Zac stood in front of Lui's room, knocking for the fifth time in a row. Inside, Lui was busy taking a shower in the bathroom, obviously annoyed that the person standing outside his door wouldn't just leave him alone. If it were Gabe, he would've called on the phone. No, it wasn't him. And Lui couldn't care less about opening the door for anyone other than Gabe.

Frustrated, Lui stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his lower body, heading straight for the door. The wbba always provided for a staying facility inside their arena for tournament bladers who came overseas, or by travelling, or didn't have anywhere else to stay due to other personal reasons. Lui hated it. But he tolerated the occasional discomfort because of other benefits he reaped.

Staying in the arena meant having an easy access to the tournament proceedings whenever he wanted. Other than that, the training equipment, perfect meal facilities, cruising trips for getting a change of the environment, and much more — Lui relished it all.

"What's your deal? Can't you take a hint?!" Lui screamed right after opening the door. "By the third knock, ANY properly cultured human would understand that the person inside is busy!"

"Luiiii ~ !" Zac the Sunrise beamed beautifully, showing off his perfect teeth. "You haven't been answering my calls since the morning! I thought you died."

Little did Zac know, Lui had blocked him months ago.

"Go to hell," Lui told him and shut the door right in Zac's face. Zac was a little taken aback by Lui's actions, but he already knew this wasn't going to be easy. He was prepared for it.

"Hold on!" Zac called out from the other side of the door. "I have the perfect catch for you. You wouldn't be able to turn down my offer!"

Lui stopped in his tracks and crossed his arms. He didn't open the door, and he didn't say anything either. He doubted Zac had something good to promise him, but even a beggar could win a lottery and become a millionaire, so the possibility was still there.

Zac guessed Lui was still listening to him, so he continued. "I'm holding a reunion party for all the elite bladers in Japan. Lui, you're the topmost member of the Supreme Four. The gathering will be bleak and incomplete without you!"

"Get to the point," Lui growled.

"(Y/n) will be there," Zac notified, intently looking out for Lui's reaction to his words.

On the other side, Lui's eyes widened significantly and he slammed the door open.

"How dare you use her name to try to lure me out?" Lui muttered angrily, giving warning of his rising temper. "You think I'm some sort of dog that'll come running after her?!"

Oh, no, this wasn't going according to Zac's plan at all. Lui wasn't supposed to get angry. He should've accepted the invitation without a second thought.

"That wasn't my intention at all," Zac swiftly said. "I know firsthand how much you take an interest in her. Other than Shu, she's the only person you're looking forward to meeting again."

Lui's pride burned over how much importance Zac was giving to Shu. He never imagined someone would be stupid enough to talk like that in front of his face.

"The mere mention of Shu Kurenai's name makes me sick!" He punched the door. "Leave me alone, Zac, before I crush your skull with my bare hands."

"My sincere apologies!" Zac waved his hands in front of himself. "The offer still stands. You bless my party with your glorious presence, and in return you get to meet (Y/n) — "

"What makes you think (Y/n) will accept your invite, anyway?" Lui snapped. "You'll never be able to measure up to her standards."

"You're right. She's difficult to please," Zac lightly stroked his gorgeous hair. "That quality somehow makes her so much more attractive, though."

Lui crossed his arms.

"My point is," Zac continued. "No, I wouldn't convince her. I'd manipulate her to make sure she comes to the party."

Lui blinked innocently and then burst into laughter. Confused, Zac raised his eyebrows, unable to figure what was so hysterical.

"You think you can manipulate her?" Lui breathed. "Go ahead, try and fail. If you want me to come to your stupid little party, you'll have to try better than that."

"You underestimate my abilities, Lui," Zac proudly smiled to himself. "(Y/n) is a ruthless punisher. And the idea is to use the same quality against her. A game where she wouldn't have any choice but to counter with judgement."

Lui curiously stared at Zac. He was either extremely smart, or extremely stupid to attempt something so ridiculously risky. Either way, the situation was slowly turning out to be pretty entertaining for Lui.

