The competitor food court beneath the National Dome was a chaotic sea of exhausted bladers, spilled sports drinks, and the overwhelming smell of fried food.
Ryu O'Hara sat at a small, circular table in the far corner. He was holding a waffle cone stacked with three perfectly spherical scoops of ice cream: matcha, black sesame, and vanilla.
He didn't lick the ice cream. He used a small wooden spoon, taking measured, entirely deliberate bites.
Rantaro Kiyama sat across from him, resting his chin on his hands, staring at the cone. "I've been watching you for ten minutes. The ice cream hasn't dripped once. How is that even possible? It's ninety degrees in this stadium."
"I eat at the exact rate it melts," Ryu replied simply. He didn't offer a mathematical formula. He didn't explain the thermal properties of the waffle cone. He just took another bite.
Rantaro sighed, leaning back in his chair. "You're a weird guy, Ryu. But you've got good taste. Black sesame is top tier."
A few seats away, Valt Aoi was entirely ignoring his lunch. He had a soft microfiber cloth spread out on his lap and was carefully wiping down the blue polycarbonate layer of Victory Valkyrie.
"You did so good out there today, partner," Valt whispered, a massive, genuine smile on his face. He held the Beyblade up to the harsh fluorescent lights of the food court, admiring the scuffs and scratches it had taken against Xcalibur. To anyone else, the damage meant the Bey was wearing down. To Valt, it was a badge of honor. "We took a massive hit, but you didn't let go. We're going all the way to the top together."
Ryu stopped eating.
He watched Valt. He watched the way the boy looked at his Beyblade—not as a tool, not as a piece of sporting equipment, but as a living, breathing friend. There was a warmth there that was so absolute it made the air around Valt feel different.
Ryu slowly reached into his black jacket pocket. His fingers brushed against the cold, heavy metal of Eclipse Nidhogg.
He pulled it out and set it on the table next to his napkin.
The dark violet layer was scratched from the battles against Xander and Zac. The metal forge disc was slightly dulled. Nidhogg was awake now, it vibrated with a low, heavy pulse whenever Ryu held it. It was hungry for stronger opponents. It wanted to crush, to dominate, to win.
But as Ryu looked at it, a quiet, unfamiliar ache settled in his chest.
He had spent his entire life building Nidhogg to be flawless. He had locked himself away to perfect it. But sitting here in the loud, messy food court, Ryu realized something fundamental.
He didn't talk to Nidhogg. He didn't thank it after a battle. He just expected it to perform.
*It's just metal and plastic,* Ryu told himself. But the thought felt hollow. He looked back at Valt, who was currently laughing because he had accidentally dropped his microfiber cloth in his soup.
Ryu looked down at his dark Beyblade. The presence inside it was fierce, but it was incredibly lonely. Ryu had built a wall around himself to keep the world out, and in doing so, he had trapped Nidhogg in the exact same isolation.
For the first time since leaving the island, Ryu didn't feel like the untouchable Dark Prince. He just felt empty. He wanted what Valt had. He wanted a partner.
"Hey, Ryu!" Valt called out, completely abandoning his soup. He bounded over to the table, leaning over Ryu's shoulder to look at the ice cream. "Are you going to finish that vanilla scoop?"
"Yes," Ryu said bluntly, pulling the cone slightly closer to his chest.
Valt pouted, but quickly bounced back. "Man, I can't wait for the next round! Did you see the bracket board? We're up against the Superstar Squad next!"
Daigo walked over, handing Ken a bottle of water before sitting down. He pulled his bandana up. "Zac the Sunrise's team. Even without Zac leading them today, they're dangerous. Their captain for the team bracket is Orochi Ginba."
Rantaro groaned loudly, slapping his forehead. "The guy with the headphones? Great. The guy has perfect pitch. He can literally hear a burst coming before it even happens."
"Hearing it and stopping it are two different things," Daigo said, his dark eyes narrowing. "But we have to be careful. Orochi uses a Stamina type, Omni Odax. He relies on counter-rhythms. If you lose your focus for even a second, he'll tear you apart."
"Then we just won't lose our focus!" Valt cheered, slamming his fist into his open palm. "Who's up first?!"
