Episode 7:
It was already morning. The crowd was growing incredibly restless. Their cheers rang out through the entire stadium. Everything had come to this: The ultimate battle between Batal and Lukas. If the latter wins, Batal's blading career was all but finished. If he was to stop Lukas Grant's reign of terror, he had to go all out in overdrive and take the Ladon blader down! A low humming noise was heard as the scene shifted into Albert's workshop. While the bey trainer was unfortunately unable to make it, since Buck didn't do well if left alone in the house, he still cheered on Batal from afar. Albert grinned with anticipation, his eyes sparkling with hope and a sense of achievement for Batal. He had grown so much over the span of a few weeks, and Albert knew that the Bellerophon blader wasn't going to squander it. The door suddenly swung open behind him, causing Albert to gasp in alarm. An unexpected visitor? He hadn't planned on anyone coming at this hour...
"Mr. Hikari." The signature bored voice of Free de La Hoya rang out from the Golden Boy's lips. Albert gasped once more at the Fafnir Blader's sudden appearance.
"Free? What brings you here at this hour?" Albert asked, confused as to why he had come right before the match was about to begin. It was horrendous timing, but being the kind soul that Albert was, Albert wasn't going to tell Free to leave. His eyes widened in surprise as he held out his signature Sparking Bey: Mirage Fafnir, out to the beytrainer. The counter clockwise stamina type shimmered slightly from the artificial light of the room.
"The blading world is changing, and in our current state neither Fafnir or I will be able to keep up..." Free stated, his tone still showing boredom, yet a small spark of determination ignited within Free's soul. Albert looked at the Fafnir blader, knowing exactly why Free was here, though why choose him over the more obvious option.
"You seek to evolve your Mirage Fafnir into Densetsu, but why come to me? Raul is perfectly capable of-"
"Yes, Raul is. But if I want to unlock the secrets of Densetsu, I want to forge this new Fafnir with the one who made the system." Albert's mouth went agape with shock upon hearing this. A legendary blader asking him to evolve his bey into Densetsu? He couldn't believe his ears. "So... will you help me?" Free asked with his monotonous voice, tilting his head to the left slightly as Albert recollected himself. Albert looked to the screen, a small frown coming across the bey trainer's face. The frown became a small smile as Albert turned back, giving a quick nod. He could cheer on Batal while doing this, and Free was far from a novice at beymaking. He could fit in enough time.
"Very well. Shall we begin?" He asked. Free smirked slightly in response as the computer screen flashed in the background. The battle had begun.
(WBBA Minor Stadium, outside of the Neo Bey Arena)
"GOOOOOD EVENING BOYS AND GIRLS! I'M YOUR HOST, HANAMI, BACK AT YA WITH ANOTHER EPIC BEYBATTLE!!!" The announcer exclaimed, the roar of the crowd erupting from the stands. Rin, Iki, Gigi, Valt, and Rantaro all sat in the stands. Both Valt and Rantaro grinned with excitement. Their training had gone pretty well the previous night, and both were excited to see how Batal would use the training that they had given the Bellerophon blader. Rin's fists were clenched in anticipation, a low anxious growl coming from him. Lukas wasn't a blader to be taken lightly. He knew the Ladon blader was going to cheat in one way or another... Batal had to be extremely careful. Both Iki and Gigi looked to their newfound friend. Gigi placed her hand on the Roc blader's shoulder, grinning confidently as a way to reassure him.
"Relax ya numbskull. Batal's got this in the bag! He'll mop the floor with this Lukas guy!" Rin flashed a small grin, slightly reassured by this, though his worried state still remained. Batal had put so much on the line to protect Rin's honor and Roc...
'Come on Batal... you can do this.' Hanami's announcing continued once the roar of the crowd transformed into a small whisper. The announcer pointed his left arm towards the right side of the arena: The red corner. The doors to the darkened hallway slid open, a small hiss coming from them as a small amount of smoke came from small machines next to them.
"IIIIN THE RED CORNER: ITS A BLADER THAT HAS SPRUNG UP FROM NOWHERE! Some call him a "New Hero" of beyblade, and with his near unrivaled love of blading he's going to give us a spectacular show! Its Batal Hiro with his bey: Heroic Bellerophon!!!!!!" Rin scoffed slightly at the mention of the new hero title.
'A hero? That klutz?! HA!' His voice rang out in his head. He may be rooting for Batal, but that didn't mean he couldn't ridicule the Bellerophon blader a bit. He then realized that Albert was the one who submitted Batal's official WBBA membership application... of course he had given that klutz a title. Rin sighed, facepalming as the doors completely slid open, revealing... NOTHING?!
"Huh?! The announcement has been made, but Batal Hiro hasn't shown up!?" Hanami exclaimed, the crowd gasping in shock. Everyone in the group gasped in alarm, startled that Batal hadn't shown up. Then it hit them in the face like a baseball.
"AH?! DID THAT NUMBSKULL SERIOUSLY OVERSLEEP AGAIN?!!!" Gigi yelled out, Iki sighing and facepalming. Rin slammed his fist down into the arm of his seat, incredibly disappointed and angered by Batal having not shown up-
"WAAAAAIIIIIITTTTTT!!!!!!!" Batal yelled out, his spiky yellow and green hair an absolute mess. Their theory had proven correctly. He had overslept AGAIN.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME, KLUTZ?! GET YOUR SORRY BUTT OVER TO THE STADIUM!" Rin yelled out, everyone else having an anime sweat drop appearing over their foreheads. Batal, jolted from Rin's yelling, shook slightly before he gave a sheepish grin before somewhat fixing his hair. The laughing from the crowd rang out from the spectator stands. Rin huffed, crossing his arms and sitting himself down roughly out of frustration over Batal's late arrival. Valt simply chuckled, recalling multiple instances in which the same thing had happened to him in his early blading career. Rantaro chuckled slightly, elbowing Valt and teasing the Valkyrie blader.
