The buzz of the plaza hadn't settled yet. The echoes of Hikaru's clean victory were still lingering as Bladers murmured, some packing up, others staying, sensing that Metal City's pulse hadn't fully quieted.
At the exit gate, Hikaru Hasama stepped through the threshold.
But before she could take another step, a voice cut through the background noise, loud—not in volume—but in presence.
"Aarav. You and me. Right now."
Hikaru's foot halted mid-step.
She turned, her gaze sharpening.
Benkei Musashibou stood at the plaza's entrance.
His silhouette was unmistakable, broad-shouldered, confident. But there was a difference today. The usual wild grin was gone. The boisterous posturing replaced by a quiet resolve.
Dark Bull H145SD was clipped firmly to his belt, and every step he took towards the center of the plaza was deliberate. There was no audience-seeking. No loud bravado.
He wasn't here for noise.
He was here for a battle that had to happen.
The plaza's attention shifted.
Gingka, leaning against a railing, smiled as he nudged Kenta. "Looks like Benkei's finally here for real."
Kenta's eyes widened. "He's challenging Aarav?"
Madoka's hands were already on her device, scanning Benkei's approach. "He's not here to play."
And then, the plaza quieted as Benkei stopped right in front of Aarav.
The two stood face-to-face.
No crowd circle. No announcing. Just two Bladers standing in front of each other.
Benkei unclipped Dark Bull, holding it firmly. His tone was firm, grounded. "Aarav. We haven't battled yet. Let's fix that."
Aarav's response was simple.
He unclipped Phoenix.
He didn't need to say a word.
Challenge accepted.
At the edge of the plaza, Hikaru remained still. She folded her arms, shifting her weight onto one leg, eyes narrowing as she watched.
This wasn't the typical Metal City challenge where noise preceded the spin.
This was something else.
Benkei and Aarav moved to the stadium.
No words. No taunts.
The air felt different now.
It wasn't tension filled with hype.
It was weight—like the space between two mountains just before they collide.
Gingka leaned forward, watching with a grin. "Benkei's not swinging wild anymore. He's walking in like a Blader who knows what he wants."
Kenta was practically bouncing beside him. "I've never seen Benkei like this!"
Madoka's focus was on her scanner. "This is going to be different from anything we've seen."
As Benkei stood on his side of the stadium, gripping his launcher, he exhaled, clearing his thoughts.
All his solo training, all those hours of refining Bull's Uppercut, weren't for reclaiming a lost reputation.
He just wanted to battle Aarav.
To see if his spin could stand against him.
Aarav, on the opposite side, was silent. His calm wasn't forced. His grip on his launcher was relaxed yet precise.
He was ready.
The crowd, once murmuring, had gone silent.
It wasn't fear. It wasn't hype.
It was respect.
Because sometimes, you don't need noise to know when a real battle is about to begin.
Hikaru's gaze sharpened.
She wasn't here to analyze. She wasn't here to judge.
But her instincts told her this battle was necessary.
Two Bladers—one forged through quiet persistence, the other through power refined by discipline.
This wasn't about noise. This wasn't about glory.
It was about the spin.
Benkei's inner monologue was clear.
"I've battled strong Bladers. I've lost, I've trained. But Aarav… I need to know. Can I reach him?"
On Aarav's side, no such thoughts echoed.
His clarity was simple.
If a challenge is given, you respond.
Not with words.
But with the Beyblade.
The stadium's automated system beeped.
"Battle Mode: Standard. Preparing Countdown."
Gingka folded his arms, eyes fixed.
Madoka's screen glowed softly as she locked onto both blades' spin stats.
Kenta couldn't hold back a grin. "This is it."
The voice rang out.
"3…"
Benkei's grip tightened. His knuckles whitened not from tension, but readiness.
Aarav's hand remained loose, relaxed, yet in complete sync with Phoenix's weight.
"2…"
Hikaru's eyes didn't blink.
Gingka smirked.
Kenta held his breath.
Madoka's eyes flickered between the screen and the stadium.
"1…"
Both launchers locked in that frozen moment.
Aarav's calm presence meeting Benkei's focused strength.
"Let it—"