Ken Midori slowly raised his hand.
The entire table went quiet. Ken was usually the most reserved member of the team, content to let Valt or Rantaro take the spotlight.
Besu, the brown puppet, smiled softly. "I want to go first. Orochi is strong, but Kerbeus has a good rhythm too."
Keru, the blue puppet, barked aggressively. "We're going to show that headphone guy what a real guard dog sounds like!"
Ryu looked at Ken. The boy's hands were shaking slightly, but his eyes were set. He wasn't hiding behind the puppets anymore; he was using them to channel his own resolve.
"Don't let him dictate the pace," Ryu said quietly.
The BeyClub looked at him. Ryu took the last bite of his ice cream cone, swallowing before he continued. He didn't use any complex terminology. He just looked Ken straight in the eye.
"He listens to the stadium floor to predict your movements," Ryu said flatly. "If you stay quiet, he goes deaf. Hit hard, and don't hesitate."
Ken blinked, then offered a small, determined nod. "Okay. I will."
The intercom crackled to life above them.
"Attention all competitors! The afternoon block of the National Team Tournament is about to begin! Will Beigoma Academy and the Superstar Squad please report to the main stage!"
"That's us!" Valt yelled, grabbing his launcher grip. "Let's go, guys!"
The team rushed out of the food court, their energy entirely renewed. Ryu stood up slowly. He picked up Nidhogg, his thumb tracing the jagged edge of the rubber driver.
*We'll figure it out,* Ryu thought quietly to the Beyblade. He slipped it into his pocket and followed the noisy group down the concrete tunnel.
The National Dome was just as deafening as before. The afternoon sun filtered through the massive glass ceiling, casting harsh glares across the plastic arena.
Senor Hanami was spinning wildly on his hover platform. "Welcome back, Tokyo! The second round of the A-Block is heating up! The giant-slayers of Beigoma Academy face off against the rhythmic kings of the Superstar Squad!"
Orochi Ginba stepped onto the stage. He was wearing his signature massive headphones, his dreadlocks tied back. He looked entirely relaxed, chewing a piece of bubblegum and blowing a casual bubble.
Ken stepped up to the opposite side of the stadium. He didn't look relaxed. He looked entirely focused.
"First up for Beigoma is the ultimate shield, Ken Midori!" Hanami yelled. "And leading the charge for the Superstars is Orochi the Ear!"
Orochi popped his bubblegum. He locked his black and green Bey, Odax, onto his launcher. "Your heart rate is too fast, man," Orochi said, his voice smooth and rhythmic. "I can hear it from here. You're completely off-beat. This match is going to be a disaster for you."
Ken didn't respond. He raised his hands, letting the blue and brown puppets fall silent. He locked King Kerbeus onto his launcher.
Up in the VIP balcony, Ryu stood leaning against the far wall. Lui Shirasagijo was sitting on the railing, looking bored.
"The puppet kid is going to get shredded," Lui sneered. "A standard defense type is just sitting duck for Odax."
"Watch the match, Shirasagijo," Ryu said bluntly. "You talk too much."
Lui whipped his head around, his jagged teeth baring. "What did you say to me?!"
Ryu completely ignored him, keeping his eyes on the stage.
"First Battle!" the referee shouted. "Ready... Set!"
"Three!" Orochi called out casually.
"Two!" Ken yelled, his real voice surprisingly loud and clear.
"One!"
"Go Shoot!"
Both ripcords were pulled.
Odax hit the stadium and instantly dropped into a smooth, silent spin near the mid-slope. It didn't make a sound. Orochi had launched it with such perfect rotational alignment that it created almost zero friction against the plastic.
Kerbeus hit the center. The heavy chain layer locked down, securing the base.
Orochi tapped his foot to an invisible beat. He closed his eyes, entirely relying on his hearing.
Orochi hummed. " I can hear the plastic scraping. It's a discordant note."
"Burst Shoot!" Orochi commanded.
Odax swept down the slope, changing its angle sharply. It didn't hit Kerbeus head-on. It clipped the edge of the chain layer, dealing a sharp, stinging blow before immediately bouncing away.
*Clack.*
"He's chipping away at him!" Rantaro yelled from the Beigoma bench. "Odax is too fast!"
