Skyrider's risen from the grave known as writer's block and video game addiction to give you Chapter 7 of Bakugan Battle Brawlers: Radiant Destiny! Sorry to all the people who were waiting for this chapter and may/may not have thought I had given up on this, which I haven't, but there are some perfectly valid reasons for not updating soon enough. 1) Writer's block kicked in and I had a mind blank, and every time I came up with an awesome storyline I quickly shredded those ideas and began to start anew. 2) Video Game Addiction, because it's hard enough trying to concentrate on your fanfiction when you have the final mission of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim calling your name. 3) I had exams to do and study for, so there wasn't much time to spare for fanfiction. Anyway, on the side note, you probably will notice during the course of this chapter that I changed most, if not all of the names of Theodore's ability cards, which is because when I look at them now, some of the names I gave to them completely and utterly SUCK, so I decided to change them to make them seem more cool and memorable. Since this Author Note is already too long anyway, I'll just decide to be lazy and paste the previous and current names of the ability cards I changed at the bottom of this chapter, or if you're smart enough, you'll have already figured out the previous names of these ability cards. Although, don't think I'm going to go back and change them in previous chapters, I'm still too lazy for that and just want to enjoy my holiday.

7: VOLCANOES AND WHIRPOOLS: BREAK THE LIMITS

Monday, 14:30, Bayview Port

A low growl emanated from Sentinel's breath as he balled his fists in anger. Standing on one knee and covered in numerous cuts and bruises, he stared at the untouched form of Gravelon standing a few feet away, rays of light bouncing off his bronze armour giving it a sort of unearthly glow. The morning sun shone brightly over the horizon, the glistening white waves crashing into the foundations of the portside. A light breeze settled over the battlefield as both bakugan stood motionless, unseen sparks of electricity joining together in the middle of their glares.

"Ability Activate! Demonic Ascension!" Theodore said, slotting the ability guard into his gauntlet, which now had a light purple glow. Dark clouds appeared above their heads, the roaring thunder shattering the blanket of silence. Flashes of purple appeared from the clouds every now and then as lightning gathered within the centre of the clouds. A bolt of purple lightning shot down from above towards Sentinel, covering him a light purple aura, the green of his eyes now a dark—almost black—purple.

Sentinel: 900 Gravelon: 700

"Don't think we're done yet. Ability Activate! Reaper's Void!" Sentinel slapped his palms together, and as he began to separate them, a sphere of purple untamed energy began to form in middle, until it reached about the size of a soccer ball.

"Let's see if you can handle this!" Sentinel yelled as purple tendrils shot out from the purple sphere, all moving in a random pattern but still keeping the same course towards their target: Gravelon.

Sentinel: 1100 Gravelon: 600

"Ability Activate! Mountain Tundra!" Slabs of rock tore away from the ground before forming a protective cage around Gravelon's frame, shielding him from Sentinel's attack and nullifying Theodore's ability. However, he failed to spot a green and purple moving at high speeds towards him through the thick cloud of dust that had formed when the two abilities clashed.

Sentinel: 900 Gravelon: 700

"Let's end this! Ability Activate! Soul Tempest: Leaf Hurricane!" Before Gravelon could react, he felt a powerful kick at the bottom of his jaw, sending him into the air. Sentinel shot off the ground towards Gravelon just as he was reaching the apex of his rise, wrapping both his arms and wings around Gravelon. He began to spin both their bodies in mid-air, forming a mini tornado they began to descend towards the ground. Just as they were about to hit the ground, Sentinel released from his hold on Gravelon, stopping just a few feet from the ground as he watched the unmoving form of the Subterra Bakugan lying in a large crater.

Sentinel: 1300 Gravelon: 500(K.O)

Gravelon was concealed in a light brown aura before returning to his ball form, landing beside Moses's foot. Sentinel slowly descended to the ground, landing on his knee as he let out a light chuckle. That was close. If that battle had continued on, I wouldn't have been able to make it, Sentinel thought as his body was surrounded in a purplish-green aura, returning to his ball form, landing in the middle of Theodore palms.

It had been a rough month for the dynamic duo. It was surprising how they were still standing after the end of month, which was filled with brutal training session—both inside and outside of the battlefield—and numerous battles that Moses had set up for them. However, it was worth it, just to see how much they'd progressed. Now at #79, Theodore was slowly making progress up the ladder, although not as much as he'd liked, but progress nonetheless. Moses had made sure that they had counters and combo-moves for every attribute they faced against, which proved useful in their previous battles as it left their opponents in the dust as they weren't able to react fast enough to counter. Fortunately, neither Flare, Elise, or that mysterious girl—Aeolus, if he could remember clearly—had showed up, which meant that he could put more focus into his training.

"It seems that you're progressing at a much faster rate than I expected" Moses said, now standing just a couple of feet away from Theodore. "It seems that you're making good use of those combo moves we've been working on, and your reaction time and your ability to think on your feet have increased."

Theodore smiled, but for some reason could almost sense a 'but' coming. "All in all, good job for a productive month. From now on, I expect you to at least put up much of a fight without needing someone to back you up, regardless of whether you're facing two or more opponents, or just one" Moses finished, but spotted Theodore's raised eyebrow. "What, did I say something wrong?"

"Well, I was kind of getting ready for you to berate me on how I still need to improve, or something along those lines" Theodore said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Of course you still need to improve, that way I wouldn't have to save your butt again" Moses smiled, ignoring the glare that Theodore had aimed at him, before continuing. "Anyway, I guess I'll see you later. Next time we meet, I'll be waiting for that rematch" Moses said casually, jamming his hands into his pockets before he began to walk away.

"What do you mean 'next time'? Aren't we meeting again tomorrow?" Theodore asked, surprised at Moses's casual form. He was almost never calm during their sessions. In fact, he was quite the opposite, almost driving him like a slave owner during their battles. Moses stopped, only to tilt his head to face Theodore.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten already? Today marks the end of your training period" Moses said, a smile still plastered onto his face, which caused Theodore's eyes to widen at his teacher's words. Theodore tried to speak, but was unable to form any words. Moses chuckled softly at Theodore's stunned expression. "As a goodbye present, meet me tomorrow at 1:30 at Bakugan Interspace. I shouldn't hear you've been slacking, or else it'll just be another month of me pounding you to the ground."

Theodore was unable to do anything but watch as Moses disappeared from his line of sight and was sucked into the busy city streets. Jolting awake from his stunned stupor, he felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips. His eyes still glued to where Moses once was, only one thought ran across his mind.

Next time…

...

Monday, 21:30, Abandoned Warehouse

"I don't see why you want this kid so badly. He doesn't seem to all that tough" Aeolus said, appearing from the shadows. She began to walk towards the white haired boy, who now had his eyes glued to a large screen showing images of an unaccountable number of brawlers.

"He may not be a threat right now, but I can tell he has a lot of untapped potential, and if he is able to reach his potential and still evade our grasp, he could prove to be a lot of trouble in the future. Besides, he and I have some… unfinished business" he said, moving his cursor around each image, as if searching for a specific one. "Any luck on trying to… recruit him into our cause?"

"Negative. It seems he is now training with an experienced brawler by the name of Moses Harington, and right now with my current skill, I doubt I'd be able to attack and come out victorious" Aeolus said in a neutral tone.

"Hmm… this puts a huge dent a huge dent in our plans, but it shouldn't push our plans back by that much" the white haired boy said, stroking his hairless chin. He smiled victoriously as he finally found the image he was searching for, clicking it as all the other images shattered and pixels of colour began to form the image. "For the time being, we need to move our expertise in another direction" the white haired boy said as he made his way towards the huge doors of the warehouse.

"Any ideas?" Aeolus said with a blank expression as she followed her master.

"As a matter of fact, I do. And I know just the person for the job" He said grinning evilly as they exited the warehouse. A few seconds after the two had left, the screen began to flash as the pixels had finally formed a single image of a single brawler.

Theodore James.

Tuesday, Bayview Academy, 12:20

Theodore was slowly fading in and out of consciousness as he boring English teacher droned on about some Shakespearian play… Romeo and Juliet, was it? Either way, Theodore didn't seem to care, and neither did the rest of the students. Not even the most attentive students had the brain capacity to stay awake during this lesson. Some of them just had a book in front of them shielding them from the teacher's vision while they lay passed out on the desk, while some of them had just collapsed onto the floor without a care in the world. Beside him, Chinatsu looked to be awake and just resting her head in her hands and her eyes aimed at the teacher, but if you sat close enough, you could just hear her faint snores. How she had managed to even master the art of sleeping with her eyes open was beyond Theodore's knowledge, and the fact that she was a very light sleeper, and because she had a helpful best friend, were the only reasons she hadn't been sent to detention like the rest of her peers.

Theodore was surprised that he was even remotely awake during this lesson. The only reason he hadn't given into the soft whispers of his sleep was because of Moses's message the day before. He wasn't entirely sure what they would be doing at Bakugan Interspace, apart from maybe watching some battles or participating in a few battles themselves, but the way he had said it meant there was a much deeper meaning to it than just something as simple as a Bakugan Battle, which just piqued his interest and made him all the more excited. However, even with the slight burst of energy, he could slowly feel himself falling out of consciousness, his head slowly nearing the flat, varnished wooden surface of his desk, mentally crying for a sign of salvation to save them from the depths of hell that was his English Class.

Almost as if the Gods above had heard his plea for help, the sound of the school bell shot into the room, and, defying the laws of both Physics and Biology, students shot off from either the ground or their desks, and out of the room in a matter of seconds—Theodore and Chinatsu included—ignoring the teacher's orders about their next assignment which fell on deaf ears.

The thoughts of his previously sleeping best friend were stuffed in the back of his mind as he launched himself onto his bike and raced towards his home. With a swift turn, he jumped off his bike and rushed into his home, barely registering the sweat that rolled down his face. Sprinting into his room, he changed out of his uniform and into his gear at a lightning fast pace. His mother's pleas fell on deaf ears as he soon found himself onto his bike, with only one destination in mind: Bakugan Interspace.

"Geez, with the way you're burning your energy right now, I wouldn't be surprised if you passed out by the time you reach Bakugan Interspace" Sentinel said as he rolled onto Theodore's shoulder, before frowning at the thought of his previous battle in Bakugan Interspace. "It will be good to get back on the winning side though. We've been losing for too long now, and now it's time to get back on top of our game!"

"Couldn't have said it better myself, partner" Theodore said, a smile of determination forming on his lips. In truth, he had also hated the fact that he had to rely on Moses for him to grow. While the training had been beneficial, he wanted to become stronger through his own work, pass or fail. His previous loss to Elise and Flare, and the constant beatings he had received from Moses had given him a huge wake-up call. He knew that he couldn't always rely on Moses or Chinatsu to bail him out of tough situations, as they weren't always going to be there to save him. Not to mention the fact that more of Flare's… friends seemed to be chasing after him on a regular basis—despite the sudden decrease of their appearance this past month. He knew they was clearly above him level, and he had to work even hard to make sure he could reach their level, if not surpass them.

Too engrossed in his thoughts, Theodore had forgotten to spot the bike racks in front of him, but by then it was too late. The force of the impact sent him soaring off the seat of his bike onto the cold concrete ground.

