Beyblades and Blood: The Attack of Shadow Vale

Chapter 9

DJ Jazzman cried down the microphone. "Can the beyblader known as Blake please come to the dish!"

The camera responsible for the footage on the giant display TVs panned to the opposite direction to where Kai was waiting. A dark corridor was its focus.

From the blackness approached a young man of late 20s/early 30s. He had heavily spiked slightly standing back mid-length silver hair, he had thick silver eyebrows, square jaw, red eyes and dark skin (much like an Ishvalans from Full Metal Alchemist). He was tall, much like Kai, athletically built with a fair amount of lean muscle. He was marginally bulker than Kai but not by much. He wore a black and blue tunic much like what the Saint Shields wear only with long tight fit sleeves which stopped at his elbows and half baggy trouser legs which ended in a cuff at the ankle. He wore a loose purple cape that draped around his shoulders with a large hood flapped back in its rested position, and a large silver circular clasp affixing it around his body. He had heavily tattooed hands and forearms in thick black bands like rings around and around and around each finger and up the arms. The rings could be seen around his neck too and one could assume they were all over his body under clothing. He appeared to come from some kind of cult, not that it bothered Kai. Ethnic wear was adorned by many beybladers who came from afar to show pride in where they had come from.

The man named Blake continued striding until he stopped at the opposite side of the beydish to Kai. He wasn't nervous or scared, just eerily quiet and stoic.

Kais' amethyst and Blakes' red eyes locked. Dark skinned man upturned his thin lips into a smile; he showed no fear or signs of intimidation; despite being up against someone with Kais' reputation.

Kai sported a "straight down to business" look. He saw no point in small talk.

His mind began to run as he analysed the man before him."I will not underestimate you Blake. Dranzer, let's show him what we're made of." He could feel Dranzers' warm excited vibration in reply.

DJ Jazzman - "Annnnddd here he is folks our first competitor from across the globe. His name is Blake annnnnnd that's all we know about him. He attended our workshop in the South Asia region and moved up the ranks pretty quickly.

We all know his opponent very well. Kai was a regional Champion of Japan for 2 years running, a major contender in 3 of the World Championship Tournaments and runner up in the World Championship versus Tyson Granger, annnnnnnd he was instrumental in the collapse of the corrupt BEGA Corporation. Kai and his fire bitbeast Dranzer are an awesome team who are a real force to be reckoned with. I hope the air conditioning is on full blast because boy does Kai like to heat it up in the dish. Fire extinguishers at the ready guys!"

"Are you ready beybladers?!" The audience screams with excitement at DJ Jazzmans' question.

With expert grace, Kai removes a launcher from his right pocket, pulls the rip cord out of a purpose built compartment in his glove wrist piece, zips it through the launcher, takes Dranzer out of his left pocket, clips his Blue beyblade with red flashes into the spin gear piece of his launcher with a metallic clink, extends his arms outwards, legs balanced and apart. His battle stance complete and ready to release.

Blake mirrors his opponents' actions. He pulls a launcher out of a pocket on a belt around his waist, takes a dark blue and gold beyblade out of a pocket hidden inside the torso region of his tunic, loads it and expertly drives a rip cord into it. He readied for his attack.

Blake spoke with a cold monotone accent with no cockiness." I should warn you. I never lose."

Kai replied with almost a smirk."Hnnn I've heard that before" and recalled Brooklyns' words and 2 rounds later; the defeat that broke his psyche.