"You know, this kid really is like a younger you!" Rantaro said, Valt grinning before leaning forward in his seat, clutching the guard rail with excitement.
"AND IN THE BLUE CORNER! Deep from the dark depths of the underworld, this blader had terrorized his way across the realm of the A-Ranked bladers. Some say his bey casts a malevolent spell against the enemy as a way to jinx their chances of victory! You know him, you love him: Its the gangster blader, Lukas Grant, with his unrivaled Jinx Ladon!!!!!!!" Almost as if it was scripted would the Grant Gang spring into action, clanging together several metallic objects to disrupt the cheering of the crowd. The Grant Gang began to chant the name of their leader in awe and reverence, using their incredibly loud screaming and banging of their metal objects as a way to disorient Batal.
"LUKAS! LUKAS! LUKAS!" Flames erupted from the sides of the stadium's walkway as the doors slid open. Lukas Grant, wielder of the bey of bad luck: Jinx Ladon. His gold and silver bling flashed, clinking together as the Ladon blader ran towards the stadium, leaping into the air and landing a few feet away from the stadium itself. Lukas's mouth curled upwards in a vile grin as a way to taunt Batal, who growled in anger as a response.
"So, even after I utterly humiliated ya last time ya still decided to show up? I'll give sum props to ya, Batal Hiro. Usually they go runnin' for tha hills. Too bad this gonna be ya last battle, kid." Lukas's taunt was working... Batal was getting incredibly riled up by the Ladon Blader's taunting. He clenched his left fist, holding out his right arm out to show Lukas the attack Type Densetsu bey in a challenging manner.
"Bellerophon isn't gonna go anywhere! We're gonna burst you into overdrive! And once I beat you, you're gonna give back all of those beys you stole!" Rantaro growled with frustration. He knew he had to intervene before Batal went overboard with his anger.
"YO BATAL!" The voice of the Ragnaruk blader rang out, reaching the ears of both bladers. Batal turned, a small startled expression. "Don't let this punk's taunts get to ya! You've got this!" Batal grinned in response to this before turning back to Lukas. Lukas's brown eyes narrowed with anger and worry. This kid was affiliated with a legendary blader? Albeit Rantaro was the weakest of the fifteen, but this was still worrisome... and then he saw HIM. The legend of legends, Valt Aoi, also broke into a shout of encouragement, matching Rantaro's with the exact same power behind it.
"You've got this, Batal!" He yelled out. Batal's spirits rose up drastically, but only Rin noticed Lukas looking up to the Grant Gang, nodding as he placed something in his ears. The Gang grinned, with the small blader who had reffed in the previous battle slowly taking out an air horn. Rin rose out of his seat, growling, only for a fan to yell in anger.
"HEY! YOU'RE BLOCKING MY VIEW!" Rin cast an apologetic glance at the other spectator and sat back down. He cast a glare back up at the Grant Gang as the referee initiated the match.
"The battle will be to two points! A burst finish counts as-"
"YEAH YEAH WHATEVER, ZEBRA!" Lukas yelled out, referring to the referee's black and white clothing as a way to mock him. "Just get on with the countdown! I ain't waitin' all day!" The referee was speechless, staring blankly at Lukas, extremely offended by Lukas mocking him. Batal's anger only grew even more from Lukas's blatant disrespect. The referee sighed before initiating the countdown right as Lukas shifted both the swap driver and the layer/casing into their respective defense modes.
"First battle! Ready... SET!"
"THREE! TWO! ONE! GOOO-" Both bladers yelled out, only for their battle cries to be interrupted by the incredibly loud and cruel cheering of the Grant Gang. The air horn blared violently, causing Batal to yell out in pain. The sound was like metal screeching against pavement, the screech of the air horn severely disorienting Batal and messing with his launching power due to Lukas's unfair tactics. Batal wasn't the only one phased by the sound of the air horn, as everyone in the stands, save for the Grant Gang, covered their ears. Everyone winced in pain as "SHOOT!" was called out by the bladers. Ladon landed in the stadium in its defense mode, instantly shooting towards the center with a cyan streak of light flowing behind its swap driver. Bellerophon, though Batal's launch was botched slightly, was not nearly as wobbly as it would have been had it been a blinding shoot. Rin suddenly realized what Lukas had done.
"EAR PLUGS! LUKAS CHEATED AGAIN!" His words reached nobody, however, as the ringing sound left in everyone's ears blurred all other sound around them. Unfortunately for Rin's attempt to alert everyone, Lukas covered his ears after launching, almost as if the sound had actually affected him, hiding his tracks with this cheat.
"AAAAHHHH! A SUDDEN DISRUPTION FROM THE STANDS HAS BEEN IGNITED, BUT IT WON'T DETER THESE POWERFUL BLADERS!" Hanami yelled out. Being in the announcer booth, the sound was partially blocked, saving Hanami's ears from taking the full force of the noise. The ref wouldn't be so lucky, however and was forced to cover his ears as a way to ease his ears.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Lukas yelled up at the member of the gang, still playing into actually being affected by the air horn, though he flashed a malicious smirk soon after before turning back to the recovering Batal. "Doesn't matter! I'm still gonna crush you!" Batal growled, his ears ringing from the noise. It was clear to him that this was no accident, despite Lukas's act showing otherwise. It didn't matter, though; he was taking him down no matter what!
"GO BELLEROPHON! HEROIC SHOOT!" Batal yelled, Bellerophon charging down the stadium slope to meet Ladon in the center... only for its first attack to go completely wide! "Huh?!" Since Batal's launch had been botched, he was unable to generate enough launch power in order to use the standard speed of Heroic Shoot.
