"These two bladers have come a long way: they meet today not as teammates, but as fierce rivals!" Hanami explained to the crowd as Daigo and Litsuko approached the stadium. Both of them were mic'ed up so the crowd could hear what they were saying.

"Good to see you, captain!" Litsuko greeted Daigo cheerfully.

"Don't think I'll be holding back," Daigo replied, almost snarling. "I'm gonna crush you."

"Oh, I wouldn't have it any other way!" Litsuko agreed.

The crowd whooped and cheered again.

"Come on, Daigo, you got this!" Valt yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth to increase the volume of his voice.

"Make us proud!" Wakiya added.

Shu crossed his arms and smiled confidently.

"The first battle is about to begin!" the referee announced. "The first blader to win three points wins the match. A survivor finish and a ring-out finish both earn one point - a burst finish wins two."

Ken had to resist the urge to lean in to see better as Daigo and Litsuko pulled out their launchers, loaded them with their beys, and readied themselves in front of the stadium. The tension in the arena had thickened in a matter of moments. Numbers appeared on the televisions hanging from the ceiling, counting down from three.

"Three! . . . Two! . . . One!" everyone chanted.

"Let it . . . rip!" Daigo and Litsuko cried out.

"And they're off!" Hanami shouted into the mic as Krusher Doomscizor and Sutra Lilitus touched down into the stadium - a Defense Type against an Attack Type. Ken's jaw immediately clenched as Lilitus headed to the center, but they let out a sigh of relief as Doomscizor knocked it out of the way, sending it careening towards the edge.

"I don't think so!" Litsuko hollered. "C'mon, Lilitus!"

"Keep fighting!" Daigo encouraged his bey. "We can't let her take that center! Hunt Launch, now!"

"Venus Launch!" Litsuko commanded.

Daigo's Doomscizor made a move in the shape of a scythe's blade. Lilitus began to counter it with swaying moves across the stadium that bore a resemblance to a heart shape. They met on impact again and again and again, loud metallic crashes filling the arena.

"Oh, they're going at it like lions on the savannah!" Hanami said excitedly.

"Keep up the pace, Doomscizor!" Daigo shouted. "Show no fear!"

At his partner's command, Doomscizor sped towards Lilitus so fast it was almost a blur - and knocked her out of the stadium. She landed on the metal floor with a loud clink.

"Krusher Doomscizor - one point with a ring-out finish!" the referee proclaimed.

"Alright!" Valt and Honcho cheered at the same time.

Ryota jumped on top of his chair to hype up his brother.

"You owe me a hundred yen, Wakiya," Shu said with a smug grin and a snap of his fingers. Wakiya responded with a palm to his own face.

"Keep up the good work, buddy!" Ken yelled.

Suddenly, the familiar scratchy voice of a young woman stood out from amongst the crowd: "Litsu-ko! Litsu-ko! Litsu-ko!" Slowly, she began to build up a cheer that encompased the stadium.

"Must be Asa's doing," Honcho reasoned.

"Haha! Thanks, everyone!" Litsuko said with a grin, giving a thumbs up to the crowd. She went to pick up her bey before returning to the stadium.

"Wouldn't expect anything less from you, Daigo." she complimented him. "But I mean business." Her smile was bigger now: she was remaining true to her word. Her adoring fans exploded with cheers.

Daigo said nothing, keeping his eyes on his opponent as he reloaded his launcher.

"The second battle is about to begin!" the referee announced.

For the second time, Daigo and Litsuko prepared themselves to launch their beys.

"Three! . . . Two! . . . One!"

"Let it . . . rip!"

Once again, the beys were launched. This time, Doomscizor was unable to block Lilitus, and she secured the middle with ease, knocking Doomscizor out of the way.

"We can do this!" Daigo shouted.

"Stand your ground!" Litsuko assured her partner.

Doomscizor began to knock Lilitus around again and again, as fast as death claims its victims. But Litsuko, hyper as she was, remained cool as a cucumber.

"This isn't looking good," Ryota muttered.

Ken gulped. He was right.

"Full speed, partner!" Daigo ordered.

"Oh, yeah? Think again!" Litsuko countered. "Lilitus, show 'im who's boss! Red Hot Shield!"

A stream of the sharpest pink light appeared in the middle of the stadium, and Ken could glimpse Lilitus' bit beast: a tall woman with long pink hair, a demon's horns, and fairy wings.

"Doomscizor, no mercy!"

But it was too late: Doomscizor burst, and Ken's stomach dropped.

"Sutra Lilitus - two points with a burst finish! Litsuko Saeki is one point away from the win!"

