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Chapter Text

BC Sol's training gym was as lively as ever. Bladers were hard at work, battling and practicing.

"Let it... RIP!" Valt shouted, sending his partner flying into the stadium. Kit did the same, and his lighting bey, Gust Knight, rushed towards the center.

"RUSH LAUNCH!" Valt yelled.

His partner got the message and unleashed a barrage of attacks, but Gust night held firm.

"Gust launch!" Kit ordered, and a tornado of wind overtook the center of the stadium, reflecting Valtryek's attacks before the powerful attack type could even get close.

"We're not finished, FLASH LAUNCH!" Valt ordered. Valtryek raced up the stadium, hooking the rim, and began to rocket around in circles.

Valtryek slammed into the wall, the rubber on its layer absorbing the impact. Valtryek ricocheted off the stadium wall and began charging towards its opponent.

"BRAVE SWORD!"

Valtryek cut through the wind, slammed into the opposing bey, and sent it flying into the air. Gust Night burst as it flew upward, the pieces falling to the floor.

Kit groaned in defeat as he picked his partner up and Valt chuckled.

"You're new lighting bey is impressive." He complimented. Kit smiled as he held his put back together partner out.

"Thanks! I'm pretty lucky BC Sol has such a great workshop though!" Kit replied.

"Yeah, we all are," Valt admitted. "But it's let us bring the very best out of our partners! Hey, remind me what parts you ended up deciding on?"

"Here," Kit said as he put Gust Knight in Valt's hand. "I used the Chassis 1S, with Forge Disc 7, and topped it all off with Revolve!"

"I like it," Valt complimented as he examined the bey. "Nice and stable! I bet this thing could spin forever!"

"Wanna test that theory?" Kit asked playfully. Valt tossed his partner back, which he caught with one hand before holding up his launcher. Valt held his out as well, and with another countdown, they sent their beys flying into the stadium.

 

A plane flew high in the sky, passing over the city. A lone person on a grassy hill watched that plane fly away.

They gripped his bey in his hand. He could almost feel their eyes staring down at them from the window.

As soon as the plane was out of sight, the lone blader turned on their heel and began to walk into the forest.

The leaves rustled around them, branches swaying in the wind. The sound of their shoes softly making contact with the dirt drifts up to their ears.

Suddenly, a bush rustled behind them. They froze and turned quickly.

It turned out to be only a dear, but they let out a breath they didn't know they had been holding. Their grip eased on their bey. There were indents left in their hand from their partner's blades that had pressed up against their skin.

The dear tilted its head at the mysterious blader, and for a second said blader almost wondered if it could see through their mask.

They turned away. That had to be too crazy to be true. Besides, they had to focus. There was one blader they had to find as instructed.

"Free!"

Their head snapped up as the voice cut through the air, scaring birds from the trees. Through the trees, they could see the figure of someone wearing blue running along a path.

 

Valt ran along the path, calling Free's name. He sure knew how to make himself hard to find.

Soon, he found Free. She was at the old ruins, her stadium shining in the sunlight. One moment, Free was calm and focused. The next?

"LET IT RIP!"

Free's eyes snapped open as she launched her bey into the stadium, her arm throwing back so fast you'd miss it if you blinked.

Fafnir raced around the stadium, rushing into the center as it spun so fast it generated a small amount of wind force.

Free was already back to her calm demeanor as Valt approached.

"Enjoying the show?" She asked. Valt chuckled.

"Just impressed you still can escalate from zero to one hundred and back like it's nothing," Valt replied. "You down to battle? Kit and I were training but he got called away for something."

"Sure," Free said, shrugging. The two bladers got into position, but neither of the two noticed someone watching from the trees.

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"LET IT RIP!"

Both lighting beys hit the stadium hard, before moving around almost as fast as their namesake.

"Alright, Rush launch!" Valt ordered. Valtryek obeyed, slamming into Fafnir and knocking it back.

"Don't let him dig his heels in partner!" Valt ordered, and Valtryek kept pushing, knocking Fafnir away from the center every time it tried to make a move.

Free smiled and waited until it was her time to strike.

"Mirage Claw!" She commanded.

Valtryek knocked Fafnir back again, and this time, charged down towards the center hard. It slammed into Valtryek at top speed.

A dark shadow-like energy appeared around Fafnir as it unleashed its move. Combined with the power of the chassis that was set to counter mode, Valtryek was sent flying.

"Hang in there partner!" Valt yelled. Valtryek hit the stadium wall, barely holding on before regaining its balance.

"Alright!" Valt whooped.

The mysterious blader watched from the trees with a fierce intensity. This made their blood boil as they watched the beys battle, exchanging heavy blows.

"NOTHING BREAK!"

"FLASH LAUNCH!"

Both Beys unleashed their fastest moves, rocketing around the stadium before colliding around the rim. The two clashed for a second, before they were both sent flying.

Fafnir hit the ground a moment before Valtryek. Valt let out a victory whoop, before smiling at Free.

"Great battle man!"

"You too," Free agreed, picking up her partner. Suddenly, Valt's stomach growled. The blue blader chuckled in embarrassment, rubbing the back of his head.

"You wanna go grab something to eat?" Valt asked. Free just shook her head.

"Later," She replied. "Right now, I'm training some more. "Valt just nodded and turned to leave.

"See you later then- GAH!"

Valt nearly jumped a full foot off the ground in fright. There, standing behind him, was someone in a mask.

They had a launcher at their side, and they were holding something in their hand. They wore a white sleeveless vest, with golden trim.

And that mask, Valt could've sworn he'd seen it somewhere before. It sent chills down his spine.

"Who are you?" He asked. The strange assumed to be blader grimaced before speaking.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He said, voice deep. It didn't fit him though, considering he looked to be no taller than Hikaru. It was strange.

"Yes, I would very much like to know." Free cut in bluntly. "And, furthermore, I'd like to know why you're out here watching us battle."

The blader gripped whatever was in their hand tighter, gritting their teeth.

"Fine." He grumbled, reaching for their launcher with their left hand. "Free Dela Hoya, and Valt Aoi, My name is Golden Eye! And I challenge you both to a battle!" He declared as they held their launcher out in front of him.

"G- golden eye!?" Valt gasped. He hadn't heard a name like that since-

The snake pit.

Shadow bladers.

This was an honest to god shadow blader standing in front of him. Valt immediately felt a nervous sweat building on his forehead.

"You're not the real Golden Eye," Valt replied. "I saw his bey get shattered by Spryzen."

"I have no correlation with him." Gold Eye replied, irritation growing in his voice. "Now tell me, are you just gonna stand there or are you gonna battle me?"

Valt could tell he was losing patience, and so many alarm bells were ringing in his head. But before he could answer-

"Sure,"

Valt stared at Free, who walked around the stadium to the other side.

"You coming Valt?" He asked plainly.

Valt nodded and ran to join Free on herside of the stadium. Their mystery opponent readied himself on the other side, slamming his Bey onto his launcher.

Valt could tell something was off about the bey on Gold Eye's launcher, but he couldn't place it.

He glanced over to Free.

The blonde didn't even have her launcher out, and instead, she simply held Fafnir in her hand. So that was the strategy she planned to use.

Gold Eye seemed to have noticed this, but didn't say anything, but rather just grinned as they all got into their stance.

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"LET IT RIP!"

Free gently tossed Fafnir into the stadium, while Valt executed a lighting launch. Gold Eye didn't have an overly flashy launch form, he just held his launcher out for the countdown.

He didn't need it, his Bey stole both bladers' attention as it blew past Valtryek, heading the opposite direction.

"What the!?"

Valt gasped as he watched the opponents bey thunder around the stadium, almost like it was chasing Fafnir.

A counter-clockwise spin!

That's what Valt had seen!

Valt mentally face-palmed, and he saw Free had realized her mistake too. If Fafnir even took one hit from the charging bey, he was finished.

"Now's your chance!" Gold Eye shouted, and his partner in a blur of blue and silver thundered towards a wobbling Fafnir.

"RUSH LAUNCH!"

Valtryek raced in out of nowhere and hit Fafnir with all its might. Thank goodness Free had enabled absorb mode, because it allowed Valtryek to knock Fafnir free of danger.

Fafnir began to spin faster as Valtryek delivered blow after blow.

"COME ON!" Gold Eye shouted. "KNOCK HIM AWAY!"

His bey finally managed to get a hit in, but it bounced off like a bouncy ball.

Finally, Vatryek attacked one last time and Fafnir was spinning at full power once again, taking its place in the center once more.

"Thanks Valt," Free replied calmly.

"Any time," Valt replied before refocusing on the battle. Gold Eye's Bey raced around the stadium faster than Valtryek, narrowly avoiding contact with the blue attack type.

Valt finally managed to get a good look at the enemy bey. It was silver and blue, with a hint of gold in the eyes. There were three main blades like with Valtryek. The avatar in the center represented that of an owl taking flight.

But the big shock was that it was a Turbo Bey.

'What on earth is he doing using that?' Valt wondered.

"Alright, Now! Amazing Crash!" Gold Eye ordered.

His bey slammed into a wall, before rushing in towards the center. It crashed into Fafnir, but was sent flying upward from the impact. While Turbo Beys were not light by any means, compared to lighting Beys they were like feathers.

Gold Eye's bey cut up, and Gold Eye swung his arm.

"Now, AMAZING DIVE!" He ordered.

His bey flipped downward, charging towards Fafnir and slamming into it with a powerful strike. The beys clashed for a moment, and then Free made her move.

"Nothing break!"

The tip on Fafnir's driver was pushed in, and the second the flat part of the driver made contact with the stadium Fafnir shot off like a rocket. Gold Eye's bey went flipping through the air, slamming into the stadium wall before returning to the fight.

"Valtryek, FLASH LAUNCH!" Valt ordered. Valtryek's driver hooked up with the rim of the stadium just as Fafnir did.

Gold Eye let out a war cry of a scream as a blue glow began to emit from his Bey.

"ATHENA!" He screamed, his resonance exploding around him. Free and Valt visibly jumped back.

Athena (his bey), hooked the rim of the stadium with its own driver, and took off like a missile. Fafnir and Valtryek were closing in fast, ready for a pincer maneuver, but Gold Eye was one step ahead.

"Cut up!" He yelled, and Athena jumped the rim of the stadium, grazing Valtryek as it squeezed between the rim and the wall, before cutting down and rehooking the rim.

Athena raced around again, just as Valtryek and Fafnir began to clash. The two beys held their position for just long enough for Athena to charge in from behind.

"AMAZING SLASH!" Gold Eye yelled. The three blades on Athena's layer began to glow a dark blue, before colliding with Fafnir.

The force crushing Fafnir between the two attack types became too much, and with a loud CLANG! Fafnir was launched into the air. By some miracle, it didn't burst, but it crashed down outside of the stadium, flipping and spinning for a couple of seconds before stopping.

Now it was just Valt and Gold Eye. The blue-haired blader gritted his teeth as he stared down his opponent.

Gold Eye was making him really nervous now, as a dark blue aura with hints of black began to emit from the blader.

Valt was getting flashbacks to his first world title match with Aiger.

"RUSH LAUNCH!" He ordered, and his partner went back on the attack. Athena was tossed around the stadium like it was lighter than air, slamming into walls and back into Valtryek.

Yet despite all this punishment, it refused to give up. The dark glow of resonance grew stronger as Gold Eye began to pant like he was running out of breath.

"END THIS ATHENA!" He screamed in rage. "AMAZING WING!"

"BRAVE FLASH!" Valt yelled. Valtryek whipped around the stadium rim one last time before charging towards the center on a collision course for the opposing beys, the rubber on its ring glowing bright yellow.

The two bladers shouted with everything they had as their partners clashed, sparks flying everywhere.

In a flash, it was over.

Athena's parts fell to the stadium floor as the ringing sound of a burst finish cut through the air. Valtryek wobbled slowly around the stadium, drained of its stamina before slowly grinding to a halt.

Both bladers stood for a moment, catching their breath. Valt looked back up, and despite the mask, he could tell Gold Eye was staring him down with fire in his eyes.

God damn this guy was powerful. Valt was struggling to process the fact he'd kept up with him despite his bey being two generations behind!

Free wasn't though.

As Gold Eye leaned over to pick up his partner from the stadium, Free could see it radiating off him.

"This is just the beginning," Gold Eye began as he put his partner back together. "A wave of bladers more powerful than you could ever imagine is about to take over. And at the helm of the ship, will be me and my partner: AMAZING ATHENA!"

He held out his bey, blue and silver shining in the sunlight. The sun struck the gold on his bey's eyes, flashing just as bright as his mask.

The two couldn't do anything but stare in disbelief as he walked away, disappearing into the trees. Valt slowly reached into the stadium and picked up his partner.

"What... what what the hell was that?" He asked his partner. Valtryek remained silent, as if in shock by that declaration as well.

Chapter Text

"And you're sure it was a shadow blader?"

Valt nodded. His head was still spinning from the battle before. Rantaro sighed.

"This guy certainly knows how to leave an impact." He replied.

"I'm not a hundred percent sure I believe you though," Wakiya cut in. "You seriously mean it when you say he was using a turbo bey?"

"No word of a lie." Free explained. "It got thrown around like hell but it kept fighting."

"But how?" Daigo asked. "There's no way something that light could handle a lighting bey!"

"It could with corrupted resonance." Free replied plainly. "Call it a sixth sense, but I swear bladers that use it are impossible to miss."

"They are."

The group turned to see Shu walking into the gym.

"Shu!" Valt gasped. "When did you get here?"

"Thirty minutes ago," Shu answered. "And I'm glad I did. This guy, did you get a photo?"

"I'm afraid not," Valt said, rubbing the back of his head. "It all went by so fast."

"Well we're not gonna find him sitting around here, are we?" Silas cut in. "If Gold Eye is as much of a threat as we think he is, then we gotta find him!"

