*It would be a little bit before Aigas match with Phi so Athena and Aiga were just talking with each other until then*

Athena: Are you excited for your match with Phi?

Aiga: I mean yeah, me and him haven't battled in so long so i'm more than pumped to face off with him again. At least this time, we won't be battling as enemies.

Athena: Well that's good, a friendly battle is the best battle!

Aiga: Can't argue with that!

*Aiga and Phis name were called which meant they were now being called up to their match*

Aiga: Wish me luck.

Athena: You won't need luck. I know you'll be able to win.

*Aiga smiles and he heads up to his match. Both bladers reach the main arena in the ship and both of them head up to the stadium*

Phi: Aiga Akaba, it's about time we battle again.

Aiga: Yeah, it's been some time since we've battled.

*Phi held up his Phoenix and it glows with a golden aura! Aiga does the same as his glowed a red aura*

Phi: We'll now see which between us is truly stronger.

Aiga: Yeah and that'll be me!

Referee: First Battle!!

Aiga: Eternal Phoenix retains its Armor from Revive Phoenix and Dead Phoenix and it's so much heavier now with the use of a Double Chassis. Either way, i'll be the one who comes out on top in this battle!

Phi: Infinite Achilles has a Sword and Shield mode and it uses a Dimension' driver so it has all sorts of different heights and modes at his disposal. Looks like Aiga is using the Shield Mode first, so he plans on defending against my attacks.. in that case, let's see how well that goes.

*Athena watches from the stands as she was hopeful that Aiga would win this match*

Referee: Ready Set!!

3 2 1 GO SHOOT!!!

*Both beys land in the stadium and Achilles took the center first and Phoenix was coming in hot*

Aiga: Bring it on Phi!!

Phi: My pleasure! Go Phoenix!!

*Phoenix comes in and deals a major attack on Achilles but it manages to resist it using its Infinite Shield*

Phi: Oh..?

Aiga: Yes! Keep it up Achilles!!

---

*Athena watched excitedly as her eyes lit up in amazement*

Athena: He's doing it.. he might actually win!!

---

Phi: I'd expect nothing less from you Aiga.. but let's see if you can keep it up!

*Phoenix disengages and it returns for another major blow and knocks its own armor off*

Aiga: So that's what he's after.

Phi: It's over! Eternal Armor Press!!

*Phoenix and its Armor slam into Achilles and both of them grind its shield and began to deal some serious damage*

Aiga: Like i'd let you! Infinite Guard!!

*Achilles Infinite Shield glowed and managed to block the rest of Phoenixs attack and blew both Phoenix and the armor back. The armor fell out of the stadium and Phoenix managed to survive but its spin was getting incredibly low. After about a few seconds, Phoenix had stopped spinning completely, resulting in Aigas first point*

Phi: Tch..

Referee: Infinite Achilles with a Spin Finish! Aiga Akaba is awared 1 point!

Aiga: How's that?!

Phi: Not bad. You've definitely gotten stronger since we last fought but like i said, let's see if you can keep that up because in this battle, i won't be holding anything back.

Aiga: I wouldn't ask for anything less now let's do this!

Referee: Second Battle!!

*Both bladers took their positions once again! Aiga still was using Infinite Shield this round*

Referee: Ready Set!!

3 2 1 GO SHOOT!!!

*Both beys land in the stadium and Achilles took the center once more and Phoenix was on approach*

Aiga: Infinite Guard!!

*Achilles shield began to glow as it formed a barrier of shields around the bey, Phoenix grinds against the rubber of its Friction driver as it began to gain a massive amount of speed*

Phi: Burn them away with Phoenix Break!!

*Phoenix charges in as flames began to trail behind it and it knocks Achilles high into the air! Aiga gasps in shock as it landed on the 1st level and was slowly gaining speed*

Aiga: Keep going Achilles!

*Achilles leaps off the 1st level and dove straight towards Phoenix but it had dodged the attack and Achilles had slammed against the stadium floor which pretty much destroyed its stamina*

Aiga: Tch.. Keep going Achilles!

Phi: End this!

