Media: Kyoya Tategami

My vision was stolen away in a second, and the last thing I could feel and see was Kyoya.

"-ss!"

Aching. Aching in my eyelids, throat, face, hands- everywhere.

"What?" I croaked out, then winced. "Holy shit... this is like... concussion on... steroids.."

Never open your formerly-sheltered eyes to pure light, kids. Doesn't matter if you have a concussion or not. Still hurts like hell.

"Can you see?"

"No," I groaned.

A click of a pen.

"I suggest getting her situated with the situation. As shown by her recent display, she cares for Kyoya Tategami-"

"Objection," I muttered, curling tighter into a ball and squinting over the warm cocoon of sheets.

"- who is currently hospitalized."

"What?"

The woman holding the clipboard raised an eyebrow at me. "As I said. He's hospitalized."

"From... a beyblade... battle?" I asked, biting my lip.

"Yes... as, the opponent he battled... he's rather vicious against his enemies, as he's sent two other people to the hospital as well."

"Who...?"

"Hikaru Hasama and Tsubasa Otori."

Blood pooled in my mouth as my teeth bit down on one side.

Hikaru, Tsubasa, and Kyoya. Three acquaintances- friends, even, if I could dub Tsubasa as so- who has all fell under one hand.

"... Can I see their... battles?"

The women gave me a dubious look. "It's... a lot to take in. The Hikaru girl's battle was over in less then two minutes- Tsubasa at least had a strategy, but..."

Nonetheless, she disappeared out of the room.

I focused my burning eyesight of the ceiling, trying my best to keep them open.

"I've been here the entire time, you know."

My gaze snapped from the ceiling to the brunet boy who had spoke.

"G-Grayson!"

The said boy smiled weakly, waving a hand that was embraced rather tightly by a cast. "Hey. You okay?"

Everything about him seemed so dull... his keen eyes seemed like a devoid pit, sucking in everything and nothing at the same time while making no use of it.

"If... you count... nevermind... yeah, I'm fine."

He was leaning against the wall, lip bitten bloody as he stared at the ground.

"So... Kimi was a traitor, huh...?"

I inwardly cringed, remembering her scathing words. "Y-Yeah... she was actually... really unhinged.."

You're a fool, you should have been able to help her, or maybe you should have noticed before-hand-

"I found them," the woman announced, shuffling closer with two discs in her hands and snapping myself out of my flaw-reminding daze.

"T-Thanks," I managed.

"Those aren't pretty to look at," Grayson sighed. "Neither of them are. A pure film of chaos and pain, but if you're going to watch it, I'm leaving... I rather not see that again."

With that, he left the room. I stared at his retreating back for a while, immediately regretting being unable to help him as well.

"I'll put in Hikaru's first, as she was the first one to face that Ryuga boy," she slid the disc in the DVD player, and I turned my attention to the screen, despite the burn behind my eyes.

Sure enough, the battle didn't last long.

My heart dropped a thousand stories as Hikaru, screaming, was blasted out of the entire stadium, her battered form found draped over a chunk of the wall afterwards.

Fingers tightening on the blanket, I managed out a '...wow'.

"Terrible, isn't it?"

When I looked over at the woman, she had her eyes cast downward before mustering up some confidence and placing the next disc in.

Hikaru...

Strong-willed Hikaru, sharp-tongues but patient.

Defeated, just like that.

As Tsubasa's match started, I averted my attention away from Hikaru to focus on the Eagle blader on the screen.

I bit my lip as I watched, knowing that any moment, Tsubasa could be defeated, just as quick as Hikaru.

Why...? Why is he just bidding his time?

Wordlessly, I slid a hand into my hair, twisting it around and knotting it as Tsubasa started his counterattack.

Endless blows were exchanged, but as I watched Ryuga, I could see that he was nearing the end of his patience.

"L-Drago! Dark Move: Dragon Emperor Soaring Bite Strike!"

"Eagle!  Counter Stance!"

Three dragons burst from L-Drago, eyes blazing red as they slithered into the air, effortlessly taking Eagle up with them.

I couldn't watch, knowing that he'd end up just like Hikaru, and instead shifted my gaze to the ground.

"Harsh, isn't it?"

"Mm," was my only response.

Then the screams started.

It wasn't like Hikaru's- one, agonized scream- but instead one of drawn-out pain.

My eyes flashed to the TV screen again as Tsubasa let out another screech of pain, having fallen to his knees.

Purple aura surrounded him, coming off in wisps into the air.

He screamed again.

I flinched. "Turn it off...!"

The screen turned black, and the only thing I could hear was the rapid thump-thump of my heart in my ears.

"I told you," the woman sighed, and I merely hunched over, allowing tendrils of my hair to fall in front of my face.

"Why... why am I so... helpless? Why doesn't... anyone stop Ryuga when... he's clearly hurting people...?"

"That's a question we all wonder."

There was a sharp, rapid knock on the door.

"Pardon me," the woman said to me, walking to the door and opening it. "Ah, yes, whose's this?"

She opened the door wider, and I tilted my head in the direction of the door, my neck itching at the sight of her.

"Long time no see," Riyui said. "Even though I took shelter at the J.C.I as well as the WBBA."

I didn't answer, bringing my hand to my mouth and biting my knuckle.

"You want to say hi to someone who had their brother stolen to save you?"

Riyui's direction didn't seem to be directed at me, and I glanced over again.

Peeking out from behind her, brown eyes nervous and her biting her lip, a girl with jet-black, choppy hair peered at me.

"That's... Saki?"

Saki.

My mission is complete.