𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐈 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐯 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞. 𝐀 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐨𝐦𝐚 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬. 𝐄𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐢 𝐱 (𝐘/𝐧) 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬!

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

Orochi Ginba ~

Redemption: the act of saving someone from being completely destroyed. In other words, atonement for your actions. Or redeeming the mistakes you made.

Do I dare associate that word with myself?

"The Beigoma Club have made it this far," Zac said beside me. We were sitting in the audience, watching the match between The Beigoma Academy Beyclub and The Beasts take place. The ventriloquist boy from the District tournament, Ken Midori, had defeated Rantaro Kiyama and claimed one point for his team. Things were looking slightly slim for the Beigoma Club as of now, but I knew better than to make assumptions. Their two lethal cards, Captain Valt Aoi and Golden Blader (Y/n) (L/n), were still left to battle. It wasn't going to be easy for The Beasts.

"Are you wary of them?" I asked back to my own captain, dreading the answer myself; but hoping Zac would say something encouraging to tune my confidence to the right note.

I knew I was cautious about the Beigoma Club, but was Zac thinking the same?

"I suppose so," he said, confirming his take on the situation. I didn't need to open my eyes to notice the slight quivering in his voice whenever he spoke to me. Before today, I had never heard even the faintest note of doubt in his speech. Was he nervous about our upcoming battle?

"Valt Aoi is a rising star whose potential cannot be predicted or underestimated," Zac elaborated seriously. "Shu is a member of the Supreme Four, if not equal, then better than myself. And then there's (Y/n)..." his next words got lost into the musical chaos of the crowd's cheering. Such domineering impression that seemed to shake the whole arena itself; which compelled me to open my eyes to not just hear, but to actually see what was going on.

It was (Y/n) herself making her way to the stage.

"There she is," Zac crossed his arms, his voice shaking ever so subtly. No matter how much he tried to act tough and cover it up, I could hear it clearly with my trained ears. During the whole conversation, not once did I need to look at his face to figure out the true emotions behind his words.

Why was he acting so strangely? Was it (Y/n)'s potential as an invincible opponent that made him doubt our victory in the tournament? If that's truly the case, I wasn't in the position to judge him; for I was no better myself.

Zac had never faced (Y/n) in a one-on-one before, but he was already watchful of her skills. Compared to him, I had seen and heard her techniques firsthand as her opponent. Zac couldn't hope to understand even half of what (Y/n) was actually capable of. He had never experienced her severity himself.

"Watch closely, Orochi. We might have to face her in the finals if both our teams make it," there was a mischievous tone to his statement, as if his words had a hidden meaning behind them. His voice was grave, the pitch going lower when he said his next words. "I assume you have a score to settle with her from the Regionals."

Right.

He was also there. He saw everything happen.

"Revenge?" I didn't need to open my eyes to hear the greater intention behind his words. "I prefer to use the term... redemption."

"My world, Orochi!" he exclaimed. "What an interesting man you are!"

I scoffed. For the first time, I actually turned my head to look at him. "Zac, you can't hide the unsurety in your voice from me. Are you thinking we might not make it to the finals?"

Zac blinked and stared at me with evident confusion. His demeanor was truly perfect; his make-up flawless, his hair made by the best stylists, and his clothes neat and crisp. As a popstar, Zac was barely matchable. His whole appearance screamed confidence.

"Definitely not," he replied after a few seconds of looking at me like I'd said something utterly ridiculous (maybe I really had). "I'm Zac the Sunrise, the brightest star in the sky. I fear nothing because my fans are always with me!"

Suddenly, the audience broke into an applause, but it wasn't for Zac. The spotlight was on (Y/n). She had effortlessly defeated her opponent Sakurajima and claimed two points for the Beigoma Club. An expected, but rattling outcome.