"Uh-oh," Hoji mumbled.

Ken gritted their teeth as they watched Daigo pick up Doomscizor and put him back together. Their heart was slamming against their ribs. Again, Daigo was silent.

"C'mon, Ken."

Ken looked to their side as they felt Ryota grab their arm. He was smiling. It didn't take much to realize how alike the two brothers looked.

"Let's cheer him on together!" Ryota suggested.

Ken smiled at his young friend and nodded: whenever Daigo was down in the dumps, all he needed was a little encouragement. Simultaneously, Ken and Ryota both stood up on their chairs.

"What're you guys doing?" Valt asked.

"Hey, Daigo!" Ryota called out.

Daigo turned his head. At the same time, Ken and Ryota held out their hands.

"Invincibility lasers!" they rallied.

"Trust yourself, Daigo - lead with your heart!" Ken went on.

"You can do it, big bro!" Ryota added. "It's not over!"

Catching their drift, Valt stood up on his chair as well and began to cheer with them: "Dai-go! Dai-go! Dai-go!" Slowly, just like with Asa and Litsuko, other people began to catch on. Litsuko herself clearly noticed this, but she didn't seem bummed out at all.

"See? This is fun, isn't it?" she said to Daigo, laughing a little. After knowing her for months, Ken had to wonder how she was able to stay positive so easily.

"Never change, girl," Daigo replied fondly. The cheering seemed to have lifted his spirits significantly. But he knew better: in a competition like this, friendships no longer existed. It was every blader for themselves.

"The third battle is about to begin!"

"Three! . . . Two! . . . One!"

"Let it . . . rip!"

Daigo's launch looked a little different this time: Doomscizor made sparks fly as he raced across the stadium at lightning speed.

"What the hell!?" Litsuko cried. "You shady bastard!" she yelled playfully.

"What's going on!?" Honcho thought out loud. He craned his neck to look at Shu sitting behind him. "Doomscizor looks like he's on crack!"

"He launched with his left hand," Shu said with a proud smile. "I taught him that a while ago, but he asked me to keep it a secret."

A wide grin crossed Ken's face as they recognized their best friend's strategy. Of course: Daigo had once been a solitary blader, but as the years went by he had learned to pick up tricks from his friends.

"Match his energy, Lilitus!" Litsuko said. "You know what to do!" For the first time ever, Ken caught a glimpse of what looked like panic in her eyes.

"Rip her apart!" Daigo shouted, the determination evident in his voice. "Scythe Attack! I believe in you!"

"Not on my watch!" Litsuko shrieked.

An image of the Grim Reaper flashed before Ken's eyes as the two beys made contact, a storm of pink and deep purple enveloping the stadium.

Bish!

The audience went silent, like the quiet before the most horrible part of a hurricane, as three pieces of a bey clattered to the floor of the stadium. Only one bey was left spinning. A few seconds later -

Bish!

Another burst.

"Krusher Doomscizor - two points with a burst finish!" the referee declared. "Daigo Kurogami has won the national tournament!"

"Amazing!" Hanami hollered.

Ken jumped up from their seat, slapping both hands over their mouth to muffle a scream of pure joy. The crowd exploded into an uproar, applauding their new champion. Valt and Honcho were both crying, though Honcho was trying his hardest not to. Wakiya was jumping up and down, all dignity gone. Shu was simply sitting there, beaming with the utmost pride.

As for Litsuko, she had fallen to her knees, panting. Through blurred vision, Ken could see her shoulders start to shake.

Hands quivering, Daigo picked up the pieces of his beloved bey and put it back together. He leaned in to kiss Doomscizor's black and silver crest, whispering a gentle "thank you." He was almost in shock. His eyes burned. After so many years, after so much training and countless battles . . . finally.

Daigo looked up to take a glance at Litsuko. She was collecting her bey's pieces, her whole body trembling. Daigo walked over to his dear friend and offered her a hand, pulling her to her feet. He struggled not to grimace as she yanked him into a hug, but he accepted it nonetheless.

"I'm proud of you," Daigo said softly. His voice shook.

Litsuko gave Daigo a squeeze, a small gesture to show that she shared the sentiment. Daigo felt tears prick at his eyes as he pulled away, holding out his bey to his little cheerleading squad, almost as proof that all their support hadn't gone to waste. But wait - something was wrong.

"Ryota, are you okay?"

Alerted by Hoji's voice, Ken looked to the side to find Ryota coughing up blood. Suddenly, he retched, swathes of red splashing all over his purple T-shirt.