All rights reserved to Hiro Morita
Bey combos for the generic Beys
Boa-Rising Ragnaruk Knuckle Unite
Gaki-Psychic Phantoms 4 Cross Flugel
Alexander- Baldur Bump Bite
Kinda wanted to experiment with character personality in this one, so here we go.
Boa always felt like the world had it out for him.
"Let...me go!" He hacked out as he was smashed against the gray metal wall by a burly arm. He felt his head ring from the impact. The thug doing so just snickered as he struggled to beat him off.
"Look at 'em! Little runt can't even take this!" The guy howled as lankier friends snickered along with him before he finally laid off.
Boa clamped his hands on his knees as he huffed in pain. The guy and his cronies walked off laughing and making mock groans of pain before disappearing into the darkness of the boxy dark corridors.
Yeah, like anyone could take being on the business end of the shock collars they used for those that failed their daily launching routine or being tossed out into one of those deathtrap arenas set up here. Whether it was the cold of the Arctic stage or the one overrun with spikes, each one sent a shiver through Boa's spine.
Ever since entering the Snake Pit proper, he'd become some kind of a running joke among the guys there. Whether it was him writhing on the floor as his first failed launch routine got him jolted by a collar, the shrill screams that followed it, or any of his other painful screw-ups, everyone always had something to say about him. And he could tell that 'something' was getting old and not just for him.
While he batted off the other Bladers' chidings, deep down, he couldn't help but feel like the runt that guy just called him. It was pretty much plain as day, given how he seemed to fail as easy as breathing, but he didn't want that to be true. It couldn't be true. A life spent on the streets and in here had taught him that people could only rely on themselves. What could he do if he couldn't believe in his strength?
Obviously, this place was a nightmare waiting to tear you apart. But it was a necessary nightmare for Boa. For the dusty blonde, it was either this or being back on the streets.
The streets are, surprising to no one, a horrible place for a child. Back there, surrounded by orange dust and cobwebbed alleyways, people like him had to fight for food, clothing, or anything they could to get by. Your only tools were whatever you could find, or if you were lucky to not go down that route, a Bey. With how little his size gave him confidence in the first path, Boa considered himself lucky to be able to take up the second.
Beys made things simpler for him. No weapons, pipes to beat people over the head, or swiping things from under people's noses. Just fighting to survive in a good, honest Beybattle.
Blading for food was a ways away from the thrill better-off kids got from the sport, but it did its job. As long as he kept his Blading skills up, he could get a good meal now and again. But that was only if a good one showed up, and even then, he couldn't shake the miserable look in another kid's eye every time they lost. Forking some of his winnings over wasn't the end of his world, but it did its job of putting a damper on it.
And then, he met Ashram, The founder of this nightmare he found himself in.
Boa will remember that day. Meeting the man, who was practically a shadow in the evening sunlight. The green-eyed boy could quite put his finger on it, but even back then, something about the guy raised the hair on his skin. Something that said all the promises he was making of a better life weren't all they were drummed up to be. And now he knew why.
From that day forward, Boa knew no matter how many hot meals were thrown in his face or how nice it was to have a roof over his head; he'd never become Ashram's puppet.
Remembering why he was here, Boa pushed himself upright and made his way to a fork in the path of the dimly lit hallway.
Taking a left through the dark hallway, Boa stopped when he saw a steel sliding door.
The thing quickly opened to reveal a control panel with Ashram, his green-haired servant, Norman, looking at him expectantly as a giant monitor was embedded in the wall behind them.
He immediately tensed before loosening up at the sight of Red Eye.
"Greetings, Alcacer," Ashram said with an edge to his voice. The man was wearing a dark steel helmet topped with purple, and the holes where his eyes were had red lightning designs around them. The rest of his outfit was an equally black tailcoat and pants lined with purple. He folded his hands behind his back with authority.
Norman's posture was much the same. Him having ditched his Gold Eye attire for a dark blue trench coat lined with reddish-pink buttons and dark gloves and boots.
Only Red Eye seemed to be standing causally. Unlike Norman, he was still wearing his sleeveless tailcoat and mask; the glassy red eyes of it were focused less on them and more on the right of the corner, causing Boa to look that way as well.
To the right was a metal desk with a glass casing containing a silhouette of Bey. The entire case was consumed with purple light. Something about the thing's presence disturbed Boa. The light coming from it had a sense of dread about it.
Ignoring the Bey, Boa just nodded as he waited for Ashram to continue, feeling his arms shudder a bit as Norman smirked while his master continued.
"As you know, We here at the Snake Pit seek out the strongest Bladers this world has to offer in order to increase their strength beyond their limit, yes?"
