A melodramatic chapter!

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Chapter Twenty-Four: A Hero's Last Cry

Never had he seen his bench so empty before. No Max. No Rei. No Kai. It was just Hilary and Kenny on the sidelines. Kenny hadn't even brought his laptop along – he was that nervous, he couldn't hold it properly. Hilary sat next to him her hands clasped together resting on her lap. Her left foot tapped the floor. His present teammates were jittery.

Understandably so too. The stadium was once again a sell-out event. He could see his other blader friends in the stands in the VIP area. He saw many fans showing their support for him by waving their flags with his name on it, but he also saw several Alexander supporters. Probably the people who hoped his reign would end today. There were always haters.

Pulling his attention away from the crowd, Tyson headed towards the stadium dish. He stepped up onto the platform and waited for his opponent to reveal himself. Alexander emerged from the shadows of the hallway accompanied by Hiro. Tyson clenched his jaw at the sight of his older brother. No surprise Hiro would show himself. Perhaps he thought his presence would unsettle Tyson.

"I'll prove it to you, Hiro. I am not the weakling you claim me to be," Tyson told himself, digging a hand into his pocket to pull out Dragoon. "But you made your choice to walk away. I thought that I needed you, but I don't. I'm stronger without you, Hiro… and you're going to see that today. Dragoon and I will win this."

As usual, DJ Jazzman was already there with a microphone in hand. Alexander approached the platform, his face expressionless. The boy had donned his usual plain garments for something darker. He was dressed in black – a black shirt, black pants and he had even taken to wearing a black cape. Like Hiro, Alexander was also wearing sunglasses to cover his eyes to conceal the emotion. Clever.

"It all comes down to this! Alexander will face defending champion Tyson to determine who will become champion! Don't leave your seats – this is going to be a match of the century! Don't even blink! Bladers, you'll be fighting in the Mount Cook dish."

The platforms triggered and lowered the bladers to the bottom. Thirty metres down. Twice the depth of the previous three. The replica of Mount Cook towered over them, casting long shadows on Tyson's side. A cold chill raced down his spine. An intimidating sight. The mountain was in the centre of the dish surrounded by rugged terrain.

"This is the ultimate dish that will test the endurance of our bladers! Avalanches, wind, and rain pose a constant threat! Bladers will have to endure the elements while they fight each other! What better way to test our two finalists!"

Easy for DJ Jazzman to say. He was no blader. Heck, most people in the crowd were clueless about the threat the Leviathan beast posed to them all. They had paid to be entertained, not to feel afraid. Perhaps it was best they remained blind. Tyson loaded his blade onto his launcher then inserted the ripcord. He looked across at his opponent.

"Are you nervous, Tyson? I hope not. I want you to be blading at your very best," Alexander said, raising his blade and launcher. "Your brother taught me well. He taught me all the tricks in the book. You don't stand a chance, Tyson. I'm not going to hold it against you if you want to surrender minutes into the match. Sometimes it's better to flee a battle you can't possibly win."

"I don't run from a fight."

Alexander snorted. "You saw the battles your friends were involved in. They almost lost their lives… They were lucky they were smart enough to save themselves. Max and Kai were quite impressive with their strategies, but brains won't help you against me. You can't fight Death, Tyson. You can try to of course, but you can't run forever."

"Let's just do this."

He smiled. "As you wish."

"Bladers, are you ready? Three… two… one… Let it rip!" the crowd roared.

Tyson jerked his hand back, launching his blade towards the base of the mountain. Alexander's blade came rocketing around the corner, slamming into Dragoon with enough force, the ground quaked. "Dragoon, counterattack!" He summoned his bitbeast not daring to waste precious time. Dragoon struck back, pushing his opponent back across the dish towards the mountain.

Alexander laughed. "That's good, Tyson. Fight like it's your last battle. I wouldn't want this fight to be too easy after all." He raised a hand and made a fist. His blade began to emanate a black light form the bitchip. A sense of dread filled Tyson. He couldn't quite explain it, but the light filled him with a sense of fear.

