(Oct. 09, 2019  12:54 PM)Sir Saitama Wrote: Chapter 26 - Phi's Rampage! The Legendary Sword!

Spoiler (Click to View)

Last time on Beyblade Burst Zero! Toko and Paris' long awaited battle begins, as Pegasus is revealed to have a wing gimmick! After giving it his all, Paris wins the battle and is the fourth contestant in the semi-finals! 

A few months ago, Xander's dojo

The unforgiving sound of shouting, wooden boards snapping and the satisfying sound of beys bursting stole Xhan's attention. Surrounding him was an upgraded, newly built workshop. Several workbenches lined the walls, with dozens of different tools scattered around the room. A notice board stood in front of him, with multiple blueprints overlapping each other.

"Stay focused!" Xander scolded. "You're gonna hit your hand with that hammer!"
"R-right! Sorry," Xhan fixed his undivided attention on a rusty anvil beside a cauldron filled to the brim with water.
The prince plunged a sword-like weapon into the cauldron, allowing it to cool.

Xander raised an eyebrow. "Not making a new sword?"
"Nah. The day I pulled this bad boy out of the stone.. I felt a connection. I felt Xcalibur," Xhan explained. 
The giant chuckled iconicly. "Well, a little corny. But I reckon you're right."

Steam erupted from the cauldron, as the sword lost its bright red texture.
"I think it's ready." Xander picked up the heavy blade effortlessly.
"I think so too."

Xander carefully placed the weapon in Xhan's hands. The weight of it almost knocked him over.
"So.. heavy.." Xhan panted, before losing balance and tossing it into the air.
They both gasped, expecting a window or two to shatter. A silhouette appeared at the door, and effortlessly caught the blade in one hand.

The figure revealed himself to be a boy about the same age as Xander, with light brown hair tied into a braid. He wore a blue jacket and had matching logos with Xander.

“You should be more careful,” the boy walked over to Xhan, pointing the sword directly at him.
“O-okay.” Xhan had a sigh of relief, before noticing a blank layer beside the weapon.

Xander chuckled. “Hey, Ren Wu, go easy on him. He’s just a kid.”
“Prince,” Xhan corrected.
Another two figures appeared at the door. One had light blue hair in a ponytail, with a indigo hoodie and violent accents.

He disappeared briefly, and reappeared behind Xhan, barely knocking him into the furnace.
“Oh, I’m sorry your highness. Want me to get you a bandaid?” The boy said mockingly.
“Well, that would be nice actually,” Xhan replied.

The other boy folded his arms.
“Ukyo! Quit being a Bloody Longinus to everyone.” 
He had brown hair with a yellow mohawk, and a green jacket with a white t-shirt underneath.
“Sorry about him,” he apologised, “I’m Yugo Nansui.”

Xander smirked. “How’s it going, guys? Long time no see.”
A fourth silhouette appeared, and this time everyone instantly recognised him.
“Valt!” the giant ran over to the boy, ruffling his hair. “How are ya buddy?”

The blue-haired boy smiled. “I’m good.”
Xhan raised an eyebrow, brushing bits of debris of his jacket. “Not to be rude, but why are you all here?”
They all shot the prince a look as if he’d said something forbidden.

Yugo explained, “We’re here to help with your Xcalibur’s evolution.”
Production began immediately after that. Xander, Ren Wu and Yugo hammered the blade, shrinking it to fit the layer.

Valt and Xhan worked on Xcalibur’s design, multiple designs, whilst Ukyo lurked around from time to time, making witty comments.
“Don’t worry, I’m your manager. Now I’ll just sit on the couch as managers do,” he reminded them before dozing off to sleep. 

Valt took a piece of paper and scribbled a picture, and held it proudly.
“Voilà! Here’s the new Xcalibur!” 
Everyone stared at it blankly.
“I can kind of see the blades if you look hard enough,” Xander said.

The champion sighed. “Oh well, back to basics.”
The two went through countless designs, before Xhan sighed. “I don’t like any of them.”
The prince walked over to a blueprint and held it in his hands. 
“Forget what I said, look at this!”

Yugo laughed, “That’s a prototype for a new model of a weapon.”
“Well, that’s what Xcalibur is,” Xhan replied, “The deadliest weapon on Earth.”

The sun began to set, and the five bladers were worn out. Ukyo rubbed his eyes and woke up.
“Is it done yet? Also, I had the weirdest dream. So I found myself-“
Ukyo was interrupted by Xhan. “You bet it’s done! Fullmetal Xcalibur!”

They all nodded in approval. 
“If it’s alright with you, let’s test out your new bey!” Valt challenged.
“Count me in!” Yugo exclaimed.
“I think I’ll take a nap,” Ukyo yawned, before Yugo shook him wide awake.
“He’s in too.”

Xander glanced at his Sieg Xcalibur.
“We’ve chosen a good successor. But we can’t be beaten.”
The five gathered around a large stadium with spikes.
Valt laughed excitedly. “I remember this! The good ol’ days.”

The referee, one of Xander’s students, commenced the battle.
“Ready, set!” 
“Three!”
“Two!”
“One!”
“Let it rip!”

Unlock Unicorn took the centre, with Yaeger Yggdrasil in close orbit, wrapping itself around the center of the stadium. Shelter Regulus snaked around the inner ring.

Cho-Z Valkyrie and Sieg Xcalibur rushed Xhan’s Fullmetal Xcalibur, flinging it into the air. The 1+ disc aligned with the Steel driver, returning it to the stadium with a power increase.

“Go! Sixth Impact!” Xhan commanded.
Xander’s hair flamed. “Not on my watch! Triple Impact!”
The two Xcalibur’s slammed into each other, as both beys got knocked back. 

Xander grinned. “Was that all you got?”
Xhan smirked. “Practically. Look at where your bey’s heading.”
The giant gasped, as Sieg Xcalibur headed toward the spikes. Shelter Regulus got caught in the way, flying out of the stadium.

Crunch! Sieg Xcalibur split apart instantly, as Xander gasped. 
"Can't believe I lost that easily," Ren Wu sighed.
"Nicely done. But let's see if the kid can take the others down."

Fullmetal Xcalibur narrowly missed the spikes, rebounding off the wall. It zoomed through the stadium and pierced its blade into Unlock Unicorn.
"Not so fast!" Ukyo grinned. "Horn Shoot!"

The defense type tilted on its Needle driver, shifting the center of gravity onto its horn. With one swift attack, Xcalibur flew into the air and headed toward Valkyrie.
"It's all yours, partner! Cho-Z Slash!" Valt shouted, as a beam of light spread across Valkyrie's layer.
Fullmetal Xcalibur lost another two clicks and headed toward the spikes.
"Hold on buddy! We've got this!" Xhan bellowed, activating Xcalibur's avatar. "Go!"

The attack-type raced across the stadium, surviving the once undefeatable trap.
"What?" Ukyo gasped. "No bey can withstand that!"
"Yeah, well mine can! Sixth Impact!"
Whilst the Shadow Walker was caught off guard, the sword bey relentlessly rushed through Unicorn, bursting it instantly. The Needle driver remained spinning, and knocked Yggdrasil off balance, sending it on its Yield driver.
"I appreciate the boost," Yugo started, "Because now we can use our first special move! Now, Yield Shoot!"

Yaeger Yggdrasil drove toward the two attack-type beys, but was no match for Xcalibur. It flung out of the stadium and landed at Yugo's feet.
"At least it wasn't a burst," Ukyo patted him on the shoulder.
With the final two beys remaining, Cho-Z Valkyrie lit up, emitting a luminous blue aura. 
"Let's do this, Valkyrie! Cho-Z Rush Shoot!"

Valkyrie struck Xcalibur rapidly, giving it little room to escape. The champion's bey pulled away, swirling around the stadium to regain speed. Xhan grinned as Cho-Z Valkyrie headed toward the outer rim of the stadium, attempting to strike its opponent.
"Now's our chance! Get him, partner!" Valt ordered.
Suddenly, Fullmetal Xcalibur avoided the upcoming attack, as the blade on its layer enlarged. Xander's eyes widened in excitement. 
The bey glowed, as it was engulfed in a furious orange flame. Its avatar activated, a sword forming together to become a knight. It featured a more advanced version of its previous avatar, but with metal highlights on its armour.

"Xcalibur! Fullmetal Sword!" Xhan's voice echoed through the entire mountain, as a blinding light exploded from the building. The stadium rumbled as Valkyrie flew out of the stadium, landing at Valt's feet. A crowd had gathered around during the battle, and looked at the referee, awaiting a response.
"Fullmetal Xcalibur has defeated all of its opponents. Therefore, Xhan Bogard is the winner!" The referee declared.

Xander chuckled, lifting Xhan over his shoulder. "Nice one, dude! You're a natural!"
"Thanks. Uh, could you let me down now?"

Present day

That day had left an impact on Xhan. Not just an improvement in his blading skills, but he was finally happy to be treated like a regular teenager instead of a prince. It seemed unlikely that Yugo, Valt, Ren Wu and Ukyo would help him become the blader he was today. Meanwhile, Daniel and Roan were about to begin the second battle. Everyone watched closely, as the rising ambience became tense.

Daniel clenched his fists, veins appearing across his arm. He panted quite heavily, and shot Daemon a look before turning to the referee.
"I want a time out," he folded his arms. 
The referee decided it was better not to argue, and allowed it. "Very well. The timeout begins!"
Hanami commented, "That was unexpected! Now's a good time to head to the bathrooms! Also, the BeyBread outside is on discount! Make sure to grab yourself one before they're all sold out!"

Daniel stood in the corridor, across from Lui. The White Tyrant folded his arms, shaking his head in dissaproval.
"What was that?" Lui growled. "You're better than this."
Daniel looked down at his bey in shame. His eyes became a merciless red, full of anger and hatred. "I'm sorry Lui. It was a fluke. I'll be sure to crush him, and shatter him into pieces!" 
Lui grinned. "That's better."

After the quick break, the windows rattled and shook, as the trees danced. Rain poured out of the sky, thunder rumbling constantly.
Nika scrolled through her tablet. "Looks like the weather's going to be bad all week. It was perfectly hot all month until now."
Taiki cracked up. "Baha! So this knockoff iPad can do more than looking at beys. It can tell the weather!"

The crowd soon returned to their seats as Roan reappeared on stage, scowling at the weather. Daniel walked up to his side of the stadium and regained his usual, obnoxious grin.
"Boohoo, is poor little Roan scared of the weather? Believe me, Daemon and I will be ten times as menacing as this."

"Ready, set!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Let it rip!"

The two beys launched into the stadium and swarmed around each other, narrowly missing each other's attacks.
"Pathetic! You shouldn't even be in the Z5," Daniel insulted. "Say goodnight. Demolish Break!"
Havoc Daemon compressed into its driver, speeding across the stadium as it slammed into Smash Revenge, knocking it into the stadium wall.
"Hold on tight, Revenge. This isn't going to be a pretty one."

Smash Revenge regained its balance and recovered quickly, as the edges of its layer became glowing, merciless blades of power. Roan called out, "Now! Super Revenge Slash!"
The God of Revenge drilled its blade into Havoc Daemon, sending it flying into the air.
"As if I'd lose that easily. Rebirth Dive!"

Daemon used the situation to its advantage by tilting downward, quickly descending into the stadium as if it'd just been relaunched. The Dark Dragon landed on Revenge's layer, sending it backward into the stadium wall.
"Not good," Roan thought, "We've already lost two clicks from hitting the stadium wall."
Daniel recalled to his talk with Lui earlier. Before they parted, Lui said something that took Daniel a while to figure out,
"By the way, send him into the stadium wall."

It seemed odd at first, but Daniel quickly realised that Smash Revenge, unlike other beys, took extra damage from recoil as its layer was rather bulky. Daniel pointed at Roan, laughing wickedly.
"I've figured out your weakness! And this moment marks Revenge's demise!"
Roan felt trapped, cornered, with no options left. Every few seconds, Havoc Daemon blasted through Revenge, slamming it into the wall.
"No. Pull yourself together, Roan. We can do this," he mumbled.

Before Daemon made its way to strike, Smash Revenge quickly rolled back, riding up the stadium wall.
"Look at that! Smash Revenge is using its weakness to its advantage!" Hanami announced excitedly.
Paris watched in awe. "Roan's really something. He pulled off something pretty wild as usual."

Smash Revenge combusted into a scenic explosion of power, as it flipped into the air, crashing down at incredible speeds.
"We'll give you a piece of my mind, Daniel. It says that we're gonna win this! Triple Smash Brave!"
Revenge made three bursts of speed, before pummeling into Havoc Daemon, knocking both beys back.
"What?" Aiga said shocked. "Daemon didn't burst?"
Nika zoomed in on a rotating model of Havoc Daemon. "It seems like Daemon has springs all over the bey, which allows it to minimize attack damage!"

The Dark Dragon sped off toward Revenge, thrashing it endlessly.
"What's wrong?" Roan smirked, "I thought you knew my weakness."
Daniel had enough. "If I wanted to use it against you, this battle would last five seconds. You've overstayed your welcome, Roan, and it's time for you to go. Rebound Uppercut!"

Havoc Daemon grabbed hold of Revenge, locking it in place with its strong springs, preventing the God of Revenge from moving.
"Roan's in big trouble," Charles gulped, "Revenge is stuck!"
Daniel's eyes were balls of fire. "FINISH HIM!" 
The Dark Dragon delivered an upwards attack to Smash Revenge, flinging the bey into the air. Revenge headed toward the stadium, before ricocheting off with little stamina and power left.

"Smash Revenge has got no fight left in it! Can it withstand Daemon's brutal attacks?" Hanami said rhetorically.
"The answer to that's no," Daniel chuckled as the bey slashed through Smash Revenge, bursting it.
The crowd gasped and quickly went silent. Lui stood up and clapped, the only sound heard.
"Go on," Lui snarled, "Give him his points."
"Two points to Havoc Daemon for a Burst Finish! The score is now 2-1!"

Roan had little motivation left to keep going. Forfeiting seemed tempting, but the Z5 member contained himself. He heard a soft chanting noise from the crowd. Surely enough, it was the BeyClub. Aiga, Paris, Toko, Nika, Charles, Ryota, they were all there to help him. The sound grew louder and louder, until the whole building began to shout Roan's name.
"You can do this Roan!"
"You've got this!"

Cameras flashed, people clapped and cheered, and Roan felt powerful again. He saw Revenge's avatar by his side, ready to battle. A burning aura of passion and power surrounded the two, much to Lui's agitation. The White Tyrant frowned, clearly irritated. It was a known fact that he hated cheering, but something was different this time. Paris immediately caught Lui's face and noticed.
"It seems like he's scared," Paris stared at his face observantly. "Scared of the fact that Roan's going to win this."
Aiga chuckled. "Doesn't seem much like Lui, but I'm all for it!"

Hanami leapt out of his seat, almost knocking his favorite coffee cup over. He tapped into the microphone excitedly.
"Everyone's rooting for Roan now! Let's see if he can win this match!"
Daniel roared, a red, soupy mist floating around him. His intense, fiery eyes flared. 
Pointing to Roan, he grinned. "I've had enough of you. I could care less if the whole universe was chanting your name. But mind you, they're going to be disappointed and watching in shock as I devour your bey!"


"Ready, set!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Let it rip!" 

Both bladers bounded into the air, sending their beys downward toward the stadium at furious speeds. The two polar opposite beys managed to strike each other, clashing midair. Daemon and Revenge were pushed back, as the Dark Dragon rolled on its side, using its springs to absorb the impact, flinging it into the air. Smash Revenge wasn't so lucky - the bey rebounded off the stadium wall, losing two clicks in the process. A heavy dent was left behind, in the shape of Revenge.

The maintenance workers in the crowd look displeased. Among them, one of the workers groaned,
"We just had it fixed last week! If only these kids would stop wrecking it!"
Havoc Daemon flew overhead, attempting to land on Revenge's layer. Roan quickly caught notice of this as Smash Revenge drifted away, avoiding the Dark Dragon's attack.

"You won't be so lucky next time!" Daniel laughed evilly. "But unfortunately for you, there won't be a next time! Now, Demolish Break!"
Havoc Daemon compressed into its driver, using the energy into an outburst of speed as it raced across the stadium, competing with Revenge. The beys twisted around the arena side by side, as Daemon attempted to hit Smash Revenge.

Roan yelled, "No mercy Revenge! Upper Smash Break!"
The bey effortlessly knocked Havoc Daemon into the stadium wall, but ricocheted off, heading toward the wall at terrifying speeds. It slammed into each stadium wall in a triangle, as Smash Revenge couldn't keep up.
"What's Daniel up to?" Charles asked.
Nika replied, "It seems like Havoc Daemon is using the stadium wall's impact to help boost its speed. I'm guessing a big attack will be next."

The Dark Dragon redirected itself to the center, glowing up. Smash Revenge defended itself as best as it could, despite it not being a defense type. Havoc Daemon landed on its layer, flinging itself into the air. It used the built up speed to strike the God of Revenge, whipping it rapidly.
"Daemon's not exactly rushing Revenge," Ryota pointed out. "But whatever it's doing, it's working."

Havoc Daemon pushed into its driver, performing another Demolish Break.
"Crush him now!" Daniel yelled.
Before Roan could use a counter move, Smash Revenge flew into the air. It seemed highly unlikely that a recovery would be made.
Paris glanced down at Pegasus, "Come on Roan. We made a promise."

Roan's eyes glinted, a flashback of every battle he'd had with Revenge appearing in his mind. He scanned through the entire crowd, imagining them cheering his name again. He had everything he wanted right before him - courage. They gave him courage. And the boy decide it was time to use it.
"Daniel. I know Paris is counting on me! So I'm not going to let myself lose!"
The boy felt the rising tension reappearing, much to his joy. 
"You want to win? Give me all you got." He spread his arms wide open, as if he expected Roan to shoot him with a gun just like in action blockbusters. 

Smash Revenge pulled itself together, descending downward. It wasn't a gun, but much more powerful. A beam of light appeared on its layer, as it shot down like an arrow.
Roan bellowed, "Now! Super Revenge Slash and Triple Smash Brave together!" 
The whole crowd was taken by surprise, but Roan himself was the most shocked out of all of them. He couldn't believe he was pulling off such a move.

Revenge rained down, blasting through Havoc Daemon as the stadium rumbled, light and wind pouring out of the stadium. Daniel and Roan squinted, as the fallout soon disappeared. Daemon was apart in three pieces, with a small crack in its layer. Lui grit his sharp teeth before leaving mysteriously as he usually did. 
"Two points to Smash Revenge for a Burst Finish! The score is now 3-2!" the referee announced excitedly.

Roan smiled at Smash Revenge. "Yes!" he silently cheered.
The crowd went wild, continuing to chant Roan's name.
"They're still at it?" Aiga questioned.
"Duh, Roan's a crowd favourite! Of course they're gonna go wild over him!" Taiki replied.

Before Daniel could scream in defeat, he noticed Lui was gone. The boy left and chased after him in the hallways, leaving his bey behind.
Nika tapped the home button on her device before opening the official WBBA tournament app. It listed the official world rankings, being:
1. Lui
2. Valt
3. Shu
4. Free
5. Roan
6. Xhan

The app also displayed the upcoming battles in every tournament across the world.
Nika double tapped on the Japanese National Tournament, before turning to Paris. "You're about to go against Xhan. Good luck!"
Paris left and sat in the waiting room, before hearing a panicked, sorrow voice. He peeked through a small glass window only to see Daniel and Lui. The White Tyrant paused, before remarking, "I have no time for you talentless bladers. Get out of my sight, kid. We're done. Maybe I can actually find someone worth my time to train with."

Lui exited the building as Daniel stood there, tears rolling down his face. Unlike Paris, his idol had completely disregarded him and left him. Years of training together had gone to waste. Daniel wiped his tears aside before heading to the main building, where he picked up Havoc Daemon and smiled at Roan.
"I think this battle settled our differences. Congrats and good luck."
Taiki tilted his head to get a better perspective. "Was Daniel just crying?"
Charles' eyes widened. "You're right. But what he said just then didn't seem very genuine."
"Like fake? As in he's acting all sweet and then planning to destroy Smash Revenge?" Taiki laughed at the thought of that.
"No, like.. He seemed sad, almost. It's hard to describe. Anyway," Charles changed the topic, "Let's watch Paris' battle."

Roan sat with the BeyClub. "Hey guys. Is Paris up?"
"Mhm. Against Xhan. This is going to be a difficult battle," Ryota responded.
The prince stood at the opposite end of the stadium from Paris, showing his Fullmetal Xcalibur.
"Hey Paris, nice to finally meet you. Aiga put in the good word. And this is Fullmetal Xcalibur!" Xhan exclaimed.

The layer had a double sided, fully metal sword, hence the name. It featured its usual, crudely-shaped, jagged design whilst having metal highlighting the bey. The swords were spring-loaded, which allowed it to retract. Meanwhile, the disc, 1+, was a final upgrade to the 1 disc. It was thicker, heavier and also balanced. Finally, the driver, Steel, featured a metal driver, much like Iron, but in a star shape. 

A suspicious looking person with long, white hair stood at the balcony. His face was cloaked, and he seemed to be holding an object. Roan was the only person who saw him, but he decided it was better not to look. His eyes might've been playing a trick on him.
"Alright Xhan, bring it on! This is Immortal Pegasus!" Paris smiled, revealing his bey.
The cloaked person seemed interested in Pegasus. Under the hood, he grinned yearningly.

"Cool bey," Xhan complimented. "Let's see who's going to come out on top."
Hanami commented, "Xhan took the words right out of my mouth! I'm eager to see what's in store for us!"
The referee commenced the battle.
"Ready, set!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Let it rip!"

A moment before the two bladers launched their beys, a blinding light briefly flashed, shining in Xhan's eyes. He closed his eyes and launched Fullmetal Xcalibur into the stadium recklessly, as the bey landed in the stadium with little stamina and attack power. Immortal Pegasus darted across the stadium, lighting up. Roan noticed the perpetrator, the cloaked man at the overhead ceiling. 
"Everything alright?" Ryota asked him. "You looked pretty mad."
"Yeah, it's nothing." Roan didn't want to cause a disturbance in the battle. Besides, this was a good opportunity for Paris to actually score some points. He felt guilty, but shook those feelings aside. 

Xhan gasped. "I mislaunched it. But how?"
Paris shouted, "Now's our chance Pegasus! Hit him with Immortal Slash!"
A beam of bright blue light spilled across Fullmetal Xcalibur, sending it into the stadium wall. It lost a click, but the bey aligned with its disc and driver, allowing itself to access a temporary boost of speed. 
The prince thundered, "We're going to give him all we got! Sixth Impact!"

A huge crashing sound followed, as both beys were pushed back. Xcalibur was on the verge of hitting the stadium floor.
"We're not gonna let you go that easily! Get him, Pegasus!" Paris boomed. 
Immortal Pegasus ripped through Fullmetal Xcalibur, bursting it instantly. 
"Two points to Immortal Pegasus for a Burst Finish! The score is now 2-0!"

Chatter and confusion broke between the crowd, the main topic being: "How did Paris win that easily?"
Paris himself was shocked. He expected more of a battle, but deep down he knew something wasn't right. The cloaked man overhead smirked, glancing down at something in his hand. Before anyone noticed him, he quickly disappeared. Roan felt like he'd committed a crime by not letting the truth out. He couldn't take it anymore.
"Someone sabotaged the battle," the Z5 member whispered. "I saw a man up there. He had a camera or something."
"What man?" Taiki said out loud. 
"Shhh." Roan put a finger on his lip. "Keep quiet. He's gone now, but I don't want something to start. Paris already has his two points, right?"

The Z5 member sighed. "Gosh, I don't mean to sound like a jerk or anything. But I think it's for the best to keep it a little down."
Everyone nodded understandingly. Xhan glanced down at his Xcalibur.
"What the Hades just happened?"  He thought to himself. "I didn't just lose, did I?"
This time, Hanami didn't make a comment. He was well aware that someone had sabotaged the battle, and was discussing the situation with tournament officials.
"-Yes, I agree. But we don't have enough evidence at the moment. We'll have to let this one go."
Xhan and Paris overheard them talking. Paris felt extremely sorry. He couldn't imagine making it this far into the semi-finals and having some dude ruin your battle.
"I'm sorry, Xhan." Paris apologised.
"It's not your fault," Xhan smiled. "I'll let this one slide. Besides, this is getting me all fired up!"

The referee started the second battle.
"Ready, set!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Let it rip!"

With Xhan at his full power, Fullmetal Xcalibur tore through the stadium at wild speeds. Immortal Pegasus activated its wings and landed on the top ledge of the stadium, jolting down toward the opposing bey. The two attack types collided, before pulling away. Pegasus retreated, with Xcalibur in hot pursuit. Fullmetal Xcalibur managed to hit Pegasus with a great amount of force. Each attack flung it into the air, knocking Pegasus away.
"Hold on Pegasus!" Paris shouted.

The Cosmic Horse surged through the stadium, returning the favor to Xcalibur. Immortal Pegasus struck its opponent rapidly, giving it zero chances to defend itself. Charles took a quick glance at Xcalibur.
"It seems like Fullmetal Xcalibur can deal powerful attacks, but it's not too fast itself. I think its heavy weight is holding it down."
Aiga added, "Seems about right. Pegasus is way too fast for Xcalibur to keep up."
Paris bellowed, "Supernova Shoot!"

Immortal Pegasus rushed through Fullmetal Xcalibur again through a series of heavy attacks. The Legendary Sword seemed to be resisting damage. Finally, Xcalibur emitted a fiery aura.
"Now, Xcalibur! Fullmetal Sword!"
Suddenly, one of the swords on Xcalibur's layer extended outward, hacking away at Immortal Pegasus. The damage it endured brought it down three clicks closer to bursting. One more and it would be game over.

Pegasus rolled away, avoiding a burst. It regained its stamina quite easily. The Cosmic Horse raced around the stadium, as Xcalibur chased after it.
"You can run, but you can't hide! Get him, Fullmetal Xcalibur!"
Paris thought he'd lost him. Pegasus was on the far side of the stadium, away from the opposing bey. Frankly, Xcalibur wasn't all that bad in terms of speed. Its second sword extended, slashing at Immortal Pegasus. 