"Fine, then," Lui finally said. "I'll show up to your stupid party."

"Sweet!" Zac grinned. "I'll email you the details."

Wordlessly, Lui closed the door but didn't move for a few minutes. He contemplated the conversation that took place just now, and couldn't help but anticipate (Y/n)'s next step to counter Zac. Was she really going to fall for his cunning plan? Slim chance, but, if she did...

Lui let out a maniacal laughter.

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

Zac really had kept his word. Lui smirked from the side stage where Shu, Xander and (Y/n) were standing with him, watching Zac reveal the last last event of his show.

It was a bey stadium, but with a twist. The centre was actually a circular metal platform rotating at a high speed.

There had been Xander's Shakadera Special Stadium with spikes, Wakiya's Biting Stadium with fangs, but this one... it was something much more amazing. It had piqued (Y/n)'s immediate interest. She felt as if this one was made for Sparyon to conquer. A high-speed rotating disc? She was definitely in for it!

"Introducing... the Cyclone Stadium!" Zac dramatically announced for the crowd.

"The platform at the centre of the stadium rotates, just like a cyclone!" Hanami explained, even though it was obvious.

"No way that's regulation," Shu intently focussed his attention at the new stadium, several drops of sweat covering the side of his face. He was trying his best to look normal, but in reality, his shoulder was hurting pretty badly.

Xander laughed (which wasn't very surprising). "Pretty wicked invention, if you want my opinion!"

"Nobody wants your opinion, Xander," (Y/n) tilted her head to look at him. "Just stop laughing already."

Xander laughed again.

"Yup, that's a psycho stadium, alright!" Valt grinned from his spot in the audience.

"Cyclone, not psycho," Toko and Nika corrected him.

"Whatever it is, I'm down to test it out!" Before Rantaro, Daigo or Wakiya could stop him, Valt had already jumped above the boundary of the audience area. Naturally, he lost his footing at the most inappropriate moment, and was about to tumble on the ground... until someone saved him by grabbing the back of his hoodie.

It was Gabe.

"Pull it together," he told Valt.

"Ehh.. right. Thanks for the help," Valt replied awkwardly, still hanging in the air.

Gabe generously put Valt back to his feet. "Don't mention it."

"And now, it's time for the inaugural battle of my special Cyclone Bey Stadium!" Zac said into the microphone.

"Me! Oh! Oh! Pick me for the psycho!" Valt jumped up towards the stadium without hesitation. "I totally own this! Pleeeaseee ~ For psycho, right here!"

The audience laughed at him. (Y/n) and Shu awkwardly smiled from the stage. Rantaro shut his eyes out of embarrassment, and a very disappointed Wakiya smacked his own forehead.

"Aw man, awkward..." Toko muttered.

"It's cyclone, not psycho!" The twins screamed again, although Valt couldn't care less about the correct word or pronunciation.

"What do you think, Lui?" Zac happily turned towards Lui. "Want to face him?"

Lui pridefully sat down on the first step of the stage and took a good look at Valt. It seemed as if he was actually considering the challenge, although the reality could very well be the complete opposite.

"That's Valt Aoi," Zac explained further. "He's the captain of (Y/n) (L/n) and Shu Kurenai's team."

"Him?" Lui muttered with slight astonishment. "Why didn't you tell me that before?"

"Well, some surprises are best saved for last," Zac signalled towards Valt from the corner of his eye.

Now this information had absolutely won Lui's interest. To him, Valt came off as a rather clumsy and easy-going person at first sight. Lui could hardly believe that someone of his personality was really The Beigoma Academy Beyclub's captain. Dare Lui ever admit it, but he understood very well that bladers like (Y/n) and Shu needed a genuinely capable leader that could handle them.

Could Valt really be someone of that caliber?

"Lui," Gabe Brunai stepped in front of his teammate to stop him from considering the battle. "My advice is, don't do it."