"But we don't know where to even start looking, or how much of a threat he actually is!" Rantaro protested.

"See, that's where your wrong." Kit cut in. "From what I remember, Shadow Bladers trained in one specific facility."

"Kit, you're not suggesting what I think you are?" Daigo asked cautiously.

"That's impossible!" Wakiya insisted. "The snake pit had all its assets seized by the police!"

"Well who's to say whoever's training all these shadow bladers hasn't rebuilt it?" Valt asked suddenly, before turning to Shu. "It's possible right?"

"Anything is possible Valt." Shu replied plainly. "Right now it feels like everything's moving too fast though."

"He's right," Wakiya agreed. "This Gold Eye is probably still somewhere in Barcelona."

"Well, then I'm going looking for him!" Rantaro stated. "Anyone wanna join me?"

"I'll go," Kit answered.

"If I don't go you'll probably get your butt kicked," Silas replied.

The three began walking down towards the city, "arguing like idiots" to qoute Wakiya, who left to make a couple calls, leaving Free, Shu, and Valt alone in the gym.

"He's doing it again."

Valt turned to Free, who gestured to Shu, who seemed to be starting at one of his hands like he was lost in thought.

"You might wanna take care of that," She said.

Shu continued staring at his hand. It shook a bit. His head felt like it was pounding as memories rushed back.

For a moment, it felt like the rook around had shifted in the corner his eye, his outfit completely changing.

'It's not real. It's not real.' He tried to tell himself, but he felt like it was realer than it had ever been. He kept staring at his hand, where Reqreiuem Spryzen had appeared. When had that happened?

"Shu? Shu!"

Shu's head snapped up as he heard Valt's voice cut through the illusion.

"You good?" Valt asked. Shu tried to put on a brave face.

"I'm fine," He said plainly. Valt just shook his head.

"You were putting on the mask again, weren't you?" He asked calmly. Shu sighed, and leaned against the gym wall. Valt followed suit.

"You wanna talk about it?" He asked.

"I never do," Shu replied plainly. "But it never gets better if I don't."

Free quickly made her leave. It wasn't her business to be ease dropping on Shu's private conversations with Valt.

There was silence in the gym for a minute between the two bladers. Valt sat Valtryek on the ground next to him, and Shu slowly pulled out Spyzen, carefully placing it next to Valtryek so the two were touching.

Shu was thankful he had his best friend by his side. Whenever he was putting in the mask, as Valt called it, he was usually there to keep him grounded.

"You know," He began. "The Snake Pit was terrible in hindsight. But in the moment..." He paused before shivering. "In the moment, I thought I was unbeatable in my quest for power, and it was only after you got through to me that I realized I did things I wished I could've taken back."

"Hey, you apologized for it, didn't you?" Valt replied.

"Yes, but it still hurts me to this day." Shu slammed his eyes shut tightly. "And I can't help but think if there's another blader out there, walking that same dark path I did... I just can't let that happen!"

Shu felt Valt put his hand on his shoulder. Shu opened his eyes and found the blue haired attack type blader smiling.

"You're right, you won't! And I'll be right next to you the whole time!"

Shu returned the smile. The two did a brief fist bump, before picking up their respective partners and leaving the gym.

Free had left BC Sol, slowly walking into town. She kept a look out for Rantaro and the others.

Everyone was walking around like normal. If she hadn't battled earlier, she would've thought nothing was wrong.

Meanwhile, Kit, Rantaro, and Silas halfway across the city. The three had split up, but by the time they met back up none of them had found Gold Eye.

"How does a guy like this disappear like that?" Kit wondered aloud. Silas just shrugged.

"I hate to say this, but maybe he's skipped town." Rantaro answered.

"What, you saying he's just a one hit wonder?" Silas retorted. "If he's as big of a threat as he makes himself out to be, he'll be, he'll be making a mark on the whole blading world."

Before either of the stamina bladers could reply, the sound of a bursting bey echoed in the air.

"Do you think that's him?" Rantaro asked, before realizing Silas was already running in the direction of the noise. "Hey! Wait up you bonehead!" He yelled. The defense blader took no notice.

They finally reached the source of the noise: A park with a stadium in the center. Surrounding the stadium was a graveyard of bey parts, and on the other side, stood Gold Eye.

He quickly took notice of the three BC Sol members, and stared them down.

"So, more weaklings want to battle me?" He said plainly.

"Hey, you're talking to legends here!" Rantaro shot back. "You better learn some respect!"

"How about you shut your mouth and let your bey do the talking?" Silas snapped, holding out Satomb for all to see.

"Hey, this is my battle!" Rantaro tried to cut in.

"Pathetic," Gold Eye spat. "I'll take both you idiots on if it'll get you to shut up!"

The two fighting bladers looked between each other before smirking.

"Fine, if you wanna act all high and mighty we'll show you how real legends do it!" Silas.

"Get ready to feel our full power!" Rantaro added.

Kit worriedly looked back and forth between the three as they got ready. Something told him this wasn't gonna end well.

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"LET IT RIP!"

All three beys hit the stadium, bouncing once or twice before taking off.

As Athena raced near the edge of the stadium, Roktavor and Satomb raced after one another.

"Alright, time to set up shop!" Honcho laughed.

"Like hell you are, the center's mine!" Silas retorted.

Roktavor and Satomb recoiled off each other as they dove for the center, repeatedly clashing as they fought for the spot.

"Go! Attack now!" Gold Eye ordered. Athena swept down from the outer edge of the stadium, crashing in-between the fighting beys.

All three beys were knocked back, but Athena shot around like a bullet.

"Don't stop now, hit them harder! Don't let them breath!" Gold Eye shouted. Athena kept attacking, rushing in and out, alternating between attacking Satomb and Roktavor.

"Alright, you've had your fun but it's my turn!" Honcho laughed. "GLIDE TORNADO!"

A strong wind force began to generate around Roktavor, and soon a huge tornado began to form in the stadium, whipping around as the bright orange stamina type dove back towards the center.

Athena was easily picked up by the twister, but as Satomb raced past, the wind began to catch on it, before lifting it in the air.

"Rantaro what the hell are you doing!?" Silas yelled as Satomb was thrown through the air, and chucked out of the stadium, clinking against the ground.

"YOU BONEHEAD!" Silas shouted in Honcho's face.

"NOW. AMAZING DIVE!" Gold Eye roared, making Honcho bolt to attention as he realized what was happening.

Athena began to glow a dark blue as it began to fall, spinning faster and faster as it charged towards the stadium floor.

"Roktavor look out!" Rantaro cried, but it was too late. If beys could talk, Athena would've let out a deadly screech like an owl.

Athena slammed into the top of Roktavor's energy layer, blades glowing as the two clashed for a moment. Then, Roktavor was forced into the stadium floor.

The burst was loud, and the stamina bey's parts flew outwards in three different directions, stopping about halfway up the slope of the stadium.

Both Silas and Rantaro were in shock.

'This kid is fast,' Silas thought to himself. 'And powerful! What the hell is going on here!?'

"Pathetic." Gold Eye scowled. "So called legendary bladers like you don't deserve the praise you get."

"Hey! Shut up!" Kit snapped. "You don't get to insult my friends!" He held up Gust Knight. "Battle me next!"

Gold Eye stared him down for an uncomfortable amount of time. Kit began to get worried he'd be rejected, but then his opponent silently lifted his launcher to meet his gaze.

"You've got one chance." Gold Eye stated. Kit gulped and put on a brave face, nodding as the two got into position.

"3!"

Kit adjusted his hat to keep the sun out of his eyes.

"2!"

He threw his launcher forward with as much power as possible.

"1!"

He planted his foot firmly into the pavement below him, ready for the launch.

"LET IT RIP!"

As the two launched with all their might, Kit leaped into the air, sparks flying from his launcher.

Both beys hit the stadium hard and fast, but Gust Knight bounced up and down, repeatedly hitting the stadium floor over and over again before finally settling.

"Go, take the center!" Kit ordered, and his partner did as it was told.

"Amazing Launch!" Gold Eye cried, and Athena began to unleash a barrage of attacks at Kit's bey.

"Air Launch!" Kit commanded, and soon Athena was fighting against a wind current, failing every attempt at an attack.

Gold Eye gritted his teeth as Kit smirked. He felt rage building up inside him, flowing through every bone in his body.

"AAAAAAAGH!" He roared. "ATHENA!"

The dashing attack type began to exploding dark blue resonance, and Kit began to panic as Athena stopped her assault, and began to whip around the stadium faster and faster, sparks whipping off the stadium floor where the driver made contact.

"AMAZING CHARGE!" Gold Eye screamed, and Athena hooked up with the stadium rim, blasting around at an almost untraceable speed, before charging down and cutting through Gust Knights defenses.

Gust Knight flipped through the air, hitting the stadium wall. Before it could return to the center, Athena suddenly slammed into it at full speed, knocking it around.

"TAKE IT FOR A RIDE!" Gold Eye practically screamed as Athena began to drag the poor stamina type around the rim of the stadium.

"Hang in there partner!" Kit yelled. Then he saw a dangerous glint in Gold Eye's mask, peeking through the eye hole.

"AMAZING CRUSH!"

Kit's eyes went wide as Athena ducked down the right side of Gusy Knight, and cutting back up, forcing it into a wall.

Kit felt his blood run cold as he heard a loud 'CRACK' ring out. On the energy ring, a large split began to form.

It was a miracle Athena was thrown away from the stamina type, being too light to hold it there.

Athena shot down the slope, and hit the opposite stadium wall at top speed, flipping into the air before bursting.

There was a moment of silence, only interpreted by the sound of Gust Knight running out of stamina, the sound of broken parts clinking against the stadium floor.

Gold Eye glared at Kit, before picking up his partner.

"You piss me off," He said plainly. "You barley escaped that one by the skin of your teeth. Don't approach me ever again."

And with that, he turned and left in silence. Kit slowly reached into the stadium, picking up his partner.

It felt so fragile, like if he breathed wrong it would shatter into a million pieces.

"What's the damage?" Honcho asked, concerned.

"It's repairable," Kit replied, handing his partner to his buddy. "The damage didn't reach the chip, but the ring is finished."

Rantaro began to grimace, clenching his free hand into a fist.

"That guy is gonna pay if he's willing to cross the line like this." He almost growled. The three were interrupted by the sound of footsteps, and they turned to see a certain blonde.

"Hey guys," She said plainly. "What'd I miss?"

Chapter Text

It had nearly been a week since Gold Eye had arrived in Barcelona, and during that week everyone that was and wasn't on BC Sol was on high alert.

Gold Eye had the uncanny ability to make himself known in a random area, and always slip away before anyone could catch up with him.

Several times, Gold Eye had managed to slip away despite Valt and his friends giving it their all to chase him down.

And he was tired of it.

It was evening, and he was tired. His arms ached, his legs felt like jelly, and he felt like he'd rolled in gravel for an hour.

He felt so dirty and exhausted.

The mask wasn't helping matters, because it was so freaking hot. It trapped in the heat of Spain, and it trapped in the sweat.

But he couldn't take it off.

Not only because of the promise he'd made, but because then he'd be exposed for what he really was.

He sat in the shade of an alley, cold hotdog in his hand that he'd bought off a random street vendor. It had been steaming hot when he bought it, but now it just looked sad.

He took a half-hearted bite, chewing for what felt like ages before swallowing. It didn't improve his mood.

'Just two more hours, and then I can return.' He thought to himself.

Two more hours, and then he could fly out of there.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sensation of a raindrop hitting his food. He looked up and saw dark clouds were beginning to roll in, and the rain began to pick up.

He decided to ditch his hotdog, not having an appetite anymore, and try and make a break for the airport.

As he ran through the complex and winding streets of the city, the rain become worse and worse. If it weren't for the mask on his face, it would've been in his eyes.

'Screw it, I need to find shelter.' Gold Eye thought to himself. His flight be damned, there was no way he was making it through the downpour around him.

Thankfully, he stumbled his way into a park. One with a beyblade stadium with a roof held up by four stone pillars. He raced up the stairs, taking a relieved breath once he was under cover from the rain.

He took a minute to sit, the sound of rain being the only thing that could interrupt his thoughts.

His gaze drifted to the stadium. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out his partner.

"Are you exhausted too?" He asked his partner, running his hands along the metal on the energy layer.

His partner began to glow a dark blue. As he closed his eyes, he felt the world shift around him.

When he opened his eyes, there was no more stadium. Instead he was floating in a dark void, hues of blue and faint streaks of silver.

And in front of him, was his partner. Athena, a towering owl with glowing gold eyes. The two simply sat in silence.

"Remember," Came a voice. But not from his partner, no she was silent.

"Never show weakness." Came the voice again. "Never let anyone see you at anything but peak performance."

The world shifted back to reality, and Gold Eye stood up. He gripped his partner tightly, mumbling those words over the rain.

"Never show weakness." He spat. "I'm not weak, I made you that promise." He stated to his partner reaching for his launcher.

"I told you I'd become the strongest!" He shouted to himself, taking his stance next to the stadium.

"3!"

He grit his teeth, raging building inside his body.

"2!"

Valt. Free. Kit. Rantaro. Silas. Every single one of them, he hated.

"1!"

He would prove to them what real power was.

"LET IT..."

Athena glowed dark blue yet again, and Gold Eye began to do the same thing.

"RIP!"

Athena hit the stadium floor with power and speed, shooting around the edge at top speed. The glow began to become stronger and stronger, lighting up the stadium in erie light.

---

Shu watched the rain slowly stop falling, sunset breaking through the clouds. He could see the entire city from the top of BC Sol, and yet the warm sun didn't seem all that cheery.

"Shu!"

Shu turned, seeing Kris walking up to him.

"I haven't seen you since yesterday," Kris said. "How are you?"