Pegasus flung into the air, almost reaching a point of no return. 
"We can't lose just yet. This one's for Roan!"
A brief memory of Gingka passing over his Samurai Pegasus over to Paris played in his head. The memory was important and sentimental to Paris - it meant the world to him.

"Pegasus and I went through an amazing journey together. Your grandfather gave it to me one day. Ever since, we'd been battling our hearts out. Now it's your time Paris. I know that everyone's using a different system of beys, what were they called again?"
"Burst," Paris giggled.
"Right. Seems like forever ago the Metal generation was still new. Anyway, Pegasus is now yours. I'm trusting him in your hands. Make him your own."

"My own," Paris repeated, before looking at the many faces in the crowd. He estimated around a few hundred there, as it was extra packed today. "Roan's not the only one counting on me. I've got so many people waiting for me to win! And I like to keep my promises. Go! Immortal Starblast Attack!"
Immortal Pegasus descended at high speeds, breaking the sound barrier. It crashed down onto Fullmetal Xcalibur's layer. The swords prevented Pegasus from moving any further, but the Cosmic Horse was too fast. Both beys flew out of the stadium and landed at their owner's feet. Immortal Pegasus landed a few seconds after, and this time it was noticeable. No replays were needed.

"One point to Immortal Pegasus for an Over Finish! The score is now 3-0!"
Xhan smiled, picking up his Fullmetal Xcalibur.
"You know Paris, even if this battle wasn't sabotaged by someone else, I don't think it would've played any differently. You're a talented blader. Feel free to swing by my palace any time. Then, we can have our actual rematch."
Paris smiled back. "Right. I'll look forward to battling you again. Make sure there's no weird dudes with cameras."

Hanami wiped his eyes with a handkerchief. "What a good display of sportsmanship between bladers! This is such a good way to end today's battles. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty exhausted. Lui vs Valt, Paris vs Toko, Roan vs Daniel and Paris vs Xhan. Give a round of applause for these two bladers!"
The crowd erupted excitedly. 
"He won!" Roan shouted with joy. "He pulled it off!"
Aiga grinned. "If only me and Achilles knew how to take down Xhan the first time. He's something else, I tell you."
Charles and Taiki found a way to bicker over the topic, as usual.
"I told you he'd win!"
"No, I told you that he'd win!"

The screen changed, as Xhan's image faded away. Paris and Roan's photos enlarged, taking up half of the screen.
"And we've got a treat for you bladers! The countdown's beginning to the National Tournament finals! Paris and Roan are gonna have their long awaited rematch! I can't wait to see how that'll play out," Hanami added.
Before Xhan and Paris parted ways, the screen changed to a live battle. It displayed a dark bey taking on five others. The owner was a long, white haired man with heterochromia, one red eye and one blue eye. 

Roan gasped, "It was him! The dude who messed up the battle!"
Aiga stood up, his heart racing. He glanced at his Cho-Z Achilles briefly before returning his attention to the screen. He recalled Phi breaking Z Achilles. Toko and Nika seemed to know what he was on about.
"I thought he was gone. I crushed you once, and I'll do it again."
The dark bey, Oblivion Phoenix, had a ring of armor like its predecessors, Revive and Dead Phoenix, but its layer featured a more spikier design with more metal. The armor had a blade on each side, just like Guardian Kerbeus, which allowed it to push out. The armor had its own mini gimmick. The disc, Rebirth, was similar to Blitz but featured two contact points instead of three. The points pointed further outward than Blitz and could also tilt downward. The driver, Atomic Metal, was a fully black driver with a red ring around it and the ball was metal instead of plastic.

The five beys all ganged up on Oblivion Phoenix, who spun in the middle of the stadium. Phi stood there, watching the battle intimidatingly. They were all beys from the God Layer System, except one of them. 
Xhan gulped, "That's Aaron! What's he doing now?"
Aaron Mizusawa stood there, leading the other four bladers. He nodded at them, as Shield Ares slammed into Oblivion Phoenix, dealing no damage. Phi laughed wickedly, and felt like he was a giant compared to them.

The other four beys assisted Ares - a Beat Kukulcan, Twin Nemesis, Alter Chronos and Kreis Satan. They drilled into Phoenix, sparks flying high into the air. Phi's eyes turned completely black, filled with evil. Aiga held Achilles close to him, as if he were scared that he'd lose it again. It was his responsibility to ensure it wouldn't happen again. Shield Ares lit up.
"Go! Ares Drive!" Aaron called out.

Shield Ares managed to knock off Phoenix's armor, as it lay dormant on the stadium floor. Phoenix moved away, blasting the other beys back. It let off a purple flame which seemed to feed on its opponent's fear. It rose high into the air. Oblivion Phoenix crashed into its armor, which extended its blades outward.
"Oblivion Stinger!" Phi commanded, as Phoenix flicked its ring into the stadium wall and ricocheted off, landing into Kukulcan which burst instantly, its layer splitting apart into pieces.

Then, Phoenix pushed its armor once more, pushing it into the stadium wall. It headed toward Nemesis, and Phoenix came around the other direction, performing its:
"Oblivion Armor Press!"
Twin Nemesis burst instantly, also ripping apart into small little fragments. Oblivion Phoenix headed toward Chronos and Satan.
"Destroy them! Oblivion Break!"

Phoenix burst the two instantly, Chronos and Satan ending up like the other beys - damaged beyond repair. Phi chuckled devilishly, enjoying the artwork he'd created on the stadium floor. Shield Ares was the final one left.
"Don't think you're going to be let out mercilessly," Phi pointed to him. "You happened to get caught in our way. And for that, destroy him with Oblivion Stinger!"

Oblivion Phoenix hit its offspring into the stadium wall one last time. Shield Ares deflected it, sending it midair.
Aaron grinned, having a little bit of hope left. "Nice one."
Phi's smirk widened. "Impressive. But we'll show you true power. Now, Double Oblivion Stinger!" His voice echoed through the entire building.

The dark bey resent its armour into Shield Ares, bursting it instantly. Fortunately, it didn't break.
"Phi wins the battle. All opponents have been defeated," the referee announced.
His opponents looked distressed. The owners of the broken beys fell to the floor in defeat.
"Too easy," he glared at his Oblivion Phoenix. "But I can't ask for much. This is only the beginning to my rampage."

The Lord of Destruction stared at Aiga through the screen, as if knowing where he exactly sat. 
The Crimson Nova stood up and shouted, "Don't even think about it! I'll defeat you again, hundreds of times. Haven't you learnt your lesson?"
Phi chuckled, somehow managing to hear what Aiga said. "No need to be so serious, Aiga Akaba. You're next on my target list. You'll all grovel to your ruler!"

The screen went blank and fuzzy, as if the communications went disrupted. Paris didn't want to know what happened.
Xhan shook hands with Paris. "I'll see you around. I hope Aaron's okay."
Paris hoped so. Phi seemed like a dangerous person to meddle with, and he wondered why Aiga was so upset by him. There were so many things Paris knew, and so many he didn't.

On the way out, Aiga had disappeared.
"Where is he? Charles asked.
"I don't know. But he made one big deal out of that Phi dude."
Toko looked down. "They have a hatred for each other. Phi liked to toy with Aiga, even if his definition is destroying his bey and corrupting him with dark power. Anyway, you should be excited for your battle! You made it to the finals!"

Paris tried to sound enthusiastic, but he had too much on his mind. "Yeah. Excited."
Later that night, Paris tossed and turned in his bed. He had one of those horrible dreams again. He was once again at that dark castle, with Phi there. The cloaked leader wasn't there, but Paris didn't pay too much attention to it. Phi activated one of the machines, as dozens of generic beys poured into the stadium. Phoenix effortlessly defeated them all within the span of ten minutes.

Then, one of the five capsules opened, as another teenager popped out. He folded his arms, grinning at Phi.
"So edgy. I hope you're enjoying what you're doing."
"What do you want, Cyrus?" Phi watched his Phoenix run out of stamina and hit the stadium floor. 
"Nothing much," he responded, "Who's next on your list after Aiga?"
Phi's eyes turned black. "Lui. Then Valt. It's simple, really."
"See," Cyrus grinned, "There's a problem here. I want you to save some of the bladers for me."
Phi began to walk away, toward his personal headquarters in the castle. "Or what? You'll destroy me?"
Cyrus responded, "I don't want to come to that conclusion yet, seeing as my bey isn't quite complete." He glanced over to a forge with a purple flame, where a blank bey sat there, absorbing the purple flames.


Phi refused to talk anymore and then left. He mumbled something saying, "This was once my home. Then turned into some cult."
Cyrus stood over the capsules, inspecting the bladers inside. He spotted a crank on each machine and twisted it, speeding up the process. In no time, the others would be ready. Red alarms blared, as the teenager laughed wickedly.
"Uh oh. Looks like I've caused some chaos."

(Oct. 09, 2019  3:11 PM)Fusion core Wrote:

(Oct. 09, 2019  12:54 PM)Sir Saitama Wrote: Chapter 26 - Phi's Rampage! The Legendary Sword!

Spoiler (Click to View)

Last time on Beyblade Burst Zero! Toko and Paris' long awaited battle begins, as Pegasus is revealed to have a wing gimmick! After giving it his all, Paris wins the battle and is the fourth contestant in the semi-finals! 

A few months ago, Xander's dojo

The unforgiving sound of shouting, wooden boards snapping and the satisfying sound of beys bursting stole Xhan's attention. Surrounding him was an upgraded, newly built workshop. Several workbenches lined the walls, with dozens of different tools scattered around the room. A notice board stood in front of him, with multiple blueprints overlapping each other.

"Stay focused!" Xander scolded. "You're gonna hit your hand with that hammer!"
"R-right! Sorry," Xhan fixed his undivided attention on a rusty anvil beside a cauldron filled to the brim with water.
The prince plunged a sword-like weapon into the cauldron, allowing it to cool.

Xander raised an eyebrow. "Not making a new sword?"
"Nah. The day I pulled this bad boy out of the stone.. I felt a connection. I felt Xcalibur," Xhan explained. 
The giant chuckled iconicly. "Well, a little corny. But I reckon you're right."

Steam erupted from the cauldron, as the sword lost its bright red texture.
"I think it's ready." Xander picked up the heavy blade effortlessly.
"I think so too."

Xander carefully placed the weapon in Xhan's hands. The weight of it almost knocked him over.
"So.. heavy.." Xhan panted, before losing balance and tossing it into the air.
They both gasped, expecting a window or two to shatter. A silhouette appeared at the door, and effortlessly caught the blade in one hand.

The figure revealed himself to be a boy about the same age as Xander, with light brown hair tied into a braid. He wore a blue jacket and had matching logos with Xander.

“You should be more careful,” the boy walked over to Xhan, pointing the sword directly at him.
“O-okay.” Xhan had a sigh of relief, before noticing a blank layer beside the weapon.

Xander chuckled. “Hey, Ren Wu, go easy on him. He’s just a kid.”
“Prince,” Xhan corrected.
Another two figures appeared at the door. One had light blue hair in a ponytail, with a indigo hoodie and violent accents.

He disappeared briefly, and reappeared behind Xhan, barely knocking him into the furnace.
“Oh, I’m sorry your highness. Want me to get you a bandaid?” The boy said mockingly.
“Well, that would be nice actually,” Xhan replied.

The other boy folded his arms.
“Ukyo! Quit being a Bloody Longinus to everyone.” 
He had brown hair with a yellow mohawk, and a green jacket with a white t-shirt underneath.
“Sorry about him,” he apologised, “I’m Yugo Nansui.”

Xander smirked. “How’s it going, guys? Long time no see.”
A fourth silhouette appeared, and this time everyone instantly recognised him.
“Valt!” the giant ran over to the boy, ruffling his hair. “How are ya buddy?”

The blue-haired boy smiled. “I’m good.”
Xhan raised an eyebrow, brushing bits of debris of his jacket. “Not to be rude, but why are you all here?”
They all shot the prince a look as if he’d said something forbidden.

Yugo explained, “We’re here to help with your Xcalibur’s evolution.”
Production began immediately after that. Xander, Ren Wu and Yugo hammered the blade, shrinking it to fit the layer.

Valt and Xhan worked on Xcalibur’s design, multiple designs, whilst Ukyo lurked around from time to time, making witty comments.
“Don’t worry, I’m your manager. Now I’ll just sit on the couch as managers do,” he reminded them before dozing off to sleep. 

Valt took a piece of paper and scribbled a picture, and held it proudly.
“Voilà! Here’s the new Xcalibur!” 
Everyone stared at it blankly.
“I can kind of see the blades if you look hard enough,” Xander said.

The champion sighed. “Oh well, back to basics.”
The two went through countless designs, before Xhan sighed. “I don’t like any of them.”
The prince walked over to a blueprint and held it in his hands. 
“Forget what I said, look at this!”

Yugo laughed, “That’s a prototype for a new model of a weapon.”
“Well, that’s what Xcalibur is,” Xhan replied, “The deadliest weapon on Earth.”

The sun began to set, and the five bladers were worn out. Ukyo rubbed his eyes and woke up.
“Is it done yet? Also, I had the weirdest dream. So I found myself-“
Ukyo was interrupted by Xhan. “You bet it’s done! Fullmetal Xcalibur!”

They all nodded in approval. 
“If it’s alright with you, let’s test out your new bey!” Valt challenged.
“Count me in!” Yugo exclaimed.
“I think I’ll take a nap,” Ukyo yawned, before Yugo shook him wide awake.
“He’s in too.”

Xander glanced at his Sieg Xcalibur.
“We’ve chosen a good successor. But we can’t be beaten.”
The five gathered around a large stadium with spikes.
Valt laughed excitedly. “I remember this! The good ol’ days.”

The referee, one of Xander’s students, commenced the battle.
“Ready, set!” 
“Three!”
“Two!”
“One!”
“Let it rip!”

Unlock Unicorn took the centre, with Yaeger Yggdrasil in close orbit, wrapping itself around the center of the stadium. Shelter Regulus snaked around the inner ring.

Cho-Z Valkyrie and Sieg Xcalibur rushed Xhan’s Fullmetal Xcalibur, flinging it into the air. The 1+ disc aligned with the Steel driver, returning it to the stadium with a power increase.

“Go! Sixth Impact!” Xhan commanded.
Xander’s hair flamed. “Not on my watch! Triple Impact!”
The two Xcalibur’s slammed into each other, as both beys got knocked back. 

Xander grinned. “Was that all you got?”
Xhan smirked. “Practically. Look at where your bey’s heading.”
The giant gasped, as Sieg Xcalibur headed toward the spikes. Shelter Regulus got caught in the way, flying out of the stadium.

Crunch! Sieg Xcalibur split apart instantly, as Xander gasped. 
"Can't believe I lost that easily," Ren Wu sighed.
"Nicely done. But let's see if the kid can take the others down."

Fullmetal Xcalibur narrowly missed the spikes, rebounding off the wall. It zoomed through the stadium and pierced its blade into Unlock Unicorn.
"Not so fast!" Ukyo grinned. "Horn Shoot!"

The defense type tilted on its Needle driver, shifting the center of gravity onto its horn. With one swift attack, Xcalibur flew into the air and headed toward Valkyrie.
"It's all yours, partner! Cho-Z Slash!" Valt shouted, as a beam of light spread across Valkyrie's layer.
Fullmetal Xcalibur lost another two clicks and headed toward the spikes.
"Hold on buddy! We've got this!" Xhan bellowed, activating Xcalibur's avatar. "Go!"

The attack-type raced across the stadium, surviving the once undefeatable trap.
"What?" Ukyo gasped. "No bey can withstand that!"
"Yeah, well mine can! Sixth Impact!"
Whilst the Shadow Walker was caught off guard, the sword bey relentlessly rushed through Unicorn, bursting it instantly. The Needle driver remained spinning, and knocked Yggdrasil off balance, sending it on its Yield driver.
"I appreciate the boost," Yugo started, "Because now we can use our first special move! Now, Yield Shoot!"

Yaeger Yggdrasil drove toward the two attack-type beys, but was no match for Xcalibur. It flung out of the stadium and landed at Yugo's feet.
"At least it wasn't a burst," Ukyo patted him on the shoulder.
With the final two beys remaining, Cho-Z Valkyrie lit up, emitting a luminous blue aura. 
"Let's do this, Valkyrie! Cho-Z Rush Shoot!"

Valkyrie struck Xcalibur rapidly, giving it little room to escape. The champion's bey pulled away, swirling around the stadium to regain speed. Xhan grinned as Cho-Z Valkyrie headed toward the outer rim of the stadium, attempting to strike its opponent.
"Now's our chance! Get him, partner!" Valt ordered.
Suddenly, Fullmetal Xcalibur avoided the upcoming attack, as the blade on its layer enlarged. Xander's eyes widened in excitement. 
The bey glowed, as it was engulfed in a furious orange flame. Its avatar activated, a sword forming together to become a knight. It featured a more advanced version of its previous avatar, but with metal highlights on its armour.

"Xcalibur! Fullmetal Sword!" Xhan's voice echoed through the entire mountain, as a blinding light exploded from the building. The stadium rumbled as Valkyrie flew out of the stadium, landing at Valt's feet. A crowd had gathered around during the battle, and looked at the referee, awaiting a response.
"Fullmetal Xcalibur has defeated all of its opponents. Therefore, Xhan Bogard is the winner!" The referee declared.

Xander chuckled, lifting Xhan over his shoulder. "Nice one, dude! You're a natural!"
"Thanks. Uh, could you let me down now?"

Present day

That day had left an impact on Xhan. Not just an improvement in his blading skills, but he was finally happy to be treated like a regular teenager instead of a prince. It seemed unlikely that Yugo, Valt, Ren Wu and Ukyo would help him become the blader he was today. Meanwhile, Daniel and Roan were about to begin the second battle. Everyone watched closely, as the rising ambience became tense.

Daniel clenched his fists, veins appearing across his arm. He panted quite heavily, and shot Daemon a look before turning to the referee.
"I want a time out," he folded his arms. 
The referee decided it was better not to argue, and allowed it. "Very well. The timeout begins!"
Hanami commented, "That was unexpected! Now's a good time to head to the bathrooms! Also, the BeyBread outside is on discount! Make sure to grab yourself one before they're all sold out!"

Daniel stood in the corridor, across from Lui. The White Tyrant folded his arms, shaking his head in dissaproval.
"What was that?" Lui growled. "You're better than this."
Daniel looked down at his bey in shame. His eyes became a merciless red, full of anger and hatred. "I'm sorry Lui. It was a fluke. I'll be sure to crush him, and shatter him into pieces!" 
Lui grinned. "That's better."

After the quick break, the windows rattled and shook, as the trees danced. Rain poured out of the sky, thunder rumbling constantly.
Nika scrolled through her tablet. "Looks like the weather's going to be bad all week. It was perfectly hot all month until now."
Taiki cracked up. "Baha! So this knockoff iPad can do more than looking at beys. It can tell the weather!"

The crowd soon returned to their seats as Roan reappeared on stage, scowling at the weather. Daniel walked up to his side of the stadium and regained his usual, obnoxious grin.
"Boohoo, is poor little Roan scared of the weather? Believe me, Daemon and I will be ten times as menacing as this."

"Ready, set!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Let it rip!"

The two beys launched into the stadium and swarmed around each other, narrowly missing each other's attacks.
"Pathetic! You shouldn't even be in the Z5," Daniel insulted. "Say goodnight. Demolish Break!"
Havoc Daemon compressed into its driver, speeding across the stadium as it slammed into Smash Revenge, knocking it into the stadium wall.
"Hold on tight, Revenge. This isn't going to be a pretty one."

Smash Revenge regained its balance and recovered quickly, as the edges of its layer became glowing, merciless blades of power. Roan called out, "Now! Super Revenge Slash!"
The God of Revenge drilled its blade into Havoc Daemon, sending it flying into the air.
"As if I'd lose that easily. Rebirth Dive!"

Daemon used the situation to its advantage by tilting downward, quickly descending into the stadium as if it'd just been relaunched. The Dark Dragon landed on Revenge's layer, sending it backward into the stadium wall.
"Not good," Roan thought, "We've already lost two clicks from hitting the stadium wall."
Daniel recalled to his talk with Lui earlier. Before they parted, Lui said something that took Daniel a while to figure out,
"By the way, send him into the stadium wall."

It seemed odd at first, but Daniel quickly realised that Smash Revenge, unlike other beys, took extra damage from recoil as its layer was rather bulky. Daniel pointed at Roan, laughing wickedly.
"I've figured out your weakness! And this moment marks Revenge's demise!"
Roan felt trapped, cornered, with no options left. Every few seconds, Havoc Daemon blasted through Revenge, slamming it into the wall.
"No. Pull yourself together, Roan. We can do this," he mumbled.

Before Daemon made its way to strike, Smash Revenge quickly rolled back, riding up the stadium wall.
"Look at that! Smash Revenge is using its weakness to its advantage!" Hanami announced excitedly.
Paris watched in awe. "Roan's really something. He pulled off something pretty wild as usual."

Smash Revenge combusted into a scenic explosion of power, as it flipped into the air, crashing down at incredible speeds.
"We'll give you a piece of my mind, Daniel. It says that we're gonna win this! Triple Smash Brave!"
Revenge made three bursts of speed, before pummeling into Havoc Daemon, knocking both beys back.
"What?" Aiga said shocked. "Daemon didn't burst?"
Nika zoomed in on a rotating model of Havoc Daemon. "It seems like Daemon has springs all over the bey, which allows it to minimize attack damage!"

The Dark Dragon sped off toward Revenge, thrashing it endlessly.
"What's wrong?" Roan smirked, "I thought you knew my weakness."
Daniel had enough. "If I wanted to use it against you, this battle would last five seconds. You've overstayed your welcome, Roan, and it's time for you to go. Rebound Uppercut!"

Havoc Daemon grabbed hold of Revenge, locking it in place with its strong springs, preventing the God of Revenge from moving.
"Roan's in big trouble," Charles gulped, "Revenge is stuck!"
Daniel's eyes were balls of fire. "FINISH HIM!" 
The Dark Dragon delivered an upwards attack to Smash Revenge, flinging the bey into the air. Revenge headed toward the stadium, before ricocheting off with little stamina and power left.

"Smash Revenge has got no fight left in it! Can it withstand Daemon's brutal attacks?" Hanami said rhetorically.
"The answer to that's no," Daniel chuckled as the bey slashed through Smash Revenge, bursting it.
The crowd gasped and quickly went silent. Lui stood up and clapped, the only sound heard.
"Go on," Lui snarled, "Give him his points."
"Two points to Havoc Daemon for a Burst Finish! The score is now 2-1!"

Roan had little motivation left to keep going. Forfeiting seemed tempting, but the Z5 member contained himself. He heard a soft chanting noise from the crowd. Surely enough, it was the BeyClub. Aiga, Paris, Toko, Nika, Charles, Ryota, they were all there to help him. The sound grew louder and louder, until the whole building began to shout Roan's name.
"You can do this Roan!"
"You've got this!"

Cameras flashed, people clapped and cheered, and Roan felt powerful again. He saw Revenge's avatar by his side, ready to battle. A burning aura of passion and power surrounded the two, much to Lui's agitation. The White Tyrant frowned, clearly irritated. It was a known fact that he hated cheering, but something was different this time. Paris immediately caught Lui's face and noticed.
"It seems like he's scared," Paris stared at his face observantly. "Scared of the fact that Roan's going to win this."
Aiga chuckled. "Doesn't seem much like Lui, but I'm all for it!"

Hanami leapt out of his seat, almost knocking his favorite coffee cup over. He tapped into the microphone excitedly.
"Everyone's rooting for Roan now! Let's see if he can win this match!"
Daniel roared, a red, soupy mist floating around him. His intense, fiery eyes flared. 
Pointing to Roan, he grinned. "I've had enough of you. I could care less if the whole universe was chanting your name. But mind you, they're going to be disappointed and watching in shock as I devour your bey!"


"Ready, set!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Let it rip!" 

Both bladers bounded into the air, sending their beys downward toward the stadium at furious speeds. The two polar opposite beys managed to strike each other, clashing midair. Daemon and Revenge were pushed back, as the Dark Dragon rolled on its side, using its springs to absorb the impact, flinging it into the air. Smash Revenge wasn't so lucky - the bey rebounded off the stadium wall, losing two clicks in the process. A heavy dent was left behind, in the shape of Revenge.

The maintenance workers in the crowd look displeased. Among them, one of the workers groaned,
"We just had it fixed last week! If only these kids would stop wrecking it!"
Havoc Daemon flew overhead, attempting to land on Revenge's layer. Roan quickly caught notice of this as Smash Revenge drifted away, avoiding the Dark Dragon's attack.

"You won't be so lucky next time!" Daniel laughed evilly. "But unfortunately for you, there won't be a next time! Now, Demolish Break!"
Havoc Daemon compressed into its driver, using the energy into an outburst of speed as it raced across the stadium, competing with Revenge. The beys twisted around the arena side by side, as Daemon attempted to hit Smash Revenge.

Roan yelled, "No mercy Revenge! Upper Smash Break!"
The bey effortlessly knocked Havoc Daemon into the stadium wall, but ricocheted off, heading toward the wall at terrifying speeds. It slammed into each stadium wall in a triangle, as Smash Revenge couldn't keep up.
"What's Daniel up to?" Charles asked.
Nika replied, "It seems like Havoc Daemon is using the stadium wall's impact to help boost its speed. I'm guessing a big attack will be next."

The Dark Dragon redirected itself to the center, glowing up. Smash Revenge defended itself as best as it could, despite it not being a defense type. Havoc Daemon landed on its layer, flinging itself into the air. It used the built up speed to strike the God of Revenge, whipping it rapidly.
"Daemon's not exactly rushing Revenge," Ryota pointed out. "But whatever it's doing, it's working."

Havoc Daemon pushed into its driver, performing another Demolish Break.
"Crush him now!" Daniel yelled.
Before Roan could use a counter move, Smash Revenge flew into the air. It seemed highly unlikely that a recovery would be made.
Paris glanced down at Pegasus, "Come on Roan. We made a promise."