Dragoon continued to ram into his opponent's blade attacking it from multiple angles. "Go for it, Dragoon! Don't hold back!"

"I got to admit Tyson, in some ways I wish you hadn't made it this far, so you didn't have to see yourself fall so badly." Alexander then gave an exasperated sigh, brushing a loose bang of hair back. "It's always sad to see such a noble hero fail… But all good things must come to an end. Ever since that loss to you, I've been working hard to become better. My father didn't have faith in me. He locked me up and had me punished for failing, but I won't allow that to bring me down."

Tyson frowned. "Your father?"

"You know him. Boris. Your actions had him locked up behind bars." Alexander's blade continued to glow. No sign of a bitbeast appearing, but the dread he was feeling was still present. "He said I would become great. He was only partially right about that. I would never achieve greatness under his rule, but Douglas… He gave me a chance. Saw something in me."

"You'll never be a true blader, Alexander, not with a heart so full of hatred and resentment," Tyson countered, ordering Dragoon to continue the vicious assault. The blades chased each around the base of the mountain. "Douglas is a fake. He believes science is better than spirit. We proved him wrong years ago. Nothing has changed since then."

Alexander's blade raced up the side of the mountain then bounced off, crashing down on Tyson's blade. Dragoon moved out of the way by a fraction of an inch then retaliated. "You're wrong, Tyson. I have the world's most powerful bitbeast in my blade. Science made it happen. Skill can only take you so far. Allow me to show you my bitbeast, the Dullahan rider. Dullahan, I summon you now!"

The column of light burst skywards. All the lights in the stadium switched off including the ones on the top of the beyblade dish. Complete blackness. He couldn't even make out his own hands. All he could feel was the cold chill of wind coming down from the mountain brushing up against his skin. It was also quiet save for the sound of clashing blades.

"Famine caused War. After War came Pestilence. Once the disease spread, Death followed and no one caught in the path survived," Alexander said. "We're reliving that now but through the sport of beyblading. History does a tendency to repeat itself in different forms, after all. You are the hero in this story and heroes always fall."

He could see two blood-red eyes, but no actual form. "So, you've turned the lights off. I'm not scared."

"Oh, but you should, Tyson. The Dullahan cannot be stopped. How do you stop Death after all? Can you feel it? The dread surfacing inside you? The guilt of past deeds? The sins of your past? The faces of the ones you love betraying you?" There was a pause then, "Yes, you do feel it. The weight on your shoulders. How desirable it would be just to surrender now and find that peace."

Hiro mocking him, scolding him then turning his back to leave and never return. A headstone surrounded by bouquets flowers with his name on it. His teammates leaving him one by one and perishing into the flames. A sea of the dead stretching as far as the eye could see and standing before them was a beast. A monstrous creature with multiple heads and eyes as red as blood, his teeth the length of a great sword. The creature turned its head to face him then opened its jaws. Flames engulfed the world around him, but he remained unscathed.

The serpent slithered forwards, closing the distance between them. Tyson turned around and tried to run, but he couldn't move. All he could do was wait to be consumed by the beast. He screamed. Slithering forward, the serpent lunged, and picked him up with its jaw. He rested between two fangs towards the back of the mouth. Saliva coated him, paralysing him. Unable to move, he could only scream as the serpent closed its mouth, his chest pierced by a dagger-like tooth. Pain seared through his body. He screamed again, as his body was slowly torn apart, the pain unending. He should be dead, but he wasn't. He could feel pain despite having a tooth stabbed through his chest. This had to be hell.

Tyson.

Dragoon's voice.

Pull yourself together.

He shook his head and reopened his eyes, finding himself back in the battlefield again. No dead bodies. No flames. No serpent creature. Just here in the beystadium. But something was different. Although the lights were still out, he could see the Dullahan several metres across from him. A headless rider sitting atop a horse wielding a scythe in his right hand, whilst he carried his head in the other.