"And Bellerophon's attack misses?!" Hanami yelled out from the booth above the arena. Once coming to their senses, the entire audience watched the battle closely, some still a bit shaken by what had happened with the air horn. Valt growled with anger, looking to Rin. He was suspecting the exact same thing. There was no doubt that the sudden burst of sound from the air horn wasn't an accident. There was something foul going on. "OH! With Bellerophon's attack going completely wide, Ladon claims the center stage with ease!" The announcer yelled out. Lukas smirked in a spiteful manner as he pointed lazily to Batal.
"Oh no! It looks like your pathetic attack missed! What ever can you do?!" Batal's anger rose instantly the moment Lukas taunted him. Ladon easily claimed the center, just as Hanami had announced. Putting his hands to his ears to portray fake shock, Lukas, being the crafty cheater he was, took out the ear plugs in a subtle manner and pocketing them. The group easily noticed this, but the rest of the spectators were too preoccupied by the battle.
"Grrrrr... That cheating jerk!" Gigi said, slamming her balled fist down onto her chair's armrest. The spectator behind her, a boy about a year older than her, let out an annoyed "SHHHHHH," causing Gigi to only get even angrier. "You shush!" An argument instantly arose, with Rantaro being forced to intervene.
"Just watch the battle, jeez." As for the battle, things were not looking good for Batal. Ladon's grip on the center of the stadium was tight, and in Bellerophon's weakened state, Batal couldn't do anything to get it to budge! Batal's angered expression shifted into one of worry as Lukas called out to the balance type Ladon.
"Repel their attacks! Jinx Coil!" Lukas yelled. Ladon took on a brilliant hot pink light, its fourteen blades glowing as a circle began to form around the bey. Bellerophon's next attack was instantly swatted away by Ladon, which used a quick four bladed barrage like counter to generate a click against Bellerophon. The recoil also sent both beys back, though the balance type easily reclaimed its central spot after a quick u-turn. Bellerophon, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. The recoil sent it back towards the tornado ridge, and with it's already low stamina, grinding against the tornado ridge only sent the attack type out of control, slamming against the wall.
"AH! BELLEROPHON!?"
"AND DOWN GOES BELLEROPHON!" Hanami yelled. It was indeed finished. While Bellerophon was able to survive the initial hit without a click, its stamina was finished. Wobbling down the slope slowly, not even the increased life after death from the Surge driver's middle height saved it as it grinded to a halt right before the barely damaged Ladon. Lukas grinned arrogantly as Batal watched with shock. Valt's facial expression grew into one of concern as the now recovered referee made the call.
"That's Jinx Ladon, with a spin finish! Lukas Grant gains one point!" Instead of a roar, there was a sea of whispers from the crowd, save for the Grant Gang's loud yelling. The screen above them flashed quickly before the point counter changed to signify Lukas earning the first point.
"YEAH LUKAS!" One of the members yelled, a second piping up right after.
"CRUSH HIM!" The cries from the Grant Gang grew louder until they broke into a full on chant.
"LUKAS! LUKAS! LUKAS!" As several members of Lukas's posse continued to chant his name, drawing ire from several spectators, Lukas recalled Ladon to him, soaking in the chants from his gang of bladers. His bling shined brilliantly, some of them clattering against others as they dangled from his clothing. Being the arrogant attention hog he was, the Ladon blader motioned both of his hands upwards as a way to signify to increase the volume. The referee sighed, knowing that it was likely only going to get worse for him. Batal picked up the motionless attack type bey, his teeth grinding together. Of course Lukas had found a way to cheat in this match to secure the first victory. If he lost another one he...
"No! I'm not gonna lose this battle! I'm gonna burst this guy into overdrive!" Batal's exclamation reached the ears of Lukas, who scoffed in an amused manner.
"Ya actually think you can take me down, huh kid? HAH! It would be funny if it wasn't so pathetic... eh, I'll laugh anyways. HAHAHAHAHA!!!" Reeling over with mocking laughter, the Grant Gang joined in, mocking Batal for his "unreachable goal," further angering him. Batal's face was bright red in anger, and he was on the verge of screaming at Lukas. The Ladon blader was worming his way into his head, and in this state, Batal wouldn't be able to focus.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Rin suddenly yelled out, pointing to the Ladon blader with fury in his bright blue eyes. He then turned to Batal, suddenly signifying a time-out. "I call a timeout for Batal!"
"HUH?! What's this?! A sudden call for a timeout has been ushered! Will the referee allow this?!"
"What?! NO! I CAN TAKE THIS GUY ON WITHOUT A BREAK, RIN!" He yelled back at the Roc blader. Rantaro shook his head at Batal, who tried to retort, though immediately looked down after nodding.
"Timeout called!" The referee yelled out, extending his left hand towards the Bellerophon blader. Lukas scowled in annoyance. He'd have to wait a bit longer to crush him.
"Tch. Not ideal, but it allows me to savor your defeat even more." Lukas stated, shrugging nonchalantly. "And trust me, Batal Hiro," Lukas said, causing Batal's eyes to widen in fear as his magenta aura began to overtake him.... "I'm going to make sure you'll never pick up a bey again, just as you proclaimed." Batal whimpered slightly out of being intimidated before being grabbed by the scruff of his jacket by Rin. Rin immediately dragged him off as Batal just watched Lukas's temporary leave.
(Albert's Workspace)
Albert's graying brow furrowed as he watched the events that were ongoing. The sound of machinery clicked and buzzed from behind him as Fafnir grew closer and closer to completion. Free looked up from his hard at work state, a small frown coming across his goggled face, tilting his head to the right in a seemingly uninterested manner.
'You're backed into a corner, Batal,' The Fafnir blader thought to himself, his eyes narrowing with interest underneath his goggles, 'How will you get through this...?'