The shudder picked up as he gave another nod while Norman's smirk grew wider.
"And what have you been doing with such an opportunity?"
Boa pried open his mouth as he let out a response. "Failing you miserably," He said, lowering his head as Norman's smirk finally gave way to a brief chuckle.
"Correct. And as you also know, I have no time to be squandered on trying to carry dead weight. So if you value your position here, I suggest you listen carefully."
Boa felt like frowning but didn't let it show.
The man pulled out a remote and pressed a gloved hand to a button. The screen behind them blinked on, showcasing all kinds of environments surrounding a single Beystadium, from boiling volcanic heat to an odd cybernetic-looking one that crackled with electricity. As grim as the guy was, Boa had to admit, the guy had a vibrant imagination for torture.
"The three tests I have laid out for you will be tests of your ability as a Blader. To proceed with your time in my organization, you will fight your heart out to reaffirm your worth. Are we clear, Alcacer?"
"Crystal," Boa said as his frown finally showed.
As Ashram slowly scrolled through the various arenas, he eventually found one, and with a click of the remote, Boa felt the floor sink beneath him slightly.
His last sight before sinking into darkness was Red Eye turning to give him a firm nod. It honestly threw Boa for a loop. For some reason, the white-haired guy seemed to have a weird faith in him. They first met when the blonde was having another one of his failed training sessions, the masked Blader insisted that he shouldn't give up, which, as lame as it sounded, all but mystified him.
Maybe he was just starving for positive affirmation, or he found a kernel of truth in the guy's words. Whatever the case. It seemed to work on him just fine. Boa found himself training longer, harder, and faster than ever before. All he could do now was hope that it would be enough.
Finally, Boa had made his way down to the arena. The area was dark and humid, filled by black and barren trees bent into almost c-like curves and wispy gray clouds that failed to obscure the amber-yellow moon in the sky. Looking and making his way around, the blonde couldn't help but feel that sights like this were wasted by Ashram.
Boa continued trekking through the foggy landscape, his sight hammered by the gray mist. A shriek rang out as his eyes shot wide before he jumped back. The gray cleared from the ground to reveal only a scurrying rat.
"All the money for this and can't even get some pest control?"
His sight eventually scaled up to a mountain. The thing was as dark and creepy looking as the rest of the place, with rocky stairs coiling it to the top. The peak was whirling with winds that Boa could assume from less-than-pleasant experiences was a part of the challenge.
Just how far could Ashram's crazy go?
"Well, let's find out." He said as he began to scale the colossal thing.
As he ascended the staircase, Boa's spiked-up hair fanned against his forehead as he held up an arm to brace against the howling and intensifying winds. Beneath the howl, Boa began to pick up on a subtler sound. One of laughter. The laughter felt oddly familiar, and if his gut was right would be a pain going forward.
Boa continued to scale the thing as the howls grew louder, and his teeth clenched harder in his mouth. He knew it was him, no matter how badly he didn't want it to be. Finally making it to the mountaintop, Boa's eyes narrowed as he saw a thin boy near a dark gray Beystadium. The guy's blowing hair was dark, with a stray pink strand joining the mix. He spread his pale arms wide as his head was thrown back and cackled madly, despite the wind. Almost like this was some kind of tribal ceremony or something. But, given who he was fighting against now, he probably thought it was.
The winds dispersed as the guy turned to Boa. His pink eyes were wild with excitement next to Boa's, which were dropped with exhaustion. The boy giggled stupidly as Boa sighed slightly before hissing out his best greeting.
"Gaki,"
The guy dropped his arms and hunched his shoulders as he drummed his fists like a hyper kid. "This is it! This is it! I'm gonna tear your weak soul apart!"
To put it kindly, Gaki belonged in a straight jacket. The goth constantly chirped nonsense about spirits and trying to devour them. Well, at least when it came to the quote-unquote strong ones. The weak ones, or as far as Boa knew, just him, were nothing more than trash in need of being tossed.
"Uh-huh," Boa walked across to the other side of the Beystadium as the other boy turned towards his side of the bowl.
"Oh, don't be like Boa. It's just your role in everything." The dirty blonde was unfazed. His eyes were narrowed with hate again. "Oh well, if it makes you feel any better, this isn't exactly nirvana for me either. I'd much rather devour that Red Eye guy's spirit than yours, but I'll take what I can get. Which would be you! Small, weak, pathetic you!"
Boa gritted his teeth at that, causing Gaki to smirk.