The silence was broken as a familiar figure burst into a fit of laughter, breaking Theodore out of his dazed state. Theodore channelled his anger through his glare, which was now aimed at the familiar dark skinned teenager, who was now had tears at the corners of his eyes despite the pain in his stomach. "You know, that was probably the highlight of this boring day" a familiar voice—now revealed to be Moses—said.

"Now that we've gone past the… eventful greeting, would you please explain why you chose to meet here in the first place?" Theodore said, dusting himself off.

"As expected of Theodore the Forgetful One. Already forgotten what day it is today?" Moses said, ignoring Theodore's death glare. Not giving Theodore a chance to respond, he continued. "Well, since you can't seem to remember, maybe this will jog your memory."

The duo walked into the large building, and were engulfed in a bright light. As Theodore's eyes began to adjust to the light, he could slowly make out of the sea of brawlers in his path, and a large white banner that was tied to the ceiling, which read: Bakugan Summer Tournament. Theodore mentally face-palmed himself. How could he forget? He had been planning to enter this tournament for almost three months now. While his main goal was to showcase his skills, Moses had also reminded him that it was also an opportunity to gain more experience and battle different brawlers for a change.

Before he had even had a chance to continue forward, he felt a force smash into him from behind, sending them both to the ground. "I'm so sorry, I should've been looking where I was going. Please forgive me" the voice said hurriedly in a feminine tone as he clutched his pain in pain while letting a small groan escape his lips. He had a sinking feeling that he had heard that voice quite a number of times, but he couldn't put the voice to a face. Slowly forcing his eyes open, his eyes fell on a raven haired girl with obsidian eyes. He let the gears turn in his mind before his eyes widened as wide as saucers.

"Amy Foster?!" he exclaimed, shocked. The girl raised her eyebrows in suspicion. She was surprised how someone she didn't know knew her name. She quickly came to a conclusion that he was probably one of her fans who, once he got over the fact that he was tripped by the Amy Foster, would quickly ask for her autograph. Oh, how wrong she was.

"Am I supposed to know you, or are you just one of my fans?" the girl said as she got a clear look at Theodore. She could feel something lingering in the back of her mind, as if she was supposed to know the boy in front of her. However, despite her effort she couldn't put a name to a face.

"Fans? What—no! It's me, Theodore James. You know the guy that—"

"Wait a second" Amy said, abruptly cutting Theodore off mid-sentence. "You're that no-named rookie that beat me a couple of weeks ago!" Amy exclaimed, glaring at Theodore.

"No-named?! If you remember clearly, I was the one who walked out of that battle as the victor" Theodore retorted back, sending Amy his own glare.

"Well, it was probably just luck" Amy huffed, crossing her arms again as she sat on Theodore's waist, not realizing that she was practically straddling him. "I bet I would wipe the floor with you if given the chance."

Theodore would've retorted back, but stopped as he caught Moses trying—and failing—to hold his laughter in his hand. "I take it back, this is probably the highlight of my day" Moses said, a wide smile glued to his face. It was only then that both teenagers realized the position, their eyes as wide as saucers. A split second later they were both off the ground, both a reasonable distance away from each other and each sporting a light blush on their faces. Theodore was busy trying to distract himself with anything around him, while Amy shuffled her feet nervously and her eyes glued to the ground, but they both caught the other sporting quick glances in the other's direction. At his point, their respective Bakugan partners chose this moment to break the silence.

"Sentinel" Streak-Blazer hissed. "Looks like Thanksgiving came early today, because I finally get to roast some turkey. Make no mistake, I've grown since our last encounter, and I'll be sure to return the favour the next time we find ourselves on the battlefield."

"That's why you won our battle the last time—Oh wait" Sentinel smirked, earning a low growl from the Pyrus bakugan. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll win next time, maybe the time after that, or it could be the other…" the Hybrid bakugan droned on, further infuriating Streak-Blazer.

"So, uh, what brings you Bakugan Interspace?" Theodore said as he rubbed the back of his neck, ignoring the banter that the two bakugan were currently involved in. He felt his eyes slowly travel towards her new attire. She now sported a red hooded jersey that hugged her developing figure, with a black t-shirt with a circuit design underneath, with a matching short red skirt, black leggings, and red sneakers that reached up to her knees. A pair of black fingerless gloves were worn on her hands. Theodore could feel the heat rise to his cheeks once again.

"Oh, I'm participating in the Summer Tournament, and if my guess is correct, you're here for the same reason" Amy said as she quickly gaining her composure. After earning a nod from Theodore, she continued. "Looks like I'll get my wish after all. Just don't lose before you face me, I want to have the honour of wiping that smirk off your face."

"Dream on. Don't forget that even when it was my first brawl with Sentinel was my partner, I was still able to wipe the floor with you. Now that I've actually gone through some training this past month, I'll be sure to keep your inevitable death quick and painful" Theodore smirked. Amy's expression turned from shocked to determined, a small smile forming on her face.

"Don't get your hopes up just yet" Amy grinned. "Anyways, I better get going. I'll be waiting on the battlefield, that's if you're man enough to challenge me."

Amy then blew a kiss towards Theodore—who was left in a spluttering mess with a familiar tint of pink forming on his cheeks—before disappearing into the sea of the brawlers that stood waiting patiently for the competition.

"That's a feisty girl you've bagged. Won't be too long until I see black and brown haired children walking into this very building, looking for their first battle" Moses joked.

"What? I don't, uh, like her like that. I mean, she's just a, uh, friend" Theodore sputtered. If the blush on his face wasn't visible before, it sure was now.

"Don't worry about it, I was only joking. Partly" Moses said, whispering the last part under his breath as he ruffled his student's hair. "Now, let's get you checked in before the competition starts. Don't want you to get disqualified before the competition starts."

The duo now made their way through the sea of brawlers with relative ease before making it to the booth. A familiar mashup of white, pink and purple with orange hair waiting on the somewhat short queue, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Chinatsu!" Theodore yelled, surprising his best friend who literally jumped out of her repetitive stature with a loud eep. Glaring at her best friend, she landed a heavy punch to Theodore's shoulder, earning a loud groan from him. "OW! What did you do that for?!"

"1) For surprising me like that, and 2) For ditching me earlier today when we were meant to leave earlier for the Summer Tournament!" Chinatsu growled while sending a hateful glare towards Theodore. Theodore took a large gulp as he felt himself cower under Chinatsu's gaze. He was pretty sure that if humans had superpowers, Chinatsu would've sent eye laser beams through his skull, instantly frying his brain. Then he felt his train of thought linger to one of Chinatsu's statements. Was he seriously the only one who had forgotten about the Summer Tournament?

"Sorry about that. It's just that I'd agreed with Moses to meet up here and I guess I got too excited" Theodore said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"And you didn't even stop to consider the coincidence that our meeting time would be the same place that the Bakugan Summer Tournament would commence? Are you really dense?" Moses said, shaking his head at his student's denseness. It was then that Chinatsu realized that Theodore wasn't alone, and with a loud eep, she quickly hid behind Theodore, pressing her fingers together as her shy nature took over.

"I don't look that intimidating, do I?" Moses pondered, stroking his chin in thought.

"I guess I haven't introduced you guys to each other, have I?" Theodore laughed nervously. "Moses, meet Chinatsu. She's only ever this shy to people she's never met, but get on her good side and she'll warm up to you soon. Don't let her cute side fool you, she has a deadly personality hidden in the depths of her mind, which entails unimaginable death if you ever have the unfortunate encounter of unlocking her hidden beast" Theodore said, receiving another punch to his left shoulder, curtesy of Chinatsu. "Chinatsu, this is Moses. You know, the guy I told you about who I was training under. Don't let his kind nature fool you, he becomes really sadistic and headstrong if you ever have the unfortunate chance to battle him."

"And here I thought that you were finally beginning to show me the respect I deserve" Moses said. The two then shook hands as an agreement of sorts, Chinatsu more reluctant to do so. "I guess it's good to finally meet you in person, Chinatsu. I've heard a lot of… interesting this about you from Theodore" Moses said, grinning evilly. Chinatsu, slowly moving out of her shy nature, raised her eyebrow at Theodore, who was glaring at Moses.

"What?" Moses said, noticing Theodore's glare. "I believe it is a mentor's job to embarrass his favourite and only student in front of his best friend. Wouldn't you agree, Chinatsu?" Moses said to Chinatsu, who had now sported her own mischievous grin.

"Why do the heavens hate me so much?" Theodore groaned. "Let's just check in and get this over with."

Moses was about to respond, when he felt a rubbery object make contact with the back of his head which burst on contact, leaving him drenched in the water that the balloon was holding. A loud cackle soon burst through the constant chatter around them, startling the crowd. Eye twitching, Moses turned his head towards the source of laughter, only to sigh loudly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It just had to be you, didn't it?"

"I can't believe you actually fell for that, Moses" the source of laughter—which turned out to be a young boy—said. The boy was quite short, about 140cm, with light brown skin and dark brown—almost black—eyes, which were now filled to the brim with tears. He was dressed in a blue hoodie with a thick white strip going down his arms, brown shorts that just went past his knees, and white sneakers with a blue sole. A baseball cap was worn on his head, just barely holding in his short, messy, black, curly hair. "Your reflexes must have deteriorated if you were able to get caught in such an easy trick like that. However, no prank is too simple and no human is too safe from a Prank Lord like me!"

"Uh, Moses, might want to clue us in on who this is?" Theodore said, gesturing towards the strange boy in his peripheral vision.

"I had hoped this day wouldn't come" Moses groaned. "Theodore, Chinatsu, meet Dante Pierce, the thirteen-year-old knucklehead who will never act his own age"— "Hey!"— "and Dante, meet Theodore and Chinatsu, the former being my apprentice for the time being."

Both Theodore and Chinatsu widened their eyes at Moses's statement. The only thought that was running through their minds was how a kid like him was thirteen, when he seemed to act like a nine-year-old. If it wasn't for the fact that Moses had told him his age, Theodore was pretty sure he would've mistaken him for a nine years old, both due to his childish nature and height.

"Are you sure he's thirteen? I mean, he sure doesn't act like it, and he does seem… physically challenged for a thirteen-year-old?" Theodore said, narrowing his eyes as he searched for any form of deceit, his brain still unable that this… child, had a similar age to him.

"While he may not look like it, or act like it for that matter, Dante is actually thirteen" Moses said. "He's also a brawler just like you two. He wields the attribute Aquos, and his guardian bakugan is Aquos Siege."

"Your guardian bakugan is an Aquos Siege? Seems pretty lame if you ask me" Theodore smirked, folding his arms.

"For your information, Siege is the most awesome, incredible, toughest and the best bakugan there is" Dante said, a childish glint in his eyes as he pulled out a bakugan with purple and light blue accents from his pockets. "Besides, from what Moses has told me, he had to bail you out when you were struggling in a two-on-one battle" Dante said, an evil grin plastered onto his face. This soon turned into a heated glare between the Aquos and Ventus brawlers. Both brawlers were on the verge of throwing a few blows before Moses decided to break them up.

"OK, why don't we all just settle down before one of you starts throwing fists? Why don't we just start anew by introducing ourselves again, properly this time?" Moses said, still holding both boys within arm's reach of each other. Taking a deep breath, Dante began first.

"Hello, my name is Dante Pierce, as Golem boy already told you" Dante said, receiving a swift punch to the shoulder and a death glare from Moses, which caused him to gulp loudly before continuing, this time knowing not to try and anger Moses further. Using his best smile, he then extended his arm towards Chinatsu and Theodore. "I hope we can become very good friends."