"Hn?" Lui's thoughts about Valt's abilities quickly retreated and he focused his attention on Gabe. Did his captain have anything to say about it? He might as well take the advice.

"Remember, Rideout has a policy prohibiting any outside battles during the national tournament," Gabe elaborated. "You're a member of the team, so play by the rules."

Gabe's eyes flickered towards (Y/n) for a short moment. He remembered their earlier conversation in the arena corridor, and faintly regretted not being able to finish what he was about to say to her that day.

Lui noticed this and slowly turned his head to see what his leader was looking at. His question was answered when his eyes momentarily met (Y/n)'s and he sharply averted his gaze towards Gabe again.

"What have you been up to?" Lui suspiciously muttered to his captain. He was well aware of Gabe's relationship with (Y/n). They weren't exactly very friendly with each other, but enough acquainted to have a meaningful conversation. Lui wondered if those two have been discussing something behind his back.

Gabe didn't answer the question. He stared at Lui with his usual expressionless face, then went off to stand on the other end of the stage.

Zac and everyone else was still waiting for Lui's answer. He quickly decided to interrogate his captain later, and focussed his immediate attention to the matter at hand.

"Well, I only accept an opponent's challenge if they seem like they'd be worth the effort," Lui finally said. "And here... I'm really just not feeling it."

"Why's he so stuck up?" Xander grumbled.

"What a shame!" Zac dramatically cried after hearing Lui's refusal. "I wanted to see how Lui would handle this stadium, but looks like that won't happen. So, I guess the first battle here will be me... up against — "

"ME! ME! PICK ME!" Valt perked up at those words.

Zac noticed Valt's enthusiasm and felt that it'll be very rude and unkind to turn down someone who was so excited about the Cyclone Stadium. "Good news, Twinkle-Toes. I choose you!"

"Best day ever!" Valt cheered happily.

As much as (Y/n) wanted to try out the stadium herself, Zac never offered her the chance. He was well aware of her anger towards him from earlier, and if (Y/n) was given the chance in a situation like this, things could end very badly for him in the stadium.

Zac wasn't stupid enough to involve himself with such a gambit. (Y/n)'s recklessness knew no bounds, and he knew that. Surely nobody wanted to see something evil take place here.

"First to take two points wins the battle," Hanami informed. Xander stepped forward to act as the referee. Well, he definitely didn't want to miss the opportunity of watching the Cyclone Stadium from up close.

"So... what was that about earlier with him?" Shu asked (Y/n), subtly signalling at Lui.

"I could ask you the same thing," she replied, referring to his earlier brawl with Lui.

Shu crossed his arms and looked away into the sky. (Y/n) averted her gaze and stared at the stage floor. Neither of them wanted to be the first to confess the darkness of their past with Lui. Those fallen memories... probably best if lost and forgotten.

"Alright, first battle!" Xander said.

Valt took his usual stance. He kneeled down on one knee, his other leg positioned at a right angle beside it. There was determination written all over his face.

"Masked Blader, er, I mean Zac the Sunrise," Valt boldly said to his opponent. "You got a point on me the other day. But this time, you're not getting off sooo easy."

Zac, instead of taking his launching position, flashed an artistic pose for his fans. "Twinkle-Toes, your unbridled enthusiasm is just adorable! But let's be honest..." he finally got into his battle stance, crouching down and leaning his body towards the stadium, "...that wouldn't be nearly enough to beat me."

'Valtryek... my heart's pounding out of my chest. I'm super stoked!'

Right before launching, Valt took a second to remember his partner. After all, there was nobody else he could reach out to in these moments of dynamic. Who could ever understand Valt as much as Valtryek did? The bond between them was truly extraordinary. Barely any bladers ever reached that level of commitment with their bey. To Valtryek, Valt was a rare gem — one she wished to treasure forever.

"Ready? Set!" Xander said.

"Three... Two... One... LET IT RIP!"