"Oh, not happy about that last bit? Well, too bad! That's just how it is. In fact, before you get any of that silly little denial in your head, let's compare notes between you and big old red, shall we?" The freak began circling the mountaintop. He put a finger to his chin and laced his voice with sarcasm as he walked behind Boa.
"Let's see, upon his entrance exam, Red Eye managed to topple Norman, the strongest Blader the Snake Pit had at that point, has consistently stayed on top of all those who oppose him and has already taken down several top-tier Bladers from around the world." He completed his circle back to the other side of the ring before pointing to Boa.
"On the other hand, you can barely keep up with the plebs in this place. Can't go a day without wailing in agony. And to top it off. Are almost ready to be tossed out of this place. So remind me once again why you're so up in arms about the truth."
Boa felt his anger shrink back down at that as guilt set in.
"Uh, huh."The freak said matter-of-factly before he closed his eyes wistfully. "Oh, even now, I can taste it. That Legend Spriggan's red-hot spirit would be oh-so-delicious!"
Boa just sighed and pulled out his launcher. "Care for an appetizer first?"
"Well, if you insist!"
Gaki's eyes snapped open as he pulled out his launcher with his left arm. His other arm reached below the studded belt of his baggy black pants and grabbed a gray, pink, and blue Bey from his pocket.
The boy slammed the Top to his launcher and cranked it clockwise as Boa did the same with his Ragnaruk. Silently hoping that his training would pull through, as both of their hands whipped to their ripcords.
"3," The two said as they pointed their launchers at the stadium while the winds picked up around them.
"2,"
"1,"
"Go Shoot!" The two of them said as their Beys blasted into the stadium. The two Tops chased each other as the two boys tensed for battle. The many-hued Bey verged from their chase to enter the stadium center as Ragnaruk spun down to the center and struck it. Causing the top to lose its balance.
"Oh, come now, Psychic Phantoms," Gaki said as he spread his arms against the wind."Tell me you can devour better than that!" His Bey's pale blue Frame whirled against the surface as the Top glided across it, regaining its balance. Boa riled back in frustration while the gothic boy grinned as the winds began to whirl harder.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Boa, but your soul just won't do for my appetite. So I'll just have to gobble it up nice and quick, okay?"
The two Beys clashed again as Phantoms' wavy blades clashed with Ragnuruk's flame-like ones. The many-hued Bey knocked its opponent to the left of the stadium as it circled the center, picking up speed as it went. Causing Boa to grit his teeth as his opponent let out a wild cackle.
"Now then, Boa, here comes the bite!" Phantoms picked up speed as the winds surrounding them became more violent. The winds swirled around the Bey as a massive pink tornado enveloped it. Boa braced himself against the force of the winds with his hair flailing wildly all over again.
Boa felt his heart wrench at the sight of the thing as his hands shake. He didn't even know a Bey could do something like that! And definitely not how one was supposed to top it.
Gaki noticed his fear and smirked. "Feeling under the weather, Alcacer?"
Boa regained himself slightly. "S-shut up! Go for it, Ragnaruk!" His Bey raced up the slopes and rushed down to strike. The orangish-brown Bey connected only to get batted aside as Gaki let out a snicker as he grinned wildly.
"As weak a soul as ever, but no worries, you'll get your mercy soon enough."
Ragnaruk continued to try and get at Phantoms but only got knocked aside. The winds slowly began to throw it off its path.
No, No, No, Boa thought as his Bey was shaken around further. It couldn't be like this. He couldn't lose now. He couldn't make it on the streets. This was all he had left!
Psychic Phantoms spun harder. The Bey whirled outward from around the stadium center, and its tornado slowly expanded. Boa gritted his teeth as he felt his feet slowly being pushed back.
Boa felt his heart thundering in his ears.
Think fast. That was all he could mutter internally as he felt his feet skirting closer to the mountain's edge.
Come on! Come on! Gotta be a way out of this! The green-eyed boy thought as he looked at the stadium while the winds skewered his vision. He could only make it out of this by taking out Phantoms. But that would take his Bey staying put long enough to pull something off. But how the heck was he going to get that off the ground? And getting a glimpse of his Bey's Unite Driver, a spark went off in his mind.
Letting his guard down, Boa struggled his way back to the stadium as the wind blasted his face, eyes solid with grit as he did it.
"Go for the wall, Ragnaruk!"
"Huh?" Gaki's manic grin dropped at that.
The Bey pushed out of the path of the winds and slammed against a wall. The Top fell on its tip as it did so, causing the rubber of the flat part to grind against the wall before shooting off with the rest of the Bey.