The head's sunken eyes looked at him. A shudder travelled down his spine. Creepy. He was staring Death right in the face. "Once the Dullahan sets his sights on you, death isn't too far away. You got nowhere to run, Tyson. Just surrender now and I might just allow you to live."

"You talk a big game, Alexander, but I have someone on my side that you do not. I have Dragoon, and together we're stronger than anything you throw at us. Come at me with everything you have – I'll walk out of this alive in one piece." Not a bluff. His friends believed in him. That was power. Friendship. Love. The forces of light.

"Dullahan, use Horrid Wilting! Feel your life fade away, Tyson!"

The Dullahan charged towards Dragoon. Upon impact, Dragoon emitted a pained roar as the scythe plunged into his flesh. Pain erupted in his chest. He too felt the impact, as if he were the one attacked. The horse screamed then rammed forward, head butting Dragoon in the chest. Dragoon staggered backwards, the blade wobbling, but recovered. Tyson thrust a finger forward. "Go Dragoon! Use Galaxy Turbo Twister!"

A powerful wind whipped up around the mountain. It was enough to trigger the layers of snow to loosen. Though he could not see it well, he could hear the rumble of a blanket of snow tumbling down the side of the mountain onto the beydish floor below. He threw his arms out to the side to stay balanced as Dragoon moved in front of him to protect him from the avalanche.

"Dullahan, charge!" The horse charged through the layers of snow at full gallop. He swung his scythe again, this time using the flat side of the curved blade, whacking Dragoon off his feet. Tyson flew back and hit the wall. He climbed to his feet, dusting the snow of his clothes then looked forward. Dragoon charged, bringing both claws forwards. The Dullahan jumped back then brought his scythe back around. "Now use Finger of Death!" Dragoon was knocked back. His opponent came forwards and touched Dragoon's face with the tip of the scythe.

Crippling pain imploded in his mind as Tyson dropped to his knees. Paralysing agony. He wanted to move, but his legs refused to. Dragoon too was frozen in spot. "Dragoon!" he called out, but his attempts were to no avail. He could do nothing as the Dullahan approached him. Now up close, he could see the live maggots in the head and the sunken cheeks. The eyes were colourless, the skin a pale green. Some of the skin on the head was so thin he could see bone. Defenceless and vulnerable, Tyson remained still as the Dullahan pressed his scythe against his forehead.

Pain like a second-degree burn enveloped his body. Glancing down, he saw the skin on his hands blister. Pain unlike anything he had ever experienced before spread through his entire body, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He could only endure it. Within minutes, the blisters on his skin peeled and turned into a waxy white colour. The skin was ripping away from his bone.

"Scream for me, Tyson. Feel the pain you inflicted on me years ago. You ruined me."

He screamed until his voice went hoarse. His body still stung, but the severity of the pain had passed. He had become numb to it. Tyson looked up, taking in deep breaths, and spoke through clenched teeth. "You are to blame, Alexander! You were so confident that you could defeat me that the possibility of losing didn't even occur to you! You could've saved yourself if not for your own arrogance!"

"Liar!" Alexander screamed. "You were supposed to help me, but you didn't! You preach about the importance of friendship and preserving the game, but you stood by and did nothing!" The horse kicked him in the chest. He slid across the floor. "You call yourself a champion – then why did you do nothing to save me?"

The power that had him paralysed had passed allowing him to pick himself up from the floor. "If I had known about Boris and the history of Balkov Abbey I would've done something about it! But the information came too late! I wanted to go back, but we'd been locked out! If I could've, I would've saved you all, but the circumstances didn't allow it!"

"All excuses! Just excuses! You didn't care at all. You only cared about your friend Kai. Kai, the deserter. The betrayer. The sinner. He did more harm to you than I ever did. Yet you saved him and allowed someone like me to remain behind caged bars in a dungeon!" The Dullahan attacked him again. He winced, as he was struck hard in the chest by a hoof. "But you're an even a bigger monster."