Roan's eyes glinted, a flashback of every battle he'd had with Revenge appearing in his mind. He scanned through the entire crowd, imagining them cheering his name again. He had everything he wanted right before him - courage. They gave him courage. And the boy decide it was time to use it.
"Daniel. I know Paris is counting on me! So I'm not going to let myself lose!"
The boy felt the rising tension reappearing, much to his joy. 
"You want to win? Give me all you got." He spread his arms wide open, as if he expected Roan to shoot him with a gun just like in action blockbusters. 

Smash Revenge pulled itself together, descending downward. It wasn't a gun, but much more powerful. A beam of light appeared on its layer, as it shot down like an arrow.
Roan bellowed, "Now! Super Revenge Slash and Triple Smash Brave together!" 
The whole crowd was taken by surprise, but Roan himself was the most shocked out of all of them. He couldn't believe he was pulling off such a move.

Revenge rained down, blasting through Havoc Daemon as the stadium rumbled, light and wind pouring out of the stadium. Daniel and Roan squinted, as the fallout soon disappeared. Daemon was apart in three pieces, with a small crack in its layer. Lui grit his sharp teeth before leaving mysteriously as he usually did. 
"Two points to Smash Revenge for a Burst Finish! The score is now 3-2!" the referee announced excitedly.

Roan smiled at Smash Revenge. "Yes!" he silently cheered.
The crowd went wild, continuing to chant Roan's name.
"They're still at it?" Aiga questioned.
"Duh, Roan's a crowd favourite! Of course they're gonna go wild over him!" Taiki replied.

Before Daniel could scream in defeat, he noticed Lui was gone. The boy left and chased after him in the hallways, leaving his bey behind.
Nika tapped the home button on her device before opening the official WBBA tournament app. It listed the official world rankings, being:
1. Lui
2. Valt
3. Shu
4. Free
5. Roan
6. Xhan

The app also displayed the upcoming battles in every tournament across the world.
Nika double tapped on the Japanese National Tournament, before turning to Paris. "You're about to go against Xhan. Good luck!"
Paris left and sat in the waiting room, before hearing a panicked, sorrow voice. He peeked through a small glass window only to see Daniel and Lui. The White Tyrant paused, before remarking, "I have no time for you talentless bladers. Get out of my sight, kid. We're done. Maybe I can actually find someone worth my time to train with."

Lui exited the building as Daniel stood there, tears rolling down his face. Unlike Paris, his idol had completely disregarded him and left him. Years of training together had gone to waste. Daniel wiped his tears aside before heading to the main building, where he picked up Havoc Daemon and smiled at Roan.
"I think this battle settled our differences. Congrats and good luck."
Taiki tilted his head to get a better perspective. "Was Daniel just crying?"
Charles' eyes widened. "You're right. But what he said just then didn't seem very genuine."
"Like fake? As in he's acting all sweet and then planning to destroy Smash Revenge?" Taiki laughed at the thought of that.
"No, like.. He seemed sad, almost. It's hard to describe. Anyway," Charles changed the topic, "Let's watch Paris' battle."

Roan sat with the BeyClub. "Hey guys. Is Paris up?"
"Mhm. Against Xhan. This is going to be a difficult battle," Ryota responded.
The prince stood at the opposite end of the stadium from Paris, showing his Fullmetal Xcalibur.
"Hey Paris, nice to finally meet you. Aiga put in the good word. And this is Fullmetal Xcalibur!" Xhan exclaimed.

The layer had a double sided, fully metal sword, hence the name. It featured its usual, crudely-shaped, jagged design whilst having metal highlighting the bey. The swords were spring-loaded, which allowed it to retract. Meanwhile, the disc, 1+, was a final upgrade to the 1 disc. It was thicker, heavier and also balanced. Finally, the driver, Steel, featured a metal driver, much like Iron, but in a star shape. 

A suspicious looking person with long, white hair stood at the balcony. His face was cloaked, and he seemed to be holding an object. Roan was the only person who saw him, but he decided it was better not to look. His eyes might've been playing a trick on him.
"Alright Xhan, bring it on! This is Immortal Pegasus!" Paris smiled, revealing his bey.
The cloaked person seemed interested in Pegasus. Under the hood, he grinned yearningly.

"Cool bey," Xhan complimented. "Let's see who's going to come out on top."
Hanami commented, "Xhan took the words right out of my mouth! I'm eager to see what's in store for us!"
The referee commenced the battle.
"Ready, set!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Let it rip!"

A moment before the two bladers launched their beys, a blinding light briefly flashed, shining in Xhan's eyes. He closed his eyes and launched Fullmetal Xcalibur into the stadium recklessly, as the bey landed in the stadium with little stamina and attack power. Immortal Pegasus darted across the stadium, lighting up. Roan noticed the perpetrator, the cloaked man at the overhead ceiling. 
"Everything alright?" Ryota asked him. "You looked pretty mad."
"Yeah, it's nothing." Roan didn't want to cause a disturbance in the battle. Besides, this was a good opportunity for Paris to actually score some points. He felt guilty, but shook those feelings aside. 

Xhan gasped. "I mislaunched it. But how?"
Paris shouted, "Now's our chance Pegasus! Hit him with Immortal Slash!"
A beam of bright blue light spilled across Fullmetal Xcalibur, sending it into the stadium wall. It lost a click, but the bey aligned with its disc and driver, allowing itself to access a temporary boost of speed. 
The prince thundered, "We're going to give him all we got! Sixth Impact!"

A huge crashing sound followed, as both beys were pushed back. Xcalibur was on the verge of hitting the stadium floor.
"We're not gonna let you go that easily! Get him, Pegasus!" Paris boomed. 
Immortal Pegasus ripped through Fullmetal Xcalibur, bursting it instantly. 
"Two points to Immortal Pegasus for a Burst Finish! The score is now 2-0!"

Chatter and confusion broke between the crowd, the main topic being: "How did Paris win that easily?"
Paris himself was shocked. He expected more of a battle, but deep down he knew something wasn't right. The cloaked man overhead smirked, glancing down at something in his hand. Before anyone noticed him, he quickly disappeared. Roan felt like he'd committed a crime by not letting the truth out. He couldn't take it anymore.
"Someone sabotaged the battle," the Z5 member whispered. "I saw a man up there. He had a camera or something."
"What man?" Taiki said out loud. 
"Shhh." Roan put a finger on his lip. "Keep quiet. He's gone now, but I don't want something to start. Paris already has his two points, right?"

The Z5 member sighed. "Gosh, I don't mean to sound like a jerk or anything. But I think it's for the best to keep it a little down."
Everyone nodded understandingly. Xhan glanced down at his Xcalibur.
"What the Hades just happened?"  He thought to himself. "I didn't just lose, did I?"
This time, Hanami didn't make a comment. He was well aware that someone had sabotaged the battle, and was discussing the situation with tournament officials.
"-Yes, I agree. But we don't have enough evidence at the moment. We'll have to let this one go."
Xhan and Paris overheard them talking. Paris felt extremely sorry. He couldn't imagine making it this far into the semi-finals and having some dude ruin your battle.
"I'm sorry, Xhan." Paris apologised.
"It's not your fault," Xhan smiled. "I'll let this one slide. Besides, this is getting me all fired up!"

The referee started the second battle.
"Ready, set!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Let it rip!"

With Xhan at his full power, Fullmetal Xcalibur tore through the stadium at wild speeds. Immortal Pegasus activated its wings and landed on the top ledge of the stadium, jolting down toward the opposing bey. The two attack types collided, before pulling away. Pegasus retreated, with Xcalibur in hot pursuit. Fullmetal Xcalibur managed to hit Pegasus with a great amount of force. Each attack flung it into the air, knocking Pegasus away.
"Hold on Pegasus!" Paris shouted.

The Cosmic Horse surged through the stadium, returning the favor to Xcalibur. Immortal Pegasus struck its opponent rapidly, giving it zero chances to defend itself. Charles took a quick glance at Xcalibur.
"It seems like Fullmetal Xcalibur can deal powerful attacks, but it's not too fast itself. I think its heavy weight is holding it down."
Aiga added, "Seems about right. Pegasus is way too fast for Xcalibur to keep up."
Paris bellowed, "Supernova Shoot!"

Immortal Pegasus rushed through Fullmetal Xcalibur again through a series of heavy attacks. The Legendary Sword seemed to be resisting damage. Finally, Xcalibur emitted a fiery aura.
"Now, Xcalibur! Fullmetal Sword!"
Suddenly, one of the swords on Xcalibur's layer extended outward, hacking away at Immortal Pegasus. The damage it endured brought it down three clicks closer to bursting. One more and it would be game over.

Pegasus rolled away, avoiding a burst. It regained its stamina quite easily. The Cosmic Horse raced around the stadium, as Xcalibur chased after it.
"You can run, but you can't hide! Get him, Fullmetal Xcalibur!"
Paris thought he'd lost him. Pegasus was on the far side of the stadium, away from the opposing bey. Frankly, Xcalibur wasn't all that bad in terms of speed. Its second sword extended, slashing at Immortal Pegasus. 

Pegasus flung into the air, almost reaching a point of no return. 
"We can't lose just yet. This one's for Roan!"
A brief memory of Gingka passing over his Samurai Pegasus over to Paris played in his head. The memory was important and sentimental to Paris - it meant the world to him.

"Pegasus and I went through an amazing journey together. Your grandfather gave it to me one day. Ever since, we'd been battling our hearts out. Now it's your time Paris. I know that everyone's using a different system of beys, what were they called again?"
"Burst," Paris giggled.
"Right. Seems like forever ago the Metal generation was still new. Anyway, Pegasus is now yours. I'm trusting him in your hands. Make him your own."

"My own," Paris repeated, before looking at the many faces in the crowd. He estimated around a few hundred there, as it was extra packed today. "Roan's not the only one counting on me. I've got so many people waiting for me to win! And I like to keep my promises. Go! Immortal Starblast Attack!"
Immortal Pegasus descended at high speeds, breaking the sound barrier. It crashed down onto Fullmetal Xcalibur's layer. The swords prevented Pegasus from moving any further, but the Cosmic Horse was too fast. Both beys flew out of the stadium and landed at their owner's feet. Immortal Pegasus landed a few seconds after, and this time it was noticeable. No replays were needed.

"One point to Immortal Pegasus for an Over Finish! The score is now 3-0!"
Xhan smiled, picking up his Fullmetal Xcalibur.
"You know Paris, even if this battle wasn't sabotaged by someone else, I don't think it would've played any differently. You're a talented blader. Feel free to swing by my palace any time. Then, we can have our actual rematch."
Paris smiled back. "Right. I'll look forward to battling you again. Make sure there's no weird dudes with cameras."

Hanami wiped his eyes with a handkerchief. "What a good display of sportsmanship between bladers! This is such a good way to end today's battles. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty exhausted. Lui vs Valt, Paris vs Toko, Roan vs Daniel and Paris vs Xhan. Give a round of applause for these two bladers!"
The crowd erupted excitedly. 
"He won!" Roan shouted with joy. "He pulled it off!"
Aiga grinned. "If only me and Achilles knew how to take down Xhan the first time. He's something else, I tell you."
Charles and Taiki found a way to bicker over the topic, as usual.
"I told you he'd win!"
"No, I told you that he'd win!"

The screen changed, as Xhan's image faded away. Paris and Roan's photos enlarged, taking up half of the screen.
"And we've got a treat for you bladers! The countdown's beginning to the National Tournament finals! Paris and Roan are gonna have their long awaited rematch! I can't wait to see how that'll play out," Hanami added.
Before Xhan and Paris parted ways, the screen changed to a live battle. It displayed a dark bey taking on five others. The owner was a long, white haired man with heterochromia, one red eye and one blue eye. 

Roan gasped, "It was him! The dude who messed up the battle!"
Aiga stood up, his heart racing. He glanced at his Cho-Z Achilles briefly before returning his attention to the screen. He recalled Phi breaking Z Achilles. Toko and Nika seemed to know what he was on about.
"I thought he was gone. I crushed you once, and I'll do it again."
The dark bey, Oblivion Phoenix, had a ring of armor like its predecessors, Revive and Dead Phoenix, but its layer featured a more spikier design with more metal. The armor had a blade on each side, just like Guardian Kerbeus, which allowed it to push out. The armor had its own mini gimmick. The disc, Rebirth, was similar to Blitz but featured two contact points instead of three. The points pointed further outward than Blitz and could also tilt downward. The driver, Atomic Metal, was a fully black driver with a red ring around it and the ball was metal instead of plastic.

The five beys all ganged up on Oblivion Phoenix, who spun in the middle of the stadium. Phi stood there, watching the battle intimidatingly. They were all beys from the God Layer System, except one of them. 
Xhan gulped, "That's Aaron! What's he doing now?"
Aaron Mizusawa stood there, leading the other four bladers. He nodded at them, as Shield Ares slammed into Oblivion Phoenix, dealing no damage. Phi laughed wickedly, and felt like he was a giant compared to them.

The other four beys assisted Ares - a Beat Kukulcan, Twin Nemesis, Alter Chronos and Kreis Satan. They drilled into Phoenix, sparks flying high into the air. Phi's eyes turned completely black, filled with evil. Aiga held Achilles close to him, as if he were scared that he'd lose it again. It was his responsibility to ensure it wouldn't happen again. Shield Ares lit up.
"Go! Ares Drive!" Aaron called out.

Shield Ares managed to knock off Phoenix's armor, as it lay dormant on the stadium floor. Phoenix moved away, blasting the other beys back. It let off a purple flame which seemed to feed on its opponent's fear. It rose high into the air. Oblivion Phoenix crashed into its armor, which extended its blades outward.
"Oblivion Stinger!" Phi commanded, as Phoenix flicked its ring into the stadium wall and ricocheted off, landing into Kukulcan which burst instantly, its layer splitting apart into pieces.

Then, Phoenix pushed its armor once more, pushing it into the stadium wall. It headed toward Nemesis, and Phoenix came around the other direction, performing its:
"Oblivion Armor Press!"
Twin Nemesis burst instantly, also ripping apart into small little fragments. Oblivion Phoenix headed toward Chronos and Satan.
"Destroy them! Oblivion Break!"

Phoenix burst the two instantly, Chronos and Satan ending up like the other beys - damaged beyond repair. Phi chuckled devilishly, enjoying the artwork he'd created on the stadium floor. Shield Ares was the final one left.
"Don't think you're going to be let out mercilessly," Phi pointed to him. "You happened to get caught in our way. And for that, destroy him with Oblivion Stinger!"

Oblivion Phoenix hit its offspring into the stadium wall one last time. Shield Ares deflected it, sending it midair.
Aaron grinned, having a little bit of hope left. "Nice one."
Phi's smirk widened. "Impressive. But we'll show you true power. Now, Double Oblivion Stinger!" His voice echoed through the entire building.

The dark bey resent its armour into Shield Ares, bursting it instantly. Fortunately, it didn't break.
"Phi wins the battle. All opponents have been defeated," the referee announced.
His opponents looked distressed. The owners of the broken beys fell to the floor in defeat.
"Too easy," he glared at his Oblivion Phoenix. "But I can't ask for much. This is only the beginning to my rampage."

The Lord of Destruction stared at Aiga through the screen, as if knowing where he exactly sat. 
The Crimson Nova stood up and shouted, "Don't even think about it! I'll defeat you again, hundreds of times. Haven't you learnt your lesson?"
Phi chuckled, somehow managing to hear what Aiga said. "No need to be so serious, Aiga Akaba. You're next on my target list. You'll all grovel to your ruler!"

The screen went blank and fuzzy, as if the communications went disrupted. Paris didn't want to know what happened.
Xhan shook hands with Paris. "I'll see you around. I hope Aaron's okay."
Paris hoped so. Phi seemed like a dangerous person to meddle with, and he wondered why Aiga was so upset by him. There were so many things Paris knew, and so many he didn't.

On the way out, Aiga had disappeared.
"Where is he? Charles asked.
"I don't know. But he made one big deal out of that Phi dude."
Toko looked down. "They have a hatred for each other. Phi liked to toy with Aiga, even if his definition is destroying his bey and corrupting him with dark power. Anyway, you should be excited for your battle! You made it to the finals!"

Paris tried to sound enthusiastic, but he had too much on his mind. "Yeah. Excited."
Later that night, Paris tossed and turned in his bed. He had one of those horrible dreams again. He was once again at that dark castle, with Phi there. The cloaked leader wasn't there, but Paris didn't pay too much attention to it. Phi activated one of the machines, as dozens of generic beys poured into the stadium. Phoenix effortlessly defeated them all within the span of ten minutes.

Then, one of the five capsules opened, as another teenager popped out. He folded his arms, grinning at Phi.
"So edgy. I hope you're enjoying what you're doing."
"What do you want, Cyrus?" Phi watched his Phoenix run out of stamina and hit the stadium floor. 
"Nothing much," he responded, "Who's next on your list after Aiga?"
Phi's eyes turned black. "Lui. Then Valt. It's simple, really."
"See," Cyrus grinned, "There's a problem here. I want you to save some of the bladers for me."
Phi began to walk away, toward his personal headquarters in the castle. "Or what? You'll destroy me?"
Cyrus responded, "I don't want to come to that conclusion yet, seeing as my bey isn't quite complete." He glanced over to a forge with a purple flame, where a blank bey sat there, absorbing the purple flames.


Phi refused to talk anymore and then left. He mumbled something saying, "This was once my home. Then turned into some cult."
Cyrus stood over the capsules, inspecting the bladers inside. He spotted a crank on each machine and twisted it, speeding up the process. In no time, the others would be ready. Red alarms blared, as the teenager laughed wickedly.
"Uh oh. Looks like I've caused some chaos."

This was your longest chapter . The ending was interesting . I really liked the lui and daniel last conversation .

(Oct. 09, 2019  3:13 PM)Sir Saitama Wrote:

(Oct. 09, 2019  3:11 PM)Fusion core Wrote: This was your longest chapter . The ending was interesting . I really liked the lui and daniel last conversation .

Thanks for the review Fusion Core. It’s always great to have an active supporter. Did you like the long chapter?

(Oct. 09, 2019  12:54 PM)Sir Saitama Wrote: Chapter 26 - Phi's Rampage! The Legendary Sword!

Spoiler (Click to View)

Last time on Beyblade Burst Zero! Toko and Paris' long awaited battle begins, as Pegasus is revealed to have a wing gimmick! After giving it his all, Paris wins the battle and is the fourth contestant in the semi-finals! 

A few months ago, Xander's dojo

The unforgiving sound of shouting, wooden boards snapping and the satisfying sound of beys bursting stole Xhan's attention. Surrounding him was an upgraded, newly built workshop. Several workbenches lined the walls, with dozens of different tools scattered around the room. A notice board stood in front of him, with multiple blueprints overlapping each other.

"Stay focused!" Xander scolded. "You're gonna hit your hand with that hammer!"
"R-right! Sorry," Xhan fixed his undivided attention on a rusty anvil beside a cauldron filled to the brim with water.
The prince plunged a sword-like weapon into the cauldron, allowing it to cool.

Xander raised an eyebrow. "Not making a new sword?"
"Nah. The day I pulled this bad boy out of the stone.. I felt a connection. I felt Xcalibur," Xhan explained. 
The giant chuckled iconicly. "Well, a little corny. But I reckon you're right."

Steam erupted from the cauldron, as the sword lost its bright red texture.
"I think it's ready." Xander picked up the heavy blade effortlessly.
"I think so too."

Xander carefully placed the weapon in Xhan's hands. The weight of it almost knocked him over.
"So.. heavy.." Xhan panted, before losing balance and tossing it into the air.
They both gasped, expecting a window or two to shatter. A silhouette appeared at the door, and effortlessly caught the blade in one hand.

The figure revealed himself to be a boy about the same age as Xander, with light brown hair tied into a braid. He wore a blue jacket and had matching logos with Xander.

“You should be more careful,” the boy walked over to Xhan, pointing the sword directly at him.
“O-okay.” Xhan had a sigh of relief, before noticing a blank layer beside the weapon.

Xander chuckled. “Hey, Ren Wu, go easy on him. He’s just a kid.”
“Prince,” Xhan corrected.
Another two figures appeared at the door. One had light blue hair in a ponytail, with a indigo hoodie and violent accents.

He disappeared briefly, and reappeared behind Xhan, barely knocking him into the furnace.
“Oh, I’m sorry your highness. Want me to get you a bandaid?” The boy said mockingly.
“Well, that would be nice actually,” Xhan replied.

The other boy folded his arms.
“Ukyo! Quit being a Bloody Longinus to everyone.” 
He had brown hair with a yellow mohawk, and a green jacket with a white t-shirt underneath.
“Sorry about him,” he apologised, “I’m Yugo Nansui.”

Xander smirked. “How’s it going, guys? Long time no see.”
A fourth silhouette appeared, and this time everyone instantly recognised him.
“Valt!” the giant ran over to the boy, ruffling his hair. “How are ya buddy?”

The blue-haired boy smiled. “I’m good.”
Xhan raised an eyebrow, brushing bits of debris of his jacket. “Not to be rude, but why are you all here?”
They all shot the prince a look as if he’d said something forbidden.

Yugo explained, “We’re here to help with your Xcalibur’s evolution.”
Production began immediately after that. Xander, Ren Wu and Yugo hammered the blade, shrinking it to fit the layer.

Valt and Xhan worked on Xcalibur’s design, multiple designs, whilst Ukyo lurked around from time to time, making witty comments.
“Don’t worry, I’m your manager. Now I’ll just sit on the couch as managers do,” he reminded them before dozing off to sleep. 

Valt took a piece of paper and scribbled a picture, and held it proudly.
“Voilà! Here’s the new Xcalibur!” 
Everyone stared at it blankly.
“I can kind of see the blades if you look hard enough,” Xander said.

The champion sighed. “Oh well, back to basics.”
The two went through countless designs, before Xhan sighed. “I don’t like any of them.”
The prince walked over to a blueprint and held it in his hands. 
“Forget what I said, look at this!”

Yugo laughed, “That’s a prototype for a new model of a weapon.”
“Well, that’s what Xcalibur is,” Xhan replied, “The deadliest weapon on Earth.”

The sun began to set, and the five bladers were worn out. Ukyo rubbed his eyes and woke up.
“Is it done yet? Also, I had the weirdest dream. So I found myself-“
Ukyo was interrupted by Xhan. “You bet it’s done! Fullmetal Xcalibur!”

They all nodded in approval. 
“If it’s alright with you, let’s test out your new bey!” Valt challenged.
“Count me in!” Yugo exclaimed.
“I think I’ll take a nap,” Ukyo yawned, before Yugo shook him wide awake.
“He’s in too.”

Xander glanced at his Sieg Xcalibur.
“We’ve chosen a good successor. But we can’t be beaten.”
The five gathered around a large stadium with spikes.
Valt laughed excitedly. “I remember this! The good ol’ days.”

The referee, one of Xander’s students, commenced the battle.
“Ready, set!” 
“Three!”
“Two!”
“One!”
“Let it rip!”

Unlock Unicorn took the centre, with Yaeger Yggdrasil in close orbit, wrapping itself around the center of the stadium. Shelter Regulus snaked around the inner ring.

Cho-Z Valkyrie and Sieg Xcalibur rushed Xhan’s Fullmetal Xcalibur, flinging it into the air. The 1+ disc aligned with the Steel driver, returning it to the stadium with a power increase.

“Go! Sixth Impact!” Xhan commanded.
Xander’s hair flamed. “Not on my watch! Triple Impact!”
The two Xcalibur’s slammed into each other, as both beys got knocked back. 

Xander grinned. “Was that all you got?”
Xhan smirked. “Practically. Look at where your bey’s heading.”
The giant gasped, as Sieg Xcalibur headed toward the spikes. Shelter Regulus got caught in the way, flying out of the stadium.

Crunch! Sieg Xcalibur split apart instantly, as Xander gasped. 
"Can't believe I lost that easily," Ren Wu sighed.
"Nicely done. But let's see if the kid can take the others down."

Fullmetal Xcalibur narrowly missed the spikes, rebounding off the wall. It zoomed through the stadium and pierced its blade into Unlock Unicorn.
"Not so fast!" Ukyo grinned. "Horn Shoot!"

The defense type tilted on its Needle driver, shifting the center of gravity onto its horn. With one swift attack, Xcalibur flew into the air and headed toward Valkyrie.
"It's all yours, partner! Cho-Z Slash!" Valt shouted, as a beam of light spread across Valkyrie's layer.
Fullmetal Xcalibur lost another two clicks and headed toward the spikes.
"Hold on buddy! We've got this!" Xhan bellowed, activating Xcalibur's avatar. "Go!"

The attack-type raced across the stadium, surviving the once undefeatable trap.
"What?" Ukyo gasped. "No bey can withstand that!"
"Yeah, well mine can! Sixth Impact!"
Whilst the Shadow Walker was caught off guard, the sword bey relentlessly rushed through Unicorn, bursting it instantly. The Needle driver remained spinning, and knocked Yggdrasil off balance, sending it on its Yield driver.
"I appreciate the boost," Yugo started, "Because now we can use our first special move! Now, Yield Shoot!"

Yaeger Yggdrasil drove toward the two attack-type beys, but was no match for Xcalibur. It flung out of the stadium and landed at Yugo's feet.
"At least it wasn't a burst," Ukyo patted him on the shoulder.
With the final two beys remaining, Cho-Z Valkyrie lit up, emitting a luminous blue aura. 
"Let's do this, Valkyrie! Cho-Z Rush Shoot!"

Valkyrie struck Xcalibur rapidly, giving it little room to escape. The champion's bey pulled away, swirling around the stadium to regain speed. Xhan grinned as Cho-Z Valkyrie headed toward the outer rim of the stadium, attempting to strike its opponent.
"Now's our chance! Get him, partner!" Valt ordered.
Suddenly, Fullmetal Xcalibur avoided the upcoming attack, as the blade on its layer enlarged. Xander's eyes widened in excitement. 
The bey glowed, as it was engulfed in a furious orange flame. Its avatar activated, a sword forming together to become a knight. It featured a more advanced version of its previous avatar, but with metal highlights on its armour.

"Xcalibur! Fullmetal Sword!" Xhan's voice echoed through the entire mountain, as a blinding light exploded from the building. The stadium rumbled as Valkyrie flew out of the stadium, landing at Valt's feet. A crowd had gathered around during the battle, and looked at the referee, awaiting a response.
"Fullmetal Xcalibur has defeated all of its opponents. Therefore, Xhan Bogard is the winner!" The referee declared.