"Could be worse," Shu replied. "...I did make a visit to an old adversary yesterday though."

"Adversary?" Kris asked, confused. Shu just sighed.

"Do me a favor, tell Wakiya we need him to set up a flight to Mexico. We got a snake pit to clean out."

---

Yesterday:

Theodore Glass was a shell of his former self. Despite having the best lawyers on his side, he still had a few years to go on his sentence.

So imagine his surprise when a guard told him he had a visitor. It was a even greater surprise to see Shu Kurenai behind the glass.

"Well I'll be," He said slyly. "In all my years, I thought you'd never want to be within a hundred yards of me."

"Trust me, I don't wanna be here at all." Shu spat. "But I need answers. Who's running the snakepit?"

"I don't follow," Theodore replied. "That got shut down when I was taken in."

"Don't play dumb with me!" Shu yelled. "A new Shadow Blader by the name of Gold Eye is making a scene in Barcelona and I know you have something to do with it!"

Theodore just shrugged.

"If you want answers," He began. "You should go searching yourself. I've been here, with no access to the outside world. However, there may be others continuing my plans."

"Like who?" Shu asked.

"I wouldn't know." Theodore said plainly.

Shu was getting frustrated. This guy really knew how to act like a total dipshit.

"I'm only going to ask you this one more time," He declared. "Who. Is. Running. The. SNAKEPIT!?" He snapped suddenly. Theodore just cackled at his rage.

"Seems like the rage never left you, Red Eye." He said smugly.

Shu slammed his hands against the table, throwing himself up from his seat and stomping off.

"Do me a favor and put him in the tinest cell you guys have." He grumbled to the guards. The two that stood by the door mumbled in agreement as Theodore was hauled away.

Soon, Theodore was back in his cell. His cellmate simply sat on the top bunk in silence.

"So, who'd you get to see you lucky son of a bitch?" He grumbled, tossing a crumpled magazine into the air over and over again.

"No one important," Theodore replied.

"Figures someone as high and mighty as you would get visitors despite your heinous crimes, while I'm stuck with squat." His cellmate muttered under his breath.

Theodore just smirked, putting his hands together as he sat on the side of his bed.

'Aaron you son of a gun," He thought to himself, chuckling quietly. 'Let's see just how far you can take this.'

Chapter Text

The Snake Pit loomed over the group. The temple it used as a disguise looked just as decrepit as always. If not more from the overgrowth that had taken place.

Vines and bushes sprawled all over the walls and the nooks and crannies. It looked abandoned.

"Do you think the old stadium will still pop up?" Valt asked, recalling the first time he'd been here. Wakiya shook his head in response.

"I don't think so, but it there's anything left here to begin with then any thing is on the table." He replied.

Shu approached the old doors to the temple, running his hands along the worn stone and overgrowth.

"Well I guess they won't be opening the doors for us this time," Honcho commented. "How are we gonna get in."

"I think I got this," Valt piped up, approaching the large doors. He carefully ran his finger between the groves, getting a feel for what he had to work with. Then he took a deep breath, and gave a mighty heave.

There was a groan as he fought against whatever rusted mechanism held it in place, but Valt put his legs into his pull. Digging his heels in, with a mighty groan the door began to shift, much to the other's shock.

Despite getting the right door to open, he only managed to get it to move about a foot before he dropped to the ground. Shu raced to help him, but Valt just smiled and gave him a thumbs up.

"I'm good, hands just a little sore from pulling." He said cheerfully as he got up. "Sorry I couldn't open it more."

"Hey, you did more than enough." Shu assured him. "I'm honestly impressed you were able to move it all."

"What can I say, I train hard!" Valt laughed. Soon, the group began to squeeze their way through the narrow gap on at a time.

Free, who was the last one to go, on the other hand, simply just shoved the door to the side causally with one hand, causing it to slam against the inner mechanism with a loud BANG.

"HOLY SHOOT!" Honcho screamed at the sudden noise. "Girl sometimes I forget how much of a freak of nature you can be!"

Free just shrugged at the stamina blader and walked past him into the dark hall. The rest of the group followed her. The dark hall was almost pitch black, and pretty Erie.

Clink!

"GAH!" Honcho screamed. "What was that!?"

"Take it down a notch chicken!" Silas retorted. "I just stepped on something, does anyone got a flashlight?"

"Here," Valt replied, turning on his phone flashlight. Silas moved his foot and Valt squinted.

"Is that a bey?" He asked aloud. He picked it up, and discovered it was simply a layer. "I think it's... a single layer?"

"I haven't seen one of those in ages!" Daigo stated. "What's it doing here though?"

Valt turned his flashlight down the hall, and they were all shocked. It was littered with scattered bey parts of all different generations. Dual layers, singles, turbo beys, gamma beys!

"This just keeps getting weirder and weirder." Wakiya observed.

Meanwhile, no one noticed the camera tucked away into the darkness. From the security room, a mysterious figure watched with interesting.

"Looks like we've got a few visitors," He chuckled to himself. "Well, why not give them a warm welcome?"

Back in the hall, the others had finally reached the end where the old elevator doors sat.

As they approached them though, a loud whir echoed through the building. They tensed up for a moment, before the elevator doors opened slowly.

"Please tell me that was just motion activation and not a ghost," Honcho mumbled to himself.

The elevator was dusty, it clearly hadn't been cleaned in years. The group waited inside as it began to slowly lower.

Each passing moment Shu could feel himself getting more and more nervous. He could feel his vision flashing back and forth between him and Red Eye as memories flooded back to him.

Valt kept his hand firmly on Shu's, preventing him from spiraling. But Shu remained silent, the noise of the elevator being the only thing cutting into everyone's thoughts.

Finally, the elevator slowed to a stop.

'Please let there be no one out in the training center.' Valt thought with a gulp as the doors to the elevator opened into darkness.

The group walked out, and the training center looked like a shell of its former self in the darkness. Very little equipment was left, and most of it seemed to have been replaced with stadiums.

"Does anyone else get the feeling they're being watched?" Wakiya suddenly asked, addmitingly feeling a little nervous.

"That's because you are."

The voice boomed throughout the room as lights snapped on, revealing hundreds of people linning the walls of the massive room.

"You gotta be kidding me!" Shu yelled as the group began to circle up, backs to each other to protect themselves in case a fight broke out.

"You should've thought a little harder before entering the snake pit." Came the voice they heard moments ago. A man in a terrifyingly similar outfit to Ashtem made his way across the room, the bladers alongside the walls slowly moving inward as he approached the group.

"I'll admit, it was a smart move to look here." The masked man admitted. "But it was also foolish."

"Who are you!?" Valt demanded. The masked figure just laughed.

"Names don't matter here," He replied. "But you may call me Flaretem."

"Ripping off the old leader huh?" Honcho remarked, earning several glares from the bladers closing in on them.

"Oh not in the slighest," Flaretem laughed. "I'm simply picking up where he left off."

Valt glared at him, rage building inside. He had to take a deep breath to prevent himself from leaping at him.

"Now none of you are welcome here," Flaretem continued. "However, none of us want to get hurt I'm quite sure. And fighting leaves a big mess to clean up."

"What are you getting at?" Shu snapped. Flaretem just laughed in his face and snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, among the wall of bladers that had stopped moving in, five bladers in masks identical to Gold Eye's emerged.

"Beat my team of elite bladers, and you all can walk out of here safe and sound." Flaretem declared. "And of course, we have a special surprise for Shu."

A bright light suddenly blinded the group for a second, before they looked up. On the catwalk above them, was a familiar face, or lack thereof.

Gold Eye.

"You interrupted me training," He spat. "That tends to piss me off."

Honcho rolled his eyes at him, this kid was literally aura farming in front of them as he leaped off the catwalk and landed next to Flaretem.

"So, what do you say?" Flaretem asked as his team of Shadow Bladers surrounded him.

"Bring it!" Shu demanded.

Within moments, several stadiums had been moved, creating a line five wide. One stadium sat in front of the others. This was where Shu and Gold Eye would be fighting.

"The winner shall be whoever gets a burst finish." Flaretem declared. "I wish you the best of luck, because you'll need it."

Behind his back, he signaled for a blader to hit a button on the wall. Above the bladers, several cameras began to record to gather data.

While Shu stared down Gold Eye, the others looked at their opponents as they held out their beys. None of them had anything close to a lighting bey.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me!" Honcho snapped as his opponent held up a single layer Roktavor. "This is just insulting!"

Daigo got paired up against a poor imitation of his original Doomscyther, Silas with his original Satomb. Free had to blade against a poor version of Geist Fafnir, while Wakiya went up his god bey version of Wyvron.

Valt had the only real potential challenge, going up against Turbo Valtryek.

"Ready, set!" Yelled a blader, acting as judge.

Focusing on Gold Eye, Shu couldn't help but soften his cold glare. Behind the mask, he couldn't help but see himself. Lost and manipulated.

He was going to fix that.

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"LET IT RIP!"

The others had no problems with their opponents, and even Valt just had to slam his into a wall to tuck in the Turbo Blades. In moments, most of the crew had filled the room with the sound of bursting beys.

Shu on the other hand, wouldn't have it that easy.

Athena and Spryzen hit the stadium, and immediately Athena shot off like a rocket, chasing after Spryzen, who'd been set to spin to the left as well.

"Finish this in one strike," Gold Eye ordered. "AMAZING SLASH!"

"World Spin!" Shu yelled before Athena could catch up. As the contact points hit the chassis, it spun freely, deflecting the attack. Athena cut through the center before rushing up the stadium slope, giving Spryzen time to take center stage.

"Amazing Launch, now!" Gold Eye commanded, and Athena began to launch a barrage of lighting fast attacks. Athena dove in once more, and that's when Shu made his move.

"COUNTER BREAK!" He ordered, and as the rubber of Spryzen's driver made contact with the stadium floor, Spryzen shot around the stadium. Spryzen slammed into Athena from behind, knocking the lightweight bey out of the stadium.

Gold Eye turned to see his partner lying on the ground. A low murmer spread throughout the bladers watching. Clearly this had never happened before.

Gold Eye picked up his partner and glared at Shu. This wasn't over till one of them got a burst finish.

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"LET IT RIP!"

A ring out finish.

"RIP!"

A survivor finish.

"RIP!"

A simultaneous ring out finish.

"LET IT RIP!"

Once more, a survivor finish.

Gold Eye gripped his partner tightly, a slight blur in his vision as rage began to build inside. Shu watched in concern with the rest of his friend as he began to shake in anger.

"We don't have to keep doing this-" He tried to speak up, but was interrupted.

"We're not finishing this until one of us gets a burst!" Gold Eye snapped. The others could see him visibly sweating under the mask as he prepared his bey.

Then something odd happened: He gripped his launcher with his left hand.

'Don't tell me he's-' Silas thought as the two counted down.

"LET IT RIP!"

Gold Eye twisted his waist as he launched, putting as much force into it as he physically could. A loud CRACK rang out as the launcher groaned under the strain, physically cracking.

"So this guy is right handed!" Rantaro observed.

"AMAZING CHARGE!" Gold Eye ordered, and Athena immediately hooked up with the stadium, ripping around the rim at top speed until cutting down, colliding with Spryzen at top speed, knocking it around.

"TEAR THEM TO SHREDS!" He yelled. "AMAZING LAUNCH!", And Athena began revving up a barrage of attacks it charged up the slope.

"World Spin!" Shu ordered. But as Athena charged in, Spryzen tool the full brunt of the attack, knocking it back.

"What the!?" Valt gasped as Spryzen began to get absolutely punished by Athena's onslaught.

"Look, it's the height!" Wakiya suddenly said. After a closer look, the others realized he was right.

Athena was using the driver Hunter S. Previously, Athena had been sitting at normal height, but Gold Eye had clearly made an adjustment, raising the hight. This meant Athena was no longer making contact with the chassis, and was no instead attacking the layer!

"Hang in there!" Shu yelled as Athena raced up once more.

"FINISH THIS WITH AMAZING SLASH!" Gold Eye yelled. Athena's blades began to glow, slashing at Spryzen, dark resonance glowing off the bey.

Spryzen was knocked into the air, flying directly towards Shu's head. His hand instinctively flew upwards, catching his partner before it made contact with his face.

Silence cut through the air, and Gold Eye began to grit his teeth in frustration. This guy was getting on his nerves. Why couldn't he beat him!?

This next battle was gonna be the finisher. He just knew it. He was gonna make it happen. He gripped his launcher hard, not even noticing the visible cracks in the plastic.

"This is where we end this!" He declared. Everyone but Free began to get unnerved at his words, dark resonance radiating off the kid.

"Ready, set!"

"3!"

Gold Eye tossed his bey high into the air, much to everyone's shock.

"2!"

He slammed his right foot into the ground HARD, firmly planting his footing.

"1!"

As his partner fell back down, he grabbed it, slamming it onto his launcher vertically before positioning it parallel to the stadium.

"LET IT..."

Shu felt a shiver go down his spine as he saw Gold Eye's eyes flash a dark golden glow.

"RIP!"

Gold Eye launched with every ounce of force he had. With a loud CRACK as the string maxed out, the plastic casing of his launcher shattered, ripping the gears out of the case.

The two beys hit the stadium fast and hard, plastic from the launcher hitting the ground alongside as well, but Athena took off like a rocket. An out of control rocket to be precise, as Athena wobbled and shook like crazy.

Athena slammed into the stadium wall, then slammed into Spryzen before slamming into the wall once more. Athena was well and truly out of control.

"AMAZING FLASH!"

Somehow despite the lack of control, Athena managed to hook up the driver against the stadium ridge once more, launching around like a speeding bullet. The driver hit a piece of plastic, throwing it out of the stadium and hitting a nearby spectator.