Valtryek entered with a fearless angled launch, naturally expected of an attack type bey. But Zac the Sunrise left the spectators in quite a shock when Zeutron went into the stadium with the same kind of sloped trajectory. A plot twist early into the game.

"What's this?" Hanami's voice quaked over the loudspeaker. "Zillion Zeutron doesn't go for the centre?! It's spinning around the outer edge!"

Zac grinned at his successful launch, relishing his work of art. As one of the four strongest bladers in Japan, his blading skills weren't something to doubt.

Despite that, Valt never feared, nor hesitated in any kind of situation during a beybattle. Valtryek followed suit and continued with its Rush Launch. The blue bey flawlessly charged at the centre, only to be deflected away by the spinning disc of the fabled Cyclone Stadium.

"Ah," Zac commented. "That must be so disappointing for you."

"Oh it's not over yet!" Valt said. "Come on, Valtryek. You can do it!"

It wasn't any good. No matter how perfect Valtryek's trajectory was, it only got deflected away by the spinning platform in the centre. Zeutron, on the other hand, was moving around the stadium unscathed. It didn't make contact with Valtryek at any point, neither did it once touch the rotating disc.

"Look at Valtryek!" Hanami exclaimed. "Every time it goes into the centre platform, it comes out twice as fast! This truly is a cyclone."

(Y/n) couldn't believe her eyes. The way Valtryek was being sped up by the stadium was over the top. She probably expected Valt to sync the spin of his bey with the rotation or something complicated like that, but this was even better. Even though Valtryek never hit Zeutron, it was definitely taking advantage of the stadium's speciality.

Lui eagerly watched the battle take place. He had been taking Valt lightly, but as the battle progressed, something definitely caught his eye.

'The way his bey's moving...' Lui frowned, his brain analysing every single movement.

"Now, buddy. You know what to do!" Valt called out.

Valtryek spun a whole extra circle around the stadium and charged at Zeutron from behind. Zac certainly wasn't expecting that scenario. In fact, Valt was left as shocked as his opponent when Valtryek collided into Zeutron from behind and the yellow bey went flying out of the stadium.

Shortly after, Valtryek collided with the stadium wall and was thrown out as well.

A close call.

Xander took a while to decide, however, "It was tight but Zeutron went first. Valtryek gets one point with a ringout finish!"

Valt jumped up with excitement, leaving Zac both confused and astonished over his loss. 'How the heck did that even happen?'

"That's your team leader, huh? (Y/n)?" Lui questioned beside her. The battle was over, which gave him the chance to express his unrefined judgment. "I never thought you'd have to drop your standards so low just to get into the team battles."

"You speak of dropping standards?" (Y/n) glared at Lui. "My team's a lot better than yours, and I'm not just talking about their blading skills."

"Better?" Lui genuinely laughed at her words. "Don't be ridiculous! You even went ahead and befriended this piece of trash," he smirked at Shu. "I guess loser and loser make good friends."

"Lui Shirosagi — " (Y/n) almost lunged at the arrogant blader in front of her, but Shu held her back by grabbing her shirt.

"Let him be," Shu said. "He's not worth our time."

"Shu is much better of a friend to us than you ever were to me!" (Y/n) screamed at Lui.

"Ah, really? Then I can't wait to crush both you and your friend over here," he glanced at Shu once more. "Shu Kurenai, soon you'll realize that all your hard work has been worth nothing. I'll wound your spirit so much that the scar from last time would seem like a flimsy scratch compared to it."

This time, it was (Y/n)'s turn to hold back Shu from charging at Lui. "Think about your own words, Shu. He's not worth our time."

Shu took a deep breath to push away all the unreasonable thoughts about hitting Lui.

"Wow, you two really are so much alike!" Lui continued to provoke them. "Equally pathetic, equally weak, and both want revenge on me. Do you guys help each other train? Hahaha! So dumb."

"(Y/n), I swear, if we hit him together — " Shu potentially failed to restrain himself once again, but (Y/n) was quick to react.