(Hallway of the Arena)
"You're letting him get in your head again!" Rin yelled, slamming his fist against the hallway wall in frustration. Batal leapt up in surprise, not expecting this sudden outburst from the Roc blader. The rest of the group watched from afar, each one wearing a worried expression on his face. Rin was seething with anger and worry, worried for Batal- no, HIS FRIEND'S blading future. Batal looked down, his frustration and worry growing as Rin continued to berate him.
"You shouldn't have done that, you shouldn't have taken that risk by challenging Lukas! Now, you're backed into a corner with no way out if you keep on letting him get-"
"Rin!" Both Rin and Batal turned, a small gasp escaping each of their lips as Valt walked over, putting his hand on Rin's shoulder reassuringly. "Its ok. I'll take it from here." Rin was about to protest, but seeing the determination in Valt's brown eyes, he sighed, nodding and walking back to the rest of the group. Batal looked away from his idol, wondering if Valt was going to berate him like Rin did. As much as he hated to admit it, Rin was right. He kept on letting Lukas get in his head, and it was costing him dearly...
"I... I don't know what to do..." Batal said, a small whine of frustration following. Valt nodded before placing his hand on the young blader's shoulder, smiling slightly.
"You're not the only one who's gone through this before, Batal." Valt said. Batal looked up in shock at the legendary blader.
"W-What? But you're the legend of legends: One of the strongest-"
"To get to the top of the blading world didn't come without its struggles," Valt stated, his smile still remaining on his face. "Honcho can back me up on this one. I remember a time when I couldn't even launch correctly," Valt said with a friendly chuckle. Batal looked at Valt in complete disbelief. His idol, the number one ranked blader in the world, didn't even know how to launch at one point?! He thought he had known everything about Valt's blading career, but it turns out there were still things he had yet to discover. "Remember when I was in the National Tournament Team Battles? I struggled the same way you did against Lui Shirosagijo." Batal instantly gasped with recognition. He remembered that the first time Lui and Valt had faced off, the Longinus blader had utterly crushed him. His taunts had apparently taken a toll on Valt, who had dropped out from blading for a few days. Even to this day, Valt had only achieved a single victory against Lui, but it was during a tag team battle with Hyuga Asahi.
"H-How did you get over your anger? Your frustration?" Batal asked, prompting Valt's smile to turn into a wide toothy grin.
"I put my trust into my friends and Valkyrie!" Valt stated, grinning as he unpocketed Valkyrie, holding it close to him and looking down at the brilliant blue colored attack type. "And most importantly, I put trust in myself, and Valkyrie put their trust in me!" A look of awe and inspiration came across Batal's face. His grim expression became one of determination and excitement. "So don't give up, and make sure to burst that Lukas guy into Overdrive!" Burst him into overdrive... the words resonated with Batal. Valt had used his signature phrase. His fanboy excitement drove him further. He could do it! He wouldn't let this moment go to waste!
"ALL RIGHT!" Batal yelled, leaping into the air and thrusting his right arm up. Rin, Gigi, and Iki gasped in surprise. Rin looked in awe at Valt. He was able to motivate Batal so easily... Rantaro gave a hearty laugh, slamming the tip of his fan into the hallway floor with a loud thud.
"There you go! Now, get back out there and take that cheater down!" Rantaro yelled out to Batal. Batal nodded, his eyes taking on a golden light. Valt immediately noticed this, a slightly worried expression coming across his face, only for Valkyrie to grow reassuringly in his hand. The blue glow signified there was nothing to worry for. Was it possible that this had possibly adverted a grave situation?
(WBBA Minor Stadium)
The crowd grew restless as they waited for Batal to return. Lukas tapped his foot impatiently. He didn't want to put off crushing Batal any longer.
"Yo, zebra! If he doesn't show, I automatically win, right?" The referee scowled, but nodded reluctantly. He looked down at his timer. Only one more minute until the timeout ended. If that kid didn't return soon, it would be all over for him-
"LUKAS!" The crowd's attention instantly was diverted to the opposite doorway as Batal entered, a confident grin on his face. His steps were practically leaps and bounds towards the stadium in the center. Lukas growled with ire and surprise. How could Batal return so cheerful even though he was backed into a corner. The referee smiled slightly. The battle wasn't over yet! Batal leapt into the air, landing and instantly pointing towards the Ladon blader. From the stands, the group returned to their seats, Rin, Gigi, and Iki looking anxiously as Valt grinned with excitement. Rantaro was noticeably missing, though. Batal was fired up, and he wasn't ever going to back down from this battle.
"Woah! Batal Hiro re-enters the stage with a sudden change in tone! What may have happened during that quick break?!" Hanami exclaimed. The fans roared with excitement, save for the disappointed Grant Gang.
"Why are you smiling?! HOW are you smiling?! I just mopped the floor with you in the last match and yet you're still waltzing in like nothing's wrong!" Lukas yelled. Something crept up his spine, a feeling of dread polluting his thoughts. 'Why am I feeling so worried... TCH! No matter! I'll crush him all the same!' Lukas's thoughts raced in his head frantically. Turning to the Grant Gang, he would nod once more towards them. Lukas attached Ladon to his launcher as Batal shifted Bellerophon's surge driver into its lowest height. The Grant Gang member prepared the air horn to blare out once more, not noticing the Ragnaruk blader entering the upper stands behind them and walking towards them.
"Second Battle! Ready... SET!" The countdown had started, and both Batal and Lukas were prepared.
"THREE! TWO! ONE! GOOOO-" From the stands, the Grant Gang member prepared to unleash the full blast of the air horn, only for the object to be snatched from their grasp. With a surprised exclamation, the blader looked to see a grinning Rantaro holding the air horn in his clenched hand.
"Nuh-uh! No cheatin' for you!" Rantaro said, tossing the air horn away as the Grant Gang members cried out in shock. From below, the countdown had finished.
"-SHOOT!" The air horn's blast never came. Lukas's face contorted into a startled expression as the two bladers unleashed their beys, yellow and magenta avatars of light erupting from their launchers respectively to signify Blazing Shoots.