"Like that'll do a thing!" Ragnaruk smashed against the wall of wind. To both boys' surprise, it managed to stagger the tornado slightly, causing Gaki to gasp while Boa looked on in amazement.
Even as the winds picked up, Ragnaruk kept up its assault. Boa was doing it. He was actually fighting back!
Now it was Gaki's turn to lose it. "No, no, no!"
Boa smirked. "Looks like I found something that'll shut you up for good!" Boa said as his Ragnaruk fell down the stadium slope and bashed Phantoms' wind barrier. Its opponent bucked around as the winds began to wind down.
"No!"
"What's wrong?" Boa said coyly, launching a fist forward. "What happened to all that hunger?"
Ragnaruk bombarded Phantoms repeatedly. Its force picked up with each strike as it glided with the aid of its rubber driver.
Gaki's face poured with sweat. "Y-you can't be serious!" He clasped his hands together. "P...please, you can't make me leave this place! You just can't!"
"And the Pot finally met Kettle. Ragnaruk, finish this!"
And with one last grind of its Unite Driver, Ragnaruk swerved around the stadium and cut through Phantoms' barrier. Sending the Bey hurdling into the air as it Burst.
An air horn sounded off at the end of the match as Gaki fell to his knees. Boa walked over to look down at him, not from pity, not after what he tried to pull. But from pride.
He actually did it. Sure, it was a struggle, but he actually managed to pull through this time.
A skyward scream from Gaki spoiled the moment as Boa reached for his ears.
"No, it can't be!" The guy clenched his fists as his eyes went wild with fear. "So many souls to consume: Legend Spriggan, Twin Nemesis, and that one!"
Boa's attention was caught at that last part. What Bey?
Gaki was shivering now. His voice was high with fear and rage. "If only I could have consumed it! I could have been the strongest thing in this place! Curse you, Alcacer!"
And before he could get another word out, the trap door gave way beneath him, causing him to fall. His scream echoed from the pit of blackness.
Boa looked up with determination. One down, two to go. And a good bit of him felt a lot more confident that he could make it through this.
Feeling his feet sink as the elevator to the next floor gave way, Boa looked down at Ragnaruk and nodded.
"Let's keep this up."
The next thing Boa knew, he had traveled to what was practically another world. The dark and gloomy trees and the coarse, dead ground had been replaced by clear blue skies and lush green fields surrounded by marble columns that looked straight out of ancient Roman!
Shame it was just another torture ground.
Walking through the fields, Boa couldn't get Gaki's last few ramblings out of his head. What Bey was he talking about? As far as the Snake Pit went, the biggest and badest Beys were Red Eye's Legend Spriggan and Norman's Twin Nemesis. And he could bet that if he ever asked anyone what Bey they'd rather have than their own, it would be one of those.
His mind immediately flashed to the thought of that Bey from Ashram's control room. That dreadful feeling he got from it began to make all the more sense now. Gaki had somehow experienced that weird feeling from before himself. But the question was why they were feeling this.
Continuing his walk Boa eventually came upon a massive coliseum. The thing was the same marble that those pillars from before were made of, with the sun hanging over the place as he looked up to the sky.
Boa tensed briefly as images and stories from a trashed history book he'd found in the street one day entered his mind.
Ashram wouldn't be crazy enough to feed him to a lion, would he?
Walking through the entrance of the massive thing, Boa's fear gave way to annoyance as he found the stands of the thing crowded with jeering members of the Snake Pit. Oddly all of their faces were covered by a dark gray mask. Their indistinct voices melded into an echo that blasted through his ears.
The arena was a large flat plain of reddish-brown dust, save for the gray Beystadium that stuck out in the middle. Another entrance like the one that he came through stood out on the opposite side of him as he looked at it expectantly.
A silhouette eventually stepped out of the darkness, revealing a redhead with curly hair, a yellow tail coat lined with blue, and an arrogant expression covered by the same mask everyone but Boa was wearing, who stepped forward into the sunlight. The crowd began to roar again as the new arrival shut his eyes confidently and threw his arms out wide as he threw his head back.
In an all too over-the-top showman voice, he shouted. "Greetings, fellow denizens of the Snake Pit. I am Alexander!" The crowd roared in response by chanting his name, leading Boa to frown. This was ridiculous. It was more lively than his first challenge, but this was embarrassing. And it was about to get even more so as he had pieced together what was coming next as Alexander continued.
"And for your entertainment today, I, the great Alexander, shall face my next challenger." His tone flattened after he brought down a hand towards Boa. "Boa Alcacer."