"This is getting interesting, don't you think?" Zac mused. "Say, Orochi, if you had to bet — "

"I bet on my finest music that the Beigoma Club are going to win this," I didn't even need to hear his whole sentence before making a decision. It wasn't a choice at this point; it was a question, and The Beasts were a wrong answer.

"I can't agree more," he hummed knowingly, placing a finger to his chin. "But it's no fun this way! We already know who wins, there's no point in watching the next battle anymore!"

"We can prepare for our own match in the meantime...?" I subtly suggested, lifting my headphones from around the neck and placing them on my ears.

"Indeed! Oh my, Orochi, you share such great ideas!" He clapped his hands once, happily praising me. "I could really use a guy like you on the stage. We'd be unstoppable together!"

"That's pretty ga — Fine, I'll consider it," I sighed, stopping myself midway from asking the most obvious question I had since joining The Superstars. Pretty sure his usual behaviour towards me was not in a straight line and I'm not even talking about the line that wasn't straight. "Let's get to the backstage."

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

Our team gathered in the waiting room for a final discussion before our match against Rideout began. Zac stood in front of us to give his last minute captain-special piece of advice; Mick, Freddy, Bowie and Charlie stood in line with me to hear his instructions.

[𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄: 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 (𝐘/𝐧) 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐱 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦. 𝐁𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐒𝐍'𝐓 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐙𝐚𝐜, 𝐎𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐢, 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐤, 𝐁𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐲.]

"Our line up will be the same as I've told you guys before," he stated, his normally delightful voice changing into a serious one. "Me, Orochi and Mick will be the ones battling; not necessarily in that order. Any arguments there? Mick? Orochi?"

"No, Zac!" Mick gave a thumbs up.

"None," I nodded my approval.

"Very good. The chances of Lui showing up for the match will remain minimal," he continued. "For now, let's assume that we only need to worry about their captain, Gabe Brunai. Although, in the rare event that Lui does show up, I might need to rethink our line up and change your positions. Be ready for that scenario. Are we clear?"

"Certainly," the rest of us agreed quickly. Zac had a natural talent for being the leader. He knew exactly when to be playful and when to be demanding. It seemed as if this quality was drilled into his bones, like he had been trained for it since the day he was born.

"Well," he took a deep breath and the serious expression on his face finally receded. He smiled sweetly, switching back to the carefree Zac everyone was used to seeing. "Okay then, let's keep moving forward, my stars! We're here to conquer the whole sky with our charm. No matter what happens today, let's give our best and be kind to each other!" he ended off with.

Together, we followed him behind the team's entrance gate for the next battle. The amplified sound of Hanami announcing the end of the ongoing match could be heard clearly. We didn't know if ours was the red corner or the blue corner, or which of the previous teams would walk out from this side. We just waited patiently.

After a few minutes, the door opened and it was the Beigoma Club that exited the stage, chatting happily with each other. With the wrong turn of events, this could turn out to be extremely awkward...

"Man, that was sick! Did you guys see what Valtryek did?" my eyes were closed now but I recognised that voice to belong to Valt Aoi, their reputed captain and a potential competitor for the individual tournament.

"It certainly moved differently, just like you said," said the voice of the one named Daigo Kurogami, a forbidden competitor from the Regional tournament, who had explicitly forfeited his match against Yugo Nansui for untold reasons.

"While I don't disagree that we won," there it was; the voice that forced me to open my eyes to look at its owner. Her unyielding gaze was fixated on Valt. "But Betromoth barely hit the ground one second before Valtryek. I wouldn't really call it a dignified victory, so my prediction was..." her next words abruptly faded when their group came closer.

"Hey, look who we have here!" She exclaimed cheerfully and stopped right beside Zac, purposefully eyeing his clothes. "Is that a new jacket? It looks really cute on you! Can I now get the signed album you promised me three months ago? I believe you were right. You are an irresistibly charming singer, Zac!"

While that flattering remark would've seemed normal coming from someone else, the deranged nature of the girl who spoke those words made even the simple compliment seem life threatening.