'What?! What happened to the air horn?!' With Lukas still in his shocked state, he was completely underprepared for Batal immediately going for the final strike.
"HEROIC UPPER!" Batal's right arm swung upwards in an uppercut motion, Bellerophon using its shorter height and lower position to scoop under Ladon's casing and send it flying right back at Lukas's face, slamming into the center of the crimson shades he wore for decoration and shattering them on impact. Lukas's eyes widened in shock, some of his bling sliding off from his clothing and clattering to the floor. After bouncing off the shades, Ladon clattered to the floor of the arena, Lukas giving a gasp of surprise and terror. One hit was all it took to knock Ladon out... ONE. HIT.
"Heroic Bellerophon! Over finish! Batal Hiro gains one point!"
"All right!" Gigi and Iki exclaimed, hi-fiving. Rin looked on in complete awe at Batal, grinning with excitement as Hanami made the announcement with true excitement in his voice.
"The Klutz did it in one strike! Not bad! Not bad at all!" Rin said, calling out to the blader he now considers his friend. From the battle stage below, Batal whooped and hollered with excitement, jumping around as he held the called back Heroic Bellerophon in his hand. Looking up to the stands, he could see a grinning Rantaro looking down from them, the air horn nowhere in sight. His eyes widened drastically, his fists clenching as he shook. Lukas looked down at Ladon, which was just there on the floor. His eye twitched in anger, his magenta aura rising up the moment after he picked up Ladon. Flashes of his defeat at the hands of Lean Walhalla went through his head, causing his shocked expression to turn into one of pure anger and hatred.
"THAT TEARS IT!" Lukas yelled out, Batal recoiling slightly in shock. The Grant Gang all whimpered as the rest of the crowd murmured in shock. "LISTEN UP, BATAL HIRO, AND LISTEN WELL! THERE IS ONLY ONE BLADER WHO WILL WALK AWAY FROM THIS BATTLE UNSCATHED, AND THAT BLADER IS ME! I'M GOING TO CRUSH YOUR PATHETIC BEY INTO THE PAVEMENT ONCE I UTTERLY ANNIHILATE YOU! I'LL NEVER GIVE THOSE BEYS BACK BECAUSE YOU'LL NEVER DEFEAT ME, YA HEAR?!" Everyone murmured in shock, especially the Grant Gang. Nobody had ever seen Lukas this angry before. Batal whimpered slightly, intimidated by Lukas's sudden outburst. The Ladon blader's aura rose further as he shifted Ladon into its attack mode. He was gonna make this slow and painful, and he had the perfect tool in his disposal. Batal looked worriedly to Bellerophon, shaking slightly out of fear. His confidence was cracking, and the group's confident and excited grins instantly transforming into looks of worry.
(Albert's Workspace)
The bey trainer and blader had both taken a break to watch the battle. Fafnir was almost completed, with its +Transfer casing and Siphon disc resting on a small tray, with Fafnir's driver and layer being forged from the data Free had applied through his input. Both of them watched, Albert with a determined expression and Free with a subtle angered glare directed towards Lukas. Beneath them, Buck whined slightly, afraid of Lukas's face on the tv screen.
"You can do this, Batal. Trust in yourself..." Albert said towards the screen. He knew Batal couldn't hear him, but he still needed to show his support in whatever manner he could. Free's black-grey eyes narrowed, glowing a slight amber around the pupils. His attention diverted to Batal on the screen. Free muttered to himself soon after.
"This match will decide it... Batal, prepare yourself." Free's tone showed a sense of foreboding and determination, yet also curiosity. He knew Batal had Blaze, but would he be able to develop it? That was up to him to decide.
(WBBA Minor Stadium)
The referee looked in between Batal and Lukas, a bead of sweat running down his face out of anticipation. Batal clenched Bellerophon close as Lukas's teeth gnashed with anger, his magenta aura still rising upwards at an alarming rate. Batal stepped back once more out of fear. Lukas was getting in his head again, but not in the way he had done so before. His doubts raced through his head like a wildfire. He closed his eyes, shaking with fearand holding Bellerophon close.
"Bellerophon... what can I do?!" A sudden gold light erupted from his mind, taking him once more into the mindscape Bellerophon resided. The avatar looked down towards Batal, though Pegasus was the first to speak his mind.
"Simple, dude! We burst this guy into overdrive! Don't let that jerk's anger get the better of ya! Keep fighting until the end!"
"How can I keep fighting if he has the upper hand?! What if I mess up?! I know he's going to use a blinding shoot the next round and if I fail-"
"BATAL." The avatar of Bellerophon called out, a shockwave spreading across the mindscape, blowing Batal's hair and jacket back as the armored warrior continued to speak. "Batal, I want you to know that we will always be with you, no matter what challenge comes our way. You don't have to be afraid. We have your back." Batal's eyes sparkled as he looked up at Bellerophon, who was beginning to hold out his spear towards Batal, only for another thought to come across his mind.
"E-even so... how am I supposed to get the upper hand against Lukas?!" It was clear Batal's stress still remained, though it had been lessened drastically. Bellerophon's spear shifted back slightly as the winged horse below it gave a cheerful laugh.
"Do what Mr. Strict-Spear does! Ride on my back to take flight!" Pegasus said, referring to its rider with a teasing tone. The winged horse's words resonated instantly with Batal, flashes of Aiga Akaba's Infinite Achilles racing through the mindscape. Batal's distressed frown became a grin of confidence and determination once more.
"I GOT IT!" He yelled out soon after the mindscape, Lukas's eyebrow raising immediately. Batal knew exactly what to do. Pegasus was Bellerophon's mount, and to take flight, Bellerophon had to ride the winged horse. He always had the higher ground! Batal instantly shifted the surge driver into its tallest height, with Lukas completely ignoring Batal's sudden change in setup due to his angered state blinding him. Ladon was heavy, and its driver contained metal in its tip. If Bellerophon could land a successful smash attack...