Rather than curl up into a ball and allow the Dullahan to strike him down, Tyson glared up at him with defiant eyes. "Is this how you want to win? By putting me permanently down? You think that will make you a champion you so desperately want to be?" Grimacing, he forced himself to his feet. "Being a champion isn't about winning all the games. It's not about saving everybody. It's about fighting for what you believe in. It's about never giving up hope when all seems lost. Most importantly, it's about defending the ones you love."

A white light emanated from Dragoon's body. Dragoon moved forward and swiped a claw at the Dullahan, slapping the head out of his hand. The horse wailed, and reared on his hind legs, front hooves flailing. Alexander growled. "You can't escape death!"

Tyson climbed to his feet. "Maybe not, but you're not claiming me as a victim today. Dragoon, final attack! Full power!" Dragoon roared once again then brought his claws together conjuring up a glowing orb of blue. Clouds gathered above the stadium. Lightning crashed down. Thunder roared. Rain bucketed down as a ferocious windstorm picked up, combining rain and snow together.

The full force of the wind knocked the rider off his horse. "No! This is impossible! How are you doing this! Where do you this power from?!" screamed Alexander.

Tyson growled, conjuring more power. "You will never understand the true meaning of being a champion because you have nothing to fight for! That is what gives me strength and there is nothing that can stand against it!" His hair flew around his face as the intensity of the wind continued to pick up. The skin on his hands was still scorched, but determination kept him on his feet. "Everyone is counting on me, and I won't let them down!"

Strength renewed, Dragoon charged forward, and threw his weight against the Dullahan rider, shoving him into the base of the mountain. Rocks tumbled down crashing around them. The headless rider, unable to see, slashed his scythe wildly. Dragoon clamped his jaws around the scythe, snapped it in half and threw it aside. He then picked up the rider with his jaws and crushed the body.

"No!" Alexander shrieked. "You can't possibly win! I'm supposed to be the strongest blader!"

"You're not. You could've been strong, but your heart and mind are poisoned. Beyblading comes from within. Finish it now, Dragoon!" With a slap of the tail, Dragoon sent his opposition flying up the mountain. Using his strength of mind, Tyson manipulated the air to throw the blade out of the dish.

The lights in the stadium switched back on. The crowd was silent. Most likely confused and why wouldn't they be? A match had played out in the dark. The platform stirred to life and brought him back up to the stadium floor. His blade was still spinning. DJ glanced over the railings. "Wowzers! Unbelievable! Dragoon is still spinning, and Alexander's blade has been knocked out! Victory goes to… Tyson of the Avengers! The defending champion keeps his trophy for another year!"

Tyson tucked his hands beneath his jacket not really wanting any of the cameras to focus on them. Right now, all he wanted was to get out of here and get some treatment then check on his teammates. Kenny and Hilary raced over to him, smiles spreading across their faces. Hilary threw her arms around him. "You did it, Tyson!"

He grunted. "I told you I'd come back, yeah?" He pulled himself free as his blade returned. Kenny caught it then returned it to Tyson.

Alarmed, Hilary raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter?"

Slowly, he showed to her his hands. "Look."

Hilary gasped. "Oh, my goodness… Tyson, you need to get that checked!"

"That… looks horrible, Tyson. You could get infected," Kenny pointed out, paling.

Tyson tucked his hands beneath his jacket again. His hands felt like leather now. "Hil, I want you to hold the trophy for me."

"Don't forget about us, Tyson," a voice said behind him.

Kai, Max, and Rei walked forwards. Rei had a bandage wrapped around his head and, and Kai had one wrapped around his stomach. Max's wrists were bandaged up, but they were in top spirits, smiling. Rei leaned on one of his crutches for support. "You did it, Tyson. You defied the odds in only the way you can."

"I couldn't have done it without you," Tyson replied, looking at his teammates. "You all believed in me."

"I don't mean to break up the reunion, but Tyson, the officials are waiting."

Tyson glanced over. The chairman was standing just a few feet away holding the trophy. "Oh right. Of course." He walked on over then nodded at his teammates.

"Let's hold it together," Max said.

