“KAI! Dude quit staring like that! It’s seriously creeping me out…”
I was jerked out of my thoughts once again by Tyson. I knew he was right however…
I had been staring like that for an hour. Staring into nothing but air…
“Kai?”
“Yes, Rei?”
“Something wrong? You don’t normally zone out like that…”
A grin slide on to my face.
“No. Nothing’s wrong. Just running through fond memories…”
“You? Fond memories? Did you hit your head and forget a few years or something?”
I turned my head to see Tala and the rest of the Demolition Boys in the door frame.
“You of all people should know which memories I am referring to. I noticed them when we walked in. Why they are here is something I have yet to learn…”
An all female team that was trained at the Abbey. They were treated poorly, even more so than the boys. As they grew older, they were made to keep the their hair cut short, and some form of bandages kept them perfectly streamlined. On first look, one would never be able to tell they were young women. On a few rare occasions, they were allow to train with the rest of the boys. Most of the time though, they were trained away from us. It was rare that we saw them, and when we did it was normally one of the few times we were given a brake and they were still training outside…
“You sure it was them?”
“Positive. I would never forget them.”
I could never forget the one person who called Boris off me when I had failed…
-
Flash back
-
I felt to the ground from a blow to the leg. We were training with the girls today. I was going against their best, and she was giving her best. She was brutal to the point of being sadistic, and disabled you before you do anything to her blade. Her bit beast was trained to attack the blader first, ask questions later, then destroy the blade. Boris had watched me fall and I place a hand on the wound on my leg, trying to stop the massive amount of blood flowing freely from it.
“You failed.”
He walked toward me and I bowed my head. This was not going to be fun…
I felt his hand tangle itself in my hair, only to snatch me up a moment later. I soon hit the ground however and, wondering what caused him to drop me, I turned.
My opponent had kicked him in the jaw.
“He has not failed. My attacks are meant to make them fall. Dranzer was still spinning, so he is still alive. He will not be punished for an intended assault.”
I was at a loss of words. No one had ever defended me, and never had anyone struck Boris.
-
End Flashback
-
Blade Breakers, please report to your designated area at this time. Demolition Boys, please report to your designated area at this time.
And so it begins…
--
I watched as our opposing teams filed out and to their benches. They were doing something different this year. Two teams would link up and challenge sets of teams. If one team lost, both lost. The two final groups of teams, would battle each other and the two final teams would challenge each other for the title. We were one of the final sets.
We, Bled Black, and another team from the Abbey, Crimson Bite, versus The Blade Breakers and The Demolition Boys.
Jazzman then spoke up.
“All right ladies and gentlemen! It’s time for the ultimate showdown! The World Champion teams, The Blade Breakers and The Demolition Boys, versus the Russian Champions, The Crimson Bite and Bled Black! Two highly praised and trained teams versus two equally powerful opponents! Blade-”
Someone came running up to him and he bent down to here him.
“Ladies and Gentlemen! I have just received word that this will not be a 10 rounds battle, but instead a Battle Royale between all four teams! The team with the most members left standing will be declared the winner!”
I couldn’t help the grin that slid onto my face. It was covered by the hood from my jacket, so thankfully no one saw it.
“All bladers please gather around the dish!”
We all did so and the rest of the team loosened up tucked shirts and tightened collars or cuffs. This was going to be a while, so why not be comfortable?
“You will all be battling in a traditional bey-stadium dish! There isn’t much more to say and I know the crowd wants to see some action so bladers are you ready!?”
I readied my blade and the rest of my team did the same. Our arms were tensed and our feet shoulder width apart. Our arms were pointed downwards and our eyes as well. We kept them closed until the beginning of the battle for the sake of concentration. All of our faces were covered in some form, be it a hood or a scarf.
Jazzman started counting, and we blocked him out and counted in our heads…
3
2
1
“LET IT RIP!”
My team, Bled Black, shot up and tensed to the a stone like point. We leapt into the air and launched our blades, landing them on a separate mark each. Each of our blades were to target one of Crimson Bite’s blades. Target reached and destroyed. They landed with pinpoint perfection and shattered the blades under them. We landed in the area they cleared. They knew that no punishment would befall them for this, as they were taken out by us with no chance of retaliation.
“So many from the Abbey, I wonder what will happen when world’s collide?”
“Destruction. They will, no doubt, fall to our superior skills.”