*Phoenix comes rushing in and knocks Achilles out of the stadium in one blow*

Aiga: N-No way..!!

Referee: Eternal Phoenix with an Over Finish! Phi earns 1 point!!

*Aiga picks up his bey and looks back at Phi who pretty much just smiled*

Aiga: Looks like you have indeed gotten stronger but let's see if you can beat me in the next.

*Phi nods as the third battle began*

Referee: Third Battle!!

*Both bladers put their beys on their launcher and they both get sent to a pure white void as both of their avatars materialized behind them*

Phi: So this is what Aiga meant when he mentioned the word "bond"...

Aiga: Achilles, let's show them what we've got!

*The void disappeared and the 3rd battle began*

Referee: Ready Set!!

3 2 1 GO SHOOT!!!

*The beys land in the stadium and this time Achilles was going with its Swords! Phoenix takes the center immediately*

Phi: Bring it on!

Aiga: Yeah! Let's go Achilles!!

*Achilles rushes in and began to deal a super fast barrage of attacks on Phoenix. Phi grins as his aura began to blaze to life*

Phi: It's no use! 

*Phoenix counters and knocks Achilles away*

Aiga: We're gonna prove we're the best there is! Infinite Buster!!

*Achilles slams into Phoenix and knocks off its Armor and it flew out of the stadium*

Phi: Interesting.. this battle is setting my soul ablaze!!

*Phoenix began to shine with a golden light as it began to head onto the upper deck and on the 3rd level of the stadium*

Phi: PHOENIX!!!

*Phoenix heads off the 3rd level as it heads back into the stadium and races straight for Achilles*

Phi: Phoenix Break!!

*Phoenix sends Achilles flying high into the air and Aigas aura began to surge as he powered up*

Aiga: Achilles!!!

*Achilles survives and it heads onto the 3rd level as well and begins to gain a ton of speed as it races down the slope and headed back into the stadium*

Aiga: Infinite Sword!!

*Both beys collide and a massive ball of fire emerges from the stadium as the whole entire arena was filled with a bright red light which was followed by a deafening explosion. Both beys glow flying up and one of them burst, the bey that burst was Phoenix! The smoke cleared and the referee made his call*

Referee: Infinite Achilles with a burst finish! Aiga Akaba wins with a score of 3-1!!

*Both bladers were out of breath as both of them panted hard and sweat dripped down their faces*

Phi: Well Aiga Akaba, you've bested me again..

Aiga: Well you didn't do too bad yourself.

Phi: If we ever battle again in the Sparking Legend Tour then i'll definitely win for sure.

Aiga: We'll see. I'll be there to make sure it ends the same way!!

*Phi turned and walked away as Aiga began to do the same*

The final 4 was Athena, Aiga, Xhaka and Valt!

---A few minutes later---

*Athena came running towards Aiga to congratulate him on his victory*

Athena: Aiga! You actually won!!

Aiga: Well of course i did! I was obviously going to blow Phoenix away!!

Athena: Hehe of course, and you know what that means?

Aiga: What?

Athena: i'll be battling you next Aiga.

Aiga: Oh i see. in that case, i'll blow you away as well!

Athena: Not if i blow you away first.

*Both bladers smile and they went off to train*

---Meanwhile, Later that evening---

*Lane Valhalla had returned to japan and he stood in the middle of his abandoned factory as he stood at the stadium there. he heard footsteps echoing through the factory as he turned and saw Boa standing there at the entrance*

Boa: I had heard that you returned to Japan so i've taken this opportunity to have my revenge.

Lane: Revenge you say? You must be that Bahamut kid.

Boa: You destroyed my old Bahamut back in the days but this time i won't let that happen, not again.

*Lane simply smiled as he got out his bey and launcher*

Lane: I wouldn't be so sure, my Lucifer has awakened!

*Lucifer no longer had a barrier to protect it. its round and spiky ring was fully exposed to strong attacks were possible now*

Boa: I don't care if your bey awakened or not. i will have my revenge!!

*Both bladers take their positions and the battle started. Athena was secretly watching from behind a pipe*

Athena: Lane..

