Color My World - Shu Kurenai x OC - Beyblade Burst/God

Chapter Twelve

The hype in the crowd still hadn't died down yet. It gave Hazel some extra time to think.

So far, so good.

She could tell that his launch efficiency was superb this round. If he could finish the match quickly, there would be no issue with his injury.

But Valt's eyes got her worried. He showed no sign of fatigue or giving up.

Of course Hazel adored Valt, but his fighting spirit could worsen Shu's injury. And Hazel did not want that to happen.

She would just have to watch the match unfold. Fate was out of her control.

It was time for the next round. After a quick timeout, both of the bladers were ready. They showed no sign of backing down.

"3!" "2!"

Valt tilted his launcher down.

"1!"

Shu's eyes widened, and he shifted his down as well. Valt didn't seem to notice.

"Let it rip!"

"And the beys are off! Valt handily lost the first round, so he probably changed it up-- What's this? He's-- he's gone with another..."

"Rush Launch," Hazel muttered under her breath. Valt was trying to catch Shu by surprise by using the same move that he used last round. It was a smart move, but...

"Upper Launch!"

Once again, the crowd was caught by surprise.

"Did he just say Upper Launch?"

"I was sure he'd use his Counter Break..."

"How did he know Valt was going to use his Rush Launch again?"

Hazel knew why. He had somehow seen Valt's tiny movement and adjusted his launch. Impressive, but dangerous. That kind of sudden change could wear out his shoulder at a much faster rate. She wondered if he'd be okay...

In an instant, Valtryek was sent flying once again. Everything happened so fast, and suddenly the bey was in three pieces outside of the ring.

"A... a burst finish? Does that mean... Shu Kurenai wins the match with a score of 3-0!"

Yet the referee hadn't moved a muscle yet. He stood there, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Wait... what's the call? Does the ref think the bey landed before it burst? That would make it 2-0, and the match would continue..."

The crowd was in a frenzy. The instant replay appeared on the screen, and silence fell as the bey struck the ground...

... In one piece. The bey had burst on the bounce. It was only a ring-out finish.

"Then... the score is only 2-0... Valt still has a chance!!"

This was bad news. Hazel took one glance at Shu and knew something was wrong. He was discreetly holding his shoulder, but she could see the pain in his eyes.

It had to come down to this, I guess.

And Hazel headed to the waiting room.

Shu was already there when she arrived. He had taken another timeout, just as she predicted. He was sitting on the couch and showed no surprise when Hazel appeared in the doorway. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Finally, Hazel broke the tension with a question.

"How much do you want to win this?"

Shu stared back with wide eyes, obviously not expecting this to be the first thing said. Finally caught him off guard, Hazel thought to herself.