I grinned. The one who had come to be my sister in the Abbey knew what was going to happen. She and the rest of the team commanded their blades to spin around mine and follow my lead. I lead the charge into the group of blades on the other side of the dish. We wiped out the Blade Breakers, save for Kai, who knew from the Abbey what to expect of us. The Demolition Boys saw it coming and dodged us as well.
“Very good. You do remember how to run.”
They said nothing but kept watching us, studying us. I turned my head and grinned at my fellow team mates. My message clear.
‘I have Tala and Kai. Take out the others then come to me.’
They knew what to do, we knew this was going to happen and had planned it. If we won, we were free from the Abbey, if we lost… I dread the thought.
It was easy to take them out and they came to me. What the little duo did next however, surprised us all…
“DRANZER! WINTER BLAZE!”
“WOLBORG! BURNING ICE!”
We were all wondering what they were doing until they did it. Two blades flew out of the dish and to their wielders hands. It happened too fast for me to see, but only my sister and myself survived the attack, and both of us were unsteady. I glanced at her and we nodded. She was always paired with Tala in training, and I always with Kai. We unzipped out twin black jackets and removed them, revealing our faces for the world to see. We had been allowed to grow our hair out a year before we came here. They allowed us to remove the bandages as well. The look on their faces was surprising. Both held admiration and surprise. The later at our sudden change in appearances, the former for it being the two of us against them, just like old times…
“Shall we?”
“Yes.”
My sister and I ran forward and our blades followed us. We drove for the boys and our blades for theirs. The attack sent both my sister and Tala flying from the dish, leaving me and Kai to finish the fight.
“AMAZING! I have never seen such power in a single attack! Will Kai be able to hold the win and the title for his team?! Or will our new coming Bled Black team take it all?!”
“JAZZMAN!!”
I was officially sick of him.
“SHOVE IT AND SHUT IT!”
I heard a slight ‘eep’ come from him and nothing more. Point made.
“Now. To finish you off…”
We fought like mortal enemies, our blades a reflection of our actions.
I pulled back however and commanded my blade silently to attack Kai. A moment later, Kai’s leg was bleeding and he was on his knees.
“ARIA! FINISH IT!”
My bit beast from her metal prison and glared Kai down. His Dranzer rose to greet her and they went full on at one another.
Aria’s element was shadows. She came from under the great bird’s wing and tore into him, her massive claws that appeared almost as blades leaving four large gashes on Dranzer’s chest, and scattering feathers all around. Kai groaned and gripped his chest, where four large cuts showed them selves. I continued my assault and got lost in the sight of his blood. He was very nice on the eyes, and his blood all over him only made it better. That ended too soon however…
“DRANZER! FINISH HER!”
I nearly screamed as I felt a wave of searing heat strike me. He had commanded his blade to strike me and my blade at once. His assault left me barely hanging…
I was done. One more attack and I would loose. I was too weak to attack, so I was finished.
I would take my punishment.
“Aria. Come to me.”
My blade pulled back and the glow from her bit ceased. She calmly traveled the distance of the dish and to my hand. I picked her up and walked over to my team, blatantly ignoring Jazzman.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t attack again. Both me and Aria were too tired to attack again…”
“I-it’s fine. We know you tried. Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up so that what we get when we get back home doesn’t kill you…”
I turned again and watched as Kai and his team went through their little ending bit.
“Kai!”
He turned to me.
“Good work. You’ve done us all proud…”
I offered him a smile and the look in his eyes told me he was grateful for the praise. There wasn’t much else I could do, so I turned and walked out of the stadium.
My wounds were dressed and we went back to Russia.
We received our punishment for our failure and were sent to our rooms. They cut our hair again and bound us as well. We were allowed to rest for the rest of the day however, and I caught myself watching the snow fall with my sister.
Snow…
Ice…
Burning Ice…
Winter Blaze…
Fire…
Tala and Kai…
I looked over to my sister and noticed her thoughts were similar to my own.
‘Good work boys. You made the Abbey and us proud.’
I closed my eyes for a minute and remembered the feeling of pride that I had felt when it was just me and my sister, and again when it was only me and Kai. I may have been an Abbey brat, but I was proud to have been one at the side of the best bladers this world has ever known…
It was that pride that would allow me to endure until they released me…
Pride…
A deadly sin…
And my greatest strength…