"No, Shu, control yourself for now," (Y/n) helped him calm down. "We'll get him in the tournament for sure."

"Second battle!" Xander announced, grabbing everyone's attention. The little argument between Lui, (Y/n) and Shu quickly died down. All eyes were on the Cyclone Stadium once again. Nobody was about to miss out on an epic battle such as this.

"Ready? Set!" Xander said.

"Three... Two... One... LET IT RIP!"

Both beys were launched into the stadium once more. (Y/n) raised her eyebrows in amusement as Zeutron aimed straight for the centre, where the rotational force of the stadium was minimum. Almost constant.

Zac had successfully timed the spin of his bey with the rotating disc and had managed to claim the most difficult spot in the whole stadium. Amber sparks flew from the tip of Zeutron as it rolled against the platform of the Cyclone Stadium. The harsh display of metal scraping against metal was splendid beyond competition.

(Y/n) would never admit it, but she was actually impressed by Zachary's immense power and ability to strategize. He might be a bit difficult in his behaviour, but he was still a member of the Supreme Four — without exaggerations — a formidable opponent who was truly a blader living up to the greatness of his name.

"Unbelievable!" Hanami exclaimed. "Zeutron jumps on the cyclone platform like it's no big deal! How's it able to stay right in the centre of a spinning stadium?!"

Vaktryek focussed towards Zeutron with another impeccable Rush Launch. Its target was exactly in the centre, which normally wouldn't be a big deal for Valtryek, but as soon as it sloped down to attack, it was deflected away, yet again, due to the centrifugal force of the spinning platform.

Valtryek had repeatedly failed to touch the centre. However, its speed was still out of control. In fact, Valtryek didn't even seem like a bey anymore, it was more of a bright blue flash crazily zooming around the stadium.

Lui specifically watched Valtryek's movements with interest. Nothing escaped his watchful and experienced eye. In that very brief moment, Lui had seen something extremely special about that bey which even Valt couldn't notice during all this time.

"Eh, what an amateur," Lui scoffed.

In Valt's battle against Quon, (Y/n) had speculated about Valtryek's second awakening. Turns out, Valtryek was still quite far from that, and Valt wasn't even on the right path for unlocking the full potential of his bey. But nothing could be certain, and the near future could still be full of surprises...

Suddenly, Valtryek hit the wall of the stadium and charged towards Zeutron with full force, leaving a ray of violent sparks behind itself. Even the disc of the Cyclone Stadium couldn't stop it from colliding straight into Zeutron without missing. It brutally penetrated through the rotatory force of the stadium out of nowhere. The audience cheered loudly as both beys went flying into the air, bursting at the same time.

Zac the Sunrise was left speechless at such a spectacular display of power from Valt. His heart was beating loudly in his chest. He hadn't been expecting this at all.

"Who won?!" The two of them frantically asked Xander.

"It was a close one, but Valtryek went out first," he told them. "Zillion Zeutron wins the match with the burst finish."

The audience screamed happily, and Zac sighed with relief. 'Valt Aoi, you are all kinds of impressive. Unbelievable, really.'

"I'd say it was a draw," (Y/n) said beside Shu. "Xander is an unworthy referee, for sure."

Shu smiled at her. "That doesn't matter. Valt still did amazing in his match, don't you think?"

"You're right about that," (Y/n) put a finger to her chin. "Even I'm surprised at how much power he really holds."

'I wanted to try out this stadium myself, but maybe Valt really put on a better show than I could have. Who knows?'

She sighed and looked at Valt again. He was busy celebrating god knows what, because losing the match wasn't exactly something to be happy about. Valt grinned and proudly showed off Valtryek to everyone. He was genuinely happy that his partner had done so well in the battle.

Valtryek was extremely lucky to have such an affectionate blader by its side.

"I think Valt could've easily defeated Zac if he had enough pressure on his head," (Y/n) said.

"What makes you think so?" Shu wondered.