"Hi, Dante. My name is Chinatsu Tanak-AH!" Chinatsu shyly began as he shook Dante's hand, before she felt an electric current pass through her body, startling her as she quickly released her grip on Dante's hand.

"I can't believe you actually walked into the oldest prank in the book" Dante said in between laughter, clutching his stomach as tears began to form at the corners of his eyes. However, he was unable to sense the killing intent rising within the friendship circle, directed solely towards him.

"Uh, Dante? Now would probably be a good time to run" Theodore said. Dante, who had now refrained from laughing, raised his eyebrow towards Theodore's statement, but widened his eyes in horror as he turned towards the Haos brawler. An almost demonic like aura was surrounding Chinatsu as she cracked her knuckles, a sickly sweet smile forming on his lips. Taking a large gulp, Dante began to take some slow steps backwards, before he broke into a run.

"I'm going to get you for that, you little twerp!" Chinatsu shouted angrily before she sprinted in the direction that Dante had run off into, a sadistic grin plastered to her face as murderous intentions formed in her mind about what she was going to do after she had found the childish Aquos brawler.

"Now I get what you meant by her deadly personality" Moses said, arms crossed and head shaking in disappointment as he looked in the direction that the two brawlers had run off to. "You don't Chinatsu is going to hurt Dante too bad, right? He still has to participate in the Summer Tournament."

"I doubt, but I'm not making any promises" Theodore said, mimicking his mentor. "However, neither Chinatsu or myself will be held responsible if Dante ends up at Death's door by the time we reach him. He's already sealed his fate."

"Agreed" was all Moses said before they began to take off in the direction that Chinatsu and Dante had run off to.

…

The four brawlers were now making their way towards the central point of Bakugan Interspace, where the gathering of the Summer Tournament was to commence. Dante, who was now sporting a large bump on his head, began to massage the painful sore as he recalled the reason he had even got it in the first place, fear showing evidently in his eyes. He silently vowed never to prank any other girl ever again. Chinatsu, who was to the right side of Dante, was repeatedly spraying Dante's ears with apologies. Both Theodore and Moses had their eyes glued to the bump on Dante's head, recalling the phrase: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Eventually, the group of four reached the meeting point, their vision quickly filled with a sea of brawlers, all eagerly and anxiously waiting for the Summer Tournament to begin. As if answering their silent prayers, the mass of brawlers where quickly silenced as a platform was raised up about two metres high, a lone figure standing atop the platform. The figure was male, and quite short in height, standing about 145cm in height, with blond hair and sky blue eyes. He wore a blue hoodie with white sleeves, white shorts with a blue trim, and blue sneakers with a white strip. He wore a pair of blue glasses, and a light blond goatee with a moustache was forming on his face. Despite his short stature, the young adult was easily recognized as the creator of Bakugan Interspace, having saved the world quite a couple of time from invading threats, and being known as the Aquos brawler and the brains of the now retired Battle Brawlers. His name, Marucho Marukura.

"Welcome, all you aspiring challenges, to the Bakugan Summer Tournament!" Marucho began, the crowd soon erupting in cheers not only because of the Tournament, but actually being in the presence of one of the legendary Battle Brawlers. Even Dante has a childish glimmer in his eyes as he stared at his idol. Even as a kid, Dante had aspired to become an Aqous brawler of the same calibre as Marucho ever since he'd watched the brawlers in their fight against Mechtavius Destroyer as a young boy.

Marucho raised his hand, signalling for the crowd to quiet down before continuing. "However, before we commence with the battles, I would like to explain a few of the changes that are going to be taking place in Bakugan Interspace. Firstly, we've been making some modifications to the gauntlets that brawlers now wear when engaging in a battle." The electronic billboard all around Bakugan Interspace's Central Point began to spark into life. Instead of the Daily Announcements and the Leader boards that were usually shown, a design of a fingerless glove was displayed onto the electronic billboards. "Due to rapid development of technology, we have decided to make quite a few alterations with the way Bakugan Interspace will be operating. Instead of the bulky gauntlets that are currently in use, brawlers will now use a more sophisticated and simpler design, in the form of a black fingerless glove that, when in battle or when you instantly walk into the doors of Bakugan Interspace, changes into the colour that your attribute represents."

As a demonstration, a black fingerless glove materialised into Marucho's palm. The crowd watched in awe as Marucho slipped his hand into the glove, which instantly turned from black into an ocean blue colour, symbolising his Aquos attribute. He then lightly tapped the centre of his palm before a holographic screen popped up, hovering just a few centimetres from his palm. "One of the new features of the newly improved gauntlets is that we now added a holographic screen that allows you to check the Leader-boards, scout your competition, or even set up matches with other brawlers without having to meet them face-to-face or walking long distances. The database is either sorted out by name, or by the brawler's attribute, and from there on it's pretty straight forward. Also, in battle, the holographic screens allow you to monitor your life gauge and compare it to your opponent's life gauge. On the left side of the brawler's identification picture, it shows the rank that the player is currently standing at."

A chorus of yeses were heard around the crowd. If this was only one of the new features that were being brought into Bakugan Interspace, what other features were to come? As if reading their minds, Marucho pulled out an ability card from the pockets of his shorts. "Also, along with the newly designed gauntlets, players will not have to carry around their ability cards wherever they are going. This is because the new gauntlets have a scan feature that allows you to scan your ability cards into the Bakugan Interspace Database. If you're wondering how this works, all you do is open up the holographic screen projection, and at the bottom right corner there should be an option to scan your cards. Adding to that, if you're worried that someone, in an unlikely even, will steal your glove, do not be worried. The data will be saved into your own personal Database, so even if someone did steal your glove, they would only be able to have access to their own database."

"I'm sure you're wondering how the scanned ability cards will work in battle. For this though, there are actually two different options. The first one, is that the holographic screen shows all the cards that your Bakugan possess, and from then on it's just an easy pick and throw. The second option, which I like to call the more… exciting option, is you shout out your ability cards like so… Ability Activate! Dive Mirage!" As soon as Marucho said this, the ability card materialised from thin air, just hovering above his palm. "How to activate it though, is what I call the exciting part. All you have to do is close your hands into a fist, and…" Marucho continued as he made a fist with the gloved hand. Instantly, the materialized card shattered, gaining some looks of awe from the crowd.

"The third and final feature is that instead of the AI shouting out the battles from here, you'll receive a notification from your gauntlet, which shows you who your next battle is against and the arena you're fighting in. Another nifty feature, for those newcomers, is that the gauntlet also had a built-in map of Bakugan Interspace. When you activate it, you appear as a white dot on the screen, and if you have a battle about to start, it shows the path of where you need to go in the form of a series of blue dots leading towards the Arena. If you're also a newcomer and just looking to browse around Bakugan Interspace, or want to go to a particular arena just to train, then all you have to do is click on the white dot that you represent, and the area you want to visit, and a path of blue dots form, leading you towards your destination."

"However, while there are many other features to come, we do not have the time to discuss them as of now. Moving on from the gauntlets, this year, the Summer Tournament will be taking a slightly different approach. Instead of one match at a time, this year, a battle will be occurring in each arena of Bakugan Interspace, and the winner of each battle will be decided through whoever wins the most matches out of three matches, rather than using the life gauge system. Also, there is also a point system involved for each battle which will then, at the end of the Summer Tournament, will add towards your individual points on the Leader-board. Of course, the more you progress, the more points you gain, and the more likely chance you are to increase your rank. If there are no further questions, please make your way towards the exits where you will receive your new gauntlets. Once you get your glove, you will receive a notification of who you're going to be pitted against and which arena your battle is taking place. That is all."

Before any of the competitors could bombard Marucho with any questions, Marucho disappeared from the platform, the crowd only just realizing that he was a holographic projection. However, this didn't seem to deteriorate any of their confidence, and seconds later, the silence was broken as the chatter began to erupt from the crowd, no doubt discussing about the new changes that were to appear in Bakugan Interspace.

The group of four then proceeded to make their way towards the exit, each picking a black fingerless glove on their way out. "So, what options are you guys choosing for the battles?" Theodore asked as he put on the fingerless glove, which turned into a light green colour, representing his Ventus attribute. "I'm definitely going for the second option! I don't know how he came up with that idea, but it was totally ingenious."

"Did you see the way Marucho crushed the card in his hand? That was so AWESOME! I'm definitely picking that second option!" Dante said in a childish manner, frantically searching the holographic screen of his now ocean blue glove.

"I think I'm going to go with the first option" Moses said, tapping the centre of the palm of his now light brown glove, the holographic screen popping up. "I've already gotten used to drawing my cards out anyway since I've been brawling for quite a few years."

"I'm going to have to side with Moses on this one. Although the built-in scanner was a nice feature to newly developed "gauntlets"" Chinatsu said, scanning through the Leader board her now whitish yellow glove. However, before the four could continue scrolling through the new features of the gloves, they each—with the exception of Moses—received a notification on the screens of their gloves. They each reluctantly tapped the notification, and a brawler's picture popped up on each of their screen. Both Dante and Theodore smirked when they realized that they had a picture of each other flashing on their screens.

"Looks like it's time to finally figure out if you're all bark and no bite" Dante said.

"I'm going to enjoy wiping that childish smirk off your face" Dante said, matching Dante's smirk. "Speaking of battles, who did you get?"

"Oh, I got some girl named Amy Foster" Chinatsu said, making Theodore groan and Moses grin evilly at Theodore. "Um, am I missing something?"

"I've actually met and battled against Amy Foster before. She has some crazy obsession that I destroyed her reputation, and now she wants to settle the score by battling me in the Summer Tournament" Theodore said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Don't forget your 'moment' just a couple of minutes ago" Moses said slyly nudging Theodore, who now had a light shade of pink now sported on his cheeks as he tried to form an answer, but it all came in stutters.

"Oh" was Chinatsu's only response, but she couldn't help but feeling that there was more to this situation than meets the eye. However, before she could enquire more about this situation, Dante brought up an important question.

"Hey, Moses. How come you didn't receive any notification?" Dante asked, just slightly breaking out of his childish character.

"Simple. I'm not participating in the Summer Tournament" Moses said coolly, receiving shocked expressions from his peers, mainly Theodore. "I only said I was going to meet you here, I never said I was going to participate in the competition. While I don't think there's anyone worth showing my skills to, I still think it would be nice to watch and see how you've all grown this past month."

Before Theodore could protest, he felt himself being dragged across the concrete floor. "Come on, Theodore, we have to get to Arena B so that I can finally teach you who's boss!" Dante said excitedly, his childish behaviour resurfacing. Theodore rolled his eyes, a small smile tugging on the corners of his lips before picking himself off the ground. He quickly turned to the direction that Dante had run off to, only to smash into something, knocking him back down to the ground.

"Talk about déjà vu" Theodore muttered under his breath before he turned his head to the mysterious figure in front of him. The figure was female, with long purple hair that was done in a side braid, and dark charcoal eyes that were glaring back at his forest green eyes. She was dressed in a purple long sleeved t-shirt with a circuit design, a black sleeveless leather jacket—that Theodore wasn't sure if it was designed to make it look like the arms had been ripped off, or if the arms of the leather jacket had actually been ripped off—a short black skirt with dark purple leggings and black sneakers with a purple sole.