"END HIM!" Gold Eye practically screamed, and Athena slammed into Spryzen at top speed, hitting it with an upper attack at the angle it wobbled.

Spryzen was sent flying into the air, and Athena wasn't done.

"AMAZING RUSH!" Gold Eye ordered, and Athena began to slam Spryzen back up in the air over and over, not letting it touch down.

"Break free, now!" Shu commanded, and Spryzen hit the top of Athena's energy layer with it's driver, breaking free from the attacks and finally hitting the stadium floor again and taking off.

"Now Spryzen, go!" Shu yelled over the noise of the beys. Spryzen began to fight back with its own attacks.

Athena slammed into the wall, being knocked off course and whipping around the stadium. Every time it dove after Spryzen, it narrowly missed.

Gold Eye began to pant, anger and rage building up inside yet again. Dark resonance was practically pouring off of him.

"This won't last much longer." Free commented.

"ATHENA!" Gold Eye screamed as he and his bey exploded in resonance. An owls screech rang out and explosive wind power began to swirl around the stadium, forcing Shu to cover his eyes with his arm to prevent the wind from hurting his eyes.

"SPRYZEN!" He shouted back, his own brighter resonance exploded. Spryzen was ready to counter.

"GO!" They both shouted as their beys collided in the center. Sparks flew, before suddenly, Athena was launched up high in the air.

Everyone watched in shock as Athena flew high, flipping through the air. Everyone seemed frozen. Was this gonna end in a ring out finish?

"NO."

Gold Eye slammed his foot against the ground, balling up his fist tight enough to leave marks.

"I'M THE STRONGEST! NO ONE WILL STAND IN MAMY WAY!" He yelled, resonance exploding even more than it did before.

"TAKE FLIGHT, AMAZING DIVE!" He screamed, and Athena began to charge down towards the stadium, quickly gaining speed as it charged towards Spryzen.

"World. Whip!" Shu yelled, punching forward, putting as much effort into it as Spryzen was.

The two beys hit each other with explosive power, Spryzen smacking directly against the metal on Athena's energy layer.

With the force of a comment, Athena shot out of the stadium, directly at Gold Eye's mask. There wasn't any time to react before it collided.

There was a loud CRUNCH! And as Gold Eye fell to the floor from the impact, the mask split directly down the middle.

There was silence as the two broken pieces of the mask fell to the floor. Everyone was in shock.

Gold Eye began to slowly stand up, reaching for his partner. Or should I say, her partner.

Behind that mask, was a young girl no older than Hikaru. Hazel brown eyes had been hidden by the mask, and her long brown hair had also been tucked away under it.

"So your telling me that dude was a girl!?" Rantaro gasped. "Is it bad that I'm surprised?"

"I'm not." Free replied.

"You're kidding!"

"I never called them a guy,"

"But how!?" Silas asked.

"Takes one to know one," She replied simply.

"Shut. Up." Gold Eye growled. "SHUT. UP." She yelled as she slammed her first against the floor, before gripping her head in frustration. Shu tried to reach out to her, but she just smacked his hand away.

"Disappointing Aria," Flaretem said plainly. "I thought you were stronger than this."

"My name is Gold Eye." Aria practically growled in reply.

"You can use that name when you've earned it again. Currently, you are a disgrace to your mask."

"How dare you treat her like that!" Valt yelled. "You have no right to be doing this!"

"I think it's time you leave." Flaretem said, irritated. "I think it's time we show our guests the door."

The surrounding hundreds of bladers began to enclose on the group.

"Uh, I think it's time we get it out of here!" Wakiya yelled, tearing out of the room.

"Right behind you!" Honcho replied. Silas and Daigo followed suit.

"Come on you two!" Free said, her composed demeanor fading. Valt grabbed Shu's arm and began to race towards the elevator. As soon as they were all inside, Honcho slammed the door close button as many times as he could.

Flaretem watched as the elevator left, then turned his gaze to Aria. She stared at her partner, eyes glowing. The loss was disappointing, but he could tell she still had much more power. He just needed a way to discover it.

Aria picked up her shattered mask, and in frustration she ripped out the voice changer inside, throwing it to the ground.

"You better check yourself." Flaretem said. "Strength powered by a raging inferno of emotion will burn out."

"Right," Aria said. "Never show weakness."

"That's my blader." Flaretem said with a smirk. If he kept up her training, he cold mold her into whatever he wanted. He was sure of it.

Chapter Text

'34, 35, 36, 37...'

Aria could feel sweat dripping down her arms as she worked her way through her workout. She counted out each pull up in her head, the sound of the occasional grunt from others in the training room being the only thing loud enough to interrupt her train of thought.

She'd been replaying the day's events in her head. How she'd been utterly humiliated by Shu in front of Flaretem. The one who promised her strength. Strength she'd worked for.

It burned away at her. Was she not doing enough? Maybe he was right, maybe she didn't deserve the right to by called Gold Eye...

She mentally shook her head, but not her physical one. She didn't want to risk anyone seeing her do it. She just kept working out.

'67, 68, 69, 70, 71..."

As she continued to work out, she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. She didn't give them any acknowledgement, but she could feel the two bladers behind her staring.

"...I've never seen her without her mask before." One whisper.

"I honestly thought she was a guy," Whispered the other.

"That was probably the point of the voice changer, stupid." The first shot back.

Aria finished her hundredth pull up and threw herself off the bar, startling the two bladers behind her. She didn't look at them though, letting implication do the work for her.

She walked out of the training room, chugging a bottle of warm water as she walked. Her hair stuck to her face, but she didn't even bother moving it. She had to conserve her energy for the nightly battles.

The nightly battles decided your rank in the snakepit. To see if you had grown stronger through your training throughout the day, and to weed out the weaklings at the bottom of the charts.

Technically, Shadow bladers like her weren't required to participate. They were more suggestions. However, they didn't feel like suggestions. No, they were like constant tests, to see if you were still worthy of your mask.

Aria still had yet to miss one of these sessions, under the watchful eye of Flaretem.

Flaretem.

She wasn't sure what she thought of the leader. Sure, he was... well Shady was a light way of putting it. And there was always a sense of unease whenever he was in a room.

But the thing was... he was delivering on his promise. The strength he promised Aria, as long as she kept working, was right in her hands.

"Ah, Aria."

Speak of the devil.

Aria stopped walking, breaking her train of thought and turning to Flaretem. He had a smug grin on his face like nothing was wrong. But she could tell there was something hiding behind those eyes of his.

"Yes, sir?" Aria said cautiously.

"I'd like you to come with me," He said simply. "We have much to discuss."

Aria simply nodded and began to walk alongside him. Despite the two apparently having a lot to discuss, he sure was quiet.

"In here," He finally said, gesturing to an open door. Aria followed him, and stayed as silent as possible.

The room wasn't crowded, but was definitely full. Some of it was taken up by employees, some of it was equipment. The large table in the center took up most of it though.

"I hope you weren't planning on joining tonight's matches without your mask, Gold Eye." Flaretem said, holding up the repaired mask.

The crack down the middle had been fixed, but there was a visible mark where it had been reconnected. Like a scar reminding Aria of her failure. She wasn't sure if that was poetic or just sad.

She reached for the mask, and took it. It felt lighter. Guess they'd decided to ditch the voice changer. There definitely wasn't any hiding her real gender now.

She slipped the mask on, eyes still locked on Flaretem.

"Now, I do hope you find a way to redeem yourself." He said. "I must leave before the matches to attend to some business, but I will by watching your moves."

"Yes sir." She replied plainly. But just before he left, she spoke up. "What about my launcher, sir?"

"Ah yes," He said quietly. Then chuckled. "Unfortunately, you'll have to work without it until tomorrow. Resources are limited."

Aria managed to keep a straight face, but felt a panicked sweat break out as he left. How on earth was she gonna do tonight's matches without a launcher?

Was she going to have to drop out? That was her only option. Except it wasn't. She hadn't missed a match before and wasn't going to start now, especially being at the top of the rankings.

She grabbed Athena, who was laying on a nearby desk in pieces after an inspection by a scientist.

Aria tried to not think about how much the idea Flaretem needed scientists freaked her out as she put Athena together while walking towards the training room.

The room was bustling as always, bladers planning strategies and looking at the rankings board. There at the top, was Aria. The number one blader, and the girl to beat.

Gold Eye sat off at the sidelines as she slipped back into her persona, gripping her partner in her hand.

"Bladers!" Came a voice over a loudspeaker. "The evening matches are about to begin! Please take your places! And remember, there's no place for weaklings in the snake pit."

And so the battles began. Beys clashed, rankings shifted, and soon it was the final match of the evening.

Gold Eye walked up to the stadium, now internally panicking even more about what she was going to do without launcher. Her opponent, seemed to be in a much more visibly worried state. She probably should never play poker.

"Bladers, ready yourselves."

Gold Eye was screwed. What was she gonna do? If only she was like one of the legendary bladers like Valt, or Free, or-

Free.

That was it.

As her opponent visibly readied her launcher, Gold Eye simply held out her hand.

There was a moment of confusion on her face.

"You're not gonna use a launcher?" She asked shakily.

"I don't need it." Gold Eye said plainly. "Now are we gonna start the match or what?"

Gold Eye could tell her opponent was panicking even more now, thrown off by her casualness about the situation.

"Ready, set!"

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"LET IT RIP!"

As her opponent launched with all her might, Gold Eye tossed Athena into the stadium.

Athena wobbled slowly as it traveled down the stadium slope. Meanwhile, her opponent's bey charged around at top speed.

'A gamma bey,' Gold Eye thought, making a quick metal note.

"COME ON, GO FOR IT!" Gold Eye's opponent yelled, and her bey charged at Athena.

Then suddenly-

"BURST FINISH! Gold Eye wins with a score of two to zero!"

Her opponent seemed almost frozen in shock. The second her bey had made impact with Athena it practically exploded.

"Wha- what was that?" She said, defeated as Athena slowly scrapped to a stop.

What had happened was nothing remotely close to what Gold Eye had expected to happen. She was hoping even with just plastic she could steal her opponent's spin. She had completely forgotten sloe bursts were a thing.

It didn't matter anyway, it was over and done with.

Her opponent watched in horror as the board updated, dropping down the rankings rapidly. Kayla, her name was apparently. She almost cried when her name stopped just one spot below the bottom rank, which would've resulted in her being kicked from the snakepit.

"Pathetic." Gold Eye spat. "Learn to control your emotions. Otherwise you'll stay weak like this."

Kayla watched in shame as Gold Eye walked away, leaving the room in silence. Her hands were shaking from the quick defeat.

Soon, Aria was back in her room and she could take off her mask. She immediately bolted for the shower, making sure she was quick and fast. She would've liked to take a more relaxed and long one, but she couldn't risk someone coming by and hearing it. That would break her cold persona.

Aria flopped onto her bed with a exhausted sigh. Her partner rested on the dresser next to her bed.

Her room was as Grey and barren as the day she joined. Nothing more than the necessities.

She should've gone to sleep, but she couldn't stop thinking. She needed to find a way to get back into Flaretem's good graces. If she failed anymore, then she could potentially get kicked out of the snake pit.

It was stupid, she was at the top of the ranks. But the danger of being left on the sidelines like a weakling... well frankly it scared her.

She reached over her bed, and very carefully slid her phone out from between the wall and the bed.

She wasn't supposed to have it, but it was the only thing she'd snuck in. And she needed a solution for this problem.

She went scrolling online for answers, and after a bit of time found one.

"Lui Shirosagi..." She muttered to herself.

That was her answer. She spent a little more time on her phone before hiding it away and going to sleep.

It was a risky move, no doubt. But if she could pull it off... well, she'd have to be worthy of her mask then. Right?

Chapter Text

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN THEY WON'T INVESTIGATE!?"

Wakiya held his phone outward as far as his arm would extend and he could still hear Shu loud and clear. He wasn't even on speaker!

"Look, they said that just a witness account isn't enough to even bother with a warrent." He explained.

"You seriously mean to tell me six world class bladers aren't a reliable enough form of evidence to get a warrant?" Shu snapped.

"Shu, take it down a notch." Valt said firmly. "As far as we know, they're probably paying off the police to turn a blind eye."

Valt was probably the only thing on that call preventing Shu from throwing his phone out of the window of his office. He was also the only thing saving Wakiya's ears.

"Okay so what the hell do we do?" Shu asked.

"The thing is, there's not much we can do." Wakiya replied. "We can't physical jump in and stop them by ourselves, and something tells me the WBBA will be just as effective at stopping it as last time."

There was a short silence.

Then down in the training center, Lain and Fubuki were practicing their battling when they suddenly heard the faint noise of a string of colorful words drift down the stairs to Shu's office.

Shu slammed his head against the top of his desk in frustration.

"I need a coffee." He grumbled. He'd been trying to back off the caffeine recently, but he was so close to running down to the nearest coffee shop.

"Shu, take a breath. We don't need you terrifying a local barrista." Valt said, interrupting the albino haired balder's train of thought.

"Never thought I'd see the day Valt was the reasonable and sensible one." Wakiya commented.

"Shut up Wakiya," Valt shot back playfully, before turning serious again. "Seriously though Shu, you need to take a breather before you hurt yourself doing something stupid."

Shu sighed. He knew his friends were right, but it still hurt to not be able to do something.

"It's just... God it's so much worse than I thought it was." He explained. "That Flaretem guy... he could have hundreds of kids, idolizing that lifestyle! I can't stand the thought of that happening."

"We won't let it happen." Valt said firmly, trying to assure his best buddy. "If I was able to do it back then, then all of us working together can do it now."

Shu couldn't help but smile. Valt had a way of doing that.

"Alright, maybe I just need a walk to clear my head." Shu said. "Talk later you guys?"

"Absolutely!" Valt replied.

"Will when I can," Wakiya said.