"I've seen him do better in official matches," she explained. "Suppose this battle happened during the Tournament? Valt would've totally pulled through."

Shu thought about it for a while. If (Y/n) was so confident, it might be true, after all.

Lui jumped down from the stage with a purpose in his mind. (Y/n) and Shu plainly watched him walk away, but concern settled in when he stopped right beside Valt.

"What's he doing..." (Y/n) muttered.

"Hey," Lui said. Valt confusingly turned around to face him. "I gotta say. You're a terrible blader."

"Wha — ?" Valt gasped innocently. 'Why's he talking like this out of nowhere?'

"You don't know anything about your own bey. Can't you see that?!"

Valt was intimidated, but determined to stick up for Valtryek. Nobody can just insult his partner like that. "You're wrong. Of course I do! I know Valtryek better than anyone else."

Valt clutched the pieces of his bey tighter in his hand. Lui threateningly stepped close to his face. "I almost feel sorry for your bey."

(Y/n) and Shu quickly climbed down from the stage to defend Valt, but before they could, Lui had already walked away to the harbour. His evil laughter echoed after him as he climbed back into his motorboat, leaving Valt hanging. Hurt and disappointed, Valt stared after Lui without moving from his spot.

Other people also started leaving the party. The show was finally over. The staff came out from backstage and began taking down the decorations. Xander left the stage with his team.

"Shu, take Valt with you," (Y/n) handed him a responsibility. "Go back home with everyone."

"And you? Where are you going?" Shu grabbed her wrist before she could run away.

"Quick, let me go, fast!" (Y/n) urgently said. "He's getting away."

Shu left her arm and confusingly glanced in the direction she was looking in. Zac the Sunrise picked up some gifts from his fans and headed backstage.

(Y/n) purposefully followed him and disappeared behind the curtain.

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

"Alright!" Valt waved his fist. "First up — "

"Isn't you," Wakiya finished. "That's a given."

Valt slumped down.

"How'd you figure?" Rantaro questioned.

The second round of the Team Tournament was up. The Beigoma Academy Beyclub were about to face against The Sword Flames in a short moment. Bladers from both teams were in the process of deciding which three players would get to battle today.

"Might've something to do with his match the other day, do you remember?" Wakiya arrogantly rolled his eyes, referring to Valt's defeat against Quon. "He was like 'I'm going first. I'm gonna win and get the team some momentum!' which sounded great, except for the fact that it turned out to be an epic fail. If I hadn't saved the day, we would've been out of the competition right there."

(Y/n), who was sitting beside Wakiya, had been busy strategizing with her eyes closed. But Wakiya's prideful and degrading statement forced her to open her eyes and look at him. "Did you say something stupid just now?"

Wakiya was terrified, but he knew (Y/n) couldn't hit him on the tournament stage right in front of so many cameras. "Yeah, I did. You can threaten me all you want, but that won't change anything. I spoke the truth."

Without replying, (Y/n) made a mental note to deal with Wakiya later and then she returned back to strategizing again.

"Have a little heart, would ya?!" Rantaro told Wakiya after seeing Valt's sad face. "Mistakes are just — "

"Unacceptable?" Wakiya offered. "Yeah, you're right. No room for them in competitions."

Rantaro groaned angrily.

"I get it..." Valt whispered at Wakiya's words.

"Valt, no!" Rantaro showed concern.

"We need to consider the bigger picture when we select our bladers. We need someone with talent and the right temperament," saying that, Wakiya went forward and registered himself on the scanning machine.

"Eh?" Daigo stared with confusion. Shu remained quiet and just watched everything take place. Valt also kept silent, thinking of himself as a failed captain who didn't deserve to decide who battled when.

(Y/n) opened just one eye to see everyone's faces. Wakiya was beyond reason, and even though she wanted to win the Team Battles, a small part of her brain wished that Wakiya would lose his battle and be drastically humbled.

"Wait!" Rantaro was the only one who verbally protested. "You can't make that decision on your own!"