"Watch where you're going, loser" the girl said, before brushing past Theodore. Theodore narrowed his eyes at the girl's retreating form before shaking his head and walking forward, the memory of the girl still fresh in his mind.

"Welcome one and all to the Summer Tournament!" the announcer said, causing the fans in the stands in erupt in a volley of cheers. "Today in Arena E, one of the first matches of the Summer Tournament is about to commence! Our first challenger: Nicknamed the Fiery Dragonfly, with brawling skills as hot as her looks, our 60th ranked brawler, Amy Foster!"

The crowd broke into cheers as Amy walked onto the platform, smiling and waving cheerfully at her numerous fans. Streak Blazer sat on her shoulder, frantically moving her wings as if to mimic her partner.

"Our next challenger: She might be shy, but with a heart of gold, and a ferocious sabretooth tiger to guide her through, she can accomplish anything that comes her way, our 97th ranked brawler, Chinatsu Tanaka!"

The crowd erupted in a mass of cheers as Chinatsu shyly made her way up the platform, a blush of embarrassment adorned on her cheeks.

"You know, I was hoping to battle Theodore sooner in this competition, but I guess you'll have to do for now" Amy said as she grinning determinedly, causing Chinatsu to stutter as she tried to think of a cool comeback, but couldn't come up with anything.

"Stay calm Chinatsu, you can handle her as long as we work as a team" Lazuli said as she rolled onto Chinatsu's shoulder. Chinatsu nodded as she took in her partner's words, mustering up as much courage as she could, matching Amy's grin.

"Let the battle commence!" the announcer said as the battlefield slowly turned into a desert.

"You won't have that childish grin of yours when I'm finished with you" Theodore said as he selected a gate card from his holographic deck, which instantly materialised onto the battlefield. The plain battlefield now shifted into an urban town setting.

"Why don't you talking and put your money where your mouth is?" Dante smirked, causing Theodore to chuckle lightly.

"Bakugan brawl! Ventus Ravenoid, stand!" Theodore said, throwing the Ventus bakugan onto the gate card.

"I was hoping to face off against your guardian bakugan first, but it will be over even when you do send him in" Dante smirked before pulling out Aquos Siege from his pocket, gripping it tightly. "Let's rack up the first win of the tournament, Siege! Bakugan brawl! Aquos Siege, stand!"

"I will do everything in my power to protect my master" Aquos Siege said as he turned into his bakugan form. He looked just like a typical Siege, except in his left hand he now wielded a blue shield with a light blue trim that was shaped like a cross, and instead of a spear, he now wielded a trident.

Ravenoid: 580 Siege: 650

"Only 650Gs? This is going to be a piece of cake" Theodore smirked as he looked at the Power levels on his holographic screen.

"The number of Gs that a Bakugan has doesn't always display how much power a Bakugan holds" Dante said as an ability card materialized above his hand. "Ability Activate! Heaven's Light!" Dante said, crushing the ability card. Siege was then enshrouded with a light blue aura as he moved into a fighting stance, almost taunting Theodore to attack.

"If you're not going to attack, then I'll do it for you. Ability Activate! Immobile!" Theodore shouting, smashing the ability card into small bits of holographic glass-like shards. Clouds of smoke began to appear all around the battlefield as which formed into a sea of Ravenoids.

"Is that all you've got?" Dante taunted.

"Not in the least. Ability Activate! Raven's Fury!" All the Ravenoids were encased in a fiery green aura before they charged towards the Aquos bakugan. Siege shifted his stance slightly before he was covered in a mass of Ravenoids.

Ravenoid: 780 Siege: 450

Theodore smirked at Dante, only for the Aquos brawler to point downwards towards the battlefield. Theodore raised his eyebrow before turning towards the battlefield. There was some slight budging in the dome of Ravenoid, before they were all thrown off Siege's frame, the clones all turning into bursts of smoke and the original Ravenoid being sent into an office building.

"You were saying?" Dante smirked.

Theodore growled before opening his palm. "Ability Activate! Storm Breaker!" Ravenoid began spinning in the air as he flew towards Siege, creating a small wind dome around him.

Ravenoid: 980 Siege: 450

"Hn. If that's all you've got, then you're no match for Siege and I. Ability Activate! Angel's Shield!" Siege held his shield out to meet Ravenoid's dome. Ravenoid was trying to push through, but for some reason the wind dome was losing power and he was beginning to slow down, before being sent into another building.

Ravenoid: 680 Siege: 850

"What happened? I've never seen Storm Breaker get tossed around like that" Theodore said as Ravenoid struggled to get to his feet.

"Let me let you in on a little secret. Angel's Shield not only adds 100Gs to Aquos Siege, but it all absorbs the energy from the opponent's attack and transfers it to Siege. Add that to Heaven's Light which not only boosts up Siege's attack and defence power, but also adds an extra 100Gs to any ability card played in the next four turns" Dante said. "Time to finish this, Ability Activate! Knight's Honour: Crystal Trident!"

The blade of Siege's trident turned into a hard crystal which had a fiery blue aura as he began to sprint towards Ravenoid, ready to deal the final blow.

Ravenoid: 430 Siege: 1150

"Oh no you don't! Gate Card Open! Curtain Call!" Theodore called out just before Siege had struck Sentinel. The gate card was engulfed into a bright light before exploding, send both bakugan back to their partners.

"Hey, what happened?" Dante whined, stomping his feet onto the platform as a tick mark appeared on his forehead.

"I suggest you come down, my lord" Siege said, but his plea fell on deaf ears.

"Curtain Call, while I can only use it once every battle, is a very useful gate card that resets the battle and sends each bakugan on the field back to their brawlers. A useful card for scouting your opponents, don't you think?" Theodore said as he set another gate card onto the battlefield, sending green shockwaves all around the field. "Bakugan brawl! Ventus Sentinel, stand!"

"I was wondering when you were going to send me in" Sentinel said as he transformed into his bakugan form.

"Argh! I'll get you for that! Bakugan brawl, Aquos Siege, stand!" Dante said as he angrily threw Siege onto the battlefield.

Sentinel: 700 Siege: 650

"Looks like we have the advantage so far, so let's keep it that way. Fusion Ability Activate! Shadow Assault!" Theodore said. Sentinel was surrounded in a fiery green aura, which then began to form two Sentinel clones on either side of Sentinel clones began to fly towards Siege, throwing a flurry of kicks and punches towards Siege.

Sentinel: 850 Siege: 650

"Ability Activate! Heaven's Light! Siege, you know what to do" Dante said. Siege was covered a light blue aura as he got into his fighting stance, narrowing his eyes slightly as the two Sentinel clones neared him. The first clone aimed a kick towards his head while the second bombarded him with some wild punches, which he easily parried with his shield before swinging his trident horizontally towards the Sentinel clones. Siege allowed a small smile to form on his lips as his trident easily cut through the Sentinel clones, but was shocked as the Sentinel clones burst into a cloud of black smoke, rendering his eyesight useless. Siege squinted his eyes as he tried to see through the smoke, but to no avail.

"Siege, what's happening?" Dante said, his eyes widening in shock.

"Now, Sentinel, before they have a chance to recover" Theodore said as he crushed the ability card in his hand. "Ability Activate! Reaper's Void!"

Sentinel charged up a ball of purple energy in the middle of his palms as Siege waved his hands around frantically, trying to clear the black smoke from his peripheral vision. With a loud shout, arrow-shaped tendrils shot out from the purple ball of energy, which crashed into Siege's torso, sending him skidding along the road, a wave of destroyed tarmac following his path.

Sentinel: 1150 Siege: 550

"SIEGE!" Dante said as he looked towards the cloud of smoke where his bakugan had been thrown to.

"That should do the trick" Sentinel smirked, but narrowed his eyes soon after as a figure began to emerge from the depths of the smoke.

"Don't underestimate the strength of the bond that I share with my master, or else it will be your downfall" Siege said as he twirled his trident around.

"Alright, we can still win this! Ability Activate! Tri Dragon Storm!" Dante shouted cheerfully. Siege was covered in a tornado of water. Sentinel widened his eyes as the water tornado began to take the form of a dragon which, when Siege pointed his trident towards him, shot forward, aiming to deal some terrible damage. Sentinel, not having the time to dodge due to the unnatural speed of the water dragon, took the force head on, sending him through a few buildings.

Sentinel: 850 Siege: 850

"How do you like that, huh?" Dante smirked.

Sentinel coughed out some water as he struggled to get to his feet, which wings now drenched which would make him unable to fly for the time being. He allowed a small smile to form on his lips. This was definitely going to be interesting. Picking himself off, he crossed his arms and locked his eyes with Siege as they engaged themselves in a heated stare down, taunting the over to make a move. Dante—keeping up to his childish nature—began to lose his patience.

"This… Is… BORING! Ability Activate! Aquos Haven!" Dante growled. The battlefield was soon engulfed in a mass of water, reaching up to Siege and Sentinel's knees.

Sentinel: 850 Siege: 1050

"Is that all you've got? A bunch of water?" Theodore laughed.

"Don't count your chickens just yet" Dante said, crushing the ability card in his hand. "Ability Activate! Eye of the Whirlpool!"

Sentinel's eyes were covered in a light blue aura as the water around them began to move around frantically, rising up to great heights. Sentinel narrowed his eyes as the water formed a huge dome around the two bakugan.

"If this is all you've got, then I guess my expectations of this battle has severely dwindled" Sentinel said, separating his feet slightly as he held up two fingers in the middle of his face while his other arm grasped his elbow, keeping his arm in place. "Theodore, you know what to do."

"Ability Activate! Aerial Ace!"

A smug grin formed on Sentinel's lips as he disappeared from Siege's peripheral vision. Siege narrowed his eyes slightly before moving his shield to the side, blocking an incoming punch from Sentinel. Sentinel smiled slightly at Siege's ability to doge such a high speed punch, but then again, that was just the beginning.

Sentinel: 950 Siege: 1050

Sentinel gave Siege a cheeky smile before disappearing again. Siege searched around the dome, knowing he wouldn't have gotten out due to rapid movement of the water. Suddenly, Siege felt a strong kick to his back, sending him stumbling forward, but managed to get his footing before he fell to the ground. However, with his guard now lowered, he received a powerful right hook. Before Siege could raise his guard up, he felt Sentinel's talons sink into his stomach, sending him just a few centimetres away from the dome. Sentinel now stood in the middle of the dome, a smug grin plastered on his face.

"Come on Siege! Get back in there!" Dante said, trying to motivate his partner.

"Don't worry, master. I will not let you down" Siege said as he slowly got to his feet, ignoring the pain.

"That's the spirit! Ability Activate! Shark Torpedo!" Dante shouted excitedly.

"Spirits of the Sea, lend me your energy!" Siege said as he twirled the trident around in his left hand before aiming it at Sentinel. Instantly three water sharks shot out from the dome all charging towards Sentinel, who had now lost his boost in speed, and was only able to take the full force of the attack. The force of the attack sent him straight into the water dome, which began to circle him around the dome before spitting him back into the dome. Sentinel choked as he struggled to get to his feet, the fast moving waves leaving him a bit winded.

Sentinel: 750 Siege: 1250

"There it is. Dante pulls off a magnificent

"Master, I do believe it is time to finish this fight" Siege said, almost as his energy depleted as he shifted all his weight onto his trident.

"I couldn't agree more" Danto said as he held up a holographic card above his hand.

"Oh, no you don't" Theodore said as he had an ability card ready at his fingertips.