As Shu hung up, Wakiya and Valt stayed for a moment.

"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep you know." Wakiya spoke up.

"I'm going to keep it." Valt replied simply. "This isn't about telling him what he wants to hear, it's about saving others from the same dangers."

"Then you better give it everything you have," Wakiya replied. "Otherwise we could end up with a major disaster on our hands."

"You have my word." Valt said before hanging up.

Back in America, Shu had changed into something a bit lighter and more casual, hoping it would release a little tension as he went on a short jog.

The city was as busy as it usually was. People walked the crowded sidewalks and cars blew by. Shu eventually made his way to a small park.

He decided to take a breather here, setting down on a small bench. The park wasn't anything special, just a couple swings and a slide, complete with a small sand pit.

Shu took a gaint gulp from his water bottle, and set it down next to him. For the most part, he did feel just a little bit better. But the monumental danger still weighed on his mind.

'Take a breath.' He thought to himself. He focused on his breathing. The air was soft and gentle around him. He could faintly smell a pizza shop across the street as a customer left with a to go box. Despite how chaotic the city was, it could be peaceful.

His phone buzzed. Shu grabbed it and opened it. It was a text from Honcho.

---

Honcho: Hey, you at the Raging Bulls right now?

Shu: No, I'm out on a run. Why?

Honcho: I got some news, and your probably gonna wanna be out of a public space before I tell you.

Shu: It can't be that bad.

Honcho: Just trust me man.

Shu: Alright, give me like ten minutes.

Shu: Alright, I'm back in my office. What's the deal?

---

Shu felt his eyes go wide at the screenshot Rantaro sent.

---

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!?"

It took all of Aria's will power to not flinch as Flaretem slammed his hands down on his desk.

"None of you are supposed to be competing in official tournaments! The public at large is not supposed to know you exist yet!" He continued. "You better have a damn good explanation, because if not I might just kick you out right now!"

Aria waited for a minute, and then spoke.

"Sir, you said I had to earn back my place as Gold Eye. And I believe the only way to do that is to beat someone stronger than even Shu Kurenai. When I found out Lui was competing in this tournament, I believed this was my answer to that."

Flaretem seemed to stare holes in Aria's head from behind his mask, and she found it harder and harder to keep her composure. She wasn't sure if he would snap.

Finally, he let out a big sigh.

"I'm not happy with you, let me make that clear." He said slowly. "However, we can not change what's been done. So, here is what is going to happen."

He stepped around his desk and approached Aria. She gulped quietly, unsure of what he was going to say next.

"You will compete in that tournament, and if you perform well, then I will be willing to overlook this... incident. Do you understand?"

Aria felt herself ease up a bit, but she quickly tensed back up. She didn't want to reveal that she'd been relieved by his words.

"Yes sir." She said. "I promise you that you won't be disappointed."

"Good." He replied as he gestured to the door, sitting back down at his desk."I expect you to spend every moment training before it then."

"Yes sir." Aria replied firmly, taking her mask off his desk and sliding it on. As she left the office, Flaretem heard the sound of quiet breathing.

"I know your there." He said, seemingly to nothing.

Out from behind the door, which opened outwards into the hall, popped out one of his bladers.

"I'm- I'm sorry sir I didn't mean to eavesdrop-" She stuttered.

"Just tell me who you are and what you need from me." Flaretem interrupted. She gulped.

"I'm Kayla sir," She replied, trying and failing miserably to not appear like she was shaking as she said it. "And... i wish to join the tournament too."

Flaretem froze at this. Kayla worried she'd angered him.

"Explain why you believe you deserve the chance." He said quietly. Kayla musted up all her courage before speaking quietly.

"It's not about deserving sir..." She explained. "I just want it as a last chance to... prove I deserve to stay in the Snake Pit."

Flaretem thought for a minute. This child looked pathetic, like she could be blown over by a gust of wind. However, a interesting thought came to him.

Could he draw greater power from her? As weak as she was, it was, admittedly impressive how much she refused to give up. Even coming to him with this proposal took bravery.

"Fine." He said, putting his hands together. "Under one condition. If you drop out of the tournament, you shall never show your face around here again."

Kayla's heart skipped a beat. She had to hold her chest for a moment, thinking it was going to explode.

"Thank you sir." She said, trying to keep her voice stable despite the excitement trying to break free. "I promise you, you won't regret this decision."

"I better not." Flaretem replied. "If my new army of bladers is shown to be a laughing stock in it's first appearance, you'll pay dearly."

He gestured for Kayla to leave, and she did so quickly. Her excitement was blending with fear. But she couldn't think about that now. All she could think about was not messing this up, and that meant training.

Both girls had light fires in them, but both were different in many ways.

Neither of them knew the hell this would unleash.

Chapter Text

It had taken hours of Valt talking to Shu to convince him not to abandon his duties as the leader of the Raging Bulls. Even so, Shu would be watching the broadcast.

He nervously tapped the table as he scanned the planned battles on his phone. The tournament would be using a bracket style to determine who would advance.

"Welcome ladies and gentleman, to the Tokyo pro series blading tournament!" Hanami boomed on TV. "The competition is going to be fierce, as we see old and new faces alike! All competeting for the chance at a humongous prize!"

The screen changed to show stacks of cash, stadiums, and all sorts of equipment.

Shu couldn't help but feel slightly sicked at the cheery and upbeat atmosphere. The idea of Flaretem getting his hands on all of that equipment... he'd definitely use it to continue abusing those kids.

"The first match will begin in thirty minutes, and I can't wait to see these bladers and action!" Hanami went on. "The fire within these bladers is about to light up the world! Let's watch these sparks fly!"

---

Back in Japan, Valt looked over the bracket. He could individually look over each blader and their bey information with Rantaro, and they were using their time the best they could.

"So looks like she's using Forge 12," Honcho observed. "Strange choice. Isn't that among the lightest?"

"Yeah but it makes the bey quick." Valt replied. It's how I managed to keep the world title during the beginning of the Turbo Era."

"And who's that next to her?"

Valt looked in closer.

"Kayla," He read. "She must be another one of Flaretem's bladers."

It looked like they were both under the same organization, simply called "The Snakes". Subtle. Right?

"Bladers," Boomed a voice over the building intercom. "A reminder that matches will begin in fifteen minutes."

"We can't focus on this anymore." Honcho said. "We need to take a look at our opponents so we can prepare."

Valt sighed, but complied, switching over to the info on his and Honcho's opponents. He knew that if they wanted a chance at stopping The Snake Pit they needed to actually be able to go up against Gold Eye.

Time flew by, and soon it was time for the first match. Valt and Honcho waited in the stands, nervous.

"Valt, Rantaro!" Cane a voice, and Valt turned just in time to see a certain dragon blader tackling them with a hug.

"Dante!" He chuckled. "How you doing buddy?"

"Wonderful!" Dante said excitedly. "Me and the Victories are taking on this tournament together!" He explained.

"Well, I hope we can battle together!" Valt said. Suddenly, the lights went dim. And Hanami's voiced boomed over the stadium.

"Ladies and gentleman, the beginning of the Tokyo Pro Series tournament is upon us! Let the battles begin!"

The group watched as the first bladers entered the stage. And immediately the attention was on a certain fiery haired blader. Lui Shirosagi.

Lui wiped the floor with his opponent, winning 4-0. The usual reminder he wasn't here to play around.

And with that, bladers began to clash. Sparks flew, beys burst, and points were counted. Finally, the end of the first half of the bracket approached.

Valt watched the big screen intensely as it began to load up the match up. His heart both dropped and skipped a beat when he saw who was going up next.

"Ladies and gentleman, the tournament isn't even a quarter of the way done and I'm already getting more excited than I can handle!" Hanami practically screamed in excitement, shouting into his mic.

"The final match of the day, is the defensive master Arman Kusaba, and the mysterious masked blader: Gold Eye!"

Valt tensed up as he watched the two approach the bey stadium in the center. Dante, unaware of what was going on, was losing his mind.

"Wow! She looks so cool!" Danye gasped. "GO ARMAN! TAKE HER DOWN!"

Arman smirked as he heard Dante's encouraging words. The two bladers reached for each other's beys as the ref called for inspection.

'A turbo bey, huh?' He thought to himself. 'An attack type too. I've got myself an easy match up here!'

"Everything looks good here ref," He said as he handed back Athena, and Gold Eye returned Ashindra to his hand.

Arman couldn't tell what Gold Eye was thinking behind the mask, but be could he tell you that he was pretty confident himself as they got into position.

"Ready, set!"

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"LET IT RIP!"

Both bladers launched their beys into the stadium hard, and soon they took their positions.

"Already Ashindra! Let's hold our ground-"

"AMAZING SLASH!"

Before Arman could even finish his sentence, Ashindra went flying past his head, crashing to the ground behind him. He stood in stunned shock, processing what just happened.

"I don't believe it!" Hanami gasped. "Gold Eye has just finished this battle in three seconds! The score is one to zero, will Arman be able to turn this around?"

Arman picked up his partner and grimaced.

'This Gold Eye is powerful." He thought. 'I never should've underestimated her.' He turned and readied his launcher. 'I can't make the same mistake again.'

"Ready, set!"

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"LET IT RIP!"

Ashindra took off like a rocket this time, weaving up near the top of the stadium to avoid Athena's first strike. It quickly took control of the center, and wasn't planning on moving.

"Amazing Launch!" Gold Eye ordered, and Athena began to rapidly attack Ashindra, knocking it around the center.

"Bushin Guard!" Arman yelled, and as his partner glowed, it began to resettle back in the center.

Gold Eye glared at Arman, not even registering Hanami's commentary. Arman met her gaze and he could see dark resonance emitting of of her, and a sense of dread begin to overcome him.

"Amazing CRASH!" Gold Eye yelled. Athena backed off its barrage of attacks, circling for a moment before hooking its driver against the rim of the stadium.

Athena charged around the stadium, loosing its hook against the rim from the force and slamming into the stadium wall. The sudden impact shifted its direction, and it charged straight into Ashindra.

Ashindra was sent flying, but Arman stood his ground.

"It's not over yet! ASHINDRA!"

Ashindra began to glow bright green with resonance, and quickly regained its grip on the stadium floor as it landed.

"TOWER COUNTER!"

Ashindra shot around the stadium, angled slightly as it swung around and smacked Athena up into the air.

As Athena fell back down near the edge of the stadium, Ashindra once more regained center stage.

"It looks like Athena is starting to wobble!" Hanami announced. And he was right. Athena was losing steam, and could barely bounce back after every attack. Soon, it ground to a halt.

"Arman Kusaba with a survivor finish!" The referee announced. The crowd whooped, no one louder than Dante.

But Valt was concerned. Making itself clear to every blader in the venue, was a growing sense of unease. Dark resonance began to emmit from Gold Eye and her partner. Arman felt a chill go down his spine as they readied up for the final match.

"I'm going to CRUSH YOU." Gold Eye said. The sheer unfiltered rage in her voice made the Ref jump a bit in surprise.

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"Let it-"

"RIPPPP!" Gold Eye yelled, practically as loud as a war cry, cutting off Arman as he let his hand fly and his partner unleashed into the stadium.

Athena shot around the stadium, sparks flying where the driver connected with the slope. Meanwhile, Ashinda took center stage once more.

"AMAZING CRASH!" Gold Eye ordered. As Athena began to shoot around the rim of the stadium to gain speed for its attack, Arman gritted his teeth.

"You're not taking us out that easily, ASHINDRA!"

Ashindra exploded in green resonance, and a faint but familiar Gold glow began to emmit from the chip.

"DOUBLE BUSHIN GUARD!" Arman ordered, and every single chain on Ashindra's layer base began to glow. Athena crashed into it at full speed, but was deflected.

"A failed attack from Athena!" Hanami boomed. "Arman's showing why he's a master of defence!"

"AMAZING LAUNCH!" Gold Eye screamed, and Athena went on the attack, diving up and down the slope again and again as it pummeled Ashindra.

And yet, the attacks didn't do anything. Ashindra held its ground as much as it could. Eventually deflecting a particularly aggressive attack.

Athena hit the wall hard, a audible click ringing out over the stadium as the disc and layer shifted.

"Athena took a hard hit! It looks like Gold Eye is getting backed into a corner!" Hanami yelled. Gold Eye gritted her teeth at the announcer's commentary. Rage coursing through her veins.

"ATHENA!" She yelled as Dark Resonance exploded, nearly coating the entire stadium in a dark light.

"Amazing SLASH!" She ordered, and Athena went in for the attack, contact points glowing.

"HURRICANE DEFENSE!" Arman ordered as Ashindra began to wobble. Athena slammed into the rotating shield around Ashindra's disc, clashing for a second before Ashindra whipped around, clashing into Athena's energy layer.

"TOWER, COUNTER!" He yelled once more, and Ashindra whipped around, slamming into Athena once more.

"RAAAAAAAAGH!" Gold Eye screamed, resonance exploding even more. "I'M NOT LOSING THIS! AMAZING FLASH!"

"Athena's going for one last ditch attempt before it runs out of steam!" Hanami observed. "Will it be enough?"

Arman narrowed his eyes. This was it. All of nothing.

"ASHINDRA!!!" Arman yelled, and with sudden explosive power, a wave of gold light overcame the stadium, powering over the dark resonance taking stage.

"IT'S GONNA BE AN ALL OUT CLASH!" Hanami whooped with excitement. "I DON'T BELIEVE IT!"

Athena charged down, using the slope to gain as much momentum as possible. Arman couldn't help but tense up as Athena slammed into Ashindra.

"HANG IN THERE!" He yelled over the flying sparks.

"FINISH HIM!" Gold Eye ordered.

Both beys flew back, deflected from each other as they wound up for one last blow.

"AAAAAAAAGH!" Gold Eye cried. "AMAZING SLASH!"