"So you're changing your setup? HA! Like that's ever gonna make a difference! Its game over for you, Batal Hiro!" Lukas said as Batal attached Bellerophon to his launcher and CLOSED HIS EYES?! "What the...?"
"Wha?!! Is Batal Hiro going to launch with his eyes closed?! What is going on?!"
"You're kidding... this has to be a bluff!" Lukas yelled out, the Grant Gang murmuring with worry as Batal grinned with confidence. Valt and Rantaro both grinned with excitement. Batal was going to do a no look launch! Rin watched carefully, clenching his fists with anticipation. The referee looked between the two bladers, nodding and holding out his hand to initiate the countdown. Lukas scowled as he did this, determining that Batal's launch was a bluff. The plan was the same: he'd end this with a blinding shoot, crush Batal, and end end his blading career.
"Third battle! Ready...SET!"
"THREE!" Batal and Lukas yelled out, each initiating their signature launches. Lukas began to tilt his launcher to reflect the light from above them into Batal's eyes to blind him, yet Batal's eyes remained closed. "TWO!" The number rang out in Batal's ears as he and Lukas called it out, the crowd echoing it in excitement. A small ringing noise went through his head, as if it had come directly from the mindscape. He wasn't going to back down, he was going to burst this cheating jerk's bey into overdrive! "ONE! GOOOOO SHOOT!" The flash from Lukas's launcher appeared, the Ladon blader snarling with rage as he tugged on the launcher's string. The light reached Batal's eyes, and would have blinded the Bellerophon blader from the strong flash. The key words: would have. Batal yelled out with a battle cry as a flash of golden light sparked across his closed eyelids to signify the light meeting his face, the flash being completely useless due to his eyelids protecting him from Lukas. Bellerophon was sent into the stadium at full force along with Ladon, yellow and magenta light, followed by avatar depictions, erupting from their launchers. He had done it. He had pulled off a no-look launch in the battle.
"HE DID IT!" Rin yelled out, a relieved and excited sigh coming from him as he cheered. Iki, Gigi, Valt and Rantaro all grinned, the former two letting out excited cheers for their friend.
"WHAT THE?!" Lukas yelled out. His heart's beating increased at a rapid rate as he watched his plan be completely foiled by the Bellerophon blader. 'No... IMPOSSIBLE!' Ladon slammed down into the stadium, the metal flat tip of its swap driver generating a trail of cyan light as it raced around the outer ring of the stadium, opposite to Bellerophon. Bellerophon's trail of light shined a brilliant yellow as Batal opened his eyes, a confident grin coming across his face as he called out to his bey.
"HEROIC SHOOT!!!!" Bellerophon's avatars yelled out with battle cries of their own as Bellerophon broke into a flower pattern. Lukas snarled, yelling out to Ladon to meet Bellerophon's powerful attacks.
"JINX HAVOC!" Lukas yelled out, thrusting his fist forwards towards the stadium. Ladon's trajectory was altered, making a slow turn down the stadium until it began to drift, the heavy weight it contained allowing it to charge down the slope of the stadium. Magenta and yellow flashes collided in the center, slamming off of each other as if they were the same poles on a magnet.
"AND WITH A BRUTAL COLLISION THE THIRD BATTLE HAS BEGUN!" Hanami yelled out, the crowd roaring with excitement. Bellerophon and Ladon collided once more soon after, a massive shockwave erupting throughout the stadium. Lukas and Batal yelled out, driven by different things that made their battle all the more impactful. One was driven by pure hatred and desire to crush everything in his path regardless of how he did it. The other was driven by a true love of blading, and the willingness to put his blading life on the line in order to defend the honor of his friends. It was selfishness vs selflessness incarnate. Ladon and Bellerophon matched each other blow for blow, Heroic Shoot taking on Jinx Havoc as more and more shockwaves began to erupt. The beys were kicking up a storm from both being on the offensive. Ladon's seven blades continued to grind against Bellerophon's four with every attack that connected, the most recent one driving both beys back up the stadium slope. Lukas roared with anger, extending his hand as his eyes sparked with magenta light, attempting to charge down the stadium slope to hit Bellerophon back. Ladon and Bellerophon drew closer, but Ladon's attack missed. Bellerophon suddenly tilted to its right, its height allowing for it to make a prolonged drift to force Ladon to miss completely. With the friction generated from the drift granting a speed boost, Bellerophon rode up the stadium slope once more perpendicular to Ladon before charging again, slamming into the unsuspecting bey from behind. Ladon was sent flying, slamming into the stadium wall and clicking once, Lukas's eyes growing bloodshot as he screeched in rage.
"LADON!" Lukas yelled, the serpentine dragon's many heads gnashing as its golden armor shimmering as it let out an inhuman screech. The magenta aura that had overtaken Lukas overtook Ladon, hints of cyan and gold erupting from it as well as Ladon smashed into Bellerophon with a counter. "JINX HARBRINGER!" Ladon's blades ignited with a resonancial light, a four bladed barrage attack being sent across Bellerophon's casing, the recoil sending it flying backwards. A gust of harsh wind was sent flying towards Batal, causing him to slide back as Bellerophon was sent flying into the air by Ladon.
"AH! AND LADON SENDS BELLEROPHON FLYING WITH A COUNTERATTACK! IS THIS THE END?!" Hanami yelled out.The cries of the crowd, especially from Batal's friends and the two legends suddenly grew slower. It was as if everything had slowed down around Batal. Batal's bright green eyes shimmered in awe as Bellerophon began to glow. Even with this strike, Lukas failed to remember one thing. Batal Hiro never gave up!