"Ability Activate! Knight's Honour: Vorpal Blade!"

"Ability Activate! Soul Tempest: Soul Tempest: Final Judgement!"

Siege was covered in a blazing blue aura as he charged forward, aiming his trident—which now had elongated blades—forward. At the same time, the battle was covered in a blanket of darkness, the only visible light being Siege's blazing blue aura and Sentinel green aura with purple wisps which covered his fists and feet. The two bakugan clashed in the middle, fists meeting trident as both bakugan battled for dominance. Seconds later, there was a loud explosion, both the challengers and the audience hanging on the edge of their seats as the wondered which bakugan had taken the first victory.

Suddenly, there was a flash of green as Sentinel returned to his ball form and landed at Theodore's feet, leaving Siege alone on the battlefield.

Sentinel: 1050(K.O) Siege: 1350

"There you have it, folks. Dante Pierce and his Aquos Siege take the first win of the Preliminary Knockout Stage of the Summer Tournament!" the announcer's voice boomed through the speakers as the crowd erupted in cheers at the magnificent battle display.

"I'm sorry, Theodore. I wasn't strong enough" Sentinel said as Theodore picked him up.

"Don't worry, Sentinel. You tried your best. Now that we know how they fight, I've got a perfect strategy to deal with them in the second match" Theodore said as he watched Dante jump around happily, ecstatic about grabbing the first win of the tournament.

Streak-Blazer and Lazuli were locked in a heated stare, waiting for their partners to make a move.

Streak-Blazer: 750 Lazuli: 750

"Ability Activate! Sonic Blaze!" Amy shouted as she selected an ability card from her holographic screen. Streak-Blazer wings and feet were now surrounded in a fiery red aura. The Pyrus bakugan smirked before flying at high speeds, looking almost as if she was teleporting as she appeared at random in every direction. Lazuli was able to dodge almost all of Streak-Blazer's blows—only just taking a few hits here and there—but she couldn't help but feel something was off. Her eyes slowly widened when she figured it out. This was only a distraction. However, before she could react, she felt Streak-Blazer foot connect with the side of her head.

Streak-Blazer: 900 Lazuli: 500

"Chinatsu, a little help here" Lazuli said, regaining her footing at the last second as she landed on her paws.

"R-right. Ability Activate, Jungle Spirit!" Chinatsu stuttered.

"I'll show you the true queen of speed" Lazuli said as she sprinted towards Streak-Blazer at lightning fast speeds—despite the large amount of sand beneath her feet—before bashing into the Pyrus bakugan's stomach, leaving Streak-Blazer winded. Giving her no time to recover, Lazuli then followed it up with a scratch to Streak-Blazer's chest, sending her to the ground.

Streak-Blazer: 800 Lazuli: 600

"Lucky shot" Streak-Blazer growled as she got to her feet. "Amy, hit me up with another one."

"Ability Activate! Dragon's Hammer!" Amy shouted. Streak-Blazer shot forward, aiming her fist—which was now covered in a blazing red aura—towards the Haos bakugan, raising her power level by 200Gs to 1000Gs, while decreasing Lazuli's power level by the same amount, dropping it down to 400Gs.

"Um, Ability Activate! Electro Slash!" Chinatsu said shyly. Lazuli charged towards Streak-Blazer, her claws—which has grown slightly longer and were now surrounded in yellow electric sparks—meeting Streak-Blazer's fist. A cloud of smoke erupted from where the two attacks met, sending both bakugan flying backwards. Streak-Blazer used her wings to balance herself, while Lazuli landed on her paws at the last second, skidding backwards slightly.

Streak-Blazer: 700 Lazuli: 700

"Looks like we're evenly matched… but not for long" Amy said, smiling. "I never thought I would have to result to this, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Come, Bakugan Trap: Chartah!"

Amy smiled as she threw a parallelogram-shaped prism onto the battlefield. A tornado of fire surrounded the Bakugan Trap before a figure burst through. The Bakugan Trap was a cheetah with reddish-orange fur and charcoal black spots. It had elongated claws that were made from bronze, and a small flame sat on the tip of its tail.

Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 970 Lazuli: 700

Cheetah's are notoriously known for their speed, and add that to Streak-Blazer's own speed, I may not be able to handle the both of them, Lazuli said as she narrowed her eyes at the two Pyrus bakugan. Chinatsu, I hope you make the correct move.

"C-come, Bakugan T-trap: Fencer!" Chinatsu stammered, throwing the cube-shaped Bakugan Trap onto the battlefield. Fencer bashed his sword and shield together before taking a protective stance in front of Lazuli, glaring at the Pyrus bakugan.

Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 970 Lazuli/Fencer: 1050

"You may have the advantage, but the tides can turn very quickly in a battle" Amy said. "Ability Activate! Phoenix Hell Cannon!"

The spots on Chartah's body began to shift from black to red as she sprinted towards Fencer, before releasing numerous streams of fire. As she neared the Haos Trap Bakugan, she began to spin, the streams of fire creating a protective dome of fire around her.

Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1170 Lazuli/Fencer: 850

"Ability Activate! Emperor Shield!" Chinatsu said. Fencer quickly moved into his shield stance, a yellow hexagonal barrier forming around him and Lazuli just before Chartah's attack could make contact. However, Chartah was persistent, the flames around her slowly increasing as she tried to break through the barrier. Fencer tried to hold it to the best of his ability, but was clearly struggling, which was shown by cracks that were slowly appearing on the barrier. Fencer has beads of sweat running down his face as he tried to hold the barrier, but that proved to be a struggle as the cracks soon began to join at the tip of Chartah's fire dome, before she burst through and bashed into Fencer, sending him rolling backwards.

Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1170 Lazuli/Fencer: 1250

"Fencer!" Chinatsu cried as she watched her Trap Bakugan get tossed aside so easily.

"Chinatsu, get a hold of yourself. You can still turn this around if you believe in yourself" Lazuli advised her partner.

"Y-you're right, Lazuli. I-I can't just give up now" Chinatsu nodded slowly with newfound determination. At the same time, Fencer was slowly picking himself, a determined look now forming on his face. "That's the spirit, Fencer. Ability Activate! Sword Ravager!"

Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 770 Lazuli/Fencer: 1250

The tip of Fencer's sword was covered in a white aura before he charged towards Chartah. However, despite his now raised spirits, Chartah was still faster than, and managed to dodge all of Fencer's swings. Getting tired of Fencer's advancements, Chartah ducked underneath Fencer's swing before scratching her metallic claws on Fencer's chest, sending him skidding backwards.

"Let's show those two some real firepower!" Streak-Blazer said, getting fired up.

"Double Ability Activate! Blazing Fury plus Dragon's Roar!"

Streak-Blazer was surrounded in a fiery red aura that resembled a flame as she flew towards Fencer, spinning around in a similar fashion to Chartah's Phoenix Flame Cannon. At the same time, Chartah's maw began to glow before she let out a fierce roar, shooting red rings that resembled shockwaves out of her maw, which wrapped around Streak-Blazer, strengthening her attack. Fencer had no time to defend himself as the attack hit him head on, causing him to be terminated from the battle.

Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1070 Lazuli: 850

"Now let's finish this. Double Ability Activate! Phoenix Hell Cannon plus Blazing Fury!" Chartah began to release bursts of fire from her dots while Streak-Blazer was covered in a dome of fire. The two Pyrus bakugan began to spin around each other as they neared Lazuli, creating a huge tornado of fire that smashed into Lazuli, knocking her out of the battle and grabbing the first win.

Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1370 Lazuli: 550(K.O)

"Amy and her guardian bakugan totally lit the stage in flames as they grab the first win of the First Round" the announcer said, his voice just barely being heard as the crowd erupted in a volley of cheers.

"I'm sorry I wasn't much help out there, Lazuli-san. I could've done better" Chinatsu said as she picked up her guardian bakugan from the ground.

"It's not your fault, Chinatsu. We all make mistakes sometimes. But all we can do now is keep moving forward" Lazuli said, slowly bringing up her partner's confidence.

"Ability Activate! Reaper's Void!"

"Ability Activate! Angel's Shield!"

Sentinel charged up a ball of purple energy which then shot out arrow-like tendrils towards Siege, but used Angel's Shield to successfully shield himself from the attack and absorb the energy from the blow.

Siege: 850 Sentinel: 800

"I'm sick and tired of always staying on the defensive side. It's time to crank things up a notch!" Dante said angrily as he crushed the holographic gate card in his hands. "Ability Activate! Tri Dragon Storm!"

A dome of water burst from the ground and formed a dragon of water around Siege, who then sprinted forward, aiming his trident at Siege.

Siege: 1150 Sentinel: 500

"Time for a power boost of our own. Ability Activate! Demonic Ascension!" Dark clouds began to form above Sentinel, before a bolt of purple lightning shot down towards Sentinel, giving him an increase in strength and speed as a dark purple aura formed around him. Grinning evilly, he flew forward, throwing his fist to meet the water dragon. Both attacks collided, the impact creating a large crater beneath them. Both bakugan fought for dominance, but when it was clear that they would get nowhere with this, they separated, however never taking the eyes of the other.

Siege: 1150 Sentinel: 800

"Argh! Gate card, open! Aquos Hazard!" Dante said as the gate card lit up from beneath the bakugan's feet. Sentinel's body began to glow before he turned from green and black to a light blue colour.

"What the—What happened to my awesome green and black colour scheme?" Sentinel said, an expression of disgust evident of his face as he rubbed his body, frantically trying to rid himself of the horrible blue colour scheme but to no avail. "I definitely do not good look in blue."

"How does it feel to become an Aquos Bakugan? Doesn't it feel great?" Dante smiled.

"Don't think I'm going to just hand you a win on a silver platter. Ability Card Activate! Spiral Shatter!" Theodore said just before Dante could play another ability card. A ball of wind began to form in Sentinel's right hand, before he brought it down towards the ground, shattering the gate card and turning Sentinel back to his normal colour scheme.

"Hey, no fair. I haven't even gotten the chance to play Tsunami yet!" Dante said, stomping his foot on the ground.

"My lord, I suggest you calm down. It is not a good strategy to battle when stressed" Siege advised his partner.

"You're right, Siege. We can't back down now" Dante said, quickly gaining his composure. He then pulled out a cube-shaped bakugan before throwing it onto the battlefield. "Siege, time for some backup. Come, Bakugan Trap: Manta!"

A torrent of water shot out from where the cube-shaped bakugan had landed before the water sunk back down into the ground, revealing a blue manta ray with really light blue—almost white—stomach. She had a large fin on her back and a small cannon on the end of her tail.

Siege/Manta: 1300 Sentinel: 800

"Time for some backup of our own. Come, Bakugan Trap: Oragon!" Dante said, throwing the spherical Bakugan Trap onto the battlefield. Oragon stood beside Sentinel, arms crossed and his scarf covering his mouth as he kept his eye on the two bakugan in front of him.

Siege/Manta: 1300 Sentinel/Oragon: 1070

"Ability Activate! Aquashot!" Manta aimed her tail at Oragon before shooting a round of blue laser beams towards the Ventus Bakugan Trap. The scarf that Oragon wore formed a pair of purple wings on his back before he shot into the air, skilfully dodging the laser beams.