Athena's contact points glowed once more, and with a crash, cut straight through Ashindra in a loud ring of a burst, sparks and flying parts scattering everywhere.

"I don't believe it!" Hanami gasped. "Gold Eye has torn Ashindra to shreds! What an incredible match!"

Arman watched in surprise as Gold Eye picked up her partner from the stadium, panting and visibly exhausted. That cornern weighing on him had not left, and as a matter of fact had gotten worse.

Dante couldn't do anything but sputter in disbelief. What on earth had just happened? And... what was this strange sense of unease.

"Valt..." Dante spoke up, turning to the blue headed attack blader with a seriousness contrasting the happy demeanor he had earlier. "Did something happen since we last saw each other?"

Valt gulped. No idea where to even start.

Chapter Text

If you had asked Kayla what the most nerve racking part of her day had been, it would've been the first battle she'd competed in.

It wasn't anything too difficult, just a battle against some kid that had thrown together the best parts he could from what he had in his collection.

The real issue was that she was struggling.

Every time she readied her launcher, she felt her hands shake. She could hear her bey rattling on it as the grip grew sweaty. She could feel her arms growing tense.

And yet, somehow she was wrong about it being the most nerve-wracking part of her day.

No, that title would later reveal to be the ride to the private hotel they had booked.

She and Aria were riding in the back of some private van with no windows. Neither said a word, the just listened to the sound around them. Aria was busy polishing her mask, a grimace on her face. Almost like she was disappointed in her performance that day for some reason.

Kayla looked down at her bey: Argos Telemachus. She remembered the day she made it. "A balance type that could handle any situation" she had said when she showed it to her parents.

It felt like a distant memory, one she tried to hold onto. But it was always overpowered by what came next.

Tournament after tournament, she struggled to make it past round one. No matter how hard she tried, she could never even fathom reaching the top.

She turned to look at Aria, who was now polishing Athena. A microfiber cloth cleaning out anything that may have gotten stuck in the crevices in the venue.

Kayla sighed, wondering if one day she'd ever look as unshakable as that.

"Hey..." She tried to speak up shakily. The only thing she got that was even close to a reply was a grunt.

She tried to push further, but felt her words catching in her throat.

"I- um... I- just wanted to know-"

"Are you gonna string a sentence together or are you just gonna waist my time?" Aria snapped. Kayla flinched at the venom in her words. She gulped.

"I just... wanted to know how you got started in all this." Kayla explained. "You seem... so powerful and so close with your bey."

Aria looked at Telemachus, and then back to Athena. Her own partner flashed a small glint of light, as if to say go on.

"...It's because I left my weak self behind." Aria finally replied. "I let go of those stupid restraints holding me back once I joined the Snake Pit."

The van came to a stop, and Aria put her mask back on. The back doors opened as the driver began to escort them out.

"If you want to be anything like me, then you need to learn to close off your heart." Aria finished as they walked into the hotel.

Her words stuck in Kayla's mind throughout the rest of the evening. That night, she lay in bed, holding her bey high above her head.

"Telemachus..." She muttered. "Do you want me to leave myself behind for you?"

Her partner didn't respond. She wished one day, she could her its voice like others had told her about.

She glanced over ar Aria, who was sleeping in the bed next to her, back to Kayla. Did she ever talk with her partner?

---

Dreams are a weird thing. No one truly understands them. Aria didn't even try, because all of her dreams never seemed to tell her anything new.

Her dream that night was more of a memory. She was back in the school yard. Beigoma academy. Far from the only school in the district, but one she was proud to go to.

She remembered that she always loved visiting the bey club after school, even if she didn't have a bey herself.

She remembered watching from the sidelines as future world champion Aiger Akabane battled Fubuki in the gym. She remembered how she longed for a partner of her own.

And after a couple years of saving up birthday money, she couldn't wait anymore. She went down to the research center with her design, and by the end of the week, her partner had arrived.

The smile on her face spread from ear to ear. Athena was perfect. From the layer to the disc to the driver, everything was specially chosen by her.

She had practically rushed into the Bey club the next day, and had practically begged Hoji to battle her. And to her amazement, she'd obliterated the stamina blader in 3 strikes.

The next two weeks were the best of her life. She felt like she was on top of the world, and she didn't go anywhere without Athena. She had made a promise that so many other bladers had as well: To become the strongest for their partner.

And yet, all good things had to come to an end.

She had unfortunately timed Athena's creation with the end of the Turbo generation, and the start of the Gamma Bey dominance was right around the corner.

She found this out the hard way, when she joined her first district tournament. Athena had attacked hard, but she lost against the sheer weight of the enemy bey.

She kept trying over the course of months, entering tournament after tournament. Practicing hard, trying to stay positive. But eventually, she found herself dreading bey stadiums. Her launch sat, untouched on her dresser at home. She still carried Athena around, but she never ran wild in a stadium like she begged too.

One evening, she found herself walking home. She didn't walk with a spring in her step, just disappointment. Completely lost in her thoughts.

Somehow, she'd found her way to a park. She hadn't even noticed until she was right up in front of a stadium.

The sight filled her with dread, something she'd come to hate.

"Don't you miss it?"

That was the first time she'd truly heard Athena's voice. She'd looked around for someone who could've said it, but no one was around. She looked back at her partner in her hand.

Truth be told, she did miss it. She so desperately wanted to feel something about blading again other than despair. And she could tell her partner wanted nothing more than the same.

"You hesitate." Came a voice, interrupting her train of thought. She turned to see a strange man in a suit.

"Excuse my interruption, but you are a blader, correct?" He asked. Aria nodded slowly. "Forgive me for asking, but why rhe sour look? Aren't bladers supposed to smile at the sight of a stadium?"

Aria gripped her partner tight that day. She knew she shouldn't get into it, but still...

"I... I couldn't keep my promise." She'd said, shaking. "I told my partner I'd become the strongest. Look at me now..." She grumbled, kicking a rock across the park. "I look pathetic!" She shouted in an unexpected burst of rage.

"Well," The strange man said, walking alongside her. "You certainly have a strong fire within you. Great potential." He watched the sky for a second, looking like he was pondering, before seamlessly handing a business card to the young girl.

"If you ever wish to get stronger, and would be willing to do whatever it takes... call me." He said quietly, before making his leave.

Aria had walked home in silence that evening, and as she tried to sleep, she'd wondered if this man could really help her keep her promise. She looked at the business card again, running her fingers over the name: Aaron Glass.

---

Aria snapped awake, sitting up in bed suddenly with a grimace. Her hair rested on her tense shoulders as she gripped the sheets with enough force to tear them.

She hated those dreams. The ones where she relived her pathetic life before the Snake Pit. What was she then? A nobody, that's what. Someone watching the important action from the sidelines. Someone who didn't deserve the bey they held.

Why did she have these dreams so often? Was it regret? Longingness to go back? Aria felt like she was going to throw up, but held it back. Yet, the memories kdpt repeatijg like a broken record. In frustration she got out of bed, and threw the bathroom door shut, not caring if she woke anyone else up.

For a moment in the mirror as she entered, she thought she saw a glow of dark blue light, but it quickly faded. The lack of sleep must've been playing tricks on her.

She slammed her hands against the counter top, leaning against it over the sink. She still felt sick, gritting her teeth in frustration.

"Look at you. Pathetic. Weak."

Aria's head snapped up. There in the mirror, was another version of herself. It didn't mimick her movements.

"I'd be ashamed to call you a version of me," It spat. "Can't even overcome your sad past. It's shameful really."

Aria reached forward, nearly shattering the mirror as she tried to grab the illusions neck. She didn't notice the dark resonance surrounding her, wrapping around her hands like claws.

Her faker just stuck its tongue out before fading away, her reflection returning to the mirror, but the voice not fading.

"You know, you could be as powerful as me. You got the drive... but not the commitment to be as strong as me."

Aria thundered out of the bathroom, stomping against the floor of the hotel, and grabbing her mask before leaving the hotel room.

"Get out of my god damn head." She growled as she walked down the hall, throwing open the door to the gym. She spent the next hour lifting weights to take her mind off the sickening feeling in her stomach.

Unbeknownst to her, Aaron Glass watched from behind the glass door. A wicked smile on his face beneath the Flaretem mask.

Eventually, Aria left the gym and went back to her room.She threw herself under the covers and tried to go back to sleep, but it was a long time coming.

Chapter Text

It was day 2 of the tournament. As bladers and fans flooded the venue, there was a mix of emotions. Excitement mixed with a sense of dread weighing on the back of everyone's mind after the ending battle of yesterday.

Still, most people didn't let it sour their mood. It was still exciting!

As bladers prepared themselves in the locker rooms, most of them were buzzing with energy. Kayla however, was a nervous wreck. She chugged an entire water bottle in one go trying to calm her nerves.

It didn't help. If anything, it just increased the feeling she was gonna throw up. She hadn't even entered the battle yet and she could already feel herself sweating.

She looked over. Aria was putting her launcher together. Grip first, launcher second, then beylogger on top. Kayla gulped and tried to do the same thing, but her hands continued to shake.

"Attention bladers!" Boomed a voice over the loudspeakers. "It is time for the first match of the day. Those on the schedule should now begin making their way on stage."

Kayla gulped. That was her call. She looked around for any form of reassurance, but no one even bothered looking at her.

The hall to the stage felt like it stretched on for eons. Her footsteps echoed in her head.

She held Telemachus in her hand and stared at her partner as she walked. The four main contact points, resembling dogs, felt smooth to the touch.

"Wow! That's such a cool bey!"

In a moment, Telemachus had disappeared from Kayla's hand. She looked up in shock to see a young boy with ondr hair about her age admiring her bey with a sparkle in his eyes.

"It looks so cool! And so well made! Did you make this yourself!?" He asked, turning to face Kayla, who immediately jumped in fright at the fully red face she was met with.

"Oops- sorry bout that!" The kid said, immediately backing out of her face and rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "The name's Dante Koryu. What's yours?"

Kayla struggled to get out words. This kid was so much.

"Dante? You over here?"

Kayla froze in shock as she saw Valt Aoi walk around the corner. A blading legend. What was he doing here!?

"I- uh- IGOTTAGO!" Kayla blurted and grabbed Telemachus from Dante's hand and rushed past him and Valt, much to their confusion.

"What was all that about?" Dante asked.

"Not sure," Valt replied. "But we'd better hurry up to the stands, the match is about to start!"

As soon as Kayla was out of sight, she pressed herself flat against the wall around the corner. She felt like she was practically sweating an ocean.

'Ohmygod what's he doing here!? Does he recognize me? Ohgodohgodohgod-'

Kayla's train of thought was interrupted by a last call to the stage. She tried her best to swallow her nervousness and ran to the stairs.

As Kayla walked up on stage, she felt as if there were hundreds of eyes on her. Maybe even thousands. And the cameras would be able to catch every mistake she made and broadcast it to thousands more!

She felt like she was going to collapse.

"I hope you're ready Beyfans!" Hanami announced. "Because to kick off the day we've got an exciting match! It's Fumiya Kindo vs Kayla Price!"

Kayla gulped as the flashy yellow blader took up position on the other side of the stadium. She tried to recall what she could remember from his blader profile.

"This will be easy work," He stated with flair. "You won't even be able to touch my wizard Fafnir!"

He held out his bey for Kayla to see. It was indeed a version of Fafnir, just like Free de la Hoya's.

Kayla gulped as they both readied their launchers. Fafnir was a spin stealer, so she couldn't just attack, right? So then what was she supposed to do?

"Ready, set!"

Kayla felt her arms shaking as they began to count down, her grip on the string beginning to waver.

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"LET IT RIP!"

As Kayla threw her hand back, her grip on her launcher faltered, and she suddenly jerked her left hand up.

"Wow!" Hanami gasped as both beys hit the stadium. "I don't believe this, Kayla has butchered her launch!"

She very much had. Telemachus was flying out of control, its driver scrapping the stadium floor as it wobbled around.

"Come on, hang in there!" Kayla gasped with worry. Fumiya just laughed.

"So this is the type of competition that passes for pro? Laughable." He chuckled. Across the venue, Dante frowned at his words.

The two beys dove for the center, bouncing off each other once. Before Fafnir could take the center though, Telemachus finally regained balance and took hold in the center.

"Yes, now hold your ground!" Kayla ordered. And to her bey's credit, it did an incredible job at that. As Fafnir dove towards the center several times to take its spot, but failed each and every time.

Fumiya just smirked.

"Wizard SPIN!"

Fafnir dove in once more, and then practically stuck to its opponent like a magnet, draining spin as it circled against its opponent.

"What!?" Kayla gasped.

"Anyone should know a spin stealer can also absorb power from an idle opponent just as easy as an attacking one!"

Kayla was too stunned to know what to do, and before she knew it, Telemachus had slowed to a stop, while Fafnir spun strong.

"Wizard Fafnir with a survivor finish," The referee announced. "The score is 1-0!"

Kayla slowed picked up her partner, hands shaking. She just couldn't get it together! She shut her eyes tightly as she held her partner in her hand. She knew this was a bad idea and now she was going to be kicked out of the snake pit!"

"Kayla.... KAYLA!"

Kayla's eyes snapped open as a voice cut through her thoughts. But she was no longer on stage. Instead, she was floating in a strange void of white light.

And in front of her was Telemachus. A strong king with a black and red color palett, surrounded by his loyal dogs, who sat at his side.

"No way..." She gasped.

"Kayla," Her partner spoke with a booming voice. "Do you wish to be a blader worthy of fighting by my side?" Kayla looked at her partner in awe.

"Yes... more than anything!" She replied.

"Then so be it." Telemachus said, gesturing for the dogs to stand at attention. "If you wish to be a blader worthy of me, then I ask for you not to be perfect, but to give it all you've got in every fight!"