*Clack. Clack.*
Odax hit two more times in rapid succession, using the brief impacts to throw Kerbeus slightly off balance without taking any damage itself.
Orochi smiled, his eyes still closed. "There it is. The rhythm is breaking. I can hear the locking mechanism clicking. Three more hits, and you burst."
Ken gritted his teeth. Kerbeus was wobbling in the center.
*Hit hard, and don't hesitate,* Ryu's voice echoed in Ken's mind.
Ken didn't try to correct Kerbeus's defense. He didn't try to hide.
"We're not playing your song!" Ken shouted. He threw his arm forward. "Chain Guard!"
Instead of waiting for the next hit, Ken used the wobble to his advantage. Kerbeus tilted heavily, but right as Odax came in for the fourth strike, the green Bey violently righted itself, throwing its heavy chain layer directly into Odax's path.
The Beys collided dead center.
The sound was a harsh, ugly, grinding noise.
Orochi's eyes snapped open, his hands flying to his headphones. He winced. "What is that noise?!"
"It's the sound of a guard dog!" Keru, the blue puppet, barked aggressively.
Kerbeus didn't bounce away. It dug its defense tip into the stadium floor and forcefully ground its heavy chain against Odax's sleek layer. It was messy. It was entirely off-beat. It completely shattered the clean, frictionless rhythm Orochi had established.
"You ruined the tempo!" Orochi yelled, visibly frustrated. Odax was sparking violently, caught in the heavy grapple.
"I don't care about the tempo!" Ken yelled back. "Push him out, Kerbeus!"
Because Kerbeus was heavier and anchored to the center, the messy grapple heavily favored the defense type. Odax was bleeding stamina rapidly, the harsh grinding noise throwing Orochi's concentration entirely out the window.
"Get away from him!" Orochi commanded, trying to force Odax to disengage.
But it was too late.
The heavy chain layer caught the edge of Odax's forge disc. With a final, violent shove, Kerbeus threw the black Bey out of the center. Odax skidded wildly up the slope, its spin entirely depleted by the grapple, and hit the plastic wall with a dull thud.
It stopped spinning.
The referee stared at it, then raised his hand. "Spin Finish! One point to Ken Midori!"
The stadium crowd erupted. Beigoma Academy had drawn first blood again.
Valt jumped onto Daigo's back, cheering wildly. Rantaro was fanning himself so fast his arm was a blur.
Orochi stood completely still. He pulled his headphones down around his neck. He looked at Odax, then across the stadium at Ken. The frustration melted away, replaced by a grudging respect.
"You completely drowned out the track," Orochi admitted, picking up his Bey. "That was one ugly note, kid. But it hit hard."
Ken let out a massive breath, his shoulders dropping. Besu, the brown puppet, gave a small, polite bow. "Thank you for the match!"
Shu Kurenai gave a small smile. He looked back at Ryu. " He forced the collision."
"He adapted," Ryu said simply. He pushed off the back wall.
He didn't need to watch the rest of the match to know the outcome. Ken had broken the Superstar Squad's rhythm. The momentum belonged entirely to Beigoma now. Valt would clean up the rest.
Ryu walked toward the heavy VIP doors.
"Leaving already?" Zac asked, his ego fully recovered from yesterday's humiliation, though he was carefully keeping his cape away from the hinges. "The show is just getting started."
"I have seen enough," Ryu replied, pulling the door open.
He walked out into the quiet concrete corridor. The distant roar of the stadium faded into a low rumble.
Ryu reached into his pocket and pulled Nidhogg out again. He held it up to the dim fluorescent lights of the hallway.
"They are getting louder," Ryu said softly to the Beyblade.
"If we want to stay ahead of them," Ryu murmured, his voice entirely devoid of its usual robotic flatline, carrying a quiet, genuine promise, "we have to stop acting too."
The dark violet layer seemed to catch the light, gleaming warmly. The heavy vibration in his palm settled into a steady, comforting rhythm.
Ryu slipped the Bey back into his pocket. He didn't know how to be a partner yet. He didn't have Valt's boundless empathy or Shu's burning drive.
But as he walked down the hallway, the hollow emptiness in his chest felt just a little bit lighter.