X City's plaza was alive with noise, packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people staring at the giant screen above. Axamu had been drifting aimlessly until the crowd's roar pulled him in. His eyes lifted, and what he saw froze him in place.
The screen lit up with fanfare.
"Today's high-stakes battle — Team Pendragon defends their rank against the challengers, Team Persona!"
The camera cut to the defending champions.
"Ryugu Chrome!" The leader of Pendragon stood tall, green eyes flashing like a knight guarding his throne. His Beyblade shimmered on screen: Cobalt Dragoon, a metallic beast with sharp, dragon-like wings coiled around its core.
"Nanairo Shiguru!" — calm, precise, her movements efficient as if rehearsed endlessly.
"Kamen Z!" — masked and unreadable, his aura as heavy as iron.
The crowd thundered Chrome's name, chanting "Pendragon! Pendragon!"
Then the camera swung to the challengers.
"Kazami Bird!" Wild and confident, hair whipping as he spun his launcher like it was already victory.
"Nanairo Multi!" — cool, tactical, her eyes sharp as if she already saw the battle's end.
And finally—
"Kamen X!" His masked figure stepped forward, silent and sharp. The camera zoomed to his hand, revealing his weapon of choice: Dran Sword, a Beyblade with a sleek, azure design, its blade edges gleaming like a drawn katana.
The announcer's voice cracked with excitement.
"First round — the clash of captains! Ryugu Chrome and his Cobalt Dragoon versus Kamen X with Dran Sword!"
The entire plaza vibrated with the crowd's cheers. Axamu's heartbeat matched the rhythm, his breath caught in his throat.
The referee raised his hand.
"Ready!"
Both bladers locked in their launchers. Their postures were perfect — Chrome's stance calm and steady, Kamen X's rigid and precise.
"3! 2! 1! Go Shoot!"
The sound of launchers snapping echoed like gunfire.
Cobalt Dragoon tore onto the stadium rails, its movement smooth and controlled, its spin a fortress of stability.
Dran Sword burst forward with lightning aggression, ricocheting across the rails like a predator's strike, sparks flying where its sharp frame cut through the arena's X-lines.
The first clash was thunder. Sparks exploded. The plaza screamed.
"Dran Sword opens with precise, brutal strikes — Kamen X wastes no time testing defenses!" shouted the commentator.
"But Cobalt Dragoon is the wall of steel — Chrome's defense absorbs everything and turns it into punishing rebounds!" added the other.
Dran Sword's sharp angles carved at the arena, slamming against Cobalt Dragoon in rapid succession. Each strike was exact, unrelenting, as though Kamen X was dissecting Chrome's defenses piece by piece.
But Cobalt Dragoon barely wavered. Chrome's eyes narrowed, his calm aura unshaken. Every impact was met with stability, every rebound sending Dran Sword flying back across the rails.
Axamu's fists clenched as he watched. That blue Bey… Dran Sword… it's striking like lightning. But Chrome's Dragoon… it's like an unbreakable wall.
The crowd erupted again as Dran Sword sliced a perfect arc, finding a narrow opening and slamming into Cobalt Dragoon's flank. The screen zoomed in — sparks erupted in a shower of light.
But Chrome smirked. Cobalt Dragoon spun harder, its counterattack smashing Dran Sword back, the sound reverberating like a cannon blast.
The commentators shouted over the roar:
"Unbelievable! Dran Sword's precision assault meets the unshakable defense of Cobalt Dragoon! This is a true clash of titans!"
The two Beyblades collided again at the stadium's center, sparks bursting higher than before, the screen glowing with their clash — one blade like a honed sword, the other like a roaring dragon.
The plaza's cheers rose to a fever pitch, and Axamu stood rooted, unable to breathe.
If battles here are like this… how the hell am I supposed to survive?
---
The stadium shook with every collision of Dran Sword and Cobalt Dragoon. Sparks flew across the rails, raining light onto the roaring crowd.
"Kamen X is cutting in with surgical precision!" the commentator shouted.
"But Ryugu Chrome isn't budging — Cobalt Dragoon is like an immovable dragon!"
Axamu's breath caught. His chest pounded as though he were in the arena himself. This isn't Beyblade like I knew it… this is something else. This is a war.
The clash continued — blade against dragon — until Chrome's eyes narrowed. His calm expression shifted into something sharp, dangerous.
"Cobalt Dragoon!" Chrome raised his hand, voice ringing across the arena. "Ride the rails and unleash your fury! Xtreme Dash!!"
Cobalt Dragoon roared onto the X-rails, its speed exploding in a blue blur. The dragon-shaped Beyblade streaked around the stadium with terrifying velocity, sparks scattering as it circled its prey. Chrome thrust his arm forward.
"Dragonic Break!!"
The crowd erupted as Cobalt Dragoon leapt into a head-on charge, the dragon's aura blazing from its spin.
Axamu flinched instinctively. That power… it's like a real dragon charging in…
But Kamen X didn't move. His mask tilted down, calm and precise. His hand tightened on his launcher, voice cutting through the chaos.
"Dran Sword — cut through destiny! Xtreme Dash!!"
Dran Sword ignited with a blinding blue-white aura as it gripped the X-rails, spinning faster than ever before. Its sharp frame sliced sparks into the air, light dancing like steel drawn from a sheath.
"Dragonic Break X!!"
The crowd screamed as Dran Sword met Cobalt Dragoon in the center of the stadium.
The moment of impact wasn't just a clash. It was an explosion.
A cross-shaped light — a massive "X" of energy — split the stadium in two, searing across the giant screen. The brightness swallowed everything, the roar drowning out all sound.
For an instant, the world was nothing but white light and the sound of metal screaming.
Then silence.
The plaza fell quiet, everyone holding their breath. The light faded… and the result became clear.
Cobalt Dragoon lay outside the stadium wall, its spin broken.
In the center, still spinning fiercely, was Dran Sword.
The announcer's voice broke through the silence, cracking with disbelief.
"Xtreme Finish!! Winner — Kamen X with Dran Sword!"
The plaza exploded. Cheers thundered like an earthquake. The screen replayed the clash in slow motion — the twin Dragonic Breaks colliding, the blazing X of light, and Cobalt Dragoon flying from the stadium.
Axamu stood frozen, his heart hammering. His throat felt tight, his eyes wide.
"…he… he actually won…" he muttered. His voice trembled, caught between awe and terror.
Tears pricked the corners of his eyes before he even realized it. Not sadness — but a storm of emotions: shock, admiration, fear. His chest ached as though something deep inside him had been torn open.
That was Beyblade? This world's Beyblade?
He clutched his chest, gasping.
If battles are like this… then climbing the X Tower isn't just a game. It's impossible.
But even as he told himself that, he couldn't erase the image burned into his mind — Dran Sword spinning strong in the center, victorious, after carving through Chrome's dragon.