Kayla was in utter shock. Those words swirled around her like flower petals in the wind. Suddenly, the world around her flashed brightly, and she was back on stage.

"COME ON KAYLA!" Yelled a voice from the stands, causing her head to snap up. "TAKE HIM DOWN A NOTCH!"

After searching the crowd for a moment, she spotted the blonde kid from earlier. She also saw Valt trying to get him back in his seat.

'Wait a minute- THAT WAS DANTE KORYU!?' Kayla thought as it finally clicked. She looked down at her partner, and couldn't help but smile.

"I think I get it... I've been over thinking it this entire time!" She said to herself, and quickly began to adjust the driver on Telemachus.

"Ready to get sent home crying?" Fumiya mocked as Kayla readied her launcher.

"How about we let the beys do the talking?" Kayla shot back, a bit more bite in her words than before as they both took their stances.

As Kayla readied her launcher, it felt more stable. Like there was a steady hand guiding her. And she just felt so much more energy, it was insane. In reality, that was resonance, radiating off her and her partner for the first time.

"Ready, Set!" Called the ref.

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"LET IT RIP!"

Kayla launched with all her strength, and Telemachus thundered into the stadium, whipping around with new stability.

"Alright!" She whooped as Telemachus shot around the stadium.

"And Kayla's kicking off strong folks!" Hanami announced. "And it's looks like she's going on the offensive!"

He was right, as Telemachus was swinging around the stadium, hunting down Fafnir and narrowly missing the spin stealer.

Then Fafnir made it's mistake. It dove for the center, and that's when Kayla took her chance.

"GO FOR IT!" She yelled, pumping her first. Telemachus shot down the slope, and slammed into Fafnir with all its strength.

Fumiya watched in shock as Fafnir flew out of the stadium, clinking against the stage floor.

'No, she did not just beat me in ONE HIT.' He thought to himself as he picked up his partner.

"How!?" He asked. Kayla smiled as she held out her partner.

"Fafnir may be able to absorb attacks, but its still a stamina type." She explained. "And that means there's little friction with the stadium floor, so you're easily exposed to getting knocked around!"

Fumiya grimaced. With a score of 1-1, there was no room for playing around.

"Ready, Set!"

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"LET IT RIP!"

Both beys hit the stadium hard, thundering around the curve. Fafnir immediately dove for the center, while Telemachus raced around the outer edge.

"Let's do this!" Kayla whooped. "Get in there partner!"

Telemachus swooped down and slammed into Fafnir knocking it back before it regained its center.

"Again!"

Another blow.

"Come on let's go once more!"

Fafnir flew around wildly, struggling to hold its ground.

"That's it!" Kayla yelled, a genuine smile on her face, pumping her fist. "Take that! And that! IT'S TIME FOR ARGOS RUSH!"

"Wait. What did she just say!?" Valt gasped as Telemachus began to pummel Fafnir with attacks. Valt had a short flashback to the first time he called out a Rush Launch with Valtryek before Hanami's voiced cut through his thoughts.

"Telemachus is launching an all out assault, it's got Fafnir on the ropes!" He yelled into his mic.

Another strong blow sent Fafnir flying and flipping through the air before landing near the top of the stadium. That's when Fumiya had enough.

"It's time to show you what a pro really looks like," He yelled. "FAFNIR!" His bey began to explode in orange light as it raced around the stadium.

"WIZARD BLOW!" He ordered, and Fafnir leaned until the rim of it's driver made contact with the stadium floor, causing it to shoot around the outside of the stadium.

"It's not over!" Kayla yelled as the crowed cheered, hyping up the bladers. "GO TELEMACHUS!" She ordered as Telemachus shot around the top of the stadium slope.

"The two beys are on a direct collision course!" Hanami observed. "Who will come out on top!?"

"GOOOOOO!" Kayla screamed, too zoned in on the battle to notice Gold Eye glaring at her from off stage.

The two beys slammed into each other, sparks flying as they clashed. Kayla felt overcome with a sudden instinct to scream at the top of her lungs.

"ARGOS UPPER!" She yelled! Telemachus's contact points began to glow, and the slope of the contact points began to lift Fafnir off the stadium floor, before sending it flying straight up.

Fafnir flipped for a moment, before bursting in spectacular fashion! The sound echoed throughout building.

"It's a burst finish!" Hanami yelled as the jumbotron above the bladers updated, declaring Kayla the winner. A smile from ear to ear appeared on Kayla's face.

"Did you hear that Telemachus? We won!" She whooped. She looked around at the cheering fans in the stadium. She couldn't help but feel a bit lighter, like a worry had been lifted off her shoulders.

Until she locked eyes with Gold Eye.

Her mask made her expression unreadable, but her crossed arms managed to get the message across.

Kayla couldn't help but feel a little soured by this as she walked off stage and the next bladers began to Ready for battle.

The rest of the day, Kayla watched as others bladed. Flaretem wasn't in the building today, but he was probably watching from a TV or something. Would he punish her for the mistakes she made in battle?

Finally, the last battle for the day came. She watched on a screen from the locker rooms as Gold Eye walked on stage.

"Ladies and gentleman, the masked power house Gold Eye has returned to make her mark!" Hanami announced once more. "And she'll be facing off the defensive blader with plenty of experience under his belt: Boa Alcazaba and his Arc Balkesh!"

Valt's eyes snapped to Boa's end of the stadium. He hadn't seen the Balkesh blader in ages! He couldn't help but feel worried for him.

As Boa walked up to the stadium, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. There was no way this Gold Eye was anything like Red Eye, right? It had to just be a coincidence. A stage name probably.

The two bladers checked their opponents beys as per was standard, and soon they were in position, ready to fight.

"Ready, set!"

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"LET IT RIP!"

Both beys dropped into the stadium and immediately things heated up as they clashed in the center. Balkesh held it's ground and knocked Athena back as it took the center.

"Let's end this now!" Gold Eye yelled. "AMAZING LAUNCH!"

Athena quickly went in on an assault, racking up damage on Balkesh. The sound of three clicks of damage rang out as the disc and layer shifted, and soon Boa made his move.

"FINAL GUARD!" He yelled, and his bey's shield was built up around this. Athena dove in once more, smashing into the defense type at full power, only to burst upon contact. Athena's layer went flying towards Gold Eye's and she caught it before it could get close.

"Arc Balkesh with a burst finish, the score is 2 to 0!" Announced the ref.

Boa couldn't help but feel his unease become justified as Gold Eye put her bey back together, the unmistakable sense of dark resonance emitting around her.

"I should've finished you quicker," She spat as she readied her launcher. "I won't make that same mistake again. I'll crush you!"

Boa didn't let his gaze falter, knowing doing so would probably ruin his concentration.

"Ready, set!"

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"LET IT..."

Gold Eye's very eyes flashed a bright gold as she let her hand fly out the the side, bringing the string with it, using all her force.

"RIP!!!"

As soon as Athena hit the stadium it was off to the races.

"AMAZING FLASH!" Gold Eye ordered, and Athena's driver hooked the rim of the stadium and became a blur, slamming into Balkesh from behind. "Grab it by your claws!" She ordered as Athena began pushing Balkesh around at high speed.

"And it looks like Balkesh is trapped in Athena's clutches!" Hanami whooped. "Will Balkesh be able to escape?"

"We won't let you win that easy!" Boa yelled. "BALKESH!" He screamed as his bey exploded with resonance and quickly broke away from Athena's grap.

"Don't give him an inch!" Gold Eye commanded immediately, and Athena took off after the defense type.

Athena began to slam into Balkesh over and over, refusing to let it take center stage.

"AMAZING SLASH!" Gold Eye screamed, and Athena practically cut through Balkesh as it blasted by, sending it straight towards the stadium wall.

As soon as Balkesh made contact with the wall its layer shifted along its disc, quickly rounding out as it reached three clicks.

"Now it's our turn to finish this!" Boa yelled. "FINAL CRASH!"

As Balkesh began to shoot down the stadium, shield up up a direct collisioncourse with Athena, Gold Eye gritted her teeth. This was not going to be the end! Not if she had anything to say about it!

"Do it." Came a voice, but strangely not from around her. It echoed in her head, almost like it wasn't real. "Do it and show them you're the strongest!" It yelled.

"I am the strongest!" She yelled out loud. "And I'll show you all! AAAAAAAAAGH! ATHENA!"

Athena exploded with resonance and shot out of the way with a burst of speed. Balkesh raced past, and dove through the center and up the other side of the stadium.

"END THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL!" Gold Eye shouted as Athena shot up the slope after Balkesh. "AMAZING CRUSH!"

Athena hit hard, crashing into Balkesh and slamming it into the stadium wall. The two beys clashed for a second as Balkesh attempted to hold on for dear life.

Then it happened.

The cracks formed too fast for anyone to see before the sound of a burst finish rang out, and Balkesh's layer shot up into the air in pieces as Athena shot back down towards the center from the recoil.

Boa couldn't do anything but stand there in shock, to frozen to even muster words. He just stood there in silence, mouth agape as he watched his partner's shattered energy layer hit the floor.

"I don't believe what I'm seeing!" Hanami gasped. "Athena just tore Balkesh to shreds! What will happen now that the score is tied!?" There was a moment of silence before the ref spoke up.

"As Balkesh is longer able to battle, Boa Alcabaza can no longer compete! Gold Eye wins by default!"

There was a mix of cheering and boos from the stands, but Gold Eye didn't care as she left the stage. She gripped her chest as soon as she was out of sight, feeling her heart rushing at a million beats per second.

It felt shocking at first, but it also felt... exhilarating. It was a rush. She felt so powerful. More than she'd ever been before.

"So that's what I'm capable of, huh?" She muttered to herself.

Chapter Text

Shu was having trouble focusing. He'd been trying to take his mind off his concerns by training and working on his responsibilities as team captain, but it wasn't doing him any good.

Every time he sat down to do a task, his mind wouldn't focus. All he could think about was the Snake Pit, the kids he'd seen there, and the dangers at play.

He was in the training center now, launcher in hand as he prepared himself. His mind drifted to Valt, who was in the tournament Aria was in. Was he doing alright? Did he have everything under control?

"Let it..."

Shu snapped out of his trance as he realized he'd missed the countdown and he gave his launcher a sharp pull.

"RIP!"

Forneus and Spryzen raced into the stadium at speed, with Forneus quickly taking the center. Spryzen however, shot completely off course, Shu's sharp launch having thrown it at an angle, the rubber on its driver causing it to race around and slam into the stadium wall, causing it to go flying out of the stadium.

"I got it." Fubuki said as he picked Spryzen up. "Are you alright though?" He asked as he handed the balance type to its blader.

"It's just nerves is all," He replied. But his expression betrayed his words. "Let's run this again." Fubuki looked at him with concern, but he readied up his launcher again.

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"LET IT RIP!"

Both beys hit the stadium properly this time. Forneus and Spryzen clashed as they fought for the center. Eventually Forneus fought Spryzen off.

"Emperor guard!" Fubuki ordered. The rounded bladed began to glow as Sprzyen went on the attack, holding back every blow against the heavy lighting bey.

Shu watched as the Turbo bey manged to deflect Spryzen's blows despite being so light.

"Hit it with Emperor drift!" Fubuki yelled as Forneus rolled onto the ridge of its driver and began to shoot around the stadium, clashing with Spryzen.

Shu felt his mind drifted as the two beys clashed. His mind flashed back to the Snake Pit and his battle with Aria. The beys almost seemed to be mimicking some of those same blows.

He felt his head spin, his vision shifted. His breathing became shallow as he realized what was happening, Spryzen once more shifting back to it's Requiem form.

"Agh!" He cried as he stumbled, clutching his head. Fubuki's voice seemed muffled and far as he shuffled over to the closest wall. His right hand firmly planted against it as he tried to stabilize himself.

His head hurt and he could feel sweat dripping down his face. He wanted to rip the mask that was trapping it, but he knew it wasn't physically there. His left hand just phased through it as he held his head.

"Shu... SHU!"

Lain's voice cut through his spiral and he felt his hand on his shoulder. Lain physically whipped him around and turned him to face him.

"Calm. Down." He said, firmly but softly. "Breath."

Shu did as he was told, focusing on his breathing. In, and out. In, and out. He repeated this, trying to ground himself. He closed his eyes, blocking out the sight of the outfit he thought he had on.

After a minute, he reopened his eyes. Lain was crouched right in front of him. He seemed to have sat Shu down against the wall.

"You better now?" He asked. Shu nodded quietly, the sound of clinking beys echoing through the training center as Forneus circled Spryzen, who had run out of spin power, occasionally bumping against the balance type before stopping next to it as well.

"Alright, we need to address this now." Lane said as he stood up.

"I mean, you could've said it a little nicer," Fubuki cut in. "But he's still right. This is the third time in the last two days you've accidentally slipped on the mask. And that was the most extreme we've ever seen it get."

Shu looked away. He knew they were right, but he didn't want to admit it.

"...I know," He said finally as he stood up. "I just can't stand standing by while others are hurt, no matter how much I try and take my mind off it."

His two students sighed. Yeah sure, they understood, but what else could they do? It's not like Shu could just abandon the Raging Bulls. There'd be so much chaos if he just up and left.

"You want me to call Valt?" Fubuki asked. "The second day of the tournament should be over by now." Shu felt conflicted and shook his head.

"He'd probably be asleep by now." Shu replied. Lain rolled his eyes.

"Like that would stop him." He mumbled. "You realize he'd probably move heaven and earth for you, right? Waking up at night would be nothing."

Shu felt himself getting flustered.

"He's not- okay he's not that dedicated." He said sheepishly.

"I'm with Lain on this one." Fubuki chimed in. "You two look at each other like a newly married couple."

Shu covered his face with his hands. Well, they were certainly distracting him from his worries. Just replacing it with something slightly worse.