"You'll thank me later. Just trust me," Wakiya confidently replied. "It's painfully obvious that they're going to choose Xander as one of the three."

"Okay, it looks like the three bladers from each team have come forward," Hanami announced.

"In the red corner, from The Beigoma Academy Beyclub, we have... Wakiya Murasaki! Shu Kurenai! And (Y/n) (L/n)!"

"In the blue corner, The Sword Flames, featuring... Xander Shakadera! Ukyo Ibuki! And Yugo Nansui!"

The playing three had finally been listed. The only thing left now, was to decide who went first.

"Arghhh!" Rantaro screamed out of frustration and looked at Valt. "Do something! How do I always end up being benched?!" Poor Honcho hadn't gotten a single chance to battle yet.

"Don't know," Valt replied. "It was Wakiya's call."

"See, that's where you're wrong! Last time I checked, you were captain and my name wasn't Honcho."

"That's not your real name," Valt said, completely missing the point. "Besides, I've been thinking... and I came up with a whole bunch of strategies!" Valt grinned and pulled out a small brown notebook.

"Woahh, that's what I'm talking about!" Honcho happily perked up.

"Might as well make use of bench time," Valt sighed contently. If the two of them weren't gonna battle, they could at least help out by coming up with strategies for Shu, (Y/n) or Wakiya.

The three of them were standing forward in a line, thinking about their plan ahead. Valt and Rantaro whispered about some stuff and secretly nodded at each other.

"Hey, guys, listen up," Valt excitingly called out. "I wanna tell you a strategy I came up with for battling Xander's team!"

"We're listening," Shu said. (Y/n) and Wakiya nodded and gave their full attention to Valt.

"This here is the stuff of a real captain," Honcho praised Valt. "Alright buddy! Show 'em what you came up with."

"TA DAAA!" Valt showed off a ridiculous piece of drawing in front of him, which, according to him, was supposed to be Xander's face.

"What is that?" Shu asked with a horrified expression on his face. (Y/n) clutched her forehead and cringed away in embarrassment. Daigo blankly stared, not really sure if Valt was joking or not.

Even Rantaro seemed shocked. He wasn't expecting Valt's strategy to be so... visual.

"Is this supposed to be art?" Wakiya hesitantly asked, already dreading the answer.

"Duh, it's Xander!" Valt confidently explained. "I know, it's the teeth that really nailed it, right? For sure they're gonna save the best for last!"

What Valt meant to say, was that The Sword Flames would send Xander as their last blader. Even though his prediction might be a little off, the little guy was still quite confident in his drawing.

"I can't believe you! This is a three-point match, remember?!" Wakiya screamed out. "If the first two bladers get three points, then it's over. The third one wouldn't even get a chance to battle."

"Yeah, you've got a point," Daigo added in support. (Y/n) smacked his head as punishment for agreeing with Wakiya.

"Most of the time, teams use their strongest blader first," Wakiya continued. "You understand that, right? You need to think about it!"

Valt laughed sheepishly, not really understanding even half of what Wakiya was saying.

"Will the first bladers please come forward?" the referee requested.

"Like I said, they're probably going to send out Xander first," Wakiya said. "In which case, I'm going to lead us off."

"Hold on, Wakiya," (Y/n) ordered before he could scan his launcher and register himself.

"What is it?!" Wakiya asked in an irritated voice.

"I don't know why you don't realize this, but, Xander is an indomitable member of the Supreme Four — accomplished, capable and relentless beyond anything you could ever hope to be," she harshly laid out the reality in front of him. "My advice is, don't underestimate him."

The rest of the team visibly tensed upon hearing Xander's attributes from (Y/n) in such a cruel manner. If she was going as far as praising him for the sake of advising Wakiya, he really must be someone to watch out for.

Wakiya foolishly took her words as more of an offence than advice, which was an unfixable mistake.

He scanned his launcher on the machine and confidently ascended towards the stadium... where only disappointment awaited him.

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

In 5242 words.

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