"We'll win this... for our friends..." Batal said, a yellow glow surrounding his right hand. Slowly, Lukas's malicious roar transformed into a surprised look, his mouth still agape. "For Rin, Valt, Rantaro and Free..." Flashes of how the four bladers had gone out of their way to help him train for this battle, helped him master the no-look launch, helped him bond with Bellerophon... his heartbeat's pace grew more frantic, a second and then a third heartbeat, signifying Bellerophon and Pegasus, joining his. Batal's left hand was also engulfed with yellow light, Valt's eyes widening further in slow motion. "FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE WORKED FOR!!!!! BELLEROPHON!!!!!" Batal roared, the battle cries of the bey's two avatar's joining his as if they echoed his shout. The bey ignited with a brilliant golden light as Batal's aura began to overclock, blader and bey pushing themselves to the limit to take down this opponent. As he did so, Batal's hair suddenly raised upwards, transforming into its yellow and green into a brilliant golden color, his irises transforming as well to match his hair. Lukas cried out with shock as Bellerophon managed to escape its fate, drifting to prevent hitting the stadium wall after a bounce and shooting around the stadium's outer ring for one final strike. Batal roared as his blaze sparked forth, Valt crying out with amazement from afar as everyone else let out cheers of anticipation and amazement. From Albert's workspace, Free gasped in shock as Albert grinned, with the Fafnir blader instantly having a mirage of Chen flash across the tv screen, forcing his shocked expression to become one of determination. Batal could feel everything around him as he pushed himself to the brink. He could feel his energy being drained slowly. He couldn't maintain this state for much longer, so he knew he had to end it now.
"GRAH! JINX HARBRINGER ONCE MORE!" Lukas yelled out, Ladon making a u turn up the stadium slope and charging, its seven blades glowing for one last desperate strike. More of Lukas's bling was thrown off, clattering to the floor as his magenta aura rose upwards even more. It was all useless. This was the exact moment Batal had been waiting for. Ladon's attack caused the balance type to ride up the slope, which was the exact moment Batal decided to strike. Leaping into the air and bringing his arms overhead and keeping his right hand over his left as if he was wielding an polearm overhead. Bellerophon charged down the slope, colliding with Ladon at the top of the outer portion of the layer.
"HEROIC SMASHER!!!!!!" Batal yelled, bringing his arms over his head and slashing them downwards, a gold streak of light following his hands down. Bellerophon's blades glowed with brilliant golden light as Bellerophon unleashed a four bladed barrage, smashing Ladon's layer into the upward position of the stadium slope, each strike clicking it once. Ladon was helpless against Batal's smash attack, and separated into the three standard part pieces, signifying a burst finish.
"W-wh-what the..." Lukas's eyes went wide. He... lost. Lukas looked across the stadium, seeing Batal crouched and smiling as he panted in exhaustion. His eyes became their normal bright green, his hair reverting back to a messier version of his signature hairstyle, as well as the gold glow disappearing. Everyone in the stands, and even Hanami from his booth was absolutely speechless. The grant gang stared down in shock, towards their leader as the clinking of Ladon's burst pieces was heard from them clattering to the floor close to Batal. Batal looked at Ladon, and then back to Lukas. He continued doing this until it registered in his mind what had happened... a loud cheer began to build up in his throat until he couldn't hold it in anymore...
"ALLLLLLL RIIIIIIIGHHTTTTTTT!!!!!!" Batal yelled right before the referee made his call, his focus suddenly wavering slightly. He was getting drowsy for some reason.
"Heroic Bellerophon with a burst finish! With a score of three to one, Batal Hiro is the winner!" The crowd could no longer remain silent after this. Everyone except the Grant Gang cheered, the Gang growling in anger and despair, some yelling with frustration and disappointment. Rin's eyes sparkled with excitement before he let out an uncharacteristic yell of triumph, startling Gigi and Iki while causing Valt's grin to widen further. Valt's grin suddenly transformed into a look of worry as Batal suddenly started to falter, his eyelids closing as he fell to the ground. Valt immediately grew worried. Blaze had an incredibly taxing effect on the body, he needed to ensure Batal wasn't hurt. Fortunately, he wasn't, indicated by the snoring from the Bellerophon blader. He was simply asleep, that was all. Valt sighed in relief as Hanami made the final announcement of the battle, as well as the shift in the rankings. Lukas, in his arrogance, had now forfeited his current A-Ranking and had been dropped down in the rankings to the edge of A-Rank and B Rank... now Batal held his spot. Lukas growled before letting out a quick yell of anger, snatching Ladon's pieces back up and stomping away, his face a bright crimson. After leaving the room, the sound of Lukas's angry yells could be heard as he screamed at the top of his lungs like a spoiled brat. The sound of something being thrown and shattering against the wall of whatever room he was in. But it had been done, and the Grant Gang knew the rules. They'd have to give the beys they had taken back. Their days of terrorizing Beigoma were over for now at least. Some of them, after walking by Rantaro, who cast a mischievous glare at them, whimpered in fear before running off to check on the enraged Lukas, who was tearing apart the room he resided with a massive tantrum.
(Batal's Mother's Car)
Batal awoke to find himself sitting in his mother's car. With a small yawn, he looked to see his friends, as well as the two legendary bladers, sitting next to or in front of him.
"The numbskull's awake!" Gigi yelled, Batal's mother smiling. The car stopped right before Batal felt Rin's fist noogieing him, the Roc blader having a wide grin on his face.
"I... I won, right? I-I remember bursting Ladon-" Batal asked groggily. Everyone grinned in response, his mother piping up from the front with even more good news.
"Yep! And not only that, but your father got promoted at his job!" His mother exclaimed. Batal's grin returned, growing even wider when his mother mentioned what was next. "Mr. Hikari prepared a feast at his house, chock-full of ramen for you and your friends to eat!" Batal let out an excited yell, causing everyone but his mother to cover their ears. Rantaro spoke up, barking at Batal in frustration.
