*The next battles for the day was about to begin and the Cruise Ship was starting to leave the California Coast and head to its next destination, the tournament was LIVE from every corner of the world and the 3rd Match for the 1st Stage was about to begin which was Shu VS Delta which would start in about an hour. Athena and Shu meet in a training room and go over a strategy*

Athena: Your opponent is Delta Akane with Diabolos, not going to be an easy opponent to beat even for you.

Shu: Well in that case, what do we know so far?

Athena: Well his bey is a Dual Spin Balance Type just like Spriggan so theres that, it's 2 rings do entirely different things: Death is used for Attack and Abyss is used for Defense and sometimes Offense. Things Spriggan are also capable of doing..

Shu: Thing is, i only use 1 ring but my Chassis has 2 modes too. A locked attack mode and a free spin defense mode.

Athena: Well i don't know, y'alls beys are too similar.. i can't think of a good strategy, i'm so sorry Shu!!

*Shu simply smiles and places his hand on her shoulder*

Shu: Dont be, i'll figure something out.

---Meanwhile---

*Drum, Delta and Gwyn were all conversing on how Delta could possibly beat Shu Kurenai*

Drum: Shu Kurenai is not going to be an easy opponent to beat, his experience with blading is gonna be hard to match.

Gwyn: I faced Shu in the Legend League, he is also very strategic and analytical when it comes to his strategies. He's probably looking for a way to counter Diabolos as we speak.

Delta: Diabolos can dual spin just like his Spriggan so it doesn't matter if i go with Death or Abyss, he'll still find a way past those plus he has a mode changing chassis while i don't.

Gwyn: Both Spriggan and Diabolos are Balance Types and their defense and attack levels are the highest stats.

Drum: I know!

Delta: What is it?

Drum: Diabolos has a Wave Driver while Spriggan has a Unite' Driver! Wave is taller than Unite so Diabolos will have a height advantage, you can try attacking from above.

Gwyn: I mean it's the only option we have, Shu will probably going to come up with a wacky but a perfect strategy to defeat you so we'll just have to see.

Delta: I guess so. it doesn't matter what kind of strategy he comes up with, i'll be the one who comes out victorious. Also Gwyn you should focus on your match too, your up against Zac and his Zeus. From what i heard, his strength is the real deal even for a legend like him.

Gwyn: I got this handled, Zac isn't going to even be able last a second against us.

---A Little while later---

*Shu walked up to the lift to head on up to his match and he began to think*

Shu: Me being in Block B grants me a chance to face off with Lane in the Semi-Finals if i make it, if i make it to that point.. Lane, you had best believe that i will defeat you for sure.

*Shu walked onto the lift and it carried him up to his match and thoughts continued to rush through his head*

Shu: Athena is also wanting to go the finals with Lane as well.. If me and Lane make it to the Semi-Finals then what then? We can't both make it. I want Athena to fulfill HER goal but at the same time, i don't want to lose simply for the sake of losing and just let Lane win.. Spriggan, i don't know what to do..

*Shu eventually reached the top of the lift and walked up to the stadium as did Delta, his opponent*

Delta: Shu Kurenai, it's an honor to finally battle with you

Shu: I can say the same, Valt say you're pretty strong.

Delta: I used to be at BC Sol, it's helped me a lot throughout my journey.

Shu: I bet. This is World Spriggan.

*Delta stared at the crimson bey and his eyes glowed a bit*

Delta: So that's the infamous Spriggan? Should be interesting then.

Referee: First Battle!

*Delta switches to Abyss Diabolos and Shu began to change into Left Spin Attack Mode*

Shu: Abyss Diabolos huh? He's gonna play on the defensive.

---

Drum: He's not going with the strategy we came up with?!

Gwyn: Classic Delta.

---

Delta: Attacking from above isn't gonna cut it here? I didn't think about this before but Shu has more experience than i do, he's been blading longer than i have so he's obviously smarter with strategies and how he battles.. if he's going with attack mode right off the bat then i'll have to play defense first and see where that goes.

Referee: Ready Set!!

3 2 1 GO SHOOT!!!

*Both beys land in the stadium with powerful shoots and Diabolos claimed the center immediately and Spriggan comes charging in.*

Shu: Spriggan! Attack!!

Delta: Diabolos, endure it!

*Spriggan slams into Diabolos with full strength and began to fire a barrage of attacks on it but it couldn't seem to do any sort of damage*

Shu: Keep going Spriggan!