The audience broke into guffaws and laughter as Boa felt his frown deepen as he narrowed his eyes. If he had to throw a dart and guess who came up with this, he could definitely steer clear of Ashram. As little as he knew about the guy, he was far from the joking type.
He had to land his money on Norman. Ashram's assistant was known throughout the place for his exceptional cruelty. Making a big show out of him being kicked from the Snake Pit seemed right up his alley.
The laughter continued, but Boa couldn't help but feel determined, unlike before. He was no world champion, but if he managed to take out that first challenge, he could do it again, surprise deathtrap or otherwise. More importantly, he could finally shut some of these guys up, and boy, did they need to.
"Hey, are we flaunting or fighting?" He retorted. Alexander finally seemed to take his eyes off the crowd and take stock of him as he lowered his head and arms.
The guy looked at him with amusement. "Sorry to disappoint you, but there isn't exactly a we in this flaunting."
Boa sneered at him. "Oh, but there will be. Let's get this show on the road."
"Eager to be kicked out, I see...Alright then, say hello and goodbye to my Baldur!" He whipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out a gold Bey with blue highlights. Its blades were five small walls and an equal number of clear prongs between them.
He pulled a golden launcher out of his other pocket and attached his Bey to it before cranking it clockwise. Boa pulled out his Ragnaruk and did the same. He could do this. He could do this!
"3," The two said as they pointed their Beys at the stadium. The red dust kicked up slightly around them.
"2"
"1"
"Go Shoot!" Their Beys blasted into the stadium and chased each other with Baldur in the lead. The golden Bey circled the stadium down to the center as Ragnaruk moved forward to attack it.
"Go for it, Ragnaruk!" The Bey slammed into its opponent, causing the Bey to shoot up the slope, only for sparks to kick up from its ball-tipped Driver as it stopped mid-climb.
Boa was taken aback while the audience jeered at him as Alexander pinched his nose, "How dull you are, Alcacer." He then raised his hands wide and bellowed to the audience. "Who wants a real show?"
The audience roared as Baldur dropped from the slope and struck Ragnaruk up the left. Boa's Bey began to wobble as it traveled along the stadium.
"Hold your ground!" The Bey fell onto its Unite Driver and ground against the stadium, stabilizing itself as it looped along the ring in a flower pattern, cornering Baldur with a flurry of hits. The gold Bey bounced around at the mercy of the hits, causing the crowd to boo and sneer at Boa.
Boa just smirked. Keep it up, Ragnaruk. The two Beys met in the center, with Baldur grinding on its rubber ball to balance itself as they grounded into each other. Both of their Drivers whirled against the stadium surface as they gripped it. Ragnaruk slowly began making some headway as it forced Baldur up the slope, causing Boa to beam. Keep going, and we'll win this!
His confidence melted as Alexander's confidence remained plain on his face. Looking around, Boa found that the crowd was mostly the same, with some snickering and laughing like normal. Immediately, Boa felt his muscles seize up.
"Not a bad act you're putting on, Alcacer," Alexander pointed to the sun atop the stage.
"But three stars on a stage is a crowd!"
With that, Boa's eyes began to burn and sear as the glow from the sun grew more intense. The dirty blonde groaned in pain as the world around him sank away into a wall of light as the audience roared and Alexander laughed. Boa shut his eyes at the pain. How were they not feeling this? What even was this?
Whatever it was, Boa didn't have time to think about it as a sound radiated from somewhere he couldn't quite place.
And his head exploded with pain.
Boa fell back into the dust on his side as he clutched his head. Laughter radiated all around him as he grimaced again.
Opening his eyes finally, Boa's eyes found his Ragnaruk knocked out of the stadium on its side. The light from before had vanished as he looked up at Alexander's superior smile and gritted his teeth.
He quickly gathered that that light must have been this stage's challenge and that the pain he felt from before had been Ragnaruk slamming into his head. It was dirty. Way dirtier than he had expected to deal with.
As the laughter continued, Boa began to feel himself shrink slightly. A sense of weakness crept into him as he got up from the dust. How was he supposed to fight something like that? How could Alexander fight like that?
Remembering the mask on everyone's faces, he soon found one of his answers. How he'd make up for it, he didn't know. One thing he did know was that he needed to keep fighting.
Boa picked Ragnaruk out of the dust and wiped the red grains of his Bey before loading it into his launcher as he faced Alexander, who was doing the same with Baldur.
"Mistaking stupidity for tenacity, are we?" The redhead turned his Bey clockwise in his launcher.
"Shove the snark. Like I'm letting a few cheap laughs and some light show get in my way!"
Alexander just smiled and shook his head. "Very well then, at least you're making a good show out of this."