Siege/Manta: 1400 Sentinel/Oragon: 1070

"You call that firepower? Ability Activate! Destiny Flight!" Theodore taunted. Clouds began to form above Oragon, who was pointing his finger towards the sky. He took a look at the two Aquos bakugan beneath him before pointing his finger in their direction. As soon as he did this, purple lightning shot down towards Siege and Manta, both bakugan crying out in pain as electricity coursed through their bodies.

Siege/Manta: 1100 Sentinel/Oragon: 1070

"Now, Theodore. Before they have a chance to recover!" Sentinel said.

"Ability Activate! Reaper's Void!" Dante shouted as Sentinel charged up a sphere of purple energy in his hands. With a loud battle cry, numerous tendrils shot out of the ball, each of them striking the Aquos bakugan below them, sending them into the walls of what looked to be a shopping centre.

Siege/Manta: 1000 Sentinel/Oragon: 1200

"You call that teamwork?! I'll blow your socks off with this move!" Dante said determinedly as Siege and Manta got to their feet and began to charge towards Sentinel and Oragon. "Ability Activate! Sky Surfer!"

Mid-charge, Siege jumped on top of Manta, now riding on the manta ray as they charged forward. The two Ventus bakugan just narrowly managed to dodge Siege's spear, but the Aquos team showed no signs of stopping. "Double Ability Activate! Knight's Honour: Crystal Trident plus Manta Ray!"

Siege threw his trident towards Sentinel, which had now shifted from its original metal substance to a hard crystal material. At the same time, Manta shot a blue laser beam from its mouth and tail, which wrapped around the trident as it soared towards the Hybrid bakugan.

Siege/Manta: 1300 Sentinel/Oragon: 700

"Ability Activate! Diamond Edge!" Theodore shouted, crushing the holographic card in the middle of his palm. Sentinel's wings began to harden into a diamond-like substance similar to the one on Siege's trident, which he used to shield himself from the combined attack from Siege and Manta. While he had successfully shielded himself from the blow, the attack did send him skidding back a few feet.

Siege/Manta: 1300 Sentinel/Oragon: 800

"We'll show you a true collaboration technique! Double Ability Activate, Velocity Burst" Oragon was covered in a fiery green aura before he flew towards Siege and Manta, "... plus Reaper's Void!" A trio of tendrils shot out from Sentinel's purple sphere, wrapping themselves around Oragon, who bashed into Siege—who was separated from the Aquos Bakugan Trap—and Manta—who was knocked out of the battle. However, the victory was short-lived as Oragon himself was also knocked out of the battle.

Siege: 800 Sentinel: 530

"Let's finish this Sentinel!" Theodore said to his partner, who was panting slightly. "Fusion Ability Activate! Shadow Assault!" Sentinel was covered in a white aura which formed four Sentinel clones, two on each side. Nodding to each other, the clones charged forward towards the Aquos bakugan.

Siege: 800 Sentinel: 680

"Argh! Why won't you just fall?!" Dante said angrily, taking a look at his partner who was also showing signs of fatigue. "Ability Activate! Shark Torpedo!" Water shot up from the ground in front of Siege, which formed three water sharks. The sharks smashed straight into the clones, and Siege allowed himself a small smile, but he forgot to spot one of the clones that had dodged the shark. However, it was too late, and Siege soon felt a clone take hold of his arms from behind, holding him in place. Normally, Siege would have the strength to release himself from the grapple, but due to the fatigue, all he could do was struggle to break free, but all his attempts were in vain.

Siege: 1000 Sentinel: 480

"Now, Sentinel! Ability Activate! Soul Judgment: Leaf Hurricane!" Theodore shouted with all his might. Sentinel smirked, before vanishing from Siege's field of vision. Siege widened his eyes in surprise as he searched the battlefield for Sentinel's presence. He felt the clone release his hold, but before he could react, he felt Sentinel's foot smash into his jaw, sending him into the sky. Sentinel shot up towards Siege, and wrapped his wings and arms around Siege's frame. As they began to make their descent towards the ground, Sentinel began to spin them both around, creating a low whistling sound. Just before the two bakugan touched the ground, Sentinel separated from Siege, and he watched as Siege's body impacted with the ground, creating a small crater where he landed. Sentinel grinned as Siege was covered in a light blue aura before returning to his ball form and landing at Dante's feet.

Siege: 700(K.O) Sentinel: 980

"Gate card, set!" Chinatsu said as a gate card materialised onto the sandy floor, sending yellow shockwaves all around the field. "Bakugan brawl! Haos Lazuli, stand!"

Lazuli let out a roar as she landed on the gate card, determined to grab the win and keep them from losing in the tournament so early.

"I've got to admit, I like your style, but I'm the one who is going to win this battle" Amy said as she threw Streak-Blazer onto the gate card. "Bakugan brawl! Pyrus Streak-Blazer, stand!"

Lazuli: 750 Streak-Blazer: 750

"A-ability Activate! Soft Paws" Chinatsu said, tapping on one of the ability cards on her holographic screen. Lazuli's paws were covered in a light yellow aura as she ran towards Streak-Blazer, throwing numerous palm attacks at the Pyrus bakugan.

Lazuli: 950 Streak-Blazer: 550

"Ability Activate! Dragon's Hammer!" Amy said as Streak-Blazer's hands were coated in flames, easily matching Lazuli's blows, leaving both bakugan at a stalemate and putting their Gs back to their base levels.

"You're going to have to do better than that, kitty cat" Streak-Blazer taunted as Lazuli let out a low growl at the statement.

"Ability Activate! Infinite Blaze!" Streak-Blazer was surrounding in an aura of fire, which she then began to channel towards her right hand as it formed a fire ball in the middle of her palms that was steadily growing in size.

"Chinatsu, if you're going to do something, now would be a good time" Lazuli said.

"G-got it. Ability Activate, Electroburst!" Lazuli opened her maw as she began to charge up a light blue ball, completely made of electricity. When each of their attacks were of a reasonable size, Lazuli and Streak-Blazer released their attacks. Fire and electricity clashed as they fought for dominance, but exploded in a cloud of smoke as they couldn't contain their energy enough longer.

Lazuli: 450 Streak-Blazer: 450

"Now, L-Lazuli-san. Ability Activate! Diamond Fangs!" Chinatsu said. Lazuli burst through the smoke, surprising Streak-Blazer as she bit into the Pyrus bakugan's shoulder with her now diamond sabretooth fangs, finishing off the attack with a swift kick to Streak-Blazer's abdomen, sending her down into the sand-covered ground.

At this rate, we're probably not going to get anywhere, Amy thought. Little did she now that her opponent was also thinking along the same lines.

Come on, there's got to be something that can give us the edge we need, Chinatsu thought, before her eyes widened in realization. "Gate card, open! Triple Battle!"

The gate card glowed white as both bakugan were frozen on the spot, waiting for another bakugan to enter the field. "It's been a while since I've used you, but I'm counting on you" Chinatsu said softly as she gripped the bakugan in her hand tightly, before turning her gaze towards the battlefield. "Bakugan brawl! Robotallion, stand!"

Lazuli: 450 Streak-Blazer: 450

Robotallion: 500

"Now, Robotallion! Ability Activate! Robotallion Enforcement!" Chinatsu shouted. Robotallion was surrounded in a yellow aura before he charged towards Streak-Blazer. Streak-Blazer dodged the first swing towards her head, before parrying the next blow that was aimed at her side. Robotallion once again aimed at Streak-Blazer's head, which she easily ducked under, but her eyes quickly widened when she realized it was a feint. Robotallion then aimed his right leg at her face, Streak-Blazer only just managing to shield her face with her hands as she was sent a few feet backwards.

Lazuli: 450 Streak-Blazer: 450

Robotallion: 600

"Is that all you've got? I've seen Centipoids that hit harder than you" Streak-Blazer taunted, dusting herself off.

"I'm just getting started" Chinatsu said, filled with newfound determination. "Double Ability Activate! Plasma Cannon..."

Robotallion aimed his hands at Streak-Blazer, the cannons on his arms glowing before firing multiple yellow beams towards Streak-Blazer. The Pyrus bakugan easily dodged the beams, however, she failed to notice Lazuli who had now leapt into the air off of Robotallion's shoulders. "… plus Soft Paws!" Lazuli sent numerous palm attacks into Streak-Blazer's stomach, knocking the air out of the Pyrus bakugan as she was sent back down into the ground.

Lazuli: 650 Streak-Blazer: 150

Robotallion: 800

"Amy, do something" Streak-Blazer groaned as she struggled to get to her feet.

"We'll counter with a double ability of our own! Double Ability Activate! Ancient Power plus Sonic Blaze!" Amy shouted. Streak-Blazer was surrounded in a raging white aura, and her palms, which were now covered in flames, began to form a fireball in her hands. The white aura was slowly channeled into the fireball, making it grow in size. With a loud cry, Streak-Blazer shot the fireball towards the two Haos bakugan.

Lazuli: 250 Streak-Blazer: 750

Robotallion: 400

"Ability Activate! Haos Barrier!" Robotallion slammed his hands to the ground, and a wall made of a yellow aura shot up from the ground, shielding Lazuli and Robotallion from the attack. The fireball connected with the wall, leaving a cloud of smoke where the fireball smashed into the wall.

Lazuli: 250 Streak-Blazer: 650

Robotallion: 500

Robotallion released the ability, causing the wall to fade out. However, as soon as he did this, Streak-Blazer shot through the cloud of smoke, shocking the two Haos bakugan as they were unable to dodge Streak-Blazer's next move.

"Ability Activate! Poison Fang!" Streak-Blazer grinned evilly before she—somehow—sunk her fangs—which were now covered in a purple aura—into Robotallion's shoulder. At first there was no initial impact, but a few seconds later, Robotallion dropped to his knee, clutching his shoulder in pain as he panted heavily.

Lazuli: 250 Streak-Blazer: 750

Robotallion: 300

"Robotallion?! What happened?" Chinatsu said as she worriedly watched her bakugan struggle to his feet, only for his attempts to be in vain as he soon fell back to his knees.

"Poison Fang is an ability card that—if carried out successfully—sends a vile poison into the opponent's bakugan's system. Usually, it takes a couple of rounds for the bakugan to feel the effects of the poison, but I guess the fact that normal bakugan are naturally weaker than guardian bakugan, means the poison runs through the circulatory system much quicker" Amy grinned. "Due to this revelation, I guess your bakugan has about two or three rounds before he is knocked out of the battle."

"Then we have to make use of those chances" Lazuli said, turning her gaze to her partner. Chinatsu nodded before selecting a card on her holographic screen.

"Ability Activate! Haos: Spiral Sniper!" Robotallion's fists began to glow yellow before they shot off his arms, flying towards Streak-Blazer. However, due to the poison, they were slightly slow in terms of speed, which allowed Streak-Blazer to maneuver past them with ease. Robotallion soon fell to his knees afterwards, his hands—which had been reattached to his arms—over his mouth, barely holding in the violent coughs.

Lazuli: 250 Streak-Blazer: 550

Robotallion: 500

"Looks like robot boy over there isn't doing so good" Streak-Blazer said, feigning surprise. "Why don't we put him out of his misery?"

"Ability Activate! Dragon's Hammer!" Amy said. Streak-Blazer fists were covered in a fiery red aura as she sped towards the poisoned Robotallion, raising her Gs from 550Gs to 750Gs while dropping each of the other bakugan's Gs by 200Gs each.