Delta: That's it, keep fending it off!!

---

Drum: He's actually managing to fend it off!

Gwyn: By using the Abyss Ring, Delta is able to defend against all sorts of attacks. The downward sloped blades also help give it incredible attack as well.. so this was his plan, he wanted to fend off Spriggans attacks and then finish it off with a counter.

Drum: That's so seriously amazing!!

---

Shu: We're not done yet.

Delta: Is that so? Bring it on!

*Spriggan tilts on the rubber of its Unite' Driver and began to accelerate greatly*

Shu: Counter Break!

*Spriggan lands a brutal attack and Diabolos gets sent reeling from the blow*

Delta: Diabolos! Attack now!

*Diabolos tilts on its Wave Driver and began to pick up speed, it lands a fierce attack on Spriggan but it manages to counter using its Burst Stopper blades*

Shu: Is that all you got?

Delta: Get back in there! Diabolos! Abyss Smash!!

Shu: World Slash!!

*Both beys clash hard and go flying from the fierce blow and landed out of the stadium with Spriggan falling last*

Shu: Tch..

Referee: Abyss Diabolos with an Over Finish! Delta Akane earns 1 point!!

*Delta and Shu reached down and retrieved their beys and Shu stared at Delta with a fierce expression*

Shu: I'll give you props for winning the first battle but let's see if you can follow it up in the second. Either way, i'll be the winner of this battle!

*Shu's scar began to glow with a red light and Deltas left eye glowed with a streak of red energy*

Delta: Spriggan is definitely an interesting bey, however it'll be me who wins.

Referee: Second Battle!

*Shu changes his bey into Right Spin Defense Mode and Delta went with Death Diabolos this time*

---

Drum: So he's gonna go the attack this time!

Gwyn: Shu switched Spriggan into Right Spin Defense Mode, it would appear he's already caught on to Deltas strategy.

Drum: No matter what, Delta is still going to win this thing!

---

*Athena watched the battle from inside the training room and watched as her eyes flashed a bright white*

Athena: Shu... you've got this.

---

Referre: Ready Set!!!

3 2 1 GO SHOOT!!!

*Both beys land in the stadium and Spriggan races for the center immediately and Diabolos comes charging in this time, a complete reverse of the previous battle*

Delta: Send them flying!

Shu: World Spin!!

*Diabolos and Spriggan clash and Spriggans free spin chassis was nullifying Diabolos' attack*

Delta: Push them even harder!

*Diabolos tilts on its Wave driver and tries pushing Spriggan back but it failed due to its Free Spin chassis*

Shu: That's not going to work on us, keep trying.

Delta: Tch.. we're not going to lose!

*Diabolos disengages as it heads onto the 3rd Level and starts picking up speed as it rushes down the slope*

Delta: Death Upper!!

*Diabolos rushes in and deals a fierce attack and finally managed to send Spriggan flying*

Delta: Yes!

---

Athena: He used his upper blades to send Spriggan flying and negate its World Spin, looks like Delta has gotten stronger..

---

Drum: He's pushing back! Go Delta!!

Gwyn: Delta went under World Spin and knocked it upward from there, it's an interesting hypothesis but he might actually have a chance now.

Drum: Send him flying!!

---

Delta: Diabolos!

*Diabolos spins around the center and started picking up some major speed as it entered Gold Turbo.*

Delta: This match belongs to me!

Shu: Now Spriggan!!

*Spriggan lands in the stadium and it uses the rim of the stadium to gain an insane amount of speed, flames trailed behind it as it only got faster*

Delta: What's going on?!

Shu: True Counter Break!!

*Spriggan leaves the rim and it races toward Diabolos with lightning speed*

Delta: Diabolos now!

*Both beys collide and the stadium implodes with a loud explosive light show of red and gold streaks! Spriggan bursts straight through Diabolos with no effort and Delta was absolutely shocked*

Delta: N-No way..! Impossible!!

Referee: World Spriggan, Burst Finish! Shu Kurenai wins with a score of 2-1!!

*Delta fell to his knees and looked down at Diabolos*

Delta: D-Diabolos..

*Shu simply just looks down at him*

Shu: Delta Akane, you're pretty strong but there is always room to improve.

*Shu looked over towards the crowd where Drum and Gwyn were seated*

Shu: And you've got the friends to do it.

