top, the phoenix spread her wings and unleashed razor-sharp feathers.
"Dodge it, Wolborg!" Wolborg skirted across the ice, moving from side to side to avoid being struck.
Kai held back an irritated growl. He couldn't use his fire attacks right now. He had to have a sturdy position at the tower peak to even consider taking the risk otherwise Dranzer would be washed away by the water and her flames would be doused. "Voltaire's blood might run through my veins, but that's where the similarities end! I left Balkov Abbey to get away from him! If I could've taken you all with me, I would've, but I was in no condition to do that!"
"Is that how you justify it? If you really cared, you would've come back to help us! I know the truth, Kai! Black Dranzer scarred you and you couldn't handle it, so you ran like a coward! You were never one of us! I know you used me last year to get to the top!" Wolborg charged forward. As he ran, icicles protruded up. He ran around the dish creating a barricade of some kind.
Tala was setting up for a special attack. Kai knew he had to act fast and end this battle before Tala was able to make it that far. He threw a hand upwards, sending Dranzer up high into the sky. He then brought his hand and Dranzer followed nailing Wolborg hard from above. The collision created a crack in the ice.
"I am no coward, Tala!"
"Then why do you keep running?!"
Kai held his tongue. He wasn't running away from anything; he was running towards his goal – to be the greatest blader to ever play the game. That goal had changed slightly now. Losing to Tyson again had taught him that. Now it was simply to be a legend of the game. "You're wrong, Tala. I'm not running away. I'm running forwards whilst you cling onto the past. You're the coward afraid to move on."
Tala gritted his teeth. Clenching a fist, he held it up before him. "Wolborg, activate special attack! Freezing Pulse!" The temperature in the stadium plummeted to single digits. Wolborg emitted a mournful chilling howl as all the fallen snowflakes rose. Kai ordered Dranzer to pull back. This was a move he knew nothing about. Tala had never mentioned it nor had he caught him practicing a new move. "You have your fancy moves, I have mine. Maybe if you had stuck around a little longer, you would've learned something."
"Pull back Dranzer!"
"Now Wolborg, Polar Beam!" All the snowflakes merged into one creating a spear of some kind. A layer of ice encased the spear and hovered above Wolborg ready to be thrown. Before Dranzer could react, the spear was thrown at surprising speed, firing much like a canon. Dranzer was struck hard in the chest, throwing Dranzer aside roughly like a rag doll. The avian skidded across the ice and into the icicle wall. The impact was so great Kai staggered backwards.
Seems like Tala does have some power after all, Kai thought grimly. Dranzer was hammered into the wall again. Tala was holding nothing back. He wasn't giving Dranzer a chance to break free. "You think you've won this but you're sadly mistaken. Dranzer, reverse spin!" If there was one skill Kai had over Tyson it was his ability to force his blade to rotate in the opposite direction. The gears in the blade clicked then reversed, allowing Dranzer to absorb Wolborg's energy to use as his own.
Dranzer pushed Wolborg back. "Wolborg, use Ice Storm!"
"Dranzer, fly!"
The chase began. Dranzer sped towards the tower followed closely by Wolborg snapping at her tail feathers. More icicles protruded upwards from the floor as snowflakes and snowballs pelted the surface. The vicious winds lashed at his skin, cutting deep into the flesh. Kai clamped his jaw shut, trying to ignore the stinging as Dranzer continued to climb the tower. It all came down to this.
Snowballs pelted Dranzer's back. Each successful strike pulled Dranzer back down a few inches, but his phoenix continued to climb. Sheer determination kept his bitbeast going. "Wolborg!" Tala called out throwing a fist into the air, calling upon more power.
Kai called out in pain and dropped to his knees. Tala's snowstorm had whited out the entire stadium. He could barely make out his own arm let alone the dish itself. He growled again, wincing from the pain, as snow and ice lashed his skin. A battle not just against Wolborg but the elements as well. "Dranzer! Fire Tempest!" Forcing himself to his feet, Kai summoned all the power he could muster to give Dranzer more energy.
Fireballs plummeted to the ground cracking the ice. Water burst up from the cracks, spilling out onto the dish and stadium, seeping into the soles of his shoes. Flames were sucked into the vortex of the blizzard mixing in with the ice and snow. Fireballs flung in various directions. More ice cracked as the flames intensified as the blizzard weakened. "No! Wolborg!"
Water was rapidly rising. He could feel it up to his ankles now. "Dranzer, finish it!" An aura of flames radiated from the phoenix's body. Dranzer cawed, pulled her wings back then dove, spiralling towards Wolborg. Fire and ice collided, creating a shockwave so powerful, both bladers were knocked off their feet. He couldn't see it because of the blinding light but he certainly felt it as he was thrown back a couple of metres into the rising water.
Slowly, he climbed back to his feet to observe the aftermath. Immediately, he looked to the tower. Relief poured through him. Dranzer was still at the top. Unfortunately, for Tala, Wolborg was in the water. "What happened in the past is history, Tala," Kai said, in between deep breaths. "Just like your team." He held out his hand to recall Dranzer as the crowd erupted into applause. Without waiting for Tala to reply, he turned his back and headed back to the bench. Tyson threw a fist into the air.
"Way to show him, Kai!"
Kai nodded. "It was nothing." Not entirely true. His blade had taken a severe beating. Most likely there were a few serious internal injuries to his blade that would need immediate attention. It wasn't just his blade that had sustained injuries – cuts and grazes lined his arms, but his scarf acted as a shield. "I'm going to check up on Max. You head back to the room and check up on the latest news regarding Rei's blade. I'll be with you shortly."
Tyson frowned, but then nodded. "Sure thing, Kai."
He probably suspected something was wrong, but Tyson knew better than to argue with him. The blader retreated towards their room whilst Kai walked in the opposite direction, taking a different hallway. When he knew there was no one else around, he leaned into the nearby wall, and moved his scarf over his shoulder. A shard of ice protruded from just beneath his left ribcage.
Gritting his teeth, he placed his hand over it and slowly pulled it out. A hiss of pain escaped his throat, but he continued to pull it out, ignoring the blood splashing over his hand. Eventually, he yanked it out then dropped it on the floor. Covering his wound with his hand, he slowly stumbled down the hallway, each step harder than the last.
"Kai?"
He saw blond hair. Max. He cracked a smile. He had recovered well as expected.
"Kai!"
Before he could speak, his knees gave way and he toppled over onto the ground, Max's voice screaming in the background.