"Agreed," answered Rei, placing his hand on one handle. Kai and Kenny grabbed the same one. Max and Hilary grabbed the other side. "Tyson, you too."

He pulled out a hand again and placed it over Hilary's. She smiled at him, and he smiled back, ignoring the sting of pain. Max then frowned, examining Tyson's hand. "Tyson. What's that?"

Tyson looked. There on his right hand was a mark of a skull. It wasn't entirely clear, but he could make out the faint outline of one. At least, he thought it was a skull. If not for Max mentioning it, he wouldn't have noticed. Tyson opened his mouth to speak, but Jazzman spoke first. "Give a round of applause to your world champions!" The crowd rose to their feet and clapped. "Any words you'd like to say, Tyson?"

"Thanks for all the support, everyone!" Tyson said into the microphone. "Thanks for purchasing the tickets and coming to the matches. We couldn't have made it this far without you. You keep the spirit of beyblading alive."

DJ pulled the microphone back. "Words well-spoken from a true champion. Do you have any plans for-What was that?"

The applause in the audience ceased. Fans in the crowd exchanged worried looks. Others looked anxiously towards the exits as a faint rumble came from beneath. "Tyson, your hand." Max pulled his hand back and pointed at the mark. It had turned a bright red. Now he could clearly see the mark. Not a human skull, but a serpent head. The same serpent he had seen during the battle with Death.

"I've seen it before," he said.

"What?" Rei replied, pulling his hand from the trophy. The others placed it on the ground and the chairman picked it up again. Another tremor shook the ground. That was enough to get the crowds in the stands up and moving. Panic mode had activated. He even heard a few screams. "Earthquake?"

Kai shook his head. "No… There have been no reports of any movements in the fault line."

"Then what's going on?"

"Tyson, look!"

Tyson looked to the opposite side where the Horsemen bladers were gathered in a circle. They raised their blades high into the air. A lightning bolt struck them, and the boys were thrown back, their blades flying out of their hands and shattering into pieces. Four pillars of light burst skywards up into the clouds merging into one. A clap of thunder prompted a few more fans to scream.

"It seems like we've been hit by a real storm," DJ Jazzman said. "Please listen to the security guards in each section! They will guide you to safety! We ask that you remain calm while we assess the situation!" He moved away from the team to help give directions to ground staff.

"Something isn't right. We won the battle," Kai said.

"Battle is far from over, Kai."

Tyson glanced over his shoulder. Much to his surprise, Brooklyn was walking towards him. He was accompanied by Robert and Ozuma. "Brooklyn. Robert. Ozuma too. What are you three doing?"

"You won the battle, but you haven't won the war," Brooklyn said. "Show me your hand."

Tyson did though he was reluctant. "What do you know?"

"That's the Mark of the Beast. You've been touched by the devil himself, Tyson."

Tyson drew his hand back and covered it under his jacket again, unnerved. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Brooklyn frowned. "It's a symbol. I've seen it before in my dreams when I saw him. I can't imagine it's a good one. You were probably touched by Death himself."

Ozuma frowned. "I could ask the Elders. They may have seen something like it before."

"Tao too. I'm sure there has to be some writing in our tribe's history books," Rei supplied.

Their conversation was interrupted by another violent tremor. The horsemen bladers remained unconscious on the floor. Medical staff hurried over to them to carry the boys away on stretches, but the quaking ground didn't allow for it. Ozuma craned his neck up. His jaw dropped. "That's not normal."

Tyson looked up. The sky had turned a brilliant bright shade of orange. It was almost as if the clouds had somehow gotten caught alight. "…We should get out of here."

"That's one of the smartest things I've heard you say, Tyson," Robert said.

"Come on, let's go!" Kai said, motioning for the rest of them to head towards the safety of the halls. Unfortunately, they didn't manage to cover much ground when the earth split before them. Tyson clutched his marked hand feeling a burning sensation. "Tyson, come on, we have to keep moving!"