Zac remained unmoving from his spot. Instead of saying something flashy like he does to his normal fans, he intently eyed her with an almost visible glare; which greatly contrasted the admiration she had in her eyes, no matter how fake it might be.

"Leave him alone," Daigo Kurogami strolled forward, placing a hand over her eyes to break her eye contact with Zac.

"Hey! Get off me," she swatted away his arm.

"We apologise on her behalf," Shu generously nodded at Zac, who said nothing in reply.

And finally, her eyes fell upon me. There was no expression on her face anymore. No unsung music that told me of her intentions or feelings. Just a small wordless, emotionless and meaningless interaction we had through a prolonged eye contact.

I looked away first. I could hear the clear shuffling of a few pair of shoes, indicating that their group was walking past. I knew her feet didn't move for at least eight seconds. But no, I didn't look back again.

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

[𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐩 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲. 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐮𝐲𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬! 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 (𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞) 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭:

𝐒𝐨, 𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐂, 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝’𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐙𝐚𝐜 𝐯/𝐬 𝐆𝐚𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 (𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐮𝐠𝐡). 𝐎𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐢 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐆𝐚𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐙𝐚𝐜 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦’𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐡 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐭.

𝐎𝐡 𝐧𝐨 𝐈 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐝, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 — 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐨, 𝐙𝐚𝐜 𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝐦𝐟 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡, 𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐟𝐟) 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐦𝐚𝐨𝐨𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐛𝐡, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐙𝐚𝐜. 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐂 𝐝𝐨 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲. 𝐀𝐥𝐬𝐨, 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐮𝐢’𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐂 𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐡𝐨𝐨-𝐡𝐨𝐨. 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐡 𝐛𝐮𝐭, 𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐨 — 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐋𝐮𝐢 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐧 𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐟?? 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐞, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐖𝟑.

𝐀𝐧𝐲𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐎𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐢’𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐯 𝐧𝐨𝐰 >>>

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It was all over for us. The Superstars had faced an unshakeable defeat and the song of our journey had been written past its end.

A conclusion befitting someone like me.

Me... who foolishly sought absolution in the most hopeless places.

My team was eliminated from the tournament yesterday. The final match between Rideout and The Beigoma Academy Beyclub won't be until three days from now.

Yet, I chose to walk into the arena today; upon a mere uneasiness stirring at the back of my heart. Because I hoped there'd be something in here, waiting for me.

The training facility was fairly emptier than usual, just like the rest of the building. The absence of an audience told a story in itself. A significant place like this, pooling with groups of people just yesterday, was suddenly deserted today because there wasn't any performance to witness.

It's quite similar to the spectacle of life.

I didn't need to open my eyes to tell that there was only one person in the whole training hall. I pushed down my headphones to hear the tone of their bey better. There was no doubt about it... Stone Sparyon's tip against the stadium, hitting all the merciless notes. How could I ever forget that sound?

She noticed my presence earlier than I had expected her to. I heard the faintest click of her shoes, a clear sign that she turned around to look at me. The sound of her breath reached me first; her words later.

"The Boy with the Perfect Ears," she stated. There was an uncomfortable hint of resilience in her voice; the voice that had crumbled my confidence that day.

"Says who?" I mocked, opening my eyes. There was a reason I didn't have chewing gum in my mouth today. I had a lot of talking to do.

"They do," she confirmed, picking up her bey from the stadium. "The ones who call me the Golden Blader."

"That's a very interesting thought," I curiously strolled towards the stadium and leaned down, touching the surface to feel the latest marks. There was a certain series of trajectory lines that cut deeper than the others. Pretty sure it was her doing.

"You seem to be alone," I pointed out. "Where did your teammates run off to?"

"If you're thinking they'll disturb us, then don't worry about it. They're doing some kind of stupid interview with a few fellow students," she shrugged, setting down her launcher on the floor. "And if you're thinking you can try something sinister and get away with it just because we're alone... then you're in for a surprise."