3 2 1 GO SHOOT!!!

*Both beys land in the stadium and Bahamut took the center immediately as Lucifer came charging in*

Boa: Stop them with Panic Guard!!

*Lucifer slams into Bahamut which caused it to enter its perfect circle! Lucifer gets blown back but it recovers thanks to the Drift driver*

Boa: Nothing you through at us will pierce our Panic Guard! Bahamut!!

Lane: Send it flying Lucifer!

*Lucifer charges in and Bahamuts shield sends it flying into the air*

Boa: Is that all you've got? i thought you were stronger than this!

*Lane smiled as his eyes were completely shadowed out and a black mist began to emit from his body*

Lane: Oh trust me.. you've seen nothing yet..

*Lucifer lands back in the stadium and it speeds up quickly and it slams into Bahamut as it starts pushing against its guard*

Boa: That's not going to work! Knock them back Bahamut!!

*Nothing happened as Lucifer kept on pushing as tiny cracks began to form within the shield surrounding Bahamut. Boa gasped in shock as his aura began to fade*

Boa: He's actually breaking through my shield!?

*Lucifer disengages as it began to travel around the stadium even more and pick up even more speed. Lanes right eye began to emit a purple aura as his Flare surged all around him*

Lane: True Emperor Disaster!!

*Lucifers spiked ring glows with a purple aura as sharp beams of energy come off of each spike. it comes back in towards Bahamut with full speed and no limits held*

Boa: You know what to do Bahamut!!

*Lucifer breaks through Bahamuts shield and bursts instantly as a massive explosion ensues as Boa and Athena shield their faces from the explosion. Bahamuts layer flys upward as cracks begin to form in its ring, chip and chassis and it breaks into 3 pieces! Boa was in absolute horror as the pieces of his bey fell to the floor with a fragile clink*

Boa: N-No.. not again..

*Boa fell to his knees as Lane smiled with satisfaction*

Lane: That is the price you pay for thinking you can take on my flare with such a pitiful such as Bahamut! Athena, i know you're over there! Show yourself right now!!

*Athena peeked her head out as a furious look came over her face*

Athena: Lane.. you...

Lane: I don't what you thought you would gain by facing me but you saw what happened just now to Bahamut, i can do the same exact thing to Adeona and i know you still have PTSD from the Legend League.

*Athena took a step back as she saw Lanes flare rising and it even began taking the shape of tentacles*

Athena: I refrained from saying this for the longest time but you're an absolute monster.. maybe everyone else is right, maybe you are a lost cause.. maybe i will let that Flare destroy you, at least maybe then you'll understand the torture i felt when you corrupted me not one but two times in a row, i never deserved that but you did it anyway because you knew i would be more dangerous than you ever could and if i hadn't been stopped then i would've been no different than you are now.

*Athena turned and walked away and she left the factory as she was completely done with Lane*

---That night---

*Athena stood on the front deck of the Cruise Ship as she held Adeona in her hand. Shu eventually came out with her*

Athena: Every time Lane breaks a bey, it's always me or one of my friends.. i guess he just wants to see my despair.

Shu: Well it was foolish of Boa to face off against Lane, not knowing what he's getting himself into. He got too confident in his defenses and that was led to his beys destruction.

Athena: You really think so?

Shu: Athena, i know you're getting annoyed by Lanes chaos but you need to continue doing this because if it keeps up for too long then Lane will not only destroy himself but he will also be a risk to the safety of the Blading world.

*Athena stared out to the vast ocean as the moon shined over it*

Athena: I suppose you're right..

Shu: I understand how you feel. I want this to be over just as much as you do but we have to keep doing this.

Athena: Alright, i'll try my hardest.. i'll bring him home, as promised..

---The Next Day---

The matches of the final 4 were finally finalized and the matches were

Athena VS Aiga and Valt VS Xhaka

[TBC]

Next Chapter: Fiery Battles! The Final 4!!

The final matches of the practice tournament were on and Athena awakens her Flare even more as Lane watches from afar. Meanwhile, a new challenger and the last Legend Athena has yet to face makes his debut!