The two pointed their launchers at the stadium once more. "3,"
"2,"
"1,"
"Go Shoot!" Their Beys fell into the stadium. Baldur rushed for the center, only for Ragnuruk to knock it back, barraging the golden Bey up the stadium slope towards a gap in the wall.
Alexander snarled while Boa thrust a fist forward. "Keep it going, Ragnaruk!" If he couldn't stop that light from blinding him, he'd just have to win before it could show up.
"Not so fast, Alcacer!" Alexander waved a gloved hand as Baldur ground its rubber ball tip against the stadium to stop itself. The golden Bey's weight forced its opponent down the slope as it grounded into it.
Boa clenched his teeth. "Keep the pressure up!" His Bey fell back onto its Unite Driver and slowly gained some ground against Baldur as it stopped their descent.
"Quit struggling, you dolt!"
"Oh, come on, I thought you were having fun?"
The Beys struggled against each other before breaking apart and whirling up the slope of the opposite sides of the stadium.
Both of their Drivers caught the rim of the stadium as they chased around it at blinding speeds.
Boa furrowed his brow. That Driver's gonna keep getting in my way. Have to take it down before it's too late.
"Go under, Ragnaruk!" The Bey angled itself lower as it closed in on Baldur. It ground against the Bey's Disc instead of the Layer as the golden Top began to topple slightly. Almost there, Almost there. But just as the two Beys came near a gap in the wall so he could seal the deal, Baldur regained its balance and barred down on Ragnaruk, causing the brown Bey's Disc to scrape against the floor as the opportunity passed. The noise was awful and grating on his ears as he reached for them with a grimace.
"Too bad, Alcacer. But worry not. Your problems are about to go from bad to worse!" Alexander pointed up.
And like that, the light began to swallow the world around Boa again as he shut his eyes. The crowd was jeering and laughing all the while. No, not again, Boa thought weakly as his eyes struggled against the searing glare. Think...Think, come on, that was when a sound entered his ears. That awful, grating sound gave him an idea.
Boa drowned it all out the best he could: The laughter, the panic he felt, and the light faded away as he focused on a single sound. The sound of his Bey clashing against Baldur. He could win this. All he had to do was focus.
"Keep going, Ragnaruk!" He heard his Bey's Driver grinding into the floor as the noise of Beys clashing hit his ears. "Just keep going, just keep attacking, and never stop!"
The sound picked up more and more. Slowly, other sounds became clear. He heard Alexander groaning in frustration, screaming at his Bey to fight back. The Audience's cheers died as they seemed to realize what was happening. Whatever was happening, Boa hoped it would be enough.
And then, the unmistakable sound of a Bey's burst came to his ears.
The searing fell away from his eyes as he finally opened to see Alexander with his mouth agape as he hit his knees, where Baldur fell to the ground. In the stadium center stood a wobbling Ragnaruk. An alarm blared, declaring Boa's victory as he felt a smile curl up.
Boa looked around at the audience. The lot of them were just as shell-shocked as their former champion. He felt his chest swell with pride. He could do this. With another win, he could keep his place in the Snake Pit. And he could finally prove them all wrong in full. With that, the elevator once again shifted downward beneath his feet. The tunnel of darkness began taking him to his destination.
Shu felt himself sweat at his thoughts instead of the heat around him.
Boa's trials threw him between a rock and a hard place. As one of Ashram's top Bladers, the man had an incredible amount of faith in him, but as a result, held him to high standards. If Boa did manage to make it to the final stage where he stood, the two of them would have to fight, leaving him with two scenarios: Ashram's standards would be dashed, or the green-eyed boy would be tossed from the Snake Pit to wherever he came.
Shu couldn't stomach either of those outcomes. He had a mission to take on two members of the Big Five, the world's toughest Bladers. Losing here could mean that Ashram might reconsider sending him out, at best, or toss him out, at worse. Like it or not (he definitely didn't), he needed this mission. He needed to see if his power could hold up against the best of the best so he could be the best.
But Boa threw a wrench in all of that. Shu couldn't come to grips with seeing the guy's eyes sink in disappointment. The dirty blonde had a tenacity in him that he couldn't help but admire. He reminded him of better times, being surrounded by better people. One person, in particular, came to mind.
He knew he shouldn't be thinking about that. He threw all that away for the power the Snake Pit could give him, but his thoughts just wouldn't stay down.
He hissed to himself while the magma boiled around him. The area was a column of craggy rock shaded red by the intense heat burning below the ring. A slab of rock stood in the circular center with a Beystadium dead in its middle, where Shu stood off to the right.