Xander chuckled, lifting Xhan over his shoulder. "Nice one, dude! You're a natural!"
"Thanks. Uh, could you let me down now?"

Present day

That day had left an impact on Xhan. Not just an improvement in his blading skills, but he was finally happy to be treated like a regular teenager instead of a prince. It seemed unlikely that Yugo, Valt, Ren Wu and Ukyo would help him become the blader he was today. Meanwhile, Daniel and Roan were about to begin the second battle. Everyone watched closely, as the rising ambience became tense.

Daniel clenched his fists, veins appearing across his arm. He panted quite heavily, and shot Daemon a look before turning to the referee.
"I want a time out," he folded his arms. 
The referee decided it was better not to argue, and allowed it. "Very well. The timeout begins!"
Hanami commented, "That was unexpected! Now's a good time to head to the bathrooms! Also, the BeyBread outside is on discount! Make sure to grab yourself one before they're all sold out!"

Daniel stood in the corridor, across from Lui. The White Tyrant folded his arms, shaking his head in dissaproval.
"What was that?" Lui growled. "You're better than this."
Daniel looked down at his bey in shame. His eyes became a merciless red, full of anger and hatred. "I'm sorry Lui. It was a fluke. I'll be sure to crush him, and shatter him into pieces!" 
Lui grinned. "That's better."

After the quick break, the windows rattled and shook, as the trees danced. Rain poured out of the sky, thunder rumbling constantly.
Nika scrolled through her tablet. "Looks like the weather's going to be bad all week. It was perfectly hot all month until now."
Taiki cracked up. "Baha! So this knockoff iPad can do more than looking at beys. It can tell the weather!"

The crowd soon returned to their seats as Roan reappeared on stage, scowling at the weather. Daniel walked up to his side of the stadium and regained his usual, obnoxious grin.
"Boohoo, is poor little Roan scared of the weather? Believe me, Daemon and I will be ten times as menacing as this."

"Ready, set!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Let it rip!"

The two beys launched into the stadium and swarmed around each other, narrowly missing each other's attacks.
"Pathetic! You shouldn't even be in the Z5," Daniel insulted. "Say goodnight. Demolish Break!"
Havoc Daemon compressed into its driver, speeding across the stadium as it slammed into Smash Revenge, knocking it into the stadium wall.
"Hold on tight, Revenge. This isn't going to be a pretty one."

Smash Revenge regained its balance and recovered quickly, as the edges of its layer became glowing, merciless blades of power. Roan called out, "Now! Super Revenge Slash!"
The God of Revenge drilled its blade into Havoc Daemon, sending it flying into the air.
"As if I'd lose that easily. Rebirth Dive!"

Daemon used the situation to its advantage by tilting downward, quickly descending into the stadium as if it'd just been relaunched. The Dark Dragon landed on Revenge's layer, sending it backward into the stadium wall.
"Not good," Roan thought, "We've already lost two clicks from hitting the stadium wall."
Daniel recalled to his talk with Lui earlier. Before they parted, Lui said something that took Daniel a while to figure out,
"By the way, send him into the stadium wall."

It seemed odd at first, but Daniel quickly realised that Smash Revenge, unlike other beys, took extra damage from recoil as its layer was rather bulky. Daniel pointed at Roan, laughing wickedly.
"I've figured out your weakness! And this moment marks Revenge's demise!"
Roan felt trapped, cornered, with no options left. Every few seconds, Havoc Daemon blasted through Revenge, slamming it into the wall.
"No. Pull yourself together, Roan. We can do this," he mumbled.

Before Daemon made its way to strike, Smash Revenge quickly rolled back, riding up the stadium wall.
"Look at that! Smash Revenge is using its weakness to its advantage!" Hanami announced excitedly.
Paris watched in awe. "Roan's really something. He pulled off something pretty wild as usual."

Smash Revenge combusted into a scenic explosion of power, as it flipped into the air, crashing down at incredible speeds.
"We'll give you a piece of my mind, Daniel. It says that we're gonna win this! Triple Smash Brave!"
Revenge made three bursts of speed, before pummeling into Havoc Daemon, knocking both beys back.
"What?" Aiga said shocked. "Daemon didn't burst?"
Nika zoomed in on a rotating model of Havoc Daemon. "It seems like Daemon has springs all over the bey, which allows it to minimize attack damage!"

The Dark Dragon sped off toward Revenge, thrashing it endlessly.
"What's wrong?" Roan smirked, "I thought you knew my weakness."
Daniel had enough. "If I wanted to use it against you, this battle would last five seconds. You've overstayed your welcome, Roan, and it's time for you to go. Rebound Uppercut!"

Havoc Daemon grabbed hold of Revenge, locking it in place with its strong springs, preventing the God of Revenge from moving.
"Roan's in big trouble," Charles gulped, "Revenge is stuck!"
Daniel's eyes were balls of fire. "FINISH HIM!" 
The Dark Dragon delivered an upwards attack to Smash Revenge, flinging the bey into the air. Revenge headed toward the stadium, before ricocheting off with little stamina and power left.

"Smash Revenge has got no fight left in it! Can it withstand Daemon's brutal attacks?" Hanami said rhetorically.
"The answer to that's no," Daniel chuckled as the bey slashed through Smash Revenge, bursting it.
The crowd gasped and quickly went silent. Lui stood up and clapped, the only sound heard.
"Go on," Lui snarled, "Give him his points."
"Two points to Havoc Daemon for a Burst Finish! The score is now 2-1!"

Roan had little motivation left to keep going. Forfeiting seemed tempting, but the Z5 member contained himself. He heard a soft chanting noise from the crowd. Surely enough, it was the BeyClub. Aiga, Paris, Toko, Nika, Charles, Ryota, they were all there to help him. The sound grew louder and louder, until the whole building began to shout Roan's name.
"You can do this Roan!"
"You've got this!"

Cameras flashed, people clapped and cheered, and Roan felt powerful again. He saw Revenge's avatar by his side, ready to battle. A burning aura of passion and power surrounded the two, much to Lui's agitation. The White Tyrant frowned, clearly irritated. It was a known fact that he hated cheering, but something was different this time. Paris immediately caught Lui's face and noticed.
"It seems like he's scared," Paris stared at his face observantly. "Scared of the fact that Roan's going to win this."
Aiga chuckled. "Doesn't seem much like Lui, but I'm all for it!"

Hanami leapt out of his seat, almost knocking his favorite coffee cup over. He tapped into the microphone excitedly.
"Everyone's rooting for Roan now! Let's see if he can win this match!"
Daniel roared, a red, soupy mist floating around him. His intense, fiery eyes flared. 
Pointing to Roan, he grinned. "I've had enough of you. I could care less if the whole universe was chanting your name. But mind you, they're going to be disappointed and watching in shock as I devour your bey!"


"Ready, set!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Let it rip!" 

Both bladers bounded into the air, sending their beys downward toward the stadium at furious speeds. The two polar opposite beys managed to strike each other, clashing midair. Daemon and Revenge were pushed back, as the Dark Dragon rolled on its side, using its springs to absorb the impact, flinging it into the air. Smash Revenge wasn't so lucky - the bey rebounded off the stadium wall, losing two clicks in the process. A heavy dent was left behind, in the shape of Revenge.

The maintenance workers in the crowd look displeased. Among them, one of the workers groaned,
"We just had it fixed last week! If only these kids would stop wrecking it!"
Havoc Daemon flew overhead, attempting to land on Revenge's layer. Roan quickly caught notice of this as Smash Revenge drifted away, avoiding the Dark Dragon's attack.

"You won't be so lucky next time!" Daniel laughed evilly. "But unfortunately for you, there won't be a next time! Now, Demolish Break!"
Havoc Daemon compressed into its driver, using the energy into an outburst of speed as it raced across the stadium, competing with Revenge. The beys twisted around the arena side by side, as Daemon attempted to hit Smash Revenge.

Roan yelled, "No mercy Revenge! Upper Smash Break!"
The bey effortlessly knocked Havoc Daemon into the stadium wall, but ricocheted off, heading toward the wall at terrifying speeds. It slammed into each stadium wall in a triangle, as Smash Revenge couldn't keep up.
"What's Daniel up to?" Charles asked.
Nika replied, "It seems like Havoc Daemon is using the stadium wall's impact to help boost its speed. I'm guessing a big attack will be next."

The Dark Dragon redirected itself to the center, glowing up. Smash Revenge defended itself as best as it could, despite it not being a defense type. Havoc Daemon landed on its layer, flinging itself into the air. It used the built up speed to strike the God of Revenge, whipping it rapidly.
"Daemon's not exactly rushing Revenge," Ryota pointed out. "But whatever it's doing, it's working."

Havoc Daemon pushed into its driver, performing another Demolish Break.
"Crush him now!" Daniel yelled.
Before Roan could use a counter move, Smash Revenge flew into the air. It seemed highly unlikely that a recovery would be made.
Paris glanced down at Pegasus, "Come on Roan. We made a promise."

Roan's eyes glinted, a flashback of every battle he'd had with Revenge appearing in his mind. He scanned through the entire crowd, imagining them cheering his name again. He had everything he wanted right before him - courage. They gave him courage. And the boy decide it was time to use it.
"Daniel. I know Paris is counting on me! So I'm not going to let myself lose!"
The boy felt the rising tension reappearing, much to his joy. 
"You want to win? Give me all you got." He spread his arms wide open, as if he expected Roan to shoot him with a gun just like in action blockbusters. 

Smash Revenge pulled itself together, descending downward. It wasn't a gun, but much more powerful. A beam of light appeared on its layer, as it shot down like an arrow.
Roan bellowed, "Now! Super Revenge Slash and Triple Smash Brave together!" 
The whole crowd was taken by surprise, but Roan himself was the most shocked out of all of them. He couldn't believe he was pulling off such a move.

Revenge rained down, blasting through Havoc Daemon as the stadium rumbled, light and wind pouring out of the stadium. Daniel and Roan squinted, as the fallout soon disappeared. Daemon was apart in three pieces, with a small crack in its layer. Lui grit his sharp teeth before leaving mysteriously as he usually did. 
"Two points to Smash Revenge for a Burst Finish! The score is now 3-2!" the referee announced excitedly.

Roan smiled at Smash Revenge. "Yes!" he silently cheered.
The crowd went wild, continuing to chant Roan's name.
"They're still at it?" Aiga questioned.
"Duh, Roan's a crowd favourite! Of course they're gonna go wild over him!" Taiki replied.

Before Daniel could scream in defeat, he noticed Lui was gone. The boy left and chased after him in the hallways, leaving his bey behind.
Nika tapped the home button on her device before opening the official WBBA tournament app. It listed the official world rankings, being:
1. Lui
2. Valt
3. Shu
4. Free
5. Roan
6. Xhan

The app also displayed the upcoming battles in every tournament across the world.
Nika double tapped on the Japanese National Tournament, before turning to Paris. "You're about to go against Xhan. Good luck!"
Paris left and sat in the waiting room, before hearing a panicked, sorrow voice. He peeked through a small glass window only to see Daniel and Lui. The White Tyrant paused, before remarking, "I have no time for you talentless bladers. Get out of my sight, kid. We're done. Maybe I can actually find someone worth my time to train with."

Lui exited the building as Daniel stood there, tears rolling down his face. Unlike Paris, his idol had completely disregarded him and left him. Years of training together had gone to waste. Daniel wiped his tears aside before heading to the main building, where he picked up Havoc Daemon and smiled at Roan.
"I think this battle settled our differences. Congrats and good luck."
Taiki tilted his head to get a better perspective. "Was Daniel just crying?"
Charles' eyes widened. "You're right. But what he said just then didn't seem very genuine."
"Like fake? As in he's acting all sweet and then planning to destroy Smash Revenge?" Taiki laughed at the thought of that.
"No, like.. He seemed sad, almost. It's hard to describe. Anyway," Charles changed the topic, "Let's watch Paris' battle."

Roan sat with the BeyClub. "Hey guys. Is Paris up?"
"Mhm. Against Xhan. This is going to be a difficult battle," Ryota responded.
The prince stood at the opposite end of the stadium from Paris, showing his Fullmetal Xcalibur.
"Hey Paris, nice to finally meet you. Aiga put in the good word. And this is Fullmetal Xcalibur!" Xhan exclaimed.

The layer had a double sided, fully metal sword, hence the name. It featured its usual, crudely-shaped, jagged design whilst having metal highlighting the bey. The swords were spring-loaded, which allowed it to retract. Meanwhile, the disc, 1+, was a final upgrade to the 1 disc. It was thicker, heavier and also balanced. Finally, the driver, Steel, featured a metal driver, much like Iron, but in a star shape. 

A suspicious looking person with long, white hair stood at the balcony. His face was cloaked, and he seemed to be holding an object. Roan was the only person who saw him, but he decided it was better not to look. His eyes might've been playing a trick on him.
"Alright Xhan, bring it on! This is Immortal Pegasus!" Paris smiled, revealing his bey.
The cloaked person seemed interested in Pegasus. Under the hood, he grinned yearningly.

"Cool bey," Xhan complimented. "Let's see who's going to come out on top."
Hanami commented, "Xhan took the words right out of my mouth! I'm eager to see what's in store for us!"
The referee commenced the battle.
"Ready, set!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Let it rip!"

A moment before the two bladers launched their beys, a blinding light briefly flashed, shining in Xhan's eyes. He closed his eyes and launched Fullmetal Xcalibur into the stadium recklessly, as the bey landed in the stadium with little stamina and attack power. Immortal Pegasus darted across the stadium, lighting up. Roan noticed the perpetrator, the cloaked man at the overhead ceiling. 
"Everything alright?" Ryota asked him. "You looked pretty mad."
"Yeah, it's nothing." Roan didn't want to cause a disturbance in the battle. Besides, this was a good opportunity for Paris to actually score some points. He felt guilty, but shook those feelings aside. 

Xhan gasped. "I mislaunched it. But how?"
Paris shouted, "Now's our chance Pegasus! Hit him with Immortal Slash!"
A beam of bright blue light spilled across Fullmetal Xcalibur, sending it into the stadium wall. It lost a click, but the bey aligned with its disc and driver, allowing itself to access a temporary boost of speed. 
The prince thundered, "We're going to give him all we got! Sixth Impact!"

A huge crashing sound followed, as both beys were pushed back. Xcalibur was on the verge of hitting the stadium floor.
"We're not gonna let you go that easily! Get him, Pegasus!" Paris boomed. 
Immortal Pegasus ripped through Fullmetal Xcalibur, bursting it instantly. 
"Two points to Immortal Pegasus for a Burst Finish! The score is now 2-0!"

Chatter and confusion broke between the crowd, the main topic being: "How did Paris win that easily?"
Paris himself was shocked. He expected more of a battle, but deep down he knew something wasn't right. The cloaked man overhead smirked, glancing down at something in his hand. Before anyone noticed him, he quickly disappeared. Roan felt like he'd committed a crime by not letting the truth out. He couldn't take it anymore.
"Someone sabotaged the battle," the Z5 member whispered. "I saw a man up there. He had a camera or something."
"What man?" Taiki said out loud. 
"Shhh." Roan put a finger on his lip. "Keep quiet. He's gone now, but I don't want something to start. Paris already has his two points, right?"

The Z5 member sighed. "Gosh, I don't mean to sound like a jerk or anything. But I think it's for the best to keep it a little down."
Everyone nodded understandingly. Xhan glanced down at his Xcalibur.
"What the Hades just happened?"  He thought to himself. "I didn't just lose, did I?"
This time, Hanami didn't make a comment. He was well aware that someone had sabotaged the battle, and was discussing the situation with tournament officials.
"-Yes, I agree. But we don't have enough evidence at the moment. We'll have to let this one go."
Xhan and Paris overheard them talking. Paris felt extremely sorry. He couldn't imagine making it this far into the semi-finals and having some dude ruin your battle.
"I'm sorry, Xhan." Paris apologised.
"It's not your fault," Xhan smiled. "I'll let this one slide. Besides, this is getting me all fired up!"

The referee started the second battle.
"Ready, set!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Let it rip!"

With Xhan at his full power, Fullmetal Xcalibur tore through the stadium at wild speeds. Immortal Pegasus activated its wings and landed on the top ledge of the stadium, jolting down toward the opposing bey. The two attack types collided, before pulling away. Pegasus retreated, with Xcalibur in hot pursuit. Fullmetal Xcalibur managed to hit Pegasus with a great amount of force. Each attack flung it into the air, knocking Pegasus away.
"Hold on Pegasus!" Paris shouted.

The Cosmic Horse surged through the stadium, returning the favor to Xcalibur. Immortal Pegasus struck its opponent rapidly, giving it zero chances to defend itself. Charles took a quick glance at Xcalibur.
"It seems like Fullmetal Xcalibur can deal powerful attacks, but it's not too fast itself. I think its heavy weight is holding it down."
Aiga added, "Seems about right. Pegasus is way too fast for Xcalibur to keep up."
Paris bellowed, "Supernova Shoot!"

Immortal Pegasus rushed through Fullmetal Xcalibur again through a series of heavy attacks. The Legendary Sword seemed to be resisting damage. Finally, Xcalibur emitted a fiery aura.
"Now, Xcalibur! Fullmetal Sword!"
Suddenly, one of the swords on Xcalibur's layer extended outward, hacking away at Immortal Pegasus. The damage it endured brought it down three clicks closer to bursting. One more and it would be game over.

Pegasus rolled away, avoiding a burst. It regained its stamina quite easily. The Cosmic Horse raced around the stadium, as Xcalibur chased after it.
"You can run, but you can't hide! Get him, Fullmetal Xcalibur!"
Paris thought he'd lost him. Pegasus was on the far side of the stadium, away from the opposing bey. Frankly, Xcalibur wasn't all that bad in terms of speed. Its second sword extended, slashing at Immortal Pegasus. 

Pegasus flung into the air, almost reaching a point of no return. 
"We can't lose just yet. This one's for Roan!"
A brief memory of Gingka passing over his Samurai Pegasus over to Paris played in his head. The memory was important and sentimental to Paris - it meant the world to him.

"Pegasus and I went through an amazing journey together. Your grandfather gave it to me one day. Ever since, we'd been battling our hearts out. Now it's your time Paris. I know that everyone's using a different system of beys, what were they called again?"
"Burst," Paris giggled.
"Right. Seems like forever ago the Metal generation was still new. Anyway, Pegasus is now yours. I'm trusting him in your hands. Make him your own."

"My own," Paris repeated, before looking at the many faces in the crowd. He estimated around a few hundred there, as it was extra packed today. "Roan's not the only one counting on me. I've got so many people waiting for me to win! And I like to keep my promises. Go! Immortal Starblast Attack!"
Immortal Pegasus descended at high speeds, breaking the sound barrier. It crashed down onto Fullmetal Xcalibur's layer. The swords prevented Pegasus from moving any further, but the Cosmic Horse was too fast. Both beys flew out of the stadium and landed at their owner's feet. Immortal Pegasus landed a few seconds after, and this time it was noticeable. No replays were needed.

"One point to Immortal Pegasus for an Over Finish! The score is now 3-0!"
Xhan smiled, picking up his Fullmetal Xcalibur.
"You know Paris, even if this battle wasn't sabotaged by someone else, I don't think it would've played any differently. You're a talented blader. Feel free to swing by my palace any time. Then, we can have our actual rematch."
Paris smiled back. "Right. I'll look forward to battling you again. Make sure there's no weird dudes with cameras."

Hanami wiped his eyes with a handkerchief. "What a good display of sportsmanship between bladers! This is such a good way to end today's battles. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty exhausted. Lui vs Valt, Paris vs Toko, Roan vs Daniel and Paris vs Xhan. Give a round of applause for these two bladers!"
The crowd erupted excitedly. 
"He won!" Roan shouted with joy. "He pulled it off!"
Aiga grinned. "If only me and Achilles knew how to take down Xhan the first time. He's something else, I tell you."
Charles and Taiki found a way to bicker over the topic, as usual.
"I told you he'd win!"
"No, I told you that he'd win!"

The screen changed, as Xhan's image faded away. Paris and Roan's photos enlarged, taking up half of the screen.
"And we've got a treat for you bladers! The countdown's beginning to the National Tournament finals! Paris and Roan are gonna have their long awaited rematch! I can't wait to see how that'll play out," Hanami added.
Before Xhan and Paris parted ways, the screen changed to a live battle. It displayed a dark bey taking on five others. The owner was a long, white haired man with heterochromia, one red eye and one blue eye. 

Roan gasped, "It was him! The dude who messed up the battle!"
Aiga stood up, his heart racing. He glanced at his Cho-Z Achilles briefly before returning his attention to the screen. He recalled Phi breaking Z Achilles. Toko and Nika seemed to know what he was on about.
"I thought he was gone. I crushed you once, and I'll do it again."
The dark bey, Oblivion Phoenix, had a ring of armor like its predecessors, Revive and Dead Phoenix, but its layer featured a more spikier design with more metal. The armor had a blade on each side, just like Guardian Kerbeus, which allowed it to push out. The armor had its own mini gimmick. The disc, Rebirth, was similar to Blitz but featured two contact points instead of three. The points pointed further outward than Blitz and could also tilt downward. The driver, Atomic Metal, was a fully black driver with a red ring around it and the ball was metal instead of plastic.

The five beys all ganged up on Oblivion Phoenix, who spun in the middle of the stadium. Phi stood there, watching the battle intimidatingly. They were all beys from the God Layer System, except one of them. 
Xhan gulped, "That's Aaron! What's he doing now?"
Aaron Mizusawa stood there, leading the other four bladers. He nodded at them, as Shield Ares slammed into Oblivion Phoenix, dealing no damage. Phi laughed wickedly, and felt like he was a giant compared to them.

The other four beys assisted Ares - a Beat Kukulcan, Twin Nemesis, Alter Chronos and Kreis Satan. They drilled into Phoenix, sparks flying high into the air. Phi's eyes turned completely black, filled with evil. Aiga held Achilles close to him, as if he were scared that he'd lose it again. It was his responsibility to ensure it wouldn't happen again. Shield Ares lit up.
"Go! Ares Drive!" Aaron called out.

Shield Ares managed to knock off Phoenix's armor, as it lay dormant on the stadium floor. Phoenix moved away, blasting the other beys back. It let off a purple flame which seemed to feed on its opponent's fear. It rose high into the air. Oblivion Phoenix crashed into its armor, which extended its blades outward.
"Oblivion Stinger!" Phi commanded, as Phoenix flicked its ring into the stadium wall and ricocheted off, landing into Kukulcan which burst instantly, its layer splitting apart into pieces.

Then, Phoenix pushed its armor once more, pushing it into the stadium wall. It headed toward Nemesis, and Phoenix came around the other direction, performing its:
"Oblivion Armor Press!"
Twin Nemesis burst instantly, also ripping apart into small little fragments. Oblivion Phoenix headed toward Chronos and Satan.
"Destroy them! Oblivion Break!"

Phoenix burst the two instantly, Chronos and Satan ending up like the other beys - damaged beyond repair. Phi chuckled devilishly, enjoying the artwork he'd created on the stadium floor. Shield Ares was the final one left.
"Don't think you're going to be let out mercilessly," Phi pointed to him. "You happened to get caught in our way. And for that, destroy him with Oblivion Stinger!"

Oblivion Phoenix hit its offspring into the stadium wall one last time. Shield Ares deflected it, sending it midair.
Aaron grinned, having a little bit of hope left. "Nice one."
Phi's smirk widened. "Impressive. But we'll show you true power. Now, Double Oblivion Stinger!" His voice echoed through the entire building.

The dark bey resent its armour into Shield Ares, bursting it instantly. Fortunately, it didn't break.
"Phi wins the battle. All opponents have been defeated," the referee announced.
His opponents looked distressed. The owners of the broken beys fell to the floor in defeat.
"Too easy," he glared at his Oblivion Phoenix. "But I can't ask for much. This is only the beginning to my rampage."

The Lord of Destruction stared at Aiga through the screen, as if knowing where he exactly sat. 
The Crimson Nova stood up and shouted, "Don't even think about it! I'll defeat you again, hundreds of times. Haven't you learnt your lesson?"
Phi chuckled, somehow managing to hear what Aiga said. "No need to be so serious, Aiga Akaba. You're next on my target list. You'll all grovel to your ruler!"

The screen went blank and fuzzy, as if the communications went disrupted. Paris didn't want to know what happened.
Xhan shook hands with Paris. "I'll see you around. I hope Aaron's okay."
Paris hoped so. Phi seemed like a dangerous person to meddle with, and he wondered why Aiga was so upset by him. There were so many things Paris knew, and so many he didn't.

On the way out, Aiga had disappeared.
"Where is he? Charles asked.
"I don't know. But he made one big deal out of that Phi dude."
Toko looked down. "They have a hatred for each other. Phi liked to toy with Aiga, even if his definition is destroying his bey and corrupting him with dark power. Anyway, you should be excited for your battle! You made it to the finals!"

Paris tried to sound enthusiastic, but he had too much on his mind. "Yeah. Excited."
Later that night, Paris tossed and turned in his bed. He had one of those horrible dreams again. He was once again at that dark castle, with Phi there. The cloaked leader wasn't there, but Paris didn't pay too much attention to it. Phi activated one of the machines, as dozens of generic beys poured into the stadium. Phoenix effortlessly defeated them all within the span of ten minutes.

Then, one of the five capsules opened, as another teenager popped out. He folded his arms, grinning at Phi.
"So edgy. I hope you're enjoying what you're doing."
"What do you want, Cyrus?" Phi watched his Phoenix run out of stamina and hit the stadium floor. 
"Nothing much," he responded, "Who's next on your list after Aiga?"
Phi's eyes turned black. "Lui. Then Valt. It's simple, really."
"See," Cyrus grinned, "There's a problem here. I want you to save some of the bladers for me."
Phi began to walk away, toward his personal headquarters in the castle. "Or what? You'll destroy me?"
Cyrus responded, "I don't want to come to that conclusion yet, seeing as my bey isn't quite complete." He glanced over to a forge with a purple flame, where a blank bey sat there, absorbing the purple flames.