"Oh no you don't. Ability Activate! Electroburst!" Lazuli charged up a light blue ball of electricity in her mouth, before shooting it towards Streak-Blazer, paralyzing her as the ball of electricity connected with the side of her stomach, sending her to the side.

"Argh! I can't move!" Streak-Blazer said as she struggled to move, but to avail.

Lazuli: 450 Streak-Blazer: 750

Robotallion: 400

"Robotallion!" Chinatsu said, shocked as Robotallion just managed to get to his feet, despite the damage the poison was doing to his body.

"Can you still continue?" Lazuli said, receiving a curt nod from the robot-like bakugan.

"Okay, let's make this count. Double Ability Activate! Haos: Mach Punch…" Robotallion rushed towards the paralyzed Streak-Blazer, smashing his aura encased fist into Streak-Blazer's stomach, sending her into the sky. At the same time, Lazuli leaped off Robotallion's shoulders, her claws—which had grown out and were surrounded in yellow electric sparks—aimed at Streak-Blazer. "… Plus Electro Slash!"

Lazuli drove her claws her claws into Streak-Blazer's stomach. Streak-Blazer let out a cry of pain as she began to glow red before returning back to her ball form and landing at Amy's feet. Lazuli roared triumphantly and Robotallion got into his fighting stance before both bakugan were covered in a yellow aura and returned into their ball forms.

Lazuli: 750 Streak-Blazer: 250(K.O)

Robotallion: 600

"What a spectacular battle! Both contenstants are neck and neck as we go into the third round to determine who will walk out of the arena victorious!" the announcer said as both girls had a determined glint in their eyes, knowing fully well that they would have to go all out in their next battle if they stood a chance of qualifying to the next round.

"So, final round, huh? I have to say I've never been pushed this far before so it's time to get serious!" Dante said, a determined grin forming on his face.

"You? Serious? You didn't pass me off as someone who could be serious, but I guess I'll play along" Theodore smirked. "Besides, since it's the final battle I guess I have to give it my all, and I'd rather have you at your best than hand me a victory on a silver platter."

Dante's grin widened as Theodore's gate card materialized onto the battlefield, sending green shockwaves all around the concrete ground. "Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! Let's end this, Ventus Sentinel!"

"Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! Show them your true power, Aquos Siege!"

Sentinel: 700 Siege: 650

"Ability Activate! Demonic Ascension!" Purple lightning shot down from the sky, powering up Sentinel as he was now surrounded in a dark purple aura, raising his G-Power to 1000Gs.

"Hey! You're not going to try attack?!" Dante yelled.

"I like to keep it small from the start" Theodore shrugged. "Besides, I can't show all my trump cards yet."

"If you're going to power up, then we'll do the same. Ability Activate! Heaven's Light!" Siege was covered in a heavenly aura as his defense and attack power increased. Sentinel smirked before charging forward. Siege narrowed his eyes before bringing his shield in front of him, blocking Sentinel's punch before swinging his trident towards Sentinel's side. Sentinel ducked underneath, before quickly flying a few feet backwards, just barely dodging an incoming kick from the Aquos bakugan.

"Ability Activate! Reaper's Void!" Theodore said, crushing the ability card in his hands. A ball of purple energy began to form in Sentinel's hands before arrow-shaped tendrils shot out from it, all aimed at Siege.

Sentinel: 1200 Siege: 600

"Ability Activate! Angel's Shield!" Siege brought his shield up in front of him, all the energy from the attack absorbed into the shield, nullifying the ability.

Sentinel: 900 Siege: 900

"Now, Siege. Let's show them what happens when we throw their power back at them" Dante said, clenching his fist as the holographic card shattered in his hands. "Ability Activate! Tri Dragon Storm!" A torrent of water shot up from the ground, wrapping itself around Siege as it formed into a dragon-like creature. Siege rushed forward, his trident aimed at Sentinel, who—due to the large size of the water dragon—was unable to dodge in time and took the full force of the attack, sending him into a couple of buildings.

Sentinel: 600 Sentinel: 1200

Siege narrowed his eyes at the cloud of smoke in front of him, waiting for Sentinel to surface, but nothing seemed to happen. Gripping his trident tightly, he let his eyes roam around the battlefield, looking for any signs of the Hybrid bakugan.

"Fusion Ability Activate! Shadow Assault!" There was a flash of green a few feet in front of him, before four Sentinel's burst through the smoke, sending a barrage of kicks and punches towards the Aquos bakugan. Siege readied his shield, knowing full well what would happen if he destroyed them. However, due to the fact that he couldn't destroy them, Siege was easily subdued by the clones, each gripping either his arms or legs.

"Now, Ability Activate! Reaper's Void!" Arrow-shaped tendrils shot out from the smoke, making contact with Siege's abdomen as he was sent flying, the clones releasing their hold from him at the last second. However, due to the activation of Heaven's Light, his aura coat had taken some of the damage from the attack, allowing him to recover much quicker.

Sentinel: 950 Siege: 1100

"You'll pay for that. Ability Activate! Eye of the Whirpool!" Masses of water shot out from the ground, leaving deep holes in the ground. The water then combined before forming a dome of constantly flowing water around the two bakugan. "Don't think I'm done yet. Ability Activate! Shark Torpedo!"

Three water sharks formed from the dome, however, it didn't seem to affect the size of the dome. The water sharks swam forward, their jaws opened—showing their razor-sharp teeth—as they smashed into Sentinel, sending him to the ground as they exploded on impact, leaving a crater in the ground.

Sentinel: 750 Siege: 1300

"Looks like we're going to need some help if we going to take Siege down" Sentinel said, coughing out the water that had filled up his lungs as he struggled to get to his feet. Theodore nodded in response as he threw a green spherical bakugan onto the field.

"Come, Bakugan Trap: Oragon!" Theodore yelled as Oragon transformed into his bakugan form.

"Time to even the playing field! Come, Bakugan Trap: Manta!" Dante said as he threw the cube-shaped bakugan trap onto the battlefield.

Sentinel/Oragon: 1020 Siege/Manta: 1450

"Ability Activate! Full Moon!" Oragon's eyes flashed a dark shade of purple before all the bakugan were covered in a purple aura, dropping their Gs back to their base levels.

Sentinel/Oragon: 970 Siege/Manta: 800

"Hey! That's not fair!" Dante yelled, stomping his feet on the ground.

"I wasn't going to just hand you the advantage. Besides, no one said you had to play fair when brawling" Theodore smirked.

"No matter. I'm still winning this thing. Ability Activate! Manta Ray!" Dante said through gritted teeth. Manta charged up some energy in her mouth and tail before shooting it towards Oragon and Sentinel, the two beams combining as they neared their targets.

Sentinel/Oragon: 670 Siege/Manta: 800

"Sentinel, Ability Activate! Diamond Edge!" Sentinel's wings shifted into a hard diamond substance before shielding himself and Oragon from the combined power of the beam. "Now it's our turn to take the advantage. Double Ability Activate! Destiny Flight plus Reaper's Void!"

Sentinel charged up a purple sphere of energy in his hands while Oragon shot up off the ground, his index finger pointed to the sky as dark clouds formed over the battlefield and flashes of purple could be seen every few seconds. Sentinel yelled as arrow-shaped tendrils shot out from the ball, while at the same time, purple lightning shot down from the sky, curtesy of Oragon. The lightning then wrapped itself around the purple beams, strengthening the attack as it collided with the two bakugan, sending multiple jolts of electricity into their bodies as they were sent flying back.

Sentinel/Oragon: 970 Siege/Manta: 400

"Master, with the way things are going, it seems that it'll just end up like the last battle" Siege said as the he and Manta struggled to rise from the attack. "At this rate, we may have to use that ability card if we even stand a chance of winning."

"Are you sure, Siege? Even if we use it, we can't guarantee that we can win even with that ability card played, and you know what happens after it runs out" Dante said, a worried tone evident in his voice.

"At this rate, it's our only hope" Siege said.

"Hey, are you guys going to battle or what?" Sentinel said, wanting the battle to continue.

"Are you ready, Manta?" Siege said, turning towards his partner, who only nodded her head in confirmation.

"Okay Siege. Let's do this. Ability Activate! Aquos Formation!" Dante yelled. Siege and Manta were covered in a light blue aura as they collided into each other, and a bright light engulfed the entire battlefield. When the light died down, only Siege was left standing, with some minor changes. Siege was not holding his shield in his right hand anymore, Manta was now attached to Siege's back, with her tail wrapped around his trident. Some light blue tribal markings were also engraved all over his armor.

Sentinel/Oragon: 970 Siege: 600

"Okay, Siege. Let's do this. Ability Activate! Collaboration Ability: Delta Dragon!" The water from the dome wrapped around Siege, forming a water dragon like Tri Dragon Storm. However, the noticeable difference was the dragon was now larger in size, and hard blue rings wrapped around it.

"Holy—" Sentinel was barely able to finish the sentence when the water dragon crashed into him and Oragon, knocking them both through a number of buildings, knocking all the wind out of them. Sentinel clutched his stomach as he struggled to his feet, his eyes glued to Siege who was slowly making his way towards them.

Sentinel/Oragon: 570 Siege: 1000

"Theodore, DO SOMETHING!" Sentinel yelled.

"Ability Activate! Soul Tempest: Leaf Hurricane!" Sentinel was covered in a light green aura as he got to his feet, before disappearing from Siege's view. However, the now more powerful Siege was better prepared, and managed to grasp Sentinel's foot before it even connected with his jaw, stunning both Sentinel and his partner.

"WHAT?! How was he even able to stop that?!" Sentinel yelled as he was lifted off the ground by his leg.

"This form of Siege has way more power than when he is in his base form, so don't take us lightly" Dante grinned. "Ability Activate! Collaboration Ability: Razor Overkill!" Three water sharks formed behind Siege and began to spin around before forming a gigantic shark, which smashed into Sentinel, sending him down to the ground where it formed a large crater on impact, boulders of concrete flying around everywhere.

Sentinel/Oragon: 350 Siege: 1300

"Got any more of your petty attack to try out?" Dante taunted, causing Theodore to growl lowly as he crushed the card in his hand.

"Ability Activate! Velocity Burst!" Oragon was covered in a fiery green aura before he charged towards Siege, intending to end the battle right there. However, his efforts were in vain as Siege managed to block all his blows before grabbing him by the throat and slamming him into the ground.

"Ability Activate! Collaboration Ability: Knight's Honour: Crystal Shard Decimation!" Siege's trident was covered in a blazing blue aura and the material shifted from metal to diamond as he shoved his trident into Oragon's stomach, knocking him out of the battle.

Sentinel: 50 Siege: 1400

"Time to finish this. Ability Activate! Collaboration Ability: Knight's Honour: Excalibur's Will!" The raging blue aura around Siege's trident spread around his whole body as he hovered a few metres above Sentinel, who was still lying on the ground in pain.

"Got any last words before we blast your bakugan into oblivion?" Dante said.

"Just five. Gate card, open! Ventus Barrier!" Theodore said just before Siege's trident had made contact with Sentinel. There was a loud explosion, and Dante was looking hopeful, but as the smoke began to clear, he noticed a light green barrier that had shielded Sentinel from the blow.

Sentinel: 400 Siege: 500

"What?! NO!" Dante groaned as Siege fell on one knee, Manta knocked out of the battlefield as he panted heavily, clutching his chest. "How were you able to counter Siege's ultimate move."