A hatch opened on the left as Boa rose out of it. The green-eyed boy had a good-natured and determined smile, a far cry from his frown in Ashram's control room. Without even a moment of hesitation, the boy grabbed his launcher and placed his Bey into it.
"Didn't think you'd be my final opponent." He turned his Bey clockwise before getting into his launching position as Shu did the same with his Legend Spriggan, the red and black Bey gleamed slightly before he entered his stance. As he focused on Boa, he cursed himself when he saw his smile. That honest, earnest look hurt him more than Ashram's deathtraps ever could.
But as much as it hurt him, screwing up his chances for power hurt him even more. "And I expect that you won't disappoint me."
"Oh, I will, just not how you'd like!"
They lowered their Beys to the stadium.
"3,"
"2,"
"1,"
"Go Shoot!" Their Beys fell into the stadium and chased each other down to the center. The moment the two struck each other, Boa's Bey blasted to pieces as the smile was wiped from his face.
They were back in the control room as Ashram towered over Boa. Shu could feel the intensity of the masked man's hate even a few feet away. That match wasn't fair. And they both knew it. Boa had gone from fighting riff-raff to The Snake Pit's top Blader. The red-eyed boy was entirely out of Boa's league, and they both knew it. But Ashram didn't care. To him, you were either precious gold or worthless garbage.
Boa was just looking down at his feet. "I—just give me another—-"
"No." Ashram cut him off sharply. "You are to leave this facility immediately as per my instructions. Now get out."
"But–I,"
"Must I repeat myself?"
"But there's nothing I can go back to! You know that!"
"And I gave you something, yet all you've done is squander it!"
Shu saw Boa shudder at that and couldn't help but share in that helplessness. He couldn't shake the feeling that Valt was standing right below Ashram, making him feel all the more sorry. As much as he knew he shouldn't think like that, he couldn't help himself.
"Sir," Ashram's head snapped toward him before he could continue.
Shu felt his blood run cold a bit as the fear from before shifted onto him."I would like you to reconsider your decision regarding Alcacer's departure."
It was a risky move to make, speaking up for Boa, but Shu knew Ashram valued his skills as a Blader. Odds were that he would value his opinions on Blading all the same. All he could do now was trust those odds.
"On what grounds, Red Eye?" The man shifted a hand to Boa. "On what grounds would I possibly reconsider throwing out this miserable piece of trash?"
Shu kept his face firm. "I will admit that Alcacer's performance has long betrayed your standards, master. But there are many facets to Blading, and perhaps Alcacer's tenacity shined the brightest today, with all the challenges he has endured. With more time as your most talented Blader, I believe he could be far more capable than he is now. I only ask that you judge further. "
Shu's face made a great mask for his heartbeat. Would Ashram take the bait? Would he come off as too soft-hearted and be punished just like Boa? It all ran through his head a mile a minute as Ashram swung his eyes between him and Boa with a hand on his chin before he folded his arms behind him.
"Tenacity," he said testingly " We will see about that." He turned his gaze to Boa, the guy's green eyes were lidded with fear. "Your final chance will be at midnight and no later."
Shu felt a calm wash through him as Boa turned to leave the room. But a quick glance at the dower look on the guy's face turned his mood sour again.
Boa sat on the roof of the Snake Pit temple in the pale blue moonlight. It was almost midnight, but against his better judgment, the blonde had come out here, hoping that a few minutes of quiet would keep his racing heart down. To his chagrin, it was doing a thing.
"Just don't think about it." He muttered to himself. "You'll just make it worse. Don't think, don't dwell, just-"
"What are you doing out here?"
Boa's heart jumped as he looked over his shoulder to see Red Eye standing behind him. His face was as blank as ever while the wind whipped up his white hair.
"Couldn't sleep." He said flatly as the masked guy walked up to him. Boa awkwardly rubbed his head. "H-hey, thanks. For bailing me out there."
"Your thanks aren't needed, but your results are."
Boa sank his head. "Don't expect too much from them. They might just let you down. Heck, why'd you even do that for me?"
The guy seemed to pick up on his misery even if his face didn't show it. "Are you not happy about it?"
"Happy to get another chance to humiliate myself for nothing? Why would I be?"
"And just makes you think that failure is your destiny?"
"I–I mean, I'm nowhere as weak as I used to be, but climbing on top of the trash heap isn't exactly an accomplishment."
Red Eye placed a hand on Boa's shoulder, causing the Blonde to look up. "I told you not to give up," He said firmly. "Whether it be on a task or yourself, to give up is to deny any favorable outcomes. Remember that."