Phi refused to talk anymore and then left. He mumbled something saying, "This was once my home. Then turned into some cult."
Cyrus stood over the capsules, inspecting the bladers inside. He spotted a crank on each machine and twisted it, speeding up the process. In no time, the others would be ready. Red alarms blared, as the teenager laughed wickedly.
"Uh oh. Looks like I've caused some chaos."

(Oct. 09, 2019  12:54 PM)Sir Saitama Wrote: Chapter 26 - Phi's Rampage! The Legendary Sword!

Spoiler (Click to View)

Last time on Beyblade Burst Zero! Toko and Paris' long awaited battle begins, as Pegasus is revealed to have a wing gimmick! After giving it his all, Paris wins the battle and is the fourth contestant in the semi-finals! 

A few months ago, Xander's dojo

The unforgiving sound of shouting, wooden boards snapping and the satisfying sound of beys bursting stole Xhan's attention. Surrounding him was an upgraded, newly built workshop. Several workbenches lined the walls, with dozens of different tools scattered around the room. A notice board stood in front of him, with multiple blueprints overlapping each other.

"Stay focused!" Xander scolded. "You're gonna hit your hand with that hammer!"
"R-right! Sorry," Xhan fixed his undivided attention on a rusty anvil beside a cauldron filled to the brim with water.
The prince plunged a sword-like weapon into the cauldron, allowing it to cool.

Xander raised an eyebrow. "Not making a new sword?"
"Nah. The day I pulled this bad boy out of the stone.. I felt a connection. I felt Xcalibur," Xhan explained. 
The giant chuckled iconicly. "Well, a little corny. But I reckon you're right."

Steam erupted from the cauldron, as the sword lost its bright red texture.
"I think it's ready." Xander picked up the heavy blade effortlessly.
"I think so too."

Xander carefully placed the weapon in Xhan's hands. The weight of it almost knocked him over.
"So.. heavy.." Xhan panted, before losing balance and tossing it into the air.
They both gasped, expecting a window or two to shatter. A silhouette appeared at the door, and effortlessly caught the blade in one hand.

The figure revealed himself to be a boy about the same age as Xander, with light brown hair tied into a braid. He wore a blue jacket and had matching logos with Xander.

“You should be more careful,” the boy walked over to Xhan, pointing the sword directly at him.
“O-okay.” Xhan had a sigh of relief, before noticing a blank layer beside the weapon.

Xander chuckled. “Hey, Ren Wu, go easy on him. He’s just a kid.”
“Prince,” Xhan corrected.
Another two figures appeared at the door. One had light blue hair in a ponytail, with a indigo hoodie and violent accents.

He disappeared briefly, and reappeared behind Xhan, barely knocking him into the furnace.
“Oh, I’m sorry your highness. Want me to get you a bandaid?” The boy said mockingly.
“Well, that would be nice actually,” Xhan replied.

The other boy folded his arms.
“Ukyo! Quit being a Bloody Longinus to everyone.” 
He had brown hair with a yellow mohawk, and a green jacket with a white t-shirt underneath.
“Sorry about him,” he apologised, “I’m Yugo Nansui.”

Xander smirked. “How’s it going, guys? Long time no see.”
A fourth silhouette appeared, and this time everyone instantly recognised him.
“Valt!” the giant ran over to the boy, ruffling his hair. “How are ya buddy?”

The blue-haired boy smiled. “I’m good.”
Xhan raised an eyebrow, brushing bits of debris of his jacket. “Not to be rude, but why are you all here?”
They all shot the prince a look as if he’d said something forbidden.

Yugo explained, “We’re here to help with your Xcalibur’s evolution.”
Production began immediately after that. Xander, Ren Wu and Yugo hammered the blade, shrinking it to fit the layer.

Valt and Xhan worked on Xcalibur’s design, multiple designs, whilst Ukyo lurked around from time to time, making witty comments.
“Don’t worry, I’m your manager. Now I’ll just sit on the couch as managers do,” he reminded them before dozing off to sleep. 

Valt took a piece of paper and scribbled a picture, and held it proudly.
“Voilà! Here’s the new Xcalibur!” 
Everyone stared at it blankly.
“I can kind of see the blades if you look hard enough,” Xander said.

The champion sighed. “Oh well, back to basics.”
The two went through countless designs, before Xhan sighed. “I don’t like any of them.”
The prince walked over to a blueprint and held it in his hands. 
“Forget what I said, look at this!”

Yugo laughed, “That’s a prototype for a new model of a weapon.”
“Well, that’s what Xcalibur is,” Xhan replied, “The deadliest weapon on Earth.”

The sun began to set, and the five bladers were worn out. Ukyo rubbed his eyes and woke up.
“Is it done yet? Also, I had the weirdest dream. So I found myself-“
Ukyo was interrupted by Xhan. “You bet it’s done! Fullmetal Xcalibur!”

They all nodded in approval. 
“If it’s alright with you, let’s test out your new bey!” Valt challenged.
“Count me in!” Yugo exclaimed.
“I think I’ll take a nap,” Ukyo yawned, before Yugo shook him wide awake.
“He’s in too.”

Xander glanced at his Sieg Xcalibur.
“We’ve chosen a good successor. But we can’t be beaten.”
The five gathered around a large stadium with spikes.
Valt laughed excitedly. “I remember this! The good ol’ days.”

The referee, one of Xander’s students, commenced the battle.
“Ready, set!” 
“Three!”
“Two!”
“One!”
“Let it rip!”

Unlock Unicorn took the centre, with Yaeger Yggdrasil in close orbit, wrapping itself around the center of the stadium. Shelter Regulus snaked around the inner ring.

Cho-Z Valkyrie and Sieg Xcalibur rushed Xhan’s Fullmetal Xcalibur, flinging it into the air. The 1+ disc aligned with the Steel driver, returning it to the stadium with a power increase.

“Go! Sixth Impact!” Xhan commanded.
Xander’s hair flamed. “Not on my watch! Triple Impact!”
The two Xcalibur’s slammed into each other, as both beys got knocked back. 

Xander grinned. “Was that all you got?”
Xhan smirked. “Practically. Look at where your bey’s heading.”
The giant gasped, as Sieg Xcalibur headed toward the spikes. Shelter Regulus got caught in the way, flying out of the stadium.

Crunch! Sieg Xcalibur split apart instantly, as Xander gasped. 
"Can't believe I lost that easily," Ren Wu sighed.
"Nicely done. But let's see if the kid can take the others down."

Fullmetal Xcalibur narrowly missed the spikes, rebounding off the wall. It zoomed through the stadium and pierced its blade into Unlock Unicorn.
"Not so fast!" Ukyo grinned. "Horn Shoot!"

The defense type tilted on its Needle driver, shifting the center of gravity onto its horn. With one swift attack, Xcalibur flew into the air and headed toward Valkyrie.
"It's all yours, partner! Cho-Z Slash!" Valt shouted, as a beam of light spread across Valkyrie's layer.
Fullmetal Xcalibur lost another two clicks and headed toward the spikes.
"Hold on buddy! We've got this!" Xhan bellowed, activating Xcalibur's avatar. "Go!"

The attack-type raced across the stadium, surviving the once undefeatable trap.
"What?" Ukyo gasped. "No bey can withstand that!"
"Yeah, well mine can! Sixth Impact!"
Whilst the Shadow Walker was caught off guard, the sword bey relentlessly rushed through Unicorn, bursting it instantly. The Needle driver remained spinning, and knocked Yggdrasil off balance, sending it on its Yield driver.
"I appreciate the boost," Yugo started, "Because now we can use our first special move! Now, Yield Shoot!"

Yaeger Yggdrasil drove toward the two attack-type beys, but was no match for Xcalibur. It flung out of the stadium and landed at Yugo's feet.
"At least it wasn't a burst," Ukyo patted him on the shoulder.
With the final two beys remaining, Cho-Z Valkyrie lit up, emitting a luminous blue aura. 
"Let's do this, Valkyrie! Cho-Z Rush Shoot!"

Valkyrie struck Xcalibur rapidly, giving it little room to escape. The champion's bey pulled away, swirling around the stadium to regain speed. Xhan grinned as Cho-Z Valkyrie headed toward the outer rim of the stadium, attempting to strike its opponent.
"Now's our chance! Get him, partner!" Valt ordered.
Suddenly, Fullmetal Xcalibur avoided the upcoming attack, as the blade on its layer enlarged. Xander's eyes widened in excitement. 
The bey glowed, as it was engulfed in a furious orange flame. Its avatar activated, a sword forming together to become a knight. It featured a more advanced version of its previous avatar, but with metal highlights on its armour.

"Xcalibur! Fullmetal Sword!" Xhan's voice echoed through the entire mountain, as a blinding light exploded from the building. The stadium rumbled as Valkyrie flew out of the stadium, landing at Valt's feet. A crowd had gathered around during the battle, and looked at the referee, awaiting a response.
"Fullmetal Xcalibur has defeated all of its opponents. Therefore, Xhan Bogard is the winner!" The referee declared.

Xander chuckled, lifting Xhan over his shoulder. "Nice one, dude! You're a natural!"
"Thanks. Uh, could you let me down now?"

Present day

That day had left an impact on Xhan. Not just an improvement in his blading skills, but he was finally happy to be treated like a regular teenager instead of a prince. It seemed unlikely that Yugo, Valt, Ren Wu and Ukyo would help him become the blader he was today. Meanwhile, Daniel and Roan were about to begin the second battle. Everyone watched closely, as the rising ambience became tense.

Daniel clenched his fists, veins appearing across his arm. He panted quite heavily, and shot Daemon a look before turning to the referee.
"I want a time out," he folded his arms. 
The referee decided it was better not to argue, and allowed it. "Very well. The timeout begins!"
Hanami commented, "That was unexpected! Now's a good time to head to the bathrooms! Also, the BeyBread outside is on discount! Make sure to grab yourself one before they're all sold out!"

Daniel stood in the corridor, across from Lui. The White Tyrant folded his arms, shaking his head in dissaproval.
"What was that?" Lui growled. "You're better than this."
Daniel looked down at his bey in shame. His eyes became a merciless red, full of anger and hatred. "I'm sorry Lui. It was a fluke. I'll be sure to crush him, and shatter him into pieces!" 
Lui grinned. "That's better."

After the quick break, the windows rattled and shook, as the trees danced. Rain poured out of the sky, thunder rumbling constantly.
Nika scrolled through her tablet. "Looks like the weather's going to be bad all week. It was perfectly hot all month until now."
Taiki cracked up. "Baha! So this knockoff iPad can do more than looking at beys. It can tell the weather!"

The crowd soon returned to their seats as Roan reappeared on stage, scowling at the weather. Daniel walked up to his side of the stadium and regained his usual, obnoxious grin.
"Boohoo, is poor little Roan scared of the weather? Believe me, Daemon and I will be ten times as menacing as this."

"Ready, set!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Let it rip!"

The two beys launched into the stadium and swarmed around each other, narrowly missing each other's attacks.
"Pathetic! You shouldn't even be in the Z5," Daniel insulted. "Say goodnight. Demolish Break!"
Havoc Daemon compressed into its driver, speeding across the stadium as it slammed into Smash Revenge, knocking it into the stadium wall.
"Hold on tight, Revenge. This isn't going to be a pretty one."

Smash Revenge regained its balance and recovered quickly, as the edges of its layer became glowing, merciless blades of power. Roan called out, "Now! Super Revenge Slash!"
The God of Revenge drilled its blade into Havoc Daemon, sending it flying into the air.
"As if I'd lose that easily. Rebirth Dive!"

Daemon used the situation to its advantage by tilting downward, quickly descending into the stadium as if it'd just been relaunched. The Dark Dragon landed on Revenge's layer, sending it backward into the stadium wall.
"Not good," Roan thought, "We've already lost two clicks from hitting the stadium wall."
Daniel recalled to his talk with Lui earlier. Before they parted, Lui said something that took Daniel a while to figure out,
"By the way, send him into the stadium wall."

It seemed odd at first, but Daniel quickly realised that Smash Revenge, unlike other beys, took extra damage from recoil as its layer was rather bulky. Daniel pointed at Roan, laughing wickedly.
"I've figured out your weakness! And this moment marks Revenge's demise!"
Roan felt trapped, cornered, with no options left. Every few seconds, Havoc Daemon blasted through Revenge, slamming it into the wall.
"No. Pull yourself together, Roan. We can do this," he mumbled.

Before Daemon made its way to strike, Smash Revenge quickly rolled back, riding up the stadium wall.
"Look at that! Smash Revenge is using its weakness to its advantage!" Hanami announced excitedly.
Paris watched in awe. "Roan's really something. He pulled off something pretty wild as usual."

Smash Revenge combusted into a scenic explosion of power, as it flipped into the air, crashing down at incredible speeds.
"We'll give you a piece of my mind, Daniel. It says that we're gonna win this! Triple Smash Brave!"
Revenge made three bursts of speed, before pummeling into Havoc Daemon, knocking both beys back.
"What?" Aiga said shocked. "Daemon didn't burst?"
Nika zoomed in on a rotating model of Havoc Daemon. "It seems like Daemon has springs all over the bey, which allows it to minimize attack damage!"

The Dark Dragon sped off toward Revenge, thrashing it endlessly.
"What's wrong?" Roan smirked, "I thought you knew my weakness."
Daniel had enough. "If I wanted to use it against you, this battle would last five seconds. You've overstayed your welcome, Roan, and it's time for you to go. Rebound Uppercut!"

Havoc Daemon grabbed hold of Revenge, locking it in place with its strong springs, preventing the God of Revenge from moving.
"Roan's in big trouble," Charles gulped, "Revenge is stuck!"
Daniel's eyes were balls of fire. "FINISH HIM!" 
The Dark Dragon delivered an upwards attack to Smash Revenge, flinging the bey into the air. Revenge headed toward the stadium, before ricocheting off with little stamina and power left.

"Smash Revenge has got no fight left in it! Can it withstand Daemon's brutal attacks?" Hanami said rhetorically.
"The answer to that's no," Daniel chuckled as the bey slashed through Smash Revenge, bursting it.
The crowd gasped and quickly went silent. Lui stood up and clapped, the only sound heard.
"Go on," Lui snarled, "Give him his points."
"Two points to Havoc Daemon for a Burst Finish! The score is now 2-1!"

Roan had little motivation left to keep going. Forfeiting seemed tempting, but the Z5 member contained himself. He heard a soft chanting noise from the crowd. Surely enough, it was the BeyClub. Aiga, Paris, Toko, Nika, Charles, Ryota, they were all there to help him. The sound grew louder and louder, until the whole building began to shout Roan's name.
"You can do this Roan!"
"You've got this!"

Cameras flashed, people clapped and cheered, and Roan felt powerful again. He saw Revenge's avatar by his side, ready to battle. A burning aura of passion and power surrounded the two, much to Lui's agitation. The White Tyrant frowned, clearly irritated. It was a known fact that he hated cheering, but something was different this time. Paris immediately caught Lui's face and noticed.
"It seems like he's scared," Paris stared at his face observantly. "Scared of the fact that Roan's going to win this."
Aiga chuckled. "Doesn't seem much like Lui, but I'm all for it!"

Hanami leapt out of his seat, almost knocking his favorite coffee cup over. He tapped into the microphone excitedly.
"Everyone's rooting for Roan now! Let's see if he can win this match!"
Daniel roared, a red, soupy mist floating around him. His intense, fiery eyes flared. 
Pointing to Roan, he grinned. "I've had enough of you. I could care less if the whole universe was chanting your name. But mind you, they're going to be disappointed and watching in shock as I devour your bey!"


"Ready, set!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Let it rip!" 

Both bladers bounded into the air, sending their beys downward toward the stadium at furious speeds. The two polar opposite beys managed to strike each other, clashing midair. Daemon and Revenge were pushed back, as the Dark Dragon rolled on its side, using its springs to absorb the impact, flinging it into the air. Smash Revenge wasn't so lucky - the bey rebounded off the stadium wall, losing two clicks in the process. A heavy dent was left behind, in the shape of Revenge.

The maintenance workers in the crowd look displeased. Among them, one of the workers groaned,
"We just had it fixed last week! If only these kids would stop wrecking it!"
Havoc Daemon flew overhead, attempting to land on Revenge's layer. Roan quickly caught notice of this as Smash Revenge drifted away, avoiding the Dark Dragon's attack.

"You won't be so lucky next time!" Daniel laughed evilly. "But unfortunately for you, there won't be a next time! Now, Demolish Break!"
Havoc Daemon compressed into its driver, using the energy into an outburst of speed as it raced across the stadium, competing with Revenge. The beys twisted around the arena side by side, as Daemon attempted to hit Smash Revenge.

Roan yelled, "No mercy Revenge! Upper Smash Break!"
The bey effortlessly knocked Havoc Daemon into the stadium wall, but ricocheted off, heading toward the wall at terrifying speeds. It slammed into each stadium wall in a triangle, as Smash Revenge couldn't keep up.
"What's Daniel up to?" Charles asked.
Nika replied, "It seems like Havoc Daemon is using the stadium wall's impact to help boost its speed. I'm guessing a big attack will be next."

The Dark Dragon redirected itself to the center, glowing up. Smash Revenge defended itself as best as it could, despite it not being a defense type. Havoc Daemon landed on its layer, flinging itself into the air. It used the built up speed to strike the God of Revenge, whipping it rapidly.
"Daemon's not exactly rushing Revenge," Ryota pointed out. "But whatever it's doing, it's working."

Havoc Daemon pushed into its driver, performing another Demolish Break.
"Crush him now!" Daniel yelled.
Before Roan could use a counter move, Smash Revenge flew into the air. It seemed highly unlikely that a recovery would be made.
Paris glanced down at Pegasus, "Come on Roan. We made a promise."

Roan's eyes glinted, a flashback of every battle he'd had with Revenge appearing in his mind. He scanned through the entire crowd, imagining them cheering his name again. He had everything he wanted right before him - courage. They gave him courage. And the boy decide it was time to use it.
"Daniel. I know Paris is counting on me! So I'm not going to let myself lose!"
The boy felt the rising tension reappearing, much to his joy. 
"You want to win? Give me all you got." He spread his arms wide open, as if he expected Roan to shoot him with a gun just like in action blockbusters. 

Smash Revenge pulled itself together, descending downward. It wasn't a gun, but much more powerful. A beam of light appeared on its layer, as it shot down like an arrow.
Roan bellowed, "Now! Super Revenge Slash and Triple Smash Brave together!" 
The whole crowd was taken by surprise, but Roan himself was the most shocked out of all of them. He couldn't believe he was pulling off such a move.

Revenge rained down, blasting through Havoc Daemon as the stadium rumbled, light and wind pouring out of the stadium. Daniel and Roan squinted, as the fallout soon disappeared. Daemon was apart in three pieces, with a small crack in its layer. Lui grit his sharp teeth before leaving mysteriously as he usually did. 
"Two points to Smash Revenge for a Burst Finish! The score is now 3-2!" the referee announced excitedly.

Roan smiled at Smash Revenge. "Yes!" he silently cheered.
The crowd went wild, continuing to chant Roan's name.
"They're still at it?" Aiga questioned.
"Duh, Roan's a crowd favourite! Of course they're gonna go wild over him!" Taiki replied.

Before Daniel could scream in defeat, he noticed Lui was gone. The boy left and chased after him in the hallways, leaving his bey behind.
Nika tapped the home button on her device before opening the official WBBA tournament app. It listed the official world rankings, being:
1. Lui
2. Valt
3. Shu
4. Free
5. Roan
6. Xhan

The app also displayed the upcoming battles in every tournament across the world.
Nika double tapped on the Japanese National Tournament, before turning to Paris. "You're about to go against Xhan. Good luck!"
Paris left and sat in the waiting room, before hearing a panicked, sorrow voice. He peeked through a small glass window only to see Daniel and Lui. The White Tyrant paused, before remarking, "I have no time for you talentless bladers. Get out of my sight, kid. We're done. Maybe I can actually find someone worth my time to train with."

Lui exited the building as Daniel stood there, tears rolling down his face. Unlike Paris, his idol had completely disregarded him and left him. Years of training together had gone to waste. Daniel wiped his tears aside before heading to the main building, where he picked up Havoc Daemon and smiled at Roan.
"I think this battle settled our differences. Congrats and good luck."
Taiki tilted his head to get a better perspective. "Was Daniel just crying?"
Charles' eyes widened. "You're right. But what he said just then didn't seem very genuine."
"Like fake? As in he's acting all sweet and then planning to destroy Smash Revenge?" Taiki laughed at the thought of that.
"No, like.. He seemed sad, almost. It's hard to describe. Anyway," Charles changed the topic, "Let's watch Paris' battle."

Roan sat with the BeyClub. "Hey guys. Is Paris up?"
"Mhm. Against Xhan. This is going to be a difficult battle," Ryota responded.
The prince stood at the opposite end of the stadium from Paris, showing his Fullmetal Xcalibur.
"Hey Paris, nice to finally meet you. Aiga put in the good word. And this is Fullmetal Xcalibur!" Xhan exclaimed.

The layer had a double sided, fully metal sword, hence the name. It featured its usual, crudely-shaped, jagged design whilst having metal highlighting the bey. The swords were spring-loaded, which allowed it to retract. Meanwhile, the disc, 1+, was a final upgrade to the 1 disc. It was thicker, heavier and also balanced. Finally, the driver, Steel, featured a metal driver, much like Iron, but in a star shape. 

A suspicious looking person with long, white hair stood at the balcony. His face was cloaked, and he seemed to be holding an object. Roan was the only person who saw him, but he decided it was better not to look. His eyes might've been playing a trick on him.
"Alright Xhan, bring it on! This is Immortal Pegasus!" Paris smiled, revealing his bey.
The cloaked person seemed interested in Pegasus. Under the hood, he grinned yearningly.

"Cool bey," Xhan complimented. "Let's see who's going to come out on top."
Hanami commented, "Xhan took the words right out of my mouth! I'm eager to see what's in store for us!"
The referee commenced the battle.
"Ready, set!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Let it rip!"

A moment before the two bladers launched their beys, a blinding light briefly flashed, shining in Xhan's eyes. He closed his eyes and launched Fullmetal Xcalibur into the stadium recklessly, as the bey landed in the stadium with little stamina and attack power. Immortal Pegasus darted across the stadium, lighting up. Roan noticed the perpetrator, the cloaked man at the overhead ceiling. 
"Everything alright?" Ryota asked him. "You looked pretty mad."
"Yeah, it's nothing." Roan didn't want to cause a disturbance in the battle. Besides, this was a good opportunity for Paris to actually score some points. He felt guilty, but shook those feelings aside. 

Xhan gasped. "I mislaunched it. But how?"
Paris shouted, "Now's our chance Pegasus! Hit him with Immortal Slash!"
A beam of bright blue light spilled across Fullmetal Xcalibur, sending it into the stadium wall. It lost a click, but the bey aligned with its disc and driver, allowing itself to access a temporary boost of speed. 
The prince thundered, "We're going to give him all we got! Sixth Impact!"

A huge crashing sound followed, as both beys were pushed back. Xcalibur was on the verge of hitting the stadium floor.
"We're not gonna let you go that easily! Get him, Pegasus!" Paris boomed. 
Immortal Pegasus ripped through Fullmetal Xcalibur, bursting it instantly. 
"Two points to Immortal Pegasus for a Burst Finish! The score is now 2-0!"

Chatter and confusion broke between the crowd, the main topic being: "How did Paris win that easily?"
Paris himself was shocked. He expected more of a battle, but deep down he knew something wasn't right. The cloaked man overhead smirked, glancing down at something in his hand. Before anyone noticed him, he quickly disappeared. Roan felt like he'd committed a crime by not letting the truth out. He couldn't take it anymore.
"Someone sabotaged the battle," the Z5 member whispered. "I saw a man up there. He had a camera or something."
"What man?" Taiki said out loud. 
"Shhh." Roan put a finger on his lip. "Keep quiet. He's gone now, but I don't want something to start. Paris already has his two points, right?"

The Z5 member sighed. "Gosh, I don't mean to sound like a jerk or anything. But I think it's for the best to keep it a little down."
Everyone nodded understandingly. Xhan glanced down at his Xcalibur.
"What the Hades just happened?"  He thought to himself. "I didn't just lose, did I?"
This time, Hanami didn't make a comment. He was well aware that someone had sabotaged the battle, and was discussing the situation with tournament officials.
"-Yes, I agree. But we don't have enough evidence at the moment. We'll have to let this one go."
Xhan and Paris overheard them talking. Paris felt extremely sorry. He couldn't imagine making it this far into the semi-finals and having some dude ruin your battle.
"I'm sorry, Xhan." Paris apologised.
"It's not your fault," Xhan smiled. "I'll let this one slide. Besides, this is getting me all fired up!"

The referee started the second battle.
"Ready, set!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Let it rip!"

With Xhan at his full power, Fullmetal Xcalibur tore through the stadium at wild speeds. Immortal Pegasus activated its wings and landed on the top ledge of the stadium, jolting down toward the opposing bey. The two attack types collided, before pulling away. Pegasus retreated, with Xcalibur in hot pursuit. Fullmetal Xcalibur managed to hit Pegasus with a great amount of force. Each attack flung it into the air, knocking Pegasus away.
"Hold on Pegasus!" Paris shouted.

The Cosmic Horse surged through the stadium, returning the favor to Xcalibur. Immortal Pegasus struck its opponent rapidly, giving it zero chances to defend itself. Charles took a quick glance at Xcalibur.
"It seems like Fullmetal Xcalibur can deal powerful attacks, but it's not too fast itself. I think its heavy weight is holding it down."
Aiga added, "Seems about right. Pegasus is way too fast for Xcalibur to keep up."
Paris bellowed, "Supernova Shoot!"

Immortal Pegasus rushed through Fullmetal Xcalibur again through a series of heavy attacks. The Legendary Sword seemed to be resisting damage. Finally, Xcalibur emitted a fiery aura.
"Now, Xcalibur! Fullmetal Sword!"
Suddenly, one of the swords on Xcalibur's layer extended outward, hacking away at Immortal Pegasus. The damage it endured brought it down three clicks closer to bursting. One more and it would be game over.

Pegasus rolled away, avoiding a burst. It regained its stamina quite easily. The Cosmic Horse raced around the stadium, as Xcalibur chased after it.
"You can run, but you can't hide! Get him, Fullmetal Xcalibur!"
Paris thought he'd lost him. Pegasus was on the far side of the stadium, away from the opposing bey. Frankly, Xcalibur wasn't all that bad in terms of speed. Its second sword extended, slashing at Immortal Pegasus. 