"Alright alright, I'll call Valt!" He said as he gave in, hoping it would get the two off his back. He picked up Sprzyen from the stadium and headed to his office, face burning with blush.

As he sat down at his desk, he noticed he had a notification on his phone. It was a YouTube video from the WBBA. He never usually watched the ones they uploaded, he was only subscribed for important announcements. However, this time something compelled him to click on it.

The video was going viral, and it was no wonder why. "Arc Balkesh gets shattered!" Was the title. Shu watched in horror as the matched played out, getting more and more tensed as it played. His eyes went wide as he saw Balkesh get torn apart.

About five minutes layer, Fubuki and Lain were getting ready to battle, when suddenly Shu slammed the door open and rushed into the training center with a suitcase in hand, completely stuffed to the brim.

"Fubuki!" He yelled. "It's time you upgrade Forneus!"

Fubuki was took a step back in shock. The Spryzen blader's face was that of desperation and determination.

"Shu are you good?" He asked. "And why do I need to upgrade Forneus?"

"Because I've got a plan to get on in the next two hours to Tokyo, and you're taking the team to the tournament next week!"

"What- Shu wait!" He yelled as he watched Shu grab his jacket and race towards the door, suitcase in tow. "Shu get back here damn it!"

It was too late. Shu was practically already at the building elevator as Fubuki chased after him.

"Wait!" He yelled, holding the elevator doors from closing, panting as he tried to catch his breath. "Shu, what the hell is going on?" He questioned.

"Things have gone too far," Shu explained. "And if I don't go there and stop it, others are going to get hurt!"

Fubuki could see the desperation and determination in Shu's eyes and sighed. There was no point in stopping him.

"Good luck then," He said as he moved his hand to let the elevator close. "And don't worry, I'll give Forneus a proper upgrade and lead the team well!"

As the doors closed and the elevator began to move, Shu couldn't help but feel worried if he was making the right decision. And as he thought about it, the more he realized he'd do it over and over if given the chance whether it was right or wrong. He couldn't stand by any longer.

---

"I must say, I'm very impressed with you Kayla." Flaretem said. "Your performance has increased tenfold."

"Thank you sir," Kayla said, trying to mask her excitment. She'd never received praise from him before!

"Now, it'll depend on your performance throughout the rest of the tournament,"He continued. "But it you keep up this momentum, you just might have a spot left in the Snake Pit."

"Thank you again sir," Kayla replied, nodding her head in thanks. Flaretem then turned to Gold Eye, growing stern.

"You, meet me in the other room in a moment." He said firmly. "We need to have a discussion." He finished, before turning and walking off.

Before Gold Eye left, she turned to Kayla, who grew nervous.

"Let me get one thing straight," She began. "You may have won your match, but that isn't any reason to get all high and mighty. You've managed to set your bar so low it's a tripping hazard in hell, so you don't have to even do anything to impress others."

She turned to leave, walking out the door as she finished.

"You and I are on completely different levels. Remember that." She said as she left. Kayla couldn't help but feel her mood sour once again from, what seemed to her, unprompted agression.

Gold Eye shut the door behind her as she entered the room and turned to face Flaretem- no, it was Aaron. He had his mask off this time for some reason.

"Mask off." He said bluntly. That was an order. Despite the fact she really would've preferred to have keep it on so he couldn't read her emotions, she did as he was told.

"Aria," He began. "When I say to close off your heart, I mean that in absolute." Aria stayed silent, not sure where he was going with this. "That includes emotions like rage." He said.

"I don't think I follow, sir." Aria replied. Aaron sighed, massaging the brim of his nose before continuing.

"My father started the Snake Pit, and I simply continue his work." He explained. "However, he was foolish. He believed harnessing a blader's negative emotions would make them stronger." He scoffed at the words. "In reality, it's extremely absurd to think like this. A fire fueled on rage will eventually burn out."

Aria thought about his words. She didn't know much about the Snake Pit's previous work, but she honestly didn't care. She shivered slightly at that, but quickly got over it.

"So in short," Aaron finished. "Control your emotions. That's an order."

'Would you really give all this power up?' Echoed a voice in her head. She didn't respond to it though, for fear of seeming like she was insane.

"Yes sir." She replied, before turning away to leave. Her thoughts swirling as she put her mask back on.

The hall was quiet, her footsteps echoing throughout the building. The venue was quiet, most of the fans having left already.

"Who does he think he is?" Came the voice again. It was Aria's but it wasn't from her. She stopped, turned around, and there was the version of her from the mirror.

"Who are you?" She spat. "You can't be real."

"Not real, YET." The faker clarified. "I'm the version of you that you desire to be."

"You're just some crappy hallucination," Gold Eye shot back. "Why should I listen to anything you say?"

"Because, I'm the strongest possible version of you." Her fake replied, walking circles around her, hands behind her back. "The you that's beaten legends, the you who realized Flaretem is nothing more than a wannabe with the illusion of power. What does he know about strength and emotion?"

"SHUT. UP!" Gold Eye snapped, charging at the illusion only for it to disappear the moment she made contact, eyes glowing a dark blue, unbeknownst to her.

'You'll come to your senses soon enough.' The fake replied in her head once more, before fading out. Dark resonance faded off Gold Eye's hand, no longer resembling claws.

She gripped Athena tightly and stomped away. Meanwhile, Boa stood around the corner of the hall, out of sight.

"This is more serious than I thought," He muttered, before carefully slipping away, making sure his foot steps couldn't be heard through the eerily quiet hallway.

Chapter Text

It was early in the morning. The sun was barely even up, and the streets were as quiet as Tokyo was at this hour (I honestly don't know how quiet Tokyo is around this time).

However, Lui was wide awake. He'd started his day taking a long hot shower, trying to relax his muscles for his morning training. He followed that up by a mixed breakfast. Some carbs, some yogurt, a couple vegetables for variety, and some ham because why not? He liked it.

He let out an uncharacteristically tired yawn as he walked out of his room. If anyone else were around, he'd have swallowed it down and locked in.

He'd made his way to the gym in his training clothes, but was surprised to hear the sound of grunting behind the door. As he walked in, he couldn't help but smile as he saw the blonde dork trying and failing to do a set of curls.

"You know if you scream a little louder, it'll probably become lighter." He called to the dragon blader. Dante's head snapped in Lui's direction with a big smile on his face.

"Lui!" He whooped, dropping the dumbbell with a loud CLANG as he raced over to hug the dragon blader. Lui simply side stepped, and grabbed the back blonde's shirt to prevent him from falling as he shot past the Lunior blader.

"Still as enthusiastic as ever I see," He chuckled as he set the goofball down. "I've been watching your matches."

"You have!?" Dante gasped, giddy with excitement. "They were totally awesome, right!? Me and dragon were unstoppable!"

"They were alright," Lui shrugged as he put his towel over a bench and took a swig of his water. "But you didn't exactly have much of a challenge. The only one here that can really do that, is me!" He laughed.

"I can't wait to battle in the finals!" Dante replied. "Get ready to get blown away!"

"You'll be the one blown away kid," Lui replied with a smirk. "But that's not for a while now. I've got training." He replied as he tied up his hair.

"Oh, I'll join you!" Dante cheered as he followed Lui over to the treadmills. Lui chuckled.

"Let's see if you can still handle my training kid." He laughed.

The two began to run for a bit. A moderate jog that seemed to drag on for longer than Dante was used too. Soon, his muscles began to burn. But he kept himself moving, making sure to match Lui's pace.

Lui heard a slight grunt next to him and turned to see Dante had reached forward and hit a button on his treadmill to speed it up.

"Told you I could handle it!" The dragon blader laughed. Lui just looked back forward and effortlessly increase his own treadmill's speed. Dante saw this and hit his button again.

Lui hit his once more. Dante did so too. Lui again. Dante again. This kept going on for a few minutes until the treadmills were running at full speed. The two bladers were now in full on sprints, arms flailing wildly as the leaned fully forward.

"Had enough yet kid?" Lui asked inbetween breaths. Dante just grinned as the two locked eyes mid run.

"I'm just getting started!" He whooped, leaning even further forward as he ran along the whirring teadmill belt beneath his feet.

The two continued running, neither one wanting to give in and "lose" to the other. Finally, Dante slammed his foot down once too hard and accidentally leaped forward slightly. His chin slammed against the control panel, he fell down onto the conveyor and was launched off.

Lui heard a crash, and quickly turned off his conveyor. When he finally turned, he saw Dante fallen over in a mess of gym equipment, dazed.

Dante heard Lui's iconic laughter and shook off the dizziness. Lui was laughing his ass off, arms crossed. Dante couldn't help but laugh either, and when he finally regained his composure Lui helped him up.

"Let's take five," Luo suggested, walking Dante over to a nearby bench. He'd clean up the mess later. He took a big chug of his water as he sat down. Nothing like a little bit of good early morning competition to get his blood pumping.

"Hey Lui?" Dante spoke up, and Lui saw there was now a look of concern on his face. It was strange seeing the cheery kid so downcast.

"Yeah?" Lui replied, somewhat cautious.

"What do you think of Gold Eye?" Dante asked. Lui looked at the dragon blader with confusion. This was what he was worried about?

"She ain't much in my book," Lui said simply. "She's got a lot of flair, but that doesn't get anyone far in battles."

"You're not worried about how powerful she is?" Dante asked.

"Why should I be?" Lui asked. "She's gon up against a God bey and a Gamma bey. She's nothing special."

"But you saw the way she shattered Balkesh, right?" Dante asked, a hint of desperation in his voice as he stood up. "How do you know she won't do the same to Luinor if you guys end up battling?"

Lui was now seriously concerned.

"Kid, is there something you wanna talk about?" He asked. Dante sighed and sat back down, resting his chin against his fist.

"It's just... something Valt told me. About Gold Eye, and it's got me worried about how it could effect everyone."

He felt Lui put his hand on his hand, ruffling his hair. Dante couldn't help but laugh from the gesture as it tickled his head.

"Don't you worry your little head off." He assured the blonde. "You let thoughts like that put out that light inside you and it'll ruin blading for you." Dante smiled softly at Lui's words.

"I didn't know you could be so philosophical," The dragon blader admitted.

"Don't think much of it little bro."

"Little bro?" Dante said, confused.

Lui froze. Shit. Did he just say that out loud?

"Nevermind that," He jumped in quickly, desperate to change the subject. "Oh, and to answer your question, no. I'm not worried about what Gold Eye could do to Luinor." He explained. "And if she does have the power to reach me, well it better be interesting."

---

"Ladies and Gentlman! It's day three of the tournament and things are heating up!" Hanami yelled into his mic. "We got some exciting matchups today, so let's get started! Up first is between two blading legends, Dante Koryu and Rantoro Kiyama!"

"Go Honcho!" Valt whooped from the stands, trying to keep a smile on his face as the two legends walked on stage.

"Hope your ready to loose!" Dante called to Honcho. "Cause me and Dragon are totally gonna rise up!"

"You talk big, but let's see if you can hold up!" Rantaro replied, waving around his comically large fan dramatically.

"Ready, set!"

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"LET IT RIP!"

Both bladers executed perfect lighting launches, nearly blinding the ref as the beys hit the stadium.

"Go for it dragon!" Dante yelled as Roktavor took up the center. Dragon dove in for an attack, blowing back Roktavor from its place in the stadium.

"Hang in there!" Honcho ordered, but Dragon repeatedly hit Roktavor closer and closer to the rim of the stadium, before finally knocking it out and onto the floor.

"Dante Koryu with a ring out finish!" The referee announced. "The score is 1-0!"

"I knew there was a reason you were considered a legend!" Honcho said with a smile. Dante was just as fast as always. "But this time you can't ignore me like you did in the Tag Battle tourmament!"

"Ready, set!"

"3!"

"2!'

"1!"

"LET IT RIP!"

The two took to the stadium again and this time, Honcho was ready, as he flung Roktavor near the rim of the stadium.

 

"Huh!?" Dante gasped as dragon dove in and out of the center where Roktavor should've been.

"You really think I'd fall for the same twice?" Honcho laughed. "It's our turn now! ROKTAVOR! GLIDE CRASH!"

As Roktavor dove in to attack it exploded in orange resonance. Dragon flew through the air upon impact, heading straight for the wall.

"It's not over!" Dante yelled. "AAAAAGH! DRAGON!"

Dragon exploded with its own resonance and slammed against the wall hard, ready to unleash its trap card.

"NOW. WING RECOIL!" Dante ordered, and Dragon's blades extended as it awaked, causing Dragon to shoot away from the wall and back down towards the center where Roktavor had set up shop.

"GO. RISE. GIVE IT YOUR ALL!!!!!!" Dante screamed! Honcho just smiled.

"Jokes on you, I got a new move for that!" He laughed. "GLIDE PARRY!"

As dragon swiped at Roktavor, it angled back hard, its rotating plate on the revolve driver preventing it from scrapping as it swung around, dodging Dragon's attack.

"Sweet new move!" Dante complimented. "But it won't be enough! GO DRAGON!"

Dragon turned around, diving back down the slope and colliding with Roktavor at full power. The two clashed, sparks flying as they fought.

"HOLD YOUR GROUND!" Rantaro yelled. Dante let out a war cry of a scream as the sparks flew. Then, dragon's blades forced themselves against the three on Roktavor's ring, forcing them inward until all three were in place. And with a final blow, Roktavor burst in spectacular fashion!

"Incredible! Dante Koryu has absolutely swept this match!" Hamani whooped.

"ALRIGHTTTTT!" Dante cried in excitement, jumping up in down. "That was awesome, wasn't it?"

"Yeah it was," Rantaro admitted. "But don't think this is the end. Cause next time we battle, I'm taking you down!" He stated as he pointed his fan at Dante.

"And I can't wait!" Dante replied, a stupid grin on his face as he held up Dragon.