Your POV 

I sat there, shocked.

Shocked because Aiga had been defeated so damn easily by Hyde. I knew Aiga would lose with his dark aura, but still. Hyde defeated him like it was nothing.

To be honest, it terrified me. Because I was up against Hyde next. Nobody told me to, there's no schedule, but I know I'm the one going up next. It hasn't been spoken about, but everyone can feel it. They can feel how much I want to defeat Hyde. Even if he scares me.

And now Aiga's running away from his loss with Ranjiro following him, and now I'm standing up to challenge Hyde. "Hey Hyde!"

My voice echoed throughout the dark arena, and it was confident, which surprised me. "Even if Aiga lost, you're still going down!"

"What was that?" Hyde asked, feigning deafness. "You're going to have to speak up, former chump."

"I'll show you true power, with Xcalius!" I flashed the new Xcalius proudly.

"Ah, yes," Hyde stared, eerily fascinated as he licked his lips. "I take it that's the new Xcalius. Your old one must've been so weak you had to get a new one even though it wasn't broken."

"You're wrong," My chin flew up. "I got a new one because the previous bey needed to be upgraded since my power was overflowing."

"Sure, (y/n)," Hyde said sarcastically.

"Go, (y/n)," whispered Valt from my left, nodding at me.

Shu nodded too. "We're counting on you."

"Don't worry," Hyde flicked his hair. "There'll be plenty of time for me to play with you."

He cackled and walked off the stage. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I glanced back and saw crimson. "Hey, can we talk?"

My heart sped up as the butterflies living in my stomach started flying around again. Shu wanted to talk with me?

What did he want to talk with me about? Did he want to talk about our relationship? Tell me he didn't like the kisses I was giving him the other day? I blushed thinking about that, and then blushed even harder when I thought of something else.

Oh gosh, what if he...what if he asks me out?

Then I saw Valt besides Shu, and realized that both of them wanted to talk to me. So this wasn't about anything romantic. I felt relieved. If it was, I think I would've passed out. Instead, it was just wistful me jumping to conclusions because I crave love so much. 

"Oh sure," I responded, acting as if I just had a mental breakdown. "Wait, where's Fubuki?"

"He went to go check on Aiga and Ranjiro," answered Valt. 

I smiled, glad that he had such close bonds with his friends. "Let's get out of this gloomy stadium. We can talk at the place before."

We left to the place where Shu and Aiga battled. It wasn't much of an improvement, the gloomy sky has more visible than ever, but at least it didn't remind me too much of my upcoming battle with Hyde.

"So, (y/n), tell me the truth."

To anybody else, Shu saying 'tell me the truth' wouldn't have been a big deal. But I know in those words, there's an underlying message, a secret plea to be trusted again.

I nodded in response what he had said. Because I do trust Shu. I trust him more than anything.

A small smile flickered onto his face before he continued. "Taking the belt, or rather, your crown, back isn't the your only goal, right?"

"Right. I'm looking past my crown."

"This is for Aiga, isn't it?" he inquired, seeing through all of my actions. But I was okay with that. Because Shu deserves to know. Valt deserves to know, too. Everyone deserves to know.

"Yeah," I confirmed. "You've both battled with him before, haven't you?"

"He's misguided," Valt said somberly. "Right now, he's associating resonance with feeling the pain the bey feels."

"Valt..." I whispered, shocked at how mature those words sounded. But then again, I should've seen this coming. I couldn't expect him to always be the person who froze and tripped up on stage. "You're right."

I clenched my hands and knew, more than ever, how much I needed to win. This time, not just for some belt or my crown. But for my honour. And a lost child.

---------------------

Even in the waiting room, I could feel the rumbles of the loud cheers for Hyde. 

I didn't expect anything else. This night, the seats would be mostly filled with Hyde supporters, and my haters. But it's alright, because I had supporters, and they mean more to me than anyone else ever would.

"Let's start things up by bringing out the challenger!" I heard Hanami call. I took a deep breath and held Xcalius tightly in my hand. It was time.

"With her pride on the line, she stands up ready to take anyone on!" Hanami announced and I stepped out as lights flashed. "She's known for giving it everything she's got, our superstar, (y/n) (l/n)!"

The boos started, a clashing cacophony of hate directed solely towards me. But I didn't care, as long as my friends were with me.

"Tonight is the debut of (y/n)'s newly created bey!" continued Hanami. I took this as a cue to show off Xcalius. "Introducing, Turbo Xcalius!"

As I walked towards the bey stadium, the TV screens shifted from my face and instead showcased Hyde with a sly grin, reveling in blue flames. 

"And now it's time to welcome our champion to the stage!" Hanami called out. "This guy's a complete enigma. Some rumors say that he's actually a spirit that returned from the Underworld!"

As if.

Then the arena was suddenly casted into darkness, only illuminated by the dim flicker of ghostly flames. The crowd began murmuring in shock.

"What's this?" Hanami said, clearly confused too.

Then Hyde's signature laugh rung out from the stadium. I scanned the whole room, unsure where the voice was coming from.

"Will you be able to give me the fun I desire, huh, Mr. Former Chumpion?"

The lights flashed back on just as Hyde jumped onto his walkway. He laughed again, and a blazing wall of fire lit up behind him.