Pegasus flung into the air, almost reaching a point of no return. 
"We can't lose just yet. This one's for Roan!"
A brief memory of Gingka passing over his Samurai Pegasus over to Paris played in his head. The memory was important and sentimental to Paris - it meant the world to him.

"Pegasus and I went through an amazing journey together. Your grandfather gave it to me one day. Ever since, we'd been battling our hearts out. Now it's your time Paris. I know that everyone's using a different system of beys, what were they called again?"
"Burst," Paris giggled.
"Right. Seems like forever ago the Metal generation was still new. Anyway, Pegasus is now yours. I'm trusting him in your hands. Make him your own."

"My own," Paris repeated, before looking at the many faces in the crowd. He estimated around a few hundred there, as it was extra packed today. "Roan's not the only one counting on me. I've got so many people waiting for me to win! And I like to keep my promises. Go! Immortal Starblast Attack!"
Immortal Pegasus descended at high speeds, breaking the sound barrier. It crashed down onto Fullmetal Xcalibur's layer. The swords prevented Pegasus from moving any further, but the Cosmic Horse was too fast. Both beys flew out of the stadium and landed at their owner's feet. Immortal Pegasus landed a few seconds after, and this time it was noticeable. No replays were needed.

"One point to Immortal Pegasus for an Over Finish! The score is now 3-0!"
Xhan smiled, picking up his Fullmetal Xcalibur.
"You know Paris, even if this battle wasn't sabotaged by someone else, I don't think it would've played any differently. You're a talented blader. Feel free to swing by my palace any time. Then, we can have our actual rematch."
Paris smiled back. "Right. I'll look forward to battling you again. Make sure there's no weird dudes with cameras."

Hanami wiped his eyes with a handkerchief. "What a good display of sportsmanship between bladers! This is such a good way to end today's battles. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty exhausted. Lui vs Valt, Paris vs Toko, Roan vs Daniel and Paris vs Xhan. Give a round of applause for these two bladers!"
The crowd erupted excitedly. 
"He won!" Roan shouted with joy. "He pulled it off!"
Aiga grinned. "If only me and Achilles knew how to take down Xhan the first time. He's something else, I tell you."
Charles and Taiki found a way to bicker over the topic, as usual.
"I told you he'd win!"
"No, I told you that he'd win!"

The screen changed, as Xhan's image faded away. Paris and Roan's photos enlarged, taking up half of the screen.
"And we've got a treat for you bladers! The countdown's beginning to the National Tournament finals! Paris and Roan are gonna have their long awaited rematch! I can't wait to see how that'll play out," Hanami added.
Before Xhan and Paris parted ways, the screen changed to a live battle. It displayed a dark bey taking on five others. The owner was a long, white haired man with heterochromia, one red eye and one blue eye. 

Roan gasped, "It was him! The dude who messed up the battle!"
Aiga stood up, his heart racing. He glanced at his Cho-Z Achilles briefly before returning his attention to the screen. He recalled Phi breaking Z Achilles. Toko and Nika seemed to know what he was on about.
"I thought he was gone. I crushed you once, and I'll do it again."
The dark bey, Oblivion Phoenix, had a ring of armor like its predecessors, Revive and Dead Phoenix, but its layer featured a more spikier design with more metal. The armor had a blade on each side, just like Guardian Kerbeus, which allowed it to push out. The armor had its own mini gimmick. The disc, Rebirth, was similar to Blitz but featured two contact points instead of three. The points pointed further outward than Blitz and could also tilt downward. The driver, Atomic Metal, was a fully black driver with a red ring around it and the ball was metal instead of plastic.

The five beys all ganged up on Oblivion Phoenix, who spun in the middle of the stadium. Phi stood there, watching the battle intimidatingly. They were all beys from the God Layer System, except one of them. 
Xhan gulped, "That's Aaron! What's he doing now?"
Aaron Mizusawa stood there, leading the other four bladers. He nodded at them, as Shield Ares slammed into Oblivion Phoenix, dealing no damage. Phi laughed wickedly, and felt like he was a giant compared to them.

The other four beys assisted Ares - a Beat Kukulcan, Twin Nemesis, Alter Chronos and Kreis Satan. They drilled into Phoenix, sparks flying high into the air. Phi's eyes turned completely black, filled with evil. Aiga held Achilles close to him, as if he were scared that he'd lose it again. It was his responsibility to ensure it wouldn't happen again. Shield Ares lit up.
"Go! Ares Drive!" Aaron called out.

Shield Ares managed to knock off Phoenix's armor, as it lay dormant on the stadium floor. Phoenix moved away, blasting the other beys back. It let off a purple flame which seemed to feed on its opponent's fear. It rose high into the air. Oblivion Phoenix crashed into its armor, which extended its blades outward.
"Oblivion Stinger!" Phi commanded, as Phoenix flicked its ring into the stadium wall and ricocheted off, landing into Kukulcan which burst instantly, its layer splitting apart into pieces.

Then, Phoenix pushed its armor once more, pushing it into the stadium wall. It headed toward Nemesis, and Phoenix came around the other direction, performing its:
"Oblivion Armor Press!"
Twin Nemesis burst instantly, also ripping apart into small little fragments. Oblivion Phoenix headed toward Chronos and Satan.
"Destroy them! Oblivion Break!"

Phoenix burst the two instantly, Chronos and Satan ending up like the other beys - damaged beyond repair. Phi chuckled devilishly, enjoying the artwork he'd created on the stadium floor. Shield Ares was the final one left.
"Don't think you're going to be let out mercilessly," Phi pointed to him. "You happened to get caught in our way. And for that, destroy him with Oblivion Stinger!"

Oblivion Phoenix hit its offspring into the stadium wall one last time. Shield Ares deflected it, sending it midair.
Aaron grinned, having a little bit of hope left. "Nice one."
Phi's smirk widened. "Impressive. But we'll show you true power. Now, Double Oblivion Stinger!" His voice echoed through the entire building.

The dark bey resent its armour into Shield Ares, bursting it instantly. Fortunately, it didn't break.
"Phi wins the battle. All opponents have been defeated," the referee announced.
His opponents looked distressed. The owners of the broken beys fell to the floor in defeat.
"Too easy," he glared at his Oblivion Phoenix. "But I can't ask for much. This is only the beginning to my rampage."

The Lord of Destruction stared at Aiga through the screen, as if knowing where he exactly sat. 
The Crimson Nova stood up and shouted, "Don't even think about it! I'll defeat you again, hundreds of times. Haven't you learnt your lesson?"
Phi chuckled, somehow managing to hear what Aiga said. "No need to be so serious, Aiga Akaba. You're next on my target list. You'll all grovel to your ruler!"

The screen went blank and fuzzy, as if the communications went disrupted. Paris didn't want to know what happened.
Xhan shook hands with Paris. "I'll see you around. I hope Aaron's okay."
Paris hoped so. Phi seemed like a dangerous person to meddle with, and he wondered why Aiga was so upset by him. There were so many things Paris knew, and so many he didn't.

On the way out, Aiga had disappeared.
"Where is he? Charles asked.
"I don't know. But he made one big deal out of that Phi dude."
Toko looked down. "They have a hatred for each other. Phi liked to toy with Aiga, even if his definition is destroying his bey and corrupting him with dark power. Anyway, you should be excited for your battle! You made it to the finals!"

Paris tried to sound enthusiastic, but he had too much on his mind. "Yeah. Excited."
Later that night, Paris tossed and turned in his bed. He had one of those horrible dreams again. He was once again at that dark castle, with Phi there. The cloaked leader wasn't there, but Paris didn't pay too much attention to it. Phi activated one of the machines, as dozens of generic beys poured into the stadium. Phoenix effortlessly defeated them all within the span of ten minutes.

Then, one of the five capsules opened, as another teenager popped out. He folded his arms, grinning at Phi.
"So edgy. I hope you're enjoying what you're doing."
"What do you want, Cyrus?" Phi watched his Phoenix run out of stamina and hit the stadium floor. 
"Nothing much," he responded, "Who's next on your list after Aiga?"
Phi's eyes turned black. "Lui. Then Valt. It's simple, really."
"See," Cyrus grinned, "There's a problem here. I want you to save some of the bladers for me."
Phi began to walk away, toward his personal headquarters in the castle. "Or what? You'll destroy me?"
Cyrus responded, "I don't want to come to that conclusion yet, seeing as my bey isn't quite complete." He glanced over to a forge with a purple flame, where a blank bey sat there, absorbing the purple flames.


Phi refused to talk anymore and then left. He mumbled something saying, "This was once my home. Then turned into some cult."
Cyrus stood over the capsules, inspecting the bladers inside. He spotted a crank on each machine and twisted it, speeding up the process. In no time, the others would be ready. Red alarms blared, as the teenager laughed wickedly.
"Uh oh. Looks like I've caused some chaos."

(Oct. 09, 2019  12:54 PM)Sir Saitama Wrote: Chapter 26 - Phi's Rampage! The Legendary Sword!

Spoiler (Click to View)

Last time on Beyblade Burst Zero! Toko and Paris' long awaited battle begins, as Pegasus is revealed to have a wing gimmick! After giving it his all, Paris wins the battle and is the fourth contestant in the semi-finals! 

A few months ago, Xander's dojo

The unforgiving sound of shouting, wooden boards snapping and the satisfying sound of beys bursting stole Xhan's attention. Surrounding him was an upgraded, newly built workshop. Several workbenches lined the walls, with dozens of different tools scattered around the room. A notice board stood in front of him, with multiple blueprints overlapping each other.

"Stay focused!" Xander scolded. "You're gonna hit your hand with that hammer!"
"R-right! Sorry," Xhan fixed his undivided attention on a rusty anvil beside a cauldron filled to the brim with water.
The prince plunged a sword-like weapon into the cauldron, allowing it to cool.

Xander raised an eyebrow. "Not making a new sword?"
"Nah. The day I pulled this bad boy out of the stone.. I felt a connection. I felt Xcalibur," Xhan explained. 
The giant chuckled iconicly. "Well, a little corny. But I reckon you're right."

Steam erupted from the cauldron, as the sword lost its bright red texture.
"I think it's ready." Xander picked up the heavy blade effortlessly.
"I think so too."

Xander carefully placed the weapon in Xhan's hands. The weight of it almost knocked him over.
"So.. heavy.." Xhan panted, before losing balance and tossing it into the air.
They both gasped, expecting a window or two to shatter. A silhouette appeared at the door, and effortlessly caught the blade in one hand.

The figure revealed himself to be a boy about the same age as Xander, with light brown hair tied into a braid. He wore a blue jacket and had matching logos with Xander.

“You should be more careful,” the boy walked over to Xhan, pointing the sword directly at him.
“O-okay.” Xhan had a sigh of relief, before noticing a blank layer beside the weapon.

Xander chuckled. “Hey, Ren Wu, go easy on him. He’s just a kid.”
“Prince,” Xhan corrected.
Another two figures appeared at the door. One had light blue hair in a ponytail, with a indigo hoodie and violent accents.

He disappeared briefly, and reappeared behind Xhan, barely knocking him into the furnace.
“Oh, I’m sorry your highness. Want me to get you a bandaid?” The boy said mockingly.
“Well, that would be nice actually,” Xhan replied.

The other boy folded his arms.
“Ukyo! Quit being a Bloody Longinus to everyone.” 
He had brown hair with a yellow mohawk, and a green jacket with a white t-shirt underneath.
“Sorry about him,” he apologised, “I’m Yugo Nansui.”

Xander smirked. “How’s it going, guys? Long time no see.”
A fourth silhouette appeared, and this time everyone instantly recognised him.
“Valt!” the giant ran over to the boy, ruffling his hair. “How are ya buddy?”

The blue-haired boy smiled. “I’m good.”
Xhan raised an eyebrow, brushing bits of debris of his jacket. “Not to be rude, but why are you all here?”
They all shot the prince a look as if he’d said something forbidden.

Yugo explained, “We’re here to help with your Xcalibur’s evolution.”
Production began immediately after that. Xander, Ren Wu and Yugo hammered the blade, shrinking it to fit the layer.

Valt and Xhan worked on Xcalibur’s design, multiple designs, whilst Ukyo lurked around from time to time, making witty comments.
“Don’t worry, I’m your manager. Now I’ll just sit on the couch as managers do,” he reminded them before dozing off to sleep. 

Valt took a piece of paper and scribbled a picture, and held it proudly.
“Voilà! Here’s the new Xcalibur!” 
Everyone stared at it blankly.
“I can kind of see the blades if you look hard enough,” Xander said.

The champion sighed. “Oh well, back to basics.”
The two went through countless designs, before Xhan sighed. “I don’t like any of them.”
The prince walked over to a blueprint and held it in his hands. 
“Forget what I said, look at this!”

Yugo laughed, “That’s a prototype for a new model of a weapon.”
“Well, that’s what Xcalibur is,” Xhan replied, “The deadliest weapon on Earth.”

The sun began to set, and the five bladers were worn out. Ukyo rubbed his eyes and woke up.
“Is it done yet? Also, I had the weirdest dream. So I found myself-“
Ukyo was interrupted by Xhan. “You bet it’s done! Fullmetal Xcalibur!”

They all nodded in approval. 
“If it’s alright with you, let’s test out your new bey!” Valt challenged.
“Count me in!” Yugo exclaimed.
“I think I’ll take a nap,” Ukyo yawned, before Yugo shook him wide awake.
“He’s in too.”

Xander glanced at his Sieg Xcalibur.
“We’ve chosen a good successor. But we can’t be beaten.”
The five gathered around a large stadium with spikes.
Valt laughed excitedly. “I remember this! The good ol’ days.”

The referee, one of Xander’s students, commenced the battle.
“Ready, set!” 
“Three!”
“Two!”
“One!”
“Let it rip!”

Unlock Unicorn took the centre, with Yaeger Yggdrasil in close orbit, wrapping itself around the center of the stadium. Shelter Regulus snaked around the inner ring.

Cho-Z Valkyrie and Sieg Xcalibur rushed Xhan’s Fullmetal Xcalibur, flinging it into the air. The 1+ disc aligned with the Steel driver, returning it to the stadium with a power increase.

“Go! Sixth Impact!” Xhan commanded.
Xander’s hair flamed. “Not on my watch! Triple Impact!”
The two Xcalibur’s slammed into each other, as both beys got knocked back. 

Xander grinned. “Was that all you got?”
Xhan smirked. “Practically. Look at where your bey’s heading.”
The giant gasped, as Sieg Xcalibur headed toward the spikes. Shelter Regulus got caught in the way, flying out of the stadium.

Crunch! Sieg Xcalibur split apart instantly, as Xander gasped. 
"Can't believe I lost that easily," Ren Wu sighed.
"Nicely done. But let's see if the kid can take the others down."

Fullmetal Xcalibur narrowly missed the spikes, rebounding off the wall. It zoomed through the stadium and pierced its blade into Unlock Unicorn.
"Not so fast!" Ukyo grinned. "Horn Shoot!"

The defense type tilted on its Needle driver, shifting the center of gravity onto its horn. With one swift attack, Xcalibur flew into the air and headed toward Valkyrie.
"It's all yours, partner! Cho-Z Slash!" Valt shouted, as a beam of light spread across Valkyrie's layer.
Fullmetal Xcalibur lost another two clicks and headed toward the spikes.
"Hold on buddy! We've got this!" Xhan bellowed, activating Xcalibur's avatar. "Go!"

The attack-type raced across the stadium, surviving the once undefeatable trap.
"What?" Ukyo gasped. "No bey can withstand that!"
"Yeah, well mine can! Sixth Impact!"
Whilst the Shadow Walker was caught off guard, the sword bey relentlessly rushed through Unicorn, bursting it instantly. The Needle driver remained spinning, and knocked Yggdrasil off balance, sending it on its Yield driver.
"I appreciate the boost," Yugo started, "Because now we can use our first special move! Now, Yield Shoot!"

Yaeger Yggdrasil drove toward the two attack-type beys, but was no match for Xcalibur. It flung out of the stadium and landed at Yugo's feet.
"At least it wasn't a burst," Ukyo patted him on the shoulder.
With the final two beys remaining, Cho-Z Valkyrie lit up, emitting a luminous blue aura. 
"Let's do this, Valkyrie! Cho-Z Rush Shoot!"

Valkyrie struck Xcalibur rapidly, giving it little room to escape. The champion's bey pulled away, swirling around the stadium to regain speed. Xhan grinned as Cho-Z Valkyrie headed toward the outer rim of the stadium, attempting to strike its opponent.
"Now's our chance! Get him, partner!" Valt ordered.
Suddenly, Fullmetal Xcalibur avoided the upcoming attack, as the blade on its layer enlarged. Xander's eyes widened in excitement. 
The bey glowed, as it was engulfed in a furious orange flame. Its avatar activated, a sword forming together to become a knight. It featured a more advanced version of its previous avatar, but with metal highlights on its armour.

"Xcalibur! Fullmetal Sword!" Xhan's voice echoed through the entire mountain, as a blinding light exploded from the building. The stadium rumbled as Valkyrie flew out of the stadium, landing at Valt's feet. A crowd had gathered around during the battle, and looked at the referee, awaiting a response.
"Fullmetal Xcalibur has defeated all of its opponents. Therefore, Xhan Bogard is the winner!" The referee declared.

Xander chuckled, lifting Xhan over his shoulder. "Nice one, dude! You're a natural!"
"Thanks. Uh, could you let me down now?"

Present day

That day had left an impact on Xhan. Not just an improvement in his blading skills, but he was finally happy to be treated like a regular teenager instead of a prince. It seemed unlikely that Yugo, Valt, Ren Wu and Ukyo would help him become the blader he was today. Meanwhile, Daniel and Roan were about to begin the second battle. Everyone watched closely, as the rising ambience became tense.

Daniel clenched his fists, veins appearing across his arm. He panted quite heavily, and shot Daemon a look before turning to the referee.
"I want a time out," he folded his arms. 
The referee decided it was better not to argue, and allowed it. "Very well. The timeout begins!"
Hanami commented, "That was unexpected! Now's a good time to head to the bathrooms! Also, the BeyBread outside is on discount! Make sure to grab yourself one before they're all sold out!"

Daniel stood in the corridor, across from Lui. The White Tyrant folded his arms, shaking his head in dissaproval.
"What was that?" Lui growled. "You're better than this."
Daniel looked down at his bey in shame. His eyes became a merciless red, full of anger and hatred. "I'm sorry Lui. It was a fluke. I'll be sure to crush him, and shatter him into pieces!" 
Lui grinned. "That's better."

After the quick break, the windows rattled and shook, as the trees danced. Rain poured out of the sky, thunder rumbling constantly.
Nika scrolled through her tablet. "Looks like the weather's going to be bad all week. It was perfectly hot all month until now."
Taiki cracked up. "Baha! So this knockoff iPad can do more than looking at beys. It can tell the weather!"

The crowd soon returned to their seats as Roan reappeared on stage, scowling at the weather. Daniel walked up to his side of the stadium and regained his usual, obnoxious grin.
"Boohoo, is poor little Roan scared of the weather? Believe me, Daemon and I will be ten times as menacing as this."

"Ready, set!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Let it rip!"

The two beys launched into the stadium and swarmed around each other, narrowly missing each other's attacks.
"Pathetic! You shouldn't even be in the Z5," Daniel insulted. "Say goodnight. Demolish Break!"
Havoc Daemon compressed into its driver, speeding across the stadium as it slammed into Smash Revenge, knocking it into the stadium wall.
"Hold on tight, Revenge. This isn't going to be a pretty one."

Smash Revenge regained its balance and recovered quickly, as the edges of its layer became glowing, merciless blades of power. Roan called out, "Now! Super Revenge Slash!"
The God of Revenge drilled its blade into Havoc Daemon, sending it flying into the air.
"As if I'd lose that easily. Rebirth Dive!"

Daemon used the situation to its advantage by tilting downward, quickly descending into the stadium as if it'd just been relaunched. The Dark Dragon landed on Revenge's layer, sending it backward into the stadium wall.
"Not good," Roan thought, "We've already lost two clicks from hitting the stadium wall."
Daniel recalled to his talk with Lui earlier. Before they parted, Lui said something that took Daniel a while to figure out,
"By the way, send him into the stadium wall."

It seemed odd at first, but Daniel quickly realised that Smash Revenge, unlike other beys, took extra damage from recoil as its layer was rather bulky. Daniel pointed at Roan, laughing wickedly.
"I've figured out your weakness! And this moment marks Revenge's demise!"
Roan felt trapped, cornered, with no options left. Every few seconds, Havoc Daemon blasted through Revenge, slamming it into the wall.
"No. Pull yourself together, Roan. We can do this," he mumbled.

Before Daemon made its way to strike, Smash Revenge quickly rolled back, riding up the stadium wall.
"Look at that! Smash Revenge is using its weakness to its advantage!" Hanami announced excitedly.
Paris watched in awe. "Roan's really something. He pulled off something pretty wild as usual."

Smash Revenge combusted into a scenic explosion of power, as it flipped into the air, crashing down at incredible speeds.
"We'll give you a piece of my mind, Daniel. It says that we're gonna win this! Triple Smash Brave!"
Revenge made three bursts of speed, before pummeling into Havoc Daemon, knocking both beys back.
"What?" Aiga said shocked. "Daemon didn't burst?"
Nika zoomed in on a rotating model of Havoc Daemon. "It seems like Daemon has springs all over the bey, which allows it to minimize attack damage!"

The Dark Dragon sped off toward Revenge, thrashing it endlessly.
"What's wrong?" Roan smirked, "I thought you knew my weakness."
Daniel had enough. "If I wanted to use it against you, this battle would last five seconds. You've overstayed your welcome, Roan, and it's time for you to go. Rebound Uppercut!"

Havoc Daemon grabbed hold of Revenge, locking it in place with its strong springs, preventing the God of Revenge from moving.
"Roan's in big trouble," Charles gulped, "Revenge is stuck!"
Daniel's eyes were balls of fire. "FINISH HIM!" 
The Dark Dragon delivered an upwards attack to Smash Revenge, flinging the bey into the air. Revenge headed toward the stadium, before ricocheting off with little stamina and power left.

"Smash Revenge has got no fight left in it! Can it withstand Daemon's brutal attacks?" Hanami said rhetorically.
"The answer to that's no," Daniel chuckled as the bey slashed through Smash Revenge, bursting it.
The crowd gasped and quickly went silent. Lui stood up and clapped, the only sound heard.
"Go on," Lui snarled, "Give him his points."
"Two points to Havoc Daemon for a Burst Finish! The score is now 2-1!"

Roan had little motivation left to keep going. Forfeiting seemed tempting, but the Z5 member contained himself. He heard a soft chanting noise from the crowd. Surely enough, it was the BeyClub. Aiga, Paris, Toko, Nika, Charles, Ryota, they were all there to help him. The sound grew louder and louder, until the whole building began to shout Roan's name.
"You can do this Roan!"
"You've got this!"

Cameras flashed, people clapped and cheered, and Roan felt powerful again. He saw Revenge's avatar by his side, ready to battle. A burning aura of passion and power surrounded the two, much to Lui's agitation. The White Tyrant frowned, clearly irritated. It was a known fact that he hated cheering, but something was different this time. Paris immediately caught Lui's face and noticed.
"It seems like he's scared," Paris stared at his face observantly. "Scared of the fact that Roan's going to win this."
Aiga chuckled. "Doesn't seem much like Lui, but I'm all for it!"

Hanami leapt out of his seat, almost knocking his favorite coffee cup over. He tapped into the microphone excitedly.
"Everyone's rooting for Roan now! Let's see if he can win this match!"
Daniel roared, a red, soupy mist floating around him. His intense, fiery eyes flared. 
Pointing to Roan, he grinned. "I've had enough of you. I could care less if the whole universe was chanting your name. But mind you, they're going to be disappointed and watching in shock as I devour your bey!"


"Ready, set!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Let it rip!" 

Both bladers bounded into the air, sending their beys downward toward the stadium at furious speeds. The two polar opposite beys managed to strike each other, clashing midair. Daemon and Revenge were pushed back, as the Dark Dragon rolled on its side, using its springs to absorb the impact, flinging it into the air. Smash Revenge wasn't so lucky - the bey rebounded off the stadium wall, losing two clicks in the process. A heavy dent was left behind, in the shape of Revenge.

The maintenance workers in the crowd look displeased. Among them, one of the workers groaned,
"We just had it fixed last week! If only these kids would stop wrecking it!"
Havoc Daemon flew overhead, attempting to land on Revenge's layer. Roan quickly caught notice of this as Smash Revenge drifted away, avoiding the Dark Dragon's attack.

"You won't be so lucky next time!" Daniel laughed evilly. "But unfortunately for you, there won't be a next time! Now, Demolish Break!"
Havoc Daemon compressed into its driver, using the energy into an outburst of speed as it raced across the stadium, competing with Revenge. The beys twisted around the arena side by side, as Daemon attempted to hit Smash Revenge.

Roan yelled, "No mercy Revenge! Upper Smash Break!"
The bey effortlessly knocked Havoc Daemon into the stadium wall, but ricocheted off, heading toward the wall at terrifying speeds. It slammed into each stadium wall in a triangle, as Smash Revenge couldn't keep up.
"What's Daniel up to?" Charles asked.
Nika replied, "It seems like Havoc Daemon is using the stadium wall's impact to help boost its speed. I'm guessing a big attack will be next."

The Dark Dragon redirected itself to the center, glowing up. Smash Revenge defended itself as best as it could, despite it not being a defense type. Havoc Daemon landed on its layer, flinging itself into the air. It used the built up speed to strike the God of Revenge, whipping it rapidly.
"Daemon's not exactly rushing Revenge," Ryota pointed out. "But whatever it's doing, it's working."

Havoc Daemon pushed into its driver, performing another Demolish Break.
"Crush him now!" Daniel yelled.
Before Roan could use a counter move, Smash Revenge flew into the air. It seemed highly unlikely that a recovery would be made.
Paris glanced down at Pegasus, "Come on Roan. We made a promise."