Not everyone is evil like you.

"What? Do I look like a criminal?" I said instead.

"Do I?"

"I mean... you're despicable in the stadium, but other than that you seem fairly normal to me."

"Right?! My teammates keep criminalizing me for no reason! I sometimes feel super lonely with my grouuuup!" she sang in a melancholic tone, completely catching me off guard. I wasn't expecting that reaction at all. "Orochiiiii~~ if somebody ever says anything bad about me, like your team captain Zac for example, then don't believe him! Okayyyy?"

"Uhh... that sounds oddly specific."

"Because it is."

"And suddenly I'm very confused...?"

She sighed sadly and stepped away to lean against a nearby column. I watched wordlessly as her expression gradually shifted from careless to serious, then urgent. "Orochi, I admit I've been expecting you as much as you've been seeking me. Say something now, don't just keep your thoughts to yourself... I need to hear your feelings."

"Sharing my feelings is the last thing I wish to do with you."

"I see," she didn't even see. She just looked away from me. "You can tell me to kneel in front of you exactly like you were forced to kneel that day... but I doubt you'd be satisfied by that. So then, what do you really want? I'm giving you the opportunity to ask for absolutely anything now," she looked back at me.

"Can you give me what I want?" I tested the value of her words, maintaining the eye contact she had initiated. Although, I realised soon that it was a bad decision. Her intense stare seemed to pull every strand of confidence from me.

"Ask and it will be yours," she said without hesitation. "Who knows, Orochi? By helping you, I might find something useful for myself."

"Then give me my redemption," I demanded. "I don't care if it doesn't help you in the process."

"Is that all?" she scoffed, perhaps mocking my desperation. "No revenge? Atonement? Punishment? Come on, ask me something I would have pain giving you. I stripped away your self respect in front of hundreds of audience, and you only want redemption in exchange?"

"My peace of mind is worth much more than wasting it on you," I asserted. "Give me the answers I want and never come back to my life."

"There it is, Orochi. Your desperation is spilling," she remarked. "Drop by drop, it's emptying the vessel of your dignity."

"Talk about your own dignity," I retorted. "Have any of it left or did you lose it all that day?"

Her expression turned indifferent, the colour of her eyes fading significantly. Her gaze was softer now; eyes pale red like a dying flame clinging to the last bit of coal in the furnace; the flame that burned, but only to survive, not to destroy.

"You're right... I didn't need to go that far," she admitted, slowly walking up to me and stopping barely three inches away. Her long hair followed the motion of her feet in sync. "But do you blame the fish that dies in the ocean because it's been living in a bowl for three years?"

"Three years sounds really specific."

"Because it is, Orochi."

"I don't understand."

"You just need to answer the question. What else is there to understand?"

I hesitated because I could hear that hint of deceit in her voice, like she was thinking about something entirely different from what we were talking about.

"No, I won't get trapped in your questions," I said instead. "I won't let you play me like your personal piano this time. You said you'll give me what I want, so give me the redemption I came looking for and let me be at peace."

She let out a small chuckle and glanced at me with mischievous eyes. I felt extremely vulnerable with the way her lips slightly turned up into a sinister smile. "Orochi, do you truly seek redemption as desperately as you claim to?"

"Battle me."

"Is that what you want the most?"

"I do."

She closed her eyes and smiled to herself; walking to the other side and reaching out for her launcher on the floor. I took this as a yes, grabbing my own bey and launcher, getting ready for the upcoming performance.

The unexpected quick and calculative clicking of her shoes against the floor forced me to look up with confusion. She was holding out Sparyon in her hand, giving me a clear look of her partner-in-crime.

I didn't need to be told twice. I held out my own hand to showcase my bey. "Omega Odax."

Her eyes narrowed down on the new Odax with striking accuracy. The sound of her breath became so stable that I wondered if she wasn't breathing at all. Her gaze was flawless, the intention behind her stare dangerously meaningful, as if she was already planning on ending Omega Odax the same way she did Omni Odax that day.