With that out of the way, he jumped down from the temple and onto the ground, walking out into the forest below.
"Where are you going?"
The guy looked up over his shoulder. "On a mission. I'll be back." And then he vanished into the darkness.
Boa didn't know how to wrap his head around that last part of their conversation. He wanted to believe that he could take whatever this challenge was, but knowing Ashram, he knew this one would hit him harder than any of the others. Whatever that challenge was, he was about to find out.
Boa walked through the Snake Pit's halls, losing his last few nerves leaving him with every step.
What would this challenge be? How could he overcome it this time? And all sorts of similar questions ran through his head as he walked further to where Ashram's control room would be. But this time, something felt off. His walk through the hallway was feeling...heavier this time around. It felt so strange yet vaguely familiar at the same time. A feeling of dread crawled into his sink and made his blood feel like it was freezing over.
He tried to wave it off as he came upon the left turn into the control room. It's just cause you don't wanna get kicked out of here. He scolded himself as he prepared to make his turn.
Just then, a hand, no, a claw, slammed against the corner as Boa jumped back! It was dark and ethereal. The bone-white fingers were attached to a dark gauntleted forearm. That scraped away at the dark steel.
"W-What the..." Boa felt horror race through him as the hand crept forward along the wall as the hall began to rumble around him; a massive, ethereal figure stomped out of the shadows.
The thing towered over him. It was a dragon with coal-dark skin wrapped in a dark purple chest plate colored like the gauntlets from before. The thing's glassy red eyes glared down at him as it let out eerie breath after eerie breath through its snouted mouth.
Boa's skin paled at the sight of the thing. Its six translucent wings lit up with a sickly green as it roared in the boy's face, causing him to run on instinct as the thing followed him.
Boa's mind flashed through his thoughts as the dragon rumbled up from behind. This thing was definitely a part of Ashram's challenge, but what was he supposed to do against that? If he could probably hazard an answer, it would be that there wasn't one. This was just Ashram's way of picking him off so he didn't have to deal with him anymore.
Gotta think fast! Gotta think fast! He turned a corner to where his room would be. Ignoring the roar behind him, he lunged for the sliding door of his room as it opened and crashed inside while the door shut.
Boa wheezed as his blood ran wild, and sweat poured down him as he shuddered. What was he supposed to do now? That thing could tear him apart, crush him, eat him. Nothing could survive that thing!
His panic hit his breaking point as a stomp thundered outside the door. A low growl made his blood chill as his heart felt like it was caught between his ears.
Don't move. He thought to himself. Just don't move!
The growls lingered for a second. Low and grumbling while the lights hanging from atop the room flickered as the quaking continued down the hall. Boa felt like his body was about to burst before the thundering finally passed over as the monster made its way down to another part of the hall.
He finally felt his body relax before turning upright. He needed to get out of here. Just find the exit and never look back. And whatever that thing was, he could only hope it would be too wrapped up in its search to follow him.
Letting his door open and breaking for the exit on the right, Boa's mind blanked on all other thoughts.
Food, a roof, and Blading all meant nothing. All he had to do now was survive.
Turning to the left, Boa felt his eyes light up at the sight of the exit. Only for a sudden roar to drain the color out of them and the rest of his face while an explosion rocked the hall just when he made it through the door.
Coughing from the smoke and debris, Boa turned to see the dragon staring back at him. It roared in aggression as he stared back at it. His blood chilled as he looked on. He was tried. Too tired to run anymore. Too weak to do anything to the dragon.
The thing crept toward him as he stumbled back. This was it. He couldn't do anything else, only sit at the dragon's mercy.
To give up is to deny any favorable outcomes.
Boa clenched his teeth at that thought. Things were far from favorable at the moment, but he tried weighing his last few options in his head. Odds were this was it for him, but what would be better, going out swinging for his life or just getting walked all over again?
Swallowing his fear, Boa gave the dragon a strained look before snapping to a determined one.
He was through being walked on. From now on, and hopefully for as long as he lived.
He charged for the dragon. And with his best roar of defiance. slammed into the thing head-on and closed his eyes.
To his shock, he felt normal. No piercings in his body. No cries of pain. Or even a whimper. In fact, he actually felt like he was holding something.
Opening his eyes and looking down at his hand, Boa was surrounded by dust that cloaked whatever he was holding. The debris settled to reveal a black Bey with six blocky blades and a dragon head in the middle of it. The head's eyes were like the dragon he was facing earlier.
"Nasty little thing, aren't you?" He huffed out as he tried to calm himself from his brush with death before he held the Bey to the sky with pride.
"Well, whatever you are, now you're mine!"