Roan's eyes glinted, a flashback of every battle he'd had with Revenge appearing in his mind. He scanned through the entire crowd, imagining them cheering his name again. He had everything he wanted right before him - courage. They gave him courage. And the boy decide it was time to use it.
"Daniel. I know Paris is counting on me! So I'm not going to let myself lose!"
The boy felt the rising tension reappearing, much to his joy. 
"You want to win? Give me all you got." He spread his arms wide open, as if he expected Roan to shoot him with a gun just like in action blockbusters. 

Smash Revenge pulled itself together, descending downward. It wasn't a gun, but much more powerful. A beam of light appeared on its layer, as it shot down like an arrow.
Roan bellowed, "Now! Super Revenge Slash and Triple Smash Brave together!" 
The whole crowd was taken by surprise, but Roan himself was the most shocked out of all of them. He couldn't believe he was pulling off such a move.

Revenge rained down, blasting through Havoc Daemon as the stadium rumbled, light and wind pouring out of the stadium. Daniel and Roan squinted, as the fallout soon disappeared. Daemon was apart in three pieces, with a small crack in its layer. Lui grit his sharp teeth before leaving mysteriously as he usually did. 
"Two points to Smash Revenge for a Burst Finish! The score is now 3-2!" the referee announced excitedly.

Roan smiled at Smash Revenge. "Yes!" he silently cheered.
The crowd went wild, continuing to chant Roan's name.
"They're still at it?" Aiga questioned.
"Duh, Roan's a crowd favourite! Of course they're gonna go wild over him!" Taiki replied.

Before Daniel could scream in defeat, he noticed Lui was gone. The boy left and chased after him in the hallways, leaving his bey behind.
Nika tapped the home button on her device before opening the official WBBA tournament app. It listed the official world rankings, being:
1. Lui
2. Valt
3. Shu
4. Free
5. Roan
6. Xhan

The app also displayed the upcoming battles in every tournament across the world.
Nika double tapped on the Japanese National Tournament, before turning to Paris. "You're about to go against Xhan. Good luck!"
Paris left and sat in the waiting room, before hearing a panicked, sorrow voice. He peeked through a small glass window only to see Daniel and Lui. The White Tyrant paused, before remarking, "I have no time for you talentless bladers. Get out of my sight, kid. We're done. Maybe I can actually find someone worth my time to train with."

Lui exited the building as Daniel stood there, tears rolling down his face. Unlike Paris, his idol had completely disregarded him and left him. Years of training together had gone to waste. Daniel wiped his tears aside before heading to the main building, where he picked up Havoc Daemon and smiled at Roan.
"I think this battle settled our differences. Congrats and good luck."
Taiki tilted his head to get a better perspective. "Was Daniel just crying?"
Charles' eyes widened. "You're right. But what he said just then didn't seem very genuine."
"Like fake? As in he's acting all sweet and then planning to destroy Smash Revenge?" Taiki laughed at the thought of that.
"No, like.. He seemed sad, almost. It's hard to describe. Anyway," Charles changed the topic, "Let's watch Paris' battle."

Roan sat with the BeyClub. "Hey guys. Is Paris up?"
"Mhm. Against Xhan. This is going to be a difficult battle," Ryota responded.
The prince stood at the opposite end of the stadium from Paris, showing his Fullmetal Xcalibur.
"Hey Paris, nice to finally meet you. Aiga put in the good word. And this is Fullmetal Xcalibur!" Xhan exclaimed.

The layer had a double sided, fully metal sword, hence the name. It featured its usual, crudely-shaped, jagged design whilst having metal highlighting the bey. The swords were spring-loaded, which allowed it to retract. Meanwhile, the disc, 1+, was a final upgrade to the 1 disc. It was thicker, heavier and also balanced. Finally, the driver, Steel, featured a metal driver, much like Iron, but in a star shape. 

A suspicious looking person with long, white hair stood at the balcony. His face was cloaked, and he seemed to be holding an object. Roan was the only person who saw him, but he decided it was better not to look. His eyes might've been playing a trick on him.
"Alright Xhan, bring it on! This is Immortal Pegasus!" Paris smiled, revealing his bey.
The cloaked person seemed interested in Pegasus. Under the hood, he grinned yearningly.

"Cool bey," Xhan complimented. "Let's see who's going to come out on top."
Hanami commented, "Xhan took the words right out of my mouth! I'm eager to see what's in store for us!"
The referee commenced the battle.
"Ready, set!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Let it rip!"

A moment before the two bladers launched their beys, a blinding light briefly flashed, shining in Xhan's eyes. He closed his eyes and launched Fullmetal Xcalibur into the stadium recklessly, as the bey landed in the stadium with little stamina and attack power. Immortal Pegasus darted across the stadium, lighting up. Roan noticed the perpetrator, the cloaked man at the overhead ceiling. 
"Everything alright?" Ryota asked him. "You looked pretty mad."
"Yeah, it's nothing." Roan didn't want to cause a disturbance in the battle. Besides, this was a good opportunity for Paris to actually score some points. He felt guilty, but shook those feelings aside. 

Xhan gasped. "I mislaunched it. But how?"
Paris shouted, "Now's our chance Pegasus! Hit him with Immortal Slash!"
A beam of bright blue light spilled across Fullmetal Xcalibur, sending it into the stadium wall. It lost a click, but the bey aligned with its disc and driver, allowing itself to access a temporary boost of speed. 
The prince thundered, "We're going to give him all we got! Sixth Impact!"

A huge crashing sound followed, as both beys were pushed back. Xcalibur was on the verge of hitting the stadium floor.
"We're not gonna let you go that easily! Get him, Pegasus!" Paris boomed. 
Immortal Pegasus ripped through Fullmetal Xcalibur, bursting it instantly. 
"Two points to Immortal Pegasus for a Burst Finish! The score is now 2-0!"

Chatter and confusion broke between the crowd, the main topic being: "How did Paris win that easily?"
Paris himself was shocked. He expected more of a battle, but deep down he knew something wasn't right. The cloaked man overhead smirked, glancing down at something in his hand. Before anyone noticed him, he quickly disappeared. Roan felt like he'd committed a crime by not letting the truth out. He couldn't take it anymore.
"Someone sabotaged the battle," the Z5 member whispered. "I saw a man up there. He had a camera or something."
"What man?" Taiki said out loud. 
"Shhh." Roan put a finger on his lip. "Keep quiet. He's gone now, but I don't want something to start. Paris already has his two points, right?"

The Z5 member sighed. "Gosh, I don't mean to sound like a jerk or anything. But I think it's for the best to keep it a little down."
Everyone nodded understandingly. Xhan glanced down at his Xcalibur.
"What the Hades just happened?"  He thought to himself. "I didn't just lose, did I?"
This time, Hanami didn't make a comment. He was well aware that someone had sabotaged the battle, and was discussing the situation with tournament officials.
"-Yes, I agree. But we don't have enough evidence at the moment. We'll have to let this one go."
Xhan and Paris overheard them talking. Paris felt extremely sorry. He couldn't imagine making it this far into the semi-finals and having some dude ruin your battle.
"I'm sorry, Xhan." Paris apologised.
"It's not your fault," Xhan smiled. "I'll let this one slide. Besides, this is getting me all fired up!"

The referee started the second battle.
"Ready, set!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Let it rip!"

With Xhan at his full power, Fullmetal Xcalibur tore through the stadium at wild speeds. Immortal Pegasus activated its wings and landed on the top ledge of the stadium, jolting down toward the opposing bey. The two attack types collided, before pulling away. Pegasus retreated, with Xcalibur in hot pursuit. Fullmetal Xcalibur managed to hit Pegasus with a great amount of force. Each attack flung it into the air, knocking Pegasus away.
"Hold on Pegasus!" Paris shouted.

The Cosmic Horse surged through the stadium, returning the favor to Xcalibur. Immortal Pegasus struck its opponent rapidly, giving it zero chances to defend itself. Charles took a quick glance at Xcalibur.
"It seems like Fullmetal Xcalibur can deal powerful attacks, but it's not too fast itself. I think its heavy weight is holding it down."
Aiga added, "Seems about right. Pegasus is way too fast for Xcalibur to keep up."
Paris bellowed, "Supernova Shoot!"

Immortal Pegasus rushed through Fullmetal Xcalibur again through a series of heavy attacks. The Legendary Sword seemed to be resisting damage. Finally, Xcalibur emitted a fiery aura.
"Now, Xcalibur! Fullmetal Sword!"
Suddenly, one of the swords on Xcalibur's layer extended outward, hacking away at Immortal Pegasus. The damage it endured brought it down three clicks closer to bursting. One more and it would be game over.

Pegasus rolled away, avoiding a burst. It regained its stamina quite easily. The Cosmic Horse raced around the stadium, as Xcalibur chased after it.
"You can run, but you can't hide! Get him, Fullmetal Xcalibur!"
Paris thought he'd lost him. Pegasus was on the far side of the stadium, away from the opposing bey. Frankly, Xcalibur wasn't all that bad in terms of speed. Its second sword extended, slashing at Immortal Pegasus. 

Pegasus flung into the air, almost reaching a point of no return. 
"We can't lose just yet. This one's for Roan!"
A brief memory of Gingka passing over his Samurai Pegasus over to Paris played in his head. The memory was important and sentimental to Paris - it meant the world to him.

"Pegasus and I went through an amazing journey together. Your grandfather gave it to me one day. Ever since, we'd been battling our hearts out. Now it's your time Paris. I know that everyone's using a different system of beys, what were they called again?"
"Burst," Paris giggled.
"Right. Seems like forever ago the Metal generation was still new. Anyway, Pegasus is now yours. I'm trusting him in your hands. Make him your own."

"My own," Paris repeated, before looking at the many faces in the crowd. He estimated around a few hundred there, as it was extra packed today. "Roan's not the only one counting on me. I've got so many people waiting for me to win! And I like to keep my promises. Go! Immortal Starblast Attack!"
Immortal Pegasus descended at high speeds, breaking the sound barrier. It crashed down onto Fullmetal Xcalibur's layer. The swords prevented Pegasus from moving any further, but the Cosmic Horse was too fast. Both beys flew out of the stadium and landed at their owner's feet. Immortal Pegasus landed a few seconds after, and this time it was noticeable. No replays were needed.

"One point to Immortal Pegasus for an Over Finish! The score is now 3-0!"
Xhan smiled, picking up his Fullmetal Xcalibur.
"You know Paris, even if this battle wasn't sabotaged by someone else, I don't think it would've played any differently. You're a talented blader. Feel free to swing by my palace any time. Then, we can have our actual rematch."
Paris smiled back. "Right. I'll look forward to battling you again. Make sure there's no weird dudes with cameras."

Hanami wiped his eyes with a handkerchief. "What a good display of sportsmanship between bladers! This is such a good way to end today's battles. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty exhausted. Lui vs Valt, Paris vs Toko, Roan vs Daniel and Paris vs Xhan. Give a round of applause for these two bladers!"
The crowd erupted excitedly. 
"He won!" Roan shouted with joy. "He pulled it off!"
Aiga grinned. "If only me and Achilles knew how to take down Xhan the first time. He's something else, I tell you."
Charles and Taiki found a way to bicker over the topic, as usual.
"I told you he'd win!"
"No, I told you that he'd win!"

The screen changed, as Xhan's image faded away. Paris and Roan's photos enlarged, taking up half of the screen.
"And we've got a treat for you bladers! The countdown's beginning to the National Tournament finals! Paris and Roan are gonna have their long awaited rematch! I can't wait to see how that'll play out," Hanami added.
Before Xhan and Paris parted ways, the screen changed to a live battle. It displayed a dark bey taking on five others. The owner was a long, white haired man with heterochromia, one red eye and one blue eye. 

Roan gasped, "It was him! The dude who messed up the battle!"
Aiga stood up, his heart racing. He glanced at his Cho-Z Achilles briefly before returning his attention to the screen. He recalled Phi breaking Z Achilles. Toko and Nika seemed to know what he was on about.
"I thought he was gone. I crushed you once, and I'll do it again."
The dark bey, Oblivion Phoenix, had a ring of armor like its predecessors, Revive and Dead Phoenix, but its layer featured a more spikier design with more metal. The armor had a blade on each side, just like Guardian Kerbeus, which allowed it to push out. The armor had its own mini gimmick. The disc, Rebirth, was similar to Blitz but featured two contact points instead of three. The points pointed further outward than Blitz and could also tilt downward. The driver, Atomic Metal, was a fully black driver with a red ring around it and the ball was metal instead of plastic.

The five beys all ganged up on Oblivion Phoenix, who spun in the middle of the stadium. Phi stood there, watching the battle intimidatingly. They were all beys from the God Layer System, except one of them. 
Xhan gulped, "That's Aaron! What's he doing now?"
Aaron Mizusawa stood there, leading the other four bladers. He nodded at them, as Shield Ares slammed into Oblivion Phoenix, dealing no damage. Phi laughed wickedly, and felt like he was a giant compared to them.

The other four beys assisted Ares - a Beat Kukulcan, Twin Nemesis, Alter Chronos and Kreis Satan. They drilled into Phoenix, sparks flying high into the air. Phi's eyes turned completely black, filled with evil. Aiga held Achilles close to him, as if he were scared that he'd lose it again. It was his responsibility to ensure it wouldn't happen again. Shield Ares lit up.
"Go! Ares Drive!" Aaron called out.

Shield Ares managed to knock off Phoenix's armor, as it lay dormant on the stadium floor. Phoenix moved away, blasting the other beys back. It let off a purple flame which seemed to feed on its opponent's fear. It rose high into the air. Oblivion Phoenix crashed into its armor, which extended its blades outward.
"Oblivion Stinger!" Phi commanded, as Phoenix flicked its ring into the stadium wall and ricocheted off, landing into Kukulcan which burst instantly, its layer splitting apart into pieces.

Then, Phoenix pushed its armor once more, pushing it into the stadium wall. It headed toward Nemesis, and Phoenix came around the other direction, performing its:
"Oblivion Armor Press!"
Twin Nemesis burst instantly, also ripping apart into small little fragments. Oblivion Phoenix headed toward Chronos and Satan.
"Destroy them! Oblivion Break!"

Phoenix burst the two instantly, Chronos and Satan ending up like the other beys - damaged beyond repair. Phi chuckled devilishly, enjoying the artwork he'd created on the stadium floor. Shield Ares was the final one left.
"Don't think you're going to be let out mercilessly," Phi pointed to him. "You happened to get caught in our way. And for that, destroy him with Oblivion Stinger!"

Oblivion Phoenix hit its offspring into the stadium wall one last time. Shield Ares deflected it, sending it midair.
Aaron grinned, having a little bit of hope left. "Nice one."
Phi's smirk widened. "Impressive. But we'll show you true power. Now, Double Oblivion Stinger!" His voice echoed through the entire building.

The dark bey resent its armour into Shield Ares, bursting it instantly. Fortunately, it didn't break.
"Phi wins the battle. All opponents have been defeated," the referee announced.
His opponents looked distressed. The owners of the broken beys fell to the floor in defeat.
"Too easy," he glared at his Oblivion Phoenix. "But I can't ask for much. This is only the beginning to my rampage."

The Lord of Destruction stared at Aiga through the screen, as if knowing where he exactly sat. 
The Crimson Nova stood up and shouted, "Don't even think about it! I'll defeat you again, hundreds of times. Haven't you learnt your lesson?"
Phi chuckled, somehow managing to hear what Aiga said. "No need to be so serious, Aiga Akaba. You're next on my target list. You'll all grovel to your ruler!"

The screen went blank and fuzzy, as if the communications went disrupted. Paris didn't want to know what happened.
Xhan shook hands with Paris. "I'll see you around. I hope Aaron's okay."
Paris hoped so. Phi seemed like a dangerous person to meddle with, and he wondered why Aiga was so upset by him. There were so many things Paris knew, and so many he didn't.

On the way out, Aiga had disappeared.
"Where is he? Charles asked.
"I don't know. But he made one big deal out of that Phi dude."
Toko looked down. "They have a hatred for each other. Phi liked to toy with Aiga, even if his definition is destroying his bey and corrupting him with dark power. Anyway, you should be excited for your battle! You made it to the finals!"

Paris tried to sound enthusiastic, but he had too much on his mind. "Yeah. Excited."
Later that night, Paris tossed and turned in his bed. He had one of those horrible dreams again. He was once again at that dark castle, with Phi there. The cloaked leader wasn't there, but Paris didn't pay too much attention to it. Phi activated one of the machines, as dozens of generic beys poured into the stadium. Phoenix effortlessly defeated them all within the span of ten minutes.

Then, one of the five capsules opened, as another teenager popped out. He folded his arms, grinning at Phi.
"So edgy. I hope you're enjoying what you're doing."
"What do you want, Cyrus?" Phi watched his Phoenix run out of stamina and hit the stadium floor. 
"Nothing much," he responded, "Who's next on your list after Aiga?"
Phi's eyes turned black. "Lui. Then Valt. It's simple, really."
"See," Cyrus grinned, "There's a problem here. I want you to save some of the bladers for me."
Phi began to walk away, toward his personal headquarters in the castle. "Or what? You'll destroy me?"
Cyrus responded, "I don't want to come to that conclusion yet, seeing as my bey isn't quite complete." He glanced over to a forge with a purple flame, where a blank bey sat there, absorbing the purple flames.


Phi refused to talk anymore and then left. He mumbled something saying, "This was once my home. Then turned into some cult."
Cyrus stood over the capsules, inspecting the bladers inside. He spotted a crank on each machine and twisted it, speeding up the process. In no time, the others would be ready. Red alarms blared, as the teenager laughed wickedly.
"Uh oh. Looks like I've caused some chaos."

(Oct. 09, 2019  8:31 PM)#Fafnir Wrote:

(Oct. 09, 2019  12:54 PM)Sir Saitama Wrote: Chapter 26 - Phi's Rampage! The Legendary Sword!

Spoiler (Click to View)

Last time on Beyblade Burst Zero! Toko and Paris' long awaited battle begins, as Pegasus is revealed to have a wing gimmick! After giving it his all, Paris wins the battle and is the fourth contestant in the semi-finals! 

A few months ago, Xander's dojo

The unforgiving sound of shouting, wooden boards snapping and the satisfying sound of beys bursting stole Xhan's attention. Surrounding him was an upgraded, newly built workshop. Several workbenches lined the walls, with dozens of different tools scattered around the room. A notice board stood in front of him, with multiple blueprints overlapping each other.

"Stay focused!" Xander scolded. "You're gonna hit your hand with that hammer!"
"R-right! Sorry," Xhan fixed his undivided attention on a rusty anvil beside a cauldron filled to the brim with water.
The prince plunged a sword-like weapon into the cauldron, allowing it to cool.

Xander raised an eyebrow. "Not making a new sword?"
"Nah. The day I pulled this bad boy out of the stone.. I felt a connection. I felt Xcalibur," Xhan explained. 
The giant chuckled iconicly. "Well, a little corny. But I reckon you're right."

Steam erupted from the cauldron, as the sword lost its bright red texture.
"I think it's ready." Xander picked up the heavy blade effortlessly.
"I think so too."

Xander carefully placed the weapon in Xhan's hands. The weight of it almost knocked him over.
"So.. heavy.." Xhan panted, before losing balance and tossing it into the air.
They both gasped, expecting a window or two to shatter. A silhouette appeared at the door, and effortlessly caught the blade in one hand.

The figure revealed himself to be a boy about the same age as Xander, with light brown hair tied into a braid. He wore a blue jacket and had matching logos with Xander.

“You should be more careful,” the boy walked over to Xhan, pointing the sword directly at him.
“O-okay.” Xhan had a sigh of relief, before noticing a blank layer beside the weapon.

Xander chuckled. “Hey, Ren Wu, go easy on him. He’s just a kid.”
“Prince,” Xhan corrected.
Another two figures appeared at the door. One had light blue hair in a ponytail, with a indigo hoodie and violent accents.

He disappeared briefly, and reappeared behind Xhan, barely knocking him into the furnace.
“Oh, I’m sorry your highness. Want me to get you a bandaid?” The boy said mockingly.
“Well, that would be nice actually,” Xhan replied.

The other boy folded his arms.
“Ukyo! Quit being a Bloody Longinus to everyone.” 
He had brown hair with a yellow mohawk, and a green jacket with a white t-shirt underneath.
“Sorry about him,” he apologised, “I’m Yugo Nansui.”

Xander smirked. “How’s it going, guys? Long time no see.”
A fourth silhouette appeared, and this time everyone instantly recognised him.
“Valt!” the giant ran over to the boy, ruffling his hair. “How are ya buddy?”

The blue-haired boy smiled. “I’m good.”
Xhan raised an eyebrow, brushing bits of debris of his jacket. “Not to be rude, but why are you all here?”
They all shot the prince a look as if he’d said something forbidden.

Yugo explained, “We’re here to help with your Xcalibur’s evolution.”
Production began immediately after that. Xander, Ren Wu and Yugo hammered the blade, shrinking it to fit the layer.

Valt and Xhan worked on Xcalibur’s design, multiple designs, whilst Ukyo lurked around from time to time, making witty comments.
“Don’t worry, I’m your manager. Now I’ll just sit on the couch as managers do,” he reminded them before dozing off to sleep. 

Valt took a piece of paper and scribbled a picture, and held it proudly.
“Voilà! Here’s the new Xcalibur!” 
Everyone stared at it blankly.
“I can kind of see the blades if you look hard enough,” Xander said.

The champion sighed. “Oh well, back to basics.”
The two went through countless designs, before Xhan sighed. “I don’t like any of them.”
The prince walked over to a blueprint and held it in his hands. 
“Forget what I said, look at this!”

Yugo laughed, “That’s a prototype for a new model of a weapon.”
“Well, that’s what Xcalibur is,” Xhan replied, “The deadliest weapon on Earth.”

The sun began to set, and the five bladers were worn out. Ukyo rubbed his eyes and woke up.
“Is it done yet? Also, I had the weirdest dream. So I found myself-“
Ukyo was interrupted by Xhan. “You bet it’s done! Fullmetal Xcalibur!”

They all nodded in approval. 
“If it’s alright with you, let’s test out your new bey!” Valt challenged.
“Count me in!” Yugo exclaimed.
“I think I’ll take a nap,” Ukyo yawned, before Yugo shook him wide awake.
“He’s in too.”

Xander glanced at his Sieg Xcalibur.
“We’ve chosen a good successor. But we can’t be beaten.”
The five gathered around a large stadium with spikes.
Valt laughed excitedly. “I remember this! The good ol’ days.”

The referee, one of Xander’s students, commenced the battle.
“Ready, set!” 
“Three!”
“Two!”
“One!”
“Let it rip!”

Unlock Unicorn took the centre, with Yaeger Yggdrasil in close orbit, wrapping itself around the center of the stadium. Shelter Regulus snaked around the inner ring.

Cho-Z Valkyrie and Sieg Xcalibur rushed Xhan’s Fullmetal Xcalibur, flinging it into the air. The 1+ disc aligned with the Steel driver, returning it to the stadium with a power increase.

“Go! Sixth Impact!” Xhan commanded.
Xander’s hair flamed. “Not on my watch! Triple Impact!”
The two Xcalibur’s slammed into each other, as both beys got knocked back. 

Xander grinned. “Was that all you got?”
Xhan smirked. “Practically. Look at where your bey’s heading.”
The giant gasped, as Sieg Xcalibur headed toward the spikes. Shelter Regulus got caught in the way, flying out of the stadium.

Crunch! Sieg Xcalibur split apart instantly, as Xander gasped. 
"Can't believe I lost that easily," Ren Wu sighed.
"Nicely done. But let's see if the kid can take the others down."

Fullmetal Xcalibur narrowly missed the spikes, rebounding off the wall. It zoomed through the stadium and pierced its blade into Unlock Unicorn.
"Not so fast!" Ukyo grinned. "Horn Shoot!"

The defense type tilted on its Needle driver, shifting the center of gravity onto its horn. With one swift attack, Xcalibur flew into the air and headed toward Valkyrie.
"It's all yours, partner! Cho-Z Slash!" Valt shouted, as a beam of light spread across Valkyrie's layer.
Fullmetal Xcalibur lost another two clicks and headed toward the spikes.
"Hold on buddy! We've got this!" Xhan bellowed, activating Xcalibur's avatar. "Go!"

The attack-type raced across the stadium, surviving the once undefeatable trap.
"What?" Ukyo gasped. "No bey can withstand that!"
"Yeah, well mine can! Sixth Impact!"
Whilst the Shadow Walker was caught off guard, the sword bey relentlessly rushed through Unicorn, bursting it instantly. The Needle driver remained spinning, and knocked Yggdrasil off balance, sending it on its Yield driver.
"I appreciate the boost," Yugo started, "Because now we can use our first special move! Now, Yield Shoot!"

Yaeger Yggdrasil drove toward the two attack-type beys, but was no match for Xcalibur. It flung out of the stadium and landed at Yugo's feet.
"At least it wasn't a burst," Ukyo patted him on the shoulder.
With the final two beys remaining, Cho-Z Valkyrie lit up, emitting a luminous blue aura. 
"Let's do this, Valkyrie! Cho-Z Rush Shoot!"

Valkyrie struck Xcalibur rapidly, giving it little room to escape. The champion's bey pulled away, swirling around the stadium to regain speed. Xhan grinned as Cho-Z Valkyrie headed toward the outer rim of the stadium, attempting to strike its opponent.
"Now's our chance! Get him, partner!" Valt ordered.
Suddenly, Fullmetal Xcalibur avoided the upcoming attack, as the blade on its layer enlarged. Xander's eyes widened in excitement. 
The bey glowed, as it was engulfed in a furious orange flame. Its avatar activated, a sword forming together to become a knight. It featured a more advanced version of its previous avatar, but with metal highlights on its armour.

"Xcalibur! Fullmetal Sword!" Xhan's voice echoed through the entire mountain, as a blinding light exploded from the building. The stadium rumbled as Valkyrie flew out of the stadium, landing at Valt's feet. A crowd had gathered around during the battle, and looked at the referee, awaiting a response.
"Fullmetal Xcalibur has defeated all of its opponents. Therefore, Xhan Bogard is the winner!" The referee declared.

Xander chuckled, lifting Xhan over his shoulder. "Nice one, dude! You're a natural!"
"Thanks. Uh, could you let me down now?"