"The gate card Ventus Barrier not only shields my bakugan from the opponent's attack, but it also transfers the energy from the attack into my bakugan" Theodor grinned, ability card at the ready as Sentinel got to his feet. "Now, time to end this this. Ability Activate! Soul Tempest: Final Judgement!" The entire battlefield was engulfed in darkness, the only visible light radiating from Sentinel's hands and feet, which were covered in a fiery green aura with purple wisps. With a loud battle cry, Sentinel charged forward, unleashing a barrage of punches and kicks on Siege as he knocked the Aquos bakugan out of the battle, securing their victory.

Sentinel: 900 Siege: 200(K.O)

"I… lost…" Dante said sadly, falling to his knees as Siege landed by his feet, tears forming in his eyes. He could hear someone walking towards him, but didn't think much about it.

"Hey, don't sweat it. You pretty much gave me a run for money in the last round" Theodore said. "If I hadn't remembered about my gate card and used it at the last second, I would've been toast for sure. Besides, shouldn't you be happy? You gave it all you got, that's the most important part. Now you know where your limits lie and how you focus your time on improving your flaws."

Dante looked up with tear stained eyes to see Theodore hold out his hand towards him. Dante allowed a smile to form on his face as he picked Siege off the ground and shook Theodore's hand. "Next time, I'll win for sure. Believe it!" Dante said with a toothy grin.

"I'll be waiting" Theodore said, matching Dante's grin.

"There you have it folks. Dante Pierce and the winner of the First Round, Theodore James!" the announcer said, the crowd erupting in applause as the two brawlers left the stadium.

"Ability Activate! Sonic Blaze!"

"Ability Activate! Jungle Spirit!"

Streak-Blazer rushed towards Lazuli at lightning fast speed, throwing wild punches towards the Haos bakugan, who had dodged all the blows with her ability enhanced speed.

Streak-Blazer: 850 Lazuli: 750

"Ability Activate! Ancient Power!" Amy said. Streak-Blazer was covered in a blazing red aura, which was then transferred to her arm as it formed a gigantic fireball in her palms. Streak-Blazer let out a loud cry as she released the fireball.

"Ability Activate! Electroburst!" Chinatsu said. Lazuli charged up a ball of blue electricity in her maw before firing, colliding with the fireball as it created a cloud of smoke in the middle of the field.

Streak-Blazer: 1150 Lazuli: 900

Dang it, we're not going to get anywhere like this, Amy thought as she threw in a parallelogram-shaped prism onto the battlefield. "Come, Bakugan Trap: Chartah!"

Chinatsu, mirroring her opponent's tactics, threw her cube-shaped bakugan trap onto the battlefield. "Come Bakugan Trap: Fencer!"

Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1450 Lazuli/Fencer: 1250

"You're looking for a death wish if you send out your bakugan trap" Amy said. "Don't you remember what happened the last time both our bakugan were on the battlefield?"

"This time it's going to be different" Chinatsu said. "Ability Activate! Sword Ravager!" Fencer's sword began to glow white as he charged towards Chartah. However, despite his best efforts, Chartah's was able to dodge his swings, in the end just tiring himself out.

Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1050 Lazuli/Fencer: 1250

"Now it's our turn. Gate card, open! Pyrus Arena!" Amy shouted as the ground beneath them began to rumble before streams of lava shot out from the ground, forming a ring of lava around them.

Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1250 Lazuli/Fencer: 1250

Ability Activate! Phoenix Hell Cannon!" Streams of fire were released from Chartah's spots as she sprinted towards Fencer, the flames wrapping around her frame as she spun around, leaving a trail of glass behind her due to the intensity of the flames. Chartah smashing into Fencer—who had just managed to put his shield up to defend himself, lessening the damage from the blow.

Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1520 Lazuli/Fencer: 1050

"Now, Lazuli-san. Ability Activate! Soft Paws!" Lazuli's ran towards Chartah, her palms covered in a yellow aura as she threw a number of palm attacks at the Pyrus Bakugan Trap, before finishing off with a strong kick to the ribs, sending her tumbling towards Streak-Blazer's position.

Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1320 Lazuli/Fencer: 1250

"Playing dirty now, huh? Then I guess we'll just have to do the same" Streak-Blazer said.

"Ability Activate! Infinite Blaze!" Streak-Blazer was covered in a fiery aura, which she began to channel into her palms, forming a gigantic fireball. Letting out a fierce battle cry, she released the fireball from her grasp, sending it straight towards Lazuli. The attack brought the combined power levels of Lazuli and Fencer down to 850Gs.

"Not so fast. Ability Activate! Emperor's Shield!" Fencer jumped in front of Lazuli, erecting a yellow hexagonal barrier around them just before the fireball hit, rendering the attack useless while also bringing their Gs back up to 1250Gs. However, just as soon as the barrier dropped, Chartah lunged towards the two Haos bakugan.

"Surprise! Ability Activate! Dragon's Roar!" Chartah grinned before letting out a fierce roar, red shockwaves shooting spewing out her mouth.

"LAZULI-SAN! FENCER!" Chinatsu shouted in horror as the shockwaves grew in size, hitting their intended targets as the attack sent them skidding backwards.

Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1620 Lazuli/Fencer: 1050

"Keep them coming, Amy" Streak-Blazer grinned.

"Who said I was going to stop? Ability Card Activate! Poison Fang!" Streak-Blazer shot forward, sinking her purple aura-encased fangs into Lazuli's neck before she had a chance to recover from the previous attack, poisoning her.

Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1850 Lazuli/Fencer: 850

"LAZULI-SAN!"Chinatsu said as she rushed towards her fallen partner.

"C-Chinatsu, stay calm and keep your head in the g-game. We n-need to destroy the g-gate card first before w-we do anything e-else" Lazuli said as she struggled to get to her feet. Chinatsu nodded, just barely holding back the tears in her eyes.

"Okay, Lazuli-san. Ability Activate! Chi Block!" Lazuli—despite being weakened from the last attack, adding to the fact that she was also poisoned—got to her feet, her palms glowing yellow as she thrust her palms to the ground, shattering the gate card beneath her.

Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1320 Lazuli/Fencer: 850

"Fencer, are you ready?" Lazuli said, earning a nod from the Bakugan Trap.

"Now the real fun begins" Streak-Blazer said, a sadistic grin forming on her face.

"Double Ability Activate! Electro Slash plus Sword Ravager!" Chinatsu said. Lazuli ran towards Streak-Blazer, her claws growing longer and surrounded in electric sparks as she swung her claws wildly at the Pyrus bakugan. However, due to the poison currently coursing her body, she was significantly slower, allowing Streak-Blazer to easily dodge her blows. On the other side, Fencer was swinging his sword at Chartah, hoping to land a blow, but ended up with similar results as Chartah dispatched the Haos Bakugan Trap with relative ease.

Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 620 Lazuli/Fencer: 1150

"Are you done yet?" Streak-Blazer taunted. "Now that you're done with your little show, it's time so show you true power. Amy, would you kindly do the honours?"

"Don't mind if I do. Double Ability Activate! Phoenix Hell Cannon plus Blazing Fury" Amy said. Streak-Blazer was concealed in a fiery red aura and Chartah was releasing jets of fire from her spots as they charged into their respective opponents, the latter knocking the Haos Bakugan Trap out of the battle.

Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1020 Lazuli: 350

"Lazuli-san!" Chinatsu said, watching her partner get knocked to the ground for the second time that battle.

"Looks like the poison in her bloodstream is beginning to take full effect" Streak-Blazer smirked, folding her arms as her gaze locked onto the Haos bakugan, who was currently struggling to get to her feet.

"It's even a miracle that she's still moving at this point, but I guess your bakugan's got heart. Although, I guess by the next move, your bakugan will be unable to battle judging her current state" Amy added on.

"Lazuli-san, there's no point in trying to continue, the poison is already deep in your body and you can barely stand" Chinatsu said.

"No!" Lazuli said, still trying to get to her feet, but collapsed back to the ground.

"Look at the state you're in. You can barely stand, let alone move. How can you even defeat them if you can't even move?" Chinatsu said, the faint traces of hope dwindling from her mind.

"As long as I'm still on the battlefield, I won't give up. I promised Citra that I'd take care of you, and look at how far we've gone together" Lazuli said, finally finding the strength she needed as she stood up from the sandy ground. "As long as I'm still on this battlefield, there's no way I'm going to let you throw away what we've worked so hard to achieve."

"Lazuli-san…" Chinatsu trailed off as she saw her bakugan take a fighting stance, despite the odds not being in her favour.

"I hate to break up your little love fest, but we have a battle to finish" Streak-Blazer said as Chinatsu got to her feet.

"Don't worry. We're ready" Chinatsu said, the bangs in her hair shadowing her eyes.

"Well, why don't we just wrap this up? Ability Activate! Phoenix Hell Cannon!" Chartah rushed forward, the flames that were shooting out of her spots wrapping around her as she spun around, intending to finish the battle right then and there.

Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1220 Lazuli: 150

"Ability Activate! Frightful Roar!" Chinatsu said, a determined look in her eyes as she pressed an ability card on the screen. Lazuli let out a loud roar as yellow shockwaves shot out from her mouth, stopping Chartah from her advancements while also knocking her out of the battlefield.

Streak-Blazer: 950 Lazuli: 600

"What?! That's not possible! How are you still standing?!" Streak-Blazer said, now showing signs of fear.

It's because of the bond that Lazuli-san and I share, and the will to keep going even though the odds are against us. It doesn't matter whether we win or lose, but now that we're so close I can't give up now, Chinatsu thought, letting a small smile form on her lips. Instantly, her glove was engulfed in a bright light, and when the light died down, an ability card died appeared in her hands. However, it wasn't just any ability card. It was a light yellow ability card with a silver trim and yellow tribal markings on the corners of the cards. For some odd reason, Chinatsu knew that the only way she was going to win was through this card.

"Ability Activate! Saber Overdrive!" Lazuli felt a burst of power course through her body as she was engulfed in a fierce yellow aura, which made her features become more ferocious. Her claws and canines had grown longer, and she had silver tribal markings all over her body. Growling loudly, she sprinted forward towards Streak-Blazer at unimaginable speeds.

"No, it can't end like this!" Streak-Blazer said as she tried to dodge the incoming blow, but was too slow as Lazuli pierced through her body, knocking her out of the battlefield.

Streak-Blazer: 550(K.O) Lazuli: 1100

Lazuli roared triumphantly as she returned to her ball form, landing in her partner's hands. "That was amazing, Chinatsu. Now I truly know why Citra chose me to protect you" Lazuli said, causing Chinatsu to tear up at the compliment.

"There you have it folks. Amy Foster and our winner of the first round, Chinatsu Tanaka!" the announcer said.

Sorry if this chapter is "a bit" lengthy, but the words just kept flowing through the document, and by the time I was done I realized I had written over 17000 words, and I didn't want to cut it because I already had a cool storyline planned out for Chapter 8. I promise I will try and update frequently because I've put this chapter off for so long. Whether you like it or hate it, you can do all that in the reviews, but until next time, Skyrider is out. Before I forget, here is a list of all the ability cards I had changed for Sentinel:

Demonic Ascension-Previously 'Undead Power'

Soul Tempest: Final Judgement-Previously 'Ventus Night'

Reaper's Void-Previously 'Darkening Glow'

Spiral Shatter-'Tornado Missile'

Soul Tempest: Leaf Hurricane-Previously 'Angelic Storm' with some changes