Parts of the stadium started to fall. A slab of the ceiling caved in and dropped down. Fans scattered, but a few were unable to get out in time and were crushed. Screams broke out. He even heard people crying. Complete chaos. The crack before them widened. "We have to jump now," Rei said, making a running leap. He jumped over. Max followed. Soon, everyone had made the jump but Hilary and Kai.

Tyson dropped to his knees as the pain in his hand worsened. "…Go. Get out of here," he said in between deep breaths. "Save yourselves."

"I'm not leaving you Tyson," Hilary said, kneeling beside him. "I told you I never would unless you asked me too."

Another crack appeared. Other parts of the stadium collapsed. People were running in all sorts of directions desperately trying to find an exit not realizing they were worsening the situation. Blockages occurred. He could hear security shouting at people trying to direct the traffic in one direction, but their attempts failed. The crowd was panicked.

"Kai, make the jump!" Rei said, holding out a hand.

Kai spared a look at Tyson and shook his head. "I'm staying here. Get out of here Rei. Take the others with you and leave."

"He's right. We'll get crushed out here," Robert said. "I can take you all to my private jet, but we must hurry." Brooklyn and Ozuma nodded, turning to leave with Robert. Rei, Max, and Kenny stayed behind.

"What are you idiots doing? Leave!" Kai snapped.

"Not without you! We're a team!" Max called back.

"We're not leaving, Tyson," Hilary said, looking at him. "I won't."

He looked into Hilary's eyes. "Hil, listen to me. You have to get out of here." He lowered his gaze to his hands then looked up again. "I don't know what's happening to me. I'm cursed. Who knows what kind of danger I am in? Save yourself. Please."

She shook her head. "Don't tell me to leave."

He raised his hands and cupped her chin with both. "Hil, you have to. Please. Do it for me."

Parts of the stadium floor caved in. More screams rang out through the building. "Come on, make the jump!" Rei called.

"We're here to help!" Max added. Both had their arms stretched out.

Rocks of fire smashed through the ceiling. Flames lapped at the windows. It was like hell on earth. A few more people were crushed beneath the weight of rubble. Their screams would forever remain in his nightmares. What he had seen during the battle was becoming a reality. Death had given him a glimpse of what was to come. Perhaps the plan was to lose all along.

A single tear rolled down her cheek. "Tyson…"

"Go. I won't say it again."

"You stupid buffoon!" she cried, squeezing her eyes shut. "…You self-centred pig!"

She was angry. Understandable. If he were in her position, he'd be mad too. He leaned in forward and brought her closer in towards him. Within seconds, his lips met with hers. She reacted, parting her lips, a surprised moan leaving her throat. Her hand gripped the sleeve of his jacket as she pulled him in closer. He pulled back several moments later, slightly flustered. "…Now go. Save yourself."

"Come on, Hilary!"

"Promise me you'll come back to me."

"I promise."

She gave him one parting look then jumped across the opening into the open arms of Rei. "Kai, Tyson. Your turn," Max said.

"They're not going to do it," Rei said, looking slightly rattled. He then narrowed his eyes. "This is suicide! You'll die if you stay here! Don't be foolish!"

The crack further widened. Kai peered over the ledge then pulled back just as flames burst upwards. He felt another tremor shake the stadium as a crack appeared directly beneath his feet. He looked at Kai. Kai looked back and nodded. Tyson grabbed his arm then looked towards the flames. Hilary, Max, Rei and Kenny. "Stay strong," he said.

The ground gave way. Down they plummeted into the blackness below, Hilary's screams being the last thing he remembered.

.

His back hit the ground. He grunted then forced himself upright. Kai was already standing. Tyson climbed to his feet and looked around. They were standing on a single platform with nothing but lava pools around them, stretching as far as the eyes could see. Tornadoes made of fire moved back and forth across the lava.

"I guess this must be Purgatory," Kai said. "Heh. We fell through some other dimension."

"I was thinking Hell," Tyson said, dusting himself of the dirt.