Present day

That day had left an impact on Xhan. Not just an improvement in his blading skills, but he was finally happy to be treated like a regular teenager instead of a prince. It seemed unlikely that Yugo, Valt, Ren Wu and Ukyo would help him become the blader he was today. Meanwhile, Daniel and Roan were about to begin the second battle. Everyone watched closely, as the rising ambience became tense.

Daniel clenched his fists, veins appearing across his arm. He panted quite heavily, and shot Daemon a look before turning to the referee.
"I want a time out," he folded his arms. 
The referee decided it was better not to argue, and allowed it. "Very well. The timeout begins!"
Hanami commented, "That was unexpected! Now's a good time to head to the bathrooms! Also, the BeyBread outside is on discount! Make sure to grab yourself one before they're all sold out!"

Daniel stood in the corridor, across from Lui. The White Tyrant folded his arms, shaking his head in dissaproval.
"What was that?" Lui growled. "You're better than this."
Daniel looked down at his bey in shame. His eyes became a merciless red, full of anger and hatred. "I'm sorry Lui. It was a fluke. I'll be sure to crush him, and shatter him into pieces!" 
Lui grinned. "That's better."

After the quick break, the windows rattled and shook, as the trees danced. Rain poured out of the sky, thunder rumbling constantly.
Nika scrolled through her tablet. "Looks like the weather's going to be bad all week. It was perfectly hot all month until now."
Taiki cracked up. "Baha! So this knockoff iPad can do more than looking at beys. It can tell the weather!"

The crowd soon returned to their seats as Roan reappeared on stage, scowling at the weather. Daniel walked up to his side of the stadium and regained his usual, obnoxious grin.
"Boohoo, is poor little Roan scared of the weather? Believe me, Daemon and I will be ten times as menacing as this."

"Ready, set!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Let it rip!"

The two beys launched into the stadium and swarmed around each other, narrowly missing each other's attacks.
"Pathetic! You shouldn't even be in the Z5," Daniel insulted. "Say goodnight. Demolish Break!"
Havoc Daemon compressed into its driver, speeding across the stadium as it slammed into Smash Revenge, knocking it into the stadium wall.
"Hold on tight, Revenge. This isn't going to be a pretty one."

Smash Revenge regained its balance and recovered quickly, as the edges of its layer became glowing, merciless blades of power. Roan called out, "Now! Super Revenge Slash!"
The God of Revenge drilled its blade into Havoc Daemon, sending it flying into the air.
"As if I'd lose that easily. Rebirth Dive!"

Daemon used the situation to its advantage by tilting downward, quickly descending into the stadium as if it'd just been relaunched. The Dark Dragon landed on Revenge's layer, sending it backward into the stadium wall.
"Not good," Roan thought, "We've already lost two clicks from hitting the stadium wall."
Daniel recalled to his talk with Lui earlier. Before they parted, Lui said something that took Daniel a while to figure out,
"By the way, send him into the stadium wall."

It seemed odd at first, but Daniel quickly realised that Smash Revenge, unlike other beys, took extra damage from recoil as its layer was rather bulky. Daniel pointed at Roan, laughing wickedly.
"I've figured out your weakness! And this moment marks Revenge's demise!"
Roan felt trapped, cornered, with no options left. Every few seconds, Havoc Daemon blasted through Revenge, slamming it into the wall.
"No. Pull yourself together, Roan. We can do this," he mumbled.

Before Daemon made its way to strike, Smash Revenge quickly rolled back, riding up the stadium wall.
"Look at that! Smash Revenge is using its weakness to its advantage!" Hanami announced excitedly.
Paris watched in awe. "Roan's really something. He pulled off something pretty wild as usual."

Smash Revenge combusted into a scenic explosion of power, as it flipped into the air, crashing down at incredible speeds.
"We'll give you a piece of my mind, Daniel. It says that we're gonna win this! Triple Smash Brave!"
Revenge made three bursts of speed, before pummeling into Havoc Daemon, knocking both beys back.
"What?" Aiga said shocked. "Daemon didn't burst?"
Nika zoomed in on a rotating model of Havoc Daemon. "It seems like Daemon has springs all over the bey, which allows it to minimize attack damage!"

The Dark Dragon sped off toward Revenge, thrashing it endlessly.
"What's wrong?" Roan smirked, "I thought you knew my weakness."
Daniel had enough. "If I wanted to use it against you, this battle would last five seconds. You've overstayed your welcome, Roan, and it's time for you to go. Rebound Uppercut!"

Havoc Daemon grabbed hold of Revenge, locking it in place with its strong springs, preventing the God of Revenge from moving.
"Roan's in big trouble," Charles gulped, "Revenge is stuck!"
Daniel's eyes were balls of fire. "FINISH HIM!" 
The Dark Dragon delivered an upwards attack to Smash Revenge, flinging the bey into the air. Revenge headed toward the stadium, before ricocheting off with little stamina and power left.

"Smash Revenge has got no fight left in it! Can it withstand Daemon's brutal attacks?" Hanami said rhetorically.
"The answer to that's no," Daniel chuckled as the bey slashed through Smash Revenge, bursting it.
The crowd gasped and quickly went silent. Lui stood up and clapped, the only sound heard.
"Go on," Lui snarled, "Give him his points."
"Two points to Havoc Daemon for a Burst Finish! The score is now 2-1!"

Roan had little motivation left to keep going. Forfeiting seemed tempting, but the Z5 member contained himself. He heard a soft chanting noise from the crowd. Surely enough, it was the BeyClub. Aiga, Paris, Toko, Nika, Charles, Ryota, they were all there to help him. The sound grew louder and louder, until the whole building began to shout Roan's name.
"You can do this Roan!"
"You've got this!"

Cameras flashed, people clapped and cheered, and Roan felt powerful again. He saw Revenge's avatar by his side, ready to battle. A burning aura of passion and power surrounded the two, much to Lui's agitation. The White Tyrant frowned, clearly irritated. It was a known fact that he hated cheering, but something was different this time. Paris immediately caught Lui's face and noticed.
"It seems like he's scared," Paris stared at his face observantly. "Scared of the fact that Roan's going to win this."
Aiga chuckled. "Doesn't seem much like Lui, but I'm all for it!"

Hanami leapt out of his seat, almost knocking his favorite coffee cup over. He tapped into the microphone excitedly.
"Everyone's rooting for Roan now! Let's see if he can win this match!"
Daniel roared, a red, soupy mist floating around him. His intense, fiery eyes flared. 
Pointing to Roan, he grinned. "I've had enough of you. I could care less if the whole universe was chanting your name. But mind you, they're going to be disappointed and watching in shock as I devour your bey!"


"Ready, set!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Let it rip!" 

Both bladers bounded into the air, sending their beys downward toward the stadium at furious speeds. The two polar opposite beys managed to strike each other, clashing midair. Daemon and Revenge were pushed back, as the Dark Dragon rolled on its side, using its springs to absorb the impact, flinging it into the air. Smash Revenge wasn't so lucky - the bey rebounded off the stadium wall, losing two clicks in the process. A heavy dent was left behind, in the shape of Revenge.

The maintenance workers in the crowd look displeased. Among them, one of the workers groaned,
"We just had it fixed last week! If only these kids would stop wrecking it!"
Havoc Daemon flew overhead, attempting to land on Revenge's layer. Roan quickly caught notice of this as Smash Revenge drifted away, avoiding the Dark Dragon's attack.

"You won't be so lucky next time!" Daniel laughed evilly. "But unfortunately for you, there won't be a next time! Now, Demolish Break!"
Havoc Daemon compressed into its driver, using the energy into an outburst of speed as it raced across the stadium, competing with Revenge. The beys twisted around the arena side by side, as Daemon attempted to hit Smash Revenge.

Roan yelled, "No mercy Revenge! Upper Smash Break!"
The bey effortlessly knocked Havoc Daemon into the stadium wall, but ricocheted off, heading toward the wall at terrifying speeds. It slammed into each stadium wall in a triangle, as Smash Revenge couldn't keep up.
"What's Daniel up to?" Charles asked.
Nika replied, "It seems like Havoc Daemon is using the stadium wall's impact to help boost its speed. I'm guessing a big attack will be next."

The Dark Dragon redirected itself to the center, glowing up. Smash Revenge defended itself as best as it could, despite it not being a defense type. Havoc Daemon landed on its layer, flinging itself into the air. It used the built up speed to strike the God of Revenge, whipping it rapidly.
"Daemon's not exactly rushing Revenge," Ryota pointed out. "But whatever it's doing, it's working."

Havoc Daemon pushed into its driver, performing another Demolish Break.
"Crush him now!" Daniel yelled.
Before Roan could use a counter move, Smash Revenge flew into the air. It seemed highly unlikely that a recovery would be made.
Paris glanced down at Pegasus, "Come on Roan. We made a promise."

Roan's eyes glinted, a flashback of every battle he'd had with Revenge appearing in his mind. He scanned through the entire crowd, imagining them cheering his name again. He had everything he wanted right before him - courage. They gave him courage. And the boy decide it was time to use it.
"Daniel. I know Paris is counting on me! So I'm not going to let myself lose!"
The boy felt the rising tension reappearing, much to his joy. 
"You want to win? Give me all you got." He spread his arms wide open, as if he expected Roan to shoot him with a gun just like in action blockbusters. 

Smash Revenge pulled itself together, descending downward. It wasn't a gun, but much more powerful. A beam of light appeared on its layer, as it shot down like an arrow.
Roan bellowed, "Now! Super Revenge Slash and Triple Smash Brave together!" 
The whole crowd was taken by surprise, but Roan himself was the most shocked out of all of them. He couldn't believe he was pulling off such a move.

Revenge rained down, blasting through Havoc Daemon as the stadium rumbled, light and wind pouring out of the stadium. Daniel and Roan squinted, as the fallout soon disappeared. Daemon was apart in three pieces, with a small crack in its layer. Lui grit his sharp teeth before leaving mysteriously as he usually did. 
"Two points to Smash Revenge for a Burst Finish! The score is now 3-2!" the referee announced excitedly.

Roan smiled at Smash Revenge. "Yes!" he silently cheered.
The crowd went wild, continuing to chant Roan's name.
"They're still at it?" Aiga questioned.
"Duh, Roan's a crowd favourite! Of course they're gonna go wild over him!" Taiki replied.

Before Daniel could scream in defeat, he noticed Lui was gone. The boy left and chased after him in the hallways, leaving his bey behind.
Nika tapped the home button on her device before opening the official WBBA tournament app. It listed the official world rankings, being:
1. Lui
2. Valt
3. Shu
4. Free
5. Roan
6. Xhan

The app also displayed the upcoming battles in every tournament across the world.
Nika double tapped on the Japanese National Tournament, before turning to Paris. "You're about to go against Xhan. Good luck!"
Paris left and sat in the waiting room, before hearing a panicked, sorrow voice. He peeked through a small glass window only to see Daniel and Lui. The White Tyrant paused, before remarking, "I have no time for you talentless bladers. Get out of my sight, kid. We're done. Maybe I can actually find someone worth my time to train with."

Lui exited the building as Daniel stood there, tears rolling down his face. Unlike Paris, his idol had completely disregarded him and left him. Years of training together had gone to waste. Daniel wiped his tears aside before heading to the main building, where he picked up Havoc Daemon and smiled at Roan.
"I think this battle settled our differences. Congrats and good luck."
Taiki tilted his head to get a better perspective. "Was Daniel just crying?"
Charles' eyes widened. "You're right. But what he said just then didn't seem very genuine."
"Like fake? As in he's acting all sweet and then planning to destroy Smash Revenge?" Taiki laughed at the thought of that.
"No, like.. He seemed sad, almost. It's hard to describe. Anyway," Charles changed the topic, "Let's watch Paris' battle."

Roan sat with the BeyClub. "Hey guys. Is Paris up?"
"Mhm. Against Xhan. This is going to be a difficult battle," Ryota responded.
The prince stood at the opposite end of the stadium from Paris, showing his Fullmetal Xcalibur.
"Hey Paris, nice to finally meet you. Aiga put in the good word. And this is Fullmetal Xcalibur!" Xhan exclaimed.

The layer had a double sided, fully metal sword, hence the name. It featured its usual, crudely-shaped, jagged design whilst having metal highlighting the bey. The swords were spring-loaded, which allowed it to retract. Meanwhile, the disc, 1+, was a final upgrade to the 1 disc. It was thicker, heavier and also balanced. Finally, the driver, Steel, featured a metal driver, much like Iron, but in a star shape. 

A suspicious looking person with long, white hair stood at the balcony. His face was cloaked, and he seemed to be holding an object. Roan was the only person who saw him, but he decided it was better not to look. His eyes might've been playing a trick on him.
"Alright Xhan, bring it on! This is Immortal Pegasus!" Paris smiled, revealing his bey.
The cloaked person seemed interested in Pegasus. Under the hood, he grinned yearningly.

"Cool bey," Xhan complimented. "Let's see who's going to come out on top."
Hanami commented, "Xhan took the words right out of my mouth! I'm eager to see what's in store for us!"
The referee commenced the battle.
"Ready, set!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Let it rip!"

A moment before the two bladers launched their beys, a blinding light briefly flashed, shining in Xhan's eyes. He closed his eyes and launched Fullmetal Xcalibur into the stadium recklessly, as the bey landed in the stadium with little stamina and attack power. Immortal Pegasus darted across the stadium, lighting up. Roan noticed the perpetrator, the cloaked man at the overhead ceiling. 
"Everything alright?" Ryota asked him. "You looked pretty mad."
"Yeah, it's nothing." Roan didn't want to cause a disturbance in the battle. Besides, this was a good opportunity for Paris to actually score some points. He felt guilty, but shook those feelings aside. 

Xhan gasped. "I mislaunched it. But how?"
Paris shouted, "Now's our chance Pegasus! Hit him with Immortal Slash!"
A beam of bright blue light spilled across Fullmetal Xcalibur, sending it into the stadium wall. It lost a click, but the bey aligned with its disc and driver, allowing itself to access a temporary boost of speed. 
The prince thundered, "We're going to give him all we got! Sixth Impact!"

A huge crashing sound followed, as both beys were pushed back. Xcalibur was on the verge of hitting the stadium floor.
"We're not gonna let you go that easily! Get him, Pegasus!" Paris boomed. 
Immortal Pegasus ripped through Fullmetal Xcalibur, bursting it instantly. 
"Two points to Immortal Pegasus for a Burst Finish! The score is now 2-0!"

Chatter and confusion broke between the crowd, the main topic being: "How did Paris win that easily?"
Paris himself was shocked. He expected more of a battle, but deep down he knew something wasn't right. The cloaked man overhead smirked, glancing down at something in his hand. Before anyone noticed him, he quickly disappeared. Roan felt like he'd committed a crime by not letting the truth out. He couldn't take it anymore.
"Someone sabotaged the battle," the Z5 member whispered. "I saw a man up there. He had a camera or something."
"What man?" Taiki said out loud. 
"Shhh." Roan put a finger on his lip. "Keep quiet. He's gone now, but I don't want something to start. Paris already has his two points, right?"

The Z5 member sighed. "Gosh, I don't mean to sound like a jerk or anything. But I think it's for the best to keep it a little down."
Everyone nodded understandingly. Xhan glanced down at his Xcalibur.
"What the Hades just happened?"  He thought to himself. "I didn't just lose, did I?"
This time, Hanami didn't make a comment. He was well aware that someone had sabotaged the battle, and was discussing the situation with tournament officials.
"-Yes, I agree. But we don't have enough evidence at the moment. We'll have to let this one go."
Xhan and Paris overheard them talking. Paris felt extremely sorry. He couldn't imagine making it this far into the semi-finals and having some dude ruin your battle.
"I'm sorry, Xhan." Paris apologised.
"It's not your fault," Xhan smiled. "I'll let this one slide. Besides, this is getting me all fired up!"

The referee started the second battle.
"Ready, set!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Let it rip!"

With Xhan at his full power, Fullmetal Xcalibur tore through the stadium at wild speeds. Immortal Pegasus activated its wings and landed on the top ledge of the stadium, jolting down toward the opposing bey. The two attack types collided, before pulling away. Pegasus retreated, with Xcalibur in hot pursuit. Fullmetal Xcalibur managed to hit Pegasus with a great amount of force. Each attack flung it into the air, knocking Pegasus away.
"Hold on Pegasus!" Paris shouted.

The Cosmic Horse surged through the stadium, returning the favor to Xcalibur. Immortal Pegasus struck its opponent rapidly, giving it zero chances to defend itself. Charles took a quick glance at Xcalibur.
"It seems like Fullmetal Xcalibur can deal powerful attacks, but it's not too fast itself. I think its heavy weight is holding it down."
Aiga added, "Seems about right. Pegasus is way too fast for Xcalibur to keep up."
Paris bellowed, "Supernova Shoot!"

Immortal Pegasus rushed through Fullmetal Xcalibur again through a series of heavy attacks. The Legendary Sword seemed to be resisting damage. Finally, Xcalibur emitted a fiery aura.
"Now, Xcalibur! Fullmetal Sword!"
Suddenly, one of the swords on Xcalibur's layer extended outward, hacking away at Immortal Pegasus. The damage it endured brought it down three clicks closer to bursting. One more and it would be game over.

Pegasus rolled away, avoiding a burst. It regained its stamina quite easily. The Cosmic Horse raced around the stadium, as Xcalibur chased after it.
"You can run, but you can't hide! Get him, Fullmetal Xcalibur!"
Paris thought he'd lost him. Pegasus was on the far side of the stadium, away from the opposing bey. Frankly, Xcalibur wasn't all that bad in terms of speed. Its second sword extended, slashing at Immortal Pegasus. 

Pegasus flung into the air, almost reaching a point of no return. 
"We can't lose just yet. This one's for Roan!"
A brief memory of Gingka passing over his Samurai Pegasus over to Paris played in his head. The memory was important and sentimental to Paris - it meant the world to him.

"Pegasus and I went through an amazing journey together. Your grandfather gave it to me one day. Ever since, we'd been battling our hearts out. Now it's your time Paris. I know that everyone's using a different system of beys, what were they called again?"
"Burst," Paris giggled.
"Right. Seems like forever ago the Metal generation was still new. Anyway, Pegasus is now yours. I'm trusting him in your hands. Make him your own."

"My own," Paris repeated, before looking at the many faces in the crowd. He estimated around a few hundred there, as it was extra packed today. "Roan's not the only one counting on me. I've got so many people waiting for me to win! And I like to keep my promises. Go! Immortal Starblast Attack!"
Immortal Pegasus descended at high speeds, breaking the sound barrier. It crashed down onto Fullmetal Xcalibur's layer. The swords prevented Pegasus from moving any further, but the Cosmic Horse was too fast. Both beys flew out of the stadium and landed at their owner's feet. Immortal Pegasus landed a few seconds after, and this time it was noticeable. No replays were needed.

"One point to Immortal Pegasus for an Over Finish! The score is now 3-0!"
Xhan smiled, picking up his Fullmetal Xcalibur.
"You know Paris, even if this battle wasn't sabotaged by someone else, I don't think it would've played any differently. You're a talented blader. Feel free to swing by my palace any time. Then, we can have our actual rematch."
Paris smiled back. "Right. I'll look forward to battling you again. Make sure there's no weird dudes with cameras."

Hanami wiped his eyes with a handkerchief. "What a good display of sportsmanship between bladers! This is such a good way to end today's battles. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty exhausted. Lui vs Valt, Paris vs Toko, Roan vs Daniel and Paris vs Xhan. Give a round of applause for these two bladers!"
The crowd erupted excitedly. 
"He won!" Roan shouted with joy. "He pulled it off!"
Aiga grinned. "If only me and Achilles knew how to take down Xhan the first time. He's something else, I tell you."
Charles and Taiki found a way to bicker over the topic, as usual.
"I told you he'd win!"
"No, I told you that he'd win!"

The screen changed, as Xhan's image faded away. Paris and Roan's photos enlarged, taking up half of the screen.
"And we've got a treat for you bladers! The countdown's beginning to the National Tournament finals! Paris and Roan are gonna have their long awaited rematch! I can't wait to see how that'll play out," Hanami added.
Before Xhan and Paris parted ways, the screen changed to a live battle. It displayed a dark bey taking on five others. The owner was a long, white haired man with heterochromia, one red eye and one blue eye. 

Roan gasped, "It was him! The dude who messed up the battle!"
Aiga stood up, his heart racing. He glanced at his Cho-Z Achilles briefly before returning his attention to the screen. He recalled Phi breaking Z Achilles. Toko and Nika seemed to know what he was on about.
"I thought he was gone. I crushed you once, and I'll do it again."
The dark bey, Oblivion Phoenix, had a ring of armor like its predecessors, Revive and Dead Phoenix, but its layer featured a more spikier design with more metal. The armor had a blade on each side, just like Guardian Kerbeus, which allowed it to push out. The armor had its own mini gimmick. The disc, Rebirth, was similar to Blitz but featured two contact points instead of three. The points pointed further outward than Blitz and could also tilt downward. The driver, Atomic Metal, was a fully black driver with a red ring around it and the ball was metal instead of plastic.

The five beys all ganged up on Oblivion Phoenix, who spun in the middle of the stadium. Phi stood there, watching the battle intimidatingly. They were all beys from the God Layer System, except one of them. 
Xhan gulped, "That's Aaron! What's he doing now?"
Aaron Mizusawa stood there, leading the other four bladers. He nodded at them, as Shield Ares slammed into Oblivion Phoenix, dealing no damage. Phi laughed wickedly, and felt like he was a giant compared to them.

The other four beys assisted Ares - a Beat Kukulcan, Twin Nemesis, Alter Chronos and Kreis Satan. They drilled into Phoenix, sparks flying high into the air. Phi's eyes turned completely black, filled with evil. Aiga held Achilles close to him, as if he were scared that he'd lose it again. It was his responsibility to ensure it wouldn't happen again. Shield Ares lit up.
"Go! Ares Drive!" Aaron called out.

Shield Ares managed to knock off Phoenix's armor, as it lay dormant on the stadium floor. Phoenix moved away, blasting the other beys back. It let off a purple flame which seemed to feed on its opponent's fear. It rose high into the air. Oblivion Phoenix crashed into its armor, which extended its blades outward.
"Oblivion Stinger!" Phi commanded, as Phoenix flicked its ring into the stadium wall and ricocheted off, landing into Kukulcan which burst instantly, its layer splitting apart into pieces.

Then, Phoenix pushed its armor once more, pushing it into the stadium wall. It headed toward Nemesis, and Phoenix came around the other direction, performing its:
"Oblivion Armor Press!"
Twin Nemesis burst instantly, also ripping apart into small little fragments. Oblivion Phoenix headed toward Chronos and Satan.
"Destroy them! Oblivion Break!"

Phoenix burst the two instantly, Chronos and Satan ending up like the other beys - damaged beyond repair. Phi chuckled devilishly, enjoying the artwork he'd created on the stadium floor. Shield Ares was the final one left.
"Don't think you're going to be let out mercilessly," Phi pointed to him. "You happened to get caught in our way. And for that, destroy him with Oblivion Stinger!"

Oblivion Phoenix hit its offspring into the stadium wall one last time. Shield Ares deflected it, sending it midair.
Aaron grinned, having a little bit of hope left. "Nice one."
Phi's smirk widened. "Impressive. But we'll show you true power. Now, Double Oblivion Stinger!" His voice echoed through the entire building.

The dark bey resent its armour into Shield Ares, bursting it instantly. Fortunately, it didn't break.
"Phi wins the battle. All opponents have been defeated," the referee announced.
His opponents looked distressed. The owners of the broken beys fell to the floor in defeat.
"Too easy," he glared at his Oblivion Phoenix. "But I can't ask for much. This is only the beginning to my rampage."

The Lord of Destruction stared at Aiga through the screen, as if knowing where he exactly sat. 
The Crimson Nova stood up and shouted, "Don't even think about it! I'll defeat you again, hundreds of times. Haven't you learnt your lesson?"
Phi chuckled, somehow managing to hear what Aiga said. "No need to be so serious, Aiga Akaba. You're next on my target list. You'll all grovel to your ruler!"

The screen went blank and fuzzy, as if the communications went disrupted. Paris didn't want to know what happened.
Xhan shook hands with Paris. "I'll see you around. I hope Aaron's okay."
Paris hoped so. Phi seemed like a dangerous person to meddle with, and he wondered why Aiga was so upset by him. There were so many things Paris knew, and so many he didn't.

On the way out, Aiga had disappeared.
"Where is he? Charles asked.
"I don't know. But he made one big deal out of that Phi dude."
Toko looked down. "They have a hatred for each other. Phi liked to toy with Aiga, even if his definition is destroying his bey and corrupting him with dark power. Anyway, you should be excited for your battle! You made it to the finals!"

Paris tried to sound enthusiastic, but he had too much on his mind. "Yeah. Excited."
Later that night, Paris tossed and turned in his bed. He had one of those horrible dreams again. He was once again at that dark castle, with Phi there. The cloaked leader wasn't there, but Paris didn't pay too much attention to it. Phi activated one of the machines, as dozens of generic beys poured into the stadium. Phoenix effortlessly defeated them all within the span of ten minutes.

Then, one of the five capsules opened, as another teenager popped out. He folded his arms, grinning at Phi.
"So edgy. I hope you're enjoying what you're doing."
"What do you want, Cyrus?" Phi watched his Phoenix run out of stamina and hit the stadium floor. 
"Nothing much," he responded, "Who's next on your list after Aiga?"
Phi's eyes turned black. "Lui. Then Valt. It's simple, really."
"See," Cyrus grinned, "There's a problem here. I want you to save some of the bladers for me."
Phi began to walk away, toward his personal headquarters in the castle. "Or what? You'll destroy me?"
Cyrus responded, "I don't want to come to that conclusion yet, seeing as my bey isn't quite complete." He glanced over to a forge with a purple flame, where a blank bey sat there, absorbing the purple flames.


Phi refused to talk anymore and then left. He mumbled something saying, "This was once my home. Then turned into some cult."
Cyrus stood over the capsules, inspecting the bladers inside. He spotted a crank on each machine and twisted it, speeding up the process. In no time, the others would be ready. Red alarms blared, as the teenager laughed wickedly.
"Uh oh. Looks like I've caused some chaos."

Great Chapter! Do you still accept new characters?