Even the thought terrified me.

I abruptly put down my hand. "Not this time."

"Hmm... not this time, sure," she sincerely repeated but I could hear the mischief in her voice.

I wasted no time in assuming my launching position. She followed suit and leaned down to hold her launcher extra close to the stadium, which confused me more than it should have. In that moment, I wished I had realized the difference in our powers sooner; that there was no strategy in this world that could ever make me the winner of this match.

But it had been too late to turn back now.

"Ready? Set!" We said in unison.

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

I received my first surprise as soon as Odax and Sparyon were launched in the stadium. The sound of the crimson bey wasn't like anything I had known all this time. It was a melody entirely different from each one of her matches until now — a trajectory yet unseen.

Just how many new techniques can a single person have up their sleeve?

Just when the world thought it had seen all about her, this damn girl pulled out a new move and proved everyone an idiot.

"Odax!" I commanded, despite my growing concern. "Play the symphony of our bond!"

Sparyon was spinning in the centre like it was the lord of this stadium. The red bey made absolutely no attempt to attack or defend. The sound of its tip against the surface was so different because it wasn't doing anything at all.

It was plain nothing — a stable wave of constant amplitude with a dropping pitch that seemed to go lower and lower as time passed...

The lack of music from her bey baffled me. It made me lose my focus. The only tone I could hear was the song of my own bey, a melody I was already familiar with.

But then that was gone too. I saw her small hand reach out into the stadium and pick up the only source of sound from it.

"Orochi, you did your best," she was standing beside me now. Her hand slightly patted my shoulder with newfound tenderness. "Please stop now."

She opened her palm to reveal Omega Odax. Her own bey was still spinning in the stadium without making a sound. If I wasn't looking at it, I wouldn't have believed it was moving at all.

I sighed, feeling a weight lift from my soul in a strange way. It was something about the way she picked up my bey and left her own behind to spin alone in the stadium... that simple act signified so many things I wasn't capable of putting into words.

Manipulation? Maybe. But it still comforted me.

"Why?" I looked down at Odax in her hand.

"The audience doesn't cherish the talent of a particular person, Orochi. In a battle between two, one is always destined to fall," she elaborated. "The crowd never appreciates us because of what we are. It cheers for the person that wins, no matter who they are."

I sighed again and weakly extended my hand to take Odax from her. She took that opportunity to grab my hand, completely cutting off my chances of escape. Oh dear... may the lord guide this girl to ever do something that doesn't confuse me.

I frowned and looked up.

"Let's grab some lunch in the cafeteria," she suggested, but it felt more of an order than a request. "Come on."

I was so startled that I couldn't think of anything to say for a good minute. And she used that exact minute to pick up Sparyon and sprint towards the exit of the hall, dragging me with her. My bey was stuck perfectly between our hands, and it felt too much like an apology by touch.

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In 4111 words.

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BONUS CONTENT

Zac: what do you mean (Y/n) isn't "that bad"?!

Orochi: *looking at his hand* you know... she's a pretty nice person, don't you think?

Zac: pretty? YES. But nice?? HELLO, DID SHE BLACKMAIL YOU TO SAY THAT?¡!

Orochi: jeez could you STOP screaming?! what does this even have anything to do with you —

Zac: isn't she, like, dare I remind you, an absolute MANIAC who ruined you in the regionals?! WHAT HAPPENED WITH THAT??

Orochi: *softly* I mean... she apologized and said that it was —

Zac: *screams of terror* she did WHAT now?!

Orochi: uhhh, okay, not literally apologized but she had lunch with me and we held hands... I guess that counts, right..?

Zac: *horrified cannibalism flashbacks* lunch with you?! MORE LIKE SHE'LL HAVE YOU "FOR" LUNCH IF YOU AREN'T CAREFUL ENOUGH

Orochi: okay what the fu —