"Talk about an explosive entrance!" Hanami exclaimed. "It's the ruler of darkness, Hyde, and his bey, Dread Hades!"

As expected, the stadium exploded with cheers, raucous clashes of screams and claps. Hyde stared at me directly, as if deciding whether or not I was worthy.

His eye, an acid green, burned with malicious intent and judgement. His lips were curled tauntingly, daring for me to make a nasty remark to what he had said earlier.

Long ago, I would have. I would have roasted him to the next universe. A smile nearly graced my lips, thinking of the immature roast battles I would have with Lui before.

That was a long time ago. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I've changed and I've matured for the better. I've learned to let go.

I let go of my insults.

I let go of my crown.

I let go of my pride.

I let go of my hate.

And now it's time for me to fully let go of my darkness.

The darkness always preyed on me when I was losing in battles. This time, I just need to fight it and let go of it. 

This is the match which will prove just how worthy I am. I'm not being worthy for Hyde to play around and toy with. I'm not being worthy for the world, with all of their fickle cheers. I want to be worthy for my friends, my family, and the boy with crimson eyes.

Shu Kurenai. 

"Let's do this!" I grinned. "I'm coming at you with everything I've got!"

"Turbo Xcalius has come to play, huh?" Hyde looked at it, his gaze filled with disgust as he grinned too. "My, what a pity! It's too bad this will be its last battle ever!"

"Don't go making promises for things you can't follow through!" I said. I know I said I let go, but I let go of my hate, not my dislike. I'm still going to insult people who sneer at me. I'm just not going to give them a three degree burn. I glanced at my bey. "Isn't that right, Xcalius?"

Hyde growled, and I could feel the darkness coming from him. In response, I lit up my own aura, this time filled with hope and passion instead of despair and hate. I felt determination surge through my body.

"Listen up," the referee spoke. "The first blader to reach three points wins."

I got ready into my Soaring Boost stance. "Here we go."

"Ha!" Hyde flicked his hair, getting into position too.

"Ready? Set!"

"Three!"

I bent down into my stance.

"Two!"

I jumped high into the air. My back arched and my legs lifted up. 

"One!"

As gravity pulled me back into its clutch, sending me into a rapid descent.

"Let it rip!"

I pulled the ripcord as hard as I could. I landed back onto the cold stadium floor, my hands and feet colliding. It stung, but the adrenaline numbed it. I stood up, determined and bold.

Both beys landed perfectly in the stadium, both spinning clockwise with perfect speed. 

"And with that, the highly noteworthy Title Match has finally begun!"

On closer inspection of Xcalius, I nearly groaned. The Turbo blades, they didn't work!

But I had no time to mope. Xcalius and Hades were colliding, hitting each other before sending the other one back with ferocious force. 

"The clash of Titans begin!" Hanami declared. "But it seems Dread Hades is too bulky, and it keeps sending Xcalius back!"

It's true. I clenched my hands when Xcalius was pushed back again.

"Is that all you've got?" leered Hyde. Xcalius was already wobbling, off-centre from all of its missed attacks.

Just keep on pushing.

"Go for it, Xcalius!" I yelled. The familiar, calming feel of my aura activated, the multi-coloured lights engulfing me. "Switch Counter!"

In a brief second, it changed directions to counter clockwise, the force from the switch helping Xcalius stand upright again. My dominant hand lit up in white light. "Final Strike!"

Hyde had activated his aura too, streams of purple surrounding him. His eyes gleamed more manically than ever. "Time for Dread Impulse!"

Hades glowed purple and it sped up. Xcalius' sword ejected up and sped up too. The two beys clashed, sending sparks flying and wind whipping around the stadium.

When the clash ended, I could see Xcalius floating in the air in slow motion. My eyes widened and Hyde groaned in delight and pain.

clink.

Then Xcalius was falling down too quickly, and I had to look behind me if that really was my bey Xcalius on the ground.

"Dread Hades with a ring-out finish!" the referee announced. "One point to Hyde!"

No, no, no, no, no.

I bit my lip.

No.

Before the match, Shu had told me that the Turbo blades wouldn't activate straight away. He told me not to worry when it didn't activate because it would take a lot of training. He also told me not to be too harsh on myself if I lost, because he said that the new bey would take some time to get used to. 

But I hoped, I believed, that if my determination was strong enough, if I was strong enough, then Xcalius would activate the blades. And I would win. I believed that. If I think about the fiery determination I had earlier, I know the previous me would've believed that.

I should've realized with determination I need power. I once heard that determination to make wishes happen without power are delusions. If that's true, then I've been delirious my whole life, because I don't have power. I don't have the power required to bring down Hyde and the darkness and to save Aiga.

After all, I'm the weakest.

I stared emptily at the fallen bey behind me. And then I saw something.

No, no, no, no, no.

A mass of tenebrous gloom floated there, its aura interfering with gravity as it seemed to draw me in. A loud chorus of 'no's screamed loud in my ears, the sound jarring and grating as I clutched my head, but like a broken record, it never stopped.

No.

This time, I wasn't saying it because of my loss.

This time, it was because the darkness was offering its hand towards me yet again.

--------------------------

short chapter this time :/

also, do you notice the way the chapter title contrasts with the chapter title before? ;)

word count: 2111