*Shu turns and walks away and leaves the arena*

---A little while later---

*Athena went to a vending machine and grabbed a water and sat down at a nearby bench, she notices Aiga walk by as well*

Athena: Aiga..?

*Aiga looked over towards Athena and smiled and continued to walk off*

Athena: He didn't stop to talk to me? Is something wrong? I'm sure it's nothing, maybe he's off to train or something or maybe he's busy.

*Athena got up and she went up to go see the next match! when she got to the arena, the second battle between Zac and Gwyn had already begun! Gwyn was in the lead with 1 point as he had gotten a over finish in the 1st battle*

----

Gwyn: Full power Genesis! Hybrid Boost!!

*Genesis used its Hybrid Driver to speed up and it races towards Zeus with full speed*

Zac: You know what to do Zeus, Cosmic Thunder!

*Zeus metal balls shift outwards and its stamina was starting to increase from the shifted center of gravity. Genesis' attack didn't do anything and it was sent flying back*

Gwyn: We're not done yet!

*Gwyns hair began to come undone and it unraveled in a wavy wall of hair and Gwyns aura began to glow to life*

Gwyn Genesis!

*Genesis races onto the 4th Level and it uses the slope to speed up towards Zeus, Genesis began to glow with its Superior Turbo and it dove straight for Genesis*

Gwyn: Let's finish this! Utopia Blaster!!

Zac: Time to shine! Zeus!!

Zac: Rolling Sun!!

*Zeus and Genesis collide and a massive explosion erupts from the stadium and both beys immediately get sent flying from the blow and Genesis burst from the attack*

Referee: Thunder Zeus with a burst finish! Zac is the winner with a score of 2-1!

*Athena looks down towards the arena and just walked away from the battle, she didn't find the battle interesting in the slightest*

---Later that night---

*The Sparking Legend Tour Cruise Ship was now back on the move and it was now headed back towards the middle of the Pacific Ocean and was going to make a short stop back in Japan for more fuel. The next 4 battles would continue the next day with the first match being Free VS Drum! Athena lied in bed that night and she held her bey above her as thoughts went through her mind*

Athena: Adeona..

*Athena was pulled into the Avatar World and Adeona stood in front of her*

Athena: Adeona!

Adeona: Looks like progress on the Sparking Legend Tour is coming along nicely.

Athena: 1st Stage is only half way done, so far the ones who will participating in the Battle Royale in the 2nd Stage is me, Valt, Shu and Zac. The other 4 will be decided tomorrow.

Adeona: You sound pretty serious about it.

Athena: It wouldn't have mattered if i lost in the 1st Stage or in the 2nd Stage but i most certainly cannot lose in the 3rd Stage! That is for all the marbles, that is the stage that actually counts and will determine whether or not i can face Lane in the finals.

Adeona: I see..

Athena: This is our last chance to reach Lane, i can sense how close he is to his breaking point and he is getting dangerously close.

Adeona: Well in that case, we need to get a lot stronger then.

Athena: Yeah and we will.

*The avatar world disappeared and Athena put her stuff away, got changed into her sleep-wear and went to bed for the night*

---Meanwhile---

*Lane Valhalla stood on the edge of the deck as he looked down at his Dark Matter Lucifer as it glowed with an aura of darkness, Lane moved his shirt over and revealed the Devils Mark he had received from the Snake Pit*

Lane: Lucifer.. when we face off against Aiga once again, we'll be sure to crush him!

*The Devils Mark finally reactivated as it began to glow an orange light, Lanes body began to pale as a black cross marking with sharp corners appeared over the bridge of his nose and 2 large wings rip through his outfit and eject out of his back as a horn emerges from the side of his head. The sounds of pained screams and bones cracking filled the night as a shadow of the monster that Lane was turning into was cast upon a nearby wall*

---The Next Day---

*The Cruise Ship was only a 200 miles away from the port where it came from, Athena looked out on the horizon as she began to think about her coming battles.

Athena: I'm up against Daina in the First Round of the 3rd Stage and i'm participating in the battle royale in the next stage.. Adeona, we've got 2 incredible battles to prepare for.. let's get to training..

[TBC]

Next Chapter: A Grand Revolution! Fierce Battle!!

The 1st Stage battles on the Cruise Ship get even more intense as Drum faces off against Free and Sisco battles Xhakas overwhelming strength! Meanwhile, Aigas new attitude puts a strain on his and Athenas friendship as the pressure of what havoc Lane could cause in this tournament finally puts the pressure on them both.