"YO! Lukas's goon's toy still screwed up my ears! Keep it down, will ya?!" Batal gave an apologetic giggle, before noticing Valt sitting next to him on his side. Batal still had Bellerophon clutched in his hand. Seeing this, he held out his hand in front of him, grinning as Bellerophon sparkled.
"Valt, I took your advice! I talked to Bellerophon and it helped me find the way to beat Lukas!" Valt grinned, nodding with excitement. Batal could tell that Valt already knew, though the oblivious Rantaro gasped in surprise before barking once more, this time at both Valt and Batal.
"SPOKE TO HIS BEY?! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO DO THAT?!" He yelled at Batal, who leapt up a bit in surprise. Valt chuckled slightly at this, only to leap back with a quick surprised yell as Rantaro yelled at him too. "AND WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT YOU KNEW ABOUT THIS?!" Valt chuckled sheepishly as the car eventually pulled up in front of Albert's home, both Free and Albert waiting on the front porch, the latter waving while the former simply tilted his head to the left in a bored manner. Batal immediately leapt out after a quick thank you to his mom, and ran over to the front porch, yelling enthusiastically to Albert about how he had won. Everyone else followed suite, Buck barking and leaping on their legs to say hi. Iki let out a scream, Rin laughing in a teasing manner until he noticed a large crab sculpture on Albert's desk. Rin screamed as well, running off after Iki, both of them leaping on top of Albert's kitchen counter, prompting the others to laugh. As the car drove off, Free stopped Valt before he entered the house, smirking slightly as he held up what he and Albert had been working on. Valt's grinned with excitement, a small glimmer of his younger self showing as he fanboyed over Free's new Fafnir.
"You finished it?!" Free's smirk remained on his face as he held up his newly forged stamina type bey.
"This is Soul Fafnir. Valt, you up for a battle to test it out?" Free asked, Valt grinning in response. He was so excited for Free's acquiring of a Densetsu bey. While attempting to take out Might Valkyrie, Valt's stomach grumbled, causing him to laugh sheepishly as Free gave a puzzled look.
"Heh heh, I AM a bit hungry..." Valt said right before Batal called the two bladers over with a grin on his face.
"COME ON! THERE'S A TON OF RAMEN!!!!!!!!!!" Free's smirk suddenly transformed into a scowl while Valt and Batal's backs were turned. He had seen Batal's blaze ignite... if he wasn't in control, Batal could prove dangerous to both himself and others... he needed to make sure he was set on the right path, or else he could turn into someone like Chen... Chen Pyrrhus... the fiery blader Valt had taken in as his apprentice right after the Legend Tag Team tournament, and the first blader to uncover the secrets of Densetsu. His love of blading was still there, but his spark had gone awry. He took Valt's teachings too literally and it ended up costing him so much... he couldn't let that happen again. Looking down to Soul Fafnir, the counter-clockwise stamina type glowed in his hand. Free smiled slightly before hearing Valt calling him over. He entered the house, shutting the door behind him. A new chapter in Batal's blading career was beginning; one that Free would make sure he'd set on the right path.
(Undisclosed Location, Spain)
The roar of a blader erupted from a small building as the sound of a bey being launched, as well as the sound of a blazing shoot ringing out throughout the room, along with several sparking shoots ringing out as well. A blader of medium height stood in front of the stadium below him, a crimson cross like marking across his forehead glowing with crimson light. An excited grin came across this blader's face as his purple athletic jacket flowed behind him, revealing an orange t-shirt with a crimson flame logo printed on the front, the cuffs outlined with black similarly to the logo. His hair was the color of flames, going behind his head and drooping slightly over his shoulders in a semi-messy yet wild flame like manner, similar to a shorter version of Phi's. In the stadium, multiple sparking beys, at least six in total, landed opposite to the blader's bey: An orange, red, and purple blur that went around the stadium in a counter clockwise trajectory.
"Take them down!" The blader yelled out to his bey, which did so without hesitation. All six Sparking beys were helpless as the counter clockwise bey wove in between their loose formation. Three magenta rubber contact points tore at three of the beys at once, bursting them instantly as their bladers cried out in shock. The trajectory of his bey was perfect, just as the orange haired blader had predicted, and the burst parts of the sparking beys slammed into the other beys, bursting them as well due to high recoil from the beys' parts. All six bladers opposite of the orange haired one collapsed onto their knees in shock as the blader called back his own bey to his hand. "That's all you've got?" He called out to the bladers opposite of himself, who groaned in exhaustion. They had been going at this for over four hours.
"C-Chen, we've been doing t-this nonstop... can we t-" One of the bladers called out to the orange haired blader: Chen Pyrrhus, only to be cut off by him.
"You're giving up? That's pathetic. Wanting to take a break means you might as well leave. I don't tolerate bladers who don't give it their all no matter what the situation," He said, scowling and attaching his bey onto his Densetsu launcher. "Now get ready... Chimera and I aren't giving up EVER," he said as his aura rose behind him like a violent flame. His hair slowly began to blow a bit upwards as if there was some kind of hidden breeze, a flame colored aura with hints of purple, magenta and black flowing behind him. The television screen located in the opposite end of the room in a corner flashed with the recap of Batal's battle with Lukas. A photo of Valt and Batal together sent a jealous growl up Chen's throat. He had been replaced as Valt's protégé. 'Batal Hiro... so that's the one you chose to replace me with, huh, Valt? We'll see who's your greatest student when I show him a true Blaze!' Chen yelled within his own head. A deep feminine growl slowly built up within Chen's head as Chimera began to glow, the balance type bey surrounding itself with crimson light. His brown eyes sparked with orange light as he shifted into a left handed version of Valt's Cho-Z launch. "Now get ready... Chimera and I are gonna mop the floor with all of you!"