Kai shook his head. "That's a human version of Hell. We're not dealing with humans." Kai wandered over to the ledge to admire the odd scenery. "The power of the Leviathan. Defeating the four Horsemen must've unleashed his full power somehow. Just goes to show how little we truly know about bitbeasts."

Tyson followed him. "Why'd you stay Kai? You could've jumped too."

"We both know there's only one way to end this."

"What do you mean, Kai?"

"This is our chance to seal away the Leviathan again."

He frowned. "…You mean…"

Kai nodded. "Our bitbeasts are sacred. It was their power that locked the Leviathan away. We need to do that again."

"If that's true we need the entire team here."

Kai shook his head. "Not true. Our bitbeasts are much stronger than they were. One will be enough." He took another step towards the ledge. Was he thinking of jumping? Tyson grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "Tyson, let go. You know this is how it has to be."

"…No. It doesn't. We can find another way to defeat the Leviathan."

"Don't be foolish, Tyson. You know this is the only way. I've played my role. Now you have to play yours."

He seemed strangely calm about the whole situation. It was almost as if he had been thinking of this for a while now. Anger poured through him. He made a fist and punched Kai across the jaw. Kai didn't fight back. "And you call me stupid! Are you insane? We need you, Kai! I need you!" He wanted to hit Kai again, but Kai's refusal to fight back dampened his mood.

"I told you. I've played my part in this story. All my life all I ever wanted was to be the best blader the world has ever seen, but you've proved me wrong. I became the captain of the Bladebreakers to guide you but also to understand you better. You've always been my rival, Tyson. You're the one opponent that I can accept losing to because I know I can't ever beat you. That's why we leave you, Tyson. Not out of hatred nor of spite. Because we want to be your equal."

Tyson frowned, struggling to make sense of what Kai was saying. Surely, he was going mad? Maybe the heat was doing something to his head. "I'm not going to allow you to die on my behalf, Kai. This… noble sacrifice isn't your decision to make. What kind of a friend would I be to watch you fall?"

"That's why you're needed, Tyson. The world needs more people who share your spirit. The Leviathan will be sealed away, but his powers will still pose a threat. You saw the light being released into the world. Douglas might be dealt with, but he's not our only enemy. More await us in the shadows. The bladers need a leader – that's where you come in."

Kai was making crazy talk. There was no way he could be thinking of sacrificing himself for the greater good. He bit down on his bottom lip. "I can't do this without you, Kai. You've always been there for me. Without you, I wouldn't be the blader I am today."

"I'm trying to make things right, Tyson. To make up for the sins I've committed throughout my life." He turned back to the flames and looked up upwards at the ceiling. "I can never make up for the hurt I've brought upon people, but I can save lives. I'll seal the passageway. You and Dragoon can get out of here. When it's all over, one day you can return and free me, but right now your duties are elsewhere. Worry about me later. I think that Mark on your hand will show you how to find me again."

Towards the distance, he saw a shadow peeking around the corner. The serpent. "Dammit Kai. You know I don't like making difficult choices."

Kai cracked a smile. "You better get used to it, Tyson. Now get out of here."

He could see Kai wasn't going to change his mind. The man was even more stubborn than himself. "I will free you, Kai. You know I will."

"Spare me the corny commentary. I don't want to see your ugly mug." He spared a grin to show he was joking. "I know you'll come back."

Tyson smiled. He dropped a hand to his pocket and pulled out his blade and launcher. His injured hands made it difficult however and he dropped them on the floor. Kai walked over and picked them up. He loaded the blade onto the launcher then inserted the cord. "What do you want me to tell the others?"

"That I died a hero and not to mourn." He launched the blade. Dragoon appeared within seconds. "I will return from the ashes."

Tyson climbed into Dragoon's back and grabbed onto the scales. Kai acknowledged him a nod then turned back towards the shadow approaching. He launched his blade into the flames. "Give him hell, Kai." Dragoon flew up through the hole just as Dranzer emerged. Kai jumped onto his phoenix and the two flew towards the shadow after causing the ceiling to cave. "Hang on until I return."

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